Houston Chinese Church - English: Recent Episodes
Houston Chinese Church
Genesis 34 was a dark and shameful chapter in Jacob’s life, but his story doesn’t end there. In the next chapter, the Lord mercifully speaks into his life, calling him to repentance. Jacob is given another chance to fulfill his vow, to renew his devotion, and to live out his new identity as Israel. The Lord’s unremitting commitment to bless this flawed figure – to love the unlovely – has been the central theme of this story of grace.
Genesis 34 is a dark chapter that recounts a horrific act of violence that bred a more horrific response. It’s a shameful moment in biblical history, but it offers valuable lessons about the depths of human sinfulness and the importance of wholehearted obedience to the Lord.
Twenty years prior, Jacob stole Esau’s blessing and fled to evade his brother’s wrath. Our text begins with an air of uncertainty as to how their reunion will unfold. But it’s quickly apparent that Esau’s fury has turned away. There’s no longing for revenge. Instead, there’s an act of true reconciliation. This act of grace can show us how to mend our own fractured relationships.
Nearing the end of Jacob’s story, we encounter one of the more mysterious moments of Jacob's life. He wrestles with a man in the middle of the night. This is more than a random wrestling match but we encountered one of the most pivotal moments in his life. As we have said over and over again, Jacob’s story is a story of God’s grace. What we get to see in our passage today is what Jacob will receive through God’s grace: Divine Deliverance, a New Name, and a Lingering Limp.
At this point in his narrative, Jacob, as a work-in-progress, is almost there. That pivotal moment that will transform his life will unfold in the next chapter. Slowly he is coming to trust God and act righteously. Now, in our passage, Jacob’s character arc is juxtaposed to Laban, who embodies the kind of person Jacob once was. When we consider Laban’s actions, we gain a better sense of the factors that keep individuals from experiencing the grace of conversion.
We all do different types of work in our lives. Ministry work. Vocational work. Domestic work. Gardening work. But in work, we may experience foes that undermine our work. They disrupt schedules. They erect barriers. They undo our work. They oppose us. How do we experience favor when we encounter foes that undermine our work?
In the gospels, we read of Jesus' wonderful parables, grand sermons, weighty discourses, and masterful illustrations. We also come across his hard sayings and difficult teachings. We know we should not listen just to the words of Christ that we like, nor ignore the ones we find challenging to hear. We also know we ought to receive them all as the expression of his love, wisdom, and grace to us. But, the fact remains: Jesus' words can be very difficult. How then should we respond to them? We should take them to heart and believe them so that we can treasure Christ as his true disciples.
People respond to the idea of Jesus rising from the dead in different ways. Some think that Jesus had passed out on the cross. Three days later, he woke up. He then died later. Others think that the disciples stole the body of Jesus, and they spread a lie. There’s an idea that the disciples fabricated the story of resurrection so that they could gain fame and power. But what does the Bible say about the resurrection of Jesus? More importantly, how should we respond to the resurrection of Jesus?
Our series has been centered on biblical passages where God raises the dead. In Matthew’s gospel, there’s a unique and peculiar reference to dead saints being raised to life and emerging from their tombs, after Jesus’s resurrection, appearing to many in Jerusalem. That moment hints at the earthshaking, life-changing consequences of Jesus’s death on the cross.
Our series on spiritual awakenings has centered around passages in Scripture where God raises the dead back to life. Among these, the account of Jesus raising Lazarus stands out as one of the most well-known. This story provides profound insights into how to navigate challenging times when God disappoints us, when we lose loved ones, or when we lose hope amidst suffering.
Many of us will face desperate situations. Terminal Illness. A wayward brother. A lay off. Enormous debt. Relational conflict. Loneliness. Mental illness. We feel like everything we do fails to make things better. What should we do when we find ourselves in a desperate situation?
In our ongoing series, we delve into passages where God raises the dead to inspire faith-filled prayers for God to continue doing the same. We want to see him resurrect the spiritually dead in our lives. Today’s passage highlights Jesus’s compassionate act of raising a widow’s son, which leads the crowds to firmly believe that he is a great prophet sent by God. Just as the prophets of old represented God to his people, Jesus represents God in three distinct ways.
As we press on in a season of fasting and praying for spiritual awakening in our lives, our churches, and our city – let’s revisit a story of how God metaphorically moved a mountain in response to a faith-filled request. The raising of the Shunammite woman’s son is an illustration of the limits of earthly prosperity and power in contrast to the unbounded mercy and might of the Lord.
Distance strains relationships. Physical distance prevents people from connecting. Think of a long-distance dating relationship. Mental distance occurs when you think of other things when people talk to you. We experience emotional distance when people fail to understand how we feel. If distance strains our interpersonal relationships, then it also strains our relationship with God. What does God do when people find themselves far away from him?
Jacob, a man on a desperate search, seeks to fill an inner emptiness that has been gnawing at him. Earlier, we witnessed his longing for fatherly love and the family blessing. Now, his desire has shifted to the love of a beautiful woman. By the end of chapter 29, he remains oblivious to the fact that he is substituting romantic love for the divine love of God. However, this is the lesson learned by Leah – the character whose story beautifully embodies God's love for the unlovely.
Jacob is a man who has it all but, at the same time, has nothing. He secured the coveted birthright and blessing, but he now finds himself displaced, sent away from the very land he conspired to inherit. He begins to reap the consequences of his efforts to secure a blessed life for himself – to be his own savior. In this chapter, Jacob receives a vision that impresses upon him the accessibility of heaven and all its blessings – not for those who work towards them – but for those who receive them by faith.
If it wasn't already evident by Genesis 27, it becomes clear that the patriarchs were never intended to be paragons of virtue. They were meant to be recipients of God's grace, and many of their stories were crafted as cautionary tales. The poor choices made by all the characters in our story give us an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others and deepen our appreciation of gospel grace.
We desire blessing in our lives. We want to be blessed financially. We wish for our bodies to be fit. We hope to do work we enjoy. We long for the approval of others. Many of us have experienced such blessings. But have we ever wondered: why does God bless us? This morning’s message will help us know the purpose of God blessing his people, so that we can use our blessings rightly.
The twins, Jacob and Esau, were destined for a tumultuous relationship from the start. Their differences were evident even in their mother’s womb. While their particular story contributes to the broader narrative of God’s promise to bless and expand Abraham’s family, it also offers valuable insights into the nature and extent of God’s sovereign grace.
