Covenant Sermons

The Heart of the King

2026-03-29

None are available at this time.

Beyond the Barrier

2026-03-22

We have more denominations today than ever before. Many things can endanger a church, but internal fighting and division is one of the worst.

New Testament Scriptures on Unity: 1 Cor. 1:10, 12:12-13, 14, 2 Cor. 13:11, Acts 2:42-47, 4:32, Gal. 3:28, Jn. 13:25, Rom. 6:5, 12:10, 16, 18, 14:1, 19, 15:5-6, Matt. 18:19-20, 23:8, Col. 3:13-17, Eph. 4:2-6, 11-13, 14, 16, 1 Pet. 3:8, Rom. 12:16, Tit. 3:10-11

Christian unity is something that Paul was very passionate about…so was Jesus! John 17:21: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one.”
This is what Paul wants for the Philippians (Phil. 1:27).

The Basis of Christian Unity—Verse 1
In light of the blessings of salvation we enjoy in Christ, this changes the way we relate to others.
• What we share in common with Christ is far more important than what we disagree on!
• At the end of the day, it’s the essentials of the gospel that hold us together and our shared faith that really matters!
• Deferring to other believers in matters of secondary importance is actually a sign of maturity, not weakness!

The Marks of Christian Unity—Verse 2
Christian unity means the church is moving together as one body to
advance the Kingdom. Unity is like an orchestra.
• Uniformity (loss of individuality) is everybody playing the same
instrument.
• Unity is everybody looking at the same sheet music and the same conductor!
• When Jesus becomes the most important thing in the room, the
differences that divide us become the smallest thing (Heb. 12:2).

The Great Withdrawal: A Time to Pause

2026-03-15

None are available at this time.

A Life Well-Lived

2026-03-15

None are available at this time.

Receivers of Grace

2026-03-08

None are available at this time.

To Remain or To Depart?

2026-03-01

None are available at this time.

The Holy Spirit February 25, 2026

2026-02-25

None are available at this time.

Hope in the Power of God

2026-02-22

None are available at this time.

The Motives for Gospel Ministry

2026-02-15

None are available at this time.

The Three Hiding Places of the Soul

2026-02-15

Introduction:

***It is our natural human instinct to want to hide our sin from God (ex. Adam) but true joy and rest is found ONLY in confession and forgiveness.

In Psalm 32, David presents us with three different hiding places for human soul.

1. Hiding FROM God (vs 3-4)

a. As long as he kept silent, David was an emotional/physical wreck!

b. The best years of his life were wasting away!

c. He became extremely irritable!

d. God relentlessly pursued him/disrupting his life until he repented!

e. We can’t stay hiding forever and live! Sooner or later, we have to come out!

2. Hiding NOTHING from God (vs 5)

a. When David finally uncovered his sin, God covered it with his forgiveness!

b. David received this forgiveness instantly!

i. But here’s the condition – that he not just confess his sins…but that he also turn to God in faith and receive forgiveness.

ii. Confession alone is not enough / we need a better place to hide!

3. Hiding IN God (vs 7)

a. Col 3:3 – your life is now “hidden” with Christ in God.

b. This is our new reality and it’s the best place to hide!!

Why would we settle for these other hiding places?

The Purposes of God

2026-02-08

None are available at this time.

