August Gate Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
August Gate Church
The mission of August Gate is to be disciples who make disciples who grow to know, love, and follow Jesus together by His grace.
A clear sign that God is at work in our church is that we care about His Word "in here" and His work "out there."
We believe that God desires to sanctify the believer, grow His church, and transform the world. Therefore, we believe every believer is called to submit to the teachings of God's Word, persevere through trials, mature in the faith, and become disciples who disciple others.
We believe that Jesus created the Church to fulfill the mission He began here on the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that every believer is specially equipped by the Holy Spirit to serve both the church and the world around them and should be using their gifts to the Glory of God.
We believe that God is the creator and source of all beauty. His beauty has been revealed to us in order to draw us to Himself for relationship and teach us more about who He is and what He is like.
We believe that Jesus' primary purpose in coming was to testify to the truth. This truth is the Gospel. Because we bear the name of Christ we should therefore be witnesses of the truth, believing that it is only that truth - the Gospel - that will set us free.
The 3rd gift God has given us is the gift of personal relationship. The transcendent God of the universe desires a relationship with us so much that He sent His son to make it possible.
As Christians, we have the gift of Christ-Centered Contentment. Look at how God provides!
Because God is our salvation, we can and must fight for joy in the midst of our pain through thanking God in ever circumstance, trusting in God no matter what may come, and telling others what God has done.
God doesn't save us to solitude, rather our generous God is shaping stingy people into a generous community.
God is the creator and source of all beauty, and He created good gifts for our delight and desire, but sin says we should delight and desire on our own terms instead of God's.
At August Gate, we are all about truth, the truth of the Gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, yet we must handle the truth in the right way: by compelling others to believe it.
God loves us with a costly love, a love that went to the cross for us. He calls us to love in the same way: to take up our cross and limitlessly love Him and other people. This is the first core value of August Gate Church, the ultimate reason for why we do all that we do.
We've seen the facts of God's standard for gender and sexuality, but how do we live with faith according to God's standard? our faithful response must be upward, outward, inward, and continual.
Since we live in a world that falls short of His design and desire for gender & sexuality, Jesus gives us unchanging truths to live by. When we fail to live up to them, we either lack the facts to know or the faith to believe His way is best, yet He provides grace through the Gospel.
To properly practice politics in a representative government, Christins must pray for leaders, participate in politics, and protest when political authority contradicts God's authority.
God has ordained and instituted a hierarchy of authority and responsibility in society. God is always at the top of the hierarchy, and He gives authority to our governing leaders and gives us the responsibility to submit to them. These truths drive the proper political posture.
God reveals himself to us in his law so that we can have a relationship with him that leads to life and love.
In this week’s text we see that God commanded Israel to work 6 days and rest on the 7th to reflect his rhythm in creation and to remind Israel of the covenant promise that He made to them. What this means for us today is that we were created to rest from our work so that we can remember God’s character and promises in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
God doesn’t just rescue His people. He rescues us to a new relationship, a new identity, and a new lifestyle. Are you living in it?
In this week’s text we see that God was preparing Israel for the initiation of His covenant and the revelation of His law by reminding them of who they were, showing them glimpses of his holiness and glory, and having them consecrate themselves. With that as our background, the main idea that we will be working from: because God is holy, our lives must reflect the beauty of His holiness to the world around us.
New seasons require new systems, new servants, and new sacrifices in order to sustain the health of both leaders and those they lead.
In this week’s text, we see that God’s saving work was celebrated and timely wisdom was heard as Moses reunited with His father-in-law Jethro. After taking time to understand what our text meant for it’s original audience, we can see that it teaches us that the local church is where we make, mature, and multiply disciples.
Sojourning isn’t just about where God is taking us, it’s also about what He’s doing in us as we go.
There’s never a day with no need for grace, and there’s never a day with no grace for the need.
When the trial comes after the triumph, we must continue to joyfully trust in God’s provision.
As we consider a new year and a new decade, God gives us 8 principles that serve us as sojourners.
Through his prophet Ezekiel, God has provided his promises of peace to prepare us for paradise.
Through Jesus, we can have peace in God's power over our security and His provision of our purpose.
We find peace in the face of irrational fears as we fight the lies of Satan with the truth of Jesus.
This week we began by asking, why did Jesus need to bring peace? Jesus had to bring peace because war was waged in the garden. Because Jesus is our peace, we know that our peace is present and our peace provides.
In His Word, God gives us the tools we need to discover and develop immaterial health. He gives us His prescription for peace.
In this week’s text we are reminded that God was faithful to deliver the Israelites and because of that they were called to be faithful in remembering their deliverance. For us today we are called to live lives of faithful remembrance because of Jesus died in our place in the cross.
In this week’s text we see that God is faithful to fulfill His promise of delivering Israel from Egypt. What we need to learn is because we are prone to forget God’s salvation, we must remember and rehearse the good news of Jesus Christ.
The plagues of Exodus were God going to war with the false gods of Egypt that kept His people captive, showcasing His power and their powerlessness to save.
In Exodus 3-4 we learn about the burning bush, fiery doubt, and faithfulness that never flames out.
Jesus isn't just calling us to make disciples, He's calling us to make disciples together. In Colossians 4, we see how so many people found their place in the mission of God and we see God inviting us to find ours.
When we are distracted from Jesus, it is impossible to know, love, and follow him by his grace.
Jesus shows us the pattern set for, the posture and outlook of, the problem that necessitates, the power that fuels, and the promise of success in our mission.
Spiritual disciplines are a subject we can easily get wrong. In our text this week Jesus shows us their purpose and direction through the example of fasting.
In this week’s text we see that Jesus is in complete control over the supernatural. The question we have to ask ourselves is, how do we respond to the power of Jesus at work i our lives and other lives around us?
In Matthew 8:23-27 we see how Jesus used a storm to accomplish something in the lives of His disciples and what that means for the storms we face.
In this week’s text we see that in following Jesus we must count the cost and weigh the call of being his disciple.
We can faithfully follow Jesus because his powerful presence is greater than all we fear.
While following Jesus is a call out of our comfort, it is still worth getting in the boat.
In this week's text we see highlighted a fundamental characteristic of a disciple of Jesus, humility.
In this week's text we see that following Jesus means trusting and obeying Him in the improbable.
When it comes to giving money we have to see ourselves as sons and daughters and stewards of what God has so graciously given us. In this week's text we see that cheerful giving brings joy to the giver, blesses others, and glorifies God.
