Christ PCA Temecula: Recent Episodes
Christ Presbyterian Church
Christ Presbyterian Church (christpca.net) began in 2005 as a small Bible study made up of people who wanted to see a new Christ-centered church in the Temecula Valley. That original vision is still intact and on display every Sunday. When you worship with us, you are brought face to face with Jesus—his life, his death, his ministry for us today at the right hand of God, and his coming again. We fervently believe that our lives need to be shaped by the message of Jesus, what the Bible calls “the gospel,” because it is only as we are formed and reformed by that good news that we are able to love God and love our neighbor.
But you, O LORD.” Psalm 3 does not promise that our troubles will disappear; it assures us that God is our shield, glory, and the lifter of our heads.
Every day the world feels increasingly unstable. Headlines bring uncertainty, and fear and our lives carry burdens that never make the news. Where do we find solid ground? Psalm 2 answers: behind all the noise of our world stands an unshaken throne with a righteous King, Jesus, risen and reigning.
We begin our Summering in the Psalms series with Psalm 1. Before teaching us how to praise, lament, confess, or rejoice, this opening psalm lays two paths before us. One leads to flourishing; the other to ruin. Psalm 1 invites us to consider not merely what we believe, but what shapes our desires, our decisions, and the direction of our lives.
In Matthew 11, Jesus praises the Father for hiding His redemptive plan from the proud, but makes Himself known to infants and the humble. All of this lays the foundation for Jesus’ invitation to rest. Like the infants, Jesus is gentle and humble and offers this rest (His grace) to those who know they are weary and burdened by sin and life in a fallen world.
s looking for. And there in the darkness of that moment, our God chooses to do a curious thing: wrestle with Jacob until the breaking of the dawn.
We have reached the end of the Gospel of Mark. It is a strange ending. No triumphant march. No ribbon tied neatly on the story. Just three women, an empty tomb, and a Gospel that closes with trembling and silence.
s blessings, but we also know the pain of loss, disappointment, suffering, and grief. What hope do we have when the darkness lingers and the stars seem to disappear?
We arrive at the cross. There is noise: soldiers mock, crowds jeer, religious leaders scoff, and dying criminals revile Jesus. Curiously, Mark spends more time recording the contempt surrounding Jesus than describing the crucifixion itself. And that is not by accident. This Sunday in Mark 15, we will see how Jesus endured the shame.
Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate. The crowd is demanding crucifixion. The religious leaders are driven by envy, and the Roman governor sees clearly what is right yet chooses comfort over conviction. In many ways, Pilate’s struggle is painfully familiar. What happens when faithfulness becomes costly? What do we do when the truth disrupts our carefully managed lives?
s residence, the Sanhedrin has assembled, hunting for a charge. In the courtyard below, Peter warms himself at a fire, trying to look inconspicuous. He has followed Jesus: close enough to keep him in sight, yet careful and quiet enough not to be named as a follower.And at the center, under arrest and abandoned by his friends stands our Savior.
Mark 14:43–52 is one of the darkest and chaotic moments in the Gospels, filled with betrayal, fear and swords. Friends scatter. Everything feels unstable and undone. And yet right in the middle of the chaos stands Jesus, calm, clear, and utterly resolute as He walks toward the cross for sinners like us.
s Gospel with remarkable composure. But in Mark 14, He falls to the ground, and begins to tremble. Mark gives an intimate glimpse into the interior life of our Savior. We will see what undid Him, why He went to the cross despite praying for another way, and who it was all for.
On the road to the Mount of Olives, Jesus says, “You will all fall away.” Peter does not take that well. What follows is a tragic scene of a man so convinced of his own strength that he walks right past the grace intended to sustain him. This Sunday, we’ll see why the grit we need cannot come from within, but must be given to us in Christ.
In Mark 14:12–26, on the night of the Passover, Jesus gathers with His disciples in a room. At that table, everything is revealed. A betrayer is exposed; hearts are searched. Then Jesus takes bread and a cup, and offers not just a meal, but Himself: His body and blood given for His people.
This Sunday as the events move to the cross, the plot against Jesus is already in motion. And in the middle of it all, an woman walks into a room with a quiet act of costly devotion.Mark 14:1–11 demonstrates the difference between rejecting Jesus, using Jesus, and truly worshiping Him.
What does it mean to live with hope in an anxious world? Psalm 24 answers by lifting our eyes to a King who comes. Not a distant or fragile king, but the King of glory, who owns all things, who makes a way for sinners to come near, and who has already won the decisive battle over sin and death.
In Mark 13, Jesus speaks about a world that will feel unstable, disorienting, and overwhelming. He does not hide the reality of difficulties we will face, nor does He leave us without hope. Instead, He fixes our eyes on what is certain. His Word will not pass away, and He Himself will come again in power and glory.
Jesus begins preparing His disciples for a future they were not expecting; leaving the temple in Jerusalem, the disciples marvel at its beauty and permanence. But Jesus responds announces that the temple will be torn down and warns of the turbulent time between His first coming and His return, a time marked by deception, upheaval, persecution, and hardship.
Jesus, teaching in the temple during the final days before the cross raises an important question about the identity of the Messiah, offers a sobering warning about a kind of religion that looks impressive but misses the heart of God, and then draws attention to a quiet act of devotion that most people in the room would have completely overlooked.
