God is love. One of the glorious ways that this truth is made known to us is by the birth of Jesus Christ. With this second Advent-focused sermon we will turn to 1 John to consider the connection between Jesus’ birth and the love of God.

At the very heart of the Advent season is joy. When the angels appeared to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem and announced Jesus’ birth they told them that Jesus’ birth was “good news of great joy”. With this first Advent-focused sermon we will turn to the Gospel of Luke to consider why Jesus’ birth is good news of great joy.

As people who have been born again, made alive in Christ, and given the ability by the Holy Spirit to see our sin for what it is, repent of it, and put our faith in Christ, it is sometimes easy to overlook the fact that Christians too will one day stand before the judgment seat. This week’s passage of scripture clearly teaches that ALL people - no exceptions - will one day stand before God the Son and be judged on the basis of their works. But how can this be if Scripture says elsewhere that people are saved by grace through faith, and not by their works? Come join us as we look into what is coming in the final judgment.

Paul now turns his attention to people who judge those who suppress the truth and sin while committing the very same sins themselves. Hypocrites, like those they judge, are without excuse, under God’s righteous wrath and need to repent and believe the gospel.

With these final verses of chapter one Paul explains more of the horrific results of idolatry and God’s righteous wrath in response. There is a clear progression downward; first idolatry impacts one’s worship, then their body, then their mind. Here we also find Paul’s longest list of specific sins in all of his letters which are the fruits of a debased mind. The only reason why this passage doesn’t describe who all of us are today is because of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Proponents of baptismal regeneration will often cite 1 Peter 3:21, which plainly states that “Baptism saves you.” Is that the final nail in the Baptist coffin? Was Peter confirming that baptism is the instrument God uses to bring about the new birth in the lives of His people? Through an examination of 1 Peter's context, we come to see that the apostle is making a much different point about baptism and salvation in the life of the believer. Rest assured, even Baptists can confess the truth of 1 Peter 3:21.

While so many in our day believe they are wise and loving for accepting, affirming, and celebrating homosexuality, this passage teaches us the very opposite. Homosexuality and any act like it are destructive sins that can be traced back to idolatry and the foolishness of exchanging the truth for a lie. Here again we are reminded of God’s righteous wrath and our great need for Jesus Christ.

As Protestant Christians, we believe that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice because it is the very word of God. Despite what some seem to think, God’s word has much to say about the civil government and Romans 13:1-7 is a key passage. With another important election, it will benefit us greatly to consider what God says about his purposes for, the authority of, and our relationship to the civil government.

The Ephesian church’s faith in Jesus Christ was a source of great joy for the Apostle Paul causing him to give thanks to God in prayer. With this passage Pastor Marsel Lela from Disciples Church desires to encourage us and give thanks to God for the 10-year partnership between Disciples Church and Woodridge. It is a partnership that has mutually encouraged both churches so let us rejoice together and give thanks to God.