Speak Plainly (part 4) Sermon Preview

Who is your favorite referee?

As a child, did you have posters of those referees on the walls of your bedroom? Did you buy tickets to pro sporting events only if your favorite ref was on the whistle?

No? Me neither.

As a kid, the walls of my bedroom were covered with posters of my heroes … NBA players (not referees.) I had posters of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, not NBA refs Tony Brothers or Scott Foster. If you grew up a fan of a sport, my guess is what drew you in was the performance of the athletes and the spirit of competition, not the ones calling balls and strikes. You buy a ticket today to see Lebron play, not to watch Bill Kennedy call fouls.

Why do I say this?

The Christian life is about following Jesus in the game of life, not just being His referee to identify the errors of others. In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus told His disciples to “judge not” and to “condemn not.” In today’s day and age, these statements of Jesus are quoted frequently, but often misunderstood. Was Jesus telling His followers to have no moral discernment or to never call out sin in another? I don’t think so. In too many other passages, we are called to sharpen one another, confess sin to one another, and to remain faithful to the Truth. Jesus was not removing standards with these words, but He was shifting our focus.

In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus called His disciples to a level of love that was out of this world: love your enemies, pray for those who mistreat you, give to those who take from you, etc. Jesus ended that section of this sermon by calling us to “be merciful even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) What does it look like to be merciful? Well, in Luke 6:37-42, it looks like not judging or condemning, but instead forgiving and giving. It looks like not elevating yourself as the authority, but following the right Authority and dealing with your own wickedness, instead of just obsessing on the sin of another.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, in part 4 of our sermon series, “Speak Plainly,” we will be looking at Luke 6:37-42. In these verses, we will see that we are called onto the court in the Christian life, not as a referee, but as a player. Unlike the self-righteous Pharisees of the first century, the disciples of Jesus are to be gracious to others, and grounded in humility. Join us Sunday, July 26 in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service as we see more of what Jesus meant in these statements. We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. See you Sunday … and bring friends!

Speak Plainly (part 3) Sermon Preview

Godliness – the quality, state, or condition of being godly: such as (1) piety – earnest observance of religious duties and virtues; or (2) the state or condition of being divine. (definition provided by Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

What makes someone appear godly?

Some might say church attendance … the more days a week we gather with God’s people, the more godly we might seem.

Some might say biblical knowledge … the more facts we know about theology or the Bible, the more godly we might seem.

Some might say practicing the right rituals …if we participate in certain ceremonies, we appear more godly.

Some might say what or who we avoid … if we do not associate with certain crowds or participate in certain activities, we appear more godly.

But what if we asked Jesus. What if we asked Jesus (the SON OF GOD) what godliness looks like. What would He say? After all, He is God! There really is no better source to ask what godliness looks like!

In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus begins to answer the question of what godliness looks like among His people … but (just like we saw last week in His description of the blessed life), His description of the godly life is shocking.

In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus says (among other things) that His followers are to

* Love their enemies

* Do good to those who hate them

* Bless those who curse them

* Pray for those who mistreat them

* Be generous to those who are not generous to them

This list that Jesus mentioned is WAY HARDER than merely attending certain events, avoiding others, or memorizing facts. Jesus was saying that the godly life is an alien life. In our fallen nature, what Jesus is asking us to do is both uncommon and impossible.

I mean seriously … who lives like this?!?

Well, there was One who did live this life. And He has invited us and provided for us to follow Him. This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services in week 3 of our “Speak Plainly” sermon series, we will be looking at Luke 6:27-36 together to see what godliness looks like, and how Jesus has made a way for us to experience it. See you Sunday … and bring friends!

Speak Plainly (part 2) Message Preview

Imagine that scene atop a plateau and near a mountain on the shore of the Sea of Galilee about 2,000 years ago …

Jesus, the Son of God, had just invited twelve men up towards the mountain’s summit where He called them to join His special team of Apostles. Immediately after their commissioning they followed Jesus down the mountain to a flat place filled with people who needed Jesus’ help. Some in the crowd were committed to Jesus as their rabbi (and hopeful Messiah), while others were curious (who is this guy that everyone is talking about?)