In Psalm 90, Moses reminds us that God is big, we are small and our days are few, therefore we should consider not only what we should give our lives to, but how we should give our lives to those things.
In this week's text we can see that the cure for hopelessness is Jesus in word and deed.
The Gospel is the good news of an extravagant God who saves extravagant sinners because of extravagant love through extravagant sacrifice and transforms them by extravagant power.
In this week's text we see that God's mercy brings life where there was death, an inheritance where there was a debt, and security where there was doubt.
The Gospel is the good news of an extravagant God who saves extravagant sinners because of extravagant love through extravagant sacrifice and transforms them by extravagant power.
In this week's text we see that it is part of who we are to tell everyone about who Jesus is and what he has done. Pastor Josh provides some practical tools for every believer to easily share the Gospel.
Jesus' last earth-spoken words were a call to obey Him in every area of life, yet we struggle with obedience. Does Jesus respond with a call to work harder and do better? Romans 6 reminds us that our "following" problem begins with a "knowing" problem.
In this week's text we see the Gospel won't let us hide, won't let us take credit, and won't let us limit what God will do.
In this week's text we see as we grow in our love for God, we must also grow in our love for one another.
In this week's text we see that Jesus calls us to follow Him on His mission to the world. So, we must be ready, willing, and able to go whenever and wherever he leads.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the most well known and oft-quoted verses in the Bible. But do we really believe it? This week we explore 10 questions to help us evaluate our trust.
The central command of the Christian life is to love God with all that we have and all that we are.
In His letter to the 7th church in Asia Minor, the Ultimate Truth-Teller gives us 5 truths about a church that has become comfortable and 5 proper responses or the church that's ready to change.
The church in Thyatira had become loving, faithful, serving, persevering, growing...cowards. And Jesus called them to action.
Jesus writes to the church in Smyrna to encourage them in their current and future suffering. This week is an opportunity to evaluate how we're doing at following Jesus through faithfulness in difficulty.
Revelation 1 gives us a clear, accurate picture of Jesus and invites us into for an evaluation of how we're doing in knowing, loving and following Him as disciples.
Jude challenges the church to believe and live the reality that the love of God that unites us is stronger than anything that divides us.
Trusting Who we are praying to and Who is in control, we should pray for boldness to do what He’s called us to do.
We must fast and pray for holy ambitions and divine opportunities because they are essential to the mission of God.
There are two things we should do when we see evidence of God working in and among us: thank Him and ask for more.
Through the life of Moses and Jesus, we see and experience the glory of God in the labor of prayer.
Praying to the Lord regularly should cause our hearts to rejoice in Him because he's in control.
Paul teaches us to pray for the Word to Win in here and out there, for God to deliver us from evil and guard us in the battle, to give us power to obey and to fuel that obedience with his steadfast love.
Because Christ has taken our curse and blessed us, we can have confidence that God will answer our prayers.
We have the right to pray impossible prayers because we worship a God who has done the impossible.
Worry steals our joy in Jesus, so if we want to fight for joy we have to fight for peace.
Prayer should be a continual persistent conversation with a God who never tires from hearing from us.
As we look at Christ's example in prayer, we see his passion for truth, beauty, community, mission, progress, and love.
Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing, so prayer is a vital part of fruitfullness. Listen in to hear the why and how of Abiding in Christ from John 15.
God has more for us. And seeing that "more" accomplished is going to come through prayer. So August Gate is coming to Jesus to ask, "Lord, teach us to pray."
Because the Lord is with us and His grace is enough, we can take the mission forward even when it seems impossible.
As disciples, we are to follow godly leaders and endure hardship with Scripture as our guide.
In this week's sermon, we learn how the mission goes forward by staying put in persecution.
Paul’s challenge to Timothy to avoid “such people” is a challenge to us to avoid becoming “such people.
Faithful teachers propel the mission of the Church forward, false teachers slow the mission of the Church down.
To be faithful to God's mission, we must be strengthened by the grace and understanding of Christ.
Even though suffering is inevitable, we must persevere in grace to see the mission of the church go forward.
True faith is always attacked, and when that happens, we must be prepared to lean into the promise of life and the gift of faith that God gives us in Jesus.
We must remember and embrace our identity as disciples in the community of the local church.
The grace of God urges and empowers us to fight for fruitfulness by avoiding the unprofitable, warning the foolish, and modeling the love of good works.
Jesus pursues us as sinners, saves us by his mercy, and sends us into a life of readiness for good.
We can't find peace without grace, because peace always & only comes through the work of Jesus for us and the work of His Spirit in us.
The gospel, our mission, is the good news story of salvation appearing, grace embracing, right now training, hope filled waiting that MUST be told!
God’s standard for leaders is extremely high because of who we are, what we become and what happens in our lives apart from and when we refuse to embrace grace.
If peace is the mission, grace is the method. The grace of God is our deepest need as leaders and followers and it only comes through the gospel.
In the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, we learn that King Jesus demands total allegiance and He won't accept substitutes, and that on the cross He provides all that He demands by giving Himself as our substitute.
Because we have a Heavenly Father who has promised to care for our every need, we can overcome the distractions that keep us from running hard after Jesus.
When the glory of Jesus is the aim of our lives, then the reward of the Father will be the treasure of our hearts.
Jesus calls His Kingdom citizens to a lifestyle that includes the righteous rhythm of generosity.
Jesus invites us to faithful obedience based on who our Father is and what He promises us.
Jesus shows us what His leadership looks like in sex, marriage and keeping our word when we focus on Lordship and not legality.
Jesus came to fulfill the law and by doing so establish his kingdom for us. Church, we must identify and abandon anger, retaliation, and a hate for our enemies, this anti-kingdom lifestyle, and submit ourselves fully to the rule and reign of King Jesus.
Jesus shows us six areas where we will be tempted to not surrender to his leadership when it comes to living the kingdom lifestyle.
8 Kingdom Attitudes: Poor in Spirit: DO I NEED GOD? Mourn: DO I WANT WHAT GOD WANTS? Meek: DO I TRUST GOD WITH MY LIFE? Hunger and Thirst: DO I WANT TO SEE RIGHTEOUSNESS? Merciful: WILL I FORGIVE OR CONDEMN? Pure: WILL I SUBMIT TO THE WILL OF THE LORD? Peacemakers: AM I PURSUING PEACE?IS JESUS WORTHY?
We enter into the plan of God by grace through faith, putting our trust in the manger-born, cross-slain, tomb-vacating, throne-sitting Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
God gives Daniel His end-times formula and calls us to live life in light of a future deliverance, resurrection, and glorification.
