Sermons and Biblical Studies

Topics: Choices; Confusion; Consequences; Decisions; Direction; Discernment; Help; Loneliness; Redemption; Rescue; Salvation References: Psalm 143:10; Proverbs 3:5–6; Matthew 7:13–14; 15:14; Luke 19:10; Romans 12:2; Colossians 2:8 After spending Thanksgiving with family in Seattle, Washington, the Kims began their long journey back to San Francisco on November 24, 2006. James and Kati, along with their daughters … Continue reading “LOST
IN THE SNOW”

Topics: Confusion; Devotional Life; Focus; Guidance; Holy Spirit; Prayer; Trials Reference: Psalm 119:105 In the aftermath of the death of John Kennedy Jr. in 1999, amateur pilot Stephen Hedges wrote about the difficulty of flying a plane by instruments alone—a necessary skill if you want to fly at night or in fog. Without this skill, … Continue reading “FLYING
LESSONS”

Topics: Dedication; Emptiness; Priorities; Purpose; Values References: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 12:13–14; Philippians 3:7–11 “One of the things that really attracts me about mountaineering is its total pointlessness. So I’ve dedicated my life to it.” —Tom Whittaker, mountaineer, Prescott, Arizona, Time (April 20, 1998)

Topics: Church; Direction; Perspective; Preaching; Truth; Worship References: Colossians 3:15–17; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:24–25 My sister bought a new car loaded with high-tech options. The first time she drove the car in the rain, she turned a knob she thought would start the windshield wipers. Instead a message flashed across the dash: “Drive car … Continue reading “RESETTING
THE COMPASS”

Topics: Compromise; Influence; Satan; Sheep; Teens; Temptation References: Psalm 119:176; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 9:36; 1 Peter 2:25 Shepherds and ranchers tell us that sheep are virtually defenseless against predators, not very resourceful, inclined to follow one another into danger, and absolutely dependent on their human masters for safety. Thus, when Isaiah wrote, “We all, like … Continue reading “FOLLOWING
THE JUDAS GOAT”

Topics: Guidance; Jesus Christ; Leading of the Holy Spirit References: Exodus 13:21–22; Psalm 23:1–3; John 10:11–18 Bob, my father-in-law, hunts deer every fall in the mountains of California. A number of farmers and ranchers in the area are willing to let individuals or small groups hunt on their property—if the hunters ask permission and show … Continue reading “KNOWING
THE TERRAIN”

Topics: Beauty; Creativity; Curiosity; Goals; Lifestyle; Planning; Success References: Psalm 19:1–6; Romans 1:20 When Frank Lloyd Wright was nine, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his uncle. As the two of them reached the end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and … Continue reading “WALKING
STRAIGHT AND TRUE”

Topics: Doubt; Mysteries; Promises; Purpose; Questions; Suffering; Trust; Understanding References: Proverbs 3:5; Romans 11:33–36 Physicists had scratched their heads for some fifty years over the unexplainable orbit of the planet Mercury. Newton’s theories of gravity had served well for centuries to understand the orbits of all the other planets, but in Mercury’s elliptical orbit, the … Continue reading “THE
WEIRD ORBIT OF MERCURY”

Topics: Choices; Goals; Morality; Priorities; Values Reference: Proverbs 14:12 American Airlines Flight 965 left Miami for Cali, Columbia, in December 1995. Before landing, the pilot of the 757 needed to select the next radio navigation fix, named Rozo. He entered an R into his navigation computer. The computer returned a list of nearby navigation fixes … Continue reading “PILOT
MAKES FATAL CHOICE”

Topics: Leadership; Preparation; Racism; Seasons Reference: Romans 5:3 Rosa Parks’s decision not to ride in the “blacks only” section of the bus in 1955 was anything but impulsive. Rather, the woman whose action ignited the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, becoming a key victory in the civil rights movement, had been working for the emancipation … Continue reading “STEP-BY-STEP
FREEDOM”