Search for sermons - Hebrews 4
A Friend in High Places - Hebrews 4:14-16 - Apr 30, 2000 - 9
If you were raised in Chicago, you no doubt recognize the name of Mike Royko. For over 30 years he was the voice of Chicago to the nation. At the height of his career over 600 newspapers carried his columns. After he died several years ago, his family and friends published 110 of his columns (out of ... More
A Friend in High Places - Hebrews 4:14-16 - Mar 21, 2011 - 1276
Do you have clout? The answer is, it depends on who you know. That’s how Mike Royko explained the meaning of the word. If you were raised in Chicago, you no doubt recognize that name. For over 30 years Mike Royko was the voice of Chicago to the nation. At the height of his career over 600 ... More
Does God Lead His Children Into Temptation? - Matthew 6:13 - Oct 10, 2009 - 1223
“And lead us not into temptation.” Matthew 6:13aBefore we begin: What is the difference between temptation and testing? How can a temptation to sin become an avenue for spiritual growth? Does God lead his children into temptation? This is not an easy question to answer. We know what th ... More
Could Jesus Have Sinned? - Apr 25, 1999
The question in the title has been warmly debated over the years. Everyone agrees that Jesus did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 says so explicitly. He was free from sin in every form: thought, word and deed. But that same verse raises a problem when it declares that Christ was tempted in every way “jus ... More
Forward-Leaning Defense - Sep 16, 2006
“There is no victory at bargain basement prices.” General Dwight Eisenhower“World War IV began in a long string of terrorist attacks, whose real nature went unrecognized until on September 11, 2001, huge billows of black smoke curled above New York City, Washington, D.C., and a fie ... More
Sinners in the Hands of a Merciful God - Romans 11:30-32 - Aug 25, 2006 - 773
Earlier this week I received a copy of John Ensor’s book ... 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, ... More
He Ascended Into Heaven: Why It Still Matters Today - Acts 1:9 - Mar 29, 1998 - 634
"After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." Acts 1:9This is one of the most remarkable statements in Holy Scripture. We call it the ascension of Christ into heaven. All the major creeds mention it and every Christian group believes it. There ... More
A Friend in High Places: “He Ascended into Heaven and Sits at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty” - Various - Apr 25, 2004 - 653
This is one of the most remarkable statements in the Apostles’ Creed and it is also one of the most neglected areas of Christian doctrine. Even though we (along with all Christians) believe in the ascension of Christ, we tend not to think about it very much, at least when compared to the death ... More
From Temptation to Triumph - Nov 12, 1996
Playwright Oscar Wilde once jokingly remarked, “I can resist everything except temptation.” We smile when we read those words because they speak an important truth about the human condition. Temptation pays a visit to each of us every day and most of us struggle to say no.“Pastor ... More
His Eye Is On the Sparrow: The Doctrine of God's Omniscience - Psalm 145:4-5 - Feb 16, 1997 - 467
"If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer—His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.” John NewtonThis week I was involved in three different discussions regarding one of the thorniest issues of Christian theolo ... More
What is Heaven Like? - Philippians 3:20-21 - Jan 18, 1998 - 521
"Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago.” Charles Ferguson Ball I begin this sermon with two statements that I believe to be almost universally true: Everyone wants to know about heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Ameri ... More
Christ B.C. Part II: Lamb of God - Exodus 12; John 1:29 - Dec 10, 1995 - 66
Christians everywhere recognize the lamb as a familiar biblical image. It is often connected with both Christmas and Easter. Though lambs aren’t specifically mentioned in the Christmas story, they are implied by the presence of shepherds and also by the fact that Jesus was born in a stable. ... More
The Most Sought After Things in the World - Romans 5:1-5 - Jan 1, 1993 - 441
A number of years ago a major American magazine published the results of a most fascinating survey. The editors had asked 16 prominent Americans what they did in order to find peace of mind in the midst of our stressful world. The responses were quite revealing.Noted author James Michener reported t ... More
Leading Others Upward - Malachi 2:1-9 - May 11, 2003 - 1259
There are some things that only a mom can teach… My mother taught me about anticipation: “Just wait until your father gets home!” My mother taught me about medical science: “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to stay that way.” My mother ... More
Experiencing God’s Love - Malachi 1:1-5 - Apr 27, 2003 - 1256
A man was having a hard time getting out of bed one Sunday morning. “Get up. It’s time to get ready for church!” He just grumbled and replied grumpily, “I don’t want to go to church today. Those people at church don’t like me. I don’t want to go.” She ... More
Should We Use the Bible in the Marriage Debate? - Sep 5, 2004
At first, the question seems unnecessary. Of course we will use the Bible in the great debate over marriage. How could Christians avoid the Bible? And why should we? Before answering that question, consider an article by Don Wycliff, the “public editor” of the Chicago Tribune. On July 8 ... More
How to Be a Leader People Want to Follow - Jan 22, 2008
Recently I was asked to speak to a group of youth leaders on becoming a credible, authentic leader. In preparing my first message, I decided to focus on two key words. According to the dictionary, the word credible comes from the Latin credo, meaning “I believe.” If something is credible ... More
How to Meet the Enemy - Ephesians 6:14-17 - May 8, 2009 - 1199
It is commonplace in our day to doubt the existence of the devil. Many who believe in God believe not at all in the devil. When people say, “The devil made me do it,” they mean the exact opposite. When someone says, “Oh, you devil,” it’s meant as a kind of compliment. A ... More
Faithful to the Tempted - I Corinthians 10:13; Genesis 39 - May 30, 1999 - 681
We begin with two quotations. The first comes from British playwright Oscar Wilde who said, “I can resist anything except temptation.” We smile when we read those words because they speak an important truth about the human condition. Temptation pays a visit to each of us every day and most ... More
What We Saw In India - Matthew 5:7 - Feb 18, 1996 - 56
About 12 hours ago our plane finally landed at O’Hare Airport. I do not think I have ever been happier to come home than I was last night. During the last 19 days our team traveled 42,000 miles, took eight different plane trips and one 24-hour train ride, and in the process visited Amsterdam ... More
Holy, Holy, Holy - Isaiah 6 - Jan 16, 1997 - 464
Would you consider it a compliment if someone called you holy? The answer is, it depends on who that someone is. After all, the word holy is used in different ways by different people. If a person is considered excessively religious, he is called a Holy Roller, or a Holy Joe, or he is said to be hol ... More
He Became Sin for Us: What the Cross Meant to Christ - 2 Corinthians 5:21 - Feb 28, 1999 - 672
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is one of the most magnificent verses in the all the Bible. Spurgeon called it the heart of the gospel. It is the gospel in one verse. Everything you need to k ... More
