Yesterday, I preached 1Corinthians 1.18-31…three times. I've noticed every service I preach, the sermon sounds different.  1st service (1st period) is where I make all my mistakes.  2nd service, like 2nd period gets a "great education".  And the 3rd service is different for all kinds of reasons...I feel more relaxed, the group is smaller, its evening, and I know I'm going to Fred's Ale House for a pint right afterwards. But all three sermons this week focused on the foolishness with the cross in contrast to the “wisdom” of world—which really isn’t wisdom at all in the eyes of God. As always, there were several points I would explain more, statements I would modify, and new ideas I’d interject. Alas, that is why I blog. One idea that I would have liked to explore more was the idea that, according to Ephesians 3.8-10 God intends for the church to be [...]

Good giving begins with good theology.  In other words, what we give, how we give, and who we give to is directly connected with our understanding of God.  It is essential, therefore, to understand who God has revealed Himself to be, specifically, through how he gave to us. In the first sermon in our GIVE series, we saw that God gave generously.  God does not measure out his giving like some kind of greedy spinster.  He holds back nothing.  He did not give 10% of his time, service, or his love; He poured out 100% of everything of all He had--He gave 100% of Himself to us.  Generous giving is sacrificial giving.  And if Jesus gives us the picture of what sacrificial giving looks like most clearly, we know that sacrificial giving "hurts". It hurts our popularity, it hurts our comfort, it hurts our lifestyle in that it is only [...]

Last week, we began our Advent series titled Give.  The first sermon focused on the generosity of God and how good giving begins with good theology.  Our giving is a response to who God is and what He has done.  Failure to give is not only unloving, it is a sign of unbelief.  Refusing to give means rejecting man aspects of God's character.  Driven by the fear of losing prosperity or security, we reject that God knows what we need, is able to provide or needs, or is loving enough to in fact do it.  Good giving begins with good theology--but that is not where it ends. Unfortunately, the responsibility to give is rarely argued.  More often, we are vexed by more practical questions of what to give, how to give, and who to give to.  God has given us a clear picture of "generosity" in the person and work [...]

We are starting a four-part series for Advent called GIVE (The word is a clever acronym for generous, intentional, volitional, and enthusiastic).  This series is not titled TITHE or DOUBLE HONOR or INDULGENCE because this is not a series designed to make up a budget deficit or launch a new building campaign. This is a series for disciples of Jesus to consider how, what, and why you give in response to a God who gave.   Good giving is not produced by "good" guilt or good goals, but from good theology.  Giving is always a response TO who God is and what He has done, not an effort to obtain a response from Him.  John Piper says it best: “If we are refugees and exiles on earth (1Peter 2.11), and if our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3.20), and if nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans [...]

From Judges 16:  Unfaithful Heart - "Samson wrongly believes he can be devoted to God and the world at the same time. He identifies with God when he needs to, and identifies with the world when he wants to. He practices something we are all guilty of—SELECTIVE LORDSHIP. He will submit to God those things in his life that are easy, convenient, and comfortable. BUT he will befriend the world and its ways when it suits his desires—he will commit spiritual adultery, he will cheat on God, when he gets frisky.  James 4.4  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Samson is living two lives. Samson is part-time devoted. Samson does spirit-filled momentary acts for God, but then has an everyday lifestyle full of sinful [...]

From Judges 14:  Faithful Calling We never presume the will of God, the mission of God, the call of God is going to be messy. We want God to work things out cleanly and clearly. But we forget about something—sin. Samson is devoted to God, devoted by God, and devoted for God, but that does not make him SINLESS. With Samson we get a picture of a man who is BOTH a faithful servant of God AND a lustful, disrespectful, flippant, lawless, muscle-head gambler with a temper. When God devotes someone to his service—he doesn’t select only clean sinless servants who only make righteous decisions. Newsflash for you, there are no such people. The calling of God takes all that you are and empowers you to be all that God needs. WHO WE ARE is created and shaped in real ways, godly and ungodly, all which work together to shape [...]

From a sermon titled: Faithful Servant: Judges 13 Israel has become comfortable in their enslavement. They have come to accept their oppression and their idolatry as the NEW NORMAL. They do not cry because their sin no longer bothers them—they are content living in, like, and for the world. We need to fear being that comfortable with our sin. John Owen famously said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” One of the most effective ways for the enemy to kill us is to inoculate us to sin—to convince us “it isn’t that bad” or “it isn’t that big of deal.” We become comfortable with the idea of being “pretty devoted or better-than disciples.” After all, we’re not as idolatrous, lawless, or rebellious as Jephthah. We may not be fully devoted, but at least we’re not burning our children on altars. We have ACCEPTABLE IDOLS representing acceptable sins—just [...]