A scribe asks Jesus a question: which is the greatest commandment? Jesus answers: love the Lord your God with all that you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. This answer feels simple until you realize how deep it runs. This passage shows us the life God seeks, a whole-hearted life that knows Him, treasures Him, and shares His love with others.
Jesus faces the Sadducees, who devise a calculated trap designed to make resurrection appear absurd and to embarrass Him. Instead, Jesus exposes their flawed argument and failure to know either the Scriptures or the power of God.
In Mark 12:13-17, strange allies gather in the temple courts with a single aim: to defeat and destroy Jesus. They approach with a simple but loaded question about power, loyalty, and who truly holds authority. What unfolds is far more than a clever escape, but showcases the beauty of our Savior.
In the parable of a vineyard, Jesus exposes God’s generous provision, humanity’s refusal to give Him what He is owed, and the judgment that follows when the Son is rejected.We’ll consider whether we live as grateful tenants under God’s care or resist His rightful claim on our lives.
Every life is lived under authority; the real question is whose? In Mark 11:27–33, Jesus is confronted in with a question meant to trap him: “By what authority are you doing these things?” When Jesus’ authority collides with our autonomy, how will we respond? Jesus’ authority is not a threat to our joy, but the very means of our salvation.
In Mark 11:12–25, Jesus curses a fig tree, drives from the temple and speaks words of warning rather than comfort. These signs expose a serious danger: a faith that looks alive on the outside but bears no fruit. As Jesus confronts fruitless religion and corrupted worship, He calls His people to be rooted in Him, not in religious activity or appearances, and be marked by faith, prayer and forgiveness.
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is often called triumphal; there are palm branches and psalms, shouts of “Hosanna”. Yet He rides in humbly, walks straight to the temple, quietly looks around, and then leaves. Mark reveals a King whose glory is revealed in humility, whose power is exercised through obedience, and whose path to victory runs straight through the cross.
As Jesus travels toward Jerusalem, He stops along the way for a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus for mercy, the crowd tries to silence him, but Jesus beckons him close, restores his sight, and invites Bartimaeus to follow Him.
In Mark 10:32–45, we behold our Savior leading His disciples along the way, exposing our hunger for recognition, and redefining true greatness in self-sacrificing love. At the center stands the Son of Man, who did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
In Mark 10:17–31, we meet a man who appears to have everything: morality, wealth, influence, and religious devotion. Yet tragically, he walks away from Jesus. His encounter exposes a deep truth: eternal life cannot be earned through performance, but only received by grace. Jesus lovingly confronts the idol that holds this man’s heart.
In Mark 10:1–12, Jesus is confronted with a question about marriage meant to trap Him. Instead of debating technicalities, He brings listeners back to God’s original design, dignity, and purpose for marriage. This passage challenges our assumptions and leads us toward the hope of the gospel: the One True Bridegroom who remains faithful even when we are not.
In this sobering passage, Jesus exposes the pride in our hearts and the sin that shapes our habits. The disciples try to shut down a man casting out demons simply because he wasn’t part of their group. But Jesus warns about the tragic effects of sin, calling us from territorial pride and faith that measures others by our preferences, and into the humility and charity of true discipleship.
Jesus walks with His disciples and reveals His mission: the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, suffer, die, and rise. But the disciples are preoccupied with arguing about who among them is the greatest.
This Sunday we come to one of the more monumental moments in all of the Gospels: the Transfiguration.
As Paul closes his letter to Titus not quietly, but with clarity and conviction. What the gospel builds lasts. Titus is called to lead a church that keeps its eyes on what truly matters—Christ and His mission. Paul’s closing words reveal a heart captivated by grace and a community shaped by service.
In Titus 3:1-8, Paul reminds us that the grace that saves us also sends us. God’s mercy doesn’t just change our status before Him, it transforms how we live before others. In a world marked by division and pride, Christians are called to be living demonstrations of the kindness and humility of Christ.
This week, we explore how deep theology produces deep followers who adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
In a short series on leadership, we’ll look this week at Titus 1:1-4. The Apostle Paul, addressing his spiritual son, Titus, demonstrates a powerful perspective on ministry; how he balanced deep humility with confident authority, and where he found hope when the work seemed overwhelming. These principles are not just for church leaders; they are for every believer seeking to faithfully serve God.
s the startling truth: Jesus calls his followers to embrace this same path. Denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus are not paths to death but the gateway to authentic, abundant life.
In a world full of fears and distractions, Jesus warns us about the subtle but deadly danger of unbelief; the Pharisees demanding signs and the disciples forgetting bread, but underneath both is a failure to trust the One standing right in front of them. This passage challenges us to recognize the leaven of unbelief in our own hearts, while also comforting us with the patience of Savior, who lovingly guides and guards His struggling people.
ll see Jesus revealed through seven loaves, a few fish, and 4,000 hungry people in the wilderness. More than a miracle of multiplication, this familiar story unveils the character of Christ Himself. Come discover Jesus who sees every need, remembers every promise, and provides beyond what we dare ask or imagine.
