Christ the King Presbyterian Church

Text: Ezra 5:1-6:22 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: The returned exiles were suffering defeat for over a decade and all construction on the Temple ceased. Then God sent his prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to stir up the people once again. Through the preaching of God's word, the people were empowered to finish the building project, and they prospered under God's watchful care. All of this...

Text: Ezra 4:1-24 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Things go from bad to worse for the exile returnees. In this passage, they are met with fierce opposition from the people around them, first through temptation to compromise, and then through outright political oppression. From this passage we learn the sobering truth that the world has an unceasing hatred for God's people and will always s...

Text: Ezra 3:1-13 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Too often we can think that following Christ is a promise that nothing bad can ever happen to us. So, what do we do when deep disappointment occurs in our life like it did for the Jewish people returning from exile who wept at the lackluster temple foundation? We must remember that we were created to worship, and worship will keep our disap...

Text: Ezra 1:1-2:70 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: God's people have been in exile for years, but that does not mean they are forgotten. As Persia becomes the world power, God stirs up the heart of the king to fulfill his promise to return his people home. As we begin this study of Ezra and Nehemiah, we start with a new exodus—God delivers his people out of slavery and brings them into th...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Paul concludes his letter to the Thessalonians with a reminder to keep the main thing the main thing—that God has called them to be established in holiness for eternity. This is God's will and calling for all his people. Thankfully, in the end, our growth in holiness is not left to our own strength, but God who calls us to holin...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: As Paul begins to wrap up his letter he lists several reminders of what it looks like to live the Christian life. Constant and unending joy, prayer, and thanksgiving are all marks of God's work in the believer. And these are possible when the work of the Spirit is not quenched, but sought after through God's Word that leads us t...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Before he concludes his letter, Paul gives the Thessalonians one final imperative to love one another. This comes as an answer to Paul's earlier prayer, that the Lord would cause "to increase and abound your love for one another and for all" (3:12). In this passage, we see that love is the standard in the church, and we are call...

Text: Romans 8:31-39 | Speaker: Aaron Raines

Text: 1 Kings 8:22-30 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: As the Temple was completed, Solomon dedicated the new building in prayer. In his prayer, he asked God for two things: That he would remember the covenant with David, his father, to always have a son on the throne, and that he would dwell among this people in the Temple. But will God really keep his covenant with David when all he desce...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: We know that Jesus will return and make all things new, but when will this be? How can we be prepared for his second coming? Paul addresses this question in our passage on Sunday. He reminds the Thessalonians that no one knows the day of Christ's return. It will come like a thief in the night (v. 2). But we can be prepared, since...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians is that they would be established in holiness for eternity when Christ comes again with all his saints. But there was a problem: What about the saints among them who had died before Christ returned? Paul tells them that there is no hope even in their grief, because the dead remain united to Ch...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: In the upper room Jesus told his disciples, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another" (John 13:34). Love is the distinguishing mark of his disciples. Paul, an apostle and fellow disciple of Jesus, will teach that same love. And in this letter, he gives the Thessalonians practical ways and expected results of loving one ano...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: "What is God's will for my life?" Maybe you have asked that question before. The answer is actually quite simple, "For this is that will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thess. 4:3). God's will is that we be holy, as he is holy. It is as simple as that, and as difficult as that. What does our sanctification look like? How can we be...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Paul concludes the introduction to this letter with a warm, pastoral prayer for the Thessalonian believers. In it, he expresses his deepest desire for this precious church—that they would be established in holiness for eternity. From this prayer, we see not only a model for our own prayers, but for our very lives as well.

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:10 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Paul continues his narrative of past events by reminding the Thessalonians of Timothy's visit and good report of their faith. He was worried that the suffering they faced would cause them to despair and leave the faith. But he was overjoyed by Timothy's report that they have remained steadfast in their faith and love. He remin...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Unfortunately, we have all heard stories of ministries and ministry leaders who are in it for the wrong reasons. As Paul mentions, they are motivated by error, impurity, and attempts to deceive (1 Thess. 2:3); or words of flattery and pretext for greed (5); or simply to seek glory from others (6). In contrast, Paul reminds the Th...

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: What makes a church worthy of praise and thanksgiving? That's what we see in the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians. Paul is overjoyed to hear about how the Thessalonian church is doing. Why is that? They are bearing fruit only the gospel can produce, they are rock solid in their assurance of salvation, and they are living the simp...

Text: Psalm 133:1-3 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: How good and pleasant it is when the people of God dwell together in unity! Like David, we rejoice in the unity of believers not only in our local church, but in the church nationally and around the world. On Sunday, we'll consider the goal, means, and blessings of this great unity with have in Christ.

Text: Psalm 119:129-136 | Speaker: Jake Allen | Description: The sermon explores the profound significance of God's testimonies, urging listeners to recognize them as a source of wonder and delight, akin to discovering a hidden treasure. Drawing parallels to the story of Aladdin, it emphasizes that while external blessings may seem appealing, the true prize lies in understanding and embracing God'...

Text: 1 John 4:7-21 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: In Scripture we read that "God is love," but what does that mean? As we dig deeper into this short statement, we necessarily come to a deeper understanding of the Trinity. In fact, when John wrote about God's love, he couldn't help but mention each person of the Trinity. That's because the living and true God has eternally existed as Fath...

Text: Acts 2:1-21 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: Ten days after Jesus rose into heaven, as the disciples were gathered on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, filling them with power as they spoke in other tongues to proclaim the gospel message to all those gathered in Jerusalem. Through this event, we learn about the new and better Pentecost, the power of the S...

Text: Acts 1:1-11 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: This Sunday we will consider Jesus' ascension as Luke records it for us in the beginning of the Book of Acts. After giving the promise of the Spirit, Jesus ascends into heaven in the presence of his disciples, who are then given another promise from the angels—in the same way he was taken up, he will come again. From this passage we learn t...

American Presbyterian History, Class 9 — The PCA Today In this final class in the series Pastor Levi provides a brief overview of the PCA's history from its beginning in 1973.

NOTE: The audio is poor quality due to technical issues with our main recording program. Text: Ruth 4:1-22 | Speaker: Levi Bakerink | Description: In the final chapter of Ruth we get the resolution to the story: Boaz marries Ruth and redeems Naomi's family, and they all live happily ever after! But what about the stories that don't end that way? What does the story of Ruth tell us about when life...

Text: Ephesians 3:14-19 | Speaker: Dustin Ray | Description: Paul has been overwhelmed with God's glory and grace as he contemplates Christ's love, and with that joy he prays for his friends in Ephesus.