Seven Mile Road: Recent Episodes
Seven Mile Road
We're preaching hard just north of Boston. May our good Father, in His grace and by His Spirit, use these words to build the kingdom of His Son by bringing many to repentance and faith.
Have you ever wondered what God is doing right now and how your life might be connected to His greater mission? Psalm 110, the most-quoted psalm in the New Testament, is cited by Jesus and His apostles and prophetically foretold that God the Father would place His Son at His right hand and then actively extend His kingdom by overcoming His enemies. This missional psalm is a call for us to reflect: Are we helping to expand the kingdom of Jesus, or are we focused on building our own? In the end, what will stand the test of time—our own pursuits or God’s purposes in Christ?
When we feel crushed by life, faint, and alone, who do we run to? What does our soul thirst for when we are in despair? Do we run from God, hide from Him, or ignore Him? Psalm 143 was written by David in a time of great despair. David recognizes that he cannot stand before God and earn His favor. Instead, he pleads with God according to His steadfast love. David's soul thirsts for God because the LORD is his true refuge — and this Sunday, we'll see how He is ours as well.
Give thanks to the Lord. We’ve heard it said. We know it’s a good idea. We’ve read it in the scriptures. We may not even object, but pressure mounts, business overwhelms, and discontent can rise up. But only so long as we don’t remember who God is and only so long as we don’t remember what he’s done. This Sunday, we’ll be reminded to give thanks to the Lord and why our Creator, our Redeemer, our protector, our God, whose steadfast love endures and who remembers us, is so worthy of our thanks
Listen to an update to stay informed and involved in the life of the church as you grow in your love for Jesus.
Hear about:
Our thoughts on the World Cup
What to expect from the pulpit on Sundays
Women's and Men's Summer Studies
Inaugural Worship Night on August 8
The Annual Teacher Training for SMR Kids teachers
Plans for the Elder Retreat
This week we'll dive into Psalm 139 and think about the two vastly different responses these verses can elicit in our hearts & souls.
In Psalm 111, we’re exhorted to praise the Lord. But the psalmist doesn’t just tell us to do so and then leave us wondering how. Instead, they model for us what it looks like to praise the Lord and how this draws our attention back to our redeeme
Pastor Justin sat down with Ned and Chris to talk about student ministry leadership. Give it a listen and be praying for the Taylors, the Cervantes, and for our students!
Psalm 121
For generations, God's people would travel to Jerusalem for the great festivals, singing as they walked the long and often treacherous road. Among the songs on their lips was Psalm 121 — the cry of a weary pilgrim who, somewhere along the journey, may have begun to wonder where his help would come from. This Sunday, as we kick off our summer series in the Psalms, we'll see the psalm's answer to that question: my help comes from the LORD
Every Sunday, we gather at the table to share this simple meal of bread and wine as Christ’s people. It reminds us not only a meal about what Christ has accomplished in the past but also of His promises for the future. This meal serves as a preview of the future realities we will experience with Him. That means Christ’s meal helps us right now focus our hearts and minds on God’s coming kingdom, filling us with hope and endurance until His return.
1 Corinthians 10.16-17
Each Sunday, as we come to Jesus' table, we do so together. Not alone but as a family. In fact, as we share the cup and bread, we testify that though we are many, God has made us one body in Christ, bound together in a community of his own, bought with his blood. Jesus' table is both essentially Christian and essentially corporate. This Sunday, we’ll see: at the table, we identify as Jesus’ people.
Each year, generation after generation of God's people would celebrate the Passover, remembering what God had done in freeing his people from Egypt. On the night before his death, Jesus and his disciples gathered and celebrated the Passover meal, but this time the focus would shift from the death of the Lamb to the death of Jesus. In fact, the Apostle Paul would later write, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
This Sunday, we'll see that: at the table, we remember Christ's sacrifice
1 Corinthians 11.26
While instructing the Corinthian church on the Lord’s Supper, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26 ESV). It is not too difficult to read that and then shake our heads up and down, acknowledging that we understand what Paul is saying. _Yes, Paul, I get it._ But do we?
This Sunday, we’ll examine the reality that at the Table, we proclaim Christ’s death
We loved getting time with Keith and Lizzie Nicolson from Merkinch & South Kessock Free Church in Scotland and hearing about how God is working in that part of the UK!
Each week at Seven Mile Road, just after the Word is preached, we partake in the Lord’s Supper, where Jesus invites sinners to share a meal with him. How could this be?
Eating that tiny bit of bread and drinking wine or juice from that tiny cup may seem minute and momentary but it’s actually magnificent! Over the next few weeks, we’ll dive into this grace and mature our understanding of what happens at the table.
This week, we will examine how at the table we renew covenant with Christ.
Have you ever wondered what a Deacon is? Or what Jesus calls deacons to be and do for him? Maybe you’ve even wondered what benefit it is for the church to have faithful deacons?
Over the last two weeks, we’ve looked at how Jesus is the greatest servant and how he calls elders to serve by leading his church. This week, we will look at how Deacons lead by serving.
In Acts 6, we’ll see how a conflict arose in the church and how those who led the church by serving allowed the apostles to continue preaching the Word and praying ... and how that led to growing faith and a growing church.
Have you ever wondered what a Pastor-Elder is?
Or what Jesus calls them to be and do for him?
Or even what benefit it is for the church to have faithful elders?
Last week, we kicked off our Diakonos sermon series by looking at how Jesus defined true greatness for those who lead in his kingdom: being a servant.
This week, we will look at how Elders Serve by Leading. In 1 Peter 5, Jesus’ apostle encourages elders to care for Jesus’ people looking forward to Jesus’ eternal reward. In particular, Pastor-Elders serve by leading like Jesus for the good and health of his church.
Mark 10.35-45
_Who is the greatest? How can it be me? _ These are the last questions we’d expect to hear the disciples were asking Jesus ... or at least we’d hope they wouldn’t. But they did ask them, and those questions are often on our minds, too.
This week, as we begin our sermon series called _Diakonos_, we’ll hear Jesus’ answer and see the beautiful truth that HE is the greatest servant, “who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
This Sunday, we’ll bring our sermon series, "God’s King", to a close as we complete the Book of Samuel. When the book began, God’s people were being led poorly and desired a king like the nations. As the book ends, though a broken man himself, God’s King David is on the throne, confessing his sin, saving his people, and there’s a promise ... a promise that he’d have a son, God’s True King, who will rule God’s kingdom eternally for the people’s good.
Mark 16.1-8
Early on Sunday morning, the Sunday after a Friday filled with the shocking, brutal, and gruesome death of Jesus followed by his burial ... and after a Sabbath filled with a certain confusion and sadness, the same women who looked upon Jesus at his death went to his tomb. As they spoke of the need to roll the stone away, they noticed it was already there and heard news that changes everything, "He has risen." This Easter Sunday, we'll celebrate this great news that changes everything
Last words are important and telling. More specifically, they tell what a person thinks is important. In this Sunday’s sermon, we’ll hear David’s final words ... words that God spoke to him and through him as God’s King. As a king who has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, King David’s last words will point us to a crucial reality that a just ruler is a blessing to his people.
The Melrose staff talk about Good Friday, Easter, a checkers game controversy, upcoming sermon series we will hear on Sundays, a typo about the Spring Cleaning and Work Day, April's Connections Breakfast, an upcoming Women's Retreat in New Hampshire, and how a new Goodreads feature could help some our staff. Listen to get up-to-date and laugh with (and at) us!
Deacon of Care Info:
https://www.sevenmilemelrose.com/deacon
Women's Retreat Info and Sign Up:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-wH-dTCz8IR-rvN8Km20sm95bcVRkBCNyHwOFFYZg39ZbWw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=117628007985786467489
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
Over and over in the book of Samuel, we have seen how the Lord God delivered his chosen king from every battle, assassination attempt, coup, and rebellion
Because of that, David praises the God who saved him from all his enemies.
To a greater extent, the Lord God not only saved King Jesus from the cords of death but, through him, saves us from all our enemies as well.
Because of that, we can also say I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies
2 Samuel 21-22.1
What have we done? How do we defeat our enemies?
These two questions loomed large in the minds of God's people as David became king and they didn't stop. These questions were there before David and the answers marked much of his reign. Yet, as he nears the end of his life what stands out most isn't that he answered them, but that God delivered him. God delivered his king ... and his people!
We have no portion in David
With these words, Sheba initiates a rebellion against David and divides his kingdom. David’s kingdom can only be fully re-established with the defeat and death of Sheba, signaled by the trumpet blast of Joab.
This Sunday, we will see that in this moment, Israel’s unity comes at the cost of one rebel’s life. This points us to the greater reality of God’s grace to us in Christ, who defeated his enemy by giving his one precious life for all rebels who come to him in faith.
What have I done? How can I come back from that? What happens now?
These questions flow through the minds of God’s people as the rebellion against King David failed. They are concerned with who the King is, but also how he will feel about them ... especially if they opposed him in any way. This Sunday, we’ll see how David responds to those who were near him and those who were far off. Even more, we’ll see how he points us to Christ’s peace.
2 Samuel 19
Listen this month for a special episode all about the upcoming Marriage Retreat! You'll hear what to expect from the sessions, why we are excited about it, who should register, and how to get your ticket!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pursuing-a-god-honoring-marriage-retreat-at-seven-mile-road-church-tickets-1982386908608?aff=oddtdtcreator
2 Samuel 18
David’s kingdom is divided. His own son Absalom has raised an army to take the throne. In the chaos, the question is unavoidable: who is really in control? This Sunday we will see that God secures His Kingdom even through our uncertainty, sin, and grief
Have you ever wondered what happens with our prayers? Does God answer them? If so, how does he answer them?
This Sunday, we’ll see God answer the prayer that David prayed when he was first on the run from Absalom’s coup. God’s powerful move was David’s only hope, but God heard him and answered ... and he hears and answers our prayers, too.
2 Samuel 16.15-17.29
How do I endure the hard consequences of my sin?
What helps me endure unjust treatment from others?
David is on the run because of the downstream consequences of his own sin.
Despite this, God provides nourishment to sustain David so he can endure the Lord’s fatherly discipline.
Like David, Christ endured by faith through unjust slander, reviling, and false accusations that led to his death. Unlike David, he did so for the sins of others according to God’s fatherly plan.
As those who belong to Christ, we can endure all things by trusting in the character of God revealed to us in the gospel.
2 Samuel 15
_Whose favor will I seek? Who will decide what seems good in my life?_ These are big questions that decide a lot about how we live in relation to one another and to God.
In this week’s sermon, we’ll see Absalom, back in Jerusalem, making himself seem good as a righteous judge before the people ... all the while, he’s really making a move for the throne against God’s King, David. As King David hears the news, he leaves Jerusalem weeping and resting his hopes on God’s favor to bring about a return. Either way, David is ready to embrace whatever seems good to God.
What happens when you have really done it? What happens when you’ve gone one too far too fast and really hurt people? Not just any people, though. You’ve hurt your family, and now you’ve run because it seemed like the only thing you could do. What happens next?
This week, we’ll see this exact story play out in King David’s house in 2 Samuel 14 ... and we’ll see the difference it makes to have a good brother who sees his brother’s plight, pleads for him to be welcomed home, and helps him reconcile to the king.
2 Samuel 14
2 Samuel 13.23-39
What happens when someone sins horribly against another person? Do we take action? Do we stand by? What about when justice doesn’t seem to come? This week, we’ll see Absalom respond to Amnon’s sin against Tamar, as he takes vengeance. Absalom commands his men to make things right ... but they don’t necessarily turn out right. The truth is that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he repays perfectly
As we return to the Book of Samuel, we’ll see awful sin occur in King David’s house. We’ll see how deep sin destroys emotions, people, and relationships in heartrending fashion and with cascading effect. But we’ll also see that, while sin runs deep, God’s grace in Jesus Christ runs deeper.
Listening to the monthly updates is a great way to get up to date on the life of Seven Mile Melrose! This month Sara, Justin, and Michael talk about what to expect Sunday mornings, the track we are excited about this winter, and some January events both for members and people who are newer to Seven Mile Road.
https://www.sevenmilemelrose.com/ontheroad
Whether through John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph, or the shepherds, we have seen how God showed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior, at his arrival. Yet Jesus' didn't only show up in this world. He arrived to reveal the heart of God for His people. He arrived to reveal the heart of man. Let's see who He is and take hold of Jesus this Christmas.
Luke 2.21-40
“Good News of Great Joy for all people”. That’s what the angel told the shepherds about Jesus’ birth. The shepherds received the news, followed the sign, and met the Savior. Telling any who would hear about the Messiah, their Savior. They left joyful, worshiping God. This is the story of all who hear, believe, and meet Jesus.
God is redeeming His Creation through His Son, but what does it look like to faithfully and joyfully cooperate with Him in that? In this passage, Luke introduces us to Mary, who gives us some idea of how to do that.
This Sunday, we’ll begin our Advent sermon series from the Gospel of Luke, called Good News of Great Joy, with the story of John the Baptist’s birth. As we do so, we’ll hear how God answered the prayers of John’s parents and see how God works in the lives of his people so that His blessing leads others to rejoice in God and hope in his salvation.
Luke 1.5-25, 57-80
The end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount issues some stark warnings and teaches us that true righteousness finds its roots in the state of our hearts.
Have you ever wondered why people choose to fast? Throughout the Scriptures, we see many of God’s people fasting, yet honestly, fasting for the purpose of pursuing God can sometimes be overlooked in our own walk with Jesus.In this week’s passage, Jesus shares with us how to fast and offers a profound motivation: the Father Himself promises to reward us! If our fasting is only to gain applause or approval from others, then that’s the only reward we’ll receive. But when we fast as Jesus teaches, the eternal God sees us and promises to reward us. Ultimately, fasting is about desiring God and His reward more than anything else.
When we read our Bibles, we hear over and over again that God alone rules over all. But as we look around to our culture and to our own hearts, it often feels like something else is on the throne - money.In our text this week, Jesus shows us what it looks like to live faithfully to Him by believing that He is better than our wallets. He won’t give us a budget. He won’t tell us what we can or can’t spend our money on. But He gives us a promise: investing our hearts in His Kingdom is the best investment we can ever make.
Matthew 6:1-4; 19-34
Prayer can seem quite difficult, no matter how convinced we are that God calls us to it. We can struggle because we don’t know what to say or how to say it. Additionally, we can a tough time because of who we are and what we think we are accomplishing as we pray. No matter your struggle, prayer can challenge you … but through prayer, God can also bless you. This week, we’ll hear from Jesus how to pray in the right way for the right reward and with the right view of God.
Matthew 5.13-16
How can I make a difference in other people's lives? How can I build a life on the gospel that loves and leads others to the real Jesus?
These are questions we ask whether younger and figuring life out or older and established. This Sunday, we'll hear Jesus tell his disciples they've been made new. They've been made salt. They've been made light. And as they (and we!) live as his people doing good works, others will see them and glorify God the Father.
How does Jesus expect us to live as His people? In Christ our citizenship is in heaven and we’re called to live together in a manner worthy of that calling. This Sunday Jesus shows us what that looks like: ending angry contempt with urgent reconciliation, killing unholy desires and honoring marriage, speaking plainly and keeping our word, and exercising humility and wisdom. We don’t do these to earn the kingdom; we do them because the King equips us by His Spirit and calls us to walk in His ways.
This week, we begin a new preaching series from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, titled ‘Building Life on the Gospel.’
We all choose how we are going to build our lives.
The challenge from Jesus is to intentionally choose how we are building our lives.
To enter his kingdom, we must have the overflowing righteousness of God.
How do we get that overflowing righteousness?
There are two choices: One is to pursue righteousness of our own making.
Jesus wants us to choose the other way, his way - join us on Sunday as we learn from Jesus how to build our lives on the Gospel.
How should I follow Jesus in this broken and sinful world? If good works don’t save me, should I try to do them? This Sunday, as Paul ends his letter to Titus, we’ll see that believing and living in Christ means that we’ll also live lives devoted to good works. Our good works won’t save us, but we are certainly called to do them as humble heirs in God’s kingdom.
Titus 3
Listen for an October update on all things Seven Mile Melrose.
You'll hear all kinds of things including: why you might see holes in the sanctuary walls, how to get a donut reward, how a middle-school slang term could help you save the date for a marriage retreat, a recap from last months's parenting workshop, how to participate in the Chili Cook-Off, and the staff's thoughts on apple picking.
