Psalm 139 is a beautiful psalm that illustrates God’s intimate knowledge of each of His children. It tells us that God knows us, made us, and is with us. We are the result of God’s handiwork, fearfully and wonderfully made. You are the intended result of the mind of God.

In v. 19-24, David closes by looking at all the evil in the world. This is the hardest stanza in the psalm, but it is never wise to dismiss from the Bible things we find difficult or distasteful.

When a person’s world is full of God, they will long for the elimination of evil, as David does here. God is so precious to David that he cannot tolerate those who speak against Him. The revolt of the wicked is revolting to him. Below are four observations about the purpose and content of this passage:

A Prayer

First, we should notice that this stanza is a prayer, not just an observation. David directs his comments about evil to God Himself.

Not a Program

Next, we can notice that the passage is not describing a program for us to implement. In both the Old and New Testaments, vengefulness is expressly forbidden, and love for our enemies is an obligation. It is ultimately God’s job to serve justice, not ours.

In these verses, David is not driven by a hateful desire to get back at anyone; he is driven by zeal for God. David is God’s man, and a result, his enemies are not merely his own private enemies — they are God’s enemies.

David sees the true wickedness of evil, so he longs for it to be destroyed.

Our Problem

We have a problem: We are distinctly hesitant to pray like David does here. We find such confrontation distasteful.

This is because we are confused in our thinking. We fail to realize that judgment will fall upon evildoers, not upon abstract evil. We focus on John 3:16, which talks about God’s love and His gift of eternal life to all who believe. Yet we forget about John 3:36, which says that whoever does not obey the Son will not see life, because the wrath of God remains on him.

We recoil from God’s judgment because we are used to seeing evil, so we don’t recognize how wicked it truly is.

Our Posture

After calling on God to deal with the wicked, David submits himself to divine scrutiny and acknowledges that there is evil within his own heart, too. He honestly and humbly realizes he has the ability to deviate from the righteous course.

This must be our response, too. Seeds of appalling evil exist in all of our hearts. We must pray, asking God to search us, to know us, to check for grievous ways within us, and to lead us in the everlasting way. He is able to redeem us, cleanse us from our sin, and make our hearts His palace and royal throne.

Who Am I and Why Do I Matter? Chapel Recap on Psalm 139 With Alistair Begg.

Today in chapel, Alistair Begg opened with the questions, “Who am I, and why do I matter?” He turned to Psalm 139 for the answers, reminding us that our identity and worth are rooted in the God who knows us completely.

In verses 1–6, David reminds us that God truly knows us. Begg emphasized that the same God who formed the ear, the eye, and the mind is the God who hears, sees, and knows everything. God knows our movements and our thoughts even before they take form. There is no corner of our lives hidden from Him. As Alistair Begg put it, “I cannot hide anything from a God whose knowledge of me is so wonderful.” God is not distant — He is personal.

In verses 7–12, David shifts to explain that God is with us. We cannot outrun His presence, nor can we out-sin His grace. David discovered that the only true shelter is found in the God who goes before us and comes behind us. Begg then explains that learning that God knows us this personally is not a burden or a restriction but a privilege.

However, this truth collides with three of the biggest lies of our culture:

1. There is no Creator God.
2. There is no absolute morality.
3. There is no ultimate truth.

If those lies are true, then the question “Who am I?” has no clear answer. But Scripture reveals the truth.

David’s reflection in Psalm 139 and Begg’s challenges lead us back to where we must begin: God sees, God hears, and God knows. This reality draws us into hope, for the subtlety of sin lies in self-deception, but the security of faith lies in being fully known and fully loved by a personal God.

Following Christ is not easy. It can be incredibly difficult. In Luke 9, Jesus meets three men who, despite their good intentions, are not ready to follow Him.

Live a Life of Self-Denial

Jesus says that to follow Him, you must live a life of self-denial (vv. 57–58). This doesn’t just mean giving up your weekend plans for Him; it means giving up everything and making Him first in your life. It means cultivating a real relationship with God with the goal of knowing, loving, and enjoying Him. It means investing in others’ lives and discipling them.

Respond Immediately to Jesus

Jesus also says that to follow Him, you must respond immediately to His call (vv. 59–60). When the man asked Jesus to let him go and bury his father first, he was hiding his true hesitations in good intentions. Those hesitations were the problem, not his request. Following Jesus does not eliminate our good responsibilities; it reorders them under His lordship.

We must not let good and precious things keep us from following Jesus. We must not allow the safe and the comfortable to keep us from the mission. Christians are to drift towards need, not comfort.

We are also not to wait until it’s more convenient or until we feel spiritual enough. God is at work now. He has called us to Kingdom work, and that can’t wait.

Give Christ Your Full Devotion

Jesus also says that to follow Him, you must give Him your full devotion (vv. 61–62). The third man asked to say goodbye to his family because he was focused on what he would be leaving behind.

