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 ...

The Magi Visit the Messiah

Introduction

Nobody knows who the Magi were, though everyone’s heard of them. They embody the quest for truth, meaning, and purpose in life. We assume ...

Take Courage

Introduction

Football referees are unbiased, right? They would never be influenced by fans or football players, right? Well, according to a recent study, ...

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 ...

The Goodness of Creation

Editor's Note: This article is being released with a partnership with the Center for Pastor Theologians Conference. The theme for their 2018 conference ...

Repentance

Introduction

Benjamin Franklin was into virtue, as were many of the founding fathers of the United States. That 18th century was a society in which self-discipline ...

The One the King Delights to Honor

Introduction

Don't you love hearing a behind-the-scenes story? Like from a movie, or a famous historical event, or how a couple you know got together. ...

The Unseen King

Introduction

You may not know much about the Book of Esther—I didn't. It is easy to overlook. In fact, I read that for the first six or seven centuries ...

"You, Moses!"

A long beginning

Try to look at this thing from Moses' point of view: it was all just so, well, implausible. Oh, yes, there had been the dramatic circumstances ...

The Myth of Balance

Introduction

I'm going to read from Matthew chapter 6 verses 24 through 34. These are the words of Jesus,

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate ...

Your Life Force

Introduction

I found a text the other day that describes stages of success:

At age 4, success is not peeing in your pants. At age 12, success is having ...

Hope for People Who Have Everything but Still Lack Something

Introduction

G. K. Chesterton, an English writer, once said that "every man who visits a prostitute is looking for God." Really? I believe he's right. ...

Created with a Purpose

Introduction

This is the first of a six sessions in our Living Free series. We're going to cover some foundational truths about God's purpose for ...

Recovering God's Freedom

Introduction

Last week we looked at God's original design for creation and humanity. We also talked about how sin disrupted God's plan. When we ...

One World, Two Realms

Introduction

In our first session, we identified God's original design for humanity, and we looked at what was lost because of the Fall. How did God ...

Understanding Power and Authority

Introduction

In this session, we're going to deal with the subject of the power and authority of Jesus Christ that's been given to us and the significance ...

Strongholds

Introduction

In this message we'll look at strongholds, the enemy's access points that can compromise God's power and purposes in our lives. ...

Generational Sins, Soul Ties, Curses

Introduction

In this last session of our series, we're going to talk about three subjects that bring a lot of questions and even opposition: generational ...

A Tale of Two Women

Introduction

In the days when the judges ruled over the land of Judah there came a famine to the land. So a man from Bethlehem together with his wife and ...

Drafting Buddies

Introduction

Sam and Frodo find themselves on the final leg of their journey on the slopes of Mordor, but Frodo is losing heart. He's just about out of ...

Testing the Limits

Introduction

For the past couple of weeks we've been talking about friendship. And what we're learning is that our friendships play an important role in ...

BFFs

Introduction

There's a famous speech in Shakespeare's play Henry V. It's the night before the battle of Agincourt. As a young king, Henry prepares to lead ...

A Heart for Service

Introduction

Once upon a time there was a wonderful church that suddenly found itself in trouble. After an exciting season of growth, things just didn't ...

The Shared Life

Introduction

For the last few weeks, we've been turning to the Book of Acts, the place where we hear about the stories of the early church, to learn something ...

Walking Into the Purposes of God

Introduction

The first words of the Bible tell us that this universe of which we're a part belongs to a God of purpose: "In the beginning. God created." ...

Who's the Boss?

Story behind the sermon (from Lee Eclov)

I wonder if people aren't a little suspicious when we preach about work. When we say that all work is a calling, ...

God's Green Earth

Introductory remarks from Steve Mathewson:

This sermon definitely resonated with my listeners! Many of them had already been practicing environmental stewardship ...

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Introduction

A businessman decided to throw a party for some of his clients, and because he was doing so well, he spared no expense. He hired the most ...

Praying the Savior's Way

From the editor:

The Lord's Prayer is one of the more popular passages in all of the New Testament—believers and non-believers alike have even taken ...

To Live Is Christ

From the editor

In this sermon Ed Rowell looks to tackle the tricky issue of joy and happiness. Most would agree that the two words have become synonymous, ...

Your Whole Life Matters to God

Introduction

I once read an article in the New York Times entitled "How the Worm Turns." The article focused on a group of scientists who spend ...

Fighting Well

Introduction

The movie Cinderella Man is based on the true story of a boxer named James J. Braddock. Braddock was a good boxer who lost his passion and ...

Remember Who You Are

Introduction

The Woodley family has a number of family picture albums. Each picture album contains an assortment of photos of people that matter to our ...

Older People: The Future of Our Church

Introduction

On October 29, 1998, the space shuttle Discovery launched with a seven-member crew. One of them, John Glenn, was 77 years old. John Glenn ...

My Favorite Heroes: Esther

Introduction

Some time ago I went on a retreat, and one of the topics at this retreat was how we're all created for a mission; everybody was made for a ...

Don't Ask Me, I'm Only Visiting This Planet

Introduction

Have you ever put down the newspaper—after reading about genocide in Sudan and beheadings in Iraq and shootings in Dorchester and sexual ...

When Things Seem Impossible

Exodus 14:1-31

Today we are in the third week of our series "Lessons in the Life of Moses." This week we're going to fast-forward past a number ...

How to Avoid Becoming Obsolete

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks were frequent, a group of concerned citizens decided to build a rescue station. The building was just a hut, ...

A Reason for Living

NOTE: This message can also be used in the "Jesus the Messiah" series

There's an old country song that goes …

There goes my reason ...

Singing in the Rain

The psalmist is singing again. It's not exactly like singing in the rain, but it's kind of like singing in the rain, because he's in trouble ...

He Is Able

One of the lovely things about the Lord is that he hides the future from us. Most of us would love a sneak preview of the future. We say, "Well, Lord, ...