Post Category: Sermon Notes

You may believe in Jesus, or refuse to believe in Jesus. But it is impossible tomaintaina neutral position about him. As the Lord of the universe, Jesus continually presses into our hearts and into the places and things we go to worship. He exposes what we really believe and purifies our belief or unbelief. This is sobering, but also goodas it presses us to live in reality...

Who do you say Jesus is? There is no more important question, because what we think about him will inevitably impact every area of our lives. If we struggle to trust God, love good, and pursue righteousness, it is ultimately related to how we think about Christ.Sunday, February 9, as we really entered into the substance of John's Gospel, we saw that John the Baptist was Go...

Lamb of God. Rabbi. Son of God. King of Israel. Messiah. House of God. Son of Man.These are just some of the names we encounter in John 1:3551. And Sunday, February 16, we saw what John the Baptist, John's disciples, and Jesus all say about the Christ. As in all of John's gospel, seeing Jesus truly is the way of believing and the way of eternal life. So let's pray that God...

The Wedding at Cana in John chapter 2 is a wonderful story. But is it simply a nice story where Jesus demonstrates His ability to perform a miracle and provide a nice gift for newlyweds, or is it more? At this wedding, Jesus "manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him." Does reading this story inspire you to see Jesus in all His glory? Does it strengthen your ...

You may believe in Jesus, or refuse to believe in Jesus. But it is impossible tomaintaina neutral position about him. As the Lord of the universe, Jesus continually presses into our hearts and into the places and things we go to worship. He exposes what we really believe and purifies our belief or unbelief. This is sobering, but also goodas it presses us to live in reality...

This Sunday we began a new series in the Gospel of John with a look at the first 18 verses. These verses are known as John's Prologue, and they serve as an introduction to the whole book. In this sermon, I showed the shape and substance of John's Prologue. The shape of John's introduction centers on verse 12 and leads us to consider who can believe in Christ. This is the ...

As we enter a new year, we finish our study in Joshua.On Sunday we will look at Joshua 24, and the covenant renewal that concludes the book. As Joshua anticipates his own death, he leads the people of Israel to renew their covenant with God. But instead of laying a heavy burden on them, he focuses on what Yahweh has already done for them.On Sunday we will do the same, as w...

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his followers a city on a hill (Matthew 5:1416). This title has often been used to speak of America, as well as other institutions of moral influence. Yet, it is most appropriately applied to the church. This is seen throughout the New Testament (cf. 1 Peter 2), but we also find this idea in the Old Testament. In this week's sermon...

As the famed Puritan, Matthew Henry, begins his commentary on Joshua 13:1, he writes, "We are not to skip over these chapters of hard names as useless and not to be regarded."Why? Because"where God has a mouth to speak and a hand to write we should find an ear to hear and an eye to read." This is a good reminder as we venture into seven chapters composed of lists, boundar...

Standing on the shores of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army buried under the water, Moses leads Israel to praise God for his powerful victory. And in Exodus 15:13, he sings, 1Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to theLord, saying, "I will sing to theLord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.2TheLordis my streng...

Lies and liars. Our world is filled with them, and we often struggle to know what to do with them. This is true when are deceived, but it is also true when we are the deceiver. On Sunday we saw another deception story in Joshua. And to play on wordsJoshua 9 teaches us again that (first) looks can be deceiving. For instead of seeing how the lies of Gibeon are met with swif...

So far in Joshua, we have seen connections between Joshua and Jesus, as well as Rahab and the Church. These connections remind us how this book of history is written for us on whom the end of the ages have come (1 Corinthians 10:11; cf. Romans 15:4). Incredibly, the inspired words of the Old Testament are not just Israel's historical chronicles; they are prophetic messages...

This week we kicked off a new sermon series at our church called "Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament: A Study of the Book of Joshua." You can listen to the sermon here. Response questions and additional resources on Joshua and seeing Christ in the Old Testament are below. Response Questions When think of Joshua or the book about him what comes to mind? What are the cha...

