Matthew ends his story with what may be the most fundamental promise of the covenant that God makes with his people: “I will be with you.” It obviously made an impression on Matthew, because he uses this promise as bookends to his gospel. In ch

The Plot

Apr 19th, 2020 51m 8s

Almost all scholars believe in the empty tomb of Jesus of Nazareth; they just disagree on the cause. This week we look at one of the earliest objections to the resurrection as the chief priests and Pharisees blame the disciples for stealing Je

The King

Apr 5th, 2020 46m 10s

This week, as we begin Holy Week, we read about the moment of Jesus’s death. It was not the way of first century authors to always explain the significance of what they narrate. In other words, they show, but don’t tell. In the same way Matthe

The Trial

Mar 22nd, 2020 44m 27s

In seasons of uncertainty it’s easy to put our trust in things that will not lead us to life. Passages like this one are important for reminding us of the glory of Jesus as he actually is, so that we can know who it is we follow and put our tr

The Garden

Mar 15th, 2020 49m 9s

The Memorial

Mar 1st, 2020 41m 13s

It’s been said that communion is a symbol of unity that has divided Christians for over two thousand years. Over the years, there have been many interpretations of the significance of this central symbol of our faith. We can get so bogged down

The Betrayal

Feb 23rd, 2020 49m 25s

Judas is one of the most iconic figures in the Christian Scriptures. He has been interpreted in numerous ways in film and literature, sometimes as a villain, sometimes as a tragic hero. Even those who have never stepped foot in a church build

The Anointing

Feb 16th, 2020 46m 22s

Christ the King

Feb 9th, 2020 48m 10s

Jesus wraps up the final discourse in the book of Matthew with the image of Christ on the throne of God, bringing judgement to the nations. It is a passage about the justice of God and the glory of Christ, and yet what we find is Christ identif

Lamp Oil and Risky Investments

Feb 2nd, 2020 51m 53s

Jesus continues his discourse on what it means to live ready for his return, which he explains could come at any time in history. While we may think of living ready in one way (bunkers, imperishable food storage, piles of ammunition, etc.), Je

Recalibrate 2020: Mission

Jan 26th, 2020 45m 33s

Recalibrate 2020: Community

Jan 19th, 2020 46m 23s

We continue in our 2020 Recalibrate series, and this week we are considering Community. God established his Church to be a people who are vitally connected to Christ and devoted to each other. When local churches live like that, they begin to

Recalibrate 2020: Worship

Jan 12th, 2020 41m 1s

God has intervened in our world and in our lives to redeem us from our sin and bring us into a glorious, eternal life with him in a renewed creation. Our whole life is an astonishingly inadequate response to such a gift, but it is the beginnin

Recalibrate 2020: Gospel

Jan 5th, 2020 46m 39s

This Sunday we begin our 2020 Recalibrate series, returning once again to the core of our faith: the Gospel. This year we will begin by looking at God’s promises through the prophets to set the world right, a task that God will not do without

The Servant of the Lord

Dec 29th, 2019 52m 6s

This Advent we’ve been exploring how the ancient poets and prophets of Israel spoke of the one called Messiah. We’ve seen how Messiah is a figure from unexpected yet kingly origins who 1) puts God’s Kingdom on display, 2) restores God’s people

God Made Low

Dec 22nd, 2019 44m 21s

Full of Woe

Dec 15th, 2019 44m 31s

In our time, the lead up to Christmas is associated with stimulation, consumerism, excitement. Ads are full of smiling faces, aesthetic home decor, and gifts purchased new from Amazon (or Etsy). The season is all about enjoyment, we are told.

A King Like No Other

Dec 8th, 2019 40m 56s

We all know that something is wrong in the world. When the pursuit of a world that’s characterized by perfect righteousness, justice and equity eludes us, we look to “saviors” of our own making to rescue us. But when even those efforts fail, wh

Who is Messiah?

Dec 1st, 2019 33m 56s

Sunday of Testimonies

Nov 24th, 2019 39m 47s

God has brought together a new people in Christ, qualified us to receive an inheritance with him in his Kingdom, and he has done it all as a free gift in Christ. The only appropriate response is to give thanks. This Sunday join us for a time

What Will Be the Sign?

Nov 17th, 2019 38m 28s

We continue in Jesus’ description of last things, and what we find is that, while there were some things the earliest Christians could go off of to anticipate the fall of Jerusalem, for modern Christians we are given very little. The return of

When Will These Things Be?

Nov 10th, 2019 40m 37s

What Discipleship is Not

Nov 3rd, 2019 49m 8s

From the outside, the Pharisees appeared to be entirely devoted to God. They were pious, disciplined, moral. And yet Jesus claims that inwardly they are far different than appearances would suggest. Despite all their spiritual athleticism, t

Following Jesus, Loving the Law

Oct 27th, 2019 52m 20s

The Jesus of Matthew’s gospel not only takes other characters in the story off guard, he takes us off guard, he keeps us on our heels, bewilders us, challenges us. This uncanny ability of Jesus to get into our heads is maybe one of the reasons

Whose Son is the Christ?

Oct 20th, 2019 49m 59s

To this day, debates go on about the identity of Jesus. How should we understand him? Who did he understand himself to be? As the years go on many people suggest new possibilities: zealot revolutionary, Buddhist monk, moral philosopher, etc.