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 →
Standing Strong in the Valley of Fear Imagine standing on the sun-scorched hillside of Elah. The air wavers with heat. Dust clings to the sandals of Israel’s trembling warriors. Across the ravine, stands Goliath of Gath, a human fortress armored in bronze. His voice bellows taunts across the valley, crashing like thunder against the hills... Continue Reading →
Introduction: Last week, we followed Jesus to the Sea of Galilee, where He called Peter, Andrew, James, and John. At His simple command, “Follow Me,” they dropped everything. Today, the story continues. Jesus takes His new disciples into Capernaum. Just like in Nazareth, the first thing He does is head straight to the synagogue and... 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 →
Sermon Audio: LINK I. The Majesty of the Mundane (1 Samuel 9:1–10:16) This morning I’d like to begin with a simple encouragement: Don’t overlook the ordinary. God often hides His greatest works in the quiet corners of daily life. Heaven doesn’t always announce its mission with trumpets, and angels don’t always sing above open fields.... Continue Reading →
Sermon Audio: LINK Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10, ESV And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock... 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 →
Sermon Audio: LINK Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1–28, ESV There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name... Continue Reading →
I. Jesus’ Growth in Nazareth (Luke 2:39–40) There is a kind of mystery in the years that pass between Jesus' infancy and His public ministry. The Gospels give us snapshots of His birth, then again when He’s twelve, and then the curtain lifts in full in His thirties. We might be tempted to call those... Continue Reading →
Sermon Audio: LINK Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:15-29 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A... Continue Reading →
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