To the Praise of His Glorious Grace

Sermon on James 1:1-4

We've all been there as children…asking our parents for a toy we know they probably won't give us because of the hefty price tag. The good news is that God is more like a grandparent in this regard than a parent. What am I talking about? God wants to shower us with gifts that we don't deserve, but He will only do so if we ask in faith. Even though we don't deserve a single nanosecond of God's attention because of our sin, He promises to give us all that we need to live for Him so long as we pray without doubting. James writes, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (1:5-8). Like a warehouse that is is never out o...

Overview of James- "Walk the Talk"

How would you fill in the blank of this statement: Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you _______________? Perhaps you would insert something about your favorite sports team winning the championship or something about the birth of a child or grandchild. James the Just, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church tells us in this early Christian letter that we should count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds. If you've ever read through the book of James you'd know that this apostle probably would not have won the award for 'Most Sentimental Person' in the New Testament church. However, what James has to say to us is meant to shake us up a bit and get us thinking. James tells us that being joyful about positive things is too easy and goes right along with the way the world thinks. It is a deep and abiding joy that sees everything in life, even the hardest trials of Leukemia and a multitude of miscarriages, as being reasons to ...

Sermon on Hebrews 11:13-16

Sermon on Acts 1:1-11

"According to Plan"- Luke 24:13-35

I could not help but think lately about how I love hearing a good Easter sermon, but now that I'm the one standing in the pulpit and preaching it, the joy is doubled as I love giving one. The only thing is, I feel like preaching the resurrection one Sunday and leaving it all behind us is kind of ironic. We love celebrating once a year the fact that Jesus got up out of the tomb, unlike any other religious leader or human for that matter in all history, but we seldom enjoy hearing what God calls us to as a result. So Jesus is alive, but now what? Are we to go about our lives as though His resurrection were the end? As though we know He's in heaven and is coming back one day but that's all there is to it? I fear this is a sad reality for a multitude of church-goers, including myself at times. Did Jesus say anything to us that would clue us in on what we're supposed to do with this amazing news the rest of the uncertain length of time until He returns? We find just such ...