Memory Chapel: Recent Episodes
David Hall
Jesus warms his followers of the dangers of hypocrisy. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday, July 9, 2023.
When Jesus’ detractors demand a miraculous sign, he responds by telling them that the only sign they will get is the sign of Jonah. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday July 2, 2023.
Jesus shifts the conversation from prayer to the Holy Spirit and delineates the Holy from the unholy. There is a line in the sand and no neutral ground. We cannot seek the holy apart from the Holy Spirit. The path of blessedness lies in hearing the Word of God and heeding it! This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday, June 25, 2023.
This week we emphasize a word: magnanimous. It refers to a person that is great in spirit. It wraps up the ideas of being gracious, generous, others-oriented, others-serving, and quick to forgive. The Bible might not use the word “magnanimous”, but it definitely does teach us that all that is summed up by this word is true of our Heavenly Father. In Luke 11:5-13, Jesus teaches us about prayer by highlighting the contrast between human fathers that even at their best can nevertheless be self-serving with the magnanimity of the Heavenly Father who defines himself by other-serving love. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday, June 18, 2023.
The prayer Jesus taught his followers to pray repeatedly calls us to acknowledge our dependence on the Father and his sufficiency. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday, June 11, 2023.
Jesus’s emphasis on our radical dependence continues to track through the prayer he taught his students to pray. It extends to our radical need to be forgiven AND to forgive. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday, June 4, 2023.
As Jesus teaches us to pray, he focuses our attention upon our inherent, radical dependence upon God. We should acknowledge and embrace this dependence… a dependence that we will never outgrow, but rather, as we grow to maturity in Christ, our realization of this dependence will only grow. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Following the Founder’s Day service at Memory Chapel, Pastor David fulfills a speaking engagement at North Ten Mile Baptist Church - the church where founding pastor Rev. Arleigh Cale was ordained.
We celebrate a special time to remember those who labored and sacrificed in order to establish the ministry of Memory Chapel.
We look at the New Covenant expressed by the symbol of New Jerusalem the City of God wherein God dwells with his people.
“The Kingdom in Symbols”. We look at two symbols used by the New Testament writers to picture the Old and New Covenants. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on May 7, 2023.
The New Arrangement that God made with His people through Christ’s sacrifice is the basis of the kingdom of God. Let’s see how this New Arrangement is fundamentally different from the Old Arrangement. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on April 30, 2023.
We continue unpacking important truths about the kingdom of God. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday April 23, 2023.
We continue our study of the kingdom of God by unpacking some very important elements. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday April 16, 2023.
Jesus had told his disciples to pray for the Father’s kingdom to come… but also indicated that it was a present reality in their midst and an opportunity that must be entered into. Then, on the night he was betrayed, he indicated that it was something that awaited fulfillment. Today we will look at what has to be fulfilled in order for the kingdom to fully come. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Easter Sunday April 9, And 2023.
The rule of the king was never in question; it's the rebels we are worried about!Daniel predicted the exact time of Messiah's arrival, execution, and initiation of a new and living way. The rebels would be reconciled into therule of the king - if they will humble themselves and enter in! Luke 11:1-4; Daniel 2:31-45; Daniel 9:24-27; Luke 19:28-40
Abraham's promised descendant would also be a descendant of David that will rule forever and build the house for the Lord. But is the promise shattered when the Lord judges Israel and Judah for their iniquity and scatters them amongst the nations?! How do these two national tragedies and the additional promises of the Lord for a complete regathering of God's people shape the expectations of a nation? Isaiah 39:5-7; Isaiah 40:1-2; Ezekiel 36:16-19; Ezekiel 36:24-30; Ezekiel 36:33-38; Ezekiel 37
The outworking of the Lord’s redemptive plan for humanity had a number of pivotal moments, such as when the Lord called Abraham. Today we look at another one of these pivotal moments: The Lord’s promise and oath to David concerning a descendant who would reign over the Lord’s kingdom forever and who would build the house of the Lord.
The second request of the prayer that Jesus taught his students to pray is for God’s kingdom to come. To understand the request, we must understand the concept of the kingdom of God. We begin laying the groundwork for our understanding of the kingdom by taking a big picture look at the sweep of the scriptures so that we can uncover the roots of the kingdom as well as the rejection of the king in a long ago time.
“Our Father… hallowed be thy name…”. How often have we prayed these words that Jesus taught his disciples, but have we understood what all is wrapped up in them? Today we will unpack it.
