Semons in a Nutshell

 Have you ever grumbled? Have you ever failed? Are you afraid of snakes? If so, this is for you! To kick things off, consider a couple of quick snake jokes: When God asked the serpent why he tempted Eve, the snake didn’t have a leg to stand on. And why did the snake cross the road? To show the chicken how to tempt someone in the Garden. Yes, those were pretty bad, but at least you’ve made it through the worst part of this message. In all seriousness, life has a sneaky way of feeling toxic. Stress coils around us, anxiety sinks its teeth in, and before we know it, we are spiritually dizzy, emotionally swollen, and wondering how we got here. In Numbers 21:4–9, the Israelites found themselves in a wilderness season where everything seemed to be going wrong. They grew deeply impatient and allowed discontentment to fog their spiritual windshield, completely blinding them to God’s past miracles. They fell into a vicious cycle of grumbling, complaining upward against God and Moses about t...

Have you seen that viral social media reel comparing different stages of a teaching career? It shows the brand-new teachers enthusiastically declaring, "I’ll do anything you want me to!" The mid-career teachers offer a slightly more cautious, "I’ll do nearly anything." But the veteran teachers? They channel their inner Hall & Oates: "I can’t go for that... no can do." While it’s a funny clip, it hits on a painfully real truth that stretches far beyond the classroom. Many of us suffer from a chronic inability to say "no," taking on far too much until we are running ourselves ragged. We see this exact problem play out in Exodus 18:13–26. Moses, a godly and chosen leader, was trying to act as the sole judge, jury, counselor, and spiritual advisor for an entire nation of two million people. He sat at his makeshift DMV counter from sunup to sundown, listening to every single dispute alone. He thought he was being responsible and deeply spiritual, ...

  The Strength of the Meek: Staying Humble Under Fire Scripture: Numbers 12:1–13 In years of coaching, I noticed a consistent pattern: the player who brags the loudest about their skills is almost always the hardest to coach—and usually the least able to back it up on the field. Our culture teaches that leadership and strength require volume. We are told to assert ourselves, clap back, and never let anyone get the upper hand. We equate aggression with authority. But the Kingdom of God operates on an inverted system: true power isn’t the ability to crush your critics; it’s the ability to exercise restraint when you have every right to retaliate. Redefining Meekness: Power Under Control In Numbers 12:3, right in the middle of a massive family conflict, the Holy Spirit inserts an unexpected note: "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth." We often equate meekness with weakness, picturing a spineless human doormat. But this is Mose...

  Between a Rock and a Wet Place: Navigating Life’s Impossible Corners Scripture: Exodus 14:10–14, 21–31 Years ago, on a bitter, icy winter night, I was driving down Route 666 in Ohio—a winding, two-lane rural road locally known as the "Devil's Byway." As we started down a steep, slick hill, I tapped the brakes. The wheels locked instantly. We gained speed, hurtling toward a 90-degree curve at the bottom, directly facing a dense grove of trees. My passengers were panicked, and I was convinced we were going to die. At the absolute last second, the tires caught the edge of the pavement, sending us into a wild spin. When we finally stopped, we were miraculously facing the right way on the road, completely unharmed. We all face moments where we feel like we are sliding out of control into an impossible situation. In the second part of our series on the life of Moses, we find Israel stuck in the ultimate historical dead end: the Egyptian army charging from behind, and the dee...

The Burning Bush and the 9-to-5: Finding God in the Routine Scripture: Exodus 3:1–12 Several years ago, I visited Turkey—a beautiful country steeped in biblical history, from Ephesus to Mt. Ararat. But one of my most memorable moments happened while waiting in a mundane customs line. I noticed the guy ahead of me looked familiar. When he turned to snap a photo with an agent, it clicked: I was standing right behind former NFL running back Tiki Barber. It was a completely unexpected encounter in the middle of a routine travel day. The Bible is full of these unexpected encounters. Often, we assume God only speaks during "mountain-top experiences"—altar calls, church retreats, or moments of sacred silence. But scripture shows us that God routinely crashes into our ordinary, daily routines to deliver His biggest callings. Holy Ground on a Regular Tuesday When we meet Moses in Exodus 3, he isn't fasting on a mountain or praying in a temple. He is working his day job—herding sh...

 The Disciplined Sword: Faith, Force, and the Follower of Christ Scripture: Romans 12:17–21; Exodus 22:2–3; 1 Timothy 5:8; Nehemiah 4 What does faith require when danger knocks at the door? Recently, a quiet evening dog walk in Washington State turned tragic. Approached by a stranger and asked, “What religion are you?”, a believer answered faithfully: “Christian.” For that one word, he and his dog were viciously stabbed. The man survived; his dog did not. The attacker was later stopped by law enforcement using lethal force. Incidents like this—or the mobs disrupting church services we've seen in the news—force us to confront a heavy question: Does the Bible demand that Christians simply fold their hands in the face of evil? Scripture never equates biblical goodness with helplessness. Here are five pillars that define how a Christian should navigate a violent world with disciplined courage. 1. The Character of God: Shield and Sovereign We often fall into the trap of separating the O...