Scripture for September 2nd: Psalm 23

Sermon Title: Walking in the Valley

The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He lets me rest in grassy meadows; He leads me to restful waters; He keeps me alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of His good name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff—they protect me. You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the LORD’s house as long as I live. (CEV)

Difficult times often seem bleak and hopeless. Maybe the hardest and most difficult of times is when we lose something or somebody that means so much to us, and the seemingly lack of purpose for that loss. During those times, it often appears that we are walking through a long, hard “darkest” of valleys, one in which we will never depart. It is there that the psalmist writes God, Our Heavenly Shepherd, meets us and gives to us “a table” and a “cup” that spills over.

Theologian R. Ellsworth writes the following concerning these verses: “David affirms that God’s provisions for his guests are both constant and abundant. The constancy of God’s provisions means that God’s people have them in every situation and circumstance. We have already noted that the saints of God have enemies in the hour of death. They have them all through life as well. These enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. Knowing about these enemies, David here subjects God’s care to what we might call the ultimate test. He asserts that God’s care cannot be negated or destroyed by these fierce enemies. David sees himself sitting at a banquet table while they gather all around. While they threaten and snarl, he feasts. Such is the care of God!

David emphasizes the abundance of God’s care in these terms: You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (v. 5b). It was customary in those days to receive a guest by anointing him with fragrant perfume and with a cup filled with a choice wine. In this way, the host indicated that nothing was to be considered too good for his guest. David declares that God’s care surpasses even this. His head had been anointed, and his cup was overflowing. Such care compelled David to say: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; …(v. 6a). God’s goodness is that disposition which causes him actively to seek the wellbeing of his creature. His mercy is that quality that inclines him to relieve misery. Because he had seen so very much of God’s faithful care in every conceivable situation, David knew he could count on God’s goodness and mercy every step of the way.”

God provides His goodness and mercy, in every way and every day, because of His great love for us. And because of that, though we go through the valley, we can experience His peace, blessing and ultimately, eternal life. We will talk more about these things on Sunday as we complete our sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 26th: Psalm 23:3,4

Sermon Title: A Shepherd’s View

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

How does God view us? Is He angry with us for things we have done? Or is He like a disappointed parent, wishing we had made better decisions? Or even still, is God upset at how we have lived our lives?

The King David speaks of God’s great love for us His children in this Psalm. Bible scholar Dr. A. Knowles writes the following concerning this Psalm and how God views us:

“We are invited to imagine the eastern shepherd at work. He is the leader, provider and protector of his flock. He knows every animal by name, and values each one more than his own life. As David was a shepherd-boy, and Jesus describes himself as the ‘good shepherd’, these verses take us to the heart of pastoral care. Walking ahead of his sheep and calling them to follow, the shepherd finds fresh pasture to graze and safe places to drink. Even when the flock has to squeeze through a narrow defile, the sheep have nothing to fear. The shepherd can haul them to safety with his staff, or beat on the rock wall with his rod to let them know he is near.

The shepherd tends his sheep in every way. He clears the pasture of stones and levels the potholes — then stands guard while they eat. He checks their heads for sunburn and treats their wounds with soothing oil. When they are thirsty, he fills the drinking trough to the brim. At night he takes them into his own home. This is how God is with his people, says the psalmist. He is like a shepherd, and I am in his constant care. His goodness and love will never fail me. In old age and in the face of death, I will continue to live with him.”

Psalm 23, particularly verses 3 and 4, reminds us that God always works in our lives, He never leaves us and continually teaches and guides us throughout life’s circumstances. He does this because He views us as if we were His sheep, His responsibility, as He acts as our Shepherd. We will speak more about how God views us this coming Sunday as we continue the sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 19th: Psalm 23:1-2

Sermon Title: My Shepherd, My Leader

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD. Forever.

What in the world is God doing? This is the question that many people will ask as they go through a difficult time in life. And truly, it is very hard at times to know exactly how our experiences in life fit into God’s overall plan for creation. However, we know that God desires the very best for us, just like we desire the very best for our children. And He wants us to experience contentment, rest and refreshment in our lives, regardless of what is happening around us.

How does God do this? He does it on the inside of us – He works on our character and inner person. God knows that true contentment, rest and refreshment will never last if it comes from some external source. So He offers these things to us in our hearts and minds – and that is what God is doing in each of our lives. He is leading us to a life that is free from greed, anxiety and inner turmoil – all issues of the heart that causes so much pain and destruction in our lives.

This coming Sunday, we will talk more about how our Great Shepherd leads us in our lives to experience true contentment, rest and refreshment as we begin the sermon series, “Lessons from Psalm 23.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for August 5th: Psalm 148:1-13

Sermon: God’s People Speak About God’s Greatness

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise Him in the heights above. Praise Him, all His angels;
praise him, all His heavenly hosts. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at His command they were created, and He established them forever and ever— He issued a decree that will never pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do His bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

God’s people are expected to be a people that praise God. We see this in the Psalm listed above, as the Psalmist says, “Let them praise the name of the LORD!” Why are God’s people expected to praise God? Because He is worthy of praise from that which He has created.

