Before the Great Commission, there was the first mission. Jesus sends out the twelve with power and purpose—and his words still ring true for us today. Pastor Barry reveals what it means to live sent and how to go boldly into a broken world. Keywords: Matthew 10 sermon, Jesus sends the twelve, living on mission, Great Commission, how to follow Jesus
Before the Great Commission, there was the first mission. Jesus sends out the twelve with power and purpose, and his words still ring true for us today. Pastor Barry reveals what it means to live sent and how to go boldly into a broken world. Keywords: Matthew 10 sermon, Jesus sends the twelve, living on mission, Great Commission, how to follow Jesus
Why would Jesus call a tax collector—an outcast—to follow him? And why does that matter for us today? Pastor Maron takes us into this transformational moment that still echoes for anyone who feels disqualified or unworthy. Keywords: Matthew the disciple, Jesus calls sinners, tax collector Bible story, call to discipleship, Matthew 9 sermon
A Roman soldier. Unlikely faith. Stunning praise from Jesus. In this message, we explore what it means to trust God without reservation—and how even outsiders are welcomed into His kingdom. Keywords: faith of Roman centurion, Matthew 8 explained, Jesus amazed by faith, great faith in the Bible
It’s not about appearances—it’s about fruit. In Matthew 7, Jesus challenges us to evaluate our lives by the impact we make. Pastor Barry explores what it looks like to live out a faith that actually bears fruit. Keywords: Matthew 7 sermon, fruit of the Spirit, spiritual growth sermon, how to follow Jesus, tree and its fruit meaning
Blessed are the poor? The grieving? The persecuted? Jesus flips everything we think we know about blessing. This sermon dives deep into the Beatitudes and invites you into a kingdom unlike any other. Keywords: Beatitudes explained, Matthew 5:1-12 sermon, who God blesses, Jesus blessings, upside-down kingdom
What did Jesus actually teach, and why did it turn the world upside down? This message gives an aerial view of the Sermon on the Mount, exploring how Jesus fulfills the law and sets a new way to live. Think grace, truth, and transformation. Keywords: Sermon on the Mount overview, Matthew 5 sermon, Jesus fulfills the law, Jesus’ teachings explained
In the wilderness, Jesus faces real temptation—and wins. But how? Pastor Barry reveals how Scripture and surrender shaped Jesus' resistance and what that means for us today. If you're battling temptation, don’t miss this. Keywords: Jesus temptation Matthew 4, resisting temptation Bible, how to overcome temptation, spiritual warfare sermon
Why did Jesus need to be baptized? Wasn’t he sinless? Pastor Maron explores this pivotal moment in Matthew 3 where heaven opens, identity is confirmed, and Jesus' mission begins. Learn what this moment means for your own identity and calling. Keywords: Jesus baptism meaning, Matthew 3 sermon, why Jesus was baptized, identity in Christ, John the Baptist message
Matthew 1 is a radical declaration of who belongs in the kingdom of God. This week, Pastor Barry unpacks the surprising people in Jesus' family tree and what they reveal about God’s upside-down kingdom. Perfect for anyone wondering where they fit in God's story. Keywords: Matthew genealogy meaning, Jesus family tree explained, Gospel of Matthew intro, Bible genealogy sermon
On Easter Sunday, join us as we uncover the power behind Jesus’ final words in the Gospel of Matthew. What does it mean to "go and make disciples"? Why does the resurrection launch a mission that still impacts us today? Dive into Matthew 28 with Pastor Barry and discover the authority, purpose, and promise of the risen Christ.
“Are we weak and heavy laden? Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer! Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In His arms He’ll take and shield thee. Thou wilt find a solace there!” Many among us are carrying heavy burdens. Like Scriven, even as we bear the weight of our own suffering, we are also tasked with helping to shoulder the burdens of others. How can we manage to hold it all together? The answer: take it...
“Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer!” Joseph Scriven’s song is a personal testimony of God’s tender and faithful love. In his weakness, he found encouragement and steadfast friendship in Christ Jesus. What does it mean for Christ to ‘know our every weakness?’ What comfort and assuranc...
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit! O what needless pain we bear! All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!” Joseph Scriven had written this song as a poem to encourage his mother who was ill. But he, himself, had suffered 2 tragic losses, and faced physical ailments of his own. Yet despite all the sorrow he faced in his lifetime, his primary focus was serving others...
This series began with a recognition that Paul’s letter to the Philippian Church is one of his most joyful and encouraging in the New Testament. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his famous command, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (4:4 NRSV). As we’ve seen, Paul had a lot to be joyful for in the lives of his brothers and sisters in Philippi: a church that took root deeply in the love of Jesus, a community overflowing with generosity, and a family that stayed true to P...
Commitment Sunday. Leave 10 minutes in service for filling out commitment cards. Response moment in service for making commitments. Overview: As Paul considers the possible end of his life in an Ephesian jail, he wants the Philippians to understand that whether he lives or dies, he will “bring honor to Christ” (1:20). Why? Because if he dies, he will go to be with the Lord. But if he lives, he can live for Christ and even visit with the Philippians again to help them “grow and experience the joy...
