The great truths of this text grant those who are Christ's by faith real assurance of their entrance into heaven. For because He died in their stead, and rose as their Head, they too might share in the story of this king of glory. So we trust in Christ, and His righteousness alone, for in that righteousness we will be able to stand faultless before the thrown.

We see that the only one who fully meets the criteria of a blessed man is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and we receive this blessing by being united with Christ in faith.

May God help us to be careful to devote ourselves to good works, to living in such a way that does good to others, builds them up, shows the difference the gospel makes. May this grace activate us, may this mercy mold us into people ready to do good works. 

1) The call and love of the Father

2) The consistent refusal and rebellion of His people  

3) The tender compassion of God who doesn’t give up on His people

The compassion of God is shown in God refusing to give up on those who are set against him. Ultimately in Jesus, we see the love of God in giving up his own son for his enemies. May God give us grace to follow Jesus, rejoice in awe and wonder of His love, and remain in Him until he roars like a Lion and makes all things new. 

Hosea 8 shows us the need for Jesus and the promises of the New Covenant. In the New Covenant God would write his law on the hearts of his people. Through the promise of a new heart and a new spirit, former rebels can know God truly by grace through faith in Jesus. On the cross Jesus took the judgement that all idolaters deserved. Jesus took the ultimate whirlwind for rebellion. May the grace of God motivate us to plant the gospel in our hearts and sow the Word of God. We pray God would give us grace to reap a harvest of righteousness sown in peace by those who make peace.

The good news of God’s grace is not that finally the people did return to God, but that God came down to rescue people who would not return. The gospel is not see how you’re like an overheated oven, a half-baked cake, a silly dove, or a crooked bow and look within, dig deep, and change yourself. The gospel is the good news that God came to rescue you while you were still wandering. May God give us grace to cry to him from the heart, forsake pride, and ask God to stir in us a passion for His truth, goodness, and beauty for His glory and the joy of others. 

In order to ultimately reveal his love, God sent his son Jesus to die on behalf of his people. Jesus is the one who was torn to pieces, that all who place their faith in him would be healed. Jesus is the one who was raised on the third day that all those who believe in him would live in his presence and enjoy communion with God. While we don't have the resources within ourselves, our ability to love God and others is a gift of God's grace in response to his love for us. When the steadfast love of God grips you, our "morning cloud" love becomes rooted, and grounded in God himself and the finished work of Jesus. May the love of God and the invitation to know God motivate us to do what he desires. He desires steadfast love and mercy. He desires us to walk in joyful, loving communion with him that overflows in love for others.

God did withdraw from His people. They were exiled, punished, and humbled. But God did not stay distant forever. He didn’t return to His place and simply stay there. When the promised time had come, when the time was fulfilled, God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. In a surprising act of God’s grace, the ultimate display of His faithful love, God took the guilt and the sin of His own people upon Himself. On the cross, Jesus was punished. He was carried off and killed. He was crushed in judgement. On the cross Jesus was torn so that you could be healed. He was forsaken so that you could be welcomed in. May acknowledging our guilt cause us all the more to cherish God’s kindness and grace towards us.

The text shows us that lacking a genuine knowledge of God leads to destruction. Hosea 4 challenges us and calls us to examine our hearts. How are we like a stubborn heifer? Are we longing for genuine knowledge of God? We can know God through a personal relationship with Jesus that comes through faith. The more we grow in knowing God, the more we will want to be shaped and formed by His Word. May God give us grace to have a genuine knowledge of God that expresses itself in growing in grace and living holy and righteously before God.

Ultimately, this love is fulfilled and displayed in Jesus Christ. God shows His love for us in Jesus' redeeming us on the cross. We can know that God loves us and believe that He still loves us even after we fail Him because of Jesus' work of redemption. Since we have been redeemed, we come in fear to the Lord and to His goodness. We tremble in awe of God and His goodness. We come in fear not because He is harsh or cruel, but because He is so good. May God give us grace to seek Him and be moved in awe by His redeeming love.

Jesus is God’s ultimate display to His people of His love for them. Jesus is God himself, come down to speak tenderly to His people. Jesus is the true vine who gives life to all who are in Him. On the cross, the greatest Valley of Achor has become a door of hope. A place of condemnation, cursing, and judgment, has become our only hope for righteousness, life, and restoration. Jesus, the true and loving husband, gave up His life for His bride. He redeemed us, and now we wait for Him to return and make all things new. We live now as the beloved of God. God has had mercy on us in Christ. He has called us His people. May God give us grace to live worthy of this calling, to live lives worthy of the gospel, and to say in our words, actions, and affections, He is our God. 

Hosea 2:1–13 confronts us with the sobering truth that when God moves to confront, rebuke, and discipline, it is because of His love and His commitment to our greatest good. The surprising claim of the Christian faith is not simply that God judges and disciplines from above, but that He came down. In the person and work of Jesus Christ, God takes judgment upon Himself. On the cross, Jesus reveals Himself as the true and faithful spouse who bears the ultimate hedging of thorns. He is punished so that we might be forgiven.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus, the question is not whether God loves you, but whether you are believing, resting in, receiving, and enjoying that love? If you belong to Christ, the question is not, “Is God punishing me because I did something wrong?” but rather, “How is God graciously reordering my loves so that I would see Him as the One who loves me best and works for my good?” May God give us grace to believe this and to live in light of the finished work of Jesus.

It is good, true, and beautiful to consider our rebellion as spiritual adultery because it cultivates deepening humility, gratitude, freedom, and joy in God's redeeming love shown towards us in Jesus. It is good and wise to admit that we have committed spiritual adultery because we are boasting in the good news that God’s grace is stronger than our adultery, failure, and lack of faith. May God strengthen our faith as we see that His grace and restoration doesn’t rest on our performance, but upon His promises. Our hope is not in our own commitment to Christ, but in His covenant and character. 

As we conclude our study of Matthew, we see that Jesus calls us to be disciples who make disciples. We are invited to learn from Jesus and commit ourselves to the lifelong journey of observing his teaching, and we are also called to lead others to him. As disciples, we are both learners and leaders—students and teachers. May God give us grace to be faithful disciples who go and make disciples of all nations.

Our text shows us Jesus is the innocent substitute, the righteous Redeemer who suffers for our pardon, so that we, though guilty, would be released. Jesus is our Redeemer. He is the only righteous one and gives up his life as our ransom. Jesus willingly stood where we should have stood. Jesus received what we should have received. Jesus was stripped naked that we would be clothed in righteousness. Jesus was wounded, beaten, and mocked that we would be mended. May God give us grace to recognize, confess, and rejoice in Jesus as our substitutionary sacrifice and follow in his footsteps through suffering.

In the text we see the preparation of the Passover in verses 17-19. Next we see the promise of betrayal in verses 20-25. Finally, we see the promise of a day when Jesus will drink the fruit of the vine new with his disciples in his Father’s Kingdom in verses 26-29. This passage shows us the forgiveness we need, the problem within, the promise of new. Since our deepest problem is within our hearts, we need both forgiveness and renewal. In the Lord’s Supper, at the table, we see, experience, and remember that it’s not about what we did or what we must do to be made right with God, it’s about what God has done for us in Jesus. Jesus was betrayed and killed, so that traitors like you and I could find life. Jesus was killed as the Lamb of God that His blood would be poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward in expectant joy and confident hope to the table that has been set where we will feast anew with Jesus in the Kingdom of the Father in heaven.

