Ezra 9-10 are challenging chapters. They confront us with the reality of sin in the lives of God’s people and challenge us to make hard choices about obedience to God. There are a couple of items from this past Sunday’s sermon that
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”— John 15:13 When I was a kid, I grew up admiring the military uniform from afar. Living on the East Coast, I was surrounded
There is an inspirational aspect to reading about biblical and historical heroes. People like Ezra, whom we studied on Sunday, are rare. Uniquely gifted by God for a specific task and with unusual authority. As I said on Sunday, they’re men that cannot
Today, we pause to remember one of the most significant movements in church history—the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, sparking a gospel renewal
Ezra 6:13-22 is packed full of theological content. So often, I come to texts like it and automatically think about how Jesus fulfilled the Temple, the feasts, and the sacrifices. However, as I wrestled through this text, a significant theme stood out: when
There’s a lot to get to in this post, so let’s jump right in. From the cutting room floor: If you’ve followed my musings for a few years, you’ll notice that sometimes I add things to this that I took
As I mentioned on Sunday, I’ve got a few things about the idol of self-expression that I’d like to address. But before I get there, let me share a moment of regret from Sunday and provide clarification. Not serving the church
I find it challenging to remember that we’re in a spiritual war. So much of what we do is physical: sleeping, working, eating, raising kids, spending time with friends, and doing things we enjoy — all are physical activities. It’s easy to
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need the Lord to stop me in my tracks and slow me down. I often get caught up in my own thoughts and can easily become overwhelmed. It’s always nice to be reminded how
Speaking of idols, Psalm 115:8 says, “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” We become like the person or thing we worship. The reason this is true is that when our hearts admire someone, we
I hope that Sunday’s sermon helped you see why we shouldn’t ignore genealogies:). But in all seriousness, let me give you a list of Scripture references to encourage you. These are references that I pondered while considering that God knows our names. Remember,
I took quite a few notes last week to prep for my “musings” this week. So, allow me to jump right in. Regret from Sunday: Generally, there is something I say on Sundays that I regret, and this past week was
One of the great joys that I have as pastor of CLF is to watch God work. I love what God is doing in our church. People are coming to faith and declaring their desire to follow Jesus (see Tara Pierce’s baptism
My last blog post was posted on June 10th. It has been 10 weeks and 76 days. During that time, as most of you know, I took an 8-week sabbatical to rest. In this post, I’ll provide some insight into why this was
There is quite a bit to get to in this post. The loyal care of our elders: This past Sunday, Luis Castellanos preached on the subject of prayer. I was scheduled to preach, but on Thursday afternoon, it became apparent that
Stan did a marvelous job on Sunday with a challenging text. As he prepped for that, he asked quite a few questions of our pastors, and I could tell that he was wrestling with what to put into that sermon
This blog will cover two weeks of information, so I’ll jump right in. Have your heart before the Lord: 1993 was a monumental year for me. I served Ovilla Road Baptist Church (my home church) as the youth pastor, and
When our kids were younger, we wanted them to memorize key Bible verses, such as James 4:1. We did this because conflict is inevitable. Our kids were going to experience it, and we wanted them prepared. The biblical perspective is
There are a few key things I want to jump into regarding Sunday’s sermon from James 3:13-18. I’ll get right to it. My personal experience: Early in ministry, I prided myself on my courage and strength. I regularly applauded myself for
Hallelujah, what a Savior! This morning (Monday), I wanted to read the resurrection narrative from Luke’s gospel. I was reminded anew what a glorious Savior we serve. I sent this to our elder team: “When he was at table with them, he took the
Several years ago, I was a worry wart. I would make up things to worry about to feel like I was doing something. Jill told me I didn’t need to worry, but I did. I memorized key verses about worry and tried to
I moved to Oregon in 1994 from Texas. Texas was my home for my first 24 years and was the only culture I knew. In a country as big as the United States, it’s hard to imagine the vastness of different cultures. But
The last six weeks have been a challenge. Many of you asked me if I was okay after Sunday. Many of you have never seen me cry the way I did at the beginning of the sermon, and others saw
I’m not sure that I have given much thought to how temptation to sin follows trials. But James sure did. After thinking about James 1:12-18 for the past week, the Lord allowed me to see several moments where this was true in
I was asked a couple questions after Sunday’s sermon, so I’ll use this post to address those. “The Proverbs of the New Testament” If you’ve ever read Proverbs, I’m sure you’ve noticed the different topics addressed. Those topics seem to come
