Mercy Church: Recent Episodes
Mercy Church (PCA)
Dusty Offspring Text: Genesis 13:1-18 Mr. Josh Campbell Deep within each of us lies a longing for a perfect homeland. If we’re impatient, we’ll be tempted to snatch at it, to try to make things happen apart from God’s purposes. …
Wisdom in the Wilderness Text: 1 Samuel 25:1-44 Rev. John Downs In this fallen world, there is often tension between folly and wisdom, as on display in today’s narrative of David, Nabal and Abigail. Merely exercising wisdom is not a …
Restraint, Reason, and Reward Text: 1 Samuel 24:1-22 Rev. John Downs Today’s text becomes more intense, and illustrates for us that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Tim 1:7. Our …
Delivered From Destruction Text: 1 Samuel 23 Rev. John Downs We have an “ostrich problem” in the sense that we often stick our heads in the sand to ignore a problem, or else try to solve something ourselves that only …
Fruitful Faith Text: John 15:1-17 Rev. Paul Karlberg Farewells often carry with them mixed emotions. There is often the excitement of what comes next, along with the sadness of leaving friends behind. Today’s text contains part of Jesus’ extended farewell …
Reasons for Rejoicing Text: 1 Peter 1:1-9 Rev. John Downs As elect exiles who have been chosen by God and had our hearts regenerated, we can humbly understand that we contributed nothing to our new birth while rejoicing that our …
Evil and Triumph Text: 1 Samuel 22:6-23 Rev. John Downs What a stark contrast in today’s text between the perverse, irrational evil demonstrated by Saul, and the triumph of Yahweh in preserving a remnant of the priesthood through Abiathar. God’s …
Sustenance and Sanctuary Text: 1 Samuel 21:1-22:5 Rev. John Downs Today we find Yahweh’s anointed King David in desperate need of food and refuge from his enemies. Just as he found sustenance through God’s provision of the showbread, and sanctuary …
Covenant Stakes and Security Text: 1 Samuel 20 Rev. John Downs In life, our attention is naturally drawn to situations in which the stakes are high and there’s no guarantee of security. In reality, our spiritual life is much more …
Reception and Refuge Text: 1 Samuel 18-19 Rev. John Downs The life of faith involves elements of both pleasure and pain that are held in tension, as explicitly illustrated in today’s text. The love and adoration of Jonathan, Michal and …
Covenant Challenge and Champion Text: 1 Samuel 17 Rev. John Downs The encounter between David and Goliath is one of theological and cosmic significance, addressing the issue of whose god will rule. Rather than focus on the physical attributes of …
Wisdom and Work Text: 1 Samuel 16 Rev. John Downs At some point in our lives, all of us have had an unexpected disruption that tempted us to anxiety and to ask ourselves, “What do I do now?” Today’s text …
A Kingly Devotion Text: 1 Samuel 15 Rev. John Downs All of us have had high hopes that were never realized, and that is very disappointing. We see in today’s narrative that a presumptuous King Saul is in conflict with …
The Audacity of Faith and Ignorance Text: 1 Samuel 14 Rev. John Downs Context often determines the meaning of words. The narrative in today’s passage displays two types of audacity. Jonathan manifests a positive audacious confidence in God’s faithfulness, in …
Hope For The Helpless Text: 1 Samuel 13 Rev. John Downs Our text today shows the beginning of the end of the reign of King Saul and leaves us with a cliffhanger concerning the welfare of Israel, facing enemies “like …
Covenant Confrontation Text: 1 Samuel 12 Rev. John Downs Today’s text chronicles a ceremony of covenant renewal of God with his people. It comes at an inflection point in the history of Israel as they transition from the era of …
Salvation Out Of Shame Text: 1 Samuel 11 Rev. John Downs In the history of Israel, place carried a sense of significance, whether Gibeah, Jabesh-gilead or Gilgal. So, too, in the life of faith in Christ, we are reminded of …
The Way of Witness Text: Mark 14:53-72 Rev. John Downs We as humans tend to love the idea of justice being done. Unfortunately, just as with Peter in today’s text, our tongues and hearts reveal our sin and would condemn …
The Way of Betrayal Text: Mark 14:43-52 Rev. John Downs In Dante’s Inferno, the most despicable sin of all time, occupying the deepest circle of hell, is Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. Today’s text helps us feel the weight of human …
The Way of Weakness Text: Mark 14:26-42 Rev. John Downs We have a tendency to overestimate our abilities, and this extends to our spiritual lives as well. In our weakness, we will often stumble and fall in this life of … August 27, 2023 Read More »
The Way of Union Text: Mark 14:12-26 Rev. John Downs In science, an emulsifier is a substance that can bring together two normally incompatible substances. In our life of faith, the cross of Christ functions as an “emulsifier” for us … August 20, 2023 Read More »
The Way of Devotion Text: Mark 14:1-11 Rev. John Downs We humans have a tremendous capacity for devotion. Sadly, in our depravity, that devotion may lead through sin to death. The religious insiders of Jesus’ day, including the Pharisees and …
August 13, 2023 Read More »