When the King returns he will judge and separate the foolish from the wise. He will separate the good and faithful from the wicked and slothful. He will separate the blessed and righteous from the cursed. We are not called blessed and righteous because we care for the poor, but if we have experienced God's grace in the gospel, we can't remain indifferent to those around us. God became poor that we might become rich in him. Would God give us grace to reflect the mercy of God that we've been shown in Jesus.

1) The warnings (vv 1-12)

2) The seven woes (vv 13-36)

3) The weeping (vv 37-39)

This teaching of Jesus shows us show us that Jesus condemns self-righteousness. Jesus exposing the scribes and Pharisees serves as a warning to us. We are prone to focus merely on outward appearance and image. We can tend to crave being seen as beautiful and good. When we seek to clothe ourselves in our own goodness and righteousness apart from faith in God, we hide from God and refuse to come to Jesus. We are deceived and blinded by our own pride to think God cares more about external performance than whole-hearted faith. Jesus' teaching exposes us that we might humble ourselves and come to Him for heart transformation and renewal.

Jesus is willing and open. He calls us to find cover in the shelter of His wings. May God give us grace to turn to Jesus and continually come to Him for a renewed heart.

Jesus calls us to love God and love others and empowers this love in us through his life, death, and resurrection. He is the Son of David, and David’s Lord who lays down his life that we would love others as he has loved us.

1) The Invitation Offered (vv 1-4)

2) The Invitation Rejected and Judgment (vv5-7)

3) The bad and good gathered, the invitation extended (vv 8-10)

4) The one not dressed in a wedding garment cast out (vv 11-14)

The feast represents the fullness of joy in union and communion with God. It signifies enjoying fellowship, relationship, and friendship with God in the kingdom of heaven. Awe, wonder, and joy is to mark true followers of Jesus not grumpy, gloomy, indifference. We can savor the feast of fellowship with God and joy of being united to the Son. We pray God would give us grace to serve as we go therefore and invite to the wedding feast as many as we find.

Jesus hears and responds to cries for mercy. He is full of compassion and moved with sympathy for sinners. We can call out to Him for mercy and ask for him to open our eyes to our selfish ambition and pride. Jesus is eager to heal you and show mercy. 

1) Cares about not causing harm

2) Seeks for those who stray

3) Confronts

4) Forgives

The closing parable of Jesus in Matthew 18 cultivates the humility and love that's valued in the kingdom. In the gospel, Jesus became the least so that all who turn and humble themselves become children of God. In the gospel, Jesus left the 99 for you. In the gospel, God forgives our debt by punishing Jesus in the place of sinners. When we are gripped by the gospel of grace we are humbled and empowered by God's love to love others. We can forgive others because we have experienced the deep mercy of God. Would God give us grace to turn and become like children. Would His church live together receiving and reflecting the love of Jesus.

Jesus lost his life to save us. He took up his cross and denied himself so that we might find life. Jesus took the ultimate loss so that we could gain eternal life and communion with God. When we see Jesus doing this for us and experience the grace of God in the gospel, we'll have the courage to count the cost and see the joy that's before us as we lose our lives for his sake.

1) What is the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

2) What is Jesus' response?

3) How do we live in light of what Jesus says and does?

Would God give us grace to watch out and be on guard against the leaven and corrupting teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees. We pray God would help us see our pride and self-righteousness that we would come to more deeply depend upon the grace of God and reflect the gentle and humble heart of Jesus.

Jesus didn’t just diagnose our problem and expose the true condition of our hearts—He came to heal, cleanse, and make us new. On the cross, Jesus became defiled so that we could be made clean. In Jesus, we are cleansed by the grace of God. We show our appreciation for Jesus and His sacrifice by caring about the condition of our hearts. Empowered by God’s grace, we seek to keep our hearts close to Him and not worship in vain.

These stories point forward to a greater provision, greater power over creation, greater rescue, and greater healing. The storms in our lives often reveal our inadequacy, lack of faith, and our illusion of control. Jesus calls his disciples to trust in him who is all-powerful, compassionate, and gracious. In the gospel, Jesus goes to the cross and gives up his life. Jesus is the Bread of Life who was broken on the cross and satisfies the hunger of the soul. Jesus brings the greater calm and peace as he takes the righteous anger of God towards sin and evil upon himself. Jesus was torn that we might be healed. These stories point to the gospel and invite us to confess along with the disciples, "Truly, Jesus is the Son of God."

The good news of the gospel is that while all deserve to be gathered, separated, and thrown out of God's presence for their rejection of his kingdom, God gave up his son for sinners. God doesn't remove justice or cancel judgement. Jesus bears the judgment in our place. Jesus was dragged ashore and thrown out. Jesus was treated as worthless so that those who formerly viewed God as worthless, might be declared worthy in his sight by faith. Jesus is the treasure who was rejected and buried, but rose again. When you see Jesus, for the joy set before him, giving up everything for you, you'll give up everything for him. Would God give us grace to understand these things, having ears to hear and eyes to see the surpassing value of Jesus and his kingdom. Would we respond in joyful sacrifice for a lifetime of enjoying, communing, and treasuring God while we share this treasure with others.

Would God give us grace not to settle for surface change or to look to ourselves for the power of change. We don't need to look for signs in our life if God is with us, if Jesus is true, or if his love and forgiveness is real. We look to the sign of the prophet Jonah and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. By the grace of God and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit we do the will of the Father as his dependent, beloved children.

Jesus is God's chosen servant, the meek and lowly Savior. He comes to people who are bruised and battered, whose flame is flickering out. Richard Sibbes, a Puritan Pastor, wrote, "Are you bruised? Be of good comfort, he calls you. Conceal not your wounds, open all before him and...go to Christ...there is more mercy in Him than sin in you." Would God give us grace to be transformed from the inside out that we would produce good fruit. We trust in the promise, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Jesus is our Great High Priest, who worked on our behalf and took our sins upon himself. Jesus was profaned that we might be declared guiltless. Jesus is the once and for all sacrifice for sinners to be shown mercy. Jesus is the one who heals us as his hands were stretched out upon the cross. Jesus was destroyed that we might be built up. Jesus was killed that we might find life. Would God give us grace to experience the mercy of God in Jesus that we would show mercy to others. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. We can find rest for our souls in Jesus. This rest starts now and will find fullest fulfillment when Jesus comes again.

1) How does Jesus describe his heart?

2) Why does it matter?

3) What do we do about it?

We pray through the sermon that you would respond to the invitation of Jesus by going to him in faith, taking his yoke upon you, and learning from him. We pray you would enjoy his heart, and that by God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit his heart would be expressed and seen in his people.

1) What do we do with doubts and questions?

2) How does Jesus handle doubts and questions?

3) How do we live in light of what Jesus says and does?

We can trust that Jesus is the one because of his deeds and works. We see his miracles and read of his work in the eye-witness testimony of his disciples. Ultimately, Jesus proved his claims and identity in his death and resurrection. Jesus didn't come to conform to the expectations of others, rather he lived, died, and rose again that his disciples would be conformed to his image.

