On Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Genesis 22:1-14.  This message was part 4 in the “Scarlet Thread” sermon series, focusing on the account of Abraham.  Below you will find questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from this message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Genesis 22:1-14
3. What are some times in your life where you imagined something that was BETTER than what actually materialized? In what way is it important that Jesus not just PROMISE good things, but actually deliver them?
   Abraham’s faith was revealed as it was tested on Mount Moriah. Though that experience was unique, God still tests our faith in Him today in the midst of difficulties. What are some areas of life where your faith is currently being tested?
4. Are you walking with God in the midst of the current “flame”? How about in the trials of your past?
5. What ultimately did NOT require of Abraham, He did require of Himself when Jesus went to the cross. What parallels do you see between Genesis 22 and the accounts in the New Testament of Jesus’ death on the cross? What differences do you see?
6. Have you trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? Is Jesus’ your Savior and Lord? If so, how is your trust in Him revealed in your life today? If not, what is keeping you from trusting Him?
7. What stands out to you most from this message? Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen to audio offline, click link below:

Scarlet Thread #4 8.31.25

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About 1,000 years ago, St. Anselm philosophized about the existence of God.  He said that God is “that which nothing greater can be conceived.”  And, since existing is better than not existing, it can be argued that God MUST exist.  His “ontological argument” for God is still taught in philosophy and theology classes around the world.

Whether you find Anselm’s argument convincing or not, I would like to make an ontological argument for birthday gifts.  A gift you receive is greater than a gift you only imagine.  I might imagine that my wife and son will give me a set of new golf clubs for my birthday … but though the dollar amount for that gift exceeds the cost of the grilling equipment they gave me, the gift they gave me is FAR BETTER!  I can’t swing the imaginary golf clubs, but I can put on the grilling gloves and keep my hands from burning when cooking outside.  Therefore, the gift I receive exceeds the gift I imagine!

You may dream that you will have a “Lexus December to Remember,” but the Christmas gift you actually receive is way better, since it exists outside your own imagination in the real world.

Friends I say all this today because in Genesis 22 and Matthew 27 we have two events so graphic and frightful that some might be tempted to say that they are fictional accounts.  The two stories take place on the same mountains, but separated by about 2,000 years.  About 2,000 BC (in Genesis 22), we have Abraham and his son Isaac walking up a hill to worship God.  Around 30 AD (in Matthew 27), we have God the Father looking on as God the Son, Jesus Christ, headed toward the hill of the skull in worshipful obedience.  In both cases a sacrifice was offered.  In both cases there was tremendous passion.  Yet only in one of the instances does the Son die.

Here is the thing … these events really happened.  They are not a fiction.  They are not good intentions.  They are not compelling literature.  They.  Really.  Occurred.

Abraham and Isaac really walked up that hill.  Jesus really went to the cross at Calvary.  God really provided the alternative sacrifice and spared Isaac’s life.  Jesus really died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, so that our eternity could be secured.

Ontology is the study of being … the study of what really is.  Jesus’ death on the cross is not  a greeting card.  It is not a nice idea about how much God loves us.  He really endured the cross for you and for me.  He didn’t just talk about dying in our place, He actually did it.  This reminds us that we do not have a God who likes the idea of us, but not the reality of us –  we know a God who ontologically loves us.  And that is FAR BETTER!

This Sunday, August 31, at Wildwood Community Church, we will look at Genesis 22 together as we continue pulling the “Scarlet Thread” through the Old Testament to see shadows of the Savior.  See you in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service as we sing, study God’s Word, pray, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.  See you there … and bring friends!

On Sunday, August 24, 2025 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Genesis 12-18.  This message was part 3 in the “Scarlet Thread” sermon series, focusing on the account of Abraham.  Below you will find questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from this message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Genesis 12:1-3
3. What are some categories of miracles that you are aware of in Scripture?  Are there anythings you have experienced or seen in life that you would categorize as miraculous?
4. In what sense is it a miracle that Abraham and Sarah had a child?
5. God made promises to Abraham and he makes promises to us.  Why is it important that God keep His promises?
6. Abraham is another outstanding example of salvation “by grace through faith.”  Is there anything from Abraham’s example and experience that inspires you to trust in Jesus more today?
7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen to audio offline, click link below:

Scarlet Thread #3 8.24.25

 

To listen to audio online, use media player below:

 

To watch the live stream, use YouTube online:

In sports, we are used to talking about “miracles.”