“Lord, teach us to pray,” the disciples said to Jesus. “When you pray, say ‘Our Father,’” Jesus replied. Today we begin a multi-part series that takes a closer look at a very familiar prayer. We call it the Lord’s Prayer, but it is what he taught his students to pray - it is a prayer for students. And it begins with an invitation to draw near to the Living God and to know him as our Father.
The Lord desires close intimate fellowship with his people. What happens when they drift away from him? And why might this happen in the first place? We will look at two passages that speak to the problem of drifting away from the love we had at first in our walk with the Lord.
The legal expert was interested in justifying himself by defining exclusions: "Who is my neighbor?" ButJesus shifts the emphasis of the question in a subtle way through telling a story that suggests that the spirit of the law is not in defining who I may exclude from merciful love but rather is found in answering the question,"Am I behaving like a neighbor by showing merciful love without exclusion and reservation?"
The 72 disciples that Jesus sent out on mission to the towns and villages he was preparing to visit have completed their mission and have returned to joyfully report the results of their ministry. “Even the demons submitted to us in your name!” Jesus reminds them that there is an even greater thing to rejoice in: that their names are written in heaven. Then Jesus does some rejoicing of his own and praises his Father for the way he has been revealing truth to some and concealing it from others. Let’s see what that is all about.
We turn to Luke 10 and the familiar story of the Good Samaritan in order to learn about love and the God who defines himself by that character quality. This sermon was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday December 18, 2022.
We consider several examples of people who had the choice of Joy set before them. Then we consider the greatest example of all from Hebrews 12:2 - the Lord Jesus, who for the Joy that was set before him endured great suffering and shame. We will look at four aspects of the Joy that was set before Jesus and consider how often we choose against the Joy that the Lord sets in front of us. This sermon was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday December 11, 2022.
The most divisive figure in human history? Who would it be? Would you believe me if I said “Jesus”? His bold claims have divided people for centuries. Nevertheless, for those who receive him as Savior and Lord, Christ is our peace: he has made peace between God and people, peace between peoples, and peace in our perspective.
God is sovereign. That is, he does as he pleases. Regarding his rebellious creatures, what has he pleased to do? He has chosen to reconcile them to himself through the Son that he sent. It has pleased him to reconcile not only Jews but also all the nations of mankind. Jesus is the hope of the nations!
Jesus, preparing for an extended journey to Jerusalem, appoints and sends 72 disciples ahead of him to minister in all the cities and towns that he is preparing to visit. We will look at the significance of the number Jesus sent and the warnings he issued against those who would reject the message of his apostles. This sermon was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday January 22, 2023.
Simon Peter had gotten something right: When the Lord asked his disciples who they thought that he, the Son of Man, was, Peter had responded, "You are God's Messiah!" But after this, Peter and his brethren were to experience a long string of failures. For the next few weeks, it seemed that they consistently got things wrong. Today we will look at seven instances that Luke provides of Jesus' disciples getting things very wrong over and over again. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday January 15, 2023.
We explore a title of our Lord that he often used but we seldom consider: the Son of Man. What does it mean? What is its significance? This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday January 8, 2023.
The Twelve get sent on tour; Herod the Tetrarch becomes totally perplexed; thousands turn up to be taught; and privately, Jesus reveals a troubling aspect of his Messiah mission before issuing a test of total commitment. What is the take-away for us? This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday January 1, 2023.
We take a look at three stories that Luke 8 provides that display Jesus' power and authority: over the physical realm, over the spiritual realm, and over disease and physical death. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday November 20, 2022.
We look at the well-known parable of the Seeds & the Sower. "Why do you teach in parables?" the disciples asked him. Jesus' answer was a bit surprising: "To conceal the truth!" We'll examine that perplexing purpose as well as the responsibility we have to not only be hearers but also doers of the word. Finally, we'll look at an amazing new concept that Jesus presented to his listeners: "the Family of God". This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday November 13, 2022.
Jesus was preaching and telling the good news of the Kingdom of God. What is it about God's Kingdom that makes it good news for us? Today we look at three ways that the Kingdom of God is truly good news for us. This sermon was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday November 6, 2022.
Jesus accepts a Pharisee's invitation to dinner, but things take a dramatic turn when an uninvited woman shows up at the table. What follows is real-life dinner theater with these featured roles: the Separatist, the Sinner, the Savior, and a group we'll call the Supper Club.
