Running Pastor: Recent Episodes
Running Pastor
Sermons from Mount Zion Baptist Church in Brookhaven, MS. Most are from Bro. Zach Kilpatrick, but occasionally sermons from other staff or guest speakers are available as well.
In Galatians 1:6-7 we see Paul highlighting one of the main issues facing the Galatian churches. The same issue they were facing is faced by many of us today. Listen to see why Bro. Zach feels you have likely delt with the issue of not fully trusting in God's grace through faith, and how you can be encouraged to rest more firmly in it.
In Galatians 1:1-5 we learn a lot about Paul and the importance of finding our identity in Christ and not in any worldly thing. We also see an introduction to a letter with a prominent theme of trusting in the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ above all else!
In Genesis 42-45 we see some beautiful reflections of the Gospel that we, as New Covenant Christians, cannot miss! We also see the ultimate plan that God has been working towards revealed.
As we look at Genesis 40-41, we see God, both on a micro level and on a macro level, doing things that no one else can do.
In Genesis 39, we see God's perpetual presence with Joseph from the Promised Land to the Pit and are reminded that, no matter what we endure, as Christians we never endure it alone.
On Easter Sunday, Bro. Zach explores the implications of Jesus' resurrection in our lives from 1 Peter 1:3-5.
Cody and Margaret Cunnigham sit down with brother Zach to talk about their time serving in Kenya and their new endeavour in coming to pastor a church revitalization in Louisiana.
As we continue to look in Ephesians 4 we see that--while we are not to the point of being as mature as Christ (yet)--He has given each of us a Spiritual gift-set that we can use to help edify and nurture one another.
This is the sixth sermon in the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Ephesians 4:13-14 to see what we, as individuals, and the Church, are being built into.
This is the sixth sermon in the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Ephesians 4:13-14 to see what we, as individuals, and the Church, are being built into.
This is the fourth sermon in the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Ephesians 4:1-6 to see what a nurturing, communal body looks like.
This is the fourth sermon in the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Ephesians 4:1-6 to see what a nurturing, communal body looks like.
This is the fourth sermon in the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at John 13:31-35 to see the basis of our love for one another.
This is the fourth sermon in the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at John 13:31-35 to see the basis of our love for one another.
This is the fourth sermon in a series entitled the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship-Evangelism-Nurture, the three broad categories that we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Matthew 9:35-38 to see the need for witnessing and missions.
This is the first sermon in a series entitled the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship Evangelism Nurture, the three broad categories that we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Romans 10:14-17 to see the need for evangelism.
This is the first sermon in a series entitled the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship Evangelism Nurture, the three broad categories that we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church. This week we look at Isaiah 6:1-6 to see a picture of worship.
This is the first sermon in a series entitled the "WEN Series." WEN stands for Worship Evangelism Nurture, the three broad categories that we are exploring to better understand our role as a New Testament church.
As we see the faith of Sarai and Abraham we also see the faithfulness of God to this couple.
As we turn our attention back to the book of Genesis we begin by seeing an overview of the first half(ish) of Genesis that we covered in 2019.
In Luke 24:1-12 we see the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ! The great act that seals the promise that His people never need fear death again!
In Luke 23:26-43 we see Jesus' crucifixion. In this text we see the most beautiful display of God's love and forgiveness for undeserving sinners.
As we begin our Easter series for 2022 we look at Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and what this build-up is moving towards.
As we finish our relationships series we look at Psalm 133 that tells us how good and pleasant unity is and where it comes from
In Romans 1:16-17 we see the great drive that Paul had for sharing the Gospel with everyone. We see why this was important to him and why it should be important to us as well.
As we continue in our relationships series Bro. Grant rounds out Matthew 18 by looking at Jesus' parable and teaching about forgiving others who wrong us.
In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus calls us to be on guard against sin, not just in our lives, but in the lives of our brothers and sisters as well. In this sermon we see that confronting sin in someone else's life isn't mean or hateful, but is actually loving and commanded!