In compassion, Jesus moves towards those who are helpless and commends faith in his power and authority. Jesus' compassion for his people leads him not only to heal those who are sick and afflicted, but provide ultimate healing by going to the cross. Jesus became sin in our place by becoming harassed and isolated that we might be comforted and brought near to God. Jesus is the Compassionate Shepherd who saves his people and then sends them. He calls his disciples to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest. He desires that his disciples would tell the story of the Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep and to extend the compassion they've received to others.

The words that Jesus speaks to the paralytic he speaks to us. Matthew writes, "And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2b). Jesus made forgiveness of sins possible by becoming a sacrificial offering on our behalf. Forgiveness is offered to all who would believe in Jesus. It's not about how much good you've done, or how bad you've lived. Those who have been forgiven little, love little. Those who by God's help progressively see how much they've been forgiven, love much. Would God give us grace to go and learn, apply, and bear witness to the truth of God that he desires mercy, not sacrifice.

In the story we see that Jesus is capable and compassionate. He commends the faith of the Centurion. Jesus reinforces that it is by faith that we enter the kingdom of heaven. We see that Jesus comes near that we might be drawn near to God. Jesus was crushed for our sins. We are ultimately cured as our curse, brokenness, iniquities were cast upon Jesus on the cross. In light of who Jesus is and what he has done, we approach Jesus falling down before him and calling upon him for healing. We rejoice and rest in the promise that by faith we will recline at the table in the kingdom of heaven. Like Peter's mother-in-law, we rise to serve Jesus in all of life.

The Sermon on the Mount ends with an exhortation from Jesus to believe the gospel and obey his commandments. Disciples of Jesus are those who have entered through the narrow gate into the kingdom of heaven through the person and work of Jesus. They have confessed that salvation is found in Christ alone and they have committed to the narrow path and difficult way of Jesus. The hope and transformative power of the gospel is not in our ability to know God and obey him, but in his sovereign grace and merciful provision in Jesus. We do not enter the kingdom by displaying our mighty works before God, but through our declaration and confession that it is only the mighty work of God in Jesus through the Spirit that allows us to enter the kingdom. We are saved by being united to God through faith and enjoying communion with the Father through his Son, Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In our natural condition, we are self-centered. We can find it far easier to see other peoples flaws and weaknesses as greater than our own. There is something wrong with our hearts. We have pride, self-centeredness, and sinful hearts. Jesus asks, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11). The message of the gospel is that we are so flawed that Jesus had to die for us, yet we are so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for us. The gospel brings humility and love. If you see yourself apart from the grace of God, as evil, as in need of grace, you'll live like you're not better or worse than anyone else. If you see yourself as loved by God, you don't have to posture yourself as better than others and can be freed from the insecurity and fear that leads you to judge and condemn others. Jesus, the perfect pearl, was trampled, attacked, rejected, and mocked. He was pierced for the transgressions of his people. Jesus was crushed for the iniquities of his people. By his wounds, we are healed. In the love and grace of God, we can be empowered and transformed from the inside out and live out the Gold Rule.

Would God give us grace to seek his kingdom and his righteousness. We pray this seeking of the kingdom would be motivated from the generosity, kindness, and providence of God that's seen in his care of all creation, but ultimately in his greatest provision, the gifts of his own Son.

1) What is goodness? What does it mean to be righteous? What is the righteousness that is greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees?

2) Why aren't we good? Why can't we be good or have a righteousness worthy of entrance into the kingdom on our own?

3) How can we become good? How can we have a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees?

Jesus exposes our lack of goodness and righteousness that we might wholly depend upon Him to be our perfection. We can be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect through faith in Jesus. If you believe in the gospel you are counted righteous and perfect because of the person and work of Jesus.

On our own we could never be salt, light, or enter the kingdom of heaven based on our righteousness. In his grace, Jesus offers to us his very righteousness. We can be declared right in God's sight. This is received as a gift of God through faith. Jesus can call his people salt and light because he fulfilled all righteousness. In the gospel of God's grace, disciples of Jesus can be called salt and light as they live in the world. They can bring life and glory to the Father in heaven out of a heart that's been transformed by Jesus. In the person and work of Jesus, all of God's people can reflect the goodness and mercy of God.

1) What is blessedness? What is the good life? What is the way of flourishing?

2) Why is it blessed? Why is it the way of flourishing?

3) How do we have it?

Jesus teaches us that a life of flourishing and blessedness is a way of living that seeks first the kingdom of God. It places ultimate importance on what is ultimately important, the rule and reign of Jesus. As we consider The Beatitudes in the context of the story of the gospel according to Matthew, we also see how we can have the good life. Would God give us grace to adopt this way of being in the world for our joy and the joy of others.

Jesus calls his first disciples as he says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). The call to follow Jesus is relational, transformational, and commissional. A disciple is a person who is abiding in Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and commissioned by Jesus to make disciples. Jesus goes throughout Galilee teaching, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and affliction among the people. Healing is a sign that the kingdom of heaven is at hand and a foretaste of what life will be like when the kingdom is fully and finally established in the New Creation. We pray that as we follow Jesus and seek first the kingdom, that Jesus would make us more like him and send us out as agents of healing.

Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every respect as we are, yet was without sin. Jesus will fully and finally crush the head of the serpent when he returns and makes all things new. As we live in a world waiting for renewal, we seek to fix our eyes on Jesus as we overcome trials and temptations, and when we falter in them. We pray we would grow as humble and dependent people who are growing in our trust and appreciation of the grace of God.

As we seek to follow Jesus we heed the words of John the Baptist, "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 4:8). We are saved by grace alone through faith alone. This saving faith in Jesus however, does not remain alone. True and saving faith demonstrates itself in a life of repentance and abiding in Jesus. In the person and work of Jesus we can be called beloved children with whom God is well pleased. From this new identity in Christ we seek to live a life continually conforming to Jesus and led by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is the New Israel, the true Son of God who went down to Egypt and will bring about a return to the promised land through exile. Jesus is also the New Moses who escapes infanticide and will lead, deliver, and teach the people of God. Finally, Jesus is the fulfillment of the suffering servant, the Messiah who would be despised and take evil upon himself for the sins of His people.

We see in our story that right from the beginning the arrival of Jesus was met with a variety of responses. There was hostility from King Herod, apathy from the Jewish leaders, and worship from the wise men. This story sets the tone for what we can expect to see throughout the gospel according to Matthew. It also provides us with a picture of the right response to meeting Jesus. This response looks like rejoicing with great joy, falling down to worship, and offering our treasures. We pray, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Jesus is the Christ or the Messiah. He's the promised deliverer who would rescue God's people. Jesus is the son of David who will establish an eternal kingdom of peace and security. Finally, Jesus is the son of Abraham. All of the world can be blessed by God in Jesus. This genealogy shows us that Jesus was a real person who's the fulfillment of what the story from Genesis to Chronicles pointed to. The people Matthew includes and highlights in the genealogy demonstrate the gospel promise that all people can find forgiveness and grace in Jesus if they believe in him.

The Apostle Paul followed the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus was faithful to the end. Jesus fought the fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. His life wasn't simply poured out as a drink offering, but his life was the offering. The final sacrifice once and for all. In gratitude and worship for all that Jesus has done for us, we share him with others and seek to be faithful witnesses to the gospel. We seek to do the work of an evangelist as we invite others to follow Jesus.

1) We continue in learning from them and growing in knowledge. We don't move on from the Bible, but rather move deeper into knowledge and obedience to it.