This Sunday we meet the Syrophoenician woman who refused to take no for an answer. When Jesus seemingly compares her to a dog, rather than storming off in offense, she demonstrates the kind of bold, humble, yet persistent faith that delights the heart of God. Her story teaches that sometimes the most unlikely people demonstrate for us what real, authentic faith actually looks like.
The Pharisees hid their flaws behind empty rituals, but traditions led to tragedy—worship that missed God’s heart. In Mark 7:1-13, Jesus exposes their folly yet offers them hope: a Hope found in His sufficiencies despite our inadequacies. Join us Sunday for “A Tragedy Steeped in Tradition” as we fix our eyes on our one and only hope: Jesus.
In Mark 5:35-43. Jesus is called to the house of the ruler of the synagogue for the man's young daughter was dead. Jesus tells her to arise and the people are amazed.
This week, we look at the fifth chapter of Mark, where Jesus faces the man with the unclean spirit and people are confronted by the supremacy of Jesus.
This week Jesus calms the storm in Mark 4:35-41 and we look at how our fears influence and affect our faith.
This week we look at multiple parables; the parable of the lamp, the parable of the growing seed, and the parable of the mustard seed.
This week we look at the parable of the sower and discover why knowing the secret of the kingdom of God is necessary to fully understand the parables of Jesus.
This week in Mark 3:20-35, we’ll look at the relationship between Jesus and his family and what it means for a kingdom to be divided.
This week in Mark 2:23-3:6, Jesus is once again challenged by the Pharisees, this time on the Sabbath. They begin to seek to destroy him.
Jesus moves through Galilee to preach in the synagogues and to cast out demons. He heals a man with leprosy who spread the news of his healing so that many people came to Jesus.
This week, Abraham is hospitable and God tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son within the year.
In this week’s passage, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and makes His covenant with Abraham.
In this week’s sermon through Genesis 16, we will look at the events surrounding Sarai and her maidservant Hagar.
In this week’s sermon through Genesis 15:7-21, we will look at the covenant God made with Abram.
After Abram witnessed God’s hand of protection in battle, the Lord comes to Abram in a vision to reassure him of promises made. Abram, having faith in God, feels some distress: He believes in God’s promises, and yet the circumstances before him ran antithetical to what God had said would take place. God provides Abram a sign of assurance, and Abram continues in his pilgrim faith. And it is this very faith in the promise-making God Who would bless all nations through his Offspring, namely Jesus, that is reckoned as righteousness to Abram.
The Battle of the Valley of Siddim has been won and the king seizes the people and the goods, including Abram’s nephew Lot and his family. This causes Abram to gather his men to rescue Lot and and run off the conquerors. Abram is blessed by the high priest Melchizedek, and takes nothing from the King of Sodom for the rescue other than food which had been eaten.
In this week’s sermon, Forks in the Road, we see the beginnings of strife between Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen. To prevent strife between them, Abram tells Lot to separate and gives him first choice of land. Lot chooses the well-watered Jordan Valley and settled in the area of Sodom; Abram settles in Canaan. Then the Lord reiterates his promise to Abram, who moves his tent and makes another altar to the Lord.
This Sunday, we’ll look at Genesis 12:10-13:4 where Abram essentially makes a mess of things. Famine in the land drove Abram and Sarai to Egypt where her beauty captures the eye of Pharaoh, who takes her for his wife. Determined to lie that Sarai is his sister to preserve his own life, Abram fails to trust in God’s promises. When plagues befall the people, Pharaoh rebukes Abram for his lie and sends him and Sarai away where later, Abram calls upon the Lord.
This week, we begin a new series in the Life of Abraham. God called the man Abram to be a great nation, to leave behind everything and to go where he called him to go. We will look at God’s promises to Abraham and Abrahams’s responses to God’s call.
This week we will conclude the two-part series as we look at Acts 6:1-7 and consider the roles and responsibilities of leaders in the church. We will also consider what is the mission of the church and why prayer is preaching are so critical to the mission.
This week we begin a two-part series on Biblical leadership called Workers for Your Joy. In the first sermon, we will look at 1 Peter 5 as we consider the qualifications of leaders in the church and what their responsibilities are in relation to the church and to the Chief Shepherd.
As we wrap up the series in Philippians, the Apostle Paul encourages the Philippine church to be content. He also points out that he had to “learn” to be content no matter his circumstances and that is through the Lord who strengthens. He closes with the reminder that God indeed will supply for their every need “according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ.”
These five verses in Philippians are popular memory verses for several reasons. First, Paul reminds the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always, and then he repeats himself. Then he addresses how to deal with anxiety and letting the peace of God guard their hearts and minds instead of worry. Finally, he concludes with the reminder of where their thoughts should be and how with the practice of these things, God’s peace will reign.
As we look at Philippians chapter four, we will see how conflicts can cause division and why Paul encourages the Philippians to stand firm. We will look to see how conflicts in our own lives and churches can have a negative impact on how we labor for the gospel and help to build the next generation of believers.
This week we look to the Gospel of Mark and the story of the demon-possessed man. We will see how the unclean spirit affected the man and how Jesus restored his humanity. Through this, we can see the supremacy of Christ and how much the Lord has accomplished for us.
