For the rest of the psalm, David preaches to his soul regarding the character and the nature of God and how he deals with us. Unlike anyone else, God does not deal with us according to our own actions, but rather according to his compassion. A meditation on Psalm 103:8-12.
Wandering Songs #6 - Praying our Weariness
The problem with wandering in the wilderness is immediately present: There isn’t as much food and water! This leaves us dray, wearing, worn, thirsty, and longing to God. Yet, even then there is sermon we must preach, a sermon our soul needs to hear, a sermon we need to preach to our own souls. “Hope in God!” Yes, no matter, will yet praise him, my Savior and my God! A sermon on Psalm 42.
Wandering Songs #5 - Praying God's Character
For the rest of the psalm, David preaches to his soul regarding the character and the nature of God. He works righteousness and justice. Just consider what he did for Israel through Moses. A meditation on Psalm 103:6-7.
Wandering Songs #4 - Praying our Tears
Grief and loss surround us on many days. We can easily make a list of the loss that each of us have experienced. We can just as easily make a list of the collective losses. Grief wells up in our hearts. Complaints rise up before the Lord. And God wants to hear it all! He wants to hear our prayers and cries. Even though we faint from our tears, we he is right to be our refuge in the night of our sorrow. A sermon on Psalm 142.
Wandering Songs #3 - Songs for our hearts
David starts with a song of praise and begins to numbers all of the benefits that we have as his children. Don’t miss this, however. This psalm is a sermon to my own heart. It’s so important to preach these sermons to our own hearts! Psalm 103:1-5
Wandering Songs #2 - Praying with Confidence
As we move into the wilderness and cry out to the Lord there, two realities face us. On the one hand, we can be sure that armies will encamp against us and wars will rise against us (v3). Yet, when we put a “my” in middle of our theology, we are confident. On the other hand, the LORD is my light and my salvation. This is the second truth that helps us prevail. We cry out as we wait for the LORD, confident in him. A sermon on Psalm 27.
Wandering Songs #1 - Prayers of Confession
David cries out and cries out for deliverance. But what is that weighs most heavily upon him? It isn’t the trouble that surrounds him. It isn’t the death that stalks him. It is the weight of his own sin and his terror before the Lord’s anger. On Ash Wednesday, we cry out as guilty sinners confident of his mercy and sure that the LORD has heard our prayers. A sermon on Psalm 6.
Come With #5 - Be With
In this sermon, we are reminded that Jesus never walked alone. From the very beginning of his ministry, he invited others—his disciples—to journey with him, teaching and forming them every step of the way. Even in his most intimate moments, such as when he climbed the mountain to pray, he took three disciples with him so they could witness and learn from him. Jesus was always with his disciples, and they were always with him.
As we stand on the threshold of Lent, preparing to follow Jesus into Jerusalem, we too are invited to walk with him. But we don’t walk alone. We are connected by a shared faith, a common mission, and a desire that no one is lost. Together, we walk with Jesus, listening to his words, letting them shape us, and allowing them to transform our hearts and lives.
Even when we face the valleys and challenges of life, we are assured that Jesus walks with us. We are never alone. As we journey through Lent and beyond, let us remember that we are always in the presence of Christ, surrounded by each other, and guided by his transforming word. Let us take that word to heart, trusting that it will change us and draw us closer to the one who is with us always. A sermon on Luke 19:28-37.
Come With #4 - New Life
This week, we’ll reflect on Levi, the tax collector, who was seen as one of the worst sinners of his time. Yet when Jesus called him to “come with,” Levi left everything to follow him. This demonstrates the transformative power of Jesus’s call. As followers, we are invited into a daily rhythm of repentance and renewal. Levi’s joy overflowed into a banquet for sinners, showing that new life in Christ always bears fruit. We’ll be looking at Luke 5:27-32.
