While it is clear that we are living in an increasingly secular age, it is actually quite religious. More and more people desire a spiritual identity that gives them purpose and meaning in this life, and seek to fill the void left by religion with a host of idols such as entertainment, self-expression, romance, wellness, […]
The main point of Paul’s sermon at Pisidian Antioch was that “God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised” (Acts 13:23). He began with a summary of Israel’s history to show that with the coming of Jesus, God had proven faithful to his promises to rescue humanity. But the question remains: How […]
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 […]
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 […]
In this Resurrection Sunday message, Pastor Matt shows that for the one who trusts in Jesus, hope is not wishful thinking; it is confident expectation. And what is our hope? It is that that one day, what God did for Jesus on Easter morning, he will do for those united to Christ by faith and […]
One of the most fundamental truths of life is that no one escapes death. Scripture tells us that death came into the world because of sin, and death spread to all men because all have sinned (Rom. 5:12). But Jesus of Nazareth made an astounding claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes […]
Today, we live in a secular age, where belief in God is simply one of many options available to us to improve our quality of life. We live in a distracted age, where we think and live only in materialistic terms, concerned with our immediate comfort and personal fulfillment, viewing this present life as all […]
Acts is the second volume of the orderly account written by Luke (Luke 1:1-4). The first volume was his Gospel account, in which he “dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up” (Acts 1:1-2). This implies that Luke’s purpose in Acts is to continue the […]
Writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul makes a staggering declaration: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. . . . If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:17-19). The claims […]
Advent is the annual celebration of the coming of the Lord Jesus. Yet it’s not just a time for remembering his first advent—his coming in humility to die; it is also a time of waiting for his second advent—his coming in glory to reign. In a world full of darkness, the believer eagerly awaits the dawn […]
Having silenced the Pharisees and the Herodians, Jesus was then faced with another question from the Sadducees. This time, however, it wasn’t a political question to entrap him, but a theological one to humiliate him; it was a question about resurrection. And Jesus’ response (just days before his own bodily resurrection) not only silences his […]
As Christians, we often (and rightly so) focus our attention on the cross of Christ and his atoning death on our behalf. In fact, the cross has even become a symbol for Christianity worldwide. But the gospel is not simply that Jesus died for our sins and was buried, but also “that he was raised […]
Paul’s opening prayer for the Ephesian church – that God would give them “the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,” that they might know the profound reality of their hope, their inheritance, and the power of God (Eph 1:17-19) – is grounded in the great and immeasurable might of God. We are able to rest assured […]
As we come to the conclusion of the third chapter of Galatians, Paul summarizes his previous arguments into one glorious and sweeping statement: “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there […]
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). The resurrection […]