This week we will look at Philippians 3:17-4:1 and how discipleship affects our walk. What does Paul mean when he tells the Philippian church to imitate him, and how does this translate to us today? Are we discipling and are we being discipled? How do new reconcile our earthly existence in the flesh with the goal of our citizenship in heaven?
This week we will look at what the Apostle Paul means when he says he is “pressing on” and “forgetting what lies behind” and what gives him the strength. We will look at how sanctification brings us to the prize of the upward call of God through Jesus and how our mindset changes as we are sanctified and leave behind lesser things.
This week in part two of the sermon, “The Fight For Joy” we will look at the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” and the difference between righteousness and self-righteousness through a joyful perspective, a joyful pillar, and a joyful passion which comes from further knowing Christ.
In chapter three, Paul warns of the evildoers; those who put confidence in the flesh. He counters with the reasons he is “qualified” through the flesh, but explains the futility of putting confidence in anything but the Lord. We will look at why it’s so easy to take confidence in the flesh and learn the benefits of putting our confidence in the Lord.
This week, we move to chapter three of Philippians where in the opening line, Paul reiterates what he has said before regarding joy. This important reminder is because we can easily let our present circumstances rob us of joy. How do these circumstances impact our joy and how can we rejoice in the Lord daily?
This week in Philippians 2:19-30, Paul tells the Philippian church that he is sending two faithful workers to them: Timothy and Epaphroditus. He commends both men for their genuine service to the Lord, contrasting that with others who worked only in their own self-interest. We will look to see why Paul speaks of being anxious and how in sending the two faithful servants, it will ease his anxiety.
This week in Philippians 2:14-18, Paul urges the church to not grumble and complain and we’ll look at the roots of both. In our broken world, it’s easy to do, but how can we fight the urge to grumble and complain and how do those two things affect our witness to the watching world? What does it mean to “hold fast to the word of life” and how might that have been encouraging to Paul, despite facing the prospect of his own death?
This week as we look at Philippians chapter two, we will see that the Philippian church is facing difficulties and Paul encourages them to work out their salvation rather than to give up or try something new. We will look at what it means to fear and see the difference between working out our salvation and working for our salvation and where we get the strength to continue on in the faith.
This week through Philippians 2:1-11 we will look at how our union with Christ impacts our communion with one another and discover the two threats (selfish ambition and conceit) to Christian unity and community and why they are so detrimental? In addition, we will see how to combat these threats and how Jesus’ example of humility is the model for us today.
This week as we look through Philippians 1:27-30, we will see that the Apostle Paul is encouraging unity within the church. He also shows that this is an active process; that one must strive to achieve it and stand firm and to not be frightened. We will see what encourages unity, why it’s important, and how the Gospel can conquer the fears so that we may live a “life worthy of the Gospel”?
As we continues in our sermon series through Paul's letter to the Philippians, we come to chapter 1:18b-26 where Paul declares in verse 21 that for him, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. This passage confronts us with the realities of both life and death, and the profound depths that Gospel joy can plunge.
What does it look like to be faithful? More specifically, what does it look like to be faithful amidst our limitations This week as we continue in our sermon series through the Letter to the Philippians, we will see both the limitations and faithfulness of the Apostle Paul, and together consider how the Good New of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, enables us to be faithful amidst even our limitations.
What gives us confidence? This week in Philippians, Paul assures us that no matter the dark, shadowy places and spaces of our lives, the light of joy and life still shines. We have Christ and therefore we have hope and life. The joy of the Lord is our strength.
Beginning a new series entitled “Joy’s Journey: The Letter to the Philippians,” we will look at Paul’s opening salutation to the saints in the Philippian church.
Patience is not a common virtue in the modern world. In an age of technological advancements, our society has grown impatient as we wait for things to load, stand in line, or in deal with people. While patience in times of minor inconveniences can be trying, our passage in James gives us a different reality: patience in times of suffering and hardships. James shows us that because of God's trustworthy promises, we can have patience and hope, even in difficult times, because of God's faithfulness, patience, and compassion to us.
Scripture is full of unexpected and unlikely victories such as Gideon’s 330-man army versus the Midianite army. We will see that Gideon needs faith and trust in God's promises and provisions. Far from looking at his circumstances, the size of his army, or other material considerations, Gideon needs to know the battle will be won because of God's initiative, power and promises. We will see that in our own lives today, there's still a need to look in faith and trust in God's promises, even when our circumstances appear dire.
With the recent devastating fire and loss of life in Maui and then the potential for Hurricane Hilary to hit our region, it points to the reality of how fragile we all are. In a single day, our lives can change. But these events also point out to us how faithful a Shepherd we have in Christ. All the storms, wars; all unforeseens can never separate us from the love of God we have in Christ Jesus. As His sheep, He shepherds us through storms into His eternal Kingdom that cannot be shaken or moved.
God's Word can often seem strange and unrelated to our lives and times. The New Testament alone was written nearly 2,000 years ago; how can it ever relate to us? But upon further reflection and dissection of Scripture (or upon hearing God's Word preached to us) we can't help but sense that God knows us even better than we know ourselves. This week, we’ll look at some "strange" sayings, such as: "the righteous is scarcely saved," "fiery trials," "rejoice isnofar as you share Christ's sufferings," "who suffer according to God's will," and "entrust their souls."
