Sermons from November 2017
At a Crossroads: Deuteronomy Wrap Up – Be Careful and Watch Your Heart
Although Christians do not participate in the covenant that God made with Israel, there is much we can learn from that covenant. God rescued Israel from cruel bondage in Egypt, cared for them in the wilderness, and gave them the ten commandments and many other personal and societal laws. His purpose was to develop and instill faith and obedience in their hearts. We also can turn our hearts toward God and His blessing by loving His Word, sticking with the Church, remembering His works, and cultivating an honest, open heart.
At a Crossroads: He will not leave or forsake you
We are now coming to the end of Moses’ sermon to the nation of Israel before they enter the promised land at last. Moses prophesies the success of their entry into the land, and also their eventual failure to live up to the law of God. Moses teaches them a song that will remind them of who they are and call them to repentance and hope in God generations later. We can take heart today that God sees us, his people, and has compassion on us, even in our worst rebellion.
At a Crossroads: Life and Death
In late September, we were in Raleigh, North Carolina, for my daughter’s wedding. The day before the wedding, my sister and brother-in-law were with us in the car, and we were leaving downtown Raleigh. They were in the back seat and volunteered to navigate us back to where we were staying. So they whip out their iPhones, and plug in our destination. Directions on iPhone said, “Go northeast,” but we knew we needed to go southwest. We knew southwest because…
At a Crossroads: Blessed or Cursed?
In His covenant with Israel, God promised amazing blessings to the nation if they remained loyal and obedient to Him and horrific curses if they forsook Him and turned to other gods. Christians are not under Israel’s covenant, but are under the New Covenant—which also contains promises and warnings, but with significant differences. Yet, Christians, too, must love and honor God in order to be blessed.