Lehigh Valley Presbyterian Church: Recent Episodes
The sermon examines Psalm 73 to challenge believers to consider whether God is truly sufficient for their deepest desires. It contrasts the fleeting nature of earthly pursuits with the eternal stability found in Christ, urging a vertical focus on heaven rather than horizontal distraction by worldly events. The preacher highlights human frailty and the inevitable failure of flesh and heart as the context where divine reliability becomes most apparent. By referencing Job and Peter, the message illustrates that true faith manifests in daily dependence on God amidst both suffering and joy. Ultimately, the text calls for a transformed life where God remains the exclusive portion and source of joy for eternity.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of focused, intentional acts of kindness rather than generalized goodwill, drawing a parallel to specific musical tastes and the limitations of human capacity. It argues that while doing good to everyone is a noble aspiration, true impact comes from prioritizing love and service within the Christian community, as this fosters genuine discipleship and provides a tangible expression of faith that attracts others. Ultimately, the message encourages believers to persevere in doing good, trusting that God will provide a harvest, and to begin by nurturing relationships within the church, thereby demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel.
The sermon centers on the transformative power of grace and its implications for Christian living, drawing heavily from Romans 6 and 8. It explores the concept of baptism as a symbolic participation in Christ's death and resurrection, emphasizing that believers are freed from the dominion of sin through their union with Christ. The message underscores the necessity of presenting oneself to God as an instrument of righteousness, rejecting the notion that grace licenses sin and instead calling for a life surrendered to Christ, recognizing that believers are no longer under law but under grace, empowered to live a new life reflecting Christ's image.
The sermon explores the motif of Jesus sharing meals with diverse individuals, particularly tax collectors, as a central aspect of his ministry in Luke's Gospel. It emphasizes that these meals were not merely social gatherings but invitations to friendship, intimacy, and the extension of God's reign. The message highlights Jesus's call to repentance and the radical nature of following him, urging listeners to abandon self-reliance and embrace a life of celebration and indiscriminate invitation, recognizing that true transformation requires a complete shift in perspective and a willingness to embrace the newness of God's grace rather than clinging to familiar, inadequate systems.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of sharing both material and spiritual blessings within the Christian community, particularly with those in leadership, as a reflection of sowing to the Spirit and avoiding mockery of God. It cautions against self-deception and encourages believers to invest in relationships and practical acts of kindness, recognizing that genuine love and fellowship serve as a powerful testimony to the transformative power of the gospel and ultimately lead to an eternal harvest. The message underscores the responsibility of the church to foster a culture of generosity and mutual support, mirroring the sacrificial love of Christ and extending outward to impact the wider world.
The sermon emphasizes the Christian call to bear one another's burdens as a fulfillment of Christ's law, challenging the tendency towards self-focus and pride that hinders genuine connection and support within the church. Drawing on the analogy of a backpack invoice, the message highlights that while individual burdens may seem manageable, the true weight has already been borne by Christ, and believers are called to extend grace and love through vulnerability and intentional fellowship, moving beyond superficial interactions to offer practical and spiritual assistance to those in need.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of walking in step with the Holy Spirit, particularly when dealing with those caught in transgression. Rather than focusing on personal skill or legalistic adherence, it highlights the need for spiritual maturity and gentleness in restoring others, mirroring Christ's example. It cautions against conceitedness, provocation, and envy, advocating for a posture of imitation and recognizing that the Spirit has already paved a path, offering hope and assurance for believers seeking to disciple one another and extend grace within the church.
The sermon explores the tension between living under the law and living by the Spirit, drawing a parallel to LegalZoom's promise of peace of mind through legal compliance. It emphasizes that believers, freed from the burden of the Old Testament law, experience an internal struggle between their flesh and the Spirit, but ultimately, the Spirit's power crucifies the desires of the flesh, enabling the production of spiritual fruit like love, joy, and patience. The central message underscores that true freedom lies not in legal adherence, but in trusting the Spirit's transformative work, allowing believers to live a life characterized by divine qualities without fear of legal consequence, as the Spirit's influence renders the law irrelevant to their conduct.
The sermon explores the pitfalls of unchecked indulgence, drawing from Ecclesiastes' account of King Solomon's pursuit of pleasure and ultimately finding it empty and futile. It argues that while enjoying life's good gifts is not inherently wrong, relying on willpower alone to restrain desires is insufficient, as our will often aligns with our fleshly appetites. Instead, the message emphasizes the necessity of Christ-control, where the Holy Spirit guides us towards contentment and redirects our desires, promising a future where true and lasting satisfaction is found in God's presence.
