Sunday Sermons

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...

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?...