God’s word continues to illuminate the reality of the life that we have in Christ Jesus. As we sit under the preaching, our minds are transformed, and God sanctifies us by His word and His spirit. God has been faithful to His church for the past 2,000 years and He will continue to do so as He ministers to us; His people. We can bring our cares and concerns and look together to the one who provides all that we need for life and godliness through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sometimes, we come to realize what kind of people we are in moments of trial and this can lead us to defining moments in our lives, for better or worse. This Sunday, we will see Queen Esther’s defining moment as she decides what she will do in the face of dire circumstances and her remarkable act of courage and faith. This response to trial stems from confidence in her faithful, covenant-keeping God. Like Esther, we too are reminded of the confidence we can have in our God because of His continued faithfulness.
As a church, our lives and hope and Savior are so united that the bond between our Christian brothers and sisters is in many real ways thicker than our earthly bonds with our own families; we pray with those in need, we mourn with those who mourn. Why such affection and care? Because in Christ we are all connected. We are a new creation; the bride of Christ. This week's scripture 1 Peter 3:8-12 reminds us of that connection and encourages us to work together for the good of all to the glory of God.
When preaching through a book, we are bound to encounter difficult topics that in our society create division and some think are better left unaddressed for the sake of peace. Yet, we deal with the messy issues of life all the time and we cannot escape them. God does not leave them alone either, That is good news. This week in 1 Peter, we see what God has to say about slavery and wives' submission to their husbands. You may be surprised to see what he has to say.
This week as we look at the middle of 1 Peter, chapter 2 we will be considering how this passage teaches how Jesus' earthly experience relates to our earthly experience (vs 4-5, remember the context of Peter's hearers) and how Peter describes God’s view of His people and the impact it has on us.
False teaching and teachers have an uncanny ability to persuade and influence people's thinking. Their charismatic speaking and leadership can draw great crowds. Because false teaching can be so destructive and wounding, right doctrine and encouragement are needed as a remedy. This Sunday, we look to the letter of Jude, who offers encouragement to a church infiltrated by false teachers. Despite the harm the teachers have caused, Jude gives his hearers hope that they are God's beloved children and that they have hope in being united in their most holy faith.
Have you ever been so familiar with something that you feel like you know it like the back of your hand, but then one day you see something in it you’ve never seen before. It has been there for years but you had no idea what a gem it was. This week in 1 Peter, we will see just what Peter is saying in these verses and how it points to many other verses in the Scriptures and is part of the central message that Jesus has given to us, to love one another.
Even as Christians, there are times when we feel so weak and helpless and all we can do is cry out to God, “Help.” However, no matter how heavy our hearts, not matter what questions we have, we have the hope of the resurrection. We don’t know much, but we do know this: God has sent us His son into this world to bring light into the darkness. He hears our cries and brings the comfort that only He can bring. This gospel message points us towards hope because of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter’s letter now shifts. He laid the bedrock of our faith in the undeserved grace of God toward us who believe. Now Peter is going to encourage the saints to love one another. How do we treat our neighbors, coworkers, spouses, bosses, the government? We never move pass the gospel, we never transition to earning the gospel, but Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again, and we are called to live out the gospel in our everyday lives till He returns.
Our spiritual forefathers have stated that God governs all of His creatures and their actions through his works of Providence. They came to hold this belief from books like 1 Peter. As we begin a new series through 1 Peter, we will see the deep love and control of God over our lives, how He is weaving us into His great plan. Peter wrote this book to show that by seeing God’s awesome power and control we would entrust ourselves to His care, standing firm in the faith we have in Jesus, our rock and cornerstone.
Wrapping up our series, we’ll look at two seemingly different stories in 2 Kings 6; the first, a prophet loses an axe head in the Jordan River; the second reveals a large-scale geopolitical conflict. And yet, this story in the life of Elisha reminds us that God is in the middle of all of it even when the events themselves seem so distant from our day-to-day lives. God is in our midst of as the one who has compassion, is sovereign over all things, and sustains us by his grace.
This Easter Sunday, we unpack the all-encompassing effects of the resurrection of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul makes the case that Christianity and everything it entails falls apart if there is no resurrection. If Jesus hasn’t risen from the dead there is no redemption for our sins, no purpose in following Jesus, and no hope for the future. The resurrection isn’t just one brick among many in a system of belief, but instead means everything for our past, present, and future lives.
In 2 Kings 5, the washing of Naaman is one of the great baptism passages in the Bible. Naaman represents an all-too-familiar pride that must be set aside for him to see his need of God and Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, represents the similarly familiar pride of self-righteousness as he struggles to grasp God’s saving grace. These obstacles to God’s gracious work rear their heads in every generation. This story is a powerful reminder of our need of God’s cleansing mercy—a mercy wonderfully displayed in the waters of baptism.
The prophet Elisha moves from scene to scene in 2 Kings 4, bringing the kingdom of God to bear on women and men throughout Israel through miraculous works. Elisha’s ministry isn’t just about revealing the power of God; it's also reminding us of the God who sees and saves his people in distress. Amidst kingdoms that are passing away, Elisha the man of God, and ultimately Jesus the God-man, come bearing the hope and promise of a kingdom of redemption and restoration.