It’s impossible to be a disciple if you’re constantly longing for what you’ve left behind. It’s so easy to be distracted by the world’s alluring offers, but we are commanded not to love worldly things (1 John 2).

Take Heart!

After hearing how hard it is to follow Christ and how dramatically we all fall short, it’s easy to become discouraged, believing you’re a failure who will never be able to follow Him. But consider the disciples. They were so slow to understand, and yet Jesus stuck with them. He spent many long hours encouraging them, teaching them, and helping them.

Although we, too, are slow to understand and slow to obey, Christ stays with us long enough to teach us, change us, and use us. If you know your weaknesses and your frailties and still want Jesus, that’s a good thing. Jesus still wants you too.

Jesus is more than enough to take broken disciples, put them together, and push them in the right direction. His Gospel transforms us from the inside out. And at the end of the book of Matthew, He promises, “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Interpreting Law and Sin Through a Biblical Lens

 Based on chapel notes from Dr. Christopher Yuan

When interpreting Old Testament laws, such as those in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, it’s important to understand the broader biblical context. There are two general approaches: the revisionist approach and the traditional approach.

Those with a revisionist view often argue that certain laws, especially those referring to the Holiness Code, do not apply to us today. This view may interpret terms like "abomination" as ritual impurity rather than a command for moral purity. In contrast, those with a traditional perspective might recognize that some laws — particularly those with penalties of death — highlight enduring moral truths rather than temporary ceremonial codes. Dr. Christopher Yuan’s resources, such as The Holy Sexuality Project video series or Holy Sexuality and the Gospel book, contain more information on these viewpoints.

Dr. Yuan always encourages interpreting Scripture through literary, historical, and canonical contexts. For instance, the Hebrew term to’evah (abomination) is also used in Proverbs to describe behaviors God finds morally detestable, not just ritually impure. This helps distinguish between cultural practices and universal moral commands.

One helpful guideline Dr. Yuan points out is to ask ourselves if a law is reaffirmed in the New Testament. When a New Testament author affirms an Old Testament law, it signals continued moral relevance. For example, Jesus reaffirms God’s design for sexuality and marriage in Mark 10:6–9, pointing back to Genesis. 

Furthermore, Dr. Yuan reminds us from Romans 6 that “the wages of sin is death,” a consequence we all face. This highlights the seriousness of all sin, not just particular behaviors. But the good news is clear: Through Christ’s blood and grace through faith, we are washed clean.

Interpreting Scripture faithfully requires careful study, humility, and a canon-centric lens. Sin separates us from God, but His mercy offers redemption to all who believe.

Many people in the world are involved daily in sexual sin. This can be an incredibly difficult sin to find freedom from, but through God, there is so much hope.

A Call to Holiness

In Leviticus 11:44, God commands us to “Be holy, for I am holy.” The opposite of every single sin is holiness. Change is not the absence of temptation; it is the Spirit-wrought ability to be holy even in the midst of those temptations.

The Biblical View vs. the Revisionist View

When trying to understand what God thinks about sexuality, we can go to several different sources for ideas: Scripture, reasoning, science, and our own experiences. These can all have helpful things to say. The problem is when we put them in the wrong order.

One view is the historical Christian (biblical) view of sexuality. This puts Scripture as the first and primary authority in our lives. Secondary to that is reasoning, logic, and scientific discoveries. Our experiences get third place.

But others hold a revisionist view, which switches the places of Scripture and experience. Those that hold this view think their experiences are the most important, while the Bible is the least important.

In order to form ideas that honor God, the Bible must be the first authority, not the last.

Studying the Context

To see what God really thinks of sexuality and sexual sin, we must use exegesis, which means getting the true meaning out of the text rather than inserting our own opinions and biases into it. When we read the Bible, our goal is to say, “What was God’s intent when He wrote this?” This includes looking at the context. There are three types of context we can study: literary, historical, and canonical.

Looking at the literary context means studying the verses and chapters around any passage of Scripture.

Studying historical context means asking questions like, “Who wrote this? When was it written?”

Finally, using canonical context means reading a passage in the light of the whole canon of Scripture — all 66 books. The Bible is one unified book tied together by the Holy Spirit, proclaiming one unified message: the Gospel that saves.

When we read Scripture in this way, we will discover that one passage will reference another. One book of the Bible will quote from or allude to another. In other words, we will discover that Scripture affirms Scripture.

Resources for Further Reference

Dr. Christopher Yuan has written several books that go much deeper into the topic of viewing sexuality in a biblical way. They include Out of a Far Country and Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story. He also offers a resource called The Holy Sexuality Project, which is a series of videos for parents and teens meant to teach them God’s view of sexuality and sexual sin.

