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 [...]

Below is an excerpt from an old Sermon in 2006.  It made me laugh.The other day, my oldest son Fischer came home with a special flyer from this school.  Apparently, a local group was offering Hula Dancing Lessons to boys and girls.  For $120, my son, my one day going to be a man son, could experience 8 weeks of grass skirt hip gyrating exercise that would be the envy of manly Dad’s everywhere.  Not Karate or Kung Fun, not hammering nails or building forts, not skateboards or video games…no, hula dancing.  It took me all of three seconds to decide that my son would not be doing it, although Caylin had said he was really excited about it.  So I had to tell him…“Fischer, you will not be doing hula lessons.”“Ohhhh…why?”“Hula dancing, well, it’s, um, it’s for girls. You’ve already mastered the art of twisting and shaking your bottom.  [...]

For the month of July, we are taking a pause from our study of the book of Judges and spending time in Ruth.  After 15 weeks of disturbing stories with disturbing characters, we get to spend four weeks in a short love story. But this is not your typical love story about a knight in shining armor finding a princess to save.  It is that, but much more.  In truth, the story pictures not only the salvation of a helpless widow, the the salvation of a helpless people.  It is the amazing, and somewhat confounding, story about a faithful God loving an unfaithful people, and rescuing them from their sin. But the first thing the author of this story wants to establish is just how HELPLESS we in fact all are.  The theme of Judges, which is the setting for this story, is that "without a King...men did what was right [...]

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 [...]