I invite you to open your Bibles with me to Genesis 23. Genesis 23. Genesis is in the Old Testament, the first book of the Bible. If you are in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy, you have gone too far. Genesis 23. As always you are invited to leave your Bibles open as we read... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The LORD will provide
This morning we have the joy and privilege to come to the Lord’s Table. We will come to the feast the LORD has provided, where Jesus Christ will feed us. But before we do, I want to share with you a story from the book that we love. It is Genesis 22, known as the... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Where are you this morning?
Where are you this morning? Some of us are coming off an incredible week of Vacation Bible School, both exhausted and exhilarated for what God has done. Others come drained. It’s been a long week, a long month, a long year. We are looking for a little hope, like cool water on the tip of... Continue Reading →
Jonah 4:6-11: The meaning of קיקיון
The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Grace Upon Grace
In the Bible, names are significant. When a child is given a name, they are called to live into the name they are given. When the LORD promises many children to Abram, he renames him Abraham, meaning ‘Father of many nations.’ Abraham is called to live into his new name. After Jacob wrestles with the... Continue Reading →
What Does Geneva Have to Do with Heidelberg?: Calvin’s First Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism
A version of this essay was originally delivered as part of The Arts and Humanities Colloquium at Hope College (Holland, MI). As the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century began and gained momentum, many of the reformers sensed a need within the new movement: Education. While the theologians understood the new doctrines, the masses did... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Lot and Sodom
It has been almost a month since I have been able to share the Word of the LORD with you. However, this was not exactly the passage with which I anticipated stepping back into the pulpit. As we will soon hear, Genesis 19 feels more like Game of Thrones than like Frozen. There is violence,... Continue Reading →
Sermon: One Who Is Righteous
This morning we begin the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In doing so, we are entering a story that sits quite uncomfortably with many in the late-modern West. The destruction of the cities has been weaponized in the wars of sexuality in the church. Fire and brimstone raining down from heaven and... Continue Reading →
Sermon: Showing Hospitality
In our time together, I want us to internalize a bible verse as we walk through a bible story. My hope is that when the match of our verse strikes the surface of the story, it ignites, giving light so we can see and heat to warm our hearts. The verse is Hebrews 13:2 and... Continue Reading →
Sermon: The Covenant of Circumcision
Please pray with me: Father, may your Word be our rule, Your Holy Spirit our teacher, and the glory of Jesus Christ our single concern. Amen. If you are able, I invite you to stand to hear God’s Word. Listen closely and listen well, for these are the very words of God: When Abram was ninety-nine years... Continue Reading →
Etz Pri 