Covenant of Grace Messages

We return to Matthew to look at Jesus’ encounter with a rich young man. Jesus reveals the man’s neediness, but he leaves Jesus, holding fast to his riches with an unchanged heart. This week, we study Jesus’ criteria for who enters the kingdom of heaven and see that human achievement is not able to save.

Too often Christian parents are on their heels, talking about all of the hazards out there. They are very concerned about the world infecting their children. And this is understandable. There are hazards to avoid. But the goal of Christian parenting isn't merely to protect our children from being infected but is also to prepare them to launch out to infect. To go out into the world and make discip...

Children are a blessing from the Lord but also a lot of work! God commissions us to train our children in the way they should go. But what does that entail? This week, we study the Scriptures to find help and hope for parenting (and grandparenting) little children.

We live in a country and a culture where children are often seen as a burden. Sadly, this kind of thinking has also seeped into the church. This is a modern problem but not a new one. When children were brought to Jesus, the disciples rebuked their parents. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me." Even when Jesus’ disciples saw children as a nuisance to be avoided, Jesus saw them as a...

We are on a mission to build or buy or lease a house – a building for the Lord – just like thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of local churches before us and, even like the people of Israel. Today, let’s take a brief look at how God used Haggai to encourage his people to continue to rebuild the temple so we can receive comfort and encouragement for ourselves.

Why should local churches and individual Christians do things like go overseas to tell people about Jesus? Why should we forsake the comfort of a safe and easy life to give sacrificially to the cause of Christ? Why should we be willing to leave behind friends and family, careers and comfort in order to tell people about the love of God in Christ? In other words, why do we do missions? Our study th...

In justification, God has declared guilty sinners to be righteous through faith in the finished work of Christ and has done so “by his grace as a gift” (Romans 3:24). Thus, those who are freely saved through the gospel are also called, empowered, and motivated to live a life that reflects God and pleases him. Compelled by grace, believers grow in the knowledge of God, obey Christ’s commands, walk...

On life’s journey we are all going somewhere. The ultimate question is knowing where we are going. Peter tells us of the virtues we must find in ourselves if we are to walk the road that leads to the Kingdom of God and encourages us to persevere and grow in these virtues, becoming increasingly free from the world’s influence on us, thus developing our salvation and glorifying God. Note: Emerson So...

Our text this week is a familiar Christmas favorite: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. This is a familiar passage, but coming back to it in faith we can always find fresh grace and glory.

Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. But what's the point? Why is this important? In this week's sermon, we'll study the significance of the virgin birth of Christ.

The topics of singleness and celibacy have led to much confusion in our day. What is the purpose of singleness? Who should remain single? After speaking of the high calling of marriage, Jesus both upholds marriage as the norm while validating those disciples called by God to live a celibate life for the sake of the kingdom.

The fracturing of our culture and our churches can be traced back to, in part, a culture of easy divorce. A divorce is easy to obtain in our day, and it surprises many to learn it was the same in Jesus' day as well. In this message on Matthew 19:39, we will look at Jesus' teaching on the damage and danger of divorce. Rightly understanding the seriousness of divorce warns us away from it even as it...

Matthew 19:3-6 - Marriage is one of God's original blessings. But sadly, we live in a world where God's design for marriage is distorted or denied. As Christians, we are called to take a countercultural stand. To speak the truth, live by faith, and pursue God-honoring marriages that shine like bright lights. In this week's sermon, we'll look at Jesus' teaching on marriage.

Ingratitude marks this world, but hearts overflowing with gratitude marks the forgiven. This week, we will look back to the grace we have received and the call to give thanks to God in and for all circumstances.

Our culture insists that human freedom, happiness, and fulfillment come from expressing ourselves and following our own desires, especially our sexual desires. In this message, we will examine Jesus' authoritative word on this topic. That the One who created us not only has the authority to set the parameters for us but also has the wisdom to know what is best for us.

Forgiveness is central to our experience as Christians. It is at the heart of our relationship with God and our relationship with others. Not surprisingly, Jesus talks about forgiveness a lot. And in this week's passage, Jesus teaches us that God’s forgiveness of us shows us why and how we're to forgive others.