Sunday Sermons

In this week’s passage, the Preacher zeroes in on possessions and wealth. But it isn’t the message that many of us might expect on the subject. The issue of having wealth or not isn’t as much the concern of the Preacher as the approach to it and the heart of the one who has it. It is a message that ought to resonate well with us who have been given much in comparison to most throughout the world.

This week, we looked at the first section of verses in chapter 5. And while most of Ecclesiastes up to this point has been a series of observations about the visible world, the Preacher’s approach changes toward giving advice in this passage. His concern is the careless usage of words before God and the dangers inherent to it. It is a text that exposes the connection between the words of our mouth...

As we continue along in our walk through Ecclesiastes, the latter half of chapter 4 presents to us a contrast between living a life in isolation from others and one surrounded by accountable relationships. The one accentuates the vanity of our toil and the other brings to us something good and beneficial to ourselves. It is a passage that teaches us the essential place that community must have in...

Last week, we saw that God’s sovereignty over all aspects of all things is something to which we can humbly and even joyfully submit. As we continue in Ecclesiastes this week we will follow the Preacher as he ponders how one is to live or find purpose in a world filled with wickedness, injustice, and oppression. How does God’s sovereignty carry over into these aspects of our fallen world and is th...

This week, we come across one of the most familiar passages in all of scripture, more for pop culture reasons than anything else. But there is more to this text than what most would care to think about. The seasons of life change, and there is a time for all of it. This is an examination of God’s sovereignty over all times and what that means for us. To many, it is a terrifying prospect to realize...

Last week, we were introduced to the book of Ecclesiastes. The author began with the statement that ‘all is vanity’, and in the second half of chapter 1 and all of chapter 2, the Preacher goes into a bit more detail of how this is the case. He discusses the pursuit of wisdom, self indulgence, wise living, and all toil done under the sun. He comes to the conclusion that, indeed, it is all vanity. A...

This week we began a new book together as Pastor Mike presented Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 to us. It’s probably safe to say that we couldn’t have picked a more dissimilar book from Revelation than this. If Revelation is a view of what is going on behind the curtain, Ecclesiastes is a study of the curtain itself. What is this world that we dwell in and what do we make of the lives we live in it?

After almost an entire year, we have reached the conclusion to the book of Revelation. The prophecy has been given to John and now we are instructed on how to go forward in light of it. Jesus is coming soon; and the reality of this truth propels his people to live faithfully until that day.

In the wrapping up of Revelation (and history as we know it), we are treated to an abundance of imagery that gives us a glorious peek at our lives to come. We will finally be with our God forever in the place that he has prepared for us. One interesting aspect of this week’s passage is how it shows us that the new heavens and the new earth are not completely different from the world we see today,...

As of last week, we have entered into the part of Revelation where we get a clear view of the fulfillment of all things. The new heavens and new earth has arrived, and we see that it is gloriously different than the current order of things. In this week’s text, John’s vision of these things is focused in on the bride. Through some very descriptive language, we can get a picture of the final produc...

This week begins a new chapter in Revelation, both literally and figuratively. As we saw the things of old done away with at the end of chapter 20, all of God’s enemies judged and the world that was cursed gone, it is now time for something new. It is now time for God to fulfill and complete the work that he has promised to do since the days of Abraham, to create a permanent dwelling place for him...

Last week, we saw Satan defeated and thrown into the Lake of Fire. Now, we come to the last enemy of God and His people: Death. From upon His great white throne judgment is poured out upon “the dead” and ultimately upon Death itself. Though the punishment of an eternity spent in a Lake of Fire is a terrible reality to face, in this latter part of Revelation 20 we see that the One who sits on this...

Last week, we went through one of the most striking images in the entire Bible, Jesus Christ, Lord of Lords and King of Kings rides into battle on His white horse. The battle ends in total victory with the Beast and the False prophet being cast into the lake of fire for eternity. The original readers, reading this letter for the first time, might pause at the end of ch19 and ask what about Satan?...

We have now arrived at the anticipated moment that all of history has been building up to, the return of Jesus Christ in glory. And this passage describes it in clearer detail than anywhere else in Scripture. We see heaven opened up and the King of Kings return to judge the world in righteousness. Though we may expect an epic struggle with such an event, Revelation 19 tells us of something a littl...

The beginning of 19 presents to us a view from heaven of the celebration over God’s judgment of Babylon. This is followed up with an announcement of a marriage feast to happen soon. This text shows us that a new reality is upon us. The old is passing away and the new is about to come. The goodness of this news is dependent on the object of a person’s worship.

Last week, we got a vision of a prostitute riding the beast. In chapter 18, John is made privy to a detailed word on what will truly become of her. This is a passage that continues to show us what the final judgment of all things will look like. Babylon is fallen. And with it, we see a very sharp contrast in the reaction to this news; depending on the perspective it comes from.

As we continue in John’s vision in chapter 17, his attention is now drawn to a woman. But this woman is very different from the one in chapter 12. This is a fantastically repulsive picture that actually causes John to marvel for a moment. Though this part of Revelation is, again, chock-full of difficult imagery it is important for us to understand what is being said here since it helps us further...

In Chapter 16, the hour of judgment has come. And the image in which we see it here is with seven angels pouring out the seven bowls of God’s wrath. Each bowl seemingly more intense than the last. But its in the contrasting responses over these things from heaven and on earth where we truly see the difference between those who stand with the Lord. and those who stand against him.

In chapter 15, John sees another sign. It is a moment of final preparation before the final judgment comes down. And the reaction that John sees in this moment is one of praise and worship to the Lamb. This new mini-series within our walk through Revelation marks out the final death throes and destruction of the world system as we know it. It is dark, but it will bring us to the doorstep of the gl...

After a mountain-top vision from the text last week, John now gives a startlingly dark description of what awaits those who reject the living God and worship the beast. This week’s passage contains probably the most explicit reference to the nature of God’s wrath in all of the scriptures and so it is rightfully met with a sense of trembling. But ultimately, this is a word to encourage the saints t...

This week, we are back in the book of Revelation and walked through the first five verses of chapter 14 together. This chapter comes on the heels of John’s visions of the two beasts that make war on the saints cause those who do not worship the image to be slain. But chapter 14 opens up with a vision of pure joy and hope for God’s faithful. It is a vision to give God’s people the encouragement to...

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on April 9, 2023

A king is coming for his people and he will set up a city and kingdom unlike any before. This was true in the days of Zerchariah and it still remains true for us today. We just have more information now. Palm Sunday is the recognition that Jesus has always been the king that his people have been waiting for. He has come to us already, but will come again to finish the job completely.

Message from Pastor Mike Matheson on March 26, 2023

Last week in Chapter 12, we saw the dragon, Satan himself, thrown down from heaven and begin his great war on those who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Now in chapter 13, John sees the infamous beast rise from the sea. There is a lot of confusion about this beast. But if we read carefully, we can come away with a clear sense of what God is revealing to us about the nature of evil and the hope we h...