Ruth 1 is a devastating chapter, as the narrative jumps right into tragedy in Naomi’s life and her response to that tragedy. What do we learn about Naomi’s mental and spiritual state, and what can we take away from her conversations with her daughters-in-law?
(Preaching through Ruth. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 12, 2026.)
We begin a series on “images of the church” in the New Testament, different word-pictures or analogies for God’s people, with temple language. What is significant about the word “temple,” and how does it apply to the church?
(Preaching on the church. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 12, 2025.)
We begin our study of Ruth by considering the context in which the story takes place; the time of the judges. What were the important features of this period of Israelite history, how does the story of Ruth fit into it, and more broadly how does Ruth’s story fit into the larger context of God’s redemptive work throughout history?
(Preaching through Ruth. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 5, 2026.)
It is not an understatement to say that the resurrection of Jesus is the most important event in all of history. Based on Paul’s exposition of it in 1 Corinthians 15, why is it so important, and what should it mean to you and me?
(This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 5, 2026.)
If spiritual thinking begins with considering eternal concerns (judgment, the character of God, “spiritual” treasure), what does it look like in practical, everyday terms? How should spiritual thinking manifest in this present, temporal life?
(Preaching through Luke. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 29, 2026.)
Luke 12-13 form a cohesive unit of Jesus’s teaching on having a spiritual mindset. This week, we will consider the motivation and basis of spiritual thinking, and then next week look at what Jesus has to say about how such thinking manifests (or should manifest) in our worldview, emotions, and actions.
(Preaching through Luke. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 22, 2026.)
We conclude our consideration of the the church’s interaction with a hostile world the way the Bible itself does: with a vision of Babylon’s fall. What does the Babylon of Revelation represent, and what should the modern Christian learn from these ancient visions?
(Preaching on the church in a hostile world. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 15, 2026.)
The middle section of Luke transitions away from being mostly stories of Jesus to being mostly the words and teaching of Jesus. In chapter 11, there is a sequence of Jesus’s teaching culminating in a condemnation of the Pharisees for having the wrong priorities in their righteousness. What can we learn from these words of Jesus?
(Preaching through Luke. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 15, 2026.)
There is a tension between the concepts of holiness (remaining separate and distinct from the world) and submission (living in peace and being subject to proper authority). How should the church navigate the tension? And why does so much of the New Testament seem to assume that Christians will definitely be persecuted in the world?
(Preaching on the church engaging with the world. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 8, 2026.)
Twice in Luke 9-10 Jesus sends out his disciples on the so-called “limited commission” – a smaller version of what he would eventually command all Christians to do. What can we learn from these preparatory missions, and how do they foreshadow the mission of the church to come?
(Preaching through Luke. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 8, 2026).
Watts in the Word 