Transforming Joy

Introduction

Around 100AD, the churches in and around Ephesus underwent all kinds of turmoil, tension, and conflict. This was not so much to do with external ...

A Great Big Snake Story

Introduction

Elijah, my son, really likes The Jungle Book. One of the characters in that story is a big and sneaky snake named Kaa. He’s a python, ...

More Faithful Than Moses

Introduction

At the end of Hebrews 2, we are told that Jesus had to be made like us. He had to become one of us in order to redeem us. He had to be made ...

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 ...

What Shall I Bring Him?

Introduction

A Christian comedian once said this story would be far different had these been women instead of men. For one thing, women would have asked ...

A Tale of Two Trees

Introduction

This is the highest of holy days for the Christian church. This is the day where not only do we remember that Jesus died and he was buried, ...

The Characters of Christmas: Simeon

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

Introduction

With this sermon, we conclude our ...

The Characters of Christmas: Wise Men

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

Introduction

Every manger scene includes the ...

The Characters of Christmas: Joseph

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

Introduction

Matthew’s gospel tells the ...

The Characters of Christmas: Mary

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

Introduction

Dave Richards was raised in a strong ...

Jesus: A Power Greater than the Angels

Introduction

The focus of the Book of Hebrews is perseverance. It’s about finding strength to press on in the faith when things get difficult. Our ...

Miraculous Births: Jesus

This sermon is part of the “Miraculous Births” sermon series. See the whole series here.

Introduction

Christmas is a depressing time for most ...

Begin with the End in Mind

Introduction

As an instructor of preaching at the Moody Bible Institute in Spokane, every semester I have the privilege of teaching classes of 10 to 14 ...

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 ...

Becoming a 'Thanksgiver' at Thanksgiving

Introduction

"Don't forget to say 'thank you.'" If you are like me, then you probably heard this phrase often when you were a child. If you are a parent, ...

The King Liked to Listen

Introduction

The king liked to listen to him. So did most people.

"Repent. Stop what you're doing. You know it's wrong, so stop it. Make a ...

Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?

Introduction

It is extremely rare that something happens in little old Wheaton, Illinois, and becomes news all over the world. But in December, that ...

Pursuing Fulfillment

Introduction

On the 4th of July we celebrate the day of American independence. As we all know, the writers and signers of the Declaration of Independence ...

God is the Center of Reality

Introduction

Back in the 1960s the mayor of the city of Chicago was Richard Daley. He was famous for a number of things, most notably for being the last ...

The Final Week, Were You There?

Introduction

Artist Hieronymus Bosch painted Christ carrying his cross in 1505. Christ was surrounded in the painting by such notably ghoulish and revolting ...

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 ...

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 ...

Hope Is a Who

Introduction

Life has a way of killing dreams, doesn't it? You set out with high hopes—for your schooling, your career, your family, and your ...

The Best Is Yet To Come

Introduction

It all began with Mary and Martha—that cool Easter morning—coming to a lonely Palestinian tomb. I don't think they had any idea ...

Jesus Vindicated

Introduction

Luke 24, verses 1 to 53—this stuff is too wonderful for words. It's very easy to outline this chapter:

• Lk 24:1-12, The empty tomb;

Jesus, Betrayed and Crucified

Introduction

If you have ever flown into Ireland, north or south, one thing will strike you. From the air, Ireland is remarkably green. What the tourist ...

The Life Was Made Manifest

Introduction

Christmas is definitely a wonderful time of year. But it's also a bit of a production, right? On average there will be $800 spent for every ...

What's Your Story?

Introduction

Have you heard of Storycorps? Storycorps is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the lives of everyday Americans by inviting ...

God's Great Heart of Love

Introduction

In John Bunyan's famous Pilgrim's Progress, right from the outset of the book we are introduced to a man who is deeply troubled and who is ...

Keep yourself from idols

Introduction

I want to direct your attention to one particular verse of Scripture this morning—the final verse of the First Letter of John to the ...

Lost and Found

Introduction

Some of you may have heard of Anthony Bourdain. He has a reality show on The Travel Channel called "No Reservations." He's a chef who travels ...

The House God Built

Some years ago friends gave me this extraordinary book, Churches, about the architecture of great churches. I'm partial to country churches, but the beautiful ...

Deep Truth

Liz is friends with people of many religious backgrounds, and she's just starting to realize that what she claims to believe about Jesus necessarily has ...

The First Hymn

Please turn to the first hymn. No, not the first one in the hymn book. The first one in history, or at least the first one in the history of the church. ...

Measuring the Clouds

Introduction

Turn in your Bible to Matthew chapter 5, beginning with verse 38. Jesus says: "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for ...

Encounter on Golgotha Road

From the editor:

We recently posted an Easter message by John Ortberg, because the themes like atonement, the Cross, resurrection, etc. are never out of ...

Strong Grace, Hard Word, Good Memories

Introduction

Be strong. Suffer hardship. Remember Jesus Christ. These are Paul's words of counsel to Timothy in a fallen world and imperfect church. Timothy ...

The Uncomfortable Truth of Easter

From the editor:

At the 2008 National Pastors Conference in San Diego, Preaching Today got to interview N. T. Wright about his book Surprised by Hope and ...

The Neglected Joseph Davidson

Introduction

I think I had better introduce myself. My name is Joseph Davidson. Many of you already know me. I've been hanging around Christmas for a long ...

Forgiven, Forgotten

Introduction

Guilt runs rampant in the body of Christ. Though you already know you often feel guilty, it's important that we say it, because you would ...

The Critical Transaction

Most Broadway musicals begin with something called an overture. The writer of the musical tries, in the early moments, to give us some sense of all the ...

The Forgiveness Factor

Introduction

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us all of our sins." What do you do when you forgive someone? What really happens ...

Christian Singles

Introduction

Currently 17 to 20 million unmarried women and several million fewer unmarried men live in the United States. It's estimated that, at ...

Life Together

Introduction

The first week we moved into the small town where I served as pastor, my wife Jane and I decided to take a walk down Main Street. We immediately ...

Coming to Grips with the Authority of Christ

From the editor

Donald Sunukjian is a master at making a text come alive for a congregation, carefully and memorably pointing out all the details that ...

A Tiny Gift—Strangely Wrapped, Silently Delivered

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:15
Topic: How God wrapped the indescribable gift of Jesus.

From the editor:

It's not yet Thanksgiving, but we suspect you are well ...

God's Protection and Delight

The Power of Hope

Introduction

In this Advent season, we are looking at the theme of God's promise of better days for our lives. That is the hope of Advent and Christmas: ...

The Peace Jesus Brings

Introduction

In this Advent season, we are looking at the theme of God's promise of better days for our lives. That is the hope of Advent and Christmas, ...

Good Riddance

Introduction

"Isn't there somewhere else you're supposed to be?" Has God ever said that to you? God seems to be saying that a lot around here lately. He ...