Madison Reformed Church: Recent Episodes
Madison Reformed Church
Psalm 12 is the prayer of a believer caught between the claim that God’s Word is true on the one hand, but also that lies and hypocrisy are so prevalent on the other hand. He hears them everywhere and sees their effects everywhere. Christians have to reckon with this problem today as well. And Psalm 12 teaches us that even when the lies of the world invade the Church, you can trust God because He tells the truth in His Word. What He says, He does
The great Reformed theologian and historian Hughes Oliphant Old said, “[T]here is something in our whole culture that makes us feel uncomfortable with the holy." In this message, we learn how to become comfortable with holy and transcendent things through meditation on God's Word for this great end: to adore our God, and to confess our sins to Him.
Psalm 143:1–12
Mark 8:27–38
Galatians 2:15–21
Here are some general comments regarding the theme. Paul wants the churches in Galatia (and in Madison, Indiana) to know that justification by faith in Jesus Christ is not just a doctrine “out there” but is good news “in here” when personally applied. When it comes to justification by faith in Jesus Christ, “you’ve got to take it personally.”
Rev. Lee F. Veazey visits MRC and opens God's Word to the great 23rd Psalm. Psalm 23 has the undisputed place of being the most well-known and well-loved Psalm, the most famous and most familiar of all 150 chapters in the Psalms. This is not without good reason, for the six verses of Psalm 23 are full of confidence and trust in the Lord. Indeed, Psalm 23 has been on the lips of the very young as they are learning to speak and on the lips of the dying as they are taking their last breaths. The center and anchor of the psalm is the declaration that “you are with me” (v. 4). Here’s Psalm 23 on the back of a t-shirt: “No lack. No fear. No end.”
Psalm 11 poses a very direct question in v. 3: “When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The destruction of foundations here refers to decay in Israel. If Israel was founded upon the covenant that God made with His people, then the foundations being destroyed refers to the way wickedness had gotten a hold of the nation. In other words, the central question posed here is How should believers live when there’s serious cultural decay and wickedness is all around? We find our answers by looking to Christ.
Deut. 6:4–9
Ps. 119:9–16
Luke 2:8–12
Jas. 1:22–25
The English Reformed minister Thomas Manton tells us, “Meditation is a middle duty between reading or hearting God’s Word and praying. The Word feeds mediation, and meditation feeds prayer.” In this message in our series on prayer, we discover Scripture's images for godly meditation, and how meditation is the engine for prayer.
Gen. 32:9–12
1 Sam. 1:12–18
Matt. 7:7–11
Rom. 10:1–4
The Psalmist says, "Pour out your hearts to God." In this beginning message in a series on Christian prayer, we learn what prayer basically is, guided by godly examples of the saints in Scripture.
Psalm 10 is the sequel of Psalm 9 and zeroes in on the theme of the wicked mistreating the poor. The unique contribution that Psalm 10 makes is that in it, we hear the words of our King, who came down from heaven to live and die in a state of poverty, and to—in the end—overcome wicked oppressors.
Christ speaks in the Psalms, and in this Psalm He demonstrates for believers how to cope with the oppressive enemies. Jesus Himself was raised in triumph over His enemies, and now from heaven He declares those wonderful works of God to us—so that we too would find comfort and tell them to our enemies before judgment comes.
Deut. 32:34–38
Dan. 7:9–14
Matt. 25:31–46
2 Cor. 5:1–10
In this final message on the doctrines of the Belgic Confession, we focus on the difficult topic of the Final Judgment—what it is and how unbelievers and believers will experience it differently. The Bible's surprising teaching is that Christians can and should find great comfort as we long for the day of judgment to arrive.
Having just begun the practice of weekly Communion, we pause to consider some of the most important teachings about the Lord's Supper and how best to prepare for it.
Genesis 15:1-6
Ezekiel 36:22-27
Luke 18:9-14
Philippians 3:1-11
Rev. Chuck Tedrick (associate minister of Christ Reformed Church in Santee, CA) encourages us in the great doctrine of justification in this message from Philippians 3:1–11.
The end of Peter's first letter to the exiled congregations of Asia Minor. He tells us that the major emphasis of his letter was "the true grace of God" and to "stand firm" in that grace. In this message, we pull back the veil to see that grace, and discover two ways in which we stand in it as Christian sojourners.
Two postures and actions are essential in the life of a Christian: humility expressed in casting our anxieties on God, and resistance expressed in militant prayer against the devil. In this message, we learn the wonderful gospel promises for weary Christians—that Christ will exalt the humble and give victory to those engaged in resistance.
Num. 10:1–10
Zech. 14:3–9
Matt. 24:29–36
1 Thess. 4:13–18
Will Jesus' return be partial and known only to the raptured few? Or will He come once in glory to judge and raise us up? In this message, learn the importance of setting our expectations well concerning the Second Coming of Jesus.
Gen. 20:1–13
Psalm 82
Matt. 8:5–13
Acts 12:20–24
In this 4th and final message focusing on Belgic Confession article 36, we examine the vision that Psalm 82 has for earthly rulers, and God requires justice and wisdom in those whom He endows with civil authority.
Sojourners need something stable to help them along in their travels. Christian sojourners have the gift of elders. Christ calls and equips these men to be Shepherd His own flock, the church. This message was preached on the occasion of ordaining our first elder at Madison Reformed Church.
Persecution is like a "fiery trial," and according to the Apostle Peter, we should rejoice when it comes. Why and how? In this message, learn three corrections to our natural reactions to suffering: to not be surprised, but rejoice; to not suffer as a sinner, but as a Christian; and to not confuse our judgment with the judgment of the wicked.
Exod. 1:15–22
Dan. 3:8–18
Matt. 5:38–42
Rev. 13:1–10
Should Christians only ever obey civil authorities, or are there times when we must disobey? Scripture gives us very useful categories for understanding when we must or may disobey the governing authorities. In this message, and with the help of the Protestant tradition, we explore the biblical conditions and reasoning for engaging in civil disobedience.
When Jesus brings us into a union with Himself, He also breaks our union with Christ. That means that we have to be willing to the patterns and habits of sin behind us, even if it means facing the ridicule of whose who don't believe. In this message, we learn the void that saying no to sin creates in our lives, and how to fill it with the gifts God has given to us—namely, vibrant life in the church.
Gen. 47:1–12
Ezra 7:21–27
John 18:33–36
Acts 26:19–32
The basic responsibilities of civil government are to punish law-breakers and protect the innocent. But what is its relationship to the Church? Although there's room for difference of opinion, Scripture guides us to a handful of common elements.
A down payment of course is when you make a first large payment on some big item like a house or property, paying the rest when the time comes. This idea is here in 2 Corinthians 5:5, except that God is the buyer, and the Holy Spirit is His down payment. In this Pentecost message, we look into one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit secured for us on that great day. It is the gift of a guarantee. Christ has died and been raised in a new body. And now the Spirit has been put down as collateral—as it were—to guarantee that you too will be raised with a new body. And because of that, we’re able to cope with the threat and fears of death that all of us live with as mortal people in this age.
Gen. 9:1–7
1 Sam. 8:10–18
Matt. 22:15–22
Rom. 13:1–7
Although Christians are free to have a variety of views about politics and policies, the Bible's basic teaching on the role of civil government is clear. In this message, we discover two of the most important functions our governing authorities have, and what the response of Christian citizens should be.
What does Christ's suffering, the Holy Spirit, Noah's ark, the flood, spirits in prison, and baptism have to do with us? In this message from 1 Peter 3, we explore these various topics and how they relate to Peter's bigger goal to help Christians persevere when they're suffering unjustly.
Isa. 1:12–20
1 Cor. 11:17–34
What is self-examination? Some Christians are so unfamiliar with it that they never do it. Others feel they've only done it if they feel spiritually discouraged. But self-examination is an aid to assurance, not a weapon to destroy it. In this message, we explore the call to self-examination and how it prepares us to receive Christ's body and blood.
Deut. 8:1–10
Ezek. 45:13–17
John 6:52–59
1 Cor. 11:17–34
Sacred meals are all over Scripture. God invites His people to eat in His presence. In the Lord's Supper, we have a sacred meal in which Christ Himself is offered to those who receive Him by faith. In this message, we explore the past, present, and future benefits of this wonderful sacrament.
“No good deed goes unpunished.” That old saying rings true because most people have had the experience of doing something kind only to have it backfire. In our passage today, Peter has in mind not just bad responses to particular good deeds here and there, but when Christians are targeted for living righteously. Peter teaches us that Christ’s own suffering has transformed our suffering into an opportunity for blessing.
Deut. 11:1–12
Ezek. 36:22–29a
Matt. 8:28–34
Col. 2:8–15
In holy baptism, the Lord has given us a gift that connects us back to the great cleansing events of the Old Testament, like the parting of the Red Sea. But it doesn't end there. Baptism is useful each day, powerfully delivering the good news to us that Christ's blood is our Red Sea, and that He has delivered us from the tyranny of the devil on our way to the spiritual Canaan.
Peter now applies the identity of "sojourner" to our marriages, calling on Christian wives to submit themselves to their husbands (even if they're unbelievers) and Christian husbands to understand their wives in a couple crucial ways. In both these callings, we see the character of Christ working in men and women, a grace that is sufficient to the call.
Gen. 3:20–24
Ezek. 20:5–8a
Matt. 6:25–34
1 Cor. 10:1–8
In this message on the sacraments, we reflect upon the worries we deal with as Christians, how we tend to make ourselves feel better through idolatry, and how in the sacraments God targets these destructive tendencies and gives us the healing we need.
Christians are sojourners and exiles in this life, and one way or the other, we will suffer injustice. Peter addresses this universal experience by appealing to the household slaves of the congregations to whom he wrote. He shows them, and us, that our calling to endure unjust suffering is anchored to Christ Himself—the Suffering Servant of God, our Savior in whose footsteps we must learn to walk.
Exod. 26:26–30
1 Chron. 16:1–7
Luke 4:16–22
Heb. 8:1–7
Christ is the true worship leader. As our mediator and high priest, He leads the worship of His people and summons them up to heaven with Him. In this message, we explore the glories of New Covenant worship done not according to passing trends, but according to the Word.
For 2,000 years, Christians have had to wrestle with their identities as sojourners and exiles under wildly different political situations. Peter describes the conduct of sojourners and applies it our relationship to the governing authorities. In this message, we remember that in His redemptive work for us, Christ subjected Himself to wicked governing authorities. He calls us now to respond with godly conduct that puts wicked rulers to shame and calls them to glorify God on the day when Christ returns.
Lev. 10:1–7
2 Kgs. 18:1–8
Matt. 18:15–20
1 Tim. 3:14–16
In this message, we explore Paul's wonderful claim that the Church is a "pillar and buttress of the truth." With this authority, the Church applies the Word of God to maintaining order among God's people and regulating our worship of the living God.
Early in the morning on the first day of the week, the risen Christ asked Mary Magdalene a question. It is posed to us today as well: "Whom are you seeking?" In this Easter message, we learn that the answer must be the risen Lord Jesus Christ. His resurrection is the answer to death, to spiritual ignorance, to grief, to fear, and to doubt.
In this Good Friday meditation, we consider the meaning of the name Gethsemane ("olive press") and its significance as the location of Jesus' prayers before His crucifixion. For those hard-pressed on every side, Jesus is the Savior in Gethsemane, who shares His anointing with us.
Deut. 1:9–18
1 Kgs 3:5–15
Matt. 20:20–28
Acts 6:1–6
Christ raises up officers to serve His churches. But how does that happen "on the ground"? In this message, we examine Scripture's design for identifying men to church office, and the immense privilege it is to select them.
Everyone loves a good story. Peter wants Christians to realize that their story is the same as ancient Israel, and for that reason, all who believe in Christ have the same status and privilege as those who came before. Your story is that you're a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people of God who have received His mercy. And this is the story we proclaim.
Exod. 18:13–27
Prov. 11:14; 15:22
Matt. 23:1–4
1 Tim. 3:1–13
Every group on earth has to get organized in order to get anything done. It's the same with the Church. But the difference is that the Church is a heavenly institution that also exists on earth. In this sermon, we learn that Christ's care for and rule over His people is experienced in the order and officers of the Church.
Most of us are familiar with the idea of "getting saved." But have you ever said, "I need to grow up in salvation"? That's how Peter speaks about our walk with Christ here in the second chapter of his letter. Using two wonderful images—the nourishment of milk, and the building up of stones—Peter shows Christians the way to taste and keep on tasting that the Lord is good.
Exod. 30:1–10
Isa. 29:11–16
Matt. 15:1–9
Acts 7:51–60
In Acts 7, Stephen brings down an indictment on the Pharisees, who were the leaders of the church in that day, saying, “You…received the law as delivered by angels, but did not keep it.” In fact, they did the opposite. They opposed and persecuted the prophet, they resisted the Holy Spirit. Stephen strong words shows us there is such a thing as false churches. Those who have the trappings of religion, but are actually enemies of God. How can we know? We have the marks of false churches to help us.
Isaiah 40:6–11 & 1 Peter 1:22–25. "Love one another" is one of the most repeated commands in the Bible. But we run out of steam in obeying it. Peter shows us where the power comes from: the Word of God.
Rev. Dr. Brandon Burks (Christ Reformed Church, Bellevue, KY) joins us to open God's Word from Daniel 5.
Num. 5:5–10
Prov. 4:20–27
Luke 9:21–27
Gal. 5:16–26
There are such things as hypocrites in the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is to say, that in the visible church, there are people who are “physically there,” but “nonetheless are not part of it.” Some people hear this and it fills them with a kind of dread. In this message, we learn Scripture's marks of the true Christian, and what to do when, in our weakness, we fail to live up to them.
So many of our problems were handed down to us. In our families, nation, and culture, we have sinful habits and dispositions that we've inherited from those who came before us. Is being a Christian just...learning how to stop acting up? Or is it something more? In this message, we learn that nothing less than our liberation is required. And Christ has paid the price for that liberation, not with perishable money, but with His precious blood.
Deut. 13:1–5
1 Kgs 12:25–33
Mark 13:9–13
2 Tim. 4:1–5
Are there such things as false and true churches, and is there a way to tell the difference? When we open Scripture, we see three things prioritized in Christ's assembly: the preaching of the gospel, the administration of the sacraments, and church discipline.
Christians are guaranteed to face trials and hardships, so how should we respond when they come? In this section if his letter, the apostle Peter encourages us to continue rejoicing in the salvation of the Lord. This salvation is "top-to-bottom" a work of God, and by meditating on Christ, it comes powerfully to encourage us during times of distress.
Lev. 14:1–9
Joel 2:28–32
Matt. 11:25–30
Eph. 4:1–16
What's it mean to be a member in Christ's church? Everyone united to Christ is a member of His universal church, as members of a body belong to one Head. But that membership expresses itself visibly in local churches with particular people. In this message, learn three particular ways that we maintain this unity.
Rev. Zac Wyse (Ascension Reformed Church) completes our series on Christian giving by opening to Philippians and Acts. He shows that the act of giving is a spiritual sacrifice, like the fellowship offerings of the Old Testament, and therefore is best place in the actual worship service.
Gen. 12:1–3
1 Kings 19:9–18
John 4:19–26
1 Cor. 1:1–3
The doctrine of the Church has fallen on hard times. Many wonder what the Church actually is, who belongs to it, and whether or not it has any real authority. We confess the biblical teaching that the Church of Jesus Christ is catholic—not Roman Catholic—but "universal," which is all that the word means. We discover in Scripture the wonderful gift catholicity is in a world divided and confused.
The Christian life is lived in exile. We are not home yet, but live in a world often hostile to Christ and His Church. How do we live in such a world? The apostle Peter has written a letter that shows us the way. In this first sermon in a new series through 1–2 Peter, we discover that although we are exiles, we've been chosen by God, are guided by the Spirit, and are cleansed by Christ.
Num. 16:41–50
Ps. 103:20–22
Luke 16:19–31
Heb. 11:39–12:2
What is the "cloud of witnesses" that surrounds us? Are they the saints who have gone before us, can we interact with them? In this message, we look at the Roman Catholic practice of praying for and to the saints, and respond to this teaching.
In this short series on giving in the Christian life, we've identified the main purposes for giving are to extend mission of the church and relieve of poor. This last message now addresses the heart of the one who gives to these causes. We learn how to steer clear of prosperity gospel nonsense and rest firmly in God's generosity in the gospel.
Gen. 18:22–33
Job 9:28–35
John 17:20–26
Heb. 7:23–28
Some say doctrine doesn't matter. It's all about devotion to God. But you have to know who God is and what He says about Himself in order to be devoted to Him—and that's what doctrine is. The doctrine of Christ's intercession shows this perfectly. In this message, we learn how to overcome the fears we have in approaching by through incarnation, mediation, and intercession of our faithful High Priest, Jesus Christ.
How does the church support those in need? In this messages in our series on Christian Giving, we look to the early Church's pattern of generosity to learn that through Christ's own poverty, we have become rich. We also touch on practical considerations, like who counts as "the poor" in our day, and how do Christians best help them?
Exod. 29:38–46
Hos. 6:1–6
Matt. 5:17–20
Col. 2:16–3:6
Many are exploring movements like the Hebrew Roots, or traditions like Eastern Orthodoxy, both wildly different but filled with ceremonies. What does Scripture teach about such ceremonies? We look together at Christ's claim to fulfill the Law, and how that teaches us to seek Him in heaven, not in the earthly ceremonies of the Old Covenant, whatever form those take.
God has designed for His Kingdom to advance on earth through the ordinary ministry of the gospel. This spiritual work comes with material costs. In this message, we look at one of the main reasons why God's people are called to give generously—keeping up our churches up and spreading them where they're needed.
Deut. 6:1–3
Ruth 2:8–16
Luke 17:5–10
1 Cor. 3:5–15
We continue in the doctrine of sanctification by focusing in on Scripture's teaching on works and rewards. How can it be that God promises to reward our good works if sanctification is by grace? The answer is that even the rewards are by grace.
This message begins with several intro comments about this new and quick series on giving in the Christian life. In this message, we turn to Scripture's instruction on the tithe. What was it? What did it mean? And does it still apply for Christians today?
