Right Standing with God

Do You Know the Voice of the Shepherd?

On Good Shepherd Sunday (April 26, 2026), we explore John 10:1–10 in light of Ezekiel 34:2–10 and Psalm 23. In this passage, Jesus confronts false shepherds and reveals Himself as both the Good Shepherd and the Gate, the one who leads, protects, and gives life to the full. But the question at the center of it all is simple and personal: Do you know the voice of the Shepherd? As followers of Jesus, we are constantly faced with competing voices, temptations, distractions, and false promises. This sermon calls us to recognize His voice, flee from the stranger, and walk in obedience to the One who leads us into true life.

It Is Finished: The Meaning of the Cross

Good Friday service at Trailmark Amentity Center. 4/3/2026 Based on John 19 On Good Friday, we remember the cross not just as a symbol, but as the place where Jesus accomplished what we never could. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he wasn’t declaring defeat; he was declaring that the work of redemption was complete. In this message, we reflect on the physical reality of the cross, the meaning of tetelestai, and what it means to live as people whose debt has been fully paid.

The Heart God Is Looking For

Preached March 15, 2026 The Table Church — St. Augustine, FL When Samuel went to anoint the next king of Israel, he assumed the obvious candidate would be the strongest, tallest, and most impressive man in the room. But God had something else in mind. In 1 Samuel 16, God reminds Samuel—and us—that human beings tend to judge by outward appearance, while God looks at the heart. The next king of Israel wouldn’t come from the obvious place. He wouldn’t be the strongest warrior or the most impressive leader. Instead, God chose David—a young shepherd boy who wasn’t even invited into the room. This passage challenges our assumptions about leadership, power, and what truly matters to God. In a world obsessed with appearance, achievement, and strength, God is looking for something different: surrendered hearts. In this sermon, we explore: • Why our perception of people can be so misleading • What God actually looks for in those He uses • The difference between Saul’s pride and David’s surrender • How Lent invites us to examine our own hearts before God God doesn’t choose and empower people because of outward strength—but because of hearts surrendered to Him.

Right Standing with God

Guest sermon preached at Christ the King Anglican Church in St. Augustine, 3/1/26 In Romans 4, the Apostle Paul addresses a question that has shaped the church from the beginning: How are we made right with God? Using the example of Abraham, Paul dismantles the idea that righteousness can be earned through effort, obedience, or religious practice. Instead, he shows that justification—being declared right with God—is a gift received through faith. This passage also reshapes how we see one another in the church. If righteousness is a gift of grace rather than a reward for performance, then no one stands higher or lower than another. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. This sermon explores how justification by faith produces humility before God and unity within the body of Christ.

Discipleship Begins with Need

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit Matthew 5:1–12 In this sermon from the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, we take a wide-angle look at the Beatitudes before slowing down to focus on Jesus’ first and foundational blessing: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus begins discipleship not with strength, effort, or achievement, but with honest dependence. This message explores what it means to acknowledge our spiritual poverty, why grace—not merit—is the doorway into God’s kingdom, and how this posture shapes both individual faith and life together as the church. Preached at The Table Church.