Taken objectively, the twelve Apostles that Jesus chose out of thousands of possible candidates were not remarkable men. What made them remarkable though, was their devotion to the work at hand. Are we devoted like they are?

It’s one of the great ironies in life that when tragedy strikes the hardest, mercy is at its brightest. We may never have known about the firefighters that charged up the twin towers had it not been for the horrific events of 9/11, and it’s possible we may never have known about the extent of God’s mercy and grace without the cross. Wherever there’s a gross inequality, there’s an opportunity for mercy to exist. We just have to look for it.

In the Old Testament, the year of Jubilee was a time of release — a release from all debts, uninherited land claims, and indentured servitude. And even though the year of Jubilee is not binding in New Testament times, there are still principles we can apply in 2021, such as the need to take rest, refocus, and gain much needed faith.

Pharisees appear on nearly every page of the Gospels, yet little is known about where they came from, or especially, why they’re so hostile to Jesus. So if you were to create one of these beings out of thin air, what ingredients would you need? You’d start with a strong spiritual foundation, throw in a hearty sprinkling of egotism, and then finally, a failure to see the big picture. Poof! You’ve got a pharisee.

Talking about money can be a tricky subject, but who better to discuss the subject than Solomon – both one of the richest men to walk the earth and one of the wisest? Hear what he has to say about financial management through these five short proverbs.

As Christians, we’re intimately familiar with prayer. But even the most seasoned of us can still learn a thing or two about the power of prayer, especially when we aim to be specific with our prayer requests.

Every once in a while, it’s a good idea to slow down and reflect on the fact that we are constantly in God’s presence. In this morning’s theme service, we sang songs and read passages that reflected this, in addition to a short devotional from Psalm 139.

Of all the advice Paul gave his young friend Timothy — requirements for elders, rules on widow support, attachment to God’s Word above all — one of the most important was about how to handle people that just wanted to fight. The advice was simple: Reject them.

When Covid struck and we all went into quarantine, one of the pervading questions was whether or not people would ever come back to in-person services again. After all, if “virtual services” could work for a time, couldn’t they work forever? This sermon discusses that topic.

Psalm 84 is a beautiful song that describes the path of the worshipper towards the Temple of God. It’s filled with rich imagery, beatitudes, and hope, as Matt Holton describes in this lesson.