The Master Craftsman Rightly Handling the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:14-26)
Paul directs Timothy to one of the most important resources available to him for both strength and instruction; God’s Word.
Don’t Give Up! (5 Reasons to Endure)
Don’t’ Give Up. The encouragement to endure is an important and timely message for our day. Currently, the covid virus is surging again. Our politics are as divided as ever, hurricanes and fires strike our coastal areas, and there are several social problems within our communities. These things and the many other daily worries add stress to our…
Using the questions asked by Jesus for Spiritual Renewal
Something has to change. Today is the first Sunday in the new year, 2021. Today, most of us would like this year to be a different sort of year than last year (2020). As Christians, followers of Jesus, there are certain things we should be in prayer for as we start this new year. We…
“Behold, I bring you good news of GREAT JOY.”
I have a Christmas story trick question for you. What were the shepherds commanded to do? They were commanded to do two things, and one was NOT to go and visit the Christ child. They did that on their own. Both commands are in Luke 2:10, which reads, “And the angel said to them, “Fear…
The Sign of the Savior’s Birth (Luke 2:1-20)
Have you ever thought about how obscene was the power of Caesar Augustus? The description of Jesus’ birth in the Gospel of Luke begins with a man, the emperor of Rome, decreeing that a census is to be taken of people he has never seen, nor will ever meet. Luke 2:1-7 reads, “1 In those…
The Gospel of Matthew’s Use of Prophecy to Describe the Messiah (Matthew 1-2)
Prophecy is often only viewed as an indicator or proof of Jesus being the Christ. The unique way Matthew uses prophecy also shows us what it means for Jesus to be the Christ. This study aims to look at the four prophecies that Matthew quotes as a means of understanding the meaning of Jesus’ Birth.…
The Three Miracles of Christmas that Changed the World (Luke 1:26-38).
Why is Christmas so important? The Christmas season points to a historical event that has changed our world, the birth of Christ. Surrounding this birth are three miracles that define why Christmas is so important. These miracles point us to God’s remarkable work for you and me.
Longing for a Better World and the Meaning of Christmas
The year 2020 has been a year of great pain and distress. In our hurt, we long for a better world. The Christmas season is a reminder that it is into this world of hurt Christ was born and not only shares our heartache, but he also exchanges it with his joy.
Crying Out and Giving Thanks to the Lord (Psalm 107)
This month, November 2020, is the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival to the New World’s shores. During the first year, their numbers go from 102 people in the new colony to only 53. They suffered much. Psalm 107 is the Psalm that gave direction to their lives both as they arrived in the New…
Beholding the Glory of the Lord (Revelation 1:9-20)
The first command of the Book of Revelation is to “behold.” Revelation 1:7 reads, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” The command is the word Behold, which means…
The First Command of Revelation (Revelation 1:1-8)
“Which book of the Bible was written to encourage the church?” There are many books of scripture written to encourage people. Still, I think the most encouraging book in the Bible for God’s people in a time of chaos, persecution, and discouragement is the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is the final word…
The Heart of the Gospel (Galatians 6:11-18)
There is a saying that you have probably used at least once in your life; it goes like this, “It’s the thought that counts.” This saying is used when something not very good is done, but there is a recognized intention behind the effort that shifts the meaning of the act. A great example of this in…
Four Questions to ask your Soul (Galatians 6:1-10)
Several years ago, I read a book called Christianity Rediscovered, an Epistle to the Masai by Vincent Donovan. The book is about a missionary who went about the work of evangelism and church planting in a very different way among the Masai tribe of Kenya. What Donovan did was to go to a village and…
A Place of Refuge (Galatians 6:1-2)
“Brothers,if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2)” Whenever I teach the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, or Joshua, I like…
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11)
Do you ever feel powerless in the world? There was a time in young David’s life when his whole world crashed down on him. He was a rising star, immensely successful and popular, so famous that the King himself (Saul) gave David his daughter to marry. I am sure that David felt that all was…
