Paul gives a defense of his ministry in Thessalonica by identifying the source of his Gospel, the motives of his proclamation and the result of his ministry. The Gospel we preach is from God, is motivated by love and produces maturity.
I. The Gospel is from God
II. The Gospel is motivated by love
III. The Gospel produces maturity.
Believers expect that their election will result in transformed lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I. The Power of the Gospel
II. Imitators of us and the Lord
III. Turning from Idolatry
Believers gratitude and identity is rooted in their election by God
I. Greeting
II. Faith, Love and Hope
III. God's Love in Election
An Introduction to 1st Thessalonians Acts 17:1-9
I. The City of Thessalonica
II. Paul's Ministry
III. The Response
Esther 7&8: God's Vindication of His Servant
I. Esther's Request (7:1-6)
II. Mordecai's Vindication: (7:7-8:2)
III. The Jewish People's Protection (8:3-7, 15-17)
God's Faithful Provision
I. Esther's Requests
II. God's Faithful Provision
III. Haman Exposed
This week we beginning a series looking at and studying the book of Esther
I. Background of Esther
II. The Banquet
III. The Character of a King
Sunday July 20th, 2025 Standing Alone in the Gap - 1 Kings 16:29-17:1 Steve Hynes
I. The Times of Elijah
II. The Person of Elijah
III. Lessons from Elijah
In the burial narrative for Sarah, we find that a believer's hope is not found in this world, but in the promises of God.
I. The Bitterness of Death
II. The Hope of Faith
III. What it All Means
I. The Justification for Sin
II. The Consequences of Sin
III. The God Who Sees and Hears
Dr Josh Mulvihill from Renewanation concludes our weekend family conference looking at Psalm 78
Jesus provides us a better hope because He saves forever those who are entrusted to His care.
I. Context: Abram's War
II. Abram's Tithe (Genesis 14:17-24)
III. Significance of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:11-28)
Genesis 12:1-20
Blessing is found exclusively in the God who requires our unconditional obedience.
I. God's Command
II. God's Promise
III. Abram's Response
God shows His grace by intervening to ruin man's attempts to find fulfillment apart from Him.
I. The Sin of the People
II. The Grace of God's Wrath
III. The Hope of Abram
Genesis 10:1-32
I. Context: Noah's Pronouncement
II. Descendants of Ham
III. Descendants of Shem
Genesis 9:1-29
I. God's Mandate for creation (8:21-9:4)
II. God's Care for Human life (9:5-7)
III. God's Gracious Sign (9:9-19)
Genesis 8:1-22 Waiting Well
Believers have hope in the midst of trial because they are remembered by God.
I. God Remembered Noah
II. Noah Knew
III. Noah Commits.
Genesis 7:1-24
I. Noah's Obedience
II. God's Sovereignty in Judgment
III. God's Sovereignty in Salvation
Believers mitigate the effects of sin by faithfully walking with God and knowing the comfort that comes from the Messiah.
The Continuity of Sin
The Hope of Walking with God
The Promise of Comfort
While often called the story of Cain and Abel, this passage is really about the grace and mercy of God.
I. A Sin Worthy of Judgement
II. A Response worthy of Condemnation
III. A Merciful God
The First Sin Genesis 3:1-24
I. The Anatomy of temptation
II. God's Response
III. Severe Mercy
We see in this passage that God’s best for man is to be in a relationship with God that causes man to serve, obey and worship God
I. Breath of Life
II. The Garden of Eden
III. Creation of Woman
We break from our series in Genesis to spend time studying this passage in Jeremiah as we focus on topic of the sanctity of human life
God has the authority to call the shots in our lives because He made us.
I. Jeremiah's background
II. Formed for a purpose
III. Called regardless of excuses.
We begin a new series this week studying the book of Genesis. This week we se that the creation account shows us that God made this world for us to enjoy rest.
I. God made everything
II. God made everything for you
III. God made everything for you to rest
The Gospel Changes Everything Titus 2:11-15
Guest Speaker Nat LeTowt brings the message to us from the book of Titus
Psalms 56: A Prayer for the New Year
I. The Problem
II. God's solution
III. How We Respond
John 1:14-18:
The Word Became Flesh
I. The Humility of the Incarnation
II. The Glory of the Incarnation
III. Message of the Incarnation
Mark reveals the worthiness of Jesus and shows that our response is one of self-denial and sacrifice
I. The Gospel
II. The Baptizer
III. Our Response
Nate Sheaffer brings the message this morning from Luke 14 about the life and cost of a disciple of Jesus Christ
As the crowds following Jesus grew larger, He tells them some hard truths about following Him as a disciple.