Subscribe to the Parents Newsletter:
https://sevenmilemelrose.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ae874e3ddc0bd51b08b51e5ab&id=82c8286f7b
Sign up for the Chili Cook Off:
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Following Jesus in an ever-changing, disorienting, and broken world can sometimes seem impossible. We don’t know what to do. We may not know what to say. Life can be confusing in the moment, but this week we’ll hear that the grace of God not only saves us but also trains us.
Paul sent Titus to Crete to establish elders. Titus was also with this young church to ensure that healthy gospel doctrine was being preached and lived. Good doctrine without gospel living discredits the gospel, dishonors God, and destroys lives. But, faith that produces godly living promotes Jesus and his mission to save us and those who don’t yet believe.
As the Apostle Paul left Titus in Crete to help the church, he assigned him an important task: appoint elders. We may wonder: Why? Who? What will they do? Fortunately, as we dive deeper into Paul’s letter, we’ll find answers to those questions and see that Paul believed faithful elders faithfully preaching would lead to faithful people
Have you ever wondered how your belief in God affects your life? This Sunday, as we kick off our new sermon series, Believe and Live, we’ll hear that our faith and knowledge of God does not merely inform how we live. Instead, our believing drives our living
Titus 1
Psalm 103
Whether reading the psalms that tells us Bless the Lord or singing the words "Praise God from whom all blessings flow" in the Doxology, it's clear that God is due some response from us. He's due our blessing. We know He's worthy, but how can we bless Him? How do we get there? How can we cultivate hearts that bless the Lord? This Sunday, we'll see that we bless the Lord as we remember who He is and what he's done
We live in a world in which some people do evil to others and yet go unpunished. Faced with this reality, we may doubt that God is just. In Psalm 94, the psalmist reassures us that He is and shows us how to live in light of this truth.
Psalm 97
What gives you joy? What makes you rejoice?
Our tendency is to think being in control or getting to call the shots brings joy, but our Psalm this week tells us differently. It tells us that true joy and rejoicing result from the Lord's reign over all.
Picture the Israelites singing the song of worship in Psalm 87. It says that Zion, otherwise known as Jerusalem, is God’s special place for all peoples, from the hardest to the furthest. It may have been difficult, or frustrating, or baffling, maybe even encouraging or … all of the above.
The Truth of this Psalm is Good News to all of us, but it also challenges us as the people of God to reach out to others together as one family.
Listen to this month's update and hear:
Who's coming to dinner? and why we're excited about it!
What Sunday gatherings will look like in August
Upcoming Student Ministry events and needs
Thoughts on Summer in New England
and much more!
To subscribe to the student ministry parent newsletter, click here! https://sevenmilemelrose.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=ae874e3ddc0bd51b08b51e5ab&id=82c8286f7b
Psalm 90
Do you ever stop and think about how eternal and unshakable our God is? Do you ever stop and think about how short and fragile life really is in comparison? This Sunday, we’ll do both. Psalm 90 invites us to face the weakness we all know -- our mortality -- not with despair, but with great hope in the everlasting God.
Psalm 73
Do you feel lost and forgotten when those against God seem to prosper? We grow weary and lose focus of God when evil seems to win. This Sunday we will see that fixing our eyes on God reveals a greater truth -- that God determines our fate. When the world fails we can place our trust in the One who never will.
Psalm 92 invites us to praise God for his steadfast love and faithfulness. Together, we’ll see how true flourishing comes not from chasing our own happiness, but from resting in the God who rules on high forever in Christ. Join us as we discover the joy and strength found in worshiping the Lord who plants us to bear fruit for his glory forever.
Listen to this 17-minute update on what's in store this month at Seven Mile Melrose. *Info on the Melrose Bike parade: https://www.sevenmilemelrose.com/servingatmelrosecommon
Find a small group to join on July 6, email prevett@sevenmileroad.org*
Info on the Women's Summer Series:
https://www.sevenmilemelrose.com/womenssummerseries
Psalm 91
This Sunday, we’ll see that there’s not only great delight to be found in dwelling in God ... there’s great deliverance. God’s people have always faced significant opposition, intense challenge, and evil itself. Yet through it all and no matter the opponent, God promises great protection to those who seek Him.
Psalm 84
Have you ever stopped to consider what makes you truly happy? What is it that makes your day or week or life truly blessed? What do you truly long for that doesn’t let you down?As we begin our Summer in the Psalms this Sunday, we’ll hear who the Psalmist says are the truly blessed ones today, tomorrow, and forever. And we’ll find out that they are those who dwell in the house of the Lord, those whose strength is in God, and those who trust in the Lord.
This Sunday, we’re looking at the moment when David’s sin comes to light—when God, in his kindness, exposes what he tried so hard to keep hidden. We’ll see that God’s integrity is rock solid: he’s always consistent with who he says he is, even when we’re not, and that’s both sobering and profoundly hopeful for people like us who know our own inconsistencies. Come ready to be honest about your heart and find that trusting in the consistency of Jesus is God’s path to real forgiveness, healing, and peace.
This Sunday, we’ll see King David foolishly believe sin’s lies after a long season of living under God’s rule and reign. After sinning greatly in taking what isn’t his, David uses all of his power and might, not to run to God, but to attempt to hide what he’s done. In doing so, sin’s deceit and destruction become apparent... as well as the reality that only God’s True King can cover sin.
2 Samuel 11
Gospel Community interest form:
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Have you ever been shamed or humiliated for following Jesus? Have you ever been opposed for following God’s King? Have you ever needed courage to fight? This week, as we spend time in 2 Samuel 10, we’ll see that you’re not alone. Even more, we’ll see God’s goodness give his people courage and hope ... and we’ll consider how the same is true for us in Jesus.
2 Samuel 10
2 Samuel 9
When we’re honest about who we are, where we come from, and what we have to offer to God, our prospects don’t look very good. Questions come to mind that make us wonder how God will treat us: What about all the bad I’ve done? What about how little I have to offer? What about my weakness?But this week, we’ll see God’s King’s kindness to one who should have been an enemy. We’ll see God’s King extend abundant kindness that never could have been earned, with all of it pointing to our own situation. All of it making clear the greatness of Christ’s kindness that welcomes us to Christ’s table.
What would happen if God gave you a great victory in life? How would you respond? What would that blessing be for? This Sunday, we’ll see what happens in David’s life as God keeps his promises and gives him victory after victory in battle. Most importantly, though, we see that victory isn’t for victory’s sake. In Jesus, we too have victory, and those victories are for the glory of God, the good of others, and your joy.
2 Samuel 8
David wants to honor God with a house. Instead, the Lord God blesses David with undeserved promises for the good of David and all humanity. This is how God intends for his people to live, then and now: by trusting in his gracious promises.
This is how God teaches David to honor him, not by building a house but by trusting him as the God who makes and keeps his promises.
God wants us to honor him in this way: by trusting in his promises through David’s greater son, Jesus our King.
Gathering as Gospel Communities on May 25
email prevett@sevenmileroad.org to connect with a GC on this day
SMR101 Membership Class
More info and to RSVP here:
https://www.sevenmilemelrose.com/101nights
Baptism
If you are interested in being baptised this spring, please fill out the following to start a conversation with Pastor Justin
https://sevenmileroadcentral.wufoo.com/forms/spfc2341mk6a3q/
As we start back up with our sermon series called God’s King in the Book of Samuel, God’s people have experienced great blessing and seek to unite God’s King with God’s presence by bringing the ark of God to Jerusalem. As they seek to bless and be blessed by God, we’ll see that our methods, motives, and manner of worship matter to God, for us, and for all those around us.
As God sent a Savior to His people in Jesus, there was reason for people’s rejoicing ... and there were also tears as that Savior was nailed to the Cross and put in a grave on Friday. But as Sunday came and the tomb was empty, we’ll see that God fulfilled his promises in Jesus’ resurrection.
After years of suffering and humiliation and waiting, the time has finally arrived: David becomes king over all Israel! This week, we will see that the Lord God established David as King - just like he said he would all those years ago by Samuel. And when God’s king is established, God’s people benefit greatly
After years of their own sin and King Saul's sin, God's people need a king who is guiltless. They need a king who follows God and hopes in God to lead them. This week, we'll see that is just the king that David is. He will remain guiltless as the kingdoms come together and God's people will take pleasure in him as he rests in God.
Are we there yet? This is a common question we ask at different times, whether as a child on a road trip or as an adult wanting to be somebody or somewhere already. It’s easy for us to feel like we have paid our dues and should have arrived at our destination. With that in mind, it’s easy to think the time was right for David to be King of Israel after Saul’s death. However, what David finds is different: a divided kingdom and opposition to his kingdom. David wasn’t there yet, but through it all, he grew stronger
We come to the tragic end of Saul’s reign as king of Israel. And we see that obedience to the will of God and submission to His sovereign authority causes David to respond to that news in a very unexpected way.
1 Samuel 30
If you have ever shown up just a little too late, a little too tired, and found a huge problem to solve—a problem big enough that you were scared and everyone around you was afraid—then you'll know what David is feeling in this week's text. It was scary, and there wasn't much hope—until David strengthened himself in the Lord, who gave His people strength to walk forward and provided for their needs.
1 Samuel 29
Have you ever been rejected for something that isn't your fault? Maybe you had a good track record and were innocent of fault, but people didn't like something about you, so you got uninvited? This is precisely w
We welcome guest preacher, Matt Moran, from Community of Grace Church near Buffalo NY to preach at Seven Mile Road from the first chapter of Philippians. Matt was a pastor at Seven Mile Road for years before moving to the Buffalo area with his family in 2017.
Have you ever found yourself in a tough spot without a plan asking God for His will? That's what happens to King Saul in this week's sermon. Saul decides he wants God's will, but ultimately he wants things his own way. We are tempted the same way and must ask: do we want God's will or our way?
1 Samuel 28
David faces a no-win decision as Saul threatens his life repeatedly. He chooses to escape to the Philistines for safety despite being anointed by God as the future king. This raises the challenge of staying loyal to God, Saul, and Israel while under Philistine rule. Similarly, as followers of Jesus, we encounter challenging circumstances that test our loyalty to God and his mission. Will we trust Jesus as he leads us into strange, difficult, or hostile seasons and situations?
1 Samuel 27
In what turns out to be their final interaction, King Saul is again seeking David, and again, David has an opportunity to harm King Saul that he does not take. David continues in his refusal to harm King Saul because of what God has said. Though it costs him, David’s only hope is that his life will be precious in the sight of the Lord.
We've all seen bad counsel in life, the kind driven by immediate gratification or hurt. Last week, we saw David receive that. But this week, we'll see what it looks like for someone to courageously offer good, holy, gospel counsel in a hard situation ... and for the Lord to accomplish his purposes through it.
1 Samuel 25
This Sunday, we'll return to God's King, our sermon series through the Old Testament Book of Samuel. As David and Saul come face-to-face, it becomes clear who has been more righteous than the other, who has spared who, and who is trusting God. As we read, we'll see that like Saul and like David, we too need one "more righteous than I." We need God's King to spare us
This is the time of year when we think a lot about gifts. What should I give? What would I like to receive? We may even give thought to what it is that makes a gift great. The best gifts we receive often have a certain usefulness or beauty or thoughtfulness that connects with us and sets them apart. This week, in Isaiah 55, we’ll see that the greatest gift we could ever receive came to us in Jesus.
Christmas evokes mixed emotions: hope and despair, joy and sadness. Isaiah foretold a king who would bring hope and eliminate violence and destruction, leading to a true understanding of God. Jesus fulfills this promise, inviting us to abandon sin and selfishness. Through his Spirit of wisdom, we can be a blessing and build up rather than hurt and tear down. He is both the humble king we desire and the powerful king we need.
This Sunday, we continue our Advent series, “Incarnation in Isaiah.” God promises His people that amidst the brokenness of life, a Messiah is coming to the rescue. As they waited, they faced a choice: to trust God’s promises or the fleeting hope of the world. What will we choose as we live in the already-but-not-yet of Christ’s kingdom?
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This Sunday, we'll begin Incarnation in Isaiah, our Advent sermon series from the book of Isaiah. As God's people face a seemingly insurmountable challenge, their biggest test will be one of faith: do they trust God? Will God's promise of a sign bring hope to them then? How about us now?
Isaiah 7.10-17
We know God promises to save eternally but have you ever wondered what that looks like in the day to day? This week as David continues to flee from Saul, we'll see God work through others, answer prayers, and strengthen his people's faith ... all showing that He is a God who saves in this life and the next.
Who do you align with? As the Book of Samuel continues, David evades danger in one place only to find it in another and alignment proves key. As King Saul threatens and retaliates to secure allegiance, David, anointed and innocent, provides safety and care for those who align with him. Through this we learn that alignment with God and his purposes will be opposed ... but there's safety in Jesus.
If you've ever been in distress, debt, or known discontent, then you'll know exactly the group of people that gathered around David as he was fleeing from King Saul. Somehow as nothing was going right in David's life, others still found safety by being near him and trusting in his God.
When things go wrong, it can be hard for us to know where to turn for safety, provision, and refuge. In fleeing from King Saul, David has the same dilemma. He has no food, no weapons, and the King is after him. It's a bad situation and he’s done nothing wrong. Yet, David not only runs from Saul. He runs to refuge in the Lord's house. Once there, David finds refuge like no other.
Loyalty.
In the kingdom of Israel, tensions are escalating as Saul relentlessly pursues David, raising the stakes for Jonathan as he grapples with conflicting loyalties.
Will he stand by his father and his own claim to the throne, or will he align himself with David, God’s chosen King?
Similarly, we are faced with a similar choice by Jesus - where do our loyalties lie?
Will we follow Him unconditionally, even if it means sacrificing something, or will we be swayed by wanting to rule over our own lives?
Jesus also promises us that by choosing to follow Him, we will discover true life and fulfillment beyond measure.
God is working for our good by thwarting the evil that opposes his true King.
That truth was good news for David, God’s king as Saul tried to kill him.
This truth is good news for us, God’s people because our sinful hearts, Satan and the world want us to reject Jesus as King and live instead like we are.
Jesus is not just the King we need, but he is also a better friend than we deserve.
He is committed to loving us and defeating the evil in us so that we become people who find our deepest delight in him and his kingdom.
This Sunday, we’ll return to our sermon series in the Book of Samuel titled God’s King. Picking up just after David slayed Goliath, we’ll see King Saul is more concerned with having his kingdom than being a good King. While King Saul’s fear of losing his kingdom drives him to oppose David and even try to kill him, David’s humility shows, and the Lord continuously blesses his efforts
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This Sunday, the Apostle Paul's closing words to Philemon will show off a gospel-formed love that relies. This love empowers and encourages as we discover the church meets practical needs, supports each other through prayer, and partners together to lead people to the real Jesus.
Our world is full of imitation. Whether on the basketball court or fashion or food, we see others trying to look like, be like, our sound like their heroes. All so they can be good. The problem is that all of those heroes eventually let down.This Sunday, we will see Paul imitating Jesus, who never lets us down, as he helps Philemon learn what it means to be a good brother to Onesimus. Paul will help Philemon understand that the gospel of Jesus forms in us a love that receives.
As Paul's writes to Philemon, there has been great offense committed ... but there's also been a great love enter the world in Christ. This is a love that reconciles, making fierce enemies into family. While obstacles to reconciliation maybe large, Paul will show us that the ramifications of the gospel are way, way larger.
In his letter to Philemon, Paul shows how a relationship with Jesus changes our relationships with one another in deep, profound, and practical ways. As the realities of faith in Christ set in, Christ grows in us a love that: refreshes, reconciles, receives, and relies. As we begin a four-week sermon this Sunday in Philemon 1-7, we'll begin by hearing of a love that refreshes others.
In Psalm 62, David invites us to cultivate a difficult yet freeing inner habit: waiting for God in silence.
So often we try to take matters into our own hands, but the Spirit reminds us that true power, security and rescue come from God alone.
We live like God is our refuge when we wait for him to act and pour out our hearts to him in prayer.