In Ephesians 6:1-4 Paul addresses the role of children and parents and gives us some very clear instructions about how to serve in each of these roles well.
Bro. Zach continues our relationships series by looking at Ephesians 5:22-33 about the roles of the husband and wife in a marriage.
Bro. Nick Johnson preaches about our relationship to the law from Romans 2 and then Bro. Don Hollis leads in the Lord's Supper.
Seth and Kaylin Lofton share their experience and process of adopting their son from the Philippines, and Seth preaches about true worship from 2 Samuel 6.
As we continue through our relationship series we see Jesus spelling out for us exactly what it looks like to "love your neighbor as yourself" in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this sermon we try to change our mindset to that of the man in the ditch, and it changes everything!
As we begin a new sermon series about biblical-based relationships we explore the most important relationships according to Jesus in Matthew 22:34-40.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus from Matthew 1:18-25 we look at the two names given to Him, "Messiah" and "Immanuel." In the meaning of these names we see the beauty and basis of the Gospel message!
As we look in Matthew 2:13 and following we see that Jesus' life fulfills so many prophecies, some that we might not would even expect! In this text Matthew shows us a couple of examples that take a minute to even comprehend!
In Matthew 2:1-12 we see the visit of the Magi and we continue to see Matthew laying out support for his claim that Jesus is the Messiah.
As we begin our Christmas series through Matthew's birth narrative we look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 with particular focus on what it means for Jesus to be "the Christ," what it means for Him to be the "Son of David," and what it means for Him to be the "Son of Abraham."
As we wrap up our mini-series of Psalms we look at the third longest Psalm in the Psalter, and the longest testimony/thanksgiving Psalm of them all. David recounts God's faithfulness and responds with praise, and we are challenged to do the same!
In Psalm 17 David shows great confidence that God will respond to his prayer and will bring vindication to him. We see how our understanding of this prayer should be greatly informed by one specific Hebrew word, "hesed."
In Psalm 16 David clearly articulates why it is that he feels great confidence in God, both in life and in death. He gives us specific details, and we also see a part of this Psalm that is quoted by Peter in Acts 2, and why.
In Psalm 15 the psalmist begins by asking God " who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?" The rest of the Psalm appears to lay out the expectations that God has for His people, and they should have for themselves
As we continue in Acts 8 we see the account of Philip's obedience to go and meet with a stranger in the desert, and how when God's omniscience is met with clear obedience, that it is amazing what God can do through human beings like us!
In Acts 8:9-25 we see that the things of God are not like the things of this world. We also take a brief look at one possible reason why the Holy Spirit was initially withheld from the Samaritans when they first believed.
In Acts 8:1-8 we see the persecution against the Christian church really ramping up, and we also see how this works into the plan that Christ has already expressed for the Gospel to spread from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, by His witnesses!
In Acts 7:54-60 we see the end of Stephen's earthly life. We see the outrage and sinfulness of the council that he witnessed to, as well as a great example of following Christ, no matter the cost!
In Acts 7:1-53 Stephen recounts the rebellious nature of the people of God throughout much of history, and then shows how these Jewish leaders have fallen into the same pattern in their rejection of Jesus.
In Acts 6:8-15 we see the Word expanding and continuing to be impactful and opposed. Stephen faces some strong persecution, but remains steadfast.
In Acts 6:1-7 we see the church choosing seven men to serve in an important ministry so that the Apostles can keep their attention on their specific calling. We also see the outcome of these actions.
In Acts 5:17-42 we see a beautiful picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ continuing to work and be shared in spite of many obstacles.
Andrew Hanna, a church=planter/pastor from New Orleans was with us and shares some of their experience serving in NO as well as preaches from Acts 14 about Paul and Barnabas in Lystra.
