The Grace Life Church: Recent Episodes
Matt MacNaughton
In this weekly podcast released every Thursday, Pastor Matt and Pastor Ben discuss how we can continue to apply the sermon text to our lives today.
Habakkuk asks why present circumstances are seemingly being ignored by God. Through his dialogue with God, we learn that God asks us to remain faithful even when we don’t understand His ways. We can be assured that God will have the ultimate victory, and we look forward to God’s justice when faced with difficulties now.
The church is the redeemed people of God and in God’s plan for the church, the church lives together in unity. There are no isolated Christians. We live together in harmony with one another, reflecting the peace that only Jesus brings.
In this weekly podcast released every Thursday, Pastor Matt and Pastor Ben discuss how we can continue to apply the sermon text to our lives today.
In this weekly podcast released every Thursday, Pastor Matt and Pastor Ben discuss how we can continue to apply the sermon text to our lives today.
Grace Life Church is powerless without the Holy Spirit. We cannot rely on ourselves and we must rely on the power of the one who dwells in us and works through us. We are a Holy Spirit- Empowered People.
Nahum takes a look at God’s judgment of all people while focusing on the imminent destruction of the Assyrian empire. Opening with a declaration of God’s character, we see both His right to destroy the wicked but also His desire to intervene for those who would trust in Him. The detailed taking down of the proud Assyrians shows us just how easily sin can deceive us into believing that we can do enough on our own.
The Book of Acts is the story of the early church and how, through the power of the Holy Spirit, ordinary men and women turned the world upside down for Jesus. Fast forward to today, Jesus invites our church to be a part of His work in the world.
As parents, we have been given the responsibility to care, protect, and disciple our children. Their Creator has entrusted us to nurture them and raise them up to know the Lord.
Jesus concludes His Sermon on the Mount by stating that the person who hears His words and obeys them is wise while the one who hears and ignores them is foolish. Build all of your life on the amazing and authoritative teachings of Jesus.
Jesus will issue a startling reality: confessing him as Lord and even doing good works in his name is not enough to enter heaven. Heaven is only open to those who fully and completely surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. We must surrender totally to the will of God the Father. There is no in-between.
There is only one path that leads to life and the path of life produces healthy, God-honoring good works.
In Matthew 7:12, commonly known as the Golden Rule, Jesus commands that we treat others the same way we want to be treated, modeling how Jesus has treated us.
Jesus tells us that our Father in heaven desires to give us good gifts that we need to live for his glory.
Text: Matthew 7:1-6Jesus, the one true judge, warns us of being judgemental towards others and commands us to inspect our hearts and deal with our own sins. Jesus desires us to proclaim what is true from a holy and gentle heart.
Psalm 8 is about the greatest show we know in the heavens and on earth with the most majestic name in all the earth and a guest of honor that appears in the middle of the show.
God’s Mercy frees us from the temptation of trusting in ourselves to praise him for who he is.
We rightly study the Bible because God, through the Spirit-inspired Bible, has revealed Himself to us, proclaimed the glorious salvation He offers to sinners, and has shown us how His redeemed people are to live for Him.
God’s Word and Prayer go hand in hand. When we pray, we should pray from the Words of Scripture, speaking to our Father who has first spoken to us.
Psalm 139:1-18 reveals three important attributes about God’s character, namely that He is all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful. Because of this, we as Christians have a blessed assurance that He who has begun a good work in us will complete it.
We must see the richness of God’s Word that teaches us of the goodness and mercy of God and will leave us with a sweet taste of eternal nourishment for our lives today.This sermon focuses on the discipline of a verse for life.
God has made His plan for His people clear. God cares about the heart behind how we relate both to other people and to God. God will restore and redeem His people through His power.
God sets out His case against Israel, calling out their prideful heart. His desire is for true repentance and worship, not empty words and actions. God’s forgiveness and mercy is still available to those who would return to Him and obey His commands.
The Day of the Lord will bring together not only the remnant of Israel but also all those who desire to obey Him. There will be a great war and complete elimination of sin, with complete destruction for those who choose not to follow God. The victory belongs to God alone!
