Sermon: Love One Another (Pt. 2)

Love One Another, Pt. 2 1 John 3:15-18 February 2, 2014 The story, an open secret in the crowded nylon city of Mount Everest base camp, trickled out from the high Himalayas: A British mountaineer desperate for oxygen had collapsed along a well-traveled route to the summit. Dozens of people walked right past him, unwilling […]

Sermon: Love One Another (Pt. 1)

Love One Another, Pt. 1 1 John 3:11-24 January 26, 2014 It’s a story I’ve told before, but it’s a good one… Paul Tripp has written of himself — “When I got married, I did what every other groom does. I repeated vows to my wife that said I would love her sacrificially all the […]

Sermon: Essential Truths for Assurance

Essential Truths for Assurance Selected Scriptures from 1 John 1-3 January 19, 2014 One essential for learning is repetition. Few of us memorize a Bible verse the first time we see it. We go over it again and again. We write it down, read it in our Bibles, review it on notecards, look it up […]

Sermon: “Teach Me, Lord”

“Teach Me, Lord:” A Prayer for God’s Word to Do Its Work Psalm 119:33-40 January 12, 2014 I have been using some kind of “read through the Bible in a year” plan for longer than I can remember. I’ve read through the Bible chronologically (like we’re doing this year); I’ve used the Navigator “Book-at-a-time” plan […]

Sermon: What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name Selected Scriptures from Mt. 1-2; Luke 1-2 December 22, 2013 When Raye Jeanne was pregnant with the girls, we spent many hours reading names back and forth to one another, trying to come up with something that we thought sounded right and would be fitting for our unknown child. At the […]

Sermon: Sin, Righteousness, and the Believer (Pt. 2)

Sin, Righteousness, and the Believer (Pt. 2) 1 John 3:4-10 December 15, 2013 The story is told about Calvin Coolidge — nicknamed “Silent Cal” for his reticence to talk — that after returning to the White House from attending worship one Sunday morning he was asked by his wife Grace about the sermon. “It was […]

Sermon: Sin, Righteousness, and the Believer, Pt 1

Sin, Righteousness, and the Believer, Pt. 1 1 John 3:4-10 November 17, 2013 I was in college the first time I remember reading 1 John seriously. I’m sure I read the book before my college years; but it was in my freshman year that I really began to grow in Christ in a significant way. […]

Sermon: Christ in Us

The Message of the Cross: Christ in Us Galatians 2:20-21 October 27, 2013 (Communion Sunday) There are many ways to talk about the cross of Christ. Over the years I’ve not only preached the crucifixion passages, but I’ve also preached many other sermons relating to the effects and accomplishments of the cross. We’ve seen how […]

Sermon: Children of God

Children of God 1 John 3:1-3 October 20, 2013 Say the words “family” or “father,” and not everyone has a positive response. A few examples: Former NFL coach Buddy Ryan was known for his intensity and explosive temper. He learned well from his father. Leaving Korea as a master sergeant and coming home, “he saw […]

Sermon: We Give Thanks to God

We Give Thanks to God Colossians 1:3-8 October 13, 2013 Picture Charlie Brown sitting at a desk and writing. In the second panel he utters the single word, “Rats,” and crumples up the paper. It joins a large pile of crumpled up pieces of paper in the third panel. And in the final panel he […]

Sermon: Abide in Christ

Abide in Christ 1 John 2:28-29 October 6, 2013 One of the hardest things in life is perseverance. Sticking with a project. Not quitting. That’s true of the spiritual life as well. It’s easy to want to quit. Life circumstances pile up on us and we become heavy-hearted and weary. It’s not that we’re overtly […]

Sermon: The Spirit’s Protection

The Spirit’s Protection Against Spiritual Deception 1 John 2:26-27 September 29, 2013 It’s always good to have a little protection — that’s why we have health and life and disability and car and house insurance, among others. But we don’t always realize the things that are protecting us. Like the little sister of Patricia Opfel. […]