North Avenue Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
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This past Sunday, Greg Rentz and Zach Hutzell began a new Sunday school series in the book of Genesis.
You can watch this message here.
Here are the six points from the message:
- The offer of the gospel is universal (v 38-39)
- We must personally believe in Jesus to be forgiven (v 38-39)
- We are responsible for all our sin, including unbelief in the gospel (v 40-41, 45-46, 50-51)
- We as Christians are the primary means God has chosen to bring unbelievers to faith (v 47; 14:1)
- Our faith is owing to God's appointment (v 48)
- We can identify the elect only when they respond positively to the gospel (v 48)
Why evangelize if the doctrine of unconditional election is true?
- Guaranteed success!
- Motivation for prayer
- Perseverance in the face of discouragement
You can watch this message here.
In our last week in 1 Thessalonians, we lingered on the issue of how we are to think about prophecy in the church today.
You can watch this message here.
In this last sermon on the Golden Chain, we spend time working through each of the five terms. We linger especially on the first three which most closely relate to the issue of God's sovereignty in salvation: Foreknown, Predestined, and Called.
You can watch this message here.
There is no such thing as a "boring" testimony! The more desperate our plight the more glorious our conversion! And we are all born morally unable to come to Christ because we are by nature willingly enslaved by our 1) love of darkness; 2) hatred of God; 3) spiritual blindness; and 4) spiritual deadness. [For more on these points, see John Piper's excellent sermon that Mark said he adapted these points from.] Only sovereign grace could overcome each of this and transform our hearts to make us willing to believe! You can watch this message here.
We could all use more joy and gratitude, along with a more consistnent prayer life! Don't miss toward the end when Jerry is asked about how the Lord kept him from despair in the hosptial in the months following his spinal cord injury nearly 43 years ago, at the age of 17. You can watch this message here.
This was our last Table Talk for this summer! We focused on how all that we have is a gift from God that we must use for His glory.
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Mark, and Scott cover this section of 1 Thessalonians that alerts us to the fact that we are in the midst of a battle in the Christian life and we must keep our armor on, the gospel clear, and be actively invovled in a faithful local church.
You can watch this message here.
The Golden Chain is a source of great comfort for the believer! However, we must make sure we understand each of the five linkes correctly. This sermon is a meditation on the first two. What does it mean to be foreknown and predestined?
You can watch this message here.
It has become popular to see Romans 9 as being mainly about (1) temporal blessings and judgments on nations in history, or (2) the salvation of individuals based on foreseen faith.
However, there are good reasons to reject these views and accept that Romans 9 really does teach unconditional election unto salvation. Really!
You can watch this message here.
To live as though Jesus is not returning is to live in the dark about where humanity is heading. No matter how intelligent or informed someone is about worldly things, to lack this knowledge is to be asleep to reality. As Christians, we must not give into moments of sleepiness, but sould be awake, aleter, and spiritually sober minded. We need to put on God's armor to be ready for battle, not sleeping on the battlefield.
You can watch this message here.
This is our fourth Table Talk of the summer and we focus on the all-important issue of worship — both publica and private.
You can watch this message here.
Romans 9 is the most important chapter on the doctrines of election and reprobation. What is it really about?
You can listen to this message here.
Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, Paul tells us that certain things of global significance have to happen before Christ returns. These things are not happening currently as far as we can see. If this is the case, then in what sense is Christ's return 'imminent'?
Borrowing from John Piper, we look at three ways: 1) prophetically near; 2) divinely near; and 3) potentially near.
You can watch this message here.
While genuine Christians can hold differing views on the rapture, it is still an issue worth studying since it has a surprisingly large effect on how numerous passage are interpreted. This includes much of Revelation, the Thessalonians letters, the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 23, Mark 13, & Luke 21), and portions of the OT prophets.
You can watch this message here.
This passage opens up the doctrine of election and reprobation. These are such weighty doctrines that must be studied with humility and a heart that is submissive to God's word.
Here are the three points of the message:
- Introducing Malachi
- Jacob I Have Loved
- Esau I Have Hated
You can watch this message here.
This is week three of this summer's Table Talk series on the Spiritual Discipines. This time we are focused on the importance of prayer.
You can watch this message here.
In this last passage in Nehemiah, we see sin rear its ugly head all over again. What can we learn from a waning revival? The main idea: Indwelling sin never stops assaulting God's people throughout this fallen age. We must keep fighting it daily by God's grace and power!
Here are the main points:
- Pagan Intermarriage Returns
- Nehemiah Responds
- Lessons from a Failed Reformation
You can watch this message here.
Some of the questions from this message:
- How should Christians understand grief when it comes to the death of dearly loved fellow believers?
- What is the 'intermediate state' between death and resurrection?
- Why is resurrection so important?
- What will happen to deceased Christians when Christ returns?
You can watch this message here.
The 'quiet time' is such an important part of the Christian life and of the means of grace. However, there is not one cookie-cutter way to approach this subject. How can Christians make progress in having quiet times that truly do stir our affections by the Holy Spirit's power and produce real transformation in our lives?
Let us Learn to Wield Scripture in the Daily Fight to Commune with God.
You can watch this message here.
There are three main points in Greg's message:
- Confront Diotrephes (v 9-10)
- Commend Demetrius (v 12)
- Imitate What is Good (v 11)
You can watch this message here.
Christians should make it their ambition to ... what? Paul says, "...to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one." What does this mean exactly?
You can watch this message here.
This is the first Table Talk message of the summer! Here we are covering the spiritual disciplines.
You can watch this message here.
Lust must be fought against! How does Paul (and the Lord throug him) teach us to fight?
You can watch this message here.
This too often overlooked passage in 3 John tells us so much about how we should support missionaries. Zach helps us unpack the neglected details of this hidden text:
- Who should we support?
- How ought we support?
- Why should we support?
You can watch this message here.
We're planning a three week mini-series in 3 John, the shortest book in the Bible by word count. This week Scott covered the introduction and conclusion of this letter. What riches are here for us in this too often ignored letter!
- Gaius’s godliness (v 1-3)
- A healthy body with an unhealthy soul makes for an unhealthy person (v 2)
- John’s greatest joy (v 4)
- The sweetness of Christian fellowship — especially face to face (v 13-15)
You can watch this message here.
Sexual immorality is nothing new in a post-fall world. The culture of the Thessalonians had major issues in this area just as our world does today. Paul makes it clear that one of the distinguishing marks of a Christian should be "that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God."
You can watch this message here.
Mark, Scott, and John discuss all the theology and practical application that we get from Paul's prayer here and the doctrines which undergird it.
You can watch this message here.
Here are the three points from the message:
- Nehemiah Confronts the People for Giving too Little (v 10-13)
- Nehemiah Confronts the People for Working too Much (v 15-22a)
- Nehemiah Fixes His Hope on God, not Man (v 14, 22b)
You can watch this message here.
Few issues show more clearly show the error of the supposed infallble authority of the Roman Catholic Church (or the Eastern Orthodox Church!) than that of icon veneration. That may sound strange, but both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologies claim that the findings of the Second Council of Nicea (787 AD) were infallible. And at this council, the veneration of icons is not just affirmed, but all who reject it are put under a supposedly infallible 'anathema'! This is no small matter.
You can watch this message here.
Here are the three main points of the message:
- Godly Commitment (v 1-3)
- Ungodly Compromise (v 4-5)
- Godly Correction (v 6-9)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, and John cover the first verses of chapter three. They focus on God's good purposes for the suffering in our lives.
The Catholic view of Mary contains numerous significant errors. What does Scripture really teach?
You can watch this message here.
Zach, Scott, and John walk through an especially challenging section of this letter to properly understand.
Money is one of the greatest idols in this world. What can we learn about finances from this seemingly obscure passage in Nehemiah? There are many important principles here and in other New Testament texts that challenge us to participate in the joy of sacrificial giving!
You can watch this message here.
Mariology is an area of Catholic theology where we see an unbiblical development throughout church history of Mary taking on a far more exalted position than Scripture gives her. How should we respond?
You can watch this message here.
We should be thankful…
- For other Christians
- Because of the hope laid up for us in heaven
- Because of the spiritual blessings we have in Christ
You can watch this message here.
Is there a New Testament case to make that Peter was the first in a long line of Popes?
You can watch this message here.
The ascension of Jesus raises questions: Why did Jesus have to leave in order for the Spirit to be given? Why did Jesus say it was better that He go away in order for the Spirit to come? After addressing some of these important questions, we then look at the ascension through these three lenses:
- The Ascension of Our King
- The Ascension of Our Priest
- The Ascension of Our Prophet
You can watch this message here.
What does the Roman Catholic Church officially teach about the Papacy and why do we believe Scripture does not support it?
You can watch this here.
Here are the points from the message. Mark borrowed the first three from Alistair Begg's helpful sermon here.
- Peace (v 36)
- Panic (v 37-38)
- Proof (v 39-43)
- Prophets (v 44-46)
- Proclamation (v 47)
You can watch this message here.
After we received world class teaching on Christology and Trinitarian theology from Dr. Steve Wellum, Mark and Greg review some of the things we can take away and also confess areas where our understanding of Christ as one Person in two natures at times fell short of the fullness of what Scripture teaches. It's not too late to grow!
You can watch this message here.
Here is the outline for this Easter message:
- A Stranger on the Road (v 13-19a)
- The Gospel According to Cleopas (v 19b-24)
- The Gospel According to the Old Testament (v 25-27)
- Burning Hearts and Open Eyes (v 28-35)
You can watch this message here.
Here is the outline for Scott's powerful message on Jesus's agony in Gethsemane and His crucifixion.
- The agony of Jesus
- The cup
- The cross of Christ
- The scandal of grace
You can watch this message here.
In light of Easter, here is a fresh extended meditation on why the empty tomb matters. — Did you know only Matthew mentions the guards at the tomb? — And do you know why he spends 11 verses telling us about them? It matters!
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, and John started us off on the first week in this new series on 1 Thessalonians.
Here are the four main points of the message:
- Unexpected sources recognize the king (18:35-19:10)
- In this parable, different responses to the King (19:11-27)
- An exuberant welcome for the King (19:28-40)
- Some surprising announcements from the King (19:41-48)
The crowd has three false expectations:
- They expect Rome’s overthrow
- They expect the immediately re-establishment of Jerusalem as the primary city on earth
- They expect the rule of the Messiah from Jerusalem over all nations
You can watch this message here.
Mark and Greg had the privilege of getting to ask Dr. Wellum some questions. They begin with issues related to the Trinity and Classical Theism. They also asked about the role of national Israel today.
You can watch this message here.
Dr. Wellum gavea us a wonderful overview of Revelation 4-5. In chapter four, he shows us God's heavenly throne, surrounded by glory and angels. Then, in chapter 5, he shows us our hopelessness apart from Christ — the Lion and the Lamb — and the glory of our salvation in Him.
You can watch this message here.
We had the privilege of having Dr. Steve Wellum speak on the theme of God the Son Incarnate for our 2026 NAC Bible Conference.
This message is about knowing Jesus as from the confessions of the early church, with a special emphasis on Nicea (AD 381) and Chalcedon (AD 451).
You can watch this message here.
We had the privilege of having Dr. Steve Wellum speak on the theme of God the Son Incarnate for our 2026 NAC Bible Conference.
This message is about knowing Jesus as the incarnate Son. We are focusing on His true humanity.
You can watch this message here.
We had the privilege of having Dr. Steve Wellum speak on the theme of God the Son Incarnate for our 2026 NAC Bible Conference.
This message is about knowing Jesus as God the Son. We are focusing on His deity.
You can watch this message here.
We had the privilege of having Dr. Steve Wellum speak on the theme of God the Son Incarnate for our 2026 NAC Bible Conference.
This message seeks to put Jesus within the context of the entire Bible's storyline, especially focusing on the Old Testament background.
You can watch this message here.
What are the theological distinctives of our church?
- Baptist theology
- Reformed theology
- Cessationism
- Progressive Covenantalism
- Complementarianism
- God's glory and our joy
- Confessionalism
You can watch this message here.
In this final week in Jude, Jerry, Scott, and Mark look at three kinds of people who are struggling with and giving into the false teachers and how to help rescue them. Then we end with the famous and wonderful doxology: "Now to Him who is able to keep you..."
What do a list of obscure names signed to a covenant from 2,400 years ago in Jerusalem have to do with us today? Actually, quite a bit!
Here are the three main points:
- Why Covenants Matter
- Covenant Separation & Devotion
- Three Covenant Applications: (1) Marriage; (2) Sabbath; (3) Sabbath years
You can watch this message here.
Here is the outline for the message:
- The Land (v 22-25)
- God's Discipline (v 26-31)
- A Humbled People (v 32-37)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, and Zach continue our journey through the too often neglected letter of Jude.
Jerry, Scott, and Zach discuss more of the false teachers that Jude warns us all about.
Jerry, Scott, and Zach walk through some challenging verses in Jude. What does it mean that there was a dispute over the body of Moses and why did Jude include that here in his argument?
We must understand history from God's perspective or else we will be left to interpret our lives wrongly.
- Redemption (v 9-11)
- Provision (v 12-15)
- Rebellion (v 16-17a, 18)
- Compassion (v 17b-21)
You can watch this message here.
We see in this passage something of the two legs on which the Christian life is to be walked: confession and worship.
- A Broken People (v 1-5)
- A Great God (v 6-8)
- They praise Yahweh alone as Creator
- They praise Yahweh for election
- They praise Yahweh as gracious covenant-maker
- They praise Yahweh as righteous covenant-keeper
You can watch this message here.
In our second week, we cover most of the 'marks of a healthy church' form 9Marks ministries.
You can watch this message here.
Zach Hutzell joins Greg to discuss differences between the Catholic and Protestant views of justification. This matter is central to the gospel and the differences are of great significance.
The differences between Catholics and Protestants on justification are of great signficance in how we understand the gospel. We must work to carefully understand them.
You can watch this message here.
I. Ezra Leads a Men's Bible Study (v 13)
II. The Result is Obedience (v 14-17b)
III. Obedience Leads to Joy and the Word (v 17c-18)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, and Zach discuss the warning Jude presents about those who "pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
What does Scripture teach about church membership and church discipline? Does the New Testament assume believers should be members of a local church?
You can watch this message here.
What created the joy of the Lord in God's people in Nehemiah 8? And what was the nature of this joy according to the text? Answering these questions can enable us to better 'rejoice in the Lord always'!
I. What precedes this joy?
- Eager Initiative (v. 1-2)
- Prolonged Attentiveness (v. 3-4, 7-8)
- Passionate Reception (v. 5-6)
- Brokenhearted Grief (v. 9)
II. What is the nature of this joy?
- It is an understanding joy (v. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 12)
- It is a holy joy (v. 9b, 10b, 11b)
- It is a neighbor-loving joy (v. 10a)
- It is a God-centered joy (v. 10c)
- It is a strengthening/protective joy (v. 10c)
- It is an obedient joy (v 12)
Spurgeon, "What a gracious God we serve, who makes delight to be a duty, and who commands us to rejoice! Should we not at once be obedient to such a command as this? It is intended that we should be happy."
You can watch this message here.
Here Jerry, Scott, Mark, and Greg finished out the fascinating and too often neglected letter of 3 John.
Jerry, Scott, and Grant finish out 2 John with its message to abide in the true teaching of Christ and not to "go on ahead" to another teaching that is not biblical.
Grant joins Jerry and Scott to set the scene for 2 John and to begin with John's emphasis on God's truth.
Jerry, Zach, and Mark cover a couple of challenging aspescts of 1 John 5. What does it mean that Jesus came "not by water only but by the water and the blood" (v. 6)? Also, why does the KJV have such a different reading of v. 7-8 than modern English translations?
The formal cause of the Reformation was the issue of authority. Essentially the question was, "Who says?" What is our ultimate authority in this world? Is it Scripture only or Scripture plus "sacred tradition" and the Magisterium (the pope and his bishops)? This issue foundational to all other major differences between Catholics and Protestants.
You can watch this message here.
Satan works through Nehemiah's enemies to attack him in four ways in Nehemiah 6:1-7:4. 1. Distraction (6:1-4) 2. Defamation (6:5-9) 3. Deception (6:10-14) 4. Infiltration (6:15-7:4)
Let us learn from Nehemiah's example how we can resist these tactics and so finish well. You can watch this message here.
It's been a long break, but Sunday we picked back up our 'Questioning Catholicism' series!
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: The greatest threat to God's people has always been the sin from within. Here, the people humbly respond with repentance as Nehemiah leads through godly confrontation and illustration.
- Choosing Sinful Exploitation (v 1-5)
- Responding to Godly Confrontation (v 6-13)
- Observing a Godly Illustration (v 14-19)
You can watch this message here.
The Christian life is about the sword and the trowel. We are called to build (= the trowel) and defend (= the sword). This passage has become well known for this very reason.
You can watch this message here.
Four ways to pursue ordinary faithfulness in a new year:
- By treasuring the Word of God (Psalm 1)
- By preaching the Gospel to ourselves consistently (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
- By cultivating a firm belief in the sovereignty and goodness of God (Romans 8:28-32)
- By folding our lives into the local church where we are members (Hebrews 10:23-25)
You can watch this message here.
In difficult times...
- We are tempted to trust in other powers [7:1-8:15]
- We are tempted to trust in other authorities [8:16-21]
- We must trust in the God who Saves [9:1-7]
You can watch this message here.
Here are the two main points of Greg's meditation on the purpose of the incarnation from Philippians 2:
- The intentional unity of the church (v 1-4)
- The intentional incarnation of the Messiah (v 5-11)
You can watch this message here.
Nehemiah shows us how to handle discouragement in the Christian life.
I. Why We Are Tempted to Give Up (v 10-12)
- A. Our strength is low
- B. The burden seems too great
- C. Opposition grows from without and within
II. Ways We Fight to Endure (v 13-14)
- A. Set a defense where you're most vulnerable
- B. Expose yourself to truth!
- C. Remember and fear the Lord
- D. Remember what is at stake
You can watch this message here.
Why is the Christian life so hard?
Here is the outline of the message:
- The Enemies Mock (v 1-3)
- Nehemiah Prays and the People Work (v 4-6)
- The Enemies Threaten (v 7-8)
- Nehemiah Prays and sets a Guard (v 9)
You can watch this message here.
The people beautifully model unified work for the kingdom!
A. Nehemiah Leads the People by...
- Showing the way forward
- Delegating the work into manageable portions
- Giving credit to the workers
B. The People Avoid...
- Procrastination
- A preoccupation with (1) rank, (2) gifting, or (3) recognition
C. The People Work...
- In Unity
- Diligently and Sacrificially
You can watch this message here.
Nehemiah provides a wonderful example of bibical leadership in this passage.
- Nehemiah clearly communicates the problem (v 17a)
- Nehemiah clearly communicates the solution (v 17b-18a)
- The people and their enemies respond (v 18b-19)
- Nehemiah's uncompromising conviction in the face of opposition (v 20)
You can watch this message here.
In this week's passage we learn about godly leadership from Nehemiah.
Godly leaders...
- Use wisdom (v 9)
- Expect opposition (v 10)
- Know when to rest (v 11)
- Have a God-glorifying plan, yet don’t reveal it prematurely (v 12)
- Clearly understand the problems they face (vv 13-16)
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: Nehemiah shows us how to pray, plan, and act all while relying on God's good providence.
- Prayerful planning
- Courageous actions
- God's providence
You can watch this message here.
Here is the outline for Nehemiah's prayer of repentance:
- Nehemiah turns to God first (vv. 4–6a)
- Nehemiah confesses sin (vv. 6b–7)
- Nehemiah prays God’s promises in Scripture (vv. 8–9)
- Nehemiah points to God’s past faithfulness (v. 10)
- Nehemiah makes his request (v. 11)
[Audio is corrected at 1:38]
You can watch this message here.
Nehemiah had a great job working as the cupbearer of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Why did he give it all up to embrace the difficult task of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls? The answer is the Lord developed in him a holy ambition for God's people, place, and glory. Do you have a holy ambition for your life?
You can watch this message here.
Mark participated in a Q&A chapel at Westminster Christian Academy for middle and high school students on October 17th. It was led by the head of school, Jared Clark, and was about Jesus and the Bible among other world religions, including Islam and Mormonism.
Here is the outline of the sermon:
- Ezra mourns and prays over the sin amongst the people (9:1-15)
- The people respond with a plan for repentance (10:1-8)
- The people carry out their repentance (10:9-44)
You can watch this message here.
This message focuses on the power of the new birth to bring about faith that overcomes the world.
Here Mark breaks down a conversation he had with two Mormon "missionaries" over nine years ago.
You can watch this video here.
Here is Greg's outline for the message:
- Ezra’s godly heritage (7:1-5)
- Ezra’s devotion to God’s Word (7:6, 10-11)
- Ezra’s favor with God and man (7:6, 9, 11-28; 8:31)
- Ezra’s zeal for God’s temple (7:7-8; 8:1-20, 24-36)
- Ezra’s trust in God’s power and protection (8:21-23)
You can watch this message here.
Why is it incorrect to list Mormonism ('Latter Day Saints') within the Christian faith?
You can watch this message here.
The team picks the 1 John series back up after an extended break. Here we are exhorted to have biblical discernment as Christians.
Greg and Zach Hutzell do a great job walking us through this fantastic passage on spiritual warfare and the armor of God.
As we overview four chapters of Ezra, here is the outline:
- Two Kinds of Opposition: a) Compromise from within (4:1-3); b) Pressure from without (4:4-5, 24; 5:3-4)
- God Providentially works through Political Leaders (5:5-6:13)
- God Providentially works through His Word (5:1-2; 6:14-22 Haggai 1-2)
You can watch this message here.
Picking up from the first eight points of the last message, here we cover two more reasons God prunes us:
(9) To give us new opportunities to proclaim the gospel! [Philippians 1:12-14]
(10) To show the world we have a different kind of hope [1 Peter 3:14-17]
John 15:2 | God's Good and Painful Pruning
- How does God prune us? Through trials, difficulties, discipline, and suffering
- Why does God prune us? Because He loves us and wants us to bear more fruit
John 15:2b, "...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."
- God’s pruning is never meaningless. It is always wise, every bit is necessary, nothing is wasted. It is always and only ever for our good.
What kind of "fruit" does God seek by pruning us?
EIGHT REASONS GOD PRUNES US:
- To purify our faith like gold [1 Peter 1:3-7]
- To help us grow in obedience [Hebrews 12:11]
- To increase our assurance [John 15:8]
- To make us more humble [2 Corinthians 12:7-10]
- To give us full, otherwordly joy [John 15:11]
- To enable us to comfort others [2 Corinthians 1:3-4]
- To prepare for us an eternal weight of glory [2 Corinthians 4:16-18]
- To give us deeper fellowship with Jesus [Philippians 3:10-11]
Yesterday, approximately 200,000 people came to the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizon, to celebrate Charlie Kirk's life. Listen in with us to some of the highlights as so many speakers pointed to Jesus Christ and the gospel explicitly. Let's pray that the Lord uses this great for the salvation of many!
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: God's providence ensures that God's promises to His people are fulfilled. And the final result is His glory!
- God brings Nebuchadnezzar against his people
- God stirs Cyrus to action
- God stirs his people to action
You can watch this message here.
In this message, we delayed our series in Ezra for a week to address the events regarding Charlie Kirk's assassination this past Wednesday. How are Christians supposed to think and act biblically in response to a tragedy like this?
You can wath this message here.
In this final message in the book of Philemon, we glean several lessons from the friends Paul mentions in this letter, especially in the conclusion.
- Philemon and Onesimus: Slavery Transformed (vv. 15-16)
- Aristarchus and Luke: Faithfulness Modeled (v. 24)
- Mark and Demas: Perseverance Needed (v. 24)
You can watch this message here.
Here are the four points of Scott's message:
- A sinful woman (vv. 36-38)
- An angry Pharisee (v. 39)
- A powerful parable (vv. 40-43)
- A gracious Savior (vv. 44-50)
You can watch this message here.
This is week three of our prospective members Sunday schools. Why is it so important that churches have a biblical view of conversion, evangelism, and discipleship?
You can watch this message here.
In order to forgive others, you must...
- Put the Fellowship of Your Faith into Practice (v 17)
- Charge the Debt to Your Own Account (vv 18-19a)
- Realize that You are Fundamentally a Debtor, Not a Creditor (v 19b)
- Let Your Forgiveness Refresh the Hearts of Others (v 20)
- Obey Beyond the Minimal Requirement (v 21)
- Remain Accountable to Others (vv 22-24)
- Rely on the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (v 25)
You can watch this message here.
Greg is joined this week by Zach Hutzell as they continue their series on spiritual warfare.
You can watch this message here.
This is the second week of our prospective member Sunday school class. In it the team primarily addresses our church government and why we practice expositional preaching on Sundays.
You can watch this message here.
Reconciliation and forgiveness between brothers and sisters in Christ are not optional when we live according to the logic of the gospel of grace.
How Paul Pursues Reconciliation Between Onesimus & Philemon:
- Paul appeals rather than commands (vv. 8-9a; 14)
- Paul highlights his age and imprisonment (v. 9)
- Paul explains Onesimus's transformation (vv. 10-11)
- Paul states his affection for Onesimus (vv. 12-13)
- Paul foregrounds God's providence (vv. 15-16)
- Paul emphasizes the equality of our 'brotherhood' in Christ (v. 16)
You can watch this message here.
What does Scripture teach concerning Satan and demons?
You can watch this message here.
This is our first prospective members class. We spend most of the time covering what Scripture teaches about church membership and church discipline.
You can watch this message here.
The world and the flesh go alongside the devil as our enemies in our daily spiritual battle.
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The story of Onesimus' conversion:
- He was formerly useless: A runaway slave (thief?), enslaved to sin
- He was transformed by God's kind providence
- He became useful and faithful
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The passage breaks into three parts:
- Paul’s habit of thankful prayer (vv. 4-5)
- Paul’s prayer for Philemon (v. 6)
- Paul’s comfort regarding Philemon (v. 7)
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I. THE GRATITUDE OF PAUL'S PRAYER LIFE (vv. 3-8)
1) Paul thanks God and prays ... for a church, most of whose members he has never met
- Colossians 1:3, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,"
- Colossians 2:1-2, "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face..."
Carson, "We must ask ourselves how extensive our own praying is. Do all our petitions revolve around our own families and churches, our own cherished but rather small circle of friends? Of course, we are primarily responsible for praying for our own circle... But if that is the furthest reach of our prayers, we become parochial [narrow in outlook or scope]... Our prayers may be an index of how small and self-centered our world is."
