Sermon Audio Podcast

Exodus 32 features a great betrayal on the part of God’s people. They worshipped an idol after all God had done for them. The real question is how would God respond to such rebellion? To answer this question we will focus on Exodus 34:6-7, what Luther called “a sermon on God’s name”. It also happens to be the most frequently cited truth in all Scripture.

Following the idolatrous betrayal of Exodus 32, we saw that God responds graciously to sinners. It is also in this moment that Moses faced his most significant crisis. What would he do? At this crucial moment, Moses prays a bold prayer “Lord, show me your glory”. Why does he mean? This week we will see that Exodus concludes with a promise of God’s presence among the people.

Having studied Exodus for the better part of 9 months, we will spend one more week examining just how important this is for our church. The Bible is one story of God redeeming a people for Himself. We will see how every key aspect of Exodus is fulfilled and embodied in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. As we think about the supremacy of Christ, we will celebrate communion together, a visible reminde...

A Question, A Story, and A Challenge (The Good Samaritan)

Luke 10:38-42

Many of us find it challenging to maintain a healthy prayer life. In our passage this week, we can take comfort that Jesus’ disciples asked for help in this area. We will see how what we know as the “Lord’s Prayer” sets a pattern for our communicating with God. Above all, prayer is an invitation to fellowship with our heavenly Father.

While we might have a tendency to underplay the role of the demonic world, this week’s passage shows us the reality of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged. In Luke 11:14-28 Jesus calls us to true discipleship in His Kingdom.

Isn't it true that what you see isn’t always what you get? Our eyes can be deceptive, tempting us toward pleasure or tricking us into lesser ventures. The eye too is a window into our souls. This Sunday Pastor Brian will be continuing in Luke 11:29-36 looking at the importance of repentance when we see clearly with spiritual eyes.

Many of us have faced the criticism of hypocrisy in the church. When we say “Jesus is Lord”, this entails a specific lifestyle. We want congruency between our profession and our conduct. As we study Luke 11:37-12:3 we will see how Jesus addresses religious hypocrisy and encourages us to live with sincerity.

There are a lot of things that people are afraid of. In our text this week, Jesus explains what we all should be most afraid of and his answer is as surprising as it is troubling. He says that we should be most afraid of God! How is that an encouragement to us?

This week Jesus continues to prepare his disciples to follow him. Despite the hardships they may face, it’s still possible for them to have a life worth living. But the path to a wonderful life is an unconventional one. Join us as we explore how we can have a life worth living from Luke 12:13-24.

While family, work, and fun are important parts of life, none of these domains can sustain our overall purpose. In our passage this week, Luke 12.35-48, Jesus charges His followers to stay on mission, steward all with which we’ve been entrusted, and to be ready for His return. We will see how His framing life’s purpose around His second coming directs our steps.

In all the big decisions of life, our choices lead to loyalties. In the challenging passage of Luke 12:49-59, Jesus shows us that following Him will inevitably lead to a clash of loyalties. This teaching will once again stress the urgency of true faith.

What is the church? We want to revisit this question regularly. Far from a building or an institution, the church is the people of God on mission. This week we will look at Ephesians 4 and the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 to stress our call to “follow Christ together”. May this unify us as we enter an exciting season of ministry.

Why We Care

Positive examples are instrumental in doing life well. As we begin our study of 1 Thessalonians, we will see how this young church “became an example to all the believers” in their region. How encouraging to see that, despite their flaws, God used this group to advance the Gospel. Our prayer is that God will grant us understanding so that we might emulate the faith and mission of the Thessalonians...

We’ve all been hurt by sinful behaviors under the pretense of ministry. How does Scripture see healthy patterns of Gospel work? In our passage this week, Paul outlines the conduct and approach of godly ministry. Far from applying only to full-time clergy, this picture of God’s work done God’s way relates to all Christ-followers.

When the Thessalonians became Christ-followers, they immediately faced pressure from the dominant culture. Interestingly, Paul tells them this is an indication that they’re on the right track. Since every Christian will face hardship, this week’s passage helps us prepare for the times of trial.

What role does prayer play in the life of the local church? Many of us struggle with prayer. I am hoping as we continue to look at 1 Thessalonians we come to see prayer as a gracious invitation from God rather than another thing to jam into our busy schedules. May ours be a local church dependent on God alone.

Each local church is known for something…the service-oriented church, the praying church, the loud music and lights church, the church full of grey-haired people…what was the church in Thessalonica known for? For that matter, what is Providence Church known for? In our text Sunday, Paul is overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness for the faithfulness of the church in Thessalonica. We’ll see how faith...

As we read 1 Thessalonians, we might find it shocking that Paul turns to address sexual ethics halfway through the letter. In our culture, many wonder why God would be concerned with our sex life. We will take two weeks to study this passage considering why God’s design for sex is both counter-cultural and Kingdom-oriented.

What happens when we die? We spend too little time contemplating this question because of the serious implications of the answer. While many of our peers think the answer is either unknowable or a matter of speculation, we will see that Jesus speaks authoritatively, granting the church hope and encouragement.

Having stressed Jesus’ visible return, Paul now addresses our next question: when will this happen? In 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11, we learn that we are to prepare for Jesus’ coming rather than become distracted with its precise timing. We prepare for Jesus by practicing faith, hope, and love.

When Peter Drucker said “culture eats strategy for breakfast” he reminded us of just how important it is to have a healthy ethos in a church. In what appears to be a list of injunctions in 1 Thessalonians 5.12-28, Paul actually gives us a glimpse into how a healthy church should interact. May the Lord strengthen and sustain us to this end.

Pastor Ian reminded us this week of just how many Christmas hymns connect Jesus’ first coming, what we celebrate at Advent, with His second coming. We cannot separate the Son who came to the manger from the Son who will return in power. So, while 2 Thessalonians may seem like an odd text for Christmas, it is quite fitting to see how it frames our mission. This week we will see how God’s justice en...