At the end of Peter’s second letter, he encourages us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Luke Harriman gives a few thoughts on this verse and how we can enjoy more growth in the grace of our Lord.
Many things in our life compete with the Lord for our attention and devotion. As we see from the examples of Peter, Stephen, and Mary, the cure for Idolatry is to turn our eyes upon the face of Jesus as we endure suffering. The glimpse of Him as our Sun of Righteousness will cause all other lights to look dim by comparison. Brother Luke Harriman delivered this message on the Lord’s Day morning, referring to hymn 308 in Spiritual Songs, “Hast Thou Heard Him, Seen Him, Known Him?”
2 Peter 2 tells us of some who “denied the Lord who bought them.” Brother Norris Clarke shared some thoughts with us this Lord’s Day on what it means to deny the Lord and, by contrast, what it means to confess Him.
From three passages in the book of Philippians, we see the supreme purpose, position, and peace available for the believer in Christ. May we live our lives oriented around these truths.
Brother Laurel Smalling brings this brief word of encouragement to fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus’s soon coming as our strong and steady hope through difficult days. Lord Jesus, come!
This morning, we turn to Psalm 116 to consider thoughts on the sacrifice of thanksgiving, which we offer in the presence of the people of God.
Reading from Romans 8, Brother Collin Beckford encouraged us this Lord’s Day to enjoy life in the Spirit as we reflect on all the Lord has done for us.
When the Lord Jesus came into the world, He quoted from Isaiah, declaring that He was the fulfillment of the prophetic word. We can take great comfort in knowing that the Lord sets us free from our spiritual poverty, blindness, and oppression.
Brother Ken Huebner shared some thoughts on the temptation of the Lord Jesus in the wilderness, encouraging us to find comfort knowing that He has faced every type of trial, and He is able to sympathize with us in every way.
On this Resurrection Sunday, Brother Glen Smalling shared a meditation on these few words from John 19. What did He go forth to do? As He went to the cross, He was going forth to conquer sin, death, and Satan. Truly, He has won the victory!
This Lord’s Day morning, we read Isaiah’s fourth “servant song” together in Isaiah 52 and 53.
Three times in the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus spoke of Himself being “lifted up.” This is the source of our salvation, and it has two distinct meanings in Scripture: on the one hand, He was lifted up to scorn and shame on the cross, and on the other hand, He was lifted up to exaltation by God the Father. Now we have the privilege of lifting Him up in praise as we gather in His name.
Brother Norris Clarke shared this message from Acts 1, encouraging us to let our actions match what we are teaching with our mouths. In this way, we will be like our blessed Lord.
What an amazing thought, that our Lord Jesus intercedes for us in the presence of God! Reflecting on His High Priestly prayer in John 17, we see His abiding concerns for us, His beloved ones.
During our Lord’s Day meeting, Brother Glen Smalling took us to a verse in Exodus 12 describing the preparation of the spotless Passover Lamb as a picture of the perfections of the Lord Jesus—He who knew no sin, who did no sin, and in whom was no sin.
Luke Harriman brings the series on 2 Peter 1:5–11 to a conclusion with a sermon on that greatest of all attributes: love. God himself is love, as we read in 1 John, so as we become more loving, we are made more and more conformed to his divine image. After looking at some of the words of the Lord Jesus on loving our enemies, Brother Luke considers Joseph's treatment of his brothers as a beautiful picture of agape love.
This ninth in our series of reposted messages on the seven qualities of 2 Peter 1 speaks about the necessity of adding brotherly affection to our faith. What exactly is the difference between brotherly affection and love in Scripture? If brotherly affection more properly describes the emotional side of love, what can we do practically to "add" this in our lives? After considering Joseph's more emotional attachment to his "true" brother Benjamin over his half brothers, Brother Luke encourages us to cultivate a sense of shared time, training, and trouble with our brethren in order to grow in this divine quality.
Luke Harriman continues this series from 2015 on the seven qualities of 2 Peter 1:5–11 by taking a close look at the word godliness. One way of defining godliness is living one's life in the context of God. While there are many who would argue today that we can be "good without God," the godly person always strives to live in such a way that those looking on will see their good deeds and glorify God. The message concludes by looking at the godliness, or lack thereof, of Joseph in Genesis 44 and 50. If there were one of the seven qualities that Joseph could have made more of an effort to add, perhaps it would be godliness.
In this reposted message from 2015, Luke Harriman continues to discuss the importance of steadfastness, or endurance, in the life of the believer, and specifically in the role of motherhood. Drawing from Hebrews 12 and Romans 5, he gives practical encouragement regarding the way the Lord uses our sufferings to develop this quality. A brief look at the steadfastness of Joseph and Moses concludes the message.
On this Lord’s Day, as we celebrate love in all its many manifestations, Brother Collin Beckford read a love letter from God to us from the book of 1 John.