GOSPEL :: FAMILY :: MISSION
The passage we are looking at today comes right on the heels of last week’s passage where we observed Israel’s victory over their Ammonite enemies who had been threatening to render a portion of Israel ineffective in war as well as to enslave them to a life of forced labor.
Continue readingI often argue for the wartime mentality of the Christian life. Numerous New Testament passages deal with the themes of making war against our ancient enemies, Satan, Sin, and Death through the power of Jesus who is our crucified, risen, and returning Savior.
Continue readingAs we dive back into our study of 1 Samuel today, I want to set the table for us and orient our minds around some of the central characters, the plot line, and some of the central themes so that we can rightly interpret and apply the text to our lives.
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Well, here we are! Today is Resurrection Sunday! Historically, this is the day that the church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. For thousands of years, the church all over the world has set aside this day to intentionally highlight and celebrate the victory of the empty tomb of Jesus.
Continue readingGood Friday is typically much different than a normal Sunday gathering. This once-a-year gathering is designed to be very short, very somber, and very dark. It is designed to be short, somber and dark because it is the night that we observe and think deeply about the events leading up to and culminating in the death of Jesus as our perfect, innocent, substitute on the cross of Calvary so that we might find forgiveness for our sins. The events of this night, a few thousand years ago, were more brutal than most of us can imagine.
Continue readingIt is great to be with you after being away for three months on sabbatical! It feels like it has been an eternity since I stood in this pulpit and I have really looked forward to being back with all of you. I missed all of you, deeply!
Continue readingWhen I first began to dream about this study in 1 Samuel, a few months ago, I was thinking ahead, about my upcoming sabbatical, (which begins just one day from now) and I was asking the Lord to give us a series that would nurture The Well in my absence as other preachers stepped into this pulpit over the next thirteen Sundays.
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If you are visiting with us tonight, you might be wondering why we would include Mathew’s genealogy in our lineup of passages for a Christmas Eve Gathering. Here is the reason. We have been studying this passage for the last couple of weeks in our Sunday gatherings in anticipation of Christmas and as we have studied it, we have discussed what it must have been like to wait for Jesus for generation, after generation, after generation. Look at the passage with me…
Continue readingWell, here we are, three days away from Christmas: three days away from celebrating the birth of Jesus! For many of us, in three days, we will gather with family and maybe some friends to eat some good food (hopefully), participate in the tradition of giving and receiving gifts, take some good naps (maybe), watch some football or maybe watch some good Christmas movies like “Home Alone” or “Miracle on 34th Street” or “The Christmas Story” or maybe even the best Christmas movies of all, the “Die Hard” movies or “Godfather” movies! Regardless of your movie of choice, there is much to look forward to in the Christmas season.
Continue readingAs I prayed and studied the text we just read over the last week, I was struck with the theme of waiting on Jesus. When you think about the history of Israel, and our own history for that matter, it is easy to get the sense that we are all waiting for Jesus in some way or another. Here is a question for you: In. what ways are you waiting on Jesus right now? More specifically, what promises of God do you need to rely on right now as you wait for Jesus to fulfill them?
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