The treasures of this world are empty while the treasures of heaven are eternal. We can only choose one and what we choose to gather reveals what our heart truly values.
God’s judgment against Israel and Judah comes about from the unjust and selfish actions of their political and spiritual leaders. He has clearly set out His desire for his people, and His accusations are based on their willful defiance against His law. Destruction is imminent and deserved. Despite all this, God will keep His promise and eventually restore and reunite His people.
Sin is a deadly enemy. We don’t casually pet it, but actively seek to destroy it. When temptation comes, through the Lord’s strength, we run to the One who will deliver us.
Psalm 110 is about Christ fulfilling two roles – King and High Priest. It shows Christ’s role as king over all and in complete control, and when we recognize who Christ is it makes the gospel that much more intense in God’s love and grace toward sinners.
The Book of Jonah gives us a glimpse into the future as we look to Jesus, the one who obey the Father, went to sinners, and shared a message of hope and salvation through his death and resurrection.
Jesus calls for us to go to our Father for forgiveness and to forgive those who have sinned against us. Forgiveness is an act of mercy that is at the heart of the gospel.
After being vomited by the great fish, Jonah heads to Ninevah to deliver the message God had given to him. As a result, the people of Ninevah turn to God and are forgiven. This makes Jonah angry. Jonah fails to have the compassionate heart of God toward sinners.
The Book of Jonah is the story of God sovereignly working in the lives of his people and sinners. Jonah runs from God's command to go to Ninevah and God runs after Jonah.
Everything we have and everything we need comes from our Father in heaven. He is the one who sustains us physically and spiritually.
The shortest of the Minor Prophets, Obadiah tells of the wrongdoings of the nation of Edom and God’s eventual restoration of the nation of Israel. Those who mistreat God’s people will eventually find retribution from the Lord, but those who have been mistreated because of being God’s people will be delivered. This prophetic word would bring comfort to those in exile.
When we behold the empty tomb, we leave marveling at all that Christ has done. The Resurrection of Jesus raises dead sinners to life.
How can you call the day Jesus died a good day? Well, it's the day our sins were atoned for. Friday begins in the Garden of Gethsemane and ends in the Garden Tomb. Jesus is betrayed, put on trial, and sentenced to death.* This podcast covers all the events leading up to Calvary. Our Good Friday service will cover the events at Calvary.
The events of Maundy Thursday are focused on the Last Supper. Here, Jesus ushers in a New Covenant, proclaiming His death for the sins of the world. The cross looms large as Judas leaves the supper and the disciples pledge their unending allegiance to Jesus.
Revelation 3:7-13
The sixth letter Jesus writes in Revelation is to a church that humbly and patiently endured because they truly knew who Jesus is.
Sermon Text: Acts 6-7While God calls some to go overseas to be missionaries, He calls every one of us to be a loving, Christ-centered gospel influence to those around us. Wherever we go, we are people of the cross.
A Sermon from Acts 2:42-47
Jesus gathers His people together and establishes a commonality among them. It is a gift of grace to gather and connect with one another in gospel unity.
The Bible sets the baseline for what a healthy church looks like. It is good for us to stop and make sure we are aligned with Scripture. Ultimately, a healthy church looks like Jesus.
Today's Text: Revelation 3:1-6
As Believers called by Jesus, we must listen to His Word and conform to His standards. May we be a local assembly of called-out ones who persevere until our Savior confesses our names in Heaven!
In the life of young King Josiah, we are reminded that God has given His Word to His people, both young and old, so we can know Him and glorify Him forever. When we hear the Words of Scripture, we either respond in pride or we respond in humility.
Nehemiah 8:1-12 - God has given us His Word so we can know Him. When we engage God's Word both when we gather and when we are alone, we see who He is and respond with joyful worship.
The Bible is the very words of God for the church today. God’s Word is true, profitable, and good. Scripture was given by God to His people so that we can know God and live for His glory.
Jesus speaks to a compromising church. Faithful believers are instructed here to hold on until Christ returns. By faithfulness, not by compromise, will the church attain its true position in the end.
