Big Words of the Bible
Atonement: Covered by the Cross
Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?): This was the last sermon in a four-part series on biblical words/themes that help us understand the overall Story of Scripture. The first three were Glory, Holiness, and Covenant, and Sunday’s sermon was on Atonement. “Atonement” is based on a Hebrew word group that has “cover” as one of its root meanings — you can see how this might be related to sin with the idea that God “covers” (atones for) our…
God’s Covenant With You
At the end of 2017, I preached two sermons on key concepts that help us see the Bible’s storyline more clearly. The first focused on holiness and the second on glory. In this sermon, we will study a third idea: covenant. In one sense, a covenant is easy to understand—it’s similar to a contract that two parties make with each other, each agreeing to fulfill his side of the agreement. In biblical contexts, though, it’s different, and significantly more important.…
Immanuel: God With Us
Text: Matthew 1:18-25 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,…
The Glory of God
Brief thoughts about the text/sermon: “Glory, hallelujah!!!” “Lord, just help us to bring you glory.” “We all sin and fall short of your glory.” “When the Lord comes in all his glory . . .” “Glory” is a word that’s all over Scripture—and it’s a word we use fairly often, especially in church—but its meaning is a bit nebulous and confusing. When God’s “glory” appears, what does that look like? If we bring him “glory,” what does that mean? What…
