Sermon Download: Waiting with Hope

Last summer, I had the privilege of preaching at our church again in St. Paul. The sermon I delivered was poignant and personal. In light of recently posting about our family’s trials, I thought sharing the sermon here for my readers would be appropriate and offer a window into our world.

The text is Lamentations 3:21-26, but the theme is the biblical genre of lament in general. Going through a dark time really brings home the power and promise of the Bible’s lament songs. Pouring out your soul and your distress to the Lord is part of what biblical faith looks like. All of this is designed to help us wait with hope.

I’m sharing the sermon here, and you can find all my recent sermons from The Heights Church, St. Paul, here.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire sermon (50 minutes), please do look over my notes.

Place: The Heights Church, St. Paul
Date: June 5, 2016
Title: Waiting with Hope
Text: Lamentations 3:21-26
Notes: Download PDF
Audio Link: Click to listen (right click to download)

Sermon Download: Rest for Your Souls

I always enjoy the opportunity to preach. I was able to give the Sunday morning sermon for our church this past Sunday

I revisited a passage I had looked at before, and was once again thrilled by studying the biblical theology behind the concept of “rest.”

I’m sharing the sermon here, and you can find all my recent sermons from The Heights Church, St. Paul, here.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire sermon (42 minutes), please do look over my notes. May God bless this sermon to all who hear it, for His glory and by His grace.

Place: The Heights Church, St. Paul
Date: March 6, 2016
Title: Rest for Your Souls
Text: Matt. 11:27-30
Notes: Download PDF
Audio Link: Click to listen (right click to download)

Sermon Download: A Strong Encouragement to Hope

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to fill the pulpit at our church. This was the first Sunday after the US Supreme Court made gay marriage legal nationwide. That isn’t the theme of my message but does come across in the introduction. Now, more than ever, Christians are being challenged to persevere and to keep believing. It is easier than ever to give in and to shirk from affirming Scripture as our highest authority. Hebrews was addressed to believers in a similar boat – they were faced with pressure to conform and some were slinking back from total commitment.

If you don’t have time to listen to the entire sermon (48 minutes), please do look over my notes. May God bless this sermon to all who hear it, for His glory and by His grace.

Place: The Heights Church, St. Paul
Date: June 28, 2015
Title: A Strong Encouragement to Hope
Text: Heb. 6:9-28
Notes: Download PDF
Audio Link: Click to listen (right click to download)

“When Sinners Say ‘I Do’ DVD” by Dave Harvey

When Sinners Say I Do DVD by Dave HarveyMedia Details:
• Speaker: Dave Harvey
• Director: Patrick Gines
• Publisher: Shepherd Press (2014)
• Format: DVD
• Run Time: 195 minutes
• ISBN/ASIN#: 1633420922
• List Price: $59.99 (sale at Shepherd Press for $39.95)
• Rating: Must Watch

Blurbs:
“Dave Harvey skillfully exposes the real root of most marriage problems — each spouse is still a sinner. But he doesn’t leave us to wallow in our sin. He shows the way out through the ongoing power of the gospel. This will be helpful for any married couple whether they’ve been married five weeks or fifty years.”
—Jerry Bridges, Author of the Pursuit of Holiness

“Listen closely as Dave Harvey teaches on the struggles that characterize all marriages. His words are clear and inviting. He says it in a way that is fresh and humble. He cuts to the heart of what all of us are like—people needing daily, freely-given mercies from the Lord. And he cuts to the heart of what all of us need—not self-help, not a pep talk, not a few tips, but an active Savior. Listen, take to heart, and you will grow wiser as a husband or wife.”
—David Powlison, Executive Director, CCEF; Senior Editor, Journal of Biblical Counseling

“There is no laboratory for the grace of God like the family home. And there is no relationship so crucial to the work of grace in our homes as our marriages. It’s for these reasons I’m so grateful for Dave Harvey’s careful, wise, and relevant teaching in When Sinners Say I Do. Watch closely with your spouse or spouse-to-be, and let Dave lead you with great experience and pastoral care through the hard places of marriage right into the very throne room of God, where you both will find abundant grace for every need you have from now until your nineties.”
—Jared C. Wilson, Director of Content Strategy, Midwestern Seminary; TGC Blogger, The Gospel-Driven Church

Review:
Marriage is under attack today from all sides. Churches are being pressured to recognize marriages between people of the same gender. Our culture insists on “divorce on demand.” Even in conservative evangelical churches it seems that marriages have never been more unstable. Christians are getting divorced at alarmingly high rates.

Solutions to our dilemma abound. There are countless counseling resources and video series aimed at spicing up your marriage, learning the right “love talk,” or trying increasingly bizarre sexual practices as a way to keep our marriages vibrant.