2) We read and teach them along the designed grain of making us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus. We read the Bible as a story that points to Jesus.

3) We believe the divine origin of the Sacred Writings as the inspired Word of God and cherish the purpose to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in righteousness that we would be completed, equipped for every good work.

We pray that God would give us grace to avoid false teachers who seek to destroy, divide, and devour what is good, true, and beautiful. We also pray that we would avoid pride in our hearts that would posture us above others and lead us to forget our own need for grace. We pray through the study of this text that we would grow in admiration, adoration, and appreciation of Jesus for his generous grace and mercy he has shown us on the cross. We want to be more deeply gripped by the free gift of God's grace that transforms us from the inside out.

Jesus is the true and perfect faithful worker. He is the most honorable vessel, the unashamed worker, and the gentle and humble servant of the Lord. Jesus was not only the perfect example, but is also the power by which we can ever hope to attain doing our best to present ourselves to God as one approved. Jesus is our model and means of faithful work and service to God.

As we desire to be faithful to the end, we do so as we cling to the grace of God. We pray that we would be more gripped by God's grace and that it would be more and more operative in our life. We rejoice and rest in the grace of God as we're drawn to depend upon Him more deeply and respond with wonder in worship.

1) Stir up the gift to boldly proclaim the gospel, "Fan into flame the gift of God"

2) Share in suffering for the gospel, "Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner"

3) Seek the pattern of sound words, "Hold on to the example of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus"

4) Safeguard the gospel, "By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you"

We rejoice in the truth that the ultimate responsibility to preserve the gospel rests in the hands of God. As John Stott writes, "He has committed it [the gospel] to us, frail and fallible creatures. He has placed his treasure in brittle, earthenware vessels. And we must play our part in guarding and defending the truth. Nevertheless, in entrusting the deposit to our hands, he has not taken his hands off it. He is himself its final guardian, and he will preserve the truth which he has committed to the church. We know this because we know him in whom we have trusted and continue to trust." We begin by the grace of God, are sustained by his grace, and will be faithful to the end by God's grace.

The word translated as might is the Hebrew word "me'od." The most common translation of this word is "very." It's used as an adjective to describe muchness, or translated as exceedingly or greatly. As Tim Mackie says, "If "me'ed" can intensity any words meaning to totally capacity, then this final thing that you use to love God, isn't a thing at all. It's actually everything. Loving God with your "me'ed" means devoting every possibility, opportunity, and capacity that you have to honoring God and loving your neighbor as yourself. It's the most wide and expansive word in the Shema. "Me'od" can refer to almost anything." Apart from the gracious intervention of God, we don't have the strength or might to love God. We need Jesus and we need Him to be our strength. In the teaching and life of Jesus we learn that true strength is found when we embrace our weakness, acknowledge our need, and depend upon his grace and mercy. May God give us grace to work from his strength and to love wit his might as we are more deeply gripped by the grace of God shown towards us in Christ.

While sin has made us fractured and disjointed beings, we are made new in Jesus and we are awaiting a glorified nephesh. We give of ourselves to God because Jesus gave himself up for us. We seek to honor God with our whole being because we were bought with a price. Jesus was broken that we would be made whole. We seek to love God not to earn restoration and eternal life, but to show God our gratitude for the gracious gift of Jesus.

All of humanity is in need of heart transformation. Since we are sinners by nature and by choice, our hearts are corrupted, fallen, deceitful, and sick. We need to be given a new heart. We need to be born again. In the good news of Jesus, anyone who believes in Him is re-born and given a heart that is able to love God. We can really and truly obey, though imperfectly, through the work of Jesus and his accomplishment on the cross.

Our love for God is a response to His love. We want to grow in understanding and experiencing what it means to be loved by God as we deepen in our knowledge of the gospel. In the gospel we are reminded how much we are loved by God in our forgiveness and our acceptance. Jesus teaches us those who are forgiven little, love little, while those who are forgiven much, love much.

We need Jesus' help to truly listen and obey. We need Jesus to give us eyes that see and ears that hear. Jesus empowers us to hear, understand, heed, and obey God. As we begin this study, we pray that God would help us to hear, listen, and obey in loving Him with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our might.

When a person is baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they are declaring allegiance or becoming associated with the Triune God. Disciples of Jesus belong to God and their identity is now defined by Him. They are beloved children of God the Father. They are servants of God the Son. They are ambassadors empowered by God the Holy Spirit to bear witness to Jesus in word and deed. We want to be a church that grows into who God has made us to be in Christ. We want to love one another like family, serve others as Jesus modeled for us, and bear witness to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We can seek to remember God, fearing him and keeping his commandments, by creating an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do. Throughout church history this has been called "a rule of life." While Christians in the New Covenant are no longer bound to the Old Covenant Law, we can see the principle in the 10 Commandments and in the life of Jesus that it's good for God's people to regularly gather together for worship as they sing, pray, hearing the Scriptures read, receive teaching, and fellowship together. Another important aspect in our rule of life that we see modeled in the life of Jesus is a commitment to communal life. These commitments along with our unique combination of personal spiritual practices provide structure and direction for us to intentionally pay attention and remember God in everything we do. We remember God as we intentionally pursue him and form plans, habits, and rhythms to cultivate our love for him and others.

We can respond to the text by rejoicing and remembering. Ultimately the reason to rejoice is grounded in the person and work of Jesus. We can show the difference that Jesus makes as we rejoice in the gospel. We don't want to forget that life is uncertain, we are dependent upon Jesus, and life is a gift to be enjoyed for the glory of God.

In contrast to what's observed in life under the sun, Jesus establishes a new kingdom and a new way to live. Life is not up to time and chance, but is held in the hands of the Good and Wise King. Followers of Jesus recognize and accept that our life is totally outside of our control. We don't have to live in anxiety and stress because we know Jesus cares for us. Jesus shows us that greatness is not defined by high positions or status, but in sacrificial service. While in life under the sun, money might be the answer to everything, Jesus taught his followers that it's more blessed to give than to receive. We seek to align our heart with Jesus as we immerse ourselves in habits and practices that form our loves. We engage in public and private worship that our hearts may be oriented around Jesus and his kingdom.

"Worship works from the top down, you might say. In worship we don't just come to show God our devotion and give him our praise; we are called to worship because in this encounter God (re)makes and molds us top-down. Worship is the area in which God recalibrates our hearts, reforms our desires, and rehabituates our loves. Worship isn't just something we do; it is where God does something to us. Worship is the heart of discipleship because it is the gymnasium in which God retrains our hearts." - James K.A. Smith, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual power of Habit (p 77)

While death may be inevitable, death is not the end for those who have been saved by Christ. His promise is not just for eternal life, but for an abundant life here on earth as well. We are called to enjoy our lives here on earth, and that enjoyment is most fully realized when we live our lives for Jesus.

Instead of being joyless, or finding joy in things that aren't ultimately satisfying, this passage invites us to find joy in Jesus as the greatest gift given to us. True Christian joy is not found by looking within or trying to muster up happiness that we know should be there. True Christian joy is cultivated and fueled by looking to Jesus and believing all that God has done for us in the gospel.