Deut. 11:18–23
Isa. 51:4–8
Luke 17:5–10
Gal. 5:1–6
Sanctification is the glorious teaching that God Himself works powerfully within us to make us more like Christ. Do we do good works? Of course. And it God who works within us, causing the very same faith that received Christ in the first place to being "working in love" (Gal. 5:6).
The end of each year causes most people to reflect on what's happened in the previous 12 months. Amid big changes and maybe some successes, there are big disappointments. Perhaps even disappointment with God? In this passage, during which infant Jesus is presented at the Temple, we learn what faith looks like in the face of disappointment as it's put on display by Simeon, Joseph & Mary, and Anna the prophetess.
The Magi's trip to find the newborn King reveals to us that the world is filled with danger for those devoted to Christ, but that He remains worthy of our deepest devotion and promises to defend us. Christmas Eve 2025 - Lessons & Carols Homily.
Lev. 18:1–5
Ps. 143
Luke 5:17–26
Gal. 3:10–14
We go through tests in life that feel like passing through a judgment. There is one judgment we can't avoid, the Judgment of God. But the doctrine of justification teaches us how to pass this judgment—one of two ways: either by perfect obedience to the law (which no one can do), or by faith in the obedient Savior.
In a self-centered world, John the Baptist teaches us to look away from ourselves to the coming Savior, Jesus Christ. In this advent sermon, we learn to listen to the cry of the voice in the wilderness, saying "Make straight the way of the Lord!"
What do you think of when someone says "the end of the world"? Jesus wants us to think—redemption. In this Advent sermon, we open to Jesus' Olivet Discourse, where He teaches us how to read the signs of His coming and to respond, not with a sense of doom, but great confidence.
Deut. 4:32–40
Isa. 44:1–5
John 5:19–24
Rom. 3:21–28
What is faith? For something so central to Christianity, we have a lot of confusion about it. In this message guided by Belgic Confession article 22, we learn where faith comes from (the Holy Spirit), what it is (a faculty of the heart), and what is brings about (Christ given to you).
The second Sunday in Advent. We focus our hearts on Christ's arrival into Jerusalem, which reveals to us the character of both His first and second comings, and—as a result—how we might best prepare ourselves to say with the crowds, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
Madison Reformed Church gathered on the evening before Thanksgiving Day to offer our gratitude to God for all His kindness to us. In this message, we learn the obstacles to giving Him thanks from a full heart.
Lev. 16:1–5
Isa. 53:4–12
Matt. 27:45–51
1 Cor. 2:1–5
What is the atonement? It refers to the work of Christ that He accomplished on the cross. But what the atonement means and what Christ accomplished by it takes us to its Old Testament roots. In this doctrinal message, we open up centrality of the cross, and the good news it still proclaims today.
In this final message in our Genesis series, we remember the ongoing work of God through His covenant, and how—despite the obstacles of death, doubt, and domination—His covenant mercies triumph in the end.
Deut. 28:15–19
Jer. 11:1–5
John 11:45–53
2 Cor. 5:16–21
Around the year A.D. 130, an early Christian wrote a letter to a skeptic named Diognetus, and he explained that the work of Jesus Christ for sinners like this: "O sweet exchange!" In this message, we see how God poured out His justice against His Son in order to show mercy and goodness to us.
In a world of pain and sorrow, Scripture teaches us to take refuge at God's right hand (Psalm 17:7), where Jesus is preparing a Kingdom for His people. In the blessings given to Joseph and Benjamin, we get a glimpse of that Kingdom and of the Son of God's Right Hand. In Him, we have the strength to overcome adversity while we wait.
In this reflection from Reformation Sunday 2025, we consider the joy of being Reformed Christians.
The 12 sons of Jacob became the 12 tribes of Israel, the assembly of God's people at that time. We are one with them, and we learn about ourselves by studying them. It’s like a Bible-based personality assessment, helping us know who we are and what our place is in the Church. We are unique in what we bring to the table. But, like them, we are united in our need for the grace of God. In this message, we learn that because we are waiting for the same salvation as the patriarchs, we can grow in godly self-awareness by looking to them.
Gen. 14:17–20
Ezek. 34:11–24
Luke 23:44–49
Heb. 5:5–10
Part of being any calling is learning its vocabulary. If you work in finances, you have to know the difference between assets and liabilities; equity, debit, and credits, and so on. There’s a Christian vocabulary too. It’s part of our calling. In this message, we learn the term “hypostatic union," which teaches that the Lord Jesus is one PERSON with two NATURES.
Lions take advantage of the early morning hours to roar loudly as a warning to all who would try to take their territory. Lions are fierce and mighty. And in this passage, the patriarch Jacob blesses his fourth-born son Judah by calling him a lion. One will come from Judah's line who is like a lion. It is our Lord Jesus Christ, descended from Judah’s tribe, a leader worth following.
Gen. 15:1–6
Jer. 23:1–8
Matt. 1:18–25
Heb. 2:14–18
Ever get tired of waiting? If you open the Bible, that’s a pretty constant complaint. “How long, O Lord?” is a question that’s on repeat. The incarnation of the Son of the God is God's answer to that question. In this message, we look at Matthew 1:18–25 to see how this great miracle came about and why God did it.
Have you ever thought about what you’d like to use your last words for? In Jacob's deathbed scene, he speaks prophetic blessings to his 12 sons. These words set the trajectory for the tribes that come from these men, and also give us a glimpse of life in the Church. In his first three sons—Reuben, Simeon, and Levi—we learn what God is able to do even through sinners whose sins echo down to the next generation.
Gen. 3:8–15
Lam. 3:49–60
Mark 5:24b–34
Heb. 2:14–18
When humankind fell into sin, God could've acted in swift and overwhelming justice. But instead, He made a promise. He promised that a chosen offspring would come to battle the devil, and undo all his harm. This is the promise of the covenant of grace, forged by divine love, and useful for us in all our trials and temptations.
God’s will was that the covenant promises would pass on to the next generation in the unexpected way. That’s the divine pattern. He uses the weak to shame the strong. In Jacob’s adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh, we see Jacob embrace this divine pattern. After years of learning to discern the grace of God, he gets it right. This gracious God still works like this in the world today. And because that’s the case, we’re called, like Joseph, to put away our assumptions, and embrace God’s way of grace.
What has the Church to do with the state? Genesis 47 gives us plenty of biblical insights into how God's people—who abound in blessings—are to bless the nations they inhabit. Energized by the redemption we have in Christ, we are called to godly engagement with our earthly governments, even while we rest and hope for the eternal Kingdom of God.
Deut. 7:6–11
Isa. 41:5–10
John 15:15–17
Eph. 1:3–14
The doctrine of election is not meant to be a topic for debate, but good news for sinners. God has chosen to save those who could not and would not save themselves. And in this message, we learn where this choice comes from, what it leads to, and why we teach it.
What has the Church to do with the Family? In Genesis, the covenant family of Abraham is the Church, and so we are given wonderful answers to this question when we study how this family makes it through trials from without and from within. In this message, we learn that the blessings God has given His Church are so abundant that they overflow to families who join themselves to it: the blessings of peace, covenant worship, and family honor.
Gen. 5:1–11
Job 14:1–6
Matt. 15:10–20
Rom. 5:12–21
Have you ever wondered why it is harder to maintain good habits than it is to slip into bad ones? Why do we need to teach children, over and over again, how to obey while disobedience comes naturally? In short—why is it so much easier to do wrong? The answer is that we have a deep, ingrained problem called a sin nature, or "original sin." Original sin is the corruption that all people have inherited from Adam and that deserves death.
In this next section of the Joseph story, his brothers experience the biggest twist imaginable: not only that Joseph is still alive, but that he still loves them as family. This is the great unveiling that happens to all people who come into contact with the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 2:11 says that Jesus is not ashamed to call us "brothers.” What else does Jesus reveal to us about Himself? We answer that question in this sermon.
At some point or another, most people get into a situation where they have to muster the courage and go and do it, and the higher the stakes, the easier it is to be afraid. When it comes to God, the stakes couldn’t be higher. How to we come to Him? In Genesis 43, this dilemma that is laid out for us, and the process of Joseph's brothers coming to ask him for what they need shows teaches us today how to approach God. It is only through a willing substitute.
Gen. 1:26–28
Ps. 14:1–7
John 6:41–51
Rom. 8:5–11
The future is here. World leaders speak about immortality through continuous organ transplants. Tech companies discuss how to upload our consciousness to the “digital afterlife." What does all this mean for humankind? In this message, we return to the doctrine of the image of God, which teaches us that we were made with spiritual excellence, but that has been lost in the Fall.
Exod. 9:13–18
2 Sam. 24:1–15
John 9:1–7
Jas. 1:12–18
Have you ever been told that you have control issues? Actually everyone struggles with the thought that they may not be steering the ship. In the doctrine of providence, we learn how God controls all things. Providence is God's "orderly arrangement" of all things, in line with His own nature, without causing sin, for His glory and the good of His people. It is an unspeakable comfort.
Repentance is when a person turns away from his sin toward God and others. In this chapter in the story of Joseph, when the first signs of repentance show in his treacherous brothers, we are given a glimpse of how the Lord produces true repentance in us.
Deut. 32:10–18
Ezek. 28:11–19
Luke 10:13–20
Eph. 6:10–20
In a culture obsessed with the supernatural, Christians need to know the basic about the devil and his demons. In this message, learn where they've come from, what their goals are, and how we are to defend ourselves from them.
In Genesis 41, a great famine strikes the land of Egypt and surrounding countries, and God raises up Joseph to save the people during it. Famine is a time of deep hunger, and in this passage, we learn that through the Greater Joseph—our Lord Jesus Christ—we are delivered from our deepest hungers.
Should we anoint the sick with oil, as described in James 5? In this message, Rev. Welch spends time explaining why Madison Reformed Church practices this solemn ritual—what it is, what it isn't, the and way it stirs our faith to remember that Christ has overcome the grave.
Gen. 3:14–21
Isa. 55
Lk. 24:36–49
Acts 17:16–34
What's the difference between the law and gospel? In this final message in a short summer series, Ben Phelps shows how the law is woven into the nature of things, but the gospel of the Lord Jesus can only be found in the holy Scriptures.
How can those who are filthy from their sin stand before the God of all holiness? They must be cleansed of their filth and clothed in righteousness. Ben Phelps opens to Zechariah 3, and the amazing prophetic vision in which the high priest Joshua shows us how sinner gain access to the heavenly council through the grace of God.
Lev. 4:13–21
Ps. 50
John 1:1–18, 29–34
Heb. 9:22–10:18
Moving from the section of the catechism that explains our guilt on to the "grace" section, we learn what God Himself has done to pay the sinner's debt on their behalf. Ben Phelps preaching.
Lev. 26:9–13
Isa. 40:1–2
Matt. 10:26–33
Rom. 14:7–9
Rev. Nick Alons (Lynwood United Reformed Church) opens to the beautiful first question of the Heidelberg Catechism and shows us from Scripture where the exclusive, extensive, and enduring comfort we all need comes from.
Exod. 24:3–8
Prov. 17:15
Matt. 26:26–29
Rom. 6:15–7:6
If we are now—because of sin—unable to keep God's law, then why are we still held to that standard? The answer has to do with the justice of God. In this doctrinal sermon, Ben Phelps opens up the concepts of mercy and justice, and how these are manifested in the cross of Jesus Christ.
Joseph is still in prison, but is given the gift of dream interpretation for two of Pharaoh's officers, and is vindicated when his interpretation comes true. His role as the mistreated prophet of God previews for us our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true revealer of God's will, and who calls us to trust Him when we face downturns and mistreatment.
Temptation sometimes feels unbelievably strong and you feel very alone. In the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, Joseph stand up under an intense temptation, which is impressive enough—but the question is how? The answer is that the Lord was with him. In this message, we learn that that we are not on our own in the face of temptation, but that our strong Savior stands with us. And because He Himself has withstood the most persistent temptations, He is able to help us in times of need, even in the face of serious sexual temptation.
Genesis 1:26–31, 2:15–17
Jeremiah 17:9–10
John 8:31-47
Galatians 3:7–14
Ben Phelps helps us see the the heights of our creation by our good God, the depths of our fall into sin, and the heights once again of our re-creation by the Holy Spirit.
Recording begins midway through
Genesis 6:5–8
2 Samuel 12:1–15
Mark 10:17–22
Romans 3:9–20
What's the difference between the law and the gospel? This sermon kicks off Ben Phelps' short summer series, guided by the Heidelberg Catechism, that answers that question. In this message, we learn what the law reflects when sinners like us look into it.
*Recording begins after Scripture reading*** Continuing on after the summer series in Ruth, pastoral intern Ben Phelps looks into the family history of Jesus Christ from Matthew 1, showing that our faithful God has worked throughout every generation to bring about His saving purposes.
Gen. 28:10–17
Isa. 6:1–7
Luke 15:1–10
1 Peter 1:10–12
In the Bible, angels cause both terrible fear and deliver great comfort. Who are these mysterious figures? Tonight, we learn that because they are totally devoted to God, they are also totally devoted to the people of God. Next week, we look more closely at demons, but tonight, we learn what and who angels are, and what purpose they serve.
Pastoral intern Ben Phelps concludes his series in Ruth by focusing on Boaz, who in his role as redeemer gives us a beautiful picture of Christ the Redeemer. In this message we learn about the Redeemer's work that leads to the redeemed's welcome, and paving the way for a royal dynasty, all coming from the most unlikely of courses—a Moabite woman named Ruth.
Gen. 9:1–4
Prov. 30:24–28
John 1:1–5
Rev. 4:6b–11
Lots of theories about how the universe got here, and why. But Scripture speaks with clarity and simplicity that God alone has created all things, visible and invisible. In this message, we contemplate the glory of God in creation and learn that He has made everything out of nothing, by His Word, and so that His creation would be drawn back to Him in worship.
Pastoral intern Ben Phelps opens to the touching story of Ruth approaching Boaz with a marriage proposal. Exploring the powerful image of Ruth being sheltered under the shadow of Boaz's "wings," Ben shows how God's people in every age are taught to gather under the protective care of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Gen. 2:5–7
Job 33:1–7
John 16:4b–15
1 Cor. 2:6–16
In a time of immense confusion about the Holy Spirit, Christians must come back to the basics. In this doctrinal sermon on the deity of the Spirit, we learn the Bible's clear but challenging way of showing us who the Third Person of the Trinity is. We learn that He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and He does this not as a force, but as God Himself.
As the widows, Ruth and Naomi, make their plans for surviving a difficult chapter in life, Boaz emerges to meet their needs. Although their decisions and actions seem ordinary, through them the covenant God is showing His faithfulness to His people. Pastoral Intern Ben Phelps continues his summer series in the book of Ruth.
Gen. 1:1–5
Mic. 5:1–4
John 1:1–13
Heb. 1:1–14
There’s hardly a more important question than, Who is Jesus Christ? There are a lot of answers that have been tried out over the centuries. Our confession answers that question like this: “So then, [Christ] is the true eternal God, the Almighty, whom we invoke, worship, and serve.” In this message, we learn that Scripture describes Jesus as the Creator, and that this means our prayers and praise must treat Him as true God.
Pastoral intern Ben Phelps begins a series in the book of Ruth. The story begins during a time of judgment and suffering, and from this we learn that we can be patient in adversity because God is provides, and often in unexpected ways. Audio begins after the reading of the passage.
Num. 16:25–32
Ezek. 13:1–11
Mark 12:18–27
1 Tim. 6:20–21
Scripture paints a challenging picture for our age. It shows that while the Church is a community of people who welcome others into it, it also has boundary lines. One of the boundary lines is the doctrine of the Trinity. In this message, we learn what Scripture says about those who teach false doctrine and highlight a few of the prominent groups and people in Church history who have taught a false doctrine of the Trinity in particular.
How do we grow in holiness? Is it through self-punishment and trying harder? Scripture says that the flesh can't accomplish this. It is only through the Spirit. Although Christ has wiped away our debts before God, we still owe an everlasting debt of gratitude to the Spirit. Why? He gives us Himself. And through Him, we put our sins to death.
Gen. 1:26–31
Isa. 63:7–14
Matt. 3:13–17
2 Cor. 13:11–14
In this message, we learn how the Bible testifies about the Triune God and that our experience of Him agrees with that testimony.
The Joseph story is interrupted by Genesis 38 and his older brother Judah's exploits. From Judah will come our Lord Jesus Christ. But first, he ruins his legacy and only begins a transformation when confronted by the righteousness of another. To use the language of the book of Romans—where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more. In this message, we learn that Christ redeems ruined lives and legacies.
Christ lifted up His hands and "blessed them" and they, in response, "were blessing God." This back and forth pattern of blessing is what Christ has left behind for us at His ascension into heaven. In this message for our Ascension Day service, we remember this great work of God in Christ, and learn how best to respond.
Deut. 4:32–40
Isa. 42:5–9
John 10:22–30
Heb. 9:11–14
Many have wondered if the doctrine of the Trinity is really all the useful or practical. The moment you begin to go just a little deeper with it, you feel like you’re drowning. But the truth is that because we’re Christians, we also have to get used the feeling of being out of our depth. God is God, and He has revealed Himself. In this message, we focus especially on the the distinctness of each Person of the Blessed Trinity.
The jealousy of Joseph's brothers is a powerful picture of jealousy in the life of the Church. And in Joseph's story, we have one of the most extended and amazing pre-figurings of Jesus Christ in the whole Old Testament. Through Joseph, Genesis 37 highlights the humiliation of Jesus Christ, who alone can bring jealous sinners to their knees in repentance.
Deut. 12:32–13:5
Ps. 119:169–176
Mark 7:1–13
2 Tim. 3:14–4:5
People ask the question, “What is God’s will?” all the time. Here’s what our Confession delivers to us: “We believe that the Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely…” In this message, we learn that Scripture is enough to show us God’s will for salvation, for worshiping Him, and for spotting imposters.
"These are the generations of Esau." Why does Esau of all people get a genealogy to himself? In this message, we learn through Esau's kingdom, Edom, the vital spiritual lesson that no earthly kingdom or king will survive the ups and downs of life in this world or, in the end, the judgment of Christ the King. Since Christ’s Kingdom is the only eternal Kingdom, won for us by His sacrifice, our duty is walk by faith not by sight.