2) Paul's gratitude results from paying attention. Paul says to Philemon: "[4] I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, [5] because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus" (Philemon 4-5) * Paul says to the Colossian church (that Philemon hosted in his house): "[3] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love* that you have for all the saints," (Colossians 1:3-4)
Paul is listening! He is paying attention to others.
- Acts 15:36, "Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.'"
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- Paul cares greatly about their spiritual state!
- Carson, "[I]t will do us good to fasten on reports of Christians in several parts of the world we have never visited, find out what we can about them, and learn to intercede with God on their behalf. Not only is this an important expression of the fellowship of the church, but it is also a critical discipline that will enlarge our horizons, increase our ministry, and help us to become world Christians."
When a fellow believer comes to your mind, what is your first thought?
- Irritation? Annoyance? Jealousy? Bitterness?
What is Paul's first thought? Gratitude! Philemon 4 "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers," * Colossians 1:3-4, "We always thank* God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] since we heard of your faith..."
Gratitude for what? Their faith, love, and heavenly hope.
- Paul credits God with their own faith and love.
- Philippians 1:29, "For it has been granted [Dictionary: to give graciously] to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…”
- Colossians 3:12, "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,"
3) Paul thanks God for the gospel's fruit as it comes through human means (vv. 5b-8)
- Epaphras, after being converted under Paul, brings the good news to Colossea! (Last week's sermon)
II. THE FOCUS OF PAUL'S PRAYER LIFE (vv. 9-12)
Spiritual growth is always the dominant concern, over the physical! Carson, "Suppose, for example, that 80 or 90 percent of our petitions ask God for good health, recovery from illness, safety on the road, a good job, success in exams, the emotional needs of our children, success in our mortgage application, and much more of the same. How much of Paul's praying revolves around equivalent items? If the center of our praying is far removed from the center of Paul's praying, then even our very praying may serve as a wretched testimony to the remarkable success of the processes of paganization in our life and thought. That is why we need to study the prayers of Paul." + See Matthew 6:31-33, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles [the pagans] seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you*."
So what does Paul focus on in his prayer?
1) Paul asks God to fill believers with the knowledge of his will (v. 9)
"[9] And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,"
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This may seem simple, yet it takes "all spiritual wisdom and understanding" in the complicated nature of life to know what is best.
- Doug Moo, "[This] suggests the ability to discern the truth and to make good decisions based on that truth."
- "spiritual wisdom" means wisdom from the Holy Spirit. (Not how many use the word "spiritual" today)
EXAMPLE: Colossians 4:5-6, "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of [= redeeming] the time. [6] Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
How do I best love a fellow Christian who is in sin?
* How do I best evangelize a co-worker or family member?
* I only have limited money, how much do I spend, save, and give away? to whom? how often?
* How do I honor my parents if they are unbelievers and disagree with my faith?
* What does it look like to "speak the truth in love" when dealing with a rebellious student? or hostile unebeliver? or a timid Christian friend?
* When does hard work become sinful preoccupation with your career? When does rest become laziness?
* You are posting something true* on social media, but unsure if it will be edifying or needlessly distracting or contentious
2) Paul's purpose in prayer is that believers might be truly pleasing to the Lord (v. 10a) v. 10 "so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him:" Knowledge must lead to action! + "Knowing" God's will (with all spiritual wisdom and understanding) must lead to "walking/living out" God's will. * We must walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. + (Not earning, not perfection; but rather living "in accord with*" the Lord, fully pleasing to Him)
3) Paul prays for four characteristics of a life that is pleasing to the Lord (v. 10b-12) This will produce, among others, these four characteristics...1. "BEARING FRUIT in every good work" (v. 10b): Fruit is about character transformation and faithfulness, not mere "results." 2. "INCREASING in the knowledge of God;" (v. 10c): it will lead to a fully experiential knowledge of God, as we walk with Him 3. "BEING STRENGTHENED with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;" (v. 11) 1. "[Endurance] is what faith, hope, and love bring to an apparently impossible situation, [patience] what they show to an apparently impossible person." 2. To endure ... takes power; to endure patiently with joy takes tremendous power "according to his glorious might." 4. "GIVING THANKS to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." (v. 12) 1. Paul further reminds them why they should be thankful: (vv. 13-14) 1. vv. 13-14 "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." 1. All of this should be seasoned by thankfulness to the Father for our share in the "inheritance of the saints of light."
III. THE DEVOTION OF PAUL'S PRAYER LIFE
1) WHY does Paul pray so often for so many?
Colossians 1:3, 9, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, .... [9] And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you,"
- Carson, "In short, Paul is telling the Colossians that since hearing about them he has made it a point to intercede with God on their behalf in his disciplined, regular prayer times; he has 'not stopped praying' for them."
- Carson, "Paul again and again prays for ... the Colossian believers, as if the supply must be constantly renewed."
- Think of it like watering the grass or flowers. It must be done continually!
Colossians 4:12-13, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God."
2) HOW does Paul pray so often for so many?
Philemon 4-5, "I thank my God always when I remember you [singular] in my prayers,"
- G.K. Beale, "Paul is praying specifically for Philemon [the 'you' is singular], which implies that his daily prayer list must have been extensive."
- Richard Phillips, "When we consider the large number of people for whom Paul says that he is praying, he must have had not only a devoted prayer life, but also a highly organized one."
APPLICATION:
Don't turn these points from Carson into legalisms, but take them as practical suggestions to help you pray in a more regular, organized, and focused way.
I. PLAN TO PRAY
Don Carson, "Much praying is not done because we do not plan to pray. We do not drift into spiritual life; we do not drift into disciplined prayer. We will not grow in prayer unless we plan to pray. That means we must self-consciously set aside time to do nothing but pray. What we actually do reflects out highest priorities. That means we can proclaim our commitment to prayer until the cows come home, but unless we actually pray, our actions disown our words. This is the fundamental reason why set times for prayer are important: they ensure that vague desires for prayer are concretized in regular practice. Paul's many references to his 'prayers' suggest that he set aside specific times for prayer -- as apparently Jesus himself did (Luke 5:16)... Unless we plan to pray we will not pray." ('Praying with Paul,' p. 1-2).
II. ADOPT PRACTICAL WAYS TO FIGHT MENTAL DRIFT
Don Carson, "Adopt practical ways to impede mental drift.... [Perhaps] articulate your prayers, moving your lips...to...help deter meandering.... A great way to begin to overcome this problem is to pray through various biblical passages. In other words, it is entirely appropriate to tie your praying to your Bible reading... [The] truths and entailments [in your daily Scripture reading] can be the basis of a great deal of reflective praying. [Another option is] journaling [your prayers.]
III. DEVELOP A SYSTEM FOR YOUR PRAYER LISTS
Carson, "Develop a system for your prayer lists. It is difficult to pray faithfully for a large spread of people and concerns without developing prayer lists that help you remember them."
Carson's personal "system": "I kept a manila folder in my study, where I pray... The first sheet ... was a list of people for whom I ought to pray regularly: ... My wife..., my children and a number of relatives, followed by a number of close friends... [Then] institutional names on that sheed [which] included [my] local church ... and the seminary where I now teach.
The second sheet ... listed short-range ... concerns that would not remain indefinitely... In other words, the first sheet focused on people for whom I prayed constantly; the second included people and situations for whom I might pray for a short[er] ... time, but probably not indefinitely.
The next item ... was the list of the students ... for whom I was particularly responsible....and of course this list changed from year to year."
IV. KEEP YOUR PRAYERS TIED TO SCRIPTURE
V. PRAY UNTIL YOU PRAY
VI. FIND MODELS WORTHY OF IMITATION
Don Casron's book, which Mark used to help with the message and numerous subpoints, can be purchased here.
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This is our third week on unity and the last week on the summer series on sanctification. We see in these passages that unity is grounded in our triune God and in the gospel of Jesus.
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This passage is a sobering warning about the realities and horrors of hell and our need for Jesus. If we endure and die "in the Lord" we will be truly blessed. Let us not live for Babylon, which will be fully and finally judged and destroyed. Let us rather live for eternity.
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The gospel gives great motivation to allow us to, at times, lay down our preferences in order to better love others and, like Christ, not please ourselves.
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Origin stories are popular these days. Today, we look at the origin story of the church that met in Philemon's home, which is better known as the Colossian church. We will focus on the two main human means God used for the birth of this church:
- Paul (Acts 19:8-10)
- Epraphras (Colossians 1:6-8; 4:12-13)
We can be encouraged by how God uses our lives and His word through us in ways that go beyond what we often are aware of. Small things can lead to significant results! Let us be faithful in the days of seemingly small things.
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What is 666? What is the mark of the beast? These questions have often led people into fruitless discussions. However, their meaning may be much more mundane and far more radical than we may think.
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When Scripture neither commands or forbids an action, Christians will often come to a variety of views as to what is best. How do we maintain Christian unity when we will never be uniform in all disputable matters?
This is week six of the sanctification series.
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This message introduces the Paul's shortest NT letter. It is often neglected and yet contains much that is edifying and encouraging!
- The Senders: From Paul & Timothy (v. 1a)
- The Recipients: To Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, & the Church (vv. 1b-2)
- The Grace We All Need: From God our Father & the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3)
Mark found Malcolm MacLean's excellent chapter on this passage especially helpful in outlining and preparing this message.
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The second beast is later called "the false prophet" in Revelation 16:13 and 19:20. This beast is at work, we argue, throughout the church age. It represents all false religion, philosophy, ideology, economic pressure, and idolatry that turns us away from Christ, especially to worship the first beast. This includes false teachers in the church today who look like a lamb, but speak like a dragon.
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Jerry and Greg walk us through some of what Scripture teaches about what it means to fear the Lord. This is the antidote to the fear of man!
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Greg walked us through a dramatic and important Old Testament story involving King Hezekiah's virtues and flaws, along with Assyria's attempt to intimidate and intice the people of Jerusalem with their powerful army to not trust the Lord.
- Hezekiah's strong start (18:1-8)
- Hezekiah's fateful misstep (18:9-35)
- Hezekiah's renewal in faith (18:36-19:19)
- God's perfect faithfulness (19:20-37)
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Surely one of the great idols of the human heart is the fear of man. We often care inordinately what other people think about us. How can this idol be identified and how do we begin to conquer it by God's grace?
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Zach Petty preached for the first time today and did a great job answering the question, "What is missions?"
The three-legged stool of mission:
- Gospel proclamation (v. 21a)
- Church planting (v. 23)
- Church strengthening (v. 22; 15:41)
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We seek to answer five questions about this passage:
- What is the beast from the sea? (vv. 1-2) [Rome? The Antichrist? Something else?]
- When are the "42 months" wherein the beast exercises authority? (v. 5b)
- What is the mortal wound that is healed? (v. 3a)
- How does the beast obtain worship? (vv. 1-5)
- How do the beast and saints seek to "conquer" each other? (vv. 6-10)
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The battle for contentment is more important than we may often think!
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This is the last (and the 130th!) sermon in the Gospel of Matthew. We are thankful for this great book and for the Great Commission at its conclusion! The message breaks the commission into four points.
- Go therefore
- Make disciples of all nations
- Baptizing and teaching them
- I will be with you always
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There are three controversies about this chapter that must be addressed before we can apply it appropriately to our lives.
- Who is the woman?
- What time period do the "1,260 days" (v. 6) and the "time, times, and half a time" (v. 14) refer to?
- When is Satan cast out of heaven (vv. 7-12)?
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It has been rightly said that pride is our greatest enemy and humility is our greatest friend. While we will struggle with pride until the day we die, we can still grow in humility over time. But how?
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Our mission as the church is clear: We are to make disciples.
And the breadth of the command is global: Of all nations.
Three main points:
- A Mountain in Galilee (v. 16)
- Some Doubting Disciples (v. 17)
- The All-Authoritative Christ (v. 18)
Application (adapted from John MacArthur):
- We need to be present and available.
- We need to worship the resurrected Jesus.
- We need to go to Him with our doubts.
- We need to humbly submit to and find great encouragement in His supreme authority over heaven and earth!
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We started back in Revelation for this summer's Table Talk series.
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How we understand progressive sanctification and it's relationship to justification is a matter of great importance in the Christian life. Catholic theology falls into heresy by merging to the two together. However, "second blessing" theology has the opposite error of seperating the two entirely. The Reformed view (and, we would argue, the one Scripture clearly teaches) is that justification and sanctification must be clearly distinguished but never chronologically seperated. Justificaiton is a one-time event at conversion, and progressive sanctification begins immediately at conversion. There is no time gap.
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The message has four points on this powerful passage:
- Sovereignty
- Suffering
- Supplication
- Samuel
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John and Jerrry cover this encouraging text to finish the 1 John series until after the summer, Lord willing!
This message looks back on the past meaning of the Lord's Supper seen in the Passover event and Christ's death for us. It then looks at present meaning the Supper has for the local church. It then looks to the future meaning as this meal points forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
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John VanDeLinde joins Jerry as they walk through a helpful passage about true love amonst believers.
The Lord's Supper is yet another significant area of difference between Protestant and Catholic theology.
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Justification is by faith alone, but not a faith that remains alone. We look at Romans 3-4 among other passages to show this truth in Scripture.
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Judas and Peter both betray Jesus on the same night, and yet one we admire and the other is infamous for his betrayal. What made the difference is how they responded to their sin.
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This message has three points:
- Sovereignty
- Sin
- Sorrowful repentance
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How we are we to understand what James taught about justification in light of Paul's writings? How as Rome misunderstood James 2?
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The sovereignty of God is not merely God's knowledge of the future, but His predetermined plan for the future which always comes to pass. How does this get fleshed out regarding the death of Christ specifically? How does this apply to our lives?
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This is week two in 1 John 1 where Nathan again joins Jerry and Scott. It was posted out of order with previous weeks.
A woman (John tells us it's Mary) pours a year's salary worth of costly ointment on Jesus' head. What some of the disicples call a waste Jesus calls beautiful. What can we learn?
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Catholic apologists often claim that the "Catholic" view of justification was the view of the early church and that the "Protestant" view was not heard of until the Reformation in the 16th century. Is this true?
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What is the evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus?
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Justification is one of the central and most important areas of difference between Protestant and Catholics.
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Jerry and Scott are joined by Kevin Poe as they begin to walk through the reassure passage at the begining of 1 John 2.
This Easter message has four points:
- The burial (27:57-60)
- The guards (27:62-66; 28:4)
- The women (27:55-56, 61; 28:1-8)
- The appearance (28:9-10)
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Here are the four points of Scott's message:
- Darkness
- Forsaken
- Salvation
- Death defeated!
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Here are the three points from Greg's message:
- Everything that happened to Jesus was according to God's eternal plan
- Everything that happened to Jesus was for us and our salvation
- Christian, this is your identity!
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Here we examine Jesus's three-part political trial before Pilate and Herod.
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Two massives ideas rest under the surface of all Catholic theology that must be understood. There is the nature-grace inderdependence and the Christ-Church interconnection.
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Jerry is joined by Ian and Austin for one last week in Philippians as they finish this great New Testament letter.
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What do we do with the seven Apocryphal books that Catholics have formally declared as part of the Old Testament canon upon threat of an anathema? What did the early church teach? What can we learn from Jesus and the Apostles on this?
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Main idea: Contrast Judas and Peter with Jesus. Believe, with Jesus, that everything in human history — even the worst things — are part of God’s good and sovereign plan for His people, including the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.
- Judas’ betrayal (vv. 47-50)
- Peter’s violent response (v. 51)
- Jesus’ complete submission to Scripture (vv. 52-56)
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Ian and Austin join Jerry and Scott for week two of Philippians 4. Here we focus on fnding God's peace through prayer and right meditation.
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This week we continue to argue for the Protestant view of the formation and reliability of the NT canon.
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How do we know which books should be in the Bible without an infallible decree from the church?
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Ian Webster and Austin Dobbs join Jerry and Scott as they begin chapter four of Philippians.
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Main idea: Let us respond in humble worship at the loving of Christ seen in His embrace of suffering in our place and for our sin in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- What is the setting? (vv 17-29)
- What is the significance of Jesus singing? (v 30)
- What warning does Jesus give? (vv 31-35)
- What makes Gethsemane so strange? (vv 36-38)
- How does Jesus pray? (vv 39, 42, 44)
- How do the disciples act? (vv 40-41, 43, 45)
- What does Jesus pray about? (vv 39, 42)
- How should we respond?
Questions to consider:
- Read Matthew 26:30. How do great Christian songs, hymns, and the Psalms help us when we are going through hard times? Why do you think God commands us to sing and not just speak to Him?
- Read vv. 31-35. What all can we learn from Peter's arrogance here?
- As you look over vv. 36-44, what is most striking to you about Jesus's behavior in Gethsemane? What can we learn from Him about prayer?
- What is the most stirring or impactful aspect of Gethsemane for you personally? Why?
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The messages Dr. Phillips gave were from the Stay the Course, Black Mountain Men's Retreat held this year at Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia. Dr. Phillips pastors the historic Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of many books, including The Masculine Mandate and his commentaries in the Reformed Expository Commentary series.
You can watch this message here.
The messages Dr. Phillips gave were from the Stay the Course, Black Mountain Men's Retreat held this year at Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia. Dr. Phillips pastors the historic Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of many books, including The Masculine Mandate and his commentaries in the Reformed Expository Commentary series.
You can watch this message here.
The messages Dr. Phillips gave were from the Stay the Course, Black Mountain Men's Retreat held this year at Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia. Dr. Phillips pastors the historic Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. He is the author of many books, including The Masculine Mandate and his commentaries in the Reformed Expository Commentary series.
You can watch this message here.
This passage has often been misused because of how one phrase has been neglected. What is Jesus really teaching here?
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How are we to understand what Jesus and Paul teach about Scripture and tradition in the New Testament? How does it compare to what Rome teaches?
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Here are the three points:
- The master's entrustment
- The two faithful servants
- The unfaithful servant
Application:
- Live in light of Christ's return
- Be faithful with what God has entrusted us
- Don't play the comparison game
- Fight against the sin of slothfulness
- Be encouraged: True Christians will receive an abundant reward
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Jerry is joined by Steve Crouse, Mitchell Mansfield, and Matt Kavis to walk through this brief but important passage.
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What does "sola Scriptura" really mean and why is it such an important doctrine concerning the unique authority of God's word? This has been called the "formal cause" of the Reformation in response to the erroneous teaching of the Catholic Church's three-legged stool of authority.
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This may be one of the most unsettling parables that Jesus ever told. May we examine ourselves rightly and not be deceived about our own salvation.
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In recent years there appears to have been an increasing tendency, especially amongst young adulters, to move from Protestantism to Catholicism. This series is meant to persusade Protestants not to abandon the five solas of the Reformation and to show reasons why official Roman Catholic teaching has many serious errors in what it teaches.
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This is the last sermon in Matthew 24. Here we cover two brief parables concerning being prepared for the Lord's return.
- Stay Awake!: Ongoing Faithfulness is the Readiness that Receives Great Reward (vv 42-47)
- Don’t Fall into Worldly Sleep: Ongoing Worldliness is the Wickedness that Receives Great Punishment (vv 48-51)
Main idea: Be always ready for the Lord’s return. Don’t let the passions of the flesh or the pleasures of this world lull you into spiritual sleep. Eternity is at stake. The joys of reward and the horrors of judgment will both be unspeakably great. So, whatever it costs and whatever it takes: Stay awake!
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The two Christ-like examples in this passage are often overlooked. However, the actions of Timothy and Epaphroditus are very worthy of our time and attention.
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The wrong audio file was originally added to this link. We apologize for this inconvenience. It has now been corrected!
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This is our last week on the long Progressive Covenantalism series. Here we close out the topic of the Sabbath and discuss how we as non-Sabbatarians should prepare our hearts and minds for the Sunday gathering each week.
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Jesus said, "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), ..." (Matthew 24:15). What is the background in Daniel to this strange phrase "abomination of desolation"? How do Jesus and Paul pick up on this kind of idea on the New Testament?
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How can we be a light in a dark and twisted generation?
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This is a stirring meditation on how our call to humility should be rooted in Christ's astonishing humbling of Himself for our salvation.
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Here we discuss perhaps the single most important passage on the Sabbath in the New Testament. It comes from Colossians 2.
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This passage contains a very misunderstood and disputed statement from Jesus. What did Jesus really mean?
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There is a surprising silence regarding Sabbath commands for believers after the resurrection of Jesus. Never once in all of Paul's letters or the general epistles are Christians commanded to keep the Sabbath. Instead we find something quite different in the New Covenant era.
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There are a growing number of genuine Christian pastors who hold to partial Preterism. However, there are good reasons to question this view.
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Paul speaks with great desire for Christ to be glorified in his body whether by life or death. How could this be?
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After we attempt to get the challenging structure of this passage in place, then we arrive at the practical application concerning false christs and false prophets that lead people astray in every generation. For this we must develop discernment and keep our love for the truth from growing cold.
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Is Sunday now the Christian Sabbath? Or was the Sabbath only the sign of the Mosaic Covenant with Israel?
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Here is Greg's outline for what we see in Psalm 8:
- God's majesty around us
- God's majesty above us
- God's majesty in us
- God's majesty through us
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Should Christians in the New Covenant era observe the Old Testament's Sabbath regulations? Does the NT teach that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath?
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Main idea: The "great tribulation" of Matthew 24:21 refers to God's judgment poured out on Jerusalem, through the Roman army, for their rejection of Christ. However, this is but a preview of final judgment and a testimony to our need to receive Jesus.
Outline: Five reasons v. 21's "great tribulation" refers to 70 AD:
- It fits the flow of vv 15-21
- How the phrase “great tribulation” is used in the rest of the NT.
- Scripture regularly uses hyperbolic language this way
- 70 AD really was unspeakably horrific
- How Jesus’s speaks of 70 AD in Luke’s gospel is strong confirmation
Luke’s parallel text makes clear what the "great tribuation/distress" is:
- Matthew 24:19-21, “…alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! …. [21] For then there will be great tribulation [θλῖψις μεγάλη], ...”
- Luke 21:23-24, “Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress [ἀνάγκη μεγάλη] upon the earth and wrath against this people. [Then he tells us what the ‘great distress’ will be:] [24] They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
[Mark borrowed the "when, where, & why" part of the sermon title from Jeff Durban's message on Apologia Studios here.]
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: We can trust Jesus, along with all of God’s Word, at all times, and especially when life is hard.
Outline: Why do I think vv 15-21 refer to 70 AD?
- The disciples just asked when the temple standing in their day would be destroyed (v 3).
- The details of vv 15-21 match the local tribulation of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
- Jesus’s recent words and actions have warned of the destruction of this very temple.
- Jesus’s use of the phrase “this generation” in v 34.
- The “abomination of desolation” in Daniel matches Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70.
You can watch this message here.
Scott preached a stirring Christmas message based on Mark 10:45. If you are getting distracte this Christmas, please take thirty minutes to listen and worship Christ afresh!
The Son of Man...
- Came
- Not to be served but to serve
- To give His life as a ransom for many
You can watch this message here.
This is the closing week on the baptism topic. Here we summarize some of the major arguments covered over the last few weeks and attmept to clarify one of the central points regarding the difference between the Old Covenant and the New.
You can watch this message here.
This week the teaching team finished the book of Ephesians. Here Paul gives us a significant exhortation to pray!
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The Olivet Discourse is found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. It is probably the most disputed passge in Matthew and the one where genuine Christians may have the greatest disagreements. What exactly is Jesus teaching and how does it relate to Christians today?
You can watch this message here.
Is covenant theology correct regarding its understanding of the "covenant of grace"? How does this issue impact the issue of infant baptism?
You can watch this message here.
Although this text may be familiar to many, even from a young age, it contains much wisdom for us in how to "stand against the schemes of the devil" in this life!
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: Warnings and laments are both necessary for us to give at times. We must not do only one or the other. We also must receive Christ’s warnings and laments where needed in our lives.
- Jesus’s Denunciation (v 29-36)
- Jesus’s Lamentation (v 37-39)
You can watch this message here.
Jesus pronounces four more woes on the Pharisees because...
- The Pharisees devalue God (vs. 16-22)
- The Pharisees debase God's law (vs. 23-24)
- The Pharisees diminish true holiness (vs. 25-26)
- The Pharisees display false righteousness (vs. 27-28)
You can watch this message here.
In this passage Paul instructs us in how children should relate to parents; fathers to children; servants to masters; and masters to servants. There is much application to be gained from this passage!
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In this passage, Paul gives some of the most detailed instructions about how marriage is meant to work in relationship to the gospel in all of Scripture.
One of the more puzzling questions we address here regarding infant baptism is this: If it was not taught by the Apostles or the New Testament, how is it that by the 300's AD it had become the dominant view of the church and stayed that way for well over a thousand years?
You can watch this message here.
Main point: Religious pride and hypocrisy are rooted in the love of human praise over loving and delighting in God.
- The Pharisees do not practice what they preach (v 1-3)
- The Pharisees overburden their followers (v 4)
- The Pharisees do all to be seen by others (v 5-12)
- The Pharisees lead people to hell (v 13-15)
You can listen to this message here.
In this message, we continue working through some of the most important passages in the Bible on baptism. Does the NT really support infant baptism or believer's baptism?
You can watch this message here.
Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment and then responds by asking the religious leaders to identify more clearly the Messiah.
Here is the sermon outline:
- David’s Great Son (v 41-46)
- The Great Commandment (v 34-40)
You can watch this message here.
We continue to make the case for believer's baptism. This week we walk through some important New Testament passages.
You can watch this message here.
Here is Scott's sermon outline:
- The Sadducees question Jesus about the resurrection
- Jesus silences the Sadducees
- The crowd is astonished at the teaching of Jesus
Application:
- We should desire to know Scripture better
- We should pray to know God's power
- We should cherish marriage now, realizing it's temporary
- We should live in light of the resurrection
You can watch this message here.
How should Christians think and pray the day after this major election?
You can watch this here.
Here are the three points of the message:
- Governments should protect innocent life
- Governments shoud protect marriage, family, and fruitfulness
- Governments should preserve religious liberty
You can watch this message here.
We have officially returned to the Progressive Covenantalism series from before the summer. Here we are dealing with Covenant Theology.
You can watch this message here.
Thomas and Jared joined the panel to start Ephesians 5!
You can watch this message here.
How can Christians think about politics and voting from a biblical perspective this election season?
You can watch this message here.
We must put off the old man and put on the new man in Christ!
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Here are six implications from this passage:
- The pagan state is a legitimate state
- The Church is transnational, not a theocratic nation
- Christians should be good citizens and give Caesar his due
- Caesar’s realm is not above or beside but within God’s realm
- Civil disobedience is sometimes necessary
- We must give ourselves entirely to God
(Mark adapted points from Kevin DeYoung and Mark Dever.)