Paul knew a thing or two about endurance. In his ministry he faced prison, shipwrecks, whips, bandits, snakebites, and, perhaps most painful of all, rejection from those he cared about. Out of this hardship Paul developed a commitment to “press on” until the very end. Writing to his dear friends in Philippi while in chains, Paul wants to make sure they share this mindset as they serve Jesus. “Pattern your lives after mine” (3:17). There is much joy and excitement for Grace Church in the days ahe...
Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul shares his heart’s desire for the Philippian church, not knowing if he would ever see them again. In many ways, his advice reads like the last will and testament of a dying man. Ultimately, Paul longs for his brothers and sisters in Philippi to carry on the work which was started when he first preached the gospel to them. He pleads with them to “obey God,” “live clean, innocent lives,” “shine like bright lights,” and “hold firmly to the word of life...
One of the clearest distinctives of the Philippian church to Paul was their constant and overwhelming generosity. From opening their homes to opening their wallets (coin pouches?), this community was dedicated to sharing their resources to see the mission of God continue. In fact, the likely occasion for this letter was Paul’s gratitude for the gifts the Philippian church had just sent with Epaphroditus to care for Paul in prison (4:18). In his thanksgiving, Paul reminds the Philippians that the...
To better understand Paul’s overwhelming love and joy for the Philippian church, it is helpful to remember how their journey together began. Acts 16 tells the story of Paul’s first visit to Philippi and the rag-tag group of believers who founded the church: a middle-class cloth merchant who hosted the city’s first church gatherings in her home, a fortune-telling slave-girl delivered of demons, and a jailer spared from suicide by the graciousness of his Judean prisoners… Despite opposition in the...
Paul composed his letter to the Philippian church from prison. Based on his words in the letter, Paul is suffering mightily and wondering if his death is near. If it is true, as some scholars now believe, that Paul was in prison in Ephesus when he wrote this letter (not Rome), this also would have been a time of deep pain and emotional turmoil for him as churches like the one in Corinth had all but turned their back on him. And yet, the opening words of his letter are filled with joy. “Every tim...
We end this series with a similar sentiment with which we began it: the troubles we face can be an opportunity for joy(!). This time, however, the person saying these words is none other than James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and no stranger to hardships himself. Why does James believe our response to troubles should lead us to joy? Because, according to him, troubles grow our hypomonē. And when our endurance has grown, our faith can fully develop. Do you want true joy this year? It...
One of the first things to flee our minds during hardships is perspective. The challenges we face can become all-consuming, and we can forget where we’ve been and where we’re going. The author of Hebrews provides an important reminder of the mindset we are to have in our hypomonē. If we want to patiently endure now, we must also remember “those early days when you first learned about Christ,” while also never forgetting the “promise” that is ours in Christ in the future. Looking back and lookin...
At the time when Paul wrote his letter to the church in Colossae, he had not yet visited their community. Nevertheless, he had heard about their faith and love and wanted to send along some encouragement along with his teaching. Thus, he prays from afar that they would have all the hypomonē they need. In this prayer we see a beautiful reality about the Church’s call to endure. We do not do it alone! We can lift up, pray for, and encourage others to endure, even as we endure alongside them.
The Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about hardships. From prison to shipwrecks to rival teachers constantly undermining his ministry, Paul faced persistent struggles in his effort to be faithful to God’s call on his life. In 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses believers in Corinth who began to see all these hardships as a stain on his reputation (maybe God wasn’t blessing Paul’s ministry?). Quite the contrary, Paul explains. Our hypomonē in the face of obstacles is the proof that we are God’s minist...
One of the most central images in the Christian imagination at Christmastime is that of baby Jesus lying in a manger. We picture a tiny infant resting calmly in a clean, cozy, wooden crib while Mary, Joseph, a few angels, some sharply dressed wise men, and some spotless animals look on. What we fail to consider in this beautiful nativity scene is the dirt, the noises, the stench of animal droppings, and the utter humiliation undoubtedly felt by Jesus’ parents at this most humble of beginnings fo...
In his letter to the Roman Church, the Apostle Paul makes a startling claim. We can rejoice in the face of problems and trials. Why in the world would obstacles make us joyful? According to Paul, because it develops hypomonē in us. This patient steadfastness in turn develops our character, which ultimately bolsters our hope. What would it mean for each of us, as we consider what 2025 will hold for us, to take such an attitude toward the inevitable hurdles which will be in our way? How might we ...
Most of the biblical texts envisioning the coming of the Messiah associate him with royalty. The vision of a gilded savior at the head of an army, ruling on a throne, and bringing prosperity to Israel gave the lower classes hope that their fortunes would one day change. How shocking and unexpected, then, for the Messiah to be born into a low-class family of peasants, too poor to afford a lamb as a sacrifice, too unimportant to sleep in their crowded family’s guestroom? What do we learn about the...
When the New Testament was written, the might and rule of the Roman Empire was at its peak. In fact, the shadow of Rome falling over everything was such a common phenomenon that the biblical authors rarely draw our attention to it. For example, Luke does not mention that the census of Augustus in 2:1, which leads Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, also sparked off a violent rebellion in Galilee. The shadow of Rome and the unrest it fomented in Israel was just a part of life. However, as we ...
We too often take the incarnation for granted because of how familiar it is. In this message, however, we will explore the staggering implications of the eternal Word of God taking on flesh and walking among us as a fully human man. What does it tell us about the love of God that he would willingly enter his own creation as one of us?
