Stone the Preacher

John 3:16 has been called the greatest verse in the bible.

Martin Luther called it “The heart of the Bible–The Gospel in miniature.”

Pastor John MacArthur said it was “the most familiar and beloved verse in all of Scripture.” 

One man wrote that it’s “a text that contains an ocean of thought and a drop of language.”

In the 19^th century Charles Spurgeon would preach on this text once a year as a reminder that when individuals were converted because of this verse it wasn’t because of anything new or clever he said, but because it was the power of God.

The message I preached last weekend explains what John 3:16 really means. It’s the unadorned Gospel, the reason why Jesus had to die. If you know of any atheists, Jews, Muslims, Hari Krishnas, Scientologists or people who are just to smart to believe, send this short sermon.

You can listen to it by clicking here. (The video will be ready on Wednesday.) Or you can read it below. (more…)

I preached a very familiar passage, John 2:1-11, to our congregation a week ago. It’s the historical account of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. You may have read it many times and thought “Eh, Jesus turned water into wine. What’s so big about that?”

Unless you’ve studied the passage in-depth you will miss a lot. As I prepared, I learned a whole lot about this text that I was not even aware of. You will, too. But the main point about Jesus doing his first miracle, and the reasons why John writes about these miracles is this: “…so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

Click here to watch the 35 minute sermon, or read it below.

The Savior’s Simple Sign

John 2:1-11

As we’ve been going chronologically through the New Testament over the last several months, something struck me that is going to seem really obvious. (more…)

With all the hoopla surrounding the royal wedding today I thought it might be more fruitful to post a sermon I did a few months ago (mostly non-evangelistic) that deals solely with the King of Kings from Psalm 145.

If you want to watch or listen click here, then scroll down to February 4, 2011.

Do you have any family members who need to know the Lord? Maybe it’s granny, Uncle Bob, mom or that brother who only shows up at Christmas. If so, then you need to listen to this message I preached a few weeks back about how to win your family inspired by the Way of the Master television show. If you’d like to see it online or hear it on MP3 or Quicktime then click here and scroll down to July 10, 2010.

Want the text only? Feel free to borrow any part. No attribution necessary.

WINNING YOUR FAMILY
(Acts 16:31)

I wear a T-shirt on occasion that my wife thinks is kind of weird. I got it at a memorial service several years ago as a keepsake to remember a man who died. (more…)

One of the most popular stories in the Bible is the account of David and Goliath. Traditionally, this passage is taught as a lesson on how to face our own personal giants of problems, worries, trials, etc.—and that’s how I planned to teach it. But as I studied the passage and then slept on it, I had a complete change of perspective. This is actually an account of one young man boldly fighting for God’s honor. As Goliath taunted the people of God, and God himself, David took it upon himself to do something radical….

I compared and contrasted David’s challenge with our own challenge today as Americans as we face the encroaching Philistines of secular culture. I used recent examples of Americans being persecuted by the likes of professors, lawyers, city offficials and Richard Dawkins.

If you’d like a fresh take on this passage, then click here to listen online or on your iPod then scroll down to September 4, 2009.

The video used in the teaching is Ray Comfort’s “Banana Man.” Watch it below.

Borrowing liberally from Mark Cahill and Ray Comfort (and from my own Sudden Death articles posted every Monday), I preached my annual evangelistic Rah! Rah! sermon to our congregation four times over the weekend.

I exhorted our church, Hope Chapel, to evangelistic action, using liberal doses of humor, illustrations, quotes from great preachers of the past and two video segments (both taken from The Way of the Master’s 2nd season TV show, “God’s Wonderful Plan.”)

• You can listen online by clicking here, then scroll down to the date, August 23, 2009.)
• Feel free to download the text and use whatever you want for your church by clicking here.

Note: At our fourth service sixteen people came down the aisle and professed Christ as their Savior.

You can now listen or watch the sermon I did last weekend on Matthew 7: 21-23, where Jesus says, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.” This is a sermon for all those who may think they are saved when they really aren’t; in other words, this is for false converts to Christianity.

Click here to listen online, then scroll down to the sermon dated July 17, 2009.

You can download the printed text here.
(Use whatever you want for free!)

I sure hope you will never hear those horrible words from Jesus, but you better tune into this sermon right away to see if you will one day.! Thankfully, God moved twenty people to make a profession of faith after the sermon.

Here are some of the comments I heard from others after I gave the message:

One man stormed out in the middle of the service saying, “Everyone’s going to Hell! Everyone’s going to Hell!” Then he left. A few minutes later he ran back in and bought some Gospel tracts.

Another person, in the prayer room after the service, made this comment after making a commitment to Christ after the altar call: “I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t come forward.”