You can watch this message here.
This is our last week on church and state issues in Sunday school. In this last message we attempt to show that natural law is how governments are to find their moral norms if they are not to be explicitly Christian.
You can watch this message here.
On Monday, Greg gave a message to college students at our church for a BCM event. He discussed from Daniel 1 how to live in a pagan culture, as Daniel and his three friends experienced in the Bablyonian exile.
When Christ ascended to heaven He gave gifts to the church for the building up of the saints.
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Scripture roots human government in a post-fall, post-flood world through the Noachic Covenant.
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Paul urges us to walk, that is live our lives, in a manner worthy of the calling we have recieved in Christ. This is the turning point in Ephesians where the indicatives of chapters 1-3 give way to the imperatives of chapters 4-6.
You can watch this message here.
This week we continue the critique of Christian Nationalism from last week as presented by Wolfe and Wilson.
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: We are all invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb. How your heart is responding — even today! — to this gracious invitation of our great God and King is of eternal importance.
- Two Gracious Invitations and Two Unworthy Responses (vv. 1-8)
- An Expanded Invitation and a Third Unworthy Response (vv. 9-14)
You can watch this message here.
This week the teaching team walked through Paul's second prayer in the book of Ephesians. There is much here to fuel our hearts and prayer lives!
You can watch this message here.
Doug Wilson said, "If you want to attack Christian Nationalism from now on, and do so seriously, you're going to have to contend with [Stephen] Wolfe's book." That book is The Case for Christian Nationalism. Here we point out some serious problems we have with Wolfe's book.
You can watch this message here.
Greg preached a sermon responding on Hurricane Helene. He references various passages of Scripture that show God's providence over storms in our lives, but literal and metaphorical, and how He has good purposes for His people in them.
You can watch this message here.
Paul writes, "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."
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As we overview seven views of religion and politics, we spend most of our time on postitions four and five, which is where the vast majority of Christian leaders are today. What differentiates these two views and which view appears to be more biblically faithful?
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: God is patient yet will eventually judge those who bear no fruit and reject His Son.
- The Failure of Israel (v 33-39)
- The Judgment on Israel (v 40-42)
- The Church and its Fruit (v 43-46)
You can watch this message here.
We overview seven views of religion and government. We relied heavily on this helpful article by Andrew David Naselli during this Sunday school.
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: We should humble ourselves and gladly submit to the authority of Jesus rather than outwardly claim to obey God while actually being enslaved to what people think.
- Jesus's authority displayed and questioned (v 23)
- Jesus's question about John's authority (v 24-27)
- Jesus's parable about obeying God's authority (v 28-32)
You can watch this message here.
Paul has given up his freedom and become a literal prisoner of Christ for the sake of making Him known to the Gentiles.
You can watch this message here.
The main idea: The Noahic Covenant is foundational for understanding the role of governments today.
You can watch this message here.
Here is Scott's sermon outline:
- Jesus cleanses the temple (v 12-13)
- Jesus heals the blind and lame and receives the praise of children (v 14-17)
- Jesus curses the fig tree (v 18-19)
- Jesus uses the fig tree to teach the power of believing prayer (v 20-22)
You can watch this message here.
Christians find unity in Christ that transcends all other barriers.
You can watch this message here.
Main idea: Jesus publicly tells the world who He is: He is the Davidic, Merciful, Sight-Giving, Divine, Prophesied, Humble, International, Saving, and Soon-Coming King.
- Jesus is the Davidic King
- Jesus is the Merciful King
- Jesus is the Sight-Giving King
- Jesus is the Divine King
- Jesus is the Prophesied King
- Jesus is the Humble King
- Jesus is the International King
- Jesus is the Saving King
- Jesus is the Soon-Coming King
Mark wanted to make clear that he received help with this outline from a commentary.
You can watch this message here.
The first command in Ephesians, and the only command in the first three chapters, is for us to remember. We are to remember who we were before Christ saved us so that our joy and gratitude can grow!
You can watch this message here.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, "We ask you, brothers, mto respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, [13] and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves."
Main point: Proper authority is necessary and good. It should be used humbly to serve others and is to be respected and obeyed.
- What God says about Authority
- What God says about Respecting Authority
- What Jesus Demonstrated about Authority
Christian nationalism is a relatively new phrase that is coming out of a more general discussion about what Scripture teaches about church and state issues. We began a new series on these issues Sunday.
You can watch this message here.
Main point: True greatness is found not in chasing worldly power and position, but in humbly serving others for their good.
- Humble Savior (v 17-19)
- Proud Disciples (v 20-24)
- True Greatness (v 25-28)
You can watch this message here.
Let's learn to pray by paying careful attention to Holy Spirit inspired prayers in Scripture. And Paul's model prayer in Ephesians 1 is a great place to go!
You can watch this message here.
I. God’s grace is not distributed on human merit
Therefore be thankful
II. God’s grace is never less than just
Therefore don’t grumble
III. God’s grace of eternal life is given equally to all believers
Therefore don’t begrudge God’s generosity to the 'last' and 'least.'
You can watch this message here.
Here are the three sermon points:
- Self-Righteousness (v 16-22)
- Worldly Riches (v 23-26)
- Eternal Reward (v 27-30)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, Zach Petty, and Emory Linder do a great job bringing out the rich gospel truths of Ephesians 1:7-14!
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, Zach Petty, and Emory Linder started off our series through Ephesians on Sunday. Listen and be encouraged!
You can watch this message here.
This is our last sermon in the marriage series. It begins with an introductory review about marriage and then moves into two points about singleness:
- Introductory review about marriage
- Jesus on the gift of singleness
- Paul on the gift of singleness
You can watch this message here.
This is our fifth and last week on missions this summer. We looked at the big picture of missions and then focused on some practical takeaways for our church going forward.
You can watch this message here.
Here is Scott's outline:
- The disciples, little children, and Jesus
- The rich young ruler and Jesus
- The rich young ruler and little children
You can watch this message here.
In our last week in Revelation this summer, we picked up where we left off last week and covered the whole of chapter 11 ending briefly on the hope of heaven.
You can watch this message here.
This may be the most important of the five weeks on missions in this five week series. Here we reviewed some of the most important highlights of the last three weeks and built upon them.
You can watch this message here.
Here is the sermon outline:
- Moses on Divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
- Jesus on Divorce (Matthew 19:1-10)
- Paul on Divorce (1 Corinthians 7:15)
You can watch this message here.
What do the temple, the time period, and the two witnesses refer to in Revelation 11? This is an in-house debate among genuine believers, but it still is worth considering carefully. We believe this passge is calling to church to faithful witness in this age while we face persecution from the world and the Lord's presence now and eventual vindication in the end.
You can watch this message here.
Matthew 19:9 is the most important recorded sentence we have from Jesus during His earthly ministry about divorce and remarriage. "And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." Yet godly Christians have differing views of how to interpret this sentence, especially the exception clause, "except for sexual immorality." What exactly does "sexual immorality" (Greek: porneia) refer to here?
You can watch this message here.
What we believe about the fate of those who've never heard the gospel will greatly impact our understanding of missions and its necessity. Paul helps us understand the necessity of the "beautiful feet" of missionaries because of his clear teaching on this matter in Romans.
You can watch this messsage here.
For first half of the message, we argue that much of Revelation is intended to be taken symbolically rather than literally. For the second half, we walk through Revelation 10 and John's commission to eat the sweet scroll of God's word (even if the judgments in it are bitter to his stomach) and to proclaim this message to all, whether they listen or not. We argue that in chapter 11, John's role is in many ways given to the entire church as a witnessing community.
You can watch this message here.
This outline relies heavily on Kevin DeYoung's very helpful sermon outline on divorce here.
- Marriage is intended by God to be a lifelong commitment
- Remarriage is permitted, but not required, after the death of a spouse
- All divorce happens because of sin, but not all divorce is sinful
- Divorce and remarriage are permitted, but not required, for sexual immorality
- Divorce and remarriage are permitted when a believing spouse is deserted by an unbelieving spouse
- Biblically unlawful divorce followed by remarriage is adultery
- Biblically permissible divorce allows for remarriage
- Improperly divorced and remarried Christians should stay as they are, but repent and be forgiven of their past sins and make whatever amends are necessary.
You can watch this message here.
Not every Christian is a missionary. And not every place a Christian goes is a mission field, even when doing evangelism. We must reserve the special meaning of a missionary lest, as has been said, when everything is missions, nothing is missions. How does Paul's first "missionary journey" help us define the task of a missionary?
You can watch this message here.
We argue that the seven trumpets (Revelation 8-11) repeat the same period of time covered by the seven seals (Revelation 6-7), which begins at Christ's ascension and lasts until His return. However, the fifth and sixth trumpets use heighted symbolism to portray an army of demonic locusts who come to torment the souls of those who worship idols and demons rather than the true God. This captivating and fascinating text is too often ignored or misinterpreted. What does it really mean?
You can watch this message here.
What is the mission of the church? We argue that the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is the primary task the Lord has given the church to accomplish by His grace until the end of the age. What does this mean for our church and for missions generally?
You can watch this message here.
These are the six sermon points:
- The Definition of Marriage
- The Covenant of Marriage
- The Companionship of Marriage
- The One-Flesh Union of Marriage
- The Fruitfulness of Marriage
- The Illustration of Marriage
You can watch this message here.
The timing of the rapture in relationship to the tribulation of the seals, trumpets, and bowls is not a matter of heresy no matter which of the major views you take. However, it does greatly impact how we interpret Revelation 6-19. If there is a rapture before the tribulation, then the church is not on earch during those chapters. If the rapture is after the tribulation (which is what we argue for here), then the church will be on earth during this time and must be ready to endure tribulation throughout the church age, especially as it reaches its highest point just before Christ's return.
You can watch this message here.
If we were reading Jonah for the first time, it may seem like the end of chapter 3 is the happy ending of the book. Chapter four, however, would likely catch us off guard. Jonah's childish temper tantrum at the spiritual awakening in Nineveh is shocking. However, we soon find out we have some of Jonah dwelling in all of our hearts. May the Lord's patience with Nineveh and Jonah by an encouragement to us!
You can watch this message here.
Here is the sermon outline on how Christians who have been forgiven so much already by God must extend this forgiveness to others who come to us in repentance:
- The master's elaborate forgiveness (v 21-27)
- The servant's unthinkable unwillingness to extend that forgiveness to others (v 28-35)
- Some ways to apply this passage
You can watch this message here.
We continued through Revelation 7, this time spending some expended time considering the what and when of the great tribulation period and the countless multitude.
You can watch this message here.
The Lord uses His powerful word to humble a proud city and bring it to repentance. His word carries the same power today!
You can watch this message here.
Jesus provides us with three steps for how church discipline should be done regarding confrontation:
- One on one
- Two or three
- The whole church
You can watch this message here.
There is much friendly debate amongst genuine Christians regarding the identity of the 144,000 in the book of Revelation. We decided to spend a whole evening addressing this issue because it can have dramatic ramifications for how one interprets the book of Revelation as a whole.
You can watch this message here.
The teaching team walks through Jonah 2 where Jonah prays to the Lord from the belly of the great fish. There is much for us to learn from this fascinating part of Jonah's story!
You can watch this message here.
Here is the outline to Scott's helpful message on this often misunderstood passsage.
- The necessity of conversion (v 1-4)
- Turn and become a child to enter in
- Believers should be kindly received and not led into sin (v 5-6)
- Direct temptation
- Provocation
- Our bad example
- We must determine not to be stumbling blocks (v 7)
- We must deal drastically with our sin (v 8-9)
- We must not look down on other believers (v 10)
You can watch this message here.
The first four seals that Jesus, the Slain Lamb, opens are the four horsemen that we covered last week. We argued that the horsemen run throughout church history under Christ's sovereignty and bring conquest, bloodshed, famine, and death to a portion of mankind until Christ returns. In this message we see the fifth seal opened which shows the slain martyrs before the altar in heaven calling out for God's justice and then their prayer is answered at Christ's return as the sixth seal is opened and the Christ-rejecting world faces the terrifying "wrath of the Lamb."
You can watch this message here.
The teaching team began our brief series in Jonah on Sunday. When Jonah flees from the word of God, he also flees from the God of the word.
You can watch this message here.
The greatness and lowliness of…
- Jesus on and off the mountain (v 1-9, 22-23)
- John the Baptist in his Elijah-like ministry (v 10-13)
- Jesus regarding the temple tax (v 24-27)
You can watch this message here.
We began our summer Table Talk series picking up where we left off last summer, in Revelation 5-6. The teaching team spent time reminding us of various ways this book has been interpreted by Bible believing Christians over the years and then argue for the eclectic idealist position which emphasizes symbolism and a recapitulating structure, especially in chapters 6-20.
You can watch this message here.
We have seen in Acts an initial surge of acceptance of the gospel among ethnic Jews in Acts 1-7. However, from Acts 13-28 we see the majority of ethnic Israel being hardened to the gospel while the Gentiles flood in. This issue is dealt with extensively by Paul in Romans, esepcially chapters 9-11. Has God completely rejected Israel?
You can watch this message here.
Introduction: A Hidden Glory (17:9)1. A Pleading Father (17:14-15a) 2. A Perilous Condition (17:15, 18) 3. A Public Failure (17:16) 4. A Prophetic Rebuke (17:17) 5. A Powerful Deliverance (17:18)
Conclusion: A Teachable Moment (17:19-21)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Scott wrap up the book of Titus in a convicting and encouraging panel that points to the sufficiency of scripture, how straying from it destroys the church, and how we can follow God's word and encourage one another.
The transfiguration is a mysterious scene that is worth meditating on more than we often do! Here are the sermon points.
- Jesus's glorious transfiguration
- Moses and Elijah's appearance
- Peter's two responses
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa, and Jared dive into Titus 3 where Paul lays out the gospel with great simplicity and power.
Here are the five points of the message:
- Jesus declares the necessity of His sacrifice (v 21)
- Peter rebukes Jesus (v 22)
- Jesus rebukes Peter (v 23)
- The demand of discipleship (v 24)
- Three incentives to pick up our cross and follow Jesus (v 25-27)
You can watch this message here.
This message (from March, 2021) gives an overview of Acts 1-11 regarding the inclusion of the Gentiles as Gentiles in the renewed Israel (the Church) by faith in Christ alone. It touches on why the ceremonial cleanliness laws served a purpose for ethnic Israel in the Old Testament, but no longer bind Christians today, who are Abraham's true offspring in Christ.
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, Papa Fred, Jared discuss the powerful way that the grace of the gospel actually makes us zealous for good works.
Jerry, Scott, Papa Fred, Jared discuss the powerful way that the grace of the gospel actually makes us zealous for good works.
Understanding when Jesus sits on David's throne (is it now, at the Father's right hand in heaven, or still awaiting the supposed earthly Millenial reign of Christ from Israel?) is a significant watershed for many regarding Dispensational and Covenantal theologies.
[To remove a potential confusion from the title of this message, it is possible to hold the Amillennial view, which our teaching team favors. This view says that Jesus reigns on David's throne in heaven today, which is itself the heavenly Millennial reign of Revelation 20.]
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, John VanDeLinde, and Bob McAndrew do a great job encouraging fathers to raise their children in a godly and humble way at our most recent men's breakfast.
You can watch this message here.
The message has two points:
- Peter's Confession: "You are the Christ!" (v 13-17)
- Christ's Promise: "I will build My Church" (v 18-20)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, Papa Fred, and Jared walk through Titus 2 which addresses men and women both young and old instructing us all in how we are to live and treat each other.
Perhaps the most important section of Acts regarding the inclusion of the Gentiles in the restored Israel of God is Acts 10-15. In chapters 10-11, we have the first clear example of a Gentile conversion (Cornelius and his family) and then in chapter 15 we read about the Jerusalem Council. In this scene a final decision is made about Gentile inclusion in the renewed people of God.
You can watch this message here.
In this message, we step back to try to give an overview of this issue and move slowly through some important points regarding Isaiah's restoration of Israel being fulfilled through Christ in the church in Acts 1-11.
You can watch this message here.
Papa Fred, Scott, and Jared walk us through Titus chapter 1:10-16 and consider the importance of good doctrine.
We learn the following thirteen lessons from watching Jesus care for the crowd of four thousand:
- He goes into Gentile territory (Decapolis; Mark 7:31)
- He welcomes and heals the needy (v 28-31a)
- His actions lead to Gentiles glorifying God (v 31b)
- He feels compassion (v 32)
- He tests the disciples (v 33)
- He shows them their inability (v 33-34)
- He takes the initiative (v 35-36)
- He takes the loaves and fish (v 36a)
- He gives thanks for the little food (v 36b)
- He involves the disciples (v 36c)
- He satisfies the hunger of all 4,000 (v 37a, 38)
- He provides seven baskets leftover (v 37b)
- He dismisses the people (v 39)
Mark received a lot of help with this outline from Steve Lawson's very helpful message on the parallel account in Mark 8:1-9 with a similar structure here.
You can watch this message here.
This week we respond to the Dispensational view of Acts and argue for the alternative Progressive Covenantal persective.
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Jared, and Scott walk us through the introduction of Paul's letter to Titus and of Paul's command to appoint Elders.
Acts 1:6-8 is a key passage in the debate between all forms of Dispensationalism and Progressive Covenantalism and Covenant theology. What are the disciples really asking? And, more importantly, how does Jesus answer their question in verses 7-8?
You can watch this message here.
Sermon summary: Blind spiritual guides don't believe their highest authority comes from above or that their deepest defilement comes from within. (And by nature, none of us do.)
Jesus gives several warnings about these blind spiritual guides.
They are blind regarding:
- Themselves (v 12-14)
- Authority (v 1-8)
- Worship (v 7-11)
- Indwelling sin (15-20)
Mark borrowed numerous ideas for points three and four from Kevin DeYoung here, here, and here.
You can watch this message here.
This is an overview of what Scripure teaches about the relationship of Israel and the Church. It was preached in September of 2020 near the beginning of our Acts series, but since it is relavant to our current Progressive Covenantalism series, we are reposting it now.
You can watch this message here.
This is the second of two sessions from our most recent prospective members' meeting (3/23/24).
You can watch this message here.
This is the first of two sessions from our most recent prospective members' meeting (3/23/24).
You can watch this message here.
Our Living Hope:
- Where did it come from?
- Where is it bringing us?
- How does it affect our lives right now?
You can watch this message here.
Scott had four points to this message:
- Sorrow
- Humiliation
- Alienation
- Salvation
You can watch this message here.
The message had the following two points:
- Man-Made, Legalistic Tradition
- God-Breathed, Infallible Scripture
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Fred, Scott, and Jared discuss the beginning of Paul's letter to Titus. There is a whole lot packed into the opening greeting and it is worth time lingering over just the opening two verses to see what is in each phrase!
This message critiques some of the charges John MacArthur has leveled against non-dispensationalists regarding biblical interpretation, the Old Testament, Israel, the church, and the millennium.
You can watch this message here.
John MacArthur is one of the most influential pastors alive today. We have been blessed by his 55 years of faithful ministry at our church. However, on the issue of Israel and the church we have some important disagreements. Here we walk through part of a message he gave at the 2007 Shepherd's Conference and respond to his critiuques of the non-dispensational position we hold.
You can watch this message here.
Today's podcast covers chapter 4 of the book of Ruth. Featuring Jerry, Fred, Scott, and Jared.
Mark got the idea of outlining the message around the four main characters of the story from Eric Alexander's helpful message here.
- Herod’s weakness vs John’s strength
- Herodias’s grudge
- Salome's dance
- John’s death
Discussion Questions:
- Herod's moral weakness is seen in his people-pleasing and fleshly decision making. He is easily swayed by others into doing what is wrong and does not stand by biblical convictions. Where do we see Herod's moral weakness in this story? What can we learn from his negative example?
- How does John the Baptist's humble strength and courage show itself in this story? How can we be more like John and less like Herod?
- Herodias is also controlled by sinful desires, is unfaithful to her first husband, and nurses a grudge against John that turns deadly. What can we learn from her negative example? How can we specifically fight the temptation to nurse grudges in our heart?
- To some readers, John's death may seem utterly ridiculous and even meaningless as the story unfolds. How can we be encouraged by the absurd circumstances surrounding his death? Was it truly meaningless? (Have someone read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). How can we fight to believe God's good purposes for us in our own suffering, especially when it becomes discouraging to us?
You can watch this message here.
Perhaps some listeners may be on board with what we've covered over the past several sessions on this topic and agree that the church is the true, restored Israel of God in Christ. However, you may have a big lingering question: What about the land promise to Israel in the Old Testament?
You can watch this message here.
This is Bob McAndrew's third and final message from Satruday evening at the Black Mountain Men's Retreat. Here are the three points:
- Don't let gluttony get the best of you
- Don't let greed get the best of you
- Do let godly instruction get the best of you
You can watch this message here.
Three main points emphasis run through this passage:
- Jesus will continue God's kingdom plan in God's way and on God's timetable
- Jesus will reveal Himself in an unforgettable way to His disciples
- Jesus will reveal to.His disciples thay they still had a LOT of room to grow
Outline of the passage:
- Jesus's Insistence (vs. 22-24)
- Jesus's Appearance (vs. 25-27)
- Jesus's Salvation (vs. 28-32)
- The Disciples' Worship (vs. 33)
You can watch this message here.
This is Bob McAndrew's second message from Saturday morning at the Black Mountain Men's Retreat.
Before a man commits adultery he should...
- Understand what it is going to cost him
- Understand what he already has at home
- Understand that the Lord is watching him
You can watch the message here.
This is Bob McAndrew's first talk on Friday night at the Black Mountain Men's Retreat in North Carolina. In this message he introduces the book of Proverbs and asks three questions:
- What is a proverb?
- What is the purpose of Proverbs?
- What is the motto of Proverbs?
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, Papa, and Jared lead us through this important turning point in the story of Ruth.
Jerry did a great job reminding us of the importance of discipleship in the Christian life. No matter who we are, no matter our gifting, we are called to disciple others and to be discipled. This is basic to the Christian life and something we all should consider how we can do this more wisely and passionately.
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Jared team up to walk us through Ruth 2 where Ruth and Boaz meet for the first time.
Here are the points for Scott's message:
- The compassion of Jesus
- The test that Jesus gives
- The sufficiency of Jesus
- The identity of Jesus
You can watch this message here.
The Old Testament teaches that Gentiles will be included in the restored Israel (see, as one example, Psalm 87). However, the New Testament reveals a "mystery" previously hidden that the restored, true Israel of God has been restructured around identification with the Messiah by faith alone, not ethnic background or observance to the Mosaic law. This is why, we argue, Paul refers to the church as "the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16) and other NT authors apply titles previously reserved for Israel to the church.
You can watch this message here.
Here is the sermon outline:
- The Kingdom of Heaven has Small Beginnings (v 31-33)
- The Kingdom of Heaven has Infinite Worth (v 44-46)
- The Kingdom of Heaven has often been too Easily Rejected (v 53-58)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Scott, Papa Fred, and Jared Smith all teamed up to help lead us through the first week in Ruth.
The Old Testament makes clear that Gentiles will be blessed in the time of the restoration of Israel from exile. However, to what degree and in what way the Gentiles will be included isn't as clearly revealed in the Old Testament as it is in the New. What does Scripture teach is the relationship between Israel and the church and the inclusion of the Gentiles in the new covenant era?
You can watch this message here.
Here is Scott's outline regarding final judgment:
- Judgment is necessary
- Judgment is delayed
- Judgment is certain
- Judgment will be thorough and permanent
You can watch this message here.
We decided to take a Sunday to discuss this recent contraversy with a pastor we have often quoted at our church, Alistair Begg. Is it ever right for a Christian to attend an LGBTQ 'wedding'? If not, why not? This is an issue of our day for which Christians must have biblical clarity.
You can watch this message here.
Mark borrowed these two points and a lot of the structure of this sermon from Don Carson's very helpful sermon here.
- Jesus tells parables because in line with Scripture (Isaiah 6), His message blinds, deafens, and hardens (v 10-17)
- Jesus tells parables because in line with Scripture (Psalm 78), His message reveals things previously hidden in Scripture (v 34-35, 11-12, 16-17, 51-52)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry and Josh Crouse wrap up this important five week series on Biblical Counseling by spending some time in Proverbs among other passages.
The Old Testament itself clearly teaches that the New Covenant is in some importnat ways similar to and yet dissimilar and far better in many ways.
You can watch this message here.
Here is the outline:
- The Pathtway soil (v 1-4, 18-19)
- The Rocky soil (v 5-6, 20-21)
- The Thorny soil (v 7, 22)
- The Good soil (v 8-9, 23)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry and Josh Crouse continue their defense of biblical counseling in light of other alternatives even within the Evangelical world.
The New Covenant doesn't show up for the first time in the New Testament. It is developed and predicted by the Old Testament prophets long before the birth of Jesus! What do these prophets, writing before, during, and not long after the exile, tell us about this future, final, new covenant?
You can watch this message here.
In this passage, Jesus instructs us to see…
- Empty, Orderly Religion as an Invitation to the Demonic (v 43-45)
- Wholehearted, Obedient Disciples as Christ’s True Family (v 46-50)
- Himself as the Greater Jonah and Solomon We All Need (v 38-42)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry and Josh Crouse carefully compare and contrast biblical counseling with Christian counseling and reveal some significant differences.
The estbliashment of the Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7 is one of the most significant events in Scripture. What exactly is it and how does it prepare the way for Jesus?
You can watch this message here.
Here is the sermon outline:
- Is justification by faith or by words? (v 36-37)
- What do our words reveal about our hearts? (v 33-35)
- How can we change? (v 33-35)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry and Josh Crouse continue to discuss the benefits of biblical counseling in contrast to some other forms of Christian counseling that seek to combine secular psychology with Scripture.
Mark spoke in the upper school chapel today at Westminster Christian Academy on how we can "shine" in culture before unbelievers.
- Shine by working out your salvation (v 12-13)
- How? By relying on God’s active work in you.
- Shine by not grumbling or disputing (v 14-15)
- Numbers 14:27, “How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me.”
- Shine by being content and joyful (v 17-18)
- He’s currently in jail in Rome (1:12-23)
- He is willing to be poured out and even die for others with joy (v 17-18)
- Paul’s joy in suffering helped lead the jailer (and his family) to Christ (Acts 16)
- Shine by holding fast to the Word of Life (v 15b-16)
- Do not buy the lie that in college the way to evangelize others is to dim your light as much as possible or to act as much like the world as you possibly can! No, be joyfully different and unashamed of God’s word!