Jesus shows us that the law is not a matter of behavior but of heart. To live in anger towards someone is an issue of the heart and has no place in the life of the Christ follower. Jesus has called us to live in peace.
Jesus shows us that the law is not a matter of behavior but of heart. He is not simply seeking to change us on the outside but seeks to transform us at the deepest level. Jesus is after our hearts and only He can make it righteous.
Christian parenting holds to a deep belief that there is no greater legacy to leave to our children then to leave them rejoicing in the name of Jesus.
The Church in Pergamum is written for us to see the dangers of compromising our faith instead of standing firm in our faith in Jesus.
Jesus has come to fulfill the teachings of the Old Testament and because He has done so, we are now free to not only obey His commands, but to teach others to do the same, knowing that our righteousness is secured through the righteousness of Jesus.
As we share the Gospel, we must remember the power of God is what truly brings salvation. We also recognize as we pursue holy living that He empowers us to live in a way that honors Him.
Paul makes his final call to stick close to the Gospel and repel anything that goes against God’s word. And he reminds them of what ultimately matters- Christ and Christ alone. As we finish this study, think about all the things have been challenged as additions to or replacements for the Gospel.
The thesis statement for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount tells us why He came; not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. But what does this mean for Christians today? It means we live in the fulfilled work of Christ.
We can only do good because of Christ in us. More and more the failure of the flesh continues to show up, as we see that it only brings about destruction. And Paul reminds the believers to love each other, Jew or Gentile, it does not matter. How can you show love to the family God has provided you?
Happy Mother's Day! For many of us, the greatest mission field we will ever have will be at home, pointing our kids to Jesus. Jesus helps us as parents be the light of Jesus to our children at home.
Continuing off the end of the last section, Paul exhorts us to support one another through the Christian walk. This will look different from person to person and situation to situation, but all of it stems from a reminder of the Gospel, and a recognition that heavier loads need more hands to lift. We must also be careful not to let being helpful go to our heads.
It's one thing to know we are the salt and the light, but what does it look like practically in the life of a believer who seeks to live out this calling to represent Jesus on this earth?
We get two lists in this passage. First is a list of acts that may seem obviously “bad” but include things like hatred and envy, which are more internal and perhaps easier to hide. But the fruit of the Spirit is obvious as well- those elements that mark the life of a Christian connected to the true Vine. And he sums this section up with the reminder that we can support one another rather than compete with one another.
God has called us to be his representatives on this earth. We represent the gospel as salt because the gospel isn't bitter and it preserves our lives. We are the light because the gospel is the light.
Pointing out a potential misinterpretation, Paul makes sure to point out that freedom in Christ isn’t a license to complete, unabashed freedom from God’s plan for personal holiness. The Spirit and our flesh are in constant battle, and Paul reminds us to walk through God’s power, not our own. Where are you battling the flesh in your life, and how could you reach out for support in that?
We return to our intermittent series on the Seven Church of Revelation where we see a reminder to us today: Jesus knows your suffering but remember this, even though life will throw you trials you have CHRIST!
There is no doubt now about Paul’s tone. He expresses strongly his feeling about the false teachers who are distorting the Gospel. Let this be a warning to us, both in how we share the Gospel with others and what teaching we allow into our lives.
Paul keeps preaching the message of freedom. The law cannot save you, only Christ can! And so the Spirit works in us, giving us the hope we have through faith in Christ. Paul devalues everything in the face of Christ. Consider what in your life may need to be devalued and replaced with a valuing of Christ.
The death of Jesus Christ is a reminder that our salvation was won on a battle field and the resurrection of Jesus is a reminder of the eternal victory we have because of Jesus. While we were enemies to God, Jesus’ death and resurrection brought us peace. Now, we live as peacemakers, knowing true peace is found only in Jesus.
“You who want to be under the law.” It is hard not to read this with a biting tone. But Paul is desperately trying to show the Jewish believers that they have been deceived about how salvation works. We also see this beautiful picture of how the Gentiles are NOT children of the slave woman, but the free. Think about how gracious God is in opening His Family to any who will believe in Jesus.