I. Who is in the crowd?
II. The costs of being a disciple of Jesus
III. Applications by way of questions
In this final chapter of 2 Peter, we see that believers respond to the coming day of the Lord with trust in his word and diligence in our character.
I. The Denial
II. God's Character
III. Our Response
Believers need to recognize false teachers so that we can minimize the damage of their destructive teaching.
I. The danger of false teachers
II. The judgement on false teachers
III. The character of false teachers
Paul Davis, president of ABWE brings forth the message and challenge of "The Great Commission" from Matthew 28:16-20
Believers are to be effective, fruitful disciples through knowing God deeply and through strenuous moral effort.
I. The Knowledge of God
II. Godly Character
III. Established in the truth
Peter ends his first book with a discussion on the importance of humility for believers.
I. Humility for leaders
II. Humility for laymen
III. The reason for humility
For the Christian, suffering is not cause for despair, but rather joy.
I. Don't be surprised
II. Rejoice in the trial
III. Entrust yourself to your Creator
Peter shows those life of integrity believers are called to have is grounded in the death we die to sin
Why we cease from Sin
The Sins we put off
The Righteousness we seek
Peter shows, through the example of Christ, that suffering is a pathway to eschatological blessing.
I. Believers do not fear suffering
II. Believers are sanctified by suffering
III. Believers have hope through Christ's victory
Peter gives practical instruction for godly living to specifically, wives, then husbands and finally, the whole church.
I. Wives
II. Husbands
III. All of you
Even though we live as aliens, we are called to submit ourselves to authority in our lives.
I. Submission of Citizens
II. Submission of Slaves
III. Christ's Example
We move into chapter 2 this week continuing our study of 1st Peter
I. Long for the Word
II. The Cornerstone
III. Our Identity
Peter reveals three imperatives for how to walk as a Christian: in holiness, conduct and love.
I. The Imperative of Holiness
II. The Imperative of Conduct
III. The Imperative of Love
We begin a new study this week in the book of 1 Peter. God's election and our glorious inheritance are the ground of rejoicing in the midst of difficult trials.
I. God's Election
II. Our Inheritance
III. Greatly Rejoice
Amos concludes his book with another discussion of the Sovereignty of God. Because our God is Sovereign, we know that He will judge evil and that He will keep His promises.
I. God's Omniscience
II. God's Sovereignty
III. God's Promises
In our passage, we see God's sovereignty and control mixed with his grace and mercy.
I. God Relents
II. God's Standard
III. Our Response
Amos condemns Israel for their pride; it shows up in their military might and indulgent lifestyle.
I. Pride in Military Might
II. Pride Expressed in Indulgence
III. Punishment for Pride
Israel is looking for life in religious activity, however, Amos informs them the life is found in seeking the Lord and growing in personal righteousness.
I. Seek the Lord
II. The Greatness of God
III. Religious Activity
We are prone to settle for the cheap indulgent pleasures of this life instead of holding out for the ultimate privilege of knowing God.
I. Israel's Sin
II. God's Purpose
III. God's Character
Israel allowed themselves to drift into complacency; viewing God's choice of them as privilege without responsibility. Believers must recognize that our calling means we are expected to walk in loyalty and faithfulness to God
I. Calling
II. Cause and Effect
III. No Escape
Israel and Judah are judged first and foremost for their rejection of God's Word
I. Judah's Error
II. Israel's Error
III. The Consequences
Amos begins his message to Israel with judgment on the nations
I. Who is Amos?
II. The Lord Roars
III. The Nations are Judged
Jeroboam's success as a king was meant to highlight the mercy and grace of God in bringing the people to repentance. As we begin a study in Amos, we go to 2 Kings for some context
I. The Success of Jeroboam
II. The Reason
III. The Lesson
In Paul's final words to the Corinthians, he reveals the things he considers most important for them to know.