The Principles for Spiritual Growth

2026-02-01

Introduction and Recap
Many Christians today find themselves on the “Treadmill of Religion:” running like crazy but not actually going anywhere. Many feel “stuck” in their spiritual growth and
development…but this is something that every Christian ought to be pursuing.
In Philippians 1:1-8, Paul has told us not only how he feels about these believers, but also how he identifies them:
1. They are saints (vs 1) - set apart from sin unto God, holy, “in” Christ
2. They are partners in ministry (vs 5) – financial support, cooperation in evangelism, prayer and concern for Paul
3. They are partakers of grace (vs 7) – salvation grace and empowering grace for ministry
Paul’s prayer in vs 9-11 is for the spiritual growth and development of the believers.
The Principles for Spiritual Growth
The Foundation: Love (vs 9)
Everything in the Christian life flows from a heart that loves God and loves people.
Love is the greatest of all Christian virtues!
The kind of love Paul is talking about here can be defined as…
A Divine Love - God is the source, he provides it!
Rom. 5:5 – God’s love shed abroad in our hearts
1 John 4:19 – we love because he first loved us
An Active Love – Greek word agape = love of the will or choice
1 Cor. 13 – all actions
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave
This love seeks the good of others and meets real needs
An Intelligent Love - love that is accompanied by knowledge and discernment
Knowledge = truth of God’s word (love informed)
Discernment = moral insight/perception/application of truth
The Filter: Discernment (vs 10)
The foundation of love leads to the filter of discernment: the ability to “discern what is best” for our lives.
Discerning between what is “good” and what is “best” for us.
It’s the ability to establish the right priorities and make wise informed choices that will cause spiritual growth.
The Fruit: Righteousness (vs 11)
When we apply this discerning love to our lives, it results in bearing

Like the Sun

2026-01-18

None are available at this time.

Partnership in the Gospel

2026-01-18

None are available at this time.

Remember Who You Are

2026-01-11

None are available at this time.

The Dark Side of Epiphany

2026-01-04

None are available at this time.

Life in Victory

2025-12-28

None are available at this time.

And This Will Be a Sign for You

2025-12-24

None are available at this time.

Advent in Hebrews - The Christ Who Saves and Sets Free

2025-12-21

None are available at this time.

Advent in Hebrews – The Christ Who Suffers”

2025-12-14

None are available at this time.

Advent in Hebrews: The Christ Who Shares

2025-12-07

None are available at this time.

Advent in Hebrews: The Christ Who Speaks

2025-11-30

None are available at this time.

Friends in High Places

2025-11-23

None are available at this time.

A Harvest Psalm

2025-11-16

None are available at this time.

Rebellion Clothed as Righteousness

2025-11-16

None are available at this time.

The Consequences of Rejecting God Realized

2025-11-02

None are available at this time.

The Reformation of the Church

2025-10-26

None are available at this time.

Where is the King?

2025-10-19

None are available at this time.

The Ministry of the Under-Shepherd

2025-10-19

None are available at this time.

What Will Be Left?

2025-10-12

None are available at this time.

A Thin Veneer of True Religion

2025-10-05

None are available at this time.

The Church We Want to Be - Fellowship

2025-09-28

None are available at this time.

The Church We Want to Be – Devoted to the Apostles’ Teaching

2025-09-21

None are available at this time.

The Church We Want to Be - Prayer

2025-09-14

None are available at this time.

The Church We Want to Be - Worship

2025-09-07

None are available at this time.

The Church We Want to Be - Missions

2025-08-31

None are available at this time.

The Church We Want to Be - Unity

2025-08-24

None are available at this time.

Bringing Down the House in God’s Strength

2025-08-17

None are available at this time.

Taking Pleasure in our Children

2025-08-17

*As parents (grandparents), sometimes we can struggle with finding pleasure and satisfaction in our children

Why we struggle to find pleasure in our children:

1. We struggle because we’re too busy!

a. We’re often so busy with “serious” things that we’re uptight and just look right over them.

2. We struggle because we’ve adopted a secular worldview!

a. The culture says that children are a burden and time robbers.

b. Many young women today are choosing to delay child. bearing or forego it altogether.

3. We struggle because we’ve forgotten our purpose!

a. What’s the purpose for having children? The goal?

b. If we lose our purpose we can lose our pleasure in them.

The Solution: If we’re going to take pleasure in our children, we need to see two things.

1. We need to see OURSELVES through God’s eyes!

a. The way we view our children is often influenced by how we think God sees us (even our earthly fathers).

b. David said that God “rescued me because he delights in me” (Psalm 18:19)…and “God delights in every detail of our lives” (Psalm 37:23).

i. Not because of anything in us, but because we belong to him in Christ.

c. Our children need to know that we love them regardless of what they do simply because they belong to us!