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The Way of Seeing Text: Mark 13:1-23 Rev. John Downs Life in a fallen world entails a lot of uncertainty and suffering. In the face of this truth, today’s challenging text encourages us not to submit to fear or anxiety. …
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The Way of Love Text: Mark 12:28-44 Rev. John Downs While we were still in rebellion against God in our sin, he set his hesed covenant love upon. As we are consumed by his love, we are transformed in our …
July 23, 2023 Read More »
The post July 23, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Belonging Text: Mark 12:13-27 Rev. John Downs Identity issues date back to the beginning of time. Although we may find identity in relationships, vocation or other spheres of life, these are all subordinate to our primary identity …
July 16, 2023 Read More »
The post July 16, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Confidence Text: Mark 11:27-12:12 Rev. John Downs All the way back in the Garden, the original sin was questioning and rejecting the authority of God. Ever since then, the kingdom of God has been continually challenged by …
July 9, 2023 Read More »
The post July 9, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Fruitfulness Text: Mark 11:11-25 Rev. John Downs Today’s text connects the enacted parable of the fig tree with the religious life of the temple. In the Christian life, it’s possible to display external signs of life like …
July 2, 2023 Read More »
The post July 2, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Christ’s Story & Ours Text: Philippians 3:1-11Mr. Joshua Campbell At one time or another many of us have asked ourselves, “Does Jesus love me?” Along with the Apostle Paul, we learn today that the kind of people who are acceptable …
June 25, 2023 Read More »
The post June 25, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
A Beautiful Life Text: Ephesians 4-6Dr. Peter Green You cannot earn what you already possess. Our belonging to the community of the church is based simply on the fact that we have a relationship with God out of his abundant …
June 18, 2023 Read More »
The post June 18, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Humble Entry Text: Mark 10:46-11:11Rev. John Downs Today’s text treats both the humble entry of a blind man dependently pleading for healing to the Son of David, Messiah, as well as Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. He comes …
June 11, 2023 Read More »
The post June 11, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of a Servant Text: Mark 10:32-45Rev. John Downs In the third prediction of his passion, Jesus is preparing his disciples not only for his own imminent suffering but also for the shared fellowship of suffering that they will …
The post June 4, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Spiritual Riches Text: Mark 10:13-31Rev. John Downs Christian missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” God is in …
The post May 28, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Covenant Text: Mark 10:1-12Rev. John Downs When God calls us to himself, he calls us into covenant community. The entire framework and foundation of how he relates to his people is through covenant. Biblical marriage is one …
The post May 21, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Smallness Text: Mark 9:33-50Rev. John Downs The way of the world and, if we’re honest, the way of our own sinful hearts is to want to make a name for ourselves. However, in the counter-cultural economy of …
The post May 14, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Resurrection Belief Text: Mark 9:14-32Rev. John Downs Just as the dreaded check engine light in our car provides a warning we dare not ignore due the possibility of dire consequences, God’s word also offers us warning of …
The post May 7, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Unfolding Glory Text: Mark 9:2-13Rev. John Downs In God’s design, we were wired for glory, and yet sin darkens our hearts just as clouds may obscure a mountain peak. But we have a God who is there …
The post April 30, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Suffering Text: Mark 8:31-9:1Rev. John Downs Am I fragile, resilient or “antifragile” — i.e. made stronger through stress and suffering? Our Messiah came to suffer, through poverty, scorn, rejection, humiliation and a brutal death to purchase our …
The post April 23, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Perception Text: Mark 8:1-30Rev. John Downs As we continue to study the way of the gospel in Mark, we learn today that our God in Christ sees us while we are blind and gives us eyes to …
The post April 16, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Persistence Text: Mark 7:24-37Rev. John Downs Whether healing a Syrophoenician woman’s daughter in the first century or dealing with us today, we have a savior who is not far away but rather one who gets very close …
The post April 9, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Purity Text: Mark 7:1-23Rev. John Downs At times it can be easy to get distracted by human traditions and lose sight of the core of what it means to follow Jesus. While traditions and church history have …
