I invite you to open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 3, beginning in verse 15. Luke 3, beginning in verse 15. We are picking up right where we left off last week. John was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age. Even before his birth, the angel Gabriel proclaimed that John... Continue Reading →
First Glance: Luke 3:15-22
But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch, because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” (Luke 3:19-20 John the Baptist was never known for being subtle. Or gentle. Or tactful for that matter.... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Repentance
[This sermon was originally preached on Sunday, December 13, 2015] This Advent, we are listening together to the message of John, son of Zechariah, better known as John the Baptist. Each of the four gospels begin with John - the message and the mission of the man crying out in the wilderness. Only after we... Continue Reading →
First Glance: Luke 3:1-14
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Taconites, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilee - during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord came to John son of Zechariah in... Continue Reading →
Review: Bavinck on the Christian Life
John Bolt, Bavinck on the Christian Life: Following Jesus in Faithful Service. Crossway, 2015. Herman Bavinck has greater influence than name recognition. At the turn of the twentieth century, he worked tirelessly with Dutch prime minister and theologian Abraham Kuyper to shape the movement of Neo-Calvinism. His writings have influenced more recognizable theologians such as... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Grace Beyond Explanation
[This sermon was originally delivered on Sunday, November 22, 2015.] Not every story in the Bible is worthy of imitation. Not every person, nor even every action of a genuine faithful person in the Bible, serves as an invitation to ‘go and do likewise.’ Except for God himself and God made flesh in Jesus Christ,... Continue Reading →
First Glance: Judges 11
And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." (Judges 11:30-31) The more troubling the... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Coveting
[This sermon was delivered on Sunday, November 15, 2015] Almost three months ago, we began a journey through the Ten Commandments. We began with one question: “What is God’s will for me today?” We explored, verse by verse, precept by precept, God’s will in each of the Ten Commandments. As we come to the end... Continue Reading →
Review: What does the Bible really teach about Homosexuality?
DeYoung, Kevin. What does the Bible really teach about Homosexuality? Crossway, 2015. Any book dealing with sexuality and scripture is bound to be controversial. A book that claims to detail ‘what the Bible really teaches’ is sure to have its share of supporters and detractors. Despite the heated nature of the church’s conversation around human... Continue Reading →
First Glance: Exodus 20:16
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16 There are two interesting aspects of the ninth commandment of which we should take note. First, the commandment assumes a relationship and a context. As with all the commandments, we are tempted to ask ‘where is the line?’ when it comes to speaking the... Continue Reading →
Etz Pri 