I. Proof of being in Christ
II. Test Yourselves
III. Final Benediction
Paul's powerful conclusion to his boasting about his weakness
I. Paul's Vision
II. Sufficiency
III. The Purpose of Paul's Letter
Sunday June 2nd 2 Corinthians 11:16-33
I. Foolish boasting
II. Paul's great boast
III. Boasting in weakness
Elder Steve Hynes brings the message this week addressing the "Disruptive Moments" that God places in our lives
I. The purpose of Disruptive Moments
II. The pain of Disruptive Moments
III. The provision in Disruptive Moments
IV. The product of Disruptive Moments
V. The perspective of Disruptive Moments
VI. The principles to learn from Disruptive Moments
Paul continues his contrast with the super apostles revealing that he proclaims a different message and has a different character
I. Different Gospel
II. Different Character
III. The Final Condemnation
In response to the accusation that his ministry is merely in the flesh, Paul provides the weapons, standards and goal of his apostolic ministry
I. Different Weapons
II. Different Standards
III. Different Goals
The thing that will determine the level of our generosity is not our personal wealth, but our belief in who God is
I. Prepared Giving
II. Cheerful Giving
III. Who God Is
The ability to give is a grace from God and shows that we have given our lives fully to Him.
I. The Macedonian Example
II. Gave themselves to the Lord
III. Proving the Sincerity of your love
Session 4 of 4
Dr. Mark Farnham is our guest speaker at this year's annual apologetic conference. Learn more about him here. To learn more about Church of the Living Christ visit our website
Session 3 of 4
Dr. Mark Farnham is our guest speaker at this year's annual apologetic conference. Learn more about him here. To learn more about Church of the Living Christ visit our website
Session 2 of 4
Dr. Mark Farnham is our guest speaker at this year's annual apologetic conference. Learn more about him here. To learn more about Church of the Living Christ visit our website
Session 1 of 4
Dr. Mark Farnham is our guest speaker at this year's annual apologetic conference. Learn more about him here. To learn more about Church of the Living Christ visit our website
In our chapter this morning, Paul shows us that God looks for repentance in His people because that demonstrates their humility.
Paul's Ministry
God's Comfort
Repentance
Luke 24:13-35
Luke's interpretation of the resurrection shows that belief must come from God and is dependent upon the Scripture.
I. The Disciples' Blindness
II. Jesus' Argument
III. The Recognition
Luke 19:28-44 Palm Sunday
I. Because Jesus is our king, we obey.
II. Because Jesus is our king, we praise.
III. Because Jesus is our king, we have peace.
2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1
I. The Corinthians' Affections
II. Unequally Yoked
III. The Temple
Paul's calls us to endurance in everything so that we will not discredit our message and so that we will be faithful ministers of the Gospel
I. A Warning
II. Paul's Goals
III. Endurance
Paul's defines his ministry as the focused on God's work of reconciliation through Christ rather than his own abilities.
I. Paul's Defense of his Ministry (11-15)
II. New Creations (16-17)
III. The Ministry of Reconciliation (18-21)
Sunday February 25th 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10:
Paul is concerned that the Corinthians care more about this earthly life than they do eternity. His charge to them is that whatever they do, their ambition is to be pleasing to the Lord.
I. The Inner Man
II. The Eternal Building
III. Our Ambition
Treasure in Clay Pots
In our passage, we find that despite we desperate hardships that believers face in this life, we do not lost hope because of the promise of the resurrection
I. Don't Despair
II. Treasure in Clay Pots
III. The Hope of the Resurrection
Paul's confidence for ministry comes through the effectiveness of the Gospel message. The change that comes through the message of the New Covenant gives evidence of the work of the Spirit
I. Letters of Commendation (1-3)
II. The Glory of the New Covenant (4-11)
III. The Transformation of that Glory (12-18)
Paul continues to define his ministry in terms that oppose the Corinthians picture of successful ministry.
I. The trip to Troas
II. The Triumphal Procession
III. The Fragrance of Christ
Sunday January 28th 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11
Paul provides a Primer on how to confront someone who has wronged you. It is rooted in the justice and mercy of God
II. The Reluctant confrontation
III. The Loving Restoration
Kurt Weaver from the PA Family Institute joins us this morning to discuss the topic "The Value at the End of Life" On
Sunday January 14th 2 Corinthians 1:12-22
The Basis of Paul's apostolic ministry is his character and the faithfulness of God, not human measures of success.
