Where’s the Real King?
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2, NIV) Try to imagine, for […]
God with Us
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NIV) The two pivotal facts of Jesus’ incarnation are found right here: Jesus is God and Jesus is human. He is Immanuel, God with us. Why is this important? Consider […]
The Cradle, Cross, and Crown
One of the reasons we love Christmas is because of tradition. There’s an old saying that tradition is a clock that tells you what time it was. And for many of us, that time was our childhood…or when the kids were little…or before a loved one passed away. So it stands to reason that many […]
Thanksgiving in America
“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23, NIV) The author of Hebrews tells us that Moses’ parents defied Pharaoh for two reasons: vision and courage. They had a vision of […]
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“ (John 14:6) “Reported red light camera ahead.” That was what the GPS navigator told my wife and me the other day. She had a new app that was like normal navigation software with a […]
Election Day
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.“ (Galatians 5:1, NIV) Freedom is one of the great themes of the Bible. Jesus, when announcing his ministry, promised to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners (Luke 4:18 quoting Isa. […]
I am the Resurrection
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness…” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV) Martha and Mary, whom we’ll meet in this Sunday’s sermon, might argue with this. When their brother, Lazarus, was sick and dying, they sent word to Jesus who was on the other side of the Jordan. Jesus waited […]
Good Shepherd, Bad Sheep
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1540397101335{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]”“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—” (John 10:14, NIV) Last week, we were introduced to one of the ongoing analogies the Scriptures use to describe us: sheep. And I suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that maybe we’re called sheep because we’re so cute. And yet, I’m pretty […]
Plastic Jesus?
“But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, […]
Bread of Life
“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34, NIV) Outside of Jesus’ resurrection, the only miracle recorded in all four Gospel accounts is Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. And of those accounts, only […]
God Has a Name
“Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to […]
Take Heart
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? […]
