The story of Abimelech in Judges 9 is really the conclusion to Gideon’s story, and brings up many of the themes we have seen throughout our study of Judges: foreshadowing against kings, the rule of God versus the rule of men, and the tension between boldness and arrogance, insecurity and humility.
(Preaching through Judges. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 11, 2024.)
We continue our study on identity by considering the difference between the word “Christian” and “disciple” – which word did the early Christians use to identify themselves? How does our spirituality relate to our self-formulation of identity?
(Preaching on identity. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 11, 2024.)
Many (if not most) Christians are familiar with the first two-thirds of Gideon’s story, with good reason. It’s full of great lessons and easy-to-remember events. But to fully situate Gideon in the context of Judges, we need to consider his whole story. How did Gideon’s success and failures echo down to Israel after his death?
(Preaching through Judges. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 4, 2024.)
Questions of personal identity have become endemic to modern politics and culture, from the way we teach our children to the way we vote for president. How does the Bible talk about identity, and how can we righteously consider the question “who am I”?
(Preaching on personal identity. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 4, 2024.)
James gives an interesting take on our attitude toward the future when he instructs the reader to say “if the Lord wills.” What does an “if the Lord wills” attitude look like, and why is it important?
(This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 28, 2024.)
What is the point of reading or studying the Bible at all? James uses a particularly striking analogy to both consider the importance of the question, and to answer it.
(This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 21, 2024.)
The story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael gives us a little bit more insight into the actual day-to-day job of a Judge in Israel, as well as reminding us what exactly God is looking for in His servants.
(Preaching through Judges. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 14, 2024.)
We wrap up our introduction to the book of Judges by considering the variance in detail between each judge’s story, and some of the reasons why the cycle of evil persisted as it did throughout the book.
(Preaching through Judges. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 7, 2024.)
In times of turmoil and instability, we need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness, and what exactly it is about God that makes Him so faithful. James wrote to people in such instability, and made sure that they knew how God was faithful, and why.
(This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 7, 2024.)
“Discernment” can be one of those specialized religious words that we don’t use very much, but the concept of discernment is one used rather often in the Bible. What is discernment, why does it matter, and how can we develop it?
(This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on June 30, 2024.)
Watts in the Word 