The sermon explores the concept of gentleness, challenging conventional notions of strength and masculinity while grounding it in biblical theology. Drawing from 2 Timothy and 1 Peter, it argues that gentleness isn's weakness but rather a controlled power, exemplified by Jesus's character and demonstrated through patient endurance, loving correction, and a humble spirit. It emphasizes that true gentleness isn't about avoiding conflict but about responding with restraint and grace, trusting in God's sovereignty and ultimately reflecting the gentle nature of Christ, leading to a greater understanding of faith and discipleship.
The sermon explores the concept of peace, distinguishing between fleeting, worldly peace and the deeper, spiritual peace offered through faith in Christ. It emphasizes that true peace isn't merely the absence of conflict, but a state of reconciliation with God, accessible through prayer and a reliance on the Holy Spirit. The message encourages listeners to embrace this objective peace, recognizing it as a constant reality that guards their hearts and minds, even amidst life's challenges, and to share this peace with others.
The sermon centers on the significance of Christ's resurrection, emphasizing that it guarantees our own and renders hope in this life alone insufficient. Drawing parallels to agricultural practices and the concept of firstfruits, the message asserts that Jesus' resurrection is not an isolated event but the beginning of a larger harvest, promising the ultimate defeat of death and the establishment of God's kingdom. The speaker contrasts a bleak scenario where Christ's resurrection is denied, highlighting the resulting futility and despair, with the hopeful reality of Christ's victory, which assures believers of a future beyond earthly limitations and a shared resurrection glory.
Title: Why then the law? Series: Galatians Speaker: Matthew Franchetti Bible: Galatians 3:19-26 Date: November 10, 2024
Title: Ephesians 1:15-23 Series: Guest Speakers Speaker: Cesar Astorga Bible: Ephesians 1:5-23 Date: November 3, 2024
Title: Psalm 123 Series: Guest Speakers Speaker: Dominic Silla Bible: Psalm 123 Date: September 22, 2024
Title: How Justification Works Series: Galatians Speaker: Matthew Franchetti Bible: Galatians 2 Date: September 15, 2024
Title- Not Man's Gospel-Series- Galatians-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Galatians 1-11-17-Date- July 28, 2024
Title- Fake News-Series- Galatians-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Galatians 1-6-10-Date- July 21, 2024
Title- The Gospel Starts Now -Series- Galatians-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Galatians 1-1-5-Date- July 14, 2024
Title- Philippians 1-27-Speaker- Mark Howard-Bible- Philippians 1-27-Date- July 7, 2024
Title- The End of Nehemiah-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 13-23-31-Date- June 23, 2024
Title- Psalm 23-Series- Guest Speakers-Speaker- Rev. Ron Zeigler-Bible- Psalm 23-Date- June 16, 2024
Title- Time is not yours-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 13-15-22-Date- June 9, 2024
Title- What Worship Should Feel Like-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 12-27-43-Date- May 26, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Not Neglecting God's House-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 10-Date- May 12, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- God is a better listener than you-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 9-26-31-Date- April 28, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- God sustains the stiff-necked-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 9-16-28-Date- April 7, 2024
Title- A Resurrection Reminder -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- 1 Corinthians 15-1-11-Date- March 31, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Good Friday-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Luke 23-1-49-Date- March 29, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Maundy Thursday 2024-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- John 14-1-31-Date- March 28, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- It would have been enough-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 9-9-15-Date- March 25, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Tell him something good-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 9-5-8-Date- March 17, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Confessing to a Joyful GoD-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 9-1-5-Date- March 10, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- God is in charge of fun-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 8-13-18-Date- March 3, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Cheer Up--Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 8-9-12-Date- February 25, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- How to teach the Word-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 8-1-8-Date- February 18, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- The Gatekeeper-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 7-1-5-Date- February 4, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- How to hear to the Word-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 8-1-8-Date- February 11, 2024--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Fear - Strength-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 6-1-9-Date- January 21, 2024
Title- Then came John-Speaker- John Harley III-Bible- Mark 1-1-8-Date- January 14, 2024
Title- Feasting like Kings-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 5-14-Date- January 7, 2024
Title- The Baby and the Sword-Speaker- C. David Green-Bible- Luke 2-22-40-Date- December 31, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- You're a Family so act like it-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- John 1-14-Date- December 24, 2023
Title- Radical Vigilance-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 4-15-23-Date- December 17, 2023
