1 Peter 2:4-5 contains an inspiring description of the identity and purpose of the church. After anchoring us in the glorious gospel, the apostle builds a framework for the church to understand the role and responsibility we have been given. These verses construct a concise understanding of what it means for us to be God’s “Spiritual House.” We wil…

Here is David, once again, facing adversity not of his own making, and as a gift to us, we have a window into how David dealt with this adversity before God. Tim Keller said in an interview that the psalms can essentially be summed up in “Lord, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but thine be done… except the psalms give you 150 ve…

Guilty Hearts on Trial: Psalm 53 (1) An Accusation is Made – 53:1, (2) A Witness is Called – 53:2-3, and (3) A Verdict is Rendered (almost) – 53:4-5

Psalm 127:1-2 teaches us that God is the builder, protector, and sustainer of our lives and our life together as a church. It contrasts two ways of living, one overflowing with God’s grace and another that is plagued with anxious toil. We will shape the sermon by two prayers, benedictions to pray for each of us individually and for our church colle…

Psalm 52 is a song written by King David when all around seemed to be marked by suffering and sorrow. People he loved were killed, people who hated him prospered, and evil appeared to have won the day. In this moment, David reminds himself and us of the steadfast love of God, the perfect justice that one day will come, and confesses his desire to b…

Acts 8:26–40 contains a God-ordained, Christ-exalting, Spirit-led gospel conversation between two people. The path of the Philip the Evangelist is crossed by an Ethiopian eunuch in a search to understand Scripture. The result is nothing less than remarkable as Philip shares “The Good News About Jesus.”…

In Acts 8:4–25 contrasts two kinds of spiritual work: one in which the Spirit of God blesses the effort and the other which the Lord resists. These verses detail the beginning of the Gospel spreading into Samaria and the joy that it brought and reveal that those who desire to minister to others in the power of God must do “The Lord’s Work in the Lo…

In Acts 7:54-8:3, Stephen becomes the first martyr of the Christian church. Enraged by his message, the religious leaders of Israel stone him and widespread persecution sweeps through the infant church. Yet, in the darkness of these moments, light breaks through clouds. This text shines the first light of Scripture on Saul (who later becomes Paul) …

The flow of thought that begins in Acts 6:8 stretches all the way to 8:3. It describes a disciple named Steven, records the sermon he delivered to a hostile Jewish council, chronicles his martyrdom, and concludes with the mention of Saul of Tarsus. This epic contains all the characteristics of one remarkable story. That being the case, we will spen…

In Acts 6:1-7, we encounter a pivotal moment in the life of the church, where dissention and distraction threatened to disrupt its unity and mission. Our passage illustrates what happens when local churches are filled with people who understand the important part each person plays in order for the congregation to experience “Flourishing Gospel Mini…

There are 105 verses in First Peter, and we are going to look together at 3 of them this morning. We won't come close to capturing the breadth of what Peter has to say in this letter, but in this small window that we’re focusing in on, we will see the full picture of the gospel, how we are born again to a living hope.…

The main theme of Ephesians 2:4–7 is bracketed off from the rest of our text drawing our eyes and our attention to one glorious truth: by grace you have been saved. This summary of the gospel message shows us that it is the grace of God, his unmerited favor, that has saved us from first to last. There are three brief truths I would like to call to …

Luke 24:1-12 proclaims the greatest news ever told. These verses bridge the darkest night in history to its brightest morning. On Good Friday, the disciples' hopes were buried in the tomb with the Lord himself, On Easter Sunday their hope sprang eternal with the good news of his resurrection. This Easter morning we will look not only at the reality…

Acts 5:27–42 begins and ends with the apostles proclaiming the name of Jesus, yet the space between details the most severe persecution we have seen so far in our study. Despite their message being rejected, and their bodies beaten, the apostles rejoice in suffering and praise God that they were “Counted Worthy to Suffer.” With our bibles open and …

In Acts 5:12-32 we read a report of how the Lord is at work in a local church planted in a city of vast lostness, and real threats, yet a steadfast commitment to proclaim Christ. Our verses cover a wide range of elements: days of church growth, a night in prison, a mini-sermon, and opposition. Through it all we find a thread of what might be descri…