As the 12 followed Jesus down the mountain that day, no doubt they felt blessed. “He picked ME to be on HIS team!!!” They also probably wondered what all this would mean for their lives. Being “blessed by God” looked a certain way in their minds. Would they become rich? Would they have all their desires fulfilled? Would they become famous and beloved? Would they live like rockstars?

Their expectations may have even been enhanced as they saw Jesus that day heal every sick person He saw, and free every oppressed person from the devil’s grasp. “If He did all that for them, what will He do for us?” (They may have been wondering.)

Imagine their surprise that after healing the sick and casting out demons from the dominated, Jesus began a sermon by talking about the life that is blessed.

He looks over His disciples (Luke 6:20a tells us), and begins to define the blessed life. No doubt the Apostles were welling up with pride, imagining how Jesus would finish the sentence, “Blessed are you who…” If they were blessed for following Him, surely they should expect to never get sick, to never experience difficulty, to never be in need.

When Jesus speaks, though, He says something shocking …

* Blessed are the poor (not the rich).

* Blessed are the hungry (not the full).

* Blessed are the weeping (not the laughing).

* Blessed are the persecuted (not the popular.)

In fact, Jesus went even further … the rich, the full, the laughing, and the popular are to be PITIED!

After making these statements, the Apostles may have been scratching their heads. They may have even been wondering, “what have we been called into?”

Today we live in a world where some versions of Christianity make statements like “believe in Jesus and you will never be sick or poor and you will always be living your best life now.” Because of this, many have become disillusioned when they trust Jesus and still deal with many struggles in this life.

But Jesus never promised no difficulties in our current experience. In fact, Jesus says that the blessed life often looks poor, hungry, weeping, and beaten down.

How could this possibly be?

Followers of Jesus, He is our ROCK, and we are not rockstars. We are attached to the One who is able to fill every wallet, satisfy every stomach, turn every frown upside down, and raise up the lowly. Indeed He HAS promised to do ALL OF THIS for ALL OF US who trust in Him … but let’s not get the calendar wrong. This life has hints of the fullness of His blessings, but it is not until we enter eternity that all HIs promises will be realized around us.

Does that make us blessed? Absolutely! The mixed bag of triumph and tragedy will be experienced for a few decades, but the fullness of His provision will be enjoyed unfettered in an era without end.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in part 2 of our series “Speak Plainly” we will look at Luke 6:20-26 and see the first section of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain” where He grabs their attention (and ours) with this surprising assessment of blessing and woe. Hope to see you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service … and bring friends!

Speak Plainly (part 1) Sermon Preview

Have you ever been a part of a “tasting”? I have not, but I have talked to friends who have participated in these events. In the “tastings” I am familiar with, the hosts of a party attend a dinner where they get to “taste” the different options for food that will be served at their gala. Think about a bride and groom meeting with the caterer to decide if they want the beef or the chicken as the main course of the dinner at their wedding reception. The small portions at the “tasting” are but an appetizer for the full size entrees at the feast. The food at the tasting is real, but it is designed to whet the appetite for what is to come.

In Luke 6:17-19, after selecting His 12 apostles, Jesus descends from the mountain to resume His ministry among the people. In the congregation that day at Jesus’ open-air meeting on a plain were the 12 apostles (the core), many other people who were His disciples (the committed), as well as people who had traveled from great distances to see what Jesus was all about (the curious). The meeting that materialized that day included Jesus preaching His most famous sermon, but also Jesus demonstrating His compassion by healing the sick and casting out the demons from the oppressed.

What was Jesus doing?

He was offering a “tasting” of His goodness before the main feast would be served with the establishment of His Kingdom. When Jesus returns to this earth and we live in His presence, what kinds of things can we expect? Clarity of message. Compassionate care. Consistent relief from suffering.

