The Bible is clear that Jesus is the Son of God. But many biblical characteristics of Jesus have, throughout history, been analyzed and debated. For the ancient theologian Arius, one of those characteristics was the essence — or the substance — of Jesus. Was Jesus simply the greatest of all created beings, or was he of the same substance as God the Father? Listen to this sermon as we consider how getting the essence of Jesus right doesn’t just settle a theological debate; it revolutionizes our knowledge of God, our worship of God, and even our salvation.

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Christianity is the only world religion with a God who experiences the weakness, temptation, and suffering of humanity. That also means Christianity is the only world religion with a God who has become like us so he can make us like him. So what if, as some have argued in the past, Jesus appeared human but wasn’t actually human? Does it matter whether the baby whose birth we celebrate this month was actually fully God and fully man? Listen to this sermon as we consider how the human incarnation of Jesus was the only means to redemption.

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The Christian doctrine of the incarnation — God taking on human flesh in the person of his Son, Jesus — is a central teaching of the faith. But there has been some debate throughout theological history over whether Jesus was the Son of God by nature, or if, being born a mere human, he was then adopted as God’s Son. While this may seem like a minor distinction, rightly understanding Jesus’ deity and his relationship to God the Father has massive implications for the salvation of the world. Listen to this sermon as we consider how our adoption into God’s family is only possible through the unadopted, eternally divine Jesus.

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The Christian life requires something of us. We do have to invest time, energy, and effort into living according to God’s Word. But in the end, even when we are faithless, he is faithful. Even when we fail, his promises remain true. Listen to this sermon as we consider how the gospel and only the gospel ignites our worship, so that we might find our deepest joy and delight in Jesus. 

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Just like the Church today, the New Testament Church was made up of sinful people who couldn’t escape conflict and controversy. The apostle Paul sought to address these issues, but he also didn’t write the Church off as a lost cause because of them. Listen to this sermon as we consider how Paul’s encouragement for the early Church to multiply their ministry can be applied to us today. 

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The biblical concept of the day of the Lord — Jesus’ second coming — is defined by judgment, justice, and even wrath. And on top of that, we are told no one knows the hour or the day it will happen. So how is there any hope in that? The hope lies in the reality that God’s judgment, justice, and wrath are in opposition to sin, evil, and injustice — against which God has already issued the ultimate blow. Listen to this sermon as we consider the encouragement that comes from anticipating God’s promised consummation of his Kingdom. 

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Even for Christians, death is a difficult subject. But for those who have no hope beyond this life, facing death personally or through the loss of a loved one can feel devastating and even crippling. Which is why it was so challenging for the new believers in Thessalonica to shift their perspective on death. Listen to this sermon as we hear how the apostle Paul instructs the early Church believers — and us — to take heart in the hope of the resurrection. 

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When the early Church embraced the gospel and the good news that Jesus would one day come again to bring redemption to the world, they struggled to see why their work on earth mattered. In the apostle Paul’s addressing of their questions, he helps us see that there is inherent dignity in our work, and also that the way in which we work can be a means of giving glory to God. Listen to this sermon as we consider how the gospel inspires our work.

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The early Church believers in Thessalonica wrestled with many of the same questions we ask God today, so when they faced confusion over how to honor God with their bodies, Paul’s instruction to them delivers truth to us as well. The biblical sexual ethic may have a restrictive, negative, and life-denying reputation, but it actually frees us unto a holiness already secured for us in Jesus. Listen to this sermon as we explore the life-giving effects of being wholly devoted to God.

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The book of 1 Thessalonians — and likewise many books of the New Testament — are actually letters, written by the apostle Paul to the early Church believers whom he loved with an inspirational love. In addition to instruction and guidance, we see in his words an outpouring of passionate care and concern worth embodying. Listen to this sermon as we consider the intense, exemplary love of Paul — and more importantly, the Good News out of which it was born.

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