What is expositional preaching? And why is our church committed to it? If you have ever wondered what the Bible says about preaching, Sunday's sermon is for you. As we considered preaching in relationship to worship, I argued that expositional preaching is not only the best way to preach Scripture, it is also modeled by Moses (the first preacher) and many other inspired a...

As we took another look at worship this Sunday, we focused on the covenantal history outlined by Moses in Deuteronomy 4. In these verses, Moses directed Israel to remember the covenant God made with them, to guard themselves from idolatry, and to take comfort in Yahweh's ongoing faithfulness. While there are many differences between Israel on the Plains of Moab and the pe...

On Sunday we began a new sermon series considering what Scripture teaches about worship. Over the summer we will learn from Moses, David, and Paul, but this first Sunday we beganby hearing what Moses said about God's pattern for worship at Sinai. While our worshipis not at Mount Sinai, but Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:2224), the pattern of worship revealed to Israel teaches us ...

As we took another look at worship this Sunday, we focused on the covenantal history outlined by Moses in Deuteronomy 4. In these verses, Moses directed Israel to remember the covenant God made with them, to guard themselves from idolatry, and to take comfort in Yahweh's ongoing faithfulness. While there are many differences between Israel on the Plains of Moab and the pe...

Flee wickedness. Pursue righteousness. Fight the Good Fight. Take Hold of Eternal Life. These are the commands that Paul gives Timothy as he finishes his letter to his true son in the faith. They are good for us today too. Scripture calls us to run from sin and race towards Christ. But how? What will motivate us, strengthen us, and enable us to finish our race? On Sunday...

A. W. Tozer once said that what you think about when you think about God is the most important thing about you. In his statement, this Chicago pastor captured the way our thinking drives our living. If we could only order our thinking about God and everything else rightly, we would be headed in a good direction. The problem is that we are not just "thinking-things," we ar...

More than what, more thanhow . . . butwhyyou do what you do will ultimately determine the success of your "doings." This sort of thinking has been championed recently by various thought leaders, but the principle goes back to the Bible itself. God does not just look at the outward appearance, he looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Moreover, the command to circumcise your ...

What are you supposed to do in church? What are elders supposed to do in church?And how do elders and members work together in the church? On Sunday I answered these questions with six "how-to's" from 1 Timothy 5:1725. In this section to Timothy about elders, Paul gives inspired counsel for providing for how to honor elders, protect elders, rebuke (sinning) elders, and ap...

While every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, this last Sunday we celebrated the very day when Christ rose from the grave. In Sunday's sermon from 1 Timothy 3:16 we consider the full impact of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. In six compact statements Paul outlines the major turning points associated with Christ's resurrection. Truly, the church is bui...

On Sunday we focused on the death and resurrection of Christ. While Psalm Sunday directs us to Christ's triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, we focused on Paul's message of the cross in 1 Timothy 2:57. As 1 Timothy 23 spend time on Christ's death and resurrection, we considered how his one death ransomed people from every nation. Indeed, speaking into the divided context of E...

When you hear the words "church" and "drama," what comes to mind? At best, church drama conjures up images of Christmas Cantatas or Passion plays. At worst, church drama brings up painful memories of infighting and relational strife in church meetings. Too often, drama in the church carries a negative connotation, one that always threatens the church. In response to this...

In our sermon this Sunday we considered 1 Timothy 3:1416. In many respects it provides the highpoint of 1 Timothy. Paul provides his purpose for writing and gives the context for the instructions that he has written to Timothy and the church in this epistle. He provides the instructions for how we ought to conduct ourselves in the household of God, the church of the living...

Who do you say you are? And what importance does your family play in defining your answer? On Sunday we completed part 2 of a message looking at the household of God in 1 Timothy 2:815. We also considered just how much our culture's individualism works against our understanding of the Bible, especially this passage. Throughout Scripture, God's work of salvation is always...

