I've heard there are two kinds of people in the world. Some wake up and say, "Good morning, Lord!" And then some wake up and say, "Good Lord, it's morning!" I know which kind I am. Which kind are you? It might surprise you that King David appears to have occasionally been with us in the latter option. Psalm 5, a morning prayer penned by David, begins with the words, "Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groanings." If you begin your day with groanings, you're in good company with at least o...
Jul 09, 2023•26 min
Did you say your prayers before bed last night? In "A Light in the Attic," Shel Silverstein offers his own skewed view on bedtime prayers, offering one that is honest, hilarious, and a little demented (as only Silverstein can do): Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, And if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my toys will break. So none of the other kids can use 'em….Amen. I'm amused at the candid selfishness in Silverstein's prayer. It feels a little too familiar. "If I...
Jul 02, 2023•27 min
I attended a small concert Thursday evening to hear my favorite band, Dawes. Just about everyone there was a longtime fan, like myself. We all knew their songs well and anticipated that they would play our favorites. Three songs into their set, a very familiar guitar riff started. The entire audience was instantly on their feet. I, for one, let out a "WOOOOO!" (I confess, I'm one of those people who yells "WOOOOO!" at concerts). When the band hit the chorus, every last one of us sang along, fist...
Jun 25, 2023•25 min
We had an early Father's Day family outing to the zoo yesterday. Grandpa had a great time watching the animals with Ruby. It was a good thing we had Gracie along; she read the plaques to us, giving us essential information about the various animals. For instance, she told us we shouldn't smile at the spider monkeys because they take bared teeth as a sign of aggression. "Who cares?" I thought. There was a fence between us and the monkeys, so how aggressive could they get? I grinned big and notice...
Jun 18, 2023•25 min
I've joked that the only reason I keep going to school is to maintain my Spotify student discount. Spotify is a service that contains a massive collection of music. It's introduced me to new songs I've fallen in love with and allows me to build playlists of my old favorites. So whatever mood I find myself in, there's a Spotify playlist that speaks to it. This summer, we're going to the Psalms, that carefully curated playlist of songs in our Bibles. Spotify's got nothing on the Psalms! Whatever y...
Jun 04, 2023•25 min
A Funeral Message for Darrell Short by Bret Hammond
Jun 02, 2023•15 min
I was an hour away from home, looking for some relaxation on a beautiful summer day. My destination was a rails-to-trails project where I could walk, think, and pray. As I approached the parking lot for the trail, my old vehicle balked! It didn't want to turn! With great effort and a lot of trouble, I steered into the lot and assessed the problem. My power steering was out. An hour from home. Jack LaLanne would have approved of the workout I got on the drive back home. Every curve was a challeng...
May 28, 2023•25 min
Tim Keller passed away Friday, three years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Keller was a significant voice in the Christian faith, often confrontational, always kind, and always pointing people to Jesus. I followed him on Twitter, where, among the short rants offered by way too many, Keller presented grace, reason, and Christ. A week ago, Tim Keller posted, "If the most powerful person, the power behind the universe loves you with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind, and you can...
May 21, 2023•25 min
"Trouble won't kill ya." In his song, "La Vie," Billy Sprague tells the story of his grandmother Myrtle and the trials she had lived through, outlasting two husbands, all of her sisters, brothers, and cousins. Myrtle was left to wonder why she was still alive. I can't help but think of Mom today and all she lived through. She came from a family of nine children, but she buried most of those siblings before her death. She endured a miscarriage, the death of a son by suicide, her husband's descent...
May 14, 2023•24 min
Dad taught me always to carry a spare tire and jack in the car's trunk. That served me well until I found someone with a flat one day, and my tire iron didn't match their lug nuts. That's when I started carrying a four-way. Then I found someone with an easily fixed tire puncture, and that's when I started carrying a patch kit. Then I started carrying a tire pump. And then . . . Be Prepared. That's not just a lesson for Boy Scouts; it serves us all well to be ready for whatever the world throws i...
May 07, 2023•24 min
There are movies we've watched so often that certain lines have burned themselves into our memory and found their way into everyday conversation. So, for a number of you reading this, all I have to write is, "Tis but a scratch!" and, well . . . if you know, you know! As a kid, watching the Black Knight suffer injury after injury, losing limb after limb, all the while maintaining that he's "had worse," was hilarious. As an adult, though, I've seen too many times when friends in horrible circumsta...
