Overview of the Sermon:These verses give a surprising gift of warnings that are meant to guard Christians from tripping over legalism or license. They are also meant to fix our eyes on the sufficiency of Jesus. Paul warns of false teaching and beliefs that would lead to self-confidence, rather than confidence in Jesus alone. If one persists in false self-confidence, it will lead to condemnation. T...  Read More

Sermon Overview:The world we live in tempts us to live on autopilot, doing whatever we can to avoid hardship and pursue ease and pleasure. 1 Peter reminds us that not only are we to pursue initiative, God’s promises and power enables and sustains our diligence in the Christian life. In 1 Peter 1:3-11, we see the assurance of our maturity, the path to our maturity, and the goal of our maturity. As ...  Read More

Overview of Sermon: In this sermon, the author of Ecclesiastes expresses to the reader that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. CJ expounded that wisdom is found in paying careful attention to death. This wisdom needed for living in the present comes from acknowledging the brevity of life and the surety of death and learning to live today in the reality that ...  Read More

Overview of Sermon: Paul begins this passage by retelling the story of two women and two sons: Sarah, the mother of Isaac, and Hagar, the mother of Ishmael. Paul then tells us that these women are an allegory for two covenants and two cities. Sarah represents the new covenant and the new, heavenly Jerusalem while Hagar represents the old covenant and the earthly Jerusalem. Paul reminds the Galatia...  Read More

Sermon Overview:The reader of Ecclesiastes comes to the end of the Preacher’s sermon, in which the Preacher makes his final and ultimate argument—what will you do with your life given its trials and joys, finitude and fallenness? He implores us to, instead of spending life trying not to die, spend it living for Christ with all our might. To do so requires that we spend our life, enjoy our life, an...  Read More

Overview of Sermon:Paul’s passion is on full display in this passage, as he fights for the survival of the Galatian Christians and the honor of his Savior. He begins defining the problem at the heart of his letter: the Galatians are abandoning the sufficiency of Christ alone! Some thought they had good intentions in returning to the Law of the Judiasers, others followed depraved desires to pagan i...  Read More