This week, I’ll be sharing a sermon prepared during my preaching class at Southern Seminary. It’s one of the very first sermons I preached, so it’s a bit unpolished and runs about 18-19 minutes; we kept them brief since each student (about 25 of us) had to preach over a couple of weeks. Starting next week, I’ll begin posting sermons from my three years pastoring at Sovereign Grace Church, each adapted specifically for this podcast. I will be starting with the Gospel of Matthew.

Today's message comes from James 3:7-12. James addresses the power and difficulty of controlling the tongue. In these verses, James notes that while humans can tame animals, the tongue is uniquely challenging to restrain. He describes it as a "restless evil" full of poison, capable of both blessing God and cursing people who are made in God’s likeness. James emphasizes the inconsistency of using the same mouth to bless and curse, illustrating with examples from nature: fresh and salt water cannot flow from the same spring, and a fig tree cannot bear olives. He calls for consistency in speech, suggesting that our words should align with our faith.

1 Peter 4:7-11 emphasizes the importance of living faithfully as the end of all things draws near. It urges believers to be alert and self-controlled so they can pray effectively. The passage stresses maintaining deep love for each other, as love covers many sins, and encourages hospitality without complaining. Each person is called to use their gifts to serve others, faithfully managing God's grace. Those who speak should do so with God's words, and those who serve should do so with God's strength, so that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

This sermon was preached on August 16, 2015 at Sovereign Grace Church in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. For those familiar with my journey, that was after my time in Cleveland. You’ll notice my voice sounds noticeably weaker and tired. Less than a year later there would be some, even more serious, medical challenges I would face (around Mid-May of 2016). Due to circumstances, the next sermon will be posted until November 10,2024.

Matthew 8:18-22 (NIV) describes Jesus' interaction with two would-be disciples and highlights the cost of following Him. In this passage, Jesus emphasizes that following Him requires total commitment and may involve sacrifices, such as the loss of personal comfort and even family obligations.