In Chapter 11 God gives Daniel hundreds of years of history before it happens, showing Daniel and God’s people His deep care and commitment to them and His plan for the world.
Chapter 10 shows us three things Daniel needed before this last vision. We need these same three things in order to cling to Christ completely and never let go.
In Daniel 9, we see the power of ignored sin and Daniel reminds us that if we bear God's name, we cannot be content in our shame, and the only way out of shame is repentance.
In Daniel 7, God pulls the curtain of history back for His people to see the ultimate reality of Jesus and the world in order to turn our worry into worship.
We can stand firm in our faith because God’s pursuit of his own glory will always overcome man’s efforts to exalt himself.
God will fulfill every promise, punish every sin and use discipline in others' lives as grace and mercy to us.
God will use warning, wisdom and wages in order to break our pride and welcome us back.
God is sovereign over all of history, over empires and individuals, and as Daniel lives out his belief in that, God is glorified and Daniel is blessed
Daniel shows us what it looks like to live without compromise trusting in God's sovereign goodness.
God calls every kingdom citizen to a kingdom posture, a kingdom pursuit, and a trust in the King’s promises.
God wants you to believe the promises of God, surrender to the purposes of God and experience the power of God so that He might put His glory, in you, on display.
Jesus' declaration of the kingdom was is an invitation to enter a new life where King Jesus gets his way.
God reveals himself to the humble, therefore we must: 1. Listen to his voice 2. Believe his promises 3. Obey his commands
- God will do whatever it takes to keep his promises.
- God has promised that Jesus will be worshipped among the nations.
- God has promised that the Eternal King will come to save his people.
- God has promised to thwart the schemes of the enemy.
- God is serious about his promises.
Mission: “We believe Jesus created the Church to fulfill the mission He began here on the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that every believer is specially equipped by the Holy Spirit to serve both the church and the world around them and should be using their gifts to the glory of God." Progress: “We believe God desires to sanctify the believer, grow His church, and transform the world. Therefore, we believe every believer is called to submit to the teachings of God’s Word, persevere through trials, mature in the faith, and become disciples who disciple others."
This week we take a look at community as a tool for mission. We know that God has created us to live in community but we must understand that it cannot terminate on itself, rather it must thrust us to tell and live the Gospel.
The greatest and primary call of every Christian is not to work for God, but to worship God. Worship is what fuels discipleship, obedience, and mission. Beholding the beauty of God in worship prepares us to bare the beauty of God to the world.
God has called every Christian, but specifically every member of August Gate, to be shepherds, feeding our generation with the knowledge and understanding of the Good Shepherd.
God did whatever was necessary to fulfill his Gospel-centered purposes in the world, and He will do whatever is necessary to fulfill his gospel-centered purposes in your life.
God has given us more than we could consume, spend, or enjoy alone. Today is a gospel day. We've got to share this good news.
The Resurrection has everything to do with everything in your life. Do you believe this?
We will see Jesus and when we do, our only hope of drawing near to Him in confidence instead of hiding in shame is if we are abiding in Him by His grace.
In the story of Mary and Joseph we see four truths about hope, four anchors of our hope, and how we carry hope to the world.
Because of the great hope we have in Jesus, we must say "no" to our sin and "yes" to godly living as we eagerly wait for his return.
Hope is the joyful expectation and confident waiting for the promises of God about the person of God and the plan of God for people and the world.
In this week's text, Peter lines out the Christian's posture, politics, purpose, perspective and priorities when it comes to government.
Because Christians are in a war for their souls and Jesus is coming again, we must abstain from sin and keep our conduct honorable.
The prophets sought and the angels long to know the glorious details of this Gospel that has been given to us.
In the midst of trials, our call is to rejoice in the promised eternal inheritance we have in Jesus Christ.
As exiles in this world, our lives are marked by pain. But because God always has a purpose in our pain, we can wait in hope that we will see Jesus.
Peter writes to those dearly loved and chosen of God, scattered because of the Gospel, so that grace and peace would be multiplied in their (and our) lives.
As we close out our series with Psalm 150, we see that in every season of life, we are called to praise God for who He is, what He's done, and because our lives are His gift to us.
Despite the fact that we have nothing to offer Him in return, the Father offers us all of the benefits of righteousness through the person and work of the Son.
Because God is both holy and loving, all who would draw near to Him must do so in the full surrender of repentance. Psalm 130 shows us what that looks like in action.
This week, we see that even when it seems like the wicked prosper, God is in control, so draw near to Him.
This week, we saw in Psalms 111 & 112 that when praise and delight for God flow out of our corporate worship and into our personal lives and private thoughts, there is great reward.
This week, we learn that we worship a God who has done the great work of sustaining, redeeming, and keeping covenant with us, and He calls us to delight in His work by delighting in His Word.
This week, David walks us through his famous "song of sin" and in doing so, we learned 7 basic but important truths about sin.
The people of God have always had a tendency to worship and put their trust in things other than God. Psalm 29 is a reminder of the power and character of God and while He alone should be worshipped and trust.
This week, we walked through lament together. Not only will you hear the sermon but our convocation and a spoken word delivered by Matt Bryant. In Psalm 13, God shows us our hope, our enemy, and our work.
In Psalm 19 David calls God's people to look at the works of God, look to the Word of God, look in the mirror and look to Jesus.
This week, we see that God calls men to fear Him and walk in His ways, and promises within the distinct roles of husband, father, and worker.
In Psalm 23, we learn we can find comfort in Jesus our shepherd at all times, when we're safe, afraid, and attacked.
This week of Zion Songs, we see that, like David, we must remember the working of God's grace in the past as we face hardship in the present.
This week of Zion Songs we see we are made to marvel at the majesty of God, which He reveals in our weakness, in our insignificance, and even in our failures.
We kicked off Zion Songs with Psalms 1 & 2, showing us the main themes of the entire book: a declaration of two paths, an invitation to blessing, and the proclamation of Jesus.
We closed our study in Habakkuk this week by studying "The Song of Faithfulness," Habakkuk's prayerful response to God.
This week, hearing God's response to Habakkuk, we learn how to find life in faithfulness.
God has a sovereign plan for both the righteous and unrighteous, and calls the righteous to live by faith and walk in faithfulness.
This week's text shows us that when confronted with misplaced guilt and shame, God alone is our refuge and He alone can give us joy, hope, and freedom.
