What will make you happy? Our answer to that question has a profound impact on the decisions we make. It can influence the career we choose, how we spend our time, and the spouses we seek. In one of the most puzzling statements in the Bible, Jesus says, “blessed are those who mourn.” As one scholar translated this verse, “happy are the unhappy.”

At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins with a cryptic list of sayings of people whom he calls "blessed." "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek." It's a passage that has puzzled and encouraged Christians throughout the ages. In the process of speaking these saying, Jesus is pointing to a values system which is radically different from what our world most prizes.

In this passage, we see Jesus transition into his public ministry. He does it with miraculous signs as he performs miracles of healing and calls his first disciples. It's a passage where the hallmarks of Christianity are all present: the gospel, discipleship, and mission.

Jesus is tempted three times by Satan. He’s given promises of fulfillment and glory. He has the state of his relationship with God called into question. Through all of the temptations, Jesus continues to respond to falsity with biblical truth as he looks to an even greater glory that awaits.

Jesus seeks out John the Baptist in order to be baptized. In this passage, we see John's hesitance, and that he doesn't feel worthy to baptize Jesus. The whole exchange brings up a significant question: did Jesus have to be baptized? The answer to that question will explain this passage and point us to the gospel itself.

For centuries, people had looked through the Scriptures and other writings and long awaited the Messiah of Israel. In Matthew 3, the silence was broken by a mysterious preacher, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

This week, we have a baby dedication, a baptism and testimonies about the saving work of Jesus Christ. We also look forward to 2024 with a new vision for the church.

Trinity elder, Chris Kiley, gives a special Christmas Eve message.

The newborn Jesus is born into a hostile world and faces almost immediate danger. In this passage, we will see Jesus and his parents fleeing to Egypt and a wake of suffering which follows.

The wise men come to Herod in seeking the King of the Jews. It’s so much woven into the Christmas story that it can be easy to overlook how bizarre the scene is, but the first people who seek out the newborn Jesus are pagan astrologers. There are different responses to this king. Some will seek him out, others will overlook him, and some will seek to destroy him. How do you respond?