Chapel at Cedarville

In Joshua 10, we see that God is faithful to bring about both blessings and curses. The Lord is faithful to His promises by destroying His enemies and fighting for His people.

God Fights for His People

First, we see that the warrior God fights for His people. No part of Israel’s victory in this passage can be credited to human strength. God demonstrates His power by throwing down hailstones to destroy Israel’s enemies. He even stops the sun in the sky. Through this act, God displays His incredible grace and mercy toward all of Israel and especially Joshua. Joshua had just failed publicly earlier in chapter 9 — yet, despite his brokenness, God still heeds the voice of a frail, fallen leader. Amazingly, He acts according to the request of a man. The extent to which God will hear and answer the prayers of His people is shocking and encouraging. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

God Fights Against Evil

This shows that God not only fights for His people but also destroys His enemies. In v. 24, His people put their feet on the necks of their enemies, symbolizing the victory that He gives them through His faithfulness. As the pagan kings hang on trees, God spotlights His grace towards His people but also His wrath against evil.

This is a challenging truth to wrestle with. Some people see the God of the Old Testament as an unloving God who deals out judgment but not grace. They say this is scandalous — that He is nothing like the New Testament Jesus they know. But this is not the scandal of the Scriptures.

The scandal of the Scriptures is that since the garden, humanity has been in a state of rebellion. We haven’t just missed the mark; we’ve done the opposite of the standard God has given. God responds not by turning His back but by stepping into human history and embracing the brokenness. He heals the sick, comforts the downcast, and teaches the way of salvation to all. And yet the world responds to such a display of mercy by dragging Him to court and crucifying Him. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin so that we, His enemies, would be able to have His righteousness. Those who do not find refuge in Him will be destroyed and endure His wrath for eternity.

This is a serious reality — the Gospel is not casual. God is just, and He must punish sin. But He provides a way of salvation in His Son. The Creator of the cosmos desires to dwell with failed people like Joshua, me, and you when we turn from our sin and trust in Him. Would you trust this God and put your faith in Him? Blessed are those who take refuge in Him!

Chapel Recap: Trust and Worship the God of All Grace

Dr. Randy McKinion, Professor of Old Testament, preached from Exodus 34 today, continuing the faculty sermon series in Exodus. Dr. McKinion highlighted that the main idea in this passage is calling us to trust in and worship the God of all grace. Set in the aftermath of Israel’s sin with the golden calf, this chapter reveals both the seriousness of sin and the stunning mercy of God.

Dr. McKinion reminded listeners that “the uniqueness of the people was the presence of their God.” What set Israel apart was not their strength, numbers, or righteousness, but the Lord dwelling among them. Yet the glory-revealing scene in Exodus 34 also revealed that there is a great divide between a holy God and His sinful people. Moses’ bold request to see God’s glory highlights this tension. As Dr. McKinion noted, it reveals “the ongoing focus on the distance that sin has created between humanity and the Lord.”

When God passes before Moses, the emphasis is not merely on what is seen, but on what is proclaimed — His name and character. The focus is not what the people physically see, but what they come to know about their God: gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. “Our knowledge of God,” Dr. McKinion explained, “is not the mountain-top experience like Moses’, but the careful reading of the Word and a proper response of faith to those Words.”

The call, then, is to trust and obey — to worship like Moses, believing God’s promises and persevering in hope for the greater things secured in Christ.

Dr. McKinion concluded by drawing clear connections to the Gospel:

• Just as God forgave His people at Moses’ appeal, so Jesus Christ, our Advocate, has secured eternal redemption and forgiveness.
• Just as Moses mediated the old covenant, Christ mediates the better new covenant.
• Just as God spoke through Moses, whose face reflected divine glory, so now He has spoken through His Son — the radiance of His glory.

Because of Christ, Hebrews 4:16 becomes a living invitation: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The message was clear: the God of Exodus 34 is the God of all grace — worthy of our trust, our worship, and our hope.

Chapel Recap: God Is Worth the Wait

In today’s chapel, Dr. Greg Couser continued the faculty series in Exodus with a message from Exodus 32. This passage chronicles Israel’s failure with the golden calf. His main idea was that God is worth it — wait on Him.

As Moses met with the Lord on Mount Sinai, receiving detailed instructions for the tabernacle, the people below grew impatient. Instead of trusting God’s timing, they demanded visible gods they could control. “They grew impatient for the very thing God was making provision for in His instructions to Moses,” Dr. Couser explained. While God was actively establishing a way for Him to dwell among them, they chose immediate gratification over faithful trust.

