Buffalo City Church

Caleb Drahosh \\ Jesus begins His work after calling the first disciples by teaching, casting out demons, and healing the sick. Jesus' authority is a kind that has never been seen before. Unclean spirits and sickness obey Him. Both are spheres that cannot be touched by even the most authoritative in the world. Now is the time to rethink everything.

Caleb Drahosh \\ With no hesitation, Mark tells us about Jesus' baptism, wilderness temptation, gospel proclamation, and call of the first disciples. The gospel carries urgency, but it is not frenetic. When God, who is three persons and One divine nature, stands to take action, the momentum builds quickly. And the call is clear. Jesus says: "Follow me."

Caleb Drahosh \\ John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. He proclaimed a baptism of repentance, looking ahead to One who would baptize not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. John knew a greater One was coming and his task was to lay the groundwork for the good news of Jesus Christ.

Caleb Drahosh

John Baumgartner \\ We use our riches to avoid unpleasantness: unpleasant circumstances, unpleasant people, and pains. The richer we are, the less likely we are to be willing to give it up. But the Lord is so rich that he became poor for us. The Lord who is higher than the heavens and the earth is able and willing to—and did in fact—stoop down below everything else in order to raise us up.

Caleb Drahosh \\ After the flight to Egypt and upon Herod's death, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph for the third time telling Joseph that he should take Mary and Jesus and return home. But learning of a new threat, Joseph moved his family to the region of Galilee and a town called Nazareth. Nazareth is not a well thought of place. But that's exactly how God works. He works His salvation fo...

Caleb Drahosh \\ Joseph lived according to God's Word and therefore did not fear. Herod resisted God's Word and feared greatly. The fulfillment of God's promises in the coming Christ would threaten Herod's kingdom and his power. He sought to destroy the prospective usurper. But Herod plotted in vain. The Word of God would be fulfilled through Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt and their return.

Caleb Drahosh \\ Joseph was a man from the line of David. He was a just, or righteous, man. When his betrothed was found to be with child, he resolved to divorce her quietly. But the conception was a result of the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit as the angel would explain to him. This is a key indicator that the One Mary carried was the Christ. And Joseph, being just, acted according to the Wo...

John Baumgartner \\ Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah spoken of by the prophets. He is the rightful heir to the kingship of David and the promised child of Abraham who will bless His people and all the earth. His claim to all these is as sure as His lineage shown by Matthew as the opening to His Gospel.

Caleb Drahosh \\ Our pursuit of sound doctrinal understanding is meant to lead to doxology. Knowing God is the grounds of our boasting as Christians. As we grow in our understanding of the Scriptures we worship God individually and congregationally by going further up and further in.

Caleb Drahosh \\ When the truth of the gospel is proclaimed, God works in the heart of the individual, bringing that one from death to life which results in faith and repentance. By faith these ones are declared righteous and their sin is removed. They are joined to Christ, receiving the adoption as sons and progressively growing in practical Christlikeness.

Caleb Drahosh \\ From eternity past God planned to redeem a people for His possession. That plan is fully revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the righteousness of God who God put forward as an atoning sacrifice for sins, justifying the ungodly while maintaining His perfect justice. In this way, Jesus accomplishes redemption for all the Father gives to Him.

Caleb Drahosh \\ The crowning act of God's creative work is the creation of man. God created male and female and placed His image upon them. He charged them to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion over all the created order. Nothing else in creation bears God's image. But sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and the image of God was marred in humanity. It is only through the...

Caleb Drahosh \\ All theology is meant to lead to doxology. Knowing God is the grounds of our boasting as Christians. God is the Creator of everyone and everything and He freely makes Himself known in and to His creation. Humanity bears the image of God and is invited into relationship with God who reveals Himself through His Word.

Blaze Culliton \\ The Psalmist provides a template for worship of a Holy God by telling them to praise the Lord and give thanks for His steadfast love and to remember His mercy. Recounted through the history of Israel, we see the mercy of the Lord for a people who forgot His works and did not wait for His counsel. Despite their forgetfulness, God remembers His covenant and saves His people through...

Caleb Drahosh \\ The Psalmist tells God's people to give thanks to, sing to, glory in, seek, and remember the works of the LORD. Why? Because the LORD remembers His covenant forever. As an example, God remembered His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He sent Joseph to Egypt to preserve His people in famine, and sent Moses to bring them out of slavery. Like Joseph, Jesus Christ was sent into t...

Caleb Drahosh \\ Paul planned to go to Corinth but postponed his visit because God had opened a wide door for effective work in Ephesus. Many were hearing the gospel in Ephesus and the harvest was coming in. But there were those that would disrupt the work, and Paul labored to protect the gospel fruit. God has charged Buffalo City Church with ministering the gospel in Jamestown. The fruit is ready...

Caleb Drahosh \\ Psalm 104 is a lengthier Psalm, outlining the act of creation according to the days God made each element. And at the end, the Psalmist prescribes rest for the individual, mirroring God's rest on the seventh day. The rest is shown to be an act of worship as his people rejoice in the works of the LORD. This Sabbath rest is made for man, and Jesus is the lord of the Sabbath.

John Baumgartner \\ Grumbling is one of the most prevalent sins among God's own people. We forget what He's done for us and so we begin to grumble like Israel did so many times before us. Psalm 103 is the solution to our bad memories. We are to tell ourselves all that God has done for us, in detail. Grumbling dies away before the grateful heart that remembers God's goodness to us.

Caleb Drahosh \\ The Psalmist pours out his complaint before the LORD. In his distress he approaches God and lets his plight be known. But the Psalm doesn't end there. The Psalmist is reminded that the LORD is enthroned forever. He resolves to let his complaint be heard, and treats it with truth, for the sake of future generations. Even as we suffer we point to Christ's suffering that secures our...

Caleb Drahosh \\ To whom should the people look for an example of how to live before the face of God? The King. David knew this was the king's role and so he made resolutions to walk in integrity of heart on the blameless way. Jesus Christ is King and exemplifies David's resolutions perfectly. Jesus sits on David's throne as King forever.

John Baumgartner \\ What's wrong with the world? Mankind does not honor God or give Him thanks. This Psalm is an antidote to that thanklessness. Learn from the Psalmist how to thank God with a whole heart for all His kindness to us.

Caleb Drahosh // As redemptive history unfolds, the free gift of salvation is offered to all peoples. This Psalm works backwards, indicating that the Lord will be exalted over all the peoples, that His justice and righteousness is at work in Israel, and that His hand was upon them in the past. This is all due to His holiness, which punctuates the Psalm.

Kalen Heller \\ All of creation is to sing a new song to the LORD for He has worked salvation for His people. The Lord shows his steadfast love and faithfulness through His deliverance of Israel, which is done in the sight of the nations. God has delivered for His people in the past, is delivering for them in the present, and will deliver for them in the future.

Caleb Drahosh \\ The foundation of the throne of the LORD is righteousness and justice. When He issues His judgments, nothing in creation can stand. The wicked are put to shame, but the righteous rejoice and worship in reverence and awe, expressing gratitude that they receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.