In 2 Kings 2, Elijah dramatically departs as the Lord ushers him away with chariots and horses of fire. The mantle is passed to Elisha, who will now take center stage. Elijah represented a ministry of judgment, often leaving Israel without God’s Word, Elisha represents a ministry of life, bringing God’s life-giving Word to bear on Israel. Elisha enters Israel a new Joshua on a mission of spiritual conquest and as Israel’s new spiritual leader, points us forward to our greater deliverer Jesus.
This week we look at the book of James where James tells us to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds because the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. It’s through trials that God shapes us and instead of trying to escape them, we should embrace them. Trials are the soil in which hope and joy and peace are grown. It is through trials we find true joy, knowing that we have a savior, that our sins are forgiven, and that we have an inheritance in heaven.
After following the exploits of King Ahab and Elijah’s confrontational ministry, this week Ahab’s life ends. One theme emphasized in this book is whether the king and the people will hear and obey God’s Word, just as we are continually challenged; do we let ourselves be confronted by a Word outside of us or do we prefer to have our ears tickled by a word we want to hear. This dramatic story reminds us this is the perennial question for every generation in the church.
This Sunday in 1 Kings 21 we begin to see the demise of King Ahab. In a defining scene of his character, Ahab stands by as a faithful Israelite is murdered in order to take his land. This passage gives us a deeper understanding of God, reminding us that our God sees oppression and injustice in this world. And astonishingly as Elijah comes back on the scene, God interrupts sinners bent on their own destruction in extending mercy to the least deserving.
This Sunday, we look at the aftermath of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Instead of revival and faithfulness sweeping through Israel, nothing seems to have changed. Queen Jezebel is only more committed to putting an end to Elijah who enters the wilderness discouraged in the lack of fruitfulness of his own ministry. Here we see compassion and tenderness as God ministers to His prophet; refreshing and reorienting Elijah, equipping him for his return to Israel with a fresh reminder of God’s sovereignty and His covenant faithfulness.
In this week’s passage, Elijah confronts King Ahab and the 450 prophets of Baal. During this time of Israel’s profound spiritual darkness, God is patient and merciful. Through his sustaining work of band of prophets hidden away from Ahab and Jezebel’s persecution to the confrontation of the false prophets of Baal, to the call to the Israelites back to faithfulness, we see God’s grace in the midst of his people’s sin and idolatry in a story that finds its culmination and perfection in the grace of God revealed in the person and work of Christ.
This Sunday we look at one of the most powerful passages in the Gospels that exhibits to us who Jesus is and what He has come to do. In John 8, Jesus brings us to see the depths of our needs and confronts us with the majesty of who He is; the one in whom our sins and are forgiven and in whom we find the most profound promise, that if we abide in Him, we will never taste death.
This week in Zechariah 3:1-5, we see a stunning picture of grace and God’s righteousness. Zechariah sees a vision of the high priest Joshua guilty of all charges brought against him, but he’s rescued by being clothed in clean garments given to him by the Lord. This vision communicates something important about our need and God’s provision: we can’t save ourselves. Our help is in the name of the Lord. We need a substitute, our Savior Jesus, to stand in for us where we’re found wanting.
This week, we explore the ministry of the prophet Elijah amidst the spiritual bankruptcy of the northern kingdom under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Elijah leaves Israel after pronouncing judgment to the king, and God’s powerful Word is the move; being rejected in Israel it finds a place to be heard, even in the heart of Baal country. Elijah is a prophet of the God whose shows His power isn’t limited to Israel, but brings life to the world and Elijah’s story prepares us for our greater prophet, Jesus.
In our new series, “The Gospel According to Elijah and Elisha” we’ll look at the dramatic events that come out of the lives of these two prophets, to see where they fit in redemptive history and what that means for our lives. We’ll begin by looking at the spiritual darkness of Israel preceding the unexpected and unanticipated arrival of Elijah the prophet and how this ancient history from 1 Kings speaks to the destructiveness of sin, the interruption of God’s grace, and the anticipation of the better king to come.
We begin the new year with Psalm 84. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord,” is a beautiful portion in Scripture that shapes and directs our hearts to find the fullness of life in God. Our culture spends so much time presenting alternative pictures of the good life with paltry visions of joy that do not satisfy and fleeting promises of security that leave us exposed to fear and anxiety. Psalm 84 reorients our hearts, minds, and desires to see the goodness of the Lord, our Sun and Shield.
This Christmas we’ll look at the fifth mother in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, Mary. There is so much in her brief story that fills us with awe. Mary is a model disciple, a model follower of her own son who helps us to see not her own greatness but the God who intrudes into our world to redeem it and to redeem her. The story of Mary is not about her sufficiency and worth but her own needs being met by her covenant-keeping God in the one she carried in her womb.
The fourth and final woman from the Old Testament listed in Matthew’s genealogy is Bathsheba, who Matthew lists as the wife of Uriah. From Tamar exposing the sin of Judah, Rahab delivering the Hebrew spies, and Ruth just so happening to glean in Boaz’ field, in the tragic story of David and Bathsheba God remains at work in the midst of these broken people from whom the Savior will come.