Dr. Couser explained that the people wanted a god made to their liking — and they wanted one right now. “Instead of God shaping their vision of Him, they felt that they could shape their vision of Him,” Dr. Couser said. In doing so, God became a projection of their fallen minds. Rather than submitting to who God revealed Himself to be, they attempted to recreate Him in a form that suited their expectations and eased their anxieties.

Dr. Couser then posed a pointed question: Do you treat God as if He can be adjusted to help you save face before the world and its opposition? Under pressure, it is tempting to reshape God into something more culturally acceptable or personally convenient. But those impulses lead away from faithful worship.

Dr. Couser explained that waiting means trusting Him, obeying Him, and staying in the path of His love no matter what may or may not come your way. It means believing that God’s timing and purposes are better than your own.

In the face of life’s longings, disappointments, and cultural pressures, the question remains: Do you believe that God is worth waiting for?

In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac. We can emulate this servant’s example as we serve God.

The Presence of God

The first mark of a faithful servant is that they have the presence of God. In verse 7, we see that God will send His angel before the servant. The servant is promised that the Lord will be with him on his mission.

When the servant reaches his destination, he prays, asking God for a very specific sign. Before he has even finished speaking, God demonstrates His presence and provision by sending Rebekah immediately to the well.

Jesus promises in Matthew 28:19–20 that He is with us as we carry out His mission. This changes everything! We need someone who is experienced and wise to show us the way, and this is exactly what Christ does when we let Him. So speak boldly as you proclaim the Gospel! Trust that God will work through your words.

God’s Good Is Our Good

When the servant praises God for His provision in verse 27, notice that he’s actually not focused on himself but on his master, Abraham. He is overjoyed that God has been faithful to Abraham. This is a second mark of a faithful servant: They are most concerned with their master’s good.

We believe that the good of our Master is our good. God’s glory is His good, so God’s glory is also our good. In Philippians 1:20–21, Paul believes this truth when he says that it doesn’t matter whether he lives or dies; he’ll joyfully accept whatever desires God has for him. Look to God; He’s all that matters. True satisfaction is found not in pleasing yourself but in having a God-oriented life.

Eager Obedience

Although the servant must have been hungry, in verse 33 he refuses to eat until he has explained his mission to Rebekah’s family. He controls his desires, determined to do his master’s will before anything else. This eager obedience is a third mark of a faithful servant.

Again, in verse 56, he asks not to be delayed on his journey home with Rebekah. He is obsessed with his master’s command and wants to follow through.

Since we know that God is with us and that God’s glory is our good, we eagerly obey. One practical way to eagerly obey is to consider what you’re prioritizing above God’s mission and take a step to put Him first. Another practical way is to start in the small things. Big things like planting churches are wonderful, but how can you be faithful in the mundane things of daily life today?

The church can play an important role in comforting victims when they suffer and holding perpetrators accountable for their sin. Relationships provide a unique space to introduce Christ’s Kingdom to those alienated by sin, suffering, and circumstance.

In Luke 5, a suffering and ostracized leper begged Jesus to make him clean. Jesus didn’t respond in a logic-focused way that asked questions or demanded evidence; He said, “I am willing.” When we care for people who have suffered, we should not primarily use logic, rationalization, and preconceived notions. This will lead to bad counsel. Instead, we should show them that we are hurting because they are hurting. We should sit with them, help them, understand them, and be healers.

Compassionate

Kingdom counsel is marked with compassion. Church leaders are called shepherds because their job is to protect the weak. Many churches choose instead to protect the powerful because they don’t want to deal with the fallout. When institutional preferences like power, authority, and position are more important than the people you serve, you are in the wrong job. We need people leading our churches who love people well.

Forgiving

Kingdom counsel is marked with forgiveness. In Luke 5:24, Jesus demonstrates His power to forgive sins. We must see sin as utterly sinful so we can respond with the only hope that anyone can find: the Gospel of Jesus. Perpetrators need the Gospel, and Jesus has love and forgiveness for them. Rather than being frustrated with the way Jesus operates, we can be excited to see Him move in ways that don’t meet our expectations.

Purposeful

Kingdom counsel is also purposeful. We meet people where they are so we can bring them to Who we know and they can have what He offers. This purpose includes being careful not to force victims to reconcile with the perpetrator without seeing repentance first. We want the perpetrators to see, own, hate, and turn from their sin.

Hopeful

Kingdom counsel is marked with hope. Matthew, one of the disciples that Jesus called, was formerly an oppressive tax collector. Jesus offered him hope where there was only hopelessness.

Celebratory

Kingdom counsel is celebratory. When one perpetrator finds repentance or one victim finds safety, we should celebrate more. That is only possible because Jesus offers transformation and safety.

