Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 16:15-17:4 Theme: By accepting despicable counsel to antagonize his father, Absalom declared his irreversible and open opposition to the Lord who had chosen David as king of Israel. Structure/points: When Absalom was busy stealing the hearts of Israel, he created a public image of majesty mixed with familiarity and civic-mindedness. But after the launch of his coup, Absalom’s…
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 16:1-14 Theme: Even though the greatest human king will make flawed judgments, the people of God humbly trust the pronouncement of the Judge of all the earth to be right and perfect at all times. Structure/points: The Bible doesn’t suggest that David was a perfect king in exile. If anything, 2 Samuel 16:1-14 shows that David was capable…
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:12-22 Theme: Because the Lord has sent Jesus as light to rescue those in spiritual darkness, all must answer Christ’s call to repent of sin and find salvation in His kingdom. Structure/points: Over advent 2025, we’ve been learning about the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Now we read of how the Beloved Son of God began to call…
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:8-11 Theme: Jesus proved that the true Son of Heaven would inherit the Kingdom of God by obeying the command to worship the Lord His God alone. Structure/points: Our advent series has focused on Jesus’ formal inauguration as the Christ. He was acknowledged as the beloved Son of God, and then exposed to the temptations of the devil for…
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:5-7 Theme: Jesus proved that the true Son of God does not demand that His Father submit to unholy testing; instead, He rests in confident submission to the faithful promises of a trustworthy God. Structure/points: Temptation is rarely a matter of saying “No” once. As often than not, sin must be resisted continually because the pressure to give in…
Sermon Text: Matthew 4:1-4 Theme: Jesus proved that the true Son of God trusts His Father in Heaven to provide for Him by refusing to use His messianic powers to avoid the suffering appointed to Him. Structure/points: At the Jordan River, Jesus was baptized and identified as the beloved Son of God. But what did that mean? How did He understand Himself…
Sermon Text: Matthew 3:1-17 Theme: John’s baptismal ministry called the Jewish people to repent of their sins from the heart because the messianic kingdom of heaven was about to dawn on them through Jesus Christ. Structure/points: After the Lord’s initial revelation about the births of Jesus and John the Baptist, He became relatively silent. We know nothing of John’s life in between…
Sermon Text: Psalm 3:1-8 Theme: Though the foes of the believer are many, salvation belongs to the Lord, and He will answer all who cry to Him for deliverance with protection and blessing. Structure/points: If ever there was a time to be thinking about musical composition, running away from Absalom’s rebels seems like it wouldn’t be it. Yet it was in the…
Sermon Text: Galatians 2:20 Theme: True believers in Christ are one with Him, as they continue to trust in His work and as they seek to know of and respond to His ways. Structure/Points:
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 15:17-37 Theme: Though David was forced to once again retreat into the wilderness because of his and Absalom’s sins, the Lord provided him with help and encouragement so that the strength of his flagging faith was restored. Structure/points: For the second time, David found himself hunted by his own people and forced to seek refuge in the wilderness. …