Do Not Weep: A Lesson From a Widow’s Tears
A centurion’s servant was healed by a mere word and news is spreading fast. A crowd follows Jesus, and the party stumbles across a funeral. A mother has lost everything. In the midst of all these people, will Jesus even notice this hopeless woman? Should he see her, what might move him to act? On her most devastating of days, the widow’s tears draw our gaze toward the Savior’s heart. Listen as we draw a lesson from the widow’s tears in Luke 7:11-17, that we might have hope in all of life’s circumstances.
The Better Power
Nearly one-fourth of the world, 2 billion people, has little to no access to the gospel. What could one church in Greenville possibly do against such an insurmountable task? We’re seemingly powerless. Maybe we could come up with a better plan, something better than sending a few missionaries to preach about a crucified Messiah. As Paul opens his first letter to the church in Corinth, he addresses a problem of division. In doing so, he teaches us something about power. It’s the power we need if we are to have any hope for seeing the Riau Melayu, or anyone for that matter, rejoice in Christ. It’s a power that looks awfully foolish, but it’s a better power than we can possibly imagine. Listen as Paul teaches us to how to be a powerful church from 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5.
An Unacceptable Prophet
The first pages of Luke are filled with stories that tell us about Jesus—predictions of his birth, songs about his mission, the joy of the incarnation, and the initial responses of those waiting for his coming. Excitement is building and word about him has been spreading. Now the time has come for Jesus to tell us something about himself. Who is he and what has he come to do? Surely everyone will be excited about this good news. After all, why would grace get anybody upset? This sermon from Luke 4:14-30 will help to answer these questions.
The Beloved Son
It’s time. John has prepared the people for the coming Messiah, and now he is here. As the people dry off from John’s baptism, they look back and see Jesus knee deep in the river, dripping wet. Then the most extraordinary thing occurs. The heavens open, the Spirit descends, and the Father speaks. He calls Jesus his beloved Son. This singular truth, that Jesus is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased, will carry our Lord through all that is to come. He knows exactly who he is and exactly what the Father thinks of him. But do you know who you are? Do you know what the Father thinks about you?
Waiting for Redemption
The angel’s good news of great joy in the birth of our Lord is perhaps one of the most well-known passages in all of Scripture. It graces our refrigerators in the form of greeting cards, decorates social media walls (and sometimes. . .actual walls), and has even made it into animated cartoon shows as early as 1965! But have we ever considered what the good news is that the angel of Luke 2 is proclaiming? Have we ever thought about why it should drive us to great joy? In Sunday’s sermon from Luke 2:1-21 we will consider these things and look to God’s word and wisdom for the answers.
The Magnificat
The Lord sent Gabriel to tell two women their lives were about to be turned upside down—both will be surprisingly pregnant. These two separate stories are about to come together as one and erupt in joy. Joy in what God is doing for these women. Joy in what God will do through their children. Joy in what God will do in his world. Through Mary’s child, the promised Messiah, the whole world is about to be turned upside down. The story of great reversals comes to light as the exalted Lord humbles himself in order to exalt the humble.
The Servant’s Death
He wasn’t what they expected, so they rejected him. Rejection gave rise to undiluted hatred. They spit on him, stripped him, and struck him. People screamed at him. Priests lied about him. Politicians washed their hands of him. They numbered him among the transgressors and made his grave with the wicked. Why did he endure this injustice? Why so great an injustice? Because the injustice of the cross is a shadow of the injustice of the gospel. See the scandal of the gospel in this sermon from Isaiah 53:7-9.
A Harvest of God’s People
It isn’t always good news when a kingdom gets a new king. Will he be benevolent or tyrannical? Will he be wise or foolish? Does he desire peace or war? The Gospel of Matthew tells us that a new king and his kingdom have come. But who is this king and what is he like? Matthew 9:35-10:15 shows us this new king is compassionate, and his compassion creates a mission to fill his kingdom with people.
Joyfully Watched
If someone told you that you were being watched, would that elicit peace or fear? The answer likely depends a lot on what you’re doing, who is watching, and why they’re watching you. Here at the end of Hebrews, the author means to encourage us with the gift of being watched. As we seek the city that is to come, we’re being watched by our leaders—pastors helping us endure all the way home. In this sermon we look at Hebrews 13:17-19 and consider the gift of being “Joyfully Watched.”
Looking to Jesus on the Cross
The heroes of faith recalled in Hebrews 11 show us the life of faith is possible because God is ever faithful. Their stories, filled with victories and failures, illustrate for us that faith is more like running a marathon than it is a sprint. We feel that in our own lives as we battle the sin within and around us. When faith is hard, when you’re weary and can’t go on, where should you look for help?
I Will Be Sanctified
Strange fire and the death of two priests named Nadab and Abihu. What does this have to do with the death of Christ? On Good Friday we continue our series through the book of Leviticus, now in chapter 10. We’ve learned about the sacrifices God requires for fellowship with him and about the priesthood he sets apart to mediate our relationship. In Leviticus 9 the Lord appeared. Like a consuming fire he burned up the burnt offering on the altar. For the first time, the Lord dwelled among his people since Eden.
