Bible, theology, culture, etc.
The following is an unedited sermon manuscript; for an explanation of my sermon manuscripts, click here. *Originally preached in December 2021* Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you … Continue reading Christmas Eve: A Weary World Rejoices (Matt 11:28-30)
Here is an email response given to someone who asked me this question awhile ago - it is a question I am asked fairly frequently, so I figured it would be helpful to just put it into a post. If you are unfamiliar with the "Unforgivable Sin", it is found in Mark 3:22-30, Luke 12:8-10, … Continue reading Have I Committed the Unforgivable Sin?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUHCMYWay-c “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” The Bible is strange. I think sometimes we forget just how weird it really is. For the past few weeks we have been looking at the beginning of Jesus’ teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, and if we have been … Continue reading The Meek (Matt. 5:5)
In our youth group we have been examining the book of Jonah, and had the opportunity to go through the second chapter recently. For time's sake we simply could not cover every aspect of the passage, but we were unable to run down one trail I was hoping to. So I will share my thoughts here: … Continue reading Sovereign God, Responsible People
500 years ago, the church was very different than it was today. 500 years ago, the church was organized under the pope in the Roman Catholic system, which acted more like a government than a church. The church believed that salvation was only found in the Roman Catholic church, and God’s teaching could only be … Continue reading How to Read the Bible (2 Tim. 3:14-17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDLpBNLKkTc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vecsIgsqX0 Notes Second to the Bible, which book in the English speaking world do you think is the most popular? Go ahead, tell your neighbor what you think. Believe it or not, it isn’t Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings, or Chronicles of Narnia, not even close. Actually, the most popularly sold English … Continue reading Let’s Talk: Depression & Anxiety
I recently have been reading through J.D. Greear's little book, "Gospel" and have been loving it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. The book outlines how the Gospel radically transforms us, from the inside-out. In his chapter, "God is Better", Greear has what he calls an "idol-detector" test, which is a short … Continue reading The “Idol-Detector” Test
"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils." C.S. Lewis' brilliant work, The Screwtape Letters, a fictitious correspondence between two demons, begins with these now famous words found in the introduction, "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve … Continue reading Charlie Charlie: Screwtape’s Great Hope
In my undergraduate study of the book of Genesis, as a final project I had to study six thematic principles in Gen. 3:1-7. This is the fourth study: Now the serpent…said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not of any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1) Satan, in the form of a serpent, … Continue reading The Tactics of the Serpent
In the Old Testament, God would meet with His people, the nation of Israel, primarily in the Temple, or the Tabernacle (which was like a proto-portable-temple). This was a very specifically designed building, explained to Moses (Tabernacle) in remarkable detail in Ex. 25-28, and again to Solomon (Temple) in 1 Chron. 28. The Temple was primarily a … Continue reading Truer and Better: Temple
Marc Sims 