Deut. 31:24–29
Ps. 147:12–20
Matt. 11:7–15
Rom. 3:1–4
But through Christian history, there have been questions raised about whether or not other books and writings belong in the canon of Scripture. The Belgic confession speaks of making a distinction between the “holy books” (Scripture) and the “apocryphal books.” in this message, we learn what the Apocryphal books are and why we do not receive them as Scripture. And the hope is that the Apocrypha will be put in its rightful place—not to be treated with Scriptural authority, but also not to be treated as something to avoid.
Christians aren't just cleansed at the beginning of their walk with Christ, but need renewal throughout it. In this section from Jacob's life, we learn that God renews His gracious covenant with us every time we gather for worship, giving us his cleansing and protecting grace.
Deut. 6:10–19
2 Kgs. 22:1–13
Matt. 4:1–11
Eph. 2:17–22
God is revealed in Creation and in Scripture, but what is Scripture and why do we take it to be authoritative? In this message, we begin to answer that question with the help of Belgic Confession article 5, which shows us how God's Word alone is the final authority for faith and practice.
God has included passages like Genesis 34 in His Word because the Bible records real history, and because the hope of the gospel reaches down into the most wretched parts of human life. The story of Dinah's defiling and the aftermath paints a picture of the outrageous things that people are driven to do when they do not have self-control. But to these problems, the gospel has an answer. Jesus Christ promises to protect the oppressed, and punish the oppressor.
Exodus 19:1–10
Jeremiah 23:23–24
John 14:1–7
Romans 8:31–35
Matt Walkenhorst (pastoral intern from Ascension Reformed Church) opens up the doctrine of Christ's ascension into heaven.
In this message from 1 Corinthians, pastoral intern Matt Walkenhorst (Ascension Reformed Church) explains how the gospel frees us from the place where sin so often starts—focus on the self—so that we might become imitators of God in serving others.
"He is not here. He has risen, like He said. Come, see the place where He lay." This message of the angel on the day of Christ's resurrection gives hope to those who believe. In this Easter message, we learn of the dawning of the new creation, the hope of the empty tomb, and the greeting of Jesus that brings us to worship.
Deut. 18:15–20
Ps. 19:1–14
John 5:36–47
Rom. 1:18–23
We have learned about the attributes of God. Now we ask, "How has God communicated to us?" The answer is revelation, which comes in two forms or "books." The book of creation and the book of God's Holy Word. In this message, we learn how these two “books” are distinct, and how they work together.
Exodus 10:21–11:10 & Matthew 27:24–66
The Word of the Cross is a Word that tells us that Jesus Christ descended into the darkness for us. In this Good Friday message, we rest in Christ again, by whose sacrifice, we are forgiven.
Exod. 33:19; 34:1–9
Ps. 119:65–72
Mark 10:17–22
1 John 4:13–21
Lord, "you are good and do good” (Ps. 119:67). In this final message on the attributes of God, we focus our hearts on the goodness of God and its various expressions—grace, mercy, love, patience, and faithfulness—in order to know this God and worship Him with greater joy.
When Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday in His so-called “Triumphal Entry,” He was coming to a city marked by years and years of expectations building up. What was it going to be like when the King finally returned to the city of God? What would this King be like? Jesus’ arrival confronted them and it confronts us: When our king comes to us, will we accept Him as He is, or will our expectations lead us in some other direction? Because Jesus is the King that we actually need and not the king of our imaginations, our response must be a full turn towards Him only as He’s been revealed in the Word.
Christians sometimes feel like they're having travel delay. We know that the Lord has a plan for our lives and a destination we’re aimed at. But it seems like we’re never going to get there — to the home God has promised. In Genesis 28 & 33, we see Jacob being sent away and then returning to Canaan. And his journey teaches us that through the grace of Christ, we are not only forgiven for trying to make this world our home, but we’re taught to lift our hearts to heaven until the Lord brings us there.
Gen. 18:16–26
Zeph. 3:1–5
Luke 18:1–8
Rom. 3:21–26
We have meter inside of us that measures whether or not we’ve been treated fairly. Scripture teaches us that true justice is in God. We turn to that attribute of God today in our series in the attributes of God. And we’re going to see what that justice is, how we see it, and how we relate to it, since it’s one of God’s characteristics what human beings share in our own way.
It's been 20 years since Jacob was in Canaan. Now, as he returns, he comes to his biggest challenge yet—a wrestling match with God Himself. In this we have illustrated what Christ has done for us by His suffering and His cross. He has gone into combat, been wounded for the sake of His people, and been risen up in ultimate blessing. In this message we learn that believers sometimes wrestle with God, but that we have the assurance that though He wounds us, it is in order to bless us reconcile us to Himself and to others.
Deut. 4:1–8
Isa. 28:23–29
Mark 7:31–37
1 Cor. 18–25
When we say that God and man share any attribute—like wisdom—we recognize that God’s wisdom is divine wisdom. Ours is created wisdom, given to us by the Creator. Once that’s clear, then it becomes exciting for us to learn how we are like God. We are called to have open eyes to the characteristics we share with Him and, by His grace, become more like Him. In this message, we focus on the attribute of wisdom.
What do we do when we face paralyzing fear? In Jacob’s time of fear, he prayed. That’s the mark of spiritual transformation. Jacob came to Laban's territory prayerless, but now he departs in holy prayer. This passage shows us what it looks like to lean on Christ in times of fear, and through prayer to carve out a different path by honestly remembering how good the Lord has already been to us, and expressing what we need from Him in the moment.
Gen. 49:22–26
Job 37:14–24
Mark 4:35–41
Rev. 15:1–8
In this message on the attributes of God, our reflections are on the Almighty God. This is one that the Church has really emphasized in our creeds and liturgies. It’s the only attribute of God that appears in all three of the ancient creeds we use: the Apostles’ and Nicene both begin, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” The Athanasian Creed says, “…the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty..." And so many of our prayers begin with "Almighty God..." Why? We explore from Job 37.
*This audio begins midway through the Scripture reading.*
Almost sounding like it was written specifically about Genesis 30–31, Psalm 85:1 says, “Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.” In the end, the true restoration we’re all looking for is in the future: one day when Christ descends, and gives to us what was taken, restores what we were cheated out of, and blesses us even though we’re sinful. This story is a preview of a such a deliverance, and it teaches us do what is in our power to do while also holding on tight to the Lord and waiting for his salvation.
Gen. 14:17–24
2 Chron. 6:12–21
Matt. 11:25–27
Acts 7:44–50
Confessing that God is infinite means acknowledging that He is not and cannot be contained. In this message, we explore how the Bible reveals this attribute of God, and how both believers and unbelievers respond.
At the beginning of creation, God told humankind to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it. But in redemption, God has taken that command and turned it into a blessing: “God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples” (Gen. 28:3). The birth of Jacob’s children is that blessing. These sons become the twelve tribes of Israel. And their births are an OT picture of the church. And this passage teaches us that even though the Church faces great deception, Christ will bless and multiply His people.
Exod. 3:1–15
Mal. 3:5–7
John 5:25–29
Jas. 1:16–18
The attribute of immutability or unchangeability teaches us that God does not and cannot change. In this message, we ask and answer three questions: [1] What does it mean for God to be unchangeable? [2] Doesn't the Bible show that God does change? [3] What the use of believing & confessing this doctrine?
The Christian life is a journey. The way of the Lord is set before. Real spiritual enemies are on every side. And you are called to come and know Christ, and to mature in Him. Jacob gives us a glimpse of this journey. When he comes back in later chapters, he’s a new man. Still stumbling, but transformed by the presence of God. By the Holy Spirit, Jesus gives us the presence of God. And with that presence, we are to mature in our Christian journey—still stumbling, but transformed.
Exod. 33:17–23
Judg. 13:15–25
John 1:14–18
1 Tim. 6:13–16
It is easy to make religious and theological things sound ridiculous. It’s easy for atheists and doubters to speak about "the invisible man in the sky." In this message, we come to the doctrine of God’s invisibility, one of God's attributes especially targeted. What are we saying with the doctrine, what challenge does it pose for us as visible beings, and how does God help us?
Every Christian wrestles serious uncertainties about the future. In the Jacob and Esau story, Scripture has a warning and an encouragement. The warning is to those who mimic [1] Isaac and Esau. They rebel altogether against God’s plans because their spiritually nearsighted. The warning is also to those who mimic [2] Rebekah and Jacob, who do plan ahead, but with deception. But the encouragement is that Christ’s dominion as King enables us to rest in His plans with integrity.
Christians—like the patriarch of Genesis—are sojourners, and a sojourner’s top priority is to find water. This reminds of Jesus' powerful message to the woman at the well in John 4:13–14, “…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Genesis 26 gives us a reassuring picture of how God provides life for His people wherever we are in our Christian journey, and presses us to seek out this life in Christ.
Deut. 29:22–29
Job. 11:7–12
Matt. 16:13–20
Rom. 11:33–36
The attribute of God called incomprehensibility is that we cannot know God as He is, but only as He reveals Himself to us. In this message, we learn this doctrine from Scripture, the ways that God reveals Himself, and the reasons why God has revealed Himself—that we would obey, believe in, and enjoy Him forever.
We discover in Genesis 25 that every good gift comes from God. Even unbelievers enjoy the blessings of life, family, and legacy. And those things come from the Lord. But this passage is emphatic that the blessing of salvation also and especially comes from the Lord. As we look back at Abraham’s life and ahead to the those who come after him, we see clearly the overwhelming, sovereign grace of God toward undeserving sinners.
Deut. 33:26–29
Ps. 102:12–28
John 17:1–5
2 Pet. 3:8–10
In this message, we focus the attribute of eternity. This is true of God alone, and so is an incommunicable attribute. As we’ll learn, this grand difference between us and God is actually the source of help for us who live in time.
At 67 verses, Genesis 24 is the longest chapter in Genesis. But it's important because it signals a kind of changing of the guard from Abraham to Isaac. It's the love story between the chosen son and his faithful bride, Rebekah. In this story, we have laid before us a beautiful type and shadow of God’s pursuit of His Church—the Bride for His only Son, whom He loves. In this message, we learn that God’s determination to gather a people for Himself demands that we trust His leading prayerfully.
Gen. 22:15–18
Dan. 4:34–37
John 4:23–26
Heb. 6:13–20
Sometimes we wish that He had just published a glossary with all His attributes listed out with simple definitions. But God is not a textbook. He is the personal God, with whom we enjoy a living relationship through His Son. And so to talk about God in a biblical, worshipful way, we have to step back from dime-store theology and pause long enough to contemplate Him. In this message, we camp out on the profound teaching that all that is in God is God.
With the death of his wife Sarah, Abraham realizes for certain that the fulfillment of the Promise Land is still in the future. This is a passage about waiting for God to provide a homeland, a final resting place not in death, but in eternal life. And so it leads us by the hand to our Savior Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection are the proof that God can be trusted, and that our waiting is not in vain.
Exod. 8:8–15
Isa. 40:18–26
Luke 6:32–36
1 Pet. 1:13–21
The doctrine of God is the foundation of all theology. In a very important sense, it is theology. That word “theology” puts two Greek words together and simply means the study or concept of God. In this message, we begin a grand dive into the doctrine of God by learn what the goal of theology is, then two basic categories of God’s attributes and how those help us know God.
Back in the story of the sacrifice of Isaac, and zooming in on God's oath, we learn about the outcome of the spiritual war that has been going on since the serpent arrived in the Garden. God tells Abraham that his descendants will triumph against their enemies. God has staked the glory of His own reputation on overcoming the sin, hell, and the devil. And since He’s tied His own name to this project of salvation, our participation in it should be marked by confidence.
Deut. 30:11–14
Joel 2:30–32
Luke 12:8–12
Rom. 10:11–14
Among the many pressing needs among Christians in the west is a better understanding of the main teachings of the Bible. Even we Reformed Christians, who love our doctrine and often like to talk about it, prove not to know it well enough to speak simply and clearly about it to others. Beginning this series in the Belgic Confession, we focus on the opening words: “We all believe in our hearts and confess with mouths…”
One of the essential components of the Christian life is cross-bearing. Jesus says to all who claim to follow Him that it requires self-denial and taking up their cross. In the passage today, Abraham takes the wood of the burnt offering and (v. 6) lays it upon his son Isaac as he carries it up the hill to be sacrificed. It would be hard to find a clearer preview in the OT of our Lord Jesus carrying His cross. And by this preview of the cross of Jesus, we are shown how to bear our own crosses in the tests that God subjects us to.
We’ve come to a very ordinary section of Abraham’s life. He interacts with a local king, makes a deal, and life goes on. Passages like this can seem a little random to us. But it’s exactly because it tells such an ordinary story that it also shows us that God cares about our ordinary lives. As we come back to the magnificent first book of the Bible, we remind ourselves of the grand story that God is telling through it, and we learn that because God has claimed us as His own, we are called to claim even the mundane things of our life for God’s glory
Deut. 9:1–5
1 Chron. 29:10–13
Mark 11:20–25
Phil. 4:14–20
In this final message on the Lord's Prayer, we first build our confidence in Scripture by learning how to handle a difference between some copies of Matthew 6:13, then we build our confidence in the Lord Himself by learning how to conclude our prayers with praise and firm faith.
"Resolved: that in the coming year, we would thirst for God more deeply and conquer by His power." On this final Lord’s Day of 2024, we look at Revelation 21, where John reveals to us the new things that God promises to do for those who thirst and conquer. What do those things mean, and how do we do them? We answer that by uncovering the identity of the "seated on," the "sons" and "the sinners" of this passage.
The full service of our annual Festival of Lessons & Carols at MRC on Christmas Eve 2024. The audio begins midway through the first carol, "Once in Royal David's City." Homily at minute 42.
Song list:
1. “Once in Royal David’s City”
2. “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
3. “Savior of the Nations”
4. “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
5. “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
6. “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”
7. “What Child Is This”
8. “All Praise to You, Eternal Lord”
9. “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
The homily from Luke 2 during our annual Festival of Lessons & Carols at MRC. A joyful time celebrating the birth of the Savior of the World.
Exod. 13:17–22
Josh. 1:5–9
Matt. 10:16–25
1 Pet. 5:5–11
When you open Scripture and ask—who are the enemies of God’s people?, the answer ends up circling around three main categories: the world, the devil, and our flesh. I’d like to show you these in probably the most convenient spot in all of Scripture, then show some of the ways they tempt us, and then show how prayer equips us to fight against them.
No one likes the feeling of being duped. In some situations in life, it's important to bring healthy suspicion. But we go astray when apply that suspicion to God’s Word. Even Christians who have no problem believing things like the Virgin birth of Jesus still wrestle with whether or not God will do what He said in other ways. In Mary and Elizabeth, we are given graceful examples actively waiting on the Lord, looking to the proofs that He'll do what He said because He already has.
Gen. 33:1–11
Prov. 15:15–17
Luke 7:36–50
2 Cor. 2:5–11
Because Christian teaching has so seriously fallen apart in the Western world, we have to remind ourselves of the basics. In this message, we continue learning the meaning of the Lord's Prayer in the 4th and 5th petitions: “Give us this day our daily bread,” and “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” It does not get more fundamental than these.
Gabriel tells Mary that the way she will conceive the Christ-child is by the Holy Spirit and through the power of the Most High. His explanation reveals to us the amazing mysteries at the center of our faith: that God Himself took on human flesh. The name of this doctrine is the “Incarnation,” the act of God's almighty power. Since God has displayed His power in this way, we should remove every obstacle to experiencing it.
Lev. 24:10–16
1 Sam. 3:10–17
Matt. 26:36–42
1 Thess. 4:1–8
When we pray, "Thy will be done," what is God's will? Scripture speaks of God’s will in two different ways: what shall be done because of God's decreed, and what should be done because He has commanded it. In this petition of the Lord's Prayer, we ask for both to be done.
There are versions around us of a Christianity that try to get us to achieve greatness by the world’s measurements. This is when greatness is measured by what we can see with our eyes. But in Mary we learn that God brings about true greatness through humility, by coming under the reign of Jesus Christ.
Num. 15:37–41
Ezek. 20:39–44
Luke 23:6–12
Col. 1:3–14
The first two petitions (requests) of the Lord's Prayer are "Hallowed be Thy name" and "Thy Kingdom come." In this message, we learn why these prayers mean, and how they enable us to aim our whole selves at the glory of God's name and the advancement of His kingdom.
These days it is easy to be offended. Usually we take offense, not because of something actually done wrong to us, but because our perception was off. In this passage, Jesus says, "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me" — a warning not come to the our Lord with preconceived ideas about what kind of Savior He should be, and a promise of blessing to those who receive Him as He is. Advent 2024
In this message, we learn that Christian thankfulness is the result of being given a new self. This new self must be "put on" in our pursuit of holiness, but it is first given to those whom God has chosen and loved. In this message on the even of Thanksgiving 2024, we re-tune our hearts to the Christian calling of giving thanks.
Exod. 4:18–23
Job 37:14–24
Mark 14:32–36
Gal. 4:1–7
Prayer is one of the greatest privileges and struggles of the Christian life. It is a struggle because, as we say in the prayer of confession, “our minds are dark and are assailed by doubts.” Jesus has given us the Lord’s Prayer to help us. In this message, we learn that true prayer requires an “awakening” in us "that through Christ God has become our Father" (Q&A 120).
Isaac’s birth is next major moment in God's redemption plan. Because Isaac comes into the world through God’s power and promise, not through human effort, his story teaches us that salvation is the work of our sovereign God, and that no obstacles actually stand His way to accomplishing that salvation.
Gen. 12:1–9
Ps. 145:14–21
Matt. 7:7–11
Rev. 8:1–5
Christian gratitude is not just about obedience to the commandments, but also prayer. In fact, Q&A 116 teach us that “prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us.” In this message, we look at prayer from the last several verses of Psalm 145, especially anchored to v. 18: “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
In the passage, Abraham the “man of faith” comes into contact with an outsider—an unbeliever—Abimelech, king of Gerar. Abraham’s behavior toward this outsider causes a serious problem. This story posts a particularly challenging lesson for Christians: since Jesus Christ is the Savior of all kinds of people from all over the world, Christians must live out their faith in a way that helps, not hurts, those outsiders to see what a great God we have.
