187 results found

Why the Cross?

March 10, 2024 | 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 | cross, exposition, jesus

Do you see the need for Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for your sins? Do you understand its significance? Do you believe that people are separated from God in this world, struggling with sin, addiction, and death without God’s intervention? Do you believe that people who die separated from God will spend eternity without Him in a place called Hell?

In the apostle Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he explained why the message of the cross of Christ was crucial to their salvation.

I’m Trusting You Anyway, Lord!

March 3, 2024 | Habakkuk 3:16-19 | exposition

What are you facing today? It seems easy to keep the faith when life is good, when all your prayers are being answered, and everything is coming up roses. But how do we keep trusting God when life gets hard? When our prayers seem to go unanswered? When our worst fears seem to be coming true? How can we keep trusting the Lord anyway?

In Habakkuk 3:16-19, after hearing the Lord’s plan to use Babylon to discipline Judah, the prophet concluded his little book of lament with a strong resolve to trust the Lord anyway. We can resolve to trust the Lord anyway.

Would You Do it Again, Lord?

February 25, 2024 | Habakkuk 3:1-15 | exposition

Even when life doesn’t make sense and God seems far away, we can lament, crying out our questions and complaints to God, believing that He is good and that He will cause all things to come together for good in the end.

Are you hurting today? Are you dealing with grief from a broken relationship? From a lost loved one? Are struggling with a situation that makes you question whether God cares? And if He does, why doesn’t He act? Or maybe the life you always dreamed of and the life you’re actually living are a hundred miles apart and you wonder why God doesn’t intervene? Like, “God, I see all those miracles and great and mighty works You did in the Bible. Would You do it again, Lord in my life? In the book of Habakkuk, when the prophet lifted his cry to the Lord by faith, it turned his lament into praise. We can cry out to the Lord by faith to see our lament turned into praise.

Where Are You, Lord?

February 18, 2024 | Habakkuk 2:6-20 | exposition

This week, in part three of our God Questions series, we see Habakkuk asking, “Where are you, Lord? What are you doing? I’m confused. I don’t see You at work in this. Where are you, Lord?”

How are we to stay faithful when it seems like God is absent? Even when life doesn’t make sense and God seems far away, we can lament, crying out our questions and complaints to God, believing that He is good and that He will cause all things to come together for good in the end. In the book of Habakkuk, when the prophet struggled with understanding how a holy God could use an evil nation like Babylon, God answered him, declaring five woes of judgement on Babylon. Within these five woes, God encouraged Habakkuk’s faith by helping him understand where God was at work. We can be encouraged in our faith by understanding where God is at work.

Why Lord?

February 11, 2024 | Habakkuk 1:12-2:5 | exposition

What do you do when you’ve prayed to God and you don’t like the answer you’ve received? What do we do when God’s answer doesn’t seem to be “yes,” but “wait,” or even more difficult, “no?” That’s Habakkuk. He doesn’t like God’s answer. It doesn’t fit his understanding of God and the world. So now, he has more questions for God.

He even lifts up his “why” questions. “Why Lord? Why would you let this happen?” And “why” questions are the hardest of all. In the book of Habakkuk, when the prophet struggled with why a holy God would allow an evil nation like Babylon to prevail over Judah, the Lord called Habakkuk to trust that His plans would be better in the end. We can trust that God’s plans for us will be better in the end.

How Long Lord?

February 4, 2024 | Habakkuk 1:1-11 | exposition

Do you have questions for God today? Are you asking, “Lord, how long?” How long before You answer my cry for help? I’m going through a divorce, my wife left me, I’m trying to raise these kids alone… Lord, how long before you send help? I’m hurting. I’m grieving. I’m lonely. Help! Maybe you’re facing a health scare. You’re asking, “Lord, why aren’t you healing me? Or why aren’t you healing my loved one? Or you’ve lost someone. “Lord, I don’t understand why? How long will this sorrow last? How long will this grief linger? Or maybe the violence and strife of this world is filling you with fear, you’re crying, “Lord, how long must we wait for Your return? How long, Lord?”

That’s why the little Habakkuk is so timely today. It teaches us how to cry out in lament to God. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet cried out his questions and complaints to God believing that He would answer. We can cry out our questions and complaints to God believing that He will answer.

A Greater Priest

November 19, 2023 | Hebrews 5:1-10 | exposition

Do you ever feel like Job? “If only there were someone who could bring me together with God!” Someone who not only understands you and your situation, but also is able to bring you near to God? That was the purpose of the Old Testament high priest. He represented the people before God. Yet, they had shortcomings. Their ministry was always only a foreshadowing of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 5:1-10, the author helped the Hebrew background believers understand why Jesus is a greater high priest. We can understand why Jesus is the greater high priest.

A Greater Access

November 12, 2023 | Hebrews 4:14-16 | exposition

We all want special treatment, special access, especially to something or someone we deem important or valuable to us. We want to go backstage. We want to be able to sit in the reserved seats. We want to sit courtside and actually meet the players and coaches and feel that we’re part of the team. We all have this deep need to know and be known. At its deepest level, I think this is a God-given desire for fellowship, with God and with others. God made us that way. And we’ll feel disconnected and spiritually empty until we find access to Him.

How are you feeling about your relationship with God today? Do you feel close to God or distant today? Do you feel you have VIP access to Him In Hebrews 4:14-16, the Jewish background believers were challenged to respond rightly to Jesus as the great high priest opening up a greater access to God’s throne of grace. We can respond rightly to Jesus as the great high priest who opens up greater access to God.

A Greater Rest

November 5, 2023 | Hebrews 4:1-13 | exposition

Are you weary and heavy with burdens today? Are you struggling with an aching kind of exhaustion that no amount of napping can cure? No vacation spot can alleviate? Let us consider two questions today: what is this rest that Jesus offers? And how do we enter into this
rest?

In the book of Hebrews chapter 4:1-13, the author encouraged Hebrew background believers to strive to enter God’s rest. We can strive to enter God’s rest.

A Greater Calling

October 29, 2023 | Hebrews 3:7-19 | exposition

Fighting and terrorism between Israel and Hamas. Riots in our streets. Shootings in Maine. Political fighting and disunity. Concerns about the economy and inflation. Growing anxiety and suicidal ideation among our young people. Where can we turn? Whose voice shall we heed for help? Whose calling? There are so many competing voices and most have already let us down. How do we keep from hardening our hearts to the calling of Jesus? We’ve heard it, but have we really truly responded to it? That’s what today’s message is about. The only voice, the only calling, that can truly help us is the calling of Jesus. How will you respond to Christ’s calling?

In the book of Hebrews chapter 3:7-19, the author warned the Hebrews not to harden their hearts against the greater calling of Jesus. We can heed the warning not to harden our hearts and rightly respond to the greater calling of Jesus.