Paul continues his teaching about the changes that were brought about by Christ's resurrection and gives us some hints of what our resurrected bodies, and life, will look like one day
This is a tweet that Art Rainer tweets every single day, and today it is the major point of our text from 1 Corinthians 15 as well! Join us as we see the difference that Christ's resurrection makes
In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul "discusses" something with the Corinthians that seems like it has no bearing on our lives, food offered to idols. But what we see is a reminder that all of Scripture has application for our lives, and this text helps us think through things like buying alcohol, lottery tickets, how we dress, what shows we watch...
As we look at 1 Corinthians 13 we see the importance of love, especially in the application of using spiritual gifts for the good of the body of Christ
As Paul continues to inform the Corinthians about things that brought great interest to them he turns his attention to the idea of spiritual gifts, specifically how they are for the building up of the body
As Paul continues to discuss issues that needed to be addressed by the church at Corinth he brought up what we today call church discipline. He clearly lays out 1. What it is 2. Why it is needed for sinners and 3. Why it is needed for the church.
In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Paul gives 5 imperatives. As we see what they were and what they meant we are reminded and challenged to avoid sin, but are also reminded what should motivate us to do that
Dr. Will Wall preaches a sermon from Psalm 30 about the importance, and the gift, of God moving us towards Himself.
In 1 Corinthians 11:17-26 Paul admonishes the Corinthians to stop bringing the segregation that was part of Roman society into the church. He calls them to be unified and we look at possible ways that we may not have realized that we are doing this today as well.
As we turn our attention to the book of 1 Corinthians for the Summer we get an introduction to the book. What is the main theme, who is writing it, what sort of things are the recipients dealing with.... 1 Corinthians 1:1-3
Bro. Grant steps in to preach on Senior Recognition Sunday and turns to Philippians 4 to help us see how God's Word calls us to address things like stress and worry.
What do you do in the toughest of times? Where do you go, to whom do you turn on those days? Peter and John went to the church, and I believe show us the importance of being part of God's people.
In Acts 4 we see the response of the Jewish leadership to Peter and John's preaching Christ in the temple. As they are arrested they are warned not to preach Christ, and in their response we see a great personal reminder.
In Acts 3 we see a man that has been lame since birth miraculously healed! We also hear Peter tell us how this took place and what this sign calls it's observers to do in response.
As we look in Acts 2:42-47 we see what life was like for these early Christians. We see what they were devoted to, and what this devotion led to. These are things that I think we should all desire more of in our lives!
In Acts 2:14-41 Peter teaches the gathered Jewish people on Pentecost that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. He uses three different Old Testament texts to help them understand what is going on and who Jesus is. (Joel 2, Psalm 16, Psalm 110)
As we finish up our Easter sermon series we look at Luke 24:1-12 to see how the events of Resurrection Sunday went and what sort of implications they have on our lives today.
As we continue toward Easter in the Gospel of Luke we see Jesus' great love and concern for others, even as He is moving toward death on the cross. We also see the difference that faith makes.
As Jesus is put on trial for claiming to be God by His own people in Luke 22:66-71 we get the privilege of seeing His response that reminds us of how worthy He truly is!
In Acts 2:1-13 we see the coming of the Holy Spirit, the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to the disciples, but I believe the timing of this event, on the day of Pentecost, magnifies the picture of God's faithfulness!
After Jesus ascended to heaven in Acts 1 how would the disciples know what to do? What was going on, what would they do next? Especially while waiting on the Holy Spirit to come?! They were guided by God, through the Scriptures.
As we continue our series through the book of Acts we look at the task that Jesus specifically called His followers to in 1:6-11, and how they would have enough strength to undertake such a task.
As guest speaker Justin Davis shares from Exodus 34 it becomes very clear how immeasurable the gap is between who we are and who God is. But we also see the beautiful truth of how God has bridged that gap through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus!
As we begin our new sermon series going through the book of Acts we look at 1:1-5 to see the connection to the Gospel of Luke, the continuity of Jesus' mission, and how desperately we need God to do all that we do!
Before observing the Lord's Supper together we look at John 6 to be reminded that Jesus is truly the Bread of life, and the only way to get to heaven!