November 10, 2024
Deut. 12:1–12
Zech. 8:18–23
John 17:20–23
Heb. 12:18–23
Guest preacher John Punt (Bloomington RPCNA) opens God's Word to Psalm 122 in the evening service to speak of delighting in God and His people by serving them through Jesus, who is the King and Head of the Church.
From our Election Day 2024 prayer service. No matter how the election goes, no matter what direction the United States takes, we set our hope on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, which is "not of this world."
Jesus & the apostles said that the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah was like a preview of the great Day of Judgment and the toppling of the Serpent's reign. Like the angel's rescued Lot from the destruction of the city, so Christ will return and deliver His people from the condemnation of the world. But this tragic story teaches also how to live in the meantime: warning and praying for the lost and guarding ourselves from the lies of the devil.
Lev. 19:13–18
Prov. 1:8–19
Luke 10:25–37
Eph. 5:1–14
In this message on the second table of the Law (commandments 5–10), we learn who our neighbors are, and why the Lord requires us to love them. They are our fellow image-bearers, and they are our fellow sinners, in need of redemption just like us.
Many relationships have a breaking point, that point when someone taps out and says, “You’ve gone too far. This is over now.” Some Christians wonder if it’ll ever be like that for them when it comes to their relationship with their heavenly Father. Is there some breaking point when they’re going to be cut off? This passage is about the call upon all people to live in holiness before God, and the threat of being cut off from life in God because of our failure to do so. But as we tease out the great Genesis theme of "offspring," we come to the Lord Jesus, and discover that He has been cut off in our place. And through His death and sacrifice, we can grow in confidence of God’s faithfulness toward us.
There are people whose lives are filled with secret pain—whether the pain of their own sins or the pain of mistreatment at the hands of others. Genesis 16 reminds us that God sees. As Hagar is introduced into the story, this mistreated outsider meets the Son of God ahead of time. And this Son reveals the Father's compassion and kindness to us. He lifts us up out of our problems by the grace of His promises. When we recognize those promises, we’re able to persevere even through immense difficulties.
Deut. 4:15–24
Jer. 17:5–10
Matt. 23:16–22
1 Cor. 16:1–4
The Ten Commandments are divided into two parts, or “tables," with the first four commandments focusing on our obedience to God. Forty years after they were first given, Moses looks back at this event at Mt. Sinai in Deuteronomy 4, and his reflections help us understand the rationale behind our worship of God: that the true God is a consuming fire.
When a relationship or friendship gets tested, usually the people in the relationship at some point have to get back on the same page. Doubts and misconceptions have to be overcome. This even had to happen between Abram and the Lord, and the way the Lord did this was to make a covenant of grace. In this message, we learn especially about the promise of a homeland. Through the death of Christ, this promise is made certain.
Deut. 4:1–8
Isa. 57:14–21
Matt. 7:12–20
1 John 5:1–5
In a book for business leaders calledThe Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, the authors say that employees eventually “[run] out of self-control.” In other words, no matter how you try to light the fire inside people to be successful, you can’t force it. There’s something like that in the Christian life when it comes to obedience. We are our own worst bosses. We tell ourselves to do better, but keep stumbling. In this message, we learn from 1 John 5 how to overcome obstacles to obedience, not by worldly means, but through faith in Christ.
In many ways, Genesis is the story of a priesthood being recovered and restored. From another angle, Genesis is also the story of a war taking place between the offspring of the woman and the offspring of the serpent. Genesis 14 picks up on both of these parts of the story—with Abram taking on the persona of a warrior, a and the appearance of the mysterious priest Melchizedek. Both of these men paint a picture for us of the coming Savior Jesus Christ, and Genesis 14 teaches us that to fight our sin and the devil, we must draw near to God.
Deut. 24:7
Isa. 22:15–25
John 20:19–23
Rev. 3:7–13
The mission of the Church includes using the keys of the kingdom of heaven. What are those keys? In this message, we learn that gospel preaching and church discipline are the keys Christ has entrusted to His Church to open & close the kingdom.
In Genesis 12:1–9 God promises Abram a people through an offspring, protection even through hardship, and a place to call home. Here in chapters 12–13, we learn that when God makes promises, they get tested in our lives, and as a result, we also are tested. The passage before us tells us two stories, and each one puts God’s promise under the microscope and tests Abram’s faith. We learn from them that when the Church faces challenges from the outside and from within, God proves that He is faithful.
Exod. 29:31–34
Zech. 8:18–23
Matt. 26:26–29
1 Cor. 11:27–34
It’s always embarrassing to show up to an event badly prepared. You come to class having forgotten all about a test. A get-together with old friends, but you forgot that you were supposed to bring food. Many Christians come to the sacrament of the communion like this. We come ill-prepared because we haven’t recognized what an amazing gift from God it is, and because we don’t know how to prepare. We take up these topics in this sermon.
In this passage, God develops and passes along to Abram the promise of the offspring to come, who will crush the head of the serpent. God chooses Abram not only to bless him, but also through him to bring blessing to the ends of the earth. What blessing? The blessing of salvation, which has come to us through Jesus Christ. It is a gospel of salvation, and a gospel that leads sinners like Abram and like us to follow the Lord, even when it seems crazy to do so and even when the difficulties are huge.
Gen. 17:1–14
Isa. 44:1–8
Matt. 28:16–20
Acts 2:36–41
The great theologian John Murray said, “If it is proper to administer baptism to infants, then the [importance] of baptism must be the same for infants as for adults. It cannot have one meaning for infants and another for adults.” In this message, see in Acts 2 that the promises of baptism are applied not only to adult believers, but to their children, and so they are entitled to receive baptism as well.
Psalms 3–7 detail threats from within his kingdom; liars, murders, persecutors; and even the trouble of his own sins. But then here comes Psalm 8, a song of praise that teaches us to put our confidence in God. This psalm shows us how to zoom out from our problems far enough to see the whole world with Christ reigning over it, promising to make all things new. With such a grand vision, we build our confidence in Jesus, even while the problems of life continue on.
Num. 5:1–4
Ps. 51:1–12
Matt. 3:1–17
Titus 3:3–7
In baptism, God has given us a simple but powerful means of restoration. In this message we discover what the sacrament of baptism does and how it remains useful to you throughout your entire life. Baptism proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ to your senses. It is gospel water—Christ’s gift to every believer to help us become more assured of His forgiving love and His renewing power.
Psalm 7 teaches us how to persevere when we’re sinned against. It’s a psalm about God getting justice for His people. But in v. 8, David tells the Lord, “Judge me according to my righteousness.” He speaks beyond himself, because in an ultimate sense, only our Lord Jesus Christ can speak like that. In this sermon, we enter into Psalm 7 by recalling the experience of our Savior, whose death and resurrection give us more than we need to face unfair treatment with patience and grace.
Gen. 1:1–5
Isa. 43:1–7
Matt. 22:1–14
2 Cor. 4:3–6
Ever since the fall into sin, God’s image-bearers have not responded to God’s call properly without His grace intervening. If we are unable to respond when God calls us to belief his Word, then what is the solution? “The Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel and confirms it by the use of the sacraments."
Historically, Psalm 6 has been called one of the 7 “penitential psalms.” In other words, it teaches us how to repent when we’ve sinned, or when we’re experiencing the consequences of sin in general. The relief we long for is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has taken the full weight of God’s wrath against sin. And because of this, we know that when we sin, we have a constant path laid down for us for repentance and returning to him. In this sermon, we learn three parts of repentance.
Lev. 4:27–31
Hab. 2:1–5
John 15:1–11
2 Cor. 5:16–21
In this message on union with Christ, we turn to justification and sanctification. We learn how these two are related to each other—a relationship that is far more important than we might think at first. Getting justification and sanctification mixed up can rob you of your Christian joy. But understanding their relationship opens the pathway to growth in holiness.
Mornings bring us tiredness. Bad dreams. Chronic pain. And from the word “go,” our phones and tablets are calling the shots with messages, tasks to complete, and news updates about some terrible thing that happened over night. King David knew the stresses of the early morning and got up early to offer a sacrifice and ask for guidance in the face of evil. Psalm 5 teaches us to approach God in this same way, but through a much better sacrifice—the death of Jesus Christ—and to ask him for the guidance we need in a wicked world.
Exod. 19:1–6
Joel 2:18–32
John 10:14–18
1 Cor. 12:12–27
Union with Christ is the believer’s connection to God, through His Son, by the Holy Spirit. In this message, we explore the Spirit's role in uniting us to Christ, Christ's Body (the Church), and to one another.
The “sleepless night” is a terrible experience. In Psalm 4, Israel’s king—King David—is facing just such a night. A thousand years later, the Lord Jesus would face an even darker night. Psalm 4 teaches us that all the stress and toil and restlessness of our Savior becomes our peace. He gives us the gift of a calmed heart even when our enemies attack so that we can rest.
No one likes to be told no, but sometimes our heavenly Father gives us this very answer. In this topical message on the problem of "no answers" from God, we recognize that even Jesus received a no-answer from his Father. The passage before us today is the account of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion, asking for "the cup" to pass from him. And the particular request that he makes is denied. This teaches us not only that God saying No is a common experience in the Christian life, but that it is not for no reason. Through his no-answers, God is doing more than we can imagine.
In this message, Rev. Zac Wyse (Ascension Reformed Church, Cincinnati) opens God's word to explain what a transformed life looks like, the necessity of repentance, and the reason for good works.
We are not only united to Christ in his descent to earth, death on the cross, and burial—but also in his resurrection, ascension, and reign. Paul says in 2 Tim. 2:12, “If we endure, we will also reign with him…” In this message, we look at Jesus’ reign from three angles—his current reign from heaven; when he comes again on the day of judgment; and his reign in eternity. And we reflect on how each of these affects us as those who are united to him.
Genesis 11:10–32 shows us the sovereign faithfulness of God to his people by moving us from the days of the flood to the man of faith, Abram. What do we find as we weigh this chapter with other passages of the Bible? We find the same sovereign God of creation, faithful to his promises, and faithful to his people. We learn that no matter what the state of the world or the church seems to be, the Lord always guards a remnant of people, whom he has chosen by grace.
Deut. 28:45–15
Zech. 12:10–14
Mark 16:6–15
Gal. 2:17–21
Crucifixion was a truly awful way to die. It was to be avoided at all costs. But in Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ.” Paul wasn't actually executed with Jesus there in A.D. 33. So what does this mean? Because the Holy Spirit has united us to him, the effects of what he has done now come to his people. In this message, we explore this aspect of union with Jesus Christ—that we have been crucified and raised with him.
If you’ve ever been in a foreign country, perhaps you’ve experienced the shock of being immersed in another language. The inability to understand what someone else is saying is the foundation of confusion. In Genesis 11 we come to the event where this all began—where humankind tried to itself and ended up scattered and confused. This passage teaches us to give up on our projects to make a name for ourselves, especially in our worship, because God himself exalts us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Exod. 4:18–23
Isa. 43:1–7
Luke 1:34–38
Eph. 1:3–6
Many people’s main struggle in life is a lack of connection with others—for what the Bible calls fellowship. Our main longing is to have fellowship with God. Union with Christ is God’s gift to provide for that need in each of us. In this message, we learn how Christ’s being the Son of God leads us our becoming the children of God through the grace of adoption.
Genesis 10 shows us that this sinful world has always been trying to figure out what to do with the problem of divisions and always ends up looking to the wrong figure to sort things out for us. But because the Lord Jesus Christ is uniting a people from every tribe, nation, and language, we don’t need anyone else to do that for us. We thank God when national leaders do well and when there's peace in the land. But we say confidently with Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”
Num. 14:13–19
Ps. 125
John 14:18–24
Rom. 6:1–11
In this first message on union with Jesus Christ, we learn that this union is the believer's connection to God, through his Son, by the Holy Spirit. The catechism recognizes the importance of when it says in Q&A 29, “…those who in true faith accept this savior have in him all they need for their salvation.” This series explores the Creed's teaching on Jesus Christ through the lens of union with him.
In Noah's three sons, we are given the spiritual categories: Through Ham, the unbeliever. Through Shem, believers born and raised in the covenant. Through Japheth, those outside the covenant, but brought in later. This passage not only gives us the outline of God’s plan in history, but it teaches us the toll that sin takes. Sin brings us shame and immense regret—that feeling of wishing we could go back and get a re-do. But the Lord Jesus Christ covers the shame of those who receive his blessing.
Deut. 8:11–18
Job 1:1–22
Matt. 10:26–33
Jas. 5:7–11
The doctrine of God's providence teaches us about "the almighty and ever-present power of God." We get a glimpse into the mysterious workings of God's providence in the first chapter of Job—not only that we have spiritual enemies, but also that God somehow uses even them to work out saving plan. In this message from the catechism we learn how to trust the sovereign governance of God, and to be patient, thankful, and confident Christians.
The way of life in this world after the flood was put in place by God’s covenant with Noah, sometimes called the Noahic Covenant, or the Covenant of Common Grace. This covenant highlights the universal faithfulness and patience of God, and through it, God blesses all people even in a cursed world and gives unbeliever time to be saved.
When you move to a new town, it takes a long time to feel like you fit in. Many still feel like outsiders. Psalm 87 depicts outsiders and enemies being welcomed into the city of God. It teaches us that the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is such a sweeping message of welcome, that through it, God is able to make the enemies of Zion feel as though Zion is actually their home town, as though they were born and raised there. And if that’s the effect of the gospel, then we ought to welcome others in the same way.
1 Peter 3 makes a connection between Christ’s work of salvation and the flood of Noah. In fact, he gets even more specific. He says that Christian baptism has a correspondence to the flood and to Noah’s family being saved through the waters. In this passage we learn that even as God was wiping away the seed of the serpent in the flood, he was also preserving for himself a community of worshipers, baptizing them, and remembering his created world.
Exod.19:7–9
Ps. 71:1–6
Lk 8:9–15
Heb. 4:14–16
John Brown of Haddington was a Reformed pastor in 18th century Scotland, said that a minister who teaches on "faith" wrongly "tends to pervert the glorious gospel." But to grasp what faith is brings freedom to every Christian conscience, like balm on a wound. In this catechism message focusing on Lord's Day 7 of the Heidelberg Catechism, we learn why we need faith, what faith is, and its object.
Noah was a “herald of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5 ) and his ark-building was not just an act of obedience, but a message of condemnation to the unbelieving world and righteousness to those who believe (Hebrews 11:7). In this passage , we are given a grand picture of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, who builds the kingdom of God as Noah built the ark, and proclaims a message both of warning and salvation to the world.
This passage describes the generation before the flood that destroyed the earth. Listen to what the Lord Jesus says about this time period, “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:37). What were those days like? Verse 5: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6 teaches us that even in a crooked generation, believers are to live with the firm confidence that God’s favor rests upon us. What greater token of God’s favor has been given to us than that he has delivered his Son to face judgment in our place?
Pentecost 2024: in which we meditate together on what "keeping in step with the Spirit" is and is not. Imagine a dance routine in which one of the dancers can’t hear the beat, and so he’s out of step the whole time. In this passage, the Apostle Paul uses images like this to talk about how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. Verse 16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit…” And verse 25, “…let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Today we learn that the Holy Spirit not only gives us life, but teaches us how to live.
Deut. 8:7–10
Isa. 65:17–25
Jn. 14:18–24
Rev. 21:1–8
Believers already enjoy the blessings of the New Covenant. But there is still much more to come in what theologians call the "consummation." In this message on Covenant Theology, we learn what Scripture teaches about the final state of God's people, place, and presence.
Gen. 12:1–3
Ezek. 37:24–28
Lk 22:14–23
Heb. 7:20–28
In New Covenant, God has brought about what he had promised all along, by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. And the Holy Spirit takes the benefits of these things that Christ has done, and gives them to the believer. This sermon focuses on three ways in which the New Covenant is new and better than what has come before.
Genesis 5 jumps back in time all the way to Adam (v. 1) and then forward in time as it follows his godly descendants all the way to Noah (v. 28). In other words, ch. 5 tells us why there’s a remnant of godliness in an otherwise wicked world as the flood approaches in ch. 6ff. It is through Adam, through Seth, and through Enoch that God has preserved the faith and true worship. This otherwise obscure chapter of the Bible teaches us that even though you walk in the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord Jesus Christ lifts your heart to heaven as you walk with him.
Psalm 24 is an Old Testament picture of the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. It teaches us that our ascent to the presence of God is only through Christ, the Man of clean hands and pure heart. In this homily to commemorate Ascension Day 2024, we meditate upon what it means to seek the face of Jesus, whose human nature is truly away from us in heaven.
Lev. 26:9–13
Jer. 31:31–37
Jn. 6:45–51
Heb. 8:1–13
In this message, we learn what the New Covenant looked like from the perspective of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The New Covenant is that unfolding of the grand Covenant of Grace in which we live in this age, since Christ has come and the Holy Spirit has been poured out from heaven. And in this covenant, the people are forgiven, the place is abundant, and the presence of God is personal and powerful.
In this passage, there are two family lines leading to two cities: The city of man is where our earthly citizenship is and the city of God is the heavenly city. And believers must learn to live in both. How do we do that? This passage teaches us to us cling to this faithful God, not only as the way to become citizens of the city of God, but it also to spend our days in this earthly city of man offering ourselves to him.In this message, we learn this by seeing the characteristics of these two cities, then by exploring what it looks like to live in them both.
Deut. 17:18–20
1 Chron. 17:1–15
Lk. 1:26–33
Eph. 2:18–22
The Davidic Covenant is the agreement in which God promises an everlasting Kingdom to His righteous King. In this sermon, we apply that description to the three promises we’ve learned in past weeks: People, place, & God’s presence. It’s through this royal covenant that we begin to see that God’s central promise (“I will be your God and you will be my people”) will be fulfilled through hisKing, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The story of Cain and Abel highlights the problem of ungodly rivalry among God’s people. There are, of course, harmless rivalries, like between competing teams. But the rivalry that the Bible speaks of has to do with selfish ambition, and the desire to have or get more than others. In the Church, such rivalries are out of step. We are called, rather, to be our brother’s and sister’s keeper, and today we’re going to learn that this in possible through the blood of Christ, which speaks a better word than the blood of Abel: not a word of condemnation, but mercy and forgiveness.
