Has God Failed?

Part 19 of the Gospel of God: Paul’s Letter to the Romans – Why has Israel not believed the gospel? Paul continues to explore that question, and in our passage this morning he contends very strongly that the blame should be laid squarely at the feet of the Israelites themselves. God has made his righteousness known, yet they have refused to receive it. This word ought to serve as a warning to us all.

Jesus, Our Great High Priest

Part 6 – The Message of Hebrews – In times of fear or failure, there is no greater comfort than knowing that Jesus is on our side, as our gracious and merciful high priest. This morning our passage directs our attention to his qualifications to fulfill that role for us completely, and calls us to respond to him in faith.

A Voice We Dare Not Neglect

Part 2 of The Message of Hebrews – There are lots of ways that people can “lose their faith.” Jesus talked about it in his parable of the soils. But what can most easily happen is that people simply drift away because they are not fully anchored in the truth. The author of this message to the Hebrews wants to ensure that this doesn’t happen to his readers.
In our passage this morning he continues his exposition of the truth that in Jesus Christ God has given us his final word. Here he particularly contrasts Jesus with the angels, who mediated the Old Covenant based on the law.

A Man With a Disability

Part 2 of Encounters with Jesus: An Advent Series from the Gospel of Luke – As we enter into the Christmas season, we are focusing our minds and hearts on Jesus through the study of a series of passages from the Gospel of Luke in which various people encounter Jesus. This morning we continue with the story of a paralytic and consider what it means to “come to Jesus.”

What Does It Mean to Believe in Jesus?

We are to be people of “faith.” But what is faith, and what does it mean to “have faith in Jesus”? This morning we consider the extraordinary faith of one who “believes in Jesus.” We’ll consider four aspects of faith as we examine this story of a centurion’s encounter with Jesus.

A Vision of Four Beasts

Part 7 of Living as Exiles: Considering the Book of Daniel – Daniel, the prophet of God who interpreted the dreams of others, is now given a dream of his own. Instead of statues, he sees beasts–beasts who become brutal in their oppression of God’s people. But whatever the dream, the result is the same: God’s kingdom is victorious and God’s people are vindicated. Though evil is real, we can be certain that God’s good purpose will prevail, so we should stand firm in our faith.

A Distressing Decree

Part 6 of Living as Exiles: Considering the Book of Daniel – Our story of political intrigue has a contemporary ring to it, but supremely it speaks of a godly man who lives in faith before a great and majestic God.

A Fatal Feast

Part 5 of Living as Exiles: Considering the Book of Daniel – Our God is a God of mercy, but he is also a righteous Judge. Our passage this morning reminds us that we dare not presume upon his forgiveness, or we may be liable to face his wrath. May we turn to him in faith while we still have the opportunity, for there will come a day when it will be too late.

Blind Luck or Divine Blessing?

Part 2 of Ruth – With the explosion of the lottery business in our land, the notion of luck receives a lot of attention. But what is luck? How are believers to view seemingly chance occurrences that bring good fortune? Is there really a moral order to our cosmos? These are questions raised by our story, as we continue our look at this short book.