The principles of this passage can be applied to rulers and authorities in our lives, but this passage also points forward to keeping the King of King's command. Many of us will not approach a president, governor, or mayor, but we will all approach King Jesus and live under his rule and reign. Jesus is a good and king King who used and uses his power not to hurt others, but to help. When he came to earth, he wasn't a self-serving tyrant, but a self-giving servant. We show our love for Jesus by keeping his command, which could be summarized in the Great Commandment and Great Commission.

The Preacher points us to true wisdom and the one man who was upright and righteous. Jesus is the one man among humanity who has lived a wise and righteous life. In the passage we see the wisdom of living in community and welcoming others to speak into our lives. We show our value of wisdom in our desire to be known and seen by others. The more that we seek Jesus it will be demonstrated in the way that we live.

True and lasting satisfaction, deep and abiding contentment can be found in Jesus. Our unfulfilled appetites and lack of satisfaction in the world with created things point us to the one our souls were made for. Our hearts are restless until we rest in Jesus. If greed says, "I need more, I don't have enough," contentment says, "I have enough and everything I need in Jesus." Jesus provides a happiness and satisfaction that is unwavering because it's not dependent upon us. It's not conditional upon our circumstances or upon our performance. Contentment is found in Jesus, because it rests upon His finished work. May we find happiness and satisfaction in the the completed work of Jesus Christ and be content in the greatest gift of God.

Instead of following the foolish way or the fractured way, followers of Jesus seek the faithful way. Jesus is the means and model of living faithfully and showing what it means to fear God. Jesus drew near to us while we were far from God. Jesus took the anger of God, his just wrath and hatred toward sin and evil, in our place. As we consider the person and work of Jesus we are led to wonder, reverential awe, and worship of God. We are amazed that fools and fractured rebels could find forgiveness, grace, and love in Jesus. Out of our appreciation, gratitude, and wonder of what God has done in the gospel, we seek to continually humble ourselves. We seek to have a posture of listening and obeying. May God give us grace to forsake our foolishness and fear God as we pursue faithfulness.

As we experience injustice and death in the world that is, it points us to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Although we deserved death for our rebellion and injustice, Jesus took our punishment and gives us new life. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. While we deserved death for the wages of our sin, eternal life in Jesus is offered as a free gift. As we live in a world of injustice and death, we are continually reminded about our need for forgiveness and justice in Jesus. We seek to rejoice in the work of Jesus and trust that He will bring about justice in His timing and according His plan.

Instead of becoming embittered, the text teaches us to embrace our limitations and enjoy God in the midst of life under the sun. We recognize that God has given us these limitations and has gracious revealed His ultimate plan for creation in Jesus. This was the mystery, the thing that was hidden until the coming of Jesus. God made known to us the mystery of His will, to unite all things in Jesus. The work of God and the glory of God in the person and work of Jesus leads us to worship Him in awe, joy, and peace. We pray this brings enjoyment and not embitterment. It brings rest, not restlessness. The gospel cultivates humility, not haughtiness. Would God give us grace to enjoy Him, be joyful in Jesus, and seek to do good as long as we live.

Through the poem we can be encouraged to surrender our lives the kind and kingly rule of Jesus. We are encouraged to sing and come to God in prayer. If God holds all things in His hand, who else can we turn to? Lastly, we can be encouraged to savor Our Savior, Jesus of Nazareth. The opposite pairings in the poem, center on the person and work of Jesus. He died, that we might experience new birth. Jesus was killed that we might be healed. Jesus wept and mourned that we might laugh and dance in everlasting joy in His presence. Jesus lost His life, that sinners would find life in Him. Jesus was hated that we might be loved by God and forgiven of our sins. As we seek to savor our Savior, we are drawn to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

The vanity of work points us to the victory of Jesus and His work. We want to follow Jesus in response to His work for our joy, as we work and toil for the joy of others. Our new work as disciples of Jesus is to make much of Him and make disciples of all nations. This vocation is not vanity. The work Jesus has given us is not futility, but eternally fulfilling.

The Preacher undermines hope that we may falsely put into living wisely. As Doug O'Donnell writes in the Gospel Transformation Study Bible, "Ecclesiastes was written to depress us into dependence on our joyous God and his blessed will for our lives." May we along with the Preacher hate life in the sense that we love it less than we love our King and Redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth. Would God use His Word, and our study through Ecclesiastes, to draw out the rival hopes in our heart and call us to find hope, joy, and satisfaction in Jesus. May He become more and more the interpretive center of our perspective, posture, and action. May we look up in this life "under the sun", to find true meaning and hope in Jesus. If you put your trust in Him, He will raise you up from the dead and join you together with God in life everlasting.

The end of pleasure is not the vanity of self-indulgence, but to point us toward ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. To properly enjoy the pleasures of this world, we must first be satisfied in Jesus and align our hearts with His righteousness. We can be encouraged from our passage this morning that while a pursuit of self-indulgence and pleasure is "a striving after the wind", a pursuit of Jesus brings eternal satisfaction and everlasting joy in Him.

The Preacher of Ecclesiastes calls us to see the futility and frustration of finding answers, fulfillment, or satisfaction in wisdom itself and points us towards the ultimate Son of David, the Everlasting King in Jerusalem, Jesus of Nazareth.

We pray as you hear this sermon that you would grow in your faith and trust in Jesus. He invites any who labor and are heavy laden to come to Him and find rest. We can take His yoke upon us and learn from Him for He is gentle and lowly in heart, and we will find rest for our souls.

This opening poem cultivates humility and cultivates hope in a world beyond "life under the sun." The Preacher gives us a reality check that we are a mist or vapor. We are here but for a little moment and then gone. Instead of driving us into a kind of nihilist despair or hedonistic lifestyle, the Preacher of Ecclesiastes causes us to long for hope and look forward to the promises of Jesus in the gospel. Against the dark and bleak backdrop of Ecclesiastes, the promises of Jesus and the hope of the gospel shine bright. All is vanity and meaningless apart from Jesus, but if you are in Him, the call to love God and love others is eternally significant. It invites us to be present and attentive to those around us.

As a community of faith we pray that we don't respond in condemnation or callousness to others. We pray that we don't avoid those who wander or attack them. As we respond to and experience the grace of God, we desire to move towards those who are wandering in a gentle manner and heart of compassion. As we remember and celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter, we find in Jesus the manner, model, and means of restoration. May God give us grace as we seek to become more like Jesus and seek the restoration of others.

We believe prayer is powerful and effective. Prayer is a way of putting your convictions where your confessions are. We pray through this sermon that you are encouraged to look to God and live in reference to and towards Him.

James might include this vivid and graphic warning for those who might be tempted to act like these wealthy oppressors. It also gives hope to the righteous that the Lord of hosts sees and hears. He's compassionate and will bring justice. This teaching brings both a condemnation and consolation. We pray that we would follow the example of Jesus and be described not as living on the earth in luxury and self-indulgence, but as modest and self-sacrificial.

We see the problems with plans, the providence of God, and the proper posture of plans. Followers of Jesus are to consider planning in its rightful place in regards to the providence and sovereignty of God. Making goals and plans for profit apart from the providence and will of God, reveal our pride. If we assume incommunicable attributes of God, we are forgetting our place before God and who we are as His creatures. We pray that God would give us grace to humble ourselves and not boast in our arrogance. By His grace, we seek to live, plan, and make decisions with reference, regard, and rest in the providence of God.

1) Why are we commanded not to slander/speak evil of others?