In Acts 5:1-11, we are met with the first recorded sin in the New Testament church. After witnessing what seemed like ever-increasing unity and joy over the first four chapters of the book, from now on what we'll see is not only external persecution, but internal corruption. At the heart of this story, what we see most clearly is God's passion for,…

The grace-filled description of the Jerusalem Church in Acts 4:32-37 contains a compelling picture of how the gospel recalibrates the very heart and soul of a local church. The picture we witness is one of authentic Christianity that moves us from living with self and our own agenda at the center, to a new way of living with Christ and his kingdom …

In Acts 4:23-31, we have the privilege of walking into a prayer meeting of the early church. As these believers experience their first taste of persecution, their reflex is to fly to God in prayer. In what may have been “Only A Prayer Meeting,” the description of this occasion contains helpful lessons on prayer itself and its role in the life of ea…

In Acts 4:13-22, Peter and John stand before the most powerful people in Israel and boldly proclaim the name of Jesus. The miracles they had seen and the truths they had heard from Jesus turned their entire lives upside down and caused them to be bold gospel witnesses. Here we find a pattern of living not only meant for these apostles, but for each…

In Acts 4:1–12, Peter stands before the most powerful men in Israel and boldly proclaims that “No Other Name” can save except the name of Jesus Christ. There are four marvelous truths we learn about Jesus from this passage: 1. Jesus, the Name that Divides, 2. Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, 3. Jesus, the Cornerstone, 4. Jesus, the Only Name t…

In Acts 3:11–26 we find the summary of “A Christ-Centered Sermon,” the second sermon preached by Peter in the Book of Acts. After the sign of Pentecost in Acts 2 and now following the sign of the lame man healed in Acts 3, we learn how these signs set the stage for sermons, wonders made way for the Word, miracles led to the message. The sermon show…

In Acts 3:1-10, the apostles Peter and John encounter a lame man begging at the temple gate. When the man asked them for money to help his situation temporarily, the apostles saw his greatest need and gave him more than he ever imagined. That day, the man who had never known use of his legs went, “Walking, and Leaping, and Praising God.” The main i…

Among all the characteristics that describe the first New Testament church in Acts 2:42-47, the final words reveal how they were Devoted to the Mission. The church which had been built on the gospel through evangelism understood their call to spread the gospel through evangelism. From their example, I want to show you three features of the mission …

In Galatians 4:4-7, the Apostle Paul highlights not only the wonders of the incarnation and the reality of our redemption, but ultimately points to the adoption we have received through Christ. This spiritual adoption we have experienced gives a us a new identity, draws us into an intimate relationship with God, and transforms how we live in the wo…

Galatians 4:4-5 not only highlights the plan of God that would unfold in the fullness of time, but also shows the purpose of God in sending his Son. Jesus came at the appointed time to redeem us from the law, sin, and death. With his life he fulfilled the law of God and then he died for those of us who never could. This is the heart of the Christma…

While the truths of Galatians 4:4-7 may take less than a minute to read, they offer a lifetime fruitful study. The Apostle Paul shows how the coming of Christ was neither early nor late but came to pass according to God’s eternal plan and purpose. The opening verse reveals what uniquely qualified Jesus to bring salvation to his people once and for …

In our text this morning, we are not going to be examining gratitude and thanksgiving. Instead, our focus will be on the Godly fruit of gratitude and thanksgiving—our focus will be on Christian generosity—particularly as demonstrated in the early church. This morning, we will examine the idea of Christian generosity under three points: ● GENEROSITY…

At the center of the characteristics found in Acts 2:42-47 is a church “Devoted to Worship.” The early church practiced a rhythm of worship as they grew in doctrine and devotion to Christ. They gathered to worship, to encourage, and to proclaim the mighty works of God together. As we look to their example, we find rhythms of worship from Scripture …

Acts 2:42-47 presents a flourishing vision for biblical community. One of the primary characteristics of New Testament Christianity is God-focused, Christ-given, Spirit-enabled fellowship with other believers. Our faith comes with a family. Today we will look at this early snapshot of the church again and learn what it looks like to be “Devoted to …