Ultimately, if we don’t have the right motivation, saying all the right words and reading all the right books is useless. Everything we do should be done with a focus on people and a love for them. We don’t just comfort with the Bible; we comfort people with the Bible. Come alongside them not just with words from Scripture but with the truth and grace and love informed by Scripture.

As we interact with people in this broken world, let’s meet the needs of the suffering with compassion, forgiveness, and hope that changes lives. Let’s pray that the church increasingly becomes the safest place on the planet.

Chapel Recap: Authentic Faith Over Empty Religion

In today’s chapel, Dr. Thomas White continued his series in Mark, preaching from Mark 11 with a clear main idea: Jesus exposes fruitless religion by demanding authentic faith.

Dr. White began by highlighting the opening of the chapter, where Jesus the King enters Jerusalem (11:1–11). The crowds welcomed Him with celebration and outward praise, but many misunderstood the kind of King He truly was. This moment sets the stage for what follows — a confrontation between appearance and reality.

Next, in verses 12–21, Jesus the Judge exposes fruitlessness. By cursing the fig tree and cleansing the temple, Jesus delivers a powerful message: Outward signs of life mean nothing without real spiritual fruit. Religious activity, traditions, and public displays can mask a heart that is far from God. Jesus is not impressed with leaves; He looks for fruit.

Finally, in verses 22–25, Jesus the Teacher emphasizes faith. True relationship with God is marked by trust, prayer, and forgiveness. If you have authentic faith, you will believe God, seek Him sincerely, and reflect His character in how you treat others.

The application Dr. White gave was direct. First, Jesus cares more about your authenticity than your appearance. It is possible to look spiritually alive while remaining spiritually empty. Second, take intentional moments to be genuine with God. “We have the opportunity to be purely authentic directly with God,” Dr. White reminded.

Mark 11 calls you to examine your heart. Are you cultivating real faith or merely maintaining religious appearance? Jesus the King still seeks authentic worshipers — those whose lives bear fruit rooted in genuine trust and devotion.

Chapel Recap: The God Who Dwells With His People

In today’s chapel, Dr. Billy Marsh walked us through Exodus 25–31, unpacking the significance of the tabernacle in God’s redemptive plan. At first glance, these chapters full of detailed instructions about materials, measurements, and priestly garments may seem distant from daily life. But Dr. Marsh made clear that they reveal something central to the story of Scripture: God’s desire to dwell with His people.

“There is only one God, and He made everything,” Dr. Marsh began, grounding the message in the Creator-creature relationship. One dimension of God’s ultimate redemptive goal, he explained, is to restore that relationship so that we might dwell with Him forever. The tabernacle represented both the goal and the means by which God’s covenantal plan would move forward — His holy presence dwelling among a redeemed people.

The tabernacle also reminds us that sin separates us from the presence of God. The layers of curtains, sacrifices, and priestly mediation pointed to the reality that access to a holy God is not casual. Still, Dr. Marsh emphasized hope: “God is with us, and God is for us, even in the midst of our sin.” The tabernacle was not merely a symbol of separation; it was a promise of restoration. It pointed toward sanctification and a restored life in God’s presence.

Looking ahead, Dr. Marsh explained that the tabernacle anticipates a greater fulfillment. It foreshadows a people from every nation dwelling with God forever. “The God who is with us is the God who is for us; He is the God who sends us so that He might be with others too.” God’s presence fuels mission. To be God’s holy people is to proclaim reconciliation and the forgiveness of sins.

Dr. Marsh concluded by pointing to Christ. “Whether it’s the tabernacle, the tent, the temple, or the church, He has promised to dwell with us, but it’s in the one He makes with His own nail-scarred hands.” The church’s holiness, he reminded the chapel, is its visible testimony to the mercy and grace revealed in Jesus Christ.

There is a real spiritual battle going on in the world. We must be ready to face it. In Acts 20, Paul talks about who needs to get ready and how to get ready.

Who Should Get Ready

Paul mentions paying careful attention to ourselves (v. 28). If you’re not in a healthy place spiritually, you can’t minister to others. So, spend time with the Lord in prayer and repentance, preparing yourself for godliness!

How To Get Ready

Paul then talks about how to get ready. First, he commends his readers to God (v. 32). He wants the believers to lean into God, know Him, trust Him with all their hearts, and become more like Him. This is how we stand against the ways of the devil.

Paul also commends them to God’s Word, the Bible. We are embarking on a challenge to live in a world that is antithetical to what the Word says. We must be rooted in the Gospel.

Notice that Paul calls the Bible “the word of His grace.” Take a moment to think about grace. This is the unmerited favor of God being poured out on us! It’s God giving us a very good thing that we don’t deserve! God knows everything about us, including our deep sinfulness. What we deserve is hell. And yet He loves us so much that He made a way for us to be rescued from hell and even calls us His children!

