In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us of a sobering truth: the tragedy of sin demands the tragedy of atonement. Covenant-breaking requires blood-shedding. But we’ll also see that the gospel of Jesus transforms this tragedy into something glorious, bringing living hope out of despair.
We live in a world where “Absaloms” rise daily—where truth is traded for influence, and loyalty is seduced by charm. We live as strangers in a land shaped by self-expression, not self-denial. In such a world, faithfulness can feel like foolishness. But it’s not. Sometimes faith doesn’t look like standing tall—it looks like walking barefoot […]
Isaiah 53 explained how God would one day redeem his people, establish his throne in Zion, and reign as King over the nations. This plan of salvation would be accomplished through the sacrifice and exaltation of his servant, our substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. What follows now in chapter 54 are three stunning images that […]
While Mary sang her “Magnificat,” Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, sings his “Benedictus.” The birth of John causes Zechariah to bless God for the birth of Jesus. Why? Because John’s birth was a sign of the Messiah’s advent. In other words, even in his birth, John was pointing to the Lamb of God. […]
When “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3), he had responded to God’s word of promise with faith. But what this promise exactly? It wasn’t just to receive the land of Canaan but ultimately the entire world as his inheritance! In this sermon, pastor Matt once again teaches that […]
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that in Christ, God has proven true to his promises of salvation and judgment.
In this sermon, pastor Matt teaches that the people of God are those who respond to his promise of salvation with the obedience of faith. His church is comprised of those united to Christ by the work of the Spirit, who boast only in his cross.
When Paul and Barnabas first came to Antioch in Pisidia, they entered the synagogue and were invited to share a word of encouragement with those in attendance. It’s here that Luke provides a summary of a typical sermon preached by the apostle Paul to Jews and God-fearers. He begins with an overview of Israel’s history, […]
In spite of humanity’s sinful rebellion and our repeated failure to trust our Maker, God has always been faithful to his promises. One promise in particular, made to King David, was that a son would come from his line who would one day reign in righteousness and restore all things in perfect peace. At the […]
The very first words spoken to mankind recorded in Scripture are well-known: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). From Genesis to Revelation, this theme of increasing and multiplying appears over and over again. Why? Because God is intent on creating a people for himself, for his glory. He is pleased to make the glories of […]
Acts 8:14-17 has been at the center of all kinds of controversy regarding the book of Acts and its interpretation. The doctrine of a “second blessing” taught in many churches is based partly on these verses. But why exactly did the risen Lord Jesus wait to send his Holy Spirit on the Samaritan Christians? If […]
Who are the people of God today? Who can say, “The Lord is our God and we are his people”? Scripture declares that, after the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, God graciously chose a people for himself out of all the nations of the world to be his treasured possession, obeying his […]
Under the Old Covenant, when the Law was given to the people of God on tablets of stone, three thousand fell by the sword (Ex 32:25-29). But under the New Covenant, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on God’s people to write the Law on their new-creation hearts, three thousand were saved, baptized, and […]
Over the course of redemptive history, there have been several pivotal moments that revealed who our God is and what his saving purposes are for the world. For instance, the giving of the Law at Sinai, the building of the temple, and the ascension of the risen Lord Jesus. However, before the final moment in […]
David’s prayer in Psalm 86, like the prayers throughout the Psalter, is highly instructive and illuminating for our times of communion with God. He makes a total of fifteen requests, yet he is essentially he is calling upon the name of the Lord his God for one thing: grace. In the first seven verses, David focuses […]