Churches are always at risk of complacency, resting on the laurels of their past faithfulness. While it's fitting to reflect on and celebrate 50 years of gospel fidelity, our focus, as Houston Chinese Church, should shift to the future – to extending our legacy of faithfulness. To that aim, let us place our hope in and hold fast to the great promises of our Lord.
On this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we will see how, if we proclaim that Jesus is Lord, it affects the way we view and think through abortion. At the same time, Jesus is Lord calls Christians into action to push back darkness in the world, especially when it comes to this issue. What do we do when the doctrine of Imago Dei is being trampled on and what can we do, as image bearers, to restore life in the world?
It’s easy to overlook God’s providential hand of blessing. It works through such ordinary means that we chalk it up to mere coincidence or to the kindness and generosity of others. It really takes eyes of faith to recognize and appreciate the hidden hand of the Lord’s favor.
As we start the new year with a fundraising campaign to renovate our new building, let’s reflect on our church’s biblical identity. Before we expand our space, let’s make sure we understand our place in God’s mission.
People know how to prepare for Christmas to remember Christ’s birth. They set up a nativity scene at home. They hang ornaments of angels on their tree. They read an advent book together. But people may not know how to prepare for Christ’s return. How do we prepare ourselves and others for the return of Christ?
During this season of Christmas cheer, we rarely consider the cosmic battle that took place during our Savior’s birth. We ignore the blood that was shed and the cries of agony that pierced the silence of those fateful nights. It does a soul good to meditate on these grim realities.
People search for Jesus for different reasons. Some governments search for any mention of Jesus to erase it so that they can eliminate his influence on their societies. Some search for Jesus out of curiosity. Who is this Jesus that we celebrate during Christmas? Some search for Jesus to learn about his teachings. But what is the biblical reason to search for Jesus?
In the first part of chapter one, Matthew places Jesus, the messiah God’s people have been waiting for, in the context of redemptive history. Matthew now turns to the human beginnings of Jesus. From Matthew’s story about the birth of Jesus, we get a glimpse of who this Messiah is. His identity. His names. The names given to Him by God. Son of David, Jesus, and Immanuel.
Every Christian goes through spiritual winters of the soul where we are forced to ask ourselves, “Has God stopped working in my life?” Advent is his timeless answer to this unsettling question.
In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. By saying, “I AM the True Vine,” Jesus is claiming to be the True Israel who is capable of doing what God's people in the Old Testament failed to do – to be fruitful as a blessing to the nations. If New Testament believers abide in Jesus like branches in a vine, we can partake in the same mission to bear much fruit that blesses others
In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In saying, “I AM the way and the truth and the life,” Jesus makes an exclusive claim that flies in the face of prevailing opinion – that all faiths are equally valid (or equally wrong).
We are surrounded by dead people. Classmates. Co-workers. Fellow Shoppers. Other parents. Their deadness prevents them from understanding spiritual truth. The gospel puzzles them. People will eventually experience physical death. Those who do not believe in the gospel will experience spiritual death – separation from God. How does Jesus help people to overcome death?
In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity. In claiming, "I AM the Good Shepherd," Jesus is revealing how he views his followers and how he sees himself in relation to them. We can take comfort in knowing how good our Shepherd is and how much he loves his sheep.
In John’s Gospel, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as God in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Door of the Sheep," Jesus is inviting anyone – who wants to access the sheepfold of God and enjoy the abundance of life therein – to enter through him and him alone.
The second I AM statement that we will explore today is Jesus declaring that He is the Light of the World. What does He mean when He says this? What does Jesus being the light of the world mean for us? Just as light is meant to shine in the dark places, Jesus came to be the light in a dark world. Through our passage today, we’ll see how Jesus is the only hope we have in our life and in our world.
In the Gospel of John, there are seven famous I AM statements where Jesus discloses his true identity as Yahweh (the LORD God) in the flesh. In claiming, "I AM the Bread of Life," Jesus is challenging anyone who treats him as a materialistic Savior. He calls us to follow him – not because he’s useful to get what we need – but because he himself is everything we need.
Many of us are workaholics who find it hard to rest from our labor. Exhortations to observe a Sabbath rest come across as impractical or even irresponsible. But we are worse off when we ignore the 6+1 rhythm of life ingrained in us, as creatures made in the image of God – a God who rested.
Difficult bosses suck the joy out of work. They make the workplace miserable. You always feel like you’re walking on eggshells around them. The mood at work feels dark and cloudy because your boss could lash out at any moment. What should we do when we work for a difficult boss?
As we begin a new phase of our legacy building project, we want to focus on the mission of our church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Which means our primary aim is to intentionally do spiritual good to others in a highly relational context. So our whole approach to building new facilities is to help facilitate new disciple-making opportunities in the years to come.
If the gospel can give dignity and purpose to the work of a first-century slave, then there is definitely hope for yours. Whether you’re the one giving orders or the one taking them, the gospel has the power to reorient your attitude and motivation to do good work at work.
Just as we’re prone to idolize work, we're prone to grow idle at work. Both errors stem from a failure to recognize and respect the God-ordained purpose behind our respective vocations. The propensity towards idleness is best addressed by a recovery of a strong Christian work ethic that connects our work with our discipleship to Christ.
Our view of work might fall into one of two categories: live to work or work to live. If we live to work, then we fall into the temptation of idolizing our work. We often think of idols as statues that primitive people worship or inspirational people. But idols represent anything in creation that we love and serve rather than God. Examples of idols include children, perfectionism, leisure, and even our work. How do we avoid idolizing our work?
Some people live to work. Their work is their life passion. Others work to live. They view work as a means to facilitate their real passions in life. Which is it for Christians? How should we view our God-given vocations? Is there meaning and purpose in the work itself? But where do you draw the line, so that your work doesn’t end up defining you?
Paul concludes this letter to the Galatians with a final appeal to reject the false gospel they’ve been entertaining and to invest deeply in gospel-centered ministers and ministries in the church. That’s the same response expected of those who have died to a slavish dependence on the world’s praise and acceptance. Those who know they are already loved and accepted because of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The idea of walking by the Spirit (or keeping in step with him) is meant to be conducted communally. Imagine a group hike. Not a solo race. And what characterizes a Spirit-led community will be a mutual concern for each other – not an atmosphere of competition or conceit.
Freedom in Christ doesn’t give you permission to indulge your flesh and do whatever you want without judgment. To be free in Christ means you’re now free to resist your fleshly desires and to walk by the Spirit. To bear his fruit – both in your life and your life together as the church.
