preacherjrmy

The Lord is my shepherd – Psalm 23:1

The following series of blog post will explore each verse of the beloved twenty-third Psalm. These posts are based on a set of sermons I preached through in the summer of 2017. I pray for your soul to find encouragement, comfort, and challenge through this psalm. Why Psalm 23? Out of the 150 Psalms, whichContinue reading “The Lord is my shepherd – Psalm 23:1”

Three Reflections on the Old Testament Tabernacle

We recently had the opportunity to co-host a course on the Old Testament Tabernacle in Ashland, Kentucky. A long-time family friend facilitated the sessions and shared many fantastic points about the Old Testament Tabernacle. After I few days of reflection, I want to offer three observations from this course. The Old Testament and allContinue reading “Three Reflections on the Old Testament Tabernacle”

The Pastor

Filling the office of the pastor takes a genuine calling from God. The prophets, judges, and teachings foreshadow it in the Old Testament, and the New Testament defines it. Church history has validated it, and culture has tested it. Now, the office of pastor is losing its influence through misunderstandings, a lack of clear purpose,Continue reading “The Pastor “

Preaching in the New Testament

John the Baptist was the last Old Testament preacher (Luke 16:16), and Jesus became the first New Testament preacher. In fact, for preaching, John Stott (1982) wrote, “The only place to begin is with Jesus himself” (p. 16). Jesus, the quintessential person, finds Himself in the preacher’s shoes according to scripture. In relating God’s Word to us, it wasContinue reading “Preaching in the New Testament”

Preaching in the Old Testament

Preaching the Word begins with God. The first chapter of Genesis is filled with God’s creative power through His Words. Peter Adams wrote, “The basis for any true human speaking for God is that God is a speaking God…and it is clear that the God of the Bible is a God who speaks” (Adams, 1996, p.Continue reading “Preaching in the Old Testament”

Scripture for the Great Commission

A few years ago, I handed out a survey to individuals in our local church, and one of the focal areas was evangelism. The very last question in the survey asked, “How familiar are you with the great commission (with a rating of 1 being “what is the great commission” and 10 being “very familiar”). Continue reading “Scripture for the Great Commission”

But continue thou…

Trials, temptations, and even hidden or open persecution is a very real part of our fallen world. Still, we have great hope in Jesus Christ. When Paul thought that he was about to die, he told Timothy that the ministry could continue on in the ministry because of the truths found in God’s Word. ThisContinue reading “But continue thou…”

Faith in Christ for the Long Run

To receive salvation, Christ is all we need. For growth in grace, Christ is again, all we need. We are not saved by our own means or merit. Instead, we are saved by faith in Jesus: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Continue reading “Faith in Christ for the Long Run”

From Generation to Generation

How many generations are present in your congregation? Look through the list and see which groups are represented where you attend. The Builders Generation: Born 1945 and before The Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964 Generation X: Born 1965 to 1976 The Millennials or Gen Y: Born 1977 to 1995 Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials: BornContinue reading “From Generation to Generation”

But, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The Lord will prepare us for what comes to pass in life. Scripture even tells us that God will provide a way out of our trials and temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). In the sixteenth chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure. He even prophesied that they would be scattered. However,Continue reading “But, be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”