Who do you say you are? And what importance does your family play in defining your answer? On Sunday we completed part 2 of a message looking at the household of God in 1 Timothy 2:815. We also considered just how much our culture's individualism works against our understanding of the Bible, especially this passage. Throughout Scripture, God's work of salvation is always...

Politics, prayer, and people. Those three things make for a volatile mix. Corporate prayer in itself can be a difficult skill for the people of God to master. Both those who vocalize prayers and those who participate have challenges, including -- but not limited to -- boredom, aimlessness, and even sermonizing during prayer. As we continue our journey through Paul's first ...

On Sunday we saw how Paul shares the story of his salvation and what God's grace in his life teaches us about the gospel. Amazingly, God's grace does not come in response to Paul's repentance and faith. Rather, God's grace is the source and start of Paul's faith. The same is true for you and I. And the more we see the source of our faith as God alone, the more God's grace...

This Sunday we considered 1 Timothy 1:811 and the good news of God's law. If there is anything in church history that has puzzled and divided Christians it is the relationship between the law and the gospel. Yet, in this passage we are given a clear understanding of how Paul read the Law of Moses. With application for today, Sunday's sermon sought to show how Paul read th...

All the Scriptures, butespecially the Pastoral Epistles, talk a lot about false teaching. This shouldn't surprise us. If the gospel is the priceless message of salvation inChrist, then false teaching and false teachers are the gospel's greatest threat. Yet, false teaching is not just what we may find on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), it is found in our own hearts and...

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 1:12 Mercy: The Theme Song for God's Household (1 Timothy 1:12) Am I not merciful ?!?!! I could not help but think of these words from the emperor in the ...

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 1:12 Mercy: The Theme Song for God's Household (1 Timothy 1:12) Am I not merciful ?!?!! I could not help but think of these words from the emperor in the ...

On Sunday our elders proposed a new church mission statement. At its core is the commitment is to be a "Family of Believers Centered on the Gospel." In preparation for that "roll out," I preached a sermon on Galatians 1 and the importance of protecting and proclaiming the gospel. Here's the sermon audio, with a few additional resources and response questions. The Gospel ...

The church is a gospel community. It is a community created by the gospel, and it is a community for the gospel. ...

Fasting. If you have read the Bible, you've probably come across it. It's mentioned about 75 times. Maybe you've even tried to it. But what is it? Some testify to the miraculous results of this ancient practice. Others just skip over it, an impossible practice that is for "major league" Christians. And still others may be confused by the whole thing, or practice it for t...

This last Sunday Jeff Dionise preached from Matthew 6:25-43 as Jesus teaches His disciples about anxiety and faith. This passage is a good encouragement to look to our Heavenly Father who provides for His children Listen to the sermon from this last Sunday, and discussion questions are below: Matthew 6:25-3425"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what...

This last Sunday Jeff Dionise preached from Matthew 6:25-43 as Jesus teaches His disciples about anxiety and faith. This passage is a good encouragement to look to our Heavenly Father who provides for His children Listen to the sermon from this last Sunday, and discussion questions are below: Matthew 6:25-3425"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what...

We live in a world filled with competing voices. Modern day prophets come to us at all times and from all angles. And how we respond to them has great impact on our daily livingandour eternal destiny. Or at least, that's the argument I made in Sunday's sermon from Matthew 7:1523. As Jesus warns his disciples of Israel's false prophets, he gives us great insight into who w...

What does the Bible say about divorce? Unfortunately, it says quite a bit. As a book that gives us everything we need for life and godliness, the Bible gives instructions about marriage and warnings about divorce. But that is not all that it says. If our minds jump too quickly, we may only remember the words of Malachi 2: God hates divorce. But we can't read that prophet...

Last week we celebrated the Reformation Day (October 31) and the recovery of the gospel brought about by men and women like Martin Luther and Katherine von Bora. Both of these Reformers fled the monastic life in order to follow Christ. Yet, in departing the Roman Catholic system of priesthood, they did not abandon the priesthood of Christ nor the priesthood of believers. ...

