St. Stephen Reformed Church

Psalm 24 is presented as a profound revelation of Jesus Christ as the sovereign Creator, redeeming Savior, and triumphant King, culminating in His Palm Sunday triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The passage unfolds in three movements: first, affirming God's universal sovereignty as Creator, who owns all things and demands reverent worship; second, revealing that only those cleansed by faith in Christ—...

The sermon centers on Jesus' determined journey to Jerusalem, where He sets His face toward suffering and glory, not triumphal vengeance. It contrasts the disciples' expectation of a conquering Messiah with Jesus' true mission: to fulfill God's redemptive plan through humiliation, death, and resurrection, thereby replacing the temple and making Himself the true meeting place between God and humani...

The sermon unfolds the necessity of Christ's bloody death as rooted not in external compulsion but in the unchanging holiness, justice, and love of God, demonstrating that the cross was the only possible way for God to save sinners without compromising His nature. Drawing from Hebrews 9:22–28, it argues that the Old Testament sacrifices, though necessary as shadows, pointed to a greater reality re...

Nahum chapter 3 delivers a divine verdict on Nineveh, not as a sudden judgment but as the culmination of a long history of violence, deception, and spiritual corruption, exposing the empire's identity as a city built on bloodshed, seduction, and sorcery. The prophet portrays God's justice as both inevitable and righteous, reversing Nineveh's own methods of humiliation and exposing the emptiness of...

The sermon centers on Proverbs 28:13–14, presenting a profound call to honest self-examination and repentance as the path to divine mercy. It emphasizes that concealing sin leads to spiritual ruin, while genuine confession—specific, unqualified, ongoing, and accompanied by forsaking sin—results in God's forgiveness and covering through Christ's atonement. Drawing from David's experience in Psalm 3...

Nahum 2 delivers a powerful vision of divine judgment on Nineveh, not merely as historical prophecy but as a profound revelation of God's justice and redemptive purpose. Through vivid imagery of siege, destruction, and the collapse of Nineveh's pride, the passage reveals that God's judgment is both terrifying and deeply comforting, as it liberates His people from oppression and restores their spir...

This sermon draws profound spiritual wisdom from four seemingly insignificant creatures in Proverbs 30:24–28, illustrating how divine wisdom often manifests through weakness, preparation, security, unity, and bold confidence. The ant exemplifies foresight and diligence, calling believers to prepare for eternity and spiritual trials by storing up God's Word and living with purpose. The rock badger...

Nahum's prophecy delivers a powerful message of divine justice and enduring hope, confronting Judah's lingering fears and theological uncertainties during a time of national reformation under King Manasseh. While the book's central focus is the impending destruction of Nineveh—the embodiment of Assyrian oppression and rebellion—Nahum's primary aim is not merely to condemn but to awaken faith by pr...

Psalm 23 reveals the profound truth that God, in His sovereign love, has chosen to be our shepherd—not as a distant ruler, but as an intimate, present, and active guide. Through the dual images of the shepherd in green pastures and the host at a banquet, the psalm portrays God's provision and presence as both sustaining and triumphant, even in the midst of life's darkest valleys. The ultimate expr...

Nahum's prophetic psalm presents a powerful, often unsettling portrait of God as a jealous, avenging, and wrathful sovereign, not in contradiction to Micah's message of mercy, but as its necessary counterpart, revealing the fullness of divine holiness and justice. Far from being a mere display of terror, God's wrath is portrayed as a righteous, measured, and purposeful expression of His covenant f...

The central message of the sermon is that true wisdom, as defined by Proverbs 11:30, is demonstrated not merely in personal righteousness but in the diligent effort to win souls for Christ, making the righteous a 'tree of life' whose fruit—gospel testimony and transformed lives—leads others to salvation. Drawing from historical figures like Paul, Luther, Whitefield, Edwards, and Spurgeon, the prea...

The sermon centers on the profound truth that human desires, whether for material provision or spiritual fulfillment, point to a deeper reality beyond this world, revealing that our souls were made for God. Drawing from Proverbs 13:4, it contrasts the sluggard—defined by laziness, excuses, lack of ambition, and self-deception—with the diligent, who, through persistent effort and faithfulness, are...

