Death and abandonment. These seem like the end of the world, and they would be if it were not for the grace of God. Even on the worst of all days, there are glimmers of light and hope, all of which call on all of us to look and live.

Excellence is a highly neglected virtue in the church today. Christians have become far too content with mediocre living that produces low-quality results. This is not the kind of life that honours the Lord. If we are to live lives that are fully pleasing to God, we must restore this lost virtue and passionately pursue excellence for the glory of God.

We often think of Adam and Eve getting cursed by God after they fall into sin, yet the text is clear… only Satan and the ground get cursed. Still, our first parents were indeed punished by God in gender-specific ways that have stayed with us until today. This makes the finished work of Christ and His certain Return all the more amazing. He does what is needed to save us completely, and we are spared from the ruin Satan will endure forever. But it was not without cost. Jesus walks with a limp, as it were. A damaged heel, from stepping on the head of a dead snake.

Why do we blame other people for our sins? Why are we so ashamed of someone seeing certain parts of our lives? Shame and blame-shifting are universal human experiences that do not lead to good outcomes. In this sermon, we seek to understand their cause and how to live without them.

Having examined Satan’s tactics in tempting Eve, now we turn to see where she failed in the battle. And not just her, for Adam was there, too. The first sin can teach us a great deal about what not to do when getting tempted. And almost all of it has to do with your Bible.

Christians can either be killing their church or building their church during Covid. Here is Romans 12:9-13, Paul lays down both the posture and the actions of someone who is building the church. Its every Christians duty to be an active church builder.

Everyone is tempted. And every temptation seems to include the same basic elements. Knowing these elements can help us identify temptations to sin more clearly in the fog of the spiritual battle. The first temptation to sin came from a snake to a woman standing naked and innocent in a garden. From here we learn much about how our enemy operates.

David, having just ascended to the throne of Israel, is challenged by rebellious kings and rulers. In the midst of this, he teaches us about the promised King, who is God's son and will ultimately bring an end to all rebellion against God.

Christians have long recognized the value of independent Bible reading and prayer. Why? What do we have to gain from this practise? Are we in sin if we fail to read our Bibles? How do you really pray? What do you pray for? These are great questions to ponder as we prepare to flip the page of calendar to a New Year.

The first man was created alone and that was not good. Thus, God created from that man the first woman - bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. She was presented to her husband as a glorious bride to help him fulfill what God had called him to do and be. And this early picture of the ideal union all points forward to something far greater than the best marriages on earth. The union of God with His people forever in the New Creation.