Today, we live our lives in the face of great turmoil and need. Like the people of the first century, we also deal with disease, depression, despair, and domination. Where can we hope to find relief, compassion, and clarity? By turning to Jesus. His ministry that we see in the Gospels is real, and it is designed to whet our appetite for what is most certainly to come.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church join us in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service as we will begin a new series titled “Speak Plainly: the message of the movement.” This series will look at the Sermon on the Plain/Mount that Jesus gave in Luke 6:20-49. In part 1 on Sunday, we will look at the intro to this section (Luke 6:17-19) as we see the “tasting” before the feast.

Join us Sunday in one of our all-in services (no children, student, college, or adult classes this week), as we worship God together for who He is, and for what He has promised to do when His kingdom comes. This message is for the core, the committed, and the curious. That means this message is for you, your children, and all you know.

Can’t wait to worship with you Sunday … and bring friends!

Robinson Family Update – June 24, 2026

Time moves quickly, doesn’t it? It is hard to believe that today Kimberly received her tenth chemo infusion treating her lung cancer (she receives this infusion roughly once every three weeks). 34 weeks of treatment already … really?

At the same time, life with lung cancer is an adaptation that is beginning to settle into our lives. Kimberly was diagnosed with this disease back in September/October 2025. A daily targeted medication and 10 chemo infusions later, and a regular rhythm has begun to form, and she is tolerating it all pretty well.

Thankfully, the treatment plan seems to be working as intended. A recent PET scan showed that the cancer, though still present, was dormant and not growing. We are praising God for this answer to prayer!

Additionally, Kimberly has been feeling pretty good. We were even able to take a family vacation to the mountains last week where Kimberly, Josh, and I got to hike many trails, two of them over 4 miles long. It was not lost on us that Kimberly felt good enough to make these treks! What a blessing!

So, for now the plan will be to continue the chemo/targeted medication treatment, and undergo PET scans every 3 or 4 months to make sure the cancer is still sleeping and not active.

In the meantime, we are thankful to God for many things: His calming presence to our souls and minds, good times as a family, the dormancy of the cancer, the kindness of the Body of Christ around us, the support of our family and friends, and the opportunity to continue to live life and minister during this season.

Continue to pray with us for Jesus to be glorified through us as we walk this road, and for us to continue to see His goodness along the way. His glory, and our good. God is answering these prayers!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

AMEN

Launch Day (part 8) Sermon Preview

How many of His followers did Jesus call to be apostles during His earthly ministry?

The answer … twelve.

Many of you already knew that. But here is another question … WHY did Jesus call apostles at all?

In our study of the Gospel of Luke, we have already seen Jesus do some AMAZING things. Over the first 5 chapters of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, celebrated by angels, prophesied over by Anna and Simeon, celebrated by John the Baptist, triumphed over Satan in the hour of His temptation in the wilderness, demonstrated His authority over disease (with many, many healings), demons (by casting out demons from those oppressed), and sin (offering forgiveness), and He taught with authority (correcting the errors of the religious leaders of that day). These demonstrations of power and revelations of His identity had drawn crowds of thousands, many of which were wondering, “could He be the Messiah?”

Jesus had done ALL OF THAT without calling a single follower onto a special team of Apostles. Looking ahead, Jesus will go to the cross alone, for only He, the spotless Lamb of God, could offer His life to pay the penalty for our sins. So, if Jesus could accomplish the events of Luke 1-5 without Apostles, and if Jesus would go to the cross in Luke 23 without the Apostles, WHY does Jesus call the 12 in Luke 6:12-16? After all, He seemed to be doing fine without them!

Well, it was no accident that Jesus called the 12 … Jesus did NOTHING accidentally, for He was God after all! It was according to God’s will that Jesus called the 12 – He did so after spending a night in prayer before calling them onto this special team.

So, why did Jesus call the Apostles? Because they would be His plan to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. He trained them during His earthly ministry, He equipped them with the power of His Spirit at Pentecost, He commanded them to go to the ends of the earth, and He sovereignly pushed them forward through prompts and world events.

He certainly did not HAVE to accomplish His work this way. He could have played a film of His life, shining it on the clouds around the world every night so that everyone would hear. He could have simply tuned people’s hearts to His frequency and whispered the truth to their souls without human assistance. He could have done it this way … but He didn’t. The primary way the Gospel of Jesus Christ is ordained by God to go from here to there is through the testimony of His people … and His Apostles were the first to be sent out in His name to accomplish this mission.

