Sermons from December 2021
Song Of Simeon
Christmas builds up a great amount of anticipation, and sometimes it ends in disappointment. We set our expectations on certain things only to find that what we got was not as nice as we envisioned. We all know what it is like to wait for something that fails to live up to our expectation. Or, we immediately desire something else that makes the previous object less satisfying. This happens a lot with goal setting. The reward for reaching a goal…
Angels, From The Realms Of Glory
I just finished an excellent book, 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, by Tony Rienke (2017). He opens his conclusion with the following, familiar routine. Today, tired after work, I opened Facebook on my phone, looking for a diversion. I flicked past a video of a cat that sounds like a crying child; then I saw a new study about gun control; then I saw an innovative new keyboard for tablets; then I read a story from the latest celebrity gossip;…
Once In Royal David’s City
The New Testament begins after 400 years of silence. It would have been a time when the church was asking: Where is God? It also begins during a historically significant time in Roman history. Rome had been entrenched in centuries of warfare and imperial expansion until Caesar Augustus ushered in 200 years of peace, known as the Pax Romana. The people were asking: Who needs God? In light of history, we are insignificant and powerless, yet we remain full of self-sufficient pride. God…
Redeeming Genealogies
Most commentaries recognize a transition point here in Nehemiah 7. One scholar even sees it as the climax of the book. I know, personally, I have been excited to preach the next chapter. From my perspective, we’re standing on the precipice of the pinnacle of Nehemiah. We have already seen a list of names in chapter three. Is there really much more that can be said that has not already been mentioned? This particular list—with minor exceptions—appears in Ezra 2. Why bore…