As we finish up Matthew 6 we see Jesus wrapping things up by pointing out how our minds shouldn't be back and forth between the worries of this world and focusing on God, but should maintain Him as our sole priority.
In Matthew 6:19-24 Christ calls us to treasure the eternal things of heaven rather than the temporary things of this earth. This is a fairly simple message, with very difficult application, and eternity-reaching implications!
What does it mean to fast, how can we fast improperly, and how can we fast properly? These are all questions that are answered in Matthew 6:16-18.
As we look deeply at Matthew 6:5-15 we see Jesus showing us how not to pray and how to pray and I think it calls us to deeply study how we have been praying and how we could pray more properly.
As we look at Matthew 6:1-4 we see some principles for giving in a way that honors God and why that is important for His children
In Isaiah 11 we see several of the beautiful promises that come along with the Messiah, but we also see that Jesus (The Messiah) will eventually usher in an eternal kingdom that wont have any of the effects of sin!
As we continue to look at Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus we see the promises of Micah 5:1-5 that show that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem and would bring security and peace to His people!
As we look at Isaiah 61:1-2 we see that the Messiah was going to have some really good things with Him when He came! Then, when we see that Jesus is the Messiah, we see how these things came to pass.
Bro. Zach looks at 2 Samuel 7 to see the promises made by God in the Davidic covenant, and then at Matthew 1 to see how Jesus fulfills these beautiful promises!
As we look at Genesis 3 we see the devastating consequence of sin, but we also see the promise of the One Who was to come (Jesus) and how He has now offered us freedom from the curses of sin and death.
As we look at the most well known of all the Psalms we discover reason after reason that God's people can feel reassured and at peace!
The Psalmist, a worship leader (one of the sons of Korah), felt far from God and was hurting and distressed because of it. However, in the midst of this troubling time he had reason to hope, and we do too! We explore exactly what it was here.
Former Mt. Zion member and soon to be missionary to Kenya, Cody Cunnigham, preaches on the Great Commission and also shares about his families upcoming move to teach in Kenya.
John implores his dear friend Gaius to imitate what is good and not what is evil. We explore this in the immediate context of the letter and work to apply it to our lives as well!
Bro. Zach begins the book of 3 John by looking at the introduction (v.1-4) and the first part of the body (v.4-8). In it we see how we ought to support missionaries and how we can help take the Gospel places we will never step foot!
John addresses the fact that there were false teachers hiding among the believers and gives specific instructions bc of that fact. These things are directly applicable for us today as well!
John tells us that the truth is something we know, something that lives in us, and something that we walk in. What does he mean, and how does understanding it allow us to show God our love to Him?
As we finish out the book of Daniel we see a glorious glimpse of the eternal life to come for all believers, what will take place before that time gets here, and are reminded of the overarching theme of the book.
In Daniel 10 we begin the final section of the book. Chapter 10 introduces the final vision that will encompass chapters 11-12 and also gives us a clear glimpse into the ongoing battle between God and evil forces in the heavenly places!
Last week we saw Daniel praying and asking for God's mercy. This week Bro. Zach finishes chapter 9 by looking at God's response to Daniel. Spoiler alert: God reveals to Daniel what the end of time will look like!
As we turn our attention to Daniel 9 we spend our first week looking at Daneil's prayer, the rich theology found in it, and see how it reflects the Mosaic covenant and foreshadows the New Covenant to come though Jesus Christ.
In Daniel 8 we see Daniel being given a vision about a Ram with lopsided horns, a Goat with a large horn between its eyes, and a small horn that grows up.
In this we see a prediction about Persia, Greece, and a strong ruler that lifted himself in opposition to God, and learned that is not a good idea!
There are several titles in Daniel's 1st apocalyptic dream, but their imagery isn't immediately clear. Bro. Zach looks at the interpretation given by the angel in the dream to help us understand the point of this text.
As we look at Daniel 6 we see that there is a new king, and a new kingdom in town. However God quickly proves He is still in control as Daniel faces a trial-by-ordeal in the lion's den.
