Individual sermon texts can be viewed in a new window by clicking on the date of the sermon. Sermon texts will be posted by the Sunday following the Friday they are preached.
In our major sermon series for the 2006 - 2007 ministry year, Pastor Cam led us in a study of the narrative sections of the Pentateuch, from Exodus to Deuteronomy. There are three main characters or “players” that we focused on. The first is Moses, the deliverer, the leader par-excellence, the man who spoke “face to face” with God. The second is the nation of Israel: their corporate actions and reactions, their failures and successes. The third is God himself. He is truly the MAIN main character as he works in history to declare his glory among the nations and so that all may know that “I am the LORD.” Our study led us to many rich veins of truth which we mined for insights into God and his character and the way he works in the world and in our lives.
This sermon, The End of the Journey, describes the death of Moses in Deuteronomy 34, and brings us to the end of this series of messages. We have traced the history of Israel from Egypt to the borders of the Promised Land. In this message, we review our journey, focusing on the main characters of the story. What have we learned from or about Moses, the people of Israel, and God Himself? How have those lessons impacted our lives?
“And the Donkey Said…” That is a strange name for a sermon, but then Numbers 22-25 tells a strange story. What did the donkey say? To whom was she speaking? And what do we learn from the donkey’s words and from the words of an enigmatic prophet by the name of Balaam? There is plenty of humor in the fascinating story, but there are also some important spiritual truths.
Look and Live! Those were the words that Moses cried out to the Israelites in Numbers 21 as they lay dying from the fatal bite of the poisonous snakes in the wilderness. It is a story of sin and God’s judgment, but it is also a story of repentance and God’s mercy. But when we turn to the New Testament, we find that there is even more! What does this Old Testament story tell us about New Testament grace and salvation? Find out in this message!
That’s Not Fair! That’s the first thought that comes to our minds when we read Numbers 20. After over 40 years of faithful service to God, Moses makes one mistake; he strikes the rock instead of speaking to it. For this failure, God tells him that he will not have the privilege of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Why is God so hard on Moses? Is there more to this passage than meets the eye? And how does God’s perspective on Moses’ disobedience differ from ours? Find out in this message.
Numbers 16-17 contains one of the most horrifying stories in Scripture. In a scene reminiscent of a science fiction horror movie, the ground literally opens up and swallows the tents and families of three men in the middle of the Israelite camp. As the people around flee in panic, we ask the questions: What was the sin of Korah and his followers, and why did God judge them so harshly? And what are the lessons we should learn for today? Find out in this sermon: Danger! Stand Back!
FEAR OR FAITH? It is a decision we all face regularly, in big matters or small. It was the decision that faced the nation of Israel as they stood on the borders of the Promised Land in Numbers 13-14. A good land lay before them, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land that God had promised to give them. But the land was filled with people; big people, scary people. Will they choose fear or faith? Find out in this message. And take the lesson to heart as you determine what your choice will be.
On the Road Again! In this first message from the narrative sections of the Book of Numbers (Numbers 10-12), the Israelites break camp and leave Sinai to resume their journey toward the Promised Land. They run into difficulties immediately, and four times in these chapters we read that the “anger of the Lord was kindled.” What did the Israelites do to make God angry? Do those same things still make God angry today? What lessons can we learn from the sins of the Israelites as we continue our own spiritual journeys?
In our series of messages, we are spending only this one week in the Book of Leviticus. We focus on the dramatic incident of Strange Fire and the tragic death of Aaron’s sons in Leviticus 10. What was the “strange fire” they offered? Why did God reject it and why was his reaction so drastic? What lessons should we take away from this chapter and the rest of the Book of Leviticus? Find out in this message.
In this message, entitled “Show Me Your Glory!” we take a second look at Exodus 33-34. This time we look at the passage from the perspective of Moses and his relationship with God and his audacious request to see the glory of God. How did God respond? What did Moses see? How was he changed by his time on the mountain? As we consider these questions we will also see how the same principles apply to us as New Covenant believers.
In Exodus 33, because of their sin in worshipping the gold calf, God threatens to send the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land without him. How did the people respond, and what were the key factors that cause God to “change his mind”? Find out in this sermon entitled Please Go With Us! This is the first of two messages from Exodus 33 & 34.
In this message, entitled Quick to Turn Away we look at two chapters. The first is Exodus 24 in which the covenant between God and Israel is formally ratified with many cultural parallels to the covenant procedures of the ancient world. It concludes with a celebratory feast which the leaders of Israel eat in the presence of God. This makes the events of Exodus 32 even more difficult to understand, as the Israelites quickly abandon God to participate in idol worship and pagan revelry. As we consider these chapters together, we learn valuable lessons about our own vulnerability to sin, and where our hope lies if we do fall into sin.
