Mary's Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56)

Joshua Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh teaches us from Mary’s Song of Praise, her Magnificat, erupting from the news of the coming Christ:

“Having looked at Hannah’s Song in 1 Samuel recently, I was excited to have an opportunity to preach again on Mary’s song here, in the Magnificat, as it plays an important role in  introducing all the themes of salvation…That Mary’s song echoes those songs of old is significant for the way it so clearly extends the activity of God celebrated by Mary, far back into the past, making clear Luke’s belief that what he is now narrating is continuous with that story.”

Luke 2:1-11

J Handford

We must never assume the Gospel, which is what Pastor Josh revisits for us this morning, giving his short Christmas message supplementing our Christmas Program from this year.

“The contents of the gospel must never be assumed The Gospel is merely Good News - the same word ‘gospel ‘ - of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Israel Demands a King (1 Samuel 8)

Joshua Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh preaches through 1 Samuel 8 this morning:

“God, for his part, graciously condescends to the people’s desire. But tells Samuel to warn them of what a human king will do. ‘The way of kings’ is characterized by the key words take and best. ‘The way of kings’, by nature, is parasitic rather than giving. And kings are never satisfied with the worst. Various aspects of ‘the way of kings’ would soon be implemented by Saul, Israel’s first king. But it would be David's son Solomon who would literally put tens of thousands of his own people to forced labor. ‘The way of kings’, to take the best is contrasted with the heavenly King, who takes nothing from his people…”

Israel Needs a Deliverer (1 Samuel 4-7)

Joshua Handford

Tune in to hear Pastor Josh preach through a long, but necessarily connected, narrative concluding Eli’s story, and further our understanding of God’s desire for relationship, not just a religious rigour.

“Hopefully it is clear now why these four chapters about the ark of the covenant are one story: A story that begins and ends at Ebenezer, which means ‘The Stone of Help’ in reference to God’s deliverance of his people. Where the story begins with Israel’s overconfidence in God’s favor because they carried the ark, it ends with the ark temporarily out of the picture. Salvation and deliverance come from the Lord himself.”

Mark 15:40-16:8

Leighton Hickman

Tune in as Pastor Leighton finishes up his series through the Gospel of Mark:

“The rush and violence of crucifixion, the blazing reality of their master’s death, the shock of it all was too much to bear and no one remembered, let alone trusted, his words of hope. Mark chapters 8, 9, and 10 tell us that on at least three separate occasions Jesus foretold not only his death but also his resurrection. And everything, everything else he ever spoke to them had come through… so why not believe this?

Church, they couldn’t, no amount of logic or arguing, pleading or exuberance can force anyone to believe in the risen Lord. Understanding and belief of this, is purely and only a gift of God, lest humans boast that they figured it out on their own. Found salvation on their own. No, Faith is a gift, and it would be given to them soon.”

Israel Needs a Prophet (1 Samuel 3)

Joshua Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh preaches through 1 Samuel 3, highlighting God’s faithfulness amidst Israel’s continual infidelity:

“The Sunday School version of this, which always has to have a moral of the story and an application, will tell us that we should be like Samuel: Listen for God’s voice and answer. Speak, Lord, I’m listening. But that is not at all the message of this passage. We are meant to see God’s faithfulness to his covenant people despite the rampant sin and rebellion taking place at that spiritually benighted worship center. No priest was ministering before the Lord. They had left a small child to fulfill their duties. One who did not even fulfill the requirements to be a priest on many specific points of OT law, who had been dressed by his mom, and placed there by the will of God and according to Hannah’s oath. A child, of whom it says he ‘did not yet know the Lord(v.7)…We should not see Samuel as doing (or being) anything special here. We should see only that “...God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:27-28)”

Israel Needs a Priest (1 Samuel 2:12-36)

Joshua Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh preaches from 1 Samuel 2, highlighting the contrast between the young Samuel and Eli’s wicked sons:

“God would raise up a faithful priest, who would do what God commanded, following after God's heart and mind. In the present context the faithful priest whose house the Lord would firmly establish refers initially to Samuel. Samuel, however, was a stopgap. A small boy with the wrong lineage, dressed by his mom…Ultimate fulfillment however would come only in Jesus the Christ, the supremely Anointed One, designated by God to be high priest (Heb 5:10) …Only Christ was both priest and king.”

Israel Needs God's Promises (1 Samuel 1:1-2:11)

Joshua Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh preaches from 1 Samuel 1-2 this morning, highlighting Hannah’s faith in God’s promises:

“Although passive and dim-sighted, Eli blesses Hannah, although probably just to get her to leave. She, however, takes the word of the high priest as a promise from God. Where in her distress she had begun a fast, upon receiving the blessing she eats and her sadness left her.  Such is her trust that the Lord of Hosts can and will accomplish his will, she is at peace even before her situation changes…The object of Hannah’s delight is neither herself—that she has overcome the disgrace of barrenness—nor her son. Instead it is the Lord, who is the source of both her son and her happy circumstance…”

Israel Needs a King (1 Samuel Intro)

Joshua Handford

Tune in as Pastor Josh begins a new series, which will ultimately be looking at the life of King David. However, before we get there, we need to understand the context Israel found itself in before David came to the scene. So the next few sermons are looking at Israel leading up to King David:

“Scripture teaches it very clearly: you are a bad judge of what is right. You need a King! No matter who you are, there comes a point when Scripture will gut you — cut you to the core of your flesh. Whether it is what it has to say about your sexuality, or your attitude about money, or your desire for a family.  Whatever it is, in many different ways the Word of God will direct you in the exact opposite direction that you would choose for yourself, even with your best intentions…”

Mark 15:21-39

Leighton Hickman

Tune in as Pastor Leighton preaches from Mark 15, Mark’s accounting of Christ’s crucifixion, this morning:

“Jesus is mocked on all sides. Old arguments about the temple and his status as king and Christ resurface. The thieves join the crowds and their leaders in scoffing. And he is told to come down, and then they’d believe. But to save himself would mean not saving mankind. To come down, would mean condemning everyone who ever sinned. This is the devil’s temptation in the wilderness all over again, and that of the Garden of Gethsemane too. That Jesus would avoid the cross: it’s pain, it’s torture, it’s humiliation. But Christian, know this today: It was not nails that kept him there, but love. And he resolved alongside of the Father, before creation, that he would die in place of those called by the Father into faith…”