It is clearly evident from the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus is more concerned with our hearts than he is with our behavior. The condition of your heart, the inner person, is critically important to Jesus and the condition of our hearts is evident in how we relate to the Lord and with others.
The mercy of God is most extravagant when we understand the deep depravity of our sin and the awesomeness of His holiness. And for those who have received mercy from God, they must extend mercy to others.
We see the specific way Paul had met the Galatians. They met his need and welcomed him. Now, they are questioning him. In the same way Paul pleads for the readers to trust him, we must also trust God’s Word with the same voracity as when we first believed in Christ.
Doctrine, endurance, and works are important aspects of a Christian’s walk with Christ, but if we lose our love of Christ or our love of others, they are in vain.
Hunger and thirst are fundamental needs we experience every day. In Jesus’ day, water and food were scarce blessings. Jesus uses these two needs that we fully understand to encourage us to long for the righteousness only He can provide.
This kingdom characteristic of meekness is living with the heart of Jesus. It’s a proper understanding of who God is and who we are, both in this world and in God’s Kingdom.
Life is not always easy as a Christian, but before we knew God, things were markedly different. Paul reminds us not to go back to those old ways of living. What sin is keeping you enslaved, and how can you give that up with the freedom Christ provides?
Grief is the natural and good response to a profound loss. But the grief Jesus refers to is not grief over loss, but grief over our own sinfulness and our understanding that we have sinned against God.
So many truths about Christ are revealed in this passage. We see His deity, His humanity, His submission to the Father, His role as Redeemer. And Paul also points out we get to call God our Father! Adopted as His children, consider just how often (or not) you go to God as your Father.
By speaking of the poor in spirit, Jesus is not speaking to financial or material poverty but rather to the reality of how much we need Him. We are dependent on the richness of His mercy both for salvation and our daily sanctification.
No! Christ ushers us into God’s family as heirs! Paul wraps up all of his arguments, pointing out Christ as seed, promised heir, and totally obliterates the pro-Jewish argument once and for all. Think about how awesome it is that God knew, from creation, that He would set up His gospel plan for you!
As Jesus begins His earthly ministry, He lays out a way of holy living for His followers. The greatest sermon ever preached is a sermon that still applies today. We are to live as citizens of a heavenly kingdom.
As we have seen, the law, though it was instituted as a guardian in order to align God’s people to His holy standard, failed to be able to make anyone perfect. But faith was the key that unlocked the bondage of the law. Is Christ the new guardian?
The book of Revelation opens with a call not only to seven churches but also to the church today as we look forward to Jesus’ return. The practical charges found within this calling point us toward a blessed plan that Jesus has to prepare the church between now and His second coming.
What did the law serve to do? Reveal our sinful nature and desperate need for a Savior! And where does Jesus come in? He is the Seed, the revealed Promised One who can give freedom from the law to those who believe in Him. He fulfills the law of Moses and completes the promise to Abraham.
You may have noticed a few recent additions to our Sunday morning gatherings. We changed the handout. We added more prayer. We began reciting the Apostles’ Creed. We’ve put intention behind it all and we’ve been telling you for a few weeks now that we’ll explain why we’re doing it soon. Listen as Pastor Matt explains our liturgy.
Satan’s third and final temptation is an effort to give Jesus an easy path to glory. But Jesus refuses and in doing so reveals the motives of our own worship. To worship anything other than God is to choose a lesser glory.
Paul further reinforces the idea that the Gentiles are included for salvation through an exegetical approach to verses in Genesis about Abraham’s seed. Jesus is in all Scripture, and we see it clearly spelled out where He is in this passage. And the law is shown its place: established after God’s initial promise and not as a replacement.
Since his fall from heaven, Satan has been committed to deceiving people into thinking that satisfaction and dependence can be found in anything other than Jesus. God’s Word teaches us that this is not true and everything we need is found in Christ alone.
Works based faith will get us nowhere. But the great news is that Jesus bore the curse of the law for us so that we could obtain freedom through His righteousness. And with that freedom also comes the Spirit of God Himself. Think about how precious the Spirit we are given is and how empty the way we try to pursue the law.
