Preacher Paul's Blogs

  Living Between the Now and Not Yet This Sunday we'll celebrate All Saints Day and reflect on what it means to live as saints passing through this world as citizens of God's kingdom. Our text from 1 John 3 reminds us that we have already been adopted as God's children through Christ's sacrifice, yet what we will become has not been fully revealed. In the sermon I'll be focusing on three key themes: We live in holy tension between the "already" and the "not yet" - already claimed by God yet still being transformed into Christ's image. Our growth in holiness and sanctification is a lifelong process as God molds us gradually into the likeness of Jesus. Our hope of beholding Christ face-to-face motivates us to pursue purity of heart in this life. To illustrate these themes, we'll look at the evolving stories of saints like Augustine, Therese of Lisieux, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who aimed toward heaven while navigating the complexity of life ...

  Christ… the Great Emancipator This Sunday I am excited to explore with you one of the most important truths of our faith - the freedom we have in Christ. Our passage is Galatians 5:1-6, where Paul powerfully declares, "For freedom Christ has set us free." Through faith in Christ alone, we are liberated from the burdensome yoke of trying to earn salvation through good works and law-keeping. What joyful news! In the sermon, we'll dig into the historical context of Galatians and why Paul was so adamant in affirming justification by faith alone apart from works. We'll also reflect on how we can live into the freedom we've been given - resting in our identity in Christ, rejecting false guilt, and cultivating gratitude. Most importantly, we'll stand in awe of God's liberating grace. On this upcoming Reformation Sunday, we'll remember how recapturing this truth of freedom in Christ gave birth to the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers recognized that ...

  Imitators of Christ This Sunday I am excited to preach on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and the inspirational model of faith presented by the early Thessalonian believers. Though small in number and facing intense persecution, they provide an example for us all of what it means to authentically imitate Christ. In this passage, Paul warmly commends this fledgling church for their sincere faith, sacrificial love, and steadfast endurance in the face of affliction. Their wholehearted devotion to Christ yielded real spiritual fruit, even amid adversity. As we prepare to study this passage together, consider these questions: ·         Does your professed faith in Christ produce genuine life transformation? Or is it largely intellectual assent? ·         Are you willing to make sacrifices of time, comfort and resources to actively love and serve other believers, especially those different than you? ·   ...

  Interceding with Insight: Lessons from Moses' Prayer This Sunday I'll be preaching on Exodus 32:7-14, the remarkable account of Moses' bold intercession for Israel after their idolatry with the golden calf. Though God was ready to destroy God's rebellious people, Moses' passionate pleading moved God to have mercy instead. As we'll see, Moses' prayer provides a powerful model for impactful intercession in a few key ways. First, his intimate relationship with God gave him insight into how to appeal to God's motivations. Second, his pastoral concern for God's people compelled him to passionately defend their cause. And third, Moses grounded his requests in God's own promises and character. Ultimately, this passage highlights the immense blessing and power available through interceding for others. While Christ's heavenly intercession is the basis for our access to God, we as believers also have the privilege of blessing each other through pra...