Homily for Evan Cheung’s Memorial Service

Author’s Note: On Monday, June 5, 2023, Evan Cheung, a beloved student leader at our church, took his life by suicide. Evan’s parents, Andrew ...

Hope for a Weary World

Introduction

In the short story, later turned into a film, The Life of Walter Mitty, the main character has an overactive imagination. Living a commonplace ...

‘Don’t Go Too Far!’

Introduction

In the historical account of Moses leading God’s people out of Egypt we find these words:

• I will harden Pharaoh’s heart

Trusting the Sovereignty of God

Introduction

We are in our Advent series called “Christmas with Joseph—when things don’t go as planned.” What we’re trying ...

The Unsuccessful Successful Prophet

Introduction

I’ve read Jeremiah many times over the years, but never got much out of it, apart from various passages. There’s something ...

'Remember!'

Introduction

There were three sisters—ages 92, 94, and 96—who lived together. One night, the 96-year-old drew a bath. She put one ...

Advent: Christmas Eve

Introduction

Happy Christmas!

Christmas is very much a thing at our church. You may be watching this on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, or the ...

Advent: Hope

Introduction

If you are new to Advent, it’s based on an ancient Latin word. Ad is Latin for “to ”, and vent for “come.” ...

Remember to Hope

Introduction

In Spring of 2020, I was traveling on a church van packed full with college students going for a hike on the snow-covered mountains ...

Enduring Hardship Faithfully

Introduction

Life is hard and full of uncertainties. You don't always know what will get you. You just know something will: coronavirus, unemployment, ...

A Better Hope

Introduction

Hebrews 7 breaks down for us what it means that Jesus is a priest forever after or in the order of Melchizedek. That sounds strange to our ...

Life of Seth: An Expository Character Narrative Sermon

[Hoeing. Pulling weeds – Has a pain in hand]

Ow! These cursed thorns! Oh, I didn’t see you there. Welcome friend. The name’s Seth. Why ...

Joy Terenzoni and Her Sacks of Treasure

There is a story Jesus told about a man who entrusted his servants with his possessions. To one servant he gave 5 talents - that was 5 sacks of treasure. ...

Unshakeable Hope

Introduction

Happy Easter! Welcome to the largest digital Easter the world has ever seen, as thousands of churches are online right now!

It’s been ...

Grieve, Not as the World Grieves

Introduction

Some years ago, when I first heard the phrase “bright sadness” to describe the season of Lent, I loved the way it sounded, but ...

The Sudden Turn of Joy

Introduction

It’s a wonderful day and I’m really honored to be preaching on the first Sunday of the New Year it’s a great joy. I have ...

Why the Feeding Trough?

Introduction

How about this for a true story. In 2007 my husband Jonathan and I caught a plane to Australia with Academy-Award winning director George ...

The Hope for the World

Introduction

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for many reasons. And one of those reasons is that Christmas allows us to take stock of the ...

Hope in a Time of Anxiety

Introduction

I know a woman who is a working professional, she’s the mother of young children, a wife, and she recently contracted COVID-19 which ...

Burning Hearts

Introduction

Several months ago, my wife and I had the privilege of going to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte (If you are ever in Charlotte, NC you ...

The Characters of Christmas: Shepherds

This sermon is part of “The Characters of Christmas” sermon series. See the whole series here.

Introduction

Christmas time is filled with tradition. ...

Hope in the Present

IntroductionIt’s a popular statement. I heard it years ago though I’m not sure who first said it.: Human beings can live for 40 days without ...

Miraculous Births: Samson

This sermon is part of the “Miraculous Births” sermon series. See the whole series here.

Introduction

We are officially in the Christmas season. ...

Miraculous Births: The Church

This sermon is part of the “Miraculous Births” sermon series. See the whole series here.

Introduction

Getting Things Done, Deep Work, First ...

