Kingdom Now, Kingdom to Come

This sermon was preached at the Evangelical Covenant Church of Belvidere, in Belvidere, IL on November 29th, 2015, another church that supported my parents for years before transferring their support to us in 1993. It was the first Sunday of Advent.

Jeremiah 33:14-16, Luke 21:25-36

Life is often inexplicably complicated. Hardships seemingly come and go without any rhyme or reason. Our lives as individuals and as members of society at large can be such a roller coaster ride. The experience of the Jewish people as recorded in scripture was no different. They went thru a lot and much of it was beyond explanation. At their core the Jewish people believed in a God who was essentially good; a God who had a specific plan for them, to bless them and protect them. And yet

The Currency of God-Centered Worship

This sermon was preached at Austintown Community Church in Austintown, OH on November 15th, 2015. The church was in the middle of a sermon series on generous faith and so the text, title and theme were predetermined. My challenge was to remain faithful to that series and scripture while also bringing a message about our ministries in Japan. This church was previously part of the UCC and switched over to the Evangelical Covenant Church a few years ago.

Luke 19:11-27

Good morning. I bring you greetings today from our sisters and brothers in Christ in Japan. And I stand in front of you today a blessed person. I am blessed because

God Glorified in the Grunge

This sermon was preached at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lafayette, IN on November 8, 2015. This church has been supporting us from the beginning, in 1993 and before that they supported my parents even before I was born.

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

The story of Ruth and Naomi is one that we cherish in the church. We tell it over and over again, in Sunday school, in sermons, in bible studies and more. A beautiful story of love, faithfulness, and redemption. It’s a profoundly encouraging story of people facing incredible odds and yet