This is our second and final week covering Deuteronomy. It is an important book to more fully grasp the details of the Mosaic Covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai and reconfirmed at the end of Moses' life just before the people follow Joshua into the land.
You can watch this message here.
"What is the unforgivable sin? How do I know if I've committed it?" These are questions that need to be answered clearly and biblically. To be taught wrongly about this sin can lead to years of unecessary dread and fear.
- Jesus is accused of being in league with Satan (v 22-24)
- Jesus counters the accusation with several arguments (v 25-29)
- Jesus warns His enemies of the unforgivable sin (v 30-32)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry Ediger and Josh Crouse help us think through counseling that relies on the sufficiency of Scripture and they warn us against counseling that tends to mix secular counseling with Scripture. This is an important topic as various forms of counseling have become so popular in recent years.
We covered part one of a basic overview of the book of Dueteronomy in this Sunday school. In order to understand the Mosaic Covenant more fully it is important to grasp this important book that shapes how the later OT prophets speak and is quoted so often by Jesus and Paul in the NT.
You can watch this message here.
In this passage Matthew shows us how Jesus fulfills Isaiah 42:1-4 in three ways:
- He is chosen by God and Spirit filled (v 18)
- He is humble and gracious (v 19-20)
- He brings us hope and justice (v 18b, 21)
You can watch this message here.
Two Jehavoh's Witnesses just visited my (Mark's) house. This is the third visit in the last couple months. These are some brief reflections on the conversation.
You can watch this brief message here.
Here is Scott's outline:
- The wonder of the incarnation
- The reality of the incarnation
- The reason for the incarnation
- Our response to the incarnation
You can watch the message here.
Why was the Reformation necessary? Is the Catholic Church truly Christian and does it officially teach the true gospel? What are the major differences between Catholics and Evangelical Protestants?
You can watch this message here.
Many of us have had Jehovah's Witnesses knock on our door or offer free literature on a streetcorner. What do they really teach? How far from biblical Christianity is there teaching?
You can watch this message here.
- The Word (v 1-5)
- The World (v 9-13)
- The Witness (v 6-8)
You can watch this message here.
In order to understand the Mosaic Covenant it is helpful to grasp not just Exodus, but also the book of Leviticus. There are also many New Testament passages, both in the gospels and especially Hebrews, that become clearer in their meaning after carefully studying Leviticus.
You can watch this message here.
I. A Public Location (vs. 9) A. The same people are involved B. The religious setting is not coincidental II. A Loaded Question (vs. 10) A. The situation: a man with a withered hand B. The question: is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath C. The intent behind the question: to accuse Jesus III. A Pointed Response A. Jesus references a real controversy (vs. 11) B. Jesus references clear Scriptural teaching (vs. 12) C. Jesus restores the man's hand (vs. 13) IV. A Wicked Plan (vs. 14) You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Jared covered the last two chapters of Esther as we see the Jews bring destruction upon their enemies, the feast of Purim inaugurated, and Mordecai honored.
Leah shared her testimony about how the Lord worked in her life over the course of several years to bring her to genuine faith in Christ and repentance. Haley shares about how to fight the sin of anxiety in a world that often belittles and excuses such sins.
This week we cover much of Exodus quickly to see what Scriptures teaches us about the Mosaic Covenant.
You can watch this message here.
Introduction: The Sabbath controversy (v 1-2)
Jesus responds by appealing to…
- David (v 3-4)
- The Priests in the Temple (v 5-6)
- Hosea (v 7-8)
You can watch this message here.
Mark and Greg discuss one of the more difficult covenants to grasp, especially in how it relates to the New Covenant. Many differences among Christians spring from disagreements regarding how we understand the Mosaic Covenant today.
You can watch this message here.
INTRODUCTION:
Context: “At that time” (v 25a)
- John the Baptist doubting (v 1-15)
- Crowds rejecting both John & Jesus (v 16-19)
- Entire cities of Galilee rejecting Jesus (v 20-24)
Jesus could be tempted toward discouragement, but instead He praises and thanks God.
- One pastor writes, “And in this moment when the Lord Jesus could have been profoundly discouraged. Here is the first great effort to spread the gospel to the surrounding countryside and many, many, many people had rejected that message, had rejected His miracles. He could have been very downcast. I want you to see that in that context, the Lord Jesus lifts up a prayer of thanksgiving to His heavenly Father…and in that prayer He contemplates God’s sovereignty. He contemplates God’s wisdom. And He contemplates the fact that God has caused some to respond to the gospel.”
- When you are facing circumstances that tempt you toward discouragement or sinful anger…
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Deliberately choose to thank and praise God for His goodness, even in unpleasant circumstances.
I. Jesus thanks the Father for concealing and revealing (v 25-26)
- Jesus teaches in this brief section:
- Human accountability: Jesus denounces the cities for rejecting Him (v 20-24).
- Divine sovereignty: Jesus says that God hid these truths from some (v 25) and that only those He chooses will know God (v 27b).
- Universal offer: Then Jesus invites all to come to Him (v 28).
- APPLICATION: SO BE HUMBLE
- H.B. Charles, “Jesus thanks God for the mystery of salvation where those who you think will get it, don’t; and those who are least likely to get it, do.”
- Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:1-2; 1 Peter 5:5.
II. Jesus claims to be equal with and the only revealer of the Father (v 27)
It’s hard to find a higher view of Christ than the one Jesus gives us here.
- The Father has given all things to Jesus.
- Only Jesus knows the Father truly and comprehensively.
- Jesus is sovereign over knowing the Father.
-
Jesus is the only one in the universe who can reveal the Father to us.
- See John 14:6; John 3:35; John 5:21; John 17:1-2
III. Jesus invites us to find rest in Himself (v 28-30)
- "It is the only place in Scripture where the 'heart' of Christ is actually named." (J.C. Ryle)
- Compare Matthew 23:4 with 1 John 5:3-4 & Genesis 29:20.
- Spurgeon, “Eastern monarchs affected great seclusion, and were wont to surround themselves with impassable barriers of state. It was very difficult for even their most loyal subjects to approach them. You remember the case of Esther, who, though the monarch was her husband, yet went with her life in her hand when she ventured to present herself before the king Ahasuerus, for there was a commandment that none should come unto the king except they were called, at peril of their lives. It is not so with the King of kings. His court is far more splendid; his person is far more worshipful; but you may draw near to him at all times without hindrance. He has set no men-at-arms around his palace gate. The door of his house of mercy is set wide open. . . . Though he is greater than the greatest, and higher than the highest, he has been pleased to put out of the way everything which might keep the sinner from entering into his halls of gracious entertainment. From his lips we hear no threatenings against intrusion, but hundreds of invitations to the nearest and dearest intimacy. Jesus is to be approached, not now and then, but at all times, and not by some favoured few, but by all in whose hearts his Holy Spirit has enkindled the desire to enter into his secret presence.”
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Jared discuss God's providence has Esther reveals Haman's wicked plot to the king and Haman is hung on his own gallows.
I. His Rebuke of Unappeasable Critics (vs. 16-19)
- The illustration Jesus used (16-17)
- The reality Jesus addressed (18-19)
- The point Jesus made (19)
II. His Condemnation of Unrepentant Cities (vs. 20-24)
- They were condemned for rejecting Him (20)
- Their condemnation was justly severe (22, 24)
You can watch this message here.
Erin and Kelly spent about half an hour answering questions from high school seniors about their comments on biblical motherhood.
Kelly and Erin spoke to Mark's high school senior Bible class this week about biblical womanhood, marriage, and motherhood and how it contrasts with popular feminist ideas.
I. JOHN DOUBTS JESUS (v 1-3)
- It came during a year long trial (in prison, v 2)
- It came from false expectations about Jesus (v 2-3)
- It came from a limited view of what Jesus was doing (v 2)
- But John still knew to take his doubts to Jesus (v 2)
II. JESUS REASSURES JOHN (v 4-6)
- Jesus pointed John to His actions and to Scripture (v 4-5)
- Isaiah 35:4-5; Isaiah 61:1-2
- Jesus pronounces those blessed who trustingly submit to Him (v 6)
III. JESUS REASSURES THE CROWD ABOUT JOHN (v 7-15)
Jesus says we can trust John because…
- John wasn’t blown around by popular opinion (v 7)
- John wasn’t soft, posh, or given to impressing kings or other elites (v 8)
- John was a prophet (v 9)
- John was more than a prophet because the OT foretold his ministry (v 9-10, 13-15)
- Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 (v 10); Malachi 4:5 (v 13-15)
- John was the greatest man ever born before Jesus (v 11)
- John’s imprisonment is part and parcel of the coming of the kingdom as the kingdom is opposed by violent people (v 12)
- Yet the least in the kingdom is greater than John! (v 11)
You can watch this message here.
This week Mark and Greg argue that God makes only one covenant with Abraham not two. In other words, Genesis 15 and 17 describe one overall covenant about land and offspring. They also argue that the covenant with Abraham is both unconditional and conditional, and it is not until the New Testament that this tension is finally and clearly resolved.
You can watch the message here.
The Abrahamic covenant is essential to rightly understanding all that comes after it in Scripture. It is important that we understand it in its context in Genesis and in its wider canonical context. This is, Lord willing, the first of two weeks on God's covenant with Abraham.
You can watch the message here.
Have no fear because…
- The truth will ultimately be revealed to all (v 26-27)
- Your soul can’t be harmed by man (v 28)
- Your Father is in control (v 29-31)
- Jesus will acknowledge you before His Father (v 32-33, 38-39)
- You represent the King (v 40-42, 25)
Verses 34-37 were covered in the previous message.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Scott, Papa Fred, and Jared walk through Esther 5. (Title borrowed from ESV headings.)
The Covenant with Noah can too easily get neglected as we learn to put our Bibles together, yet this covenant should not be overlooked or minimized! To paraphrase Tom Schreiner, in this covenant God assures us that the world will remain until the promise of Genesis 3:15 will be fulfilled.
You can watch the message here.
Introduction: Sheep, Wolves, Serpents, & Doves (v 16)1. Religious & political opposition and a promise (v 17-20) 2. Familial opposition and a promise (v 21-23, 34-37) 3. Christ-likeness in and through opposition (v 24-25)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Jared discuss how a trust in God's providence can lead to action on behalf of others.
In Pentecostal theology it is not uncommon to hear that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is available after conversion as a "second blessing" in the Christian life. The implication is that the baptism of the Spirit is separated by time from conversion and that not all Christians today experience it. Is this what Scripture teaches? What do we do with Acts 8?
You can watch this message here.
This is an emotionally charged issue that must be decided by carefully exegesis, not our experience. What does Scripture teach the gift of tongues is in reality? Why do we believe tongues and prophecy have ceased in early church history?
You can watch this message here.
The parallels between Adam and Christ are stunning and the New Testament draws them out clearly. They also seem to indicate a covenant of creation with Adam.
You can watch this message here.
I. An urgent need revealed (9:35-38)
- A pattern of ministry established (v 35)
- A compassion for people displayed (v 36)
- A harvest of souls to recognize (v 37)
- A prayer for laborers to be sent (v 38)
II. A motley crew assembled (10:1-4)
- An unnatural power is bestowed (v 1)
- An unlikely group is gathered (v 2-4)
III. An initial mission commenced (10:5-15)
- It focused on the Jews (v 5-6)
- It focused on preaching (v 7)
- It focused on miracles (v 8)
- It was short-term (v 8b-10)
- It had eternal consequences for its hearers (v 11-15)
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Jared discuss the evil plans Haman makes against the Jewish people in this chapter.
An important question Christians often ask is, "Does the gift of prophecy still happen today?" We think this is an important issue that should be thought through carefully. In this video we argue that the gift of prophecy (and tongues as well, although that is for another video!) ceased in the early church.
You can watch this message here.
Three issues are covered this week in our new series:
- Does the New Testament have priority over the Old?
- What exactly is Progressive Covenantalism?
- Was there really a Covenant of Creation with Adam?
You can watch the message here.
The message has two points.
I. The Faith of Two Blind Men (v 27-31)
- They believe Jesus is Messiah (Son of David)
- They believe Jesus is merciful
- They believe Jesus is powerful
II. The Transformation of a Mute, Demon-Oppressed Man (v 32-34)
[Mark got help from Daniel Doriani's commentary on the outline.]
You can watch this message here.
Jerry, Papa Fred, and Jared cover the second chapter of the book of Esther where Esther is chosen to be queen.
How do we read the Bible as one unified story centered on Jesus? What is the relationship of Israel and the church? How should the Old Testament Mosaic law be understood today? These are the kinds of questions we plan to address in this series.
[Image from here.]
You can watch this message here.
Here are the points for the message:
- A desperate father’s faith (v 18-19)
- A suffering woman’s faith (v 20-21)
- Two astonishing healings (v 22-26)
You can watch this message here.
We are excited as Jerry, Scott, and Papa Fred introduced Esther and covered the first chapter today in Sunday school!
Image from here.
José Rodriguez was wonderfully converted about seven years ago at North Avenue. Please listen and be encouraged by this wonderful and engaging story!
You can watch José's testimony here.
After six months, we come to our last and 26th week on God's providence. We examine the differences in how those who believe in God's detailed control of all events (Calvinists) respond to tragedies in comparison with those who do not (Arminians). The differences are quite significant.
You can watch this message here.
Here are the points for the message:
Introduction: On Fasting
- The Groom
- The Garment
- The Wineskins
You can watch this message here.
This passage looks at Matthew's own record of his conversion.
- Jesus calls Matthew (v 9)
- Matthew follows Jesus (v 9)
- Matthew invited his friends to meet Jesus (v 10-13)
You can watch this message here.
We finished the "P" in TULIP this week by observing some of the warnings and assurances the Lord gives us for our good in both Hebrews and 1 John.
You can watch this message here.
This is part two of our prospective membership meeting on Saturday (9/23/23).
You can watch this message here.
This is part one of our prospective membership meeting on Saturday (9/23/23).
You can watch this message here.
Perhaps the most contested text in Hebrews comes here in chapter six. Does the author teach you can lose your salvation? We think the answer is a strong negative, but what then does this text really mean?
You can watch this message here.
The authority of Jesus to heal and forgive teaches us that…
- Jesus is divine (v 2-3)
- To think low thoughts of Jesus is evil (v 3-4)
- Sin is worse than suffering and sickness (v 2, 5-7)
- Faith, not merit, brings mercy (v 2)
- We should bring others in need to Jesus (v 2)
You can watch this message here.
Surely the end of Ezra is the most difficult part of this often neglected OT book. What are we to make of Ezra leading over 100 Israelite men to divorce their pagan wives and send them away along with their children?
You can watch this message here.
Here are the points for the message which concludes our study in the book of Ezra:
- Ezra grieves the sin of the people (v 1, 6)
- The people resolve to repent (v 2-6)
- The people follow through with action (v 7-44)
You can watch this message here.
Surely the doctrine of perseverance of the saints, or eternal security, is one of the most reassuring doctrines to spend time focusing on!
You can watch the message here.
In this message the teaching team discusses how God's sovereign call is saving and effective and that regeneration precedes and enables faith.
You can watch the message here.
Here are the points for the message:
- Ezra discovers sin among the people (v 1-4)
- Ezra confesses Israel’s past sin (v 5-7)
- Ezra confesses God’s faithfulness (v 8-9)
- Ezra confesses Israel’s current sin (v 10-15)
You can watch this message here.
Irresistible grace is a sweet and wonderful doctrine that is meant to humble us and to cause us to worship.
You can watch the message here.
Sermon Summary: God provides for all His people’s needs through the wise, humble, and careful planning of Ezra. So let us learn to work hard and wisely as we entrust ourselves to God.
- Ezra reviews the returning people (and finds no Levites) [v 1-20]
- Ezra fasts and prays to God (and finds protection) [v 21-23]
- Ezra entrusts the offerings to the priests (and finds them faithful) [v 24-36]
You can watch the message here.
Since 2 Peter 2:1 is probably the single strongest verse used against the position of particular redemption we thought it might be useful to spend some extended time looking at what this text is really saying in its context. We must remember that virtually all true theological positions have biblical texts that at least superficially appear to contradict them on first glance, but confirm them upon further study. We believe this is true regarding 2 Peter 2!
You can watch this message here.
Is it really possible that a doctrine as controversial as particular redemption can actually be edifying, biblical, and comforting to the believer? Yes! Listen in and see what you think!
You can watch the message here.
The outline for the message regarding Ezra's credentials:
- Ezra's lineage (v 1-5)
- Ezra's resolve (v 6-10)
- Ezra's favor with King Artaxerxes (v 11-26)
- Ezra's favor with the Lord (v 6, 9, 27-28)
You can watch the message here.
We continue in this message where we left off in the last one. How do we who hold to limited atonement respond to the 'world' passages regarding the atonement?
You can watch the message here.
In this message we address many of the most common "all" passages that are often used to object to particular redemption.
You can watch this message here.
In this message, we cover a number of the most important texts, particularly from Jesus, John, and Paul, on the issue of unconditional election and limited atonement (or, more accurately, particular redemption).
You can watch this message here.
If the atonement is a real and effective atonement then it must be a limited atonement. Yet all views limit the atonement in one way or another. If this is true, what about the texts that seem to imply that Jesus died for "all" and the "whole world"?
You can watch this message here.
Here is the sermon outline (which Mark said he adapted from the ESV headings!):
- Temple completed (v 13-15)
- Temple dedicated (v 16-18)
- Passover celebrated (v 19-22)
You can watch the message here.
Here is the outline of the message:
- Obedience often leads to opposition (without and within) [5:1-10]
- In government opposition: honor God, speak truthfully, and appeal to just laws [5:11-17]
- Watch God turn your enemies into servants of your good [6:1-12]
You can watch the message here.
Is limited atonement really taught in the Bible? Although we prefer the language of "particular redemption" or "definite atonement" over "limited atonement," we must first to recognize that all of us limited the atonement either in its extent or it efficacy. The question does Scripture teach the atonement is unlimited in its extent and limited in its efficacy (as Arminians argue) or is the atonement limited in its extent and unlimited in its efficacy?
You can watch the message here.
This is an age-old discussion, and yet it has real ramifications for how we live and how we understand our own conversion. Who's choice is ultimately decisive in your conversion to Christ?
You can watch this message here.
In this message the teaching team responds to some of the most common objections to the doctrine of unconditional election. First, isn't election based on foreknowledge (Rom 8:29; 1 Pet 1:1-2)? If so, doesn't that mean God merely chooses those He foreknows/foresees will believe? Secondly, doesn't God's desire to save all rule out the possibility that He elects only some?
You can watch this message here.
Here the Greg's outline for the message:
- Jesus comes to the demons (v 28)
- The demons respond to Jesus (v 28-31)
- Jesus responds to the demons (v 32)
- The people respond to Jesus (v 33-34)
You can watch the message here.
The dramatic scene of Revelation 5 shows us the hopelessness and despair that comes for humanity without Jesus but the thrilling present and future that is ours because Christ has conquered and is reigning now.
You can watch the message here.
There are several common objections to the Reformed/Calvinistic understanding of Romans 9. In this video we take a dive into these issues with the response to these objections from the Calvinist perspective, which we believe best explains Paul's line of thought in this important passage.
You can watch the message here.
It is commonly assumed that God's foreknowledge is merely foresight. Is this what Scripture really teaches? The teaching team shows why for God to know someone means something far better!
You can watch this message here.
Here are the four points of Scott's message:
- The calm before the storm
- The disciples' response to the storm
- Jesus's response to the storm
- The disciples' response to Jesus
You can watch this message here.
Revelation 4 shows us the throne of God and the angels who surround it. This chapter is the setting to the drama of Revelation 5. However, this setting by itself contains stunning imagery of God's presence and should humble us and lead us to worship as the elders do who cast their crowns before God's throne.
You can watch this message here.
Here is the sermon outline for our last sermon in Haggai:
- Unrepentant sinning defiles all we touch (v 10-18)
- Repentance leads to immediate blessings now (v 19; 1:2-11)
- Repentance leads to astonishing blessings later (v 6-9, 20-22)
- God will shake the nations
- God’s temple will be glorious
- God’s chosen king will reign
You can watch the message here.
Does Scripture really teach that God elects to salvation unconditionally? This is a significant issue that really is addressed clearly in various passages in Scripture.
You can watch the message here.
Of all the seven churches of Revelation, none receives so negative a response from Jesus as Laodicea. It is the church that makes Jesus want to vomit! As intense as the language of Jesus is here, there is much for all of us to learn and apply to our lives.
You can watch this message here.
These are some extended reflections on a very intriguing and oft debated verse in Revelation 3 that we covered briefly this past Thursday night here. Some believe it is the single strongest verse used to support the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. However, we do think there is a more convincing way to understand it in the light of the whole context of Revelation, Jesus's words in Matthew 24, and Daniel's visions in Daniel 7-12.
You can watch the message here.
Here are the three points of the message:
- God’s word stirs up God’s people (1:12-15)
- God’s people grow discouraged (2:1-3)
- God’s word brings fresh comfort & assurance (2:4-5)
You can watch this message here.
To understand the five points of Calvinism one must have a solid grasp on the T in the TULIP. Total depravity means moral inability. Is this really taught in Scripture?
You can watch the message here.
The Philadelphian church was perhaps the least impressive outwardly of all the seven churches. Yet, along with Smyrna (which was also not outwardly impressive) Jesus speaks more highly of them than all the other churches. There is much here for us to be encouraged by in our walk with the Lord!
You can watch the message here.
This is the first week where the team is walking through the five points of the Calvinist TULIP. They begin with total depravity which is really moral inability.
You can watch this message here.
In just 24 days God's word through Haggai changes everything that had not changed in 16 years.
God’s Word confronts sin:
- By comparing passions (v 1-5)
- By showing sin’s miserable results (v 6, 9-11)
- By pointing to something better (v 7-8)
You can watch the message here.
Sardis is the first church to receive only negative criticism from our Lord, with the exception of a small few in Sardis who were still walking faithfully.
You can watch the message here.
Ezra chapter four focuses on opposition to the work (in the present) of rebuilding the temple and (in the future) the city of Jerusalem. Chapter five begins with God overcoming opposition with His word.
- God’s Enemies Stop the Work through Intimidation (4:4-5, 24)
- God’s Enemies Stop the Work through Political Force (4:6-23)
- God Revives the Work through His Word (5:1-2)
You can watch the message here.
The TULIP grew out of the soil of a significant discussion and disagreement regarding God's role in salvation. Did God choose us because He knew we would choose Him? Or, did God choose us so that we would choose Him? This topic is worth many hours of our best mental efforts and prayers as we pour over God's word.
You can watch this message here.
Tolerance has been a chief virtue in our culture over the past couple decades, however, Jesus shows that tolerance can very easily become sin that threatens the very life of His church.
You can watch the message here.
The question, "What is God's Will for My Life?" is popular and often based on unbiblical assumptions. What is a better and more biblical way to approach this issue?
Does God Have Two Wills? Is it actually true that God has a will of decree and a will of command? What does Scripture really say about this?
You can watch the message here.
God's enemies (both then and now) seek to...
- Join God's people (v 1-3)
- Intimidate God's people (v 4-5)
- Politically stop God's people (v 6)
The basic idea behind these points (excluding their wording) was adapted from Don Carson's devotional book For the Love of God volume 2, January 4th.
You can watch the message here.
Smyrna and Pergamum are both experiencing attacks from Satanic opposition. Smyrna is holding fast to Christ, but Pergamum is beginning to compromise. There is much to learn for all Christians from Christ's letters to these churches!
You can watch the message here.
Here are the four sermon points for how worship is rekindled in Jerusalem:
- They Gave Generously [2:68-69; 3:7]
- They Worked in Unity [3:8-9]
- They Praised Joyfully [3:10-11]
- Some Wept Loudly [3:12-13]
You can watch the message here.
Few issues are as misunderstood as the relationship of God's sovereignty to the sinfulness of men and demons. There are many dangers in discussing this topic because of how easily it can be misunderstood. Yet Scripture is not unclear about this issue and there are several important applications points that we all should apply to our lives by God's grace.
You can watch this message here.
The teaching team thinks that of all the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation, perhaps this letter to Ephesus would apply most directly to North Avenue. What a wonderful and fearful privilege to hear these words today! Have we lost our first love and passion for the Lord? If our love has waned, let us fan into flame that love again!
For Spurgeon's excellent sermon on the passage see the audio version here and written version here.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, and Papa Fred didn't get a chance to cover these ten points in Sunday school, so they made an additional recording on Zoom this week to make sure they were covered.
You can watch this message here.
God is completely sovereign over Satan. What does this look like in Scripture? How can this, perhaps strangely at first, actually be a great comfort to those who know Christ?
You can watch the message here.
Here are the three points from the message:
- The Altar Rebuilt [v 1-3]
- The Feast of Booths Celebrated [v 4]
- God’s Word Obeyed [v 2, 4-6]
You can watch the message here.
John sees Jesus in His glorified state and falls on the ground before Him. There is so much that is comforting and even fearful that we can learn from the description of Jesus in this passage. As Greg's quote reminds us, Revelation 1 describes "not what Jesus looks like, but what He is like."
You can watch the message here.
Here are the main points to Greg's message:
- Jesus displays His divine power
- Jesus demands our full commitment
- Jesus demands that we follow Him over all other obligations
Following Jesus today involves:
- A devotion to knowing Him and responding to Him as revealed in Scripture
- A devotion to obey His commands in Scripture
- A devotion to conform our whole life to all we know of Him in Scripture
- A devotion to His global church through involvement in a faithful local church
- A devotion to His church's mission to multiply mature disciples in all nations.
You can watch the message here.
Infertility and miscarriage is trial that can cause deep grief. How are we to see God's goodness and providence in the midst of struggles to get pregnant or the sorrow of miscarriage and death?
You can watch the message here.
Revelation is an intriguing and perhaps surprisingly practical book. We plan to spend ten weeks this summer covering the first five chapters while giving special attention to the seven churches of chapters two and three. We hope you will find our meditation on "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" edifying!
You can watch this message here.
Ezra 2 is a long list of names. We can be very tempted to skip over passages like this, yet they, like all of Scripture, are God-breathed and profitable. What can we learn from a chapter like this? We learn that God cares about His people and knows their names. He keeps track of their lives and their actions have eternal significance. Let us be encouraged! God has not forgotten you.
You can watch the message here.
God is creator, sustainer, and sovereign over nature. This includes natural disasters and illness. How can this challenging truth be a great comfort to the believer?
You can watch the message here.
Mark gives a series of the primary arguments and passages that have proved most convincing for him regarding believer's baptism. This is after growing up in a solid PCA church and now being a convictional baptist.
You can watch the message here.