Some of us believe that our sins can never be overcome. We cannot escape sexual addiction. Struggle with self-image persists. Self-pity overwhelms us. We’ve tried self-help counsel. But it doesn’t work. Some of us have waved the white flag. It only makes us feel worse. The only way to overcome sin is the embrace of Christian freedom.
The religious and the irreligious may live vastly different lives on the surface. But dig deep enough and you’ll discover a common bedrock of legalism. Which explains Paul’s concern that Gentile Galatians are on the verge of turning back to their former idolatry – by being more devoted to God’s Law! Today’s text draws a distinction between mere human religion and true gospel freedom.
As I look back at my 40 years of service at HCC, the most important lessons that God has taught me is to be an “I am Second” kind of a person. This is a person known to be a humble faithful servant of God. There are three biblical heroes that I have learned from that exemplified these qualities, namely, John the Baptist, Barnabas, and the faithful servants.
Today’s passage gets to the heart of the gospel Paul preaches. It addresses the Christian’s core identity as adopted sons of God. Until we have a clear grasp of our identity in Christ, we will struggle to comprehend our relationship with God and with fellow man. We will also fail to enjoy the freedom of life under the gospel. So how would you describe your core identity?
The main point Paul has been driving home in Galatians is that the gospel is good news for all. New spiritual life and right standing before God was made available to Gentiles through fain in Christ – without expecting them to adopt Jewish law and customs. But that message prompted accusations of playing fast and loose with Scripture, ignoring commands plainly in the text. And it raised important questions about the Law’s continued relevance and role in our lives.
Don’t be deceived by lies. Hold onto the truth. There are many excellent arguments that show that we are not justified or declared righteous by the Law, but we are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul argues that to supplement the work of Christ is to supplant it. There is only one way to be saved and that is by faith in Christ alone.
An embrace of legalism causes us to walk out of step with the gospel. We feel tempted to embrace legalism sometimes, so that we can fit in with the crowd. Legalism can be both spiritual and secular. We memorize Scripture because everyone else does it, but not because it will help me grow in my relationship with God. We purchase certain brands so that we can fit into our friend group though it stretches our budget. What should we do when we feel tempted to embrace legalism?
People have certain ideas about the gospel. Some believe that good works will result in a relationship with God. Others think that Jesus is a moral exemplar to be imitated rather than our savior. These erroneous ideas reveal a deficient understanding of the gospel. If one believes in such error, it results in an impure gospel. What should we do then when we encounter erroneous ideas about the gospel that we have trouble refuting?
The most powerful stories ever told are often testimonies of God's grace in converting people. The Apostle Paul's conversion on the Damascus Road is one of the best known. His retelling of it in Galatians 1 has its own polemic purpose in the course of the letter, but his testimony also demonstrates important realities regarding the Christian gospel.
The Christian gospel is not a pliable message that can be molded into something new to fit changing times. It has a fixed content that the Church is called to proclaim, protect, and pass down to future generations. But there will always be pressure to amend or adjust the gospel. Either by subtraction or addition. By denying/downplaying central truths of the gospel. Or by requiring certain beliefs/ practices to supplement one’s faith in Christ. Either way, the gospel is lost. This is why Christians of every generation must be clear in their grasp of the gospel and courageous in their defense of it.
Many of us have experienced God’s faithfulness. He provides for us a spouse. He enables us to escape debt. He allows us to enter the school of our choice. These things remind us that God is with us. Yet we find ourselves lapsing over time into sin. Anger. Greed. Grumbling. How do we cultivate a lasting faithfulness after experiencing God’s faithfulness?
God’s people celebrated and dedicated the wall of Jerusalem by worshiping the Lord. To be a people set apart for God, they purified themselves. To demonstrate their love for God, they gave generously. To be consecrated before the Lord, they responded to God’s Word by repenting and turning back to the Lord.
With its walls rebuilt and gates restored, Jerusalem was habitable again. But it was far from desirable. In contrast to the preexilic heyday of Israel, it was more appealing to live in neighboring towns than to settle in the burnt ruins of Jerusalem. But the people of God were challenged back then – just as we are today – to commit, through sacrifice and service, to being a holy city that shines God's light into a dark world.
Naturally, as a follow-up to the people returning to God in repentance, the people enter into a curse and oath to walk in God’s law and to do all that he has commanded his people to do. In their covenant renewal they focus on three areas where the people of God have most prominently failed to do: Mix marriages, observing the sabbath, and giving support to the house of God. We’ll see how these play out in our hearts today as we live in relationship with God.
After God's word has been read, the Israelites humbly repent in response to that word. However, true repentance is rare in our day because we often harbor too small a view of God, which trivializes our sin. Through this remarkable prayer, we learn how to enlarge our vision of God through repentance. Along with Nehemiah and his people, we discover how repentance stirs us to worship our great God with fullness of heart and gratitude.
On that first Easter morning, the three women at Jesus’s tomb were not anticipating a resurrection. They were coping with the loss of their beloved master and merely hoping to honor him with a proper burial. But what they encountered instead aroused a mix of trembling fear and great joy – transforming these women into history’s first evangelists.
The attention has shifted from rebuilding physical walls to rebuilding spiritual lives. Nehemiah and Ezra now work together to ensure that God’s Word is foundational to the reconstituted covenant community. This is achieved by conducting a massive worship service where Scripture is read and studied for hours. It results in mournful weeping due to their covenant-breaking. But it also leads to great rejoicing in the covenant-keeping faithfulness of their God.
Completion of the wall was only the first step in the process of reestablishing Jerusalem as a spiritual center for God. Nehemiah chapter 7 is a transitional chapter, where the focus has shifted from the project to the people. The city's physical structure was rebuilt. Now the people’s spiritual lives needed to be rebuilt. They must embrace their identity as children of God and their role in the family of God.
Once again, opposition to the restoration of the wall, and to God’s city, is faced with opposition from the same adversaries we have encountered throughout Nehemiah. This time, their attacks are focused on Nehemiah himself. In these chapters we see their failed attempts to make Nehemiah stop the good work of God by trying to make him afraid. We’ll also see how Nehemiah continues in the face of fear.
In Nehemiah 4, the builders of Jerusalem’s walls experience unremitting opposition. Enough to demoralize and deter the best of them. But they’re exhorted to remember the Lord. Because when you remember that the Lord fights for you – that your ultimate battle is not against flesh and blood – you can focus on the task at hand. You can remain vigilant but undistracted.
Nehemiah 3 is a chapter we typically gloss over. It’s like reading a genealogy. It’s filled with unfamiliar names and monotonous repetition. But if all Scripture is profitable for teaching, then there must be helpful, edifying truths that we can glean from this ancient record of who worked on what section of the ruined gates and walls of post-exilic Jerusalem.
