Sermon Audio from Crossway Christian Church
…
continue reading
Doug Wallaker Podcasts
There are a number of attributes of God that we routinely praise him for. He shows his people kindness, grace, and mercy; yet he does not neglect justice and righteousness. In all of this, he is always faithful and true. One of the greatest attributes God has, though, is his consistency. He never changes. He is not full of grace on Tuesday and just…
…
continue reading
We in America have learned to despise kings, and for good reason. It seems a bad idea to put all that power in one man's hands. Israel had a good King: none other than God. But they wanted one that made them "like the nations." God, however, had different plans. Plans for peace and redemption far beyond what they could imagine.…
…
continue reading
There is a great deal of irony in Christmas. There is much simply in how so many spend it. It is a time of peace, but it is full of stress. A time to remember the humble birth of our savior, but we lavish each other with expensive gifts. But the real irony is in Jesus himself. God made flesh. Creator taking on that which he has created. The soverei…
…
continue reading
We are not only in the advent season, we are also in testing season. For many of our students, especially those in college, the first semester of the academic year is coming to an end, and that means finals. It is a stressful time, and not one often gladly anticipated. We never fully escape being tested; in this life, and especially by virtue of ou…
…
continue reading
Advent season is fully upon us. It is in this season that we remember the coming of God for our salvation. Jesus is nothing less than Emmanuel – God with us! But how precious is that truth to us? Amidst all of the pageantry and hoopla of the Christmas season, how important is God’s nearness to us? Our text today starts with Joseph as a slave, and t…
…
continue reading
Generally, Christians view selfish motivation as a fountainhead of what is wrong in this world. And, for the most part, they are right. Jesus and the NT holds out that we can be rightly selfish; doing what will gain and profit us and acting in our best interest. But we rarely act that way. More often than not, we act sinfully and selfishly. Our tex…
…
continue reading
We take directions for granted now. Cell phones have made finding your way around, even in a foreign place, easy. It was not always so; there was a time when physical maps and hand-written directions were the best you could do. Good directions are good things; they save time and energy and point us toward our goal. Our text today features direction…
…
continue reading
We are well acquainted with the saying “vengeance is a dish best served cold.” It is a well-known proverb, not even English in its origin. It has lasted because it tells us something that we think is true: the best way to get revenge is through patient logic; and what’s more: revenge is good. But Scripture tells us otherwise, for vengeance is solel…
…
continue reading
A man, who spent much time in Milan and other European cities, was once known for his great intellect and ability to persuade. He was by his own measure, a liar, a cheat, and smarter than all around him. But he was also in turmoil; then God came to him through a child’s voice and forever changed Augustine. Many conversion stories are like that – al…
…
continue reading
Family strife is nothing new in this world. The Greeks had a number of horrible stories about fighting families: from Oedipus killing his father so he could marry his mother, to the Atreus family, who routinely served their children to the gods (much to their chagrin). The Bible has much of this as well: the first four people mentioned all had thei…
…
continue reading
"Stairway to Heaven" may be Led Zeppelin’s best-known song; released in 1971, it has been played hundreds of millions of times on the radio and online. The best version, however, is almost always the original. Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 contains a promise of God’s protection and care. What transpires afterward, however, seems to challenge that. Ye…
…
continue reading
As we look back at the actions of the patriarchs, we often see behaviors and attitudes that do not seem to match the holiness of God. Abraham often failed, and yet he was counted faithful, included in the kingdom of God. Today we see the actions and failures of four different people, and through this we see God's grace and faithfulness despite thei…
…
continue reading
On Wednesday nights in the summer, Bay City brings in artists to play in the bandshell. These are often tribute artists; they don’t play their own music, but better known music produced by better-known musicians, often of years past. Like these, Isaac is replaying his father’s own path and doing many of his own works. He is, in a sense, a tribute b…
…
continue reading
Through the ages of the church, many have struggled to piece together the relationship between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of humans. If God is in control of all things, as the Bible says, then how can we be responsible for our actions? How can he hold us accountable if we are not fully free to choose as we wish? Perhaps our text …
…
continue reading
Introduction We in the west, and likely all people everywhere, have a fondness for love stories. They are some of our best-known and most cherished works; from Shakespeare to Jane Austin, they mark out some of our best literature. But love is not just for high-literature, it is the stuff of comedy and dime-store novels. We have a love story in our …
…
continue reading
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was called on to speak about the meaning of the 4th of July to the Ladies Anti-Slavery Union of Rochester, New York. He began innocuously, noting the ingenious and goodness of the Founders’ vision for the country. But when he began to note how that vision had not made it into reality, he became scathing of the na…
…
continue reading
