Luke 14:15-24 — “A certain man made a great supper, and bade many…” The Parable of the Great Banquet is one the most well-known in the New Testament, but have you ever thought about what prompted Jesus to give it? Have you ever thought about the message Jesus was intending to communicate to His original…
Luke 14:12-14 — “When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind…” Jesus was invited into the home of a leading Pharisee for a meal on the Sabbath day. When Jesus saw who had been invited to this meal, He was prompted to say some words to the host. It’s…
Luke 14:7-11 — “When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room…” When Jesus was invited to lunch in a Pharisee’s home, He noticed how the other guests were behaving and that prompted Him to give us some very wise counsel. Jesus illustrated what happens when we are proud, and He reminded…
Luke 14:1-6 — “And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day…” In this message we think about Jesus’ attendance at a meal in the home of a Pharisee. During this meal He performed a miracle and gave one of His…
Acts 2:42 — “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” In this simple message, we think about the experience of the very first local church and what it has to teach us as we navigate some difficult circumstances. The life and growth of our church…
Amos 3:9-11 — “An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.” This message comes in the aftermath of the devastating flood that hit our town. In this somewhat obscure text from the Book of Amos, we find some…
Isaiah 50:5-6 — “The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious…” The Servant Songs in the Book of Isaiah give us profound insights into the mind and heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. They help us understand His relationship with God and the way He thought about His suffering. In this…
II Corinthians 4:7 — “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” In this short sermon, we think about what the picture of an “earthen vessel” is meant to convey and what exactly this “treasure” is. We also consider why Paul…
Psalm 1:2-3 — “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither…” We are living in a season where this is much that can unsettle us and make us anxious. We can feel like a boat being tossed…
Amos 3:3-6 — “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?…Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” In our study through the Book of Amos we come to a series of seven questions that describe four scenes. It is poetry and therefore we need to interpret it as…