Having introduced himself and his gospel to the church at Rome (Rom. 1:1-7) Paul shares his desire to visit them for mutual encouragement in the faith and to see all nations come to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord (8-15). To reach these goals, Paul knew that there was only one thing he needed to […]
When it comes to the most full, direct, comprehensive, and majestic explanation of the gospel, there is no other book in all of Scripture quite like Romans. Yet, many tend to view Romans as simply a book on doctrine, like a theology textbook. But we must understand that Romans is first a letter, written to […]
In the last major section of the book of Acts, from chapters 21-28, Luke devotes a significant amount of space to the imprisonment, court appearances, and defense speeches of the Apostle Paul. Why? Because Scripture is not only concerned with showing us Paul as missionary, church planter, and encourager of the saints, but also as […]
The kingdom of God, under the saving rule of Jesus Christ, is the reality to which all history is headed—a new heaven and earth, and a redeemed humanity experiencing the blessing of fellowship with God and one another forever. But this kingdom is also a present reality. The saving rule of Jesus is experienced today […]
The greatest problem we face, and the most important question anyone can ask, is this: “How can we be saved?” This is the problem that every religion attempts to solve, yet it’s a question many refuse to ask because we don’t want to accept all that it implies. The early church wrestled with this issue […]
What is grace? Simply put, grace is unmerited favor, and the grace of God is his love for the undeserving. And Scripture is clear that all things—from our election in Christ before the world began to our enjoyment of eternal life—is all to the praise God’s glorious grace. In Acts 13:48-51, Paul concluded his message […]
Our world longs to hear a word of encouragement. We want someone to come along with a message that affirms who we are, and the last thing we want to hear is a message that offends us. No one wants to be told that their beliefs are flawed, their ambitions are misguided, or that they […]
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 […]
For new creations in Christ, who have been born again by the Spirit through the word of God, Bible reading is like inhaling and prayer is like exhaling. Yet if we are honest, we all struggle to pray at times. We feel guilty when we don’t pray, inadequate when we do pray, and sometimes we […]
In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows us five reasons why the Lord our God is supremely trustworthy. When our trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will find him to be our glorious crown, our perfect rest, our sure foundation, our mighty defender, and our gracious redeemer. Note: This sermon was delivered during the […]
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been preaching through chapters 13-20 from the book of Isaiah. In this message, Pastor Matt reviews the oracles to the nations that we’ve seen so far and encourages us to trust in and fear the Lord. Note: This sermon was delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our Lord’s Day […]
Isaiah declares that God will one day judge the world in righteousness and destroy evil forever, for he alone is the Lord of the nations. But how would Israel know that the Day of the Lord would really come to pass? Was Isaiah right? And what hope would they have on that day, when the […]
The story of Peter and Cornelius takes up a considerable amount of space in Luke’s narrative because it was a defining moment in redemptive history. God had promised Abraham that not only would he and his offspring be blessed, but that in him, “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). The […]
The persecuted church in Jerusalem had been scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, preaching the Word as they went. Philip the evangelist had gone to Samaria, where the city received the gospel with joy. But Luke also includes a specific incident involving a Samaritan sorcerer name Simon. This story serves to illustrate a profound truth related […]
Feelings of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and insecurity abound in our world today. It seems as though everywhere we look there is another tragic news headline reminding us just how dark this world really is. Along with the many tragedies and acts of violence we experience come conspiracy theories, finger-pointing, and growing animosity between neighbors, political […]
