I don’t find it difficult to prepare a sermon. I choose a text early in the week, read and study it, allowing the text itself to percolate through my mind and heart. Then by the weekend I start noticing themes emerging. Structure. By Saturday the main thrust of what the text wants to say starts to impress itself upon me. Sunday morning I get up really early, make coffee, put on some worship music, and jot down a basic outline... Read more

“Men do not believe God is with them unless he shows himself physically present” (John Calvin). Read more

i’m getting ready to teach on sunday. i’m looking at the 63rd psalm. in the desert, where things are dry and thirsty, david seeks God. he has seen him before, but in the sanctuary where there’s peace, quiet, and serenity. i think i want to talk about how it is the same God in the desert as in the sanctuary. Read more

“Some kind of loss is usually necessary to turn the mind toward faith. If you’re satisfied wtih what you’ve got, you’re hardly going to look for anything better” (Flannery O’Connor). Read more