I. Paul's Character
II. The Corinthians Accusation
III. God's Faithfulness
Sunday January 7th 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Believers are dependent on God for our calling, comfort and all of life.
I. God's Sufficiency in Paul's Call
II. God's Sufficiency in Comfort
III. God's Sufficiency for all things
Sunday December 31st Psalm 27
Hope in Uncertain Times
Our passage this morning grounds believers knowing how to respond to fearful and uncertain circumstances. We respond to fearful and uncertain circumstances by drawing closer to God.
I. God's Character
II. Man's Need
III. Our Response
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for us. He fulfilled prophecy, took on our guilt and redeemed us through his resurrection
I. Son of Zerubbabel, David and Abraham
II. Son of Adam
III. Son of God
Advent Week 4
The Gospel is the truth that a Savior has been born for you. We respond to this Gospel by believing this message and following our savior
The Context and Birth (2:1-7)
The Angels Share the Good News (2:8-14)
The Shepherds Respond to the Good News (2:15-20)
Advent Week 3
Christmas is all about God's work. His redemption and the salvation He provides for His people if reason to praise Him this season
I. John's Birth
II. Zechariah's Song
III. John's Ministry
Luke 1:26-38
Advent Week 2
The Deity of Christ is emphasized in the angels message to Mary. As such, she demonstrates the appropriate response with humble obedience.
I. Anticipation (26-27)
II. Fulfillment (28-33)
III. Response (34-38)
Advent Week 1
God keeps his promise to the people after 400 years of silence. Our response to a faithful God is to rejoice in his promises and turn to Him.
I. Tension (5-7)
II. God's Faithfulness (8-17)
III. Zechariah's Response (18-25)
In our final Exodus passage, we see that we glorify God through our rest, giving and service.
Why the Sabbath? (35:1-3)
Sacrificial giving and serving (35:20-22, 36:1-6, 38:21-31)
The Glory of the Lord (40:34-38)
God reinstates the covenant demonstrating His abundant grace on Israel.
I. God's Character Again (34:1-9)
II. The Covenant Restated (34:10-27)
III. Moses' Response (34:28-35)
Sunday November 12th Exodus 33: Show Me Your Glory
I. God's Judgement (33:1-6)
II. A Passion for God (33:7-16)
III. God's Character (33:17-23)
Sunday November 5th Exodus 32: The Calf
I. The Sin (32:1-6)
II. Moses' Intercession (32:7-14)
III. The Consequences (32:15-35)
Sunday October 29th Exodus 28-31: The Priests
In these passages, we see that God requires all consuming faithfulness to His commands.
I. The Burnt Offerings: 29:10-28
II. The Incense Offerings: 30: 7-10
III. The Gift of Work and Rest: 31:1-5, 14-17
God calls His people to sacrificial, voluntary obedience because of the benefits of being in His presence.
I. The Purpose: (25:1-9)
II. The Articles (25:10, 17, 21-22, 30, 31)
III. Curtains and the Altar (26:1,7,31, 27:1)
Exodus 23:14-24:18: Promises in the Land
I. The Feasts
II. The Conquest
III. Covenant Affirmation
Exodus 21:1-23:13: The Law Leads to Christ
If God treated us according to the rules of Mosaic Law, none of us could stand. It therefore helps us understand how Christ was the fulfillment of the Law
An Eye for an Eye (21:24)
Making Restitution (22:1-6)
Love your enemies and care for the stranger (22:21, 23:4-5)
The Ten Commandments
I. Love the Lord Your God (vs. 1-11)
II. Love Your Neighbor (vs. 12-17)
III. The Response to the Law (vs. 18-26)
As God introduces His Covenant with the nation of Israel, we are struck with the degrees of separation that still exist between God and His people. This should cause us to appreciate all the more the benefits of our Sonship with Christ.
