In the Meantime
Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul’s officers as well…David…escaped to the cave of Adullam… (1 Samuel 18:5, 22:1) I call this week’s sermon, “In the Meantime.” David has been anointed as Israel’s next […]
Facing the Giants
Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other…” For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. (1 Samuel 17:10, 16) That Philistine was the giant named Goliath. Let’s talk about giants. Giants are more […]
Hero
“But…Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people….” (1 Samuel 13:14) That was God’s description of the Bible hero, David. What goes into making a hero? Bravery. Integrity. Noble qualities others want to emulate. Humans have always been fascinated by heroes – people we often place […]
An Anchor for the Soul
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats…. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then […]
The Prayer of Faith
“He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say…” (Luke 11:1–2) We’re in a series of sermons discussing faith. Faith is the foundation for life of […]
Faith in Low Places
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (John 4:7) The story of the Samaritan woman at the well starts out like a travel blog. Jesus begins his journey in Judea, goes to Galilee, and then through Samaria. As the crow flies, Jesus saved many […]
Don’t Put God in a Box
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” (Mark 10:52) In this passage, Jesus healed a blind man named Bartimaeus. If you’ve spent any time reading the gospels, you know Jesus healed a lot of people. In fact, there are some 31 specific recorded […]
Mustard Seed Faith
“…For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) Jesus loved to use word pictures and parables to teach. He’s using a metaphor here and the most […]
You’re Not Alone
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” (Matthew 14:22–23) As the disciples headed out across the Sea of Galilee, they were caught in […]
You Are Somebody
“But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”” (Luke 8:46) In this passage, Jesus is in the midst of a large crowd – Luke says it almost crushed him. As he slowly made his way through the throng, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up […]
Reality Check
“When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony.”” (Matthew 8:5–6) Where does faith begin? Paul tells us we’ve all been given a “measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3), but when does it begin to rise up within us? In this passage, […]
New Every Morning
“…yet I will celebrate in the Lord; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:18) After God shows Habakkuk the looming “day of distress,” this is the prophet’s response. Up to this point, to me at least, the greatest selling point of this little book of the Bible has been its authenticity. […]
