Posts from January 2024
The Law and New Life
One of the challenges of jumping into a sermon series is trying to figure out how to address everything that I want to address within a given passage because of the richness and depth of God’s word. There is a part of me that wants to spend a few weeks on only a few verses diving deep into scripture. But unfortunately, that is not an option in this season for this passage. But with such complex passages as Romans 6:15-23…
Who do you belong to?
There are different shapes that biblical sermons can take. The late great Haddon Robinson, who was a professor on preaching, talked about this in his book, Biblical Preaching. Among other shapes, Robinson talked about a sermon being a proposition to be proved, a principle to be applied, or an idea to be explained. It is that last shape that I believe Paul is utilizing in this section of the letter to the church in Rome. Though perhaps he wouldn’t have…
The Sin That Provokes God to Anger (A Lot) Part II
Read Part I If you recall, there was a time when Hezekiah became King of Judah, and the Bible said he was a good king. He did right in the eyes of God. He removed idols and destroyed idols. And it said right there in 2 Kings that he also destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made. Apparently, the Israelites burned incense to Moses’ bronze serpent, and I take this to mean that the Israelites were worshipping the bronze…
Why do we start a story with a question?
In the world of literature and writing, one of the ‘hooks’ that is often used in the opening line of a story or in the title of the book is a question. In the famous children’s story book “Charlottes Web,” the opening line is… “Where is papa going with that ax?” (as the spider is saving the life of the pig friend). I drove by a church property this week and on the reader board out front was a sermon…
The Sin That Provokes God to Anger (A Lot) Part I
We are now well into the third week of the new year. I cannot speak for you but for me, this year is unlike any other year in the past I can remember. I say this because I have not heard in the news nor on the television about making new year resolutions. No one on our staff has talked about them either. What about you? Year after year around January 1st, I hear people talk excitedly about their determination…
Elder Nomination
Annually, as prescribed in our church bylaws, LifeWay Church opens the opportunity to consider any new Elders that you as church members feel led to nominate. The window of opportunity to nominate new elders is now open. There will be a verbal announcement as well. This will be open for the next several weeks. We may or not receive any nominations as we are not bound to make sure we add any. However, God may be leading you to nominate…
Cheap Grace – Is the Gift from Jesus Christ a bargain?
I don’t know if this is a badge of honor or a mark of shame or somewhere in between, but many years ago I began doing garage sales shopping with my wife. At the beginning I tolerated it, and as time went on I really got into it. The reason is because I really found some amazing bargains for some things that I really needed and wanted. I’m not much of a general shopper but I really got into the…
Shame, Guilt and Grace
Shame: Was there a time in your life as a child that a parent said to you… “You should be ashamed of yourself! That is just NOT the way we behave!” Think back on that time and see if you can remember what it was that you should have been so ashamed of. We not only have had that said of ourselves, but we likely have said that statement to someone else. Shame is a part of our life’s history.…