This week Pastor Tim Depue fills the pulpit.

On this Mother’s Day, we come to the book of Ruth. There is much to glean from the story of Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi.

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This week Paul Briggs fills the pulpit. Paul is the campus pastor working with international students at Purdue. You can find out more about Paul’s work with Salt and Light International at their website.

As we come to the 40th chapter of the book of Isaiah, with the help of the Spirit of God, we, the people of God, will see ourselves clearly in the mirror of Scripture. For we, like the people of Israel have repeatedly “fallen off the wagon” so-to-speak….disobeyed God (in more clear biblical language) and have disgraced our Creator/Owner.

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We are studying from Isaiah 40:1-11 this week. Paul Briggs’ sermon notes are available for download.

Verse 23 of our passage today records the question that prompts Jesus to issue some of his clearest and most passionate teaching calling for certainty of commitment. The question, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’ is a self-righteous, smug, arrogant one expecting the reply that matches with the questioners beliefs. The Jews and their leaders believed that all Jews were saved with a few exceptions of the really bad ones. Jesus reflected the insincerity of the question in his response when he taught that many, perhaps most, will not make it into the kingdom, a concept contrary to the popular religious perspective of the day.

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We are studying from Luke 13:22-35 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

What evidences are there in your life and world that God’s kingdom work is advancing? How do you measure the impact or growth of God’s work of drawing together a people for his glory by his Son and for His Son Jesus? Jesus is asking and answering a similar question in our text in Luke this morning when he asked ‘What is the kingdom of God like?’ What can you compare the work of God to?

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We are studying from Luke 13:10-21 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

According to Jesus your response to human suffering, whether caused by evil or seemingly accidental, is a clear indicator of your thinking about God. Jesus uses these types of tragic events to issue a serious warning about the absolute necessity of repentance. The human suffering all around us in one way serves to regularly remind us of the reality of sin, death and judgment. The passionate warning of Christ is clear. Only repentance will keep you from the ultimate tragedy, the death that lasts forever.

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We are studying from Luke 13:1-9 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Near the end of the sermon, Pastor Whipple mentioned the following Bob Newhart video.

You may find the commentary about the video helpful from the following posts by David Powlinson and Tim Challies.

Do you have commitment issues with Jesus? Do you have high regard for him or do you really treasure him? Do you love him for what he does for you or for who he is? Do you forsake sin and personal comfort to stay on track with him? Do you value knowing Jesus to the point of setting aside anything that hinders or distracts? Are you frustrated that you so easily live without him and so frequently disobey his teachings?

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We are studying from Luke 12:49-59 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

The Christian life is a life lived on ready alert status every day.  There is an alertness that Jesus commands us to have regarding the spread of hypocrisy, the danger of greed and the distraction of worry (Luke 12:1-34).  Followers of Jesus are to live their lives on guard, with eyes wide open and constantly aware of God’s active care and concern.  This alertness, Jesus teaches, is to be seen in our lives as a state of being ready for His return as well.

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We are studying from Luke 12:35-48 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Death is universal. Today it is as appropriate to say that death reigns as it was in the days of the writing of the New Testament. Death is all around us, we hear of it every day. Think about someone close to you who has died. It brings a sobriety and perspective to your thinking like nothing else does. Think about your own death; when will it be? What will it be like? Our thinking is regularly assaulted by various death and after death perspectives. Reincarnation, second chance purgatory, heaven, hell, soul sleep, annihilation, and of course materialism or this life is all there is – death is simply the absolute end of now. For the follower of Christ, misunderstanding or minimizing the universal impact of death leads to a low appreciation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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We are studying from 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter are significant times of celebration and reflection for followers of Jesus Christ. Palm Sunday points us to Jesus, the Son of God to the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus. He willingly offered his life in a horrible death to provide payment and forgiveness for sin. Easter Sunday brings us to the empty tomb, the resurrection of Christ from the dead. God makes the dead alive! There is forgiveness, power, hope, life and purpose because Christ has been raised and is now alive, the one who triumphed over sin and death. It is now possible for the most hopeless, the deadest and most distant life from God to be made new by the power of the risen Christ!

Do you believe this? If so, how much?

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We are studying from 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Fear of man, greed and worry.  Jesus is convinced that his followers do not
understand the challenges that these self-focused behaviors cause.  As external opposition to our faith arises, Jesus continues to draw our attention to these imbedded habits that deny God his rightful place and cause us great frustration.  Are you concerned about worry and its impact in your life – its impact on your testimony for Jesus Christ?  Are you as concerned as you should be?