In Daniel 5 we see the last co-regent king of Babylon (Belshazzar) looking for a fight with God. He gets one, but ends up wishing he hadnt!
In Daniel 4 we see the great heights that king Nebuchadnezzar made it to during his life, we see how he got there (by God's hand) and how God humbled him in order to show the king, and all people, who is truly in charge.
As we look at Daniel 3 we see a great reminder that, no matter what person, place, or thing we are tempted to worship, God Himself is the only One worthy of our full attention, devotion, praise... and we see 2 reasons why that is so!
In Daniel chapter 2 we see how the wise men let the king down, a prophecy that the king and his kingdom will eventually let them down, but we also see a God who knows all things who will never let you down!
As we look at the narrative of Daniel 1, centering around the Fantastic Four (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) not eating the kings rations, we see that God has no less power in Babylon than He does in Jerusalem!
For one of our Wednesday evening virtual lessons Bro. Zach looked at the life of King Josiah, and how it provides some of the backdrop for the book of Daniel.
We look at the major players in the book of Daniel, the nations, kings... where they are, why they are there. And we are also reminded of the beauty of the Gospel as we see a picture of the wrath that we deserve, that Christ took in our place!
As John ends his letter he shares several reminders that bring great calm and assurance to Christians, and that should bring a great sense of urgency to those that are not.
On Easter Sunday we go through the first 17 verses of John 20 and try to relive the grief and the joy felt by John, Peter, and Mary on that first glorious Easter morning!
As we look at the death of Christ we see the omniscience, sovereignty and love of God. We also see the obedience, glory, and love of Christ. Both should make us rejoice greatly!
In John 18:33-37 we see Pilate's trial and questioning of Jesus. Jesus' answers to Pilate's question tell us a lot of things that help us to understand Him and His mission here on earth.
Before we received the Lord's Supper together we looked at 1 John 4:7-21 to see John showing us several amazing thing's about God's amazing love!
In 1 John 4:1-6 John calls us to "test the spirits" as he reminds us that many false prophets and teachers are led by "the spirit of the antichrist" rather than the Holy Spirit.
In 1 John 3:19-24 John gives us another test of true Christianity and helps us apply this to times when we doubt whether God could love or accept us.
in 1 John 3:11-18 John once again calls us to love one another, but this time gives us examples of what this looks like, and what it doesn't. He also makes clear to us where this love comes from. Hint: It isn't from us mustering it up inside of us!
IN 1 John 2:18-27 John warns the recipients of his letter about "many antichrists that have come." He tells us who they are, why we should be aware of them, and how we can protect ourselves against their teachings.
As we continue working our way through 1 John we look at chapter 2::12-17 to see where our identity lies, and why this is another reminder of why we should abstain from loving the things of this world.
As John continues to use the main theme of "God is light" he now gives us three distinct ways to know whether or not we are Christians. Are you walking in these ways?
In 1 John 1-2 John gives us a big theological statement "God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Then in a very pastoral way he goes on to apply this to 1. identifying false-teachers 2. considering our relationship with God.
I am convinced that John was a man that loved being loved by Jesus, and in this letter he is writing to others to make sure that they are not led astray by false teachers. This week we are introduced to the author and look at some big claims in the first 4 verses
As we finish up "Zechariah's Song" from Luke 1:67-79 we see what John's role is going to be in Jesus' ministry, what Jesus will offer when He comes to visit us, and why God was willing to offer us all of this!
On Christmas Eve we looked at the first half of Zechariahs prophecy/song found in Luke 1 (known as "The Benedictus") and will look at the second half of it on Sunday December 29th. It is all about How God left Heaven to ransom sinners like us.
On the Sunday before Christmas Bro. Zach takes a look at Isaiah 9 to see where the people of Israel were and where the Messiah was promising to take them when He came. We also see these places paralleled in our lives!
As we turn our attention to the birth narrative of Jesus, we look in Matthew 1 to see how Jesus is both Immanuel and of the line of David.