When our blood boils for justice, when we are so wronged, so hurt, so betrayed, and it seems the injustice of our enemies has free rein, what do we do? We call on the name of God, we expect the God of the universe to right all the wrongs.It’s in Psalm 58 that we see this honest plea to our just God, but we also see a stranger expectation that the wrongdoers will bleed, and that the plight of the wicked would be to the joy of the Saints. David seems to wish harm upon his enemies, interesting. How does a Christian understand this Psalm, in what way can a Christian maintain a holy expectation of God’s vengeance.
What is our desire or wish for all the people who don’t yet know the God of the Bible? Unbelievers near us and the many nations of people groups abroad need to know Jesus. The psalmist expresses the attitude and purpose of our experiential blessings. This is what our ongoing prayers & songs for blessing should be pointing towards. Bless us, so that all people might have gladness in Christ.Psalm 67
Who doesn't enjoy a good love story? Love stories are woven into the fabric of all our entertainment. They are a consistent undercurrent in our movies, television, music, and books. Not only this, but the desire we all feel for the love portrayed in these stories is woven into our very DNA because we've been created and sought by the One who defines what true love is. Yet so often we walk through life failing to believe that God loves and delights in His people. This Sunday we will see in Psalm 45 that we are invited to walk in the greatest love story ever - the one personally orchestrated by God our King.
Ps 45
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Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance. We are shown that forgiveness is available by God’s grace because of his steadfast love and abundant mercy. It also serves as a model prayer and illustrates the need to have a repentant heart always.
Psalm 42 is a lament of longing that reminds us that even in our darkest moments, God remains faithful, offering us our ultimate satisfaction and our lasting hope.
We begin our summer in the Psalms this week looking at Book 2 of the psalter. This week we focus on our human need for safety and strength. When we face trouble, where do we turn? The psalmist considers different sources of our fear and troubles and he shows how God is the fortress we need for each of these challenges. The message of the psalm is not complex, but in feeling the emotional importance of this psalm we will see how it is relevant in our modern and predictable lives just as much!Psalm 46
With our last sermon in 1 Samuel before spending our summer in book 2 of the Psalms, we focus on the most known story of this book: David & Goliath.This chapter drives home a lesson that the Lord saves. He delivers His people. The methods, manner, and motivation might not be what we expect. He delivers & saves nonetheless -in keeping with His nature.It is the profound implications of this well-known-story’s simple, message that will grip us this Sunday.
1 Samuel 17
1 SAMUEL 16:14-23
We find King Saul is in a bad position, a harmful one, and worse of all maybe, it's spiritual. It's from God. We see that the judgment of God has fallen on Saul and with it, Saul's torment is realized. And yet in the same passage we see David, like a cool breeze, with the strum of the harp like angels, anointed and blessed by God, and with the coming of David comes the favor of God. Where Saul is tormented, he meets David's touch, and we see something of Jesus for us in both contrasts.
We’ve reached a sliding doors moment in the book of Samuel.
The LORD rejected King Saul, and the kingdom was given over to someone better than Saul.
But who is this next king? What makes him better than Saul?
Samuel evaluates potential kings based on what the last king looked like on the outside. The LORD, however, chooses the next king by what noone can see: the inner workings and ambitions of his heart.
God chooses what’s best. All the time, every time. His choice is the youngest son of Jesse, the second-greatest king in God’s story.
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Do you fear God?Do you give yourself exceptions to his good commands?This week, we will examine the kingdom-shattering moment when King Saul disobeyed God.Saul feared the people and obeyed them rather than fearing God and his word.Although it grieves God, Saul has the kingship torn away as a consequence.This passage reminds us of the gravity of our disobedience and how much we need the good news of God’s true king, Jesus.
We can be engulfed in fear when circumstances are stacking up against us. We can feel pressed on all sides, and our default response will be either trying to make a quick change ourselves to our circumstances or trusting God through this. It is the time when fear and faith are in conflict that the wrong move can lead to far reaching damaging results. Will we double down on fear or faith? In our study in 1 Samuel this week, we get a tragic tale to drive home the truth that God’s faithful provision is what we must trust. Hard circumstances reveal what we truly are trusting in. Turning to the wrong solution can have lasting consequences for us, so it isn’t a trivial issue.1 Samuel 14:24-52
With God's people outmatched numerically and technologically against a tough opponent, Jonathan's radical but simple faith in God proves pivotal in God saving his people. We'll see the faith of one leading to many people following the Lord.
Have you ever been in a bad situation with no tools and little hope? This is how God’s people felt after King Saul disobeyed God, the Philistines invaded their land, and they don’t have anyone to sharpen their plows or make them swords. This particular situation is new to them, but the story is not. God’s people are often weak, but they always have a great God who makes a way for them.
1 Samuel 13.15-23
Saul is tall, Saul is strong, Saul is handsome, Saul is King. But here we see Saul is small, Saul is weak, Saul needs the strength of Someone better. As the war rages and the walls close in around him, we see in Saul an example of someone who wanted the blessing of God, but without the obedience to God. Where Saul should have trusted in the Word of the Lord, he wavered, and he misses the blessing. But for those who wait in faithful obedience to God, it’s kingdom blessing.
1 Samuel 13
Sometimes when we mess up, there's a tendency in us to want to give up. This can be true whether at home, work, or the gym, and also when we are following Jesus. This isn't just true of us in our day.This Sunday, we're returning to our sermon series in the Book of Samuel. As Saul becomes king, God's people realize they have messed up big. They have disobeyed him. With fear set in, Samuel instructs the people, "Do not turn aside." Then, he gives them great news that will help them walk in faith: God will not forsake his people.
1 Samuel 12
This Sunday, Pete Rennie from Living Hope Church in Inverness, Scotland, will preach on Jesus’ Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
Living Hope is one of our church planting partners, so it’s very exciting to host Pete and hear the story of God’s grace to our brothers and sisters across the pond.
Yahweh has chosen a king for Israel - Saul, son of Kish.
He provides him with both personal and public signs confirming his calling.
Yet, Saul hides from what the LORD is calling him to be for his mission.
Rather than step forward in faith, in weakness he hides.Often in our own lives we are full of weakness and sin and hide from God’s calling on our lives.
What Israel needed, and what we need, is God’s true king who never hid from doing God’s will - even when that led to his own death for the sins of his people.
There are times in our lives we find ourselves lost. Searching and unsure of our place. Though we start lost and sometimes can’t seem to find our way or what we are looking for, God is at work.Followers of Jesus do not remain lost, because they are forever found by the Lord. Through the circumstances and details of the good & the bad in this life, we are never lost from the watchful care of our good and loving God.1 Samuel 9-10:8
Acts 10.34-43
This Sunday, we’ll celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the good news that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Do you want God as King? It’s such a simple question on the surface yet we struggle to answer “Yes!” with a fully aligned head, heart, and hands. But this struggle is nothing new. This week, we’ll see God’s people realize they will soon need a new earthly leader as Samuel ages and his sons are unfit and we’ll see them ultimately reject God as their King even though He is a King like no other.
How do you turn it around? You know you’ve been headed in the wrong direction and haven’t been very focused on God in your life. Maybe your circumstances are causing you to question the way you’ve gone? Or it could be behavior or desires that you see within yourself that surprise you. What do you do to see God present in your life once again and how to get out of the rut of your sin?These are questions we all face at times in our lives. We find answers in the story of Israel in 1 Samuel. We get to hear Samuel call us all back to God to see victory and peace once more in our lives as we learn from the story of early Israel. 1 Samuel 7
1 Samuel 6-7:2The Philistines have Israel’s God captured, or so they think. The Ark of the Covenant, the holy symbol of God’s presence, which was so easy to take and move around and place inside their temple, is now causing all sorts of national problems. The Philistines can’t handle God’s presence, the ark must go. Maybe when the ark is returned to Israel all will be better again? Not so much. Israel can’t handle God’s presence either. Who then can stand before this holy God?
"Is God the Lord?” After Israel loses a big battle, the Philistines think very little of God. After their capture of the ark of God, the Philistines set it up in the house of their god, Dagon. Israel’s God seems weak and defeated, but is that true? How will he respond?
“Why were we defeated?” After defeat in an important battle, the people of God look to God for deliverance but don’t address the real issue: their sin. They try again but don’t turn from sin, leading to another lost battle, more ruined lives, their enemies capturing the Ark of God, and one of the most terrible lines in the whole bible, “The glory has departed from Israel.”
As we continue in 1 Samuel we see Israel is livingIsrael is living in the dark because God’s speaking to his people was rare. Then, into that darkness God calls Samuel to be his prophet, bringing the light of his word to Eli and Israel. Just like our bodies need food when we are hungry, we need the prophetic Word of God in order to live. We will be asking ourselves this question: Are we living our lives guided by God’s prophetic word?
After Eli, the priest, has confronted his sons regarding their sin, God sends an unnamed prophet to confront Eli. Eli’s house has been honored by God for generations and received great blessings, but has, in return, dishonored God. God rejects Eli and his line, but his redemptive plan won’t end. Instead, He will raise up another line of priests who will be faithful forever.
As we find out the priests are stealing from God in his Temple, the darkness increases in the Book of Samuel. After all, sin is to be confessed, not committed, in God’s presence. And even when confronted about their sin, these priests won’t stop. Yet, God was also growing a light in the darkness. We’ll find that, amidst all of the corruption and contempt, the boy Samuel is growing in favor with God and man.
This is the end of Hannah’s story. She made a big ask, she promised a huge response, God answered her prayer, and she moves forward in faith. Hannah turns Samuel over for lifelong service to the Lord. The gift she received from God becomes a gift from Hannah to the world. Hannah is a link in the glorious chain of God’s promise of redemption tracked through history.Hannah’s God is holy and sovereign, and he is in control of the fates of mankind, so what else could she possibly do but sing?
The Book of Samuel begins with the story of Hannah, a barren woman who has felt forgotten by God and frustrated by her family. Completely heartbroken, Hannah’s pain grows year after year. But Hannah does not give up her faith. Instead she pursues God in worship and prayer until … when things are seemingly at their worst … God gives her peace, remembers her, and makes Hannah “no longer sad.”
Advent is the season of reflecting on the arrival of Jesus, the son of God, as a human. God the Father sent Jesus his Son to free us from sin. In itself, this is an incredible and undeserved blessing he has given us. What’s even more amazing is that God sent Jesus to elevate us to be full members of God’s family. Through our union with Jesus, we have full access to God as our Father. This is an even greater blessing than forgiveness of our sins. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son… so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Peace. We all want it. We want peace with one another, and we want peace with God. Our world is full of advice on how to get peace: better organization, better planning, better relationships and use the Breathe app on your watch. But all of that is just advice on how to manage.What we really need for peace is news, especially the news that "God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law.
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” As we begin our advent series The Fullness of Time this Sunday with these words, we’ll hear and see that the certain hope of Christ’s coming into a fallen world 2000 years ago also gives us certain hope today.
Psalm 145
Depending on life situation, praising God can seem easy or impossible. So, how do you praise God when nothing in life seems to be going right? In Psalm 145, David grounds his praise of God in his character rather than our circumstance and shows how we can praise God with everything without ending.
Have you ever wondered, “Will I ever be holy and blameless?”
The gap between who we are and who God calls us to be is large, and we can feel hopeless to get there. As Paul closes his letter to the Thessalonians, he assures this baby church that disciples of Jesus will one day be holy and blameless … and it won’t be because they are great or smart or hardworking.
They will be made holy and blameless because the faithful God who called them is also the God who will make them holy.
How does a family function and get a long in peace together? It’s one of the aims in our homes, but also in the church. Paul tells us how to conduct ourselves in 4 important areas in order to keep the peace in the church. It’s these “house rules” that help us to think about how we relate and work together as God intended.1 Thess 5:12-22
The return of Jesus often raises so many questions in our minds.
It did for the Thessalonian church plant also.
“What happens to the dead when Jesus returns?”
“When will Jesus return?” “How should we live as we wait?”
Paul reminds the Thessalonians that our Gospel identity prepares us for Christ’s return.
This Sunday, we will look at how the return of Jesus both gives us courage and calls us to live each day prepared.
Who knows the will of God? How in the world could we possibly know what the God of the universe wants us to do? Well, as it turns out, God has told us exactly what His will is. God’s will is not a mystery, it is not hidden, it is not buried, it sits right on the surface for everyone to know.This is the will of God, your sanctification.This is Paul in his most direct, his most helpful, his most loving. This is what God wants, that you be holy.
Being a family is demonstrated in so many different ways. Time spent, intentional presence, true concern, and rooting for one another are all visible displays of family. A family has commitment to these things.If a church is the people of God being a gospel-formed family in a specific place, then we will see similar commitments to what Paul displayed towards the Thessalonian church.1 Thess 2:17-3:13
In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, Paul reminds the Thessalonians of how they received the Gospel and calls them to live a life worthy of God. God calls us to live the same way.But how do we live lives worthy of God?
By continually reminding ourselves of the Gospel and God’s gracious calling that makes us part of His faithful family.
"Hey Thessalonians, God loves you and you're doing great. Keep on! - Paul" As we begin a new sermon series called God's Faithful Family this week, we'll hear how the gospel reached this young church, how they responded, and how they are now encouraging others to receive Jesus ... even though things are tough for them.
At the end of the Seven Mile Road story, the disciples finally see. It takes a ton of help from Jesus, but they truly see. As they see, Jesus helps them see God’s redemptive plan across history and geography. Even more than seeing the plan, Jesus sends them (and us!) to join His mission.
Spaghetti sauce might make our heart burn, but the Scriptures rightly taught definitely do, or at least they are meant to. In Luke 24, Jesus teaches two disciples the Scriptures, and when they reflect back upon that time, they recognize that something profound was happening inside their chests. A burning, a passionate wave, a growing flame for what was true and what that meant. They met Jesus, and their hearts burned, and they could see him, and the only thing left for them to do was to run off at once to tell everyone else.
After Jesus’ resurrection, two disciples encounter Him as they walk to Emmaus. Not recognizing it is Jesus, the disciples explain their sadness and confusion over his death. While they are shocked that the visitor isn’t aware of all that has happened in Jerusalem, even more shocking is that they still don’t see who Jesus is … so he opens the scriptures and helps them see.
After the discovery of Jesus' empty tomb, his disciples were sad, uncertain and confused. They didn't understand how the pieces fit together or how they'd fallen apart. As two of the disciples walked along a road discussing and struggling to make sense of things, the risen Jesus drew near. He didn't wait for them to find him. He didn't wait for them to figure things out. Jesus drew near to them and he does the same to us.
Luke 24.13-16
In Psalm 19, David tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the scriptures show us God’s glory in revealing his perfect word to us. Like the heavens, God’s word is active in declaring his glory and helping us see who God is and there’s only one right response to seeing His glory: humble confession.
This week we will hear from God’s word in Psalm 1.
How do my daily choices and habits shape my life? What words truly guide my whole life?
The psalmist invites us to consider that the path to a life blessed by God is marked by finding our delight in his words which guides us in all areas of life.
We can’t meet this ideal.
But through the gospel, Jesus transforms us to love God so that our delight in his word increases.
As he does this, we learn to live by his Spirit who guides our lives and draws others to the goodness of the gospel through us.
The Lord does not leave us as we are. He hears and heals. He is merciful. When the days are dark, we need reminding of this. But this psalm is for after God has acted for us, and it calls us to rejoice in thankfulness for what God has done for us. There are many such acts of God we can be thankful for. He turns our mourning to dancing, and so dance we must for our gladness is from Him.
Psalm 30
In Psalm 16, we read the words of a fearful King David. He is fearful he’ll abandon faith in God and fearful that God will abandon him in death. Out of his fear, King David asks some of the same questions we ask: What can I trust God with? How long can I trust him? Not only does he ask the questions, David gives a rock-solid answer grounded in who God is and what he has done: I can trust God with everything forevermore
Where do you turn when the bottom falls out? When you face the big uphill life challenge or scary unknown ahead, what provides confidence or hope? We can give a simple rote answer until the situation comes.In Psalm 20, we will learn from Israel’s posture of approaching God in these type of situations and be inspired by the king’s faithful response as an example for us.
Psalm 20
Justin and Sara give you a quick update on what we're going for over the next few weeks as we gather to pray together.
David gives us a glimpse of the unique power and majesty and reach of the Anointed King of God. He is powerful, his rule is over all, there is no other in all the nations. Resistance is futile, so the saying goes. But there is no despair for those who love the forever King, with the forever Kingdom, because they are His people blessed forever. You don’t need to come Sunday dressed in royal vestments to be welcome, this King welcomes all refuge seekers.
