Our Hope: Understanding the Times
David Held was one of the most loving individuals I had ever met. He was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Pasadena, California. The church building is adjacent to Fuller Theological Seminary. I was graduating from Fuller under the auspices of the US Army [...]
The LORD is King
The declaration of The Book of Psalms of Worship resounds, “The LORD is King indeed; Let nations shake with fear” (Selection 99B). Who is this Lord? The chief confession of Israel is clear: “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, [...]
Pointing the Way
Contrary to popular belief, J. H. Jowett (1928) is correct, “I have a conviction that no sermon is ready for preaching, not ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as a crystal” (p. 133). Here, [...]
Read Through the Bible in 2019
We all want to grow or at least we should want to grow. This year, 2021, presents another opportunity for such growth. We can read the Bible and grow together spiritually. Jesus prayed to His Father for our growth when He said, "Sanctify them in [...]
Jesus Christ: The Star of Bethlehem
The recent conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, dubbed the Christmas Star, reminds us of the fleeting brightness of the original Star of Bethlehem. Short-lived as that light may have been, it points to the everlasting light of Jesus Christ. Numbers 24:17 prophesied His coming, “A [...]
Mindsets and Attitudes
You gently tip your skis over the brow of the hill. All of a sudden, gravity takes hold. Swoosh, down the slope you go. It’s a steep incline. You’re a novice. You don’t know how to stop. Trees fly by. Suddenly, a huge soft drift [...]
Christ’s Covenant Love for You #2 (Matt. 4:1-11)
The story continues with the second test with which Satan tempts Christ. "Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for [...]
Christ’s Covenant-Keeping Love for You #1 (Matt. 4:1-11)
"Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23). John baptized Him, and the Holy Spirit anointed Him for ministry (Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18). Luke then adds, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led [...]
Never Good Enough
Pete, “How’s it going?” Max, “Not very well.” Pete, “What’s the problem?” Max, “Oh, I know I’m not a Mormon or a Muslim or an old Pharisee. I know doing good works does not save me. But I’m always coming up short, thinking that I’m [...]
Why is the one-point sermon such a hard sell?
"Well, I don't think a sermon must have one main point." That was the response of a well-respected senior pastor in our denomination. It immediately undercut all I had just said. We were speakers in a conference on sermon preparation and preaching. My first session [...]