December 11, 2022
Matthew 11:2-11 and James 5:7-10 I was given the advice once by a fellow pastor, “Never pray and ask God to teach you patience; he might give you children.” I guess it’s too late for that. What is patience? The Greek word for it in the New Testament basically meant “slow to anger.” It means… Read More »
December 4, 2022
Matthew 3:1-12 and Romans 15:4-13 John is preaching in the wilderness. In the Scriptures, wilderness is primarily a place of preparation. God sends people to the wilderness to get them ready for the work he has ahead of them. And John is preaching there because he is tasked with getting people ready for the coming… Read More »
November 27, 2022
Matthew 24:36-44 and Romans 13:11-14 Jesus declares, unequivocally, “No one knows the day or hour.” This means two things: First, don’t try to figure it out. Don’t waste your time trying to figure out if this or that means Christ is coming back soon. Second, don’t pay any attention to those who claim they have… Read More »
November 20, 2022
Colossians 1:11-20 and Luke 23:33-43 I want to start with that text from Colossians this morning. This is one of the richest texts in the New Testament and an excellent choice for Christ the King Sunday. It begins with Paul’s prayer for the Colossian church. He reminds them of all that Christ has done for… Read More »
November 13, 2022
Isaiah 65:17-25 and Luke 21:5-19 Jesus’ disciples could not help but be impressed by the Temple. And with good reason. From the accounts that have survived from antiquity, it was quite an impressive structure. Now, this was not Solomon’s Temple, the one we read about in the Old Testament books of Kings and Chronicles. That… Read More »
November 6, 2022
Luke 20:27-38 This is part of a section in Luke’s Gospel where the religious elites are trying to trip up Jesus, catch him in his words. Jesus’ triumph over their scheming is meant to show him to be a true prophet, one who knows the truth. And now it is the Sadducees who are out… Read More »
October 30, 2022
Luke 19:1-10 Before we get into the text, let’s pause to remember the context. Last Sunday’s sermon was on Jesus’ parable in Luke 18 about the Pharisee and the tax collector, in which the surprising conclusion is that the humble tax collector is justified before God, not the oh-so-sure-of-his-own-righteousness Pharisee. This story should be seen… Read More »
October 23, 2022
Luke 18:9-14 We often give the Pharisees a hard time, and not without good reason. They certainly had their faults. But it’s important to remember they were seen as “spiritual rock stars” by most first century Hebrew people. The Pharisees emerged as a religious group in the middle of the second century BC. They were… Read More »