Most ancient writers used very discernable structures in their writings. This allowed them to clue their readers in on central points and highlight similarities. One of the most basic of these is chiasm, where a central text has mirroring parts as you move away from it. Our text today has that same structure, and it helps to point us to the central…
…
continue reading
As Allied troops surrounded and pressured the city of Berlin, WWII was all but over. Cowardly, Hitler took his life in his protected bunker. In shooting that bullet in his brain, he escaped the justice the world was due. There would be no trial, no answers, no humbling for the great boasts he has made. The rest of the world was denied a true sense …
…
continue reading
Often, in traditional story-telling, there are clear, sharp lines that divide good and evil, good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. Often the characters in the stories are flat or one-dimensional. They are either good or bad, right or wrong. There is very little nuance. In real life, things often are not as clear and not as concise. If we com…
…
continue reading
John Newton was a scoundrel before he ever saw a slave ship. He was kicked out of the navy and worked hard to do so. He was disliked on the ships on which he worked. Not only was he sold into slavery, but even being a slave did not get him to stop slave trading when he was freed. Yet, the Lord loved him and called him and saved him out of his miser…
…
continue reading
Many people have heard the story about the genie in the lamp, one who grants three wishes to the lucky person who happens to rub up against it. It is a good little experiment for people: what do you really desire in this world? We can answer, with little effort, what Abram would ask from that genie: A child, an heir, a son. God is no genie, but he …
…
continue reading
The Khwarazmian empire was a strong and important empire in the 11th-13th centuries. Located in the middle of the trade route between Asia and Europe, it was strategically placed in the world. Genghis Khan realized that, and sought to make a trade agreement. He was rebuffed, and with fervor. This was a mistake, as Khan did what he normally did – ru…
…
continue reading
In ancient Greek myths, the gods proved themselves both fickle and pliable. They demanded sacrifices to appease them, and men offered them. These bought the favor of some gods and helped the wrath and anger of others to be avoided. Scripture does not picture God that way. While sacrifice is indeed central to our faith, it is not the way that we ent…
…
continue reading
Dogs are wonderful creatures. Silly, funny, loyal, and kind, they are truly man’s best friend. Some people, however, do not see them in that light, and neglect and abuse them. When rescued, they fear humans, for all they have received from them is harm. We are similar; the lies we are fed in this world about God make us distrust his word and aims i…
…
continue reading
Nate Yurgaites, pastor of Damascus Baptist Church in Midland, joined us this Sunday as part of our Pulpit swap with Damascus and Sunrise Baptist Church. Nate is seeking to encourage us today through God's word in Acts 13:1-3. Please listen!By Nate Yurgaites
…
continue reading
Everyone has momentous moments in their lives. Graduation for some, marriage or children for others. Some occasions are momentous, not for the good they remind us of but for the hardship: divorce, death, loss. It is rare, though, for such an individually important moment to be shared through one person by the many. Today, we have just such an event…
…
continue reading
The tower of Babel was truly a tremendous undertaking. It would have been an amazing structure, certainly one of the wonders of the world in its day. But, as we know, it was a colossal disaster before the Lord. Today, as we turn to that story and the genealogies that surround it, we get a good taste for the failures of humanity, and the beginning o…
…
continue reading
Often when we think of Noah, we envision decorations of animals and a giant boat in a child’s nursery. But as we heard in Genesis 7, this wasn’t a children’s story, but a wrathful judgment against sin in the world. In our passage this morning, we see what happens after the devastation and destruction of the flood. Noah and his family have been spar…
…
continue reading
The story of the flood is treated as myth by most who do not uphold the Bible as the Word of God. But the nature of the text implies that it is recounting real, true history. But it is not history for history’s sake, and we do not just study the account of the flood for its factual nature. Rather, we know that it is written so that we might not fal…
…
continue reading
Genealogies are not often thought of as holding a great deal of intrigue for readers. Names and lists of people do not advance characters or provide any sort of action. Yet, for those who read closely, there is much to learn from them. Today, we get to hear of the genealogy from Adam to Noah, and how God is faithful to his word through them.…
…
continue reading
Movies often present people as the embodiment of the devil, or at least possessed by him. His presence is easily noticed: the sly look, the bodily distortion, the glowing flames and the maniacal laugh. Dead giveaways all. But real life is harder. We read last week of the promise from God that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpen…
…
continue reading
Genesis 3 is another fundamental text in the Christian religion. It chronicles the sin of Adam and Eve in the perfect garden, as they turned against God and listened to the voice of the serpent. Yet, this sin is not a one-time event, something that was huge and large and unrepeated. The basic essentials of this sin are repeated by us every time we …
…
continue reading
As people made in the image of God, we understand what it is like to create something. We get to determine how our creation is structured and ordered. In our passage this morning we continue on with God’s creation story and we see how our perfect maker ordered his creation, and we get to see the results. God's creation design is a good thing.…
…
continue reading