The opening eight words of Acts 2:42-47 highlight the primary characteristic of the first church in the New Testament. Every other detail about their life together followed from their devotion to the apostles’ teaching. From this starting point we will seek to understand what it means for us to be a church “Devoted to the Word.” We will show that t…

In Acts 2:37–41 we find that when someone believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior, what naturally follows are repentance and baptism. The act of baptism is rich with layers of meaning and significance for the Christian life. Behind each of the aspects we care able to observe with our physical eyes are spiritual realities that have occurred in the …

In Acts 2:14-41 we find the first Christian sermon recorded in the New Testament. The Apostle Peter offers an exposition that explains what Scripture says while also explaining what it means to his listeners. At the center of his message is the glorious gospel of Jesus. The sermon concludes with a clear and compelling invitation that teaches us tha…

In Acts 2:1-13 we arrive at the promised day of Pentecost. This unrepeatable yet remarkable scene details what happened at a significant moment in redemptive history that forever changed the way God would relate to his people as he filled and empowered them to live as his witnesses in the world. Here we will highlight two activities found both in t…

Psalm 6 contains the typical features we find in nearly every Psalm of lament. It is a prayer in pain that leads to trust. As we walk with King David through this sorrow, we will notice how he has left us markers along the path that teach us the practice of biblical lament. Here are the four steps we can take as we learn to lament: 1. Cry Out to Go…

In Acts 1:12-26 we journey between the mountaintop experiences of the Ascension and Pentecost to learn valuable lessons in the valley of ordinary life. The simple practices of obedience, being with other believers, waiting on God, and prayer are hallmarks of the Christian life. While we will discover how it came to be that “Again There Were Twelve,…

The "Ascension of Christ” recorded in Acts 1:9-11 details one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus. This occasion has massive implications on the church through ages past, in our lives today, and even our future. As we study “The Ascension of Christ” we will focus on its reality, its meaning, and finally, the comforts that come with …

The Book of Acts tells the story of “The Continuing Work of Christ.” Following Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension, the Father’s plan is continued through the Son as the Spirit empowers his disciples for gospel ministry. From the opening verses of the Book of Acts we are met with certain programmatic themes that are crucial to the entire boo…

In the final stretch of Psalm 51 David anticipates how he will respond to God’s mercy. The psalmist first approached the Lord in a spirit of repentance as he confessed his sin (1-5). Next, he prayed for restoration (6-9) asking to be washed and purified. This led him to pray for complete renewal from within and a clean heart (10-12). The last lyric…

In Psalm 51:10-12 we come to the very heart of this Psalm and hear firsthand how the cry of David’s heart was not for forgiveness alone, but for complete renewal from within. This trio of verses are a prayer of complete dependence built of six verbs – each one pleading with God to do a deep, redemptive, restorative work in David’s life. We will org…

As we began our exploration of Psalm 51 with genuine repentance of sin, when God’s Word exposed David’s sin – his eyes were opened. Rather than blame shifting or any excuse making, he felt conviction, he experienced deep contrition, and he confessed his sin to the Lord. David was transformed from a calloused sinner to a penitent man. In Psalm 51:6-…

Psalm 51 is the prayer of a soul that is aware of its depths of sin and desperate need of God’s grace. These first four verses cast every hope of forgiveness on God’s mercy in ‘repentant faith.’3 The lyrics remind us about the trappings of sin, instruct us what to do with our sin, and teach us how to restore fellowship with God. As we will hear, th…

In our reading of Psalm 50, we will see God shine forth and make a declaration to His people about the nature of their worship towards Him. We will also see a warning to those who do not call upon the name of the Lord. Today’s sermon is titled “TRUE WORSHIP”.

I’ll be in after that Our passage today is like a commentary on “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” 2 We find in Psalm 49 a song filled with wisdom, teaching us where to and where not to find our worth. By contrasting two ways to live and die, we learn the futility of trusting in wealth and the blessedness of trusting in in Christ. I pray each of us wo…

Psalm 47 is a call to worship the Lord for his perfect rule and reign as King of the Nations. This song is an evangelistic invitation that welcomes the peoples of the world to join the people of God in bringing praise. These lyrics also point forward to the work of Christ the King who condescended to save us through his work of redemption, then asc…