Romans 9 contains what appears to be a preposterous statement; it is so audacious that Paul affirms in three ways that he is speaking the truth, that this really is what he longs for and wants (Rom. 9:1): were it possible to pray for his own damnation in exchange for the salvation of his kindred […]
Read More A consideration of HellGospel Longings Romans 9:1-5 May 26, 2019 What makes you sad? What makes your heart ache? What are your greatest sorrows? We likely have similar kinds of lists of sad things: Illness of a loved family member Cancer and terminal diseases in children (I was often profoundly sad walking halls of Cooks Hosp) Broken and […]
Read More Sermon: Gospel LongingsWe are quick to attribute to too many things that really aren’t great. A home run while perhaps being timely for your favorite baseball team, is not really great. A snow cone on an August afternoon in Texas will be refreshing, but given its short lifespan, should not be put in the category of great. […]
Read More God’s salvation is great because…God’s Great Gospel Romans 1-8 May 19, 2019 Today we close the book on Romans 8. That means we are halfway through this great letter. It means that we are transitioning to the fourth major section in the book — the sovereignty of God (chs. 9-11). It means that we are leaving one of the […]
Read More Sermon: God’s Great GospelThe Character of Love 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 May 12, 2019 What is love?… One cartoon explained it this way: “Love is what one feels when one meets a person who has a very profound impact upon one, and meets all of one’s psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs.…It’s either that, or, when one’s heart goes pitter-patter.” […]
Read More Sermon: The Character of LoveRomans 8 is one of the most beloved chapters in Scripture. It speaks of the believer’s responsibility and ability to mortify sin. It speaks of the believer’s adoption to become sons of God. It speaks of the coming liberation from the sufferings of this world. It speaks of the intercessory prayer of both the Spirit […]
Read More Live by the Spirit by setting your mind on ChristThe Spirit, Sanctification, and Security Romans 8 May 5, 2019 When I go to the mountains, the last morning I am there I invariably go outside for one last round of pictures of those majestic hills. Then, as we leave the area — when my car is about to take me out of view of […]
Read More Sermon: The Spirit, Sanctification, and SecuritySuffering and the Love of Christ Romans 8:35-39 April 28, 2019 We have questions about love. We want to know what love will do. When we are in love (or think we are in love), we will ask questions like: Will the person I love return that love to me? Will the person I love […]
Read More Sermon: Suffering and the love of ChristLast year, our church elder board developed a policy for missions to determine what missions is and what kind of missionaries our church is committed to support and what our expectations are for ourselves and our missionaries in the missionary endeavor. The process was enlightening as we began to see the breadth of God’s passion […]
Read More A biblical mandate for missionsEarlier this month I took a trip to Siberia and Israel to teach biblical counseling with Pastor Dan Kirk and Eric Mock (SGA). I have traveled with these men previously and was particularly anticipating returning to one location in Siberia where we taught two years ago. The goal of the trip was two-fold: Finish a […]
Read More Reflections on my recent trip to Russia and IsraelSince Christ is Resurrected… Romans 8:33-34 April 21, 2019 Sometimes, when you are given a good gift, you don’t realize just how good that gift is: The first time someone gave us fresh eggs, I thought, “that’s nice…I like eggs…” And then I tasted them. Wow…the difference was remarkable! When I transferred seminaries in […]
Read More Sermon: Since Christ is Resurrected…What follows is the manuscript of the devotional given at our Good Friday worship service this evening. “It is finished.” “I’m done.” “It’s over.” When we use those words and say something is finished, we might mean one of several different things: We might mean we have simply endured a process — e.g., “the house […]
Read More “It is Finished” — a word of victoryWhen I take a trip somewhere without my wife, Raye Jeanne, as I recently did, I will remind her of some household essentials — repairs to the house that I have made or need to make, the status of our bills and check book, and similar items. As I leave my home in the morning, […]
Read More Final WordsSing the Song of Security Romans 8:31-33 March 24, 2019 Most of us probably don’t feel as secure as we did a few years (or decades) ago. When I was 8-years-old my family lived just north of downtown Dallas (not a good neighborhood now, or then), and on a Saturday morning, I would tell my […]
Read More Sermon: Sing the Song of SecuritySeveral years ago when I began a sermon on the early part of Ephesians chapter one, I said something like, “This morning we want to talk about God’s work in salvation, specifically His election of sinners to salvation. And as I said the word ‘election,’ some of you instinctively bowed up and already feel resistant […]
Read More Don’t I have a part in my salvation?
Words of Grace 