Luke 7 provides us with three instances of Jesus showing compassion: A foreigner, a grieving mother, and a prophet who was struggling with his faith. We learn that God shows mercy to the merciful and that when a person places their faith in him it will always move his compassionate heart; God has compassion on those who are in great need; and God even has compassion on those who are struggling in their faith. Jesus IS God's compassion in action.
This is a tale of two Israels: An apostate unbelieving Israel that was cut off from God's blessings when they rejected his Messiah and a faithful remnant-Israel who embraced the Savior and entered into blessing. How is the faithful remnant to relate to each other in the kingdom? How is the faithful Israel of God to relate to those on the outside of the kingdom? And how are they to distinguish one from the other? These questions and more will be explored in this episode. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday October 16, 2022.
We have seen Jesus speak and act with authority in the preceding chapter of Luke's gospel. Now Luke shows us seven ways that Jesus claimed authority over proclaiming God's Kingdom, calling people into it, making the unclean clean, forgiving sins, inviting sinners into fellowship, declaring the forms of the old arrangement (the old covenant law of Moses) to be inadequate for kingdom life, and even authority to alter the old arrangement's forms so as to make a new arrangement between God and humanity that is suitable for life in the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus spoke, people recognized that there was something different. What was it? It was the authoritative way that he proclaimed God's kingdom. Jesus spoke with authority. But there was more. He backed up his words with his deeds. Jesus acted with authority. Today we will be looking at Jesus' authority - in word and in deed.
We conclude our study of 1 Corinthians in this episode. Paul shares his parting thoughts in his letter to the Corinthian Church, and we consider the blessing of being IN Christ... IN the family of God as opposed to the cursed condition of being OUTSIDE of Christ and OUTSIDE the family of God. THis message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
We look at Paul's plans for travel and ministry and notice that there are seven key principles in his ministry objectives... principles that we, too, would do well to apply in our lives and our ministries to others as we serve the Lord. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday, September 11, 2022.
We take a look at Paul's special project: the Jerusalem Relief Aid Project. He saw it as a way to bring Jewish and Gentile believers together in love. We will look at the Kingdom principles that govern Christian giving. This really ISN'T another sermon on tithing! This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday, September 4, 2022.
The Apostle Paul uses both natural revelation (What can Nature teach us?) and special revelation (What has God taught us through his prophets and apostles?) to answer some questions about the resurrection and the resurrection body. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday, August 28, 2022.
Paul brings up two instances that simply wouldn't make sense if we didn't hold as essential doctrine that the dead are raised. Then he points out the logical conclusion of NOT believing that the dead are raised. Following Paul's reasoning, the bottom line is this: Doctrine matters! Our belief drives our behavior. This message was originally given at Memory Chapel on Sunday, August 21, 2022.
Paul takes his class on resurrection to the next level. He includes courses on philosophy, eschatology, and theology (if you don’t know what that second one is, just stay tuned in). This message was given at Memory Chapel on Sunday August 14, 2022.
What kind of outlook on the afterlife did the Old Testament Scriptures present? What prospects did the hereafter hold for the people of God before Jesus’ redemption was accomplished? What was Sheol? How did Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection change all of that? This week we will answer these questions and more! This message was given at Memory Chapel on Sunday August 7, 2022.
There were some in the church of Corinth that were adhering to and promoting a serious error: “The dead are not raised”. What was it all about? Paul moved quickly to correct this error by emphasizing the centrality of the resurrection of Christ in the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe. This message was given at Memory Chapel on Sunday July 31, 2022.
It seems that some in the Corinthian church were overvaluing some spiritual gifts while undervaluing others. How can one gift be of greater value than another? What are Paul’s prescriptions for using the gifts? And what about the role of women in the church? What will we do with a very perplexing passage that some take as their grounds for insisting that women should not speak in the church? This message was given at Memory Chapel on Sunday July 24, 2022.
The Corinthian church had been extraordinarily gifted by the Holy Spirit. Why weren’t they moving in a good direction? They weren’t seeking to serve each other with the gifts they had been given. The great synchronizer of the gifts, love, was sadly lacking. This message was given at Memory Chapel on Sunday July, 17, 2022.
