Sermons from 2023 (Page 3)

Spiritual Depression

We join the Psalmist in Psalms 42 and 43 as he sings through external tragedy, internal despondency, and wrestling with God, and clinging to Christ.
low angle view of cross against sky at night

Friends and Enemies of Jesus

Join Jesus for dinner at the home of Simon the Leper in John 12. We will learn something of what it means to be a friend and child of Jesus, and what it means to be an enemy of Jesus. In Mary, Lazarus, and Martha: what it looks like to love and serve the Lord; in Judas, what it looks like to only love and serve self.
low angle view of cross against sky at night

Acts 20

Brad relays to us Paul’s final charge to the Ephesian elders in his last sermon to the church.
low angle view of cross against sky at night

Devoted To The Fellowship (Acts 2:42-47)

When people are asked to describe the church they often use terms very different from Luke’s description here in Acts 2:42-47. The church is no longer known for its commitment to the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, but whether it is aligned with cultural norms. The church is not generally considered to be a loving community, but an exclusive and bigoted community. The sacraments are rare and often practiced with apology. And many churches spend more time on their announcements…

A Better Covenant (Hebrews 7:20-28)

Few things better illustrate anticipation than a child on his way to Disneyland. Yet, by the end of the day, there are fewer places where you will hear more whining and complaining than Disneyland. Life is full of examples when reality does not live up to our expectations. We build up our goals and spend so much energy trying to achieve them, only to be left disappointed that the reward was not worth the effort.  It is difficult to imagine…

A Better Hope (Hebrews 7:4-19)

When Marshall McLuhan argued that “the media is the message,” he was suggesting that you cannot separate the content of the message from the means by which it is received. He emphasized the fact that new technology can change the values and norms of society over time. The means through which we approach God is critical to our understanding of the content of his revelation. The means by which the Old Testament saints approached God was different. While they belonged…

The King Of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:1-3)

When a writer for a Christian magazine asked N.T. Wright which books were the most important in his thinking and work, he told them it was the reference works that he always keeps near his desk. He noted how the dictionaries and encyclopedias, especially those dealing with the original languages, help bring the darkness of another world to light. I probably would not have answered that way, but I think he makes a great point. I might miss those reference…