In Matthew 24:45-51 Jesus tells us what it means to always be ready for His second coming, for the second advent.
As we celebrated week 1 of Advent this year we looked at Jesus' teaching that we shouldn't be looking for signs to tell us when to get ready, but should always be prepared for His coming!
We look at Revelation 5 on the Sunday before Thanksgiving to be reminded of how worthy Jesus is of our thanks, but also of all praise, worship, and everything else we have to offer Him!
Bro. Zach gives us some insight into how to better understand and interpret prophetic literature in the Bible.
In Psalm 54 David is dealing with a terrible enemy and a terrible situation, yet he shows us how we can turn from despair to praise even while dealing with such times.
As we look at Psalm 136 we see three specific reasons that we should be praising and thanking God!
We look at the account of Abraham's sacrificing of his son Isaac and come away in awe of the faithfulness, not of Abraham, but of God!
This is in our Sunday evening "faithful Biblical interpretation series." The accompanying powerpoint notes are posted on the church Facebook page facebook.com/mtzionbrookhaven
We continue our series looking at the life of Abraham by looking in Galatians 3 to see Paul helping us to understand some of the things from Abraham's life in light of the Gospel.
This week we look at the Biblical genre of poetry in order to understand it and how to understand it more correctly. The powerpoint notes are available on the churches Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mtzionbrookhaven/
Bro. Zach looks at the covenant that God makes with Abram in Genesis 15 to see how big of a deal a promise from God is. We see some Ancient Near Eastern practices and also direct application for our lives as well.
We look in Matthew 6 to see Jesus teaching His disciples (and us) how to pray, and also look in Genesis 15 at Abram's life to see this principle in practice. (sound quality is a little less than normal due to meeting in the fellowship hall)
Bro. Zach goes through some basic principles to help you understand the Bible better and goes through a couple of passages to help you understand how to apply those principles. The Powerpoints are available on the church's Facebook page: facebook.com/mtzionbrookhaven
In v.1-3 we saw God make several promises to Abram, this week we see Abram dealing with a very sticky situation and God proving true on one of those specific promises!
Bro. Zach introduces us to Abram and we see his faith and availability as an example of what God can do through ordinary people if they are willing to follow His commands!
Bro. Zach finishes our series looking at Scriptures that inform and press us toward personal evangelism by looking at Paul's bold words to the Christians in Rome.
Bro. Zach looks at Acts 1:8 and helps us think about our story, our testimony, and how being comfortable with sharing it fits into the idea of witnessing seen in Acts 1:8.
Bro. Zach takes a look at John 1:35-51 to see a pattern of people that come to Jesus telling those they know about Jesus. Btu we also see that Jesus is the One that convinces people to follow Him.
Bro. Zach looks at Luke's account of the calling of Peter in Luke 5. We see that evangelism/missions should be a natural flow for anyone that becomes a disciple of Jesus.
(Wed Night) as we follow up from Sunday mornings message we are going to see the specific group that Jesus had in mind when He said this phrase as well as how this helps us understand the importance of systematic Bible Study.
Bro. Zach looks at Matthew 25:31-46 and reminds us of the realness of judgment, heaven and hell, and of the importance of evangelism and missions.
Before celebrating the Lord's Supper we examine His sacrifice and how it should push us to be more selfless people. Ephesians 5:1-2
In Genesis 11 we see the account of the tower of Babel. We see the fault of the people of Babel and God's response to them. We also see why God responded as He did.
In Genesis 9 we see the covenant that God made with Noah, but in Ch. 8 we see why God decided to make this covenant. We also see 3 specific things about covenants through this promise God made to Noah.
As we look in Genesis 6, 7, and 8 we see the account of Noah and the great flood. We also see a picture that spans throughout all of history about guilt, punishment, and grace through faith.
Today we look in Genesis 4 and 5 and see a direct correlation from Adam to Christ. We also see how we pass down more than genetics to our children, and how you aren't necessarily who your parents are!