The Way of Jesus: Chapel Reflections from Mark 1 With Dr. Thomas White

In this chapel service, Dr. Thomas White continued the Marked by Jesus series with a powerful message from Mark 1:14–45. His central theme was “This is the way!” While others pointed to the way, Jesus revealed that He Himself is the way.

Dr. White reminded us that Mark’s Gospel is written with urgency: “Mark is on a mission to the cross.” In this passage, Dr. White highlights five defining marks of Jesus’ ministry that reveal His identity and shape our response as His followers.

1. The Content of His Message (vv. 14–15)

Jesus centralized His ministry on proclaiming the Gospel of God: “Repent and believe in the gospel” (v. 15).

2. The Call to Action (vv. 16–20)

When Jesus called the disciples, His words were direct: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (v. 17).  Therefore, following Jesus always requires action.

3. The Commanding Authority (vv. 21–28)

Crowds marveled at Jesus’ teaching because it carried an authority that even demons obeyed. Jesus wasn’t given authority; He is the authority.

4. The Commitment to His Mission (vv. 35–39)

Even at the height of His popularity with the crowds, Jesus withdrew to pray. He stayed focused on His mission: preaching the Gospel and moving forward to new towns. His communion with the Father anchored His commitment to the mission.

5. The Compassion of His Touch (vv. 29–34, 40–45)

Whether lifting Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand or cleansing a leper, Jesus revealed His deep compassion and miraculous power. Dr. White then drew a parallel between leprosy and sin: Both corrupt, isolate, and spread, but both can be cleansed by the grace of God.

From these five marks, Dr. White reminded us that our lives should mirror Jesus’ pattern.

Therefore, we must:

• Repent — Be faithful to the content of the Gospel and believe
• Respond — Follow the call to action and follow Jesus
• Reach — Commit to His mission of sharing the Gospel to all who need to hear it
• Rely — Follow Jesus’ example and pray to our Father
• Reveal — Show compassion by loving the least of our society

Who is Jesus? The answer to that question should change everything. The way we think, speak, and act should reflect what we actually believe about who He is. In Mark 1:1–13, He is introduced as the Son of God and the adversary of Satan.

The Beginning

In vv. 1–8, John the Baptist lived his life in a way that reminded the Israelites of their history and called them to repent because the Messiah was coming. Everyone was talking about him. John could have gotten prideful because of his fame, but instead, he was humble, saying he was not even worthy to untie Jesus’s shoes. He firmly believed that he was only preparing the way for Someone far greater.

Just like John, we should be a voice crying in the wilderness of our generation. Rather than trying to be popular, we should focus on making Jesus popular, realizing that our lives are not all about ourselves — they are all about Him.

The Baptism

In vv. 9–11, Jesus came to be baptized in order to identify with humanity and be an example of obedience to God. When He came out of the water, the heavens were immediately torn open, and the Spirit descended on Him. A voice came out of heaven from the Father testified that Jesus was His beloved Son. This supports Mark’s thesis that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

The Battle

In vv. 12–13, Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, starting with the phrase, “If You are really the Son of God.” He appealed to Jesus’s hunger. We are guilty of satisfying our physical pleasures in many sinful ways, but Jesus resisted the temptation.

Satan also went after Jesus’s ego when he tempted Him to test God. We are guilty of fostering pride and exalting ourselves at the expense of other people, but again, Jesus resisted.

When Satan told Jesus to bow down to him and promised the whole world as a reward, he was tempting Jesus to take the easy shortcut, getting the crown without having to go through all the pain of the cross. We are guilty of taking shortcuts to get the reward without the work. We don’t want to do things the right way at the right time, but Jesus resisted this temptation too.

Who Is Jesus?

Some of us are living like Jesus doesn’t exist. We need to ask ourselves the question, “If Jesus is the Son of God and a real battle exists between good and evil, then how should that impact my thoughts, words, and actions in day-to-day life?” We should be passionate about the Gospel, meditating on Scripture, telling others about Jesus, and resisting sin.

This is real. If you have confessed, repented of your sins, and turned to Jesus, you are a beloved child of the King. There is a cosmic war taking place, and you need to be ready for that. It’s time to get in the game.

God’s Mission Through Genesis: His Glory Going Global

God’s Glory Across the Earth

Today in chapel, SGA Chaplain Ethan Foster invited us to step back into the opening chapters of Genesis to see the overview of God’s mission and design. Our mission is this: to witness and share God’s glory globally.

Habakkuk 2:14 reminds us that one day “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” God’s design is not just an abstract idea — it is woven into our very being. As Foster says, “God’s desire is built in our deepest fibers.”

The Image of God: Identity and Purpose

In Genesis 1:26, we learn that to be made in the image of God means two things: We can have a relationship with Him and have the ability to reflect Him. Genesis 1:28 carries this further, giving us both identity and purpose: We are made in the image of God to fill the world with God’s glory.