Psalm 2
This week we will continue our Summer in the Psalms by looking at Psalm 32.
There is no end to things, relationships, jobs, or experiences that promise to make us happy.
In Psalm 32, David shows us that the way to happiness is through having our sins forgiven.
Why is this the path to happiness? Because this is the way that we stay near God
Listen to a 10-minute update from Pastor Justin's recent trip to Scotland and hear about how to pray for church planting efforts in the Scottish Highlands.
Three trials of Jesus occur in our passage from Luke this week. Each more sad than the one before. Any of these could set him free. Accusations are made of Jesus, but his innocence looms brightly.It’s these trials and accusations that shine a light on our guilt vs his innocence. We begin to glimpse God’s plan to allow a grave injustice that He might graciously justify His people.Luke 23:1-25
After Jesus’ arrest, he’s taken to meet with the religious leaders. He ends up denied and abandoned by a close friend, beaten, blasphemed, and berated by those guarding him, and convicted for blasphemy. The sequence of events was not only heartbreaking, but it was also prophecy-fulfilling. The very lies people told about Jesus only confirmed that he is, in fact, the all-powerful Lord.
Luke 22.54-71
It was a dark and dreary night when the darkest of sins was committed against the Light, the Son of Man, Jesus, the Son of God. Judas reveals himself as the disciple who was to betray Jesus, Peter pulls out a sword in a heated moment of violence, and Jesus willingly walks off into the night with those who hate him most. Where was God in the darkness? He was where He always is, in control. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jesus nears the time of his sacrifice on the cross. The weight of the reality of our sin is immense. Jesus turns to the Father in prayer in utter dependence as he prepares for this. In doing this, Jesus is more than just as an example to us. He is accomplishing something for us by his faithful dependence on God.
In his last meal with his disciples, Jesus redefines greatness, teaching that greatness is about serving others. Then he invites his disciples into a life of greatness ... a life leading in his kingdom in his ways. Yet, the disciples continue to ask the wrong questions, say the wrong things, and make promises they just can’t keep. They seem to lack everything needed to be great, but we’ll find that they really lack nothing (not a single thing!) because they have Jesus.
Who am I? With whom do I belong?
We often answer this question through our clothing, calendars, and who we spend time with.
In Luke 22:7-20, Jesus commands his disciples to begin a new practice of eating a simple meal of bread and wine together.
As followers of Jesus, he marks our identity and belonging through this meal.
Trapped between a desire to kill Jesus and their fear of the crowds finding out what they are doing, the chief priests are desperate and out of options. At a time when they should be celebrating God's deliverance, a plan develops to kill the Deliverer ... as Judas offers to betray Jesus.
Luke 22.1-6
In this update we talk about what mission living means to us at Seven Mile Road and some great things happening this month in the life of the church.
Life is weighty. Whether it’s the pressure of money, the strain of relationships, or the disappointment of unfulfilled ambitions, we feel the weight of life.Typically, we either cope by distraction from or obsession with these life concerns.Jesus warns that our typical responses actually do weigh us down, but deep dependence on Jesus keeps us from missing His kingdom.
Luke 21:29-36
Luke 21.20-28
People, places and events we look forward to often feel so far away until they're right in front of us. Far too often same is true when it comes to Jesus and us. We have heard Jesus' words that he's coming back, but what does that mean? This question is not new today but has been true for millennia. This week we'll hear Jesus explain that redemption will not always seem far off. In fact, redemption will be near.
With every headline, in so many conversations, we see the fear and anxiety created by our uncertain times. The horrible realities of war, hunger, disease, and disaster. What are we to think? What are we to do? Is there no hope in this business of life? The opposite in fact, there is every hope. Better yet, in Christ there is everything to gain. We aren’t deceived, we don’t fear, we don’t worry, because in Christ we gain our very lives through the worst of things. Luke 21:5-19
On the Sunday following Jesus' death, a group of women shows up at his tomb to anoint his body. Upon arrival, they found the tomb open and empty, before being told to remember by two angels. They are to remember Jesus' own words about his life, death, and resurrection. As they remember, these women respond to this good news that death could not hold Jesus and begin sharing it with others.
Jesus turns from his conflicts with Temple authorities to warn his disciples: Beware of Living like the Scribes. The scribes want to be first, to be publicly recognized and honored. They willingly harm those most in need of support to advance themselves. Jesus then tells his disciples to pay attention to the widow. Her poverty was not a barrier to honoring God. Her generosity revealed her deepest love: God. This Sunday, we will hear from God’s Word and see that Jesus looks beyond appearances to reveal our deepest love - and that he does this to free us to love God and our neighbors.
Identity brings many things into focus. Knowing who someone is gives context and helps you to know how to interpret intentions and behavior.
Jesus turns the table from the last few stories in the Gospel of Luke and begins asking the religious leaders questions. He is on the offensive asking important questions about the identity of the Jewish Messiah.
No question is more important than asking, how the Messiah could be both David’s son & David’s Lord?
Luke 20:41-44
For a third time, Jesus faces opposition in the Temple seeking to challenge his authority. This time it is the Sadducees bringing a question about marriage and the resurrection with the goal of discrediting Jesus. Again, Jesus avoids the trap and proves from the scriptures that resurrection is real and hope is certain.
Luke 20.27-40
Jesus’ popularity and presence in the Temple threatened the Temple leaders, the scribes and the priests. They feared losing their position, status, and power to Jesus.
They withdraw and send spies to try and trap Jesus. Their methods reveal their motivation to remove Jesus; they want another king to worship.
This Sunday, we will look at Luke 20:19-26 and see that the way we accomplish something matters, even if its a good goal, even if its a God-goal.
The methods we choose reveal the king we worship.
Knock, knock. Who’s there? The Landlord. The Landlord, who? Precisely. Israel knew they were God’s possession, that they were the people made for His good pleasure, and yet throughout their long history they continually turned away from Him and rejected those who were sent to call them back to Him. Through their actions they denied God as their loving Landlord, and because of this they incurred His just judgement. This Sunday we see in Israel’s history our own, and the same heir of the Landlord that was offered to Israel is offered to us.
Jesus goes to the temple in Jerusalem and acts as a prophet decrying the misuse of the place. Then with teaching and action depicts a new and better worship of God.To challenge a national identity and to call everyone back to God begs the question of what right does one have to do this? Who has the right to command belief? Who can transcend ethnicity and rivalry in authority? How does all this relate to us?
Luke 19:45-20:8
As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, everything is pointing toward him being King. Everything. He’s in control. His donkey is brand new. The crowd is cheering. The King is here, and just when you’d think everyone should be excited ... we find out that what is plain to some is hidden from others.
As Jesus continues moving towards Jerusalem and questions increase concerning when the Kingdom of God will appear, Jesus tells a parable about servants being faithful to their task (or not!) when their master is away. As the master returns, we see that faithfulness matters and that a servant’s action reveals the heart.
As Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector, looks for Jesus, he finds that Jesus is the one looking for him. Even more, Jesus finds Zacchaeus, who is immediately transformed. As others grumble that Jesus would associate with someone like Zacchaeus, Jesus reveals his primary mission: to seek and save the lost.
We can’t seem to see it. Our own sinful faults in our life, don’t show up for us -except occasionally in the periphery. Jesus performs his last miracle healing in Luke. With this he brings into focus our initial blindness to sin. This also is the model for dealing with our on-going sinfulness while on the path of growing in holiness & humility.Text: Luke 18:35-43
Suffering. Mocked. Whipped. Murdered. Raised Up.
This is the sequence of experiences that Jesus tells his 12 disciples is coming for him in Jerusalem.
They do not understand what he is saying. They will not understand until he goes through suffering and death and is resurrected. Then, the resurrected Son of Man by the Spirit makes them understand his Gospel.
We also need the Spirit of God to open our eyes in faith to see the cross, death, and resurrection of Jesus as our glory and not shame, our victory not defeat, our hope not vanity and meaninglessness.
Those who follow Jesus willingly choose to align with him and his kingdom, even if the result is being shamed by friends, mocked by co-workers, or rejected by family.
Luke 18:18-30
How many of us are ready to do the impossible? The answer is “none,” because that is what it means for something to be impossible. That's bad news if what we really need most is that which is impossible for us to get. Well what about God? Now we are getting somewhere. What is impossible for us to do, all that which is most important, is possible for God. He does the impossible all the time, and that is our hope. In Luke 18 we encounter two contrasting responses to Christ's command to "follow me," a seemingly impossible command, but one that garners eternal life. We see that what man cannot do, namely inherit eternal life, God can do, and He has done that on our behalf by sending Jesus Christ.
Luke 18.9-17
As we return to our series in the gospel of Luke, we will hear Jesus’ story about the prayers of two men, one very religious and one very guilty. As they pray, their hearts and sources of hope for acceptance by God become clear, and God’s glorious love for people, especially when they haven’t earned it, is even more evident.
Having been fooled by the wise men after they found baby Jesus, an angry King Herod seeks to find Jesus for himself. Herod, however, is looking to kill Jesus … not worship him. Born a child but yet a king, Jesus is humble in appearance and seemingly at risk. As we read, we’ll see that God is fulfilling his promises even in the earliest days of Jesus’ life and that he (and his kingdom) prove to be unstoppable.
Jesus was born to be king over every nation, kingdom, and people - including you and me.The wise men traveled long distances to find the creation-revealed king born in Judea.After receiving the prophetic word for his birth in Bethlehem, they bow down and honor Jesus as king.Christmas is about believing and witnessing the arrival of Jesus, God’s King, for all people.But it’s not just about that - Christmas is also about rejoicing in the king and his kingdom.
All glory be to Christ,
His rule and reign we’ll ever sing
We say “merry Christmas,” our British friends say “happy Christmas,” but why be either? What is it about Christmas that is supposed to make us so merry, happy, nicer (!), down right joyful? The answer, for the hope filled Christian in December, is the gospel. The gospel is why we are merry, why we are happy; the gospel is where our joy comes from. It is precisely this good news that was proclaimed by angels; that a baby was born in Bethlehem, and that the baby was Christ the King, God’s Son, Jesus. O come Ye Merry on Sunday as we work through the Christmas story, as told in the book of Matthew. O come Ye Merry and behold the wonder of the birth of the promised child, the Savior.
Listen to a 14 minute update for what's happening at Seven Mile Melrose this advent season.
Have you ever looked at the genealogies (or family trees) in the Bible and wondered what to make of them? We will begin our Advent sermon series, Fulfilled: The Arrival of Jesus, this Sunday, by looking at Jesus’ family tree in Matthew 1.1-17. We’ll see that God’s mission moves through even the most messy and mangled family tree.
As we gather for worship on this Sunday before Thanksgiving, we’ll hear God’s word in Psalm 100: “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.” Then, we will hear specific ways that God has been merciful, kind, and gracious to our church over the past year.
In the face of frequent injustices in our world and even brokenness in our relationships, we get a vivid parable from Jesus that relates to us. This story presents prayer as the faith-filled antidote for these times we are in -as we await the return of Jesus.Luke 18:1-8
After healing ten lepers, Jesus speaks to two groups of people regarding when the Kingdom of God will come. One group was very religious and expected God’s kingdom to come with great signs and visibility. Another group, Jesus’s own disciples, were concerned with timetable and prone to look all over for the kingdom. As we hear the story this week, we’ll see that there’s one answer for both groups of people: Look at Jesus!
Luke 17.20-37
As we have been preaching through the book of Luke, we have seen many different responses to Jesus: wonder, fear, anger, devotion, and opposition.In Luke 17:11-17, we will see Jesus giving mercy to 10 men without qualification. Interestingly, only one of the ten men returns to praise God and give thanks to Jesus.This passage will challenge us to have missional optimism and also remind us to continually remember how Jesus has brought us near him by his mercy, not our own qualifications.
Jesus huddles up his disciples and gives them four key instructions. These are essential., pragmatic, and reality-based instructions on being a disciple of Jesus.These words have been preserved for us, so they can be passed right on down to us today. This Sunday we will make sure we hear these and understand their pertinence to us. The outcome of knowing these things will be preparation for daily obedience as one of Jesus’ disciples.
Luke 17:1-10
As Jesus continues talking with the Pharisees, he tells a story of two men, one independent, rich and unconcerned with others. The other was poor, helpless and dependent on others for everything. As the story fast forwards to the next life, Jesus warns that riches of this life are no promise of riches in the next.
Luke 16.19-31
God and man have different standards. The standards that man holds to in valuing and judging the actions, deeds, and lives of others are not the same standards that God holds. Often the two are diametrically opposed, and we can find ourselves torn as we seek to live out the standards that God holds out for us in His word. This Sunday, Jesus shows us the standard by which we are to live, and explains why it matters that we adopt God's ways, as opposed to our own.
Luke 16:14-15
We live in a broken world that is always comparing and measuring and evaluating and deciding what is good enough and who is good enough, so living in this world comes with pressure. Pressure to perform. Pressure to look like we have it together. Pressure to prove ourselves. We all feel it. This Sunday, we’ll see how King David lived in a similar situation. Even more, we’ll see that God is gracious, so we don’t have to prove ourselves.
2 Samuel 7.1-17, Psalm 103
This is the third week in our “God is…So I…” series. When we dig into Psalm 107 and the life of David we are going to see that God is good so we don’t have to look elsewhere. Our hearts have a tendency to attach to other people, things, institutions, movements, or any created thing, for our deepest comfort, greatest satisfaction, and highest good. When our lives move through difficult seasons and circumstances, it can be hard to believe that God is good and acting for our good. Yet, the Scriptures continually point us to this truth: God’s nature is good, goodness comes from him, and we don’t have to look elsewhere.
Psalm 107
This is the third week in our “God is…So I…” series. When we dig into Psalm 107 and the life of David we are going to see that God is good so we don’t have to look elsewhere. Our hearts have a tendency to attach to other people, things, institutions, movements, or any created thing, for our deepest comfort, greatest satisfaction, and highest good. When our lives move through difficult seasons and circumstances, it can be hard to believe that God is good and acting for our good. Yet, the Scriptures continually point us to this truth: God’s nature is good, goodness comes from him, and we don’t have to look elsewhere.
Psalm 107
Whether seeking the approval of a boss, fearing rejection from family or friends or comparing ourselves to others, fear of man can show up in our lives in different ways. Maybe it’s anger or lies. Maybe it’s anxiety or something entirely different. Regardless, fear of others leads to a life controlled by others. This week, as we read Psalm 34 and hear from David’s story, we’ll see this beautiful truth: God is glorious, so I don’t have to fear others.
Psalm 34; 1 Samuel 21.10-15
Being in control of our lives appeals to many of us. There’s a problem, though: no matter how much we want to be in control, we just aren’t built for it. We don’t have what it takes. We spend endless time, energy, and thought trying to bring the circumstances of life under our rule, but it never works out. Rather than producing control and joy, our efforts gain anxiety, worry, and stress. This Sunday, we’ll look at the life of King David and find freedom in this good news: God is great, so I don’t have to be in control.
Psalm 27: 1-6
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All of Scripture is God breathed, it is true, but through the ages the parable of the prodigal son has stayed minty fresh. If you want to get at the heart of God, and do so with an illustration, which is what Jesus loved to do with his parables, Luke 15:11-32 is one of the best places to go. The gospel news is a handful of historical facts related to the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; the story of the prodigal son gives us a beautiful glimpse at the heart of the God of the Gospel. The story of the prodigal son is a story of God’s heart.
Join us on Sunday as we walk through a tale of two brothers with a joyful father.
Throughout The Gospel of Luke, we've seen and heard the religious leaders miss the mark repeatedly. They've tried to earn what is free, and they've charged for things they were supposed to give away. But if they got it wrong, how are people like us standing in the crowds that don't have training or pedigree or a spotless record supposed to know what it means to follow Jesus? This Sunday, we'll hear Jesus explain what it costs to be a disciple of his. We will find that it costs us everything and is worth it.
Luke 14.25-35
You’re Invited: Great Supper…
Before you RSVP your first question might be, “What are they serving?” But the folks around the table are more interested in who’s invited.
Jesus tells us a story about the great supper in the age to come which is light on the menu details but pretty heavily focused on the invite list.
We’ll see what this story means for invites and excuses for a future great supper that awaits -one that requires a response from all of us.
