In college, I had to take a broad introduction to theology course. I don’t even remember the exact name of the class, but I do remember one specific assignment. In this class, we were asked to analyze a hymn. There was a list of hymns given to us, and I picked one I recognized—Holy, Holy, Holy. I remember this project…
When I first got into ministry, I worked with a pastor who had a saying on Super Bowl Sunday that, at the time, really bothered me. He would say: “Imagine if we worshiped God with the same passion we cheer for our team in the Super Bowl.” Looking back, I think it bothered me because it convicted me, and I…
Scripture references: Ecclesiastes 4:1-3, 8:16-17, 12:13, Job 38:1-3, 42:1-5, Romans 8:18 Introduction: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise,in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.” This line from the hymn: ‘Immortal, Invisible’ is one that caught my attention this week. It’s hard to look at the world around us…
Our key text for this Sunday is Psalm 73.In it, the writer laments how it appears that the wicked are getting away with their evil deeds: Psalm 73:3 — “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” He goes on to say: Psalm 73:16 — “But when I thought how to understand this,…
Scripture references: Psalm 49:7-9, 12-15, Psalm 50:8-15, Mark 10:45 Introduction: “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe” ‘Jesus Paid It All’ has always been one of my favorite hymns and I’m always excited when we get the opportunity to sing it as a congregation. To me, this song has always carried a crucial reminder…a reminder of a truth…
Scripture references: Daniel 4:24-32, 34-37. Daniel 5:18-23, 30-31 and Psalm 24:8a Introduction: “Lift up your hands be lifted upLet the redeemed declare the loveAnd we bow down at heaven’s gateTo kiss the feet of hope and grace” -King of Glory The song lyrics above convey 3 key points that bring me to a story in Scripture. One which is instructive,…
This Sunday, our key text begins with words that are burned into my memory from a song I grew up with. I may be dating myself here, but I can’t read Psalm 8:1 without singing the melody of Sandi Patty’s rendition of “How Majestic Is Your Name”! Psalm 8:1“O Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!You…
There’s a natural truth about life that I’ve observed—it happens to all of us: the more we interact with the extraordinary, the less extraordinary it seems. In the 1987 NBA Dunk Contest, Michael Jordan performed what has become one of the most iconic dunks in NBA history. He jumped from the foul line—that’s 15 feet from the hoop—and dunked it.…
Key Verse: Matthew 11:28–30Sermon Key Verses: Psalm 13, Romans 15:13 I love hero movies. It doesn’t matter if it’s a superhero or action hero—so long as there’s a hero with unwavering dedication to a cause and who defies all odds to save the day, I’m in. (It also helps if something blows up!) I think what appeals to me most…
My wife and I have done a lot of work on our house. One of the most beneficial — and also most stressful — projects we took on was removing a load-bearing wall between our kitchen and dining room. The wall served no real purpose (other than carrying some of the weight of the house!) and made two already small…