Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Luke 2:14 ESV The story continues in chapter two of Luke's Gospel with the birth of Mary's son, Jesus. She journeyed with Joseph to Bethlehem for Caesar's census, and upon their arrival, they could find no place to stay …
Continue reading Glory to God in the Highest: The Song of Heaven | Luke 2:14
You may have noticed that Sunday's sermon had significantly less quotations than normal. That is because I ended up going in a different direction with the sermon than I typically do. Rather than focusing upon the centurion, the women, and Joseph in detail, I decided to largely focus on the three together as example of …
And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When …
Continue reading Courage in the Face of Despair | Mark 15:39-47
And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of the prophets …
Continue reading Blessed Be the Lord: The Song of Zechariah | Luke 1:67-79
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ijw3CIF4gUiskSIZyGwDw?si=5x1-rkEWR2qqHe613mmsoA For my latest pass through Be Thou My Vision, I have been reading a chapter of The Preacher's Catechism by Lewis Allen. Each of the forty-two chapters provides a question and answer, a verse or passage of Scripture, and some explanation, encouragement, and exhortation from Allen. Yesterday morning, I read chapter 7, which gives …
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is …
Continue reading My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? | Mark 15:33-38
https://open.spotify.com/episode/02bQ2rFGf7j7tXZvJO8XQb?si=2j3SdsUYR-yZxan_oPdH_w Another Thanksgiving is in the books, placing us firmly in the midst of the holiday season. Although Christmas/Advent is my favorite time of year, I will likely receive your solemn nod of agreement when I say that these days never go as smoothly or joyfully as planned. Now we could point to a multitude …
Continue reading Allow Me to Vent: How Not to Be a Grumbling Israelite
And Mary said,"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.And his mercy is for …
Continue reading My Soul Magnifies the Lord: The Song of Mary | Luke 1:46-55
I frequently tell others that one of the most difficult parts of sermon preparation is deciding what to leave behind. Since God's Word is infinitely profitable, no one can ever mine the full depths of even one passage or one verse. Thus, after spending time in study, I have never come away wondering if I …
And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were …
B. C. Newton 