The Ragtown Pulpit

The apostles are kidnapped again; intimidated; humiliated; subjected to a sham trial; nearly murdered, and finally beaten. And God's kingdom kept right on rolling. Learn the perennial tactics tyrants consistently use in the protection of their own power

Gospel transformation of the human heart as the solution to scarcity and lack.

Every threat you receive has a unique power to reveal the truth about your secret faith. We mark the characteristics of the early church's response.

The missing note in much of our preaching: Defiance of powers

The Sanhedrin assembles to address the Gospel problem at the temple.

Peter says that the ignorance of his hearers is a mitigating factor in God's willingness to forgive their sin. We take a moment to chase that down in the Scripture a bit.

Sometimes you just gotta preach good news

Let's devote ourselves to the right things

More time than I wanted to spend on the misuse of Acts 2:38, but many found it convicting.

Peter's explanation of the phenomenon of Acts 2 covers some interesting ground and ends with a stinging indictment. Miracles, sovereignty, and Scripture as the bedrock of truth.

Peter brings forth older prophecy to explain present events, in ways that might surprise us, but ought to inform our own attempts at the same thing.

Seeking to move beyond the common Pentecostal emphasis on personal experience, and think in terms of larger Biblical themes.

The 4: 2nd Coming Spirit presence Dominion Security

On the Dumb Question that Wasn't

It's a minor detail, but why wait in Jerusalem? Because God doesn't leave loose ends, and this whole thing is headed somewhere.

So how'd this concise study of New Testament salvation make it into the Psalter? LOL Sorry about the irritating noise interference.

David seeks vindication and proclaims his own integrity. And who is this band of bad guys he hates? Shouldn't he love er'body?

We receive the precious promise of Psalm 25:10, the Old Covenant version of Romans 8:28. Our congregation has taken some huge hits recently and this was a very needed reminder.

Joyful celebration of the victorious, sovereign King. We also take a look at a presuppositional case for private land ownership

Exploring the two metaphors of Shepherd and Householder.

David feels alone, in a generation focused on emptiness and trivialities. God promises deliverance in words that are perfect and eternal. Plus a discussion on the use of imprecatory prayer.

What's David tempted to flee from? What foundations are in danger? How does God "feel" about men devoted to violence? This message ends abruptly when we began a street level discussion about strategies and tactics in dealing with a government bent on violence.

What is man that You are mindful of him? Well, for starters, humanity is the race that's supposed to bear God's image in subduing the whole of creation; ruling over the work of His hands and exercising dominion. Just like our elder brother, the last Adam, founder of a new humanity.

Surrounded by enemies, David remembers past deliverance and prays with confidence for a salvation he knows he doesn't deserve. Strong consolation in times when evil presses in from all sides.

God's answer to rebellious kings, once He stops laughing, is the installation of Christ as King, along with great promises of that King's victory.

We are in a critical season, a dry season, a potentially deadly season. The command is not to survive, but to advance, take new ground, and bear new fruit.

From John 10 and Zechariah 11, on the roll of New Testament shepherds in light of the ministry of the one Good Shepherd, who is the Door of the sheep fold.

The Apostle ties everything together in a neat bow here, as we end the series with the last verses of chapter 6. A prominent ethical/judicial note is in the text that hasn't been explored before and has immediate relevance to our situation: That is, when people tell you who they are, it's not unloving to believe them.

What comfort can people draw from the law of sowing and reaping as they head into dark times, when negative sanctions are threatened?

Galatians 6:1-9 It may be a surprise to you if you haven't been listening long, but the New Testament never connects Elders with church discipline, and that is demonstrated again in this passage, as Paul urges that restoration from sin be handled by Spirit-filled individuals, not title-holders or men in offices.

Finishing up Galatians 5, we encounter the familiar, iconic Fruit of the Spirit, but our focus is returning this (maybe too familiar) passage to its original context, the flow of Paul's argument, and what has been an extended discussion commending life in the Spirit over the attempt to finish in the flesh.

Galatians 5:13-14, the importance of freedom, service, love of neighbor; and their relationship to the current pressure to love your neighbor by getting the shots.

We take Paul's amazing use of Isaiah 54:1 in Galatians 4, back to the source and see some of the amazing ramifications of understanding that older passage in light of the apostolic interpretation. This is a great, and under-appreciated, comfort to the people of Jesus.

First half of Galatians 4, exploring the metaphor of Slave Vs. Son.

Arguments 4-6 from Galatians 3 on why Christians should not seek to become more Jewish.

Arguments 1-3 from Galatians 3 for why Christians should not seek to become more Jewish.

2nd message in our Galatians series

Beginning a new series in Galatians

Back in Jude after a two week hiatus in Mexico, we discuss what is meant by the term, Power Religion, and how radical the message of Christ really is, in terms of turning the whole world upside down. We do this by focusing on the three iconic bad guys in Jude 11: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. They highlight three main roads to Power that have been prevalent in the world from the get-go, roads which need to be shut down and blocked by a new, Gospel way of thinking about authority.

This was a message given at our agape feast, so you'll hear a lot of voices from our church family in it. It's a baffling text, but we ended on a really encouraging note that was a lot of fun to preach. If you struggle with repeated failure to certain sins, this will bless you.

This sermon was preached on Easter Sunday and highlights the reality of Christ's human nature. His life, death, burial, and resurrection lend meaning and honor to human life. Any denial of this "defiles the flesh."

Jude continues in his description of the target. These false teachers do the same despicable things their kind have always done.

Five minutes on the coming Equality Act. Not on the foolishness of its morality, but on basic issues about government that are raised by its existence from the get-go.

Announcing an interesting and provocative interview Gordan Runyan did with the "God and Government" podcast.

Jude begins to describe the crisis within the churches that has prompted him to call the believers to battle. Who must we fight and why?

No soldier goes to war at his own expense. Having reminded us of our identity in verse 1, God now makes sure we know how we have been supplied and outfitted for the coming battle. (Verse 2) After that, the book of Jude is about making us understand the nature of the war and who the enemy is.

Jude's first step in mustering the Lord's army to spiritual battle is to make sure all the soldiers have their feet planted on a rock. Know who you are in Christ, or victory will always elude you. Be the Moe.

We begin a new series today in the little, barely mentioned book of Jude. It won't come as any surprise to hear that we think it's immanently relevant to our times. Hear the trumpet call.

A needed reminder as our culture (both Right and Left) rushes into greater foolishness. What are the people of God to do? What provision has been made for times like this? What Help is there?