God had His plan for salvation in place BEFORE His covenant with Abraham! The message of salvation for all, not just the Jews, is so important for us to hear and understand. It is only through faith, not our birth or our actions, that we can receive God’s blessings. Give thanks to God this week that He has included you in His salvation plan!
More lines of questions help the readers (and us) to think about the work of the Spirit in our lives. Paul makes a strong point against adding legalistic acts done in the flesh in order to somehow obtain righteousness. It is by grace alone that God blesses His people. Consider how God’s grace is present in your life.
As we turn to Matthew 3, John the Baptizer shows us what a life that makes much of Jesus looks like. His example is summarized by his profound statement in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease”.
The responses of both domestic and foreign rulers to the arrival of the Messiah provide us with a blueprint for how we should respond. Evil people will seek to oppose God’s plans, but He is always faithful to keep His promises and this provides assurance for us in uncertain times.
For thousands of years, the people of God waited for their Messiah. He came to save His people from their sins. Now, we wait with eager anticipation for our Savior and King to return.
This is a special episode from the Pastor Elders of Grace Life Church. Pastor Matt and Pastor Ben take a few minutes and talk through reading the Bible in 2023 with a 5-day Bible reading plan. You can grab a printed copy on Sunday mornings or find a digital version on the Grace Life App.
As we close our Romans 8 series, we are reminded of all that God has done through Christ Jesus. And because of all He has done for us, nothing will come against us and He will graciously give us all things. The love the Father has for us is a love so strong that absolutely nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love.
The promises from God that “all things work together for good” is grounded on His sovereign grace in the lives of His people. Why do all things work together for good? Because God has done the ultimate good for us by saving us through Jesus Christ.*Due to technical issues during the 10am gathering, the sermon audio quality is below our standard. We apologize for the quality and we are working to fix the issue.
The rhetorical questions in this section shows us just how obtuse anything is when it is added to the Gospel. With strong language, Paul describes what our pursuit of Jesus should look like. Think about how you can live by faith since Christ has freed you from the law.
The tradition of gathering with family and friends around a meal, taking a moment and stating aloud what we are grateful for is an awesome practice, and we know that the Church is called to be the best ThanksGivers around. When we look at the Pauline letters, we see that the New Testament is full of exhortations to be thankful.
Paul points out Peter’s hypocrisy, wrong behavior even though we know he has the right belief, as confirmed in the passage before this. This hypocritical attitude is just as detrimental as the legalistic approach to life, and Paul points out how this trickles down into throwing off the other believers. It is Jesus, not our heritage, that saves us and brings us into the family of God.
The struggles we face in this dying world may not be good, but God uses them for our good and for His glory. It's a reminder of His sovereign plan over all things.
While we wait for our future glorification, we still battle the weakness of our flesh. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses and He intercedes for us.
Paul confirms fully his reaching out to the Gentiles with the Gospel as equivalent to Peter’s reaching out to the Jews with the same good news. Those Jews who are wrestling with legalism, right behavior with wrong belief, finally recognize that Paul is correct. Legalism easily creeps into our lives when we aren’t aligning our actions with both the “what” and the “why” that we are taught in the Bible.
We know we are to pray (and pray without ceasing as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5), yet we do not pray. To fail to pray, then, is not to merely break some religious rule. It is a failure to treat God as God.
Continuing his story of missionary journeys, Paul points out his preaching to not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. He also mentions Titus, a Greek, who does not give in to the Jewish brothers trying to add circumcision to salvation. He points out the freedom from the law that Christ provided. This week, reflect on what the Gospel frees you to do and be.
Paul gives his personal testimony in this letter. He also makes a point about where he learned the Gospel- not from the teaching of men, but from a direct experience with the Savior, Jesus Himself! Read Acts 9:1-31 to get a more detailed description of his encounter with Jesus.
Additional resources for our Galatians Bible study can be found at thegracelifechurch.org/galatians or on our church app. Prefer the Video version of this podcast? Head over to our YouTube channel to watch the study!
