Big God/Little God

Introduction

When our first child was quite small, we used to ask her, "Laura, how big are you?" She wasn't even a year old—couldn't even hardly ...

Painting by Numbers

From the editor

If you've read or heard a sermon by Peter Hiett, chances are you've not forgotten it. Consider "Redneck Christmas"—a featured sermon ...

David's Last Words

Introduction

A life is a terrible thing to waste. In his life saving book, Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper recounts a story his father often told in ...

The Strangest Gift

Introduction

In her book Tramp for the Lord, Corrie ten Boom tells the story of an old woman she met in Russia in the time of the Communist persecution ...

A New Name for Philadelphia

Text: Revelation 3:7–13
Topic: We have a new name, and we're going to live in a new city that cannot be shaken.

From the editor

Like Dave Stone of Southeast ...

Fear of God

Text: Psalm 103
Topic: Understanding godly fear

From the editor

We don't hear too many sermons about the fear of God. The reasons why vary—from fear ...

The House of Love

Introduction

This message concludes our series on the four best places to live. We've looked at the House of Worship, the House of Prayer, and the House ...

The House of Worship

Introduction

Where is the best place to live? Every year, the UN asks this question about countries, and every year they release their recommendations ...

Stop Witnessing, Start Working

Introduction

A few months ago, I came across an article in The Boston Globe about religion in the workplace. The columnist, who is one of the few Jewish ...

Good to Great

Introduction

Suppose someone were to show up at your workplace tomorrow, shove a microphone in your face, and ask, "How do you think your work affects ...

The Job

Introduction

One of the most talked-about shows on television today is called, The Office. The Office gives us a glimpse into the cubicles and consciousness ...

Gone Fishin'

From the editor

John 21 is a powerful story of a fallen disciple, Peter, being restored by Christ. Many a sermon has been preached on the varying uses ...

Trust Me

From the editor

As Marshall indicates in his introduction, few people ever rummage around in the final few chapters of Genesis. But the final events recorded ...

It's About the People

Introduction

Recently our church softball thoroughly trounced our opponents. The game ended with what's called the mercy rule: when one team is ahead ...

You Go Your Way; I'll Go God's Way.

Introduction

Many people who study the times say that there isn't much we can trust today. Andy Crouch put it this way in Christianity Today:

The emptiness ...

Comfort for the Troubled Heart

Introduction

The Allies had planned Operation Overlord for years, amassing vast armies, an incredible navy, and enough arms to release Europe from the ...

Prepare for God's Visitation

Introduction

I have a friend named John who is a medical doctor. He was once making a commercial flight across the Atlantic Ocean, when a teenage boy who ...

Expect God's Visitation

Introduction

In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge lies down on Christmas Eve hoping to enjoy a good night's rest. In the course ...

The Prime Principle

Introduction

Abiding in Christ is simply staying near a friend who loves you. But what happens to a person who abides in Christ? If I really walk with ...

Lessons from Lepers

Introduction

We often look at thanksgiving backwards. We think of thanksgiving as thanking God for something that has happened to us already. The real ...

Fear of God

Introduction

A few summers ago, my family took a family trip to Toronto. We'd never been there before, so we didn't know what to see. But all the guidebooks ...

Facing Off Without Falling Apart

Introduction

In Acts 4 we witness an epic battle between a David-like underdog and a behemoth giant. In one corner you have two unschooled, unimpressive ...

Warriors on Their Couches

Introduction

The account of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 begins this way:

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David ...

Where's the "Gift Return" Receipt?

Introduction

Let's suppose there's a small town on the edge of Iraq, near the Saudi border. Let's call the town Mosel. It's a small community with no other ...

It's All About You, Lord

Introduction

A poet once complained to a friend, "Life's not fair. A banker can write a bad poem, and nobody says anything about it. But if a poet writes ...

A Lifestyle Inventory

Introduction

I want to tell you exactly how to live your life and spend your money. I know I have your attention now, because when we talk about money, ...

Costly, Messy, Beautiful Obedience

Introduction

The key word in the title of this message is "obedience." When I did a Google search on obedience, the most popular sites fell into two categories: ...

Follow the Leader

Introduction

A church fails for one of two reasons.

The first reason is poor leadership—the failure of those whom God has called to lead, to lead well, ...

The First Extreme: Conformity

Introduction

We have already met Jonah, a scowling, spiteful little man in a chronic state of bellyache. The meaning of his name—"dove"—just ...

What God Wants from You More Than Anything Else

Introduction

What does God want from you? What does he expect? Do you know?

That's a question that every person has to answer. Because if there is a God—and ...

Seeing Life God's Way

Introduction

Not too long ago, a friend of mine was at the doctor's office for his annual checkup. As part of the exam, the doctor looked in his eyes. ...

A Christmas To-Do List

Introduction

Most of us have heard the Christmas story so many times that we think we know what it's all about, but the fact is we might have passed over ...

For Better, but Worse

Introduction

When the great Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer, he began a speech as ...

Good Guys, Bad Guys, or Us Guys?

Introduction

Anybody here grow up in a legalistic, fundamentalist type of church? The emphasis in those kinds of churches is on keeping the rules, lots ...

Elements of Worship

Introduction:

One of the most interesting points of a pastor’s week is greeting people after Sunday morning worship. People say the most interesting things ...

What God Wants From Us

It seems that there was once a clerk in a large candy store who always had people waiting in line, even when the other clerks were standing around with ...

How to Be Used by God: Be Smart

Introduction

On his 16th birthday, a son approached his father and said, "Dad, I'm 16 now. So when I get my license, can I drive the family car?" His father ...

Walking in the Light

Introduction:

Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ dramatic self-revelation in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk ...

A Breath of Fresh Air

Focus: Sometimes the best way to build God's kingdom is to brace up his workers.

Introduction: I want to read three brief passages, first from 2 Corinthians ...

Path of Preparation

Introduction

One of the great tragedies of this century is the number of high-profile people who have professed faith in Christ and suddenly found themselves ...

How to Experience God's Peace This Christmas

Needless to say, this Christmas will be different than any Christmas in recent history. We're experiencing what our parents and grandparents must ...

Going with God's Game Plan

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, and I want to congratulate all the football fans for choosing to be here this morning, rather than at home watching the ...

Courageous Obedience

The second half of the first chapter of Matthew is the story of Mary and Joseph. This is an important story in the life of Jesus, even though he hasn't ...

Digging Deeper in the Spiritual Life

There is a recurring theme throughout the Gospel of Matthew—there is a difference between being religious and spiritual. We spent 12 weeks in the ...

What If I Don't Feel Like Being Good?

Today we begin a new series. For the next five weeks we will discuss at length something that is essentially a split-second decision for you—whether ...

An Appetite for Obedience

When a baby is born, all the nutrition that baby needs is found in mother's milk. The child can be healthy and grow and develop as it should exclusively ...

As for Me

I stood in that old church in Richmond where long ago Patrick Henry fired a verbal shot that was heard around the world. It was on March 20, 1775, a day ...

Life in the Penalty Box

I'd like to just read an excerpt of someone who wrote to me from out of state and addressed the letter to me personally.

He said, "I'm 31 years old." ...

Choices

Introduction

Life has been described by many as a series of choices. That's partly true. Obviously there are times when our lives are impacted by things ...

He Shall Direct Thy Paths

When you're young person, there are two or three things that generally are important to you, and finding and doing the will of God is not one of them. ...