This past Sunday we continued our consideration of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:1-6 is a difficult passage and is often quoted and applied out of context. From the whole counsel of God's Word, it is clear that the prohibition in verse 1 does not leave us unable to ever make a judgment or exercise discernment. In fact, many places in Scripture give us explicit instruc...

How deep the father's love for us /How vast beyond all measureThat he should give his only Son /To make a wretch his treasure These words by Stuart Townend express in song what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, namely that the Father in heaven loves his children and longs for us to come and find our greatest reward in him. Indeed, this is why Jesus Christ came, t...

Fasting. If you have read the Bible, you've probably come across it. It's mentioned about 75 times. Maybe you've even tried to it. But what is it? Some testify to the miraculous results of this ancient practice. Others just skip over it, an impossible practice that is for "major league" Christians. And still others may be confused by the whole thing, or practice it for t...

I am __________. In individualistic cultures, these words are usually filled with various accomplishments, activities, or vocations. I am amusician. I am adoctor. I am a (recovering)alcoholic. However, in more communal cultures, this sentence is more likely completed with relational predicates. I am ason. I am amother. I am ahusband. Of course, studies that have employed...

The angel of the Lord. A satanic accuser in the throne room of God. A priest with dirty clothes. The promise of a coming Messiah. And a front row seat to God's plan of redemption. On Sunday we considered all of these items as they appear together in Zechariah 3. Finishing up our series on the priesthood, we saw in Sunday's sermon how our lives fit into the incredible stor...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,a holy nation, a people for his own possession,that you may proclaim the excellencies of himwho called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 From Genesis to Revelation, the themes of priesthood and kingship overlap and intertwine in the history of redemption. In this new sermon series we are examining how ...

"Watch Me Give, Watch Me Nae Nae." The song-worthy sermon title commenced our study of the portion of the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 6. On Sunday, August 5, 2018, we began our study in Matthew 6:1-4. Do we give? We should. Jesus Christ assumes it. We are saved to do good works to glorify God. Why do we give? Jesus challenges us to examine it. Do our hearts tru...

Have you experienced the sweet hour of prayer in your daily time with the Lord, or does it seem your words just bounce off the walls and ceiling and go nowhere? In the next portion of our study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:5-15), Pastor Ron Comoglio preaches on the Lord's instruction for prayer. Jesus gives elements to avoid, and aspects to embrace to ensure o...

What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem? This is Tertullian's famous question contrasting the difference between divine truth and man-made philosophy. And it highlights the challenge of living in this world with our eyes fixed upon another. In a similar fashion, we might ask the same question about our rewards: What hath dollars to do with eternal destinies? Indeed, in a ...

This past Sunday we continued our consideration of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:1-6 is a difficult passage and is often quoted and applied out of context. From the whole counsel of God's Word, it is clear that the prohibition in verse 1 does not leave us unable to ever make a judgment or exercise discernment. In fact, many places in Scripture give us explicit instruc...

How deep the father's love for us /How vast beyond all measureThat he should give his only Son /To make a wretch his treasure These words by Stuart Townend express in song what Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount, namely that the Father in heaven loves his children and longs for us to come and find our greatest reward in him. Indeed, this is why Jesus Christ came, t...

Hurricanes. Tornados. Floods. Fires. Earthquakes. In our world, not a week goes by that we are not confronted with extreme and life-threatening weather. Yet, there is a storm coming that exceeds anything that we have ever known. It is the storm of the Lord that will purify everything on the earth on the way to making all things new. On Sunday, our last sermon from Matthe...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,a holy nation, a people for his own possession,that you may proclaim the excellencies of himwho called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 From Genesis to Revelation, the themes of priesthood and kingship overlap and intertwine in the history of redemption. In this new sermon series we are examining how ...

Are you a royal priest? How do you know? What is a kingdom of priests? And how does that really apply today? Is this title for individuals? Or should it be a community identity? Many questions swirl around the biblical idea of priesthood. And on Sunday we considered Peter's words to the church: "You are a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). In examining his words, we learned...