Paul gives his personal testimony in this letter. He also makes a point about where he learned the Gospel- not from the teaching of men, but from a direct experience with the Savior, Jesus Himself! Read Acts 9:1-31 to get a more detailed description of his encounter with Jesus.
Additional resources for our Galatians Bible study can be found at thegracelifechurch.org/galatians or on our church app. Prefer the Video version of this podcast? Head over to our YouTube channel to watch the study!
What we are going through now is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. One day, God will make everything right. Sin will be eradicated. Satan will be thrown into hell. Creation will be restored. We will have glorified bodies. All because of Jesus. This is our future hope.
What we are going through now is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. One day, God will make everything right. Sin will be eradicated. Satan will be thrown into hell. Creation will be restored. We will have glorified bodies. All because of Jesus. This is our future hope.
Whether for personal gain or out of lack of understanding, people throughout history have added to or taken away from the Gospel. These teachings might seem good on the surface, but a deeper study will always point out the flaws to these claims. Look at how Paul begins the fight against this group who is distorting the Gospel, and think about the importance of knowing the truth by knowing the authority of the Bible.
Additional resources for our Galatians Bible study can be found at thegracelifechurch.org/galatians or on our church app. Prefer the Video version of this podcast? Head over to our YouTube channel to watch the study!
The Holy Spirit in us proves we belong to God the Father. We are sons and daughters of God and we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Jesus.
The churches of Galatia were a group of young churches Paul started during his first missionary journey. These new believers were being swayed by a group teaching that these believers needed the Gospel plus all of the Jewish traditions. This legalistic approach will be countered throughout this letter. Consider what that means for us as we consider where we truly rest our salvation. Additional resources for our Galatians Bible study can be found at thegracelifechurch.org/galatians or on our church app. Prefer the Video version of this podcast? Head over to our YouTube channel to watch the study!
We are not in the flesh. We are in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God dwells within us, marking God's children. The Spirit is life to us because the Spirit is righteousness. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will raise our mortal bodies from the dead as well.
Next week, we will begin a new LifeGroup study through the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians. To help us prepare for the study, our Elders, Pastor Matt and Pastor Ben, sat down together and talked a little about our upcoming study in Galatians.
To prepare for our study, go to thegracelifechurch.org/galatians or find our study on Galatians on the Grace Life App.
Blessings!
We who have been set free in Christ are to live in accordance with the Holy Spirit. We have been given a new life, a new way of thinking. We belong to Jesus.
The sin we were born in slavery to was a deadly master, but Jesus Christ has done what the law of God could not do. The law reveals our slavery, Jesus sets us free, meeting God's requirement for righteousness.
God has revealed to us the glorious depths of His righteousness to us. The depths of the gospel of grace provides the victory of sin that we desperately need. The life we now live is only possible through Jesus Christ.
God has revealed to us the gracious depths of His righteousness to us. The depths of the gospel of grace provides the victory of sin that we desperately need. The life we now live is only possible through Jesus Christ.
The Christian community we live in is a generous grace from Jesus Christ, the One who died for the church. Acts 2:42-47 gives us a picture of what the Christian community looked like in the early church and how their example is a model for us. The text helps us answer the question, What does it look like for Grace Life Church to remain a healthy, thriving body of believers?
As parents, we have been given the responsibility to care, protect, and disciple our children. We have been entrusted by their Creator to nurture them and raise them up to know the Lord. We must take the truth of Scripture and apply it specifically to our parenting.
As we close out Hebrews 11, we are reminded once again to endure by faith. The people of Hebrews 11 are there to encourage us to keep looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. The Christian life is marked by enduring faith in an everlasting Savior.
Life has its ups and downs, and all the people of faith in Hebrews 11 met different endings to their stories. But what remained is their legacy of living by faith. Because Jesus preserves us through everyday faith, we must remain faithful to His calling in our lives, regardless of our circumstances.
Sometimes as a follower of Jesus we doubt if God can really use us because of who we are or what we have done. The story of Rahab shows us how God has a sovereign plan for those who follow Him.
