The Incognito Christ: the Walking Partner
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Luke 24:30-31 Many of the risen Jesus’ friends to whom he appeared just didn’t know who he was. So at least initially the risen…
Church in Prison
The Shawshank Redemption is at many points a difficult movie to watch. Lots of my friends down at Angola Prison tell me it’s their favourite movie. Everybody has seen it about a hundred times. Perhaps you remember it. Andy, the main character in the movie, suffers sexual assault, beatings, and brutality in prison. Shawshank does…
Living Signs
Later today and continuing tomorrow, the church at Handlon Prison is holding a revival. The chaplain at the prison asked Celebration Fellowship (a church in the prison across the street from Handlon) to plan and host a revival weekend. Invite people to worship. Tell people about Jesus. Ask God to change people’s lives. You know…that…
On A Hill Far Away
This sermon was preached on January 24, 2019 at Washington DC Christian Reformed Church. Theme: God sends unwilling prophets and a willing Savior for love of the whole world … yes, even “those people”. Doctrine: “For God so loved the world.” Image: “Those people” Need: To repent of being unwilling prophets Mission: To question the (spiritual,…
All-Surpassing Power
This sermon was preached at the Calvin Symposium on Worship, January 30 & 31, 2014 Theme: God’s all-surpassing power is our hope in every weakness. Doctrine: Hope Image: Jars of Clay Need: To own that we are fragile & ordinary. Mission: To celebrate that God’s all-surpassing power is enough. Introduction to Scripture Brothers and…
Inconceivable! Bright Comfort in Death’s Shadow
Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 22; preached in Bethel Christian Reformed Church, Sioux Center, Iowa PAGE 1: TROUBLE IN THE TEXT The Biblical text for this evening seems like a strange place to look for comfort. Jesus himself said it was “the hour when darkness reigns.” The hosts of hell were met in gleeful array around…
Afraid and Silent
Anyone who has ever been a teacher or a parent or a leader or an instructor of any kind knows the truth of something I read a while back. The author was a teacher and said, “Sometimes a student will come to you and say ‘I didn’t understand that one point in class today.’ And…
Us
For many years across the mid-twentieth century cartoonist Walt Kelly provided humor, satire, political wit, and social commentary through his popular cartoon strip called “Pogo.” Pogo Possum led a cast of animal characters who lived in the Okefenokee Swamp somewhere in the southern United States. But of all the thousands of strips Mr. Kelly produced…
The Journey Is Too Much
When I go to different parts of the U.S. or Canada to speak or to preach, I often travel alone. When I do, I sometimes enjoy going out to eat by myself at a restaurant. It can be very interesting just to watch people and observe what is going on in ways you would not…
Sample Four Page Sermons
Here at the Center for Excellence in Preaching we strive to be very ecumenical in both the resources we offer and the audience in the wider Church that we seek to reach. But our Center is a part of Calvin Theological Seminary where—like any number of other seminaries—we have for many years been using Paul Scott Wilson’s The Four Pages of the Sermon as our homiletical teaching method.
Many of our alumni seek to utilize the deep structure and the “grammar” of Four Pages in their weekly preaching. But some of those same pastors have asked for help in the form of sample sermons that try to wield Wilson’s model well. On this page you can see some such sample sermons from various pastors, and we hope these sermons are both instructive and inspirational!