By his Spirit the Lord has given the members of his Body gifts by which they might serve one another in love. But some in the Corinthian church had failed to use their spiritual gifts for the benefit of each other. Indeed, it seems that they had developed an infatuation with some of the gifts that Paul would consider lower priority gifts. Having admonished them in the previous chapter to desire the greater gifts that serve the greatest good for the greatest number of the Body of Christ, he now proposes to show them a better way to live and use the gifts of the Spirit.
One God, one Lord, one Spirit has gifted and equipped each member of Christ’s Body to serve each other in love.
What do you think would be the greatest gift that could possibly be requested or given? Jesus tells us what he thinks it is. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday June 26, 2022.
Paul issues a call to the Corinthians church. A call to identify the Body. Their self-centered attitudes and behaviors have blinded them to their own brothers and sisters - the Body of Christ! Recognize the Body of Christ for the precious thing it is and love one another. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday June 12, 2022.
Jesus visits his hometown synagogue and provokes a violent response. Why? What set them off?
1 Corinthians 11:1-16. The previous chapter supplied us with three guiding principles: 1) we are not to seek our own God but rather the good of others. 2) We are to do all things to the glory of God. 3) We ought not create stumbling blocks or obstacles for others to come to faith in Christ but should instead clear the path to give them the best opportunity to respond to the gospel. These three principles will be key to our understanding of a rather difficult passage in today’s message. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday June 6, 2022.
1 Corinthians 10. A Word of Warning. “Christ has set us free from the requirement of the Law,” was perhaps the protest of some in Corinth who wished to engage in things that were stumbling blocks for others. “Christ has set us free to do as we ought, not merely as we please!” This might be a good way of summarizing Paul’s response to their assertion. And so the Apostle directs their attention (and ours) to the sobering example of Old Testament Israel. That ancient people of God had had a salvation experience, a baptism experience, and a communion experience when the Lord brought them out of Egyptian bondage; yet they continually provoked the Lord through sin, idolatry, and unbelief and tested the limits of his forbearance. Their faithless attitudes and actions had serious consequences. Paul points the Corinthians (and us) to consider the tragic example of rebellious Israel and forced the Christian to ponder the question, “Do I really want to test Christ through unfaithfulness and sin?”
Mother’s Day 2022. “A few interesting details”. Living in a time when there is much controversy over ‘choosing pronouns’ it’s important to remember that God has chosen His. He has chosen to reveal himself to his people as Father. But today we look at ways that the Living God has used interesting word pictures from a feminine perspective to communicate some of his nurturing qualities. And it really shouldn’t surprise the careful student of scripture because after all, he made humanity in his image - male AND female - to reflect the glory of the unseen God to the visible realm. And that’s what we’re talking about today. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on May 8, 2022, Mother’s Day.
This sermon on 1 Corinthians 9 was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on Sunday May 1, 2022. Christ has set us free by fulfilling the righteous requirement of the Law. So does that mean the Christian is free to do as she pleases? In explaining the obligation each member of the Body of Christ has for each other, Paul uses himself and his own ministry as a practical example of what it looks like to not avail yourself of your own prerogatives but to instead seek the good of others.
1 Corinthians 8. “Love Above”. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on 04-24-2022.
Piano prelude by Lucy Hall. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on April 3, 2022.
Piano prelude by Lucy Hall. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on 03-27-2022.
1 Corinthians 7. Paul addresses marital questions for the church. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on 03-20-2022. Piano prelude by Lucy Hall.
1 Corinthians 6. “Settling, Surprising, and Sobering”. This message was originally delivered as an online broadcast for Memory Chapel on 03-13-2022.
1 Corinthians 5. “Arrogantly Warped or Authentically Pure?” This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on March 06, 2022.
1 Corinthians 4. “About Apostles & Arrogance”. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on February 27, 2022.
1 Corinthians 3. “God’s Work and His Workers”. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on February 20, 2022.
“The Real Deep-Wisdom of God”. This message was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on February 13, 2022.
“Discerning Identity in the Gospel” 1 Corinthians 1:10-2:5. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on January 23, 2022.
“Arrogance & Identity”. Introduction to a new study on the New Testament letter 1 Corinthians. In this introduction to our new study we consider the background to Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, some interpretive challenges, and two key words for the study - “arrogance” & “identity”
“Resolved”. 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on January 2, 2022.
Christmas Eve. 2 Corinthians 5. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on December 24, 2021.
Fourth Sunday of Advent. “A Greater Love”. John 15; 1 John 3 & 4. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on December 19, 2021.
