Matthew 2:1-2. Even though we don’t know a lot about the Wise Men we can understand why they are called “wise”. It has more to do with what they did than with what they knew. And what did they do? They followed God’s divine leading, they responded in faith, and they worshipped the Christ Child. […]
Matthew 1:18-23. God wants to be known in a very real, deep, intimate way. The message of Christmas is that God is no longer way off up there somewhere but through his son, whose name is Emmanuel, God is with us. To know Jesus is to know God. Not just knowing about God but to […]
John 3:16 & Matthew 2:1,2&11. The origin of giving gifts at Christmas goes back to the manger in Bethlehem. In fact, that really is what Christmas is all about – God giving salvation to us through the gift of His Son. Additionally, the three magi endured a long, difficult journey to bring gifts to the Christ Child. […]
Luke 17:11-19. There are few things in the New Testament that surprise Jesus, but in this instance our Lord registers surprise. Jesus asks, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Of the ten lepers that were healed, the Samaritan would have been considered the most unlikely thanks-giver, yet it was he who […]
I Kings18:24. The prophet Elijah was sent with a warning about idolatry to King Ahab. The first two of the Ten Commandments deal with idolatry. There are more than a thousand verses that speak to it. It’s one of only four commandments that has the death penalty attached to it. So, it’s obvious God takes […]
Acts 4:36. We all hunger and thirst for encouragement. When encouragement comes our way, we soak it up like a sponge. If you want to have people beating down the door to be your friend be an encourager. Barnabas, The Son of Encouragement, is a model encourager. In this sermon Pastor Barry examines the traits […]
Nehemiah 9-10. When a delegation from Jerusalem arrives in Persia with a message for the Jewish community there, they look for Nehemiah. Nehemiah is the respected leader, probably because he’s deeply spiritual and has an important position in the government. The message is that Jerusalem is still in ruins, the walls are still broken down, […]