The dialogue between God and Habakkuk continues as we learn about the faithful God who keeps all His promises.
As we begin our study in the book of Habakkuk, the prophet teaches us how to lament faithfully.
Coming to the end of his letter, Peter addresses one of his most repeated themes: suffering. This time, he addresses both the Christians response and God’s response to the suffering brought on by the onslaught of Satan.
This week, we pray to a God who is continually conforming us to the image of His Son, powerfully causing our desire for good and our works of faith to bear fruit. And He does this for His own Glory.
When we're under pressure, what gives us strength to endure? As Christians, we have the sure hope that we are destined for Glory! But, we aren't there yet, and until that day comes, we are desperate for God's Grace.
When we trust God with our lives, we're set free to serve one another and submit to our elders.
This week, we prayed along with Paul for the Word of the Lord to win in the lives of men and women everything, for us to be delivered and guarded from evil, for our lives to be measured by obedience, and for our hearts to be directed to the love of God and steadfast of Christ.
Pastors should shepherd the church because it’s their joy and not their job, because it’s their calling and not their burden, and because the church needs leaders and not lords.
As Christians living in a world that isn't we should not be surprised by trials but we should rejoice and trust in our faithful God.
In this week's text, we learn earnest, consistent prayer for others and their needs will create joy in our hearts because of them and affection in our hearts toward them.
Peter tells us that since the end of all things is at hand, our lives should be lived differently.
Paul gives us four reasons why he could give thanks for the most jacked up church in the Bible, the same four reasons we can prayerfully persevere with one another through sin.
Are you in conflict and don't know what to do next? In this text, Paul prays that we, as God's people, would experience such radical oneness that not only our words, but our whole lives, would tell the truth about God to a watching world.
In this week's text, we see the church's harmony threatened, so we must rely on the endurance and encouragement God provides.
Even as Christians, we still battle against our sinful flesh. Peter reminds us that on the cross, Jesus won the war for us so we must fight our battles with his weapons.
The will of God for every believer is endurance: God-honoring, fruitful, maturing, empowered, steadfast, patient, joyful, thankful, sanctified endurance.
Because the wrath that threatens us cannot compare to the wrath we’ve been saved from, we can courageously turn away from evil to pursue what God calls good, ready to declare the goodness of God to anyone who will listen.
Paul prayed that we would grow up in the Gospel and have wisdom to know how to glorify God in all things.
This week, we see that God wants us to experience his power and know the love of Christ in order to break down barriers to His Glory in our lives.
In Ephesians 3:14-21, we see that because there were barriers to God's Glory, Paul prayed that they would experience God's power and know God's love.
We begin our series in the Pauline Prayers entitled "That We May Know" by looking at Ephesians 1:15-23 and praying for a clearer vision of Jesus.
Peter explains to us what it looks like to live as a Christian in a culture where marriage isn't.
As we continue our last sermon this Advent, we see how we can all adore Christ with our service.
This week we see how to adore Jesus through our stewardship, learning a biblical foundation for stewarding our money.
This week, we saw how we can adore Jesus by living a life sacrificed. A life called and entrusted knowing our Master is coming back.
This week, we begin our Advent series, "O Come Let Adore Him," by looking at Biblical thanksgiving, for it is the vehicle by which we can truly adore Christ.
As we wrap up Acts we see the same five themes in our text as well as the book of Acts as a whole: Acts is about the cities, the church, the proclamation, the response, and the continuation.
This week, we see that God will move heaven and earth, he will overcome the most impossible odds, to use his people to take the Gospel where it isn't known and understood.
In this week's text, we see God rescue Paul and everyone else from death at sea, learning that God alone rescues from the darkest of storms.
In this week's text, we see God rescue Paul and everyone else from death at sea, learning that God alone rescues from the darkest of storms.
In this week's text, we see God rescue Paul and everyone else from death at sea, learning that God alone rescues from the darkest of storms.
This week's text shows us that, like Paul, we should go to great lengths to see people hear and respond to the Gospel. And like Paul, our work has to be fueled by an encounter and ongoing relationship with the resurrected Christ.
In this week's text, Luke shows us the contrast of bad men and decent men and how they both need Jesus.
In this week's text, we learn that the Gospel is the greatest expression of God's faithfulness to His people.
In this week's text, we are going to see the outworking of God's sovereign promises in the life of a faithful disciple.
In this week's text, we see the mission of the Gospel is rooted in a commitment to the truth of the resurrection and all of its implications.
In this week's text, we see that the promises of God are given to us because the promises of God are needed by us.
In this week's text, we see that Paul is living his life convicted and convinced even in light of uncertainty and possible death.
In this week's text, we see that even more primary than our witness to the world is our witness to one another.
In this week's text we see that through submission, humility, and grace, Paul and James show us how to pursue unity without losing the Gospel.
In this week's text we that we are God's and each other's see and as the church we are under attack but God has provided His presence, His power and His people as the tools to see His church go forward.
In this week's text, we see a beautiful picture of the Gospel as Paul encourages the Ephesians and God resurrects a young man from the dead.
In this week's text, we see that when the Gospel is proclaimed, it has the power to identify, expose, and destroy our idols.
In this week's text, we see that because of the preaching of God's word we see God moving powerfully in the people of Ephesus.
In this week's text, we see that God is faithful to provide all that his people need for mission.
In this week's text, we see that God is faithful to provide all that his people need for mission.
In this week's text, we see man's biggest problem is idolatry and God's only solution is the gospel.
In this week's text, we see that the Gospel turns the world upside down, and we are called to embrace it and not reject it.
In this week's text, we see Paul persevere in his calling as he sees resistance to the Gospel.
In this week’s text, we see that we are called to be a people of faith, trusting in God as we live out his mission.
In this week's text, we see Paul and Barnabas part ways over a disagreement about John Mark.
In this week's text, we see that God calls for the church to uphold unity and doctrine as we preach salvation by grace alone through faith alone and seek to consider the spiritual well being of our brothers and sisters.
In this week's text we see that regardless of the circumstances or the response of others, our mission is to speak the gospel and disciple people.
In this week's text, we see as Paul and Barnabas face trials in spreading the Gospel they live their lives in such a way that all of them belongs to Jesus.
In this week's text, we see two reactions to the preaching of God's word, delighting in it or denying it. The question we have to ask ourselves is do we believe that every word of God proves true.
In this week's text, we see the Apostle Paul preach his first sermon urging all to recognize the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done.
In this week's text, we see Paul and Barnabas sent out from Antioch to begin taking the Gospel to the Gentiles.