Bible scholar R. Ellsworth writes about how God’s people should see the blessings of God all around them coming from God’s commands and that this, too, should create a heart of praise within believers. He wrote about the Psalmist description of blessings found in Psalm 148: “What was the nature of those blessings? God had once again given security and peace to the city and the surrounding areas (vv. 13–14a). He had also given bountiful crops (v. 14b). The restoration of these blessings, after years and years of their absence, was no small reason for praise. The author did not want to leave any doubt about the source of these remarkable blessings. It was the powerful, effective word of the sovereign God. That word ‘runs very swiftly’ (v. 15). The word which goes out of his mouth is, as it were, very eager to accomplish the thing that he commands. And this word does not return ‘void’ to the Lord but rather accomplishes his purpose (Isa. 55:11). The psalmist again appeals to the natural order to make his point. The snow, the frost, the hail, the cold, the thawing and the wind are all examples of the effectiveness of his word (vv. 15–18).

The people of God were enormously blessed because they had received the word of God in a special way. He had declared ‘his word to Jacob’ and ‘his statutes and his judgements to Israel’ (v. 15). To make sure his point would not be missed, the writer says of God: He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them (v. 20). With the concluding ‘Praise the LORD!’ the psalmist leaves by the same door through which he entered.”

This coming Sunday, we will pause in the midst of a busy summer schedule to give God our highest praise for not only blessings, but most importantly, for Who He is. I hope to see you then!

Scripture for July 22nd: Romans 1:18-25

Sermon: Myth# 7, Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

“Your conscience helps you make the right choices.” This statement is often made to suggest that everyone knows right from wrong, and our “conscience” should guide us in the process. This sounds right, and in fact, the Apostle Paul said in the above Scripture that “the creation of the world” declares “God’s invisible qualities.” Because of this, everyone is “without excuse” and should know right from wrong. However, the Scripture goes on to say that because of sin, our hearts “were darkened” and God gave us over to “the sinful desires” of our hearts. Therefore, our conscience alone is not adequate to help us make moral decisions.

Dr. D. Briscoe refers to humanity’s ability to know God through the power of creation when he wrote the following: “When Paul spoke of God having shown the truth about Himself to mankind he was not referring solely to an inner subjective experience in which man had an intuitive sense of God. God has revealed Himself in the created world in such a way that “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (v. 20). From this statement it is apparent that man’s intelligence and observational powers, as well as his moral insight and spiritual intuition, are all involved in God’s self-revelation to man.

I remember on one particularly stormy night flying with two friends in a light aircraft from Tennessee to Wisconsin. A massive storm stretched across our path and our pilot elected to press on regardless. First we looked for a break in the storm but found none. Then we tried to fly over the storm but found it went higher than we could! So we attempted to fly under the problem, but this was not possible, so we took a deep breath and flew straight through! Air currents of unbelievable force picked up our small plane and literally hurled it around the sky. The crash of thunder was so loud at times it drowned the noise of the engine, and the lightning was so intense that we were blinded by its persistent flashes crackling all around us. I have never been so glad to put my two big feet on terra firma as when we finally arrived at our destination. But I came out of the experience enriched. As never before I had seen the sheer immensity of the power of nature, but I had also been able to interpret this power as a demonstration of God’s “invisible attributes … even His eternal power and Godhead.”

This ability to translate what theologians call “general revelation” into the knowledge of God’s invisible attributes is a gift of God without which man would see, feel, hear, and experience only inanimate, impersonal forces and respond to them as such. Fortunately, human experience shows that man in all types of civilizations has looked at such forces with much greater insight and has been able to see behind them (however imperfectly) that which points to God Himself.”

Though we can know about God through creation, our sin does not allow us to know how to please Him or how to make the right moral decisions through creation. How then do we do this? This coming Sunday we will talk about how to make proper moral decision through the authority of Scripture, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the aid of the Church as we continue our sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!

Scripture for July 15th: Matthew 7:1-5; 7:15-20

Sermon: Myth #6, Christians Should Not Judge

Matthew 7:1-5
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:15-20
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

“Christians should never judge others.” This is a common belief among Christians and non-Christians, and is often used to justify a person’s behavior. The thought goes, “hey, don’t judge me for what I do or don’t do, it’s not your job.” Any behavior should be acceptable and no one has the right to say anything to the contrary.

