Let Us Run to Jesus, Part 1
Hebrews 12:1-3 Turn with me this morning to Hebrews chapter 12, back to where we left off. I want to begin this morning with an anecdote from history just to set the, the stage for Hebrews chapter 12. In 490 BC, the intense conflict between the Greek world and the ruling Persian Empire resulted in the Battle of Marathon, Greece, where we get the name for marathon races today. The Persians were coming to attack Athens, which was a source…
Combat Prayer
Ephesians 6:18-20 Our topic for today is prayer, and it’s not just about prayer, but about the essential role of prayer in spiritual warfare. I’m following up on last week’s sermon on the full armor of God. As I mentioned at the end of our time last week, I wanted to do a focused time on prayer this morning because if we make no progress in our praying, we will make no progress in our fighting, either. Prayer is what…
The Real War and How to Fight It
Ephesians 6:10-20 It’ll come to as no surprise to any of you when I say that we are living in some contentious times. Wars, battles, fights and talk of the same, it’s, it’s common, isn’t it? It’s constant in the culture. It’s like white noise. It’s become so constant: wars, battles, and fights all the time. We’ve actually got actual wars, they’re in the news and headlines all the time, kinetic and violent, like Israel and Hamas, Russia and Ukraine.…
The Transition of Favor, Part 4
1 Samuel 16:14-23
Blessed are Those Who Bless Yahweh
Psalm 144 Today we are going to be in Psalm 144, if you would like to turn there in your Bibles, now. I thought I would do something complementary to what Josh has been going through in James, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve been pretty convicted the last few weeks. A with a great concern for being careful about the words that come out of my mouth. A James the book in and of itself, James kind…
The Weight of Our Words, Part 2
James 3:5-12 James chapter 3, we will be continuing today in the section that we started last week, the section of the letter of James on the subject of the importance of Christian speech, the importance of how we use our tongue. And just once again, as a reminder when we talk about this topic, you should apply it to text messages, emails, social media comments you make. Ah, now it’s getting more convicting, huh? That is part of the…
The Transition of Favor, Part 3
1 Samuel 16:2-13
The Transition of Favor, Part 2
1 Samuel 16:2
The Weight of Our Words, Part 1
James 3:1-5 We’re in James 3 today, so if you’d get your Bibles and turn to the book of James and chapter 3. Today we come to a new section in the letter from James. Scholars and commentators alike recognize that in the beginning of chapter 3, James is now transitioning, moving on to a new topic, the topic of Christian speech. However, even though it is a new topic, it’s not like it’s just coming out of nowhere, and…
A Faith Diagnostic
James 2:18-26 If you turn in your Bibles to James chapter 2, James chapter 2:18-26, that’s going to be what we look at today. Last week we started into this section beginning in verse 14 of James 2. It is one of the most famous sections of the book of James and probably one of the more famous sections in all of Scripture. And though there is a sense in which the entirety of the book of James has to…