The post April 2, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Provision Text: Mark 6:30-56Rev. John Downs As we consider today’s text, we see Jesus providing for his followers even in the desolate places of their lives, with echoes of God’s provision for the children of Israel following …
The post March 26, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Christ the King Text: Psalm 110Dr. Peter Green Psalm 110 does not refer to merely any king but points specifically to the messianic king Jesus. His reign began with his ascension to the right hand of the Father and will …
The post March 19, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Rejection Text: Mark 6:1-30Rev. John Downs They say that familiarity breeds contempt. Today’s text would support that sentiment as we see rejection directed toward Jesus, his followers and his forerunner. The sources include his own family, in …
The post March 12, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Healing Text: Mark 5:21-43Rev. John Downs Ever since the Fall, there has been a universal search for a cure for what ails us. Some look to snake oil remedies and are disappointed. Yet, for those put their …
The post March 5, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Power Text: Mark 4:35-5:20Rev. John Downs When faced with chaos or the unexpected, fear may be a natural response. In the two incidents described in today’s text, we see evidence that Jesus was not merely a good …
The post February 26, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Parables, Part 2 Text: Mark 4:21-34Rev. John Downs The series of three parables in today’s text show us a progression to the now and future kingdom. We see the breaking in of the kingdom when Jesus enters …
The post February 19, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Parables, Part 1 Text: Mark 4:1-20Rev. John Downs God works through very ordinary means to achieve his extraordinary purposes. The parable was a very familiar manner of teaching among rabbis during Jesus’ time. Through today’s parable, Jesus …
The post February 12, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Spiritual Family Text: Mark 3:7-35Rev. John Downs With echoes back to Mt. Sinai, in today’s text we see Jesus calling a new spiritual family, a new Israel based not on ethnicity but rather on the call of …
The post February 5, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Sabbath Text: Mark 2:23-3:6Rev. John Downs Our creator God designed us for Sabbath rest as a way to bless us and not to bind us. As we reflect on God’s sufficiency and our own inadequacy in and …
The post January 29, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Getting In Text: Mark 2:1-22Rev. John Downs Everyone loves being “in the know”, having insider information that others may not be privileged to have. Unfortunately, that can trickle over into our life of faith when we take …
The post January 22, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Dependence Text: Mark 1:35-45Rev. John Downs In our culture, we tend to elevate independence and the self-made person who pulls themself by their bootstraps. Yet boot-strap spirituality is very self-centered, deluding us into believing we can be …
The post January 15, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Way of Redemptive Authority Text: Mark 1:14-34Rev. John Downs Based on prior personal experiences or the post-modern spirit of the age, we may not have a favorable view of authority or even consider it oppressive. However, the gospel shows …
The post January 8, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Gospel Way Text: Mark 1:1-13Rev. John Downs Today we begin a sermon series through the gospel of Mark. In contrast to the habit of New Year’s resolutions that typically focus on our deficiencies and reflect our self-interest, the gospel …
The post January 1, 2023 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Text: Mark 1:1-13Rev. John Downs Today we begin a sermon series through the gospel of Mark. In contrast to the habit of New Year’s resolutions that typically focus on our deficiencies and reflect our self-interest, the gospel way is profoundly …
The post The Gospel Way first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Son and the Sign Text: Luke 2:1-20Rev. John Downs At the time of Jesus’ incarnation, the world was entering into the Pax Romana, an extended period of secular flourishing in the Roman Empire under the Caesars who were considered …
December 25, 2022 – Christmas Read More »
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Restoring Life Text: Ruth 4:13-22Rev. John Downs Since sin entered the world in Genesis 3, what all of humanity has needed is not a self-improvement program but rather new birth. The good news is that our sovereign God’s gracious and …
The post December 18, 2022 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Redemption in Public Text: Ruth 4:1-12Rev. John Downs In the post-enlightenment world, our faith and identity have become very privatized. This was not at all the case throughout the scriptures and the pre-enlightenment church. Today’s passage displays the very public …
The post December 11, 2022 first appeared on Mercy Church.