2) Why do we do it?

3) How do we stop it?

When we slander, speak evil, or condemn one another, we are forgetting our place before God and among our fellow brothers and sisters. To stop our slander, we must squash our self-centeredness and self-righteousness. To crush our condemning of others, we must crush our pride. The gospel of grace crushes our pride. We remember who we were apart from the love of God and work of Christ. We remember that our adoption, redemption, and forgiveness is a sheer gift of grace. As we operate out of the love of God, we seek to use our words to build up, not tear down. We seek to serve others through our speech that is true, good, and beautiful. Would God give us grace to have a gospel-driven humility that forsakes slander, judgementalism and condemning others.

To have sure and pure speech, we need a renewed heart through the power of the Holy Spirit by the grace of God. Our speech shows where our heart really is. With God's help and the support of our church community, we can be people who speak true, loving, kind, gentle, gracious, helpful, and loving words.

May God give us grace to have a faith that is whole and may we grow in increasing trust and obedience to Jesus.

1) Contrary to the King's Court

2) Contrary to the King's Choice

3) Contrary to the King's Commandment

If we discriminate or make distinctions, we're assuming a place of judgment without God's perfect justice. God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him. Partiality is contrary to the royal law of love and liberty. Followers of Jesus are to speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement." - James 2:13

Followers of Jesus are to consider and remember the law which we are judged by, we are to be confident in God's mercy, and are to be captivated by Christ. His mercy towards us empowers our mercy towards others. Our faith is in Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

This trust in God looks like having joy in trials and troubles. It reveals itself in prayer to the God who generously gives without reproach. Trust in God looks like boasting in our status before God in comparison to the standards to the world that is. Whole-hearted trust in God looks like trusting in God's goodness, His intentions, and His promise about our future. It looks like taming the tongue, treasuring the gospel, and continuing in it. Finally, it looks like caring what about God cares about, the least of these. You want to be a person of character and virtue. You're refusing to let the world around you, corrupt you.

God wants His people to be whole. He wants them to be people of honesty, virtue, and integrity. He's in the process of taking hypocrites, disjointed, and incomplete people and making them whole.

1) What is wisdom?

2) Why do we need it?

3) How do we get it?

Wisdom is living in accordance with reality. It's living in harmony with both the created order and God's redemptive work. It's walking according to the true way. It's living in light of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We need wisdom because we are fools by nature and by choice. We have believed the lie that wisdom can be found apart from God, outside of His will, or in disobedience to His commands.

Wisdom begins with wonder. It begins with a reverential awe or fear of God. A belief that we are not God, we don't get to define good and evil for ourselves, and we live in God's world. Wisdom begets more wisdom. Those who are wise continue to grow in wisdom. Finally, wisdom belongs to Christ and builds in dependence upon Him. Jesus became to us wisdom from God. In Christ all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are found. Walking in wisdom is made possible through Jesus and grows as we depend upon Him more deeply.

Then we see how our hope and belief in the second coming affects how we live in the present. Finally, Ben extended Jesus' invitation to come drink from the living water and never thirst again. May the promised future return of Jesus cultivate hope and joy as we wait and live in the present!

Jesus describes his heart as "gentle and lowly." His heart is the grounds for his invitation to come to him. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29). As we come to Jesus and learn from him, we pray that his heart is reflection in our church community. We believe, if our hearts move into greater alignment with his heart, that it could look like the following:

1) We would be honest, not hiding

2) We would be humble, not haughty

3) We would be helpful, not hurtful

4) We would be hopeful, not harsh or heavily critical

"You might know that Christ died and rose again on your behalf to rinse you clean of all your sin; but do you know his deepest heart for you? Do you live with an awareness not only of his atoning work for your sinfulness but also of his longing heart amid your sinfulness?" - Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

1) The context of sin

2) The consequences of sin

3) The cure for sin

As we being Advent, it is good to be reminded of the gift of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection. He is worthy of all our focus, praise, and joy this Christmas Season. Jesus has saved us from sin, Satan, and death. He crushed the enemy on the cross. He died in our place taking the consequences of sin upon Himself, and He gives new life to all who repent and believe in Him. God so loved the world that He gave his only Son Jesus, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

1) They are entrusted with caring for and teaching the flock of God

2) They are to exercise oversight, watching over the souls of the church, protecting and guarding the members

3) They serve as examples of Christ-like character, virtue, and devotion

Pastors/overseers/elders serve as under-shepherds to the Chief Shepherd. True and faithful elders will help the church hear, understand, and follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We pray that God would raise up faithful elders who are entrusted with teaching and caring for the church, exercise gentle, gracious, and present oversight, and serve as examples to the flock.

1) They serve

2) They support the ministry of the Word and prayer

3) They show the love of Jesus in tangible ways

Mark Dever and Paul Alexander summarize the work of deacons in this way, "Deacons serve to care for the physical and financial needs of the church, and they do so in a way that heals divisions, brings unity under the Word, and supports the leadership of the elders. Without this practical service of the deacons, the elders will not be freed to devote themselves to praying and serving the Word to people. Elders need deacons to serve practically, and deacons need elders to lead spiritually."

Deacons can reflect the love of God and service of our Lord Jesus Christ. Deacons serve as examples to the church that greatness is defined by serving others. Deacons can show the love of Jesus and help the church grow as servants of Jesus as we serve from the overflow of Jesus' service towards us. We pray that we could reflect the love of Jesus to others, as we love as He first loved us, that others would encounter Jesus in word and deed.

Join us for a seminar on Marriage and Parenting where we’ll explore how the claims of Christianity affect and apply to family life. We’ll consider the meaning of marriage and how the teaching of Jesus frames how we think and engage with it. We’ll be providing a time for Q&A after the time of teaching. If you’d like to learn more about how the gospel applies to marriage and parenting or are curious how the Christian faith applies to the family, we’d love to have you join us!

1) We believe in Jesus and His Word

2) We belong to Jesus and His Church

3) We build one another up with our spiritual gifts

4) We bear witness to Jesus

We believe one of the ways we can bear witness to the power of the gospel and unity of the Spirit is through committing ourselves to a local body or expression of the church in membership. This looks like practicing the "one another" commands of the New Testament, submitting to Christ's leaders of His church, and regularly meeting together for worship and fellowship. We believe commitment to a local church is a way to show our appreciation for Jesus and his commitment to give himself up for his church.

We are a learning community of grace. We are community of servant learners and leaders. We are learning to be with Jesus, to become more like Him, and do what He did.

Our mission is to love God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus. As disciples of Jesus we are called to obey the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28) and Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

If this vision were lived out, we would see lives flourish in the faith, hope, and love of Jesus. We want to see lives thrive in the calling God has given them in their relationships, home, workplace, and schools. We would abound in hope and move towards others, being known by our love. We would seek the peace and good of our city that would include reconciliation, community formation, and justice and mercy for the poor.

We seek to do this because we want Jesus to be greatly exalted. We exist for the glory of God. 

We gather together on Sundays and scatter throughout the week as God’s sent people where we live, learn, work, and play. We seek to grow in the gospel and go with the gospel to make disciples of Jesus. We desire to grow in our relationship with God and in relationships with others. We seek to be good neighbors, cultivate gospel community to show the difference the gospel makes, and practice hospitality. We believe community is the context for change therefore we seek to learn with and from one another.

