Jesus’s resurrection ensures our substitution |THE SACRIFICE IS MADEThe resurrection of Jesus proves that Jesus was received an acceptable substitutionary sacrifice.  Jesus was the sinless priest who offered the Himself. His sacrifice perfectly represented man and satisfied God.  The resurrection proves that Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of God’s law on our behalf.Jesus’ resurrection ensures our propitiation | THE DEBT IS PAIDThe resurrection is God’s receipt that our accounts have been “paid in full”.  The ransom price was not paid to God’s enemy.  The debt was owed to God.  Jesus saves us from God’s wrath by absorbing all of the divine punishment man deserved.  The resurrection proves God’s wrath is forever appeased.Jesus’ Resurrections ensures our regeneration| THE CURSE IS LIFTEDThe resurrection reveals what it looks like to go from death to life.  As a result of man’s sin, God cursed creation.  As a result of God’s curse, everything died.  The resurrection [...]

Faith in the resurrection means I serve a living God who wants me to believe, trust, and live without fear. The cross shows that our relationship with the Lord begins with FEAR, but the resurrection shows it ends in love with casts out all fear:1John 4.15-18 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected [...]

Taken from Sermon titled: Jesus on Fear | Matthew 6.25-34 Fear is a nasty thing.  Fear doesn’t lead us to God; it leads us away from Him and others.  Fear does not build trust in God, it creates doubt.  Fear does not generate intimacy with God, it fosters mistrust.  Ultimately, fear leads us to sin.  Fear destroys relationships because fear makes unfaithful and unloving.  All of our faith, all of our love, all of our time, all of our money, all of our energy is given to that savior NOT named Jesus. Fear takes us inward until all we think about is ourselves, robbing us of joy, and our family (or friends) of us. Fear of the future enslaves us to self-preoccupation Fear of failure enslaves us to self-reliance Fear of unhappiness enslaves us to self-indulgence Fear of disapproval enslaves us to self-promotion Fear of rejection by men enslaves us [...]

Jesus’s resurrection ensures our substitution | THE SACRIFICE IS MADE The resurrection of Jesus proves that Jesus was received an acceptable substitutionary sacrifice.  Jesus was the sinless priest who offered the Himself. His sacrifice perfectly represented man and satisfied God.  The resurrection proves that Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of God’s law on our behalf. Jesus’ resurrection ensures our propitiation | THE DEBT IS PAID The resurrection is God’s receipt that our accounts have been “paid in full”.  The ransom price was not paid to God’s enemy.  The debt was owed to God.  Jesus saves us from God’s wrath by absorbing all of the divine punishment man deserved.  The resurrection proves God’s wrath is forever appeased. Jesus’ Resurrections ensures our regeneration| THE CURSE IS LIFTED The resurrection reveals what it looks like to go from death to life.  As a result of man’s sin, God cursed creation.  As a result of God’s [...]

The following is taken from the sermon on Matthew 6.5-14:  Jesus on God-glorifying PrayerJesus teaches us that prayer is not a means to manipulate our good God into doing the good things we want.  Prayer is not our chance to vent to God, argue with God, or beg from God.  Prayer is not even about fixing problems, fulfilling needs, or even changing circumstances.  We don’t pray to impress God and be admired.  We don’t pray to control God and be blessed.  Both rob Him of glory. We pray to remember God, forget self, and be a changed in order to give Him more glory.  Consider the following "revision" of the Lord's prayer to reflect the heart oriented away from self and toward God:Father, help me know your GloryHelp me adore your gloryHelp me seek your gloryHelp me desire your gloryHelp me to depend on your gloryHelp me to confess my self-gloryHelp [...]

The current display of men's brokenness on the internet is grievous for many reasons.  For better or worse, everyone has a story, or an opinion, and a Facebook account to share it on.  There is no absence of voices or words.  Among all of the stories, confessions, and calls for repentance, there is one thing missing.   Almost completely unnoticed is the  absence of godly older men who lead like godly older men should. But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness... Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Titus (2.1-8) It [...]

If there is one thing I am notorious for doing in my sermons, it is trying to say too much.  I write too much and I talk too fast.  As a result, there are often a few notes of truth that get lost in all of the noise pouring out of my mouth.  Below, are a TEN of these "notes" that may have been missed in my last sermon. They do not represent thunderbolt-like truths you've never heard of but are probably more akin to 42 character quips you could twitter out--clever phrases that say so much...but so little at the same time.   If my sermon were a textbook, these would be the bold or italicized words you would pay attention to while working to ignore everything else that you know won't be on the "test".  Enjoy.   "Our obedience does not ever dictate our relationship with God; but it always [...]