Because Jesus has opened a new and living way by His blood and serves as our great High Priest, believers can draw near to God with bold confidence and full assurance of faith. On the strength of God’s proven faithfulness, the church is called to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. And as the Day draws near, we must not neglect meeting together, but actively stir one another up to love, good works, and real ministry through encouragement and prayer.

As we wait for the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, Peter calls believers to be found in Christ diligent in holiness and marked by peace. The Lord’s patience is not slowness but salvation, so we must not be carried away by twisted teaching but steadied by the Scriptures. By growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are prepared for eternity and live now for his glory.

Peter stirs up the church’s sincere mind by reminding us that God’s Word has always promised both judgment and renewal, even when scoffers mock Christ’s return and encourage lawless living. The God who created by his word and once judged the world with water will, by that same word, bring the Day of the Lord—patiently saving his beloved, yet surely exposing all things in refining fire. Because Jesus has paid for our sins, we wait with hope, pursuing holiness now as we long for the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells.

Peter warns the church that false teachers are marked not only by what they say, but by what they love—arrogance, sensuality, and greed that enslave both them and those they influence. As the passage exposes their emptiness and promised “freedom,” it also makes plain God’s certain judgment on those who know the truth yet turn back to corruption. Believers are called to stay on guard, hate their sin, and keep their eyes on Jesus by following leaders whose lives are being shaped by the Word.

Jesus warns against practicing righteousness to be seen and calls his people to a quiet, genuine obedience that seeks the Father’s reward rather than human approval. As he exposes the false treasures that compete for our hearts, he reorients us to seek first God’s kingdom and trust him for daily provision. In Christ, we are a new creation—so as you examine your heart approaching a new year, turn from performance and pursue sincere devotion that pleases the God who sees in secret.

God’s glory is unapproachable for sinners, yet in Jesus Christ the eternal Word took on flesh so that we could truly see His glory—full of grace and truth. In the incarnation, God does not wait for us to climb up to Him; He comes down to meet us, making propitiation for our sins and becoming our sympathetic High Priest. This Christmas, hear His invitation to turn from sin and draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, where mercy and help are found in Christ.

God has proven His perfect faithfulness across redemptive history, calling His people to trust Him rather than live in anxious self-reliance. From Noah to Abraham to Mary, the Lord keeps His promises and does what is impossible with man, showing that he is trustworthy. This Christmas, lay aside every weight, submit to Christ the King, and come to Him for the rest He gives through His cross and coming kingdom.

Isaiah proclaims that God will pierce the gloom of judgment with a great light, bringing joy, freedom, and enduring peace to a people who walked in deep darkness. This hope is fulfilled in Jesus Christ—the promised Son who reigns with justice and righteousness and will ultimately end oppression and conflict forever. Because the zeal of the LORD will accomplish it, sinners are invited to repent, trust in Christ, and hold fast to sure hope even in present darkness.

Jesus has been divisive from the beginning. In this sermon, we look at Herod’s reaction to the birth of Christ, then contrast that with how the magi responded. Do you see yourself in these men? Are you willing to submit to Jesus as King, or will you maintain your own kingdom?

In this sermon, we follow Peter’s sobering reminder that God has never failed to judge wickedness—whether angels, the ancient world, or the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet right alongside these acts of justice, God has always preserved His people. This passage calls us to take sin seriously while resting in the unwavering promise that the Lord “knows how to rescue the godly from trials,” even when evil seems overwhelming.