2. We need to see our CHILDREN through God’s eyes!

a. Psalm 127 gives us a wonderful perspective on how God sees children.

b. The point of vs 3-4 is this: children are a valuable possession.

c. 3 metaphorical descriptions:

i. Gift (heritage) – extremely valuable…given by God

ii. Reward – a blessing and source of joy, fulfillment, satisfaction

iii. Arrow – use for defense…shot out to hit a target

Closing thoughts & Application

What kind of a legacy are we leaving behind? What memories will our children take with them? What have we communicated to them?

Practical Application for showing our children we take pleasure in them (The 4 L’s)

1. Lingering with them - Enjoy spending time with your children and having meals with them with the television off and no distracting handheld devices.

2. Lisenting to them – Pay attention when they have something to say. Ask questions and discover their dreams.

3. Learning alongside them – Do projects together, read to your children and grow together.

4. Laughing with them – Funny stuff happens in the family all the time. Lighten up! Laugh about life and tell humorous stories from your past. Having fun together is an essential ingredient in delighting in your child.

Tailor Made

2025-08-10

None are available at this time.

Signs of a Growing Comfort with Sin

2025-08-03

None are available at this time.

Sin’s Destruction and God’s Sovereignty

2025-07-27

None are available at this time.

From Sighing to Singing"

2025-07-20

None are available at this time.

Saints, Scoundrels, and God’s Hidden Purposes

2025-07-20

None are available at this time.

When God’s Deliverance Meets Man’s Desire

2025-07-13

None are available at this time.

Christmas in July

2025-07-06

None are available at this time.

Instruments of the Redeemer

2025-06-29

None are available at this time.

Words Matter

2025-06-22

None are available at this time.

The Compassionate Father

2025-06-15

None are available at this time.

The Rule and Riches of Christ

2025-06-08

None are available at this time.

The Blessings of Christ’s Ascension

2025-06-01

None are available at this time.

Ointment for a Rash Vow

2025-05-25

None are available at this time.

Borrowers of Glory

2025-05-18

None are available at this time.

A Reflection

2025-05-11

None are available at this time.

The Kindness and Severity of God

2025-05-04

None are available at this time.

Fish in the Wilderness

2025-04-27

None are available at this time.

He Is Not Here, For He Has Risen

2025-04-20

None are available at this time.

The Road to Glory

2025-04-13

None are available at this time.

Saved from Ourselves

2025-04-06

None are available at this time.

The Curse of Jotham

2025-03-30

None are available at this time.

Irony of the Anti-Judge

2025-03-23

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Discipline Yourself for the Purpose of Godliness

2025-03-09

None are available at this time.

A Cautionary Tale

2025-03-02

None are available at this time.

Gideon’s Defeat

2025-02-23

None are available at this time.

Looking to God Throughout the Journey

2025-02-16

None are available at this time.

Some Characteristics of a Godly Leader

2025-02-16

None are available at this time.

The Problem with Too Many

2025-02-09

None are available at this time.

Overcoming Unbelief

2025-02-02

None are available at this time.

Idols of Heart and Home

2025-01-26

None are available at this time.

I Will Be With You

2025-01-19

None are available at this time.

Trouble and More Trouble

2025-01-19

None are available at this time.

A Word of Conviction

2025-01-12

None are available at this time.

Seeking Jesus

2025-01-05

None are available at this time.

The Peace Which Jesus Brings

2024-12-29

None are available at this time.

Praised by Men and Angels

2024-12-24

None are available at this time.

A Vision of Confidence

2024-12-22

None are available at this time.

The Mystery and Majesty of the Incarnation

2024-12-15

None are available at this time.

Hope in the Midst of Barrenness

2024-12-08

None are available at this time.

Why Do You Stand Looking into Heaven?

2024-12-01

None are available at this time.

A Triumphant Feast

2024-11-24

None are available at this time.