“Wisdom tells knowledge how to behave” (H.B. Charles). That quote has served me well in recent years. The older I get, the greater I need wisdom, and I have found a greater appreciation for wisdom. In this post, I want to talk about
It is never easy, as a pastor, to look at the text you’re teaching on Sunday and know how challenging it will be for your people. Last week, as I studied James 1:2-4, I became aware of a new cancer diagnosis,
To say I’ve been looking forward to our study of James would be an understatement. I’m thrilled to be in this book. One reason: it’s WAY different than Genesis. It’s shorter, and the study and prep work will focus on shorter sections of
Sunday was another privilege to share God’s word and mission with our church. Over the last few weeks, we have introduced our church’s mission statement and ministry process to our church. We have attempted to share some non-negotiables and how people
Being known by and developing close relationships with other Christians presents many challenges. In this post, I will list a few of those and ponder some biblical solutions. But first, we prayed Sunday about the devastating fires in California, specifically
This post has much to cover, so let’s get to it. Clarifications After Sunday’s service, Chris Guastaferro sent this text to our elder group thread: “The example you gave about sick kids. I want to make sure I understand. Are we encouraging
The last Sunday of 2024 was a memorable one. Preaching through the prologue of John’s gospel was an enormous task and treat. As I said in my introduction, that text makes me tremble because of its density and breadth concerning Jesus. Hearing our
There are many reasons for joy. Sunday’s sermon was another example. I want to explore a few ways to apply that sermon in this post. Why is the joy of the Lord our strength? Nehemiah 8:10 makes this case. In that text, the
One of our hopes for the Advent series was to create a sense of anticipation. We arranged the series to start in Genesis, hoping to build each week upon the longing and anticipation that the Jewish people might’ve felt. As I studied
My favorite sermon topics are those about mundane life. In this post, I want to clarify some points and give practical advice on serving Christ right where we are. The Lure of the Secret As a young Christian, I was
Generally, the promises in the Old Testament about the coming Messiah were given in times of upheaval and distress. As each OT prophet foresaw, there was a future age of turmoil for the people of Israel. It was no different in the
This past week is one of those weeks that Jill and I highlight on our calendar. We all look forward to our annual elder and wives’ planning retreat. There are many reasons for this, and I’ll use this post to
It will be challenging to keep this post short, so I’m preparing you now… As promised on Sunday, here’s a debrief of our recent trips to the Philippines, Sydney, and the SGC Pastors Conference. God’s gospel is Moving Forward When
Greetings from Cebu City, Philippines! Today is Tuesday morning, and it is likely that by the time you receive this, Jill and I will be in Manila. We have been in Cebu since Friday evening. We’ve had a busy but incredible time. A
If you’ve been in our church for very long, you have heard me talk about long-term faithfulness. In my mind, Joseph is the first biblical case study of that. We obviously can’t miss the big story of why God put
Talking about forgiveness is remarkably challenging. One of the daunting tasks for the pastor is to explain principles, knowing that there can be a variety of applications. Every situation is different, but the biblical principles are the same. And quite honestly, publicly preaching/teaching
Sunday’s sermon on Genesis 42-43 dealt with one of the more challenging theological ideas in the Bible. I was trying to explain that practically, encouragingly, and clearly. What made this daunting was the unexpected trip to Texas for a family funeral. I
We have had some wonderful Sundays the past few weeks. I will share a few thoughts from those weeks, and I hope it’ll be helpful and encouraging. Genesis 37 and Baptism Preaching at One Champion Field is challenging because the
Through the years, Jill and I have sought to help our kids deal with the idols of their hearts. One of the ways that we’ve helped them identify these dastardly enemies of our souls is by helping them see that
The lifelong lessons of Jacob and his family keep coming. Remembering his compromise and his son’s overzealous actions is a great reminder that there is never a time in our lives to get sloppy or lazy. As leaders, there’s too
The story from Genesis 30:25-43 is a story about this very thing. The Lord is the provider. But the Lord gave Jacob wisdom, expertise, and resourcefulness to breed his flocks. We find this throughout the Bible. David’s building projects, Solomon’s
The study of Genesis has been good for my soul and the soul of our church. One of the areas that’s been good has been the warnings about jealousy and selfish ambition. It’s very interesting how often these issues arise
Over the course of the last 8-10 years, anything from sexual ethics to abortion politics has become a war zone. To enter these worlds, you must be prepared to speak courageously, as I mentioned above. But Galatians 5:15 reveals to
One of my trepidations about preaching about trials is the question: “Are trials in our near future?” Some have told me they might not be at church often during this series because of that (they said that sarcastically…even though I
Recently, as I was reflecting on the journey the Lord has had us on, I began to wonder if we, as a church, have become impatient and ungrateful and, in doing so, have lost sight of the mission of the
