Studies in the Text Archives

• The Definition of an Apostle  (May 11, 2011)
  What does it mean to be an apostle? At least three things.
• Counting the Ten Commandments  (July 13, 2010)
  It seems to go without saying that the list of the Ten Commandments is something that Judaism and Christianity have always agreed upon. Well, that is not exactly true...
• An Introduction to Job  (February 11, 2008)
  It has been supposed by some that the book of Job is an allegory, not a real narrative...
• Listen to the Story of Jesus Christ and See the Glory of God  (November 28, 2008)
  Jesus is concerned to give assurance to those of us who would read the Gospel of John in the 21st century.
• Three Steps for Studying the Gospels  (February 29, 2012)
  A Bible study guide for the Gospels
• Competent to Rule: Qualifications of Church Leadership  (February 15, 2012)
  Good government isn't a given. Not in the state, and not in the church.
• God Glorified in the Nobodies  (June 11, 2007)
  If you've ever visited the great cathedrals of Europe, you'd think the apostles were larger-than-life stained-glass saints. But actually, they were very, very common men.
• God's Word through Multiple Voices: Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah  (April 21, 2010)
  The Bible has been the world?s bestseller not only because it discloses God and gives meaning to our lives, but also because it is good reading. One of the greatest personal discoveries for readers of the Bible is to step beyond favorite verses and stories and start comparing Scripture with Scripture.
• Discovering the Power of Luke's Gospel: A Greek Word Study without Greek  (April 1, 2010)
  Those students of the Bible who don't read Greek can still reach beyond the English Bible to the original Greek in four easy steps.
• What is Magic?  (January 10, 2012)
  Okay, so "magic" is expressly forbidden in the Bible in a variety of ways. But what exactly is it? And are we practicing a form of it in the church?
• The Sacred Cycle of Ministry  (September 16, 2010)
  Think you're called to be a pastor or chaplain? See where you are in the sacred cycle of ministry...
• Big Grace  (January 23, 2012)
  If the Bible's description of us is accurate, then God's grace is our only hope. Thank God that He has given us big grace!
• Christ's Letter to the Church in Ephesus  (August 31, 2007)
  The Lord Jesus Christ speaks to this church in the midst of crass materialism, degraded animalism, base paganism, and dark heathenism. Note this carefully, because I consider this message to be one of the most important of all.
• Advent: Zacharias? Prophetic Song (Luke 1:67-79)  (December 15, 2008)
  Faith in the God who changes things turns on the sound, lights up the soul, and causes mute men to shout for joy!
• Walk Thru the Life of Peter: Growing Bold Faith  (March 10, 2010)
  We are in a relentless, violent spiritual battle against an enemy who doesn't want us to fulfill our calling, either individually or corporately. Whether we have been persecuted like Christians in a hostile culture or not, Peter's words to the persecuted still ring true for us.
• Regarding Others: Why Do People Matter?  (November 8, 2011)
  Avoiding eye contact, not offering greetings, and other anti-social behavior is common, but hardly Christian. How do we overcome natural indifference - even hostility - toward others?
• Gospel or Justice, Which?  (October 6, 2011)
  Some evangelicals talk as though personal evangelism and public justice are contradictory concerns, or, at least, that one is part of the mission of the church and the other isn?t. I think otherwise.
• All Saints Day - November 1  (November 1, 2009)
  All Saints Day serves as an annual reminder that every follower of Christ belongs to something very big and... ancient.
• 90 Percent of All Lepers  (October 31, 2010)
  Good lepers are those who are healed and never forget the disease they once had. They remember how good clean feels. Bad lepers, on the other hand, are those who are healed and go on acting as if they never had the disease. This Thanksgiving sermon encourages us to model our lives after the leper who returned to give thanks.
• The Risks and Rewards of Mentioning Those Parts of the Old Testament  (July 15, 2011)
  What's it like to preach on the morally problematic passages of the Old Testament in connection with modern, Christian faith?