2 Samuel

David is one of the great figures of the Bible. He, along with Abraham, Moses, and Elijah, towers over the middle of our Bible. He is the dominant figure of the second half of the Old Testament. Most importantly he prefigures Jesus Christ.

2 Samuel follows David from the beginning of his reign as king until the end. What was that kingdom like? If David was a man after God's own heart, what does that mean? Did he never do wrong? Did he ever fail? What about his relationship with God? Did God make him promises?

In this video Pastor John Pflug and I open up the book of 2 Samuel and discuss its contents, what it means for the Christian, and how it points to Jesus Christ. If you are new to the book or if you have read it several times there is still something for you here to learn and be blessed by. The first video lasts about 15 minutes and the second part about 9 more.

Psalm 5 (Part 1) - A Pattern For Prayer

Give ear to my words, O LORD;

consider my groaning.

Give attention to the sound of my cry,

my King and my God,

for to you do I pray.

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Although I have previously covered this psalm (on numerous occasions) in one sermon, I decided this time to slow down and focus on those first three verses and make it a sermon unto itself. There is, in David's petition, a pattern for prayer and it is my hope that you will see it clearly as I unfold it in the sermon. The sermon was preached at the First Presbyterian Church of Winnsboro, Texas on January 24, 2016. You can listen by clicking the link below.

Click here: A Pattern For Prayer - Psalm 5:1-3

Psalm 7 - In Praise of God's Justice

That God is just is a refrain heard all throughout the Scriptures, and no wonder. Every sinner who sins and yet walks God's earth and breathes God's air is an accusation against that justice. Every wrong that is done adds a question mark to whether the God of this universe is righteous or not. "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" asks Abraham, and so do we.

And so does David in Psalm 7.

In this sermon we look at the concept of God's justice and we take seriously what we learn here about God and that justice. Then we consider the place where justice and mercy meet--at the cross. How does all this affect how we look at God? How we worship him? How we live our lives? Does God love sinners? Is he angry with them? How do we reconcile that? Take a listen to the link below and if God speaks to you through his word, then give him the praise.

Click here: Psalm 7 - In Praise of God's Justice

May God richly bless you with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

A Christmas Hope - Isaiah 11:1-9

When people think of Christmas Scripture from the Old Testament book of Isaiah, they usually think of this one:

“Therefore the LORD himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 ESV

Or this one:

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV

They don't usually think of Isaiah 11.

Yet, the Righteous Branch spoken of in Isaiah 11 is a tremendous promise, and the passage is a prophecy foretelling the glorious future of God's people that will come to pass in the day of Messiah. It finds its fulfillment in Jesus and gives God's people a hope now, just as it did back then. Like them, we live in a world of heartache, pain, suffering, calamity, natural disaster, disease, famine, war, and violence. Like them, we are promised a golden age when all these things will end and the Righteous Branch shall reign and the world shall be made new. Listen and worship and understand the joy and hope of Christmas. To hear the sermon click the link below:

A Christmas Hope - Isaiah 11:1-9

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

1 Samuel

Hannah, Samuel, Eli, Saul, David, Goliath, Jonathan, Ichabod, (Ichabod?) (Yes, Ichabod), Hophni, Phineas, Doeg the Edomite. These are characters you meet inside the action-packed book of 1 Samuel. Was Samuel the last judge or the first prophet? What is this Ark of the Covenant and does it have anything to do with Indiana Jones? Why do the people want a king? What king do they get? Why does this king want to kill David? Why won't David kill him back? How does all this point to Jesus?

Here are the videos for the conversation John and I had about the Old Testament book called 1 Samuel. The entire conversation is only about twenty minutes long and, I think, very informative about the content of this book. If you would like to read 1 Samuel and know what it is you are reading and what it means to us as Christians then these videos were made for you. Watch and be blessed.

Psalm 8 - The Incarnation

Psalm 8 is one of the more beautiful and familiar of the Psalms. Categorized as a "creation psalm", this psalm praises God for his glorious creation and asks the poignant question, "What is man?"

But there is more to this psalm than meets the eye. I try to look at it through the eyes of David, but then I go further and see what Jesus had to say about the psalm, and finally how it was interpreted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It's a short psalm--nine verses. Read through it and then click the link to hear the sermon I preached from it.

Soli Deo Gloria

O LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth! 

You have set your glory above the heavens. 

Out of the mouth of babies and infants, 

you have established strength because of your foes, 

to still the enemy and the avenger. 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

 the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 

what is man that you are mindful of him, 

and the son of man that you care for him? 

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings 

and crowned him with glory and honor. 

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; 

you have put all things under his feet, 

all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, 

whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 

O LORD, our Lord, 

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Click here: Psalm 8 - A Psalm of the Incarnation

Ruth--Grace In The Midst of Chaos

Tucked away in the Old Testament is a beautiful little book called Ruth. Four chapters long, it is easily overlooked among all the longer works in the early narrative of the Hebrew Scriptures. What is Ruth about and why is it important? When I open it, what should I expect? Is it possible that this little story points to Christ?