Fox Lake Community Church

Psalm 18 was written at the end of David's life, and it is a Psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God for a lifetime of faithfulness. It concludes with David looking forward to his offspring, Jesus Christ, also enjoying great salvation due to God's steadfast love. And Christians can be confident that just as God powerfully intervened in the life of David and his offspring, he will also do the same...

This beatitude emphasizes that peacemaking is ,first and foremost, about reconciling humanity to God through Christ, who alone achieved peace by the blood of the cross, making reconciliation the essence of the Christian mission. This beatitude calls all people to examine their personal relationship with God and with others, urging immediate restoration of broken relationships, even at the cost of...

John 11:45-57

Romans 12:11-13, Galatians 6:9, Revelation 2:4, Matthew 26:36-40, 1 Thessalonians Nations and individuals can cry out for God's blessing in times of crisis, yet quickly return to earthly concerns and casual faith. Believers might begin with a fervent love for God, lose their first love, growing weary in doing good, and becoming slothful in zeal. Scripture calls us to remain watchful, fervent in sp...

The sign of raising Lazarus from the dead was a manifestation of God's glory and designed to give faith or increase the faith of God's people. Many saw the glory, and thus believed in Jesus. Unfortunately, others merely saw a raw display of power, and went to tell the Pharisees what they witnessed. Salvation and sanctification only occurs when we see the glory.

To see God one must have a pure heart. This requires us to have a new heart. Once God has given us a new heart, we are responsible to guard it "with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Pro. 4:23).

David is confident that God is going to answer his prayer. It seems that this assurance is the result of providing God with reasons for why he should answer. David doesn't merely ask for what he wants. He explains to God precisely why he should grant his request.

Forgiveness is not a matter of calculation, but an ongoing disposition of the heart.

'Blessed are the merciful,' stresses that mercy—both in practical help to the suffering and in forgiveness toward those who wrong us—is a defining mark of a genuine Christian. To such people God will extend his mercy.

John 11:17-27

John 11 give us a glimpse of the divine purpose behind suffering and God's delays of love. It contrasts the human perspective of pain and confusion—the 'lower story'—with God's eternal, sovereign plan—the 'upper story'—where even death serves to magnify Christ's glory and strengthen our faith.

Jesus redefines blessing in Matthew 5:5 by declaring the meek—those who embody Christlike gentleness and self-control—will inherit the earth, subverting worldly values that exalt power and conquest. Far from weakness, biblical meekness is strength under divine restraint, reflecting Christ's own nature and exemplified in His victory over evil through suffering rather than force.

What is your only comfort in life and death? Psalm 16 tells us that the answer for Jesus was Yahweh. The LORD was the One in whom he put his trust in life and in death. We should walk in his footsteps.

John 10:11-21

Matthew 5:3

• James 2:19 • Luke 17:3 • Luke 5:32 • Acts 2:38 • Luke 3:8 • Revelation 2:5 • 2 Corinthians 12:21 • 2 Corinthians 7:9 • Psalm 139:23–24 Repentance is not a mere intellectual shift. While salvation is by faith alone, genuine faith is never alone: it is always accompanied by a lifelong turning from sin. True believers do not make peace with remaining corruption; they wage war against it daily. Wher...

In this text Jesus is on trial. Yet, in the end, we will see that the Jews are in trial, and the verdict pronounced by Jesus is that they are guilty. Due to a deliberate rejection of the truth God will blind them, so that they cannot turn to him and be healed. This is a sober reminded to tremble before God's Word, because we will be held accountable for what is revealed to us.

The Sermon on the Mount, as St. Augustine said, contains "a perfect standard of the Christian life." While this sermon will have much to say about our conduct, we should note that the character of the Christian comes first. Jesus begins with the beatitudes or the beautiful attitudes, since all of life flows from our character or our hearts.

John 9: 1-12

Who may dwell on God's holy hill? This is not a question about salvation, but about intimate fellowship with God. This rich fellowship is granted to those whose lives reflect moral integrity, truthful speech, loving relationships, godly discernment, faithful promises, and ethical stewardship, particularly in financial matters. These virtues are not legalistic requirements but the natural outflow o...

Christians are called to adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, by living lives marked by godly character. Self-control emerges as the recurring theme, highlighted four times in the passage and underscored as a greater triumph than earthly conquest, reflecting God's high regard for inner discipline. Therefore, believers ought to examine their lives in areas such as speech, consumption, entertainme...