When we proclaim the Word of God, we will often face resistance from every side. We can begin to see the scope of the opposition to the Word of God when we consider two themes Scripture proclaims clearly—sin and the gospel. In the early centuries of Christianity, the Church understood that a false understanding of … Continue reading Opposition is Bad, but Hell is Worse
"The fire had not any power over the bodies of those men" (Daniel 3:27). These are the words spoken of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego while in the fiery furnace. It is a common truth; fire has power over bodies when the two come into contact, but not so in this case. The fire could not … Continue reading The Fire Had No Power Over Their Bodies
Nothing ever happens to us by 'chance'. Our little trials, our great troubles, our heavy crosses, our painful losses, are all a part of God's plan! Nor did He plan afflictions for us merely haphazardly; He planned them because He saw that we needed them. He intended to make them rich blessings to us. Every … Continue reading Every Trouble is a Blessing
How are we to respond when suffering enters our life? This short sermon preached at First Artesia CRC looks at a passage of Scripture filled with bright hope in the middle of what is likely the saddest book of the Bible. Exploring Lamentations 3:21-31, we will see six ways we should respond when we are … Continue reading Suffering? Now What?
Spiritual drowsiness is something with which all Christian struggle. When Paul tells us to "wake from sleep" in Romans 13:11, we know he is speaking to Christians. He sounds the alarm because our “salvation is nearer than when we first believed." What are some signs that we, as Christians, are spiritually sleepy? Here are four. … Continue reading 4 Signs We Are Spiritually Sleepy
As Christians, we all struggle with spiritual drowsiness. Thankfully, Romans 13 addresses this directly and provides us with encouragement and guidance to fight against it. This short sermon preached at First Artesia CRC explores three questions. What does it mean to be asleep spiritually? Why do we need to wake up? How do we wake … Continue reading A Spiritual Wake-Up Call
Christians and non-Christians alike constantly talk about the need for “self-care” these days. I wonder if farmers, working 80 hours a week in 1950s America, thought about “self-care.” That is a rhetorical question. Of course, they did not. The reason, I suspect, is not that hard-working farmers did not need to take care of themselves. … Continue reading Moses, the Mountain, and a Mass of Email
We are a people clamoring to be heard, but when the flood of voices drowns their own, many people will raise their pitch and resort to all kinds of hyperbole to gain an audience. Even journalists have degraded their profession by using misleading headlines to coax us into clicking their links. From politicians to personal … Continue reading Truth in a Culture of Noise
After Daniel had been delivered from certain death by a revelation given to him by God, he praised God and said, “He knows what is in the darkness.” Once we understand it, this truth should fill our hearts with joy. This sermon preached at First Artesia CRC looks at the context of Daniel chapter 2 … Continue reading The Lord Knows What Is in the Darkness
What is “the good life” according to the Bible? I recently introduced this topic with a short article called, To Love Life and See Good Days, but this weekend, I had the opportunity to expand on it at First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. Too often, we look for the good life in the things of … Continue reading Living the Good Life
The Fight of Faith 