Take a Look in the Mirror

Introduction

When I worked in publishing, my boss called me into his office one day, and held up the latest issue of a magazine I was responsible for. ...

Set a Seal Over the Door of Your Lips

Introduction

During World War II artists were called upon to use their skills for the war effort. John Atherton created a poster warning citizens to guard ...

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 ...

What Is Success?

Introduction

What is success?

Here in 2019, this has become a difficult question to answer. It seems every week we hear stories of people who climbed to ...

God Takes Sin Seriously

Introduction

Has it taken you a long time to get where you are today? Maybe you’re in a good place in life right now, but it was a long road getting ...

From Circumference to Center

Introduction

I. Transgressions

II. A present judge

III. The price of inhumanity

IV. No neutral middlemen

Conclusion

Introduction

Amos’ words remind us ...

Earthquake Times

Introduction

(Read Amos 1:1-2)

It is striking to note the first and the last words of the first verse of this prophecy: “the words of Amos … ...

When It Is Okay to Judge

Introduction

"When It Is Okay to Judge" is not the most inviting sermon title. For many of us, the mere mention of the word "judge"—especially in ...

Jesus Is Our Only Refuge

Introduction

One of the things I find surprising about Joel is he doesn't really talk about the first coming of Christ. What he does talk about is ...

Your Brothers' Keeper?

Introduction

Sibling rivalry is a reality of life. For those who have a sibling or two, it starts young. Like the first-grader who came home and proudly ...

R-Rated: Rated R for Redemption

Introduction

(Read Joshua 2:1-20)

In 144 AD, the church father Marcion was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church in Rome, Italy, because he held ...

R-Rated: What Really Happened at Sodom and Gomorrah?

Introduction

What happened at Sodom and Gomorrah? Whether you have been to church one time or 1,000 times you have probably heard something about ...

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 ...

Where Do You Want to Finish Your Life?

Introduction

Friends, the text before us is in Luke's Gospel. You have it in your books. Nowadays in Nigeria, young men and women have it in ...

Justice and Judgment

Introduction

The closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics featured a children's choir singing John Lennon's Imagine while a giant replica ...

Who Can Stand Before This Holy God?

Introduction

I want to begin today by quoting an important verse, because as this sermon goes along, you may begin to wonder whether I believe this or ...

He Will Do It

Introduction

There are some passages that a younger preacher, if he or she is wise, may want to wait awhile and "grow up" into. For instance, this passage ...

Passing Judgment

Introduction

There is a new John 3:16. The old John 3:16 was John 3:16. That was the verse that everyone knew, the verse that was familiar to all, the ...

How God Brings Light into a Dark Situation

Introduction

Today we will be looking at 1 Samuel 2:12-36, although we'll focus on verses 12-26. About a year ago now, the Arab Spring was just starting, ...

Good News for a Dying Thief

Introduction

On that first Good Friday, nearly 2,000 years ago, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was crucified. For six hours he hung on the cross, and ...

God Will Bring Justice for You

Introduction

When the Scripture was read, you may have thought, This is a strange message for a weekend when we are welcoming large numbers of first-time ...

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 ...

God's Courtroom

Introduction

I have a confession to make. It's going to date me, and for some of you, it's going to lower me in your esteem, but I'm going to say it anyway. ...

God's Sacrifice

Introduction

I went to a university that was known for its basketball team. The students who attended the games (like me), were known as the sixth man ...

The Price of Pride

Introduction

You've probably heard the expression, "Into every life, a little rain must fall." I was reading an article about a movie star who was having ...

Judgment at Ai

Today we're going to look at the Book of Joshua, chapter 8, beginning in verse 18. We recall that Israel has once before been defeated by the little town ...

The Judgment of Grace

Chapter five of Daniel addresses the question of what would happen if you gave a party, and God crashed it. Nebuchadnezzar was no longer on the throne. ...

Christmas in the City of Jerusalem

Introduction

We're going to do something a little different this year in December. We want to focus on a "Hometown Christmas." Typically we tend to think ...

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, ...

From Exclusion to Embrace

The Story Behind the Sermon

This year (2009) we have been preaching through the Gospel of Luke. As the preaching schedule was being put together, it just ...

The Lostness of Humankind

Text: Romans 1:18-25Topic: A look at mankind's journey through rejection, separation, domination, and condemnation—and his opportunity for redemption ...

The End of the World as We Know It

From the editor:

Issues concerning the end of the world have always been fascinating. They are also quite terrifying. The end of the world will usher ...

The Writing on the Wall

From the editor

William Willimon tackles the difficult subject of God's temporal judgment in a direct yet conversational way. He begins by mentioning Rabbi ...

A Bleeding Hearts Club?

Introduction

Suppose someone were to describe you as "a bleeding heart?" How would you feel about that? That expression is often attached to ...

How Do We Handle Dangerous People?

From the editor

When people gather for worship on a Saturday night or Sunday morning, they bring with them their questions. The questions vary, but it's ...

Jesus Uncensored

From the editor:

Here's a sermon Michael Quicke preached at Wheaton College that tenders the meek and mild Jesus with the mean and wild Jesus. Few passages ...

John the Baptist's Story

From the editor

Very early in his sermon, Kevin Miller says, "I have the hard job of telling you a hard truth." Indeed he does. The hard truth is that ...

The Trumpet Call of God

From the editor

Eschatological issues have always been intriguing, but the interest has both widened and deepened in the last 25 years or so. Bestselling ...

Finding God in Desperate Places

Introduction

I'd like to write a book someday called Desperate Places: How God Shines Through Our Weakness. These desperate places are places of weakness, ...

It's About the People

Introduction

Recently our church softball thoroughly trounced our opponents. The game ended with what's called the mercy rule: when one team is ahead ...

You Go Your Way; I'll Go God's Way.

Introduction

Many people who study the times say that there isn't much we can trust today. Andy Crouch put it this way in Christianity Today:

The emptiness ...

The Promise of Better Days

Introduction

As a 5th grader at Cornelia Elementary School in Edina, Minnesota, I always felt sorry for a fellow student named Gary. With his high squeaky ...

You Don't Know, Do You?

Introduction

A member of this congregation experienced a tragedy when her father was suddenly killed in an accident. He was driving home one Wednesday ...

Jesus and the Kingdom

Introduction:

A theology student who worked weekends for a local church was asked by the pastor to give a sermon about the kingdom of God. When he was ...

Eight at the Cross

Today we're going to take a look at a cluttered picture with Jesus in the midst. Some of you are going to look carefully at this picture, and you're going ...