Bent Oak Church

Had God not been for us we would have been swallowed alive.   How did Israel survive? How after invasions and enslavement and assimilation did God persevere a remnant? Because God was with them—form them. Psalm 124 looks at the miraculous gift of God's Faithfull perseverance.

Not everyone thought the psalmist's pilgrimage to Jerusalem was a good idea. The psalmist admits feeling the disdain of others. So he turns to God in prayer. Show us mercy. As we fix our eyes on you, turn your attention to us.

As we continue our way through the psalms of ascent, Psalm 122 looks ahead to the final destination—Jerusalem. The psalmist anticipates the joy of passing through her gates and being a part of Jerusalem's community for worship. The psalm concludes with a series of prayers for peace.

If there is one psalm that might be most associated with our current crisis, it is surely Psalm 91. With its specific reference to protection from a plague, it’s not hard to see why. But Psalm 91 says something more—something better. We’ll attempt to see the whole psalm and how its promises build toward things we would never have had the boldness to request.

This week, we begin a new section of the psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent. They were often read by travelers as they approached Jerusalem for one of Israel’s religious festivals. They have long been used by other believers as an analogy for their own pilgrimage toward God. They teach us to reflect and pray about things we otherwise might not have considered.

As we continue on the path, guided by the Psalms of Ascent, the psalmist begins to worry about all that can go wrong: accidents, weather, evil. Psalm 121 asks a very practical question. Where will our help come from?

Happy Easter! The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. There was no amount of power or money that could cover up his resurrection. Jesus was alive. It was all as he had predicted. And in predicting his vindication, Jesus turned to Psalm 118. It is a psalm of worship which captured the remarkable reversal of God's blessing on those men had rejected. It may have been this ver...

Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. But that familiarity comes with a challenge. Its images and ideas can pick up a sentimental nostalgia that keeps us from feeling the real impact of its message. Psalm 23 offers us the remarkable realization that the valley of death's shadow can be the very place the shepherd leads us to find green grass and calm water.

David had accumulated everything a person could, wealth, power, position, but the rebellion of his own son Absalom left him devastated and fleeing for his life. It exposed how little control David actually had, how little control any of us have. Psalm 62 is David's reflection on this devastating time and how he urged himself to still trust in God's power and steadfast love.

The Bible is never sentimental about our suffering. It never peddles easy solutions or gimmicks. It is honest about the ways suffering leaves us feeling isolated and in darkness. But there is a kind of mercy in that this psalm even exists—that the Bible is willing to be this honest. That mercy trains us for our own days of suffering. Psalm 88 is known as an imprecatory psalm. It is one of the most...

The Psalms are characterized by frankness and honesty. And they don't imagine that believers escape the experience of human emotions. Instead, the Psalms catalog the human experience and instruct us on how to pray through our emotions. David's fearful prayer of Psalm 56 is a perfect example.

Having established how believers had received justification and reconciliation, Paul turned his attention to the power of sin. If god's grace is free and more abundant where sin abounds than should Christians even worry about sin? Should we go on sinning so more grace will abound? Paul describes how believers have shared in the death and resurrection of Jesus. How can those who have died to s...

Having addressed how Jesus' death and resurrection had made a way for humanity to become righteous by faith, Paul next turned his attention to the problem of sin. If we were now reconciled to God and if God was making us righteous through Jesus, why do we still experience sin and particularly sin's consequence of death?

Having explained how God is welcoming humanity into his covenant through faith, Paul next turns to explain the implications of what this reconciliation means. We now have peace with God, access to his presence, and the ability to rejoice in the revelation of his glory. Even in suffering, we are compelled to hope. 

Paul often anticipates the objections of his audience and in chapter four, he not only anticipates their interest in Abraham but uses this Old Testament character to deepen his point about faith. Abraham's faith grew stronger as he gave glory to God, hope against hope.

By the end of chapter three, Paul had finally reached the culminating point of his explanation, Jesus. Though humanity was lost in sin and no one was searching for God, God had now intervened. 

After three chapters of discussing sin, Paul reached his final conclusion: no one is righteous. For Paul, that is best described by the phrase, "all are under sin." Sin is not just mistaken choices or wrong decisions. Sin is a force that influences all of who we are. This is the problem facing humanity. The power of sin's influence.

Paul knows that what he has been writing could be misunderstood or intentionally manipulated. In what is one of the most complex passages of scripture, Paul answers objections to the points he's been making. Is there any advantage to knowing the revelations of God?

Having described the way that sin distorts our thinking and desires, how we suppress the truth, Paul now turns his attention to those who know the truth. But as Paul will soon point out, possessing the law isn't enough. Those who know still fail to do.

Before Paul addresses specific questions in Rome, he turns his attention to leveling the playing field. In chapter 3, Paul will declare that no one seeks God. He works his way there by explaining how the human heart suppresses the truth and refuses to give thanks to God. For Paul, a lack of gratitude is at the heart of sin.

In this introductory sermon, we take a look at the historical background of Paul's letter, both in Rome and with Paul. We also look at how Paul consistently approaches challenges with the gospel. As he put it in this first chapter to the Romans, "for I am not ashamed of the gospel."

Dan Boever shares his personal testimony and explains how God has proved himself to be present even through challenging times.

Join us for our annual Christmas Eve service as we reflect on the meaning of Christ's birth and the significance of how Christ was born into the world—a divided world.

Jonathan Lopez shares his personal testimony and explains how God has proved himself to be present even through challenging times.

KyAnne Weaver shares her personal testimony and explains how God has proved himself to be present even through challenging times.