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We are studying from Luke 12:22-34 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Do you believe the 138 billion dollar economic stimulus package will work?  Have you given any thought to what you will do with your stimulating check from the government?

The economic stimulus program is not a bad parallel or analogy for the scripture lesson that we have before us today.  Jesus tells a story about a man who was faced with unexpected wealth and what he did with it.  The story supports Jesus double warning to his followers about greed, the desire for more that is so dangerous and prevalent.  What would go through your mind if you learned that some extra money was coming your way?

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We are studying from Luke 12:13-21 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Acknowledging, confessing and speaking your faith in front of people are a crucial part of genuine conversion to Christ. Those who are too afraid of people to do that are in trouble. Jesus teaches us to take those fears and weaknesses that we have, rather than let them cripple us or drive us to silence about Jesus, he teaches us to not worry about the big stuff coming our way because the Holy Spirit will be there to help us.

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We are studying from Luke 12:1-12 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Fear of man, peer pressure, co-dependency, being a people pleaser, being overly sensitive to the opinions of others, fear of rejection – however we describe it, we all can relate to that driving urge deep inside to be liked, appreciated and respected.

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We are studying from Luke 12:1-12 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

When Paul saw evidence of behaviors that were inconsistent with truth, he took immediate and passionate action (Gal.2:14ff).  So should we.

We have been challenged and encouraged by the truths of ‘scripture only’, ‘Christ only’, ‘grace only’, and ‘faith only’ in recent weeks.  Our attention this Sunday turns to the last of 5 core truths that define biblical and historic Christianity – God’s Glory Only.

Glory in the scriptures has to do with the worth, weight, wealth or splendor of something.  God is the greatest, worthiest and most valued being in the universe.  He has no rivals.  His presence is of supreme worth.  All creation and especially the heavens speak or show the unparalleled brilliance of God (Psa.19:1).  The prophet Isaiah gives us God’s own claim regarding his glory in 42:8: ‘I am the Lord; that is my name!  I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.’

We are studying from Ephesians 3:20-21 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

The way the work of Jesus Christ, his death for sin and resurrection for justification, becomes ours personally is through faith. 16 times in Romans 4, faith or believe is used as the means through which salvation from sin takes place in a person’s life. The word is used 8 times in 3:21-31 as well to explain the way a person is made right with God. The clear teaching of scripture is that the righteousness that God graciously provides in Jesus Christ can become ours through faith.

We have been challenged and encouraged by the truths of ‘scripture only’, ‘Christ only’, and ‘grace only’ in recent weeks. Our attention this Sunday turns to the 4th of 5 core truths that define biblical and historic Christianity – Faith Only.

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We are studying from Romans 4 this week. Pastor Whipple and Matt Borg’s sermon notes are available for download.

We are beginning this New Year together seeking to understand and assert anew our commitment to the central truths of biblical and historic Christianity. You and I cannot just make this up as we go. Every generation of those who claim to follow Christ have had to battle the pressures and attacks that seek to move us from a pure understanding and a genuine devotion to these central truths.

This week we come to the 2nd of 5 core truths that define biblical and historic Christianity – Christ Only.

We are studying from Romans 3:21-26 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Over the next few Sunday’s we will identify and draw attention to 5 central truths that define historic, evangelical Christianity. If we are careless with any of these 5 core truths, then we immediately become out of line with the biblical gospel and thus are outside of the blessing and favor of God.

The first truth that makes up the historic core of the Christian faith is the authority of the Bible. Essential to any definition of genuine Christian faith is the belief that scripture alone is the rule and guide for everything in the church’s life.

We are studying from 2 Timothy 3:1 – 4:5 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

In a few weeks the President of our nation will address a joint session of Congress and the nation with a ‘State of the Union’ speech. In this address it is our leader’s responsibility to draw attention to the challenges we face as a nation and the solutions, resources and values that are ours to face those challenges.

Like our nation, our church – Kossuth Street Baptist – faces times when ‘decisions are hard and courage is tested” and needs to have the will to “face difficult challenges and determined enemies.” The state or condition of our church I believe is quite encouraging with many reasons to rejoice along with significant areas to grow and change.

We are studying from Galations 2:11-21 this week. Pastor Whipple’s sermon notes are available for download.

Kevin Haehl preached on this last Sunday of 2007. The passage was 2 Peter 3:10-13.