Title- God's Bartender-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 1-1-2-8-Date- November 19, 2023
Title- The Battle of Midway-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 4-1-14-Date- December 10, 2023
Title- Revival- Not for Experts-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 3-Date- December 3, 2023
Title- Night Rider -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 2-9-20-Date- November 26, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Rebuilding Ruins - It starts with the heart-Series- Guest Speakers-Speaker- John Julien-Bible- Nehemiah 1-1-11-Date- November 12, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Old Testament Reformation-Speaker- Unknown Speaker-Bible- 2 Kings 12-12-Date- October 29, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- The Hoped For Deliverance -Speaker- Dominic Silla-Bible- Psalm 120-Date- October 29, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Foreign Brides-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 10-9-44-Date- October 15, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Your Sin is Appalling-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 9-1-6-Date- September 24, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- God's Treasure-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 8-Date- September 17, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- God's Good Hand-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 7-Date- September 10, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Passover Joy-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 6-Date- September 10, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- He Has His Eye on Us-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 5-Date- August 27, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- The Gospel According to Haggai-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Haggai 2-10-23-Date- August 20, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Mark 9-38-41-Speaker- Jonathan Kuciemba-Bible- Mark 9-38-41-Date- August 13, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Free from sin and Death-Series- Guest Speakers-Speaker- C. David Green-Bible- Romans 7-24-8-13-Date- August 6, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Strong Enemies Stronger God-Speaker- Clint Estes-Bible- Psalm 124-Date- July 30, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- It gets better-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Haggai 1-12-2-9-Date- July 23, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Consider Your Ways -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 5-1-2-Date- July 16, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Cry of the Wretched-Speaker- C. David Green-Bible- Romans 7-1-25 -Date- July 9, 2023--CC Spanish - Portuguese
Title- Unity in Christ-Speaker- Joshua Laudenslager-Bible- Psalm 133-Date- June 18, 2023
Title- Why You Gotta Be So Rude---Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 4-1-6-Date- June 11, 2023
Title- Emotional Worship-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 3-6-13-Date- June 4, 2023
Title- Party in the Graveyard-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 2-68-3-6-Date- May 28, 2023
Title- Jerusalem Trail-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 1-1-2-67-Date- May 21, 2023
Title- Looking Back, Going Forward-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Ezra 4-1-4-Date- May 14, 2023
Title- What Makes You Happy-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 4-Date- May 7, 2023
Title- When God Messes With You-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 4-5-11-Date- April 30, 2023
Title- Angry Enough to Die-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 4-1-4-Date- April 23, 2023
Title- Joy - Unspeakable and Full of Glory-Speaker- John Harley III-Bible- 1 Peter 1-3-9-Date- April 16, 2023
Title- The Conspiracy of Unbelief-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 27-62-28-15-Date- April 9, 2023
Title- What the Groupies Missed-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 21-1-11-Date- April 2, 2023
Title- What Revival Looks Like-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 3-1-10-Date- March 26, 2023
Title- Foolish Preaching -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 3-1-5-Date- March 22, 2023
Title- How to Pray in a Crisis-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 2-1-10-Date- March 12, 2023
Title- The Same Old Song-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 2-Date- March 5, 2023
Title- Rotten Miracles-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 1-17-Date- February 26, 2023
Title- Consequences-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 1-11-16-Date- February 19, 2023
Title- Fessing up-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 1-7-10-Date- February 12, 2023
Title- ...But you can' hide.-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 1-4-6-Date- January 29, 2023
Title- You Can Run -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Jonah 1-1-3-Date- January 22, 2023
Title- Why Jospeh Had to Go to Egypt -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 2-13-23-Date- January 15, 2023
Title- Who Invited Them---Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 2-1-12-Date- January 8, 2023
Title- The Word Became Flesh-Speaker- C. David Green-Bible- John 1-1-14-Date- January 1, 2023
Title- Christmas Eve 2022- Not just a Game-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Date- December 24, 2022
Title- What Joseph Got For Christmas-Series- Welcoming Jesus-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 1-18-25-Date- December 25, 2022
Title- Jesus Family Tree-Series- Welcoming Jesus-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 1-1-17-Date- December 18, 2022
Title- Patience is a Virtue-Series- Welcoming Jesus-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 11-2-11-Date- December 11, 2022
Title- Repentance- Cleaning House-Series- Welcoming Jesus-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 3-1-12-Date- December 16, 2022
