Throughout the Bible, God helped various people overcome the pain of their past. In John 16, Jesus likened it to the joy a mother experiences as soon as her baby is born. The pain melts away as tears of joy flood her eyes. How can we move beyond the pain of our past?

Proverbs 7:1-5 — Nobody breaks into your house to steal your Bible. All a thief has to do is steal your attention, one day at a time, until it sits unopened on the shelf. This message addresses resisting temptation and guarding your heart from sin, walking verse-by-verse through Proverbs 7:1-5 — the father's charge to his son before the young man ever meets the strange woman waiting later in the chapter. The real question this sermon raises isn't "how does a man resist temptation" but "what would make a man want to resist it in the first place" — and the answer isn't a rule. It's a family. This is also a family integrated church message at its core: a father teaching his son to call wisdom "sister" and understanding "kinswoman" — giving the boy belonging instead of a list of don'ts, so when temptation shows up, there's already something more beautiful sitting in the room. This sermon walks through Proverbs 7:1-5, explaining: - Why "keep my words" in verse 1 and "keep thee" in verse 5 are the same word turned around - What it means to "lay up" God's commandments the way a mother lays up clothes for a grandchild not yet born - Why guarding the word like "the apple of thine eye" means guarding it like an automatic reflex, not a decision - Why writing the word on the heart leaves an impression that outlasts even memory loss - Why Solomon gives his son a family — "sister" and "kinswoman" — instead of a fence of prohibitions - Why the real question isn't how to resist temptation, but what makes a man want to - Why wisdom keeps a man by outshining temptation, not by out-arguing it - How a household built on belonging protects a young man before he ever reaches the corner

God's purpose for your life does not wait for you to have everything figured out. In Judges 13, He moved toward a barren woman in a struggling tribe, setting apart her unborn son as a Nazirite before he ever took his first breath. Even when Israel had drifted from Him for decades, God remained faithful to His plan. Preparation for that plan began not with Samson, but with his mother's obedience. The same is true for us today. God is not looking for perfection before He acts. He is looking for hearts that are willing to be set apart and ready. The question worth asking is whether we are preparing for what He has already purposed.

This sermon examines the veneration of Mary within Roman Catholicism by analyzing Luke 11:27-28, where a woman blesses Jesus' mother and Jesus redirects that blessing to those who hear and obey God's word. The preacher critiques four major Marian dogmas—the Mother of God, perpetual virginity, Immaculate Conception, and Assumption—as unbiblical developments that elevate Mary to a mediatorial role reserved for Christ alone. By contrasting Catholic practices with biblical teaching, the sermon argues that honoring Mary is incomplete if it does not lead to personal obedience to Scripture. The central message emphasizes that true blessedness comes not from religious lineage or ritual veneration, but from hearing God's word and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform one's life into public testimony.

Studying God's Word requires a heart that is cleansed by God. We need to know Him and submit to Him. Alcoholic wine is not right for anyone, but forbidden for the true child of God. The word "wine" in the Bible is used in a generic manner. Attention to context is required.

The book of Samuel opens with the distress of a woman. We never got to hear the name of Samson's mother or the greatness of her distress at Samson's capture and death. But the story of David begins with God listening to the prayer of Hannah. The story of God's anointed king who mediates for His people begins with a woman who cannot have a child. God remembers, He hears and acts, not only for her in her plight but to bring about the fulfillment of the good news given in the Garden of a son who would crush the enemy. This sermon calls us to trust in Jesus Christ who reveals the mercy of God to us.

Yesterday my wife's mom turned 105. And in other news.... Also an introduction and overview of Joseph Alleine's book, An Alarm To the Unconverted 1672.