An Everyday Prayer of Faith and Thanksgiving. (Psalm 118)
One of the great Psalms of the Bible is Psalm 118. Several things make this Psalm exceptional. Psalm 118 talks about God’s steadfast love, it describes the Lord’s salvation, it is a Psalm that calls us to worship and give thanks, it is often quoted in the New Testament, and it is the Psalm the…
Keeping In Step with the Spirit of God. (Galatians 5:16-26)
“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want…
The Identifying Marks of False and Faithful Teachers. (Galatians 5:7-12)
This morning, the passage that we come to in our study of Galatians is chapter 5, verses 7-12. Throughout the letter to the Galatians, Paul has talked about the false teachers who have come preaching a false gospel, a gospel that is Jesus plus. Jesus plus the law. Jesus plus your own righteousness. Jesus plus…
The Christian Ethic; Faith, Hope, and Love. (Galatians 5:1-6)
Galatians 5:1–6. “1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole…
Looking at the immensity of creation, do you matter? (Psalm 8)
Who are we? What does it mean to be a human? This is a question that is asked in Psalm 8 by the writer. Looking at the immensity of creation, do we matter? Psalm 8 begins by observing the majesty of God. It says “1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the…
When We Hide Behind A Mask
I hate wearing a mask to church. From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, people attending church are required to wear a mask and keep socially distant. There were a few weeks that we thought the pandemic was getting better, and we rolled back the second service requirement on the masks only to return it after virus…
The Allegory of Two Women, Two Sons, Two Covenants, and Two Cities (Galatians 4:21-5:1)
In Galatians 4:21-5:1, Paul does something that he very rarely does; he uses allegory. Allegorical interpretation of scripture is not normative for Paul, and for that matter, should not be normative for us. An allegorical interpretation is when a story becomes a symbol that represents something else. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an allegory by C.S.…
Answering Love’s Question (Galatians 4:12-20)
What does it mean to love? This is one of the questions that I ask a bride and groom who come to me and ask me to perform their wedding ceremony. Other questions include, “why do you desire to get married when in today’s world, the norm is not to marry?” And, “why do you seek to…
Delivered from the Weak and Worthless Elements (Galatians 4:8-11)
Introduction: The Scripture today is Galatians 4:8-11. The reason I am focusing on just a few verses this morning is that in these verses, Paul is making a connection between legalism (adding to the work of Jesus) and idolatry. It is a profound connection that needs to be heard today. Idolatry is not an ancient religion or a problem…
The Father’s Embrace through the Spirit. (Galatians 4:1-7)
“1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But…
The Unseen Footprints of God (Psalm 77)
When do you pray? I am not talking about the time of day, but what motivates you to pray? When do you pray? I find that there are four times that I tend to pray. First, there are routines in my life that involve prayer. I pray during my personal study of scripture. I pray at meal times, and at set…
“You Are All One in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-29)
Our scripture today is the end of the 3rd chapter of Galatians, Galatians 3:26-29. Since Easter we have been in the book of Galatians on this Sunday before the 4th of July we come to a very important passage that needs to be heard. I am going to read this passage, and then will go into an introduction of…
An Unjust Death (Galatians 3:1-3)
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by…
A Soul Strengthened in the Midst of Trouble
What do you do when you are anxious or discouraged about life in general? During this Covid-19 pandemic a lot of attention has been devoted to help people deal with stress and anxiousness that the shutdown has caused. The things I have seen have included activities like increased binge watching tv, yoga meditation, and various…
In Step with the Truth of the Gospel (Galatians 2:11-14)
Paul confronts Peter in Antioch. That is the context of Galatians 2:11-14. Last week we looked at Galatians 2:1-10, where Paul travels to Jerusalem in defense of the gospel, the free gift of God given to both Jew and Gentile – achieved, worked for and given through the Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus gave himself for…
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Concerning the Word of Life 