The Importance of Strong, Godly Women

2024-11-17

None are available at this time.

It is Good to Give Thanks

2024-11-17

None are available at this time.

Participating in the Advancement of God’s Kingdom

2024-11-10

None are available at this time.

A Song of Praise

2024-11-03

None are available at this time.

Worship to the Glory of God Alone

2024-10-27

None are available at this time.

The Sure Hand of Deliverance

2024-10-20

None are available at this time.

Resting in the One True King

2024-10-20

None are available at this time.

A Left-Handed Deliverance – Part 2

2024-10-13

None are available at this time.

A Left-Handed Deliverance”

2024-10-06

None are available at this time.

Why? What For? And How?

2024-09-29

None are available at this time.

The Lion from Judah

2024-09-22

None are available at this time.

The Tragic Tyranny of Sin

2024-09-15

None are available at this time.

The Exercise of Godliness

2024-09-15

None are available at this time.

Another Generation

2024-09-08

None are available at this time.

Divine Adequacy and Seeds of Apostasy

2024-08-25

None are available at this time.

A Good Testimony

2024-08-18

None are available at this time.

Participating in Missions

2024-08-11

None are available at this time.

What Gladdens the Hearts of Pastors and Parents

2024-08-04

None are available at this time.

Fortified and Fixed in Truth

2024-07-28

None are available at this time.

United by Truth

2024-07-21

None are available at this time.

The Church, Our Mother

2024-07-14

None are available at this time.

Faith-Filled Confidence Part 2

2024-07-07

None are available at this time.

Christ the Keeper

2024-06-30

None are available at this time.

Faith-Filled Confidence

2024-06-23

None are available at this time.

A Case for Confidence

2024-06-16

None are available at this time.

Overcoming the World

2024-06-09

None are available at this time.

Love Perfected

2024-06-02

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“God is Love – Part 2

2024-05-26

None are available at this time.

New Life

2024-05-19

None are available at this time.

God is Love

2024-05-12

None are available at this time.

Test the Spirits

2024-05-05

None are available at this time.

It is Marvelous in Our Eyes

2024-04-28

None are available at this time.

Continuing to Bear Fruit

2024-04-21

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Salve for a Tender Soul

2024-04-14

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Love in the Power of the Resurrection

2024-04-07

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Burning Hearts and Broken Bread

2024-03-31

None are available at this time.

Glorying in the Cross

2024-03-29

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Knowing and Doing

2024-03-28

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The Lord of the Temple

2024-03-24

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Practice and Perfection

2024-03-17

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Confidence in Christ as Children of God

2024-03-10

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A Sign of the Times

2024-03-03

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To Die Is Gain!

2024-02-25

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Infatuated with Love

2024-02-18

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The New/Old Commandment”

2024-02-11

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Building Assurance: How Do You Know That You Know Jesus?

2024-02-04

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Walking in the Light

2024-01-28

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The Foolishness and Weakness of God

2024-01-26

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Grow!

2024-01-21

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Fellowship and Joy in Christ

2024-01-14

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Nations Shall Come to Your Light

2024-01-07

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What Child is This?

2023-12-31

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the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes

2023-12-24

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To Us a Child is Born, To Us a Son is Given

2023-12-24

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The Glory of the Lord Shall be Revealed

2023-12-17

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The Virgin Shall Conceive

2023-12-10

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This is Your Savior

2023-12-03

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“Do You Do Well to be Angry?”

2023-11-19

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Requirements of Revival

2023-11-12

Revival starts in the hearts of individuals. In Nineveh, we see the requirements of revival, recognition of sin, true repentance from our sin, and the importance of relationships and submitting ourselves to the Word of God

Kingdom-Minded Giving

2023-11-05

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The Power of the Word

2023-10-29

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Grace by the Lips of God

2023-10-22

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Prayer from the Deep, Part II

2023-10-15

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The Church of Jesus Christ

2023-10-01

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The Most Important Thing

2023-09-17

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The Great Cost of Our Sins

2023-09-10

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The Fleeing Prophet

2023-09-03

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Life in Exile

2023-08-27

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The Fiery Furnace

2023-08-20

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Elijah the Prophet

2023-08-13

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David and Goliath

2023-08-06

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The Battle of Jericho

2023-07-30

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The Golden Calf

2023-07-23

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The Exodus

2023-07-16

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A Faithful Father

2023-07-09

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The Call of Abram

2023-07-02

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The Tower of Babel

2023-06-25

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Get in the Boat!

