Christ Church

What makes faith powerful? The Savior it takes hold of. In Mark 5:21–43, a desperate father and a suffering woman come to Jesus with needs only he can meet. “Arise, O Sleeper” explores how faith brings us to Christ’s feet, lays hold of him, and receives his life. Our hope rests in the power of Jesus, who overcomes sin and death and promises to make us eternally well.

Evil enslaves, harms, isolates, and dehumanizes—and human strength cannot overcome it. But Jesus can. In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus enters the realm of the dead and rescues a man no one could subdue. “The Grave Robber” reveals Christ’s power to free us from sin, clothe us in righteousness, renew our lives, and send us to tell others how much the Lord has done for us.

When suffering overwhelms us, we can find ourselves asking the disciples’ question: “Teacher, do you not care?” In Mark 4:35–41, Jesus reveals his authority over the storm—and points us toward the storm he would endure for us at the cross. Because Jesus is Lord over the storm, and because he took the storm we deserved, we can trust him and rest in his love, whatever we face.

Solomon was one of the greatest kings in Israel’s history, and perhaps in the whole world. Yet in Psalm 72 he writes about and blesses a coming King who is the “greater than Solomon” — a king whose people flourish, whose kingdom expands, and who rules with perfect justice and righteousness. And he doesn’t earn his kingdom by power and might alone; he wins the kingdom by his love and mercy.

Jesus tells his listeners to pay attention to what they hear: the measure they use will be measured back to them, and more will be given. In Mark 4:21–25, we see why Jesus conceals the truth in parables, what it means to hear and receive his word, and the generous promise awaiting those who come to him: he gives us more of himself.

In the Parable of the Soils, Jesus reveals the power of the gospel, the dangers that threaten its fruitfulness, and the grace of the divine Sower. The question is not merely whether we hear God’s word, but whether we welcome it deeply—allowing it to take root and transform every part of our lives.

Two stories over two different Sabbath days come together to reveal to us the danger of “performative religion” in contrast to the grace of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. Man-made religions teach us to work, so that we might be accepted. But the Lord of rest and grace gives us forgiveness and salvation when we don’t deserve it; the gospel reverses the order of man-made religion. We can work (and...

In Home Alone, Kevin believed that his happiness would be achieved by being his own authority — “the man of the house.” Do we believe that, too? Jesus came with authority from God — authority over unclean spirits, disease, sickness, and even authority to forgive sins — and he uses that authority to accomplish God’s glory and our great and lasting happiness. It turns out, our greatest joy comes fro...

Jesus does not wait for worthy disciples to seek him out—he takes the initiative and calls sinners to himself. In Mark 1:16–20 and 2:13–17, we see that following Jesus comes at a real cost, but also that he welcomes the needy, befriends sinners, and makes the spiritually sick whole.

Mark opens his Gospel with the arrival of the long-promised King. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came to identify with sinners, cleanse them by his Spirit, conquer Satan, and give his life as a ransom. Because the King has come and his unshakable kingdom is at hand, everything must change: repent, believe the good news, and rest the full weight of your life upon Christ.

The gospel doesn’t just save individuals; it creates a people. In 1 Peter 2:4–10, Peter shows us that we are God’s covenant people, built together on Christ, and called to be a priestly people who proclaim his excellencies. Our identity isn’t just about our personal relationship with God—it’s about belonging to the people God is building through Jesus.

God does not merely save his people from slavery, sin, and judgment; he saves them for communion with himself. As God fills the tabernacle and leads Israel toward the Promised Land, Exodus 40 points us to Jesus, who prepares his people for God’s presence, fills them with his Spirit, and leads them toward the joy of the new creation.

God invites his forgiven people to participate joyfully in building his dwelling place. In Exodus 35–36, we see how the generosity of God transforms our hearts, frees us from money’s mastery, and equips us to offer our treasure and talents for the building of Christ’s Church.

God doesn't love his people because they are lovable. He loves because love is his very nature. In this final sermon on Exodus 34:6–7, we explore God's steadfast love, his perfect justice, and how both meet without compromise at the cross of Christ, where Jesus bears the burden of guilty sinners so that God might be both just and the justifier.

God’s patience is not a character flaw or a sign of weakness; it is a perfect, powerful, and purposeful attribute intended to lead humanity to repentance and display his glory. God is not only merciful and gracious, but is also wonderfully slow to anger.

What is God really like? When God proclaims his own name to Moses in Exodus 34, the very first words he uses are these: "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious." In this message, we explore what those two words mean, how they differ, and why they are at the very heart of the gospel. If you've ever struggled to believe that God is truly eager to help the weak, forgive sinners, and show kin...

The surprising path to real spiritual change is not trying harder; it’s beholding the glory of the Lord. The Bible teaches us that we become like what we behold. So when we behold the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, “from one degree of glory to another.” Moses met with God, beheld his glory, and started to glow. We, too, can reflect the glory of Jesus and see real transforma...

In Exodus 32–34, Israel’s idolatry creates a breach between a holy God and a sinful people. As Moses stands in that breach, refusing to settle for God’s gifts without God’s presence, he points us to a greater Mediator. This sermon explores why the deepest need of every human heart is not merely forgiveness, blessing, or success, but God himself—and how Jesus Christ refused to settle until he secur...

In Exodus 32, Israel trades the glory of God's presence for a golden calf that promises success, control, and immediate gratification. Their idolatry may seem distant from our modern world, but the same temptation lives in every human heart. We are constantly tempted to take good things—family, career, comfort, approval, security—and make them ultimate things. This sermon explores why our hearts c...

The tabernacle was far more than a portable worship center. It was God's dwelling place among his people—a sacred space where heaven and earth overlapped once again. In this sermon, we explore how the tabernacle pointed beyond itself to Jesus Christ, who fulfilled every promise it made. Through Christ, sinners can draw near to God, enjoy his presence, and receive full atonement for their sins. And...

We live in a culture that longs for identity, freedom, belonging, purpose, intimacy, and community—but often wants them without the commitments that make them possible. Exodus 24 shows us that God's chosen way of relating to his people is covenant: a binding relationship that leads not merely to rescue, but to communion with him. This sermon explores the purpose of covenant, the necessity of coven...

In Exodus 21–23, God gives Israel a series of case laws meant to shape a just society. But these laws do more than expose injustice “out there” — they expose the injustice in us. In this sermon, we explore what justice really is, why every sin incurs real moral debt before a holy God, why none of us can stand innocent before divine justice, and why the gospel of Jesus is both scandalous and glorio...

These chapters contain some of the Bible’s most difficult and misunderstood laws — laws about slavery, servants, foreigners, widows, debt, and justice. But beneath these case laws we discover something surprising: the heart of God for the vulnerable. In this sermon, we explore how these laws applied the Ten Commandments to everyday life in ancient Israel, how they restrained exploitation in a brok...

In Exodus 20:12–21, God gives us the second table of the Ten Commandments: our duties toward one another. These commands are not burdens meant to crush us, but gifts meant to help us flourish in truth, goodness, and love. Yet as God’s law reaches beyond our actions and into our hearts, it also humbles us — exposing our sin and our need for a Savior. Ultimately, the law drives us to Jesus Christ, w...

The Ten Commandments are difficult, but not burdensome. The exclusive worship of God — in the way that he wants us to worship — is actually burden-lifting and full of rest. As we dive into the first four commandments in this sermon, we’ll find that the fourth (rest) is not possible without the first.