Sunday Sermons

We are now into the latter half of our Lord’s beatitudes in which we are getting a clearer picture of the type of people who are part of his kingdom. In verse 8, Jesus calls us to purity of heart and promises the gift of seeing God. It is a simple statement, but holds profound weight that gives us a hope beyond anything before.

We have now reached the fifth beatitude which tells us that the merciful are the blessed ones. This is a unique beatitude amongst the list of others in that the outcome replicates the command. The merciful will be shown mercy. It is another insight into what citizens of the kingdom are to be like.

In verse 6, we learn that it is those who hunger and thirst for righteousness who will be satisfied. While this is something that Christians would almost certainly nod their heads in agreement with, it may be an idea that we don’t often meditate on personally. Our approach to righteousness is fundamental to who God’s people are to be.

In this third beatitude, Jesus tells us that the blessed ones are people who are meek. It is a word that we sometimes use, but rarely think about what it means and what it actually looks like in day to day life. But it is a quality that our Lord holds at a high value and is connected to our inheritance as his people.

This week Pastor Isaac took us through the second beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount. In this short statement, Jesus teaches something that should strike us as odd. It is the ones who mourn that are truly blessed. This is another signal to us and all of his hearers that reminds everyone that his kingdom is unlike any other kingdom. And the people who he seeks out to populate this kingdom are n...

Now that we have taken a broad view of the entire Sermon on the Mount, we dig in to look at it in pieces. And when Jesus opens his mouth to teach, he begins with a series of statements known as the Beatitudes. It is in the Beatitudes where we start to get a good picture of what his kingdom is all about. It is certainly nothing that we would expect; but through his teaching here, the true heart of...

This week is unique, instead of the usual short scripture passage, we are studying the entire three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount this Sunday. While we will be taking time to examine it in more bite-size pieces in future Sundays, it is important to first look at it as a whole. What we discover, is the level of authority that Jesus holds and the heart of God in what he commands of His people.

In this first week of 2024, we are taking a short break from the book of Matthew to look at Psalm 1 together. But truthfully, Psalm 1 is not as much of a deviation from Matthew as we may think; especially as we prepare for the Sermon on the Mount. This opening psalm draws up the boundary between the wicked and the righteous, how they fare in this life, and what will come of them.

In the wilderness, Jesus accomplished what no man could by overcoming the temptation of the evil one. Now it is time to begin building his kingdom, but Christ’s kingdom is very different from everything we have come to expect concerning power and reign. All of our expectations are gloriously reversed as we see what he has come to do.

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on December 24, 2023

We have now reached a point in the book of Matthew where we see Jesus as an adult for the first time. But chapter 3 doesn’t begin with Jesus immediately. We are first made privy to the ministry of John the Baptist, who is the one sent before Christ to prepare the way. Between John’s work, the appearance of religious leaders to the scene, and the actual baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3 is a passage that...

This week, we look at a darker element of the Christmas story that significantly contrasts with the joyous elements of the holiday that we are familiar with. It's the story of Herod’s plot to kill the child and God’s divine intervention in guiding Joseph to Egypt and eventually Nazareth. This is more than an isolated event, Matthew cites Old Testament scripture to show us that something larger and...

This week we cover a passage that almost everyone has a passing familiarity with, “The Visit of the Magi”. What is truly notable about this story though, is the contrast in reactions to the newborn king. While it is certainly good news for the wise men, it is something altogether different for Herod. This pushes us to consider our own response to Jesus.

After walking through Jesus’ genealogy last week, we now dive into the narrative of his life that Matthew has laid out. Matthew begins with a telling of the events surrounding the Lord’s conception and virgin birth. While the focus is on Mary elsewhere in the gospels (Luke), Matthew zeroes in on Joseph. It is through Joseph’s handling of the situation he faces that we see God furthering the plan t...

We now begin a year-long series in the Gospel of Matthew together. And from beginning to the end, the author is going to work to convince us of the identity of Jesus and the nature of his work. In these first seventeen verses, Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus. And while it would be easy for us to skim it or skip over it completely to get to the story, it is there for us to further unders...

Last week, Pastor Mike talked about our thinking rightly concerning political power in light of the true power of the gospel. But another danger that lays its trap for the church is making politics the primary shaper of our identity. The folly in doing this is in the fact that political affiliation is an insufficient substitute for the glorious identity we have in the gospel of Christ.

In this brief, two week series, we have the opportunity to consider the gospel and what it means in our approach to politics and social issues. With a political climate as polarized and often vitriolic as our own, it is necessary for us to consider these things as God’s people. If we are to be set apart from this world, then we must also be set apart in our convictions about worldly power.

In this short passage from chapter twelve, we now hear from the narrator who concludes the book. It contains some words about the Preacher as well as some summarizing thoughts about wisdom. But most notably, we are given a command at the end which serves as a unifying statement in regards to what our life is to be about: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

In this penultimate sermon from our Ecclesiastes series we see the Preacher give instructions to remember and rejoice in this life. While this passage certainly applies to all who read it, he has something to say to young people in regards to how to approach the days of youth. The harsh reality is that we will all fade and die. Therefore, how we think about and spend our days matters.

The beginning of chapter 11 addresses the unexpected nature of life and how we ought to respond to it. While we are always drawn to feeling as if we are in control, the uncertainty of what will be is proof of otherwise. But that still shouldn’t prevent us from living faithfully today.

In this week’s text, the Preacher walks through the complex relationship between wisdom and folly. While wisdom is far better than the strength and shouting of fools even a little folly can also do so much damage to what is good. This is advice that people of all stages of life would do well to heed.

In Ecclesiastes 9:1-12, the Preacher revisits the idea of death as the great equalizer for all. And he does this so that the reader refocuses to a right perspective of life. The sobering reality that our days are numbered (and we don’t know how many we have) is meant to shape our lives toward faithfulness and fuller enjoyment of what we have.

Ecclesiastes 8 proves to be a difficult passage; not only in navigating what the Preacher is telling the reader, but more difficult to hear and accept. How do we relate to civil authority and society as a whole when there is clear evidence of injustice and wickedness? The answer given here is not one that we will hear out in the world, but it is a necessary lesson for us as God’s people if we are...

The second half of Ecclesiastes 7 proves to be one of the most difficult passages to understand up to this point and it's possible that this is exactly what the author intended. But he isn’t attempting to be confusing for its own sake. The search for wisdom and understanding the way forward in life is a pursuit that is already immensely confusing and impossible to grasp. This is what the Preacher...

The passage from this Sunday again presents to us a truth that proves difficult for us to understand and often to accept: that God truly is sovereign over all things and has providence over all that comes to pass. But this time, the Preacher goes into a little more depth than he has before, as to how we ought to think about and respond to our circumstances. How we ultimately approach adversity say...