At the beginning of 2023, I am beginning a sermon series on "What Matters Most." The first thing that matters most is that we possess true, saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. According to the below passage, the possession of true, saving faith in Jesus not only transforms our ultimate destiny but also how … Continue reading Praying Scripture | 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Jesus Christ
Praying Scripture | Revelation 22:6–21
Preparation: Pray and Read Through Your Passage Record your prayer for God’s help. Father, your desire to reveal your will and plan to your servants is greater than our desire to know it. As we study your Word, grant us a growing capacity to trust and obey you in all things. For, you promise to … Continue reading Praying Scripture | Revelation 22:6–21
Praying Scripture | Matthew 25:31–46
Preparation: Pray and Read Through Your Passage Record your prayer for God’s help. King Jesus, we desire to be those who are eternally blessed by your Father. So, we ask that the door into your everlasting kingdom be opened for us. Give us the grace to hear your Spirit speaking to us through your Word … Continue reading Praying Scripture | Matthew 25:31–46
When Your Flesh and Heart Fail
Sandy Ford was a year ahead of me in college. We lived in the same dorm. I admired him during our days in Chapel Hill because he was known on campus as a contagious Christian… one who took His commitment and faith in Jesus very seriously. He was a leader with a campus ministry called … Continue reading When Your Flesh and Heart Fail
Advent Week #2: Relinquishing Riches To Make Us Rich
We all have difficulty relinquishing things that we cherish. I still remember my first ten-speed bicycle. It was a fully equipped, Schwinn beauty that I received as a Christmas present. Not long after I received it, I allowed a friend to borrow it for a quick ride. She proceeded to get hit by a car … Continue reading Advent Week #2: Relinquishing Riches To Make Us Rich
The Danger of Losing Your First Love
This past Sunday I preached from Revelation 2:1-7 where our exalted Lord challenges the church at Ephesus for abandoning their first love. The sermon focused on the five things that our heavenly Bridegroom does to woo back his loveless bride - the church. Preaching on this text has led to some serious soul searching for … Continue reading The Danger of Losing Your First Love
An Increasing View of the Infinite Dignity of Jesus Christ
Thanks to my good friend David Elmore I know of the esteemed Robert Hawker, an evangelical Anglican minister back in the late 1700s and early 1800s. His devotional The Poor Man's Morning & Evening Portions can be assessed here: Poor Man's Morning & Evening Portions Here is a lovely thought of his that I am thinking about … Continue reading An Increasing View of the Infinite Dignity of Jesus Christ
Temptation & the Loveliness of Jesus
The below three quotations remind us of the only real, lasting cure for resisting temptation. To respond to the distorting nature of temptation and sin you must set your affections on the beauty and glory of God, the loveliness of Christ, and the wonder of the gospel: Were our affections filled, taken up, and possessed … Continue reading Temptation & the Loveliness of Jesus
Welcoming the King on Palm Sunday
There is something exciting about being in a crowd. A crowd came from Jerusalem to greet him… to welcome him into the great city of David as the long anticipated Messiah… the deliverer for whom they had hoped. But Jesus rides into Jerusalem in a manner that shatters the expectations of his people of their … Continue reading Welcoming the King on Palm Sunday
The Sweet Exchange of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
There is not a better prayer that beautifully speaks of the mysterious, sweet exchange that takes place when we repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Love Lustres at Calvary My Father, Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, Supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres at Calvary.’ There grace removes my burdens … Continue reading The Sweet Exchange of the Gospel of Jesus Christ