“He’s the spitting image of his father” is not as common of a phrase as it used to be. It is from an old expression, sometime in the 17th century, when people would say “it is like he was spat out of his father’s mouth.” Biologically incorrect, but when it comes to man being made in God’s image, it’s not far from the truth (cf. Genesis 2:7). But wh…
…
continue reading
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” is one of the best-known phrases in all of the Bible. Today, the chapter is used mostly to battle evolution and fuel arguments over the age of the earth. But, if we focus our attention, we find that Genesis 1 has much more to offer us than that. It gives us the plan of God for all of creatio…
…
continue reading
Some things are hard to top. Achievements in sports and music are sometimes so amazing, that trying to top them seems nigh impossible. Certainly, the resurrection of Jesus is greater than anything anyone has ever done. But Matthew doesn’t leave his gospel with the simple, if amazing, pronouncement that he has risen. Rather, he desires to show us th…
…
continue reading
We gather, as we typically do, to praise God for the work of Jesus Christ our Lord. That work has found its pinnacle in the death and resurrection of Jesus. But today is set aside as a special remembrance of that resurrection, which is our full hope and promise of glory. Today, as we consider Matthew’s account, let us consider these 5 things about …
…
continue reading
Today is a day we gather to remember the heinous and brutal murder of our Lord and Savior. We call it Good Friday, but what is it precisely that makes it good? To remind ourselves again that this death is indeed good, we turn to the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews has one overriding emphasis: to show that Jesus is better. And tonight, let us s…
…
continue reading
Sealing something as historical “fact” is fairly difficult for most things. We have to rely on what many today might think of as secondary and unreliable reports: eyewitness accounts and other events that are impacted by what happened. Details are always hard to establish. But, if there is one fact of antiquity that is assured, it is this: Jesus of…
…
continue reading
Bullies are nothing new. Many of us have experienced their insults and abuse. Such acts are nothing new, as we see today. Jesus, weakened and eventually crucified, was ripe for such abuse, and his enemies took great pleasure in handing it out. Yet, for all their bluster, and for all the pain they inflict, they speak a startling amount of truth. Tod…
…
continue reading
In our passage this morning, we encounter a great injustice. We see the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. This is the trial that will definitively decide Jesus’ verdict and sentencing. We see three reasons that Jesus was crucified, and behind it all we see that Jesus, though innocent, was convicted so that sinners, though gui…
…
continue reading
Jesus is on his way to his execution; Judas is facing the reality and outcome of what he has done. We also see the chief priests tying up loose ends. This sets up what happens in the rest of the book of Matthew, and it highlights something for all of us. All of our attempts to remove our guilt on our own will fail. We need something different.…
…
continue reading
History is filled with trials that seemed only to mock justice. Nor is this a feature of some bygone era, less enlightened and more open to the whims of the powerful and elite. We suffer from these very things today. The trial of Jesus is perhaps the most famous example in history of such a show-trial. Today, we get a closer look at Jesus before th…
…
continue reading
We talk about sin quite a lot here at Crossway, and for a simple reason: Scripture seems to talk about it a lot. In the end, sin is nothing but a betrayal of God. It is simply acting as though God’s commands and desires for us are not good for us, and that we know better. We betray him as our creator, designer, and as God. This betrayal leads to ou…
…
continue reading
Temptations will find us. While it is certainly best to flee from it, there is no way to escape it in this world. What do we do when times of doubt and the allure of sin press hard against us? Jesus was as we are, tempted like us, but without sin. If this is so, and we take it seriously, then watching carefully how he handles his temptation would p…
…
continue reading
The Lord is particular in how he is worshipped and approached. Simply having a good heart will not do, for the Lord is keen to have his people follow his instructions and directions. This instinct is very much true in the Lord’s Supper and the Passover it is based on. Today, as we come to think about Jesus’ institution of the Supper, we are reminde…
…
continue reading
We have all wasted money in our lives on something. Sometimes it is just a poorly thought through purchase, or something that we regret. No one does this better than the government, whose stories of waste are legion. Our story today is one that speaks of waste – an almost unthinkable expenditure of perfumed ointment which could no doubt have helped…
…
continue reading
I have only failed two tests in school that I remember. One was an algebra test in 9th grade. The other a Physical Chemistry exam in college. The first was a surprise, the second expected. Neither was pleasant. Being judged and failing never is. In the end, though, these tests were not that important. Most tests aren’t; but there is coming one that…
…
continue reading
Andrew Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men who ever lived. He was industrious, clever, personable, and had great financial sense. But he was far from a self-made man. He was born at the right place, got involved in the right business, and took advantage of the opportunities given to him. We ourselves have been given a great opportunity; the Lord…
…
continue reading
There is a crater in Turkmenistan that burns constantly. Because of this, it has a very ominous appearance, it has earned the name The Gates of Hell. While that is a bit of an overstatement, the continual burning is more reminiscent of hell than anything here on earth. Things that burn eventually go out. Including torches. The five foolish women in…
…
continue reading
