God’s merciful use of sin

You are aware of the saying, “You can be anything you want to be; you can do anything you want to do, if you just try hard enough.” I am intentionally working to burst bubbles and change thinking when I say, “Bologna.” That saying is just wrong. Completely wrong. And foolish. And deceiving. And hopeless […]

Sermon: God’s People? Saved! (Pt 2)

God’s People? Saved! (Pt 2) Romans 11:28-32 July 19, 2020 I like a good “who dunnit?” Sunday evenings, our family has enjoyed many hours of watching Masterpiece Mystery — Foyle’s War, Sherlock, Inspector Lewis, Miss Marple, Poirot, and Endeavour among them. I have read quite a few Agatha Christie mysteries, and other similar fare. In […]

Sermon: Failure and Faithfulness

Failure and Faithfulness Romans 11:11-16 June 28, 2020 The past four months of COVID-19 and unrighteous killings and riots have led to many questions, and few answers. Many questions have not just been asked about our political leaders, but also about God. All the questions about God might be summarized by three questions asked by […]

The usefulness of God’s faithfulness

God is faithful. Those three words carry an infinite weight of meaning. To say, “God is faithful” means just that — God is constant; He is always what He is. The meaning is not just that He is faithful to us, but that He is faithful to Himself. He is faithful to always be what […]

God doesn’t change

God doesn’t change. God hasn’t changed. God won’t change. God can’t change. God is what He is. God is what He always has been. And God will always be what He has always been. In contrast, our lives know only change. We get older (and weaker and ultimately, frail). Our children get older. Our job […]

Sermon: God Unchanging

God Unchanging Psalm 102:23-28 May 3, 2020 There are some constants in life — the proverbial death and taxes among them. Another constant is change. We can be certain that very few things in life are static; most things change. Among the changes in life are cultural norms. Consider the story of one John Fisher […]

God is with us. Always.

The kinds of questions children sometimes ask about God are not so different than the questions we have about God: Who created God? What does God look like? Why can’t we see God? How can Jesus fit in my heart? Why did God create Satan? Why do people get sick and die? Where is God? […]

Sermon: Our Infinite, Intimate God

Our Infinite, Intimate God Psalm 139 March 29, 2020 Loneliness is a common affliction. While living in an increasingly connected world, many feel increasingly disconnected relationally. As one secular writer noted a few years ago, “…if you’re an average American, you’re not nearly as connected to the people around you as your parents or grandparents […]

Sermon: What Happened???

What Happened??? Romans 11:7-10 March 8, 2020 I suppose that the most asked question in the universe is “why?” Because 2-4 year-olds ask that question so many times, no other question gets asked more often. But perhaps the next most-often asked question is, “what happened?” As in, “I just received this month’s credit card bill. […]

Sermon: What God Has Not Done (and Cannot Do)

What God Has Not Done (and Cannot Do) Romans 11:1-6 March 1, 2020 Rejection is hard. No one wants to be rejected and most people don’t like telling people, “No.” Sometimes saying, “no” is unavoidable, though. For instance, editors regularly have to tell authors “no” to book or article ideas. Here is how Brian Doyle, […]

Sermon: Seeing the God of Grace

Seeing the God of Grace Romans 1-10 February 23, 2020 Let me begin today with a couple of reflections and expressions of gratitude for your prayers and giving and encouragement for my recent trip to Ukraine and Israel to teach biblical counseling. I am grateful for the sufficiency and power of the Word. In Israel […]

The Help of God’s Eternal Nature

As far as life callings go, this one came late. He already had a significant career in public service when he went through his mid-life crisis at age 40. Some might have said that his experience at 40 was not a crisis, but a total breakdown. He was influential and well-known until his fortieth year, […]

Sermon: God is Faithful

God is Faithful Romans 9 September 29, 2019 This morning we come to the table of communion. This table is rightly called a table of remembrance. It is designed to remind us of things that we must not forget, that we cannot forget, that we dare not forget: We dare not forget our need for […]

Sermon: “It’s Not Fair!” A Question of God’s Righteousness (Pt 2)

“It’s Not Fair!” — A Question of God’s Righteousness (Part 2) Romans 9:14-26 September 8, 2019 The story of God’s justice is also a story of God’s mercy. God certainly is just. He certainly will not let the guilty go unpunished (Ex. 34:7). He will execute His wrath. He must. Because He is holy He […]

Sermon: “It’s Not Fair!” A Question of God’s Righteousness

“It’s Not Fair!” — A Question of God’s Righteousness Romans 9:19-23 September 1, 2019 In homes with children — especially young children — there is an often repeated declaration that particularly reveals the theology of the children: “It’s not fair.” When dad receives a larger portion of ice cream for dessert, “it’s not fair.” (The […]