The Reason for the Hope, part 1 (Acts 24:1-27)

When Paul stood before the high priest and the Jewish council, he said: “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial” (Acts 23:6). Over and over, Paul makes this same assertion in his defense speeches in Acts. But why did he understand his all his […]

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A Desert and a Garden (Isaiah 34-35)

Though chapters 13-35 of Isaiah can sound foreign to many of us, and are often neglected by the 21st century church, Isaiah actually addresses the very issues our world is facing today. The concluding chapters of this section reveal once again that there are only two kingdoms—the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this […]

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In this sermon, Pastor Matt reminds us that the Last Day will not only be a day of judgment and retribution. Though the wine will have run dry in the city of this world, another feast will have just begun. Note: This sermon was delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our Lord’s Day worship services […]

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Egypt, My People (Isaiah 19-20)

As history has shown, there is nothing mankind can do to bring about world peace. Why? Because this world is full of proud and selfish people with sinful hearts! As the Apostle Paul writes: “In their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of […]

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Where the Ruined Find Refuge (Isaiah 15-16)

When God revealed his glory to Moses on Mt. Sinai, he did so by making all his goodness pass before him (Ex. 33:18-19). He begins by declaring that he is a compassionate God, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. But he then adds that he is also a righteous God, “who will by no means […]

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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 […]

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While the first section of Isaiah (1-12) dealt primarily with the nation of Israel, the next section (13-27) focuses on God’s plan for the nations of the world. Although the prophecies found here concern the fate of ancient nations like Babylon, Tyre, Moab, and Assyria, they are still part of God’s message to his people, […]

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The Promise of a Rising Son (Malachi 4:1-2)

Like all the prophets before him, Malachi proclaimed the glories of Jesus Christ, but he does so in a way that is easy to miss. This is not only because he is one of the prophets (who can be difficult to interpret at times) but because he goes about speaking of the advent of Christ […]

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Our God Does All He Pleases (Isaiah 10:5-34)

From the very beginning of history, humanity has questioned God’s authority. We often find ourselves asking “Who’s running this show? If God is really in control, then why is this happening?” We then fall for all kinds of unbiblical answers to this question of who or what is in authority: Fate or destiny. Luck or […]

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