TBC Glassboro Sermons and More

The beloved Christmas carol, Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts, based on his study of Psalm 98. The carol was first published in 1719 with a melody different from the one sung today. The more familiar tune was written in 1836 by Lowell Mason after he combined various pieces of Handel’s Messiah. Because Psalm 98 was written before Jesus’ birth, the original readers rightly read it as a pr...

During His first advent, Jesus fulfilled three-hundred of messianic prophecies. Matthew, as one of Jesus’ disciples was an eyewitness to the fulfillment of many of these prophecies. Thus, he wrote this gospel record to demonstrate to the Jews that Jesus fulfilled those Old Testament Messianic prophecies. He was indeed their long-awaited Messiah and king. As such, Matthew begins with the all import...

Psalm 62 is a song of confident trust. While the specifics details of the psalm are unknown, it is clear that the psalmist, here noted as David in the superscription, is under a longterm attack. People are actively working to remove him from his throne with lies and curses. Truly David is oppressed and looks to God for security. Today, many believer can relate to David. They are seemingly under co...

Jesus’ second correction of Pharisaical misinterpretation is found in Matthew 5:27-30 and regards the interpretation of the Seventh Commandment. He will explain that while the letter of the Law prohibits adultery, the spirit of the Law prohibits lust. As such, Jesus sets forth an excurses upon lust, marriage, and Kingdom Citizens.

Psalm 61 details the prayer of a banished soul. David, the author, fins himself banished to the wilderness. He is overwhelmed by his current situation. Instead of continuing to feed his despair, David prays to God. As he prays, he finds strength in God as his rock and encouragement in God’s promises. No doubt, many believers find themselves in their own wilderness and like David overwhelmed. In ti...

When Jesus says, “You have heard…it was said… but I say to you,” He is not contradicting the Law but correcting the Pharisaical distortions. As such, Jesus’ first correction regards their interpretation of the sixth commandment prohibiting murder. Jesus explains that while the letter of the law prohibits murder, the spirit of the law prohibits hate and anger. As such, Jesus sets forth an excursus...

Psalm 60 is about the valleys one finds themselves in after enjoying the mountaintop victories. How often do we enjoy spiritual highs only to be met with setbacks and disappointments? How do we react in those times? Psalm 60 answers those questions.

Lest they be deceived by Satan’s lies or worldly philosophies of morality, Kingdom citizens must know and understand the Law of God’s Kingdom. To that end, Jesus deals with two questions related to the Law of God’s Kingdom. First, what does the King say about the Law? Second, what is the Kingdom citizen’s responsibility to God’s Law.

Ephesians 5:18 exhorts believers to be filled with the Spirit of God. The evidence of this fullness is that believers are joyful (5:19), thankful (5:20), and submissive (5:21–6:9). These three characteristics of the believer controlled by God’s Spirit and God’s Word—and they are presented in Psalm 100 — “a Psalm for Thanksgiving.” The focus of this devotional will be upon the five parts of thanksg...

In a day, when some believers want to blur the lines between the Church and World and others want to isolate themselves from the world totally, Jesus’ admonition to be salt and light will be jarring. Underscoring that both worldliness and isolation are condemned, believers are called the salt of the earth and the world's light. Believers must be in the world but not of the world. They must separat...

Psalm 59 is a song of appeal and assurance. David appeals to God for defense from men of bloodshed. He appealed for safety and security from his enemies and that God would humiliate them. Amid his appeal there is an assurance that God will come deliver.

Maintaining Balance in an Unbalanced World - Ephesians 4:3-7 by Rev. Gregory G. Capel, Jr.

Having examined the first four characteristics of a Kingdom citizen, consideration will now be given to those qualities dealing with the believer’s relationship with others. The second four characteristics — merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker, and persecuted deal with the Kingdom citizens relationship with their fellow man. As Kingdom citizen’s grow in relation in their relationship with God, the...

Psalm 58 is a song of final judgment. In looking forward to the final judgment, for some it will be sweet and for others severe. For those who have found grace at the cross it will be sweet because they have encountered the forgiveness of God. For those who know not the grace of God, judgment will be severe. It is of such severe judgment that David writes.

Psalm 56 again finds David on the run and surrounded by enemies. In particular, the superscription states that the psalm was written when the Philistines seized him in Gath (1 Samuel 21:10). Though his enemies sought to destroy him, David confidently asserts his confidence in God. God knows the suffering of His people and He will deliver them from danger in His time.

There are four steps one must take to acquire the balance to walk worthy. In this sermon, we will examine the four steps and consider how they play out in day to day living

Psalm 55 is another maskil or instructional psalm written by David. Here he writes of the wounded soul’s reactions to troubles. When trouble arises, every person has a fight or flight response. David writes of both responses. In verse six, he is responds with flight — “Oh that I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest.” In verse nine, he is ready to fight as he prays to God to destr...

These eight beatitudes or characteristics of the Kingdom Citizen can be broken into two categories — divine and human. The first four characteristics — poor in spirit, mournful, gentle, and hunger and thirst for righteousness — relate to the divine. That is, they deal with the Kingdom citizen’s relationship with God. The second four characteristics — merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker, and persec...

Psalm 54 is written from the point of view of the oppressed. The superscription of Psalm 54 states “A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Is not David hiding himself among us?” Hence, David wrote this psalm when he was pursued by Saul and betrayed by the Ziphites. As well, David wrote it to be a mask or instructive psalm. In this short psalm we have instruction on how to act...

In his second to the last command, James admonished believers to pray for one another in times of suffering, sickness, and sin. While praying for those suffering and sick results in granting them grace to persevere and strength to endure, praying for sinning believers results in something altogether differing. Praying for sinning believers results in freeing them from their sin. However, it is not...

Psalm 53 contains one of the most well known verses — “The fool has said in his heart, there is not God.” A denial of God is based upon a willful refusal to note the design and order of the created universe. It is the goal of David to not only lament the foolishness of denying God but to demonstrate how unbelief leads to depravity. As well, he outlines the consequences of unbelief and depravity be...

James use of the Sermon on the Mount as his source material leaves no doubt that he and his readers were familiar with the Lord’s Model for Prayer. That James makes no reference to it underscores the fact that the recipients of his letter knew how to pray. What James does address is knowing when to pray. Theologically, his readers understood prayer but practically, they suffered from a lack of pra...

Psalm 51 is a psalm of repentance written by David after Nathan the prophet confronted him regarding his sin against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. David was guilty of a great many sins according to 2 Samuel 11-12. He sinned by staying at Jerusalem when he should have been on the battlefield. He sinned by raping Bathsheba. He sinned by deceiving Uriah, her husband. He sinned by murdering Uriah....

Without a doubt, when James issues a command against swearing or frivolous oaths as a follow up to his commands not to speak against others and not to complain about others, he adopts Psalm 15:2-5 — “He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speak truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; In w...

As Christians read Psalm 48, they need to look towards the future fulfillment of this psalm. The eschatological aspect this psalm looks forward to the New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem will be a secured city, which will be inhabited by those who have been joyfully delivered by the Lord Jesus Christ. In that future Kingdom, all the people of God will come to the Temple in New Jerusalem and worship the K...