In the last sermon of this series, we see that what Satan ultimately wanted was to be like God and how there is no hope in his lies.
At our first-ever August Gate Music Quarterly, Pastor Josh teaches us on the underlying principles of gathered worship at August Gate.
In this week's sermon, we see Satan denying the truth of what God has said about his divine judgment.
In this week's sermon we talk a look at the first part of Satan's lie, "Did God really say?"
In this week's text, we see that in even in the midst of trials, in Jesus we have victory because of the cross and resurrection.
In this week's text, we see God's sovereign thread moving in the lives of Cornelius and Peter as the Gospel is being taken to the Gentiles.
In this week's text, we see things shift back to the ministry of Peter as he preaches the Gospel in and around Jerusalem.
In this week's text, we see the conversion of Saul and what it means to truly be converted and live converted.
In this week's text, we see the difference between a sincere and an insincere conversion. We also dive into the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and what it looks to be led by Him.
In this week's text, we see the early church did not waste their suffering, and we learn we should not waste our anything.
In this week's text, we see Stephen become the first Christian martyr as he confronts the religious leaders of the day.
In this week's text, we see conflict resolved that leads to the beginnings of a leadership structure in the early Church.
In this week's text we see that as God's people live out obedience motivated by grace, God provides for the mission of His glory and our joy.
In this week's text, we see two very different scenarios played out in the early church.
In this week's text, we see that while facing challenges to their obedience to Christ, God's people prayed and God answered.
In this week's text, we see that Peter and John's only proper response to the questioning and persecution of the Sanhedrin was that salvation was in on one else but Jesus.
In this weeks text's we learn from Peter's sermon that we must look for opportunities to proclaim the Gospel with relevance and loving boldness.
In this week's text, we see from Peter and John's example that we must care for the spiritual and physical needs of others, just as Jesus did.
In this week's text, we see from Peter and John's example that we must care for the spiritual and physical needs of others, just as Jesus did.
In this week's text, we see that the Church is God's plan for evangelizing and discipling the world.
In this week's text, we see that the Church is God's plan for evangelizing and discipling the world.
In this week's text, we see the Holy Spirit's coming means that the things that are necessary for God's plan, but are impossible for His people, are made possible.
In this week's text, we see that the foundations for the Christian Church are the foundations of the Christian life.
This week we begin our series in the book of Acts and look at our call to be witnesses to who Jesus is and what He has done.
As we wrap up the book of Nehemiah, we see Nehemiah's response as he returns to Jerusalem and how it should inform our response to living on mission in this world.
God’s people are to celebrate Him with thanksgiving, with pure hearts, and with joy; and that kind of celebration should fuel mission for the Church.
As God's people, we are called to obedience by submitting family life to God and His Word, living publicly for Jesus, and being the Church.
For true, city-wide transformation, God's people needed a revival of personal, family and community faith. For true, city-wide transformation we need individuals to live as disciples, families, and individuals to make disciples and the church to be the church.
The Word of God continues to work by showing us the reality of God's faithfulness and our failure in sin, pushing us into God's New Covenant of grace.
The Word of God continues to work by showing us the reality of God's faithfulness and our failure in sin, pushing us into God's New Covenant of grace.
In this week's text we see that even in the midst of the enemy's attacks, Nehemiah trusts God and stays true to His calling to build the wall.
In this week's text, we see God's call to repentance in the midst of pursuing His mission.
This week's text shows us that every person in the Church has a part to play in the mission of God.
This week's text shows us that every person in the Church has a part to play in the mission of God.
In this week's text, we see Nehemiah begin to see opposition as he seeks to see God's vision for His kingdom established in Jerusalem.
In this week's text we see that after 4 months of praying and seeking the Lord, Nehemiah receives permission from the king to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
This week we take a look at Nehemiah's prayer and recognize the pattern laid forth in which we can pray for our lives, our church, and our city.
This week we started in the book of Nehemiah and Pastor Noah challenged us to pray for God's vision in our lives, our church, and our city.
This week we wrap up the book of Colossians with this thought, Christ is all and we are called to surrender all.
This week we wrap up the book of Colossians with this thought, Christ is all and we are called to surrender all.
In this week's text, we see that the work God has called us to is greater than our ability to accomplish it.
This week's text is a reminder that no matter our situation in life we are all bondservants and Jesus is Master.
This week's text is a reminder that no matter our situation in life we are all bondservants and Jesus is Master.
This week we take a look at Paul's instructions to the church at Colossae on how God desires for Christian spouses, parents, and children to function under the rule of King Jesus.
In this week's text, we see practical instruction from the Apostle Paul on how to live lives that are rooted and grounded in Christ.
Because we are being made new and brought into a community that is being made new, we are to take off the old self and put our sin to death.
Because Jesus, who is our life, is supreme and sufficient, we're called to a constant dying to self and living to Christ.
Using this week's text, Pastor Noah walks us through asking three questions: what does this text say about God, what does this text say about us, and what are we supposed to do based on this text?
In this week's text, the Apostle Paul instructs the church at Colossae on how to deal with Gospel alternatives.
In this week's text, the Apostle Paul instructs the church at Colossae on how to deal with Gospel alternatives.
In this week's text, the Apostle Paul instructs the church at Colossae to not be taken captive by empty and false teaching but to be filled in Christ.
The crux of Paul's letter to the Colossians calls Christians to walk, be built up in and be established in Jesus. It calls non-Christians to receive Jesus, to root their lives in Jesus and spend their lives learning about Jesus.
In this week's text, the Apostle Paul encourages the church in Colossae to dig into Jesus and to dig into biblical community.
In this week's text, we see that the Church is called to be united in love and rooted in truth.
God gives all Christians the mission of making the Word of God fully known so that people they’re called to can reach maturity in Christ.
In this week's text, we see two very practical lists; 8 marks of a biblical Christian teacher and 8 marks of a missional Christian.
Jesus is supreme and sufficient and calls the reconciled to be stable, steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel.
In one of the most powerful ways in all of Scripture, Paul explains the immensity, supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus to the Colossian church who has need for this truth both now and in the future.
The Apostle Paul prays that God would give the church of Colossae both the knowledge of God's will and the strength they need to walk in it.
The Apostle Paul prays that God would give the church of Colossae both the knowledge of God's will and the strength they need to walk in it.
This week we begin our new series in the book of Colossians. We are praying that through this our vision of Jesus would be made bigger!