This Sunday we turn to the book of Ruth, the third woman mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy. Ruth is not only a distant relative of Jesus but anticipates his redemptive love as she enters into the life of Naomi to bring hope where there appears to be only hopelessness and darkness. In the end, Ruth is a fitting story for this time of year where we are reminded of the weight of life in this world of sin and death and the hope found in a baby born in Bethlehem.
This week in our Advent series “Mothers of Jesus” we arrive at the story of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute living in the wall of Jericho. Yet she’s in the line of Israel’s promised Messiah, the One the angel told Joseph to name Jesus, because he came to save his people from their sins. Rahab’s story has much to teach us about the scandal of grace and the meaning of true faith in the One who came to save sinners, and who is coming again to rescue his people.
It might seem strange to base a sermon series on the “begats.” The genealogies of so-and-so’s who begat so-and-so’s, but this advent season this is where we are turning our attention. In Matthew’s genealogy in Matthew 1, we have one of the most interesting list of names in the Bible. As Matthew makes the case that Jesus is profoundly connected to men like David and Abraham, he also sprinkles in the names of four women, that communicate just what kind of Messiah Jesus is.
“Did God actually say?” These words set in motion the fall, mankind’s loss of fellowship with God. But this tragedy set the stage for redemption in the Promised Savior to conquer the cunning serpent, Satan. All the pain, sorrow, and loss in our lives trace back to when Adam and Eve abandon God’s Word for Satan’s lies. But the Gospel of Grace has the final word. We see what was lost when God’s Word was abandoned and how God’s final word of grace triumphs over sin.
As we conclude our series in Colossians we see how it looks to live out of the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus. Last week, Paul applied these Gospel realities to our everyday relationships. This week, Paul calls us to a larger kingdom mindset; called to a life of prayerful watching, anticipating, and expecting God’s work in our lives and to be a people who exhibit Christ to the world around us in a post-Christian world in need of the saving power of the gospel.
Paul begins to wrap things up at the end of the letter by spelling out what the glories of Christ mean for even our most ordinary relationships. In our passage this Sunday, Paul details what it might look like to do everything in the name of the Lord. The lordship of Christ means everything for the places in life God has called us as we explore what it might look like to do marriage, family, and work life in the name of the Lord.
This week looking at the well-know story of Jonah, we’ll turn to chapter 4, where we will contemplate Jonah’s displeasure and anger at his enemies receiving mercy and in doing so, we must also search the condition of our hearts and ask ourselves this question: Are we okay with our enemies receiving mercy? In thinking through this question, we must first bear to mind the great mercy and forgiveness that our Heavenly Father has shown us in His Son our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In the final section of Colossians, Paul unpacks what it means to live our lives in the fullness of Jesus. While the opening emphasizes the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ for all things pertaining to our status before God, the closing turns to the practical topics of application. Paul and other New Testament writers offer the basic message that how you live always comes from who you are. Join us as we consider what growth and maturity in Christ look like in the life of the believer.
In our journey though Colossians, Paul has shown us that to be in Christ is to be filled with the fullness of God. So why don’t we feel more full? In the second half of Colossians, Paul addresses this tension and shows how the reality of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ is pressed into every aspect of our lives. We are encouraged to establish our Christian lives in remembering where Jesus is currently, reorienting our hearts there, and finally remembering where our lives even now are currently hidden.
In Colossians 2, Paul continues to address false teachings and beliefs. Yet even though issues of Old Testament ceremonial law sound unrelated to our struggles; we too live in a time of spiritual anxiety.. The world and its desires surround us and even solutions found in the church can drive us away from Christ instead of toward him. None of us or our churches are immune from this problem. Paul teaches that we must find our sustenance and strength in the fullness we already have in Christ.
This Sunday Paul shows us what it means to live out Christ-exalting and Christ-filled realities. A challenge to living out of our identities in Christ are the ever-present threats to the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus that surround us. Paul unpacks these threats and helps us see the chief importance of our in-Christ reality and identity. To be in Christ is to be someone who lives already out of the fullness of Christ, sealed in baptism, and secure in the work of the cross and the hope of the resurrection.
This Sunday we’ll see what it means to live in light of these realities as the people of God and consider what it means to be those who bear faithful witness in our rapidly shifting culture. Paul reminds us of the shape of his ministry which is a pattern for all believers, the heart of the mystery that we proclaim and return to time and time again, and finally the goal for each of us; full maturity that arises out of our inheritance of the riches of the glory of Christ that is ours in the Gospel.
This week, Paul offers the prayer for this Colossians that he’s been praying since he’s heard reports of God’s work in their midst. This prayer contains the heart of what we need as followers of Christ in this world. Like this Colossian congregation, we need the kind of growth in knowledge that doesn’t just lead to learning more about God but the knowledge that leads to living rightly, faithfully, and in a Christ-like manner. We need God’s strength and power that is already ours in the Gospel to accomplish this.
Last Sunday, we looked to a scene in John’s gospel where Jesus appeared in the middle of the storm on Galilee speaking words of comfort to the worried disciples. This week in Revelation 1:9-20, we will go to another moment in John’s when the risen King Jesus revealed himself to John in a powerful and reassuring way. Where Jesus is, who Jesus is, and what Jesus says in this revelation to John should encourage our hearts to trust in him no matter what we’re going through.
