We see: 1. God advances His promise - Abraham to David (vv. 1-6a) 2. God preserves His promise - David to captivity (vv. 6b-11) 3. God fulfills His promise - captivity to Christ (vv. 12-17)

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 17:1-24 Sermon Outline: I. Recognize Jesus for Who He Is, v 34-35a II. Respond to Jesus for Who He Is, v 35b-36a III. Rejoice in Jesus for Who He Is, v 36b

They brought their best questions to silence Jesus-and left with none of His answered. Don't limit God, don't reduce obedience to rules, don't leave the King's questions unanswered.

In Matthew 8:18–34, Jesus makes clear that following Him is not a call to comfort or ease, but to wholehearted surrender. The disciples encounter discomfort, sacrifice, fear, and rejection, yet in each moment Jesus reveals Himself as the King who has authority over all things - even the wind, the sea, and the powers of darkness. Following Jesus will cost us something, but what we gain is infinitely greater: we gain Christ Himself. Because He gave His life to redeem us, we can trust Him enough to follow wherever He leads, knowing that in every sacrifice and every uncertainty, He is with us. The invitation of the gospel is ultimately an invitation to Jesus—to know Him, trust Him, and discover that the surpassing worth of Christ is greater than anything we could leave behind.

Matthew 25:31-46

WHEN GOLD ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. [Heaven's Standard of Value]Matthew 6:19–21; 1 Peter 1:7; Revelation 21:21 KJV Deep beneath Manhattan, hundreds of thousands of gold bars are carefully guarded in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Nations consider gold so valuable that they weigh it, verify its purity, record its ownership, and protect it behind enormous security. Yet the Bible tells us about things far more valuable than gold. Our faith is "much more precious than… gold." God's wisdom is better than gold. God's Word is to be desired "more… than much fine gold." And our salvation wasn't purchased with silver or gold, but with "the precious blood of Christ." Jesus therefore commands us not merely to accumulate earthly treasure, but to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." One day every earthly fortune will be left behind. And when God's children enter the New Jerusalem, we will discover that the substance mankind spent centuries fighting to possess is beneath our feet—the street is "pure gold." What earth treasures, Heaven uses for pavement. The greatest treasure isn't gold at all. The greatest treasure is Jesus Christ. So, ask yourself: Where is my treasure—and where is my heart?

The Bible uses the word "angel" in more than one sense and in our text the King James Bible capitalizes "Angel" because it is a reference to the pre-incarnate Jesus who is God the Son, second person of the Triune Godhead. Also Reference: Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16, Genesis 16:7 & 13, Colossians 1:15, John 14:3 & 6 https://bbfohio.com

In Matthew 8:1–17, Jesus demonstrates that His authority extends far beyond His teaching - He has authority over sickness, suffering, disability, and spiritual oppression. Through the healing of a leper, a centurion's servant, Peter's mother-in-law, and many others, Matthew reveals Jesus as the promised King whose power reaches across social and ethnic boundaries to all who trust Him. Yet these physical healings point to something even greater: Jesus came to overcome the root of all suffering - sin itself - and to offer forgiveness and eternal life. As we continue to experience suffering in a fallen world, we can pray boldly for healing while trusting Jesus above our fears and circumstances, knowing that whether healing comes now or ultimately in His presence, suffering and death do not have the final word. Jesus does.