This week we begin our new series in the book of Colossians. We are praying that through this our vision of Jesus would be made bigger!
As we wrap up our series in Proverbs, we take a look at the wisdom that scripture provides for money.
This week we take a step outside of the book of Proverbs to the book of Job as we look at wisdom for pain and suffering.
From God's word we can see that sexuality is primarily about Lordship, that is believing and obey what God commands about it. With the book of Proverbs as our guide, we take a look at how scripture informs our view of sexuality.
With the book of Proverbs as our guide, we take a look at what scripture says about being a woman.
With the book of Proverbs as our guide, we take a look at what scripture says about being a man.
This week we take a look at what Scripture says about our speech and how we use our mouths.
This week we tackle a subject that all of us deal with, trusting and following God with our life plans.
This week we begin our new series in Proverbs. We see that when approaching wisdom that we have to know what God says is wisdom.
This week we begin our new series in Proverbs. We see that when approaching wisdom that we have to know what God says is wisdom.
This week Pastor Noah Oldham gives us six things to consider with the crucifixion and death of Christ.
In this week's text, we see Jesus before Pilate as he is continuing to be accused by the religious leaders of the day.
In this week's text, we see Jesus before Pilate as he is continuing to be accused by the religious leaders of the day.
In this week's text, we see the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, and Peter's vow to not fall away.
In this week's text, we see the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, and Peter's vow to not fall away.
In this week's text, we see Jesus' last supper, and Jesus' power and sovereignty over his betrayal.
In this week's text, we see Jesus' last supper, and Jesus' power and sovereignty over his betrayal.
In this week's text, we see Jesus call a woman's whole-hearted devotion beautiful contrasted with the plot to kill him.
In this week's text, Pastor Kevin shows us that our identity is found in Christ alone, not in the Temple.
In this week's text, Pastor Noah shows us that every word that Jesus said will ultimately ring true.
In this week's text, we see Jesus' rebuttal to the scribes, and what a heart that follows Jesus looks like.
In this week's text, we see Jesus' rebuttal to the scribes, and what a heart that follows Jesus looks like.
In this week's text, we see how agreeing with Jesus isn't the same as surrendering to Him.
In this week's text, we see how agreeing with Jesus isn't the same as surrendering to Him.
In this week's text, we see who the tenants are in the grape yard, and how Jesus foretells his death through the parable.
In this week's text, we see who the tenants are in the grape yard, and how Jesus foretells his death through the parable.
In this week's text, we see Jesus' example of the withering fig tree and the difference between fruit and foliage.
In this week's text, we see Jesus' example of the withering fig tree and the difference between fruit and foliage.
The challenge this week is for us to ask ourselves, are we Bartameus or are we the crowds?
In this week's text, Pastor Todd shows us the need for our dependence on God through Jesus' example with the children and rich, young ruler.
In this week's text, Pastor Noah shows us what Jesus says about divorce in response to the Pharisees questioning.
In this week's text, Pastor Noah show us what Jesus says about Hell and the gravity of sin.
In this week's text, Pastor Kevin shows us what Jesus says about Hell and the gravity of sin.
In this week's text, Pastor Noah shows us what Jesus says about success and the necessity of having a big view of the Gospel.
In this week's text, we see the 4th and final exorcism that Jesus performs, and that we need Jesus to cure us of our unbelief.
In this week's text, Noah shows us that we have approached the linchpin of the Gospel of Mark with how Jesus asks his disciples, 'who do you say I am?'
In this week's text, we see the transfiguration of Jesus, the amazement of Peter, James, and John, and what that looks like in modern times for us who do not live seeing the transfigured Jesus.
In this week's text, we see the transfiguration of Jesus, the amazement of Peter, James, and John, and what that looks like in modern times for us who do not live seeing the transfigured Jesus.
In this week's text, we see Jesus heal a man who is blind both spiritually and physically, and the implications of that in our lives.
In this week's text, we see Jesus heal a man who is blind both spiritually and physically, and the implications of that in our lives.
In this week's text, we see Jesus feed 4,000 people and the Pharisees demand a sign that leads Jesus to warn his disciples of their example.
We would be amiss if we did not pay attention to yet another miracle from Jesus. Jesus shows us compassion to an unbelieving world in this week's text.
In this week's text, Mark gives us a story that illuminates the implications and outcomes of faith in Jesus.
This week Jesus answers the question asked of him by the Pharisees in last week's passage. But in typical Jesus fashion, he points them to the fact that their hearts are sin-sick and they are in need of a Savior, not more rules.
This week Jesus encounters the religious leaders for the first time in a while. They are concerned with the traditions of men and Jesus rebukes them for their self-righteousness that leads to their hardness of hearing.
This week's text may seem a bit repetitive if we do not ask the question, who is Jesus? In all of his miracles, healings, and teachings, Jesus has been pointing to his identity as the Christ, our Savior. But the incorrect perception of the disciples and the crowds have led them to see him in an incomplete light, which is often our problem as well.
This week we encounter a famous miracle of Jesus, the feeding of the 5,000. It is plain to see that this miracle was used to point to Jesus' divinity but as we dig deeper we will see parallels and promises fulfilled from the Old Testament.
This week's text may be a bizarre story but Mark uses it to show us the mission of God by comparing John the Baptist and Herod. John was a righteous herald of the Gospel and Herod was a wicked ruler. We have to understand that nothing will save the world but the Gospel and that unless we believe the world is lost without it we will not boldly proclaim it.
This week Jesus gives us wisdom for taking the gospel to an unbelieving world. Our obedience to Jesus should flow out of an astonishment of what he has done for us and that should drive us to be relentless in telling the world around us about it.
In this weeks text, we see the desperate situations of a father whose daughter is facing death and a woman who is chronically ill. Mark shows us how Jesus has the power over both their sickness and death. And in this Mark points to Jesus death, burial, resurrection and ultimate power over sin, death and the grave. Mark shows us that our desperation should lead us to faith in Jesus for our ultimate healing.
In this weeks text, we see the desperate situations of a father whose daughter is facing death and a woman who is chronically ill. Mark shows us how Jesus has the power over both their sickness and death. And in this Mark points to Jesus death, burial, resurrection and ultimate power over sin, death and the grave. Mark shows us that our desperation should lead us to faith in Jesus for our ultimate healing.
In this week's text, we see Jesus heal a man severely possessed by demons. We see that Jesus has ultimate power over evil but that we were once inwardly what this man was outwardly and that Jesus is our only hope.