In John 6 we read about Jesus showing up as the disciples faced a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee. The story is familiar, and so is the sense of fear that we often face in difficult times in our lives. This Sunday we will look at this story and see how it's connected to the bigger story in Scripture of God delivering his people, and how it gives us great comfort today.
We conclude our series in the Lord’s Prayer with the final petition. From the greatness of God’s glory, to the mundane, the prayer closes in the depths, the hardest realities of life in this world. Words like “save” and “trial” and “deliver” are words of crisis. They remind us that to pray this prayer means to be thrust into the middle of a cosmic struggle. The final petition reminds us how we live in full dependence upon our Heavenly Father to deliver us and bring about the fullness of his Kingdom.
To pray for forgiveness is perhaps the most foundational prayer of the Christian life. And while forgiveness is such a basic part of our walk, we often have an uncomfortable relationship with it; praying as the forgiven and yet also the unforgiving; as those who have been forgiven and loved by Christ, yet we struggle to forgive. In the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer we’ll see the profoundly humble posture of prayer and how through the wonderful promises of the Gospel we are empowered to be not only forgiven but forgiving.
The Lord’s Prayer has been teaching us to pray in a way that is God-centered, pulling us out of ourselves so that we can be oriented in God’s goodness and greatness. This Sunday we come to the first petition addressing our needs, as we pray,...
The prayer for God’s kingdom to come has meant one of two contradictory things; an over-spiritualized emphasis on escaping this world in order to be with God in his heavenly kingdom or an activist spirit seeking to usher in the kingdom through our...
The prayer for God’s kingdom to come has meant one of two contradictory things; an over-spiritualized emphasis on escaping this world in order to be with God in his heavenly kingdom or an activist spirit seeking to usher in the kingdom through our...
This Sunday we come to the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus teaches us to pray, “hallowed be your name.” It sounds so formal to our modern ears. And yet this petition draws us into the greatness of God over all creation and...
This week, we will explore what it means to pray to our God who is in heaven. If praying to our Father reminds us of the God to whom we have access and intimacy because of the work of the Son, we will see how praying to our God in heaven reminds us...
This week, we begin our new series through the Lord’s Prayer which contains the very heart of the gospel from the beginning to the end. When we approach God as Father, our prayer life is necessarily shaped by God’s loving, faithful presence...
When the gospel gets twisted, the church is in trouble. In Acts 15:1-35, we’ll consider an error confronting the early church and how Scripture set things straight. This early gospel error has been on repeat throughout church history—adding works...
We’re all looking for rest and satisfaction; contentment. The problem is that this deep-rooted can’t be met by the things of this world and a society that bombards us with suggestions and demands of how to attain contentment. Psalm 16 reminds us...
What is gospel hope in “this present evil age,” as Paul described in Galatians 1:3-5? In the wake of the recent tragic events, we must allow the gospel to take us out of the grip of news and newsfeeds. This week we’ll consider three aspects of...
James concludes with the message that the wise life is the praying life, casting prayer in the category of wisdom because to pray is to confront our own propensity to be self-reliant and independent of our need of God. Praying reminds us that we are...
Living in a culture where public and personal apologies are peppered with "if" and “but," what does it look like to have an honest confession before the Lord? David gives us a beautiful example of this in Psalm 32, where he reminds us that it...
Throughout the wisdom writings found throughout the Bible, one common theme is the necessity of understanding your surroundings. We saw last week how the rich laid up for themselves treasure in the last days. In this week’s passage, James teaches...
Throughout Scripture, money is presented as the most compelling rival to God because it offers power, control, identity, comfort, and pleasure in a way that really no other idol does. James, echoing his brother Jesus, insists that we need to ask the...
In this last sermon through our series in Daniel, we’ll look at Daniel 6 which shows Daniel facing persecution in a drama of political maneuvering, ending with Daniel in the lions’ den. His experience in the face of danger is a picture of what...
We live in a time that feels unsteady and uncertain with the ever-present chorus of bad news. And yet at the end of the day, this means that this is a crucial time to remember that Easter doesn’t represent a sentimental word of spiritual...
On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, a day often considered a kick off to Holy Week or a time of pageantry. And yet this famous scene shows us the world at its most confused. The people have pinned their hopes and...
How many of us live our lives by our Google calendars or planners? Despite the chaos of our hectic schedules is there maybe something self-validating and self-justifying about announcing our busyness to whomever will listen? In this week’s passage,...
"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?” James’ question 2,000 years ago is as pressing and relevant in 21-century churches and one we would do well to ask in our marriages, families, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Wherever two...
After looking at some big themes and questions of the Christian life, James begins to zero in on why we struggle to live the good life. This Sunday we turn to the very everyday, practical, and relatable problem of how we use our words, how they...
This Sunday James hones in on the nature of saving faith. This passage evokes confusion among readers of Scripture: we celebrate the biblical teaching that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone and yet doesn’t James contradict this...
This week we turn to an immediate application of the principles of receiving and responding to God’s Word. James 2:1-13 is a case study highlighting the destructiveness of the seemingly “minor” sin of showing partiality. By showing favoritism...
Last week we looked at the shape “wisdom in the way of Jesus” takes. This week James unpacks the life of faith as he considers what it means to live out of the new birth that we have received from God. James addresses the church, telling us that...