I. The Summary of the Covenant (vs. 1-6)
II. The Preparation for the Covenant (vs 7-17)
III. The manifestation of God (vs. 18-25)
Sunday September 17th 2023, Exodus 18
I. Moses' Family
II. Jethro's wisdom
III. God's Picture of Leadership
This weeks message on the topic of Christian Unity is shared by Dave Swartz as Pastor Ethan is away
I. The Foundation of Unity- Ephesians 2:11-19
II. The Recipe of Unity- Ephesians 4:1-5
III. The Result of Unity- John 17:20-23
The Israelites attempt to manipulate God into doing what they want but by the end of the chapter, they are claiming that the Lord is their banner - the one they rally around.
I. Internal Problems: Grumbling
II. External Problems: Amalek
III. God's Care for His People
God's grace is the theme of this passage; we see His grace in mercy, His grace in provision and His grace in rest.
I. The Glory of the Lord (vs. 8-12)
II. Manna and Quail (vs. 13-21)
III. Where We Go Wrong (vs. 22-30)
In our passage today, God tests His people to see if they have the faith necessary to obey Him when things are difficult. God pictures himself as a healer - the only true solution to the needs that we have.
I. The Problem in the Wilderness
II. The Lord's Provision
III. Grumbling... Again
The Lord's purpose in destroying the Egyptians was so that His name would be honored. In the Song of Moses, we see His name receiving the honor it deserves
I. The Character of God
II. The Poetic Restatement
III. The Future Hope
In His supreme act of deliverance, God shows that He will continue to protect the Israelites through their wilderness journeys. Through the narrative, we see God testing His people by leading them intentionally into danger to teach them their courage must be in Him.
I. The Lord's Preparation
II. The Lord's Test
III. The Lord's Deliverance
In our passage this morning, through the description of the dedication of the firstborn and the way God leads the Israelites, we see that God's goal for his people is always that they would be more sanctified to Him.
I. The Dedication of the Firstborn
II. Redemption Modeled
III. How God Leads
Our passage today shows that we are called to remember God's redemptive work so that we do not take credit for the work that only God can do.
I. The command to remember
II. What we are to remember
III. The result of remembrance
In our passage today, God promises both physical and spiritual provision for His people.
I. God's Physical Provision for His people
II. God's Judgement on His Enemies
III. God's Spiritual Provision for His people.
Our passage today calls us to evaluate the choices of Pharaoh based on the results they cause. Pharaoh's prides results in famine and isolation for the nation. By contrast, Israel's service to God results in community and plenty.
I. Pharaoh's Pride vs. Israel's Service
II. Result 1: Famine vs. Feast
III. Result 2: Isolation vs. Community
In this passage, God shows He has the power to control our personal wealth, bodily wellness as well as natural conditions. In light of that, our response should be to fear the Lord by obeying rather than exalting ourselves.
I. The Plague of the Livestock
II. The Plague of the Boils
III. The Plague of the Hail
In this chapter, we see God's omnipresence on display as there is nowhere the Egyptians can go to escape his judgment. God then uses this power to work for the benefit of His people.
I. The Plague of the Frogs
II. The Plague of the Mosquitos
III. The Plague of the Flies
God shows that He has the power to redeem his people by demonstrating his superiority over Pharaoh, the Egyptian Magicians and the Nile River
I. Superiority over Pharaoh
II. Superiority over the Egyptian magicians
III. Superiority over the Nile
In the face of initial failure, Moses questions whether God will keep his promise and God reminds Moses of His past, present and future plans
Moses' Questions
God's Answers
Moses' Obedience
We return to our series in Exodus this week examining chapter 5. When things get worse before they get better, remember the faithfulness of our God.
I. Pharaoh's Problem
II. Pharaoh's Response
III. The Peoples' Question
Steve Hynes brings the message this week, reminding us that not all love as defined by the world is good. He address 3 ways in which love becomes sinful
LOVE NOT THE WORLD
Love becomes sinful when it is directed at the wrong object.
Love becomes sinful when it arises from the wrong source.
Love becomes sinful when it produces the wrong fruit.
Moses makes this call to ministry about his skills and abilities and God shows him that the success of his ministry depends upon faithful obedience not skills and abilities.
Moses' Concerns
God's Response
The Result of Faithful Obedience
In our passage today, we see that redemption is almost entirely a work of God and not man as God's holiness requires him to act for his people.