This text may be the most irrelevant for the western evangelical church, simply because we don't believe that we have storms. We often cover up things by appearing to be fine. Mark uses this very real story to show us Jesus' power over nature and also his power over the storms in our lives.
We all have expectations for everything and most of us have very specific expectations about the Kingdom of God. As Jesus does, he turns our expectations on their head in this week's text.
We all have expectations for everything and most of us have very specific expectations about the Kingdom of God. As Jesus does, he turns our expectations on their head in this week's text.
This week's text is one of the most famous of Jesus' parables. Jesus himself says that this parable is the key to unlocking all of the other parables he tells. It's about hearing and responding in our everyday life.
Jesus lived in a culture where family was everything in the same way that it is for many in our culture today. He challenges this notion and leads us to see that God's will is to be above all things.
This week's text begs the question, who is Jesus? From John Duncan's trilemma (made famous by C.S. Lewis) we can work through this text; is Jesus a liar, a lunatic or is he Lord?
In this week's text we see to ancient doctrines; Christus Victor, Christ the Victor, and Christus Exemplar, Christ the example. Jesus won the victory over Satan, sin, and death and he also provided us the example of how to live this life.
In this week's text, we see the truth that adding to God's goal of knowing him and making him known as well as disregarding it all together are both enemies of his Gospel.
In this week's text, we find two stories with very similar outcomes. Jesus is questioned about spiritual disciplines and the answer is very clear; our aim in spiritual disciplines is knowing the Lord more, not the discipline.
In this week's text we see Jesus calling Levi (Matthew) to be a disciple. This short story has many profound implications on our lives. Pastor Todd walks us through as we see how Jesus is the perfect missionary who takes the worst people and makes the best disciples.
In this week's text we see Jesus doing the things that only he can do, forgiving sin and healing people. So to understand what this text means for our lives we have to look at the supporting cast of the friends and the Pharisees. Are we living out an active faith to see people come to Jesus or do we criticize everything and never get anything done?
The truth from this week's text rings loud and clear; Jesus has authority over everything. He is our holy King who has come to rule and reign. We see that He has authority in teaching the Word, authority over demons, and authority over sickness.
This week we see simply, Jesus calls. He called His first disciples to obedience in a process, with a purpose and all with authority. The question is, how will we respond to Jesus' call?
In this week's text, we see that Jesus' primary work was to proclaim the Gospel. Before he performed miracles or rebuked the day's religious leaders, he called everyone to repent and believe God's Gospel. This is our call today; repent and believe God's Gospel then proclaim the same thing to the world around us.
Fulfilling the promises of God from the prophet Isaiah, King Jesus came to be His people's Representative. The Gospel is God's grace is to retell our story with a different ending.
This week we begin a year-long journey in the Gospel of Mark. This week's text shows us that the proper response to Christ is to repent of our sins and to be baptized. We see this preached by John the Baptist and that call is relevant to us today.
This week we wrap up our Identities series with our final identity, missionaries. This is the purposeful culmination of all we do. We are to live sent lives as we go to share the Gospel with the world around us.
With this week's identity, learners, we can often be confused, thinking that it is all about what we feel instead of what we know. Pastor Noah shows us in scripture that Gospel change begins in our heads with what we believe and how we live with that knowledge as we learn how God desires for us to live.
This week we take a look at our identity as a steward. We must realize that God has created and is owner of all things and we are here to manage all of the resources that he has provided us for His glory.
This week Pastor Josh Jones preached about what it means to be a servant in our 11am service. We can see four things from this week's text; Our natural state is to serve ourselves but the Gospel leads us to serve with Jesus as our example and His exaltation is the glory of our service.
This week Pastor Todd preached in the 9am service about what it means for us to be servants. As we look at the text we can see that our natural state is to serve ourselves but Christ is our example the glory of our service is His exaltation.
This week we take a look at how we are all parts of the body of Christ. When we recognize him as our head, it leads to health and harmony as we take the Gospel to the world around us.
This week we take a look at our second identity, worshippers. In it's most general definition, worship is the act of ascribing ultimate worth to something that requires our entire being. So as Pastor Noah takes us through the text we are able to answer the questions; why should we worship God? How do we worship God? And, where do we begin?
This week we begin with our first identity, family. Our sin has made us God's enemies but the Gospel makes us children. In the same way, sin has separated us from one another but the Gospel restores those relationships and makes us family.
As we begin a new series looking at our identities at August Gate we must start with the "What" and the "Why" of the church. This week we take a look at the "Why" and also the "What" of the church gathered.
Pastor Noah leads us through Jonah 4 to see how Jonah has had a complete reversal of his attitude and his thankfulness of God's mercy. We are left with this question: do we have God's heart for the lost?
We wrap up The Gospel of Genesis series this week with one question: Is Jesus the center of your life?
We continue in Jonah 3 to see God's love for a city and His call for us to be on mission.
The life of Joseph is an epic story that wraps up Genesis. Sold into slavery, wrongly accused and thrown into prison but eventually used for good and reconciliation. We learn some very important things about our lives in the midst of tragedy and how Jesus leads us with the Gospel through it.
Pastor Noah leads us through Jonah's repentance in the belly of the fish this week. We see a crucial mistake though, he is willing to go but he is forgetting the Gospel.
This week's text points us towards God's relentless grace. God did not relent in pursuing Jacob and Jesus does not relent in pursuing us.
At this week's Metro East Launch team meeting our Church Planting Resident, Kevin Wright unpacks Jonah 1:4-16. We are encouraged to live a sent life, always seeking to share the Gospel where we are.
In our inaugural Metro East Launch Team meeting, Pastor Noah teaches through Jonah 1:1-3 and shares the vision of August Gate Church
In this week's text, we see the story of two brothers in competition and conflict even before they were born, but we see no clear example, no hero. Both Jacob and Esau were sinful, messed up men who are not worthy of emulating. But in the midst of this, the story points to Jesus as God's unmerited and undeserved grace.
In this week's text, we see a final test of faith for Abraham, the sacrifice of his beloved son Isaac. Through this, we continue to see the faithfulness of God in the midst of test and trial. In the same way that God provided the sacrifice for Abraham and Isaac on top of Mt. Moriah, he has also given us Jesus, the Lamb who died so we don't have to.
In this week's text, we see Abraham, father of the Hebrew nation, a man who's faithfulness is counted as righteousness, promised and tested. And while he is faithful we also see many times he is faithless but that God is always faithful. This narrative is in fact about God's faithfulness to Abraham and Abraham's faithfulness to repent to God.
