According to pop culture, David and Goliath is as a story of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, of not giving up and facing your “giants.” But as great and inspiring as the story of the underdog may be, this is actually not what the biblical story of David and Goliath is about! In […]
Having seen Saul’s disregard for the word of Samuel and his rash vow, we now come to Saul’s third and final “fall,” where he is rejected by God as king over Israel. In this sermon, pastor Joel encourages us to not trust in religious behaviors but remain faithful and obedient to Jesus.
In the story of Saul’s faul we were introduced to a certain man named Jonathan who “defeated the garrison [outpost] of the Philistines that was at Geba.” We now learn in chapter 14 that this is Saul’s son. And while he would not be the next king, he proves to be a better man than […]
In chapter 4, at the battle of Aphek and Ebenezer, Israel was twice defeated (by Yahweh) before the Philistines. As a result, the ark of the covenant was captured; the Glory departed from Israel. This is why the priest Eli’s daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod, “no glory.” And while Yahweh had gone into exile on […]
The Scriptures say that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13; Joel 2:32). But what must happen for sinners to actually do this? Since salvation is ultimately based on the sovereign mercy of God, what part do we play in bringing about the obedience of faith among all […]
In this sermon, pastor Keith looks at the paradoxical conclusion Paul reaches about the Gentiles and Jews in their pursuit of righteousness. He reminds us that Christ Jesus will either be a rock of offense to those seeking to obtain a righteousness based on their own performance, or the Rock of Ages cleft for those […]
When we face the inevitable suffering that the righteous will face (Ps. 34:19), when sorrows like sea billows roll, when it seems like all we know is the frowning and bitter providence of God, how should we respond? In this sermon, pastor Mitch looks at the responses of Naomi and Ruth to the devastating crisis […]
Romans 4 has been about the necessity and priority of Abraham’s faith. As Paul concludes his argument in this chapter, he shows the rationality, or reasonableness, of his faith. In this sermon, pastor Matt once again shows us how the promised blessing of belonging to the family of God is received by faith alone. Yet […]
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 […]