Prayer and planning complement each other in working out God’s will. While we depend on God’s power and sovereign rule, we carefully organize plans that can further his purposes; while we wait, we prepare. God supplies his people with what they need to accomplish his purposes.
The book of Nehemiah is about the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem after the people’s return from exile. But walls and gates aren’t the only things being rebuilt in this story. On a grander scale, they were rebuilding their ruined identity as the covenant people of God and restoring their ruined mission as his representatives. And what chapter one teaches is that any effort to rebuild our identity and mission has to start with prayer.
God stirs us up by showing us work that needs to be done. He often uses our concerns to stir us up. We feel concerned that our congregation fails to welcome newcomers well. Work needs to be done in welcoming others. We feel concerned that believers struggle to think biblically. Work needs to be done in helping believers think biblically. What should we do when we feel this stirring?
This Sunday’s theme is on the Sanctity of Life. Every year, we set aside a Sunday to reflect on what the Bible says concerning unborn life. This morning we’ll be looking at Psalm 139 to see what David has to say about unborn life.
For this MLK weekend, we want to designate today as Ethnic Harmony Sunday where we’ll consider how the gospel calls us to pursue ethnic harmony in our personal lives and in our life together as the church. In our text, we’ll see how the blood of Christ has established a unity – and forged an identity – between Christians that runs thicker than blood.
HCC’s legacy and vision is rooted in church planting. For nearly fifty years, we've been on a mission to make disciples and to plant churches. This morning we have the privilege of sending off a team to start Ethnos Church – a church-planting church hoping to reach the nations that have come to Houston, particularly in the neighborhoods surrounding the Energy Corridor.
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. He is transcendent over all creation. He sits enthroned in the heavens above. And yet during this season we celebrate his nearness. He is immanent among all creation. He lays enwrapped in a manger below. This juxtaposition accentuates the love and mercy of our Savior God – who made himself nothing so he could give everything to all who would believe.
As finite creatures, we can only be in one place at one time. But God is different. He is everywhere all at once. He is omnipresent. Studying God’s omnipresence is an experience that can be comforting, chilling, and confounding – all at once.
Thinking about God being independent can make God seem pretty cold and distant. It can make us feel like there’s really no point in trying to be in a relationship with him or to relate to him at all. So why would God being independent be a good thing for us?
Time. We wish we could slow it down, speed it up, stop it, reverse it, ignore it, escape it. But time is a formidable foe and no respecter of persons. It takes it toll on everyone. Except one, the Lord of Time.
Because we live in a world of constant change, all of us are longing for stability – for an immovable, unshakable Rock upon which we can anchor our volatile lives. Scripture would point us to the immutable God who never changes.
It is not about God being able to wait for something for a certain amount of time, but it is about how He responds to our sin with mercy and kindness. In His patience, we see the goodness and beauty of the heart of God for the world that stands against His will. A heart that longs to show this world unending mercy and grace.
We praise people, places, and things we find good. We extol the qualities of our spouses. We comment about the beauty of exotic locales. We express our enjoyment of gourmet meals. But if God is the source of all good people, places, and things, then why do we find ourselves not praising Him more often? This morning, we’ll discuss three reasons we should praise God for His goodness.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians concludes with final instructions for this young and troubled church. He already addressed a number of problems that threatened their peace and unity. And he had alluded to the underlying solution in chapter 13. The answer is love. In these concluding remarks, the Apostle explains how a church can practically love each other and the wider body of Christ.
As our bodies age, they grow weaker and more prone to illness and injury. Making them constant sources of pain and frustration. Yet our Christian hope is not to one day shed this burdensome body – but to see it radically changed. We anticipate being raised, like Christ, in an imperishable, resurrected body.
We live in a world that is broken. It is filled with news of discord, death, disease, and disaster. Yet as Christians we live with hope because of the gospel. The gospel is not just merely about Christ dying on the cross for our sins to restore us unto a relationship with God. It is also about resurrection, which is the promise of new life. Why does belief in the resurrection enable us to live as a people with hope?
When a church just assumes their people know the gospel and neglects to regularly proclaim it, they are one generation removed from confusing the gospel to outright abandoning it. This was happening in Corinth. Some were already confusing the gospel, so Paul’s first response is to make the gospel explicit. He reminds them of the good news they had previously received and believed.
Passages like the one we’re studying today can make us cringe, wondering how in the world one can reconcile a good God with the kind of things said in the Bible. In this case, when it comes to the kinds of rules and restrictions placed on the way we gather for worship, why do we need to heed these principles when they seem to not only stifle spontaneity, but to be oppressive to women?
The Christians can legitimately disagree on whether the gifts of prophecy and tongues have ceased or if they continue in the church. But even if they have ceased, that does not mean our text ceases to be relevant. Churches that practice neither prophecy nor tongues are still expected to order our corporate worship in a way that edifies believers and evangelizes non-believers.
The Corinthians sought out excellence. They put value in great speakers, people with wealth and power, and as we discussed last week, people with “better” Spiritual Gifts. All of these created division within the church instead of building up the body of Christ. Paul wants the Corinthians to see the most excellent way is Love. Love is the way the church will grow and be healthy.
The Corinthian church was a divided body with some claiming to be more spiritual than others. As a sign of their advanced spirituality, some point to their gift of speaking in tongues. Paul responds with a reminder that the church is the body of Christ and every Christian is a part of the body – with an essential role to play and a spiritual gift to employ for the overall health and growth of the church.
Unaddressed division leads to disorder. What contributes to division? Jealousy. Greed. Impatience. Grumbling. The Lord knowing that the church would be susceptible to division gave us a way to remember the unity we have in Christ. A family meal. The Lord’s Supper. How does the Lord’s supper help us guard against division?
Some Bible passages are notoriously difficult to interpret because they were written to people living in a very different age within a very different culture. 1 Corinthians 11 is a prime example. It instructs wives to wear head coverings while praying or prophesying at church. What are we to make of such odd instructions and what relevance is there for us today?
We as God’s children should represent God well by being set apart from the world. May we learn from past failures of over-estimating our rights, which led to disunity and even temptation of idolatry. Instead, may we be united in the Lord, who is faithful and has set us free. May we be willing to surrender our rights for the sake of unity in the body
When Christians are too influenced by the wisdom of this age, they tend to adopt an ethical framework that says, “I can do whatever I want as long as it’s within my rights.” But a truly Christian ethic goes further to say, “I will do whatever it takes to advance the gospel and to remove any obstacles, even at the cost of denying myself and laying aside my rights.” That is the ethic that guided Paul in his gospel mission among the Corinthians.
