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The Good Shepherd

Photo by Rafael Hoyos Weht on Unsplash This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on Palm Sunday, April 27, 2025, as a part of our sermon series “The Good Shepherd.” Jesus calls himself “The Good Shepherd.” Why is this good news? We long to be known and we need to be led. It is not a matter of if, but who or what, we are going to follow. We will consider what it truly looks like to belong…

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Abundant Life on Palm Sunday

Ludwig, trying to find out if the area was safe for camping, accidentally asks a stranger “Does this town have god (kami)?” instead of “Does this town have bears (kuma)?” This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025, as a part of our Holy Week sermon series “Abundant Life.” We all crave an abundant life. But what does that mean? How do we live a full life?…

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The Gods We Choose

Photo by osamu nakazawa on Unsplash This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on March 23, 2025  as a part of our sermon series “Exodus: Journey to Freedom.” Where do we turn to when we need direction, rescue, or peace? The Book of Exodus is an account of God graciously leading his people from slavery to freedom, teaching us about God’s passion to make his glory known and his commitment…

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Where God Dwells: Understanding Temple (Part 4)

Photograph by K. Mitch Hodge. From unsplash.com This is the fourth part in an ongoing series exploring the significance of temple in the Bible and in our own modern culture. Thus far, we’ve covered the significance of temples, the form and function of ancient Near Eastern temples, the distinctive aspects of the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, and the historical development of the theme of…

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What Does the Bible Say About Land Ownership?

Abraham Journeying into the Land of Canaan, Gustav Doré, 1866. From The Gustav Doré Bible Gallery.�� THE ANCIENT LANDMARKS FOR A MODERN CONTEXT: DEUTERONOMY 19:14 IN LIGHT OF CHRIST   Mosaic law places heavy emphasis on the land portions distributed to all the families of Israel according to their tribe. Among the various laws dictating how Israel is to handle land tenure, Deuteronomy 19:14…

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"Why do bad things happen to good people?" How to Answer the Most Common Question in Ministry

Photo by Ajay Karpur on Unsplash If I could make a list of the most frequently asked questions in ministry, this one might top it. It is a question every single person asks and answers, whether they can put it into words or not. I’ve made an attempt to put my answer into words over my many years of ministry, drawing from Scripture and personal experience. It’s taken the form of an outline of…

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Fear and Fame from God's Perspective

Photo by Kristina Tamašauskaitė on Unsplash This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on January 12, 2025  as a part of our sermon series “Exodus: Journey to Freedom.” Where do we turn to when we need direction, rescue, or peace? The Book of Exodus is an account of God graciously leading his people from slavery to freedom, teaching us about God’s passion to make his glory known and his…

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It's Better to Suffer as a Christian

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash Suffering is a universal human experience and an unavoidable part of our world. As a pastor, I am constantly helping people process their suffering. Why is this happening? What have I done to deserve this? How could God let this happen to me? When will this end? What am I supposed to do in response?  All fair questions. All questions I’ve answered for myself…

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Waiting for A New World

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on December 29, 2024  as a part of our Advent series “Waiting with Hope.” Advent is a season of waiting, but it is also a season of hope and light, of warmth in the midst of longing. We will spend the five Sundays in December this year looking to Scripture’s sure promises as a solid foundation for our hope in…

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A Season of Waiting

Photo by Filip Mroz on Unsplash This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on December 1, 2024  as a part of our Advent series “Waiting with Hope.” Advent is a season of waiting, but it is also a season of hope and light, of warmth in the midst of longing. We will spend the five Sundays in December this year looking to Scripture’s sure promises as a solid foundation for our hope in…

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What's the Deal with Mark 16:9-20?

This is the last of several posts sharing a series of reflections I wrote for my church from the Gospel of Mark. These devotionals covered passages which would not be preached on in our sermon series. If you would like to listen to sermons from this series, you can find recordings of them here and here. This devotional covers Mark 16:9-20. This post was published by The Washington Institute for…

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God Provides in the Wilderness

Photo by Mor Shani on Unsplash This is one of several posts sharing a series of reflections I wrote for my church from the Gospel of Mark. These devotionals covered passages which would not be preached on in our sermon series. If you would like to listen to sermons from this series, you can find recordings of them here and here. This devotional covers Mark 6:30-56. 30 The apostles returned to…

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Rejection and Perfection

Photo by Indrajeet Choudhary on Unsplash This is one of several posts sharing a series of reflections I wrote for my church from the Gospel of Mark. These devotionals covered passages which would not be preached on in our sermon series. If you would like to listen to sermons from this series, you can find recordings of them here and here. This devotional covers Mark 6:1-29. 1 He went away from…

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Freedom in Work

Photo by Benjamin Thomas on Unsplash This sermon was preached for Capital Pres Fairfax on October 27, 2024  as a part of our series “1 Thessalonians: The Gospel-Shaped Church.” This series explores how the gospel of Jesus shapes the community of Jesus. In a world eager to shape us with powerful agendas and persuasive messages, the Church must be shaped—in every aspect of its life—by the…

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Sowing Seeds with Parables

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash Over the next several posts, I’ll be sharing a series of reflections I wrote for my church from the Gospel of Mark. These devotionals covered passages which would not be preached on in our sermon series. If you would like to listen to sermons from this series, you can find recordings of them here and here. This devotional covers Mark 4:21-34. 21 And he said…

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Using Power for Mercy

Photo by Ave Calvar on Unsplash Over the next several posts, I’ll be sharing a series of reflections I wrote for my church from the Gospel of Mark. These devotionals covered passages which would not be preached on in our sermon series. If you would like to listen to sermons from this series, you can find recordings of them here and here. This devotional covers Mark 3:1-12.  1 Again he entered…

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Feasting With the Bridegroom

Photo by Al Elmes on Unsplash Over the next several posts, I’ll be sharing a series of reflections I wrote for my church from the Gospel of Mark. These devotionals covered passages which would not be preached on in our sermon series. If you would like to listen to sermons from this series, you can find recordings of them here and here. This devotional covers Mark 2:18-28.  18 Now John’s…