In order to see a movement of the gospel we need a diversity of churches, communities, and disciples in the Puget Sound. We believe the redeemed people of God are from every tribe, tongue, and people who are a part of the new multiethnic community in Christ. We are called to work together. We partner with other churches and networks to work together in strengthening existing churches and starting new churches.

Acts 28 shows us that the gospel is a story of good news that is proclaimed, but also portrayed. It is shared and it is shown. In response to what Jesus has done for us, we seek the good and welfare of others. As Jesus has welcomed us, we seek to welcome others. We pray that God would give us grace to believe the good news, to be gripped by it, and to claim with joy the good news of the unstoppable gospel that the Kingdom of God is here, it's arrived in Jesus, and it will be fully and finally realized when Jesus returns.

We don't know what our journey will look like, but we have a firm foundation and hope that God will lead us and we will reach our ultimate destination. If you believe in Jesus, have faith in God and His Word, if you believe that you belong to God, you will start to see the hardships, storms, and shipwrecks of life as the God ordained means to fulfill his promises to us: to shape us, mold us, change us, and make us more and more into who He has called us to be. True safety in the storm is not found in the absence of shipwrecks, but belief in the presence of an all powerful Sovereign God who is present with us, who is for us, and who we belong to.

1. We can share the gospel in all of life.

2. Our stories are a powerful way to share the gospel.

3. The works we do for Jesus act as a proof of the life changing work the gospel has done in our hearts and lives.

If we have decided to follow Jesus, we have been called and commissioned to share the gospel in and through our stories. The gospel changes everything and we want to live in light of that.

The story invites us to consider who we appeal to in times of trouble. Who do you appeal to for justice? Who or what do you appeal to when you're not heard or seen? Christians can appeal to God because of the person and work of Jesus. If you receive Jesus, if you believe in His name, you are given the right to become a child of God. You can draw near to God, not only in times of trouble, but in all of life for help, comfort, and wisdom.

While these topics alarm the Roman Governor, and these concepts are often dismissed and taken offense to today, righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgement are sweet realities with faith in Jesus. Justification, or being declared righteous in God's sight is by faith in Jesus. Self-control is a gift of faith, cultivated by a growing faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus brings a confident expectation and joyful anticipation of coming judgment. When Jesus returns, all wrongs will be righted, and all that has been affected and infected by sin and self-centeredness will be dealt with.

In Acts 23:12-35 we see a picture of the gospel. Like Paul, we have an enemy, resolved to kill us. He's set on stealing, killing, and destroying. Yet like Paul, we were shown kindness. We have been rescued from the conspiracy of death, not by anything we had done. In light of our rescue from death by grace, we get to enjoy the ride knowing that our God will continually supply all that we need. We are dependent upon his grace and mercy. As we are reminded of our rescue we are moved to thanksgiving and joy.

From the story, Cary encourages us that when we are going through trials and tough situations, we can take courage that Jesus knows us, Jesus is with us, Jesus is for us, and Jesus isn't finished with us. We can know God and His will for our life through the Holy Scriptures. Like Paul, we too are called to testify and live our lives in good conscience before God, submitting ourselves to the Holy Word of God and depending upon the Holy Spirit.

This story shows the danger of assumptions. We see a pattern of assumption, accusation, and anger leading to violence and destruction in the text. Instead of making assumptions, followers of Jesus have been given something far greater - assurance. Christians have assurance of God's love, presence, and future glory, based on the finished work of Jesus in the gospel. The one being in the universe who could accuse us without any error, lie, or discrepancy, didn't, but accused his own son in our place. He wasn't moved in anger to seek violence and death, he was moved in love to bring forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption, and restoration.

The way of destruction is assumption, accusation and anger. The way of Jesus is admitting our weaknesses and limitations, asking for help, admiring the love of God, and assuredness. We don't seek to assume, but ask questions, seek understanding, enter the world of others, and bring the person and work of Jesus to bear in all of life.

1) Resolved in the Spirit

2) Ready not only to suffer, but to die of rote name of the Lord Jesus

3) Recognizing God is the source and supply of his ministry

Like Paul, we are all on the way to a type of Jerusalem. Suffering and death is an inevitable part of life. Following Jesus doesn't negate suffering, but helps us make sense of it, and is part of God's designed process for making us more like Jesus. Suffering is part of the process in following Jesus. Jesus bids his followers to come and die, but promises resurrected and abundant life. The way of Jesus culminates in the everlasting joy of communion with God. We can experience glimpses and experiences of this abundant joy in the world that is, but we set our hope on what comes after death. We pray on our journey to Jerusalem we are resolved to follow Jesus, ready to suffer, and recognizing God's grace and work in our lives.

1) The Edification of Elders

2) The Defense Against Distraction

3) The Commendation to Christ

From the text, we are encouraged to pray for and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance as we seek to affirm godly leadership and form an elder team. We can seek to encourage one another to focus on Christ and keep Christ at the center of our lives. We can trust in God and the word of his grace, which is able to build us up and give us

the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32).

Like Eutychus, we have fallen. We've fallen short and fallen out. We have been spiritual dead in need of riving and help. But like Eutychus, we are fortunate. There may have been a series of miserable events, but it's led to a happier outcome. If you are in Jesus, you are fallen, yet you are fortunate. Your sins are stories of His grace to you. We pray that His grace towards us will not be in vain, but as we're reminded and grow in grace, that we would be empowered to encourage others with the encouragement we've received from Jesus. May God give us grace as we seek to encourage one another, stay awake, and work together as a team.

Acts 19:21-41 is a story that brings comfort to the church as we trust the gospel is sufficient and Jesus will build his church. Michael Goheen writes in his book on Christian Mission Today,

"The church is called to offer the gospel in life, word and deed to a community in bondage to dehumanizing idolatry. The Western church can do this only as a contrast community. What would a contrast community look like in the twenty-first century?... What areas of a contrast community need to be emphasized today? By way of illustration I briefly list nineteen characteristics of a contrast community in Western culture.

It will be a community of:

- self-giving love in a world of self-interest

- wisdom in a world of proliferating knowledge and information technology

- justice in a world of economic injustice

- creational care in a world of ecological destruction

- humility in a world of arrogant self-indulgent and self-centered behavior

- patience in a world of immediate gratification

- compassion in a world numbed by overexposure to violence and tragedy

- joy in a world dominated by a frantic and hedonistic pursuit of pleasure

- thanksgiving in a world of entitlement

- self-control and marital fidelity in world saturated by sex

- truth (in humility and boldness) in world of uncertainty

- living moment by moment in God's presence in a secular world

- generosity in world of consumption

- simplicity (of enough) in a world of excess

- forgiveness in a world of competition, violence, grudge and revenge

- praise in a world of narcissism

- hope in a world of despair and consumer satiation

- edifying communication in a world of destructive words

- commitment in a world of apathy

May we be faithful where God has placed us, for His glory, and walk by faith as the gospel impacts our lives. As we are transformed by God's grace, may we introduce others to Jesus, and watch as the institutions around us changed through the power of the Spirit.

1) Value others

2) Humble yourself

3) Trust God

We need others. We aren't to live the Christian life alone. Mission is the work of the Jesus to be done Jesus' way. We can rest that as we trust in Jesus with all our heart and do not lean on our own understanding, that He will guide us and direct our paths.