Abraham's story concludes with an account of his death – one that is conspicuously bookended by two genealogies listing out his children of the flesh. But the focus is squarely on Abraham's child of promise and his descendants. The juxtaposition of these two lineages challenges the reader to ask, “To which lineage do I belong? With the people of the flesh or the people of the promise?”
We fear doing God’s work because we don’t have the assurance of success. We hesitate to participate on a short-term mission trip because we fear not raising enough support. We prefer to remain in an unhealthy relationship because we fear that we might not find another one. We refrain from serving because we fear the time commitment. If we only had the assurance of sufficient support, another significant other, and sufficient time, then we would do God’s work. But often we don’t have this assurance. What should we do?
Death isn’t necessarily the topic of choice for most of our day-to-day conversations. But it’s a reality that stares us in the face, whether we like it or not. How should we face the reality of death, either for ourselves or for our loved ones down the line, when it’s just such an uncomfortable topic to begin with?
Abraham’s story has been marked by sacrifice. He has been asked to leave behind family and land. But at least those sacrifices were accompanied by promises of blessing – of a new family and a new land. But in today's text, Abraham is asked to make a sacrifice with nothing to gain. He is asked to kill – not just his son – but what he perceived to be the very source of his hope. Don't be surprised if God ever puts you through a similar test, revealing if your trust is in the Lord himself or merely in the things he promises..
Christian life is a journey filled with highs and lows. Our goal is to grow in our faith so that we represent God well. The key to growth is how we respond to trials. Abraham just had a humiliating experience with Abimelech. But he learned from his mistakes and embraced God, who demonstrated His grace and power.
Since Genesis 12, Abraham has had his share of stumbles and shameful moments, but on the whole, he has matured into a man of faith and a prophetic leader. And yet on the cusp of receiving his promised son – and his greatest demonstration of faith in giving that son back to God – Abraham reverts back to an old sin pattern. This episode in his life may be embarrassing, but it offers hope for believers dealing with their own sin struggles.
People refuse to believe in the gospel for different reasons. The idea of needing a savior for their sins repulses them. Some refuse to acknowledge their sinfulness. Others refuse to believe in the gospel because of the hypocrisy they see in the church. What should we do when we encounter such people?
God already appeared to Abraham on a number of occasions, promising a son. In Genesis 18, he appears again with the same promise, but this time it is directed more at Sarah – with the goal of growing her faith, turning her cynical laugh into a cheerful one. Her encounter with God Almighty speaks to all who question if his promises are too incredible to be true.
In Genesis 15 , God established a covenant with Abram, guaranteeing great promises of land and offspring, But by Genesis 17, thirteen years have passed and circumstances have yet to change. So to reassure Abram, God reaffirms his covenant, sealing it with the sign of circumcision. And to this day, God continues to use covenantal signs to remind us of his covenantal love and commitment.
We may find ourselves thinking sometimes: Does God see me? Does he know that I’m in a bind? Does he know my needs? Will he ever provide for me a job I enjoy? Will he ever help me to overcome this chronic illness? Will he ever cure me of this feeling of loneliness? We feel that God averts his gaze from lives. What should we do when we feel that God has turned his eyes from our lives?
Today’s text is a needed reminder that a relationship with God is ultimately based – not on a bilateral contract with mutual obligations – but on a unilateral covenant where God carries the load. Where he willingly bears the covenantal obligations and curses for us.
These days, people tend to trust only what can be proven or verified or what makes sense in their minds. So if you can’t see, touch, taste, feel, or hear something, there’s no reason to consider it worthy of your belief. But Christians have this thing called faith. And in a world where seeing is believing, what does it look like to trust in a God we can’t see, who says he can do more than we can imagine?
How do we make wise decisions when unexpected challenges pop up? We need to demonstrate courageous faith in the midst of uncertainty. When God gives us the victory, we might be faced with another challenge. How do we handle success? We are vulnerable when we face success as we are tempted to compromise. Again, we need to demonstrate courageous faith. Come, let us learn from Abram, the Father of Faith.
As we follow along in Abram’s story, we come to two seemingly unrelated stories. In the first story, Abram lies about Sarai being just his sister. In the second story, Abram and Lot get in a scuffle and part ways. We’ll actually see many things that make these two stories parallel with each other and that both stories point us to one God and His promises that we can fully trust in.
When God calls Abram, he promises blessings for faithful obedience. But we struggle to obey because we wonder: “Why obey God when obedience doesn’t pay off?” I obey my parents, but it doesn’t feel good. I share the gospel, but I experience ridicule. I love my spouse, but they don’t appreciate my efforts. In this morning’s text, we’ll learn the reason for obedience even when we can’t seem to see the payoff.
Biblical genealogies are rarely considered riveting passages to preach. But as divinely-inspired texts, they relate to the larger story of redemption being told in Scripture. This genealogy in Genesis 11 serves as a bridge that connects the depressing story of Babel with the hopeful story of Abraham and his kin.
The idea of a man rising from the dead sounds like the stuff of fantasies (or horror stories!). But this idea lies at the core of the Christian faith. Is the Resurrection make-believe or does it make sense? And does it answer our deepest hopes and longings? Disciples of Jesus have been wrestling with these questions from the start.
The discord that divides a Christian community can often be traced back to a clash of consciences. In Corinth, that clash concerned the eating of meat offered to idols. Some saw it as a matter of Christian freedom to enjoy; others saw it as a sinful act of idolatry. The preservation of unity – in their day as much as in ours – calls for Christians to tend to their own consciences while being sensitive to other’s.
There is a form of secular singleness, statistically on the rise these days, that stands in stark contrast to the scriptural singleness advocated by Paul. His view of singleness is dictated by a bigger and more selfless vision of life and ministry.
These days, it’s easy to get into our heads that change will solve all our problems. Those finishing off high school just can’t wait to get into college. Those who are single just can’t wait to get married. Those unhappy with their jobs just can’t wait to finally move on. Change would make life so much better... ...or would it?
A mark of a healthy marriage is a healthy marriage bed. Yet, sadly, sex is a common source of marital strife. And it doesn’t help that our culture is confused when it comes to sex. People are either prudes or pagans in their attitude. Either degrading sex or deifying it. Thankfully, Christianity offers a unique perspective from the context of marriage.
