Something Greater

“Something Greater”Luke 11:29-36October 25, 2026 I’m guessing that most of you don’t know the name Otto Rohwedder. I’m also guessing that almost all of you have referenced his claim to fame. Rohwedder was an inventor and in the late 1920s he invented a machine that began to be used by the Chillicothe Baking Company in […]

Amazed by Christ?

“Amazed by Christ?”Luke 11:14-28October 18, 2026 What do people think about Christ? If they are like you, they will be a lover of Christ. But, there are many who don’t love Christ. And they will have other evaluations of Him (as you have heard): He is a good teacher, but He is not God: this […]

How to Be an Almost Follower of Christ

“How to Be an Almost Follower of Christ”Luke 9:57-62May 10, 2026 There is a kind of follower of Christ who is not a follower of Christ. Consider the crowds that followed Jesus; on one occasion, after He taught of the necessity of believing solely in Him and the Spirit’s role in bringing them to faith […]

“Questions to Unbelief”

Last Sunday I finished my message by reading a portion of a hymn by John Newton in which he addresses questions that arise in our hearts that tempt us to doubt — and the reminders we must give ourselves to fight those doubts. Here is the full text of the hymn, “Questions to Unbelief.” If […]

Rejecting God?

James Smithson was born in 1765 in France, the son of Hugh Percy (Smithson), a prominent and wealthy English duke, and Elizabeth Hungerford Keate Macie, a direct descendant of King Henry VII. A life of prominence would have awaited him apart from one other significant factor — his parents were not married at the time […]

So you might believe…

Yesterday I preached on the story of the father with the demon possessed son in Mark 9:14ff — “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (v. 24). Today I read a similar account of the death of Lazarus (Jn. 11) — a story that on the surface seems to be “faith crushing.” Yet our wise Savior […]

Grab bag

I came across these articles a while ago (some a few years ago) but they are still helpful: “I Know a Place…” is a good reminder about an essential place (and Person). Jeremiah 17:9 is often misused and misapplied leading to discouragement and even despair. John Piper helpful asks and answers, “Is the Christian’s Heart […]

Grab bag

Some helpful articles I’ve bookmarked recently (or not so recently): “I’ll See You in Court” (Jesse Johnson, The Cripplegate) — a helpful explanation of 1 Corinthians 6 and its application in lawsuits and insurance dilemmas. “Unmarried Sex Is Worse Than You Think” (TGC, Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra and Collin Hansen ) “The Conversation About Sex You […]

The danger of affirmation

We all like and long for approval. We desire affirmation. We want to be liked. We want the thumbs up of approval and the back slap of affirmation. We want to hear “good job” after a presentation, an “I’m impressed” after a house project, and a “you’re a great parent” from our parents when they […]

Sermon: Why People Don’t Believe in Christ

Why People Don’t Believe in Christ (And the Shocking Grace of God) Romans 10:16-21 December 1, 2019 The turkey is (probably) finished. There might still be a little leftover cranberry sauce. I know the pecan pie has been gone for at least two days. Thanksgiving is over. I hope it was an encouraging and reflective […]

Sermon: What Unbelievers Need

What Unbelievers Need to be Saved Romans 10:1-4 October 13, 2019 Unbelief is not unusual. Unbelief is — and always has been — far too typical and too common. Accounts of unbelief are well-known: French philosopher Voltaire is reputed to have said, “If a miracle occurred in the market place of Paris and in the […]

God and Exodus

A few theological thoughts about while doing today’s Bible reading (Exodus 5-8): Pharaoh’s initial response to Moses’ request to release the Israelites was similar to and a precursor to the way many unbeliever’s today reject God — “why should I do that? Who is God and why should I obey Him?” (Ex. 5:2) God actively […]

Why are there apostates?

The apostle John makes it clear that there are some in the church who claim faith in Christ who are not really believers in Christ. And when they leave the church they also leave the faith — they are apostate (1 Jn. 2:18-19). How does that happen? How do people become apostate? Why do people […]

Sunday Leftovers: When people leave the church

The apostle Paul spoke for all pastors when he reminded the Corinthians of the difficulty and burden of his ministry — imprisonments, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, long journeys, robbers, and hard work. Yet the greatest source of his concern was “the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my […]

Eternity for the unredeemed

It has become somewhat popular in certain spheres of Christendom to be apologetic about Hell. Not only do unbelievers ignore or even scoff at the realities of Hell, but even believers are prone to minimize what awaits those who reject Christ. But the Bible is unapologetically clear about the eternal future of the unredeemed (see especially […]