This should be called "Tuesday" morning preacher.  I preached on the call of Gideon last week--Judges 6.11-32.  Instead of pontificating about everything I wish I had said, I think I'll just reiterate the things that I felt were most important.  Each sermon I preach there are a few things that stick out to me more than others...these are basically quotes from the sermon: With Jesus and Jesus with us.  Following Jesus is never about us.  It’s not about what we do or don’t have, what we can or can’t do, or what we can or cannot  change…it’s about listening to God more than yourself.  And after you actually listen, it's about believing that going on a “risky” mission WITH Jesus is infinitely safer and more satisfying than living a fearfully comfortable life in a winepress thrashing wheat WITHOUT him. What the true order of things is. Peace with God, leads to pure worship, [...]

Three of the most terrifying verses in the Bible for anyone who claims to be Christians is Matthew 7.21-23:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’Over the years, I have met a lot of people who confess faith in the gospel.  And though many of them will embrace "faith by grace", I have found there remains a lot of confusion about how to exactly the doctrine grace operates in our delay life.  There are two common perversions of grace.  One [...]

The first 10 verses of Judges chapter 6 are probably ones that most readers will spend little time considering.  The average reader of Judges (and their aren’t too many) would rather skip ahead to verse 11 for the “action” of Gideon and his “300” begins to unfold.  A careful reading of Judges 6 makes these first verses feel  somewhat parenthetical, almost like a speed bump in thought before entering the main thoroughfare.  There are no accidental anecdotes in God’s Word; every word is carefully and intentionally breathed out by God to declare His glory and build our faith. These 10 verses are intended to slow us down so that we don’t lose sight of God’s point for the larger story, of which Judges is simply one chapter in. […]

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.Psalm 40.1-3 I preached on the Song of Deborah (Judges 5) this week.  It is one of those texts that most will read hastily, without much thought, as it seems little more than a commentary on chapter 4.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  There is much to learn from this song, one that was written to help preserve, protect, and even perpetuate the cultural identity of Israel as God's people.  In summary, it is a song about the details of what happened before, during, [...]

Ugh. Rarely do I ever write a sermon that I don't completely rewrite in my mind AFTER I have preached it. This not only evidences the richness of God's immeasurably deep word, it also probably evidences my own desire to try and control more than I actually can.  God is in control and speaks what he wants, when he wants, through and to whom he wants, despite me. Nevertheless, God has graced me a blog to share my revisionist thoughts.  This week's sermon was a difficult one. All week I have been at a loss to the "big lesson" we are supposed to gain from this 4,000 year old story. I am resigned to believe that most of the lessons we can learn from Scripture are secondary to the one lesson we are supposed to learn--God is big, God is awesome, and God is in control of everything. By everything, [...]

I can't stop thinking about Ehud.  It seems that, with every text I preach, I discover that there are probably seven other ways it could have been preached.  Alas, the richness of God's Word--it can never be fully comprehended or sufficiently proclaimed.Regarding Ehud, there is another meaningful truth that can easily get lost in the delightfully disturbing narrative.  Though Ehud pretended to be many things, though his ruse was full of creative acting, the one role he fulfilled free of any deception was that of a faithful mailman--he delivered Yahweh's message.  The message was not a secret password or tidbit of wisdom, it was a double-edged sword.  Hebrews 4.12 tells us that the Word of God is a double-edged sword, able to cut men down to the heart, to kill them or clean them.  In Revelation 1.16 we see that Jesus speaks with a two-edged sword coming out of his mouth.  This is Revelation Jesus, not the once marginalized Gailean peasant Jesus, but the [...]

Before you continue reading, you’ll want to listen or read the sermon on Judges 3.12-30.  After preaching this sermon many asked, or were thinking, ‘Did he just say what I think he said?”  The answer is probably "yes". Unfortunately, we live in a sensationalistic world where even preachers proclaim God’s Word in such a way that they believe they have the power.  They add clever jokes, funny illustrations, or emphasize the most sensationalistic details of text in order to make their message more "memorable" or shocking.  All the while, God’s message is lost in the noise.I didn’t want that to happen with this passage.  So, in an effort to avoid unnecessary shock value, and to protect some younger listeners, I attempted to preach a PG-13 version of the story of Ehud.  Below is some explanation to help clarify any confusion about what I believe really happened in this story.  Consider this [...]