Title- Stay Awake- Get Excited-Series- Welcoming Jesus -Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 24-36-44-Date- November 27, 2022
Title- Understanding- Knowing the Word, Knowing People-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Nehemiah 8-1-8-Date- November 20, 2022
Title- Real Hospitality-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Hebrews 13-1-2-Date- November 13, 2022
Title- The Mission-Series- The Great Commission Series-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 28-16-20-Date- November 6, 2022
Title- One of Us-Series- The Great Commission Series-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 28-16-20-Date- October 30, 2022
Title- The -Dream- Team-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 28-16-20-Date- October 23, 2022
Title- The Rock-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-24-8-1-Date- October 16, 2022
Title- Don't be a Stranger-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-21-23-Date- October 9, 2022
Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-15-20-Date- October 2, 2022
Title- Everyone's Favorite Rule-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-12-14-Date- September 25, 2022
Title- Good Gifts-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-7-11-Date- September 18, 2022
Title- Pigs - Pearls-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-6-Date- September 4, 2022
Title- No Worries-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 7-1-5-Date- August 21, 2022
Title- Safe with Jesus-Speaker- C. David Green-Bible- Luke 12-41-56-Date- August 14, 2022
Title- True Christian Love-Speaker- John Harley III-Bible- Colossians 3-1-14-Date- July 31, 2022
Title- Holy Hoarders-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 6-19-24-Date- July 26, 2022
Title- A Healthy Appetite-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 6-16-18-Date- July 17, 2022
Title- Proverbs 31-Series- Guest Speakers-Speaker- Michael Goodlin-Bible- Proverbs 31-Date- July 3, 2022
Title- Glory - Guts-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 6-9-15-Date- June 19, 2022
Title- How Not to Pray--Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course--Speaker- Matthew Franchetti--Date- June 12, 2022
Title- Who's Watching Me---Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 6-1-4-Date- June 5, 2022
Title- Won't You Be My Neighbor--Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course--Speaker- Matthew Franchetti--Bible- Matthew 5-43-48--Date- May 29, 2022
Title- No Karma-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 5-38-42-Date- May 22, 2022
Title- Big Talkers-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 5-33-37-Date- May 15, 2022
Title- The Perfect Father-Speaker- C. David Green-Bible- John 10-22-30-Date- May 8, 2022
Title- Divorce-Series- Discipleship-SOTM Crash Course-Speaker- Matthew Franchetti-Bible- Matthew 5-31-32-Date- May 1, 2022
The tenth sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The ninth sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The eighth sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The seventh sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The sixth sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The fifth sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The fourth sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-.
The third sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount-
The second sermon in Pastor Matt Franchetti's series -Discipleship - A Crash Course on the Sermon on the Mount- .
Our guest speaker, Angel Gomez, is Associate Pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Willow Grove, PA
Our guest today was a Westminster Seminary chum of Pastor Matt's -They worked the Library together-- and is current Chaplain of the Whosoever Gospel Mission in Germantown, PA
Have you ever felt like you were taken away from a job before it was finished- So did Paul.
Elder Harley takes the helm and shows us a wonderful view of Christian perseverance from the opening of Exodus.
Ever feel like you are suffering in silence- This message puts our sufferings in their proper biblical context.
Many outside influences cause us to adjust our priorities, but what if you knew that the Lord was to return today- How would it effect your priorities-
How do we access God's blessings and what does it mean to be -blessed by God-- Rev. Green unfolds the true nature of God's blessings through the account of Jacob wrestling with God.
Our guest speaker today is also the moderator of our Presbytery. His message gives us some very timely prospective of how our individual walks effect others as we -let our light shine- before our neighbors. It also points us very clearly to the source of the power that frees us to let that light shine.
The call to a Biblical Christian witness is a hard teaching...especially at this time in history. Faith in future grace, loving your enemies and deferred gratification are challenges that all Christians have to wrestle with at times. This message lends much prospective to this very challenging topic.
As we finish up the first chapter of 1 Peter, we see that God's word frees us to be optimistic about the future. A very encouraging and timely message.
In this text, Peter reminds his audience of their rich inheritance as they are dispersed and scattered. For us too, it is an encouraging reminder of the truth of scripture amidst our present circumstances.
Throughout history, moral and spiritual relativism has been an issue within the church. Sometime it seems that the -grass is greener- when it is someone else's... John understood this in his day and it is just applicable today.
This message explores the dynamic between Peter's failures before the Lord and his sanctification. It highlights a -hope-giving- dynamic that is as alive in our sanctification as it was in Peter's.
This week Pastor reflects on the resurrection and fleshes out some implications of the actions Jesus took during the early part of the 40 days Jesus walked the earth during the post resurrection period.