TAKING UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH AND THE SWORD OF TRUTH
EPHESIANS 6:16-18
A Civil Society Part 5 – Deut. Chpt. 25
Today's text brings us to the end of Moses rapid-fire civil laws. And in fact, the last part of the chapter is completely divorced from the rest of the civil laws. We have seen some interesting this along the way; things seem foreign to us because of our cultural disconnect.…
A Civil Society Part 4 – Deut. Chpt. 24
We continue today with part 4 of a 6-part study on the rules of civil society. Covered topics in chapter 24 include divorce, the first year of marriage, taking pledges from the poor, how Israelites were to treat their hired servants, and caring for the poor by leaving them food…
A Civil Society Part 3 – Deut. Chpt. 23
This morning's study is part 3 of a 6-part study on the rules of civil society. Today we'll see a few rules that overlap between civil order and religious practice. They are a good reminder to us that all rule and order flow from God himself. When thought of in…
A Great Future: 2025 and Beyond
As we prepare to turn the page to 2025, I'm guessing most of us have spent at least some time reflecting on the past year. A lot has happened over the last 12 months, both personally and corporately. Some of it has been good; some of it has been bad.…
5 Reasons for Christmas Joy
I rarely do topical sermons for the simple fact that Isaiah 28 is very clear about studying Scripture line-by-line and verse-by-verse. But today is an exception. My heart is to bring you a special message for Christmas. But I don't want to recycle the same Christmas texts and sermons…
A Civil Society Part 2 – Deut. Chpt. 22
This morning's study is part 2 of a 6-part study on the rules of civil society. We're going to see some interesting things in the text, just like last week. As I was studying this chapter, something occurred to me: the fact that God wrote these rules down in his…
A Civil Society Part 1 – Deut. Chpt. 21
As we turn the page to chapter 21, we reach that portion of Deuteronomy dealing with the rules of a civil society. These rules – and there are a lot of them – were meant to maintain order. They were and are necessary because people are naturally evil. We need…
When It’s Time to Fight – Deut. Chpt. 20
One of Moses' responsibilities was to prepare the people to go to war. He had already led them in the march through the wilderness and up to the valley of Moab where they were preparing to cross the Jordan. Along the way, they mounted successful military campaigns against the kings…
Justice: Hard But Necessary – Deut. Chpt. 19
When you hear the word 'justice' what immediately comes to mind? I think of judgment meted out without emotion. I think of the law being applied without pity. Justice is God's way; we'll see that in today's text. Unfortunately, humanity has fallen so far from God's plan that true justice…
Priests, Pagans, and Prophets – Deut. Chpt. 18
Last week we looked at three groups of people and how God expected the Israelites to deal with them. The groups were: idolaters, shady characters, and kings. Deuteronomy 18 covers three more. Today we are going to talk about the priests, the pagans, and God's prophets. As you might expect,…