Sermon Podcast

David’s victory over Goliath points to our true champion, Jesus Christ, who defeated sin, death, and Satan through his life, death, and resurrection.

God sees things differently than we do. His values, priorities, and ways reverse the world’s values. 1 Samuel 16 invites us to learn to see the way God does by living inside the gospel story.

The gospel has the power to free you from self-deception because it assures you that you are both fully known (you don’t have to hide or pretend) and fully loved (you are welcomed and accepted in Christ).

King Saul’s failure reminds us that Christian leaders and friends sometimes disappoint us. However, disappointment can lead to stronger faith. How? By letting disappointment invite us into a deeper trust and confidence in Jesus Christ, the King who never fails.

It can be hard to trust that God is both powerful and good when life is hard. Ryan explores some of the reasons why in this sermon on 1 Samuel 14:1–23.

Israel had high hopes for its first monarch, King Saul. But Saul turned out to be a failed king. Saul’s failure to be the kind of king God’s people needed points to the true and better king, Jesus Christ.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t give up on his people despite the dumb decisions we make? Israel asked Samuel to give them a king. It wasn’t just a dumb decision; it was a sinful decision. Israel rejected the Lord as their king, yet the Lord continued to show them mercy and grace. And he does the same for his people today.

The future looked bright for Israel at the end of 1 Samuel 7. But in chapter 8, Israel shows herself to be an unfaithful covenant partner yet again. In Israel’s faithless request for a king like all the nations we see ourselves — prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love. Yet, God loves to show mercy to his wayward people. We see this most clearly in Jesus Christ, the true but rejected King who laid down his life for us.

God rescues Israel from the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7:3–17. In this sermon, Ryan walks through the story, reflecting on the speed of God’s mercy and the importance of walking backward into the future.

The second of two talks exploring the doctrine of sin. In this talk, Ryan discusses indwelling sin and the practices of self-reflection, confession, and internalizing the gospel.

The first of two talks exploring the doctrine of sin. In this talk, Ryan gives an overview of the Bible’s teaching about sin.

1 Samuel 3:1–4:1a is a charming story about the LORD calling the boy Samuel to be his prophet. But that’s not all. Ultimately, this story is about the God who speaks through his prophets, his written Word, and supremely in his Son, Jesus Christ.

Over the last several years, we’ve seen scandal after scandal involving well-known Christian leaders: illicit romantic relationships, sexual abuse, covering up abuse, heavy-handed leadership, and the list goes on. How do we hold on to faith when the people who are supposed to represent Jesus don’t?

The second talk in a two-part overview of the Bible’s teaching about the natural world. In this talk, I focus on human beings’ role as members of the community of creation tasked with ruling and keeping the world on God’s behalf.

The first talk in a two-part overview of the Bible’s teaching about the natural world. In this talk, I focus on the opening chapters of Genesis and what they reveal about creation’s inherent goodness and value.

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” is a solemn, reflective hymn that invites worshipers to stand in awe of Jesus Christ, who is none other than God the Son Incarnate. In this talk, Ryan explores the hymn’s ancient roots and unpacks its meaning and relevance for Christians today.

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is at the heart of the Christian faith. No resurrection, no Christianity. Yet, many modern people find belief in the resurrection difficult. What should we make of the New Testament’s accounts of Jesus’s resurrection? Are they reliable? Is belief in the resurrection reasonable?

Ryan recently finished preaching through the Book of Romans. In this talk, he discusses something that stood out to him while studying Romans: the cosmic dimension of salvation.

In this final sermon on the Book of Romans, Ryan looks at the Apostle Paul’s concluding doxology. It’s the longest doxology in the New Testament, and its grammar is complex. But the message is clear: Praise God for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Psychiatric medication doesn’t cure mental illness. However, using it wisely as part of a holistic approach to addressing mental health challenges can provide relief from some of the most debilitating symptoms. Medication just might be what someone needs to begin cultivating a greater level of mental health.

The Bible teaches that God is all-powerful (omnipotent). However, it’s one thing to know this and another to live in light of it. In this talk, Ryan explores how God’s omnipotence intersects with everyday life.

Romans 16:1–16 is a lengthy list of difficult-to-pronounce names of people who lived and died centuries ago. What can we learn from it? In this sermon, Ryan explores what this passage shows us about the diversity and unity of the early church and what it means for the church today.

In this sermon on Romans 15:14–33, Ryan explores three characteristics of a mission-shaped church.

How does God’s sovereignty intersect with my daily life?

How do we get along with fellow Christians despite our differences? Ryan seeks to answer that question in this sermon on Romans 14:1–12.

In this sermon on Romans 13:8–14, Ryan preaches about loving our neighbors.

In this second of two talks on Christian funerals, Ryan discusses the nature and purposes of a funeral and provides a suggested pattern for a gospel-centered funeral service.

The Christian funeral has fallen on hard times. In this talk, Ryan discusses the ways funerals have changed over the past few generations and proposes a recovery of a more robustly Christian practice of marking death.

How do you deal with your anger, outrage, or hatred? Vent it? Suppress it? Ignore it? Most of us struggle with knowing how to handle these emotions. However, the Psalms teach us how to engage our anger faithfully. They invite us to pray our hate. In this talk, Ryan explains why and how to do it.

Advent is a four-week period of time in the Christian calendar that focuses our attention on the “advent,” or coming, of Jesus Christ. We look back to Jesus’s first coming and forward to his second coming. It’s a time of anticipation, longing, and waiting. Perhaps more than any other song, the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” signals the start of the Advent season.