Luke 14:15-24
Jesus gets invited to a meal with some Pharisees and reveals the path to honor in a way that completely contradicts the Pharisees in the room.
We (and the Pharisees at the table) think the best way to get honor is to compete for it, and use or exclude the weak for our own gain in the process. It's a zero sum game.
Jesus provides a different pathway to hono: humility and inclusion of the weak at our own expense.
July is church planting month at Seven Mile Melrose! Listen to a 9 minute update from Justin and Sara.
Jesus points out a human tendency to silence God’s Word from moving us to repentance and faith in Jesus.
We do all sorts of things to try to stop the message and messengers from getting to us. Jerusalem had this same tendency recorded throughout the Bible.
That human tendency is countered by what we see in God’s disposition towards us. We’ll look at our tendency & God’s disposition and take stock of how we should respond.
Luke 13:31-35
After hearing that that kingdom of God was like a mustard seed, someone asked a natural question, “How big will this kingdom be?”
Rather than answering the question, Jesus explains how not to miss the kingdom and that many who expect to be in the kingdom will miss out. But he doesn’t stop there, instead promising that many from all times and places will enter the kingdom.
It’s not that few people will be saved, but that the unexpected will be.
Luke 13:22-30
Last week, we looked at Jesus’ healing of a woman on the Sabbath. This Sunday, we will learn from Luke how Jesus explains the appropriate way to perceive what the kingdom of God looks like at work in the world. Jesus is God’s king, and where the king is, there is the kingdom at work. However, like a seed in a garden or yeast in dough, the work of Jesus requires receptive environments to grow over time. Are we going to be receptive people?
In our suffering it can be hard to see Jesus. It's hard to be hopeful when we can't see any reason to hope. Does Jesus see our suffering? In Luke 13:10-17 we see a woman with prolonged disability encounter Jesus in all his grace, mercy, and power. Jesus sees her; Jesus turns her suffering into joy.
Luke 13.1-9
When bad things happen, we often wonder why. The same thing happened in Jesus' day and the assumption was often that tragedies are the result of personal sin. This Sunday, we'll listen in as Jesus is told of a tragedy and then answers the question, "Do you think these were worse sinners?"
Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God," but he also said "Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division."
Does Jesus contradict himself here?
How does a message of "peace on earth" reconcile with the division that Jesus says he came to bring to earth?
When is it appropriate for us to divide? If we divide, how are we to act?
In this sermon we walk through Jesus' words in 12:49-53 and seek to understand how it is we are to act in a world that is often in conflict with God's mission in Christ.
We're thrilled to have Pastor Matt Moran preaching this Sunday as we continue our series in the gospel of Luke. Pastor Matt served as a pastor at Seven Mile Road Melrose for over five years and currently serves as the Lead Pastor at Community of Grace in his hometown of Buffalo, NY.
Tune in to hear Justin, Michael, and Sara (along with a special guest star!) give a quick run down of what's happening when this month at Seven Mile Road.
Luke 12.1-12
What do you fear? How does that fear shape you? After a confrontation with the Pharisees, Jesus warns his disciplines how easy it is to fear the wrong things and where that leads. Jesus knew that a time was coming when his disciples would be tested and he helps prepares them by pointing out what fear is actually worth having. In fact, Jesus will tell them about One who will help them in the darkest of circumstances.
When we pursue outside purity, we miss Jesus and his work to cleanse our insideThe Pharisees and the scribes both participated and benefited from a religious system that gave them public praise and approval. The devastating consequences, though, was that while they assumed they were honoring God they were actually moving further away from him.Jesus gives sharp words to people who are culturally and religiously invested in him not being their authority. Their only hope, and ours, for being people who are truly pure is for Jesus to be our authority, and to follow him in repentance and faith.
Happy Easter! What's inside Jesus' tomb? Nothing! Yes it was a trick question but the answer is what makes Easter so happy. Jesus died and was resurrected. A Friday of sadness, grief, and loss was met with a Sunday of wonder, exhulation, and joy. There is no better news than Gospel news.
On Sunday we will meet Jesus on a field where a crowd of people seek to test his claim to be God's Son. Rather than acquiesce to their demand for a sign he teaches them about what an appropriate response to his ministry would look from the Old Testament. Jesus shows us what appropriate and inappropriate responses to the message of God looks like and he teaches us where those responses come from; they come from the inside.
Join us on Easter Sunday as we look at the ministry of Jesus and wrestle with his teaching.
Is there anyone to fear when one is with Jesus?
We needn’t fear any person, nor natural phenomena, nor disease as Jesus is more powerful than each. But what about the Satan and his demons?
We see evil in our world and in ourselves. We might think it is only human weakness, but the Bible tells us there is more than we see. That unseen darkness can certainly shake us, but Luke presents Jesus as the Stronger One.
Text: Luke 11:14-28
When we're most honest, many of us have a lot of worry about how we parent our kids well and how we help them learn to trust God as they grow. So we wonder how what to do ... how to do that ... and it can feel so complicated. This week we'll hear God's wisdom from Deuteronomy 6, where Moses helps us see some simple ways we can help our kids learn to trust God.
Deut 6:20-25
The Melrose staff get you caught up on all things April Fool's Day and all things
Seven Mile Melrose for the month! Give it a listen!
Far from being a new question, “How should we pray?” is actually an old one that the disciples asked Jesus and one that he answered. In our text this week, Jesus teaches the disciples (and us!) what and how to pray. But ultimately he tells teaches how we ought to approach God, who is a Good Father to his children and will always gives the best gifts.
Luke 11.1-13
Matthew 13.44-46
What would you do for great treasure? What would you sacrifice? This week, we’ll hear Jesus teach that the Kingdom of Heaven is, in fact, the greatest of all treasures. And, we’ll consider what happens when the reality of Jesus being the greatest treasure hits home in our hearts?
What happens when we live by anxiety and not faith?
In this sermon we examine the brief interaction Luke records between Jesus, Martha, and Mary. Martha shows Jesus great hospitality initially, but all her serving ends up actually shielding her from Jesus. Mary shows us what it looks like to posture ourselves with Jesus as our highest Good.
Few people would argue that it's a bad thing to love your neighbor, but all kinds of answers emerge once we start to talk about what that means. This week, as we listen in on a conversation Jesus has with a lawyer, we'll learn that the neighbor we're called to love may not be who we think and that loving this neighbor may be more intense than we'd ever expect ... and that what actually makes us able to love our neighbor is Jesus' love towards us.
Luke 10.25-37
Listen for an update on what's to come in March (and April!) at Seven Mile Melrose (and listen for a special donut code from Justin!).
A turning point happens in Jesus’ ministry as He sends disciples on mission in Luke 9. But more than just the Twelve, in chapter 10 Jesus includes others (a lot of others… like 72 others) in the mission! This spinoff mission has successive implications for the Christian church all the way to Seven Mile Road today.
This Sunday we take a look at the Mission to which all followers of Jesus are called. We see some amazingly outsized aspects of this mission that inform and challenge us to consider just what our little church is to do on Jesus’ mission.
Luke 10:1-20
We all have a deep longing to be great, to be important and feel valued. Unfortunately, we often completely miss in our efforts. In this week’s sermon, we’ll hear how Jesus’ disciples had this same longing, this same tendency to pursue greatness in all the wrong ways, and what Jesus taught them about greatness: to be somebody in his kingdom is actually to be a nobody.
What?
Says who?
But why?
Not only is this how every conversation seems to go with an inquisitive child, it is what we ask during the time in the Word in this sermon.
What is marriage?
Says who?
But why is that marriage?
We look to God's Word to help guide our hearts, our minds, and our actions as we understand marriage, pursue marriage, and do marriage. God in his richness has intentions for us as members of His body, and this permeates all aspects of our lives, and no less the most intimate of spaces, such as marriage.
Things have been building in the Gospel of Luke. More and more people are curious about Jesus.
As Jesus' identity continues to unfold and His mission is made more clear, we must ask, "What does it mean to follow him?"
In this week's sermon, God reveals even more about who Jesus and gives a huge key to being a disciple of Jesus: "Listen to him!"
Luke 9: 28-36
“Christianity without Discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” -Bonhoeffer
Following Jesus in discipleship is not an easy path nor a short one. Discipleship is a total commitment requiring an understanding of the costs to oneself daily and working to be led by Jesus in all areas of life. Jesus speaks hard words to his original disciples (that Luke wanted to make sure all subsequent disciples would hear as well) on what it entails to follow Him. We will work through this passage on Sunday, so we can each grapple with our own followership of Jesus.
Luke 9:23-27 & 57-62
As more and more people come into contact with Jesus, his miracles and his teaching, word spreads. And as word spreads, people are confronted with the question, “Who is this? Who is Jesus?” From political rulers to Jesus’ disciples to us, it’s a question that must be considered and must be answered. This Sunday, we’ll hear how others answered and hear from Jesus himself.
Luke 9.7-9, 18-22
On Sunday we are preaching through Luke 9:10-17 where Jesus takes a little bread and a little fish and turns it into a LOT of bread and a LOT of fish, and 5,000 people eat to their fill and then have leftovers.
What is happening here? Does Jesus have a magic wand or is this something else? How do 5 loaves and 2 fish feed 5,000 or more people? What is the point of this?
On Sunday we get to feast on this miracle text and ponder the wonders of Jesus.
The Seven Mile Melrose staff give a quick update on what to expect as 2021 closes out and going in to the New Year in January.
Yes, Christmas is supposed to be merry. Christ has come! But Christmas - the advent of the Savior - exists because this world is marked by sickness, sorrow, and suffering. Why would God allow things to be this way? This Sunday we see a woman whose life was marked by the worst of sorrows for a dozen straight years ... yet she never lost hope, moving toward Christ in faith when she had her chance. We are all invited to do the same.
This Sunday we see Christ direct his fishermen-disciples to steer the boat toward ... Gerasa? Yes. This would be like a Celtics fan heading to Staples Center or a vegan hitting the drive-thru at Taco Bell. No 1st century Jew would purposefully steer toward that city. But Christ did, to set a captive free and send a message that His gospel was going to be further reaching than anyone had ever imagined.
Luke 8:26-39
This week, we will pause from our normal rhythm of preaching Luke to jump ahead and look at Luke 16. Jesus tells one of his stranger parables to pose this penetrating question: Do we love God or love money? Someone who loves God views themselves as a manager, while someone who loves money views themselves as an owner.
Sunny days or cloudy skies: How do you respond? The situations outside of human control tell you something about a person.
Luke records a view of the disciples in some weather. Their response exposes their underlying beliefs. We will let this text shine on us to see what (or who) is our go-to in stormy times.
Luke 8:22-25
Your nuclear family or church family: which is more important?
We Bostonians tend to pit these against each other, as if they are part of some zero sum game.
But Christ won't let us think this way.
Instead, He teaches us to that both of our families - as long as they are marked by an all-in commitment to Him - are to be prized ... because they work in concert for the advance of His gospel.
The sudden emergence and lingering presence of COVID-19 have presented a serious challenge to the harmony of local church communities like ours at Seven Mile Road. From day one of the pandemic, we have asked the Father to give us an uncommon unity, even though many of us hold different convictions about what’s best around lockdowns, masks, vaccines, and all the rest. This Sunday we’ll unpack how an embrace of gospel centrality makes this unity possible.
Romans 14:1-9
How are you doing receiving the Word of God? Like listening to it, really hearing it, and then letting it change your life…
Robins, Rocks, Riches, and Resilience all will tell us something about how we are doing at this.
In our next section of the gospel of Luke, we get to read an account from Jesus, the master storyteller, about this very question. As He walks through the possible responses to the Word of God, we are left with a point of helpful examination on our own receptivity to God’s Word. This examination & reflection helps each of us to understand the vital nature of the Word of God for everyone to truly thrive and receive entry to the kingdom of God.
Luke 8:4-15
Luke momentarily pauses his account to give us a quick glimpse into the makeup of the “ministry team” that accompanied Jesus.
With Him were the 12 men he prayerfully appointed to the office of Apostle AND a number of women.
This brief snapshot accords with how God intends for gospel advance to happen in a home, church, and city: men and women rightly-related and fully-engaged on mission together.
This Sunday we’ll unpack this glorious truth and ask the Spirit to make it real at Seven Mile Road.
The depth of our love for the God of the gospel is directly tied to how clearly we see our need for His grace. This Sunday Luke juxtaposes for us two sinners: one who owned how bad her sin was, and the other who refused to do so. It's no surprise whose affections for Christ are richer. Which type of sinner are we?
Luke 7:36-50
While Christ 100% calls us to practice critical thinking, he 100% calls us away from embracing a critical spirit.
This Sunday we are back in Luke's gospel where we'll see Jesus calling out the religious elites of his day on their closed and critical spirit. In rejecting both John's message and His own they were in danger of missing out on the Spirit's work. May it not be so with us!
Luke 7:31-35
As a bookend to the Vocation Workshop we held on Friday night, this Sunday we are going to preach about how the gospel informs the way we view our work.Whatever you do for work - whether teacher or accountant or plumber or or anesthesiologist or mother or marketing manager or social worker or pediatric pharmacologist or quarterback for the Patriots or cook or receptionist or pastor or disc jockey or actuary - do you view it as a job or a calling?
The way you answer this question changes everything about what it means for you to go to work this week. Let's get it right!
One of the things that Jesus loved and affirmed about His cousin John what that John was not a soft man.Yet even this steel-in-the-back prophet was susceptible to wavering doubts.This Sunday we’ll see where John went with His doubts and how Christ received them.And in doing so we doubters will find great hope, too.
Reference: Luke 7:18-28
We live in a post-Christian context, so we are neither surprised nor thrilled when we see Jesus moving toward those who are hurting with compassion."
He's Jesus, That's what He does, right?"
But this is not how it had to be.This Sunday we are (hopefully!) going to be surprised and thrilled as we see Christ - moved with compassion - give a grieving widow her son back.
This Sunday we jump back into Luke's gospel.
At the start of chapter seven, Christ is caught happily off guard at the insight that a most unlikely character (Roman military) has into His person and work ... an insight that only a man humbly oriented to the reality of authority in this world could have.
May we share it.
Luke 7:1-10
Matt and Sara give a quick update on some changes to viewing our Sunday services online.
This Sunday we welcome 6 new sons and daughters into the life of Seven Mile Road. In the coming years, these boys and girls are going to bring us joy in so many ways. But they are also going to disappoint and hurt us, sometimes deeply.
How does a gospel-centered father or mother respond when their kids hurt them? For that matter, how does any of us respond when we are hurt by those in our marriages, homes, or church?
Our text this Sunday offers a surprising and beautiful answer.
2 Timothy 4:16-17
According to the gospels, whenever Christ preached, he would end his sermons with a bang: an urgent and direct call to action. This is because His listeners (then now) tend to hear His words and nod their heads ... but not do much about them. But that's not how the gospel life works. The gospel life is never one of merely paying Christ lip service, but of evidencing our faith with actual obediences.
Jesus looked at his disciples and told them the way God’s world works: the poor are the blessed ones, the rich are the distressed ones. It seems upside down or backwards to conventional wisdom but it’s true, God has good news for the poor and words of warning for the rich. We are located in an affluent time and place, how do Jesus’ words apply? Are we poor or rich? Sunday we get to wrestle with the good Dr Luke’s recording of Jesus’ word and decipher what is is God wants us to know from Luke 6:20
“Do Not Judge” are some words from Jesus that most everyone can get behind in this cultural moment. The basis of these words though go to root of the gospel and the reason the God-man, King Jesus instructs His followers to live this way. This Sunday we’ll explore the contours of this text in Luke and talk about how we put this into practice as followers of Jesus.
Reference: Luke 6:37-42
Up until this point Luke 6, we haven’t heard Jesus tell us what his disciples do.
In this week’s passage, we will explore how Jesus tells his disciples to engage “Them”.
Jesus’ people love their enemies & actively choose to do good to them. This is not our default, but has deep implications for how we posture ourselves to outsiders.
15 months ago COVID-19 hit.
Everyone on earth's plans got wiped out overnight.
Including ours.
And there was nothing we could do about it.
This happens often in life.
When it does, God is in it.
This Sunday - the last of this crazy church year together - we learn how.
James 4:13-16
Sometimes an up close photo can capture the true quality or personality of a friend or loved one. The photo, in an instant, depicts so much of what we’ve come to know to be true about a person over years of their life.
