Sunday Sermons from The Village Chapel

Most of us have been misunderstood before and most of us have misunderstood others at some point in our lives. In both cases, misunderstandings cause a great deal of tension for all parties concerned. 2 Samuel 10 is the story of kindness misunderstood and rejected, and how this led to war with a tremendous loss of life. If we are interested in understanding others and being understood  properly ou...

The beauty of the historical narrative found in 2 Samuel 9 is the way it reflects the Gospel in the context of covenant relationships. Don’t you just love a narrative about promises made and kept, about grace, mercy and kindness in action? Join Pastor Jim for this study that leads us to the beauty of God’s lovingkindness, grace and mercy towards sinners such as we are! Support the show To find mor...

The Old Testament overflows with examples of how we are all longing for the love of a righteous king who loves justice and deals in mercy. But this is so far from the real world many people have experienced. Is there any hope that things will ever change? Join Pastor Jim as he explores a 3,000 year old example of this in the people of God under King David all foreshadowing what we find in David’s...

We can learn a lot about a person whenever we hear them pray and there is much to learn from David’s prayer response to God in 2 Samuel 7:18-29. David was sitting in the middle of a “no” from God. What would his immediate response be towards God? How do we respond when God says “no” to us? Join Pastor Jim as he unpacks this prayer of humbled gratitude from David, a man after God’s own heart. Suppo...

Today’s passage from 2 Samuel chapter 7… Now that King David had brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, he wants to build a temple for it, a house for God. But God has other plans for both the Ark and for David. Join us as we study this passage of God’s promise to establish his kingdom forever in the line of King David. Support the show To find more resources like these, follow us: Website:...

What was the Ark of the Covenant and what did it symbolize in the life of God’s people? How do the presence of God and the fear of the Lord bring us to the joy of the Lord? Join Pastor Jim as he walks us through this 3,000 year old story of how God has been at work restoring the joy of His people and how He continues to do that in our day and time. Support the show To find more resources like thes...

2 Samuel 5 is like a narrative patchwork quilt or a collage of short stories surrounding the reunification of two kingdoms that had been in conflict. What timeless and transferable lessons can we learn about the role of faith in matters of reconciliation? How does God show Himself faithful, powerful and compassionate during those times we get stuck and can’t breakthrough the darkness or, we can’t...

Skepticism, cynicism and suspicion abound in our world. Almost everyone has been disappointed by an individual, and most of us by at least one institution, be it a school, the government or, sadly, by a local church and/or it’s leadership, pastors included. Dishonesty and injustice abounds. Is there anybody or anything we can really trust? Is there any authority we can look to for trustworthy just...

Today’s passage from 2 Samuel chapter 3 is filled with political diplomacy and treachery; personal ambition and vendetta; a thirst for power and a hunger for revenge. The winds of change are blowing for the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Join us as we study this chapter and see how God’s sovereignty prevails in spite of our mixed motives, and how God’s purposes inclu...

The Old Testament narrative passages overflow with stories of personal struggle, family dysfunction, civil war, intrigue, espionage, and greed. In spite of it all, the Bible shows us how God has been in search of a people He could call His own. How unlikely is it that God would have chosen, called and saved the likes of some of the Bible’s most prominent characters? How unlikely that God would do...

Most people down through the ages of human history have asked what the meaning of human life is. Is it possible for us to know? Is it possible to discern God’s will for our lives? Join Pastor Jim for this practical study of how King David made a disciplined habit of inquiring of the Lord during times of great uncertainty. Support the show To find more resources like these, follow us: Website: http...

What makes us mourn, weep or cry? Is there a proper time and place for people of faith to lament? Join Pastor Jim as he opens up a 3,000 year old song of lament written by the psalmist David to show us how the love of God for us in Christ is a love from which we can never be separated. Support the show To find more resources like these, follow us: Website: https://thevillagechapel.com YouTube: htt...

Epic battles, grifters, grief and fear all mark the opening chapter of 2 Samuel. David’s village in the south had been sacked and burned to the ground by the Amalekites and at the same time, up north, King Saul and his son Jonathan had been killed in a fierce battle against the Philisitines. Along comes an opportunistic schemer with a story full of holes and half-truths. Join Pastor Jim as he remi...

2 Samuel is action packed, overflowing with espionage, political power struggles, epic battles, rising and falling heroes, tsunami sized socio-cultural shifts, family betrayal, unfettered human passion, adultery, murder, revenge! Join Pastor Jim for this Intro to 2 Samuel and explore how we as the people of God can live for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor as we realize that Jesus Chr...

It has been said that Philippians is the epistle of joy. In part, this is because the words “joy” or “rejoice” appear 16 times in this short letter. The unassailable joy of the Gospel is a theme that runs throughout the NT and it is inextricably connected to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Join Pastor Jim as he wraps up the closing thoughts of the apostle Paul from the ancient letter called Ph...

The times in Philippi were contentious, and Paul not only knows it but has experienced it. As he encourages his beloved church there, he reminds them how to be “in Christ”, and what that looks like in our daily life as individuals and as members of the body of Christ. He also reminds them of the life-giving promise associated with being “in Christ”. Join TVC’s Curate Kim Thomas as we look at these...

How can we tell if we are on the wrong road or the right road in our life with God? How do we make progress in our Christian pilgrimage? What impact does the Gospel of grace have on our past, our present and our future? Join Pastor Jim as he explores the answers to these questions and more from the apostle Paul’s ancient letter to the church in Philippi. Support the show To find more resources lik...

In chapter three of the letter to the Philippians, Paul makes it clear that nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. Our only hope and confidence is found in the work of Christ on our behalf. Support the show To find more resources like these, follow us: Website: https://thevillagechapel.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQVTzDbaiXVUAm_mUBDCTJA Instagra...

Do you ever wonder what terms like salvation, justification, sanctification and glorification really mean? If the Bible tells us to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” how does that square with its claim that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”? Join Pastor Jim as he unpacks one of the most succinct passages on these subjects found in Phi...

Jesus prayed that love and unity would be foremost among the characteristics that mark those who call themselves His disciples. The apostle Paul echoed that in Philippians 2 and spelled out some of the ways we can nurture such deep love and unity. Join Pastor Jim as he explores the rich tapestry of the unity and love we share in Christ. Support the show To find more resources like these, follow us...

In this passage the apostle Paul exhorts his readers to conduct themselves in a manner “worthy of the gospel of Christ.” What would that have meant in their time and how does that relate to us all these years later? Is it possible to nurture a steadfast faith in a culture that isn’t always friendly to our faith? Join Pastor Jim as he unpacks the timeless truths of scripture and what it means to li...

As we continue our study of chapter 1 of Paul’s letter to the Philippians we are given an example in both word and deed of a sturdy confidence in the providence and sovereignty of God. Whether in life or in death Paul has a proper abandonment to whatever the Lord has for him. Paul displays a clarity for life’s great aim: Christ and his glory. He loves the church at Philippi and desires to see them...

Some form of the terms “joy” and “rejoice” appear a total of 16 times in Paul’s ancient letter to the Philippians. The phrase “in Christ” appears 10 times and there are over 40 references to “Jesus Christ”. So, we can begin to see there is some connection between real joy and abiding in Christ. Just what does Paul mean by this and how might it apply to our life with God today? Join Pastor Jim as h...