A holy church should model a biblical vision of sexual ethics. But sexualimmorality continues to exist within the church. Pre-marital sex.Pornography use. Adultery. Sexual Abuse. Why? This morning, we’ll discoverwhat causes members within a church to engage in sexual immorality. Butwe’ll also think about what needs to change in our thinking if a church wishesto avoid sexual sin.
In our litigious culture, many Christians don’t think twice about turning to secular courts to sue each other for damages. That is to our shame. Believers should be turning to their churches to resolve their personal disputes. After all, we have a resource that goes beyond the reach of any civil court to address the matters of the heart at the root of our conflicts.
The Apostle Paul draws attention to a shocking sin that, like a contagious sickness, has infected the body of Christ in Corinth. But to make matters worse, there has been a systemic failure in the body’s immune system. Their refusal to confront the sin and remove the sinner from their fellowship has exposed the unhealthy state of the church. The antidote would be to turn to Scripture and apply corrective church discipline.
Paul wraps up his exhortation to the church in Corinth to be a unified church here in chapter 4. Behind the division from following different leaders was the desire to distinguish themselves from others and rise higher than others. They had inflated views of themselves. Puffed up in arrogance. So how do they go back to being a unified church? Through humility. So how do we pursue humility?
The trouble brewing in the church of Corinth was evident by the factions that had developed around particular church leaders. Underlying that kind of fleshly behavior is a significant misunderstanding of Christian leadership. We would do well to avoid the same mistakes of building a church with an unhealthy reliance on ministers, methods, and ministries that are contrary to the foundational message of Christ crucified.
The Corinthian church was troubled by a divisive spirit among its members – where some had elevated themselves, claiming to be wiser and more spiritual than others. So Paul began his letter by demonstrating how their fascination with “human wisdom” is incompatible with the gospel. But in today’s text, he is careful to explain that, while contrary to human wisdom, Christianity is not opposed to wisdom. It just involves a certain kind of wisdom. One that draws lines, but not between Christians.
As a church, we may be tempted to rely on human wisdom. But an overreliance on human wisdom has the potential to cause division within a church. Unity within the church requires an understanding of God’s wisdom. What is God’s wisdom that unifies the church?
These days, it’s easy to get enamored by celebrity culture. Even in the church, it’s not hard to imagine people clamoring for recognition or finding ourselves wanting to be associated with certain people who are powerful speakers or influential. What does this tell us about our hearts? And how do we get out of this mess?
Paul is a man who has seen a fair share of miracles, so it would take a lot to shock him. That makes his surprise at the generosity of the Macedonian churches all the more significant. They were a persecuted and impoverished bunch, and yet they overflowed in an abundance of joy and generosity. Paul recognized this as a supernatural work of grace. As we continue a pledge campaign for our building project, we are in need of the same grace of God to move and inspire us to achieve our goal.
As we near our church's fiftieth anniversary, we reflect on all the ways in which the Lord has blessed our church and its ministries. So as we look to our future with hope and a clear vision, now is the time to rededicate our attention and resources towards the upkeep and expansion of our facilities. In this morning's text, we see God's people approach a building project of another sort and do it with joyful hearts filled with generosity.
Unlike the rest of us, who came into this world without premeditation or purpose, Jesus could confidently state the exact reason why he came that first Christmas morning. In today’s text, he says he came to seek and save the lost. Who fits in this category of the “lost” might surprise you and most definitely will include you.
We live in evil times that we wish would end. Evil manifests itself in broken relationships. We wonder if our uncle and aunt will revisit a grudge from their childhood at Christmas dinner. Evil manifests itself in death. A family member will not join us for Christmas dinner because a terminal illness claimed her life. Evil manifests itself in our inability to do good. Jesus entered this world, where evil is prevalent, to proclaim good news. He sends us to proclaim the same message.
In our text, James identifies three fruits that pure religion will inevitably produce in a person. In this sermon, we will focus on true religion’s care for the helpless – with a particular focus on our church’s child sponsorship project among the Muong people of Northwest Viet Nam.
As we introduce a churchwide project aimed to serve the unreached Muong people group of Northwest Vietnam, we want to provide a theological basis for how to approach the ministry of child sponsorship. Before you begin a relationship with a needy child, consider the way in which God chooses you in love.
Habakkuk is not wrestling with why bad things happen to good people. He is wondering why enough bad things don't happen to bad people. He specifically has in mind the wicked Babylonians, who are coming to destroy God’s city and deport his people. After being assured of Babylon's future judgment, Habakkuk concludes with a prayer of faith. While all else fails around him, he quietly waits and trusts in the Lord.
We live in a world where we experience the effects of wickedness. People die in a building collapse because a construction company decides to cut corners on building materials when constructing an apartment complex. A manager uses his authority to elicit sexual favors from potential employees. A young teenage driver dies because someone decided to get behind the wheel despite having too much to drink that night. When we experience the effects of wicked behavior, how should we respond? What should we do?
Why does God allow evil to persist and evildoers to prosper? That question has pestered people since ancient times – leading many to question the goodness of God or doubt his mere existence. But the prophet Habakkuk demonstrates how you can still live by faith even as you wrestle with the apparent disconnect between God’s character in the Word and God's (in)action in the world.
Theodicy - a dictionary definition: The vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet complains about the actions, or inaction, of God when it comes to the suffering of his people and the evil acts done against them. But as the book goes on, Habakkuk changes his tone and understanding of God and His actions. He learns to wait and trust in who God is. That is the hope for today’s message (and this series). We must trust in who God is and wait on God to work all things out for His glory and our good.
Although there exist more churches than ever before, the task to take the gospel to the unreached remains. According to the Joshua project, there remains 7,417 unreached people groups. This means that among these groups, there is little to no gospel witness. Mission work requires believers to overcome cultural and linguistic barriers to bring the gospel to these groups. How does a mission-minded church engage in this unfinished task?
Healthy churches have a strong pulpit ministry. But expository preaching is never enough. Healthy churches also provide their members with expository counseling. The kind of counsel that is shaped and guided by biblical texts with the same carefulness you would expect from a sermon. This conviction undergirds our vision to establish a biblical counseling ministry that blesses both our church and our community.
Healthy churches plant churches. Just as healthy body cells naturally multiply and divide, healthy churches aim to do the same. It need not be viewed as a sad loss or a pragmatic necessity. Church planting can be seen as a natural and intentional response to healthy gospel growth. That was the pattern set by Paul and Barnabas in the book of Acts.