This Sunday, May 31, 2026 at Wildwood Community Church, in our 8th and final installment in the “Launch Day” sermon series, we will look at Luke 5:1-11, 27-32, and 6:12-16 as we see the calling of the 12. Along the way, we will see what all this means for you and me. Hope to see you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 service … and bring friends!

Launch Day (part 7) Sermon Questions, Audio and Video

On Sunday, May 24, 2026 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Luke 6:1-11. This message was part 7 of the “Launch Day” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the sermon for personal reflection and group discussion. You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

Pray
Read Luke 6:1-11
What do you know about the Sabbath? What has been your life experience with its practice?
Jesus describes Himself as the “Lord of the Sabbath.” In other words, He is the One who created it and gave it to His people. It was intended to be a gift and not a burden. In the New Covenant in which we now live, there are a variety of changes to “sabbath practices” from that which was done in the Old Covenant. Based on what we talked about this morning, did any of these changes help clarify things for you? Any questions you still have?
Though not commanded in the New Testament, the practice of rest is still a healthy rhythm for life. What does “rest” look like for you in your life today? Are you creating margin to rest your body and refocus your soul on your Savior?
Jesus practice as the Lord of the Sabbath included compassion for people. This is a great reminder that true religion in the eyes of our God both loves God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, but also loves our neighbor as ourself. If we are to follow the Lord of the Sabbath we will also live a life of compassion for others. What does that look like for you in your life today?
What stands out to you most from this message? Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

To listen offline, click the link below to download:

Launch Day 7

To listen online, use the media player below:

To watch stream of service, use YouTube online:

Launch Day (part 7) Sermon Preview

We were made to work … but we were not made to work all the time.

This goes all the way back to the beginning of all created things. Our Eternal God created the world in six glorious movements, then rested on the seventh day. This created a pattern for people created in His image. Work six, rest one.

And what are we to DO with this day of rest? Well … rest!

Let’s examine the example of the Israelites who lived under the law in the Old Testament. God used groupings of seven to reinforce the need for rest among His people. God instructed them to let the land “rest” every seventh year by not farming it (a Sabbath year of rest for the soil.) God also instructed His people to rest on every seventh day. This rest accomplished a number of things: it allowed them to remember the God who created this world and to worship Him, it also allowed the people to rest and trust in His provision AS THEY rested, and it also allowed sufficient margin in their lives to rest their perishable bodies and not wear them out.

What does all this add up to? The day of rest was a gift given by God to the people. This day of rest was modeled by and created for them by a loving God.

What was this day called? The Sabbath. (The English word “sabbath” comes from the Hebrew word “shavat” which means “to stop”). The Sabbath was celebrated each week on the seventh day (from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday). On this day the people were not to work, but to rest and to worship.

Fast forward to the first century A.D. … the days when Jesus lived out His public ministry in the land of Israel. By this time, the religious elite had taken God’s gift of the Sabbath and made it into another form of a religious score card. They added 39 specific categories of things that were not allowed to be done on the Sabbath. The public nature of these prohibitions and their regular occurrence (Saturday came around every week!) made them a particularly favorite marker of one’s religious reputation as judged by the first century Pharisees.

What God had created as a gift FOR His people, the Pharisees had tricked up (like Frankenstein’s monster) something that had some resemblance to the Sabbath, but with scary self-righteous consequences. They certainly would not have characterized it like this, but (in some ways) they made their rendering of the Sabbath their god and they lived to serve that lesser ideal!

Proof positive of this flip was their use of their understanding of the Sabbath to regularly judge Jesus. Imagine that … Jesus CREATED THE SABBATH and GAVE IT TO THE PEOPLE who so misunderstood its purpose that they used their 39 rules as a way to condemn Jesus to death on more than one occasion!!!