Because this idea is so popular, many people are shocked to learn that the Bible teaches us that there are things that we should judge. For instance, Matthew 7:15-20 (see above) tells us Jesus encouraged us to judge whether or not Bible teachers are teaching the truth. In fact, He said that there would be some who would come and teach lies. He encouraged us to judge what they said and determine whether it was true. The Bible also teaches that we should judge ourselves. II Cor. 13:5 says: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” We need to judge whether we are “in the faith,” i.e., whether we are truly Christians. And we should examine our actions, to ensure that we are living lives pleasing to God.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee interprets Matthew 7:1-5 in this manner: “These verses have really been misunderstood. To judge can mean “to decide, to distinguish, to condemn, to avenge,” and it actually can mean “to damn.” These verses do not mean that a child of God is forbidden to judge others, but it does mean that we are not to judge the inward motives of others in the sense of condemning them. We do not know or understand why a brother in Christ does a certain thing. We see only outward acts. God doesn’t forbid our judging wrong and evil actions, as we will see. The point is that if you are harsh in your judgments of others, you will be known as the type of person who is severe in his considerations of others. I know this type of person, and I am sure you do, also. Perhaps somebody has said to you, “Don’t pay any attention to what he says; he never has a good word to say.” You see, he is being judged by the way he judges. This is what our Lord is saying in these verses.”

Are there times when we should not judge? And how can we truly help a person in need? These are the questions we will be answering as we continue our sermon series, “Dumb Things that Smart Christians Believe” on Sunday. Hope to see you then!

Scripture for July 8th: Hebrews 12:1, John 1:12, Acts 1:8

Sermon Title: Power on Our Journey

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.


John 1:12
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

“Why do Christians live like the devil?” Someone once asked me this question and what she was referring to is the fact many people call themselves Christians but don’t act like it. The passages listed above speak of God’s salvation and the power that comes from a relationship with Him. It does not speak of mere religion, but a mere, pure and powerful Christ following life. It is by establishing and maintaining this type of relationship with God that we are not given religion, but a life transforming heart that will allow us to live like Christians should.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes the following concerning Acts 1:8: “There is…this most extraordinary addition that our Lord himself made: “Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This is truly staggering. Here was a Jew, born in poverty, one who worked as a carpenter, who began to preach at the age of thirty and after some three years was crucified on a cross, dying in utter weakness, and was laid in a tomb. But here he was, telling these men they would be witnesses to Him “unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Here is a message for the whole world.

I emphasize that because there are people who say that the Christian faith is all right if you happen to be interested in religion, but if you do not happen to have a religious mentality and outlook, then it does not matter, you can just take up what you like. But that is shown to be a lie by our Lord’s words. Here is a message that is to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Why? Because something happened in this person, Jesus, that affects every single individual who ever has been or ever shall be in this world of time.

Now if Christianity were merely a philosophy or a political idea, no one would be bound to believe it. There are rival schools of philosophy; there are rival teachings and theories, and one person believes this and another that. But what we are facing here is not what you and I believe, but facts, and the facts are about this person called Jesus—what He did and what He said and the meaning of His person. So there is nothing more tragic than when men and women say, “Shut your Bibles; the facts don’t matter at all. What does it matter whether Jesus was a man, or God as well as man?” They have got it all wrong. It is the person who matters most of all.”

This coming Sunday we will hear more about how God can powerfully impact our lives as Rev. Randol Mercer will bring the message. I encourage you to prepare your heart to receive a message of hope and renewal. Hope to see you then!



A picture of a Christian trying to live the
Christian life without the power of God:

Scripture for July 1st: Psalm 33:12-22

Sermon Title: Myth #5, God Loves the USA so We Cannot Lose


Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

“God will always bless America.” Many people believe this because they think that America is God’s special country, a country that was pre-ordained by God to be a blessing to the nations. This theory is often called “Americanism” and it is a widely accept fact in many Christian circles. However, the Bible does not speak about America, nor does it give special status to any nation besides Israel. The Bible does say that God will hold a nation corporately responsible for her actions – if the nation follows God, it will be blessed; if it does not, it will be judged.

Dr. L.J. Ogilive writes the following concerning the passage above: “Not only does the creation exist by the word of God, the nations are also judged by that same word. Thus verses 10–11 contrast the vain “counsel” and “plans” of the nations with God’s own “counsel” and “plans.”In their pride, the “nations” (“Gentiles”) claim a false autonomy. They offer their worldly “counsel” (“advice, wisdom”) and they make their “plans.” They live on the horizontal, employing politics as the “art of the possible.” Their devices are “balance of power,” “the dictatorship of the proletariat,” “pro-choice,” the New Deal, the thousand-year Reich, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, the Alliance for Progress, and so on. Their “counsel” and “plans,” however, are a passing show. Thus God brings the autonomy of the nations, which is their idolatry, “to nothing,” “of no effect.” He breaks their rebellious spirit. On the other hand, “the counsel of the Lord stands forever” and His “plans” last through the “generations,” for this “counsel” and these “plans” come from the eternal God who speaks His word and who does His work in righteousness and truth.”

Nations and their affairs can never dictate to God what is right, holy and true. He will always be above the nations, their circumstances and issues of the day. And He is always prepared to bless and help those who follow Him with all their hearts, no matter what country they live in. I will speak more about how God blesses the nations this coming Sunday as I continue the sermon series, “Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe.” Hope to see you then!