2023-06-18

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The Fall

2023-06-11

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The Creation

2023-06-04

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The Harvest Celebration

2023-05-28

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Inconsequential Faith, or Intentional Faith?

2023-05-21

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Run Your Race

2023-05-14

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Caring for the Sheep

2023-05-07

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The Great Catch

2023-04-30

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by believing, you may have life in his name

2023-04-23

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As the Father has sent me

2023-04-16

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Hearing the Voice of the Risen Lord

2023-04-09

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King of the Cross

2023-04-07

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Whom do you seek?

2023-04-06

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Exaltation Through Humiliation

2023-04-02

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Wholly God’s and Holy

2023-03-26

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Deny Self, Take Up the Cross

2023-03-19

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The Cultivation of True Godliness

2023-03-12

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Pursuing Humility

2023-03-05

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From Grief to Comfort

2023-02-26

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And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

2023-02-19

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Forgive as You Have Been Forgiven

2023-02-12

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Our Daily Bread

2023-02-05

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Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

2023-01-29

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Our Father, who art in heaven

2023-01-22

The Instruction from The Westminster Larger Catechism #189

What does the opening of the Lord’s prayer teach us?

The opening of the Lord’s prayer (Our Father in heaven) teaches us that when we pray we should draw near to God, confident of his fatherly goodness and the benefits to us from that goodness,

reverently and in every way like a child, and with heavenly feelings and a proper awareness of his sovereign power, his majesty, and his graciousness in allowing us to approach him. The opening also teaches us to pray with and for others.

(Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:13; Romans 8:15; Isaiah 64:9; Psalm 95:6-7; Psalm 123:1; Lamentations 3:41; Isaiah 63:15-16; Nehemiah 1:4-6; Psalm 104:1; Psalm 113:4-6; Acts 12:5; Zechariah 8:21)

The Gospel Unhindered

2023-01-15

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Shipwrecks, Snake Bites, and the Setbacks that Advance the Gospel

2023-01-08

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The True King Continued

2023-01-01

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God’s Gift of Love

2022-12-25

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For Unto You

2022-12-24

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The Mission of the Word

2022-12-18

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A Family Christmas

2022-12-11

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Life and Light

2022-12-04

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Defining Jesus

2022-11-27

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Giving Thanks to God the Father

2022-11-20

For further study:

The Instruction from the Heidelberg Catechism, #27-28

What do you understand by the providence of God?
Providence is the almighty and ever-present power of God, by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty – all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.

How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?
We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love. All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

(Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 1:3; Jeremiah 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; Proverbs 16: 33; Matthew 10:29; Job 1:21-22; James 1:3;
Deuteronomy 8:10; 1st Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 55:22; Romans 5:3-5; Romans 8:38-39; Proverbs 21:1).

Being a Church on Fire

2022-11-13

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All in the Same Boat

2022-11-06

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Paul’s Journey to Rome Part 1

2022-10-23

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A Defense of the Christian Faith

2022-10-16

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Making Much of Jesus

2022-10-09

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Gospel Minister

2022-10-09

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Paul's Way to Rome

2022-10-02

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Testimony before Governors

2022-09-25

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The Mob, the Meek, and the Masses

2022-09-18

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God’s Word is Active

2022-09-11

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Committed to Christ

2022-09-04

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Take Courage

2022-08-28

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Sheep Among Wolves

2022-08-21

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Paul’s Testimony in Jerusalem

2022-08-14

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Pursuing Peace in the Church

