One of the most stressful things in life is when you are in a bitter conflict with your spouse. Thus, there are multiple Proverbs that say that "It is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman" (Proverbs 21.9, 19; see also Proverbs 19.13 and 25.24)…

Historically, there have been many exaggerated shifts in what the parent-child relationship should look like. At one point, parents were regarded as authoritative figures; in turn, children were to be obedient. Then, at another point, parents were regarded as friends; in turn, children were to be treated as if they were already adults. Of course, both extremes are unhealthy and can cause many problems that eventually spill into society…

Contrary to a strong misunderstanding in current Christianity, especially among Protestants and particularly in Reformed traditions, discipline should be one of the hallmarks of a life of a Christian. It is true. Salvation is freely given by the Father, everything has been earned and secured by Christ, and all of our Christian life is empowered by the Spirit. For various reasons, Christians distort these blessings to rationalize a life that lacks discipline…

Last week, we were reminded that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. In order to live a life of wisdom, one must be dependent on God. But what does it mean to live a life that is fearing the Lord? This week, we gain more details on what this involves: we must seek the words of the Lord (Proverbs 2.1-5), remember and not forget God's teaching (3.1-4), depend on God instead of ourselves (3.5-7), and be attentive to the God's wisdom (4.1-4). The picture is an obedient child to his/her wise and loving father…

As we begin a new sermon series on wisdom, there are two fundamental truths about wisdom that need to be stressed…

The most important decision that anyone can ever make comes down to the question: was Jesus raised from the dead? There is so much at stake with this simple question, so it is only appropriate to explore this question as we celebrate Easter…

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Many of us have a distorted understanding of this. We think that it means a life full of excitement, passion, and joy. Or a life that is full of the miracles of God. Or a life where circumstances suddenly turn favorable…

Last week, we were reminded of how radical God's love is. On the one hand, God is perfect in holiness and cannot tolerate sin. On the other hand, we deserved nothing but his wrath because of our rebellion and defiance. Yet, God reached out to us in the most sacrificial and powerful way. He sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and his resurrection means, among other things, that we are united with him! We are not only forgiven of our sins, but we are now the body of Christ! God's radical and uniting love is what motivates and empowers us to love others in the same way…

One of the recurring dangers that we've seen in these recent sermons is that we take God's Word and make it about ourselves or our relationships with other people. For example, when we think about the fruit of the Spirit—like love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.—we are tempted to focus on how we need to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, kind, etc., without first considering God's love, joy, peace, and kindness…

So why exactly are things like love, joy, peace, goodness, etc. called "fruits of the Spirit?" There are at least two reasons…

Have you ever wondered how other religions or worldviews promote the same values as the gospel? Even outside of Christianity, people endorse love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, and other virtues. The gospel, however, presents a critical difference…

As we saw last week, the Holy Spirit is moving in a powerful way in both the book of Acts and even in our situation. But as the Spirit moves, there is always opposition. This week, we see that there is conflict within the church as the widows of the community were being neglected. The solution is simple. The apostles delegated the task because they needed to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. So they had the community select 7 people who could serve the widows. The requirement was that these people had to be full of the Spirit…

Acts 5.1-11 is one of the more uncomfortable passages of the Bible. We see two people, Ananias and Sapphira, instantly struck dead by the Holy Spirit, causing much fear in the newborn church. In the sermon, I will explain the need of reading this passage in the context of what's happening in Acts…

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in an impossible situation? Not only did it feel like there was utterly no hope for you, but you knew that things would only get worse. Moreover, you knew that you did not deserve God's merciful involvement in your situation…

As we have been reflecting upon the overwhelming and undeserving gift of the Holy Spirit, many of us have been compelled to share this love from God with others. This is an appropriate and expected response. As we are filled with the love of God, we cannot help but to want to share it with others, especially those who do not know Jesus Christ…

As we have alluded to throughout the year, salvation in Christ is thoroughly the work of God's grace. God is the one who initiates and completes what he began in us. This week's sermon will specify this more by focusing on some of the Holy Spirit's role in salvation. In particular, I will explain what theologians call regeneration, conversion, and adoption. I will also elaborate on the practical implications of these three aspects of salvation, with specific attention to what some of us are presently experiencing…

One of the questions from this past week is if we can ever lose the Holy Spirit. Does he live in those who submit to the gospel of Jesus Christ forever? The short answer is, the Holy Spirit will permanently be with all those who submit to the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus himself says that the Spirit will always be with those who submit to his gospel (John 14.16; Matthew 28.20), even in our moments of weakness (Romans 8.26) since we have been sealed with the Spirit until we see God face to face (Ephesians 1.13-14)…

What comes to mind when you think of the Holy Spirit? Is it a distant or impersonal force that helps you in your time of need? Is it what enables intense experiences, such as unexplainable healing or euphoric moments with God? Or perhaps you associate it with divine dreams, visions, or messages? As we begin our sermon series on the Holy Spirit, we will correct misunderstandings of who he is and explore how the Bible describes him…

Problems are inevitable in life. Even our secular society understands this. In fact, many of us might be experiencing difficulties during this present season–whether it is stressful relationships or feeling stuck in a trying situation. The most important question during these times is not how we can solve our difficulties. Rather, it is: “who is Jesus?”

Related to the sermon from last week, we often have a narrow understanding of who Jesus is. Some of us view Jesus as simply a healer, a faithful friend, or a good teacher. In this sermon, we reflect upon the four names given by Isaiah's prophecy: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. As we reflect upon these names, we must be reminded that the one with these awesome names: (1) was given to us; (2) died on our behalf; and (3) and is our new identity and destiny…