American culture trains us to pursue personal happiness at any cost. The life of Moses shows us that faith means choosing Christ over comfort.
Joseph’s life is marked by circumstances out of His control. Yet, he believed God was faithful and would deliver him to the Promise Land.
- The beginning of this podcast includes an explanation from Pastor Matt on why we have Family Worship Sundays. *
Due to technical issues, the audio quality from the sermon is poor and does not meet our level of excellence. We apologize for the inconvenience and we are working to find a solution!
The Lord sends various trials in our lives to strengthen our faith in Him. And in his sovereign power, He brings us through it.
In our waiting on the Lord, we trust in His faithful promises, knowing that He will do what He has promised to do.
- The beginning of this sermon includes an update on our Gospel partnerships in Ethiopia and locally.
God and His purpose is meant to bring human beings to a sense of humble reverence and awe of Him.
By faith we walk with God on earth trusting in His promise that we will walk with him even in death.
By faith, we believe that God created the universe and holds it together. Because of this, we can glorify God in all things, resting in Jesus’ sovereignty over all circumstances.
God has called us to live by faith in Him. Though we have not seen him, we believe in Him, and by faith, we live our lives to please Him.
As the Preacher closes his writings, He once again reminds us that everything under the sun is vanity. Yet, he points us to his final conclusion: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
What if the Lord has given us a way to live our lives where we don’t need to fear standing before Him? What if there is a way of living that is good and godly for both the high school graduate and the retiree?
No one thinks they’ll grow old and when they do, they look back and wish they could be young. God’s Word shows us how we can grow old and look back not with regrets, but with joy knowing we served the Lord.
The letter ends with a few instructions; the writers asks them to pray for the workers in the field, to take instruction well, and to continue to grow in Christian maturity. His prayer is a powerful summation of everything that he has brought up through the letter, looking to Jesus’ perfect sacrifice and the work of the Spirit in us to become more like Jesus. As this study closes, take time to think back on where you have been stretched in your faith through the time we have spent in the book of Hebrews.
The second group of people the writer challenges us to love well are the church leaders: the people who teach, who work both publicly and behind the scenes, who will give an account to God in how they have led His people. He also points out the representation of our sin and recognizing the current life is waiting in anticipation for our new life in Christ. This week, think about how you can encourage your church leaders.
God created this world for our good and for His glory and when we learn to enjoy His good gifts, we will find joy in the Creator. However, when we choose the good gifts of God over God Himself, then we have made an idol that will never satisfy.
Money drives our society. To have more money brings more power and to have less money creates problems. Regardless of the amount of money in our names, all of it is given to us by the Lord and we are called to be good stewards of the money He has given us.
Pointing back to Moses’ experience in Exodus, we see the terror he experienced. The writer contrasts this with the joy and praise that will come at the reveal of the heavenly kingdom. We must recognize that we need to build our lives on the unshakeable foundation of God’s Kingdom and not on the earthly life that we see in front of us. Consider some places where you can make Kingdom investments.
There is a difference between being religious and being a God-fearing worshipper. Proper worship comes from a heart that has been captivated by who God is. Any worship separated from the awe of who God is, is vanity.
In response to the long list of faith warriors in chapter 11, we are told to keep our focus on Jesus and not our circumstances. We must be careful not to misinterpret that “bad” things in life are meaningless, but instead recognize that they are meant to strengthen our faith. Assess where your faith is stronger and where it is weaker, and think about what you God has brought you through that has bolstered your faith.
After the great list of faith heroes, we see the writer has made his point in presenting God’s faithfulness. But then we see that others did not have the “happy ending” for which we might have hoped. Was God absent in their stories? Did they not have enough faith? No- their faith was commended, and the way God fulfills His promises is not always the path we would have chosen. Think about times where God’s will was not your will, and how you handled that tension.
Death was never a part of God’s design. It is the punishment for sin. The sin of this world shows us the eternal destruction that leads to death. So how is death conquered? Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God.
We are controlled by our calendars. We shuffle to appointments and meetings and count the days til we rest. God created time for our good and we are called to redeem our time and use them for God's glory.
