Watts in the Word

While there certainly are a lot of numbers in the book of Numbers, a better title for the book might be the Jewish one: In the Desert. The narrative sections focus on Israel’s struggles to obey the Law they had just received through Moses, and their journeys in the desert as a result. But our … Continue reading The Struggle to Obey

This is the second part of our consideration of how the modern Christian should relate to the law of Moses. If there is so much difference between the laws of Moses and Christ, why was the law of Moses given at all? If Christ was always the plan, why didn’t God just jump straight to … Continue reading Why Then The Law?

It’s important that modern Christians do not neglect a study of the Law of Moses, for in it we learn much about the character and nature of the God we serve. What can we learn about God from a study of Leviticus, and how should such a study affect us today? Click Here to Listen. … Continue reading God’s Character in the Law

Inevitably as a person reads through the Law of Moses in Exodus-Deuteronomy, the many, many differences between that law and what would later come through Jesus and his apostles become glaring. How can we explain and understand the differences between God’s expectations for the Israelites, and his expectations of his people today? And why do … Continue reading The Law of Moses vs The L...

While there are literally hundreds of laws in the Law of Moses, the first ten are called out as especially significant. What makes them so special, and how have they continually resonated with God’s people over the course of millennia? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the Law of Moses. This sermon was preached at … Continue reading The Ten Commandments

In our journey through the story of the Bible we have come to Exodus. The first half of the book is God’s grand revealing of his name, character, and power – not just to the Israelites, but to the world. In this revealing, God establishes patterns that will reoccur throughout the rest of the Bible … Continue reading That You May Know

The second in our two-part lesson on the problem of pain approaches the problem in a more traditional, critical way: given the nature of God, his power, love, and knowledge, how can evil and suffering still exist? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the problem of evil. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church … Continue reading The Problem of Pain, Part 2

This is the first of a two-part lesson on the problem of suffering and pain in the world. This first part comes from Job: what can we learn about suffering and the problem of pain in our lives from Job and his discussion with his friends? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on Job. This sermon … Continue reading The Problem of Pain, Part 1

As we begin our journey through the Bible, it might be helpful to consider some broad ideas about the Bible: it’s composition, structure, themes, and genres. How can we become more “acquainted with the sacred writings” (2 Timothy 3:15)? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through the story of the Bible. This sermon was preached at … Continue reading Overview of the Bible

The grouping of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob appears around 20 times throughout the Bible, often called “the fathers.” As we read through their stories in Genesis, what made them the kind of people God could use to put his great plan of redemption into motion? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through the story of the … Continue reading The Patriarchs

This year we are reading through the Bible in a year, and the sermons each week will go along with the reading. We begin with the first 11 chapters of Genesis, the “introduction” or “prologue” to the story of the Bible before the narrative thread begins with Abram’s call in Genesis 12. How do these … Continue reading Order and Chaos

We conclude our series on the work and identity of Jesus with one of the most used, and perhaps most misunderstood, titles of Jesus – the Christ. What does “Christ” mean, and why is it so important? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the work and identity of Jesus. This sermon was preached at the … Continue reading Jesus the Christ

We have talked a lot about who Jesus was, but we also need to consider who Jesus is. That is to say, what is Jesus doing right now, as you read this? What is his current identity and work? And how should we be thinking about Jesus, our Savior in the present tense? Click Here … Continue reading Jesus the Intercessor

Paul calls the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus “of first importance” in the gospel message. Why is the resurrection so important? What does it do and mean for us? What would the life and teaching of Jesus be without it? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the work and life of Jesus. This sermon … Continue reading Jesus the Risen

Note: There was a lot of trouble with the recording equipment during this sermon – sorry. Ezekiel 37 is one of the most vivid word-pictures of God’s redemptive and transformative work in the whole Bible. What does Ezekiel’s vision tell us about God’s power and work, and how does this vision apply to the modern reader? … Continue reading The Valley of Dry Bones

No study of the life, work, and identity of Jesus can be complete without considering the central work of his life – his sacrifice. Why did he sacrifice himself, what made him the ideal and necessary sacrifice for our sins, and what did his sacrifice do for us? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the … Continue reading Jesus the Sacrifice

Ezekiel 18 is one of the most concentrated sections of teaching on personal responsibility and accountability in the whole Bible. How does it fit into the context of the Israelite covenant with God, and how does it connect with the vital truths of the gospel? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through Ezekiel. This sermon was … Continue reading The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

Given Jesus’s awesome power and authority on display all throughout his ministry, in miracles and his teaching, it would be easy to come away with the wrong idea about his purpose on earth, as his disciples did. Why did Jesus claim to be a servant? What made him such a servant, despite his power and … Continue reading Jesus the Servant

The word “bridegroom” is only used to describe Jesus a couple times in the Gospels, but the analogy of marriage describing our relationship to God is used throughout the Bible. In what way is Jesus like a bridegroom, and what does this mean for us? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the work and identity … Continue reading Jesus the Bridegroom

Healing was by far the most common miraculous work of Jesus. Why did he heal, what did it mean to the people of his day, and what does his healing power mean for us? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the work and identity of Jesus. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of … Continue reading Jesus the Healer

Ezekiel, like most of the prophetic books, is full of Yahweh’s judgment and condemnation of Israel. What exactly were they doing that profaned his holy name so much? And how might we be in danger of the same kinds of actions and attitudes? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching in Ezekiel. This sermon was preached at … Continue reading Profaning Yahweh

One of the central themes in the book of Ezekiel is the need to have a reverent regard for God’s particular specialness, expressed in the twin ideas of glory and holiness. How do these ideas intertwine in Ezekiel to help us understand why the book was even written at all? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching … Continue reading They Will Know that I Am Yahweh

The word “teacher” had a special meaning in first-century Israel, beyond our normal everyday use of the word. It was the third most common title for Jesus in the gospels, indicating its significance to the people around him. In what way was Jesus “the Teacher” and why is it so important for us? Click Here … Continue reading Jesus the Teacher

John opens his gospel with a peculiar title for Jesus: “the Word.” John repeats this title toward the end of the New Testament, in Revelation. What does this title of Jesus mean, and how does it relate to his work and authority? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the work and identity of Jesus. This … Continue reading Jesus the Word

“The Son” is a complicated title of Jesus, a shortening of two separate titles, each of which is used in a variety of ways throughout the Bible. How does “Jesus the Son” apply to our own lives? What can we learn from this part of Jesus’s identity? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the identity … Continue reading Jesus the Son