The Redeemer’s Rest Text: Ruth 3Rev. John Downs All of us have a desire for a settled place where we can put down roots, and yet we may look to things that can never satisfy. As today’s story from Ruth …
The post December 4, 2022 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Favor to the Foreigner Text: Ruth 2:1-23Rev. John Downs A merely academic, critical reading of today’s narrative misses a fundamental and important truth: this passage is not only about Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. It’s also about how God is sovereignly …
The post November 27, 2022 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Coming Home Text: Ruth 1:6-22Rev. John Downs Longing for home is a universal part of the human condition. Sometimes, however, we are tempted to make our “home” or to seek our identity in earthly things that can never truly satisfy. …
November 20, 2022 Read More »
The post November 20, 2022 first appeared on Mercy Church.
Faithful Through Famine to Fullness Text: Ruth 1:1-5Rev. John Downs Today we begin a series on the book of Ruth which anticipates the birth of King David, even as we move toward Advent which points to the birth of the …
November 13, 2022 Read More »
The post November 13, 2022 first appeared on Mercy Church.
God’s Love At Work For His People Text: John 17:1-26RE John Tittle As we finish up a series on New Testament prayers, today we approach holy ground, the high priestly prayer of Jesus for his followers — including all of … November 6, 2022 Read More »
Grace Triumphs in Unexpected Ways Text: Luke 24:1-12, 36-43Dr. Peter Green Unsurprisingly, as it would also be in our day, the crucifixion of Jesus presented a major stumbling block to his messianic claims for the first followers of Christ. With … October 30, 2022 Read More »
Grace, Peace & the Presence of God Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18Rev Kurt Gray The Scriptures do not contain any superfluous words. Although at times we might skim over opening and closing verses of epistles to get the heart of the … October 23, 2002 Read More »
Grace Appeared Text: Titus 2:1-14Rev. Mark Robinson Paul teaches us that the one essential ingredient needed to plant a church is grace. God’s first word to us is grace as he calls us to himself. That same grace works within … October 16, 2022 Read More »
Text: John 5:1-17Mr. Brian Shirak One of the beautiful things about Christianity is that it’s not merely a set of propositional truths but rather everything in it points to a person, Jesus. This Jesus loves us so much that he … Do You Want To Be Healed? Read More »
The Engine That Drives Us, Part 2 Text: Ephesians 3:14-21RE John Tittle From the Westminster Catechism, we understand that our reason for being alive, our telos, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Today’s text is another prayer of … October 2, 2022 Read More »
What the Spirit Says to the Churches Text: Revelation 2:1-7Pastor Paul Karlberg In the Apostle John’s account of the risen Christ’s address to the seven churches, we get a snapshot of the Church in every generation. The influential church in … September 25, 2022 Read More »
A Saving Death Text: Luke 23:32-49Dr. Peter Green Jesus’ death presented a problem within the Jewish context of his day: he was not the conquering Messiah they expected but rather a crucified one. What might be foolishness or a stumbling … September 18, 2022 Read More »
Our Big God Redeems Small, Sinful People Text: Isaiah 6 We need to recapture a fresh vision of the holy God of the Bible. He is infinitely holy and yet He takes the initiative in our salvation. But He saves … September 11, 2022 Read More »
But I Received Mercy Text: 1 Timothy 1:12-17Rev. John Downs [Audio Note: Due to the presence of a special visiting preacher, today’s audio recording will include the entire worship service rather than only the usual sermon audio.] While the transformation … September 4, 2022 Read More »
The Engine that Drives Us Text: Ephesians 1:19b-23RE John Tittle The life of faith for the Christian is not a matter of “letting go and letting God.” Rather, we are called to live by the unlimited power of God in … August 21, 2022 Read More »
The Gospel According to Romans Text: Romans 12:1-2Mr. Brian Shirak The Spirit has used Paul’s epistle to the Romans through the ages to change countless lives, from great fathers of the faith down to everyday believers of the present. We … August 14, 2022 Read More »
He Sat Down Text: Hebrews 1:1-3, 10:11-12Rev. Dave Bindewald The first century Jewish converts to Christianity who were the first recipients of Hebrews were familiar with persecution. Now, as then, persecution tends to weed out “dead wood”, causes us to … August 7, 2022 Read More »