I. The Burning Bush
II. Moses' questions
III. God's Plans
Moses' salvation illustrates God's election, showcases his grace toward believers and illustrates our response of humility
I. God's Election
II. God's Grace
III. Our Response
The faithfulness of God is not thwarted by wicked plans and should cause God's people to respond in obedience.
The Faithfulness of God
The Response of the Wicked
The Response of the Righteous
Rev. David King join us to today to examine the portrait of God that God reveals about Himself in Isaiah 57
The High and Lofty One
The Inhibitor of Eternity
The Dweller of the High and Holy Place
Because Christ rose from the dead, we now are convinced of the reality of this event, the value of this event and we see the ethical implications of the resurrection from the dead.
The Corinthian Background
The Fact of Christ's Resurrection
The Implications for Us
The Resurrection of Jesus once and for all establishes that He is the Messiah and requires that we respond with worship and unqualified obedience.
The Resurrection
The Joy of the Disciples
The Final Charge
Through the response of the crowd, creation and believers, we see that Jesus was truly the Son of God and truly he died for our sins.
The Crucifixion of Christ
The Death of Christ
The Burial of Christ
In this passage we see that Christ is our sinless Savior who offers atonement for our sins and we should respond to this with gratitude
The Failure of His Followers - Part 2
The Innocence of Christ
The Imputation for Barabbas
In this section of Scripture, we see that the willingness to suffer for the Gospel comes from and understanding of the end and an intimate knowledge of our savior.
Fulfillment of Scripture
The Identity of Christ
The Failure of His followers - part 1
Matthew 26:20-46
In this passage we see that the solution to our weak, faithless, cowardly hearts is to be strengthened through our Union with Christ.
The Traitors
The Last Supper
The Prayer in the Garden
Christ is worthy of our extravagant, costly sacrifice because He gave himself as an extravagant, costly sacrifice for us.
Matthew 26:1-19
God's Sovereign Knowledge
Extravagant Sacrifice of a Disciple
Selfish Gain of the Traitor
Believers prepare for Christ's return by faithfully serving their fellow believers with the gifts, talents and resources God has given them.
Matthew 25:14-46
The Steward's Action
The Master's Response
Our Calling
The Parable of the ten virgins reminds us that we must count to cost of discipleship and persevere to the end.
Matthew 25:1-13
The Delay of the Groom
The Preparation of the Prudent Virgins
The Judgment on the Foolish Virgins
The Ethical Implications of Jesus' Return (Matthew 24:32-51)
Jesus Goes to great lengths in the passage to make sure we understand that it is humanly impossible to know the exact timing of His return. Our energy is better spent living as if Jesus will return at any moment.
The Security of God's Word
The Timing of His Return
The Ethical Implications of His Return
The Reality of Christ's Return (Matthew 23:37-24:31)
In this passage Jesus deals with the reality of his return. He shows that because his return will be a historical event, we should approach the end of the world with courage and endurance rather than fear and consternation
Jerusalem's Rejection
The Signs to come
The Return of Christ
Sanctity of Life Sunday
Psalm 139:1-18 God's Value for Life
God uses His Supernatural Power (Omniscience and Omnipresence) to perfectly protect and redeem his people. He does this because He values the human life He has created. This truth should lead us to gratitude and similar value for life - born and unborn.
God's Omniscience
God's Omnipresence
God's Creation
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Listen as Pastor Ethan continues our study in Matthew
Matthew 23:1-36
The Root Issue
The Expression of Pride, prt 1
The Expression of Pride, prt 2
Listen as Pastor Ethan continues our study in Matthew
Matthew 22:23-46
The Hypothetical Question
The Reality of Resurrection
A Resurrection Ethic
Listen as Pastor Ethan Swartz returns to our series in the book of Matthew
Matthew 22:1-22
Merry Christmas...Pastor Ethan speaks from Luke 2:1-20
The Humility of Christ's birth (vs. 1-7)
The Glory of Christ's Announcement (vs. 8-12)
Peace on Earth (vs 13-20)
Pastor Ethan Swartz continues the advent series looking at Isaiah 9:1-7.
I. The Ascension of the King
II. The Results of His Reign
III. The Identity of the King
Pastor Ethan continues our 2022 Advent series looking at Old Testament Messianic prophecies.
Micah 5:1-6
Today Pastor Ethan starts our 2022 Advent series looking at Old Testament Messiah prophecies.