Scripture and prayer going together. Reading Scripture without praying is the road to dead orthodoxy, and praying without reading the Bible is the road to paganism. Jesus is eager for us to pray and not lose heart that we would be ready for his return and overcome worldliness. Persevering prayer is a privilege in accomplishing God's mission. Listen to Pastor David's sermon on Luke 18:1-8 for more.

The use and allocation of our time is the substance of our faith. Peter says the time that is passes suffices for all manner of sin, and Paul exhorts us to make the best use of the time because the days are evil. At this point in the year, reassess your use of time. Listen to Pastor David's exhortation to do so and give it careful consideration.

A particular glory of winter are the earlier hours when the stars are visible. Can you fathom your life depending on navigating by them? As we turn the calendar to a new year, it is good to take our bearings from the firmament of God's Word and make the necessary course corrections. We cannot follow our hearts into judgment but must flee to the teaching and to the testimony! Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Isaiah 8:16-22 for more.

The incarnation we celebrate at Christmas was the act of Jesus whereby our poverty became his, and his riches became ours. This great exchange was initiated when Christ conveyed grace in becoming poor though he was rich so that we—all who look by faith for the long-expected Jesus—we become rich in the communion of untainted fellowship with God himself. Listen to Pastor Brett's Christmas Eve homily on 2 Corinthians 8:9 for more.

It's good to take an old phrase every now and then and dust it off. Would you ever tell a man paralyzed, a group fearful of a fierce storm, or those facing persecution, "Be of good cheer!"? Yet there is nothing like a Christian of good cheer. Listen to Michael's exhortation for more.

The familiar carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem" may conjure up a serene view in our imaginations, but the prophecy it is derived from is less so. A people were up against a formidable foe and the certainty of exile. What good is a call to repentance and promise of far away king? The same could be asked of us as we too see rampant evil and no guarantee we will live to see it end. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Micah 5:2-3 for more.

Over the course of a Christian's life, many sermons will be heard. It is rather simple to hear much. It can also be easy to listen for what others may need to benefit from. But you need to take care how you hear, that you might hear for the good of your own soul. Listen to Pastor David's exhortation for more.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Those well known words of commission from the end of Matthew's gospel are not just a powerful motive or fitting conclusion. They are a necessary bookend to a gospel that conveys the coming of long-expected king. An expectation that was built in part by Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Isaiah 9:6-7 for more.

You sit down to partake of a wonderful feast, but you don't chew the food. You don't digest it all. What gain would you receive? Do this over weeks, and you would be malnourished. The same is true if we take in sermons, Bible reading, and songs if there is no meditation. Listen to Pastor Zach's exhortation to digest the Word.

A photo of an alpine lake surrounded by mountains looks like it is a solid wall of rock. In reality, the mountain peaks are miles apart. When you look at the glorious peaks of the sign of a virgin-born son, we can see it with the same kind of perspective. When we do, we see that both Isaiah and Matthew direct our gaze to the salvation that comes through judgment. Listen to Pastor Brett's sermon on Isaiah 7:14 for more.