I have always been deeply affected by something the Lord told the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 8:17-18, when He said, “Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this
I’m writing this on Memorial Day. Like many of you, we will enjoy the day of rest, eat good food, and have family over for a BBQ. It’s the official start of summer, and outdoor weather is here. But today,
When you read this prophecy in Genesis 25:23, it’s essential to see this correctly. In the stories of Isaac/Ishmael and Jacob/Esau, the older will serve the younger. But we could also say the first will serve the last. Just because
Genesis 25 is a bit of a bear. There’s the death of Abraham and Ishmael—the transition to Isaac, and the introduction to Jacob and Esau. As I stated in my post last week, Genesis 25 was on the docket for
Hallelujah! What a Savior! Wasn’t that a great day at church? Resurrection Day service followed by baptisms was a great way to celebrate our Savior. I was reminded on Sunday about Luke 15:7, when Jesus said, “Just so, I tell
It dawned on me: look around and rejoice…all that we have needed, God has provided. Let’s use it for the mission of the gospel. Easter is coming, CLF…, and there are plenty of seats at Jacoby to invite friends to
Sunday’s sermon was a ‘sweet spot’ for me. I struggled with anxiety for much of my early Christian life. I wanted to please God and do His will, but I was always worried I was missing it. I was taught
I’m a warrior at heart. I like competition, and I don’t mind getting in the fray. However, I have learned through the years that living a “peaceful and quiet life” has afforded more opportunities for the gospel than being loud
In my sermon on Genesis 20, a question came to me about God’s sovereignty over human sin. I stated that God works with, in, and through human sin to accomplish His purposes. I placed a high view of God’s sovereignty
The Church is the only eternal institution in the Bible. The Church started before time began (Ephesians 1:3-6). The Church is the only institution that Jesus said He would build, and the gates of hell would not overcome it (Matthew
I’m grateful to have finished the Sodom and Gomorrah story. It’s been a long, dark, and challenging week of study. I’m thankful that the sermon culminated with a sighting of Jesus because it’s not good for my soul to be
One point I didn’t have time to cover in the sermon is something that I find very important when thinking about God doing the impossible. Often, people get frustrated or disillusioned with God because they believe He hasn’t come through
I have been looking forward to getting back into Genesis. I enjoy expositional preaching and exegetical study. I knew when I planned to jump back in that we would start with Genesis 17 and the sign of the covenant: circumcision.
Last Friday night, before heading home, I wrote down three different conclusions for Sunday’s sermon. All three would be good. But all three together would be confusing. I let myself roll into Saturday and let the sermon ruminate in my
What I learned through this experience is this truth: correctly understanding God’s character changes us to be more like Jesus, and improperly understanding God’s character causes us to stay dominated by sin (namely condemnation and guilt).
But one reason I didn’t mention is that sometimes we lack peace because we knowingly sin against God. You can see this example in Genesis 4 when Cain offered a sacrifice that God did not receive. He instantly lacked peace.
When hard things happen, if we think God’s character is sinister, mean, or, at minimum, can’t be trusted, that makes us hopeless. But, if we believe that God’s nature is always good, loving, and merciful, then we know that He
The last Saturday I wasn’t out of town or didn’t have a ministry event was September 2nd. Since September, I have traveled to Denver, Manila, Bend, and Orlando. In between, we’ve had local conferences and weddings. I realize I’m weak
I haven’t done the math yet, but since the beginning of the summer, my preaching schedule has been the lightest it’s been in years. I feel it in my soul. I love preaching at CLF. Sometimes, like Sunday, it’s like
This made me consider generosity. Most of the time, we ask questions like, ‘Can we afford to give?’ ‘Do we have enough at the end of the month to give?’ These are all good questions…for an accountant. Farmer thinking would
I’m writing this from my last flight home from my trip to the Philippines. I’ve been trying to think about how to summarize this trip. Quite a bit happened personally and in the work we’re attempting to do in developing
As I stated on Sunday, our main reason for covering the shaping virtues is to show what we believe defines gospel culture in a church—most who stay for very long experience this at CLF. But knowing why it’s important and
I was reminded not to go through the motions and that God is evaluating our worship gatherings and my heart. I was struck by the fact that Colossians 3:16 shows people singing to one another, where we remind one another
I tried to do this on Sunday with this statement: CLF exists to equip people to worship Jesus, serve Jesus, and love others. I said that a few times. While this is not our written ‘mission’ statement (we’re working on
One of the reasons for our new series on the Great Commission is that we need to see how the everyday Christian life is to represent Jesus in a Genesis 3 world. We see this clearly throughout the New Testament.
