Our Advocate When Comfort Is Needed.

We can receive comfort from others in dark times. This is one of God's good gifts to us. But there is only one place to find soul rest. Jesus is the exclusive source of ultimate comfort.

The Father of Comfort.

During this unique time in our world, we will suspend our regular series and instead look at passages that remind us of who God is, what He has done for us, and how He comforts us so we can comfort others. Our church family is personally and corporately strengthened as we continue to learn and live in the comfort of God.

A Shelter in Time of Storm.

Three Gospel writers record the narrative found in Mark 6:45-52. Mark writes with his theme in mind: Jesus as servant (Mark 10:45).

The Lord Grows His People Through Trials.

The word "suffering" appears 16 times in the book of 1 Peter. The recipients of the letter came from different backgrounds and were facing the difficulty of persecution. Peter emphasizes God's grace as the only thing that helps in such times. It helps us stand firm and endure (1 Peter 5:12).

The Beauty of the Body of Christ.

God places us in each of our specific contexts for an eternal purpose (1 Corinthians 12:18, Matthew 28:19-20).

Understanding the Nature and Practice of Spiritual Togetherness.

Ephesians 4 begins the practical section of the book in which Paul lays out the spiritual maturity necessary to produce godly character. Maturing Christians have the attitude that they have never arrived.

Understanding the Nature and Practice of Spiritual Togetherness.

Unity in Christ's body is maintained by more than individual behavior and relationships. It is maintained by having a unified mission.

Understanding the Nature and Practice of Spiritual Togetherness.

Spiritual togetherness is another way to say "unity." Believers will be spiritually one as we understand who God is and who we are in Christ. We should not want to live life alone.

Will Moral Corruption Swallow Us Alive?

The content of Psalm 14 is repeated three times in the Old and New Testament, once with commentary. (See also Psalm 53, Romans 3, and Romans 1.) How should we respond to increasing moral corruption?

Cultivating Togetherness.

Humans need to be together and to celebrate something bigger than themselves. We also need to be together as God's people. We prepare to be with each other, and we enjoy being with our Christian family. Our unity is based on our position in Christ and our disposition produced by the fruit of the Spirit.

Doing Divine Things Together.

Our theme for the year is not just a slogan; it is a practice of our faith. Our church's One Legacy goals for the year are things we have to do together, because that is how God designed the body of Christ to work.

The Provision of God in the New Year.

It is natural for humans to worry, but in a life governed by God, worry will be controlled. Believers don't have to dwell in anxiety.

The Provision of God in the New Year.

Our theme for the year will be "Doing Divine Things Together."

The book of Matthew has 5 discourses and 5 narrative sections presenting Christ as the King. Our passage today is part of the Sermon on the Mount, which is not new information. As one author described, "It is the wisdom of God inviting all of us through faith to orient our vision, values, and habits from the ways of external righteousness to wholeheartedness towards God. Jesus' method of teaching uses thematic structures, images, and poetic language to allow His listeners more simple ways to remember, meditate on, and memorize Christ's heart on how to live every day."

A Birth Foretold and a Bright Future to Behold.

Luke 1:67-80 occurs just before the birth of Jesus, after the birth of his cousin John the Baptist. Zechariah is holding his newborn son and speaks promises inspired by the Holy Spirit. He answers the question, how can we be sure of Jesus' ability to save us from our sins?

We can trust in Jesus because God says we can. His Word is enough, because His promise will always come true. What He says, He will do.

Reflections on the Significance of the Incredible Incarnation!

Christmas is when God became man. This is the meaning of "incarnation." But why did God become man? The whole Bible is the answer; this morning, we look at Hebrews 2 for part of the answer.

Wisdom in All Seasons of Life.

Solomon offers more wisdom principles as he concludes the book of Ecclesiastes. He urges us to embrace good, simple things as we have them. As we discipline ourselves to use our energy to enjoy God's good gifts, we will be a joyful people!

Wisdom's Conclusions.

Solomon has several concluding chapters as he shares wisdom on enduring the margin of mystery. The theme is similar to 1 Peter 4:19: When life is hard to understand, stay active doing good things.

Joyfully Enduring Life's Inexplicable Mysteries.

We are learning from Solomon how to live simply in the margin of mystery created by the unpredictability of life. Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 warns us not to trust our personal ability or opportunities.

Joyfully Enduring Life's Inexplicable Mysteries.

We try to understand God's plan, but we can never know all of it; and we couldn't handle that knowledge anyway. Life is full of spiritual mystery. What can and should we do as we live through this reality?

Wisdom Addresses the Inequity in Human Government.

Ecclesiastes 8:12-17 are addressed primarily to the wise employee of a despotic king. Though we are not all government employees, all of God's people can learn a wise disposition while we live under human government from these verses.