Archives: Sermons

The Persecutor Preaches (Acts 9:17-31)

Before his conversion, Paul was the leading persecutor of the Christian church. In this passage, we see this very person preaching Christ. "So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food,…continue reading →

Air Your Dirty Laundry (1 John 1:5-10)

You've probably at some point in your life been told not to air your dirty laundry. But I'm going to challenge you this morning to do just the opposite. This may sound like bad advice, but I want you to understand it at least this morning as referring to your sin. Confession of sin is perhaps one of the most difficult actions we can take. It's like taking off your shoes and letting everyone smell your dirty, sweaty socks. Nobody likes to admit that they're wrong. But in order for us to have…continue reading →

Be Selfish (1 John 1:1-4)

From a very young age, our fathers gave us tons of advice. One of the things they tell us is to not be selfish. We've heard it from our parents, from our teachers, and even from our friends. We're taught to not be greedy, and to think about others first. And this is good advice! The Bible contains the same wisdom (1 Corinthians 10:24). But there's at least one aspect of life when we should seek out own personal good. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have…continue reading →

Whose Side Are You On? (Obadiah 1:17-21)

So far in Obadiah, we've been talking about two houses: the house of Jacob (Israel), and the house of Esau (Edom). I was heavily involved in the drama program at my high school, and one of the plays we performed was Romeo and Juliet. I was given the role of Mercutio. One of my lines that sticks out to me was while I was dying, “A plague on both your houses.” Neither of the families in the play were godly, and neither were doing the right thing, so it didn't matter which house…continue reading →

Help a Brother Out (Obadiah 1:10-16)

The first section of this book which we read last week dealt with Edom's major fault: their pride. They had not humbled themselves before God. This was a sin of their heart. But sins of the heart always play themselves out in our lives as well. What did Edom's pride cause them to do? You might find that you've also committed the same sins, resulting from the same prideful heart. “Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. On the day…continue reading →

You Must Be Humble (Obadiah 1:1-9)

Obadiah doesn't often get a lot of attention. It's the shortest book in the Old Testament. We don't know much about Obadiah himself, except that his name means "Servant of the Lord." Yet the book's message is extremely relevant and needed in our society today: be humble before God. “The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: 'Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!' Behold, I will make you small among…continue reading →

Christ’s Reign (Revelation 22:1-5)

How can we picture “eternity”? Everything we experience in this life is limited by time. I don't know about you, but I'm grateful that many aspects of life are time-limited. I'm glad that it doesn't actually take forever for water to boil. I'm also glad that time often heals the pains of strained relationships. But at other times I'd love to experience certain other moments for an eternity. I wish I could simply watch my kids smile all day long. I wish I had a bottomless bowl of ice cream that I could…continue reading →

Christ’s Reign (Revelation 22:1-5)

How can we picture “eternity”? Everything we experience in this life is limited by time. I don't know about you, but I'm grateful that many aspects of life are time-limited. I'm glad that it doesn't actually take forever for water to boil. I'm also glad that time often heals the pains of strained relationships. But at other times I'd love to experience certain other moments for an eternity. I wish I could simply watch my kids smile all day long. I wish I had a bottomless bowl of ice cream that I could…continue reading →

Christ’s Return (Revelation 22:12-21)

Haggai 2:6-9 talks about the latter glory of this house being greater than the former. In the context of the passage, it was referring to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple built by Solomon was a magnificent sight. But it was destroyed. Another Temple was built in it's place, and it was more glorious than the first. It was not as luxurious, being made with less precious metals and missing the ark of the covenant. But it was more glorious in terms of the history that it experienced. It was in this Temple…continue reading →

Christ’s Return (Revelation 22:12-21)

Haggai 2:6-9 talks about the latter glory of this house being greater than the former. In the context of the passage, it was referring to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple built by Solomon was a magnificent sight. But it was destroyed. Another Temple was built in it's place, and it was more glorious than the first. It was not as luxurious, being made with less precious metals and missing the ark of the covenant. But it was more glorious in terms of the history that it experienced. It was in this Temple…continue reading →