Search for sermons - Galatians 4
A Tale of Two Women: Are You a Child of Promise? - Galatians 4:21-31 - Jul 22, 2001 - 257
Almost all the commentators agree that this is the hardest passage in the book of Galatians. It’s not easy to understand on a quick reading exactly what Paul means to say. Or perhaps more accurately, we know in general terms what he is trying to say; it’s how he says it that trips us up. ... More
The First Christmas Miracle - John 15:22; Galatians 4:4 - Dec 13, 2006 - 84
“If I had not come” (John 15:22).“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Galatians 4:4). In the first verse, which is really just a fragment of a verse, Jesus invites us to consider a possibility. What if he had not come to earth ... More
Adoption: Plenty of Room in the Family - Jan 7, 2007
When Leslie Lynch King, Jr. died earlier this week, it made headlines around the world. Commentators talked about his legacy, and in the United States flags were lowed to half-staff in his honor. That always happens when a president dies.But who was President King? You can’t find any record of ... More
The First Christmas Miracle - John 15:22; Galatians 4:4 - Dec 19, 1999 - 77
"If I had not come” (John 15:22).“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Galatians 4:4). In the first verse, which is really just a fragment of a verse, Jesus invites us to consider a possibility. What if he had not come to earth? What ... More
What Happened to All Your Joy?A Lesson in Spiritual Pediatrics - Jul 15, 2001
I want to begin this sermon not with a comment on the text but with a personal update. I’ve been on the road a lot lately, most of the time preaching in various conferences. My travels have taken me to New York in May, to Wheaton in June, and to Michigan in late June and again in July. Earlier ... More
Christ B.C. Part IV: Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 - Dec 24, 1995 - 68
Christmas is an amazing time of year. Yesterday I ran across a statement that sums it up: “Isn’t it amazing that a baby born in a stable 2,000 years ago can cause traffic jams this week?” I am thankful for this season. We Christians ought to enjoy Christmas more than anyone. D ... More
God's Good vs. God's Best - Genesis 21:1-21 - Jun 16, 1996 - 23
Have you every wanted something very badly and waited a long time for it to happen, only to discover that when it did, things didn’t work out the way you thought they would? Most of us have had that kind of experience at least once, and some of us have been down that road many times. Perhaps ... More
Branded for Christ: A Solemn Call to Glory in the Cross - Galatians 6:11-18 - Oct 14, 2001 - 247
Six months after we started, we come at last to the end of our journey through the book of Galatians. It has been an exciting trip! Time and again we have been brought face to face with the grace of God as the only hope of our salvation. Along the way we have seen a side of Paul that is rarely found ... More
Eighth Day Savior - Luke 2:21 - Dec 26, 2004 - 80
"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived” (Luke 2:21).Today we’re going to explore a forgotten corner of the Christmas story. If you doubt that it is forgotten, consider this: Whenever church ... More
Can You Hear the Angels Singing? Christmas and the "Other World" - Luke 2:8-14 - Dec 14, 2003 - 197
"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good ne ... More
When Was Jesus Born? - Dec 5, 2007
Let me begin by saying right up front that no one knows exactly when Jesus was born because the Bible does not clearly answer this question. That doesn’t mean the question is unimportant, only that it is not essential to our Christian faith. As we approach Christmas this year, it is good to re ... More
A Man Called Jesus - Colossians 2:9 - Oct 10, 1999 - 303
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” These 13 words by the Apostle Paul contain a world of truth about Jesus Christ. They tell us that he is fully God. In him we find “all the fullness of the Deity.” The word “fullness” speaks of the essen ... More
Everything I Needed to Know, I Learned at Christmas - Nov 30, 2003
EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW, I LEARNED AT CHRISTMAS by Ray Pritchard Several months ago Lou Diaz of Wheaton Evangelical Free Church suggested to me the idea of preaching on “Christmas and the Christian Worldview.” Because the coming of Christ changed history–literally, from B.C. to A ... More
Four Women in Jesus' Family Tree - Matthew 1:1-16 - Dec 20, 1992 - 90
You might call this text “The forgotten chapter of the Christmas story.” It is a genealogy—a list of names, most of them unpronounceable. Because of that, this is a portion of Scripture that we tend to overlook. We don’t know what to do with it. It’s not often read ... More
Take Time for God - Exodus 20:8-11 - Jun 21, 1992 - 716
Let’s begin with three observations on the Fourth Commandment: 1. This is the longest of the Ten Commandments. 2. It is also the most difficult to properly interpret. 3. The Fourth Commandment remains a source of perennial interest.On that last point I call your attention to a survey conduc ... More
No Crib for a Bed: The God of Every Circumstance - Galatians 4:4 - Dec 7, 2003 - 199
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 KJV). While doing some preparation for this message, I ran across a sermon title that stuck in my mind. Someone preached ... More
Born Free: Seven Promises You Can Count On - Galatians 3:15-4:11 - Jul 1, 2001 - 255
The book of Galatians is all about how we can be right with God. Paul wrote this little “emergency letter” to remind us that being right with God is about believing, not achieving. Salvation is not about going to church, being religious, trying harder, or turning over a new leaf. You can ... More
The Cradle And The Cross: Simeon's Song - Luke 2:25-35 - Dec 22, 1991 - 712
It’s a good question, isn’t it? If Jesus were born today, would it be any different than it was 2,000 years ago? We like to think the answer is yes, that we would be ready, that we wouldn’t make the mistake of turning the Son of God away. There would be room in our inn, we confi ... More
Liar, Lord or Lunatic: Why I Believe in Jesus Christ - Various - Oct 22, 1995 - 792
Several years ago someone wrote a book called The Many Faces of Jesus. It happened to be the book Elvis Presley was reading when he died in Memphis, Tennessee. That title stands as a fitting symbol of the confusion surrounding Jesus in our time. Last month several thousand people filled Moody Mem ... More
Follow the Christmas Star - Matthew 2:7-12 - Dec 23, 2001 - 95
This isn’t exactly the sermon I planned to preach on the Sunday before Christmas, but I don’t suppose that will surprise anyone since Christmas itself comes as a relief at the end of a year that has not been what we thought it would be. If one searches for glimmers of light on the horizo ... More
Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23 - Dec 8, 2008 - 1180
Christmas is an amazing time of year. Yesterday I ran across a statement that sums it up: “Isn’t it amazing that a baby born in a stable 2,000 years ago can cause traffic jams this week?” I am thankful for this season. We Christians ought to enjoy Christmas more than anyone. Don&rs ... More
Who is Jesus Christ? - Matthew 16:13-16 - Oct 11, 2009 - 1215
Who is Jesus Christ? Before you answer that question, let me set the scene. It’s a few minutes past noon in downtown New York City. You’ve walking with a few friends to a favorite lunch spot when a camera crew stops you for a spontaneous interview. To your surprise, their questions have ... More
Why Christ Came - Luke 19:10 - Oct 2, 2011 - 1294
There is no more pressing question today than this: Why did Christ come to the earth? It is not enough to know who Jesus is. By and large the world knows what Christians believe about Jesus. But what the world wants to know is this: Why did he come and what difference does it make? Many answers have ... More
