Psalm 22 doesn't necessarily read like a Christmas song. But as we focus on verses 9-10, we see that ever since He was in the womb of Mary, Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father. And even on the cross, when He shouted "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He was still trusting in the Father. This Psalm teaches us some really powerful lessons on how to have hope in the midst of our afflictons.

Psalm 2 is perhaps one of the strongest cases in the Bible made for the sovereignty of Jesus Christ over the nations. When we celebrate Christmas, we are not simply engaging in nostalgic remembrance of the baby born in Bethlehem. We are worshipping the Anointed, Sovereign King who came, died, rose again, and now rules and reigns over all the nations of the earth!

This passage of Scripture has been taught with a certain interpretation for many years. While the traditional reading is not necessarily wrong, it does seem to miss the main point of the text. As we begin this passage with a theological lesson, we end up finding that this is one of the most encouraging sections of Matthew to date for those of us frustrated with our own sin.

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Matthew gives us an account of Jesus calling him to leave tax collecting behind and follow Him. This short, yet powerful story not only gives us insight into how Matthew became a disciple, but how we all come to be followers of Christ. It's a reminder that none of us were worthy, but the Good News is that Jesus came to call sinners.

As we approach 2023, it’s a great time for us as a church family to look ahead to the next year of ministry and challenge ourselves to be faithful stewards who give toward making the mission of our church happen. The Bible is clear that one of the ways we worship the Lord is by financially giving back to Him what He has already blessed us with. Join us for commitment Sunday where we look at the Biblical teaching on giving, but also talk about the future of our church and what we can accomplish together as we obey the Lord in being joyful and generous givers!

Four friends bring a paralytic to Jesus for healing. After lowering their friend through a roof to beat the crowds, they hear Jesus declare their friends' sins forgiven. While that is not what they initially came to Jesus for, they realize that was exactly what their friend needed. As we study this story, we discover the greatest need that any one of us has - that our sins are forgiven!

If we're honest, we would probably admit that this story is one of the most powerful, but also strangest events recorded in the Gospels. In the same story, we encounter Jesus, demons, farmers, and pigs. But this story does more than just give us a glimpse into the spiritual realm. We find a Savior who not only has power over the natural realm, but also the supernatural. As the demons recognize and bow to Jesus, we see Him for Who He is - the Sovereign Almighty One.

You might think that watching Jesus calm a terrible storm on the Sea of Galilee with just His voice would cause you to cheer and overflow with excitement. The disciples, however, were filled with great fear because of the realization that "even the winds and sea obey Him." May this passage lead us to fear, awe, and wonder over the power of our Savior.

Two men approach Jesus and are confronted with the reality of what it costs to follow Him. As we take a deeper look into their conversations with the Lord, we too are confronted with the same truths. What in our lives may be holding us back from truly being His disciple?

In the middle of many miraculous works of Jesus we find a story that, at first, may strike us as strange. Out of all the amazing works that Jesus did, the writers of the Gospels thought it worthwhile to mention this one that happened behind the closed doors of Peter's home in Capernaum. We see Jesus showing us His compassion and care for each of us, and His willingness to bear our burdens. This peculiar story turns out to be immensely powerful and encouraging for us.