When the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team beat the Russians and won olympic gold, it was termed the “Miracle on Ice.”  When the Tennessee Titans ran a trick play on a kickoff return to score the go ahead touchdown with 3 seconds left against the Buffalo Bills in 2000, it was called “the Music City Miracle.”  When Franco Harris grabbed a deflected pass in a 1972 NFL playoff game, running into the end zone for the game winning touchdown with 5 seconds left, we call it the “Immaculate Reception.”  And when our hometown Sooners come charging back in the late seconds to win a game, we call it “Sooner Magic.”

Magic.  Immaculate.  Miracles.  All on the field of play.

But are these events truly miracles?  Yes, things have to bounce a certain way, but talent and execution also play a massive role.

Surprising?  Fortuitous?  Advantageous?  Yes.

Miraculous?  Magic?  Not so much.

Certainly there ARE real miracles, but most of them happen in something other than big time athletics.  If we want to see a real miracle, we need to look to the Savior more than to Sportscenter.  God has been working miracles since the beginning of time.

One set of miracles the Lord worked was around a man named Abram.  Later Abram (name meaning “honored Father”) became “Abraham” (name meaning “father of a multitude”).  I say miracles happened around Abram because as he was an old man he had no land, no kids, and no awesome reputation.  But Abraham did have something … he had a promise from God.  God had promised Abraham that He would make him a mighty nation with land and prominence, and that Abraham would be a conduit through which blessing would flow to “all the families of the earth.”  Yet on his 85th birthday, none of this seemed possible.

Even as he prepared to celebrate his 100th birthday (Abraham and his wife well past the natural ability to conceive and have children), Abraham’s arms will still empty and (as the book of Romans put it) his body was “as good as dead.”

On this stark black canvas of impossibility, however, God paints a masterpiece.  In fact, He is still painting it.  God was and is able to make good on His promises to Abraham NOT BECAUSE ABRAHAM WAS AWESOME, but because GOD IS ABLE.

Want to see a true miracle?  Join us Sunday at Wildwood Community Church as we pull the “Scarlet Thread” through Genesis 12-18 in part 3 of our sermon series seeing shadows of the Savior in the Old Testament.  This week, looking at Abraham.  See you in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service for singing, study of God’s Word, and the Lord’s Supper … and bring friends!      

On Sunday, August 17, 2025 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Genesis 6-9.  This message was part 2 of the sermon series “Scarlet Thread.”  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find sermon audio and video to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Genesis 6-9
3. Before this morning’s message, if someone were to come up to you and ask you to describe the main point of the historical account of Noah, what would you say?
4. Though God promised to not flood the earth again, He still takes sin seriously and will judge it in time.  Is it hard for you to imagine God as a judge?  Why or why not?
5. God had Noah build an ark.  This was both perfect for the situation, but also would take a long time (and be quite the conversation piece)!  Have you ever considered Noah’s role as an evangelist during the days of the ark’s construction?  Do you see any parallels for us today?
6. Just as salvation came by getting “on the boat” in Noah’s day, salvation is still specific for you and me today.  We must place our faith in God’s gracious gift of Jesus Christ.  Have you trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?  If not, what is keeping you from doing so today.  If you have trusted in Christ, then who might God be leading you to be His evangelist today?
7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf form click here.

 

To listen offline, click the link below:

Scarlet Thread #2 8.17.25

 

To listen online, use media player below:

 

To watch the stream use YouTube online:

 

Last night, about 9:30, my dog started barking.  Now, as the owner of a beagle, you get to know the “barks.”  They all have distinct sounds.