Third Sunday of Advent. “Abiding Joy”. John 15:1-17; 16:16-24. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on December 12, 2021.
First Sunday in Advent. “Christ: the Hope of Nations”. Deuteronomy 32:8-9. This sermon was originally delivered at Memory Chapel on November 28, 2021.
“A Big-Picture View of Thanksgiving”. Hebrews 12:28. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on November 21, 2021.
“Patient & Hopeful Endurance”. James 5:7-20. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on November 14, 2021.
“Wealth & Riches: Futility or Fidelity?” James 5:1-6. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on November 7, 2021.
“The Cure for the Common Conflict”. James 4:1-5:6. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on October 10, 2021.
“A Life Submitted to the Rule of Christ”. James 4:13-5:6. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on October 31, 2021.
True Religion pt.3: The Faith that Works”. James 2:14-26. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on August 22, 2021.
“True Religion pt.4: Speak Gently”. James 3. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on August 29, 2021.
"The Source of Conflict". James 4. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on October 3, 2021.
“True Religion pt.2: Generous Behavior vs. Favoritism”. James 1:26-2:13. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on August 15, 2021.
“Hear & Do”. James 1:19-25. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on August 1, 2021.
"Clearing Up a Few Things". James 1:12-18 Originally preached at Memory Chapel on July 25, 2021
"True Religion pt1: Jettison Prejudice”. James 1:26-2:13. This sermon was originally preached at Memory Chapel on August 8, 2021.
James 1:2-11. The Simple Life. Originally preached at Calvary Baptist Church of Washington on 07-11-2021
"Who Do You Say that I Am?" James 1:1. What did James think about Jesus? Originally preached on June 20, 2021.
Where have we been? What is the big picture? The big idea? As approach Hebrews 12:22 we step back to review the main ideas that have brought us to this point.
This important text for discerning the covenants is the basis for considering where the Christian stands.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 12:14-15 and consider the grace of God: 1) What is it? 2) What does it mean to fall short of it? 3) How does one fall short of the grace of God?
This is the sermon only. For the full worship service see episode 30 of season 1. In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 12:12-17 and consider these three questions: 1) Am I my brother's keeper? 2) What are we to look out for? 3) How do we get involved?
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 12:12-17 and consider these three questions: 1) Am I my brother's keeper? 2) What do we look out for? 3) How do we get involved?
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 12:12-17 and consider the exhortations to strengthen each other for the race of faith.
In this episode we read from Mark 14 & 15 and Luke 24 as we focus upon the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We also read from Acts 8 and Romans 10 in preparation for Christian Baptism. We conclude by reading from 1 Corinthians 11 before celebrating the Lord's Supper together.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 13:8-14 as well as two Gospel texts relating to Palm Sunday and two Old Covenant texts relating to Passover.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 12:4-11 and consider the difficult topic of chastening (discipline) in the life of the believer.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 12:1-3 and consider Jesus as THE great example of faith and endurance - the first and final word on the subject, the greatest of all time!
This episode contains the full sermon (all 6 parts) without the rest of the Sunday morning worship service.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 11 and consider the examples of faith of Old Testament saints who trusted on God and His promises... And specifically, THE promise: a city with foundations made without hands, whose builder and maker is God.
In this episode we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent by focusing on the theme of "Love"
In this episode we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent by focusing on the theme of "Joy".