It’s easy to get our priorities misaligned, filling up our to-do lists and busying ourselves with all sorts of different things. But if we want to be a church that sends out disciple-making disciples, what will it take to realign ourselves with God’s mission in this world?
Moses spells out how the Israelites could be successful as they enter into the Promised Land. They are to love God completely, which would motivate them to obey God’s commands and to fear God. To be successful in the long run, they must teach their future generations to do likewise.
What is our church’s reputation? What are we known for? This series on the church’s vision raises big questions about our church’s identity and reputation. In Christ’s letter to the Ephesian church, we’re warned that it is possible to be known for loving God’s truth and loving to defend it – without really loving God or others. We who have ears, let us hear.
The Acts 6 church had to deal with the same challenges faced by all multicultural communities – the dangers of division and discord. But instead of letting their differences sow distrust, they found a different way to preserve the unity of the church and pursue her gospel mission.
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Vision Statement: HCC seeks to be an urban Chinese-heritage church in central Houston that reaches all those in our lives, Chinese or otherwise, through equipping, sending, and planting.
What do we think about when we hear about giving to support God’s work? We might think that we must give because if we don’t, then the church will go under. We think that we must give because we will receive recognition. We think that we must give because we feel guilty. What does the Bible say that we should think about when we hear about giving to support God’s work?
Living out the Christian faith is not always easy. Following Jesus can be tiring. We feel tempted to throw in the towel. We want to give up. What can help develop a spiritual endurance to live out our Christian faith for the entirety of our lives?
Some of us as Christians have spiritual aspirations. We try to read through our Bibles in a year. We serve on short-term mission trips. We play an instrument on the worship team. And it is good that we do these things. But there is a danger if we focus too much on the things that we do for God.
On behalf of the Philippians, Epaphroditus served Paul selflessly and sacrificially by risking his life. Paul served Epaphroditus and the Philippians by sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi, where Paul commanded the Philippians believers to receive Epaphroditus well and to honor him as a hero.
If our spiritual life resembles a garden, then what type of work do we need to put in? Does our faith just naturally produce spiritual fruit? Or do we need to contribute work? After all, most of us would want a thriving spiritual life. What is the relationship between faith and works?
In our passage today, Paul turns his attention to addressing the Philippians and their situation. Paul doesn't specifically bring up what's happening in Philippi, nor do we know what exactly the problem is, but he gives them some instructions on living lives that are worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So that's what we will look at today - how we might live a life worthy of the Gospel through the lens of the Christians in Philippians.
There are only two outcomes for most scenarios in life. Win. Or lose. Trying to get your child into a popular school is difficult. Those able to enroll their children win. Those who are not able to enroll their children lose. Thousands of people enter a lottery to see the Wave in Arizona. But only 4-8% of those who apply are granted entry. They win. The other 90 plus percent lose. When we win, it’s easy to rejoice. When we lose, it’s easy to rumble. But for those who have placed their faith in Christ, there is no such as a no-win scenario. In Christ, every scenario is a win. This enables believers to rejoice often.
https://youtu.be/UvUC5Pk9Ilg
The opponents of the gospel plotted to imprison Paul, assuming chains would hinder the gospel’s advance. Little did they know that chains merely served to unleash the power of gospel preaching – undeterred by the opposition or false motives of either enemies or friends.
Sermon Notes
https://youtu.be/uLPZD1a8t68
If you read through the book of Philippians it is easy to sense how hopeful Paulis throughout the entire book. You can see his emotions really come out in hisletter to the Philippians. As you read the book of Philippians, you should walkaway with such feelings as well. In our passage today, and throughout thebook, we can see the joy Paul has and what causes him to have this joy.Specifically, a joy that is created by the Gospel.
https://youtu.be/0P1TDvVVJNA
God has given us the gift of life. May we not squander it by believing that we are the master of the universe, but instead, believing that God is the master. We are created uniquely by God to fulfill God’s purpose, which is always for His glory and for our good.
Sermon Notes
https://youtu.be/28yBIVDpuvM
Belief in the Sovereign Self bleeds over into the issue of ethnicity and identity. In an effort to create our own identities, we're tempted to either reject our given ethnicity with a sense of shame or revere it with a sense of superiority. But either reaction fails to recognize the goodness of our given ethnic heritage and its purpose in the mission of God.
Sermon Notes Here
https://youtu.be/lVaO7qd_Izc
This series is aimed at challenging the modern idea of the Sovereign Self. The idea that we have within ourselves the authority to create our own reality. In other words, I can fashion my identity as I will, even if it means rejecting the givenness of my nature. But many aspects of human nature are stubborn and unbending. Consider our mortality – how our bodies age, decline, and eventually die. We can try to deny this reality or delay it, but we can't change it. Biblical wisdom directs us instead to number our days, face our mortality, and learn from it.
Sermon Notes: Numbered Days
https://youtu.be/_M2dcwNMIU0
The dominant cultural narrative today teaches that happiness comes from discovering your true self and then having the courage to give expression to that identity. You may have to reject societal norms and expectations along the way. But no price is too steep. For authenticity is now considered the highest virtue. But in contrast, the biblical narrative teaches that happiness comes from discovering how your Creator made you and then appreciating the goodness of givenness.
Sermon Notes Here
Salvation through Christ is not just for Israel, but for all people. God shows nopartiality. Peter receives a vision from God, telling him that the Good News isfor Gentiles as well as Jews. He goes to the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer,and tells him about Christ. Cornelius and his family believe and are converted.
https://youtu.be/3W2ywZcU6iQ
Palm Sunday commemorates the royal welcome Jesus received when he entered Jerusalem at the start of that fateful week. The words of praise shouted by the people that day were stanzas from an ancient song heavily used in Israel's liturgical tradition. Those words reveal the people's messianic expectations but also foreshadow their confusion as to what this kingly figure had come to do. This Palm Sunday, instead of studying the narrative itself, we seek to understand the song behind the story, so that it might prepare us to celebrate Holy Week.
Click here for Sermon Outline
https://youtu.be/KLTaGVcbtro
Pursuing and preserving unity is tough work. We see it in the world. Countries break away from unions. It’s difficult to get a group of leaders to work together on a common cause. We see it in the workplace. Everyone has a different idea on how to complete a project. Analysts disagree on what caused the dip in profits this quarter. We see it in families. Spouses have different plans for vacation. Children ignore parental advice. Despite all its trouble, people desire unity. God put a desire for togetherness within us. How does God plan to bring people together?