Exod. 24
Neh. 1:7–11
Jn 1:14–18
Heb. 9:18–26
The phrase “the old covenant” shows up in the NT in 2 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 8. It’s important to remember that the Old Covenant actually began at Mount Sinai. It’s an agreement between God and the Israelites, with Moses as the go-between, where God promised a people, place, and his presence if the people obeyed his commandments. This whole set-up showed what perfect righteousness looks like, and therefore, pointed them to Christ. In other words, the Old Covenant (also sometimes called the Mosaic or Sinai Covenant) shows that God’s blessings come only through his righteous Son.In this message, we remember that the Old Covenant was one administration of the greater Covenant of Grace, but that it was unique: It was distinct from Abraham; it was strict; it was shadowy.
What rings true to most people about Genesis 3 is the description of a painful and toilsome life. You can put so much thought and work into something, only for it to backfire. So that part of the story of Genesis 3 checks out immediately in our experience. But what about the rest of it? Today’s passage teaches us that even though we all live our lives in the wilderness outside of Eden, Christ makes us to taste of the tree of life. He keeps us going, nourished along the way, while we toil outside the Garden.
Genesis 15 is one of the most important chapters in the whole Old Testament, but it’s not really in children’s storybook Bibles and many lifelong Christians hardly know about it. Why is that? It's an ancient Near Eastern covenant. But by looking into it, we see the glories of our redemption. In this message on the Abrahamic covenant, we learn that God's promise of a people, a place, and the presence of God belong also to us.
In this passage, the curses that God pronounces against the serpent, woman, and Adam bring us back to the original callings he placed upon image-bearers. We are to be fruitful, but sin now twists this calling. Ecclesiastes calls the result “vanity, and a chasing after the wind.” Paul in Romans calls it “futility.” We try to work, and produce, and live—but the curse brings toil, pain, and eventually death. And yet Christ has overcome and is overcoming this curse. Because of his obedience and his death, we are freed to pursue God’s callings in our lives with all our might—whatever those callings might be.
Gen. 8:20–9:17
Jer. 33:19–26
Matt. 5:43–48
1 Pet. 2:13–17
In this sermon in our series on the Biblical covenants, we turn to a different kind of covenant—not saving and redemptive, but common and applying to everyone. It was made just after the flood, and so it is sometimes called the Noahic Covenant, which is uninterrupted, universal, and useful to every part of common life.
This passage is in two parts: God confronts Adam and Eve (vv. 8–13) and God judges them and the serpent (vv. 14–19), but it’s all held together especially by the promise in v. 15: God’s original gospel promise. This passage teaches us that sin not only brings judgment, but leads us to think that we don’t deserve it. But brothers and sisters, Christ has been bruised for our sins. And when we recognize that, it not only takes away our fear of judgment; it enables to us acknowledge our sins.
In Luke’s record of what happened on the Sunday morning of Jesus’ resurrection we learn the announcement of the resurrection "seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” In this Easter 2024 message, we find is that our Lord’s rising from the dead calls upon all believe to remember, believe, and marvel.
Gen. 3:14–15
2 Sam. 7:22–26
John 20:1–18
Rev. 21:1–4
In this message we turn to the third overarching biblical covenant, which is typically called the Covenant of Grace. This is one big covenant that develops over history through several smaller covenants. We learn the core promise that the seed of the women will crush the head of the serpent, that this promise develops over the course of the Bible, and how it helps us understand faith and works in the Christian life.
In this Good Friday message, we look at the reactions of two criminals being crucified on either side of Jesus—one hard-hearted, the other repentant. In the end, we find that being with Jesus is all it takes for scoundrels and sinners to make it into Paradise.
The "Get to Know MRC" gatherings are Wednesdays meet-ups in March 2024 for people interested in the church, but who want to know more before getting into membership classes.
WEEK 4 (final):
- The doctrine of worship
- Sacraments as "means of grace" and why we baptize the children of believers.
Gen. 2:8–17
Hos. 6:1–11
Lk 10:25–28
Rom. 5:18–21
In the last couple messages on the covenants of the Bible, we’ve come to recognize that there’s a covenant vocabulary we have to learn. Sometimes a passage describes a covenant without using that word. There are words used, or there are elements of a covenant happening in the passage that show us that’s what’s happening. That’s important to remember as we look into what is called the Covenant of Works. In this message, we explore how Scripture presents God’s relationship with Adam in the Garden, what God promised to Adam, and how it relates to us.
In this message, we learn the devil's playbook for temptation: Twisting God’s Word. Denying God’s Word. And making false promises. Whatever it takes to get us to "take and eat." This same devil used a similar strategy against the Lord Jesus Christ, but hehas overturned sin and death. And from his fullness, he turns to his people and says, “Take and eat” to strengthen us and to draw near to us when we face temptation.
The "Get to Know MRC" gatherings are Wednesdays meet-ups in March 2024 for people interested in the church, but who want to know more before getting into membership classes.
WEEK 3:
- The doctrine of the Church: its institution, its attributes, its leaders
- Membership in the local church
In this message from Rev. Zac Wyse of Westside Reformed Church (Cincinnati), we open to the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus—the innocent one—is traded for the wicked Barabbas. (Preached March 10, 2024.)
Deut. 28:1–6
Ps. 40:1–10
Luke 22:24–30
Heb. 10:1–10
A covenant is a “formal agreement that creates a relationship with legal aspects.” (Michael G. Brown & Zach Keele, Sacred Bond, p. 12). In this message, we look at what has become known as the Covenant of Redemption: God’s eternal plan to save, restore, and redeem. It is unique because it is an agreement between the Persons of the Trinity & it was made before time.
The creation of Eve and the first marriage in Genesis 2 challenges all of us with God’s categories for companionship. It teaches us to look to the Lord Jesus Christ and to find in him the key to a godly union. What is that key? Self-denial, seen in the Savior first, and then followed in obedience to his call.
The "Get to Know MRC" gatherings are Wednesdays meet-ups in March 2024 for people interested in the church, but who want to know more before getting into membership classes.
WEEK 1:
- History of the Reformed Churches
- Why we use creeds & confessions
- Scripture as our final authority
The "Get to Know MRC" gatherings are Wednesdays meet-ups in March 2024 for people interested in the church, but who want to know more before getting into membership classes.
WEEK 2:
- Covenant theology reveals Scripture's big story.
- Key doctrines like predestination, justification, sanctification
- The Christian life is ordinary Spirit-filled living
Gen. 21:22–34
Ps. 105:1–11
Luke 1:67–75
Eph. 2:11–16
Covenants were deeply ingrained in the life of God’s people, and when God did something new in the history of salvation, he tied it to a covenant. So our reading of Scripture and our understanding of God’s love stands to grow deeper when we begin to understand the biblical covenants. In this first sermon in a series on Covenant Theology, we learn how to discover covenants in the Bible.
Adam was God's first priest on the earth, and Eden was his sanctuary, where the first man was to "work and keep" the garden and keep away from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The reward for his work? Eternal happiness with God. In this message on Genesis 2:4–17, we learn that Christ—the Last Adam—has won this inheritance for us, and that all our striving must be in light of his saving work.
Matt Bear, pastoral intern at Good Shepherd Orthodox Presbyterian Church, speaks on the amazing reality of the worship of God. With the help of Westminster Confession of Faith 21.6, Matt shows us how Hebrews 12 gives us a glimpse of the heavenly nature of our assembly.
Matt Bear, pastoral intern at Good Shepherd Orthodox Presbyterian Church, opens God's word to the great passage Romans 8:1–4 to drive home the good news that those who are in Christ Jesus are no longer condemned.
Exod. 33:12–17
Psalm 106:19–23
John 14:8–14
1 Pet. 3:13–18
When someone steps in to settle a disagreement we call that “mediating.” That’s an idea we find in the Bible. The Bible speaks about mediators as being a “go-between," especially through prayer or sacrifice on behalf of others. In other words, a mediator is a bridge-builder—connecting things that otherwise have a wide gap in between them. Scripture teaches us that Christ is our bridge-builder. In this sermon, we look at this topic by answering three questions: (1) What is a mediator? (2) How is Christ our mediator? (3) Where do we learn this?
Anything that we hold as important gets our attention, time, and planning. It’s the same for God himself. The six days of creation are important, of course. But in an another sense, they’re just the planning stage. The grand finale is the seventh day. In this sermon, we learn that since God entered into his rest, it is our destiny to find rest in him as well. The full experience of that rest won’t come until the end. But even now we are called to participate in it and enjoy it.
Lev. 1:1–9
Job 1:1–5
John 11:45–53
Heb. 10:1–10
Lord's Day 5 of the Catechism speaks about the problem of sin and punishment in financial terms. Our sins and guilt are spoken of as a debt. In this message, we learn that the human race has always had the impulse to pay this debt back to God; that God put in place temporary solutions to paying it back; but that Christ is the true solution to paying back our debt to God.
Genesis 1:26–27 is the account of man being made in the image of God. This is the teaching that assures us that we are made to be like our Creator, the King. In fact, Psalm 8 speak of this image when it says, “[God,] you have made [mankind] a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.” The image of God is humanity’s imitation of God’s kingship. And today we’re going to see that because sin has so damaged this image in us, it is only through Christ that we can begin to become faithful imitators of God again.
Gen. 19:23–29
Isa. 66:15–24
Matt. 11:20–24
Rev. 21:5–8
The late J. I. Packer wrote 50 years ago, “The fact is that the subject of divine wrath has become taboo in modern society, and Christians by and large have accepted the taboo and conditioned themselves never to raise the matter." If that was 50 years ago, the situation has only gotten worse. Given that the Bible speaks about God’s wrath frequently and that we say that we love and believe the Bible, then we must embrace this teaching. Otherwise, we not only make ourselves out to be liars, but we rob Christ of His victory—for, what he suffered was nothing less than the fury of God’s wrath against sin.
Today we celebrated two new members joining Madison Reformed Church, and to mark the occasion, we opened to Acts 20 and Paul's speech to the Ephesian elders. This priceless speech gives Christians great insight into how we ought to practice life in the local church, and teaches us that since God has purchased every church by the blood of his dear son, it every Christian's privilege and responsibility to join such a fellowship.
Deut. 10:12–17
Jer. 3:24–4:4
John 16:4–11
Rom. 2:25–28
Question 8 asks, “But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil?” The answer is “Yes… unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.” This teaching is called the doctrine of regeneration, or being born again. The Bible makes it clear that this new birth is absolutely necessary, and Scripture shows us this by giving all kinds of different images to show us what regeneration is and does. In this message, we focus on Scripture's description of regeneration as circumcision of the heart.
In Scripture, the sages had a role to play in the royal court of kings, including the king of Israel. They were to be trusted advisors, helping the king become a man of true wisdom. In this way, sages were supposed to take their cue from God himself. Creation demonstrates this for us powerfully. Proverbs 3:19 says, “The LORD by wisdom founded the earth..." In this sermon, we take this inspired teaching back to Genesis 1–2 to learn three wise lessons that Creation teaches those who have faith in Christ.
Deut. 6:4–9
2 Sam. 12:1–15
John 7:14–24
Rom. 3:9–20
Early on the catechism teaches us that we must know “how great my sin and misery are.” In this message, we learn how God uses his law to alert us to the fact our sin endangers us, and how we are to flee only to Christ to escape sin's misery.
When God freed the Israelites, they had been in Egypt for 430 years. It was time to unlearn the ways of that world and to remember the ways of Abraham, and of Abraham's God. To begin this process, Moses told them the story of God creating the heavens in the earth. In this message on the days of creation, we learn that God is the King, and that he has endowed people—even former slaves—with job of ruling as well.
Lev. 26:9–13
Job 23:1–17
Luke 4:31–44
Rom. 14:7–12
The 1st question of the catechism teaches us that true spiritual comfort is found in belonging. That’s a remarkable way to begin. It’s the kind of thing that is relevant in any age because everyone longs to belong. No one can sustain a healthy life without being a part of something, without being tied to someone. We all long to belong. And without a sense of belonging, we flounder. In this message, we see 3 things that this belonging means for the believer.
NEW SERIES in GENESIS: The Bible is God’s gracious way of giving us a behind-the-scenes look at him and his plan. Genesis is the first book we open to get a glimpse, and we must deal with the God who makes his appearance at the very start. There is no one like Him. And since there is no one like Him, the further “behind the scenes" we look, the more we realize that we'll never come to the end of his greatness or to the goodness of his plan, and that before him our false ideas of God and our false gods themselves must crumble. He is the only God, the Triune God, and the redeeming God.
In this message, Matt Walkenhorst (pastoral intern at Westside Reformed Church) opens God's Word to the Gospel of Mark to give us a glimpse of Christ's lordship over creation. He asks, if creation hears Christ's word and obeys, shouldn't we? (The first minute or two of this sermon audio was cut off).
Num. 14:1–12
Dan. 9:20–23
Matt. 26:36–46
1 Cor. 10:6–13
The old Presbyterian minister Matthew Henry was right to say about the Lord's Prayer that “the expressions [are] remarkably concise and yet vastly comprehensive…” This prayer has taught us how to bring all the needs of both body and soul to the Lord. And in this message, we learn the meaning of the 6th petition, the conclusion, and the final word “Amen.” The Lord’s Prayer ends with an acknowledgement of weakness, a plea for God's power, and rest in his answers.
Praise is when we direct our attention to someone or something and express our admiration. When we direct our praise to God, it’s worship. Psalm 150 gives us a picture of the perfect end—the end of all things, a glorious worship-filled creation in which death, sin, and hell have been conquered. The life of the Christian is a process of grabbing hold of these promise and responding with wholehearted praise. Because the Triune God will bring about his perfect victory, we must learn to give this perfect response.
Psalm 147 is written for exiles, including Christian exiles, to those who are not home yet. The message of Psalm 147 is similar to what angels told the shepherds on the first Christmas: glory to God and peace on earth. As we look at this psalm on this Christmas Eve, come with eyes ready to see that the power and might of God has been displayed in a way that you can actually grasp it—not through outward strength, but through a manger and a cross.
Gen. 50:15–21
Dan. 9:16–19
Matt. 18:21–35;
Eph. 4:30–32
Sin is when we build up moral debt before God. God has commanded righteousness, and we have not lived up to it, and so we owe it to him. To forgive a debt is to release a person from that obligation. When we ask God to forgive us our debts, we’re asking him to release us from the obligation of paying him back. And when we pray about forgiving our debtors, we’re talking about having the ability to release someone from the debt they owe to us. In this message, we why Jesus has added the phrase—“as we forgive our debtors”? We’ll see three answers to that question.
Psalm 139 is the psalm of a person who is willing to admit that God is inescapable. It teaches us three ways that this is so: in his knowledge, in his presence, and in his judgment. These things are good news for those who have received his grace. But they are terrifying news for those who haven’t. In this sermon, we see how these aspects of the inescapable God applied to David originally, to Jesus when he arrived, and to us as Christians in our day.
Deut. 8:1–5
Ps. 62
Mark 6:34–43
Jas. 1:9–18
The 4th request in the Lord's Prayer is, “Give us, this day, our daily bread.” Why does Christ include this very down-to-earth petition in his model prayer? (1) To teach us what we really need; (2) To teach us that He’s the provider; (3) to teach us to trust Him completely.
At the heart of Psalm 105 is God’s covenant with his people, a covenant of grace that stretches to our own day. The same promises belong to us in the new covenant. The only difference is that these promises have reached their fulfillment in Christ. Now Israel’s history as the people of God is our history. As they were commanded to remember God’s faithfulness in previous times, this psalm calls us to remember God’s faithfulness in our day as well—that he has promised us a homeland and, even now, is guiding us into that land despite the many dangers along the way
Exod. 4:10–17
Ps. 143
John 14:25–31
Rom. 12:1–8
The Lord’s Prayer is both a prayer in itself and also a model prayer. Through it, Jesus teaches us how to offer up to God everything we need for body and soul. In the prayer’s middle section, there are six appeals to God that we call “petitions.” Today, we turn to the second and third petitions: “Thy kingdom come” and “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Moses' psalm reminds us of the frailty of life and the certainty of death. But it also serves to give us Christ, whose death and the promise of his return presses us to live a life of productivity for his glory. Even in our toil, he is our dwelling place.
Num. 14:11–19
Jer. 23:23–24
Matt. 6:25–34
Acts 17:22–29
In this message, we begin looking at the parts of the Lord’s Prayer, the address and the first petition. A petition is simply an appeal to God, for him to do something in particular. In giving us these six petitions, Jesus teaches us to direct our minds toward God when we pray. Today we’re going to explore this by learning that we (1) Address Him as Father; (2) Address Him in Heaven; (3) Appeal to His Name
The Church in our part of the world is in a crisis, and Psalm 80 is an intense, desperate prayer for just such times. It not only speaks about the Church today, but it also gives words for us to speak to God. At the core of Psalm 80 is the call to patient repentance—that we would patient while God disciplines his children, and turn to him in repentance as he turns to us in grace.
Thanksgiving Eve 2023. In Psalm 69:30, Jesus is the one offering a song of thanksgiving to God. In this meditation giving thanks, we learn the purpose of Christ's giving of thanks, the perfection of it, and our program for learning to give thanks as well.
Exod. 2:23–25
2 Chron. 7:11–18
Lk. 11:5–13
1 Jn 5:13–15
We begin looking at Lord’s Prayer—a prayer that is both simple and sublime, easy and profound. And, important to note, we place this prayer in the Gratitude section of the catechism. Q&A 116 answers, “…prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us.” How do we pray effectively? We’ll answer that in three simple parts that are inspired by Q&A 117: request, recognize, and rest.
Psalm 73 is a psalm from a believer who is doubting God. He confesses some things about God to be true, but his experience says something different. In the end, he's comforted by this truth, that distance from God is death, but nearness to God is safety and a life of praise. This nearness to God is through the Lord Jesus Christ alone. In this Psalm we get a glimpse of how Christ was ruthlessly tempted to doubt God and abandon his mission. And yet he persevered in order to draw us close to God.