Focus On Jesus

To focus on Jesus means to take our eyes off ourselves and focus on this Gospel of grace. He’s not just an addition to a very crowded life; He should change everything. We naturally want to focus on ourselves. This is why Jesus said we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. We need to give up all our own desires and choose His way no matter the cost.

This can be an incredibly difficult thing to do. We may be tempted to think that living the Christian life is not worth it. Hebrews 12 says that we need to run the long race with endurance as we look to Jesus. This passage mentions Jesus’s reward: the joy that was set before Him. We, too, have a great reward waiting for us someday!

Yield To Jesus

As we try to run this race, we’ll mess up and fail. The solution is not to try harder. God asks us to yield to Him instead. Ask Him to take your life and let it be consecrated and holy. He will help you and give you victory!

The solution is also not to focus only on what we shouldn’t be doing. Rather than simply trying to stop, we need to try to replace. Replace your fleshly passions with a different affection: a love for God. Are you ready to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind? It’s not about what you can do; it’s about what He has done on your behalf.

Chapel Recap: The Way of the Servant King

In today’s chapel, Dr. Thomas White preached from Mark 10, calling us to follow Jesus on what he described simply as “The Way.” This Way, he explained, is not marked by status, self-promotion, or personal gain, but by selfless service and surrender. “The Christian life is about denying self,” Dr. White said. “It’s about serving the King.”

Walking through the chapter, Dr. White highlighted five defining characteristics of The Way. First, The Way values covenant faithfulness (10:1–12). Faithfulness in marriage and relationships reflects the unchanging faithfulness of God Himself. Following Jesus means honoring commitments in a culture that often treats them lightly.

Second, The Way embraces childlike faith (10:13–16). The Kingdom of God belongs not to the self-sufficient but to those who receive it with humble dependence. Childlike trust stands in contrast to prideful independence.

Third, The Way trusts God, not gold (10:17–31). The rich young ruler’s story reveals how easily possessions can become obstacles to wholehearted discipleship. Dr. White challenged us to consider what we might be gripping too tightly. True security is not found in wealth but in trusting God completely.

Fourth, The Way serves rather than seeks to be served (10:32–45). While the disciples argued about greatness, Jesus redefined it. Greatness in His Kingdom is measured by humility and sacrifice.

Finally, The Way follows the Servant King (10:46–52). Blind Bartimaeus demonstrates persistent faith, crying out to Jesus and following Him once healed. Discipleship means seeing Jesus clearly and responding wholeheartedly.

Dr. White concluded with three applications: Redefine greatness before the world defines you, identify your “gold” and loosen your grip, and practice hidden, unseen service.

“It’s not about us; it’s about Him. Always will be,” he reminded us. The way of Jesus is narrow, costly, and countercultural — but it is also the path of true life. And as we walk in this Way, we are deeply loved by the King we serve.

Chapel Recap: From Sinai to the Savior

In today’s chapel, Dr. Dan Estes led us through Exodus 24, helping us see how this Old Testament narrative points forward to the greater reality fulfilled in Christ. Opening with the reminder, “A mighty fortress is our God, a stronghold never failing,” Dr. Estes framed the passage as a testimony to God’s covenant faithfulness — both then and now.

Dr. Estes began by explaining how biblical narratives function. Narratives describe what happened, but they do not always prescribe exactly what should happen in our lives today. Instead, they provide patterns that reveal God’s character and redemptive plan. Exodus 24, he explained, is one such pattern — a sketch anticipating the fuller picture revealed in the book of Hebrews.

In Exodus 24, we see the ratification of the covenant (vv. 1–11). God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai is confirmed through promise, sacrifice, and celebration. Blood is shed, vows are affirmed, and the leaders of Israel share a covenant meal in God’s presence. Then, in verses 12–18, we see the reception of the covenant stipulations as the Lord meets with Moses on the mountain to give further instruction.

But what does this mean for us today? Dr. Estes pointed us to Hebrews 9, where the new covenant in Christ is explained. The blood of Christ accomplishes what Old Testament animal sacrifices could never fully achieve (Hebrews 9:11–14). Christ is the mediator of a new covenant that provides an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15). His once-for-all sacrifice secures forgiveness and forms the foundation of our future hope.

Viewed through the lens of Hebrews, Exodus 24 takes on deeper significance. In the new covenant, salvation is God’s gift — something we humbly receive and cherish. God’s grace not only saves us but also prompts and empowers our obedience. And unlike Sinai, where access was limited, now all are invited to draw near to God through Christ.

Dr. Estes concluded that Exodus 24 cultivates three responses in believers today: a spirit of humility before God, a life of obedience empowered by grace, and joyful celebration of fellowship with Him.