Archives for May 2022

OVERVIEW OF THE SERMON:Having been financially supplied by its members, Paul assures the church in Philippi that his financial needs have been fully met. He commends their sacrificial giving and refers to it as a pleasing sacrifice to God. Paul concludes the passage with a simple-yet-profound theological truth: the Philippians' sacrificial giving to meet Paul's needs has p...

OVERVIEW OF THE SERMON:Jesus draws our attention to something that seems insignificant, the widow's offering. He points out that her sacrificial giving was more significant than those who give out of abundance. The widow's gift challenges us to consider whether we have grown too comfortable with our giving to the Father. We should remind ourselves, as we evaluate our givin...

"The scribes are ostentatious and the crowds are rich and extravagant; but by contrast this 'one poor widow' contributes two of the smallest coins in circulation. In purely financial terms, the value of her offering is negligible-and unworthy compared to the sums of wealthy donors. But in the divine exchange rate things look differently. That which made no difference in th...

OVERVIEW OF THE SERMON:In Acts 2:42-47, we see the Holy Spirit's work in creating a community in the church it created in the previous verses. These marks of the early church make up its daily life as the people that God saved now create a community. Devotion to five distinctives mark this church: apostolic teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, and evangelis...

"The church of God is a subject that stands at the very heart of the Bible. For the church is the object of the redemption which the Bible proclaims. It was to save the church that the Son of God became man and died; God purchased his church at the cost of Christ's blood. It is through the church that God makes known his redeeming wisdom to the hosts of heaven. It is withi...

OVERVIEW OF THE SERMON:Foretold in the prophets and promised by Jesus, the Day of Pentecost was the promise of a new spiritual life of power and proclamation. On this day, the Holy Spirit Himself came into the believers, and they began proclaiming the mighty works of God. Peter, empowered by the Spirit, told those listening about the person and works of Jesus who rose from...