Come With #3 - Whatever it Takes
This week, we're looking at Luke 5:17-26. We meet some friends who did whatever it took to bring their paralyzed companion to Jesus. When the crowd blocked their way, they dug through the roof of the house to lower him into Jesus’s presence. This story reminds us of the urgency of introducing others to Jesus. The need for faith, healing, and hope is as great today as it was then. What lengths will we go to so others can meet Jesus?
Come With #2 - Jesus, wait!
"Jesus, Wait!" (Luke 5:12-16)
In this sermon and text, we meet a leper who defied societal rejection to approach Jesus for healing. Though he had been isolated and excluded, he cried out in faith, “Jesus, wait.” In response, Jesus touched him and healed him, showing us the power of mercy and the importance of drawing close to him, even when we feel distant or unworthy.
Come With #1 - The Call
Week 1: "Come With!" (Luke 5:1-11)
In this sermon, we’ll explore Jesus’s call to his first disciples. As Peter, Andrew, James, and John dropped their nets to follow him, their relationship with Jesus deepened. But this wasn’t an easy path. Peter’s initial excitement turned to fear as he cried, “Away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Yet Jesus reassured him, saying, “Don’t be afraid.” Similarly, we may feel unworthy when we first encounter Jesus, but his call reminds us to trust him and embrace the journey.
The Way of the Wise #4 - The Heart of Wisdom
The Heart of Wisdom (Proverbs 3:1-10) (TRUST)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But what is its heart and core? The heart and core of wisdom is trust not in your own name, in your own ways, in your own wealth, in your own thinking or understanding. No, the heart of wisdom is not those things. The heartbeat of wisdom is trusting in the Lord. In this sermon, we’ll explore the reasons why so many other things and people are unworthy of our trust. At the same time, we’ll see why and how God is truly worthy of all our trust.
The Way of the Wise #3 - Wisdom's Worth
True wisdom from God has value for everything. This is true of Jesus, who is Wisdom from God. It is also true of the wisdom that the Spirit gives and works deeply in us. The writer urges us: Do not let this go! Do not let this out of your sight but hold it tightly. Wisdom is what the Teacher calls us to love and desire above all things. (Proverbs 3:11-24)
The Way of the Wise #2 - Wisdom is
What is Wisdom? Why does it matter and how do we get it? This week we’ll begin to answer those questions this way: On the one hand, our Father calls out to us and urges us to tune our ears to wisdom and to seek it with all of our hearts. Yes, open up your ears to hear! And, at the same time, he reminds us that wisdom from him is truly a gift from him. Wisdom is a Spirit-worked, spiritual gut instinct that is truly a gift from our God. And so, we pray, “Lord, give me this wisdom!” Proverbs 2.
The Way of the Wise #1 - The Beginning of Wisdom
As we enter 2025, we hurry with the Wise Men to worship Jesus. Jesus himself walks beside the Sea of Galilee and calls us to follow him with a lively faith. But how? What does such a lively faith look like? Solomon has something to say about that. He calls us it “the Way of the Wise.” In this four week series, we’ll begin to learn to walk the way of the wise.
Today, we learn from Solomon that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 1:1-7
O Come, Redeemer
O Christ our Redeemer, Come.
The one who paid the price
With your life and death.
O Intercessor before the Father’s throne
To welcome us into our eternal home, come.
A sermon on Matthew 25:1-13
O Come, Emmanuel
O God Among Us, Come. Great king, who gives the Law To gather nations nigh, O Lord our God, Redeemer, To save your children, come. A sermon on Isaiah 7:14
O Come, King of Nations
12/25 (Isaiah 28:16)
O King of Nations, come.
The hope and cornerstone
Who makes from many, one,
You fashioned us in Eden –
Your earthly vessels, save.
O Come, Dayspring (Christmas Eve)
12/24 (Isaiah 9:2-7, especially 2)
O Glorious Dayspring, come.
The bright eternal light
And sun of righteousness,
On those who sit in darkness
And death’s dark shadow, shine.