Search for sermons - Genesis 12
Famine in the Promised Land - Genesis 12:10-20 - Mar 31, 1996 - 15
"Smart people sometimes do some very stupid things." A few years ago Jim Warren shared a statement with me that a friend had shared with him. It goes like this. "When hard times come, we always have two choices. We can be a student or we can be a victim." A moment's thought will show the wisdom ... More
The Incredible Adventure Begins - Genesis 12:1-9 - Mar 24, 1996 - 14
This morning we are beginning a brand-new sermon series. This series is brand-new in two ways. It is new to us as a congregation and it is new to me personally. Although I have been your pastor for nearly seven years, I served two other churches before coming to Oak Park in 1989. Over the last 1 ... More
Inner Beauty - I Peter 3:1-6 - Feb 6, 2005 - 598
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised" (Proverbs 31:30)."Beauty? Let me tell you something, being thought of as ‘a beautiful woman' has spared me nothing in life, no heartache, no trouble. Love has been difficult. Beauty is essentially mea ... More
Christmas Hope - Hebrews 6:18-20 - Dec 24, 2000 - 97
This is Christmas Eve. Even though there is no command in the New Testament to celebrate Christmas, we happily join with millions of Christians around the world in remembering the birth of our Savior. "Joy to the world, the Lord is come!" And because he was born in Bethlehem, "the hopes and fears of ... More
Anatomy of a Backslider - Genesis 20 - Jun 9, 1996 - 27
One of the great proofs of the supernatural origin of the Bible it that it tells the truth about people. As you read the Bible, you will find that it discloses the whole range of human activity—including the dark side. On the pages of God's Word, you will find stories of murder, theft, embez ... More
No Place for Pride - Romans 11:17-24 - Jul 2, 2006 - 770
Tell them, Pastor Ray, tell them that nothing matters except Christ. The young people need to know this before it's too late." So said my friend Jim Johnsen on my visit with him in the hospital shortly before he died. "Nothing matters except Christ." We all know it's true. Why does it take sickn ... More
The Blessing of a Believing Spouse - Hebrews 11:8-10 - Jul 23, 2008 - 1159
This is the story of Sarah’s faith. It is the story of one woman who together with her husband believed God and received a very great reward. It is also a story about the enormous blessing of having a believing spouse. If man has a wife who believes in Jesus, he is greatly blessed, and if a ... 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 if he had not bee ... More
Living by Faith in an Uncertain World - Hebrews 11:8-10 - Sep 16, 2001 - 51
He must have been in a hurry to get home to see his family. That's the only reason his friends could think of to explain why Thomas Burnett of San Ramon, California changed his reservations and took an earlier flight last Tuesday morning. All his friends knew how much he loved his wife and his three ... 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? What if he had not bee ... More
Seven Signs Of The Second Coming - Aug 13, 2006
(Revised and Expanded January 9, 1991)The following things have happened in the last 72 hours:*Yesterday the Iraqi Revolutionary Council met with Saddam Hussein and reaffirmed that there would be no withdrawal from Kuwait either before or after January 15. "The idea of withdrawal exists only in the ... More
The Incomparable Christ: "Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord" - Philippians 2:9-11 - Feb 15, 2004 - 647
Who is Jesus Christ? Of all the questions that might be posed to modern men and women, none is more important than this. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the central question of history and the most important issue anyone will ever face. Who is Jesus Christ? Where did he come from? Why did ... More
Two Ways to Go to Heaven: Make Sure You Choose the Right One - Galatians 3:1-14 - Jun 17, 2001 - 253
With this sermon we turn a corner in our journey through Galatians. This short letter has three parts:The Personal Section: Chapters 1-2The Doctrinal Section: Chapters 3-4The Practical Section: Chapters 5-6As we begin the Doctrinal Section of the book, I need to tell you that there are some verses t ... More
At Home with the Lord: What is the Christian View of Death? - Hebrews 11:20-22 - Jul 16, 2000 - 217
One of the first prayers I learned to pray was my bedtime prayer. I do not remember how old I was when I first learned it but I know I was just a young boy. Over the years it has helped millions of children get ready to go to bed. You probably know it by heart:Now I lay me down to sleepI pray Thee, ... More
Countdown to Armageddon: Six Signs of the Second Coming - Matthew 24:1-14 - Oct 21, 2001 - 687
Last Wednesday afternoon I stood at Ground Zero in Manhattan looking at the ruins of the World Trade Center. I was there as part of a group of five men from Calvary who traveled 2,400 miles through 11 states plus the District of Columbia in 100 hours to deliver 7,000 copies of the gospel book, An An ... More
Passing the Baton - Genesis 25 - Aug 4, 1996 - 29
All week long one question hung in the air. Would he or wouldn't he? Some said yes, most said no. The debate raged in a sports bars across America. He's America's fastest runner. But he didn't practice with the team. He's our best hope for a gold medal. But it's not fair to the man he bumps o ... More
God Is So Good! - Psalm 107:1 - Apr 20, 1997 - 474
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." 1 Chronicles 16:34a "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." Psalm 145:9 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8 Let's begin with a definition, which isn't as easy as it might app ... More
Sense and Nonsense about God's Guidance - Exodus 13:21-22; Psalm 48:14 - Sep 12, 1993 - 393
In 1988 something new happened in the American political process. That year, for the first time in a long time, an avowedly evangelical candidate ran for the presidency of the United States.We all remember that George Bush won the election. But if you roll the tape of your mind backwards—bac ... More
From Jacob to Jesus - Genesis 49:10; Luke 1:33 - Dec 6, 1992 - 355
Our final study in the life of Jacob is different from all the rest. When we began, he was still in his mother's womb. When Genesis brings his story to a close, he is buried in the cave of Machpelah, along with his father and grandfather. In between, this man of restless faith never stopped movin ... More
I Object! - Romans 3:1-8 - Mar 15, 1992 - 282
It's been a revealing week in Washington. A few days ago the House of Representatives voted 426-0 to reveal the names of all past and present members who have bounced checks at the House bank, an act that one commentator likened to committing "mass political suicide." They tell us that when the list ... More
Faith-Yes! The Law-No! - Romans 4:13-17 - May 17, 1992 - 289
This is my 15th and next-to-last sermon on Romans 1-4. In just two weeks we'll begin a new series on the Ten Commandments. It's appropriate to mention that now, because we're talking about the law of God in this message. Paul's great concern in our text is to show that no one is saved by keeping the ... More
Beyond the Crystal Ball: Why I Believe in the Second Coming of Christ - Various - Dec 31, 1995 - 799
Consider the events of the last few weeks: *In Washington, the government shut-down has entered its sixteenth day, with no end in sight. While politicians argue where to place the blame, hundreds of thousands of workers remain idle. *In Israel, a religious Jew shot and killed Prime Minister Yitzak ... More
What Is Your Isaac? - Hebrews 11:17-19 - Aug 27, 2008 - 1162
Certain Bible stories need no introduction. They are so well known that even people outside the church who may never actually read the Bible have heard them. Adam and Eve. Noah and the ark. Moses at the Red Sea. Joshua and the walls of Jericho. David and Goliath. Daniel in the lions’ den. An ... More
The Incredible Journey - Hebrews 11:8-10 - Jul 10, 2008 - 1158
I received an email from someone who is struggling with some decisions that have not worked out the way they expected. The details don’t matter except to say that the person took what seemed to be a step of faith and the result has been a great big mess. "What did I do wrong?" Tha ... More