The Reality of Rest

Foster reminded us that even rest is part of God’s mission and design. On the seventh day of creation, God rested — not because He needed it but to set an example. Rest is not optional, and it is humbling reminding us that we are not infinite, not invincible, and not God.

God’s Design: A Loving Relationship

God’s design was never about distance. He did not relegate man to the garden; His design was relationship with man in the garden. That same desire for relationship continues today, fulfilled through Christ.

Living by Christ’s Power

As we live out our faith, we are called to lean on Christ’s power and embrace God’s design. In doing so, we join His mission — filling the Earth with His glory until the whole world sees and knows Him.

Exodus 1–2 continues the story of a faithful God’s deliverance of His chosen people through His appointed prophet.

The People

The first chapter of Exodus begins with a list of people who came down from Egypt. This may sound like a strange way to begin a book of the Bible, but it actually has an important purpose: to tie Exodus back to Genesis. The author points to the God who made a covenant promise to the Israelites and tells us that this book will continue the story of His faithfulness to His people. Under God’s blessing, His people have multiplied greatly.

The Problem

The problem arises when Pharoah’s evil intentions cause him to oppose the people of God. He concocts a plan that will kill all of the young Israelite boys.

From this passage, two things are evident. First, our God is a God of life. He valued the lives of these babies and rewarded the midwives for doing what they could to save the boys’ lives.

Second, this passage is an important reminder that although we are called to submit to the government even when it’s inconvenient, there are rare occasions when we are called to disobey. When the government commands us to do something God forbids or forbids us to do something God commands, the government is to be disobeyed, and we are to honor God.

The Prophet

In chapter 2, Moses’s story begins. After he is born, his mother saves his life by sending him away down the river in a basket. He grows up in the household of Pharoah. Moses knows God has appointed him as a deliverer, but he tries to seize an opportunity in his own strength and wisdom, and it does not go well. He ends up in the wilderness, where his second opportunity to be a deliverer will present itself.

God’s Heart for His People

In Exodus 2:23–25, we get an amazing glimpse of God’s care and love for His people. The Israelites need rescue from slavery, and they cry out to God because of their oppression. The passage says that God hears their groaning and remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God had not forgotten them in the first place — He always knew the salvation He intended to do, and now He was going to respond.

God has not forgotten us either. In our pain and crying out to God, He hears, and He cares!

The Greater Prophet

God saved Israel through His prophet, Moses, but Moses was only pointing to the greater One who was coming. Hebrews 2:14–15 says that Christ destroyed the one who had the power of death. Moses did this when he defeated Pharoah, and Jesus did it in a much greater way when He defeated Satan through His death and resurrection! Let our worship be motivated by seeing the glories of Christ’s salvation!

In Christ Alone: Finding the Fullness of Life

How do we find a life of hope, purpose, and meaning?

That was the question Dr. Matt Morton posed to the Cedarville student body in chapel today. His answer pointed us back to something simple yet profoundly life-changing found in Colossians 1: that fullness of life is found only in Jesus Christ. When He is at the center of our hearts, everything else begins to align.

Words to the Colossians and Us

Dr. Morton walked us through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, written around A.D. 55–60. The church in Colossae was diverse, surrounded by competing philosophies and religious ideas that threatened to pull them away from the Gospel. Paul reminded them and us that Jesus is not one option among many. He is the only source of true life.

This sets up the central question of Dr. Morton’s message: Why is the fullness of life only found in Jesus?

Eternal Hope in Christ (vv. 3–8)

Only Jesus offers a hope that stretches beyond the temporary and into eternity.

As Morton said, “Those who know Jesus Christ will have a life of hope and joy that goes into eternity.” The world offers substitutes that we often put our trust in — organizations, people, or even ourselves — but none of them last. Hope in Christ alone secures joy both now and forever.

Spiritual Wisdom in Christ (v. 9)

Paul prays that believers would be filled with wisdom from God. Dr. Morton noted, “We have a world that is saturated with information and deeply starving for wisdom.”

Wisdom doesn’t come from endless data or clever arguments but from knowing God and learning to live life walking with Him. True wisdom is the Spirit’s gift to those who seek Christ above all else.

Transformation in Christ (v. 10)

Finally, Dr. Morton pointed us to the transforming power of Christ. To live a life worthy of the Lord is to grow in holiness and understanding. As Dr. Morton said, “Understanding will fuel holiness, and holiness will deepen understanding.”

Transformation means connecting our eternal hope with our present suffering, and it means finishing strong. As Dr. Morton challenged us: “Run through the finish line well.”

Closing Reflection

The Colossians needed the reminder that life in Christ was more than enough — and so do we. We find eternal hope, spiritual wisdom, and real transformation in Him.