2022-08-07

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Finishing the Race

2022-07-31

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Take Action

2022-07-24

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Exhortation to the Elders

2022-07-17

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Rightly Hearing the Word of God

2022-07-10

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Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

2022-07-03

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Fortified for the Fallout

2022-06-26

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Living with an Undivided Heart

2022-06-19

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Baptism and the Spirit

2022-06-12

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The Gospel Invades Corinth

2022-06-05

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The Battle for Hearts and Minds at Mars Hill – Part II

2022-05-29

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The Battle for Hearts and Minds at Mars Hill

2022-05-22

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The Disrupting Power of the Gospel

2022-05-15

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Portraits of Salvation

2022-05-08

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The Gospel Goes to Europe

2022-05-01

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The Vanquishing of Doubt

2022-04-24

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The Dawn of Hope

2022-04-17

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Christ Crucified

2022-04-15

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The Agony of Gethsemane

2022-04-14

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The Death that gives Life

2022-04-10

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Disagreement in Unity

2022-04-03

None are available at this time.

The Jerusalem Council - Part 2

2022-03-27

None are available at this time.

The Jerusalem Council

2022-03-20

None are available at this time.

Keep It Simple

2022-03-13

Scott Cheatwood, Guest Speaker

Elders in Every Church

2022-03-06

None are available at this time.

Holding the Line

2022-02-27

Dr. John Crimmins

Through Many Tribulations

2022-02-20

None are available at this time.

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God

2022-02-13

None are available at this time.

Listening Well

2022-02-06

None are available at this time.

Justified by Jesus

2022-01-30

None are available at this time.

The God of Life

2022-01-23

None are available at this time.

Opportunity and Opposition

2022-01-16

None are available at this time.

The Qualities of a Missional Church

2022-01-09

None are available at this time.

The King of Kings

2022-01-02

None are available at this time.

The Gift You Couldn’t Buy

2021-12-26

None are available at this time.

Welcoming Christ This Christmas

2021-12-24

None are available at this time.

born of the virgin Mary

2021-12-19

None are available at this time.

He shall come again to judge the living and the dead

2021-12-12

None are available at this time.

Behold Your God!

2021-12-05

None are available at this time.

Living Between the Appearings

2021-11-28

None are available at this time.

Be Thankful

2021-11-21

None are available at this time.

Living Sacrifices for God’s Glory

2021-11-14

None are available at this time.

Christ-centered Stewardship

2021-11-07

None are available at this time.

Committed to God’s Word Alone

2021-10-31

None are available at this time.

Christ's Sovereignty over Death, Danger, and the Devil

2021-10-24

None are available at this time.

The Church in Antioch: an Example for Us

2021-10-17

None are available at this time.

A Ministry of Mentorship

2021-10-10

None are available at this time.

Receiving the Spirit

2021-10-03

None are available at this time.

The Apostolic Gospel

2021-09-26

None are available at this time.

Waging War with Forks and Knives

2021-09-12

Pastor Jonathan recommends everyone read Rosaria Butterfield's The Gospel Comes with a House Key.

Listening for God’s Voice

2021-09-05

None are available at this time.

Miracles of the New Creation

2021-08-29

None are available at this time.

Equipped for Ministry

2021-08-22

None are available at this time.

Discipleship in Obscurity

2021-08-15

None are available at this time.

The Marks of True Conversion - Part 2

2021-08-08

None are available at this time.

The Marks of True Conversion

2021-08-01

None are available at this time.

Pursuing Us with His Love

2021-07-25

None are available at this time.

Redemption in the Desert

2021-07-18

None are available at this time.

The Counterfeit Conversion

2021-07-11

None are available at this time.

...a holy nation...

2021-07-04

None are available at this time.

Jesus, at the right hand of God

2021-06-20

None are available at this time.

Stephen: the First Martyr

2021-06-13

None are available at this time.

When Evil is Uttered Against You Falsely

2021-06-06

None are available at this time.

Called to Ministry

2021-05-30

None are available at this time.

Counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name

2021-05-23

None are available at this time.

Repentance: Death and Life

2021-05-16

None are available at this time.

“The Fear of God and the Church–Part 2”

2021-05-09

None are available at this time.

The Fear of God and the Church

2021-05-02

None are available at this time.

Prayer to the Sovereign Lord

2021-04-25

None are available at this time.

No other Name under Heaven

2021-04-18

None are available at this time.

Death Defeated!

2021-04-04

None are available at this time.

The Death of the Righteous Man

2021-04-02

None are available at this time.

The Lord's Supper

2021-04-01

None are available at this time.

The Day of Decision

2021-03-28

None are available at this time.

Isn't She Beautiful?

2021-03-21

None are available at this time.

The Community of Believers Part 3

2021-03-14

None are available at this time.

The Community of Believers Part 2

2021-03-07

None are available at this time.

The Community of Believers

2021-02-28

None are available at this time.

The First Sermon

2021-02-21

None are available at this time.

The Power of the Holy Spirit for Witnesses of Jesus Christ

2021-02-14

None are available at this time.

The Apostolic Foundation of the Church

2021-02-07

None are available at this time.

Witnesses for Christ - Part 2

2021-01-31

None are available at this time.

Witnesses for Christ

2021-01-24

None are available at this time.

The Unfolding of History

2021-01-17

None are available at this time.

The Resurrection and the Life

2021-01-10

None are available at this time.

The True King

2021-01-03

None are available at this time.

Simeon's Song

2020-12-27

None are available at this time.

God' Glory Revealed

2020-12-24

None are available at this time.

God’s Tender Mercy

2020-12-20

None are available at this time.

Zechariah’s Song

2020-12-13

None are available at this time.

God's Mercy and Justice at Christmas

2020-12-06

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My Soul Magnifies the Lord

2020-11-29

None are available at this time.

Clear Eyes, Grateful Hearts

2020-11-22

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Raised from Death to Life

2020-11-15

None are available at this time.

I believe; help my unbelief!

2020-11-08

None are available at this time.

God's Presence in Deep Waters

2020-11-01

None are available at this time.

The Healing of Blindness

2020-10-25

None are available at this time.

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

2020-10-18

None are available at this time.

The Vanquishing of Evil

2020-10-11

None are available at this time.

The Bread of Life

2020-10-04

None are available at this time.

From Fear to Faith

2020-09-27

None are available at this time.

The Miraculous Catch

2020-09-13

None are available at this time.

Water into Wine

2020-09-06

None are available at this time.

The Foolishness and Weakness of God

2020-08-30

None are available at this time.

The Everlasting God

2020-08-23

None are available at this time.

The Diligent Use of God's Grace

2020-08-16

None available at this time.

Forgiven and Forgiving

2020-08-09

None available at this time

Who is my neighbor?

2020-08-02

None available at this time.

How great a debt?

2020-07-26

None available at this time.

Building on a Strong Foundation

2020-07-19

None available at this time.

The Dangers of an Unblessed Assurance

2020-07-12

None available at this time

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

2020-07-05

None are available at this time.

Lost and Found

2020-06-28

Recommended resource: The Prodigal God.

A Great Bargain

2020-06-21

None available at this time.

Little Means, Large End

2020-06-14

None available at this time

The Lord's Supper

2020-06-07

None Available

Pentecost for Presbyterians

2020-05-31

None available at this time

Greatly to Be Praised

2020-05-24

Psalm 145

145 I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
²Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
⁷They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

¹⁰All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your saints shall bless you!
¹¹They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
¹²to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and kind in all his works.]
¹⁴The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.
¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰The Lord preserves all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

The Joy of Assembling Together

2020-05-17

Psalm 122

122 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
²Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!

³Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
⁴to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
⁷Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
⁸For my brothers and companions' sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
⁹For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

The Life of Prayer

2020-05-10

Matthew 6:5-13

The Lord's Prayer

⁵“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
¹⁰Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us this day our daily bread,
¹²and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil

The Mystery of Prayer

2020-05-03

Philippians 4:4-7

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Temptations in Trials

2020-04-26

¹²Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. ¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. ¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.^[a] ¹⁸Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Life Interrupted

2020-04-19

Psalm 33

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

33 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
²Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
³Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

⁴For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
⁵He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

⁶By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
⁷He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
⁹For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
¹¹The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

¹³The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
¹⁴from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
¹⁶The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
¹⁷The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.

¹⁸Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
¹⁹that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
²¹For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
²²Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.

Christ's Resurrection and Ours

2020-04-12

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ²and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. ⁸Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

¹²Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. ¹⁵We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. ¹⁹If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

²⁰But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ²³But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. ²⁴Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. ²⁸When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

²⁹Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? ³⁰Why are we in danger every hour? ³¹I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! ³²What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” ³³Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” ³⁴Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

The Resurrection Body

³⁵But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” ³⁶You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. ³⁹For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. ⁴⁰There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. ⁴¹There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

⁴²So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall^[f] also bear the image of the man of heaven.

Mystery and Victory

⁵⁰I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Sin, Death, and the Free Gift

2020-04-05

Scripture reference: Romans 5:6-17

A Glimpse at the Heart of Jesus

2020-03-29

John 17 English Standard Version (ESV)

The High Priestly Prayer

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.[a] 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them[b] in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself,[c] that they also may be sanctified[d] in truth.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Christian Discipleship and the World's Response

2020-03-22

John 15:18-16:4 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Hatred of the World

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[a] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

The Vine and the Branches

2020-03-15

John 15:1-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

I Am the True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled

2020-03-08

John 14:15-31 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,[a] to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be[b] in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Believe in Jesus

2020-03-01

John 14:1-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life

14 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me[e] anything in my name, I will do it.

The School of Discipleship

2020-02-23

John 13:1-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet,[a] but is completely clean. And you[b] are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant[c] is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled,[d] ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Oh, How I Love Your Law!

2020-02-16

Genesis 20:1-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

Abraham and Abimelech

20 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” ¹⁶To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all^[a] who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” ¹⁷Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children.

Matthew 22:34-40 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Great Commandment

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

I Have Learned to be Content

2020-02-09

Philippians 4:4-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness[a] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned[b] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

God's Provision

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

14 Yet it was kind of you to share[c] my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.[d] 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Standing Together in Faith

2020-02-02

Philippians 3:17-4:3 English Standard Version (ESV)

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

4 Therefore, my brothers,[a] whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion,[b] help these women, who have labored[c] side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

The Heart of the Matter

2020-01-26

Exodus 20:1-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.[c]

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

People of the Truth

2020-01-19

Exodus 20:1-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.[c]

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Ephesians 4:17-32 English Standard Version (ESV)

The New Life

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self,[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

The God of Truth

2020-01-12

Scripture Reference:

Exodus 20:1-17

Arise and Shine

2020-01-05

Isaiah 60

The Glory of Christ

2019-12-29

Revelation 1:4-18

Waiting in Homesickness

2019-12-22

Isaiah 35 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Ransomed Shall Return

35 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
    the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2 it shall blossom abundantly
    and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
    the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
    the majesty of our God.

3 Strengthen the weak hands,
    and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart,
    “Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
    will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
    He will come and save you.”

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
    and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
    and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

8 And a highway shall be there,
    and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
    It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
    even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
    nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
    but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Waiting in Hope

2019-12-15

Pastor John Mabray explains what it means to wait in hope according to the biblical definition of hope. Scripture reference: Isaiah 11:1-9

Waiting in Holiness

2019-12-08

Isaiah 62:1-12

Waiting in Humility

2019-12-01

Isaiah 9:1-7

You Shall Not Steal - Part 2

2019-11-24

Exodus 20:1-17

You Shall Not Steal

2019-11-17

Exodus 20:1-17

Sexuality and Holiness

2019-11-10

Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

What God Has Joined Together, Let Not Man Separate

2019-11-03

Matthew 19:3-9