Tests and temptations may often seem indistinguishable from one another. Every day we are faced with being led astray or becoming more like Jesus. The story of Jesus in the Wilderness shows us the enemy's tactics, the Lord's strength to overcome, and Jesus as the sympathetic, Great High Priest. His victory is what we should put our hope in when we face the world around us.

Here, Jesus shows us how the enemy offers

1. False Solutions, while Jesus offers True Answers (vv. 1-4)

2. False Callings, while Jesus provide True Purpose (vv. 5-8)

3. False Understanding, while Jesus displays True Obedience (vv. 9-15).

We should rejoice in our trials and sufferings because they refine us and make us more like Jesus.Christ endured and overcame all temptations and passed every test to sympathize with us. Relying on God's Provision of the Word, Christ's Power over temptation, and the Spirit's Presence in every trial is our only strategy for navigating the attacks of the enemy and giving god the glory in every circumstance.

Welcome to 2026! As we continue The Year of a Public Faith, we begin a new series in the Gospel of Luke. Over the next few months, we will be looking at Obedient Service and what it means to live like Jesus does in the world around us today.

Before Jesus enters the scene for His public ministry, John the Baptist is found preaching and baptizing. While the Jews had established complicated and extensive rules that kept the World out and their arrogance up, John preached a different message that set the stage for Jesus to reveal the Truth of the eGospel. John's message still points us away from ourselves and toward the truth of the Gospel.

Here, we will see how John offers us:

A Clear Purpose (vv. 1-6),

A Clear Rebuke (vv. 7-9), and

A Clear Instruction (vv. 8, 10-17)

Please welcome Chris Cheaney. On this episode, Chris takes us through the early verses of Hebrews.

Hebrews opens with a description of the supremacy and deity of Christ. With that foundation, the author delivers a strong reminder to be vigilant and intentional in our spiritual lives to avoid any unintentional drift in our faith.

"With this last stand, Amos reveals God's plan to rebuild & restore Israel. This entire time, Amos has been relating the discipline of a good Father longing for His own to return to Him. Today, Amos's message to Israel reminds us we are called to a different life of sacrifice, service, & sanctification in Christ amidst a dark & decaying world."

"In this fifth & final vision, Amos announces that the Lord has stood in judgment against Israel from within the temple, above the altar. The very place they thought would preserve them was the same place God rose in judgment. As Amos draws near the end of his recorded ministry, he reminds Israel that God has a global perspective, something we must keep in mind as well."

"Jesus said many things about hat our lives would be like is we chose to follow Him. What he never said is that it would be easy. In fact, much of what He said was the exact opposite. Man of us have found ourselves in difficult circumstances and begin to question if something is wrong with this faith we have. The people around us seem to have their lives so put together and their lives are east, but here we are drowning and wondering if we will ever find solid ground again. The storms of life are real, and they are brutal, but when we have a solid foundational understanding of the truth of the Gospel, we can have hope to withstand the barrage of the waves to come."

Garrett Weir takes us through Amos's fourth vision and the judgment that accompanies it. We see the Lord's anger against Israel's sin finally coming to fruition. The Lord had shown Israel grace and patience for so long, but their religious masks were finally too repulsive to not discipline them. In their hearts, Israel hated the Holy days, cheated people, sold their kinsmen into slavery, and worshipped idols. God does not tolerate fake faith.

Amos now stands accused by a false priest. This encounter puts the truth of God's Word in direct contrast with the lies of the enemy; it puts a faithful man on display against darkness. Amos's faithfulness and humility set him apart as a servant of God and set and example for us as light in a dark world.

"Amos begins relating five visions of judgment against Israelf for the actions she has been accused of us to this point. This is the first time we experience the "vision" portion of Amos's ministry and we see how His interactions with the Lord reminds us of Moses (Exodus 32) and point us towards Jesus. These examples show us how we ought to live and interact with a wicked generation today."

"The apostle Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 3 that in the last days there will be those who "have the appearnace of godliness....denying its power." Ignoring God's call to return to Him, Israel continues in their own arrogance, pursuing the influence and celebrity of the nations around them instead of the righteousness of God. Faithful to His promise, pride comes before a fall..."