Apr 30, 2023•25 min
In 1927, following the sudden death of his wife, Arthur John Gossip preached his sermon, "But When Life Tumbles In, What Then?" This sermon continues to impact us as we search for a faith that will take us through the troubles of life. The full text of this manuscript can be found at https://www.brethammond.com/2023/04/but-when-life-tumbles-in-what-then/
Apr 23, 2023•26 min
Of all the words of faith and devotion in the Bible, I find myself reflecting on three spoken by Daniel's friends before the fiery furnace. "But if not." When faced with the choice of either bowing down and worshiping idols of gold or submitting their lives to the fire, these men spoke with conviction about the power of God and faith in his ability to save them. In Daniel 3:17, they declare, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning firey furnace." In the next verse, though, ...
Apr 16, 2023•21 min
Mom had a cute little nickname for all of us when we were growing up, including Dad (maybe especially Dad). She liked to call us “hard-headed Hammonds.” Apparently, the ability to stick to your convictions despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary was not a quality Mom valued as much as the rest of us. But, of course, she was likely the one who had to clean up the messes that resulted from our hard-headedness, so she had her reasons. Maybe my reputation as a hard-headed Hammond is what impre...
Apr 09, 2023•19 min
Confession time: In my first year of preaching, I had no clue what Palm Sunday was. I didn't grow up in the church, and while I knew about Easter (even beyond the bunny and eggs), I had no idea there even was a Palm Sunday. I had never shouted "Hosanna!" and had never even seen a palm tree, let alone waved a branch! It's worse than that, though. I remember doing the research, reading the Gospels backward, counting from the Sunday Jesus was resurrected, backtracking his path through Jerusalem day...
Apr 02, 2023•24 min
Famously timid and fearful of death, Woody Allen was once asked, "Do you want to be immortalized by your work?" He replied, "No, I want to be immortalized by not dying." Asked again, "What do you hope people will say about you in 100 years?" His reply was, "He looks good for his age." What would we expect people to remember of us 100 years from now? I suppose if the Internet is still up and running, a collection of my sermon files could be floating around somewhere. With God's blessings, there m...
Mar 26, 2023•28 min
The population of the planet is over 8 billion people. Set aside issues of overpopulation and food supply for a moment and simply consider the question, how unique can you actually be when compared to 8 billion others? Even if you're a one-in-a-million kind of guy, there are 8000 other people exactly like you! We come to the end of Micah's book, and he asks the question he seems to have been asking all along. "Who is a God like you?" (Micah 7:18). Not one-in-a-million or even one-in-eight-billio...
Mar 19, 2023•26 min
I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like I lost at least an hour of sleep last night, maybe more! I just tried to make coffee without water in the coffee maker. I was taking my pills and cautiously tried to remember which ones were chewable and which ones weren't. I'm going to need clear and straightforward instructions this morning, and then I'm going to need a nap! Thankfully, we're in Micah 6:8 today. It doesn't get more clear and more straightforward than that verse! Micah answers...
Mar 12, 2023•27 min
I know he can't defend himself, but I have to tell you, my son, Connor, is one of THOSE people. What people, you might ask? Connor is one of THOSE people who play Christmas music all year long! Yeah, I don't know where he gets it, either. It can be the middle of a blazing hot July, sweat dripping, the air conditioner doing its best to keep up with the humidity, and Connor will be blasting "Jingle Bells" from his iPad! While the rest of us are gorging on Halloween candy, he's listening to "Silent...
Mar 05, 2023•27 min
Our friend told us a story from early in his ministry when a little girl asked him, "What does God look like?" How would you answer a question like that? What was she hoping to hear? "He's an old man in a white robe sitting on a cloud?" "He looks a lot like your grandpa, only not as chubby?" So my friend wisely took her to the Bible and showed her the attributes of God listed there. He's merciful and gracious in Exodus 34:6. He's our rock and fortress in Psalm 18:3. And, of course, in 1 John 4:8...
