Watts in the Word

The writer of Hebrews concludes the list of “elementary doctrine of Christ” with eternal judgment. What judgment is the writer referring to, and what does it mean for you and me? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the first principles of Christianity. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on October 8, 2023.)

We begin our study of Esther with some top-level considerations of the book: it’s place in the story of the people of God in the Old Testament, it’s historical context, and the timeless themes in the book for God’s people in any era. Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at … Continue reading Introduction to Esther

There is no Christian doctrine more elementary, no principle more basic, than the resurrection of the dead. It is not an understatement to say that the entire faith rests on this one event, this one teaching. Why is it so foundational, and what does that mean for us? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the … Continue reading The Resurrection of the Dead

Relative to the modern American Christian context, the “laying on of hands” seems most out of place in the list of “elementary doctrine of Christ” in Hebrews 6:1-2. Why is that? What is so essential about this doctrine, and what should it mean for Christians today? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the first principles … Continue reading The Laying on of Hands

(NOTE: The first three minutes of this audio are very echoey. Sorry.) Paul closes his letter to the Ephesians with one of the more iconic sets of imagery in the New Testament: the Armor of God. What is the armor, and why do we need it? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through Ephesians. This sermon … Continue reading The Armor of God

The phrase “instruction about washings” in Hebrews 6 is very unusual, especially considering that the opening verses of Hebrews 6 are supposed to be about “elementary doctrine of Christ.” What is meant by “washings,” and how is it an elementary doctrine? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the first principles of Christianity. This sermon was … Continue re...

One of the major themes in the latter half of Ephesians is authority, both in the church and in human relationships. This is a common refrain of the Bible; how should people in authority treat those under their charge, and how should those under authority act in submission? This is a lesson composed mostly of … Continue reading Handling Authority

“Repentance” is a critical idea in God’s word, rightly grouped in with the “elementary doctrine of Christ” in Hebrews 6. What is repentance? What are the “dead works” that we need to repent of? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on the first principles of Christianity. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ … Continue reading Repentance...

Paul’s words about marriage in Ephesians 5 are controversial, to say the least. Why does Paul lay out the instructions he does, and how do they fit into the broader context of relational commands in the New Testament? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through Ephesians. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ … Continue reading Marriage in the Church

The first in our list of “elementary doctrine of Christ” from Hebrews 6 is “faith toward God.” It’s hard to imagine a better example of a “first principle” of Christianity than faith. What is faith, and what makes it so foundational to our relationship with God? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on first principles. This … Continue reading Faith Towar...

What are the “First Principles” of Christianity, the things that without doing or knowing a person cannot actually be a Christian? Why are they so important? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on first principles of Christianity. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 27, 2023.)

(NOTE: The first minute of this audio is very echoey. The audio resolves after a minute.) Why does God care about what kind of relationships we have? Why should we seriously consider who we develop relationships with, what those relationships mean in our lives, and how they affect us? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through … Continue reading Children of Light and Dark

We conclude our study of living Biblically by considering relationships: what should Christian relationships look like? How should we build and develop relationships in all areas of our lives? Why does it matter? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on living Biblically. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 13, 2023.)

Transformation is at the heart of the Christian journey. What does that transformation entail, and how do we begin the process? (Click Here to Listen.) (Preaching through Ephesians. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church on August 6, 2023.)

God has said a lot of things about how He wants the Christian to live and spend their time, but what about all the areas of life where God hasn’t specifically outlined what a Christian should do? How can we make righteous decisions even in these? (Click Here to Listen.) (Preaching on living Biblically. This … Continue reading Biblical Lifestyles

As we move outward in our consideration of Biblical living (from thoughts, to gender, to families), we begin considering the ways families interface with the outside world. The first of these is work. What does the Bible say about work? How does God intend the Christian to behave in the economy? Click Here to Listen. … Continue reading Biblical Work

God set forth a stated ideal purpose for the family and its structure, but what if your family already doesn’t look like God’s intent? What are some reasons why families end up different from what God designed, and how can we still facilitate the purpose of the family in such situations? Click Here to Listen. … Continue reading Biblical Families, Part 2

As Paul transitions from big theological ideas in his letter to the Ephesians, to personal application and instruction for the individual Christian life, he does so by discussing Christian unity. Unity is the bridge between God’s Eternal Purpose, and the individual Christian’s responsibility. How do we create and maintain unity? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching … Continue reading...

Family is a complicated, complex, and sometimes controversial topic, because humans can and do create such a wide variety of family structures. What did God intend originally for the family, and what does he want for the Christian? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on living Biblically. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of … Continue reading Biblical Families, Part 1

Having clarified his (and our) purpose in revealing the “mystery of the gospel”, Paul offers a prayer to God for strength for the reader. What does spiritual strength look like, and where does it come from? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through Ephesians. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July … Continue reading A Prayer for Strength

Coming our our last lesson on Biblical Manhood, we now turn to women; what does God have to say about women and how what kind of people He intends for them to become? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on living Biblically. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 9, 2023.)

As we resume our study of Ephesians, we come to a section where Paul reveals his insights into “the mystery of the gospel.” What is this mystery, and why was it so mysterious? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching through Ephesians. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 2, 2023.)

As we transition into more specific areas of living Biblically, we begin with men: what does it mean to be a man, according to the Bible? What can we learn from men of God throughout history? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on living Biblically. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on … Continue reading Biblical Manhood

The growth of the early church was astonishingly rapid and expansive. Why? How? What did the early church do that helped them grow so quickly, and what does that mean for us? Click Here to Listen. (This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on June 25, 2023.)

If we want to live Biblically, we must first consider how to think Biblically: as we think, so we are. What does it mean to think Biblically, and how do we develop this mindset? Click Here to Listen. (Preaching on how to live Biblically. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on … Continue reading Thinking Biblically