The 10th commandment, "You shall not covet," is the perfect conclusion to the Commandments because it encompasses all of them, and brings us back to the first. In other words, we’ll see tonight that coveting is a kind of idolatry. It is when we desire something to the degree that it outranks God, and our minds and hearts are drawn to it. And in this way, it leads us to break all the other commandments.
Psalm 68 is a song about God’s great procession with the Israelites—out of Egypt, and up to Mt. Zion. It is also an Old Testament picture of what Christ would do later in his ascension to heaven. He has gone there to prepare a place for us. In this sermon, we learn what Christ has done and what he's doing while he's there.
Exod. 23:1–9
Ps. 101
Matt. 26:57–68
Eph. 4:11–16
The 9th commandment is, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," or in positive form, "love the truth." Truth is also a matter of what you see, how you see it, and how you speak about it. This message explores these matters by learning (1) How the 9th commandment instructs us to love the truth; (2) How truth is connected to Christian maturity, and (3) How to pursue truth in our own day.
The Church is a heavenly community, but Christians alive today still live here in this cursed world. What are we to do when this world is turned upside down? “We will not be afraid.” This psalm teaches us that Christ has poured out his Holy Spirit to protect his Church, and because of this, we are to have courage in the face of our enemies.
The phrase “safe space” is overused and abused in our day, but at its core, it is a true need that all people have: a place of safety. And God has provided it for those who trust in him. Psalm 32 teaches us that God is our "hiding place" (v. 7) and shows us that God’s forgiving love makes him our place of safety, not only at the beginning of our walk with Christ, but all the way through.
A service of Scripture readings & Psalm-singing to commemorate the Lord's faithfulness to his church during the Protestant Reformation. Readings inspired by the 5 solas of the Reformation and a meditation on Scripture as our only infallible rule of faith.
A meditation on sola Scriptura "according to Scripture alone," the doctrine that Scripture is our only infallible rule of faith. Given during our 2023 Reformation Sunday Lessons & Psalms service.
Deut. 25:13–15
Mic. 6:9–16
Matt. 5:43–6:4
2 Cor. 8:1–15
The 8th commandment is “You shall not steal.” From the earliest books of the Bible, we find the simple concept of property. This is when something belongs to someone. In Scripture, God is the ultimate owner of all things. Psalm 24 opens by saying, “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it.” The task of every Christian is to respond to such generosity not only by not stealing but also by sharing God’s gifts.
Since war broke out between Israel and Hamas a couple weeks ago, the idea of religious wars is back on our minds. Is there such a thing as holy war. Indeed there is. But not in the way that we tend to think of it. Psalm 3 teaches us that God’s Anointed King—Jesus Christ—has risen in victory over his enemies, and through him we are armed to fight and win our spiritual battles. Not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces.
Guest preacher Matt Bear (Good Shepherd OPC in Cincinnati) opened God's word to the end of Luke's Gospel, where Jesus blesses his people and ascends into heaven.
Gen. 2:18–25
Hos. 2:16–20
Matt. 5:27–30
1 Cor. 6:15–7:11
In this message on the 7th Commandment, Rev. Zac Wyse (Westside Reformed Church) explains God's good design for sexuality, and we we are to exercise and enjoy that design even in a fallen world.
Lev. 19:15–18
Prov. 10:12, 18; 15:17
Matt. 5:21–26
1 Jn 3:11–15
The 6th commandment is very simply: “You shall not murder.” Distinct from the larger category of killing, which may or may not be just, Scripture forbids murder because it is opposed to the protection of life, and because it is usually tied to personal vengeance. In this sermon the 6th commandment, we learn: (1) Where Murder Begins; (2) The Opposite of Murder; (3) What to Do with Anger.
In Psalm 2, to take refuge in Christ is to be blessed by spiritual safety. Christ is our true shelter, our hiding place—our refuge. We learn in this message that because Jesus reigns, we are safe from the dangers of our enemies and from the anger of God. Outline: (1) The False Reign of Sinners, (2) The Full Reign of Christ, (3) The Future Reign of Christians.
Lev. 19:1–4
Prov. 1:8–19
Lk. 2:41–52
Jas. 3:13–18
The 5th commandment orients us toward our very close neighbors—our parents! We recognize that in God’s orderly world, there are different levels of authority and leadership, including parents. It is God’s good design for us to honor those in authority over us because, as Q&A 104 says, “…by their hand God wills to rule us.”
The main "character" in both Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 is Jesus Christ—the blessed man and the Anointed Son. Here in Psalm 1, the blessing offered to God's people is growth in spiritual wisdom, which the Holy Spirit pours out lavishly on all who take refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this message, we learn that Jesus never walked in the counsel of the wicked, that he meditated on God's law, and that he saves from the judgment.
Deut. 5:12–15
Isa. 56:1–8
Matt. 11:25–30
Acts 2:42–47
Every age has different assumptions about work and rest, but these are not new issues. The pattern of work and rest is in the earliest chapters of the Bible. Immediately after the fall, work becomes toil—which is when work becomes filled with frustrations, and success is always mixed with failure. Into this situation comes the 4th commandment concerning the Sabbath. In this message, we look at the meaning of the commandment, and the blessings that come to those who obey it.
Jesus said, "Everything written about me in the Psalms must be fulfilled." What was written about him in the Psalms? His death, resurrection, ascension, and all his work for his people. And since Christ is the King at the center of the Psalms, we exercise our spiritual union with him in a particularly wonderful way when we read, pray, and sing the Psalms through him.
Gen. 21:22–24
Jos. 9:3–21
Matt. 5:33–37
Heb. 6:16–20
The 3rd commandment also includes the reverent use of vows. A vow or oathis when we use God’s name in order to confirm the truth. In this message, we focus on the principle of carefulness as our guide to taking vows, first by asking the question, Are vows legitimate?, then by seeing biblical examples of bot legitimate and illegitimate oaths.
In, 1 Chronicles 16, David puts in place loud choirs, musicians, and psalms. And it leads us to ask, more broadly, What are the Psalms for? They are for pointing us back up to the ascended King, Jesus Christ. When our hearts fail again to remember that he is the King of kings, the Psalms powerfully remind us v. 31, “The LORD reigns!”
Lev. 24:10–16
Isa. 59:14–21
Matt. 10:32–33
Rom. 10:5–13
The 3rd commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” In this sermon, we focus on (1) the meaning of the commandment; (2) the reason for the commandment; (3) the application of the commandment.
Selections from 2 Sam. 14–18: The story begins with Absalom—whose name means “father of peace”—waging a war against his own father to take the throne by force. It ends with Absalom pierced and hanging from a tree, and his father David wishing he could have died in his place. In other words, what we see in this OT story is a shadow of the king who was still to come, Jesus Christ. And what we learn as believers is that our conflicts must be brought back to the cross in order for us to handle them in godliness and humility.
Deut. 4:15–19
Hab. 2:18–20
Matt. 15:1–9
1 John 1:1–4
Negatively, the 2nd commandment says you shall not make carved images. But stated positively, the core of the command is to worship God by his Word. We must be convinced that God himself tells us how to serve and worship him. He does this through his Word, not through our experiences. And the reason why he does it in order to keep us liberated from the enslaving power of idolatry.
One of the main events that led to the writing of many Psalms was God's covenant with David. As we dive into the Psalms to learn how and why we sing and pray them, we begin by looking at the Davidic Covenant, learning that in this covenant, God's people are blessed with divine security through Jesus Christ.
Exod. 32:1–14
Jer. 17:5–8
Matt. 10:26–39
1 Thess. 1:2–10
The first commandment in our guide to Christian obedience is: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: you shall have no other gods before me.” Obeying this command requires that (1) Know the Only True God; (2) Identify the Idols in our Lives; (3) Get Rid of Them
The call disciples is glorious, but difficult. Yet Jesus’ resurrection is the key that calling. Because he has been raised, we can be sure that the difficult path we follow him on ends in glory, and therefore, we don’t have to give into fear. Today, as we close our series in the Gospel of Mark, we learn that Christian disciples (1) see the risen Christ; (2) seek his kingdom; and (3) speak his gospel.
Lev. 19:9–18
Ps. 51
John 15:1–5
Col. 3:5–14
In Q&A 90 of the catechism we read that repentance includes “wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a love and a delight to live according to the will of God by doing every kind of good work.” In this sermon, we discover these three things about good works: (1) Where they come from; (2) How they come from us; (3) Where they are aimed.
We have come today in the Gospel of Mark to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a story that is about access to God. It teaches us that because Christ was rejected on his cross, we have been given access to God as we take up our own crosses. We’ve seen the story of the exodus in the background of so much of the Gospel of Mark, and so too today, we’ll explore this theme of rejection and access through that lens.
Lev. 20:26
Ps. 50:22-23
Matt. 7:17-18
Rom. 6:13
Matt Walkenhorst—pastoral intern from Westside Reformed Church—walks us through the role of good works in the Christian life, that they are the only proper response to the redemption of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Westside Reformed Church's pastoral intern, Matt Walkenhorst, opens Luke's Gospel to the story of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the issue of blood to show us how Christ is merciful to all who submit to him—whether they're insiders or outsiders.
Deut. 17:1–7
Jer. 7:1–15
Matt. 16:13–20
1 Cor. 5:1–13
In Matthew 16, Jesus speaks to Peter as one of the representative leaders of that Church, and gives to him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” What do these keys do? They open the kingdom of heaven to believers. They closed the kingdom of heaven to unbelievers. They are Christ’s keys, entrusted the Church, for the building up and protection of the body of Christ. In this sermon, we see what they are, and how they work.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was handed over to a string of different authorities and eventually put to death. If it were any other story, it would be a bare tragedy. But in the Christian story, it is actually the story of triumph. When the Lord Jesus was being delivered up to death, he was at the same time delivering us from it. This passage shows us some of the particular things that he has rescued us from—envy, cowardice, & even notorious sins.
Deut. 12:8–14
1 Kgs. 12:25–33
Mk. 7:1–13
1 Cor. 11:27–34
Today’s catechism sermon seeks to clarify two things: (1) What kind of meal the Lord’s Supper is, which we discuss by comparing it to the Roman Catholic Mass. (2) What kind of person should come to this meal, which we discuss by seeing what kinds of things are required for us to come in a worthy manner. The Lord’s Supper is a meal that offers Jesus’ true body and blood, and that this is to be spiritually eaten, by repentant sinners.
In this passage, Jesus Christ is put on trial and subject to all kinds of false witnesses—both from his enemies and even from Peter, who denies him. In the end, Jesus is condemned and begins to have everything taken away from him, teaching us that through this loss, he has given us all we need to come near to him as true disciples, no matter the cost.
This Lord's Day we welcomed Gavin Poe, pastoral intern at Indy Reformed, to lead our service. He opened God's word to Psalm 16 to bring a message on God's goodness in all circumstances, and our response with gladness.
In this evening sermon from Gavin Poe, pastoral intern at Indy Reformed, we learned that God has made us, his New Covenant people, a "royal priesthood" through Jesus Christ.
Exod. 12:5–12
2 Sam. 9:1–13
Matt. 26:26–29
1 Cor. 10:1–5
If the Lord's Supper doesn't automatically give you Christ, then why does the Bible sometimes sound like it does? In this sermon we learn that Scripture teaches us how to talk about sacraments in order to show us what we receive when we celebrate them rightly.
Jesus warns of the tribulations of this age and says "Watch" and "stay awake." Now here in Gethsemane, the tribulation of Jesus' death is upon them, and again he says, "Watch and stay awake." In Mark 14:26–52, we learn the command to all disciples to be spiritually awake during times of trouble, especially through prayer. But as we’ll see, this is only possible through Jesus, whose own watchfulness led to the cross and to our salvation.
The first Passover was the night of the exodus of God’s people out of Egypt. Not long after this event, God made the covenant with Moses and Israel. The New Testament calls this “the old covenant.” Christ’s death brings the shadows of this Old Covenant to full clarity, and through this clarity, we should begin to taste of our future inheritance with confidence.
Deut. 30:1–10
Isa. 44:1–8
Mark 10:13–16
Gal. 3:1–9
In this sermon, see how the children of believers are included in God's gracious covenant both in the time of Abraham and today in the new covenant. And since they belong to the covenant, then the covenant sign of baptism should be given to them as well.
Here in this story, we find a disciple who has clearly begun to recognize who Jesus is and what he is doing, and in response, she approaches him with deep reverence. Her disposition and actions teach us that since Christ gave his whole self to us in his death and burial, he compels us to give our whole selves to him. Or as 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because he first loved us.
Hope leads to disappointment only if the thing you’ve put your hope in isn’t certain. But Christians put our hope in the return of Jesus Christ, a certainty. Even though there are some things we don’t understand about the return of Christ, our hope is certain that when he returns, it will be to get rid of wickedness, to redeem his people, and to make a new creation. This certainty clarifies what our calling is in this life while we wait for the great day of the Lord.
We are tempted to fall into the extremes of merely symbolic on the one hand and magic on the other. When it comes to baptism. But Scripture calls us to neither of these extremes. Baptism is a holy ritual given by God himself, through the command of Christ. This ritual objectively proclaims God’s gospel promises, and it is subjectively a means of God’s grace when it is received with faith.
Gen. 17:9–14
Isa. 6:1–7
John 6:22–34
Rom. 4:9–12
With the guidance of the catechism, we’ve seen how faith is the gift of God to us. But how does this faith come about? Is it something that we create? Is there a special religious act we need to perform to get it? The teaching of Scripture is that the ordinary way that God creates faith is through gospel preaching and he confirms and strengthens that faith through the sacraments.
In Mark 13, some of what Jesus says sounds like he’s talking about local events that will happen very soon. And other parts sound like he’s talking about worldwide events that happen at the end of time. What do we do with this? Our Lord helps us to see us a pattern in the Bible, through which we learn that hatred for God will get worse even in the Church. But Christ also comfort us shows us how to get through it—not in our own strength—but through his love.
Exod. 23:20–33
Isa. 64:1–7
Luke 17:7–10
Rom. 3:21–31
When we are justified, Christ gives us a two-part gift—forgiveness and righteousness, and these are received in no other way than by faith alone. But it raises several good and fair questions about good works. If our good works don’t contribute to our righteousness, then why does the Bible talk about being rewarded for them?
Jesus the Prophet begins to explain the kind of things Christians can expect in the end times. Whatever comes, Christ’s call remains the same: “Endure.” In this passage, Christ promises to use end-times hardships to save unbelievers, and our role in this great work of the Lord is to bear witness to Christ by our endurance.
Gen. 15:1–21
Jer. 23:1–8
Luke 18:9–14
Rom. 4:1–8
The Bible teaches us we have broken God’s commandments and that we need him to forgive us and make us right with him. When you believe the teaching of the Apostles' Creed, the result is that you are “righteous in Christ before God and an heir to life everlasting.” This is the doctrine of justification, which means to be righteous before God. In this sermon, we learn how this happens.
Jesus gives us another surprising glimpse of what it means for him to reign. Because he reigns as the true Messiah—not the Messiah of human imagination—we must be careful not confuse his reign with selfish ambition, but pursue self-denial.
Gen. 17:1–8
Dan. 12:1–13
John 5:19–29
Rev. 21:1–8
The Bible says that we should learn to number our days (Ps. 90). We'd usually rather avoid that, and avoid the topic of death altogether. But since we believe in the "resurrection of the body" and "the life everlasting," we have sure hope that Christ will make us and all things new.
The night before Jesus’ crucifixion, the Lord Jesus says that he's about to leave and send them the Holy Spirit. In this sermon to commemorate Pentecost, we learn that the Spirit brings the truth of heaven down to earth in a unique and powerful way. As the "Spirit of truth," he speaks and declares the truth of God. And since that is the case, the whole world—believers and unbelievers alike—must listen.
We welcomed Pastor Austin Reifel of Indy Reformed Church to our pulpit. He opened up Micah 7:18–20 from the Minor Prophets.
Gen. 26:1–5
Ezek. 34:11–16
John 10:1–18
1 Cor. 12:20–27
What does it mean for us to be members of Christ's body? In this sermon, Christ's love for his people in put on full display as we learn that he gathers, protects, and preserves a church for himself. This church is made up of believers all times and places—called the holy catholic church—who are given gifts to serve one another.
Psalm 24
John 17:6–19
Hebrews 4:14–16
In this sermon for Ascension Day, we meditate upon the glorious work of Christ as the ascended Prophet to the cloud, Priest at the mercy seat, and King on the throne.
Over the course of three tests of Bible knowledge, Jesus enemies hope to “trap him in his talk” (v. 13). Through these tests, this passage shows that the central meaning of Scripture is love, and only Christ has fulfilled this command, and only through him can we give up our self-centered approaches to reading the Bible and learn to hear and do the Word with love.
There are many misconceptions about the Holy Spirit in our day. But there always has been. In this catechism sermon, we look at the basics: He is God, he saves, and he will remain with us forever.
We all have a problem with authority. Listening to someone else tell us what to do, or who to be, or how to act is the great offense to our generation. But what happens when the authority we're rejecting is marked by grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and ahost of other blessings? In this passage, Christ teaches that enjoying his blessings without his authority is robbery. But Christ’s authority is best shown by his coming down from heaven to rescue us.
Exod. 17:8-17
1 Kgs. 1:28–40
Luke 21:25–28
Eph. 4:1–16
The seating and crowning of a king are a big deal, full of ceremonies and symbols that are meant to give the impression that the king's reign would go on forever and ever. These are just ideals, of course. No earthly king lives forever. But we nevertheless long for a just and wise ruler to reign over us forever and ever. That’s what we were made for. In this catechism sermon, we learn Scripture's teaching about the enthronement & return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Deut. 10:1–11
Dan. 7:9–14
Luke 24:44–53
Heb. 7:23–28
The doctrine of the ascension of Christ is a wonderful and very comforting doctrine, and in this catechism sermon, we take a look at it basics: (1) what exactly happened in the ascension; (2) what Christ is doing that that he has ascended; (3) what these things have to do with you and me in our life of faith.