Feb 19, 2023•26 min
I had my regular check-up, and the doctor is happy with my blood pressure and cholesterol. He says I'm looking healthy, but there's just one problem. I'm not sad enough. He's ordered sackcloth and ashes for me. Oh, and a viewing of "Old Yeller." Ok, so it's absolutely ridiculous that a doctor would prescribe sadness, yet that's precisely what Micah prescribes for his people. His diagnosis is that they have abandoned God, and his remedy is "lament and wail" (Micah 1:8) and to shave their heads as...
Feb 12, 2023•27 min
He's just some no-name preacher from a small town you've never heard of. I'm speaking, of course, of Micah of Moresheth. Wait . . . who did you think I was talking about?!?! Tucked in the back of your Old Testament is the little book of Micah. He's not a big name like his contemporary, Isaiah. He doesn't stand out like his neighbor in the Bible, Jonah. Micah's not flashy; he's faithful. He calls us back to the heart of God and shows him to be infinitely compassionate and filled with lovingkindne...
Feb 05, 2023•29 min
One of the things I love about enjoying a variety of foods is connecting with the cultures behind the flavors. Korea's short growing season and cold climate made pickled and preserved vegetables a necessity (and delicious). Latin influences and an abundance of chili peppers gave us the tastes of the southwest. And bacon cheeseburgers are just one of the reasons America is awesome! If you're willing to be a little adventurous, you can tour the world with your tastebuds! Food connects us like noth...
Jan 29, 2023•26 min
I can't tell you how often I've sat in a movie theater watching the previews for coming attractions and thought to myself, "What's the point of seeing the movie now? The trailer told me everything that's going to happen!" The bad news is that the trailer ruined the end of the story; the good news is I saved myself ten bucks by not needing to see the movie! But sometimes, the end of the story is not the story. We see that in the cross, and Jesus' empty tomb as the story continues in the life of t...
Jan 22, 2023•25 min
There are some people we know by name and others we know by shame. We know their stories and mistakes and how they've disappointed themselves, their families, and their communities. But everything we know about someone is in the past. So how do we look ahead and see the possibilities known only to God? In John 4, Jesus encounters a woman at a well. Everyone in her community knows her story and shame. As far as they're concerned, they know exactly what she is. But the one who knows her heart sees...
Jan 15, 2023•30 min
I never thought I’d be one of those old guys, but it turns out I am! I was standing in line at Walmart, waiting to check out. I turned to the complete stranger behind me, showed him the picture on my phone, and said, “This is my granddaughter!” It all happened so fast that I didn’t even realize what I was doing! And no, it wasn’t an isolated incident. It happens almost daily now. It’s really not my fault; she’s just so darn cute! Love does that, though. We want to include others in our joy and i...
Jan 08, 2023•25 min
I call it my "Blurb," and I post it on Facebook every Sunday morning. In fact, you're reading this week's blurb right now! I try to keep it short and encouraging and use it as a preview for the sermon I'll preach later in the morning. My goal is always that the blurb will stand on its own, but if I've done it right, it might whet your appetite for what I'll be serving up in the sermon. I was in a preaching class last summer when our professor posited that while we're all interested in learning t...
Jan 01, 2023•27 min
It's Christmas morning, and not a creature is stirring except for me (and one cat). My mornings usually start early anyway, but this morning I found myself lying awake in bed, contemplating getting up, contemplating Christmas on a Sunday, thinking about the old, old story and the new sermon I'll deliver today. I finally decided it was time to get up a little over an hour ago. The cat was already waiting for me. One of the struggles preachers feel this time of year is the question, "how do we tel...
Dec 25, 2022•18 min
It's such a small detail and seems so insignificant. All babies were wrapped in swaddling cloths in those days! Why does Luke feel the need to mention it twice? Because there's mystery in the ordinary for Luke and there's God wrapped in strips of linen at the beginning of his Gospel, and then again . . .
Dec 25, 2022•25 min
A dog chewed up my first image of Jesus. I should probably explain that better, right? When I was a child, we had a Christmas tree ornament that was a tiny nativity scene. I was allowed to hang it on the tree, and, being tiny myself, I hung it on a very low branch. Unfortunately, the following day we awoke to find that our normally well-behaved dog, Trixie, had destroyed the nativity. It was chewed into pieces and all over the floor. The following year, we found a similar replacement, and I lear...
Dec 18, 2022•21 min