God of the Details Text: Isaiah 7:1-17Rev. John Kenyon The Deist God is one who set the cosmos in motion and then stepped away. But as we see in today’s text, our God of the Bible is intimately present in … July 31, 2022 Read More »
Our Faithful God, our Great Reward Text: Genesis 15Mr. Brian Shirak We understand that all of Scripture points to Christ, from Genesis to Revelation. Today we see our faithful covenant-making and covenant-keeping God unilaterally making a way for Abram, and … July 24, 2022 Read More »
Kingdom Characteristics Text: Luke 18:1-17Dr. Peter Green Have you ever thought about what kind of people God wants in his family? Today’s text covers two parables and a real life example involving protagonists who were not highly esteemed in Jewish … July 17, 2022 Read More »
No Condemnation Text: Romans 8:1-4RE Ken Rolston How do we move from the condemnation of all unrighteousness announced in chapter 1 of Romans to the gracious declaration of no condemnation that we hear in today’s text? It is a result … July 10, 2022 Read More »
Hope in the Lord Text: Psalm 130Brandon Wilcox All of us know from personal experience what it is like to go through circumstances that might tempt us to anxiety and despair. The psalmist reassures us in today’s text that no … July 3, 2022 Read More »
A Permanent Joy Text: Luke 10:17-24Dr. Peter Green Are we characterized by joy in our lives? An honest answer is likely to be that we are at times, but not always. That’s because we often seek joy in something transient … June 26, 2022 Read More »
Riches in Christ: Shared with Us Text: Ephesians 1:15-19RE John Tittle After detailing all of the lavish spiritual blessings we enjoy in Christ in the first 14 verses of this chapter, Paul turns to prayer in today’s text, calling us … June 19, 2022 Read More »
The Presence, Posture and Provision of Jesus Text: Mark 6:30-44Mr. Brian Shirak Because we tend to forget, today’s text is faithful to remind us that the people of Jesus’ day were enamored by his presence, were witnesses of his posture … June 12, 2022 Read More »
Text: Luke 9:18-36Dr. Peter Green Because of his great love for us, Jesus gives very clear instructions in today’s text both to his disciples but also to us regarding the cost and reward of discipleship. We follow him because he … Following Jesus from the Cross to the Resurrection Read More »
Twelve Years of Life, Twelve Years of Death Text: Luke 8:40-56Dr. Peter Green Luke’s account of the 12-year-old girl who Jesus raised from the dead and His healing of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years … May 29, 2022 Read More »
Getting Through the Storm Text: Mark 4:35-41Rev. Bob Weeber Before Jesus calmed the sea on the Sea of Galilee, his disciples on the boat were terrified. Their fear revealed their lack of understanding about who Jesus is. He was fully … May 22, 2022 Read More »
The Church: The City of the Great King Text: Psalm 48Stewart Bair In today’s text, the psalmist describes several characteristics of the Church, beginning with the Church gathered on Mt. Zion from the times of the Old Testament, but … May 15, 2022 Read More »
Implications of the Incarnation Text: John 1:1-18Mr. Brian Shirak Christianity is about our relationship with a person, the Word made flesh, Jesus. That the transcendent God of the universe chose in love to dwell among us by his incarnation has … May 8, 2022 Read More »
Faith Full of Assurance Text: Habakkuk 3:16-19RE John Tittle God loves us and is good to us even in the uncertainties and trials of life. When faced with such challenging circumstances, we are called to fasten our gaze upon God. … May 1, 2022 Read More »
The Pharisee and the Prostitute Text: Luke 7:36-50Dr. Peter Green In Jesus’ interactions at the home of Simon the Pharisee, Jesus reveals himself to be the truly divine prophet ushering in the year of the Lord’s favor (Isaiah 61:1-3). He … April 24, 2022 Read More »
Resurrection. Now What? Text: Colossians 3:1-4Rev. Mark Robinson People hold various views on the historical reality of the Resurrection. For those who are in Christ, united with him, we are called to personal participation in his death and resurrection along … April 17, 2022 – Easter Read More »
The Steadfast Love of God Text: Psalm 90Mr. Brian Shirak In this oldest of the Psalms, a Psalm of Moses, we are reminded of the transient nature of human life shown in stark relief against the eternal, steadfast love of … April 10, 2022 Read More »
