Rewatch the most recent message from Sunday’s service, or find past sermons in the archive below. Please feel free to share these messages with friends, family, and anyone else who would be encouraged by hearing God’s Word.
In Daniel chapter 5, we read that King Belshazzar, like his grandfather King Nebuchadnezzar, turns to Daniel to interpret the mysterious writing on the wall that appears during his lavish party. Belshazzar offers Daniel wealth, possessions, power and influence, revealing those things the king considers most significant and valuable. Daniel responds that the king has weighed the wrong things and has come up short. What about us? When God weighs us, what is He measuring? How can we be sure that we will “tip the scales?” The answer lies in humility and trust in Christ’s perfect fulfillment of the law’s requirements.
This series explores the narrative of the unlikely hero, Daniel. Even though God's people are in exile because of their unrepentance, the God of Abraham, Jacob and Issac has not given up on them. God uses Daniel and his friends to: (1) Embolden us to stand firm in the face of opposition, especially when the deck is stacked against us; (2) Give hope to His representatives that God is still sovereign over the affairs of the world and will strategically place us to be people of influence; and (3) Reveal that God sovereignly uses powerful kings and kingdoms in his cosmic plans to bring justice and His eternal kingdom. Will we be bold as lions and trust in God's sovereign plan through trouble?
In Romans 4:1-12, the apostle Paul answers this question: If faith in Jesus Christ is what justifies the sinner before a holy God, what is faith? Paul points to two heroes of both Jews and Gentile Christians: Abraham and King David. Both men were justified by faith, apart from works, long before the the Law was given to the Israelites and before the birth of the Messiah. Reinforcing Paul's argument for justification, scripture gives us three reasons why righteousness is by faith alone. First, it is a direct deposit, credited by God, to a "spiritual account." Second, righteousness if a gift. Third, righteousness precedes the law. A proper understanding of saving faith influences our focus when it comes to evangelism.
In Part 1 of the book of Romans, Paul lays out his thesis that all people are separated from God and in need of His righteousness. In Part 2, Paul turns his attention to God's provision; that is, justification through Christ for those who live by faith. This series explores the theological word "justification:" what it is, when it begins, how to get it, and what it brings.