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It’s rare that I find myself thinking about Sunday’s sermon midweek. This Sunday our pastor Drew Ditzel preached on the familiar story of Jesus and the rich man (Mark 10). The rich man, who says he has kept all the commandments perfectly and has lived a righteous life, comes to Jesus asking what more he…

Happy New Year! It’s been a memorable time away with family, and I’m glad to be back at this intersection between God and life, reconvening with fellow saints and sinners. I hope this New Year’s sermon, to be preached this Sunday, offers life-breathing encouragement for you as you embark on 2014. John 1:1-18  1 In…

Last year around this time I wrote a post that asked how appropriate humor is on Good Friday. A sermon written from the perspective of Pilate’s wife, Claudia, had sparked associations with Monty Python’s rendition of Pilate in the movie, “Life of Brian”- but, I had asked, is it appropriate to joke in a sermon on…

NPR’s Teri Gross recently interviewed the comedian, Chris Rock, on “Fresh Air.”  A friend and fellow T.A. in Intro to Homiletics with Tom Long mentioned the exchange yesterday for its application to preaching (we preacher types are interested in these sorts of things): apparently Rock credits old-time preachers, from his grandfather to contemporaries Joel Osteen…

The form of sermons has become this week’s focus with students in Preaching 501 with preacher and teacher Tom Long.  I’ll soon be listening to my students preach, some for the first time; and when they preach, their sermons will probably take on diverse forms. And, in case you’re wondering and your wondering is causing…

Fellow saint and sinner Jake Dell preached this sermon yesterday, and has agreed to share it with us.  (Thank you, Jake!)  You can find more of Jake’s reflections at his blog: How many times have you left someone or something in your life? I have left many places and many people. Sometimes for good reasons,…

Some people really know their Bibles.  One of them is Steve Hayner.  Steve is the president of Columbia Theological Seminary, in Atlanta, Georgia, and has taught missiology, pastored churches, and worked at the helm of the student ministries organization, InterVarsity.  He also has gotten three degrees in biblical studies, and has written a book on…

This past Sunday I had the joy and privilege of joining in worship with the people of Old First Presbyterian in downtown San Francisco.  The following sermon belongs to our ongoing series, Jesus Epithets:  All the Names Jesus Gets Called in Scripture, and takes as its inspiration John 11:17-27 and Isaiah 65:17-25. When Jesus arrived,…

Fellow saint and sinner Saskia de Vries, whom we recently spoke with about neuroscience and theology (see our four-part interview, The Brain on Faith) is also a preacher.  She preached the below sermon to her congregation yesterday, and kindly agreed to share it with the rest of us.  Her elaboration on the essence of biblical faith,…

I wonder if we tire of or become bored by the life of faith because we have stopped using our imaginations.  Maybe we’ve never learned how to use them in the first place. Just imagine that you and I are “living tabernacles.”  Outward and visible signs of God’s grace. Just imagine that everyone else is,…
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