We, the church, have to acknowledge our complicity in the abortion industry. Somehow, people think that their only option is to walk out of the church and straight into the abortion clinic. We’re doing something wrong. 

The question of “what the church is doing wrong” admittedly has many answers, but one that consistently stands out to me is that the church is unwilling to confront idols. 

Which, in many ways, was exactly what we just read from Exodus 32: Aaron, Moses’ own brother, the first high priest, the man responsible for leading worship in Israel, passively went along with their idol worship and then sought to blend it with the worship of the One True God.

David doesn’t speak negatively about worship as is so common today, in fact, everything David says is overwhelmingly positive. David teaches us that we shouldn’t just tolerate worship, rather we should long for it. 

But the birth of Jesus was different, because his birth wasn’t great news for just some people. His birth wasn’t just exciting for Mary and Joseph’s family. It was great news for all people. The entire world was going to change because of the birth of Jesus Christ. And so, when we think about this particular passage we have to ask ourselves several questions: first, why was it great news? Second, who would the great news affect? And lastly, how should we respond to this great news? 

Distraction dulls our sense of need. It convinces us that everything is fine when it isn’t, that we are well when we are actually sick. And that’s precisely why reflecting on the advent of Jesus Christ is so significant. Christmas is not merely about comfort or nostalgia; it is about light breaking into darkness. 

It is about Jesus shining His light into our distracted, shadowed hearts—calling us to repentance and leading us into true and lasting peace.

You’d expect Mary to be consumed by the fact that God has assigned her to birth and raise the Messiah, which would have been one of the most humbling tasks ever. No doubt, Mary understands that, but it’s not the thing that has captured her heart and mind. What captured Mary’s heart and mind was God’s goodness and faithfulness. 

Every year, on the last Sunday in October, we pause our current sermon series to reflect on the Protestant Reformation. And that’s because on October 31st, 1517 Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg church—the moment historically credited with sparking the Protestant Reformation. 

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Burress McCombe, Associate pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, preach from Psalm 19.

The family is not a hindrance but a blessing. God’s design for marriage and children is not merely good for society—though it certainly is—it is first and foremost good for you. Psalm 128 paints a picture of the flourishing life under God’s blessing, and at the heart of that picture is the family.

So while our culture increasingly devalues or distorts the family, Psalm 128 calls us to celebrate it. God’s design is not a chain holding us back, but a gift that leads to joy, fruitfulness, and peace.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. John Carroll preach from Psalm 1.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Aaron Roberts from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, VA preach from Matthew 5:13-16.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from Philippians 3:10-11.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from Mark 16:1-8.

We’re briefly pausing our study on 1 Samuel to celebrate the Sanctity of Human Life. On January 13, 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating January 22 as the first National Sanctity of Human Life Day (January 22, 1973, was the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion-on-demand in all 50 states).

On the third Sunday in January, churches around the country celebrate God’s gift of life, commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, and commit themselves to protect human life. As many of you know, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision on June 24, 2022. However, it didn’t outlaw abortion; rather, it made it a state issue.

So in light of that, Rev. Doug Hart preached on the Sanctity of Human life this Sunday morning from Genesis 1:26-31.

So what Paul teaches us here in Philippians 4:2-9 is not how to deal with false teaching, but rather, how to deal with the petty, insignificant, disagreements that inevitably arise within the church. But he doesn’t stop there. He goes on to give life advice for promoting the peace and purity of the church.

Paul gives us three directives in this passage: The first remedy for handling a petty disagreement in the church is to seek unity in the Lord (vv. 2-3), second, we should pursue joy and gentleness in our interactions with one another (vv. 4-5), and lastly, we should focus on the true, lovely, and excellent (vv. 6-9).

Royal births throughout history have been marked by magnificence and celebration. Bonfires were lit, bells rang, and nations feasted when heirs to the throne were born. Yet, the birth of the greatest King—Jesus—was marked by an entirely different kind of celebration. Shepherds, not dignitaries, heard the first royal announcement, and their fields became the setting for angelic praise. This was not the start of an earthly kingdom; it was the inauguration of God’s eternal and heavenly reign.

You would expect kings’ missions to further their own wealth, power, and accomplishments in order to make their own name great and once they’ve reached the pinnacle of greatness to stop and revel in it.

Which is why Jesus fulfilling the office of a king is so different. His mission wasn’t to build his own wealth or increase his power. His mission wasn’t to take lives, but to lay down his own life in order to save his people from their sins. Jesus’ mission as a king was primarily spiritual in nature.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at different components that Jesus fulfilled and accomplished as a king. Last week we looked at the king’s arrival, this week we’ll be looking at the king’s message, next week, we’ll look at the king’s mission, and we’ll conclude on Christmas Eve with the king’s kingdom.

This is the sort of fanfare you’d expect for a king: You’d expect the streets to be lined, and thousands of people waiting where he will deliver a speech to the people.

And yet, the greatest king to ever set foot on the earth didn’t have a reception quite like that. In fact, very few people knew of his arrival and some of those people were shepherds.

The good news of the promised King’s arrival is the greatest source of joy for all people.

Isaiah 9:6-7 isn’t a prophecy about a random child, it’s a promise of a righteous and eternal King who will bring peace, justice, and stability—qualities that stood in sharp contrast to the fear and instability surrounding Ahaz during his reign.

What Ahaz and most of us for that matter often forget is that the things that consume so much of our time and attention, our immediate circumstances are the least of our problems. Humanity’s primary problem is spiritual - we need salvation from our sin.

And that’s precisely what Isaiah told Ahaz. Don’t put your trust in an army, put your trust in the child of promise, Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. John Carroll preach from Matthew 6:5-15.