This promise has implications that fortify and assure us in our faith. The promise that no physical harm will befall Paul was a specific promise given to him during his time in Corinth, not a binding promise for his life. The principle of this promise is true however, for every follower of Jesus. Jesus promises all his followers protection and presence. Jesus has protected al his people from the ultimate harm, the greatest attack, the worse punishment in the gospel. He is our defended from our greatest enemies: sin, Satan, and death. Jesus has also promised to never leave us nor forsake. He will be with all of His people always until the end of the age. This promise of Jesus catalyzes faithful perseverance and comfort weary hearts. It energizes and enlivens progressive growth and become more like Jesus. It encourages and eases our worries and fears. The hope of the gospel is that God is for us and that He is with us. As we revel in this promise it leads to our increasing joy, peace, and flourishing.  

In response to this story we pray for alignment with the heart of God. We pray that what incites God, would incite and provoke us. We don't just pray for alignment of heart, but alignment of speech, perception, and persuasion. We want to care about the way that we speak, seeking to be persuasive, not pushy. We seek to reason, not retreat. We also seek to grow in relating to others in order that we might proclaim the good news of Jesus in a way that others will understand and have the ability to respond to.

The divine being is not like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art of imagination of human beings. He's formed and made in the very likeness of God. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He calls all people to believe in Jesus, to change their mind about who's in the center of their life, and to have their believes conform with His Word.

Join us for a seminar on sex and sexuality where we’ll explore how the claims of Christianity affect and apply to sexuality. We’ll consider the meaning of sex and how the teaching of Jesus frames how we think and engage with it. We’ll be providing a time for Q&A after the time of teaching.

"When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." - Acts 14:21-22

From the text we see that the gospel is good news for all people. God shows no partiality. Our salvation is a gift from God. It's not something we can earn. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The story of Saul's conversion shows us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. The extravagant grace and perfect patience of God is on display in Saul (1 Timothy 1:16-17). Though we might not have had a Damascus Road experience, we are God's chosen instruments to take the good news of Jesus to our communities and beyond. We have been called, like Ananias and Barnabas, to walk alongside our brothers and sisters to comfort and strengthen their faith. Followers of Jesus need other followers of Jesus to follow Jesus. As we seek to be gripped and amazed by the marvelous grace of God, we pray that our efforts to make much of Jesus would be strengthen and increase.

Join us for a seminar on relationships where we’ll explore how the claims of Christianity affect and apply to our relational world. We’ll discover why we are relational beings, why relationships fail, what makes them toxic, abusive, destructive, and how we can have healthy, meaningful relationships with others.

The seminar will be taught by Pastor Daniel Englehart and Sarah Tuttle, Executive Director of Lighthouse Northwest. Daniel and Sarah have both given themselves to helping others heal from destructive and abusive relational patterns, and grow in relational, emotional, and spiritual health.

1. Praising God

2. Prizing the Word of God

3. Praying for Boldness

4. Proclaiming the Gospel

5. Pursuing Unity

6. Providing for One Another

7. Powered by Grace

We see from the story that a belief in the unshakable God, produces an unshakable faith. A belief in the sovereign providence of God leads to a humble confidence, bold dependence, generous hospitality, and prayerful thankfulness.

How do we think about miracles in the Bible? How can we understand miraculous healings in the book of Acts and New Testament in general? Miracles teach us about the beauty and hope of the gospel. In miracles we discover glorious foretastes of what Jesus is going to do. Miracles are a restoring, a return to what should have been and a revealing of what is to come. They display a promise to our hearts and the future hope of the good news of Jesus' return.

As we continue our study through the Acts of Jesus and the Spirit, this week we consider Acts 2:42-47. The description of the community of the church in Acts 2 comes as a response to the proclamation of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We grow in devotion for Jesus, His Word, and for His people as we're captured by the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus. We give ourselves to others, in response to Jesus giving Himself up for us.

"But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." - Isaiah 9:1-7

1) Sing aloud and shout

2) Rejoice and exult with all your heart

3) Do not be afraid, let not our hands grow weak

God promises the following to His people:

He promises to take away the judgements, clear away the enemies, come as the promise King to save, gather those who mourn, deal with the oppressors, save the lame, gather the outcast, change shame into rejoicing, bring the peoples in and gather them together where He will rejoice over them, delight in them, and exult in loud singing. This promise is good news that calls forth responses of praise, rejoicing, and singing.

1) The LORD’s Anger, Incitement, David’s Census (1-9)

2) The LORD’s Judgement on David’s Sin (10-17)

3) The LORD’s deliverance, David builds an altar (18-25)

As we see that God oversaw the entire process, we're pointed to the realities that God ordained the entire process in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. When we see God's sovereignty in judgement and mercy, we are comforted and invited to draw closer to God in reverent dependence. In light of God's hand over all things, we respond with joy knowing that if God can use evil in 2 Samuel 24 and in the gospel, he could use and incorporate our sin within His redemptive purposes. Even when we don’t understand all that God is doing, we rest in the finished work of Jesus and His sacrifice.

In the story we see the Lord working and preparing the defeat of Absalom. We're told in 2 Samuel 17:14, "For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom."

The Lord doesn’t forsake or leave his people. He has promised to defeat the enemies of his people. Like David, we can rest and depend upon the grace of God that he will repay us with good in the midst of evil and suffering. We can follow in the example of Jesus who entrusted himself in the one who judges justly. We were straying like sheep, but have returned to the Shepherd of our souls.

From the text Cary teaches us that we, like David, are "the man." We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. "In His mercy, God doesn’t give us what we do deserve, and in His grace, He gives us what we don’t deserve." - Warren Wiersbe

We apologize for the poor audio quality. We didn't hear the crackling in the mic until after the sermon was recorded. We will work to resolve the issue next week!

"In its essence, grace is God providing the spiritual rescue we cannot provide for ourselves. This care for those who truly cannot provide for themselves demonstrates the principles of the gospel for both those in and those outside of the church. This gospel testimony was further strengthened by the careful selection and enrollment of older widows to extend the caring ministries of the church (vv. 9–16). Such “godliness” radiated the gospel’s light." - Kent Hughes in the Gospel Transformation Study Bible

"The call to godly conduct is not a challenge to pursue a self-generated “bootstrap” godliness. Rather, it is a call to live out the dizzying realities of the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ is the burning essence of godliness—its radiating nuclear core, so to speak. In his incarnation, death, and resurrection, the mystery of godliness was displayed before the universe. And by virtue of Christ’s saving grace, all those who believe in him have been united to him so that they share in his godliness. His godly record becomes ours by grace, but in the thankful response of regenerated hearts, we also begin to live out personally the godliness Christ embodied. Paul’s call to godliness is thus both gospel-generated and gospel-sustained. If you have Christ, you possess and are possessed by the very “mystery of godliness.” And you can live out this mystery!" - Kent Hughes

This week we continue in our study of Paul's letter to the Colossians, looking at Colossians 2:1-5. Paul shares his heart for the Colossians and encourages them that all the wisdom and knowledge that they need is in Christ.

1) He's rejoicing in suffering for their sake

2) He's proclaiming Christ that everyone may be mature in Christ

3) He's work hard, struggling with all the energy that Christ powerfully works within him

We mature in Christ as we explore, understand, and apply the comprehensive claims of the gospel on our lives.