As we look toward a possible change at Mt. Zion Baptist Bro. Zach takes us for a brief look at Isaiah 46 where the Israelites were in a position of angst and worry and shows us what God says to them.
We look in Luke 15 to see the parable normally called "The Prodigal Son," but instead spend more time looking at "The Forgiving Father." Great reminder of His mercy shown to us in salvation, and great example for all fathers!
This is the Wednesday night follow-up message to Genesis 4 where we look in the Scriptures to answer the question "why did God accept Abel's offering and not Cain's?"
In Genesis 4 (Account of Cain and Abel) we see a great reminder of the nature of sin, of how close we are to slipping into it's terrible grasp, the consequences of it, and also the mercy of God!
As we look back in Genesis 3 to see who the serpent is we also see how he operates, how we can withstand him, and how he is ultimately defeated by Christ!
The first of two weeks looking at Genesis 3. In this episode we see: 1. The first sin 2. The consequences of sin 3. How God redeems us from sin.
For far too long far too many have thought this to be the case, enter the area of Christian thought/study known as apologetics. What is this, what does it do, and how does it work to show the amazing compatibility of science, reason, logic, and the Holy Scriptures? Listen and see!
We look in Genesis 2 to see how God's love and care is seen in the creation of Adam, of Eve, and of all people. We also see His love in His authority, and in the creation of the family.
We began a new series Sunday morning, working our way through the first part of Genesis. We saw: Who the Creator is, what He created, how He created it, and why He created it.
We finished our Easter series by answering this question. Now that Easter is over what do we do? Thankfully Jesus was very clear in Matthew 28:16-20 as to what we should do with this amazing Good News that we have!
On Easter Sunday we celebrate Christ's resurrection by looking in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 to be reminded of why it is important in the big picture, and also to us individually.
Another Sunday night Q&A Session where Bro. Zach answers questions about a text from 1 Corinthians and church discipline, about whether or not the existence of dinosaurs disproves the Biblical account of creation, and about Jonah's mental place in Ch. 4.
We look at Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, especially John 3:16, to see our need for new life that only comes through Jesus. We also see how Jesus' sacrifice to offer this shows us God's love.
As we examine Matthew 16:24-28 we see what this probably sounded like to the disciples that originally heard it, and how that helps to inform us of its deeper meaning. We also see why we would be willing to do such a thing.
This morning we celebrated the sanctity of life by looking in Genesis 9 to see that every life is valuable, and what makes them valuable!
Bro. Zach looks at the parable of the two sons from Matthew 21 to see what Jesus has to say about people that say they follow Him and don't, vs. those that realized their need for Him and truly turned to Him.
Bro. Zach answers a few questions about things related to life after death for Christians including: how our resurrected bodies relate to our current bodies, do we go to heaven immediately upon dying...
In Matthew 18 we see the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, which comes with a strong challenge, and a strong reminder of why mercy and forgiveness should be marks of all Christians.
As we look in Matthew 18:10-14 and see a parable that may seem familiar to many of us, we see an application of it that may not be. How we should follow God's example of love and care for all Christians.
In Matthew 15:10-20 Jesus gives us a parable that helps us to understand how it is that people become unclean, and what they then have to do in order to become clean. In this text we are also challenged to rethink some of the things we may have been taught growing up.
Bro. Nick Johnson shares with us from Deut 31about the end of Moses leading of Israel and who God chose to succeed him. We are also reminded that God is ultimately the One who is leading His people at all times.
As Jesus takes us through the parables about Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price we understand that the kingdom of heaven is costly, but it's value is much greater than its cost! Matthew 13:44-46
In Matthew 13:31-33 Jesus reminds (or teaches) us that the, when it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven, there is more than what meets the eye.
In Matthew 13 Jesus uses a field mixed with good and bad to help us understand our standing in His kingdom and what awaits all people at the Day of Judgment,
We look at Jesus' parable of the soils and see that the majority of people that hear the Gospel will reject it, that few will receive and accept it, and how you can tell one group from the other.
