Sermon Of The Week

As the people of God, we may be reluctant to bring our deepest despair and longings in prayer to God. Yet through the psalmist's example, we learn to hope in the Lord and remember the great redemption from our sins which He accomplished in His Son, Jesus.

As our Shepherd and Host, Yahweh promises to be with us, therefore we will lack nothing even in the midst of difficult seasons. Though God is the Shepherd of Israel, He also shepherds the individual soul.

While we have tasted of Christ, we must truly come to Him so as to obey Him in faith, lest we harden our hearts and fail to enter His rest.

As sojourners and aliens in the earth, we too face many troubles and difficulties in our journey of life. Christ, however, purchases our protection and assures us of His presence in the midst of trials and suffering.

Greg reminds us of what God has called us to as a church and how we need to pursue that.

In seeing the glory of Christ upon the mountain, we are directed to look forward to the greater display of His glory at the cross. And in seeing that glory in His death, which is the display of His love for us, we are transformed from our obsession with the things the world highly esteems.

Though His fame spread, Jesus' example of private prayer demonstrates His humility in the midst of ministering to the people. By loving God first, He transforms our priorities, that we would likewise be a blessing to others.

Jesus' teaching, being full of grace and truth, delivers His hearers from both the traditions of men and the oppression of devils, showing Him to be the One who has brought God's Kingdom.

Though careers and familial relationships are a gift from God, He alone deserves our highest allegiance and total obedience. Christ's grace transforms us from fear of the future to bold risk for the sake of His kingdom and mission on the earth.

As God provides the growth, His people are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ into a temple in which His Spirit is pleased to dwell.

The powerful voice of the Father confirms His love and approval to His Son at the very start of His ministry, showing us the truth that "man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord".

Throughout Scripture, God blessed His people with the gracious gift of "the light" of His face, unto the redeeming of the nations. In seeing Jesus come into the temple, by the Spirit Simeon recognizes God's salvation in the face of the Messiah.

This psalm is a prayer for God to bless the king with justice that His reign might deliver the poor and bless the nations forever. God's glory is shown in that His people are protected through His granting a righteous reign to the king.

The psalmist extols the beauty of the steadfast love, covenantal faithfulness, shown by God to David and his kingdom. But surely the language is too great to describe any mere human king. The Father's love for His Son, seen in His investiture of authority for salvation, then become the ground for all human trust and love.

As those made in God's image, we naturally tend to place our trust in human power, strength, and wisdom. Yet we must recognize that all men are frail, being doomed to die. Even while revealing our weakness, the psalmist hints at the form of salvation which is to be revealed.

This prophetic psalm shows the grace of God in leading His people out of Egypt and establishing them in the land. Though He was so kind, the people have ruined themselves with sin and have fallen under judgment and His displeasure. Nevertheless, the psalmist is moved by the Spirit to thrice cry out for mercy and salvation, which God will bring through the Son of Man who is at His right hand.

Paul's introduction to the Ephesians discloses the love of the Father in the work of redemption purchased by the Son unto the granting of the Spirit for the benefit of the Church. Christ's reign is seen then as the source and head of all graces for the Church; a reign that is infallible, unwavering, and perfect.

Before Israel enters the Promised Land, God reminds them of His grace in the Exodus from Egypt and the journey into the land. Because of His great love for His people, His bride, He lavishes gifts upon them. Though they receive everything they need, they forget His mercy. They presume their prosperity is due to their power instead of Gods' gift.

James finishes his letter with a final reminder of the value of hope that is steadfast; a faith that is rooted firmly in God's promises. Drawing on the example of the prophets, James encourages his hearers to appeal to God through prayer for relief from the Almighty.

James' call to reckon with those who boast of business success and those who trust in wealth warns us of the subtle danger of the ever-present temptation for pride. He calls them to bear the fruit of repentance by changing their speech and mourning their sin.