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Weekend Preview – Ebenezer

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This weekend, at Crestview, Lord-willing, we’ll look at 1 Samuel 6-7. In 1 Samuel 7, we’ll be honing in how God comes to help His people. Here’s the connection that Tim Chester makes:

The hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson (1735-1790) contains the lines:

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

We do not always sing these lines because most people do not know the origin of the meaning of “Ebenezer”. But this (1 Samuel 7:12) is where it comes from. For Christians our Ebenezer is the cross. At the cross, we see the seriousness of sin, the weight of glory, and God’s generous help to sinners. We raise up the cross and say: “Thus far the Lord has helped us”. And if he has helped us by giving his own Son, then surely he will bring us safely home to glory: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). When you feel overwhelmed by your problems, or when you feel God has abandoned you, or when you feel threatened by the circumstances of your life, look to the cross. The cross is our Ebenezer, the great declaration of God’s help. The way we truly take the glory of God seriously is by raising up the cross.

He’s Good – Thank Him

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I was thinking of how much my gratitude to God is due to life’s circumstances. This morning, I remembrered that no matter what happens, God’s been awfully good.

February 2019 Song – Lord, I Need You

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Many months throughout the year, we try to teach a new song to the people of Crestview. This may or may not be familiar to anyone. But, we got some great feedback for the song we chose in February, so I thought I’d put it online to remember it.

Let’s Think About 1 Samuel

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As you may have picked up reading the blog, I’m currently teaching through 1 Samuel. And, I thought it might be profitable to point out how once I land on a book, I try to get a sense of that book.

  1. Read the Book — When I started leaning toward preaching through this, I began reading this book regularly. Using my Bible reading software, I’m able to generate custom plans and read through 1 and 2 Samuel weekly out of a different translation. This helps give you a lay of the land, hear repeated themes, and be thinking about what this book is saying.
  2. Use tools – the ESV Scripture Journal on 1/2 Samuel just came out. Had this been around in the Fall, I probably would have used it more. I simply gather notes on what I’m reading. Related to this, I find videos like the excellent help at the Bible Project:

Related to tools, I try to find some good resources that help me get a sense of the structure. So, I use notes from the Simeon Trust Course, notes from seminary courses, Bible handbooks, and Bible overviews. These are big picture things that help me be aware of some parts of the book to be aware of.

So, that’s it: lots of engagement, reading, listening, and trying to get a sense of what God’s up to in this part of the Bible. I hope this helps your study of the Bible as well.

Weekend Recap – God’s Heaviness

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My 2/24/19AM sermon, God’s Heaviness from 1 Samuel 4-5, is now online. These are some infamous chapters of OT narrative (with lots of death, Ichabod, and Yahweh putting the thump on the Philistine god, Dagon) but they move nonetheless to show God’s glory. God’s glory can easily be something we lose sight of, so I crafted this sermon around the notion of God’s heaviness (from the language at the end of chapter 5 that the hand of the Lord was heavy among the Philistines). We need a fresh glimpse of God’s heaviness in these days. I hope this sermon encourages you with a view to who God is and what He does.

Weekend Recap – God Cares

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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.

Weekend Recap – Overview of 1 and 2 Samuel

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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.

Weekend Recap – Psalm 90

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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.

Weekend Recap – Loving Our Neighbors

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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.