Hold Up The Book

The 175-year-old hymn, "Night with Ebon Pinion," uses strange choices of words to paint a picture of the oppressive darkness under which Jesus found himself praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of his betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion. This talk attempts to elucidate the meaning of the hymn's lyrics and paint the picture of the scene which they describe.

Humility just  fits  us. Pride is out of place in so many realms of life, but humility helps us in every way. As creatures before our creator, as sinners before a holy God, and as saints before our Savior, we have every reason to live in meekness.

"Humble pie is not always bitter when it's made by God's recipe." This message illuminates the splendor and joy of Christ's humility in his whole life; that he was submissive to God and mankind in spite of the fact that he was God himself. He sets the template for the ideal version of humility — a thing that ought to define every Christian. This is the beginning of a serie...

This message, the third in our preaching theme series for the year, drills down on the idea that as God's people, the church truly are  God's  people. That's why we do things his way, why we serve him happily in humility, and why we glory only in his name—not in our own. We are HIS.

In considering our theme for this year, the discussion is about who  "We Are... " as the people of Jesus Christ. And so, this message was framed as mock orientation for a new church member. What would we want to tell people who are new to our church family so that they will know who we are and what we expect of them?

A favorite hymn by Fannie Crosby, Near The Cross prays for the ability to keep ourselves near Jesus' Cross at all times so that everything about our lives reflects the depth of God's love and truth seen in the sacrifice of Jesus.

In many churches, a daily Bible reading program is put forward for the members, but in many cases, it just becomes background noise and is easily forgotten. Like a forgotten New Year's resolution, there is some excitement around it in January, but then that excitement fizzles and the idea lies dormant until the next January. In this episode, we talk about some helpful methods and mentalities...

It seems impossible to distill everything about a person's essence into an accurate description of that person. And as it is with an individual, it's that much more so with a group of people. And yet, we should try, because it helps us explore who "we are" supposed to be as individual Christians and as a congregation of Christians. This year, we'll be digging deep into the...

This message quickly runs through five  types  of resolutions that spiritual people can consider making at any time — whether New Year's or any time that progress in the faith is warranted.

In the first week of a new year, I always think about leadership. I think about how I will lead myself, my family, my church family, and the lost into better things as regards our faith. And so, this lesson reminds me and anyone who listens of some helpful and important ideals that every godly leader should aspire to, for the good of others.

This episode, presented as a Wednesday night invitation, reminds us that a message doesn't have to be eternal in length to have an eternal impact.

This short sermon explores the beautiful sentiments of the hymn "O Come, All Ye Faithful." It reminds us how wonderful it is that God came in the flesh, and it makes the same invitation to us as the hymn: to come and adore the one who came in flesh to redeem fleshy humanity for all time.

The ending of the book of Romans might seem tedious after the grand concepts of theology that have been discussed leading up to it. But, if we continue to look for his main point that's been at work throughout, we'll see it in those closing paragraphs... along with an assurance that God's way WILL work for those who are faithful to him, and a chorus of praise to God to finish off th...

Often, kids who are growing up in Christian households are seeing the nature of our religious activities truthfully, but a little shortsightedly. This is true with communion, and their view of it ought to remind those of us who are mature to look deeper and appreciate the activity's true blessings.

Today is a recording of one of my recent classes in which I introduced a study of the book of Job. I do my best in my classes to implement all the techniques and advice given in the recent podcast episodes re: Bible classes. I begin with a discussion question to introduce the class, try to ask thoughtful questions throughout, and try to speak with expertise and humility on the meaning of Scripture...

One of the great struggles in the life of a disciple is when we pray to God, believing that he will give us what we need, and yet he says 'no.' This message reminds us of the powerful truth that he DOES promise give us what we pray for, and yet he also retains the right to say 'no' to our prayers. How are we to stay faithful in prayer when that's the case?

Athletes, artists, and writers have all been known to hit a plateau or two as they grow in their respective disciplines, and Christians sometimes do too. This message tells us about some things we can do to break through a spiritual plateau and continue our growth in the Lord.

This episode contains some bonus teaching that had to be left out of my recent "fireside chat" sermon about the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. It's a perspective being offered for those who think, "Christians should be standing up for Christianity like that! We should be silencing our enemies and defending God's honor in the public square with the same kind of...

This message—the second in a series on prayer—highlights four concepts that can be observed about prayer from when the disciples asked Jesus to "Teach us to pray." Prayer is not wholly natural. It's a skill that must be learned. Prayer is meant to be continual—and ever-present part of our lives. Prayer is both ritual and response. It's not just vain repitition, but sometimes it...

In this message, I'm starting a new sermon series on prayer. And this introductory message just drives home the purpose and importance of the fact that we have the privilege of talking to God.