Tri-Annual Singing!
February 21, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: God
Subject: God
“The gods which you have chosen”
On one of the occasions of Israel’s rebellions against God during the time of the judges, God chastised them. We are told that because of God’s anger for their idolatries, “He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon” (Judges 10:7). After eighteen years of harassment and oppression, “the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!’” Continue reading ““The gods which you have chosen””
Sermon: “You thought I was altogether like you”
Man has to realize how great, preeminent, wise and powerful God is, and learn not to mold God according to their own flawed concepts. A discussion based on the phrase in Psalm 50:21.
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Wait for the Lord
The 33rd Psalm talks of God’s preeminence from the point of view of the Israelite. The Psalmist calls for praise for God, and gives numerous reasons why the LORD is worthy of that praise. His word is right. He is righteous and just, and blesses the earth. He is the Creator. His will is inexorable, “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (9). From heaven he looks down upon all men and considers their works. No strength of man compares to His might. He is both willing and able to care for His own.
As such, we should consider verses 20-22 of the text, “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You.”
Just as the Psalmist, it is important that we recognize and meditate upon the greatness of the Lord. This will lead us to praise Him. It will also lead us both to understand His ability to help and protect us, and to be patient as we wait upon His intervention in our lives.
We must trust God! It is not our place to question either His timing or His ability to care for us. Instead may we pray, “Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in you” (22). Does your soul wait for the LORD?
Sermon: Know This…
Marriage Duty and the Resurrection
Consider this text: “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel” (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). This duty of the second brother is the basis upon which the Sadducees argued that there is no resurrection in Matthew 22:23-33).
The Sadducees posited a hypothetical example of a widow of all seven brothers, none of which gave her an heir, which “proved” that the very idea of a resurrection was untenable. Consider, very religious people arguing vociferously from ignorance. That is what Jesus, in a decidedly pointed response, told them! “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:29-30). Continue reading “Marriage Duty and the Resurrection”
“From the Presence of the Lord”
The prophetic book titled “Jonah” begins with a command of God to the prophet. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” We are familiar with Jonah’s response. Instead of obeying the voice of God, “Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (2:3).
Tarshish was the opposite direction from Nineveh. But there is nothing in scripture that indicates that God is not to be found there. It is doubtful that Jonah, a prophet of God, really thought that he could flee to a place where God could not reach him. In Psalm 139, David wrote:
“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.”
Mining the Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Paul here (and in chapter 3) seeks to downplay his personal abilities and proclamations, instead showing the Corinthians that the true power for salvation was in God’s word. He said in 3:7 that he was not “anything.” He stated in Romans 1:16 that the power of God to salvation was in the message of the gospel, not in the messenger.
So, here in chapter two he affirmed it wasn’t in his abilities of wisdom that salvation came. Only that in weakness, fear and much trembling he preached only Christ and Him crucified.
This demonstrates and important truth that Paul emphasized in all of his epistles. The power that brings redemption does not come from men, but from God. Not in human wisdom, but “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
His conclusion here is an important one. We should not consider any success we have in Christ to be because of us! It is because of the power of God!
Sermon: True and Righteous are Your Judgments
A discussion of Revelation 16:4-7, showing the glory and preeminence of God, along with His justice and mercy. And the punishment of ungodly men.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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Sermon: The Words of Elihu
Job’s 4th companion speaks in chapters 32-37 with some powerful words about the Graciousness, Justice, and power of God.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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Silence & Noise
A few days ago we had a power failure for a number of hours in our neighborhood. This is uncommon, as our area has always been consistently powered despite storms, etc. It might have been a problem if it had lasted longer, but we were without light and heat only for a few hours. We opened up the blinds, covered up in blankets, and got along well enough.
It was also a blessing, in a way. I remember waking up that morning to no fan, no beeps, no humming, nothing but silence. It actually was disconcerting at first, but Debbie and I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet. It was also interesting when the power came back on. We didn’t have the lights on, but the beeps, humming and fans revealed our return to modern civilization. Continue reading “Silence & Noise”
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Paul noted here that the gospel of Christ caused him to suffer, as the world considered Paul an “evildoer” because of his teacher. Regardless, Paul was willing to suffer, knowing that the word of God could not be stopped by the efforts of men: “but the word of God is not chained” (9).
So for the sake of those who would respond in faith to his preaching, “the elect”, Paul endured his suffering. He wrote to the Romans, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Roman also” (Romans 1:15). As a result, Paul was responsible for the salvation of many.
Verses 11-13 contain what Paul referred to as a faithful saying. This is not a quotation from scripture, it may have been lyrics from an early hymn. Whatever the origin, as Paul states, the words are true. Essentially, God can only be Himself. He cannot lie. Therefore, all of the promises He has made to man regarding faithfulness and reward are true promises and will be accomplished!
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16-17).
The Bible affirms truth in several places. Another is John 1:1-3. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (3).
It reminds me of the old joke about the scientist, who claimed he could create life, just like God. So, he got all prepared, and reached down for some dirt. God said to him, “Get your own dirt!”
God alone is our Creator. The scripture reveals that God the Son spoke our universe, every bit of it, into existence. In this was He was the “firstborn over all creation.” This doesn’t mean that He was the first one created, but He is the one from which all creation springs. “And without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Our Savior is not merely a man among other men. He is as far removed from others as we are to an ant. Even farther removed. Jesus is the Son of God. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Mining the Scriptures: 1 Timothy 1:16-17
After admitting that he was chief among sinners (15), Paul then writes that despite his low state he received mercy from God. This truth can be seen both in his conversion in Acts 9, and in his many personal explanations of that conversion to Christ.
Here he states why that mercy was shown to him. So that in him Jesus Christ’s longsuffering could be demonstrated. If God was willing to save the most violent and zealous enemy of the faith, and then use him as a preeminent apologist for that same faith, it is obvious that anyone who accepts Christ can be forgiven. This is a truth that gives hope to all.
It is for this reason in verse 17 Paul praises God so graciously in this spontaneous expression of praise. He is eternal and immortal — without beginning or end. He is invisible—indicating His spiritual and divine nature. And He is wise to an extent that defies comparison.
For these reasons He is worthy of the praise of our lips and pens.
Sermon: God’s Greatness Examined (Psalm 145)
A study of Psalm 145, showing the wondrous attributes of God, and our proper response to them.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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