In this message we look briefly at glimpses of God's sovereignty and providence throughout the book of Joshua.
You can watch the message here.
Here we observe Jesus interact with a many with severe leprosy and a centurion with a servant who is suffering greatly. We learn much about our Lord in this text!
You can watch the message here.
Cyrus is raised up to physically deliver Israel from exile and yet there is another future Servant of the Lord who will deliver us from spiritual bondage by taking away our sins.
You can watch this message here.
God's providence not only applies to the salvation of His people, but also incorporates the hardening and judgment of His enemies. While this may be a less popular topic, it is one that is clearly taught in Scripture and one that we must not ignore.
You can watch the message here.
Ezra is certainly one of the least read, preached, and discussed historical books of the Old Testament. What is the goal of spending the summer months in this rather remote part of Scripture? There is much for us to learn and grow from in this wonderful book! As we will see again, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). [Image from here.]
You can watch the message here.
We see God's sovereignty clearly in the Exodus event of the Old Testament, including God's sovereignty over the heart of Pharaoh.
You can watch this message here.
How are Christians to think about introspection in regard to our salvation? Here are four marks we are building our houses on the rock.
- Good fruit is growing from your transformed heart
- Your outward righteousness is matched by inward righteousness
- You know and are known by Jesus
- You experience godly grief over your sin, not worldly grief
You can watch the message here.
Six Marks of False Convert:
- The Beatitudes do not truly character your life
- You obey God superficially and selectively to please man
- The gospel is folly to you, not captivating
- The Lordship of Jesus is a mantra, not a reality
- Your faith is dead, not living
- You do not experience joy and anguish regarding how others are walking with Jesus
You can watch the message here.
God does everything for the glory of God. God also commands us to praise and glorify Him. Is this egotistical?
You can watch the message here.
We have the privilege of seeing the despair, grief, fear, doubt, and unbelief of the disciples come into the peace-and-joy-giving presence of the risen Jesus and His scars.
You can watch this message here.
The teaching team continued introducing the glorious and challenging topic of God's providence this Sunday.
You can watch the message here.
Last Sunday we covered the nine marks of a false teacher. We pick up with point ten this week and cover eight more marks of a false teacher according to Scripture.
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They fail to truly help people fight their sin
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They exploit the sheep financially
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They undermine the authority of Scripture…
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By rejecting parts of the Bible
- By tampering with God’s word
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By claiming God has spoken to them when He has not
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They preach another gospel (for example: by denying the imputation of Christ’s righteousness)
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They teach so as to please man not God (and thus avoid persecution)
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They act like lords, not servants
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They may teach mysticism and asceticism
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They are waterless clouds
You can watch the message here.
This is a brief reflection on the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, a Christian elementary school in Nashville this past Monday. These reflections were recorded on Tuesday, March 28th.
You can watch the message here.
Here are Nine Marks of a False Teacher:
- They disguise themselves as servants of righteousness
- They reject the narrow way
- They sound attractive to our flesh
- They are often popular
- They often allow idolatry
- They twist Scripture
- They often allow sexual immorality
- They often deny God’s wrath
- They speak like the world
You can watch the message here.
Meditating on God's providence involves some of the deepest thinking and applying God's providence involves some of the most all-encompassing application. This doctrine boggles the mind, warms the heart, and applies to all areas of life!
You can watch the message here.
This is the second part of our prospective members' meeting from Saturday, March 18th.
You can watch the message here.
This is from our prospective members' meeting on Saturday, March 18th.
You can watch the message here.
This is the sermon outline, which Mark borrowed from Voddie Baucham and Don Carson:
- Two gates
- Two ways
- Two crowds
- Two destinies
Here are discussion questions that go with the message:
Two Gates:1) Have someone read Matthew 7:13-14. What are things that will change in a person who is truly born again?2) Have someone read 2 Corinthians 5:14-17. What are ways Christianity in the South has tended to water-down the new birth? Two Ways:3) Have someone read Colossians 3:5-11. What makes the wide path so attractive and easy to follow?4) Why is the narrow path so challenging and difficult? How can we faithfully persevere to the end? Two Crowds:5) Have someone read 1 Corinthians 15:33-34. Why does bad company have such a negative effect on us? How do we continue to love lost people without being influenced poorly by them?6) How has being part of a body of faithful believers (the "few" who are on the narrow path) been a help to you personally? Two Destinies:7) Have someone read Psalm 73 verses 3-4 and 16-19. How does seeing the future help us not envy or imitate the wicked?8) Have someone read Luke 13:22-30. What will "destruction" mean for those on the wide path? What will "life" mean for those on the narrow path? How can this spur us on in faithfulness? You can watch the message here.
This week we wrapped up our cultural series, which began in September of 2022.
You can watch this message here.
We had a packed teaching team for the last message in the Romans series! What a tremendous 15 months this series has been.
What does the Golden Rule really mean?
- The Golden Rule does not mean that you treat others according to your own tastes and preferences!
- The Golden Rule arises from a deep love for God
- The Golden Rule is not based on how others have treated you in the past
- The Golden Rule is not based on how others may treat you in the future
- The Golden Rule is meant to devastate us and lead us to Christ
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team wants to be clear that they are not critiquing Keller and Mason out of some personal dislike. Both Keller and Mason were pastors that they would have recommended in the past. Keller used to be one of Mark's favorite teachers to listen to and read. However, sadly, the woke worldview has begun to creep into their teaching and we now have serious concerns with some of what these men teach.
You can watch the message here.
Mark had the privilege of interviewing Jerry Ediger for a second time about his life and God's faithfulness. He has had diabetes most of his life and been in a wheelchair since he broke his neck at age 17. Jerry's story is an amazing display of God's providence throughout Jerry's many trials. Listen in and be prepared to laugh and be encouraged!
You can watch the message here.
Matthew 7:1 may be the most frequently quoted and most widely misunderstood verse in all of Scripture. For that reason it is all the more important that we understand and apply it correctly! In this message we see what Jesus did not mean and what He did mean in this passage. What does it mean to not judge? When is it right to judge? What is the difference between a judgmental attitude and wise, biblical discernment? What does it mean to not cast our pearls before pigs? These are some of the questions addressed in the message.
You can watch the message here.
Reparations are now being taught by Disney as a kind of indoctrination to for our children. However, far more disturbingly is how popular reparations have become among the Evangelical world, including the Reformed world. In this message we hear from various evangelical leaders and the teaching team offers a critique of this view.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team covers Romans 15 which highlights the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles.
It is tempting today to argue that all racial disparities in our culture are due to discrimination of one kind or another. But does this bear out with the facts and data? The truth is more complicated than that.
Throughout this message, the main point is that disparities are due to a wide range of issues. Even the last five minutes of the message are not meant to blame all disparities on the passing of Medicaid in 1965. These issues are complex, but the main point is to say that CRT is wrong to claim that all disparities between ethnic groups are always due to racism and discrimination.
You can watch the message here.
Scott preached for the first time since October and shared a powerful message about trusting God in the midst of the uncertainties and trials of life. There is much we can learn here! Let us commit to respond to anxiety with God's Word and Spirit.
Here is the sermon outline:
- The significant sin of anxiety
- There is no reason to worry
- What are you seeking?
- Seven ways to fight the sin of anxiety
- Flood our lives with what fills with faith
- Live a day at a time
- Unmask the sin of anxiety
- Fight the sin with specific Bible verses
- Take things to God in prayer
- Immerse yourself in God's Word
- Remember the gospel
You can watch the message here.
The Woke worldview is spreading through institutions in the world including the church. It functions like a new religion in many ways. It is important that Christians are able to identify and reject its false assertions.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team talks about how the strong brothers should show kindness to the weaker brothers.
Included below are the five sermon points along with discussion questions for further reflection.
1) WE SHOULD NOT ASK FOR AN IDOLHow can we tell if we are actually beginning to pray for an idol? (Have someone read James 4:2-4)2) WE SHOULD ASK HUMBLYHow can we grow in praying in humble dependence on God’s fatherly care? (Have someone read Matthew 7:7-11)3) WE SHOULD ASK FOR MORE OF GODWhat can motivate us to pray more earnestly for more of God Himself in our lives and the lives of others? (Have someone read Luke 11:13 and Jeremiah 29:12-13)4) WE SHOULD ASK FOR THE SALVATION & SANCTIFICATION OF OTHERSHow do we pray more earnestly for the salvation of others, especially those in our family? (Have someone read Romans 10:1)What can help us pray more earnestly for the sanctification of others? (Have someone read Colossians 1:9-11)5) WE SHOULD ASK PERSISTENTLYWhat has helped you pray more persistently about matters of eternal importance? (Have someone read Luke 11:5-10)
You can watch the message here.
This week the teaching team builds off of the previous week and continues to expose the false and dangerous narrative that the BLM movement has created using Critical Race Theory as its ideological foundation. BLM promoted the motto "Defund the Police" which led to the tragic consequences of higher crime, including more theft and murder, over the past three years, especially for black and other minority communities in our country.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team discusses the last verses of Romans 13 and how love is the fulfillment of the law.
Worry and anxiety are on the rise in our culture. We worry about all kinds of things and often think there is no way to win the battle. However, Jesus has something better for us than worry. Jesus gives us reasons to trust our Heavenly Father so that worry can be lessened and even destroyed as we learn to walk by faith in His promises.
You can watch the message here.
Mark and Greg discuss the dangers of the BLM organization and also what has been misleading about how the statement itself has been used in our culture.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team discusses an important passage regarding how Christians should respond to and submit to governing authorities.
Jerry Ediger was converted around the age of six, found out he had diabetes when he was ten, and broke his neck playing football when he was seventeen. The Lord's providence has been displayed throughout all of Jerry's life, and especially so during the last 39 years Jerry has had paraplegia.
We think you will be greatly encouraged!
You can watch the interview here.
Anxiety is something that we all struggle with in daily life. Jesus mercifully tells us how to battle it the right way by God's grace.
You can watch the message here.
The death of Tyre Nichols by the police in Memphis has been interpreted by many through the lens of CRT. How does this distort reality? And how does Scripture define key terms like righteousness and justice?
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team covers this wonderful passage of practical application. We discover more fully what true love looks like in this passage.
The teaching team discusses real racism that existed in our nation's past and still exists today. However, they also show that much that is being called "racism" and "white supremacy" today is in fact not. This is due to parasitic worldview known as the Social Justice Movement, Critical Theory, and the Woke ideology. These false beliefs have, like a parasite, redefined terms so that things are being called racism that in fact are not.
You can watch the message here.
Our eye must be fixed on the right object so that our whole body and life will be flooded with the light of truth. If we treasure heavenly things rather than earthly, and serve God rather than mammon, we will have a good eye and a life flooded with the light of God's truth and goodness.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team discusses the beginning of Romans 12. Romans 12-16 is when Paul especially begins to apply all the theology he has covered so far in the letter.
The teaching team covers the difficult phrase "all Israel will be saved" (11:26) and then spends most of the time meditating on the glorious doxology at the end of Romans 11.
Introduction: Structure of 6:1-21
- Jesus is not teaching ultimate self-denial
- Jesus is teaching us to live for true and lasting treasure.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team tied up a few loose ends regarding the LGBTQ sexual revolution and ended with some practical application in how to fight our sin.
You can watch the message here.
Here are the questions Scott answers through throughout the interview:
- Could you start by giving us some big takeaways that you want us to walk away with tonight.
- When did this trial begin with Liliana, and walk us through the opening day in the hospital?
- You guys got the cancer diagnosis on Friday October 21st, could you walk us through that day?
- Talk about Michael and how he responded to all of this trial. How has Michael deal with this all of this?
- How has studying church history helped you face this trial?
- People have told you that they don't know if their faith would remain strong if they walked through something like this. What would you say to someone who says they don't think they would make it through something like this?
- Can you talk about Liliana's faith, and how it just seemed to grow stronger as she grew weaker?
- “Sorrowful yet always rejoicing” was your experience for much of this trial but at some point the joy began to overtake the sorrow can you walk us through that?
- Can you talk about evidences of God's goodness in this trial?
- What are some other things that have been impressed upon you through this trial?
You can watch the interview here.
In this message we discuss the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade this weekend (1/22/73). We also discuss three frequent positions believers are tempted to take:
- Pro-life but hesitant to criminalize abortion from concept to birth?
- Pro-life but sympathetic about voting for pro-choice candidates (who are running on codifying Roe into law)?
- Pro-life but don’t feel it’s right to force my religious views on society?
What about…
- Ectopic pregnancy?
- Rape?
- The fact that I'm a man?
What does Scripture teach?
This message begins with an introduction answering three puzzling questions about Matthew 6:13.
- Why is the line "for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen" missing from most translations today?
- Are we asking to be delivered from "evil" or "the evil one"?
- What exactly is the meaning of "temptation" in this verse? The Greek word "peirasmos" (tempt/test) can mean at leastthree different things in the New Testament.
The heart of the sermon covers the following questions: What does it mean to pray "lead us not into temptation"? What does it mean to be tempted? How do we resist temptation with the Lord's help?
You can watch the message here.
This message begins with an introduction answering three puzzling questions about Matthew 6:13.
- Why is the line "for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen" missing from most translations today?
- Are we asking to be delivered from "evil" or "the evil one"?
- What exactly is the meaning of "temptation" in this verse? The Greek word "peirasmos" (tempt/test) can mean at leastthree different things in the New Testament.
The heart of the sermon covers the following questions: What does it mean to pray "lead us not into temptation"? What does it mean to be tempted? How do we resist temptation with the Lord's help?
You can watch the message here.
This message begins with an introduction answering three puzzling questions about Matthew 6:13.
- Why is the line "for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen" missing from most translations today?
- Are we asking to be delivered from "evil" or "the evil one"?
- What exactly is the meaning of "temptation" in this verse? The Greek word "peirasmos" (tempt/test) can mean at leastthree different things in the New Testament.
The heart of the sermon covers the following questions: What does it mean to pray "lead us not into temptation"? What does it mean to be tempted? How do we resist temptation with the Lord's help?
You can watch the message here.
Here is the outline for the message:
- We see our need (v 10, 20)
- We become new (v 11-17)
- We seek to persuade (v 11, 18-21)
You can watch the message here.
You can watch the full testimony of Rosaria Butterfield that was shown in Sunday school before the panel spoke here. While we disagree with Rosaria's use of the incorrect pronoun ("she") regarding her biologically male friend who claims to be a woman and the team had a few other disagreements, there is still much to learn about her journey to Christ and how she was so faithfully evangelized by a pastor and his wife.
You can watch this brief message here.
The teaching team covers the middle of Romans 11 which deals with the Jewish people largely being cut off from the Messiah while the Gentiles are brought into the church.
This message relies heavily on Carl Trueman's material from The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. The shorter version of this book is titled A Strange New World and the lecture series begins here.
- Where are we?
- How did we get here?
- How can we invite our students to something better?
It is important that we as Christians understand the relationship between grace and works in regards to final judgment. It is very easy to go wrong in one direction or the other.
Judgment is According to Works:
- For Everyone
- Regarding Salvation and Condemnation
- Regarding Rewards and Punishments
- For God's Public Vindication
You can watch the message here.
Why Christmas and the incarnation? Why did Jesus become human?
- To defeat the devil (v 14)
- To free us from the fear of death (v 15)
- To make propitiation for our sin before God (v 16-17)
- To become a merciful and faithful High Priest (v 17-18)
You can watch the message here.
Here is the outline of this Christmas message:
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The fulfillment of God's promise
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The giving of surprising grace
- The arrival of a long expected King
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The miracle of a virgin birth
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The faith response of God's servant
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She trusted in God's Word
- She rejoiced in God's mercy
- She meditated on God's providence
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team discusses how Sodom and Gomorrah is often wrongly dismissed in the whole conversation regarding homosexuality in the Bible. While it isn't the primary passage to turn to, it is certainly still relevant to the discussion. They also discuss how our culture is drifting rapidly on this issue. Children are being deliberately targeted and even some leading professing Christian voices are leaning the wrong way on these important issues.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team look at the opening verses of Romans 11 and see where Paul goes in his discussion of God's faithfulness to Israel in Romans 9-11.
It is certainly true that Romans 1:26-27 is the most important passage in all of Scripture on the topic of homosexuality. The Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of God's Spirit, addresses in no uncertain terms all same-sex sexual activity. Let us have ears to hear what is written.
You can watch the message here.
Paul does not lose heart despite his many afflictions. He explains that this is possible if we will fix our eyes on what is unseen. He then goes on to explain that all suffering is for the believer's good, that at death we are with the Lord which is far better than life here, and that ultimately we will be resurrected with an eternal body that cannot break down. In light of all this, we should be of good courage!
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team covered a good portion of Romans 10 today focusing on the greatness of our salvation and the urgency of missions.
It is sometimes overlooked that Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reaffirms the teaching of Leviticus against homosexual practice. Yet there is still hope, cleansing, and the power to change offered as well (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)!
You can watch the message here.
Paul faced much weakness and suffering in his life and ministry. Yet Paul saw these as occasions to show off God's power. It is this balance of our weakness as clay pots and God's resurrection power that fuels the Christian life. Instead of being discouraged by being weak we should find encouragement in God's strength.
You can watch the message here.
We were all greatly impacted by Liliana's funeral on Saturday (12/3). During Sunday school the class took time to reflect on her impact on us all. May we all learn and be changed by the Lord's great work in her life.
In this passage we watch Jesus, the resurrection life incarnate, come face-to-face with death. We see the true humanity and true divinity of Christ on full display. There is much comfort for us in both truths.
The message has three points:
- Jesus' Anger (v. 28-34)
- Jesus' Tears (v. 35-37)
- Jesus' Purpose (v. 38-46)
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team covers one of the major objections to God's sovereignty over salvation and judgment.
We learn some valuable lessons as Jesus begins to make His way toward Lazarus and his sisters. The message had three points:
- Jesus' Determination
- Death's Transformation
- Jesus' Revelation
You can watch the message here.
You may hear people say, "The Bible rarely addresses homosexuality. So why spend so much time teaching on it?" "Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, so it must not have been a major concern of His." "With violence against the LGBTQ community (seen in the Colorado Springs shooting early this Sunday morning) why aren't you spending more time addressing that expression of evil?"
How are we to respond to these kinds of questions and objections?
You can watch the message here.
We are taking a brief break from the Matthew series to spend about three weeks walking through the story of the raising of Lazarus in John 11. The message had three points:
- Introducing Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
- Taking our troubles to Jesus
- Jesus' puzzling and purposeful response
You can watch the message here.
What are we to think individuals tragically born intersex? Does this validate transgender thinking? What did Jesus say that would shed light on this issue in Matthew 19? Where did this worldview come from historically? Carl Trueman's shorter work on this subject is here and the longer work here. Also the video the teaching team showed in Sunday school is here.
You can watch this message here.
The message had two main points:
- We must pray for daily forgiveness
- We must forgive as God has forgiven us
You can watch the message here.
A simple request for our daily bread implies so much about the love and care of our Heavenly Father.
You can watch the message here.
When we are praying Matthew 6:10 we are praying...
- Against the kingdom of darkness
- For the advance of Christ's kingdom now
- For the full arrival of Christ's kingdom in the future
Mark used images from this helpful video series from Vaughan Roberts.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team covered Deuteronomy 22:5 and 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 as well as responding to clips of individuals claiming to be pastors who support transgender beliefs.
You can watch the message here.
The teaching team does a great job introducing us to the challenging chapters of Romans 9-11.
This outline is taken from Vaughan Roberts' excellent book God's Big Picture.
The Kingdom of God: God's people, in God's place, under God's rule, experiencing God's blessing.
Old Testament:
- The Pattern of the Kingdom
- The Perished Kingdom
- The Promised Kingdom
- The Partial Kingdom
- The Prophesied Kingdom
New Testament:
-
The Present Kingdom
-
The Proclaimed Kingdom
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The Perfected Kingdom
____
You can watch this message here.
The teaching team discussed the transgender movement, what it believes and how it is applied. They also looked to Genesis and Jesus to see what Scripture teaches about the gift of being made male or female in God's image.
You can watch the message here.
The panel finishes their time in Romans 8 and toward the end give some reflections on the entirety of this wonderful chapter.
Mark and Greg discuss how and why we should work hard for God's glory no matter what job we've been given. We should serve with integrity like Joseph, whether he was a shepherd, a household slave, a wrongfully accused prisoner, or the Prime Minister of Egypt.
You can watch the message here.
The Sermon was ordered around these four parts of Matthew 6:9:
- Father
- In Heaven
- Our
- Hallowed be Your Name
You can watch the message here.
This week we look at some of the more common reasons women (and men) seek abortions.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh, Grant, Carter, and special guest Papa Fred discuss the truth that Jesus died, rose, sat at the Father's right hand, and now intercedes for us.
How to Stand Strong: The Battle, the Armor, and the Lord | Ephesians 6:10-20
- The Battle is Real (v 10-12)
- The Armor is Necessary (v 13-17)
- The Lord Alone Can Strengthen and Embolden Us (v 10, 18-20)
You can watch the message here.
I. What is fasting?
- Don Whitney: “Fasting is going without food for spiritual purposes.”
- Fasting is the most uncomfortable and probably most unpopular spiritual discipline in our culture.
- Fasting is not the magic secret of the Christian life. It is one tool among many that should be included in our sanctification tool box. Is it in your toolbox? It hasn’t been in mine.
- Fasting is denying ourselves legitimate pleasure so that we can see how much we are wrongly relying on that pleasure versus how much we are relying on God directly.
- At least eight types of fasting mentioned in Scripture (borrowed from Don Whitney):
- Partial Fast (Daniel 1: vegetables and water)
- For pregnant or nursing mothers, or those who have diabetes or other health issues, fasting is going to look different.
- For those physically unable to fast from food without hurting themselves, they could consider fasting from certain enjoyable foods. Perhaps you have no dessert for a period of time. Or just eat rice. Or just eat vegetables and water. Or have a balanced meal but in smaller portions.
- Skipping one meal can be a legitimate fast.
- If you are planning to fast more than a day you should consider getting medical advice beforehand.
- Also consider “fasting” from things other than food: giving up legitimate pleasures for a time: TV, social media, YouTube, etc. and spending that time in spiritual pursuits instead.
- Absolute Fast (Acts 9:8-9, “Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”)
- Supernatural Fast (Exodus 34:28, “So [Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water.”[rare])
- Private Fast (Moses, Elijah, & Jesus all fast for 40 days alone)
- Congregational Fast (Acts 13:2-3: this moment sparked Paul’s first missionary journey)
- National Fast (Nineveh: Jonah 3)
- Regular Fast (Likely preceding the day of Atonement according to Leviticus 23:27 [only one it appears])
- Occasional Fast ([Perhaps most common] David fasting seven days while his child lived)
- Partial Fast (Daniel 1: vegetables and water)
II. What are ungodly reasons to fast?
- To earn something from God or to impress God with your suffering.
- Luke 18:9, “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”
- Luke 18:11-12, “The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week.’”
- Colossians 2:20-23, “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”
- Piper: “The danger of eating is that we fall in love with the gift; the danger of fasting is that we belittle the gift and glory in our willpower.”
- Luke 18:9, “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”
- To be spiritually impressive to others:
- Matthew 6:16, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
- Piper: “There is a difference between being seen fasting and fasting to be seen.”
- Matthew 6:16, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”
- As a key to worldly prosperity:
- Don't follow Jentezen Franklin (pastor of Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Ga.). Here are some of his unhelpful quotes about why his church fasted:
- “I felt led to tell you to pray for release of divine health and long life on this fast. [In] Genesis 15:15 God promised Abraham, ‘you will live to a good old age’. Turn to somebody and say, ‘you’re going to live to a good old age.’ This is a fast and a call to health, [to] long life. Everybody say, ‘on this fast there’s going to be a release into my body of divine health and long life.’”
- “These are some themes that I felt in my spirit. Really felt this one: Believe God for the abundance of work; the abundance of prosperity. I heard this in my spirit: ‘Believe Me for miracle money!’ Praise God! Can you believe God for the abundance of work? ... Shout, ‘Miracle money! Shout, ‘Abundance of work!’”
- Don't follow Jentezen Franklin (pastor of Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Ga.). Here are some of his unhelpful quotes about why his church fasted:
III. Why should we fast? [7 REASONS: adapted from Don Whitney]
- To Express Our Hunger for God
- Piper: “What we hunger for most, we worship.”
- Piper: “Christian fasting is a test to see what desires control us. What are our bottom line passions? [One author] says, ‘More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us…. We cover up what is inside of us with food and other things.’ We all ease our discomfort using food and cover our unhappiness by setting our eyes on dinnertime. Which is why fasting exposes all of us — our pain, our pride, our anger.
- Another author writes: "If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately.... Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear — if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first, we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger. And then, we know that we are angry because the anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that [transformation] is available through the power of Christ.”
- Piper: “When midmorning comes and you want food so badly that the thought of lunch becomes as sweet as a summer vacation, then suddenly you realize, “Oh, I forgot, I made a commitment. I can’t have that pleasure. I’m fasting for lunch too.” Then what are you going to do with all the unhappiness inside? Formerly, you blocked it out with the hope of a tasty lunch. The hope of food gave you the good feelings to balance out the bad feelings. But now the balance is off. You must find another way to deal with it.”
- Piper: “Humbly and quietly, with scarcely a movement, [fasting] brings up out of the dark places of my soul the dissatisfactions in relationships, the frustrations of the ministry, the fears of failure, the emptiness of wasted time. And just when my heart begins to retreat to the delicious hope of eating supper with friends, she quietly reminds me: not tonight. It can be a devastating experience at first. Will I find spiritual communion with God sweet enough, and hope in his promises deep enough, not just to cope, but to flourish and rejoice in him? Or will I rationalize away my need to fast and retreat to the medication of food?
- John 4:31-32, "Meanwhile the disciples were urging [Jesus], saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' [32] But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.'"
- To Strengthen Prayer
- Don Whitney: “Is there never a time that you want a prayer answered more than you want lunch? Is there never a time you want somebody to be saved more than you want [your next meal]?”
- Don Whitney: “I want this so much that I’m going to pray about it all day.”
- If all you’re doing while fasting is counting down the time remaining you are not approaching this subject rightly.
- To Humble Ourselves Before God
- Psalm 35:13, David prays, “I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself [humbled myself] with fasting.”
- Isaiah 58:3, “we fasted...we humbled ourselves."
- Why is fasting humbling? It reminds us how weak and frail and dependent we are.
- If you feel strong and self-sufficient, go without food for 24 hours. You will feel weak and needy. You will feel what is true of you all the time but often covered over with food and enjoyments.
- It reveals sin that we can easily mask with the pleasures of food.
