NHPBC Sermons

Paul writes 2 Timothy from a place most of us can’t imagine: a Roman dungeon, cold, filthy, and closing in on execution. And yet his words don’t sound defeated. They sound steady. That’s what grabbed us and that’s what we want for our own lives when following Jesus gets costly, misunderstood, or lonely. We camp out in 2 Timothy 1:11–12 and trace what we call two roots of gospel strength. First, we...

Easter can be a fun day with familiar traditions, but one question refuses to go away once the chocolate is gone: so what? We open Psalm 16 and listen to David talk like someone who is genuinely satisfied in God. Not vaguely spiritual. Not religious out of habit. He says the Lord is his refuge, his portion, his counsel, his security, and the fullness of his joy. Then Psalm 16 hits a nerve. David c...

The cross wasn’t designed to be inspiring. It was designed to be humiliating, unmentionable, and final. So why would anyone build their whole faith around it, let alone boast in it the way Paul does? Doug McMasters opens 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 to show why the earliest Christians talked about the crucifixion in public, even when their culture treated it as obscene. We trace the Bible’s diagnosis of...

The tragic scene of King David weeping over his rebellious son Absalom offers us a profound window into the heart of one of Scripture's most complex figures. "My son Absalom, my son, my son! If only I had died instead of you!" These words of anguish reveal a depth of emotion that seems almost unfathomable given Absalom's betrayal. David's story begins with remarkable promi...

Jesus saves His hardest words for the people who look the most religious. Matthew 23 isn’t a rant, it’s a mournful warning: hypocrisy can make you feel safe while you quietly shut the door of the kingdom of heaven on yourself and on others. We work through the opening four woes Jesus speaks to the scribes and Pharisees and ask what they reveal about our own hearts, our churches, and our leadership...

What causes a promising leader to fall? The story of Israel's first king offers a sobering look at how seemingly small compromises can lead to catastrophic failure. At the close of the period of Judges, Israel finds itself in a cycle of sin and redemption, with "everyone doing what seemed right in their own eyes." They longed for stable leadership – specifically, a king like the nat...

Some religion looks impressive but leaves people exhausted. As we return to Matthew 23 during Passion Week, we listen to Jesus speak with clarity and urgency about what can rot faith from the inside: hypocrisy, burden-heavy leadership, and the hunger to be noticed. He points to the scribes and Pharisees as a living warning and then calls us to a different way, where God’s Word doesn’t stop at our...

Shame tells you to stay quiet. Isaiah 54 does the opposite, it tells the barren and the desolate to sing. We open with the story of William Carey’s famous “deathless sermon” and his missionary charge to “expect great things from God and attempt great things for God,” then we slow down and ask why that kind of courage is even possible. We walk through the Servant Songs of Isaiah to show the spine o...

Journey into one of scripture's most beautiful love stories as we explore the Book of Ruth. This remarkable narrative stands in stark contrast to the chaotic period of the judges, offering a glimpse of God's faithfulness during Israel's darkest chapter. When famine strikes Bethlehem, Naomi and her family flee to Moab—enemy territory for Israelites. After losing her husband and both...

Jesus asks the question that slices through religion, politics, and self-help spirituality: “What do you think about the Messiah?” We sit with Matthew 22:41-46 as Micah McCormick walks through why that question is not a debate prompt but a demand for clarity. If “Messiah” feels like a church word you rarely use, this message grounds it in the Bible’s storyline: God’s promised anointed King, Priest...

What happens when God's people decide to define "good" for themselves? The book of Judges provides a sobering answer, chronicling Israel's descent into moral chaos after the death of their faithful leader Joshua. Starting from a position of tremendous blessing—having witnessed God's power through the Exodus, wilderness provision, and conquest of Canaan—Israel stood at a cr...

They came to the temple with one goal: make Jesus stumble in front of the crowd. After the political trap about taxes and the theological trap about resurrection both collapse, the Pharisees send an expert in the law with a final test: “Which commandment is the greatest?” What sounds like an academic Bible question turns out to be a heart-level confrontation that lands right in the middle of Holy...

From wilderness wanderers to conquerors of the Promised Land—the Book of Joshua marks a pivotal transition in Israel's journey with God. What appears on the surface as merely a military campaign reveals profound truths about God's character and foreshadows the coming Messiah. Joshua, whose very name means "Yahweh saves," stands as a prophetic figure pointing to Jesus Christ. Or...

Death isn’t rare, it’s just hidden, and that avoidance quietly shapes what we fear and what we live for. We open Matthew 22:23–33 and watch the Sadducees bring Jesus a question designed to make resurrection look ridiculous. Their scenario about seven brothers and one wife sounds like a debate win, but it reveals something deeper: when we shrink God to the size of our assumptions, we lose both bibl...

Moses stands at the threshold of Canaan, addressing a new generation poised to enter the Promised Land. His final words—captured in the book of Deuteronomy—would echo through biblical history for thousands of years, shaping not only Israel's identity but also the very foundation of Christian theology. Deuteronomy isn't merely a collection of ancient laws. It's the theological backbo...

The Book of Numbers often sits gathering dust in our Bible reading plans. When was the last time you heard a complete sermon series from this wilderness account? Yet hidden within these ancient census counts and detailed tabernacle instructions lies a profound narrative about God's character, human nature, and the journey between promise and fulfillment. "In the Wilderness" – the He...

Leviticus may be the most avoided book in Bible reading plans, but what if it holds the key to understanding God's plan for reconciliation with humanity? This episode dives deep into the theological significance of this often-misunderstood book. Through a fascinating examination of biblical structure, we discover Leviticus sits at the precise center of the Pentateuch, with the Day of Atonemen...

Redemption without purpose is simply relocation. But in God's economy, every deliverance has a destination. Through this illuminating journey through Exodus, we discover the profound truth that God's redemptive work isn't merely about getting His people out of trouble—it's about bringing them into relationship. The narrative begins where Genesis left off, with Israel multiplyin...

Why is there something rather than nothing? This fundamental question opens our exploration of Genesis, the foundation of all Scripture. As we embark on our Route 66 journey through the entire Bible, we discover how this first book provides the essential framework for understanding everything that follows. Genesis reveals a stark contrast to other ancient creation accounts. Rather than depicting w...