Watts in the Word

Why don’t we pray more? It’s obvious why non-Christians wouldn’t pray, but why would people who claim to believe in and have a relationship with Jesus not pray like they should? Let’s consider three common reasons, as well as strategies to overcome these barriers to prayer. Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on prayer. This sermon … Continue reading To Pray or Not to Pr...

Most of Jesus’ parables in Luke were direct responses to a situation he was in or a comment or question directed at him, including the parables of lost things in Luke 15. What attitude was Jesus responding to, and how might we be in danger of the same attitude today? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching … Continue reading Parables of Lost Things

We begin a series on prayer to close out this year by considering the most basic question of all: what is prayer? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on prayer. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on October 4, 2026.)

We resume our study of Luke’s gospel this week. Luke 14 contains maybe the most famous parable about the “cost of discipleship,” but there are three different parables about feasts before it in Luke 14 that all make answer a similar question: what does it take to follow Jesus? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through … Continue reading The Cost of Discipleship

The last chapter of James deals with two very different ends of the spectrum of life: success and earthly wealth, and suffering in earthly trials. How do we hold these two parts of life in balance while maintaining a healthy relationship with God? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through James. This sermon was preached at … Continue reading Success and Suffering

We obviously can’t cover every name and title of God in one sermon series; there are dozens or maybe hundreds of ways that God is referred to in Scripture. We conclude this series with a survey of several ways we could categorize these references and ask: what’s the point of such a study anyway? Click … Continue reading Names of God: Conclusion

In considering how the ancient wisdom of the Bible might apply to modern life, it is of utmost importance to remember the core facet of human nature that leads to rebellion against God: pride, arrogance, and selfishness. Pride manifests in all the same ways throughout human history, and thus James’ advice for overcoming pride is … Continue reading Overcoming Pride

Most of the names and titles of God that we have considered have been much more common in the Old Testament, but calling God our Father is a much more common New Testament phenomenon. Why did the Old Testament writers refrain from this language, and why is it so common in the New Testament? What … Continue reading God the Father

Perhaps the largest technological gulf between our era and the era of the New Testament writers is the internet. What wisdom does James have to offer for the social media era, and how should modern Christians behave online? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through James. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ … Continue reading When Words are Many

Next in our study of names and titles of God is “shepherd,” one of the most famous descriptions of God, and the way he interacts with his people. What does this title imply about God’s behavior and intentions toward us, and how should it affect our behavior today? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on names … Continue reading The Lord is My Shepherd

The second chapter of James is all about consistency; in how we judge and treat people, in how we think about ourselves and God, and the alignment of our thoughts, beliefs, words, and actions. Why is consistency so hard to cultivate, and why is it so important? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on James. This … Continue reading Consistent Christianity

The book of James has been called “the Proverbs of the New Testament” because James uses many of the same stylistic and thematic elements of it’s Old Testament counterpart. How does this ancient wisdom, written 2,000 years ago, have any bearing on the technological and cultural complexities of modern life? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching … Continue reading Ancient Wisdom f...

There is an argument to be made that the last in our series on Christian fundamentals in Ephesians 4 and Hebrews 6 could have been the one we started with, because it is so basic to the gospel. If the gospel is the “good news” of Jesus, then eternal judgment is the underlying fact that … Continue reading Eternal Judgment

In many ways, the concept of “one body” in Ephesians 4 is a culmination or logical conclusion to the existence of the other “elementary doctrines of Christ” we have thus far examined in this series. What does Paul mean by “one body” and how should we think about this concept today? Click Here to Listen. … Continue reading One Body

One of the more popular titles, especially among certain prophets in Israel, is Yahweh of Hosts (or more familiarly “the Lord of Hosts”). Where did this title come from, why did it become so popular among the prophets, and how should modern readers relate to it today? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on names and … Continue reading Yahweh of Hosts

Of all the things in the combined lists in Ephesians 4 and Hebrews 6, perhaps none is so controversial as “one baptism” in Ephesians 4 (ironic since it’s a list of unifying Christian principles). What are we to make of Paul’s statement, contrasted with the Hebrews writer referring to “instructions about washings”? Click Here to … Continue reading One Bapti...

Next in our list of Christian fundamentals is one that only appears in Hebrews 6: repentance from dead works. What is repentance, where does it come from in the Christian heart, and what should it look like in our lives? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on Christian fundamentals. This sermon was preached at the Dewey … Continue reading Repentance from Dead Works

It’s apparent from a cursory glance through the New Testament that the act of believing or having faith is an essential part of fellowship with Christ. But what does Paul mean when he says there is “one faith” in Ephesians 4? One faith versus what other faiths? What kinds of faith? How should this principle … Continue reading One Faith

When Moses asks God very directly what his name is in Exodus 3, God does give him a very specific answer. What does he tell Moses, what does it mean, and how should we think about this name of God today? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the names and titles of God. This sermon … Continue reading Names of God: Yahweh

Out of the combined lists in Ephesians 4 and Hebrews 6, the one that stands out the most as puzzling to modern readers is “the laying on of hands.” What makes this an “elementary doctrine of Christ” and how does this relate to the “one Spirit” as a basis of Christian unity? Click Here to … Continue reading One Spirit

Second in our series on Christian fundamentals is “One Lord” from Ephesians 4, combined with a partial examination of “the Resurrection from the Dead” in Hebrews 6. Jesus of Nazareth is our “one Lord,” but why? What give him the right to rule, and how should people today respond to his rule? Click Here to … Continue reading One Lord

This is the first in a series on some of the names and titles of God (of which there are many), hopefully to bring us into a deeper appreciation of our Creator’s majesty and to help us consider how we might be represent him on earth. We begin with the most basic word: “God.” Click … Continue reading The Names of God

This is the first in a series on the basics of Christianity, using a combined list drawn from the “Seven Ones” in Ephesians 4 and the “elementary doctrine of Christ” in Hebrews 6. We begin this series with a consideration of “One God and Father” from Ephesians and “Faith Toward God” from Hebrews. Click Here … Continue reading Fundamentals of th...

Jesus uses two analogies in Matthew 5 to describe his followers and his expectations for them. What do these analogies have in common, and what kind of behaviors should they describe in the life of the modern Christian? Click Here to Listen. (This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on June 14, … Continue reading Salt and Light

In some ways God’s work to restore creation is at the heart of the whole Bible story from the opening chapters of Genesis to the closing of Revelation. The image of the church as a new creation in Christ is a vital part of the larger story of God’s renewing work. How do we fit … Continue reading A New Creation