SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 8

This week, we dive into one of the more theologically rich developments in the Book of Hebrews. The consequences of Jesus being our kingly priest change everything. One of the biggest consequences is how we now understand God’s covenant with us. Through Jesus’ ministry and his current royal position beside the Father’s throne, he mediates a better covenant. That covenant means God’s law is written on our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. For God’s chosen people, transformed by his grace, how we are to live for Jesus is not something written on stone. It is written on our souls. God’s will for us becomes personal, intimate, and real.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 7

This week, we return to Hebrews and look to Jesus.

Jesus is our fearless, timeless, and courageous leader who promises to be with us at all times. The words from Hebrews 7:25 ring throughout all time and space: “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” As sinners in need of redemption, what infinite hope we have in Christ! Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Regardless of our thoughts, lives, and attitudes, the power of Christ as our Royal Priest will never leave us or forsake us. Thanks be to God that we serve such a majestic and personal Savior! Listen closely to see how Jesus does indeed fulfill the eternal role of our kingly priest/priestly king.

SCRIPTURE: Numbers 6:24-27

This week, we take a break from our series on Hebrews. Last week, the Preacher of Hebrews challenged us to stop being so dull of hearing and to grow up in the faith. At times, we need to hear this word.

This week, however, Pastor Mark returns to a passage he has preached on before but not on this podcast. Numbers 6:24–27 is one of his favorite passages, partly because it provides so much comfort for us. Hear these words:

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

We hope and pray that as you listen, you will feel the Lord's comfort, peace, and protection.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 5:11 - 6:3

The tone of Hebrews 5:11–6:3 is among the most severe and serious within this book. These verses fall within a larger passage that serves as a slight off-topic diatribe. In the midst of preaching heavy-hitting theological points, he takes a moment to challenge his audience: Stop being so lazy! Grow up! You’ve been stuck taking Christianity 101 classes over and over again when you should actually be at the front of the class as the professor by now.

These challenging words have convicted me this week, and I hope they challenge you as well. What does it mean for us to grow up in Christ—to truly mature? We are all at different stages of Christian development. However, one thing we all share is that we are on a path of growing in Christ. As believers, let’s grow up and go. Let’s take the feel and tone the author of Hebrews brought to his Roman-Jewish audience as motivation to take that next step of faith.

SCRIPTURE: John 5:1-18

This Sunday we had the privilege of hearing from Matt Brouwer, youth pastor from Christ the King Church in Raleigh, NC. Matt brought a message from John 5:1-18, a story where Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 24:13-35

Though this week we are taking a brief pause from the Book of Hebrews, we are not stepping away from one of its central themes. Throughout Hebrews, the author is encouraging his audience to truly see Jesus—not with physical eyes, but with spiritual clarity. We cannot see Jesus physically; He is in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). And yet, we are commanded to fix our eyes on Him (Hebrews 12:2). This is the call of faith: to see Jesus with spiritual eyes.

This weekend, we will listen to the testimony of those who did see Him—eyewitnesses of the resurrection. Their accounts confront us with a reality that demands a response. The historical evidence for the resurrection is overwhelming, and yet billions still do not believe. This podcast will be a time of reflecting on what it was like to see the physical Jesus, and how that gives shape to how we experience him today in faith.

We’ll be focusing on a famous Bible story called “The Road to Emmaus,” recorded in Luke 24:13–35. After the resurrection, Jesus meets two mourning travelers and, for a time, purposefully and strategically keeps them from recognizing Him. But the good news is that Jesus reveals himself to His family, the Church. We can proclaim together at Easter that Jesus is risen; He is risen indeed! We believe this because we can spiritually see Jesus through faith.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 4:14 - 5:10

If you’ve been following our current sermon series, you know by now that the Book of Hebrews is a loving and theologically rich warning that we not turn away from Jesus after once claiming faith in Him. But the Christian life is, at times, more difficult than we ever expected. We are often tempted and greatly discouraged. Where or to whom can we go for help?

We need a Great High Priest, one who perfectly represents us to God and represents God to us. God has given us such an advocate in His Son, Jesus. This Sunday Sermon from Hebrews 4:14–5:10 provides us with powerful reasons for trusting Jesus over the Old Testament priests, and also over anyone else — pastors and elders, parents and mentors, friends, podcasters, and YouTube influencers — for this help from heaven.

Because Jesus is our Great High Priest, we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” — which is all the time, really. May the Lord give us such confidence in Him, and may He give us mercy and grace to help as a result.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 4:1-11

Our last podcast was a history lesson. Today, we look to the future. God has in store for us a future rest. The reason that rest remains for those who believe in Jesus is simply because Jesus hasn’t come back yet. Along with Jesus’ return is a promise fulfilled: an eternal Sabbath rest. Hebrews 4:1-11 partly defines for us what this future reality will be like. Dr. Knetsch says these verses are among the most poignant, dense, and difficult passages he has ever preached. That seems to be a recurrent theme in this series, but it’s true. However, the flow, logic, and purpose behind these verses from the writer of Hebrews are so meticulously intentional. Pastor Mark hopes you enjoy diving into this passage as much as he has enjoyed studying it the past couple of weeks.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews: 6-19

This Sunday Sermon is dedicated to Pastor Mark's history professor in seminary, Dr. David Rylaarsdam. As he guided us, eager seminarians, through the centuries of church history, he kept pushing us to learn from the heretics. He would challenge us to pay attention to the heretics for two reasons. First, to learn from their mistakes. Second, to know how their theological errors helped the church articulate theological orthodoxy with precision.

In Hebrews 3:11-19, we are also challenged to learn from history. The author challenges his audience (which includes us, by the way) that we must learn from the errors of one particular Old Testament event. That one event disabled Israel’s chance to enter into the Promised Land (a.k.a., “rest”). A whole generation of God’s people was banned from entering the promised rest. We must learn from this story! We must learn from their errors. For what’s the point of persevering for only a season? What’s the point of faith if you’ll only give up?

In this podcast, God’s living and active Word challenges us to learn from history—to endure to the end with faith in our living God!

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 3:1-6

This Sunday Sermon's title, "We Are the House," comes from Hebrews 3:6: "And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope." This verse emerges from a brief but powerful comparison between Moses and Jesus. By now, we expect the author of the book of Hebrews to pack a powerful theological punch into just a few verses, and this passage is no exception.

What a privilege it is to revisit the significance of Moses--this important Old Testament leader--and to see how his role within God's redemptive story ultimately points to an infinitely greater liberator in Jesus.