My 2/10/19AM sermon, God Cares (1 Samuel 1-2), is now online. Last week, I did an overview of the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and this sermon got us in to the actual text. The sermon was challenging with their being so many verses to deal with, the reality of Hannah’s hurt, and the outrageous abuses of power by Hophni and Phinehas. But, it was an encouraging sermon to see how God cares, what He’s up to, and how we can draw near to Him. I hope it encourages you.
My 2/3/19AM sermon, Overview of 1 and 2 Samuel, is now online. This sermon kicked off a lot of work I’ve done for months. In the Fall of 2018, I determined that I’d be preaching in these books. After a couple of study breaks, work to gather the big picture, and working to break it down, I was glad for Sunday to finally get here. So, this sermon is my attempt to introduce the people of Crestview to the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. I hope it encourages you.
My 1/27/19AM sermon, Wisely Living in Life’s Brevity from Psalm 90, is now online. I’ve wanted to preach on this Psalm for some time. I also was reminded of its message when preaching through Ecclesiastes this past Fall. To put it simply, this psalm (of Moses), shows how God is eternal, what that means for us, and how we live in light of these things.
I really hope you can find some encouragement in these ancient words.
My 1/20/19AM sermon, Loving Our Neighbors (Social Justice) – James 2:1-13, is now online. The sermon really got a progression when we seek to live out our faith (and follow a Biblical paradigm like not showing partiality to others). As we hold firm in our faith, we’re able to love our neighbors (as ourselves), and it’s then that we’re able to speak and act in mercy. This weekend, many churches across the country we’re thinking about the sanctity of human life as well as racial reconciliation. This sermon was my attempt to envision how the Bible might propel our thinking forward in these areas. I hope it serves you.
I loved this thought from the March 5 devotional from Jack Miller (in Saving Grace: Daily Devotions from Jack Miller) –
Christ has set us free from the chains of the law. But we have the tendency to create new circumcisions—new rules, new duties. We become burdened with obligations. Are you trying to fulfill your obligations by heading back to slavery, back to Mount Sinai, back to that place of no mercy? Remember it is all or nothing. If you put yourself under obligation to one part of the law, then you are responsible for keeping the whole law. You can’t have justification by faith in Jesus Christ plus something else. You might think that you believe that salvation is by grace through faith alone, but think about the obligations you are burdened by. Think about how you unconsciously live as if the fulfillment of your Christian responsibilities earns you God’s favor. Almost anything can become a new circumcision: your approach to tithing, your Christian duties, an orderly home, and the list goes on. Think about what drives you. Do you live under the law at Mount Sinai or have you joined the celebration of the justified on Mount Zion? Remember, for the believer, the judgment day has come and gone. God has set you free to be his own dear child!
Miller, C. John. Saving Grace: Daily Devotions from Jack Miller (p. 65). New Growth Press. Kindle Edition.
Ray Ortlund of Immanuel Nashville wrapped up a recent sermon on prayer in this way:
Centuries ago a man named John Bunyan – he wrote a classic called The Pilgrim’s Progress – wrote a book about how sincerely Jesus welcomes us in, as we pray. I’ve taken something from Bunyan’s book and adapted it to us today, to help us get past our reservations and pray. In fact, you are going to announce this gospel to me, answering my objections to prayer. But I am guessing you can identify with every objection I raise here:
Leader: I have strong reasons not to pray.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: I am a serious sinner.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: I’ve been sinning for 69 years.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: My heart can be as hard as stone.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: With every step forward, I take another step back.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: Sometimes, the way I act, I might as well be serving Satan.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: I sin when I even know better.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: I might respond to your mercy with more sin.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: I have nothing to offer but my failure and mess.
All: But Jesus says, “I will never cast you out.”
Leader: Okay, Lord. Count me in, if you will never cast me out!
All: We all say, “He will never cast us out!”
Jesus will never cast us out. Can we lay down our excuses and together, at the throne of grace, make prayer the center of Immanuel Church here in 2019?
I’ve enjoyed a great start to 2019 by being helped by fellow elders at Crestview.
On Sunday, January 6, Tom Dixon preached on Prayer: Simple, Difficult, Complex to kick off Crestview’s 2019 Week of Prayer. This past year was one of pretty amazing growth for Tom in this area. I asked him to share this with the congregation and there were many points of help he gave. We spent a good part of the week coming together in prayer.
On Sunday, January 13, Bob Guthrie preached on being With the Word in the Word. Simply put, Bob was sharing wisdom with the body about how having a daily quiet time is helpful for our long term growth.
I know many at Crestview have communicated with me about how meaningful these talks were. I hope they’re encouraging to you, too.
As we turn our attention to the New Year, I wanted to do a post to wrap up what we studied as a church in the most recent Advent season. Beginning November 25, I did a short series looking at Luke 1-2. The theme was Possible With God. Here are links to all the sermons:
November 25 – Humility: Possible with God
December 2 – Maturity: Possible with God
December 9 – Jesus’ Birth: Possible with God
December 16 – Forever King: Possible with God
December 23 – Good News: Possible with God
On Decmeber 30, I did a sermon Reviewing 2018, which summarized all the sermons I’ve done in 2018. I hope you enjoy these sermons and they help kindle a desire to pursue God in 2019. Blessings.
Many of us love the hymn How Great Thou Art. For this year’s advent season, I wrote an additional verse to include. I’ll include it where I think it would fit best in the original…
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
My addional verse:
Consider this: that God the Son eternal,
Came down to earth, becoming man for all,
Angels announced and shepherds marveled greatly,
Our God with us, good news of peace entralls.
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, My God, how great thou art!
I hope you enjoy and are helped to magnify our Great God with this addition.
I had a quick opportunity to wrap yesterday’s amazing children’s program at Crestview. In this short talk, entitled Forever King: Possible with God, I tried to show how the storyline of the Bible points to Jesus being a King forever. It’s only 7 minutes long, but I hope it helps you make sense of how your Bible fits together.
But, the real highlight was our 2018 Children’s Program. Here’s the livestream for you to enjoy.
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