New Eden Sermons

When the circumstances of life make the promises of God seem impossible, God does His best work. Though we may shake our heads and laugh in unbelief, God graciously asks us to consider, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Based on grace alone, God gives to His people a new identity, marked by the covenant sign of circumcision. And like all signs, it's meant to direct our eyes toward the destination - Jesus Himself.

God's people continue the pattern of making poor decisions that cause chaos to ensue, hurting those around them. But into the mess, God shows up and meets the most unlikely of people in the most unlikely of situations. Truly, He is the God who sees.

God reiterates His promises of a people and a place to Abram. But Abram still has questions. God meets Abram in his doubt and affirms His promises through a covenant ceremony. Except this covenant is radically unilateral, hinging solely on the character and commitment of God Himself.

Lot begins a pattern of finding himself in messy situations, sometimes innocently and sometimes because of his foolish choices. But just like Abram rescues Lot in this story, God is faithful to rescue His people over and over again.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the central truth upon which followers of Jesus stake their claim. But what if it's all a hoax? What if the flesh of Jesus rot in the grave like every other human? And what if this message is nothing more than a fairy tale?

Through the highs and the lows, through the ups and the downs, God is committed to His purposes and His people. We see this most clearly through the person of Christ. In this story from Genesis 12, Abram sacrifices His bride to save Himself. But in the gospel, Jesus sacrifices Himself to save His bride.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." But the plans of God never do. In spite of humanity's rebellion, God sees to it that His purposes still move onward.

God gives a permanent covenant promise and even gives a public sign to ensure its fulfillment. In spite of human's continued sin, God will see to it that redemption is possible.

From a place of deep sorrow and grief, God accelerates the destruction of the earth, along with the humans He created. But because God is committed to His partnership with humans, He will preserve a remnant safe through the waters of chaos.

The humans that God created to partner with Him in spreading goodness have only served to spread evil. God sees this and is deeply grieved. To preserve His good creation, He will purge the earth by sending a flood. But by His grace, He'll offer salvation through a righteous one.

Cain, the firstborn son of Eve, advances the line of the serpent through his sin. He murders his own brother, and the grasp of evil tightens. Humanity is exiled further east of Eden. But in the darkness, there are glimmers of hope and promises of redemption. A better brother will arise who will reunite us with the Father and bring us home.

The archetypal humans, Adam & Eve, make the first mistake recorded in Scripture. And this mistake is costly. Everything unravels, chaos returns, sin spreads, and it seems the adversary has won. However, even in the darkness, there are promises of hope. God will meet humanity in their exile with a plan to bring them back home.

From one human, God creates a union of counter-partners. Man and woman - in perfect communion with God, each other, and the earth. This beautiful one-flesh mystery points us to something even greater - Christ and His bride.

Friends of a paralyzed man decide to get him in front of Jesus at any cost. After breaking through a roof and lowering this man to Jesus, they can only sit back and watch the events unfold. What will this proclaimed Messiah say? Will he heal the man? Or will this simply be another failed attempt in a long line of many?

On the 6th day of creation, God places humanity in the garden to bear His image through cultivating life and beauty. And on the 7th day, God takes up residence, joining humans in His cosmic temple. Though they rebel against His partnership with them, God refuses to give up on His promise to humanity. A true human is coming who will bring eternal Sabbath for all who trust in Him.

From the chaos of nothingness, God creates order, beauty, and the potential for life and flourishing. Through this creation narrative, God's power, purpose, and goodness are on full display. But the enemy has other plans.

Genesis is a historical narrative, but even more than that, it is a theological story containing deep and abiding truths to which our hearts can cling. The one true God, who has created all things, keeps his covenant promises from generation to generation despite humanity's failures.

This Advent season, we are looking at various prophecies that Jesus fulfills through his incarnation. In the early pages of Scripture, we hear the promise of a Victor. One is coming who can crush the head of the serpent and deal with sin and evil. He is the hope in the midst of our conflict and strife.

This Advent season, we are looking at various prophecies that Jesus fulfills through his incarnation. The prophet Isaiah tells of one who is coming to rule the world with justice and righteousness. He is the one true King we all long for.

This Advent season, we are looking at various prophecies that Jesus fulfills through his incarnation. In Isaiah, we read of one who will come and shepherd His people with love, compassion, power, and strength. But this same Shepherd will also become the lamb slain for the sins of the world. *The speaker is one of our global church planting partners. His name is withheld for security purposes.

This Advent season, we are looking at various prophecies that Jesus fulfills through his incarnation. In Deuteronomy, Moses promised that one day, another prophet would arise like him, but better. All prophets pointed forward to Jesus, the One who would come to redeem the world from sin and death.

The letter from James closes with encouraging the church to corporately commune with God on a regular basis. In response to this call, we spent our time praying through the book of James together.

James indicts wealthy oppressors who were hoarding money and indulging in luxury while persecuting others. He then turns to encourage his brothers and sisters, who find themselves in the midst of all types of suffering. He calls for active patience and trust in the Judge who is returning soon and will judge all things with justice and righteousness.

The church is challenged by James to consider their relationships and their planning for the future. Though seemingly unrelated, how we approach these two topics reveals whether we operate out of humility or arrogance. For those who have been captured by Jesus, the only room for boast is in the cross of Christ.