The Cross and the Crown

Memorization sounds like a scary word to most people. For the believer, the discipline of memorization is fuel for joys of meditating on Christ and a ready and polished sword for the spiritual trials and temptations each of us will inevitably face. We see the practical benefits to this clearest in the wilderness temptation of Christ.

Studying the Bible widely helps lay a foundation for our studying a Scripture deeply. The aim of this depth sets its heart on growing deeper in our relationship with Christ and closer in our conformity to Christlikeness. As we delight in this discipline of study, may we shine forth the excellencies of Christ ever more clearly to a watching world. 

In this kickstart sermon by Landon Key, we behold the beauty, simplicity, and glory of the gospel of God. Truly, truly! How beautiful the feet of those who bring the good news!  

Reading the Bible widely gives us a better understanding of God's overarching story, which in turn gives us a necessary foundation for studying God's Word for depth. As we become more familiar with Scripture's storylines, we see the panorama of His glory in the height, depth, breadth, and length of Christ's fulfilling work.

In this intro to our study on evangelism, we see the glory of the coming Messiah. We see a picture of Christ who is high and lifted up, both at the cross and in his being crowned Lord of all through his resurrection. Let us stand amazed and marvel at the plan of God in making peace with his wayward people. 

If the goal of our lives is to further the kingdom of God for the glory of God… And we do that by growing in intimacy with Christ as we grow in conformity to Christ, all the while sharing the message about Christ… we must immerse ourselves in Scripture…. BECAUSE...  Scripture as the written Word of God is God's means of our knowing rightly and truly enjoying Jesus, the Word of God embodied.

As we continue to introduce the spiritual disciplines as a door to delighting in God, we find a picture of the early church that found beauty in simplicity. 

Genesis 50 beckons us to wade reflectively through the waters of the reality of death. In this closing chapter, we see the God who in the beginning made the heavens and the earth is also a God who is involved and cares deeply for his people. In seeing the curse of death made real, we are confronted with the value of life and a superior hope that death is but a gateway to glory for his children by...

In Jacob's final breaths, his poetic prophecies point us to an unshakeable truth!

In this intro to our study on spiritual disciplines, we find that the goal of training for godliness is for enjoying Christ. 

As Jacob is dying, he adopts the sons of Joseph as he worships the Almighty and everlasting God. 

The family of Jacob trusts the wisdom of the unconventional wisdom of Jospeh. In accord, they are accepted into the land because of the royal brother who sits at the right hand of the king. 

As Jacob and Joseph prepare to meet, God intervenes and speaks to Jacob as he prepares for the grand reunion. 

Joseph makes himself known to his brothers 22 years after they sold him into slavery. What will he do? How will he react? Will vengeance win the day? Can there be a happy ending?

"Judah's concern for his father drives him to love what his father loves." In Cory Wilkes' first sermon, he picks up in Genesis 44, deepening our understanding of the transformation that has taken place amongst the sons of Jacob, pointing us deeper into the precious truths of the gospel, and pressing us into a captivating intimacy with the Father from on High. 

As God continues his work in Joseph, Jacob, and his brothers, there is a feast in the famine.

The famine brings a family reunion. With Joseph face to face with his brothers, what will Joseph do? Will he exact justice? Will the brothers get what they deserve? Is there redemption for men like this? Will Jacob die in sorrow?       

The life of Joseph was changed a dream more than once. In this episode, we see the exaltation of the brother who has known only humiliation for over a decade. We see the sovereignty, timing, and wisdom of God in raising up Joseph for such a time as this. 

How does the story of Joseph help us understand how to relate to the suffering of others while we ourselves experience heartache? How does God grow us in our moments of difficulty? 

Sin is crouching at your door. Run for your life. How do we rest in our running?... or, in Whom do we rest? How do we slay the sin that so easily entangles us?

How does the story of Judah and Tamar point us to Christ. Can God really bring good out of life's most difficult circumstances? 

The life of Joseph stands as an example of the sovereignty of holy God and how his sovereignty relates to human freedom, suffering and events. We also see the clarity of how all of Scripture points is to the person and work of Christ. 

Sometimes we skip passages of Scripture because they  make us feel uncomfortable. Other times, we skip them because we deem them less important. So often, in glancing over such passages, we abandon the beautiful riches of God's Word to us. Genesis 35:8 is one such passage, as we are confronted by the beauty of a quiet life that leaves a gaping void in the heart of Jacob. The life of Deborah, Rebek...

The pivot between Genesis 34 and 35 is almost as shocking as the content of chapter 34 alone. What God would show grace in response to evil while simultaneously paying the penalty due it? For the believer, idolatry is an ever-present obstacle. How will it be laid waste? 

Chapter 34 of Genesis plunges us into the gut-wrenching story of the rape of Dinah, the silence of Jacob, the unquenched fury of Simeon and Levi, and the catastrophic loss of the Hivite women and children. The cycle of violence put forth in Genesis 34 leaves us staring at the mirror of today with tearful, broken, and justice-seeking eyes. Has anything changed? Is there a light in the dark for thos...