The image of the church as a flock of sheep is perhaps the least flattering one in all of Scripture. This comparison goes back a long way, to God’s relationship with the Israelites and their leaders. What can we learn from Israel’s use of this analogy, Jesus’s adoption of it, and the early Church’s continuation of its use?
(Preaching on the church. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on April 26, 2026.)
In our study of how the church can or should interact with the world around it, a consideration of the holiness and special nature of Israel can be instructive. How did God instruct Israel to live and order society differently than the nations around them, and how do these differences matter or apply today?
(Preaching on how the church interacts with the world. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on January 11, 2026.)
The book of Ezekiel has a lot to say about how the failure of Israel’s leaders led Israel into destruction. The book still has much to teach modern readers about the importance of righteous leadership today.
(Preaching on the exile of Israel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on August 3, 2025.)
The first chapter of the book of Esther isn’t really about Esther at all, but rather sets the stage for a biting satire skewering the incompetence of those in power in Persia. What can we learn from the ineptitude of Ahasuerus?
(Preaching through Esther. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on October 8, 2023.)
The church that Jesus built is made out of people, and thus has all the attendant problems and opportunities that come with any group of people. How did the apostles ensure that things would run smoothly as the church expanded and exploded beyond their ability to directly control?
(Preaching on the church that Jesus built. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on May 21, 2023.)
What are the “elders” of the church? Where did this idea originate in scripture, and what is God’s intent for this part of the congregational organization?
(Preaching on the church. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on July 31, 2022.)
Watts in the Word 