The Cross and the Crown

What does it mean that we are made in the image of God? How has sin impacted our status as image bearers? How has the work of Christ redeemed our status as image bearers? 

What does creation reveal to us about who God is? Where is Christ in creation? How do these truths about creation help us understand our salvation deeper? 

Christ is our all in all. As we close a two year study through a Christ-centered view of Scripture, we will start again in Genesis and apply the attributes of God in our reading of key stories throughout the Bible. How does all of Scripture point us to Jesus? 

Nehemiah 9:17 tells us that God is a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Nehemiah presses us further into the work and will of God in bringing his promises to pass, far above and beyond simply rebuilding walls. 

Who was Ezra and why is this book so significant in redemptive history? Here, we will examine the story of the return of the remnant of Jews back to the promised land from captivity in Babylon. We will see yet another picture of the faithfulness of God. In addition, we will examine how Ezra brings us closer to the coming of the messiah. 

The book of Revelation was intended to bless its readers and provide practical instruction and encouragement to the churches of John's day and ours. Wading through fear-inspiring symbolism and the harsh reality of God's final judgment, the book is meant to bring an unshakable confidence and anchor to Christ's people in perilous times. Christ the conquering King, the Lamb slain from the foundation...

The strongest of us grow weary and weak. In our weakness, God proves strong, giving rest to the weary.  In this passage from Isaiah, we see a picture of an inexhaustible and personal God who has not forgotten His people. 

Throughout the history of the world, kingdom after kingdom has risen and fallen. Kings come and kings go. The reality for the believer is that there is one kingdom that will never be shaken and one King who is everlasting.

In modern culture, it is not so much the humanity of Jesus that is put on trial, but His deity. The claim of the believer is that Christ was fully man and fully God. Does scripture support this claim? Why is it essential to hold to this truth and what impact does the deity of Christ have in how we live our lives? 

Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God, is the hope of the world. What does it mean that Jesus is fully man and fully God? In this sermon, we will examine the humanity of Christ and its essential relevance to His saving work in our lives. 

How does Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, go from being an unbeliever to a leader in the early church? In this short, yet vividly insightful epistle, we see the passion of a leader who calls his people to contend for the faith. Jude's use of Old Testament, external, and even NT illustrations and quotes are the evidence of a man devoted to the preservation of truth. 

The book of Esther is a testament to God's faithfulness to His people in exile. The sovereignty of God is on full display in rescuing His people from certain calamity during Persian rule. But how does this book point us forward to Christ and deepen our understanding of the work of God in the world today?   

In John's third letter, we see a clear portrait of God's design for missions on a deeply personal level. We find the aim of missions set forth with a deep concern for truth as the fountain from which true love flows. 

The faithfulness of God is seen in His bringing each of His promises to fruition. As we look back at the promises of God, we find that each of them find their fulfillment in Christ. This gives us a sure hope for the promises of God yet to be fulfilled. 

What does it mean that God is kind? How does the kindness of God shape the kindness that we show in the world? In Paul's letter to Titus, we see a clear picture of the kindness of God through the gospel of Christ. 

Patience! Oh, that dreaded word that we are early and often told not to pray for. How dreadful and unbiblical such advice is though. Understanding the patience of God with mankind is critical to understanding God's love for mankind. Love is patient... we are told. If we are to grow in love for one another, patience is a non-negotiable element of the fruit of the Spirit at work in believers. Press...

The book of 2 John, though often overlooked, is a hidden gem in scripture and profitable to those who invest their time in studying it. 

Peace with God is a prerequisite to having the peace of  God. The peace of God is an indescribable gift and anchor during life's hardest times. It is the fruit of the Spirit alive in believers. 

Scripture tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Christ Himself prayed that His own joy would be in us. What brings Christ joy? How does the joy of the Man of Sorrows impact how we live in the world? What does that mean for us when we find ourselves worn down from life's trials and difficulties? How do we fight for joy and why is that critical for the believer?

1 John confronts and challenges every professing Christian to examine their faith. At the same time, it equips us and encourages us to persevere and grow deeper in our understanding of who Christ is and who we are in Him. 

God is love. Throughout Scripture, we find a clear meaning to help us understand what love is and what love isn't. In John's recording of Jesus' High Priestly prayer, we find an incredible truth of what God's love means both for  and  in the life of a believer. 

In 2 Peter, we read the farewell address of a man that walked with Jesus. The approachability of Peter helps us sit at the table of an apostle whose failures and growth are put forward front and center in the New Testament. What final words should the apostle impart to his people?

1 Peter is ripe with foundational truths that are critical for both understanding the gospel and Christian living. In the tour of Peter's first letter, we are left with an unshakable confidence in the power and presence of Christ in our lives as we walk through life's many trials. 

In what are undoubtedly two of the most difficult truths to digest regarding God's character, we will explore the relationship between divine grace and wrath. How does a deeper understanding of the wrath of God drive us beyond a superficial view of God's marvelous grace? In what ways do we distort God's character, dilute the gospel, stifle missions, and contort our standing as children of God when...

In this walk through Psalm 23, we see clearly the intimate reality of what it means that the Lord is our Shepherd. How does this Psalm help us better understand the work of Christ?