Originally preached November 16, 2025.
Nehemiah 6:1–19
Rebuild
Insults are withstood. A planned attack is stopped. Injustice is made right. Nehemiah and the people can finally focus on rebuilding the wall without opposition, right? Nope! Even more sneaky threats arise, this time against Nehemiah personally, to try to stop him from rallying the people to work.
Originally preached January 11, 2026.
Isaiah 42:1–12
Isaiah 42 introduces God’s Servant—chosen, upheld, and empowered by the Spirit. This Servant brings justice not by crushing the weak but by restoring them. His mission extends beyond Israel to the nations, resulting not only in renewal and freedom but also in a global response of praise. Justice leads to restoration, and restoration leads to worship.
Originally preached March 1, 2026.
Matthew 3:13–17
Prepare the Way
In Matthew 3:13–17, Jesus comes to John to be baptized. John hesitates, recognizing Jesus’ superiority, but Jesus insists “to fulfill all righteousness.” As Jesus is baptized, heaven opens, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father declares, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” In the sermon, this moment was presented as a decisive beginning: Jesus is anointed as King by the Spirit of God, steps fully into His mission, and receives divine affirmation and empowerment for the work ahead.
What does it mean for you personally that Jesus began his mission in humble obedience and submission to righteousness rather than self-assertion?
Where in your life are you being invited to “fulfill all righteousness,” or to obey God even when it feels unnecessary, uncomfortable, or confusing?
How should the Father’s declaration over Jesus (“beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”) shape the way you understand your identity and security in Christ?
Originally preached March 1, 2026.
Matthew 4:1–11
Prepare the Way
Matthew 4:1–11 describes Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness after his baptism, where he is tested by Satan with three temptations focused on provision, presumption, and power. In each case, Jesus refuses to use his identity as the Son of God to bypass the Father’s will, responding instead with Scripture from Deuteronomy. Unlike Israel, who failed in the wilderness, Jesus remains faithful and obedient, showing that God’s kingdom is built only through trust and submission to God’s way.
Where am I most tempted to take a “shortcut” rather than trust God’s timing and methods?
In what area of my life do I struggle most with provision, presumption, or power? And what would faithfulness look like there?
How is scripture currently shaping the way I respond when I feel pressure, temptation, or uncertainty?
Originally preached March 15, 2026.
Matthew 4:218–22
Prepare the Way
Jesus, early in his ministry and based in Capernaum in Galilee, walks along the lakeshore and calls four fishermen to follow him. To Simon, Andrew, James, and John (blue-collar workers with no standing in the religious world) he issues a simple, personal invitation: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Each pair immediately drops their nets, their boat, and even their father to go with him. In the sermon, this moment was presented as a window into the nature of true discipleship: Jesus takes the initiative, he calls ordinary people, he promises to do the transforming work himself, and that call reshapes every commitment they have ever made.
What stands out to you about Jesus’ initiative in calling ordinary fishermen, and how does that challenge your assumptions about who God uses for his work?
Where in your life do you sense Jesus inviting you to “drop your nets”—that is, to release a comfort, identity, or priority in order to follow him more fully?
The disciples immediately reordered their commitments in response to Jesus’ call. What commitments in your life currently compete most with wholehearted discipleship, and what might it look like to place them under Jesus’ authority?