Behold: Gospel

Introduction

Advent is a season of waiting, anticipating, and hoping. It’s a time when we plant our feet firmly in the land between two affirmations: ...

The Struggle with Anxiety

Introduction

We have either heard or experienced a version of this kind of story. Someone feels so greatly plagued by a worry or anxiety that it’s ...

‘Glory to the Newborn King’

Introduction

I love singing Christmas carols and Christmas songs. Maybe you do too. A couple weeks ago I was at a Christmas party, and we sang a couple ...

What Is Love?

Introduction

All of us have a working definition of love in our minds. Love is one of those words that we instinctively know what it means. We ...

The ‘Fear Nots’ of Christmas

Introduction

The rock star Sting, in a Rolling Stone interview, spoke of his growing awareness of his own mortality: "I'm 64. Most of my life ...

The Point of the Power

Introduction

I want to talk about the whole point of power here in Mark 4. What does Jesus’ power over the world, which comes from the fact that ...

The Unstoppable Gospel

Introduction

Before I came to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I attended a church mostly of immigrants from India. During one of our fellowship meals, ...

'Remember!'

Introduction

There were three sisters—ages 92, 94, and 96—who lived together. One night, the 96-year-old drew a bath. She put one ...

Why Jesus at All?

Introduction

I want to begin by asking a question: Is Jesus Really God? Now, I’m going to answer that question, but I want to take a few ...

Back to the Start

Introduction

Merry Christmas! One thing is for sure, Christmas is looking much different than of us expected this year. But I wonder if that’s actually ...

The Gift of Christmas Light

Introduction

In his book Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller explains the three elements of a story. He points out that a story begins when something knocks ...

Outrageous, Miraculous Love

Introduction

In the fall of 2001, I was a senior in college. Because of where my college was located, I was an hour and a half away from my hometown ...

3G Ministers in a 5G World

Introduction

I’m guessing that most of you probably own one of these (holding up a cell phone). It might even be fair to say that some of you are ...

When You Say I Do

Introduction – Upsetting the Equilibrium

Jacob thought he was marrying one person but he got stuck with two, the Rachel he wanted and the Leah he ...

Christian Unity in a Politically Diverse Congregation: Why Both Sides Are Right

Introduction

In this two part series we are going to explore how our baptism can help us achieve Christian unity in light of our political diversity. And ...

Skipping Christmas

Introduction

“Always winter, but never Christmas.” That memorable line comes to us from C. S. Lewis’ beloved children’s classic ...

Christians and the Coronavirus

INTRODUCTION

I want to speak to you today about the virus that is currently and quickly changing the landscape of our world. More specifically, I want ...

Believing Is Seeing

Introduction

As our tour comes to an end, we will watch one more story featuring an important discussion between Jesus and Thomas, the disciple who doubted. ...

The Characters of Christmas: Shepherds

This sermon is part of “The Characters of Christmas” sermon series. See the whole series here.

Introduction

Christmas time is filled with tradition. ...

Through Love, Serve One Another

Introduction

Have you ever been loved in a way that really astounded you? Have you ever been served in a way that, when you sat back and thought about ...

'Shipwrecked!'

Introduction

There’s a little acronym that’s become common in managerial circles—VUCA, which stands for “Volatility, Uncertainty, ...

Here I Stand

Introduction

We’ve been learning from Paul’s example how to witness well when our faith is on trial, which raises a question for us to consider ...

A Festus to Test Us

Introduction

Let me ask you a question: As Christians, how do we witness well to those in authority? Like those who govern over us: How do we treat our ...

A Story to Tell

Introduction

Last September, Pat Payaso ran for an open seat on Boston’s city council—and he got an idea for a creative way to campaign. Payaso ...

Holy Gospel Moms

Introduction

We are going to look this morning at 1 Peter 1:13–25. Now, this section is an admonition for all believers. 1 Peter talks about applying ...

Resurrection on Trial

Introduction

Have you heard of Snopes.com? If you want to check out a rumor or a legend that’s online—you get some email that says some guy ...

What Does This Mean?

I hope the Book of Acts is easy for you to find because you’ve got your handy dandy Acts bookmark with you. This is not just a bookmark; it’s ...

Keyholders

Introduction

Across from the residence where I lived in college stood a mysterious building known as Scroll and Key. This great stone-clad mausoleum was ...

The Meaning of 'Metanoia'

Introduction

Today is a good day. I am beyond excited and honored to be preaching the Word of God this morning. This is one of my greatest passions in ...

Will You Forgive?

Introduction

Anybody you're having a hard time with these days? Ever forgiven anybody who doesn't deserve it? If so, this sermon's for you. And if you've ...

Easter Hope

Introduction

This is part of my story with my dad.

September 18 of this past year was profoundly memorable for me. My dad, who was almost 84, passed away. ...

Surprise Ending

Introduction

We like our Bible stories to end with a bang: Israel escaping from Egypt through the watery walls of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho tumbling ...

Our Felt Need, Our Deepest Need

Introduction

I promise I will not fall into that well-worn tradition of preaching on those well-intentioned, moralistic oaths, doomed to fail, that we ...

How Do I Escape the Christmas Traps?

Introduction

Advent is about enjoying and admiring Jesus. It's a season we observe each year at this time, during which we endeavor to do something intentional: ...

Stories Converge at Easter

Introduction

Read (Mark 1:1)

I started to read Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. On the front cover is the title, the subtitle, ...

The Resurrection Matters—Really Matters!

Introduction

Like many of you, this Easter, I celebrate a radical truth—that Jesus died and rose to pay the price for our failures and affirm he ...

The Ultimate Challenge

Introduction

A few years ago a representative from Teach America paid a visit to one of the premier university campuses—Duke. Teach America ...

God's New World Now

Introduction

Well, I am a bit of a news junkie and so it's a good day for me when I go out to the mailbox at the end of the driveway and there ...

The World Is in Trouble

Introduction

What's wrong with the world? That's a question that many people are asking, and there's no shortage of answers being given: the ...

Round Yon Violence

Introduction

I've learned in my life that there are some people who will say just about anything to a pregnant woman. When my wife Maria was pregnant, ...

The World's Greatest Talk: Choices

Introductory Remarks from John Ortberg

This message was designed to do one thing: challenge people to decide to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.

Part of ...

Two Inseparables: Truth and Love

Introduction

Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time when we like to open our home to family and friends. However, in the ancient Mediterranean world it ...

Loving Our Work

Introduction

I want to fast forward to Revelation, and look at the last two chapters. Then we are going to backtrack to Isaiah 60. When we look at the ...

Changed People, Changing Lives

Introduction

Read Acts 5:12, 17, 19, 21, 29-31

The holy city of Jerusalem has had a wonderful event. They had tried their best to say no to what Jesus Christ ...

How to Look at People with God's Eyes

Introduction

You may remember that in Jonah 3 there was this great revival in Nineveh. And usually when there's revival there's also great joy in the place ...

True Relationships

Introduction

As we wrap up our series on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we are going to continue our focus on Christ's second coming.

I am a member at Sam's Club ...

Are You Ready?

Introduction

My dad is a planner. The epitome of this is when he would go on mountain climbing trips to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He would spread out ...

What Happens When We Die?

Introduction

A few months ago, Google made this announcement:

Not many of us like thinking about death—especially our own. But making plans for what ...

Authentic Faith

Introduction

In this series, we're going to be looking at 1 and 2 Thessalonians. These letters will emphasize two perspectives: They put a laser focus ...

Party of Three

Introduction

Oprah recently interviewed Diane Nyad, the 64yr old who completed a 53 hour solo swim from Cuba to Florida. In the interview Nyad said that ...