It’s always hard when something has run its course and needs to end. In this passage, Jesus demonstrates that the Temple—the place of Israelite religion—has run its course. Christ has come, the gospel is being proclaimed, and nowall people are welcomed to worship, especially worship marked by faith, prayer, and forgiveness.
Apostle Paul proclaimed the Gospel in Athen and when he was finished, the thing that his hearers zeroed in on was the bit about the resurrection. Epicureans scoffed—they don't believe in the afterlife. Stoics mocked—they think the physical body is evil. But if Christ has not risen from the dead, then our faith is in vain. This doctrine is central to the Christian faith, and that is why we confess it in the Creed.
Every culture has its buzzwords that conjure up strong images in the hearts of those who know them. In Mark 11:9 we see such a word: “Hosanna,” which means “Please, save us!" But Jesus’ work of salvation is both different and better than expected, and because of this, we must fix our hope on him.
Gen. 2:15–17
Psalm 88
Luke 22:39–46
1 Thess. 5:6–11
We learn in the Creed that Christ suffered in both body and soul, and this suffering reached it's lowest point in his burial and descent into hell. In this catechism sermon, we learn what Christ's descent means for our own dark nights of the soul.
Paul speaks of the power of the cross in 1 Corinthians 1:18. But in today's passage, Philippians 3:10, he speaks of the power of the resurrection. In this sermon on Easter 2023, the great reversal of the Resurrection is applied to the book of Philippians as we learn that Christ’s Resurrection not only demonstrates the power of God over death, but it also provides us with that same power over all our troubles.
Deut. 21:22–23
Esth. 6:14–7:10
John 19:1–16
1 Pet. 2:18–25
At some point in your life, you will ask almost surely ask the question: Is God punishing me? The way you answer that question will determine a lot about how you get through it. Because if your suffering is God’s condemnation, then your grief and doubt will multiply. But if Jesus has already suffered the condemnation of God instead of you, then whatever suffering comes your way has a different purpose altogether.
Good Friday 2023: What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “the power of God”? In Scripture, God reveals his power through deeds. In 1 Cor. 1:18, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the mighty deeds of God that expresses the power of God. What is its power? Tonight, we meditate upon that very question.
This little story highlights a man who is kept from following Christ because of his weakness, who is then made a disciple by Christ’s authority. It teaches us that although our weaknesses create all kinds of obstacles to following Christ, his mercy is available to help us persevere.
Gen. 17:15–21
Isa. 7:10–17
Luke 1:26–38
Heb. 2:10–18
In the “guilt” section of the catechism, we learned that the fall of Adam and Eve “has so poisoned our nature that we are all conceived and born in sin.” In Lord's Day 14, we are given a hope-filled solution to this desperate situation. Although our conception and birth are riddled with sin, Christ’s conception and birth covers us.
Exod. 15:13–21
2 Sam. 7:8–17
John 1:9–18
1 Pet. 1:13–21
Imagine auditioning for a play, and then through some impossible misunderstanding, you read the cast list wrong and memorized all the lines of a character you’re not even playing. That’s the cost of not knowing who you are. Those who have received Jesus Christ by faith and have been renewed by the Holy Spirit are called “sons of God.” But sometimes we forget that this is who we are. We learn the wrong lines and prepare for the wrong show.
“Power tends to corrupt," said one famous historian. Nearly everyone is entrusted with some authority at some point in their life. The question is, how will we use it? For the sake of Christ and others, or for their own glory? Christians are called to a glory that is attained through self-giving. This passage in Mark 10 shows us that since Christ has given himself as our ransom, we may follow him on that way—from self-giving to glory.
Deut. 18:15–22
Isa. 61:1–7
Matt. 21:1–5
Heb. 7:15–28
Many people feel unequipped about their walk with Christ. They feel like there are many things in Scripture they don’t have the tools to understand. Or they deal with constant guilt about failures in life. Or the battle against sin just feels too constant. Lord's Day 12 teaches that Christ is anointed one who makes us sharers in his anointing. And so through him, we are fully equipped for life in a fallen world.
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This central question leads to a conversation between Jesus and his disciples. And what we find is that discipleship is a matter of dependence—dependence on Jesus, meant to be lived out with fellow co-dependents.
Rev. Zac Wyse opens the Gospel of Matthew to show Christ's compassion for the outsider.
Perfection is when something is complete and needs nothing added to it or taken away from it. And this describes our Savior, Jesus Christ. In this sermon guided by Lord's Day 11, we learn about the fullness of Christ being given to those who believe.
Rev. Brandon Burks of Westside Reformed Church opens God's Word to Revelation 17. He warns us of the allurement of the harlot Babylon and encourages us with the good news that Christ has conquered all.
Rev. Brandon Burks of Westside Reformed Church preaches the doctrine of providence, showing us that God's wonderful control over all things is the source of our comfort in an unstable world.
Law: Gen. 1:1–5
Wisdom: Job 38:1–21
Gospel: John 17:1–5
Epistle: Rom. 8:12–17
Every act of God is the Father working through his Son by the Holy Spirit. And yet, the Bible shows the Father, the Son, and the Spirit each doing something that is particular to each one.Today, we see this in the Almighty Father. The catechism draws out of Scripture three ways in which God is the Father: he's the Father of Jesus Christ, the Father of creation, and your Father.
What does Jesus say about marriage, divorce, and children? Disciples of the Kingdom learn that since their King loves them and has laid down his life for them, they can take up their crosses and follow him in their most important family relationships, with their spouses and their children.
Law: Num. 6:22–27
Wisdom: Prov. 8:22–36
Gospel: Matt. 28:16–20
Epistle: 1 Cor. 8:1–6
A few hundred years ago it became popular among some theologians to say that the doctrine of the Trinity might be true, but it’s not useful, and so whether or not a person believes that there is one God in three Persons really doesn’t matter that much. Today, we’re going to being to grasp why the doctrine important for us to believe, not just for the sake of right teaching—although that is reason enough—but also because of its great use to us.
We are always tempted to make ourselves seem greater than we actually are—less weak, smarter, more skillful. But Jesus shows that greatness is measured by Christ-like service. He, though great beyond measure, has made himself small in the eyes of the world. Through conformity to him, being great means that we must become little; being first requires that we become last.
Law: Exod. 4:27–31
Wisdom: Prov. 3:1–8
Gospel: John 3:16–36
Epistle: Rom. 5:12–17
What is "true faith"? Pop culture is more than happy to tell us to have faith—it doesn't matter what, just believe in something. But true faith rests in Jesus Christ, and it consists of three main elements: Knowledge, agreement, and trust. In this catechism sermon, we unpack those three elements from Scripture.
It’s difficult to come down off of mountaintop experiences. But that is where we live most of our life—off the mountain, down in the valley, in a dark world. We fall into sin and into spiritual depression, and we think—if we could just get back up on the mountain where the glory and power are. Jesus teaches us that faith ascends the mountain, particularly through prayer.
Mark’s Gospel takes us to the Mount of Transfiguration here in ch. 9, and it is one of the rare instances in the NT when God the Father speaks directly from heaven. And he tells everyone to listen to his Son, Jesus Christ. Why must we listen particularly to Jesus? Because he is the glorious Prophet who speaks on God’s behalf. And because he has shown us to be the glorious Prophet of God, we must begin to learn what it means to listen to him.
Law: Gen. 3:8–20
Prophets: Jer. 23:1–6
Gospel: Luke 24:13–27, 44–49
Epistle: 1 Cor. 15:1–8
The law teaches you your misery. But the gospel teaches you about the mediator, Jesus Christ. What is this Gospel, and where exactly do we learn it? It is a the message of good news, and it is found in all of Scripture.
Passages:
Leviticus 4:27–31
Psalm 49:5–12
Matthew 27:15–26
Romans 8:1–8
Here’s the thing about debt. Someone has to pay it. It doesn't just go away. In Scripture, our sins are the debts, we are the debtors, and God is the one whose justice must be satisfied. This situation raises several questions, and we find the only sufficient answer in a doctrine called penal substitutionary atonement.
“You are the Christ.” This is the identity of Jesus means we must begin to behave differently. Knowing the Christ personally is the beginning of the truly spiritual life. The same question is posed to all people everywhere: Who do you say that he is? He is the Christ. And therefore, only he can lay out the life of true spirituality, the walk of godliness, and Christlikeness.
Jesus miraculously feeds a great multitude for the second time in this Gospel. Why are both of these stories in Mark? They're there to press us toward a deeper understanding of who Christ is, to have our eyes opened to who he is, and to be satisfied in him. But finding satisfaction in Christ also mean rejecting some things that get in the way.
Scripture teaches us that we are born in sin because of Adam's fall and disobedience. But is it fair that we are punished because of Adam’s sin? Why does God punish sinners at all? Let’s look at three answers to that question: because we are sinners, because of his law, and because of his majesty.
The world and all humanity were good before sin came into the world. And it is only by seeing how wonderful and cherished the created world is that we can rightly see how very low we have fallen, and how desperately we need the same Spirit to recover it.
When Jesus heals a man who can’t hear orspeak properly, he reveals to us our own need. In this passage from Mark 7, we learn that true healing comes from Jesus alone, the promised Messiah, who unstops our deaf ears and releases our mute tongues. And we must learn to listen and speak as he commands.
God demands perfect love for Him and our neighbors, but our response is actually an inclination toward hating them both, and Christ alone is the remedy. In this sermon, we look at the Law of God—what it is, what it reveals, and what it requires.
The blessings of the Kingdom are like bread being given to children at a feast. And these blessings are so wonderful that even the crumbs that fall off the table are worth eating. In Mark 7:24–30, we learn that people from everywhere are being invited to this table to feast as the children of God, even those who are far off and defiled, and we ought to approach the table to eat.
Many good morality stories warn us to be humble instead of prideful. But Scripture alone gives sufficient reason to be humble: the command to be humble and the promise to be exalted has already be embodied by the Savior Jesus, and because we are exalted through him, all the benefits of Christian humility come into clear focus.
The Heidelberg Catechism is a summary of the main teachings of Christianity, put in Question & Answer format. In this sermon, we cover Scripture's teaching about our misery in sin, God's grace in the gospel, and our thankful response, otherwise known as guilt, grace, and gratitude.
When God does a new thing, he gives us a new song to sing about it. He acts, and we praise. In this Christmas Day sermon on Psalm 96, we find ourselves caught up in the song that heaven and nature are singing, a new song about the wonderful work of salvation, accomplished by the Savior.
In this last sermon in our series on the 10 Commandments, we learn that coveting is when our desire goes wrong. Either we want something that God says is bad, or we want something more than we want God. Scripture shows us that this tenth commandment is deeply related to the first—Paul says "covetousness...is idolatry."
The full Festival of Lessons & Carols — 9 Scripture readings and carols telling the story of redemption.
A 10-minute reflection on Luke 2:14 begins at 37:25.
Sociologists have called this the “ information age.” With all this data and all the facts of history and the sciences at our fingertips, we have never been more confused about what the truth actually is. The ninth commandment—you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor—is grounded in God himself. To tell a lie is to go against God himself and his reality. But we are called to uphold God's truth.
There’s a mystery at the center of Scripture too. Many puzzle pieces are given throughout. Paul explains here at the very end of Romans that God has revealed this mystery to be a powerful message—the gospel about Jesus Christ. And when we receive that message, we grow in faith and in obedience.
The 8th commandment—you shall not steal—speaks directly to our attitude about possessions: money and property. In this sermon, we look at the marks of greedy stewardship on the one hand, grateful stewardship on the other, and how Christ makes the difference.
Ever felt like throwing in the towel on your faith? The world that Zephaniah spoke to was a complicated. Our world is different, but still complicated. And the people of God then and now have faced temptation to give up. But Zephaniah had some good news: "The King is in your midst," and this King is our Lord Jesus Christ, who has come to save.
Renewed by the Holy Spirit, we are called in the 7th Commandment to avoid adultery and all sexual sin. This can be true of us because of how the Lord has acted toward us and for us, specifically in terms of his commitment to his peopleand especially through his purifying blood shed on the cross.
At the heart of Psalm 72 we are introduced to a King whose reign and rule are so wonderful that all nations, people, and even all kings of the earth bow before him to bring him gifts. This Psalm gives us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like with our Lord on the throne—a Righteous, Universal, & Everlasting King.
In this catechism sermon on the 6th commandment "you shall not murder," we learn that with Christ’s help, we are not only to keep ourselves from the root of murder (which is hatred), but we are also called to do the opposite of murder, which is to preserve and protect our neighbors.
In Isaiah 63–64, a watchman was set upon the walls of Jerusalem, who prayed that the Lord would "rend the heavens and come down." This prayer was answered climactically in the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God who took on our flesh. In this sermon from the 1st Sunday in Advent 2022, we learn how to pray this same prayer with joy and repentance.
To know God is to thank him. He is not only the Almighty God, but kind and generous to his people. And this is supposed to lead us to constant gratitude. But if we're honest, we're not very thankful people. In this sermon from our Thanksgiving Eve service, we learn from Romans 1 the reasons why we are to give thanks to the Lord.
Parents and children alike are sinners in need of the grace of God. In this sermon on the 5th commandment "Honor your father & mother," we explore the ways that God being our Father equips us to obey this command.
Jesus has no problem with tradition, unless tradition is treated as more important that God's Word. In this passage from Mark 7, Jesus demonstrates that no man-made traditions can deal with our greatest problem—defiled hearts.
Nate Osner (Reformed University Fellowship, Purdue) teaches from Matthew 7 with the guidance of the Westminster Shorter Catechism to helps us understand what prayer is and what prayer is not.
Nate Osner (Reformed University Fellowship, Purdue) opens up a passage in Galatians where the Apostle Paul challenge us with this questions—will you belong to Ishmael in a slavery of your own righteousness or to Isaac and the promise that God's righteousness has been given to you?
In this sermon on the 4th command, we learn that God's own eternal rest is the ground of our observance of the Sabbath, and that we apply the Sabbath to our lives in two main ways: (1) our weekly Lord's Day celebrations, and (2) our daily rest from evil works.
In this story from Mark 6, Jesus walks on the water, and the disciples respond to him with hardened hearts. One of the most common temptations that we face as Christians is to harden our hearts to the Lord—to misunderstand who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Instead, we are called to recognize him as the Lord of glory and receive his benefits.
At some point, everyone uses God's name. We hear it in our services and sermons, but we also hear it in the profanity of people around us. How do we use God's name rightly? By coming to terms with his almighty power and his wonderful grace. In this sermon on the 3rd Commandment, we learn some of the ways to use God's glorious name in a reverent way.
In this world, it is hard to feel truly satisfied. But in this famous story of the feeding of the 5,000, we are given a glimpse of where satisfaction may be found. Jesus reveals himself to be the compassionate Shepherd from heaven, who denies himself in order to feed his people until they are satisfied.
There are many who hear the term “10 commandments” and immediately are turned off. All they can think of is rules and condemnation. Psalm 19:10 says this about God’s commandments: “They are to be more desired than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” In this sermon, we begin the 1st Commandment and learn how to turn away from idolatry.
Last week we saw a painful episode in which Jesus himself faced rejection. Today, we come to a passage that challenges us to see ourselves in that same story. In fact, the message of these verses is nicely summed up by what another book of the Bible says: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Because our Savior suffered rejection, his followers must also be willing and prepared to suffer rejection too.
Rejection is hard. But it really depends on who is doing the rejecting, and who is being rejected. In this passage, Jesus is a prophet who is rejected by his hometown. Yet he demonstrates that he has the marks of God’s ultimate Prophet—the one who truly reveals the way to be saved. The response he receives teaches us that we must not allow our familiarity with him to lead us over time to push him away.
Many people assume that if you have started to go to church, then they have “converted to Christianity.” But authentic conversion is not about making a couple of changes. It requires a spiritual restart. You must be made new. You must die and be raised to new life.
If you've ever been in a desperate situation, you might identify with the two main characters of this story in Mark 5. One is a prominent member of the community with a dying daughter. The other is a woman suffering from a chronic disease. Jesus enters into these situations and responds mercifully to their weak faith. He heals them, but he also strengthens their faith—and in doing so, he gives us all hope.
Doing good is something we can all agree on. But why? Why do good works? In this catechism sermon on Q&A's 86–87 from the Heidelberg Catechism, we learn that we do good works because of our new status, new image, and new motivations.
In this story from Mark 5, Jesus casts many demons out of a man whose life had been ruined. He was isolated, oppressed, and unclean. But Jesus dramatically reverses all that, and in doing so, he shows us what his cross has accomplished for all of us.
What comes to your mind when you think of the Final Judgment? Does it give you any comfort, or only a sense of dread? In Scripture, the 2nd Coming of Christ and his final judgment upon the world is meant to reassure Christians that their obedience and suffering is not in vain. In this final lesson in our series on the End Times, we look at some key passages on this important topic.
Jesus calms a great storm on the Sea of Galilee, but not without teaching his followers a lesson about true faith and godly fear. In this famous passage from Mark's Gospel, we learn that Jesus proves his trustworthiness to his people, and that he is worthy of our deep reverence too.
In this last Kingdom parable in Mark's Gospel, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God has small beginnings, but will eventually have full and absolute dominion over all the earth. This teaching challenges our sensibilities, but also offers great comfort to those discouraged by the small beginning of holiness in their own lives.
So how does the church grow? Jesus answers that question for us in the parable of the growing seed. It teaches us that Christ grows his kingdom through his powerful Word, which produces fruit gradually until God says it’s complete. If this is true, then this parable is a powerful indictment against the ways some Christians have talked growing churches. But it is also a wonderful guide.
Lots of American Christians hear "tribulation" and picture a seven year period on earth after the secret rapture. But in our passage today, we learn that tribulation is simple the common experience of all Christians in this age, previewing a more intense "great tribulation" that is to come. But Jesus tells us, "In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Jesus continues teaching in parables, this time showing us how to grow in Christian maturity. This passage reminds us that Christ is the chief revealer of the Word of God to us, and that the more we give ourselves to that Word, the more Christ will give us the understanding that we need.
In this Bible lesson in our study of the End Times, we look at the "thousand years" of Revelation 20:1–10 and discover that we are in this "millennium" now:Christ is seated on the throne, Satan is bound, and departed Christians are reigning with Christ.
