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It is our joy and privilege to welcome Dr. David Saxon as our guest speaker. He has served in the Bible Department of Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, Wisconsin.

His message will be based on Mark 5:1-20 which records an encounter between Jesus and a man possessed and abused by demonic forces. The story points us to Jesus who alone wields power sufficient to overcome evil.

This Lord’s Day we will observe the Lord’s Table, a rite of solemn joy. We will remember the work of Christ through the lens of Hebrews 10:11-14. This text contrasts the endless sacrifices made by the Temple priests with one sacrifice of Christ. One element of the contrast is the fact that the priest “stands,” symbolizing continual work and continually offers sacrifices. But Christ, having made one sacrifice for sin is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day is Luke 15:25-32 which is the conclusion to the famed story of the “prodigal son.” This section focuses on the prodigal’s older brother. It turns out that this brother was the focal point in Jesus’ story because he represented those in Jesus’ audience that believed they, unlike the prodigal son, had no need to repent.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day tells one of the best known and best-loved stories in the Gospels: the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Close look at the text and its context reveals that is not just a story about son who went astray, but it is primarily about a second son who stayed home. The two sons represent two groups of people introduced in Luke 15:1-3: sinners and the self-righteous. The story describes a son whose sinful choice left him in the worst state imaginable. But he came to his senses, returned to his father, and cried out for mercy. The father, in an act of amazing grace, welcomed his lost son home. Great joy followed his return. Jesus then told of a second son—a son smug in his own self-righteousness and angry at the father for the forgiveness he lavished on the first son. Thus, the story ends with an ironic plot twist revealing that the second son is in a worse state than his prodigal brother.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day is Luke 15:1-10. Jesus tells two parables to an audience made up of society’s moral outcasts (tax-collectors and sinners). The two parables combine to tell a single story: Jesus’ effort to save even a single lost one (sheep or coin) and the joy that takes place in heaven when a single lost one is found.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day is Luke 14:25-35. In it, the Lord Jesus issues a serious call to count the cost of following him. He requires full devotion, without which no one can be his disciple. We tend to minimize of ignore Jesus’ call, but the text, rightly considered, does not allow half-hearted devotion.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day is Luke 14:15-24. In it, Jesus tells a story about a great feast. Those invited made foolish excuses and refused to attend. The host brought in an unexpected crowd to fill the banquet hall. The story rebuked the religious leaders of Israel who refused to respond to Jesus’ message; they refused to enter his kingdom. The host gathered a crowd from the “highways and hedges” to come. Thus, the story anticipates the mission of the church that proclaims Jesus’ invitation far and wide, an invitation that has come us.

In Luke 14:1-14, Jesus attended a Sabbath feast at the home of a prominent Pharisee. As soon as Jesus arrived, he performed a miracle to the consternation of the host and his friends. He then proceeded to tell two stories set against the backdrop of a feast, each aimed at the pride of the Pharisees. They teach us that Christ requires humility from all who come to him, but exalts those who humble themselves.

In the sermon text for the Lord’s Day (Luke 13:31-35), the opposition to Jesus intensifies. Jesus continues toward the cross with unwavering resolve, but grieved, he laments Israel’s squandered opportunity to repent and believe.

This Lord’s Day our guest speaker is Ryan Martin, pastor of First Baptist Church, Granite Falls, MN. He will preach from Exodus 18, a text that tells a story of Moses’ interaction with his father-in-law, Jethro. Of this passage, Dr. Martin says:

The story of Jethro is primarily given to us to make this important point: All men ought to give the true God glory for his wonderful works. Even during this time of salvation history where God is dealing primarily with Israel, God’s dealings with them is intended to bring all the nations to confess that Yahweh is the true God. Every man, woman, and child ought to give God the glory due his name. How?

They Rejoice to Hear of God’s Deliverance

They Worship God Alone

They Emphasize the Word of God