Sermons on Numbers
Spirit-Filled Leadership | Numbers 11:24-29; Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:1-4 (female elders?)
Who does God want to lead his people? Who does God want to serve as pastors, elders, and leaders in the church? It’s easy in a series like this to jump right to gender, “only men lead,” or “men and women can lead.” But I think if we look at the broad scope of scripture, the question of leadership and God’s people, we find a surprising twist and maybe a different answer. Let’s look at Numbers 11, Joel 2, and…
A Thirsty Deer | Psalm 42:1-11
On Palm Sunday, I preached about donkeys. My big idea was “Be a donkey!” Well, we’re talking about deer today, so maybe the big idea should be, “Be a deer!” A doe, a deer, a female deer. Be a deer. About a month ago, I was meditating on this passage, and the elders and I were talking about my sabbatical, and we thought this text could be a good way to kick off my time away, but also the church’s…
The Least Likely Disciple | Acts 9:1-19a
Who is the least likely person you know who would ever become a Christian? Take a moment and think of them. Is it a family member, a friend, a coworker? Is it because they’re apathetic to Christianity? Or is it because they’re totally against Christianity? Maybe they identify as an atheist, or Buddhist, Muslim, or even Jewish. All you know, is they’ll never follow Jesus… Nabeel fit the description of someone who would never follow Jesus. His parents were from…
Praying with Purpose and Praise | Psalm 67
Today’s Psalm starts by asking God to bless his people. When you think of blessing, what do you think of? Maybe you think of blessing your meal before you eat. Does a voice from the past or from a recent Holiday tell you to, “Count your blessings”? Maybe you think of the last time you gave money to a homeless person or the bell-ringer for the Salvation Army and they said, “Bless you…” Maybe you’ve had a priest or a…
Tithes & Offerings | 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Money is a serious topic. ABBA is serious about Money, Money, Money. After all, money can buy a white toga covered in rhinestones, or if you have money, you’ve got lots of shiny coins, or even better, if you meet a rich man, you can ride in his red convertible and throw back your head and just laugh and laugh. With money, life is better, or as the singer puts it, “Always sunny in the rich man’s world.” At some…
The King Foretold | Numbers 24:17
In Numbers 24:17, Balam prophecies to the king of Moab that “in the latter days” (v. 14), a king will come who will fight against the enemies of God. Balam gives two signs, that of the star, and that of the scepter. In his third oracle, in Numbers 24:9, Balam links the scepter with the sign of the lion. These two signs, that of the star and the lion, tell us Jesus is a king who both brings hope and…