Something smells a little fishy, doesn’t it? The well-known story of Joseph and Mary from Matthew 1:18-25 describes how a husband had to deal with a surprising unplanned pregnancy. Listen in as Pastor David explores this passage with us and gives us a couple of challenges for the Christmas season and beyond.
The Joyful Sound of Advent
In Isaiah 35, the prophet foretells a time when the redeemed of the Lord will walk along the pathway of holiness. This time will be marked by profound joy and gladness. Is this just a pipe dream for the people of God? How does the birth of Jesus signal a tremendous change in the work of the kingdom of God? And how can we sing for joy in our darkest hours? Click here to listen in to Pastor David’s sermon on this third Sunday of Advent:
The Tangible Peace of Advent
This week we studied Isaiah 11:1-10 together and found something unusual: that a plant was growing where nothing could be expected to grow! This prophecy foretells the coming of Jesus the Messiah, the one filled with God’s Spirit, God’s justice, and God’s peace. How can this transform our lives as we journey through this Advent season and beyond? Listen in to Pastor David’s sermon on this passage.
See the Hope of Advent
On this first Sunday of Advent, Pastor David preaches from Isaiah 2:1-5, a prophecy about a time when all nations will stream to Jerusalem to worship God in his temple. How does this passage point back in time to Jesus’s birth? And how does it point forward to his return at the end of the age? Click here to listen in, and let’s see the hope of Advent together!
What God Suffered For
On this final Sunday of the church year, “Christ the King Sunday,” we focus in on the kingship of our Savior by looking at a well-known passage, Luke 23:32-43, dealing with Jesus’s crucifixion. Listen in as Pastor David explains the unique structure of that passage and what it means for our understanding of Jesus today. What did God really suffer for? For us or something bigger than us?
(Coming soon: images of the visual aids used in this sermon.)
What God Hears
We often take comfort in the truth that God hears his people when they call out to him. Yet this truth is a little more complicated than that. As Malachi 3:13-4:3 teaches us, the Lord hears all that his people say to him – both words of adoration and words of complaint. Malachi’s vision of the coming “day of the Lord” was intended to cause people to live differently in the present. How do all these thoughts tie together? Click here to listen to Pastor David’s sermon on this passage.
What God Remembers
We know that God remembers the past – specifically, the covenant he has made with us – and that is reason enough to rejoice. What else does God remember? And how can that transform our lives in the present? Click here to listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Haggai 2:1-9, a passage from a short but important Old Testament book of prophecy.
What God Thinks of Us
Our reputation as believers in the surrounding community is very important: people can be attracted to Christ or turned away from him based on how we live! But our reputation before God is even more important. That is the message of Isaiah 1:10-20, and that forms the theme of Pastor David’s sermon this week. Click here to listen to his message on this challenging passage of scripture.
Finishing Well
As we conclude our study of Paul’s final letter in the New Testament, Pastor David preaches on 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, in which Paul reflects on having finished his life’s race. In God’s timing, this sermon came just hours after one of our elderly saints passed away after a long illness. Listen in on this timely word from the Lord:
Fulfilling Your Ministry
What do running a 5k, having itching ears, and serving in the church have in common? Well, they all are part of Pastor David’s reflections on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, the sermon text for this week’s message. As we continue our study of this letter to Timothy, how does this passage call us to fulfill our own roles within the church? Listen in to the sermon by clicking this link.