Luke gives us an insta glimpse of the twelve disciples, but this informs us not only on what they were like, but also what is true of all disciples of Jesus for centuries after.
Seven Mile Road exists to see every Bostonian Jesus gives us loved and gospeled well.
One thing this requires is - whether by office, by circumstance, or by natural gifting - leaders leading well.
So over the years we have tried to build a gospel-shaped leadership culture at Seven Mile Road.
This Sunday morning we are going to consider the roots in which strong gospel leadership grows.
The Word: 2 Timothy 2:20-21
There is a lot of info to keep you informed this month! Listen as Matt, Michael, and Sara get you updated on what to expect at Seven Mile Melrose in the coming weeks.
Click below to listen.
Every one of us is, to some degree, a creature of habit.
When we find something that works for us, we stick with it.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it doesn’t mean we are no longer open to embracing change for the sake of gospel advance.
A gospel-shaped heart is always at the ready for a fresh work of the Spirit, and is willing to flex to be a part of it.
This Sunday Jesus presses this truth home with us.
An unlikely title?
There is a sense in which all of us are unlikely to be following Jesus, and any who are outside of Christ can seem so distant.
We see in the Luke’s gospel this week the way Jesus moves toward the unlikely and the truth that gives hope for everyone. As followers of Jesus, we are sent to similar unlikely people, and we can follow Jesus in the ways we love & gospel folks however seemingly unlikely.
Luke 5:27-32
Every story Luke gives us is like the richest, heaviest little piece of fudge you ever ate. How could so much (gospel) goodness be jammed into something so small?
This week is no different. Four friends hustle to get their paralyzed fifth before Jesus. How Jesus responds sends shockwaves through the room. Jesus drives through the physical to the spiritual, making a provocative statement about who He was and the redemptive mission He was on.
Christ has authority to forgive sin.
There is no better news.
Luke 5:17-26
In wisdom and love, our Creator infused five senses into the human experience, one of which is called “touch.” We were made to touch and be touched in holy, warm, appropriate, affirming ways. To never touch or be touched is to lose something essential about being human.
So, it’s no surprise that Christ touched people often. Or that when He healed a leprous man – a man would not have been touched by anyone in forever – He touched Him.
This Sunday we’ll think on this beautiful story and it’s import for our life as Seven Mile Road.
Luke 5:12-16
Salvation often looks something like this --> We are busy constructing a life for ourselves, and then Christ shows up in a crane and swings a wrecking ball through the whole enterprise.
He does this in love, because He has something infinitely better in mind for us. It's a glorious imposition.
This Sunday we'll see how Jesus did this with Simon Peter and, hopefully, with each of us.
Reference: Luke 5
Dr. Luke gives us an important scene of Jesus’ ministry that helps to signify much about the forthcoming message & mission in the book. This charged and very memorable scene takes place none other than in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. The critical lesson for all of us is to guard ourselves from making this “hometown gospel mistake.”
Sara, Matt, and Michael talk about Easter weekend, gospel communities, childcare and a few other things to get you updated this month!
As Bostonians, we’ve been taught to establish our own identity.
We proudly declare “I am” and fill in the blank as we see fit.
But in the gospel life things work differently.We don’t establish our own identity.
We receive it as God declares to us “You are.”
This Sunday we hear the Father speaking those glorious words to the Son as Jesus steps into His redemptive mission through the water of John’s baptism.
In Luke 3 we see Jesus’s cousin, aka John the Baptizer, aka John the Forerunner, aka John the Way-Preparer, burst onto the scene. He’s a Prophet, the last of the older covenant. This means he is sharp. Intense. Unlikable.
But he didn’t come to make friends. He came to ready people for Christ.
How? Why? And what does that have to do with all-set Bostonians like you and me?
In this sermon we’ll find out.
Unlike the silly apocryphal gospels with their many Marvel-esque legends about angsty superteen Jesus showing off His divine powers, Luke’s gospel gives us just one powerful but understated look at the person of Christ between the ages of 3 and 30. It’s a coming of age story, and by it we are all instructed in what it looks like to live with God (and the advance of His gospel) as the unrivaled driving-force in our lives.
Growing old is never easy and recognizing it can be even harder.
We take a look at two older saints who testified and announced the birth of Jesus. From them we learn a bit more about Jesus’ life, and a bit more about what our aging years should look and sound like as we continue trusting God.
Sara, Matt, and Michael recorded a podcast episode to get you caught up on what's happening at Seven Mile Melrose. Listen to this 16 minute update for what to expect this March.
“When I was shipwrecked, I thought of you.”
What a sacred thing it is to be the person that someone would say that about.
This is who Elizabeth was for Mary.
While not “shipwrecked” exactly, Mary’s life was suddenly spun upside down. Without hesitation, she hurries to be with her older cousin Elizabeth, who receives her with warmth, gladness, and encouragement.
In this sermon we’ll hear their story and think on what it could like for us to build that kind of culture at Seven Mile Road.
Luke 1:39-56
Not the way you imagine. Not like anyone else. Not how a story usually starts.
The unique life of Jesus, the God-man, has a unique beginning –a Virgin Birth.
It is impossible, there is no denying it. Yet the angel Gabriel gives account explaining, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” This impossible beginning is necessary for all the possibilities that Jesus would bring to humanity.
Join us this week as we look closely at the meaning of Jesus’ Virgin Birth for what it means for us. It is of great significance for us & our salvation. It means more for us than we usually remember, and can give us even greater reason for marveling at the wisdom and power of God.
As Luke’s gospel begins to unfold, a weathered priest and a betrothed teenager each receive a wild promise from the Lord about sons soon to be born into their lives.
Both ask what seem like similar questions, but each receives a very different answer.
In this sermon we’ll talk about why that is and what it means for how we are to respond to the promises of the gospel.
Luke 1:5-38
In this sermon we begin a deep dive together into the breathtaking waters of Luke’s gospel. His narrative begins with one super long sentence meant to rope us right in. The Gospel is true - for real true - and there is a certainty the Spirit wants us to have about it. So He inspired the brilliant and beloved doctor (Luke) to write it all down for us.
Sara, Matt, and Michael get you caught up on what's happening this month at Seven Mile Melrose.
When Jesus' Apostle Paul was invited into a non-church space called the Areopagus, he quoted to his listeners from ... their pagan poetry books?
Yes.
This Sunday we'll talk from Acts 17 about one of the ways we are working to love and gospel locals from inside-out of the words of some of our culture's most famous novelists, singers, and screenwriters.
Acts 17:16-31
As you know, we don’t “chase the headlines” in our preaching, but there are times when we do choose to preach from texts that speak directly to our cultural moment with gospel clarity. Four years ago, we took a Sunday to do this as a new president was assuming a four-year term in office. This Sunday, we will be doing that again.
What would you say to a new president if you had a few minutes with him? And what would you say to Jesus' Church as she receives a new president?
No one sermon can answer those questions exhaustively, but in this sermon we'll talk about it.
Proverbs 29:2 and Psalm 146:3-4
In this sermon, we talked about the why (and a little about the when!) of Christian baptism, that glorious means of grace, given to us by Christ, by which we are welcomed into the family of God and the fellowship of the church.
Whether baptism is on your radar or in your rearview, we are praying that this sermon will be a big help and encouragement.
Colossians 2:12
All across the world, every week, on the first day of the week, Christians gather together in public to do the work of worship.
And for the last 9 months many have lamented being kept from doing that by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why do we love to gather?
Why do we hate not being able to?
This Sunday we'll allow the words of Scripture to give us the big why of public worship.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Sara, Matt, and Michael recorded a quick conversation to help catch you up on the new year and the new month at Seven Mile Road Melrose.
One of our dreams at Seven Mile Road is that we would live together in "supertight community."
One of the threats to that "supertightness" is the temptation to look at others in the body and be like, "Eh. We don't need you." or "We'd be just fine if you weren't around."
This Sunday we'll mine the poisonous root of that sentiment and consider ways to dig it out of our life together in 2021.
I Corinthians 12:14-26
A quick 10 minute conversation with Michael Prevett as he moves into a more pronounced way of serving Seven Mile Road.
The author of the book of Ruth finishes his love story with a ... genealogy?
Yes!
Rather than words to be glossed over, the genealogies in Scripture are reminders that God accomplishes HIs purposes over time through real people.
So Ruth ends as the Gospels begin ... with a list of names that tell a gospel story.
In one sense, we are to have one Hero: Christ with no rivals.
In another sense, we are to have many heroes and heroines … and Ruth is one of them.
She is called a “worthy woman” who was “worth more than seven sons.”
This Sunday we’ll see what made this statement so beautifully true and consider how Ruth’s life shapes our vision for the women God has given us at Seven Mile Road.
Matt and Michael sit down to talk about an upcoming book club for anyone interested that will start up in January. Listen to hear about the whys and the whats of this book club.
Yes, it’s true: due to Sin/sin*, this life is filled with pain and suffering.
And yet … it’s also filled with grace.
This Sunday we arrive at the end of Ruth’s love story, and we are bombarded with grace after unexpected grace. I mean, how many happy endings can a single love story have? This one sets the record! And in all of them, we’ll get a window into the heart of God for His children.
- By “capital-S” Sin we mean to the original sin that marks our race and dropped a curse on our experience in this age. By “lowercase-s” sin we mean the ways that we individually sin and are sinned against.
Instead of a typical sermon, in this special we hear from some Seven Milers.
Each year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving we pause to reflect and share about God's recent graces in the lives of Seven Milers.
This year we tie things directly to the big gospel truths we've been discovering in the book of Ruth and hear from some of you how those truths have landed on your soul recently.
One of our dreams is that Seven Mile Road would be jam-packed with strong men who care and contend for the women in their lives.
Boaz was such a man.
Ruth knew she would be safe coming “under his wings.”
Naomi knew, instinctively, that he would take bold, selfless, decisive action when given the opportunity.
Woah.
In this sermon we focus in on what it takes to be this kind of man.
As Christians, we are called to pursue gospel ends by gospel means, entrusting ourselves fully to God not only in what we are going for but in how we get there.
This Sunday we’ll see our father-in-the-faith Boaz do just this. In love, He entrusts himself and his future to God, not only by committing himself to the costly redemption of Ruth, but by refusing to sinfully usurp the right of the first redeemer on his way there.
In doing so he typifies Christ, who took no shortcuts in His redemption of us.
Ruth 4:1-10
We said that the book of Ruth is a love story … but not the kind you’d expect! It begins with the love of a daughter-in-law for her mother-in-law (surprise!). Then we are caught off guard again as we realize that Boaz and Ruth’s marriage is about more being in love: it’s about a bigger, deeper mission that God is accomplishing through them for the good of others, not just for themselves.
In this sermon we’ll see this beautiful reality unfold and consider how all marriages are meant to work this way.
This month Pastor Matt had a special opportunity to sit down with not one but two Katies! Katie Barker and Katie Ryou give an update on this fall's Kalos Team initiative. Some of the newest married women that are a part of the life of Seven Mile Road are participating in a newly-married-women's-intensive. Listen for a glimpse into what is happening in that intensive and how the Spirit is working through it.
We stop right where we are in the story of Ruth and rerun the scene zooming in on Boaz.
What we see is a worthy man, and upon more than a cursory glance, we see the marks of his vocation or work. There were marks of how Boaz ran his business that showed he loved God deeply. It made his work different; it made his work worthy.
In our story, we’ll see God has given us our work as a venue to display our love for Him. What marks of your work show you’re a gospel-infused follower of Jesus?
The gospel births in us a relentless optimism because we have entrusted ourselves to a God of limitless grace. That doesn’t mean we presume that everything will go our way every time. But it does mean that, by faith, we get up every day and give ourselves - energetically and expectantly - to doing the next gospel-shaped thing, confident that God will meet us with all the grace we need … and often more than we could even have imagined!
This Sunday we’ll see Ruth, in love for Naomi, doing just that. And we’ll see both of them finding more favor than they ever could have expected, because this is how the God of gospel grace works.
The gospel life is a life of love. We’ve been loved – deeply, steadfastly, sacrificially – by God, and now we bend that love out to others. The Hebrew word for this kind of love is “hesed,” a concept so beautifully rich we don’t have a single, compatible word for it in English.
In this sermon, our breath will be stolen (as Naomi’s was!) as we see Ruth put the beauty of “hesed” on full display in her refusal to leave Naomi’s side no matter the cost.
The book of Ruth spins tragic fast: within a few sentences a woman named Naomi has everything that mattered in her life taken away.
Everything.
She's not technically dead, but she might as well be.
What does a daughter (or son) of God do in those moments?
We fall towards God, and that falling is called "lament."
In this sermon we think on how we can build a culture in our church where lament is allowed and embraced.
For the next 3 months we are going to be swimming in the deep gospel waters of the Biblical book of Ruth.
It’s a love story ... but not the kind you’d think.
It’s a hope story … in bitter and bleak circumstances.
It’s a 3,100 year old story … yet strikingly relevant for today.
It’s a gospel story … the best kind there are.
We dive in in this sermon.
When have you felt so close to someone or a cause that you opened your wallet? What convinced you to actually give money to something or someone?
The next section of the letter of Philippians confronts us square in the face about our giving. Rather than sidestep this, we have the duty to unpack a theology of Christian giving. This isn’t a heavy handed ask that the apostle Paul is making, instead he is thanking the Philippians for giving and explaining why Christians give.
Here’s a spoiler: as we read along with what Paul says to the Philippians, we learn there are some pretty amazing things that are happening when we give to Jesus’ church. There is a lot for us to be excited about when we think about all the giving that is done at Seven Mile Road as well!
Philippians 4:14-20
This Sunday we unpack one of the most coffee-mugged verses in all of Scripture: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
Nope, this verse is not a promise that being a Christian means being able to actualize all our dreams and desires.
It's about something so much better --> learning the secret to being content in every possible circumstance or season of life, from the best to the worst.
(Hint: If we have Christ, we're good.)
Philippians 4:10-13
In Philippians 4:8, we hear the Spirit calling us to set our thoughts on "whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable."
To do this would require at least two things:
1. there needs to be an objective standard of truth, goodness, and beauty in our world.
2. we need to have the ability to actually pursue a life shaped by those things.
So ... are 1 and 2 true?
Find out in this sermon!
Two of the most solid gospel women in the early church ... had a real big fight!
Does that surprise you? It shouldn't. Life lived by sinners in community with other sinners will inevitably be attended by conflict. So the question is never "How can we avoid all conflict?" but rather "How can the gospel inform how we move through conflict together?"
In this sermon the Sprit gives us some words meant to help us do just that.
Philippians 4:2-3
This week the Spirit hits us with a helpful one-two punch. First, we are shown the dead-end of a life lived as an "enemy of the cross." Second, we are taught what our disposition should be toward those who do. Might not be what you are expecting!
If you had 48 unrushed, undistracted hours with a group of young men who were serious about living a gospel-centered life, what truths would you press with them?
On Sunday we’ll be inviting everyone into what our answer was this past weekend at our Young Men’s Intensive.
We walk through a handful of texts that cast a beautiful vision for Seven Mile Road being filled with tough and tender men who take responsibility for themselves, their homes, and their church, sweating and bleeding for the good of others.
In this sermon we were delighted to have Johnny Aleman and his wife Brianna from Highland in Fitchburg* with us at Seven Mile Road!! Johnny has been handling much of the pastoral work in this season of transition for their church, and doing it beautifully. He and his wife are committed long-term to the advance of the gospel in their city in whatever way Christ would have them be a part of it. In this episode we hear their story.
- This is the church who is considering finishing their course by streaming into the potential planting of a Seven Mile Road church in Fitchburg.
Which question better captures your response to the suffering that God allows in your life?
1: “I shouldn’t have to suffer like this. How do I escape it?”
2: “This suffering is hard, but it’s a means of knowing Christ more deeply. How can I endure it toward that end?”
In this Sermon we do some work in Philippians 3:10 and see that, beautifully, the gospel-centered answer is #2.
Note: If God has you in a season of suffering right now, especially of the kind where you’ve been treated unfairly, these words should help.
The ring. The trophy. The badge. The degree. The stage. Whatever your profession, hobby, or calling there’s a reason why you continue to persevere in it. And sooner or later, we realize that thing falls short of satisfying you completely.
This week we look with Pastor Dan of Seven Mile Road Malden to Philippians 3:12-16 as Paul gives us a clear picture of why Jesus is worth every effort.
