Sometimes life feels like stepping up to the batter's box with three strikes against you. You're out before you even start. That's our spiritual state without Christ: we're flawed, defiled, and excluded. But in this week's sermon, Ligon Duncan proclaims the gospel from a difficult text in the Book of Numbers. In Christ we are healed, cleansed, and included. That's good news!

This week we also feature:

• Featured Illustration: Take Responsibility for Your Part in Conflict
• New Skills Article: Bryan Wilkerson: How I Prepare a Sermon
• Video Illustration: The Bible Contains …

Preaching Christ,

Matt Woodley
Managing Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. By the way, Ligon Duncan's sermon represents one of the main reasons why we post sermon manuscripts on our site—"To serve as models of outstanding preaching from which other preachers can learn." This is an outstanding example of how every text can lead our people to Christ.

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.