South Woods Baptist Church » Sermons

A few years ago, I heard Malcolm Gladwell talk about why country music is more melancholy than other kinds of music. As he made his argument, he read the lyrics from a number of the most notable pop or rock songs from the past 50 … Continue reading →

In a world that offers and shouts pleasures without number, the language of sorrow is often muffled or muted altogether. The deafening roars of entertainment and hedonism have a way of doing just that. Even in places where being broken and somber should be the … Continue reading →

“No Fear” might’ve been cool on that middle school t-shirt, but it’s borderline sociopath. There’s an impulse within you and me, I assume, that avoids rattlesnakes, for example. And that feeling––that fear––isn’t necessarily bad. When we say, “emotions” or “feelings” we often immediately think of … Continue reading →

History reveals plenty of scandalous actions done in the name of gentlemanly conduct. In July 1804, two well-known political opponents that had slugged it out verbally, met to settle the conflict. Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury and Aaron Burr, sitting Vice President … Continue reading →

A Plea for Deliverance Psalm 3 June 7, 2020   Last year at this time, I finally settled into being home. For four months, I lived with the rhythm of flying to Houston, a week of being strapped to an IV machine pumping chemicals into … Continue reading →

  Living with the Ascended Lord Luke 24:50–53 May 31, 2020   When we began our study of Luke’s Gospel on November 21, 2017, I described it as a journey. Matt, Chris, and I have journeyed through the text, considering its language, context, grammar, historical … Continue reading →

All Scripture to All Nations Luke 24:44–49 May 23–24, 2020   When we pick up a book to read, in those few moments we mentally––maybe we’d even say emotionally––enter into someone else’s world. You can easily think of some fictional narrative where that’d be the … Continue reading →

I bet many of you remember March 11th. A lot happened that Wednesday. That was the night President Trump barred flights entering the US from Europe, the NBA put an immediate halt to their season, and the unfortunate reality of what had been looming came … Continue reading →

Confidence to Come Back Hosea 6:1–3   ILL: Christmas Eve or on the eve of one of our children’s birthdays—these were often far from the peaks of our most spiritual moments of marital bliss. The stubborn thought that often came out of my mouth, “Who … Continue reading →

   The Burning Hearts Society Luke 24:28–35 May 3, 2020 On our text, Martin Luther penned, “God sees more deeply into the bottom of our hearts than we ourselves, and gives us more than we desire.”[1] He implied that the two disciples on the … Continue reading →

Him They Did Not See (Luke 24:13–27) from South Woods Baptist Church on Vimeo. Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel All the Light We Cannot See primarily tells the story of two characters whose lives intersect during WWII. One of the main characters––maybe the main character––is … Continue reading →

Thirty-three years ago today, less than two miles from where we regularly meet,[2] South Woods had its first gathering. At that time, we were known as Kirby Woods at Winchester, reflecting the mother church that provided a building for us and sent us out, as … Continue reading →

  Death is a tyrant. It shows no favor. It knows nothing about mercy. It pays no attention to age or education or job or family or finances or notoriety. Death’s horrible work never stops, never takes a vacation, never goes A.W.O.L, never shrinks from … Continue reading →

Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) from South Woods Baptist Church on Vimeo.   The most profound of poems begin with a mere idea. Maybe the poet’s idea is scribbled on a napkin or pondered at an overlook, but those famous turns of phrase begin with the … Continue reading →

 The Son Buried Luke 23:50–56 Cemeteries level the playing field. It matters not if a resident has an ornate or simple headstone, rests in a mausoleum or pine box in the ground, lies beneath a catchy epitaph or an old slab with just a … Continue reading →

Seeing Jesus Die Luke 23:44–49 March 29, 2020   A number of years ago, I saw a film by a guy named Terrence Malick that I just loved. As I’m prone to do, I immediately recommended it to a number of my friends. One of … Continue reading →