After hearing of Paul’s warning against putting confidence in our flesh, we are given one of the clearest and strongest summaries of what it means to know Jesus.
We will see that the Christian faith in Jesus is not a code of conduct or practice of religious activities. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ by faith.
There are powerful realities that come from personally knowing Jesus that we will unpack together.
Philippians 3:8-11
In this sermon as we embark on Philippians chapter 3, we run into the Apostle’s autobiographical accounting of his life before following Jesus Christ.
As he takes stock, he reminds us to “put no confidence in the flesh.” The marvelous gospel work that must begin in each of us is recognizing that we are spiritually bankrupt on our own. What things are we and our fellow Bostonians tempted to find our worth and value in? How do those ultimately rate?
Philippians 3:1-7
One of the marks of a church's embrace of gospel-centrality is the curtailing of self-interest by everyone --> we all begin to live for what's best for the mission and not just best for ourselves. OK, sounds nice, but what does that look like in real-life? This Sunday we'll see as we finish our look at the glorious second chapter of Philippians.
For this sermon, we are in the Biblical book of Philippians and feel the import of Paul referring to Timothy's work with him being "like a son with his father."
Being a dad is a good and glorious reality, but not because Hallmark says so once a year. The earthly fatherhood that we experience is rooted in a prior and deeper and holier Fatherhood. And the way that God is Father to His sons and daughters needs to shape the way we are to ours.
Philippians 2:19-24
We don't preach to the news cycle at Seven Mile Road, but we do work hard to help all of us see all of life through the lens of the gospel. So how are gospel people to understand and respond to plagues and riots and everything else that's happening. In this sermon, we hear some strong words from the prophet Amos about how the public worship life of the church MUST BE accompanied by a concern for and pursuit of justice and righteousness ... and how God responds when it's not.
In this sermon, we pause from our happy trek through the book of Philippians to spend some time in Psalm 84. In this psalm, the singer bears his soul about how exhausted he is from being kept out from the physical assembly of God's people. We're reminded that gathering together in this life is a grace, not a given, allowing these words to orient our hearts to the big "why" of gathering together, whether it's this Sunday for us or in the near future.
The Spirit calls us to do EVERYTHING we do with "no grumbling and no disputing," that we might stand out (like stars in the sky do) from the darkness and animosity that marks the culture we live in. Over the next few weeks, we are being given a HUGE OPPORTUNITY to live this out as a church as we navigate Phase 1 of re-entry together. This Sunday we talked about why and how we can do this with a humility and unity that springs from and shows off the gospel.
On Sunday, May 4 we heard from 7 folks about their laments, joys, and opportunities for gospel advance that have been unique to this season. Stories start at 17:25.
The gospel life is shaped by three different "time" realities: the past, the present, and the future. We have been saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved, 100%! This Sunday the Spirit zeroes in on the present, calling us to "be who we are" by working out our salvation in real-time, happily aware that it is God who is working in us.
Philippians 2:12-13
Here is the audio from the May Intensive on How To Read Your Bible On Your Own.
To follow along with the notes, open this Google doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lVq4BGYciFmn6GzJyRFcTF5RcjAJnZSnRUJz73JRBmk/edit?usp=sharing
After humbling Himself to the lowest of lows, He was finally raised to the rafters. He has been highly exalted and given a name. This has huge implications for us on how we live, why we worship, and to knowing what God is like. We learn about Jesus this Sunday in His exalted place and why it matters.
Philippians 2:9-11
After calling us to embrace a gospel "mentality" that looks to the interest of others, even at great cost to ourselves, the Spirit now presents us with the archetype of such a mentality: Christ. He who was "very God of very God" humbled Himself to the lowest of lows, looking not to His own interests, but to the interests of others. In this sermon, we watch Christ live out what He calls us to.
Reference: Philippians 2:5-8
Imagine a church culture where every-single-body is as (or more!) concerned with the interests of others as they are of their own? Where there’s no rivalry or conceit or self-interest? Woah. As we move into the “second chapter” of the Spirit’s words to the Christians at Philippi, this is exactly what we hear Paul calling them – and us - to.
Reference: Philippians 2:1-4
As we continue to press in on the letter to the Philippians hearing about how Paul worked during his lockdown, we come to the concept of a citizen. More than mere civic responsibilities, Paul writes about Gospel Citizens. To a church distanced some 4600 miles, Paul explains this concept. We too a church distanced, not by so many miles but still feeling very dispersed, receive the same concept that shapes our understanding of what God is calling us to be in the world together –even during a pandemic.
Philippians 1:27-30
All of us come into Easter 2020 with heavy, heavy hearts. Sorrow, fear, and confusion abound, and rightfully so. Yet it's important to remember that the very first Easter began similarly. Jesus was dead, and everyone who loved and hoped in him thought all was lost. Into that space the Risen Christ showed up, speaking words of comfort and hope. In this sermon, we hear what a life shaped by the truth of His resurrection looks like.
Reference: Philippians 1:18b-26
In this update, we hit on the essentials of how we are going about our mission in this unusual Holy Week.
In this sermon, we continue allowing the words of the Biblical book of Philippians to shape our souls as we live through the Coronavirus crisis. Although Paul was on lockdown, the gospel wasn't, as all kinds of folks filled his shoes and preached gospel. What's odd is that some did it from pure motives, and some not-so-pure. What's even more odd is Paul's response, which will surprise, comfort, and challenge us.
Reference: Philippians 1:15-18 (edited)
In this sermon, we hear a most paradoxical and encouraging word from the Spirit. "What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." This such an important axiom for us to pound into our souls: God is always at work accomplishing His gospel purposes ... even in apparent setbacks.
Reference: Philippians 1:12-14
Paul begins his letter to the Philippians with a note of thankful joy. Wait, what? How can he be joyful while on lockdown? He remembers their partnership in the gospel from the first day he met them ... and he anticipates their partnership in the gospel to the last day. And this because he knows the faithfulness of God.
Yes, John Lennon was a spectacularly gifted artist.
But the gospel he preached was false. And therefore bankrupt.
Now that a mashup of Lennon's Imagine is trending on social media, we thought we'd make available our track of the same name, yet with a strikingly different vision.
We wrote this in the early days of Seven Mile Road.
John Frederick on vocals.
In our first-ever "over Zoom" sermon*, we walked through the first two verses of Jesus's Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians, which was written during a time when he was "on lockdown" in a Roman jail cell. We are expecting Paul to be angry or depressed or paralyzed, but instead we see just the opposite! He is thankful and rejoicing and busy with whatever gospel work is before him. What would it look like for us to be this way in this unprecedented season of social distancing due to Coronavirus?
- This sermon was preached on March 15, the first Sunday on which large gatherings in Melrose, Massachusetts were suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The first few seconds are orienting people to the Zoom call reality.
Marriage is meant to not only display the gospel but to advance it. This means it’s essential for a husband and wife to be aligned in their love for God and devotion to His mission. And so it’s no surprise that one of the 3 big commitments we see the people make as they begin their new life together is that they will not “intermarry” with outsiders. In this sermon, we think on why this was important and what it means (and does not mean) for us.
Reference: Nehemiah 10:30
This Sunday we welcomed a whole new crew of Bostonians into the life, under the care, and onto the mission of Seven Mile Road. We began in Nehemiah 11, noting the courage displayed by those who willingly moved back into Jerusalem and connecting that with the commitment to invest our lives in the advance of the gospel through the local church. Then we heard (briefly!) from folks who are stepping in with us.
Reference: Nehemiah 11:1-2
Nehemiah (in chapter 12) recounts what happened on Dedication Day: the city has been rebuilt and repopulated and now everyone gathers to celebrate. Two choirs of men encircle the city and lead everyone in such loud and raucous singing that their voices can be heard from miles away. In this sermon, we talk about how this scene - with godly men leading and everyone singing together - informs our song life at Seven Mile Road.
Nehemiah and the people have sorrowed over their sin and reveled in God’s grace, and now they covenant together on the 3 specific things, one of which is committing themselves to “funding the ministry” of Jerusalem. They knew that the only way right worship could be restored to the city was if they gave generously to it, so they went all in!
In this sermon, we’ll see what drove their eagerness to give and ask how this can inform our life together at Seven Mile Road.
Reference: Nehemiah 10:32-39
In this sermon, we see that the people’s immediate response to hearing the words of God read and explained is to weep over their sin. This is a good response as those tears are a gift from God. And yet Nehemiah quickly instructs them to stop crying and start partying. Why the 180? Because the “joy of the Lord” is our strength.
The aim, the intent of God’s Word (once understood) is to move us to believe and live it. The Word of God is not an intellectual mind-teaser nor a fascinating story for engaged readers. No, God spoke so that we might believe Him and live for Him specifically in our time and in our place. As we continue on in Nehemiah 8, we are struck by a stark discovery of the people of God that changed the way they lived. We’ll understand their story of discovery and the response that they had before highlighting the principles for us. The remarkable question this week will be, “What might we discover in God’s Word that would mean we never live the same way again?”
The walls and gates of the city have been re-formed! Now the really hard work comes: it’s time to re-form the people. Where does this work begin? The same place reformations and revivals always begin: with God’s words heralded, heard, understood, embraced. In this sermon, we work through Nehemiah 8:1-8 and catch a vision for a church being alive to the unpacking of Scripture.
As we jump back into Nehemiah’s memoir, we see that the city walls are up and gates are in, but the work is just beginning. Now it’s time to reform the people. But before that work can begin, Nehemiah needs to put someone in charge of “security.” Who does Nehemiah appoint? And, more importantly, why? As we unpack those answers we’ll glean much-needed wisdom for calling leaders in the life and mission of the church.
Reference: Nehemiah 7:1-4.
In this sermon, we cast vision for how those of us who struggle with porn use can experience freedom in 2020. If porn is an issue for you to one degree or another, this sermon is meant to infuse your soul with optimism and give you some tools for the fight.
In this sermon, we come across one of the most hilariously anticlimactic sentences in Scripture, as Nehemiah tells us flatly that “the wall was finished in 52 days.” They did it! And fast!! Wow!!! Nehemiah also notes that they did it “with the help of our God.” This thought provides us with an understanding that God - no, for real, God - is involved in our work.
Doing the right thing the right way is not easy, and the calls to turn us aside from the work takes many forms. This week in Nehemiah 6 we see natural inclinations can be the drive to ignore what God has said. This pressure could disqualify or nullify the work, so the risk is great.
In this sermon, we kick off Advent marveling how the gospel welcomes and unites people across all socioeconomic realities. As we see the birth of Christ heralded to both “shepherds” and “wise men,” we are reminded that God’s grace is for all the people, just as the angel said. We’ll reflect on this truth and think about how it must shape the culture of Seven Mile Road.
In this podcast, we walk through the thought process that went into preaching through the story of Nehemiah opening his table at his expense to bless others.
As we’ve preached through the book of Nehemiah, we have seen courage from the people of God as they join in on the work and face external opposition. This week, our story starts to take a turn and we see that the people of God are facing the internal threat of sin in the community. We get to see the difficulties and beauties with confronting sin and repentance.
Several years ago we resolved at Seven Mile Road to “not play scared.” In this sermon, we finish our look at the fourth chapter of Nehemiah and see a beautiful example of what this looks like. Although surrounded by enemies and badgered by some of his countrymen to quit, Nehemiah won’t do it. Instead, he implores the people to trust God and stand strong.
Nehemiah wasn’t five minutes into his work before the haters started in on him, jeering, questioning, threatening, and attacking his good work. Opposition from the world is a sine qua non for anyone who is about the advance of the gospel. In this sermon, we learn how Nehemiah's responses to those who opposed his work of reform can shape ours.
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In this sermon, we see Nehemiah rally the people to the difficult and dangerous task of rebuilding the city … and (almost) everybody jumps in! Way outside their comfort level, they get to work, side-by-side. This is how the gospel advances, and it’s our vision for life at Seven Mile Road.
As we consider the powerful king that Nehemiah faced-off with in order to carry out the big burden that God had placed on his heart, we will see principles for all of us as we speak to and deal with Power. Whether doing everyday obedience or going for something big that God has called us to, we will encounter powerful individuals that will require us to know some truth deep in our bones about the heart of the king (and all power).
In this sermon, we hear Nehemiah say that God had “put it on his heart” to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. For many of us, we pause at those words because we’ve heard them used recklessly before. While we are right to pause, we also need to embrace the fact that sometimes God does call His sons and daughters to really big obediences. Here we work the text of Nehemiah 2 and see what that looks like.
Nehemiah is memoir recounting the time that God’s people gave themselves to the good, hard, dangerous work of reform. Our hope is that the truths in this text will strengthen us as we work to build a strong church in a post-Christian context.
In this sermon, we go at two things:
1, getting oriented to the book as a whole
2, working through verses 1-4, where we see how it was Nehemiah’s grief over the state of the city that spurred a beautiful work of reform.
In this final sermon in I John, we hear evidence for believing Jesus and clarity on what trusting in Him means for each of us. The evidence John offers might not be what you expect, but he gives a powerful answer to why you can securely put your trust in Jesus.
As we step into a new church year together. we’re reminded how the Spirit unites diverse people around “one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” and one mission. We are called to pursue uncommon unity a church, and that means fighting against anything that would threaten to unnecessarily divide us. In this sermon, we work the words of Scripture in Ephesians 5:3-5 and I Timothy 5:13 and think on what it would look like for Seven Mile Road to be a place where unity is evident and gossip is unknown.
In this sermon, we work through John's addresses to three different audiences in the church: "little children," "fathers," and "young men." John speaks words of comfort to folks across the spectrum of spiritual maturity, reminding each of them that God is for them in the gospel.
One of the most devastating things that happens in the life of a church is that sometimes folks who you’ve loved and served and trusted - who seemed like they were all-in on Christ and His church - walk away, leaving behind not only the relationships you’ve built, but their faith in Christ as well. When that happens, it naturally hurts and confuses us. How do we process it? In this sermon, we see that the people John was writing to experienced this same hard reality (I John 2:19), and we hear from the Spirit on why God allows this to happen.
Heather and Matt talk about everything that's gearing up for the start of a new church year at Seven Mile Road.
In this podcast, we walk through "the anatomy of a Seven Mile Road sermon" by explaining how a message on I John 5:3 was built. Why do we preach the way we do? Listening to these 30 minutes will give you some insight into the process.
In this sermon, we hit the words of I John 5:1-2 where we John spirals back again (again!) and loops all three of his “tests” together like cords in a rope. Sound doctrine, personal holiness, and brotherly love are a package deal. This truth has massive implications for our efforts to build a legit church together.
Message Input
In this podcast, we lay down some of the plans we have for student ministry at Seven Mile Road.
In this conversation, we catch up with Pastor Joie from Restoration Road to get an update in preparation of our visit up to Wakefield this Summer.
In this sermon, we work I John 3:16-18 and 4:7-8 as the Spirit swipes the yellow marker across our souls for counterfeit test #2: the love test. God is love, His gospel defines and displays that love, and His people necessarily show that love to one another.
Matt and Heather chat about all the fun and exciting things we can look forward to this summer at Seven Mile Road.
In John 2:3-4, the Spirit rolls out for us the first of the three big tests of genuine Christianity that the Apostle John spirals through in his first letter: obedience. “By this we know that we have come to know him: if we keep His commandments.” What does mean by “keep His commandments?” And where does the fuel come from for our obedience? We think on these questions from the text.
In this conversation, we walk through a few "whys" that we thought would be helpful for our church to hear about: 1) Why did we write a book? 2) Why did we host a big conference? 3) Why do we travel on some Sundays over the Summer? 4) Why do we expect that members of Seven Mile Road will "tithe?"
This week we hit 1 John 1:5-10 and the first big idea of John's comfort and clarity: True Christianity always begins with God and ends with honesty and hope.
In this sermon, we begin our walk through the warm and steadying words of the Apostle John’s first letter to his dearly loved children. He’s writing to Christians whose world had been rocked by the false teachings and ugly departure of a number of prominent folks from their church. John wants to assure them - definitively - of the genuineness of their faith. May all of us sense the same comfort and clarity that the original readers did!
For anyone who wants to listen through the entire text of the first letter of the warm and grizzled Apostle John before we get into the preaching of it this Spring and Summer, here you go!