During our Sunday Bible Study, Rev. Zac Wyse joins us from our overseeing church (Westside Reformed Church) to help us understand the part of Christian worship commonly called the "absolution" or "assurance of pardon."
Our brother, Rev. Zac Wyse (Westside Reformed Church), opens Psalm 40 and helps us to see that it's all about the exaltation and humiliation of our risen King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Scared of being left behind? The topic of the "Rapture" is everywhere in Christian pop culture. But is it a biblical doctrine? In 2nd lesson on Eschatology (basically, the study of the End Times), we look at two of the most important passages on this topic and conclude that the doctrine of the rapture is not there.
On the occasion of ordaining our first deacon, we pause in the Gospel of Mark to look at the book of Acts and the creation of the first deacons. When the question is asked, “Why deacons?” the answer is, because the Lord loves his people. Specifically, the Lord has given us deacons to relieve needs, to bless the church, and to exemplify Christ.
Although Jesus is setting captives free in his ministry, pretty much everyone has misunderstood him, a warning to us in our day too. In this passage from Marks' Gospel, we learn that misunderstanding the work of God leads to a failure to do the will of God. In other words, you can’t be a true disciple of Jesus and obey him if you don’t understand who he is or what he’s done.
At this point in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has been proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand. Now he begins building the kingdom. What we see in this passage is the Son of God creating order out of the chaos of this world, and this new order is the order of his kingdom.
In this two stories that take place on Sabbath, Jesus cuts right to the chase about the meaning of the Sabbath. It’s about refreshment and restoration, and he, the Lord of the Sabbath, is the source of these blessings.
In the next controversy in Jesus' ministry, he is asked why he and his disciples don't fast. He shows us that Christian feasting and fasting all center around him. Because he is near to us, we are a feasting people. But in another sense, he is also far away from us. And because of this, Christians are also a fasting people.
Jesus came to call sinners, and he demonstrates this by making tax collectors and sinners into his disciples. In this passage from the Gospel of Mark, we see two kinds of sinners—the all-out rebellious, and the self-righteous. Which one are you, and will you recognize your need for a Savior?
The story of Mark 2:1–12 is the first of four stories in which Jesus’ ministry stirs up controversy, all because of his claims to authority. Here he demonstrates his authority to forgive sins by healing a crippled man, an action that leads some to praise God and others to disbelieve.
"Two weeks to stop to spread" was how we were introduced to live during Covid19. In this passage, we meet a man whose experience of isolation far outweighs our own. This leper was cast away from society and from God himself. But Jesus enters his life and changes all of that. We what we learn from Christ is that he opens the pathway into the presence of God. Getting cleaned up is a work he performs on us, and by doing so, he gives us access to the presence of God and empowers us to live a clean life.
This audio will be up temporarilyHaving grown steadily the last six months and reached some healthy milestones as a church plant, it seems like a good time to return to our overall mission as a church. Tonight’s meeting seeks to approach that mission with concrete goals and means to achieving them, focusing both on our congregation and on those outside our congregation. The idea tonight is not to overburden ourselves with lots of new activities all at once, but to focus on practical ways to be faithful in our mission as a church and work toward them over time.
In two jaw-dropping events, Jesus steps forward as the faithful Israelite. Like Israel before him, he has passed through the waters and faced temptation in the wilderness. And on this first Sabbath of his recorded public ministry, Jesus begins his holy conquest. In this sermon we learn how his work on our behalf ought to change how we speak and act.
Jesus calls us to follow him on the way of the cross, and when we respond to this powerful call, he promises to extend his call to others through us. In this passage, in which Jesus calls his first disciples, we learn to respond as they did and to become fishers of men.
Jesus' public ministry begins, and at the center of his preaching ministry is "the gospel of God" and the "kingdom of God." In this passage, we learn that this heavenly kingdom has already begun, and we hear his summons to a life of repentance and faith as we wait for his kingdom to be fully realized.
“He ascended into heaven.” That’s one of the core beliefs of the Christian faith. But what’s it mean? Another way to say it, according to Hebrews 9, is that Christ ascended into the heavenly sanctuary as a high priest and offered his own blood on the altar. In the Ascension Day sermon, we learn how this priestly work of Christ has cleansed us and all our works.
We're all looking for someone's approval. At the end of the day, that desire stems from our need for God's approval. In this wonderful passage from Mark's Gospel, we learn that our approval before God comes from Jesus, his beloved and well-pleasing Son—an approval that empowers us to withstand even the dark temptations of this world.
Ever feel like life's a wilderness with no way through? In this first passage from the oldest Gospel, John the Baptizer arrives on the scene. He proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our way through the wilderness. This one "who is mightier than I" will baptize his people in the Holy Spirit and forgive their sins.
When Christ returns, he'll raise us up and give us bodies of body. This heavenly reality is wonderful, but we tend to be earthly-minded and forget. In this passage from Philippians, we learn how to wait eagerly for Christ to come again.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ has many benefits for believers, and in this passage from Romans 4, we're taught that "he was raised for our justification." The relationship between his resurrection and our justification, and what use this is to us, are detailed in this Lord's Day sermon.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is for us, by the Spirit, the power of new birth. The Apostle Peter helps us see that this the only hope that will get us through the difficulties of life, as our faith is proved and our praise is lifted to Christ.
At our Good Friday service, we listened to the Passion narrative in John 18–19. In this sermon, we learn especially from the details of John's Gospel what the cross says to us today. This most recognizable of symbols tells us who we are and who Jesus is. He is our savior, who delivers us from both our self-righteousness and our rebellion. (Note: John 18 was read earlier in the service, prior to this recording.)
In the Bible, “gladness” is a feeling that is usually expressed with loud singing and joyful dancing. And that’s because “gladness” is response to what God has done for his people. In this sermon, we learn that Christ's kingship is our greatest motivation for joy and gladness. In other words, through the Spirit, our King Jesus mades us glad.
Lady Wisdom & Woman Folly have both sent invitations for you to come to their feasts. One feast leads to life, the other to death. But, in our sin and foolishness, we actually struggle to make the right choice. In this final passage from the prologue of the book of Proverbs, we learn that only fear the Lord will guide us to the right feast.
Lady Wisdom tells us that the Wisdom that God naturally possesses becomes our own by faith. This wisdom has been revealed in a beautiful and orderly world, and primarily in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose eternal generation is spoken of in this mysterious passage.
It can be a struggle to know how to relate to our governing authorities. According to Lady Wisdom's speech Proverbs 8, there is a common wisdom available to all earthly rulers, if they're willing to listen. And this wonderful fact helps us not to treat our politicians as Saviors, but to pray for them, thank God for any wisdom they have, and look to Christ for salvation and the kingdom to come.
Proverbs speaks to many different kinds of people, but in this passage the naïve and the hard-hearted (called "the simple" and "the fool"). Lady Wisdom appears once again to give a speech, and what we find in her words is a pattern fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, who has become to us "wisdom from God" (1 Cor. 1:30). All who listen to his words will come to share in his wisdom.
The chilling story found in Proverbs 7 depicts a young man taken in by the temptation to commit adultery. Believing all kinds of lies, he "does not know that it will cost him his life." In this sermon we learn that deliverance from the sin of adultery, and its terrible consequences, is found in Jesus Christ—who keep the covenant for us and writes his Word on our hearts.
When a person commits adultery, he puts himself on a path that will lead to a day of vengeance. The wronged spouse will eventually make him pay. But Scripture teaches us that Christ has saved us from the ultimate Day of Vengeance. With this in mind, Prov. 6:20–35 shows us how to cling to Christ to avoid the terrible sin of adultery and to be saved from vengeance—in this life and the next.
The Lord Jesus has secured for us a blessed end and calls us to live out that blessedness even now. This perspective gives us wisdom when we're tempted toward foolish behavior. It helps us to see how foolish behavior ends — in ruin. In this sermon, we encounter three foolish figures (the Naive; the Lazy; & the Wicked) whose lives teach us how to avoid foolishness and live out the blessedness of Christ.
On the occasion of a baptism in our congregation, we took the opportunity to look into the wonderful gospel promises of baptism, promises made to believers and their children.
How can we turn away from the temptation to commit adultery—whether in our hearts or the actual act itself? Only by becoming pure through Jesus Christ. Our Wise King not only gives us his own purity, but empowers us daily to walk in that purity. Find out how in this sermon.
The wise father of Proverbs 4 teaches us that if you have a crooked heart, you'll have a crooked life. But a healed heart leads to a healed life. In this sermon, we are instructed to look away from any program of self-healing, and to look to Christ to heals our hearts when we listen and learn from him.
There is a path of darkness that fools continue down, and a path of light that the wise walk upon. The difference isn't whether we have gotten ourselves to get on the right path, but if we've turned away from our wickedness and trusted in Christ. It is his light that makes the pathway of the wise a well-lit path.
"Get wisdom!" That's one of the main commands of Proverbs 4:1–9, and it demonstrates that wisdom is worth whatever it takes to get it. In this passage—one of three short lessons from a father to his sons in chapter 4—we learn that the tried and true teaching of wisdom is that is comes from Jesus Christ and will benefit us at every stage of our lives.
It's tough to have bad neighbors. It's even harder to realize that you're a bad neighbor. In this sermon from Proverbs 3:27–35, we learn to love our neighbors in a wise way. Last week's passage showed us how to live confidently. This week's passage teaches us to love confidently, and instructs us how to live with our neighbors, wicked people, and the Lord himself.
In a world of arrogance and anxiety, believers are called to confident living. Not confidence in ourselves, but in the Lord himself. In this passage from Proverbs, we learn how wisdom from Jesus gives us what we need to live this life with confidence in him.
In this sermon from our Lord's Day service just after Christmas, we explore the angel's message to the shepherds. This familiar passage is one of the great moments in Scripture when the Gospel is proclaimed. What is that Gospel, and why is it so important? This message looks at several of its key features, according to the angel.
Our hope is to be firmly placed in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we have to know why. In this passage, we celebrate the advent of Christ by looking at what Jesus himself says about his return.
In this third sermon in our Advent series, we look at the call to "establish your hearts." How is it done? James powerfully points us to the arrival of our great Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the ground of our endurance in this life.
2nd Week in Advent 2021: The difference between a hope and a wish is that a wish may or may not happen. But hope—specifically Christian hope—is a sure thing because God is sure. He makes promises and keeps them. In this sermon on Romans 15:8–13, we learn how to hope in God's promises because he's been faithful in the past.
"In the latter days" God will accomplish a work so wonderful that it stretches our imagination. He will bring the Kingdom of God. When are these "latter days?" And what are the blessings of this kingdom? Isaiah 2:1–5 shows us in the form of a prophetic vision. Advent 2021 Week 1.
At our Thanksgiving Eve service, we opened Philippians 4:4–7 and learned that Paul gives us the antidote for anxiety. "Do not be anxious about anything," he commands. The way to do this is through thankful prayer ground in our union with Christ.
Both blessings and discipline come from the Lord. But how should we receive these things? Proverbs 3:1–12 gives the surprising answer. Both blessing and discipline can be embraced by trusting wholeheartedly in the Lord.
What am I supposed to get out of Proverbs? Many have asked similar questions about this book of the Bible. But thankfully, Proverbs itself tells what it offers and how to get it. Simply put—it gives us the very wisdom of God in Jesus Christ. And we get that wisdom by asking for it. In this sermon, we learn that those who have God's wisdom are protected from all sorts of foolishness in this life.
Solomon uses personification to present to us Lady Wisdom, who gives us both a warning and a promise. For those who turn away from her, a storm is surely coming. But for those who turn to her, she will give her spirit. In this sermon, we see how Wisdom is a shadow of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that his Spirit—the Holy Spirit—is our only hope becoming wise.
A gang of violent thieves try to get a young man to join them. Will he listen to them, or to the wise instruction of his counselors? In Proverbs 1:8–9, the people of God are confronted with this hard truth: much of the violence of our hands and hearts comes from greed, from the insatiable desire to have more stuff. But Christ, our Wonderful Counselor, shows us a better way—the way of Christlikeness.
Wise dealing, instruction, prudence, knowledge, discretion, learning, guidance. All these and more are the benefits of wisdom, and as they come to us in Proverbs 1:1–7, we learn that they teach us two primary things: how to love others well & how to listen to God's Word well. Sermon delivered Oct. 24, 2021.
Missions Coordinator Pastor Rich Bout joins MRC to deliver a message on gratitude, rejoicing, and constant prayer.
NEW SERIES: The Proverbs came from the court of the kings of Israel, written to instruct the next king on how to rule in a godly manner. But, through the Spirit, this wisdom has been handed down to us—everyday believers just trying to make it through life. In Prov. 1:1–7 we learn that becoming wise has to start somewhere. It starts in fearing the Lord.
In John 6, Jesus delivers some of his most shocking teaching—"eat my flesh" and "drink my blood." Pastor Zac Wyse of Westside Reformed Church explains that Jesus' lesson shows us how the Word and sacraments are a sacred meal for believers to receive by faith.
In this last sermon from our series in Ephesians, we see Paul's prayer requests and his blessings for the believers in Ephesus. He prays for help in proclaiming the gospel, and offers the blessings of that same gospel for all who believe.
A Christian's battle is fierce. Our enemies are not visible to our eyes. Their schemes are cunning and difficult to detect. And so we must put on the "armor of God." But what is that armor? In this passage, we learn that it's actually the Messiah's own armor, and in his victory, we become victorious too.
In this passage from Ephesians 6, Paul speaks word of promise to slaves and warning to masters, words that—if followed—end up abolishing slavery in every meaningful sense. What is that promise and warning? It is that Christ is a righteous heavenly Master, and when he returns, he will be impartial in doling out justice.
The point of children obeying their parents and parents instructing their children isn't just to have an orderly home. The point is to point our earthly homes in the direction of our eternal home. This new creation home is our hope in this life, and the Lord Jesus himself—the only obedient Son—has secured it for us. Sermon delivered September 5, 2021.
It's not enough to know some things about Jesus. We must know and trust him. And when we come to know him, that knowledge must now develop that knowledge into wisdom.That wisdom is nothing but the "skill" of Christian living. In this sermon, we begin to see what that living looks like.
Light is one of the most powerful images in all of Scripture. In this sermon we see how God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—is the light and makes us the light. As Christ shines upon us and the Spirit illuminate our hearts, we shine the glory of God in a darkened world.
On this Lord's Day, we welcomed the Lichlyter family into membership and their covenant children were baptized into the Holy Triune Name. Providentially, we also came to a passage that explains what baptism signifies—the dying away of the old self, and the making alive of the new. Sermon delivered July 25, 2021.
God has given us an inheritance in his Kingdom, and with that inheritance comes a kingdom-identity. And although we struggle to live in sync with that identity, Christ empowers us more and more to do so. We must see what is unfitting for saints, but (more importantly) we must understand who made us and keeps us as saint—Jesus himself.
Having empowered us to mature from childishness to maturity, the Lord Jesus now commands us to stand up and walk. That walk is the walk of love and it is marked by truth, edification, and forgiveness.
The Spirit makes the members of the church one body. But he doesn't leave our homes and marriages in chaos. In this sermon on a controversial passage, we learn that this unity must also extend to our marriages by focusing on Christ's love for and marriage to his Bride. Does Paul tell us who should do the dishes, the finances, and other specific matters? No. But he gives us a profound and glorious vision of Christian marriage. And that is what we need.
In this special joint service with St. John's UCC the week before hosting a community VBS, we turn our hearts to Jeremiah 29 to see God's vision for a city of peace. This city is the the heavenly Jerusalem, but while we wait for this heavenly city to come down (Rev. 21), how should we act? We learn how in from God's Word to Jeremiah.
Paul has confirmed that the church is one body, unified by the Holy Spirit. In this passage, we learn that this unity is also the work of the Lord Jesus from heaven. In fact, the ascended Lord gives us the power to grow up in unity and maturity in himby lavishing gifts upon his church. Sermon delivered July 18, 2021.
Westside Reformed Church's summer intern Drew Admiraal brings us God's Word from Philippians. Sermon delivered July 11, 2021.
In the previous sermon, we learned what Paul prayed for the church. Now, we see him conclude this prayer praising the Lord for his power and glory. This famous passage teaches us how to pray, and especially how to pray in faith to the only One who is powerful to hear and answer. Sermon delivered June 27, 2021.
Every family needs help. Whether single, married, parenting, empty-nesters, or any other version of home life—we all have deep struggles that come out in the privacy of our own homes. In this sermon, we see the Apostle Paul address the needs of the family—the Church—by praying for it. Paul is asking the Lord to give the whole Church himself. In other words, the Church needs God’s very presence.
There is one body of Christ, the Church. And this church has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. But Christians are also commanded to strive for the unity that has been given to us. In this sermon, we learn how to live out that unity.
Even the worst of enemies—Jews & Gentiles—can become united. How? Only by the power of the Spirit through the work of Christ. In this sermon from Ephesians 2, we learn that Christ's death has town down the wall and built up a house, so that there is one people of God.
Those glorious words "for by grace you have been saved" are found in this passage, and from it we learn that since God does his work, we can do our work. Sermon delivered May 23, 2021.
Christ's work for us in the gospel isn’t a rags-to-riches story. It’s a grave-to-throne story. We see in this sermon that since we are alive, raised, and seated with Christ, we have to learn what “real living” actually looks like.Sermon delivered May 16, 2021.
God has always been pursing his people, saving them by grace through faith. But the fullness of God's plan has not always been so clear. In fact, Paul calls it a "mystery," one that he and other teachers of Christ have now revealed to us. And if this great mystery has been revealed, then you can trust the Lord with every mystery in your life. Sermon delivered June 6, 2021.
Ever felt like Christ's power is not available to you, or—even worse—that it's really not all that powerful? In this sermon, we see Paul's prayer for the saints, and what he prays is surprising. We learn that Christ’s gifts, especially his power, are so great that we need God’s grace in order to grasp them. Sermon delivered May 19, 2021.
Scripture's teaching on predestination is meant to be a comfort to our souls, not a topic for endless argument. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:3–14, we learn that we are to bless the Lord because he has given us every spiritual blessing—from beginning to end.
In this first sermon from Ephesians, we explore the opening of this ancient letter—its author, audience, and blessing.