Now, why do I go into all this? Well, I say this today because on Sunday, May 24 at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services we will be looking at Luke 6:1-11 in part 7 of our “Launch Day” sermon series. In these verses we will investigate what the Pharisees got wrong about the Sabbath, what Jesus clarified about the Sabbath, and what this means for you and me.

Do you have questions about the Sabbath? Questions like, “is this why Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays?” “Why do we primarily gather to worship on Sundays and not Saturdays?” “Why is the fourth commandment (about the Sabbath) the only one of the ten commandments NOT repeated in the New Testament?” “Is there any application on the Sabbath for followers of Jesus today?” If so, this passage and message may prove helpful for you!

Also, we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together in our services this Sunday. Hope you can make it Sunday … and bring friends!

Launch Day (part 6) Sermon Preview

In 2009, on the third season of the hit show “Britain’s Got Talent,” a female singer by the name of Susan Boyle walked out on the stage before a packed house, a massive television audience, and three celebrity judges. As she ambled onto the stage, people watching from home and in the studio were bracing for the worst. Their expectations were visualized on the faces of the three judges: Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan, and Amanda Holden who could barely keep a doubting snicker off their faces.

In a contest designed to evaluate talent, why were people so skeptical before she ever sang a note? Well, Ms. Boyle did not LOOK the part. She was older (47 years old). She had no record of success (she was unemployed.) She was from a village (not a city). And she looked like a normal person (not a movie star). The moments before she began to sing felt like a close race between “let’s just get this audition over with” and “I hope she doesn’t embarrass herself.”

Then she began to sing.

The song she had chosen was “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables,” a difficult song to be sure! But this dream was no nightmare. She dazzled her way through the presentation. By the end of verse 1, the audience was giving her a standing ovation. By the end of the performance, the judges had joined them. And before Simon could give his evaluation, there were tears in the eyes of people watching from home. It was magical.

What had just happened? People had an idea of what they THOUGHT a “Britain’s Got Talent” winner would LOOK like, and Susan Boyle did not LOOK the part … but oh did she deliver! She would parlay that song into an album that is in the top 40 of album sales in the 21st century. She has gone on to sell over 25 million records in the past 17 years. And she became the first female artist EVER to have two different albums atop the US and UK record charts in the same year. Susan Boyle is exceptionally talented and Britain (and the world) have been blessed to listen.

Why do I say all this? Hang with me for a moment.

What do you think it looks like to be the winner of “America’s Got Religion” (if such a show existed)? What would be the demeanor of such a person? What would they LOOK like? How would they act to make you assume they should win the prize?

In the first century, there were common activities among the religious “elite,” and one of them was that they would often fast. The Pharisees would fast two days a week (skipping day time meals, similar to Muslims today during Ramadan). The entire nation of Israel would fast during daylight hours on the Day of Atonement, and many would also fast on days remembering the destruction of Jerusalem a few hundred years before. Accompanying these times of fasting would be sullen looks and sometimes loud complaints. After all, what could be the point of going to all that religious activity if their neighbors did not recognize their religious greatness?

Jesus launched His public ministry into this world of religious activity, and some of the “judges” began to snicker. He did not LOOK the part (in their eyes). After all, He and His followers did not fast. In fact, they ate and drank with tax collectors! How could He possibly be the epitome of the old religion if He looked happy and did not walk around telling you about how much He DIDN’T eat?

The expectations of Simon Cowell blinded him to Ms. Boyle’s talent, and the self-righteousness of the Pharisees kept them from seeing the overwhelming godliness of Jesus Christ. He had authority over demons, disease, and sin. In many ways, Jesus did not look like the epitome of the old religion because He was the founder of a new one. To be clear, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law in all of its brilliance, but He did not come to just put a band aid over the broken excesses of the Pharisees. No, Jesus came to offer something new, and the world that listens to His Song will always be blessed.

This Sunday, May 17, at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 worship services, we will look at Luke 5:33-39 in part 6 of our “Launch Day” sermon series. In these verses we see Jesus answering the question, “why don’t You and Yours not fast?” His answer goes way beyond food. Let’s read and explore it on Sunday together. Hope to see you there … and bring friends!

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