Sermons on Hope
Romans 5:1-5
The Benefits of Justification Introduction: For the last several months I have been working on my house. I am getting ready to sell it. I live in a small house, just over 800 square feet, which is no big deal except that the eat-in kitchen is not much larger than a postage stamp. Recently we became a family of five. And when the youngest of us is ready to sit at the table, forcing us to move it away from the wall, Robin will have…
Romans 8:26-30
God Works! Introduction: Let me begin this morning by presenting a few imaginary scenarios. Unemployed for six months and after a great interview, you receive the “We’ll keep your resume on file” letter for the thirtieth time. You try, you try, and you try, but pregnancy never happens. You finally get the affairs settled on your deceased father’s estate, and your sister-in-law calls and tells you that your brother has just died of a heart attack. The supervisors at your internship may let you go…
Romans 9-11
The Jewish Problem Introduction: Of all the nations in the history of mankind, the one that has been the center of controversy more than any other has been the nation of Israel. Nearly 4,000 years ago, while Egypt was a world empire, the Jewish nation was born. It soon became a burr under Egypt’s saddle and remained so until the Pharaoh let them go to the Promised Land. The Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek empires in succession focused an inordinate amount of attention on…
Romans 11:11-24
The Kindness and Severity of God Introduction: I want to speak to you today from Romans 11, verse 22: “Consider therefore the kindness and severity (sternness in NIV) of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” When Paul speaks of the kindness and severity of God, he clearly does so within the context of God’s dealings with the Jewish people. This text comes near the end of a three-chapter parenthesis…
1 Cor. 13:5-13
Love Never Fails SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 13:5-13 Introduction: Have you ever stood before an exquisite painting or sculpture and felt as if you were gazing into the very soul of an artist? One of the joys of my life has been visiting some of the great art galleries of the world. I once spent more than a week by myself traveling from one great art museum to another across Europe. I have had the privilege of spending many hours in the Louvre in Paris,…
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
How the Gospel Impacts the Church Those who know me well know I can be a very critical person. And I confess that there are times when I’m critical of this church. Some of you may have some criticisms of our church as well. After all, churches are composed of sinners. There is room for improvement in any church, but overall I think we have much to be thankful for at First Free. When the gospel has an obvious impact…
Proverbs 31
The Proverbs 31 Woman: Is She for Real? Our Scripture text today is most often taught to women–at retreats, in Bible studies, and so forth. But it has valuable lessons for men as well. In fact, it was written down by a man who learned important truths about women from his own mother. The first verse of Proverbs 31 says, “The sayings of King Lemuel–an oracle his mother taught him.” We don’t know who this King was nor when he lived. But we know that…