In this sermon, we tackle I Peter 3 and the Spirit's crystal clear command that men are to honor women in the home, in the church. and in the world. To get there, we work through the meaning of the phrase "weaker vessel" as a ground for why that honoring is so important.
In this sermon, Matthew Kruse closes the loop with us on his recent leave from pastoral duties by walking us through 2 Corinthians 1:3-10 and preaching on the good intentions and sweet mercies of God in our physical sufferings.
In this sermon from Luke 24, we considered all the ways that Christ displayed His love for His disciples (and us!) when He appeared to them - personally, tenderly, unmistakably - on the first Sunday night of the new creation.
Pastor Ajay Thomas from Seven Mile Road Philly served our congregation by preaching through the heavy but powerful Psalm 88.
In this episode, Matt and Heather catch up on how the first stretch of his sabbath from pastoral duties has been for his soul and family, plus a brief word on the eventual logistics of reintegration to the life of the church at the 30:04 mark.
Bostonians are ambitious. Its a face. From our entrepreneurial ventures, our sports dynasties, or even our weekly schedules we are ambitious. With this ambition we are often coming from a place of achievement and getting ahead of whatever or whomever we must. There is a certain type of wisdom one needs to make it in the hustling & bustling world that is Boston.
Continuing our study in James, we consider the dichotomy James makes between Wisdom & Righteousness. these both sound like good things, but James helps us see that what our world often prizes and extols as "wisdom" is completely different from the call Jesus has on our lives. The Righteousness James calls us to is actually wisdom from above.
A Bostonian who is following Jesus will be markedly different in displaying wisdom from above in everyday life - a wisdom that has righteousness as its output or fruit.
This Sunday we continued our series in the letter of James. In this passage, James tells us that true, sincere religion is seen when we are doers of the word and not hearers only. Thankfully for us, we have the implanted word of God which equips us and empowers us to live out our faith.
The letter of James is chocked-full of guidance for practical living written to new Christian communities spread throughout a thoroughly secular and antagonistic Roman world. It’s so practical that it lays out stark contrasts between what active faith looks like over against dead religion or the surrounding unbelieving culture, so you can get a closeup view of the difference.
We begin a sermon series through this letter declaring that faith is still active and actually “works” in countering even a thoroughly secular Boston. The gospel faith works in the followers of Jesus to think and act differently in the realities of life in closeup, practical ways.
This Sunday we began by looking at trials and how faith works to provide joy in the midst of challenging circumstances. In these hard times, the distinctness of faith working in us can be notably seen.
In this episode, Matt and Heather have a logistical and personal conversation about the upcoming 'sabbath from pastoral duties' that Seven Mile Road is giving him. Hope this helps everyone committed to the life and mission of our church know what to expect the next few months!
In this sermon, we formally welcome a bunch of new members into the Seven Mile Road family by looking at Lydia's. She was a beautiful exemplar of what it looks like to believe the gospel in community and throw ourselves full-heartedly into the work of gospel advance.
In concert with our Training Day for all Seven Mile Road Musicians, this sermon cast vision for singing together from 2 Samuel 6, where David (the King) humbly and self-forgetfully joins the people in exuberant praise to God for His grace. We love David for what he did that day (and also how he responded to Michal when she criticized him for it) and want his example to shape how song response happens at Seven Mile Road.
In this sermon, we preach on the theme of “Working Hard & Resting Well” from I Corinthians 16:15-16 and Exodus 23:10-12. We also announce plans we’ve laid for giving Pastor Kruse a “sabbath” from his regular pastoral duties at Seven Mile Road this Winter, walking through the basics of what a pastoral sabbath is and why we believe the timing is right for this now.
A gospel culture shares lots of meals ... and doesn't stress about the food being served. We are justified by faith in Jesus, not by keeping the right diet, and so we are free to enjoy a variety of culinarities without fear, guilt, shame, or judgment. This includes tofu, Ring Dings, kale, Popeye's chicken, almond milk, Dr. Pepper, and whatever else might show up at the table. In this sermons, we eat up this glorious doctrine and the implications it has for our life together.
Do we stay where we are, in our comfortable way of life?
Or, do we go to where Jesus is, bearing his reproach?
This was the intense decision that the first century Christians had to make. Were they going to keep practicing their Jewish traditions, customs, and rituals, or where they going to leave that behind and go to Jesus, taking on the shame and disgrace and reproach that comes with it?
It’s the same question for us today.
WARNING: PG-13 CONTENT.
If there is one reality that we want Seven Mile Road to be totally out of sync with prevailing cultural ideologies on, it is that of marriage. In this sermon, we hit a text where the Spirit hypes for us the glory and sacredness of this divine institution. We also see that because marriage is worthy of our honor, it is also worthy of our defense, not just from those would seek to redefine or marginalize it, but who would attack it through the promotion and practice of sexual sin, you and I included.
In the gospel, we are united to Christ AND to one another, like a body and its members. This gospel reality is not something that we make it happen, or that we can unmake from happening . It IS. What we get to do is recognize, revel in, and align our lives with it. One implication is what we energetically set our hearts and hands to SERVE for the gospel good of everyone. Here we go!
One of our missional essentials at Seven Mile Road is "hospitality." We want every Bostonian we meet, in every context we meet them, to feel like Seven Mile Road was specifically built with them in mind. This only happens as the Spirit fosters in us a "love for the stranger" or "love for the outsider to our community." This love is at times seems unnatural for Christians, but it's an important part of what it means to be a gospel people.
Newsflash in case you don't watch cable news, scroll Twitter, or work near a water cooler: we live in a trigger happy culture. Folks on all sides of the political spectrum fire away at the slightest provocation. As Jesus' people, we are called to be a city ("polis") on a hill that models for all nations (including ours) a different way of relating to one another. As we arrive in the final chapter of the book of Hebrews, we hear this beautiful and definitive command of the Spirit: "Let brotherly love continue." Where do we find the resources to live this way together?
This Sunday the author of Hebrews takes us on a metaphorical journey to two mountains. Telling us about both destinations, it becomes obvious which is better. The better destination is where the followers of Jesus have come. This better destination is an unshakable kingdom that calls us to live differently. So how do Bostonians live in light of this? The warnings throughout Hebrews crescendo in calling us not to refuse God’s voice but devote ourselves to Him -for our God is a consuming fire.
In this sermon, we tie the calling of a new pastor at Seven Mile Road with a helpful text from Hebrews on how we are to relate to the pastors Jesus gives us. The truth is that pastoral ministry is heavy work, so we are called to be as helpful to our pastors as you can by trusting them & responding to their lead in our lives.
In this sermon, we work through a text that is simultaneously sharp and comforting. In the gospel, we have becomes sons and daughters of God (!!!), but that doesn't mean life is now all blue skies and pina coladas. Our good Father visits us with hard providences throughout our lives, but we can take comfort because we know that He is working in the hardest realities of our lives for our good, making us holy, fit for heaven.
In this sermon we deal with the horror story of Esau, an anti-hero of faith. Esau's appetites for earthly things far outweighed his appetite for God, to the point that he was willing to sell his "birthright" for a cup of soup. We share this tendency/danger of preferring other things to God and the gospel.
In this sermon, we receive 10 new babies into the life of our church and commission their dads and moms to the work with some gospel-centered encouragement from Hebrews 12:1-2.
On this Sunday we were joined by our sending church, Forestdale in Malden, to tell our story of church planting.
Over the last 16 months, we have received 10 new babies into the life of our church (woah!), and this has stirred up several conversations about what it looks like for us to welcome our newest sons and daughters at Seven Mile Road so we are going to pilot setting aside a single Sunday annually to celebrate and welcome all the babies that the Father has blessed us within the on Sunday morning, August 26.
In this conversation, we talk with Matty McCann, candidate for pastor/elder at Seven Mile Road.
Listen as we pull all our New England Seven Mile Roads together and hear about gospel advance on the ground in each of these churches.
A team of servants came up from Mosaic Church in Orlando this week to hustle at all Seven Mile Roads. In this interview we hear from one team member on the why and what of their time with us.
In one thunderbolt of a sentence (Hebrews 11:31), the Spirit reminds us of the beautifully redemptive story of our mother Rahab. By faith she abandoned her old life of sin, leaving behind the the decadent city/culture she'd grown up in/embraced and throwing her lot in with the promises of God.
In this interview, Matthew Kruse and Jeremy Stuart talk about our future planting plans for Seven Mile Road in Hyannis, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.
In all of our communities north of Boston in our generation, we need to see faith from all of us akin to what we see in the life of Moses. This is a rugged call and not an easy path. It’s marked by defiance and self-denial and ultimately flourishes in demonstrable acts of faith that many just can’t understand. The Author of Hebrews takes us through the life of Moses, a Jewish Giant of the Faith, from almost 3,500 years ago that has surprising similarities with our own day. We look into the text of Hebrews 11:23-29 and can see the same characteristics of a faith-filled life for our own day. Spoiler alert: It’s not because Moses was a superhero, but he was a hero because of faith in God and the fulfilled work of One greater than Moses –Jesus.
Abraham, who obeyed when God called him, and was able to live by faith even through great adversity. His story is a lot like all of ours, and the faith that kept Abraham going is the same faith given to all of us: faith looking forward to the promises of God.
When you think of dads, what words come to mind? Honorable? Clueless? Damnable? In Bostonian culture, we've quickly shifted toward the latter. The beautiful, Biblical call to "Honor your Father" has been jettisoned in favor of cries to "Smash the Patriarchy!" So which is it? This Sunday we'll consider the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God and its implications for how we respond to our dads and church fathers (as imperfect as they are).
All Summer we're looking at the lives of 10 different heroes of faith from Hebrews 11. Unlike the "superheroes" of our big screen and comic book fantasies, these folks were just ordinary people who came to trust God fully with their lives, and now they've been given to us as examples, that we might do the same. This week is seventh-from-Adam-Enoch, whose unusually long life seems, at first glance, as unheroic as it gets, until we get to the wild, mic-drop moment at the end.
In this sermon, we cast a vision for our gospel communities being venues where disciples are actually made as we marry understanding, belief, and action.
We begin our look at the exemplars of living-by-faith from Hebrews 11 on Mother's Day with Sarah as she receives, laughs at, but then holds to and acts on the promise of God for her life.
The pastor/writer of the letter to the Hebrews has been working overtime to convince these Christians to stick with Jesus and His gospel in the face of serious temptation to bail. In chapter 10 we see him imploring them to look back at that first season of grace and remember how sincere and unshakeable their conviction was. They suffered, their friends suffered, and they EVEN HAD THEIR HARD-EARNED STUFF WRONGFULLY CONFISCATED ... and none of it shook them an inch because none of it compared the surpassing worth of having Christ. In this sermon we talk about how God gives us seasons of unmistakable conviction and sweetness to carry us through dryer, harder times.
What happens when, in defiance of both God's law and gospel, we make sin the settled pursuit of our lives? This is a burning question for all of us who live in what is rapidly becoming a post-Christian culture. In this fourth warning from the book of Hebrews we get an answer.
American culture excels at distracting us from the realities of sin and grace and convincing us that we don't need to spend time gathered with other Christians - and we often gladly oblige (to our own harm and the harm of those we are called to love and encourage). In this sermon we hear the Spirit calling us in Scripture to "not neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some" and we hit one of the big "whys" of going to church and getting together with our gospel community.
"If God is love, why would He require a blood sacrifice in order to forgive sins? That sounds barbaric." In this sermon, we'll consider this objection by following the thread of substitutionary atonement that weaves its way through all of redemptive history - from the garden to the cross - culminating in Christ's willing sacrifice of His life for ours.
"The power of an indestructible life." That's how the book of Hebrews refers to the hinge on which the gospel swings: the unexpected, unrivaled, undeniable, unchanging fact of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. On Easter Sunday at Seven Mile Road we talked resurrection and its implications for our present and future.
The "new covenant," aka "the gospel era," aka "all the awesomeness that we are experiencing at Seven Mile Road right now" is built on better promises than the older covenant that preceded it." This Sunday we deep dive on what Hebrews 8 teaches us about what was "wrong" the with older covenant and what the "better" promises are that God has made real in us in the new. Come ready to do some theology with us ... the kind that sets your soul on fire.
What American with cable tv and a remote control has not had that skeptical thought run through their head? And rightfully so. "Televangelism" is a bane of the American church and an affront to the very heart of the gospel.
Truth be told, all of church history is littered with liars, thieves, and charlatans who sought to manipulate the gospel for their own financial gain. This practice is a sin that is condemned throughout Scripture, one that the church must own up to and fight hard against it.
But it's no reason for any of us to avoid participating in and, yes, even giving generously to the work of the gospel through the local church. Jesus warned us: "You cannot love God and money. It's one or the other." Another way to say that is, "If Jesus is our greatest treasure, money isn't, and we'll give like crazy." And so when the church calls us to give, it's not because God needs our money, but because we need to be free from the love of it.
In this sermon, we work to answer a question that comes up often in the life of our church: Who should be coming to Jesus' Table? Is this meal open to anyone who happens to gather for worship that day? How would I know if I should be participating? We spent time in the text of Scripture that most explicitly addresses this question (I Corinthians 11:23-32) and saw that the Spirit's answer is meant to BOTH stop us in our tracks AND bid us come.
You might not be particularly familiar with Melchizedek or even if you are, you probably haven’t given him a lot of thought, but he might be the most important person in the Bible that you’ve probably never thought much about. In this sermon we look at Hebrews 7 and tackle some important questions like “Why does Seven Mile Road not have priests?” and “Why is Melchizedek important, at all, for us today?”
In this sermon we come across the third of the five fierce warnings that pepper the book of Hebrews. These warnings are meant to alert us to the dangers of neglecting the gospel of grace, and this warning is intense. According to Hebrews 6:4-9, it's possible for someone who has had legitimate gospel experiences to "fall away" with zero hope for every coming back to Christ. Join us as we think on how the twin Biblical teachings of potential apostasy and eternal security hold together.
Is there a gospel-centered way to watch the Super Bowl? Yes. Yes, there is. With some wings in one hand, some nachos in the other, and a big, fat smile on your face.
In this sermon, we address the common objection that Christianity is for grumpy curmudgeons who barely smile, frequently brood, and would even suck the life out of a Super Bowl party if you let them.
This common caricature is actually the exact opposite of reality. Through the gospel, God has secured for us a future that is marked by nuclear-powered happiness, and He literally commands us to live with that kind of joy right now: "Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do." Boom! Believing the gospel doesn't mean joining the No Fun Police - it means finally being able to enjoy this brief and broken life's pleasures rightly.
We've all heard the words "grow up." Sometimes they've been spoken to us with disdain, sometimes with despair. But in Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3 the Spirit speaks them to us with urgency and hope. The gospel life is one of moving, relentlessly, purposefully, toward maturity in Christ. We never get beyond gospel grace, but we do build on it.
Has the Father called you to some really hard obediences in this season of your life? This text will provide some hope and help! We look at the Spirit's words in Hebrew 5:7-10 and see that Jesus' life was one long, difficult, perfect obedience, crescendoing in His yes to the cross. We then consider the posture of a life that is fully submitted to God by the power of the gospel.
"Racism is bad."
We agree, wholeheartedly.
But why? Who said? Where does the moral obligation to not value one race over another come from? For that matter, where do moral obligations come from at all?
Listen as we consider these questions and see how the one true and living God and His gospel compel us to love and work for justice.
In this sermon from Hebrews 6:10 we consider both the state of our church and the state of our souls as we step into another year together.
This is a fast recap of our recent Open Forums where we prayed and talked about our best sense of what the Spirit is calling us to go for together in the next few years. Exciting!
In this infocast we invite you to and prep you for identical open forums happening March 1 and March 5. We'll be having a prayerful conversation about what we are going for the next 3-5 years at Seven Mile Melrose so that we can rally everything about everything - including how we restaff - toward that end. (Forgive the little bit of reverb!)
This fourteen minute infocast updates those invested in the restaffing work we are doing at Seven Mile Road Melrose on where we are at in the process.
Esther: God's Perfect Work For An Imperfect People (Due to technical difficulties, we regret that the final 3 minutes of this sermon were not captured)
Stand Alone Sermon (2011 Joint Service for calling Dan Ko, affirming new members, and baptizing new believers)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)
The Curious and Glorious Incident of the Empty Tomb Series (On the Doctrine of Resurrection)