We’re tempted to trust in measurables in adversity. When we look across the metaphorical battlefield and see an army bigger than ours or an enemy stronger than us, it could be the cultural war on morality, the business competitor flooding
Rick’s sermon ends a study this summer of many Psalms of lament. I’m grateful we covered psalms like this for a few reasons: 1) it gave us biblical answers and hope; 2) it gave us categories for times when life
What struck me was how ‘real’ our sermon series in the Psalms had been to them and us. I have noticed a remarkable theme through our summer psalms: hardships and trials that seem to come without rhyme or reason. We
These last two weeks have found our family in Ferndale, Washington, for a baseball trip with a 14U Babe Ruth team and at our church campout at Bastendorff on the Oregon Coast. It was a full two weeks with tons
This is very helpful and encouraging for people like me who talk to themselves (don’t tell anyone). I have to say aloud to myself things like “Don’t say that!” or “Don’t think that!” And I repeat gospel truths to myself
Life did not get easier after that memorable night. I wrestled with the frustration of what my place in our family was after my father’s death. I was that “poor wandering sheep” that Henry described. Thanks to God He took
I was thinking about this recently as I took some time off. I could have done a better job taking time off over the last few years. I love to work. I love my job. I love my church, and
It’s been a few weeks since my last post, and there are a few things that I’ve had stored up to share. I have planned on writing each of the last few weeks, but inevitably something came up that kept
As I have said over these past few weeks, each sermon has had a very personal feel to it. Sunday’s was no different. Only this time, it wasn’t just targeting my heart. It was targeting ‘our’ heart as a church.
I don’t know if enough attention gets drawn to the idols of our hearts. Idols are generally not evil or sinful things. Usually, they are good things that we want too much and want now. They move from desires to
In the last two posts, I have mentioned how I’ve been dealing with some spiritual ‘heart’ issues. In the 34 years of Christian ministry, I have found that the Lord does not leave me alone, and He normally walks me
Sunday, we were introduced to one of the most mysterious yet intriguing characters in the Bible, Melchizedek. As I said in the sermon, we don’t know much about this guy, but Hebrews 5 and 7 give us the biggest references
I needed to be in church on Sunday. I had an odd week. It had no rhythm to it. It was long. I was frustrated with some things that went on, and I was battling through some heart issues. Then,
There are so many directions that a teacher could take on Genesis 12:10-20. The amount of preparation for Sunday’s sermon and the differences in commentators was interesting. It was a wonderful study, and I learned a ton. I like hard
One of the things I said on Sunday needs to be drawn out a bit more. And that’s Easter hope. I was very encouraged by the quote I shared from John Piper at the end of the sermon. Piper wrote,
I was provoked by Luis’ treatment of John 8 and the Jewish leaders’ interaction about being Abraham’s people. It is not those who are physical descendants of Abraham who are his people, but spiritual descendants by faith. But this also
We hit another weird moment in Genesis 9 with Ham’s sin and Noah’s drunkenness. So I thought I would give you an inside look at how to see odd moments, like this, in the Bible.
This is one of those posts where I brag about our church and our family of churches. The weekend we just had gives me ample reasons for this, and I thought it would be great for you to hear about.
One of my favorite topics or ideas to preach on is big themes found in the Bible. I tried to accomplish that on Sunday with an overview of the biblical covenants. What’s challenging about doing overviews like this is knowing
What a remarkable Sunday. As I wrote to our group leaders, if anyone predicted what happened on Sunday, they need to get me the winner of the 2023 World Series. You’re prophetic! I’m not sure if it was my lack
On Sunday, after the second service, someone approached me and said, “that was the adult lesson for Noah’s Ark.” I appreciated that. That’s how I felt. Sometimes we forget the wonder and awe of stories like Noah’s Ark and the
Over the course of our study of Genesis, we will bump into some weird or odd stuff. And because of the pace with which we’re covering Genesis (so we’re not in it for 8 years), there will be times when
I mentioned to you last Sunday that I would be out of town last week. I went to Louisville, Kentucky, to the Sovereign Grace Pastors’ College to take a class on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). This is
As I said in Sunday’s 2nd service, I firmly believe that one reason why the church has lost its voice in the gender discussion in our culture is that we have compromised the gender roles in the church. We have
So, when we look around the world today and see the confusion about any of the issues listed in Genesis 2, we need to realize that it’s because sin and Satan have clouded our vision of what God intended and
