Like most pastors, I was in my 20s looking for a way to pay for seminary. It was clear that additional academic training in counseling, study of the Word, and church leadership was needed. Seminary would not teach me everything I needed to be a helpful pastor but would expose me to opportunities and resources that I would not even begin to understand. One of those things would be proficiency in biblical Greek and Hebrew to better understand the Word for personal study and pre

Many days, I sit in my office chair listening to the story of another, asking questions to elicit meaning and offering strategies with deep concern for my client’s wellbeing. There’s a heaviness in the room as they express the hurt and pain this world has offered them. There’s no question that suffering exists, and we try our best to come up with effective strategies to help us cope with the continuum of mild symptoms all the way to tragedy. And yet, as I sit there, I know co

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for March 1, 2026: Pray Like It Matters Matthew 6:5-15

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for February 22, 2026: Secret Service Matthew 6:1-4

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for February 15, 2026: Retaliation to Redemption Matthew 5:38-48

This past month at Mission Station, our kids packed their (imaginary) bags, grabbed their Mission Station passports, and took a very exciting trip to Northern Africa to visit our one of mobilization partner families! No long flights. No jet lag. Just big faith and even bigger imaginations. The adventure began with students learning about the Family’s life since moving last year. We talked about what daily life looks like in Northern Africa—new language, new culture, new food

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for February 8, 2026: Sin Surgery Matthew 5:27-37

When most people think of history, specifically church history, their timeframes only stretch back to their earliest experiences. Starting with experiences makes sense for the church because emotion and novelty play an important role in engagement. Because the time period is so far removed from our experiences, it is much harder to talk about the church history of the 12th century or even American church history of the 18th century. The history of the Southern Baptist Convent

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for February 1, 2026: A Heart Capable of Mass Murder Matthew 5:21-26

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for January 25, 2026: From Commandment to Completion Matthew 5:17-20

What Is Expositional Preaching? What is expositional preaching? To define the process, let me start with something familiar. Many in the church grew up hearing topical sermons. Topical sermons are when a pastor selects a topic (ie missions, love, family, etc.) and selects a few passages of Scripture to clearly exemplify the topic. Expositional preaching doesn’t start with the topic and select Scripture. Instead the pastor moves verse by verse through a book of the bible. The

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for January 18, 2026: Kingdom Purpose in a Dark & Tasteless World Matthew 5:13-16

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for January 11, 2026: God Commands Joy Matthew 5:7-12

Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. We have heard them all or at least most of them, but few know what they mean or the promises they proclaim to us and others. The Beatitudes-- or simply “blessed”-- are conditions in which people are considered blessed. “Blessed” in the New Testament never refers to finances or material possessions. In other words, the Lord does not prom

I remember in high school, when I really did not enjoy learning, almost failing a book report. It was my senior year, last semester of school, graduation in full view. I was working 30-40 hours a week on the side, which wrecked my motivation and free time. Therefore, I did what any irresponsible person would do…I read the covers, the start of the chapters and the last page. Then I fashioned together the vaguest book report given in the history of the world. My teacher knew th

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for January 4, 2026: The "Blessed Life" Matthew 5:1-6

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for December 28, 2025: Meeting Jesus Leads to Worship Luke 1:39-56

This is the longest section of teaching from Jesus that is recorded in the Bible. John concludes that the works of Jesus could fill all the world’s volumes and yet here we have just a small glimpse into the preaching/teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Why would it be helpful to take a deep dive into Matthew 5–7? We could go on and on, but let me narrow it down to four reasons. The Teaching Is Astonishingly Authoritative At the conclusion of Jesus’ sermon in Matthew

We are just days away from the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Some are spending more time away from work and around family. Others are busy preparing for the crash of family gatherings and an infinite supply of destroyed wrapping paper. It is my hope that some are found with a good book in hand, as the Lord continues to transform our minds. Here is another selection of readings that have really challenged my heart and revealed things I had pre

Click on the button below to access the Sermon Slides for December 21, 2025: Nothing is Impossible Luke 1:26-38