Faith Full of Assurance Text: Habakkuk 3:1-15RE John Tittle In the midst of the ongoing trials and confusion that are an inevitable part of life, what should be our proper approach to God? Today the prophet instructs us that as … April 3, 2022 Read More »
Baptism of the Beloved Son Text: Luke 3:1-3, 15-22Dr. Peter Green One of the deepest longings of the human heart is an answer to the question, “Am I loved?” In today’s text concerning the baptism of Jesus, we see God … March 27, 2022 Read More »
Nothing Better Than This! Text: John 17:20-26Pastor Paul Karlberg In today’s text we get to listen in on Jesus’ prayer for his disciples in the upper room just prior to his crucifixion. We hear his heart for unity despite the … March 20, 2022 Read More »
The Love of Jesus Should Stir Us to Action Text: Mark 2:1-12Mr. Brian Shirak Titus 3 teaches us that the truth of Jesus’ eternal love for us (the indicative) compels us to action and excellent works (the imperative). In today’s … March 13, 2022 Read More »
Faith Finds a Solution: Living by Faith Text: Habakkuk 2:2-20RE John Tittle Continuing in Habakkuk today, we are reminded of the core biblical truth that was recaptured in the Reformation: the righteous shall live by faith. And yet, while being … March 6, 2022 Read More »
A Song of Salvation Text: Luke 1:67-79Rev. Peter Green In his Son, God has visited us, meaning that he has shown up in history and in power to accomplish his purposes. He is faithful to fulfill all his promises as … February 27, 2022 Read More »
Absurdity Under the Sun Text: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11Mr. Bryce Souvé All of us who share this temporal existence “under the sun” recognize that life in this fallen world is not as it ought to be. The meaningless toil of this life, … February 20, 2022 Read More »
Nothing is Beyond You, O Lord! Text: Psalm 139Mr. Brian Shirak As we slow down to meditate upon and internalize the wonderful truths of today’s text, we encounter the boundless love of our boundless and sovereign God, who truly knows … February 13, 2022 Read More »
An Orderly Account: Trusting God’s Word Text: Luke 1:1-4Dr. Peter Green Despite the overuse of the term “fake news” in today’s parlance, distinguishing between truth and error is important. With today’s introduction to the gospel of Luke, the writer makes … January 30, 2022 Read More »
He Has Done All Things Well Text: Mark 7:31-37Pastor Kurt Gray (Due to technical difficulties, the audio of this week’s sermon is truncated at 37 minutes) The miracles of Jesus were never a publicity stunt but rather serve to demonstrate … January 23, 2022 Read More »
Into the Marketplace of Ideas Text: Acts 17:16-24Rev. Paul Karlberg The apostle Paul’s missionary strategy among Athenian unbelievers reminds us of the biblical truth that there truly is nothing new under the sun. As in the time of Paul, so … January 16, 2022 Read More »
The Love of Christ Should Stir Our Affections Text: Mark 15:1-39Mr. Brian Shirak C.S. Lewis once wrote that we (Christians) are far too easily satisfied. We set our affections on good yet ultimately trivial things, while trivializing the great news … January 9, 2022 Read More »
A Call to Trust God Text: Hebrews 10:36-12:2, HabakkukRE John Tittle Today we begin a series from the minor prophet Habakkuk that is as timely now as ever. As we face uncertainty — in our personal lives, in the life … January 2, 2022 Read More »
The Hope & Joy of the Incarnation Text: Luke 2:1-20Dr. Peter Green Although Christmas is traditionally a time of joy, for many who are facing the real struggles and pain of this present life, it may not feel joyful. Cancer … December 26, 2021 Read More »
Who is He in Yonder Stall? Text: Philippians 2:5-11RE John Tittle We know that the infant in the manger is Jesus, but today we unpack the answer to the most important question anyone can ask, “Who is Jesus?” Today’s gospel-saturated … December 19, 2021 Read More »
Christ’s Church in Mission Text: Ephesians 4:1-16Pastor Curt Stapleton In light of what we know to be true from the first 3 chapters of Ephesians, we shift our focus now to the implications for how we should live. Since we … December 5, 2021 Read More »
The Beautiful Community in Jesus Text: Ephesians 2:11-22Dr. Peter Green A key teaching that runs through both Old and New Testaments is that, although we are saved as individuals, it’s important to remember that we’re always saved into community. That … November 28, 2021 Read More »
God Made Us Alive Text: Ephesians 2:1-10Pastor Curt Stapleton Celebrating the grace of God by which we have been saved never grows old. Today’s Scripture passage touches on several of the “5 Solas of the Reformation”. May we once again … November 21, 2021 Read More »