We read important Scriptures from the Prophets and the Apostles concerning the work of John the Baptizer who prepared the way of the Lord by fulfilling his prophetic role in the spirit and power of Elijah in turning the hearts of the fathers to the children... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
In this episode we reference the texts of Genesis 3, Romans 5, Isaiah 11, and Ephesians 2 in contrasting the hopeless plight of humanity apart from Christ with the great hope that we have for this life and the next IN CHRIST.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 10:38 and consider the phrase "the just shall live by faith". Simply taking God at His word as the God who justifies the ungodly, continuing to walk in that simple trust that lays hold of the good grace of God, and living with thanksgiving in our hearts for the lavish gift of His love and favor.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 10:26-39 and consider the Apostle's warnings about apostasy and his exhortations to recall past faithfulness and to endure.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 10:19-25 and consider the wonderful results of Christ's perfecting sacrifice and unending priesthood for believers; then we consider the Apostle's exhortations that come out of those wonderful results: a "Let us..." salad that we would do well to heed.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 10:1-18 and consider the superiority of Christ's sacrifice for sin and his everlasting priesthood in contrast to the sacrifices and priesthood of the old covenant which were mere shadows of the fullness that was to come under Christ who has perfected the believer forever.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 9 and consider the ritual worship of the old covenant and compare it to the realities of the new eternal covenant. We'll also highlight the tension of the "already-and-not-yet" situation that those first-century Christians experienced and relate it to the similar "already-and-not-yet" that we ourselves experience.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 8 and consider the question, "What's wrapped up in the title 'Christ'?" The Scriptures foretold of a Christ that would be a king and a suffering servant of the Lord. But the author of Hebrews has shown that the Scriptures also predicted that Christ would be divine and would be a priest. This change in the priesthood for God's people necessitated a change in the covenant. Jeremiah predicted this new covenant... A better covenant built on better promises.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 7 and consider the One who is called "a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" - Jesus Christ, a priest who is perfectly suited to bring us to God.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 6:4-20 and consider the dire warnings against falling away from faith in Christ Jesus.
In this episode we read the text of Acts 24 and take a closer look at: 1) Paul's faith. 2) Paul's presentation of the gospel. 3) Felix's response to the gospel.
In this episode we read and walk through the text of Acts 27 and ask the question, "Why does God still some storms and not others?". What is God's purpose in the trials and sufferings of life?
In this episode we read the text of Acts 27 and consider how God was at work in the circumstances of storm and shipwreck and how He used Paul's faithful obedience to bless those that surrounded Paul. We'll identify a number of attitudes and actions that display Paul's faith and obedience.
In this episode we read the text of Acts 28 and consider how God is at work in this world and in the lives of men and women through the gospel of His Son. Looking through the lens of Acts 28 we can rejoice in the awesome ways that God worked through circumstances that can only be described as challenging, traumatic, and potentially discouraging to open doors for people to hear the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. He is still very much in that business today in our lives and in the lives of those around us!
In this episode we read the text of Acts 28:23-31 and consider the question, "What is God up to?". Of special interest is the concept of "spiritual hardening" as it relates to first century Israel. This context is useful when reading three chapters in the book of Romans that many Christians may find to be challenging to understand and difficult to reconcile with other Scriptures. Using the concept of listening to one side of a telephone conversation the big ideas of Romans 9, 10, & 11 are presented in light of the spiritual hardening that had happened to 1st century Jews who had hardened themselves in rejecting the Savior and His gospel; but even in this God was at work redemptively!
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 6:1-3 and pause to consider 3 pairs of things that the author of Hebrews says are foundational principles of the Christian faith:. 1) repentance from dead works and faith toward God. 2) doctrines of baptisms and laying on of hands 3) resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 1:1-3 and consider the weight of the author's claim: God who spoke in a variety of ways through the prophets of old has now spoken in a fuller, faithful, and final way through His Son.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 5:11-6:3 and consider the danger of a deficient understanding of who Christ is. Failing to recognize Christ Jesus as the author of Hebrews portrays Him (the Son through whom God has spoken, greater than the angels, than Moses, a compassionate and faithful high priest who brings us to the Father) will result in a stunted, immature spiritual condition that puts the believer in peril of apostasy.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 1:4-2:18 and consider the Apostle's persuasive argument that the Christ, though for a time made lower than the Angels, is nonetheless greater than they for He alone is the only unique Son of God. So, why was He made lower for a time? The answer has to do with His humanity and qualification to be a faithful, compassionate High Priest for you and me.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 3:1-6 and consider God's faithful servant Moses as compared and contrasted with the One declared to be greater than Moses: God's own Son, Jesus Christ.
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 3:7-19 and consider the Holy Spirit's warning concerning unbelief... rebellion... falling away... apostasy.
The Lord promised rest and home to the ancient Israelites who came out of Egypt and trusted in His power and provision to keep His promise. Yet, it was centuries later that the Psalmist prophesied that there was still a rest for God's people to enter. The author of the letter to the Hebrews makes it clear that this promised rest is fulfilled in Christ Jesus. A rest remains for the people of God: don't miss out / Don't Give up!
In this episode we read the text of Hebrews 5:1-11 and we ask the question, "Is Jesus qualified to be the High Priest for God's people?" We'll answer that question from the word of God and conclude with an inquiry into who is qualified for eternal salvation.