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 →
The God Who Judges Justly
Praise the Lord with All Your Heart (Psalm 9:1–10) Have you ever had a near death experience, a time when you realized just how close you almost came to experiencing death? Maybe it was a near-miss on the highway. Maybe it was a medical scare that turned out to be a false alarm. Or maybe... Continue Reading →
A Song for the Night Sky
Introduction to Psalm 8 If you have ever been camping far from city lights you may have experienced the beauty of the star-filled night sky. In moments like these, you feel your smallness, the short breath of your life. And if you're paying attention, you feel something more: wonder. King David must have felt that... Continue Reading →
Ruth Meets Boaz
Sermon Audio: LINK Opening: Last week, we began our journey through the book of Ruth, where we saw Naomi’s devastating loss and her return to Bethlehem. Faced with famine in Israel, Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, decided to lead his family to Moab, a land outside the covenant of God and filled with pagan worship. This was... Continue Reading →
Deborah: Leadership and Obedience
Sermon Audio: LINK Opening: In the first three chapters of Judges, we saw the unfolding of Israel’s recurring pattern of disobedience and deliverance. After the death of Joshua, the tribes of Israel failed to drive out the Canaanites, as God had commanded fully. Instead, they allowed many of these pagan nations to remain, which led... Continue Reading →