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 ...

Light of the World

Introduction

As we grow up, most of us learn the basics of life. One of those basics is that we have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. ...

An Event That Changes Everything

Introduction

Philippians is Paul's final letter to a church. He writes it from his imprisonment in Rome. In Philippians 2:6-11, we listened to St. ...

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 ...

The Magi Visit the Messiah

Introduction

Nobody knows who the Magi were, though everyone’s heard of them. They embody the quest for truth, meaning, and purpose in life. We assume ...

Our Journey with God

Introduction

“Life’s a journey, not a destination,” Steven Tyler sang in the rock band Aerosmith’s 1993 song, “Amazing.” ...

A Model Mother

Introduction

A wise man once described a mother as a woman who combines the practical and the spiritual into a way of life. “A mother wipes little ...

Tiny Things in Terrible Times

The virus that changed your life is a 1.25 Nanometer sphere. That is one-billionth of a yardstick, tiny but traumatic. For decades you worried about something ...

Burning Hearts

Introduction

Several months ago, my wife and I had the privilege of going to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte (If you are ever in Charlotte, NC you ...

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 ...

I Am King, You Say

Introduction

Do you remember what happened this week? This week, as he rode into Jerusalem, they put their cloaks before him and took branches from date ...

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 ...

Seeking Truth and Reconciliation

Behind the Scenes with Ken Shigematsu

As a Japanese Canadian, and by temperament, I prefer to steer clear of controversial subjects in my preaching. So ...

National Reflections

Introduction

This past week, our elders met to pray and talk about our church and the level of churning in our nation these days around issues of political ...

A Good Friday Intervention

Introduction

One of my favorite Chicago landmarks is the iconic breakfast destination known as Ann Sathers, on 909 West Belmont. Ann Sathers is a good ...

Feeding on God's Word

Introduction

I think it's important at the end of every year to preach a sermon on the importance of God's Word in our lives, both personally and ...

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 ...

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 ...

The Power of Spiritual Deception

Introduction

Jim Jones was the founder of the People's Temple. More than 900 of Jim Jones' followers died in a cult murder/suicide in 1978 in Jonestown, ...

Complaining to God

Introduction

Americans complain a lot. The Pilgrims and Puritans came over here because they were complaining about religious authority. We fought for ...

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 ...

Loving Enough to Speak Truth

The story behind the sermon (from John Ortberg)

I preached this sermon right after I preached the sermon on giving God blessings to others. It was part ...

Deep Certainty

How do you feel about the future? What kind of world will our children and grandchildren, grow up in? What can we count on to give us any kind of confidence ...

The Deep Truth

Introduction

Back in 1899, four reporters from four different Denver newspapers didn't have a story for the morning paper. They decided to make up a story—to ...

I'll Take What You Have

Introduction

We're continuing our series on the Ten Commandments, and this morning we come to the eighth one: "You shall not steal." It's amazing how creative ...

The Scarlet Letter

Introduction

Today we're continuing to look at the Ten Commandments. We've seen that this isn't easy material. These commands are anything but sugarcoated. ...

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 ...

Joseph Stowell Charge

Introduction

Leadership is not optional; it is essential. It is the one ingredient essential for the success of any institution. But leaders are quickly ...

Worship: What We're Doing & Why

Introduction

If a visitor from another planet attended a service of Christian worship anywhere in the world, he wouldn't have to be especially perceptive ...

Application

Introduction

Today we're going to be looking at the Book of James—incredibly practical and poignant letter for the spiritual life. This is the final ...

Meditation

Introduction

I love in scripture. And I especially love Scripture when it gives me one of those really visual pictures. I'm a visual learner, so it's one ...

Canonization

Introduction

We're going to be looking at Revelation chapter 22 today, and I want to talk about a very significant and serious decision that was made in ...

Inspiration

Introduction

The Pony Express was created in 1860 to move mail across the United States from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California (2,000 miles ...

Listen, Look, and Stop

From the editor

Doubts, a "dark night of the soul," a feeling of divine absence, isolation (either voluntary or involuntary), disappointment, disillusionment, ...

Why It's Hard to Worship

Introduction

A few years ago, songwriter Michael Card wrote a book and recorded an album focusing on the subject of lament. The project grew out of a series ...

Divine Revelation

Introduction

We've been in a series called "Can Smart People Believe in God?" Last week we had Dallas Willard with us to answer some tough questions, and ...

Asking the Tough Questions

Introduction

We're in the series called "Can Smart People Believe In God?" and we're thinking through some really important issues. Today we'll be talking ...

Without Knowledge We Perish

The story behind the series (from John Ortberg):

This series actually was inspired by Dallas Willard's book, Knowing Christ Today. The title of the series ...

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 ...

Growing Up

Introduction

When I was in kindergarten, we used to play a game based on a hit TV show called Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. My teacher, Mrs. Floaten, ...

The Refining Love of God

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, ...

God's Unstoppable Purpose

Text: 2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34
Topic: The unstoppable will of God

From the editor:

Here's a sermon from Old Testament professor Dennis Magary (Trinity Evangelical ...

Brokers of Truth and Love

From the editor

We would probably all agree that conflict resolution is necessary, but incredibly tricky. Emotions trump reason, stubborn loyalties trump ...

The House of Worship

Introduction

Where is the best place to live? Every year, the UN asks this question about countries, and every year they release their recommendations ...

Strong Grace, Hard Work, Good Memories

Text: 2 Timothy 2:1–9
Topic: A sobering look at what the Christian life entails

From the editor:

Every once in a while a sermon comes along that is ...

Why Would a Good God Send People to Hell?

Introduction

I thought long and hard about a clever, lighthearted way to introduce this morning's message. I thought about praying for a really hot day ...

The Danger of a Strong Faith and a Weak Theology

Introduction

Jessica Ann Liberger was a 5-week-old baby girl who made it into the nation's press. Jessica came down with pneumonia, and her father, John ...

The Colorful Creator

Introduction

I grew up in a family that never had a color television set. All the ballgames and TV shows—including the "Colorful World of Disney"—were ...

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 ...

A Man Like Us and a God Who Lives

Introduction

Elijah is one of the Bible's most dramatic characters, because he experienced the light of God's presence even when everything around him ...