Dave Harvey points out what should be obvious. The problem with marriages lasting comes down to one simple point. Marriage always involves 2 people and both of them are sinners! His book When Sinners Say “I Do” has helped many Christian couples. Now Shepherd Press has released an 8 part video series in an effort to equip the church with Dave’s important message.

This DVD series showcases Pastor Harvey walking through different passages of Scripture and unpacking the Gospel message that applies to our marriages. He emphasizes that sin is often at the root of relational conflict. He stresses the complementary design of God for man and woman. He preaches contentment and the role of mercy. He talks frankly about sex as God’s gift for each spouse – to be mutually enjoyed. And he points to the power for change: God’s stubborn grace.

The sessions are between 20 and 30 minutes long and focus just on Dave and his message. I appreciate this length as it allows the DVD series to be used both in SS classes and small group settings, or even as a seminar or workshop for a marriage retreat. The shorter time allows for questions and interaction by a local pastor or teacher who leads a group of couples through this material. Included with the video is a link to a .PDF study guide which can accompany the DVD and facilitate group discussion.

The series is appropriate for single adults as well, and they are from time to time addressed. It is also helpful for both older and younger couples — he speaks to the needs of both. In his talk on sex, Harvey is careful to be discreet and yet still direct.

The sessions do not major on the psychology of marriage. More time is devoted to unpacking and applying God’s word and then drawing application to marriage. Harvey’s advice is seasoned with years of ministry experience. He brings appropriate and helpful illustrations to capture the attention of the audience. And his insights are powerful and helpful. People in a variety of backgrounds and situations in life will benefit from this series.

I can’t wait to share this in a group setting – either with our small group or a church SS class. I hope this gains a wide audience and encourages many a couple with Gospel grace for their marriage.

Sample:
See six preview clips here, or watch the introduction below.

About the Speaker:
Dave Harvey serves as the Pastor of Preaching at Four Oaks Community Church in Tallahassee, FL. He serves as the Chairman of the board of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF), as well as the Chairman of the Board of the Sojourn Network. He is the author of a number of books, including Am I Called, Rescuing Ambition, and When Sinners Say “I Do.” Dave lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife, Kim. They have four grown children.

Where to Buy:
• Amazon
• ChristianBook.com
• direct from Kregel

Disclaimer:
This DVD was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Book Briefs: “Acts (EP Study Commentary)” by Guy Prentiss Waters

Acts (EP Study Commentary) by Guy Prentiss WatersCommentaries come in all types and sizes. Some are daunting: a thousand pages long, detailed Greek and Hebrew in the body of the text, voluminous footnotes and interaction with a variety of ancient literature beyond the Biblical text itself. Others are a glorified sermonettes with a few points of application.

In the latest volume for the “Evangelical Press Study Commentary” series, Guy Prentiss Waters provides an accessible volume designed for the typical pastor or lay teacher today. He covers the book of Acts and his writing style is warm and inviting. The book is more of a survey of the interpretive landscape with a focus on what matters for pastors teaching through the text. There is not much discussion of Greek, and the footnotes routinely direct the reader to other resources for more detailed discussions of various questions.

This summary nature of the book may make it less useful to more versed scholars, but for the average pastor it clears the plate to focus on the good stuff. Additionally, Waters has combed through a variety of works and saved us the time by quoting the best portions of these commentaries and highlighting which discussions are worth interacting with in those other works. The book is long (614 pages), but the font is large with extra generous spacing, and even the footnotes are easily readable.

Waters approaches the text as a Reformed author, so he does not promote a charismatic reading of the text. He highlights the covenantal nature of the gospel emphasizing the household conversions that feature so prominently in Reformed defenses of paedobaptism. Another key feature of the commentary are the frequent application sections throughout the book.

This book will be useful in study, and prove to be a help for many. You don’t have to just take my word for it, let me also share a few blurbs from prominent Evangelical leaders recommending this work.

Blurbs:
“Guy Waters’s Study Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles is exegetically and theologically sound, cogently reasoned and clearly written. I highly recommend this commentary to pastors and teachers preparing to preach and teach Acts, and to anyone interested in a readable exposition of Luke’s unique account of the risen Lord Jesus’ words and deeds through his chosen witnesses.”
—Dennis E. Johnson, Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California

“In an age of multiplying commentaries, some of them very technical and some exceedingly popular, Guy Waters has contributed a mid- level work that is robustly theological, written in straightforward English, and designed to be edifying. This is a commentary that will make many friends among serious Bible readers.”
—D. A. Carson, Research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and co-founder of The Gospel Coalition

“Dr. Waters is the ideal commentator on Acts. Scholarly, pastoral, theological — all these and more combine in making this my first resource for Luke’s second volume. An outstanding contribution to the series and deserving of the appellation, “Essential”!”
—Derek W. H. Thomas, The Robert Strong Professor of Systematic and Pastoral Theology, RTS Atlanta; Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC

Where to Buy:
Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from Evangelical Press.

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Evangelical Press via CrossFocusedReviews.com. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.