• There is the “ground bark,” where he picks up the scent of some animal that USED to walk around the yard, but is no longer there.
• There is the “squirrel bark,” where he barks a bit more aggressively at the branches of trees overhead, in response to squirrels who are a little smug for my liking.
• There is the “knock knock bark,” where he is wanting us to let him inside.
• There is the “other dog bark,” where he wants to play with whatever dog is on the other side of the fence.
• Then, there is the “full on panic bark.”  This bark (in our experience) means one of two things:  opossum or skunk.  (OH PLEASE LET IT BE A OPOSSUM.)

At 9:30 last night, it was the “full on panic bark.”  Like the homeowner in the “Night before Christmas” story, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.  When I made it to the backyard, what did I see?  Black and white baby; a skunk in the corner of the yard.

A few minutes later, and the whole ordeal was over.  Rumble got sprayed, and man did it stink!

This launched an hour long de-skunking process that has proved (mostly) successful. During that hour, I had time to think. As a Pastor, I often process my experiences through what I am studying to teach on Sundays.  This Sunday, I am preaching on the account of Noah in the book of Genesis (and a few references to Noah in the New Testament).  Given my experience last night, I honestly was thinking, “Lord, why did you invite these skunks on the ark?”  Given how pitiful that experience looked last night, I would have taken a T-Rex over a skunk!

But this thought got my thinking … what is the “big idea” of the historical account of Noah and the flood?  Of all the stories in the book of Genesis, Noah is most likely to end up on the wall of a baby’s nursery.  Part of the reason that is the case for many is because we want the account of Noah to be a story about animals lining up twosy, twosy and creating a floating theme park for Noah and his family.  How fun is that!

The hard reality, though, is that the historical account of Noah is about something way bigger than animals.  It is about how seriously God takes sin, and how the way to salvation is specific rather than general.  God takes sin so seriously that He will bring judgment upon it.  But the God who is able to judge is also willing to save … but the salvation He offers is specific (“get on the boat”) not general (“climb to higher ground” or “learn to swim”).

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church we will be in part 2 of our sermon series “The Scarlet Thread.”  In this week’s message we will pull the thread of another shadow of the Savior from a popular Old Testament passage to see something important about Jesus for you and me.

Hope to see you Sunday at Wildwood for worship, communion, fellowship, and study of God’s Word in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service.  See you there … and bring friends!

On Sunday, August 10, 2025 at Wildwood Community Church I preached a sermon based on Genesis 1-3.  This message was part 1 in the “Scarlet Thread” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Genesis 1-3
3. What are some common temptations that people face in this world?
4. Adam and Eve were created by God on purpose and for a purpose, then placed in the Garden of Eden with only one “don’t”:  Don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This tree was visible and accessible and looked enticing.  What does the presence of a tree like this IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN tell you about God and what He desires from you and me?
5. Adam and Eve sinned because they thought sinning would be better than not sinning.  In other words – THEY WANTED TO DO IT.  Have you ever convinced yourself that sinning would be better than obedience to God?  How did that sin work out for you?  Did it lead to any of the difficulties we saw Adam and Eve face related to their sin?
6. Think of an area of temptation for you.  What does God’s word say about that area?  Memorize some of the verses about that topic and commit to taking God at His Word – that His way truly is what is best for us!
7. Genesis 3:14-15 predicts Jesus “crushing the head of the snake.”  Have you given in to temptation?  Have you confessed your sin to God?  Are you trusting in Jesus victory for the forgiveness of your sins?
8. 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 to download:

Scarlet Thread #1 8.10.25

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch livestream use YouTube online:

 

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. As such He exists eternally, and the plan of salvation was known from the foundations of the world. Because of this, as we look at the Old Testament, we can see in the shadows the outline of our Savior.

A scarlet thread runs through thousands of years of history all the way to the cross. Over the next 9 Sundays at Wildwood Community Church we will pull this Scarlet Thread to see Jesus foreshadowed and the cross anticipated. Part 1 is this Sunday, August 10. See you at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 … and bring friends for worship, including the Lord’s Supper!