Hope Through the Night

Introduction

Let's consider the Psalm where our God tells us that lament is appropriate but never the final word—never the final word—as we ...

How to Survive in a Fallen World

Introduction

Americans are threatened in a way today that I think is unusual in our history. Just this week I read parts of three publications freely available ...

Surviving Today's Opposition

Introduction

Several years ago, Woody Allen began a commencement address with this observation: "More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. ...

God Wins

Introduction

(Read John 20:19-29)

On election night in 1976, I sat in a little dark storage closet at the back of a campaign headquarters in Yonkers, New ...

The Properties of Light

Introduction

At this time of year, many of us find our mailboxes filled with cards, most of them photo cards. Those photo cards are the results of a well-orchestrated ...

The Gift of the Son: Prince of Peace

This sermon is part of “The Gift of the Son” sermon series. See the whole series here.

Introduction

During Advent we've been looking at ...

Successful Suffering

Introduction

Give me an S.
Give me a U.
Give me a C.
Give me a C.
Give me an E.
Give me an S.
Give me an S.

What does that spell? "SUCCESS."

Don't Forget to Remember

Introduction

If we have no memory, we are adrift—because memory anchors us to the past, interprets the present, and charts a course for the future. ...

How God Works Through Tragedy

Introduction

Life can seem pretty vicious sometimes. As a church, over the last about five weeks we've had two major tragedies within our family here ...

Death Is Not the End of the Story

On the morning of October 1, 2015, a young man entered a classroom at Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Roseburg, Oregon, and began shooting people. Nine ...

Your Best Life Is Not Now

Introduction

This room is full of hopes: fans hoping for a championship season, all of us hoping for another beautiful summer. Hopes can be more personal, ...

Christians Aren't Always Happy

Introduction

You may have come here this morning seeking happiness. In one sense, how could you not? Seeking happiness is as natural for us as our desire ...

God's Surprising Use of Governments

Introduction

We are going to begin a very important study in what is arguably the most important passage in all of the Bible, regarding how we as Christians ...

A God-Centered Vision of Politics

Introduction

(Read Matthew 22:15-22)

"Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matt. 22:21). This is certainly one of the most famous ...

The Potential of the Church

Introduction

The great English author, C.S. Lewis, is one of my intellectual and spiritual mentors and not too long ago I was re-reading one of my favorite ...

Heaven: Hope for the Long Tomorrow

Introduction

Don't you love Easter? There's something about it, isn't there? Here are a few fun facts about Easter you may not have known: The word, "Easter" ...

Last One Standing

Introduction

I'll tell you the best news you will ever hear: "The righteous shall live by faith!" So why doesn't hearing that evoke the response of other ...

Wrong Question?

Introduction

Corey Brooks is a pastor in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. It's a very tough place. While crime has been declining in most of ...

Perfectly Provided For

Introduction

The reason we are looking at John is to learn what it means to meet the Lord Jesus on his terms. John is a little different than the other ...

True Relationships

Introduction

As we wrap up our series on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, we are going to continue our focus on Christ's second coming.

I am a member at Sam's Club ...

Are You Ready?

Introduction

My dad is a planner. The epitome of this is when he would go on mountain climbing trips to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He would spread out ...

What Happens When We Die?

Introduction

A few months ago, Google made this announcement:

Not many of us like thinking about death—especially our own. But making plans for what ...

Hope Is a Who

Introduction

Life has a way of killing dreams, doesn't it? You set out with high hopes—for your schooling, your career, your family, and your ...

Jesus Vindicated

Introduction

Luke 24, verses 1 to 53—this stuff is too wonderful for words. It's very easy to outline this chapter:

• Lk 24:1-12, The empty tomb;

Simeon's Song

Introduction

I've been reading a gift somebody got for me. It's a fascinating book called Medieval Views of the Cosmos. When I say it's fascinating, ...

Good News When You're Confronted by Death

Introduction

Luke 7:11-17 says this:

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As ...