I think one of the best descriptions of the Christian life is a journey. It’s a process as we try to get from one point in our lives to another, as we try to get from where we are right now to where we want to be in our relationship with God. But…
Shaped BY the cross into the shape OF the cross
Sermons by Alan Smith
I heard recently about a man who had a habit of grumbling and complaining about the food his wife put on the dinner table every night. But, before the family ate the meal, he would say a prayer and give thanks. One evening, after his usual combination of complaint and then prayer, his daughter…
Last Sunday, we finished our study through the Old Testament, and after the first of the year, I plan for us to begin on the books of the New Testament. But, this morning, for the first time in a long time, you don’t have a video to watch, so you’re stuck with me for…
In the book of Revelation, in chapters 2 and 3, Jesus sends a letter to each of seven churches in Asia Minor. And, in those letters, he says a lot of things to commend the Christians in those congregations, but he also has a few things to say by way of rebuke, some things…
This morning, in our study through the Old Testament, we come to the book of Zechariah, which is the longest of all the minor prophets – 14 chapters long. And before we get into this book, I have a confession to make. This is the book that I have most dreaded getting a sermon from. …
Every day, you exchange a day of your life for something. It’s as if at the start of life, each of us was issued a certain number of coins. And these coins are hidden inside a huge machine so we don’t know how many coins we were issued or how many we have left. But,…
Before I get started this morning, I want us to take a 5-minute break to give everyone enough time to find the book of Zephaniah in your Bibles. Seriously, though, I’m going to guess that most of you are not all that familiar with Zephaniah. It’s not a book that Christians usually read when they’re…
One of the most irritating things in life has to be the frustration of trying to resolve a problem with a company over the phone. Maybe you’ve got a product that’s not working the way it’s supposed to, or you’ve been charged for something that you shouldn’t have been charged for. So, you call the…
This morning, I’d like for you to think about something that, at first, may seem to relate only to those of you who are students. But it’s actually something that is relevant for all of us. I want you to think for a moment about final exams. Now, I realize that if you’re in school,…
Exactly two weeks from today, the Jews will celebrate one of their most important holidays of the year – Yom Kippur, or as we know it in scripture, the Day of Atonement. It is a day when Jews repent of all the sins they have committed over the past year, and they turn to God…