To begin our "Parables of Jesus" series we look at the parables of the new patch/old garment and new wine/old wineskin to see how John's disciples were trying to mix the new covenant ushered in by Jesus' birth with their old covenant lives.
We finish up Isaiah 9 by looking to see how Christ, and only Christ is the one that is strong enough to step in and set us free from the oppression that ails us, no matter where that oppression comes from. We also see that the greatest oppressor that He frees us from is sin.
We begin a two-week series looking at Isaiah 9 together. This week we see the setting for the people of Israel when this was written and are reminded that if we are in the darkness, that Light is coming, also that if we have been delivered then it was by Christ!
As we look at the Christmas story together again we see that 1. God visited us and 2. God redeemed or ransomed us when we were hopeless. These are both made clear in Zechariahs prophecy in Luke 1: 67 and following
As we follow up from "Mary's Song" in Luke 1 from this past Sunday we see that, although the world calls us to be independent and self-sufficient, Christ calls us to recognize our need for Him and to humbly seek His help in all Spiritual matters.
Sunday morning we looked at "the Magnificat" or "Marys Song of Praise from Luke 1 and saw how we should be able to identify with Mary as lowly people that God has richly blessed!
In Luke 1:39-45 we see the account of Mary visiting Elizabeth and are reminded by Elizabeth and John's reaction of the greatness of Christ, and how amazing He truly is!
In Luke 1:26-38 we see the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she was going to be the mother of the Messiah. We also see why this is a very surprising choice, and why God might have chosen Mary for this amazing task!
Sunday morning 11/25 we looked at the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist and saw how special and joyous an occasion it was! We also saw what made John special, and how it is the same thing that makes us special in many ways!
We look at Psalm 32 to see the seriousness of our sin in order to be more thankful for the fullness of God's righteousness given to us through faith in Jesus Christ!
Sunday morning we looked at Psalm 19 to see the Psalmist's thankful heart for God's revelation, both General (found in creation) and Special (found in Jesus Christ and the Bible). I pray we are challenged to be more thankful for these as well.
Bro. Dusty shares with us from Exodus 13 about how God didn't take the Israelites on the most direct, shortest path from Egypt to Canaan, and why. He also reflects on the path that God has laid out for his own life and how, looking back, he is grateful for it!
As we begin our Sunday morning series looking at Psalms of Thanksgiving we begin with Psalm 100 where the Psalmist is, and urges us to be, thankful to God simply because He is God.
Sunday morning we looked at Numbers 13 to see the account of the spies checking out the Promised Land and the peoples reaction. We also were challenged to live more by faith and less by sight.
Are you single and looking for that perfect person? Are you already married but wonder if you are being the spouse you should be? This morning we look in 2 Corinthians 6 to see what Paul tells us about a being and finding a spouse that will be a blessing!
We look at Jesus' teaching from Matthew 5:27-30 to see how we can commit adultery without ever touching another person. We also see Jesus' explaining how serious sin really is.
As we continue our series on "Marriage Matters" we look in Matthew 19 to see what Jesus says when asked about the idea of divorce on frivolous grounds. From Sunday morning September 30th.
We reflect on Sunday morning's sermon from Genesis 1 and 2 to be reminded that we should view our spouse as a blessing from God that He has given us to enrich our lives, and not as a burden that we bear. Wednesday night's lesson from 9/26/18
We examine Genesis 2:18-25 to see God's design for marriage, the design that all Christians should be striving for!
As we finish the book of Esther we see 3 reflections of how this story is a strong reflection of our lives as God's people, and the victory that came for them and us!
Bro. Zach's Christmas eve message from Mt. Zion. We look at Isaiah 9:1-7 to see how Christ's birth isn't just good news, but it is good news to people in a bad place!
Message from Easter morning, beginning is silent, but sound begins at 42 seconds. What we learn from the women's experience at the tomb. (Luke 24)