- To Express Repentance: (majority of biblical examples)
-
- This does not atone for the sin and is not a necessary part of repentance.
- 1 Samuel 7:3-6, "So they gathered at Mizpah … and fasted on that day and said there, ‘We have sinned against the LORD.’”
- Also see Ezra 9:3-7; Jonah 3:1-10; Joel 2:12-16; Daniel 9:3-5
-
- To Express Desperation in Prayer:
- 2 Samuel 12:15-17, “And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. [16] David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. [17] And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.”
- Chuck Colson (I think I heard) fasted from lunch every Friday and took that hour to pray for the salvation of his children.
- To Express Grief:
- 2 Samuel 1:11-12, “And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.”
- Nehemiah 1:2-4.
- To Seek God’s Guidance in Major Decisions or Transitions:
- Acts 13:1-3, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers…. [2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ [3] Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
- While appointing new leaders: Acts 14:23, “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
IV. How often should we fast?
- Fasting is not explicitly commanded in the New Testament, but it is assumed.
- In the OT Israel is called to humble themselves leading up to the Day of Atonement which seems to imply fasting (Leviticus 16:29-30).
- Luke 5:33, “And they said to him, ‘The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.’”
- The Unbelieving Pharisee in parable fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12, “I fast twice a week”).
CONCLUSION:
Why did God create food in the first place? Piper: “When we eat, we taste the emblem of our heavenly food — the Bread of Heaven. And when we fast we say, ‘I love the reality above the emblem.’”
Jesus, who is the water of life, died thirsty...so that we could be satisfied.
You can watch the message here.
The Romans teaching team spends a second week covering Romans 8:32 meditating on what some argue may be the greatest promise in all of Scripture. They also discuss the question how no one can condemn us now that Jesus has died for us.
On this second week on pro-life matters, the teaching team covers Exodus 1 where the heroic Hebrew midwives risk their lives to save Israelite baby boys. They also respond to an abortion debate between Joe Rogan and Seth Dillon, as well as listening to the story of Melissa Ohden who survived a saline abortion in 1977.
You can watch the message here.
Mark had the joy of speaking to the 6th-12th graders at the Westminster Christian Academy "SharpTop Retreat" this past week on what it means to truly become a Christian.
The basic outline covered these three points:
- What is false faith?
- What is the new birth?
- What is the true Gospel?
Here is the outline for the message:
- Don't give and pray to be seen by men (v 1, 2, 5)
- Give and pray to be seen by God (v 3-4, 6)
- Pray like God is your Father (v 8)
You can watch the message here.
How are we to respond to some of the most challenging pro-choice arguments that are being made in our culture today? "Jesus never addressed abortion! What about rape and incest? Should pastors even talk about abortion from the pulpit? What about when the mother's life is in danger?"
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Scott, Grant, and Carter cover what some believe is the single greatest verse in all of Scripture: Romans 8:32.
Jesus's commands concerning how we should love our enemies are sometimes misrepresented and more often flatly ignored. What does He really mean in this passage and how can we begin to obey these commands?
You can watch the message here.
This is the beginning of our new cultural series. There is so much to cover and Mark and Greg introduce some of the big ideas regarding our worldview.
Jerry, Scott, Josh, and Grant cover the "Gold Chain" in Romans 8: Foreknown, Predestined, Called, Justified, Glorified.
You may spend 80,000 hours of your life at work. Does God care about this massive chunk of our lives? Surely He does! How are we to work well for God's glory no matter what job we find ourselves in?
You can watch the message here.
In this passage Jesus rebukes the elaborate system of oath taking that was devised by the religious leaders of His day in order to avoiding telling the truth. What are ways in which we can be subtly deceptive? How can we become honest in all of our speech and let our 'yes' truly be yes?
You can watch the message here.
It is wonderful to contemplate what our eternal future holds in the new creation for those who are in Christ!
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Scott, Josh, and Grant cover one of the most astonishing promises in all of Scripture.
The four NAC elders finished discussing the Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and walked through some of the distinctive that they teach.
The four NAC elders discussed most of the Nine Marks of a Healthy Church in this message along with the Church Covenant.
This message brought together themes from the past three weeks and addressed the issues of singleness, dating, engagement, marriage, children, adultery, divorce, and remarriage.
You can watch the message here.
The batteries ran out only 19 minutes into Sunday school today, so only the beginning was recorded.
This outline was adapted from Kevin DeYoung's excellent sermon here. Mark used the PCA's excellent 1992 position paper on divorce and remarriage here as well as this helpful essay by Andrew David Naselli along with other sources.
- Marriage is intended by God to be a lifelong commitment.
- Remarriage is permitted, but not required, after the death of a spouse.
- All divorce happens because of sin, but not all divorce is sinful.
- Divorce and remarriage are permitted, but not required, for sexual immorality.
- Divorce and remarriage are permitted when a believing spouse is deserted by an unbelieving spouse.
- Biblically unlawful divorce followed by remarriage is adultery.
- Biblically permissible divorce allows for remarriage.
- Improperly divorced and remarried Christians should stay as they are, but repent and be forgiven of their past sins and make whatever amends are necessary.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Scott, Josh, and Grant help us stand in awe of this truth, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
We discuss some practical takeaways for Amillennial theology and then spend most of our time discussing final judgment in Scripture at the Great White Throne. We argue that all of humanity, not just unbelievers, are present at this judgment. On question in particular that is address is: Why is final judgment "according to works" if we are saved by grace?
You can watch the message here.
How Scripture Defines Love:
- God is love: All true love is from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Love for people must be rooted in love for the God.
- Love always aims to glorify God.
- Love delights in obedience to God’s commands.
- Loving actions must include godly motives.
- Love doesn’t use people for selfish advantage.
- Love delights in biblical truth.
- Love pursues the spiritual and physical wellbeing of others even if it is costly.
[Message given at the Westminster Christian Academy middle and high school chapel on 8/26/22. Photo from an earlier chapel message here.]
Remember... 1. The Goodness of Sex in Marriage 2. The Evil of Sex outside Marriage 3. The Battle against Lust is a Worship War
Don't be deceived about... 1. The Location of Lust 2. The Power of Lust 3. The Consequences of Lust 4. Christ's Sin-Destroying Power over Lust
You can watch the message here.
Many OT prophecies that are often taken as referring to the millennium (in the premillennial view) are more likely referring to the New Jerusalem and the New Creation. This is in part because of how Revelation sees this prophecies reaching their fulfillment.
You can watch the message here.
Christians are the people who shouldn't talk about sex without first talking about marriage. In order to put the topic of sex, lust, and adultery in context, we must first discuss God's good design for marriage and sex within marriage.
- What is the purpose of marriage?
- What is the purpose of sex within marriage?
- How should we respond?
You can watch the message here.
Postmillennialism was popular among some in the Puritan era, but has largely fallen out of the main stream of Christian teaching today. It is however making something of a comeback through Doug Wilson, James White and others. What are we to think of this view and what are biblical reasons to think twice before accepting it?
You can watch the message here.
We must not underestimate the seriousness of unrighteous anger in our hearts and in our relationships. Jesus says that sinful anger is the root of murder and is in fact a kind of violation of the sixth commandment, even if we never act out this inward impulse.
You can watch the message here.
In this message Amillennialism is explained and argued for in contrast to both Dispensational Premillennialism and Historic Premillennialism.
You can watch the message here.
- Jesus upholds all of the Old Testament (v 17-18)
- Jesus fulfills all of the Old Testament (v 17-18)
- Jesus teaches that we must not neglect even the least command (v 19)
- Jesus teaches that our practical righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (v 20)
You can watch the message here.
In this message we distinguish pre-millennialism from amillennialism from what must surely be Revelation's most disputed passage.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Scott, Josh, and Grant discuss the importance of having a mind set on the Spirit, which is life and peace, instead of set on the flesh, which is death.
We finished the book of Colossians looking primarily at Paul's encouragement and invitation to pray passionately, regularly, and to make the most of every opportunity.
You can watch the message here.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are infamous even in our wider culture. What exactly do they represent? How does Jesus shed light on this passage in Matthew 24? What is the significance of the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls in Revelation?
You can watch the message here.
Jesus calls His followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. What does this mean for us and what should we be warned about?
- Christ's Implication...against the World: The World is Decaying and Dark
- Christ's Solution...for the World: The Church is Salt and Light
- Christ's Warning...for the Church: Don't lose your Saltiness or Hide your Light
You can watch the message here.
For the first time in this Romans series, Scott McAndrew joined Jerry, Josh, and Grant as they discuss the first four verses of what is perhaps the greatest chapter in all of Scripture.
Surely no passage in Revelation has had more ink spilled over its interpretation than "the mark of the beast" and the number 666 in Revelation 13:16-18. What does this passage really refer to in the context of Revelation and in the wider context of Scripture more broadly? The meaning may not be as confusing as you may think.
You can watch the message here.
There are few commands in all of Scripture more challenging to obey than this one from our Lord. How can we truly rejoice and "leap for joy" (Luke 6:23) when we are persecuted for righteousness' sake? Here are three ways:
- Rejoice in what your persecutions will do for you (and others) in the present.
- Rejoice in what your persecutions will do for you (and others) in eternity.
- Rejoice into whose company your persecutions bring you (the prophets, the worldwide church, and Jesus Himself)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Grant, Josh, and Carter cover the last section of Romans 7 concerning the battle Christians fight throughout their lives with indwelling sin.
- Wives (v 18)
- Husbands (v 19)
- Children (v 20)
- Fathers (v 21)
- Servants (v 22-25)
- Masters (4:1)
You can watch the message here.
If the first beast in Revelation 13 represents the totalitarian state and ungodly authority structures in this world, then the second beast represents false religion and deceptive ideology. Some modern day examples are considered of this beast who "had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon" (13:11).
You can watch the message here.
Those who belong to Christ's Kingdom will begin to live out the Beatitudes. As they do, they must expect opposition and persecution. Here are the three points of the message:
- Why does the world hate real righteousness?
- How does the world mask its hatred of righteousness?
- What is our comfort in persecution?
You can watch the message here.
Christianity is personal, but never private. It is meant to be lived within the community of saints in a local church. How are we to treat one another? In these relationships, minor offenses and sins and sure to happen. How can we have the strength and wisdom to respond in a way that honors our Lord?
You can watch the message here.
Many professing Christian writers, pastors, and speakers interpret this passage in strange and unlikely ways. What does this text really refer to and how does it impact our lives today?
You can watch this message here.
Did you know the infamous theological acronym "TULIP" grows in the soil of Revelation 13:8-10? And it is there to be a tremendous comfort to us in the midst of suffering and persecution.
You can watch this clip here.
Peacemaking should mark every genuine Christian. "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (Romans 12:18). So what exactly does it mean?
- What peacemaking doesn't mean.
- What peacemaking does mean.
- What prevents relational peacemaking (James 3:13-4:2).
You can watch the message here.
- Raised with Christ (v 1-4)
- What to Put Off (v 5-11)
- What to Put On (v 12-13)
You can watch the message here.
Who is truly blessed?
- Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (v 6)
- Those who are merciful (v 7)
- Those who are pure in heart (v 8)
You can watch the message here.
Mark and Greg walked through all of Revelation 12 as it describes Satan's "fall from heaven" at the time of Christ's crucifixion and victory over Satan and his angels. The church age is described as the time of both the persecution and protection of God's people.
You can watch the message here.
Josh Crouse led a discussion with Carter and Papa Fred on the purpose of the law both before and after conversion.
This is a brief excerpt from this past Thursday panel in Colossians 2:16-3:4. For the excerpt video see here, for the full message see here.
This passage deals with three enemies against the sufficiency of Christ:
- Legalism (v 16-17)
- Mysticism (v 18-19)
- Asceticism (v 20-23)
Then the beginning of chapter three points us to the real way to fight our flesh.
You can watch the message here.
- Jesus calls the disciples to become fishers of men.
- The disciples left everything and followed Him.
- Conclusion: Follow Me.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred argue that the "temple of God" and the "two witnesses" in Revelation 11 are symbols of the church between the ascension of Christ and His return, which is spoken of symbolically as a three and a half year period. To know why, please tune in and have your Bible handy!
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh, and Grant finish Romans 6 discussing how sin never satisfies and yet we have been rescued from our past self and been united with Christ.
Paul warns the Colossians not to become bored with Jesus or to try to add anything to Jesus in order to find spiritual "fullness" or completion. In Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. We have been filled in Him. We need nothing else for our spiritual well-being other than Jesus.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred begin a series on Revelation and eschatology (end times) issues. The first big interpretative question is this: Should Revelation be interpreted primarily literally with some symbolism, or primarily symbolically with some things that are literal?
You can watch the message here.
Jesus spends much of His ministry in "Galilee of the Gentiles" which would have surprised many Jews of His time. Matthew explains why this is so and what Jesus preached toward the beginning of His Galilean ministry.
You can watch the message here.
We are all born enslaved to sin and only by God's grace can this be overcome and can we truly become slaves of God and of righteousness.
Tyler Williams joins Jerry, Grant, and Josh as they discuss this important passage on the transforming power of God in the gospel.
[The audio recording ended before the session ended.]
Paul inspires us by his example in this passage.
- He rejoices in his sufferings (1:24)
- He teaches God's word fully (1:25-28)
- He strives with Christ's energy (1:29-2:1)
- He desires a church knit together in love (2:2-5)
You can watch the message here.
This is from our second summer "table talks" series in Colossians.
You can watch the message here.
- A Time of Trouble before Resurrection (11:36-12:4)
- A Call to the Perseverance of the Saints in Tribulation (12:5-13)
You can watch the message here.
Three lessons we learn from Jesus' three temptations:
- We must trust the Lord's timing (v 1-4)
- We must not test the Lord (v 5-7)
- We must embrace the cross before the crown (v 8-11)
You can watch the message here.
Tyler Williams is in town from California and joins Jerry and Josh to teach on the first verses of Romans 6.
- What we can learn from Paul's influence on Epaphras (v 5-8)
- What we can learn from Paul's prayer for the Colossians (v 3-6, 9-14)
You can watch the message here.
- The baptism Jesus gives (v 10-12)
- The baptism Jesus received (v 13-17)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh, and Grant cover a vital doctrine concerning our two representatives: Adam for condemnation and Christ for justification.
- John's Baptism (v 1-6)
- John's Warning (v 7-10)
- John's Superior (v 11-12)
You can watch the message here.
Daniel's faithfulness to fast and pray for the well being of God's people should be a huge encouragement to all Christians today. Let us always pray and never lose heart!
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh, and Grant walk through a glorious passage concerning the heart of the Good News.
The Women's Health Protection Act, which is one of the most radically pro-abortion pieces of legislation to be voted on in our nation's history, was shot down yesterday in the Senate by a 49-51 vote. Although the vote was not seen by either side as likely to pass (60 votes are needed for that), it was meant to be a way for all senators to put their cards on the table regarding the unborn. This was intended to impact the midterm elections this year.
You can watch this episode here.
The mere possibility in the news of Roe v Wade being overturned this summer is astonishing (see from our church here and from Al Mohler here). So on this Mother's Day we discussed the issue of motherhood, abortion, childrearing, and adoption.
- John was Spirit-filled from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15, 41, 44; 2:12, 16)
- John was the Elijah-like voice crying in the wilderness (Matt 6:1-6)
You can watch the message here.
These four verses are the most difficult in all of Daniel and some of the most challenging in all of the Old Testament. Yet we believe there is gold to be found when we simply linger and dig deep.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh, and Grant walk us through the glorious good news that our sinful hostility against God has been defeated by Jesus. The war is over! We who deserve to be utterly destroyed now have peace with God.
For more information, see Al Mohler's podcast The Briefing here from today (5/3/22).
You can watch this message here.
Daniel 9:24-27 is certainly the most difficult passage to interpret in the book of Daniel (which is saying something!). It is also one of the most difficult passages to interpret in the entire Old Testament. Although some of the most important aspects of these verses can be agreed upon by all Christians, there are still highly debated portions that have a big impact on one's eschatology and really are worth laboring to understand better!
You can watch the message here.
The resurrection body is...
- Reasonable (v 35-44) because of God's activity in nature.
- Certain (v 45-49) because of the work of the Last Adam.
- Necessary (v 50-58) because mortal bodies cannot inherit immortality.
This outline comes originally from Dr. Stephen Wellum's helpful essay here.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Grant, and Josh discuss Abraham who is the spiritual father of all those who have faith, whether they be Jews or Gentiles.
- The Firstfruits of Resurrection (v 20-22)
- The Order of Resurrection (v 23-28)
- The Christian Life and Resurrection (v 29-34)
You can watch the message here.
John Piper's excellent message on the life of William Tyndale is here.
This outline is borrowed and altered slightly from Sinclair Ferguson's helpful Daniel commentary.
- True prayer impacts world history and is based on God's Word (v 1-3)
- True prayer always expresses the needs of the people of God (v 4-15)
- True prayer appeals to the mercy of God (v 16-18)
- True prayer always seeks the glory of God (v 19)
You can watch the message here.
- An explanation of the Gospel (v 1-4)
- A positive defense of the resurrection (v 5-11)
- A negative defense of the resurrection (v 12-20)
You can watch the message here.
It is important to keep fresh in our memories what happened on Maunday Thursday and Good Friday. Here we walk through some of the most significant moments that took place between that Thursday and Friday evening.
You can watch the message here.
In this message we work through one of the most remote sections of Daniel, yet there is much for us to learn both from what is now history and how it applies to believers today.
You can watch this message as part one here and part two here.
Why Church Discipline is an act of love...
- for the world (v 1-2)
- for the unrepentant professing Christian (v 3-5)
- for the local church (v 6-13)
- for the Lord Jesus (v 4-8)
You can watch the message here.
- Put off the old self (v 17-19, 22)
- Put on the new self (v 20-23)
- Five practical examples (v 25-32)
You can watch the message here.
Some Christians have been far too preoccupied with the Antichrist in church history. However, we do not want to be guilty of the opposite error of ignoring this individual altogether. The Apostle John warns us of "the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already" (1 John 4:3).
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh, and Grant continue walking us through what is perhaps the most important passage about the Gospel in all of Scripture.
- Church Unity (v 1-6)
- Church Diversity (v 7-12)
- Church Maturity (v 13-16)
Mark borrowed this outline from here while similar words were found here and here.
You can watch the message here.
In this message we look at the central chapter of Daniel that holds its two halves together. Daniel has a strange and both disturbing and comforting dream of the future where he sees four future kingdoms described as beasts and the coming of the divine and human figure of the Messiah, the Son of Man.
You can watch the message here.
Image icon edited from Wikimedia commons here.
Jerry, Josh, and Grant review some highlights of Romans so far in the first three chapters and begin to walk through 3:19-22.
Mark, Jerry, Scott, and Greg discuss what we understand Scripture teaches a healthy local church should look like.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Jerry, Scott, and Greg teamed up to explain what North Avenue believes Scripture teaches concerning church membership and the local church itself.
You can watch the message here.
- Paul's life (v 16-21)
- Paul's teaching (v 22-23)
- The Jewish Response (v 24-27)
- To Be Continued... (v 28-31)
“No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it."
-Alexander MacLaren
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, Scott and Papa Fred remind us why the story of Daniel and the lions' den is so well known and well loved.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Grant Crane, Josh Crouse and Carter Hart walk us through the last section of the "bad news" before Paul reaches the "Good News" of the Gospel in Romans 3.
- Paul and the Maltan natives (v 1-11)
- Paul and the Roman saints (v 12-15)
- Paul and the Roman soldiers (v 16)
You can watch the message here.
Here are some notes Greg took for our study of Daniel 5:
- Worshiping idols is foolish and wicked and ultimately deadly (v 4, 23).
- Being cavalier with or misusing what is devoted to God brings serious consequences (v 2-3, 22-23)
- Learn from how God has worked in others (v 18-23)
- Be ready to speak the truth no matter the occasion, no matter who we're speaking to, and no matter the threat/reward for doing so (v 17-28)
- Speak the truth because doing so glorifies God and it is right to do so, not to increase earthly wealth (v 17)
- Remember that all earthly kingdoms, no matter how great, will be brought to an end (v 30-31)
- True prosperity cannot be measured by earthly possessions and pleasures (v 1, 29-31)
- A day of reckoning is coming for all who mock God and His people and His truth (v 30)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh Crouse, and Grant Crane lead us through Paul's thinking concerning God's faithfulness in light of Israel's unfaithfulness.
Scott powerfully shows us how the gospel is meant to joyfully compel us to want to redeem our brief time on this earth for Christ's glory and our good.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh Crouse and Grant Crane talk to us about spiritual hypocrisy based out of Romans 2.
Paul is: 1) Friendly (v 1-3); 2) Trustworthy (v 3); 3) Wise (v 9-13); 4) Storm-tossed (v 14-20); 5) Bold (v 21); 6) Trusting (c 22-26); 7) Active (v 27-44); 8) Exemplary (v 12, 20, 22, 29-30, 42-43); 9) Owned (v 23).
You can watch the message here.
The Lord graciously and patiently works humility in the life of perhaps the most evil, arrogant and cruel leader of Daniel's day.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Grant, and Josh Crouse helped us think through a challenging section of Romans 2.
- Be respectful (v 2-3, 25)
- Express what it was like not to believe (v 4-11)
- Glorify Jesus, not self (v 12-16)
- Urge faith in Jesus and repentance from sin to all (v 17-22)
- Present Jesus's life, death, and resurrection as the fulfillment of Scripture (v 22-23)
- Be ready for rejection and ridicule (v 21, 24-25)
- Make specific application boldly (v 26-28)
- Ask good questions (v 8, 27)
- Plead with and pray for the people you're engaging (v 29)
- Rely on God's gracious help (v 22)
The outline was adapted from this commentary.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Scott, Greg and Papa Fred apply the story of Daniel's three friends and the fiery furnace to today's world.
You can access the audio of this message on youtube here.
Jerry, Josh Crouse and Carter Hart help us understand Paul's argument as he turns from the pagan Gentiles to address the religious Jews who also need the gospel.
- Open your eyes.
- Turn from darkness to light.
- Receive forgiveness and a place.
You can watch the message here.
- Nebuchadnezzar praises Daniel's God and honors Daniel (2:46-49)
- Nebuchadnezzar later demands that all worship his idol (3:1-7)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh Crouse, and Carter Hart discuss how idolatry and the rejection of general revelation leads to a life of increasing immorality.
- Arioch's Pride vs. Daniel's Humility (v 24-30)
- Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Future Interpreted (v 31-45)
You can watch the message here.
- God's Providence (v 1-6)
- Paul's Innocense (v 7-12, 25)
- The World's Corruption: Both Religious (v 2-3, 7, 24) & Political (v 24:27; 25:9, 20)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh Crouse, and Carter Hart lead us through an important section on general revelation and God's judgment against man's ungodliness.
- Paul is falsely accused (v. 1-9): We should expect opposition and misrepresentation
- Paul defends himself (v. 10-21): We should speak the truth boldly
- Paul Puts Felix in Trial (v. 22-27): We should use unusual settings to speak of Jesus
You can watch the message here.
Nebuchadnezzar's Useless Idols vs Daniel's Great God
- Nebuchadnezzar's insecurity, misery, and rage (v. 1-13)
- Daniel's prudence, prayer, and praise (v. 14-23)
You can watch the message here.
- Man's plans and God's plans (v. 1-2)
- The government brainwashes the youth (v. 3-7)
- Daniel resolves not to defile himself (v. 8-16)
- God blesses Daniel's resolution (v. 17-21)
(We borrowed from Sinclair Ferguson's helpful commentary to outline and structure this message.)
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Josh Crouse, and Grant Crane help us walk through Romans 1:8-17 as Paul is introducing the Gospel themes of Romans.
The holiness of God is central to understanding the God of the Bible. Greg leads us through a wonderful text on the God who is "Holy, Holy, Holy!"
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, Scott, and Papa Fred discuss God's goodness to us even in the midst of our suffering.
You can watch the message here.
As we enter a new year together, let us consider how we can best redeem this time.
You can watch the message here.
- Jesus is the true son of God and therefore the true Israel
- Jesus is the deliverer who brings God's people home
- Jesus is the Messiah who will be rejected by His own people
You can watch the message here.
Three Responses to the Messiah's Birth:
- King Herod's hostility.
- The Pharisees' indifference.
- The Magis' joy.
You can watch the message here.
Here are the objections the panel responds to:
- What about Revelation 3:10?
- Why isn't the word "church" mentioned in Revelation 6-18? Doesn't this indicate the church has been raptured before chapter 6?
- Doesn't God pour out His wrath on earth during the tribulation? Since Christians are not destined for wrath, doesn't this indicate they would be raptured out of the world before the tribulation?
- What about texts that speak of the imminence of Christ's return?
You can watch the message here.
Jesus Saves because He is...
- The Son of David (v. 18, 20)
- Virgin Born (v. 18, 23, 25)
- Immanuel (v. 23)
You can watch the message here.
Many things have been assumed and taught about "the rapture" in the past century. When examined carefully in the light of Scripture you may be surprised to find out what Scripture really does (and doesn't!) teach about Christ's return.
You can watch the message here.
We learn that...
- all Scripture is profitable.
- the humility of Jesus is on display.
- the Messiah has come.
- the Messiah came at the right time.
- God is sovereign and faithful to fulfill His promises.
- Christ came into the world to save sinners.
You can watch the message here.
We were not able to get through all thirteen reasons, but many of the major issues were addressed briefly.
You can watch the message here.
Paul before the Romans (22:22-29)
Paul before the Jews (22:30-23:10)
Paul before the Lord (23:11)
You can watch the message here.
- The Way of God (v 1-3).
- The Way of the Wicked (v 4).
- The Outcome (v 5-6).
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred discuss where the pre-tribulation "secret" rapture view came from historically and theologically, why it is so popular today (especially among Southern Baptists), and give arguments for why Scripture seems to better support a post-tribulation, single return of Christ both to gather His saints and to judge His enemies.
You can watch the message here.
-
Who Paul was (v 1-5) . . . [a zealous persecutor]
-
Who Paul met (v 6-11) . . . [the Risen Jesus]
-
Who Paul became (v 12-21) . . . [a new man and witness to Gentiles]
You can watch the message here.
Two Negative Applications (21:27-31)
- Reject Pragmatism
- Reject Slander
Three Positive Applications (21:32-40)
- Trust God's Providence
- Await God's Judgment
- Imitate Christ's Example
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred discuss the gift of tongues which is only mentioned in the Bible in Acts (chapters 2; 10-11; 19) and 1 Corinthians (chapters 12-14). We do not believe the mention of speaking in "new tongues" in Mark 16:17 is original to Mark's gospel since it is missing from the earliest and best manuscripts (for more on that, see here.)