In this first message of the new year, entitled “Thou Shalt Not…” we examine Exodus 20, one of the key passages of the Bible as God gave his people the Ten Commandments, the heart of the covenant and the revelation of his moral law. We explore the setting for this climactic event, an overview of the Commandments themselves, and then address the question of how the Ten Commandments relate to us as members of the New Covenant.
In this message, we are Meditating on Christmas from the Foot of Mt. Sinai. As we do so, what we learn may forever change the way we think about and celebrate Christmas!
And the People Trembled…In Exodus 19, the nation of Israel pitched their tents at the foot of Mt. Sinai. In this very important chapter, we see God set the stage for the sealing of the covenant with his chosen nation as he descended upon the mountain in an awe-inspiring scene. In this message, we give special attention to what we can learn about God and his character, and also about our response to him.
Testing…testing…testing. Life is full of testing. This was what the Israelites found in their first weeks as a free nation in the wilderness. Exodus 15-17 records four different crises that God sent to test the Israelites. What traits was God looking for? And did the Israelites pass the test?
In this sermon from Exodus 14-15, entitled Yahweh Will Fight for You, we study one of the best-known and best-loved stories in the Bible: The crossing of the Red Sea. We look not only at what God did to deliver his people, but also why he did it and we look for the truths that we can apply when we find ourselves facing an impossible situation.
This sermon is titled In Remembrance, and is a follow up to the sermon last week. We saw in that sermon that God gave the Israelites three different observances they were to keep so the memory of the Passover and their deliverance from Egypt would remain fresh in their minds. The New Testament tell us that Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. How shall we keep that memory alive? In this message we explore three specific acts of obedience that closely parallel those given to the Israelites.
This sermon, taken from Exodus 11-13, is titled A Night to Remember. In this tenth and final plague, God finally breaks Pharaoh’s hold on the Israelite nation and leads them to freedom. What made this night so special, and why does the Old Testament put such an emphasis on remembering these events? And how does this all link up with the New Testament assertion that “Christ is our Passover lamb?”
In this week’s sermon, covering Exodus 7-10, the battle between God and Pharaoh continues. God‘s mighty hand is on display in rounds 2-10 of this epic fight. By the time the sermon ends the score line reads Yahweh – 9, Pharaoh – 1. We also step behind the scenes in seeking to understand the plagues. Were they natural or supernatural phenomena? Why did God send the plagues? And what lessons can we draw from these chapters? The overarching purpose of these chapters and events can be found in the sermon title: “That You May Know That I Am Yahweh!”
“Is This Why You Sent Me?” This was the question Moses bitterly asked God after his first visit to Pharaoh produced nothing but additional suffering for the Israelites. As we ponder the story in Exodus 4:21-7:7, we will see God’s perspective on these events, and also learn from the response of the Israelites, and the reaction of Moses.
Have you ever had an argument with God? When you argued with him, did he become angry? What makes God angry? In Exodus 3:1-4:20, Moses argued with God and at the end of the argument, we are told that “the Lord’s anger burned against Moses.” In this message, entitled Send Someone Else! we look at Moses’ objections to God’s call (there are five of them) and how God answered them, and also which one made God angry.
This is the first of two messages taken from Exodus 3 and 4, where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. In this sermon, entitled What Is Your Name? we focus on what we can learn about God in this passage. With 20 out of 22 verses in Exodus 3 in direct quotation marks, most of it spoken by God himself, the chapter is a rich treasure house of theological truth.
This message from Exodus 2:11-22 is entitled Moses’ Choice. There is a great deal we don’t know about Moses’ missing years – the years he spent growing up in Pharaoh’s palace. But as we consider the three incidents recorded in this Scripture, as well as the divine commentary in Hebrews 11:24-26, we learn some important lessons. What was Moses’ choice? Why did he make it? Have you made the same choice?
When Israel Was in Egypt’s Land Can God be trusted? Life constantly confronts us with this question. In this opening message in the series, taken from Exodus 1:1-2:10, we pick up where the book of Genesis leaves off. As the Israelites continue to multiply in Egypt, they become a threat to Pharaoh, and he moves to oppress them and limit their population growth. But in spite of all his efforts, God continues to bless the Israelites and cause them to multiply. As the oppression grows harsher, God begins to put his plan for their deliverance into action in the birth of the baby Moses. As we see God at work in this section, we see that he keeps his promises, he has a plan, and by his providence and control over details, he is able to carry out that plan. Can God be trusted? Faith answers YES!