Many faith stories are contained within this passage. Beginning with Able and going up through Rahab, the writer points out time and time again how God’s people lived out their faith and how God worked out His will in their lives. If you are not familiar with some of the background of the people mentioned through this passage, take some time to look up their stories and see how God revealed Himself to them through various circumstances.
The constant desire to be entertained and the need to have more “stuff” only leaves us wanting more. Even if we were to gain the whole world, we would lose our soul. Instead of using pleasure and possession for our own good, we use them for the glory of God by enjoying His good gifts.
Faith is a journey, and we go through seasons of ease and seasons of difficulty. But remembering that God gives us steady ground, whatever we have faced. We can have confidence in following God as He has proved Himself over and over, which is going to be expanded on in the next passage. Reflect on how God has proved Himself to you in past seasons of life.
Everything is empty and worthless. We search everywhere and in everything looking for the meaning and purpose of our lives. The irony is that there is nothing new under the sun. We work endlessly seeking a purpose we know is not here. Our purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.
A clear call to action opens this next section, giving us instructions to draw near to God and to His people. All of the individual arguments made up to this point are now put into daily application of those truths. Consider what points made in this passage you need to apply to your own life.
The church is the people of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. The church is a people not a place. The church is a people we connect with because of the Gospel. We will continue to thrive in community with one another.
The Bible is the very words of God for the church that lead to salvation and sanctification. God’s Word is inherent, sufficient, and clear. The Bible was given so the people of God will know who He is and how to grow in the gospel.
Gospel transformation leads to a life of personal holiness. The righteousness of Christ placed on the Christian leads to righteousness in the actions, words, and thoughts of the Christian. We will continue to pursue Jesus and teach others to do the same.
There is an incredible call from the Savior for the church to take the message of the gospel to those who are lost in their sins. Every disciple of Jesus is to be an influence with the Gospel. We will continue to share God’s grace with every life.
Further comparison is made between the earthly ministry of the old covenant and the heavenly ministry of the new covenant. The old covenant of priests interceding for the people was set up to point to the perfect setup in heaven, and Jesus now sits as our mediator to God, resting on the power of His sacrifice. Think about what it means that Jesus is alive in heaven, interceding on our behalf.
The ministry of the tabernacle was given by God to point out the imperfection of man and the perfection of Himself. Through yearly sacrifices, the priests would atone for the sins of the people. But Jesus, through His sacrifice, was able to pay once for all, obliterating the need for any other sacrifice. Take the time to compare just how much greater Jesus is than the law.
Jesus’ final command to his disciples was to go and make more disciples. He’s given that same command to us. We will continue making Jesus-centered disciples who make disciples.
Continuing on the themes from the last chapter, we see just how much greater Jesus is as the High Priest. We also see how God had planned the new covenant long before the reveal of His Son by examining Jeremiah 31. Think about the pattern of growth in Christ that we get to follow until we finally actually become complete in Him in heaven.
Today is our 7th Birthday! We are only here because of the grace of Jesus. Therefore, we unashamedly center everything we do on the Gospel that has been entrusted to us. We will continue making Jesus the center of all we do and boldly stand on our gospel conviction.
The revelation of Jesus being connected to the tribe of Judah rather than Levi and yet is set as the perfect priest helps us to understand that the law would never have been able to completely save man. We can trust in His sacrifice because it perfectly fills our need. Consider how great it is that Jesus is our priest now and forever!
Every single person has been made in the image of God. They were created by Him and given a purpose to glorify him. Through Jesus, we now are called to love and care for other people who have been made in God’s image.
Since the fall of man in Genesis 3, the hearts of men have been darkened by sin. Now, through Jesus Christ, our sin has been exposed by the light of gospel and changes sinful men from the inside out. Through Jesus, we fight against a defeated enemy.
Here we find some more clarification on who Melchizedek is and why he is important. As a priest, he collected the offering from Abraham and blessed him, even before the law and even Israel was established. The description of Melchizedek is a clear type of Christ, and the importance of this will become even clearer as we continue to study.