You can watch the message here.
Paul and James agreed about:
- The Gospel (Gal 2:1-10; Acts 15)
- The Gentiles (Acts 15:14-21; 21:17-20a, 25)
- The Jews (21:20b)
- Paul's enemies (21:21-22)
- What Paul should do (21:23-24, 26)
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Scott, and Papa Fred helps us understand the story and the significance of the Reformation as it turns 504 this year. We also look at the five sola's which form the foundation of this recovery of the Gospel half a millennium ago.
You can watch the message here.
As we ventured in to our second week on prophecy we expanded the conversation to also address signs and wonders, miracles, healing, prophecy, tongues, and impressions.
You can watch the message here.
Here are the four points of the message:
-
Paul's courageous convictions
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Philip's zealous evangelism
-
Agabus's accurate prophecy
-
Paul's Christlike example
(You can watch the message here.)
Here is the big question concerning prophecy: Is New Testament prophecy, like Old Testament prophecy, infallible? If it is, all agree it no longer happens today lest the sufficiency of Scripture be undermined. However, if NT prophecy, unlike OT prophecy, is fallible then perhaps it still happens today. What does Scripture really teach?
You can watch the message here.
In the only speech in Acts directly only to Christians, Paul addresses the elders/overseers/pastors of the Ephesian church and urges them to be faithful shepherds of God's flock which was purchased with His blood.
You can watch the message here.
Scott showed us nine things we can learn from Paul's example in this brief and powerful passage.
1) Paul's consistency; 2) Paul's service; 3) Paul's humility; 4) Paul's tears; 5) Paul's trials; 6) Paul's teaching; 7) Paul's gospel-centeredness; 8) Paul's trust in God's providence over the future; 9) Paul's goal to persevere in faithfulness to the end.
You can watch the message here.
Josh Crouse and Grant Crane helped Jerry discuss the importance of the differing gifts the Spirit gives to the churches.
You can watch the message here.
Many eventful moments of Paul's ministry are covered in this brief section of Scripture. Paul's deal with a hostile relationship with the Corinthians and then raises a young man from the dead who fell from a window asleep while Paul was preaching all night.
Paul is concerned for the 1) health; 2) physical needs; 3) unity; and 4) edification of the churches.
You can watch the message here.
Questions discussed: What is communion? How has it been misunderstood by some in the past? Who is allowed to take communion?
You can watch the message here.
The meaning of baptism is inextricably linked with the question of who should receive baptism. We argue from a number of passages that only believers should be baptized and that the infants of believing parents should not receive baptism.
You can watch the message here.
The three point outline: 1) The Idols (v. 23-27); 2) The Riot (v. 28-34); 3) The Resolution (v. 35-41).
You can watch the message here.
The three years Paul spent in Ephesus may have been the most fruitful of his entire life. Paul himself said of this time, "I will stay in Ephesus...for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Corinthians 16:8-9). Perhaps as many as nine churches were planted during this time by Paul and his disciples in Asia Minor.
The three points of the sermon are:
1) Relentless Teaching; 2) Remarkable Miracles; 3) Radical Repentance.
You can watch the message here.
We seek here to better understand what Scripture teaches about both the local and universal church.
You can watch the message here.
Today's passage may seem somewhat confusing upon an initial reading. Who are these twelve disciples? How are they so ignorant of Jesus? Why are they re-baptized? However, there is much for us to apply from this text.
You can watch the message here.
Christians often are somewhat confused about the difference between the intermediate state (what happens after we die before Christ's return) and the eternal Resurrection state that includes the New Heavens and New Earth. Listen in as we examine Scripture on this important topic.
You can watch the message here.
In our second week on this important doctrine we try to explain further why this doctrine is both biblical and extremely important to the Christian life.
You can watch the message here.
Apollos appears briefly in three New Testament books (Acts, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy) and played an important role in both the Ephesian and Corinthian congregations. There are 11 things we learn about them most of which can be applied to our lives in various ways.
You can watch the message here.
Scott led us through a less familiar passage of Scripture and showed how we see God's providence in an infrequently studied story.
The phrase "once saved, always saved" is true when understood biblically but has also been frequently misused and abused. We must have a more biblically balanced understanding of the perseverance of the saints.
You can watch the message here.
God's sovereignty should encourage and reinforce human responsibility in evangelism.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Scott, and Papa Fred discuss what sanctification should look like practically in our lives.
You can watch the message here.
In today's passage we see three challenges and three encouragements that came in the founding of the Corinthian church.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred began our time discussing sanctification by overviewing Romans 5-8.
Paul provides us with a masterful example of how to share the gospel with those who do not have a biblical worldview or even have much familiarity with the Bible. We learn much about how to engage our secular world from Paul's example!
You can watch the message here.
In Acts 17 we have the longest message delivered to a completely pagan audience. There is much we can learn in our secular age!
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Scott and Papa Fred talked about the glorious doctrine of our adoption into God's family at conversion.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred talked about some of the practically helpful aspects of believing the essential gospel doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from our works.
You can watch the message here.
Luke contrasts the jealous and prejudiced Thessalonian Jews with the more noble and teachable Berean Jews. This passage gives us much practical help regarding how we should listen to sermons and read Christian books. We should be like good Bereans who test everything we are taught against God's Holy Word.
You can watch the message here.
Paul's gives his final exhortation to Timothy before the end of his life. What is central? Persevere to the end!
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred discuss what Martin Luther called "the doctrine on which the Church stands or falls." This is the doctrine of how sinful man can stand righteous before a holy God.
You can watch the message here.
Luke describes the birth of the church in Thessalonica. The sermon outline is as follows: 1) Reasoning with Proofs (17:1-3); 2) Reacting with Prejudice (17:5-9); 3) Repenting with Passion (17:4; 1 Thessalonians 1-3).
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Greg, and Scott walked through 2 Timothy 3 discussing a list of sins that will be prominent in the "last days" (which includes the entire period between Jesus's first and second coming). Only a firm belief in and commitment to God's unedited Word can help us fight these sinful tendencies.
You can watch the message here.
Scott covers the story of Paul and Silas casting a demon out of a slave girl and singing in the Philippian jail at midnight which led to the surprising circumstances of the jailer's conversion.
Scott borrowed this title, along with Sinclair Ferguson, from Jonathan Edwards' book by the same name.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred discussed the doctrine of conversion which includes faith and repentance which must always go together. Faith must be genuine and accompanied by life-long repentance.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg, and Scott discuss 2 Timothy 2:10-26 where Paul discusses the Lord's approved (and unapproved) worker, how to be a useful vessel (instead of a dishonorable one), and how to be a kind, truth-telling, gentle servant of the Lord who relies on God to convert our hearers.
You can watch the message here.
In this passage we get to see 1) Evangelistic Strategy (16:1-5); 2) Evangelistic Direction (16:6-10); 3) Evangelistic Fruit (16:10-15).
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark and Papa Fred walk through Ezekiel 36-37 and John 2:23-3:21 in an effort to better understand and describe the new birth biblically.
You can watch the full message here.
A summary of the passage shows us Paul commanding Timothy: By God's grace, guard the gospel you've been entrusted with and boldly give it to others no matter the cost because it will all be abundantly worth it in the end!
We all must: 1) Get the Gospel (this point is implied in 1:13); 2) Guard the Gospel (1:13-14, with positive/negative examples: 1:15-18); 3) Give the Gospel (2:1-2, as we are strengthened by grace)
This will involve: 1) Costly single-minded focus (soldier: 2:3-4); 2) Costly discipline (athlete: 2:5); 3) Costly hard work (farmer: 2:6) including deep thinking as God gives understanding (2:7)
This will be worth it because: 1) We will please God (soldier: 2:3-4); 2) We will receive an imperishable crown (athlete: 2:5; also 4:8); 3) We will reap fruitfulness (farmer: 2:6) as we play a real part in the salvation of the elect (2:8-10)
You can watch the full message here.
Surprisingly Paul and Barnabas undergo a "sharp disagreement" and part ways as they are about to begin their second official missionary journey. We discuss their united past, their divided present and their reconciled future.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg and Scott talk about the doctrine of God's sovereign call in salvation focussing especially on 1 Corinthians 1, John 6, and 2 Peter 1.
You can watch the message here.
Mark, Greg and Scott began our five-week journey through Paul's last letter before his martyrdom.
You can watch the full message here.
Greg Rentz preached on an important passage in Acts 15 where James, the Lord's brother, quotes from Amos 9.
The Gentiles are included in Christ: 1) They are affirmed by the Apostles; 2) They are fulfilling Prophecy. Because of this: 3) They're welcomed at the Jewish table; 4) They're welcomed permanently.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Jerry, Greg, Mark and Papa Fred discuss the doctrine of election from Scripture.
You can watch the full message here.
Leviticus is often misunderstood regarding the issue of human sexuality today. Do Christians simply pick and choose which prohibitions that follow and which ones they don't today? How does Paul use the language of Leviticus in his later discussion of human sexuality in 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1? Are people "born this way"?
You can watch the full message here.
This message could be summarized simply "Why your goodness cannot save you."
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Greg and Papa Fred discuss God's common grace which He gives in His goodness to unbeliever and believer alike.
You can watch the message here.
During the previous message on LGTBQ+ issues we traced the development of thought that has led to homosexuality and transgenderism making sense intuitively to so many today. This week we look away from the cultural narrative to the biblical narrative regarding human sexuality.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Scott, and Papa Fred discuss the wonderful truths of Jesus's bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father.
You can watch this message here.
Paul teaches us how to present the gospel in a pagan environment where nothing about the Bible is known.
You can watch the message here.
This message is based largely on Carl Trueman's excellent book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.
You can watch the message here.
During Sunday school we discussed the central doctrine of our faith and perhaps the most moving aspect of all the Bible. Jesus willingly died for us and atoned for our sins.
You can watch the message here.
We must not make the reactions of others to the truth of Scripture be the litmus test of how faithfully we have presented that truth.
You can watch the message here.
Greg and Mark discuss CRT and how it is a redefinition of racism. We must be able to reject CRT in order to have a real conversation about ethnic partiality and the true gospel.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark and Papa Fred talk about the person of Christ and the true and false teachings that have surrounded who He is as truly man and truly God.
You can watch the message here.
Romans 11 sheds light on a mystery that was mostly hidden in the Old Testament but was revealed in the first century.
You can watch the message here.
Greg, Mark and Jerry discuss a worldly ideology that is taking over just about everything in our culture today and is even creeping into prominent evangelical pastors and authors.
You can watch this message here.
This sermon walks through Romans 9:1-23 to see Paul's defense of God's sovereignty in election.
You can watch the message here.
Jerry, Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred explain the doctrine of sin and total depravity and why it is so important for evangelism and living the Christian life.
You can watch this message here.
There is a temptation to move quickly over subjects that initially trouble us in the Bible. For many believers, predestination is one of those topics. However, this is a truth that greatly rewards diligent search. Let's slow down, and prayerfully consider what Scripture really says about the doctrine of unconditional election.
(You can watch the sermon here.)
Jerry, Mark, Greg, and Papa Fred answered some questions concerning marriage, fatherhood, and parenting.
You can watch the message here.
Greg led out time of congregational prayer by praying through David's passionate plea for the satisfaction that only God provides in Psalm 63.
Mark, Greg, Fred, and Jerry discuss principles from Scripture that will help us to think more biblically about dating. We must remember that the purpose of dating is marriage.
You can watch the message here.
We get to look at Paul's first recorded sermon in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. It covers three major points: 1) Promises Made (13:15-25); 2) Promises Kept (13:26-37); 3) Response Required (13:38-43).
You can watch the message here.
The Church in Antioch sends out the first official missionaries in church history in this passage.
(You can watch the message here.)
Mark, Jerry, Scott, and Fred discuss ways singleness can be used for the glory of God.
You can watch this message here.
Scott helped us to pray through a section of Psalm 40 during our time of congregational prayer.
Mark, Scott, and Papa Fred talk about God's count-cultural, often misrepresented, glorious design for women in His church.
(You can watch this message here.)
Mark spent the first half of this sermon covering some of the history of the Herod family and then applied Herod Agrippa I's love of human praise to our own lives using John the Baptist as an example of one who loved God's glory more than his own.
(You can watch the message here.)
Greg led us as we prayed through Psalm 32 together in the service Sunday. It is a wonderful prayer of confession and forgiveness from the pen of King David.
During our third and final New Members' class, Greg walks us through our church covenant.
This passage flies in the face of the so-called wisdom of our culture regarding wives and marriage. Let us learn from God's Word what is best for us and let us live accordingly for the sake His glory and our good.
(You can watch this full message here.)
God's sovereignty is both His total control over His creation and also His freedom to do with it as He sees fit in His infinite and inscrutable wisdom. As Psalm 115:3 says, "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." This passages shows us how God's sovereignty is the very reason we pray . . . and why we should pray together more often and more earnestly!
(You can watch the full message here.)
Mark and Fred walk through Proverbs 31 and identify eight marks of a godly woman. She is: 1) Rare; 2) Trusted; 3) Hard working; 4) Compassionate; 5) Prepared; 6) Wise & Kind; 7) Admired; 8) She Fears the Lord.
(You can watch the message here.)
The birth of the church in Antioch is a momentous event in redemptive history. This church will be the sending church of the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey. We learn six things about what made that church spiritually healthy.
(You can watch the message here.)
Scott powerfully led us from the empty tomb to the walk on the Emmaus road. We were able to look over the shoulders of the women and the disciples as they slowly come to realize that Jesus was truly risen from the dead.
Greg asks us if we are trusting in the kings of the earth for refuge or if we are trusting in God's Anointed King, the Lord Jesus.
This passage helps us put our Old and New Testaments together.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Complementarianism is wonderfully biblical theology on the roles of men and women. However, because it has become so mainstream it has also become watered down. Now "narrow" complementarianism has begun to become quite popular. What is it and why does our church believe in "broad" complementarianism instead?
(You can watch this session here.)
Jerry takes us into the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus on the night before Jesus's death.
Scott powerfully walks us through Luke's account of Jesus's crucifixion as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter.
We looked at the story of creation to see what Genesis can teach us about manhood and womanhood today.
(You can watch this session here.)
The story of Cornelius's conversion teaches us a middle way between opposite errors concerning those who do not yet know Jesus.
(You can watch the message here.)
What was the purpose of all the laws in Leviticus and Deuteronomy? How are we to make sense out of some of the dietary and ceremonial laws in our own day?
So often American Evangelicalism has defined greatness in a way that is not biblical. What if ordinary faithfulness is for most Christians the radical life to which God has called us?
(You can watch the full message here.)
Greg shows us that pure light should be what fills us within and shines from us without into a dark world.
The story of the Ethiopian Eunuch is fascinating to study. There is much to be encouraged by in the moving account of the conversion of this mysterious figure.
(You can watch the message here.)
Greg reminds us to stay "awake" and spiritually "alert" so that we are always ready for the Lord's return.
1) Saul the Violent Persecutor (v 1-2)
2) Christ the Sovereign Savior (v 3-9)
3) Ananias the Obedient Servant (v 10-17)
4) Saul the Devoted Disciple (v 18-19)
Scott gave a very motivating confessional about our need for the means of grace in the Christian life. Let us all listen, be challenged, and obey!
Scott walked us carefully through the scene of Stephen's death as the first martyr of church history. Let us make Stephen an example so that we can prepare for the day we ourselves will meet the Lord.
(You can watch the message here.)
Mark mentions more than twenty things we should be thankful for to the Lord for all the grace He has poured on our church since it began five years ago today on January 31st, 2016.
False conversions are very real and therefore it is extremely important to understand them biblically. May we be sure whatever it takes that our own faith in the Lord is genuine.
(You can watch the message here.)
The surprising way...
1) the Gospel gets to Samaria (v 1-8)
2) Samaria Responds to the Gospel (v 9-13)
3) the Spirit is Received in Samaria (v 14-17)
(You can watch the message here.)
Greg reminds us of Peter's tremendous error after his tremendous insight in Matthew 16.
This speech is the longest recorded in Acts. In it Stephen brilliantly weaves together multiple themes from the Old Testament to turn the tables on his accusers just before he is martyred.
(You can watch the message here.)
Philippians 2:19-30
Let us imitate Paul's Submission (v. 19, 23-24).
Let us imitate Timothy's Selflessness (v. 19-22).
Let us imitate Epaphroditus' Sacrifice (v. 25-30).
[Message given at the Westminster Christian Academy middle and high school chapel on January 8th, 2021. Outline borrowed from Dennis Johnson's excellent commentary. Photo from an earlier chapel message here.]
Who we admire matters a lot. Stephen is a wonderful example of Christian faithfulness in his short life as a believer. Let's see what we can learn.
(You can watch the message here.)
Jerry reminds us that forgiveness is a far more important gift than physical healing in this life.
Administrative blunders can be used by Satan to undermine the unity in any local church. This passage shows us how the Apostles responded to just such a situation with wisdom and integrity.
Mark adapted the title from Tony Merida and the points from Kevin DeYoung.
[You can watch the message here.]
Jerry walked us through the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross for our time of confession of sin.
Scott preached a powerful Christmas message from Luke's Gospel. If you are tempted to be bored or numb to the Christmas story, this would be a great message to invest time listening to. Pray that the Holy Spirit refreshes our hearts as we draw near the Son of God lying in a feeding trough.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Civil obedience should be the normal and happy lifestyle of the Christian. However, any time an human authority asks us to disobey God we must obey God instead.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Scott talks about how we should be grateful for all the blessings God gives us.
(You can watch this brief message here.)
The story of the death of Ananias and Sapphira should keep us from overly idealizing the early church and sober us concerning our own sin.
(You can watch the message here.)
Jerry reads through Matthew 6 where Jesus warns us of practicing our righteousness before others in order to be seen and praised by them.
The early church had grace enabled generosity that was motivated by the gospel not guilt.
(You can watch the message here.)
Main idea: God is sovereign over all things (including your enemies) so why be afraid to love well and evangelize boldly?
Outline:
- 1) God is Sovereign Over Creation
- 2) God is Sovereign Over Scripture
- 3) God is Sovereign Over Suffering, Persecution, and Evil
- 4) God is Sovereign Over Sanctification
(You can watch the message here.)
Scott reminds us that when we indulge our flesh we will find ourselves spiritually weakened.
We get to see the Apostles experience persecution for the first time after Jesus's ascension.
(You can watch the message here.)
It is important to understand intersectionality so that we can better engage with our world today that is so permeated by this belief system.
(Click here to see the documentary Mark is introducing.)
Greg did a tremendous job explaining what CRT is and why it is not something Christians can turn into an "analytical tool."
(Click here to see the documentary Greg is introducing.)
Here we examine the sermon Peter preached to the Jewish people in Jerusalem after the Lord Jesus healed a lame man through them.
(You can watch the message here.)
Greg warns us of the dangers of false teachers and false teachings that creep into the church.
In this message we look at the purpose of signs and wonders in the New Testament.
(You can watch the message here.)
Scott reminds us of how much we have to be grateful for even in the most mundane moments in life.
(You can watch this brief message here.)
This passage shows us how 3,000 Jews in Jerusalem went from non-Christians to devoted Christians in a short time. What can we learn from this?
(You can watch the message here.)
Greg walks us through the importance of not letting hatred hide in our hearts but instead how we can expose and uproot it.
Greg Rentz walks us through the second half of Peter's powerful sermon at Pentecost.
1) Jesus was real and historical. (Acts 2:22)
2) Jesus was crucified and killed. (Acts 2:23)
3) Jesus was raised and exalted. (Acts 2:24-36)
(You can watch the sermon here.)
Jerry Ediger reminds us that obeying Jesus's commands is not burdensome but following any other pseudo-lord is.
Christians are often more familiar with the event of Pentecost than with its meaning. In this message we look at how many Old Testament passages help shed light on this extremely important transitional day in redemptive history.
(You can watch the message here.)
Scott reminds us of the powerful truth that God has adopted us as believers into His family!
There is much to learn in this passage which takes places in the ten days between Jesus' ascension and the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Jerry leads us in confession of our sins from this wonderful passage at the beginning of 1 John.
Acts 1:6-8 is a very familiar passage that perhaps is not often read in light of its Old Testament context. Isaiah's masterful prophecy forms the background of Jesus's words and helps us better understand them.
(You can watch the message here.)
Greg says, "Wisdom is skillfully living all of life in the fear of God according to the Word of God."
How are we to understand the role of Israel in relationship to the New Testament church?
(You can watch the full message here.)
Scott reminds us that the book of Proverbs spends more time addressing the power of our words than any other subject it addresses.
We began our journey through Acts today by examining Luke's introduction to both the book bearing his name and its sequel.
(You can watch the sermon here.)
Jerry led us in a time of confession of sin from the seven sins God hates in Proverbs 6.
Jerry, Mark, Scott and Papa Fred talk about the discipline of the Lord from Hebrews 12.
(You can watch the full session here.)
Scott closes out the book of Philippians focussing on the joy of Christian generosity.
(You can watch the full sermon here.)
Paul lists seven ways that a local church can "stand firm in the Lord" (4:1). Let us be imitators of Paul's inspired words!
(You can watch the full service here.)
Scott shows us that the purpose of the cross was not to make us lazy but to make us passionate to obey our Lord.
Mark, Jerry, Scott and Fred help us to meditate on these three verses which are packed with truth!
(You can watch this full message here.)
All roads do not lead to the same place. There are two destinies in eternity and there are two paths in this life. We must choose carefully whom we follow.
(You can watch the full service here or the sermon which begins here.)
Greg wonderfully showed us the power of believing that God does not lie when He speaks to us through His Word. We can trust all the promises and live like they're true - because they are!
Mark, Jerry, and Scott walk us through the "hall of fame of faith" which Hebrews 11 covers. There is much a learn here as the author of Hebrews practice systematic theology by tracing much of what we can learn about one theme (faith) throughout the entire OT. All the while, practical application is always where everything is directed.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Paul uses a race metaphor to describe the Christian life. We must forget past failures and successes and push on to know Jesus more and more.
(You can watch the full service here. You can click here see the image of the race referred to in the sermon.)
Jerry led us in our time of confession for the first time in several months. It was a privilege to have he and his family back for the service!
Paul gives some of his strongest warnings against those who teach others to put confidence in our fleshly, human accomplishments and not solely in Christ.
(You can watch the full service here. For an excellent sermon on this passage by John Piper, see here.)
Mark, Scott, and Fred help us see the glory of trusting Jesus and the horror of rejecting Him as presented in Hebrews 10.
(You can watch the full session here.)
What are we to learn from a travelogue about Paul and his companions? If we will take the time to work carefully through this often neglected passage, we will find that there is much to learn and benefit from here.
(You can watch the full service here.)
Mark, Greg, Scott and Papa Fred walk through the beautiful truths of Hebrews 9 and the access we finally have to God in the New Covenant that was simply not available in the Old.
(You can watch the whole message here.)
Scott preached a sermon whose title comes from the excellent book by the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs. Contentment is unspeakably valuable and yet we do not often work hard, by grace, to seek and find it in our lives. Think how joyful a life if must be to find contentment in the midst of life's trials!
(You can watch the full service here.)
Greg walks us through the story of Joseph and shows us how God's sovereignty can help free us from bitterness so we can forgive others.
Mark, Scott, and Papa Fred walk through Hebrews 8 to see why it was so important that the Old Covenant be replaced by the New.
(You can watch the whole message here.)
1) Work Out What God Works In
2) Shine by Not Grumbling
3) Be a Joyful Sacrifice
(You may watch the full service here.)
[Sermon title and points adapted from Dennis Johnson and Tony Merida's commentaries.]
Mark and Tyler walked through the primary passages dealing with the mysterious character Melchizedek in the Bible: Genesis 14; Psalm 110; and Hebrews 7. Who is this enigmatic figure and what how does he help us better understand our ultimate Priest-King, the Lord Jesus?
(You can watch the full message here.)
This sermon is from April 24th, 2016.
How can Jesus be both our great High Priest and our King? How can he be both David's son and Lord? What does this mean for our lives? The author of Hebrews says this story is "hard to explain" and that it contains "meat for the mature" not "milk" for infants.
[Mark relied heavily on this excellent message from Don Carson.]
1) Consider His rights as God (v. 6a)
2) Consider His humility as a man (v. 6b-8)
3) Consider His exaltation as Lord (v. 9-11)
Scott reminds us of how this story so wonderfully points forward to Jesus's death on the cross.
How are Christians to maintain unity with such differences of opinion regarding the Coronavirus and masks?
If Hebrews 6:4-6 does not describe someone losing their salvation then what is it talking about exactly? How are we to understand this passage better and heed its sobering warning?
(You can watch the full session here.)
Paul commands churches to always live together as citizens of heaven during our brief time on earth. What does this really mean? How does this look in real life?
(You may watch the message here.)
Allen reminds us of how temptations to sin are always at our doors while will live with our sin nature in this life.
Mark, Greg, Tyler, and Papa Fred helped us consider the priestly compassion of Jesus for His own.
(You can watch the full message here.)
The main idea: As Paul tells the Philippians about his immediate future he disciples them on how to live and die for the glory of Christ.
[This sentence is adapted from Tony Merida.]
Mark, Scott, and Papa Fred walked us through a wonderful and (at times) fearful passage in Hebrews. The author gives a serious warning to professing believers who fail to take their sin seriously. There is also a wonderful promise of entering God's everlasting rest through Jesus, the greater Joshua.
[In making his comments, Mark relied heavily on D.A. Carson's teachings on Hebrews.]
1) Set your aspirations on the advancement of the Gospel, not self. (1:12-14)
2) Set your aspirations on the glory of Jesus, not self. (1:15-18)
[Mark adapted this outline from Tony Merida's commentary.]
Scott shows us the privilege and urgency of praying to God as our Father to ask for more of the Holy Spirit.
Mark, Fred, and Scott helped walk us through Hebrews 2.
[The title and some of the content of this message were borrowed from John Piper's excellent message here.]
Mark and Greg spent an hour walking through a very densely packed section of Hebrews that focusses on Jesus's nature and His superiority to angels.
Today we began the book of Philippians for our summer series.
God's grace displayed...
1) In the birth of the church (Acts 16)
2) In the lives of its planters (Philippians 1:1)
3) In the lives of its members (Philippians 1:1)
4) In Paul's Trinitarian Blessing (Philippians 1:2)
Psalm 27:1-3 | The Soul's Confidence
Psalm 27:4-6 | The Soul's Longing for God's House
Psalm 27:7-12 | The Soul's Longing for God's Face
Psalm 27:13-14 | The Soul's Patience
Scott reminds us of how much there is to thank God for that has happened in our church over the last four years.