Sermon Notes
https://youtu.be/Wx06VaWPNts
After the Flood, God is starting over. But things are not the same as before. He is committed to preserving the earth and protecting humanity, but the effects of the Fall are so entrenched that even a deep cleanse like the Flood was not enough. A better solution awaits.
Sermon Outline
Noah and the flood is one of the best known stories in Scripture. Children know it by heart. Picture bibles and toy arks with pairs of toy animals have shaped their imagination. But let’s not lose sight of its main point, that being divine judgment. The story is about God’s grief over the utter sinfulness of man and his intent to cleanse his world and start over.
Sermon Notes: Cleansing Flood
https://youtu.be/pNXerMdvuJc
In Genesis 4, we get a glimpse of life east of Eden. Life outside of Paradise. Life in a fallen world. Suffice it to say, it doesn't look good. Sin is on the loose. Violence is on the rise. Relationships are broken and hurting. But grace is there. And hope will follow.
Sermon Outline
Sin causes people to treat us differently. If the IRS audits our tax returns anddiscovers that we fudged the numbers, then they’ll demand payment of losttaxes and scrutinize our future tax returns. If we “conveniently” forget to sendpayment to our friend to pay for our portion of dinner, then we may notreceive a future dinner invite. If a friend discovers that you disclosed theirsecret, then they may not share another secret with you. If we know thatpeople treat us differently when we sin against them, then how does God treatsinners?
Paradise Lost Sermon Notes
https://youtu.be/-vTIUM3sNYI
The events dominating the headlines this past week are a stark reminder that we live in a world marked by bloodshed, violence, and war. It's always been that way. Though, at times, we can be lulled into a false sense of peace and stability. The source of all this pain and suffering – whether on the world stage or in our own lives – is found in a singular event in ancient history that involved a couple, a snake, and a curse
The Curse: Sermon Notes
Any worldview or religion worth any consideration needs to offer an explanation for what’s wrong with the world. Why is there so much suffering? Why do people hurt each other? Why are we so selfish? If your story doesn’t have an adequate answer for why bad things happen, then perhaps you’re in the wrong story. Perhaps it’s time to consider the Christian story and its explanation for what’s wrong with the world.
Sermon Notes: The Fall
https://youtu.be/2uCGB2CTyEY
Marriage holds little appeal for many because they've gone through the pain of picking up the pieces after the dissolution of their own marriages (or that of their parents). So nowadays people don't know what marriage should look like. But, thankfully, we have the Word of God. Genesis 2 is like the picture on the box of a puzzle. Without it, we're left with a mess of jumbled pieces. But, by studying the Genesis 2 picture of marriage, now we know where to start in building a marriage or repairing one.
https://youtu.be/booAdJh3xvk
Sermon Notes: Two Become One
Our mission is to build God's kingdom on earth. God has created us to worship and to work. It is not only on Sunday that we worship the Lord. Every day can be meaningful for us to worship God. Often we do not associate our faith with work. However, we need to see work as an opportunity to worship. For us, work is worship. However, we should not worship work.
Sermon Notes: Work and Keep
https://youtu.be/bsneK9XOQPc
The creation scene is set and God’s about to rest. As we near the end of the creation narrative, we hear one final assessment of God’s work and He declares it to be, “very good.” This is so because man has been given his responsibility to bring the rule and reign of God to the ends of the earth. But we don’t go at it alone, but we go in the blessings of God. God has blessed us to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion.
Sermon Notes: Fill and Subdue
https://youtu.be/VJ_puOZEjUE
As we paused last week in Genesis 1 to reflect of the significance of the imago dei in relation to race and racism, today we want to draw out further implications as it relates to life and abortion. Forty-nine years ago, the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion-on-demand. It is arguably one of the greatest affronts to human dignity and an egregious violation of human rights. Persuasive arguments rooted in logic and natural law could be made, but the Christian's base conviction is the belief that every human being – no matter what stage of development – bears the divine image of our Maker.
Sermon Notes: Life and the Imago Dei
https://youtu.be/LOHUADBMADQ
On this MLK Jr. holiday weekend, we want to pause in Genesis 1 to reflect on the beauty of the imago dei and the ugliness of racism. We should be thankful that, in our day, the vast majority would wholeheartedly support Dr. King's dream to be judged by the content of his character rather than the color of his skin. But does the vast majority understand the theological underpinning for that dream? Do we realize that, without the belief that every human being is made in the image of God, ethnic harmony will remain a pipe dream?
Sermon Notes: Race and the Imago Dei
https://youtu.be/bVXJMxLdcEU
Our treatment of people reveals how much we value them. We shout at the representative of our internet service provider when the internet goes down for longer than we expect. We treat co-workers as tools to get the job done rather than value them as people. We disregard the opinions of young people because we believe they lack life experience. Yet God is gracious to people regardless of background. Why does God value people?
Sermon Notes: In His Image
https://youtu.be/IzhfcT_Uz3o
The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. It’s mainly focused on the beginning of a story about a covenant family that grows into a covenant community spanning the globe. But chapters 1-11 stretch even further back to tell the story about the beginning of our world and the universe itself. Genesis 1 presents five fundamental truths about creation and its relationship to God.
Sermon Notes: In the Beginning
https://youtu.be/GBmjIR6DSAE
As we stand on the cusp a new year, it is high time for self-evaluation and a reconsideration of our priorities in life. Sermon Notes: Re-Prioritizing Your Life
Since Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, the people of God endured 400 years of spiritual darkness. 400 years of divine silence. But Malachi himself prophesied in hope that one day “the sun of righteousness shall rise” and God would visit his people again. 400 years later, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, recognized, in the birth of his son, a glimmer of light before the messianic dawn. In Christ Jesus, the morning sun has risen and now radiates the resplendent mercy of the Lord's salvation.
Sermon Notes: The Benedictus
https://youtu.be/NHyKCsEX140
The Magnificat refers to the song Mary sings after visiting Elizabeth, who herself is miraculously with child. Magnificat is the Latin word for magnify, as in “My soul magnifies the Lord.” In this song, the Lord’s grace and power are magnified through a Great Inversion – where things that are down will be lifted up and up things will be knocked down. All because of this baby in Mary's womb. Sermon Notes: The Magnificat https://youtu.be/RIMpgKwoptw
In Christian tradition, the Annunciation refers to that event where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to the long-expected Messiah. Now Christmas Day typically receives greater attention, but one could make a case for Annunciation Day being a more important holiday. Since the Incarnation of the Son of God actually took place then – nine months prior! So there is much we can learn from this glorious event.
Sermon Notes: The Annunciation
https://youtu.be/1XLo32YD0xg