Category: sermons
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Sermon: The 10 plagues: water into blood
In this passage, we see a clash of world views as Pharaoh is commanded to release the Israelites. When he refuses, the first of the ten plagues befalls Egypt. Pharaoh was viewed as a quasi-divine person in Egypt, but we see he’s no match for the Lord, nor are the Egyptian pantheon a match for…
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Sermon: Two kings and some wise men – Matthew 2:1-11
The wise men come to Herod in seeking the King of the Jews. It’s so much woven into the Christmas story that it can be easy to overlook how bizarre the scene is, but the first people who seek out the newborn Jesus are pagan astrologers. There are different responses to this king. Some will…
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Sermon: God with us – Matthew 1:18-25
It’s the most amazing work of God in human history before the resurrection. Mary, a virgin, finds out that she’s pregnant. In the ancient world, this would have been scandalous, but her fiancé Joseph has an angelic visitor telling him to stay with Mary. This young couple are the first to learn that the rest…
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Sermon: The King is Born – Matthew 1:1-17
The Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy. It can be tempting to move past this to the next section, but this genealogy is a picture of the history of God’s people. It points us to the gospel, to the mission of God, to the power of God, and to the promise of God.
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Sermon: Pillars of the Christian Life: Fellowship – Acts 2:42-47
A relationship with Jesus is personal but it is not private. Christians need each other. Fellowship can be an easy blind spot for many, but the goal for any church should be an authentic community where there are meaningful relationships and where everyone is known and loved.
Josh Benner 