Psalm 19:1-6 | General Revelation: God's World
Psalm 19:7-11 | Special Revelation: God's Word
Psalm 19:12-14 | Personal Application
Allen reminds us that our sin is our own fault. We are never justified in blaming others for our sin.
Greg Rentz preached for the first time to our church today. Zoom had technical issues all over the world and so Greg had to record this on Facebook Live instead. Greg reminds us of how big God is and how important it is to praise Him.
1) The Lost Past (42:1-5)
2) The Troubled Present (42:6-11)
3) The Expected Future (43:1-5)
[Outline from Alec Motyer in the New Bible Commentary.]
Greg leads us into our time of congregational prayer with an edifying meditation on James 1.
Perhaps you've been reading the Psalms and come across places where David suddenly calls for God to judge his enemies. These can shock many Christians today. In light of Jesus's command to love our enemies, how are we to read and understand these "imprecatory" Psalms?
[For a behind-the-scenes look at the sources used for these sermons on the Psalms and how they influenced each message, see this blog post.]
Jerry, Allen, and Mark reflect on Paul's sufferings and think about God's grace that was sufficient for him and will be sufficient for us.
David writes this Psalm which is about his experience but also in many ways foreshadows the life of Jesus.
[For a behind-the-scenes look at the sources used for these sermons on the Psalms and how they influenced each message, see this blog post.]
Scott asks us to remember all the blessings that have come into our life because of our conversion.
Jerry, Greg and Mark talk about how the gospel should motivate our behavior as believers.
Jerry, Greg, and Mark help us think through what Scripture teaches about final judgment and what role our works play in it.
Psalm 34 was written by David after he had nearly been killed by a pagan king and perhaps soon after he was completely alone in the cave of Adullam. This is an appropriate Psalm to meditate on in the midst of our time of social distancing! David either was (or had recently been) completely alone, afraid, and in danger; yet the Lord delivered him! What would David say to us in our time of semi-quarantine?
[For a behind-the-scenes look at the sources used for these sermons on the Psalms and how they influenced each message, see this blog post.]
Today the Webster's led us in song, Jerry led us in congregational prayer from Psalm 46, and Mark preached on Psalm 34.
Reading of Psalm 34 begins at: 3:20
'Jerusalem' begins at: 7:10
Congregational prayer in Psalm 46 begins at: 11:40
'Great is Thy Faithfulness' begins at: 21:45
The sermon on Psalm 34 begins at: 25:10
'O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer' begins at: 1:06:10
Honestly, very little is at stake for Christians in this debate, yet it is still worth investigating. And we really do think the answer to the question is, Yes!
(You can watch this brief message here.)
For Easter we looked at a prophecy of the Messiah's death that was written centuries before Jesus was crucified or even born. The detail of this prophecy is simply staggering. It is a suffering Savior that suffering sinners need.
[For a behind-the-scenes look at the sources used for these sermons on the Psalms and how they influenced each message, see this blog post.]
We had our entire church 'meet' digitally through Zoom for our Easter service today. As strange as it is to not be together in the same place physically, it doesn't change the fact that the Tomb is empty and there is Good News to tell!
Reading of Psalm 22 begins at: 1:00
'His Mercy is More' begins at: 7:15
Congregational prayer begins at: 10:45
'All I Have is Christ' begins at: 20:45
The sermon begins at: 24:30
'In Christ Alone' begins at: 59:10
Thanks to Zoom we were able to 'meet' for the first time digitally as a church! We got to hear briefly from all five of our elders, sing together, and get an update from Ansley and Taylor after their time serving the Lord overseas during the last year.
Mark shares: 0:00 | Jerry shares: 6:10 | Scott shares: 13:30
We sing 'Ancient of Days': 20:00 | Allen shares: 25:20
We sing 'It Is Well': 32:30 | Greg shares: 38:00
We sing 'I Have a Peace': 45:40
Jerry, Greg, and Mark helped us think through this comforting passage about spiritual growth in light suffering, death, the intermediate state with Christ, and the final resurrection.
Jerry, Scott, and Mark help walk us through this packed fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians. Jerry helps us see how the afflictions of this life are "light and momentary" compared to eternity.
Jerry Ediger, Fred Schuller, and Mark McAndrew helped walk us through this comforting and encouraging passage. We learn that not only will God comfort us in our sufferings but that we can also use that comfort to comfort others as they suffer as well.
Mark asked Jerry a number of questions about the Coronavirus, God's providence, and our response.
(You can watch the full interview here.)
Death is one of the few subjects that is culturally unacceptable to spend much time talking about publicly. We can happily discuss a large number of obscure topics, but we fear making eye contact with the subject of our own mortality for more than a few uncomfortable moments. But what if there is real solid hope and joy to be found on the other side of this topic in the resurrected Jesus?
Although audio messages online are no replacement for gathering together with the saints on a Sunday, it is the best we could do for today. We hope these are some helpful thoughts in light of our currently situation regarding the CoronaVirus.
Scott shows us how much this famous 'love chapter' has to teach us no matter how familiar we are with it.
Greg, Fred, and Mark deal with questions such as: Why do we sometimes refer to humanity as "man" in English and is this a biblical idea? What does it mean to glorify God? Why does it matter so much that man is made in the "image of God"?
Greg Rentz leads us in an encouraging meditation on the doctrine of the believer's union with Christ.
Paul shows us that the church is made up of members who all have gifts uniquely given to them by God. We should use these not to make much of ourselves but to build up the body of Christ.
Jerry, Fred, Mark and Grant helped us walk through some of what the Bible teaches us concerning angels and demons.
Allen reminds us that the Gospel of Romans may not be the same gospel we grew up hearing.
There are many debates surrounding the so-called miraculous "sign gifts" in the New Testament. Today we focused on just one: NT Prophecy. What is it and does it still happen among Christians today?
(You can watch the full message here.)
Jerry, Scott and Mark remind us of the joys and privileges of prayer. Our desire should be like the disciples who said, "Lord, teach us to pray!"
Greg explains more about what plural-elder-led congregationalism will look like, Lord willing, for NAC going forward.
Today the elders introduced a slight change in our church government. We have been a pure elder rule church up until now. However, going forward we are moving to elder-led congregationalism.
(You can watch the full message here.)
Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Tyler Williams helped us better understand the meaning and significance of the Trinity and God's creation. The Trinity is one of the most central teachings of the Christian faith and one that while we cannot understand exhaustively, we must still know and believe truly.
Today we looked at the topic of believer's baptism vs. infant baptism. While this can be a touchy subject and not one that is a salvation issue, it is also not irrelevant. Why do some Christians believe in infant baptism and why does our church not practice it?
In Sunday school Jerry and Mark discussed some of what Scripture teaches about the challenging and comforting doctrine of God's providence. What does providence really mean? Does God's providence include human sin? If so, how are we to make sense of this?
Scott preached an excellent message covering the last half of the 10 Commandments. Please listen if you have the time! The message brings us close enough to Sinai to feel the weight of God's law before reminding us powerfully of the Gospel.
Greg Rentz led us for the first time in congregational prayer during his first Sunday service an elder at NAC!
Jerry Ediger gave us 16 ways we can honor our parents no matter what stage of life we are in.
Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Mark discuss how there is much confusion about the meaning and significance of biblical inerrancy today. As Christians we must carefully study to grasp these concepts so that we will be less vulnerable to those who undermine them.
Today Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Mark helped walk us through much of the The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy which was written by some great theologians 42 years ago in 1978. This document is no less relevant today than when it was written!
Christians often struggle to understand exactly how or if the Sabbath laws apply to us today. In this sermon we examined 10 passages from Genesis to Revelation that help us make sense of the Sabbath as New Covenant believers.
[For a more in depth treatment of the issue, you can read this excellent essay.]
The three topics we covered today concerning Scripture are extremely important but often not understood properly. Understanding these helps grasp the meaning and significance of the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
Scott led us through a wonderful exposition of the first three of the 10 Commandments. Once we understand the context of this familiar passage there are many points of application to our lives.
Sunday school started back today! We began a series on the book Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem. The first week we covered the topics 1) What is Systematic Theology (and why it's not just for Bible nerds)? and 2) What is the Doctrine of Scripture (and why it's not boring)?
In this message we see the holiness of God on Mount Sinai. The main points of the message are 1) A Holy God; 2) An Unholy People; 3) A Better Mediator.
What does it mean that Israel is a Kingdom of Priests? How does this responsibility affect us today in the church?
We looked at three different ways people responded to the birth of the Messiah in Matthew 2. There is much for us to learn!
Scott powerfully walks us through Luke's account of the Christmas story in our time of confession of sin.
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, comes to meet Moses near Mount Sinai and Moses shares about what God has done and leads Jethro to the Lord. Moses then learns a lesson from Jethro about a life of sustainable service.
We have in this passage the first battle Israel fights in the Bible. What are we to make of this kind of violence which God actually commands in the Old Testament? How we are to apply these passages to our lives as New Covenant Christians?
Jerry walks us through Colossians 3 and how Paul instructs believers to set their minds on thing above, put to death what is earthly in them, and put on what God commands us.
We get to see God (rightly) test the people and the people (wrongly) test God. What does it mean to be tested by God? How do we pass the test? What does it mean to test God? How can we identify when we're doing this and seek to change?
Scott powerfully shows us why we complain, how we can fight this 'respectable sin', and how God's grace overwhelms us in our struggle.
Jerry, Fred, and Mark finished James this week. This last passage of James is likely hardest in the letter to interpret. This passage has been misused by many in church history.
One of the strangest aspects of the first song of praise is its emphasis on God as a man of war. What are we to make of this today?
In Exodus 15 Israel praises God for His power and justice displayed in their salvation through the destruction of the Egyptian army. How is this event understood and applied to us by Paul in Romans 9? To grasp the point we must understand Paul's flow of thought throughout the chapter.
(You can watch this brief message here.)
Paul saves his strongest rebuke to the Corinthian church for how they were misusing the Lord's supper. What are ways that the Lord's supper misused by us today?
There is some misinformation regarding the crossing of the Red Sea that many of us imbibe from movies we've seen. Hopefully this message will give us a better picture of what really happened according to Scripture and help us see how this central event of the Old Testament points forward to the redemption we have in Jesus.
Scripture speaks of four categories of people when it comes to wealth: 1) the unrighteous rich; 2) the righteous rich; 3) the unrighteous poor; and 4) the righteous poor. However, the Bible has more warnings for the unrighteous rich than any of the other groups. Why?
[We're using the word 'righteous' here not in regards to self-righteousness or works-righteousness, but in regards the life of a genuinely repenting believer. Think of how righteous is used in Luke 1:6]
Jerry, Mark, Fred, and Grant walk us through this passage showing us that arrogance may look different than we think and that life is only a vapor.
The God of apparent detours and dead-ends in life teaches us about trusting His plan even when it doesn't make sense to us yet.
Jerry, Fred, and Mark walk us through ten commands in just three verses (James 4:7-9). God only exalts those who are first humbled by their sin.
What does the Feast of Unleavened Bread have to do to with the church today living in a different era of redemptive history than Israel was then?
You may have been hearing a lot today about Kayne West's new album "Jesus is King." Here is some background information on what has been happening to Kanye this year.
[Two of the Adam Tyson interviews that Mark used for this are located here and here. Adam's message on Isaiah 6 is here. His message on John 3:16 from Salt Lake City is here (starting at 24:13).]
James 4:5 is one of the hardest verses to translate in the New Testament. What makes it so challenging and what does the verse really mean? While it is hard to have total certainty, we can at least begin to move toward some solutions. And maybe our exercise here will help us think more critically and (we hope!) accurately regarding other passages in the future.
"Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?" (James 4:5 NIV)
Underneath all human conflicts rest sinful cravings. These cravings need to be brought into the light so that we can know why we do the things we do and so that we can seek God's gracious help.
Scott powerfully shows us how the Lord was 'watching' over Israel on this night which was never to be forgotten.
We spent an hour walking through one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament tonight. Believe it or not, this strange and perplexing passage really does have application to our churches today.
Many Christians are familiar with Passover but can easily overlook the details of what happened and why. This event powerfully points forward to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Jerry, Mark, and Tyler walked through this brief but dense passage where we see the difference between the "wisdom from above" and false claim to wisdom that is actually worldly.
This passage took us into some deep and weighty places concerning God's sovereignty over Pharaoh's heart and the severity of the last plague.
Jerry, Fred, Mark and Bob McAndrew helped us better understand the dangers James warns us about regarding the words that come from our tongues.
[Mark wanted to correct a comment he made: In the New Testament both James 3:9 and 1 Corinthians 11:7 mention man being made in God's image.]
James and Paul seem to directly contradict themselves on the topic of justification. However, if we take a closer look we can see that they actually are in great harmony.
The plague of darkness picks up on a theme that runs all throughout Scripture: Are we living in the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light?
[Mark borrowed the title and opening illustration of this message from Phil Ryken's excellent commentary.]
We all struggle with the ugly sin of showing partiality. We take a look at what is going on under the surface in these moments and how we can fight by God's grace to change.
Plague 8 is the plague of locusts. Here in this passage we get a purpose statement for the plagues that is different from the earlier ones. We already saw that God is doing this so that the nations may know. Now we are told it is that our children may know.
Jerry, Fred, and Mark helped walk us through James' famous "be doers of the word and not hearers only" section of James 1.
Scott preached a very powerful message on the seventh plague. There is much that is relevant to our lives.
Here we see Paul use himself (positively) and the wilderness generation (negatively) as examples to encourage his readers not to fall away from the faith. We also take note of the typology that exists between the Old Testament, Jesus, and ourselves.
Jerry, Fred and Mark helped walk us through the opening section of James' convicting, encouraging and practical letter.
We cover plagues 4-6 today. Our focus is particularly on the foolishness of our own idolatry and the need to trust in the one true God of Scripture.
Allen powerfully reminds us of our tendency to complain by comparing our hearts to the hearts of those who wandered in the wilderness for those 40 years.
What is the theological significance of the first three plagues and what can we learn from Pharaoh's poor example?
All Christians are called to minister to others. Do we measure our 'success' by business standards that have crept into our thinking or do we measure our success biblically? In this message we observe the what, when, and how of true ministry success.
Moses reaches one of his lowest points in today's passage and turns prayer. The Lord mercifully responds by reminding Moses of His promises and power.
Scott tells a story that occurred during D.L. Moody's ministry that illustrates the power of prayer for the conversion of others.
In this passage we see four different ways people respond to God's word: 1) Believe, 2) Disbelieve, 3) Believe for a Season, 4) Struggle to Believe.
Mark shared at the BCM this morning about how all of us live with someone or something having the final word in our lives. Who is our final authority when it comes to truth? We looked at Jesus's final authority to find out what ours should be.
Allen reminds us of how we can become sinfully frustrated when bad things happen to us. We must remember to practice what we really believe about God's sovereign goodness.
Six different scenes flash before our eyes in just these 14 verses. One of them is especially strange. We look at five practical lessons we can learn from this somewhat obscure series of events.
[Mark mentioned that he adapted his outline from this sermon by Kevin DeYoung.]
Jerry read all of James 1 and modeled for us how to turn a passage like this into a prayer of confession.
After spending time trying to better understand Paul's warnings about apostasy in 1 Corinthians 8-10, we then turn with genuine grief to a recent example of unexpected and shocking apostasy in the life of Josh Harris.
[For more on this shocking and sad story, you can listen to Al Mohler here.]
Jerry, Scott, Mark and Tyler walked through Paul's example of giving up his own rights in order to make the truth of the gospel shine more brightly before others. There are things we must do, things we must not do, and matters of Christian freedom. Are we bending our freedoms to serve others for their good or are we letting comfort and convenience master us?
Jerry, Greg, and Fred did a great job wrapping up 1 Peter. There is much here for us to learn and apply!
Moses gives five reasons why he does not want to obey God's clear command to go. Can we see ourselves in Moses? Can we find the same God of patience at work in our lives?
Mark and Scott led us through this passage. It is difficult in some places and also may at first glance not seem entirely relevant to us today. However, there are seemingly endless ways that the principles in this passage shed light on our churches today.
Fred and Daniel walk us through this important passage. We should not be surprised by the fiery trials that come upon us but rather "rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:13).
Scott walks through several 'respectable sins' that we too often tolerate in our lives to close out our summer retreat.
Scott tells us about Jerry Bridges' life who wrote the book Respectable Sins that this retreat is based on. He also addresses the respectable sin of ungodliness.
Mark began by talking about some ways we grow as Christians called the means (or habits) of grace. Then we discussed the joys of evangelism and the common sin of failing to evangelize the lost.
Jerry, Mark and Scott helped walk us through this dense and long chapter on singleness, marriage and divorce. There is something here for all of us.
Jerry, Greg, and Fred helped us understand that suffering in the flesh is often the result of choosing to live for God. They also showed us how we are to serve one another in God's strength for God's glory.
Jerry reminds us that we are spreading the aroma of Christ to others. To believers we are the smell of life and the unbelievers the smell of death.
Questions from this passage: How should the church handle those who live in unrepentant sin and are members? Is church membership even Biblical? Isn't excommunication always unloving? Didn't Jesus tell us not to judge? Why is sex outside of marriage forbidden?
Here we see that Moses, as gifted and educated as he was, was unable to rescue God's people in his own strength. He needed years of discipline and training by God in the obscurity of the Midianite wilderness before he was humble enough to truly be used for God's glory.
Alec Motyer writes, "Even a cursory glance reveals that this passage is a story of failure and of a chronic loss of self-belief. It is all the more striking when we see it against the background of what we learn about Moses himself. He had so much 'going for him.'"
Jerry, Greg, and Fred did a great job helping us navigate a difficult passage with lots of challenging parts.
Mark, Scott and Tyler helped walk us through this passage where Paul uses humbling questions, holy sarcasm, and fatherly pleading in order to wake the Corinthians up to their pride and invite them to gospel humility.
The story of Moses' birth is about the actions of three women who work to preserve his life.
Allen did a great and powerful job reminding parents (especially dads) of the importance of loving our families more than we love our careers.
Greg, Fred, Scott, and Daniel helped walk us through this passage which talks about the roles of men and women in marriage. Peter puts a particular emphasis on how wives should love their husbands if the wives have become Christians before their husbands.
Pharaoh is never named in Exodus. However, God does tell us the names of two women who risked their lives to save children. What can we learn from this about godly mothers who fear God and love their little ones?
Scott powerfully reminds us that God's goodness and mercy follow us during all the days of our lives. This is true on the sunniest and the darkest days.
Jerry, Fred, and Greg helped walk us through this passage about honoring the governing authorities (even those who are personally dishonorable), and enduring unjust suffering like Jesus.
Jerry, Scott and Mark helped walk us through the topics of immature Christians, the role of church leaders, heavenly rewards, and the fact that 'all things are yours'.
We started Exodus on Sunday! Moses writes of Israel that "the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied" (Exodus 1:12a). The same is true today.
Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Scott did a great job leading us! Here Peter shows us that we are to see that Jesus was rejected by men but chosen by God. The same is true for God's people in this world: rejected by the world but God's "chosen race" (v. 9).
Jerry, Scott, Mark, and Tyler helped walk us through all of 1 Corinthians 2. The main theme is that we cannot come to the knowledge of God by human wisdom and eloquence but through a display of the Spirit's power.
In the story of Joseph it is easy to miss how central Judah is to the story. Judah begins as a complete mess. He suggests Joseph be sold into slavery and is sexually out of control (see 37-38). However, the Messiah is promised to be the Lion of the tribe of Judah (see 49:8-10). How could this be? Come witness the transforming grace of God in the life of Judah and his brothers!
[Mark referenced & quoted from this excellent sermon series on Joseph by Colin Smith.]
Jerry, Scott, Fred, and Daniel helped lead us through the second half of 1 Peter 1. They focused on how Peter urges true Christlike holiness in response to the gospel of grace.
Fa is a young woman from Thailand who has professed faith in Jesus and become passionate for the thing of the Lord and God's word over the last two months. Our very own Hannah Hughes was used by God to help bring Fa to Jesus and the gospel!
[You can watch the baptism here!]
Jerry, Scott and Mark helped lead us through the whole first chapter of 1 Corinthians. Paul deals with unity, humility, God's faithfulness, the cross vs. human wisdom and power, God's effectual call and more!
[Original image from here.]
Jerry, Greg, and Scott did a great job leading us through the first twelve verses of 1 Peter 1!
[Original image from here.]
Jacob's life is a powerful example of how only God can give us what we need. The approval and blessing you need does not come through manipulating others but through wrestling with the God of grace. Below is an outline of the relevant chapters in Genesis:
25: Birth & Birthright
27: Stolen Blessing
28: Stairway to Heaven
29-31: Exile & Marriage
32: Wrestling with God
33: Return & Reunion
The Kingdom of God: God's people, in God's place, under God's rule, experiencing God's blessing.
Early: 11
12 | 13-14 | 15
17 | 18-21 | 22
Late: 23-25
To prepare for Exodus, we are spending four weeks overviewing Genesis. Today we covered the first eleven chapters. So much of the story of the Bible is laid out here in its seed form.
Scott reminds us that the words "rejoice always" are not a suggestion from Paul but a command of the Lord.
Over charcoal fire, Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter truly loves Him. What does this remind Peter of (see John 18:18)? Jesus then exhorts Peter to care for His sheep and tells him about the death he will eventually die for God's glory.
This was the last Sunday in our John series!
Scott reminds us that Jesus miraculously fills the disciples' nets with fish twice during His ministry with them: once at the beginning and once at the end. What made the last catch so different?
What really happened that earned one disciple the name Doubting Thomas? There may be more that we can relate to in this story than it first may seem.
Scott speaks about the importance of exhorting and encouraging each other daily as members of a local church.
On Easter we looked at: 1) The Burial of Jesus in the Garden Tomb; 2) The Absence of Jesus from the Garden Tomb; and 3) The Return of Jesus to the Garden Tomb.
Allen walks us through the same passage that was used to bring Charles Spurgeon to faith many years ago.
Scott powerfully walked us through the three sayings of Jesus on the cross in John's gospel. What a soul stirring message!
Jerry led us to confess our unbelief at times that God is able to save people late in life. After Miss Dorothy's baptism, how can we fail to believe in God's power to save at any time?
Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Mark walked us through the end of Ephesians as we looked at what it really means to put on the armor of God so we can stand against the devil's schemes.
We examine the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus and then we take a long look at the event itself. The goals of this sermon is to take Pilate's mocking words seriously when he said, "Behold the Man!"
Jerry, Fred, and Mark helped us walk through some of the controversies of this passage, especially regarding the word 'submission'.
Jerry walked us through all of James 4 during confession and pointed out give things we can observe.
The Apostle John soaks this passage in deep irony as Jesus is interrogated by Pontius Pilate.
Jerry describes the accident his family was in on their way back from his mother's funeral in Nebraska on Friday.
Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Mark helped walk us through this passage which is chock full of commands that God has given us for our good and His glory.
Here we covered John's account of Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane through the denials of Peter.
(The main audio failed to record, so this audio was recorded from a phone.)
Mark, Fred, Greg, and Scott helped walk us through this passage. This outline is adapted from Tony Merida's commentary:
Identity: Don't live as the old man (v 17-19). Live as the new man (v 20-24).
Behavior: Replace lying with truth-telling (v 25). Replace unrighteous anger with righteous anger (v 26-27). Replace stealing with working and giving (v 28). Replace corrupt talk with edifying talk (v 29-30). Replace bitterness and rage with kindness and forgiveness (v 31-32).
This passage can be broken down into three basic sections.
I. A healthy church is marked by spiritual unity (4:1-6).
II. A healthy church is marked by spiritual diversity (4:7-12).
III. A healthy church is marked by spiritual maturity (4:13-16).
[Outline from Tony Merida's Ephesians commentary.]
Jesus promises to give His disciples joy from sorrow and peace in the midst of tribulation.
Greg Rentz helped walk us through the beautiful model prayer Paul prays for the Ephesians.
Jerry, Fred, Greg, and Mark help us understand what the 'mystery' is that Paul repeatedly mentions in this passage.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of three things (sin, righteousness, and judgment), guides us into the truth of Scripture, and glorifies Jesus.
We who follow Christ need to be prepared for the hatred of the world so that we are not caught off guard and tempted to turn away. "I have said these things to you," said Jesus, "to keep you from falling away" (John 16:1).
[Mark referenced this commentary as the resource he used to help provide an outline for this sermon.]
Scott reminds us to not forget all the countless gifts of grace the Lord has lavished upon us.
Jerry, Greg, Fred and Josh Cronic led us through the first half of Ephesians 2. We look at who we were and how God's grace made us who we are now in Christ.
Scott led us through this powerful passage that shows us how Jesus is the true vine. We are the branches who must abide in Him in order to bear fruit. Those who do bear fruit our Father, the true vinedresser, prunes. Those who do not bear fruit face judgment.
Let us do all things without grumbling and complaining and confess and repent when we fail.
If Paul's prayers in Scripture don't sound much like our own, maybe we should take a few minute to learn from his Spirit-inspired prayers to God for the church at Ephesus. Jerry and Grant led us.
In this passage Jesus continues to comfort His troubled disciples (and us!) as they face a confusing and troubling world.
Jerry, Fred, and Greg led us through our first Sunday school class as we covered the first half of Ephesians 1. The passage focuses on the blessings that our ours in Christ, especially the fact that we were predestined by God for adoption before we were made.
[Photo from here.]
Jesus gives us specific promises about the present and the future in order for us not to be troubled and afraid.
Jesus predicts Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial, and instructs local churches to imitate His cross-shaped love.
Jerry walks us through 1 John 3-4 to help us see what it looks like when a church's members truly 'love one another'.
Winter Retreat 2019 | Session 3
Scott powerfully reminds us how beautiful a life of ordinary faithfulness to God can be. He weaves together many passages of Scripture along with vivid and moving stories of 'ordinary faithfulness' lived out in Christians of the past. This talk covers the first five points.
Winter Retreat 2019 | Session 2
Scott powerfully reminds us how beautiful a life of ordinary faithfulness to God can be. He weaves together many passages of Scripture along with vivid and moving stories of 'ordinary faithfulness' lived out in Christians of the past. This talk covers the first five points.
Winter Retreat 2019 | Session 1
This is not a sermon expositing a passage of Scripture but rather a lecture surveying how traditional and modern cultures tell us how to obtain an identity for ourselves. It is only from the security of our identity in Christ that we can begin to pursue ordinary faithfulness.
[This talk was based on this series of blogs by Trevin Wax and this message given by Tim Keller at Wheaton College.]