Just as water and fire cannot exist together, neither can God's holiness with man's sinfulness. How can the gap be bridged?

God’s law is an expression of his character, not an arbitrary set of rules. Since we are made in his image, following his law leads to our flourishing. Yet, none of us can follow the law. We desire idols more than we desire God. This is why we need Jesus. He is the only one who ever kept the law perfectly. When we believe in him we get credit for his perfect obedience. With Jesus, we can obey the law without fear since we rest in his record, not our own.

It is no accident that the Bible often refers to judgment day as ‘the Day of the LORD.’ We live our lives as if we are the lead actors in the drama of this world. Judgment day is the day when God is paramount. On that day, all people will step back and see the world being put right when God is placed at the center of all things.

We live in a culture where the psychology class will teach that your problem is a lack of self-esteem, but the philosophy and biology classes will teach you that you are nothing. The doctrine of creation shows that the universe is not an accident and that every single human being has inherent value because they are made in the image of God. Yet, God is not merely a distant creator. God entered the world and died to redeem it because He loves us so much.

Additional scriptural references made in this sermon are: Genesis 1-2; Luke 1:68; Matthew 21:14-16; Deuteronomy 7:7; John 17:19.

What does it mean to say that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ? What is the relationship between God’s sovereignty and our free will? This sermon explores the tensions between God’s rule and our free will, and it relates how those truths are connected to God’s love. In the end, it is only because God is sovereign that Christians can be assured that nothing will separate them from God’s love.

Additional scriptural references made in this sermon are: Proverbs 16:1,9; Acts 27; Matthew 10:32; John 15:16; John 6:44; Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Psalm 27:10.

In the life of Jesus Christ, we see a living example of the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus modeled love, but He did so in a way that challenges our culture’s understanding of love. In this passage Jesus shows that love is more than romance or a feeling. Fundamentally, love is an action. Jesus demonstrates His love for the disciples by moving straight to where they are least attractive—their feet. We tend to avoid loving less attractive people. We like to love beautiful people so that we can feel better about ourselves.

Few themes reoccur throughout the Bible as frequently as God’s concern for justice. Unlike other ancient religions, the Biblical God does not favor the ruling classes, but is especially concerned with society’s treatment of the poor and the marginalized.

Additional scriptural references made in this sermon are: Micah 6:8; Leviticus 24:22; Proverbs 31:9; Job 29: 12-17; Job 31: 17-22; Proverbs 14:31; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; 2 Kings 5; Numbers 22-24; Matthew 5: 21-22; 2 Timothy 4: 16-17; Isaiah 61: 1-2; Luke 4: 14-19; James 2: 14-17

Modern people are often uncomfortable when the Bible speaks of God’s jealousy. Yet, God’s jealousy is intimately related to God’s love towards us. The relationship that God calls us to is not merely one of subjects obeying a king. Rather, God calls us into a marriage relationship with Him, and His jealousy is spousal. God seeks a relationship with us that is characterized by priority, fidelity, and intimacy.

The book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention God. Yet in reality we see God working behind the scenes in the smallest details to shape our lives, to call us to him, and to teach us the difference between what the world desires and what he desires. The world is obsessed with beauty and outward appearance and performance, but Jesus Christ loves us in spite of our flaws in order to make us beautiful.

Our hearts naturally divide the world into “good” people and “bad” people. Jesus will have none of that. He comes to our world and flocks to the sinners, not the self-righteous Pharisees. Jesus shows us that God does not view people as “good” or “bad,” but as “proud” or “humble.”