The Garden of Temptation and Testing – Part 1
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was tempted to turn away from drinking the cup of wrath of God, but in His deep anguish He drew close to His Father and victoriously embraced His will.
Mark 14:27-42
From the Last Supper to the Lord’s Supper
Jesus commanded His followers to remember Him by celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and the church has done this regularly since its earliest days because God vitally works through the Supper to teach, nourish, and strengthen His people.
Mark 14:22-26; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Last Supper
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus announced the beginning of the New Covenant as He celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples.
Mark 14:17-31
The Last Passover
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus celebrated the last Passover with His disciples, for in His sacrificial death He fulfilled Passover by delivering and redeeming His people.
Mark 14:12-26
True Devotion, Deep Betrayal
In the midst of deep betrayal by the priests and Judas, a woman displays true devotion and worship, sacrificing a costly gift to anoint Jesus in spite of the indignant reaction of others.
Mark 14:1-11
Be Alert
Jesus calls believers to be alert as we await His final return, not by looking for supposed signs but rather by maintaining a vibrant relationship with Him and His people.
Mark 13:32-37
Persevering Through Trials
With Faith in Christ, we can persevere through any trial. Christ is our foundation to have patience, endurance, and steadfastness.
James 1:2-18
Series Outline for The First Songs of Christmas
The Gospel of Luke contains five songs by key participants related to the coming of Jesus that first Christmas, each of which contains rich theological truths to renew our minds and shape our hearts as we prepare for Christmas.
Press on Towards the Goal
We must press on to grow in our salvation because Jesus has made us His own; we strive for this because it is our duty and our greatest pleasure.
Philippians 3:12-16
Simeon’s Song of Freedom (Nunc Dimittis)
The song of the angelic choir announced that Christ had come to bring glory to God and peace to the people of Earth.
Luke 2:8-14
The Angels – Song of Glory and Peace (Gloria et Pax)
The song of the angelic choir announced that Christ had come to bring glory to God and peace to the people of Earth.
Luke 2:8-14
Zechariah’s Song of Prophetic Praise (Benedictus)
After a season of silence and deep meditation, Zechariah erupted is a song of praise for God’s saving work, which had been prophetically promised, and was now coming to fulfillment with the birth of John who would prepare the way for Jesus the Messiah Who would save God’s people.
Luke 1:67-79
Mary’s Song of Exaltation (Magnificat)
Worship is focused on God and His Gospel, is formed and filled by the Word of God, and arises from personally experiencing God’s faithfulness to His people through the ages.
Luke 1:46-55
Elizabeth’s Song of Joyful Blessing (Beatitude)
Those who delight in the supremacy of Jesus will believe the Word of God and receive the joy of God’s deepest, richest blessing.
Luke 1:39-45
Thanksgiving Rest
God created us with a need for rest, which the curse and our culture have magnified, and we should use Thanksgiving as a chance to receive God’s gift of rest.
Genesis 1:31-2:3
The Peace Of Judgement
Judgement is real, judgement is satisfying, and judgement is elevating. Jesus as the judge is a delight.
Matthew 25:31-46
What is Justification?
Question 38: What is justification? Justification is the gracious act of God in which He declares that we are totally righteous, as if we had never sinned and as if we had positively obeyed all of God’s law perfectly.
2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:33
Living as Dual Citizens
Christians are citizens their country, but their primary citizenship is in heaven and this primary citizenship determines how they live as citizens of the country of their earthly life.
1 Peter 2:9-12
Leaving Success for Significance
In our journey through life, we often find ourselves at crossroads where we must choose between pursuing worldly success and embracing a higher calling. The story of Simon Peter’s encounter with Jesus by the Sea of Galilee offers a powerful illustration of this pivotal moment.
Luke 5:1-11
The New Covenant People of God
Jesus prophesied that with the destruction of the Temple and the end of the Old Covenant era the Gospel would go to all nations, gathering people from every nation into God’s people.
Mark 13:1-4, 26-27, 30-31
Greater Love Has No One
Jesus emphasizes the greatest commandments: to love God and to love our neighbors. Genuine love always involves sacrifice, mirroring Christ’s ultimate act of laying down His life for us.
Matthew 22:34-40; John 15:13
The New Covenant Temple
Jesus prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed and the Old Covenant would end, for in the New Covenant the people of God are God’s Temple.
Mark 13
Countdown to Destruction
In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus prophesied that the temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed during the lifetime of the generation then alive, and this was fulfilled in 70 AD, proving the authority and truth of Jesus’ Word.
Mark 13
The Missionary Heart of God
We become the most like Jesus when we join the missionary heart of God to move out, into the unknown, to be a blessing to Bay Ridge and beyond.
Genesis 11:27-12:3
Extended Cut – Israel’s Judgement Day
Jesus pronounced final judgment upon the leaders and people of Israel for the willful, persistent refusal to receive God’s messengers, culminating in their rejection of Him as their Messianic King.
Matthew 23