This week's text is probably one of the most well known Bible "stories" and the danger comes when we look at it as that and not as a part of the story of redemption. The focus of this narrative is not that God judges but the fact that God saves.
Cain's approach to worshipping God is in complete contrast to that of his brother Abel and instead of receiving God's rebuke as grace he murders his brother in cold blood. Through this story of the first murder we see many things as they pertain to worship, rebuke and repentance, sin and consequences, mercy and grace, and ultimately Jesus.
For our new series, we start at the beginning of it all, creation. Pastor Noah walks us through 7 acts of creation and the fall pointing us to the truth of the Gospel in each of them. (We apologize for the background music on this recording, some wires were crossed.)
Because of Jesus we can be confident worshippers, siblings, and missionaries. This confidence displays our belief in the supremacy of Jesus in our lives and helps us heed John's final command: keep yourselves from idols.
Over the course of his epistles, John has given us three tests to determine the kingship of Jesus in our lives; theological, moral, and social. In this week's text he gives one final test: is Jesus king?
One of the main themes of the Apostle John is Christian's love for one another. This week we can see seven reasons why.
In this week's sermon, the Apostle John shows us how there are two agendas battling for our attention and submission. The Holy Spirit seeks to capture our attention with the truth of the Gospel while Satan tries to distract us with the ways of the world.
Our text this week expounds on the social test of being a follower of Jesus Christ, do I love like I believe Jesus is Lord?
The Gospel is the predetermined plan, incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and impending return of Jesus and all of its effects. Because of this, Christians live for a day because they have been changed by a day.
Tonight we unpack this statement in our text: Jesus has called us to Gospel life and mission. His enemies seek to replace truth and destroy assurance, but God has provided for our perseverance.
In this week's passage, John addresses three groups of people in the church: spiritual children, the spiritually growing, and the spiritually mature. He encourages them but also warns them that the kingdom of this world seeks to take away our attention from the kingdom of God.
This week's passage help's us tackle two questions; how do we know Jesus and what is his will? We learn that these are more that what we realize and start in our hearts before they are ever worked out in our lives.
John lays out two truths for us. God is light and in Him there is no darkness and we are sinners. As we look at tonight's passage we can either believe the lies of the darkness and live in them or believe the truth of the light and walk in it.
In our last session we see that we are not only called out to righteousness but we are also called to take the Gospel to the world around us.
In this session we take a look at the element of story, how to tell the Gospel. We will seek to better understand our story in light of God's story so that we can better tell the Gospel. *We had technical difficulties during this session so please pardon the audio when it cuts in and out***
In this first session we take a look at what it means to be the Church as we are called out of darkness and into light, to live in community on mission for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God.
As we begin a new book of the Bible with a new series one question is asked, is what we believe about Jesus very important? The Apostle John begins his letter with a resounding yes. To understand who we are we have to view Jesus properly.
As we wrap up this series we look at the ultimate tool that God gives us, His presence, the Holy Spirit. He is the lead missionary as we strive to be a church seeking the glory of God by focusing on the person and work of Jesus Christ and depending on the power of the Holy Spirit.
This week we take a look at community as a tool for mission. We know that God has created us to live in community but we must understand that it cannot terminate on itself, rather it must thrust us to tell and live the Gospel.
Worship is the fuel and goal of mission. We have to grasp the fact that God uses our worship, outward praise, as a tool for the world to know the truth of the Gospel. We are going to take a look at why we need worship for mission and how we use worship for mission.
This week's tool for the mission is scripture. Jesus tells us in John 8:31 that abiding in His words make us disciples. After we understand the need for it we also can see how it plays out practically in our lives.
Continuing in our Tools for the Mission series, we learn about how prayer is essential but often overlooked. From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount we learn who to pray to, what to pray for, and how to pray.
As we shift our focus from going through a book of the Bible, we are going to take time this summer to look at and understand the tools for being on mission. The place we must start is with Jesus himself and our passage in John 15 tells us to abide. Mission begins with abiding.
In this week's passage, Solomon gives us some good news then some bad news then some really good news. As we unpack the text with the Gospel we see some instructions on what we know, what we don't know and what we are supposed to do about it.
The text this week begs our reaction and then action to some big questions. What's our reaction and action when we here that the wicked die? Solomon explores this under the sun but we can see the clear Gospel connections to each situation we look at.
There are two things your dad told you to never talk about, religion and politics. Our passage this week tackles both. Solomon gives us his incomplete view "under the sun" but we know the Gospel demands more of us.
Solomon tells show us the human tendency to follow one of two wrong paths: religion or irreligion. He shows us our need for a third way, the Gospel, and gives us practical insight on how to live it.
God shows us His grace by shaping our lives to see our need without Him and our need for Him. God has called every believer to grasp, live and share this truth with the world around them.
Often times modern Christianity is filled with visions of "buddy" God. Solomon provides a stern warning against this in this week's passage. Our approach to God is key to a life that is worship.
Community can often be overlooked as an essential for the Christian life. We know that people often seek community in other places besides the church and this is why the Gospel must shape community for us. This week's passage provides us with 4 imperatives for living in Gospel-Centered Community.
This week we see Solomon tackle some big questions about God's justice over injustice and wickedness in the world. We also learn of our response because of the Gospel.
Without pulling any punches, Solomon shows us a problem that many of us have with God: His sovereignty. We find that a huge part of believing the Gospel us surrendering our lives to God's sovereign plan, even when things are tough and we don't have all the answers.
Solomon addresses the most relevant issue to date, work. We can see that from scripture that God created us to work but work fell under a curse. Apart from God, work brings no lasting gain, but the Gospel redeems work.
Continuing with Jacob's story we learn that the deceiver gets deceived and his unlikely wife Leah gets caught in the middle. In the midst of scandal and brokenness, Leah finds worth and beauty in God. This story points directly to Jesus because he reaches down into our brokenness and brings beauty through His sacrifice on the cross.
As we search for the meaning of life under the sun, we continue to be discontent and confused. We are called to fix our gaze on things above and view all of life through the lens of the Gospel.
As we continue in Ecclesiastes we see Solomon exploring the search for wisdom internally and externally, but as we see the Gospel applied to wisdom, we understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.
As we begin this 23-week series, we take a look at who writes Ecclesiastes, it's theme and it's purpose. Then we dive in to look at how King Solomon is providing a world view that is void of the Gospel. Then we look at the antithesis of the with life in Christ.