The sermon presents a stark contrast between the invitations of Lady Wisdom and Madam Folly, illustrating that every person faces a daily choice between the path of godly wisdom and the deceptive allure of foolishness. Rooted in the fear of the Lord, wisdom offers lasting life, nourishment, and guidance, while folly, though seductive and disguised as freedom, leads to destruction, death, and etern...

The concluding verses of Micah reveal a profound shift from prophetic judgment to heartfelt prayer, worship, and confident hope, as the prophet, despite widespread rejection and despair, turns to God in dependence, pleading for divine shepherding amid spiritual desolation. Central to this message is the assurance that God's character—marked by steadfast love, forgiveness, and unwavering faithfulne...

The sermon centers on Proverbs 1:7, asserting that the fear of the Lord is the foundational beginning of true wisdom, not merely a starting point to be outgrown but a lifelong orientation rooted in reverence, awe, and obedience to God. It distinguishes biblical wisdom from secular or atheistic understanding by emphasizing that without a proper relationship with the living God, even the most intell...

The sermon unfolds Micah's prophetic journey from lament to confident hope, revealing that God's judgment on Jerusalem is not the end but a necessary phase in His redemptive plan. Though the people suffer under God's indignation due to covenant unfaithfulness, their suffering is not punitive in vain but purposeful—bearing the weight of sin so that a remnant may be preserved and the true building o...

The book of Proverbs presents a vital call to pursue godly wisdom as the foundation for living rightly in a world marked by moral confusion and spiritual folly. Rooted in the fear of the Lord, wisdom is defined not as mere knowledge but as practical, God-centered discernment that guides daily decisions, fosters righteousness, and protects from destructive choices. The first nine chapters function...

Micah's lament in chapter 7 captures a profound spiritual desolation rooted in the moral and covenantal collapse of God's people, where even the most basic human relationships—family, friendship, and marriage—have been corrupted by sin and betrayal. Far from mere melodrama, his woe reflects a faithful prophet's heartbroken recognition that the very people entrusted with God's covenant have become...

The passage from 2 Timothy 4 calls for unwavering faithfulness to the preaching of Scripture, framing it as the central duty of every believer, especially pastors, in the face of growing cultural resistance to sound doctrine. Paul, writing from imprisonment and imminent martyrdom, charges Timothy with the solemn responsibility to preach the Word with urgency, patience, and courage—reproving sin, r...

Psalm 90 is presented as a profound call to honest reflection on the brevity and fragility of life, not as a source of despair but as a pathway to wisdom and divine intimacy. Centered on the reality of human transience and the just wrath of God due to sin, the psalm confronts the pain of loss, failure, and mortality, yet anchors hope in God's eternal nature as our dwelling place. Through the lens...

The sermon, drawn from Micah 6:9–16, confronts the moral and spiritual decay of Jerusalem through a prophetic indictment of systemic injustice, deceit, and idolatry, exposing how the people's prosperity was built on exploitation and false worship. It emphasizes that God's voice, though crying out in judgment against the corruption of the marketplace and the lies of its people, is drowned out by th...

This sermon, drawn from Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–26, delivers a sobering yet pastoral warning about the eternal consequences of unrepentant selfishness and spiritual complacency, contrasting the rich man's disregard for the poor Lazarus with the ultimate reversal in the afterlife. Centered on the theological themes of divine justice, the finality of judgment, and th...

The sermon presents Micah 6:1–8 as a divine courtroom drama in which God, as prosecutor, summons His people to account for their unfaithfulness, using the enduring mountains as witnesses to their covenant history. It emphasizes that God's case is not rooted in anger but in grace, recalling His redemptive acts from Egypt to the Promised Land, demonstrating that His people's rebellion is not due to...

The sermon centers on the divine power and glory displayed through the church, anchored in Ephesians 3:20–21, which affirms that God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within believers. Drawing from the congregation's history, including its transition from the United Church of Christ to the PCA, the preacher illustrates how God's faithfulness...

In Micah 5:2–6, the prophet delivers a profound Advent hope amid national despair, pointing to a future ruler from Bethlehem—though small and insignificant—whose origins are from eternity, fulfilling God's eternal purposes. This shepherd king, rooted in David's lineage and dependent on divine strength, will shepherd God's people in majesty and peace, ultimately defeating spiritual enemies not by m...