Pastor at Dover Baptist Church in Goochland, VA.
From the Tax Booth Imagine a busy seaside road in the region of Galilee. Beside the road sits a small table equipped with a ledger, a set of scales, a Roman seal, and a box for coins. Levi, the son of Alphaeus, is collecting tolls and taxes for the Roman Empire at his booth. Although... Continue Reading →
When God Starts in the Margins Let me begin with a question: If you were going to launch a movement to transform and redeem the world, where would you start? It is natural to think in terms of power, visibility, and influence. Our minds go to capitals, capitals of religion (Jerusalem), of politics (Rome), of... Continue Reading →
I. The Message of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 4:17) When Jesus returns to Galilee, He doesn’t start his preaching ministry softly. He doesn’t warm up with parables or ease into the public square with gentle reassurance. His first words are a command that thunders with urgency: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at... Continue Reading →
I. THE TRANSITION MOMENT (John 4:1–6; Mark 1:14; Matthew 4:12; Luke 3:19–20) Last week, we witnessed the beginning of the end of John the Baptist’s public ministry. Today, we return to the account after his arrest. The prophet who called people to repentance by the Jordan is now locked behind prison walls. And in this... Continue Reading →
I. The Weight of a Calling Our passage begins with just five words from John the Baptist. But behind those five words stands a lifetime of longing, preparation, and prophetic expectation. "The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold,... Continue Reading →
Luke 2:21-38 records the circumcision and naming of Jesus, as well as when the young Jesus was presented in the Temple. It also beautifully illustrates the theme of obedience to God’s law through faith. This passage reminds us that faith is not just about belief but about living in obedience to God. Like those in... Continue Reading →
Introduction: While the Gospel writers provide only a few details about the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, they emphasize two key points. First, they make it clear that his birth really happened. They include family lineages, ancestral towns, historical references to Roman emperors and local rulers, and the testimony of eyewitnesses to confirm its... Continue Reading →
Sermon Audio: LINK Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:19-34, ESV “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your... Continue Reading →
Sermon Audio: LINK Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-15 ESV And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray,... Continue Reading →
Sermon Audio: LINK Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:1-4, 16-18 (ESV): “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in... Continue Reading →
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