Reformed & Expository Preaching

There is a certain wisdom in cheating people out of money in terms of worldly wisdom. It would seem that we would get ahead and increase our earnings. We want to believe that if we cheat to get ahead it will not really cost us anything and it will make our business ventures all that much more profitable. This is not what the Lord would have us do. The Lord does not see such deceptive practices as honorable to HIm. In fact, we find that Moses makes explicit that we are not to have two different kinds of weights in our house. Why is Moses concerned about the Israelites having two sets of weights? What is the problem of us having a different weight in a bag and a different weight in the house? How can we use this old standard to learn how to live a pleasing life to the Lord today.

When people hear about Christianity and gender distinctions they tend to dismiss the Bible thinking that it is just some archaic book that does not understand our contemporary times. Is this really fair or the intention of the Word of God? So, how do we know that men and women are different? How do we know that this distinction was intentional from the creation? How do we know that this distinction is respectable and is something that we can celebrate as we celebrate the distinctive gifts of man and woman?

Balak has been paying Balaam to manipulate and to change the promises of the Lord. They have offered the Lord the highest and greatest offerings to win the favor of God. The Lord has responded to the sacrifices, but not in the way that Balak had hoped. The Lord has continued to restate His promises to this man. Now, in this fourth oracle something that changed. There are no sacrifices, but the Lord reminds these men, and us today that his battle plan is fixed. What is the significance of this oracle? What does this tell us about the Christmas story?

Balak is beginning to realize that he cannot control the Lord. However, he still tries by bringing Balaam to the Lord’s enemy territory. The diviner follows Balak’s lead by going to the enemy territory. Is Balaam able to curse the people of God even as they are camping in the wildness? Is Baal able to overpower our God? How does our God make clear that the Lord will establish the true Christmas day?

Christ teaches from the sermon on the mount that murder is far deeper than just taking a human life. Christ teaches that if we desire to harm, avenge, or even hate then we are guilty of murder. What is the opposite of murder? How do we discover a Christian ethic as we consider the opposite of murder? How does the Christian ethic make us realize our glorious placement in this kingdom?

The Lord has made a promise to his people that he will bring them to glory.  His people have messed up really bad, and so does the Lord really desire to establish His people?  How do we know that the Lord can and will do this?  How strong is the Lord? Is there a god, a prophet, or another power that can derail the Lord’s promises?  Balaam and Balak think they can, but can they?

The Lord has made a promise to his people that he will bring them to glory. Is the Lord really able to do this? How do we know that the Lord can and will do this? How strong is the Lord? Is there a god, a prophet, or another power that can derail the Lord’s promises? Balaam and Balak think they can, but can they?

Today we think that we have the luxury of evaluating what a Christian home looks like. There is a real temptation to think hat because our day and age is so different from Paul’s time that we can reevaluate the home. There is no doubt that people have abused their roles as husbands and as wives, but does that change what the Lord has ordained? What has the Lord ordained and how is Paul’s model for the home something good and honorable even today? How can we as a family benefit from Paul’s words?

There are many things in this life that can upset us and even overwhelm us. Peter affirms the reality of the hardship in the Christian life as he tells us that we have our own struggles, the world, and Satan is out to destroy us. These things make it pretty difficult for us to maintain a positive outlook in our perseverance. So, how do we know that we will arrive at the goal of heaven? Where do we turn in our darkest moments? Where is our hope in this Christian life?

Paul exhorts christians to live a peaceful and quiet life. Why would Paul say such a thing? It would seem more beneficial to be more concerned about intervening. How are we to live this way? How do we know that this exhortation is not the same thing as Paul saying we are merely lazy? How do we live a meaningful life in the Lord as life in a peaceful and quiet way?