Clean or Unclean Children? (1 Corinthians 7:14; LD 27)
Baptism does not ultimately point us to water or to ourselves. It points us to Christ and the promises of his covenant. In this message, we consider infant baptism, 1 Corinthians 7:14, the place of children in the covenant community, and the comfort and warning found in the sacrament.
Saul’s Mission (Acts 9:19-31)
How can the church trust someone who once sought to destroy it? In Acts 9:19–31, Saul goes from persecutor to preacher, hunter to hunted, and feared enemy to a brother eventually embraced by the church. His credibility, however, is not found in his personality, intelligence, or gifts, but in Christ who called him and the gospel he faithfully proclaims.
Washed in Christ(Titus 3:5; LD 26)
Baptism is more than a mere symbol, but it is not a magical act that automatically regenerates everyone who receives it. As the Heidelberg Catechism reminds us, baptism visibly communicates and confirms the promises of the gospel. Through the sign of water, we are pointed to the cleansing found in Christ’s blood and the renewing work of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism calls us to remember who we are in Christ. We have passed from death to life, have been set apart as his people, and are called to walk in the new life he has given us. We do not pursue holiness to prove ourselves worthy of Christ. We pursue holiness because Christ has redeemed us, made us his own, and continues to work in us by his Spirit.
God's Prisoner of War (Acts 9:1-19)
Saul traveled toward Damascus breathing threats and murder against the church, convinced that Jesus was a failed Messiah and determined to destroy his followers. But Christ had another plan. On the road to Damascus, the persecutor was captured by the risen Lord, confronted with the reality that in persecuting the church he was persecuting Christ himself. Acts 9 reveals the sovereign grace of God, the presence of Christ with his suffering people, and the remarkable transformation of an enemy of the gospel into a servant and messenger of Christ.
Finding our Unity in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-26; LD 25
How does the gospel advance? It advances not only as people come to faith, but as the church grows together as the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that we have been joined together by one Spirit, called to serve rather than compete, and to find our worth not in our gifts or accomplishments but in Christ alone. Through the preaching of the gospel and the visible testimony of the sacraments, our eyes are continually directed back to our Redeemer as we grow in gratitude and are increasingly conformed to him.
The Gospel Advances: Embracing the Ordinary (Acts 8:26-40)
We are easily tempted to measure God's presence by visible success, large crowds, and obvious strategy. Yet in Acts 8, the Holy Spirit redirects Philip away from a thriving ministry in Samaria to an isolated desert road to meet a single seeker. This message shows how God uses unlikely places, ordinary preaching, and faithful obedience to accomplish His extraordinary redemptive purposes.
Pursuing God's Reward (2 Timothy 4:6-8; LD 24)
If salvation is by grace and our good works cannot earn our redemption, what motivates us to live faithfully for Christ? Scripture speaks about rewards and crowns, but these rewards are not wages earned through human merit. They are gifts of grace. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul shows us what this looks like: because Christ has redeemed us and God is preserving us, we are called to fight the good fight of faith, finish the race, and keep the faith.
The Unlikely Advancement (Acts 8:4-25)
Stephen is dead, persecution is spreading, and the church is being scattered. Yet the gospel does not stop. In Acts 8, Philip goes to Samaria—a place the Jews would hardly have expected to receive the gospel. There we see both the surprising reach of God's grace and the danger of an outward profession without genuine faith. The gospel is not for the worthy, nor can God's Spirit be manipulated for our ambitions. Christ himself preserves and advances his church, calling sinners to repentance and faith in him.
What Benefit is This Knowledge? (LD 23; Romans 3:21-26)
Is doctrine really helpful for your daily walk with God, or is it just head knowledge? Many Christians struggle with a disconnect between what they believe and how they live. Exploring Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 23 reveals why justification by faith is far more than a theological idea—it is the very truth that diagnoses our deepest need and provides the assurance, freedom, and strength we could never earn on our own.
The Unhealthy and Unwealthy Gospel (3) (Acts 7:53-8:3)
When Stephen stands before the mob in Acts 7, his faithfulness is met not with earthly reward, but with opposition and martyrdom. In a world that constantly pressures believers to soften the truth, Stephen’s trial forces us to confront a vital question: Is Jesus truly essential, or is He optional when following Him becomes difficult?
Discover how Stephen's vision of the risen Christ standing at the right hand of God shifts our perspective—reminding us that earthly suffering does not mean abandonment, and that Jesus actively reigns even in the midst of our deepest trials.
God's Gracious Shepherding (Philippians 3:12-20; LD 22)
If God only shepherded us through our earthly journey, death would continue to threaten us—but Christ’s resurrection changes everything. Christ redeems the whole person, body and soul. Because He has secured our future and made us His own, we are empowered to press forward today not to earn God’s favor, but because His favor is already won.
The Unhealthy Unwealthy Gospel (2) (Acts 7:1-52)
When Stephen stood falsely accused before the ruling council in Acts 7, he didn't offer a traditional self-defense. Instead, he took his accusers on a journey through redemptive history—from Abraham in Mesopotamia to Moses in the wilderness. Stephen showed that God’s presence cannot be trapped within a physical building or geographical border, and that human nature consistently resists God's true deliverers. Discover how Stephen's final message points directly to Jesus as the greater Moses and calls us to a humble, tender-hearted faith.
God's Protected Community (Romans 8:15, 28–39; LD 21)
In Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 21 and Romans 8, we confess that Jesus Christ is actively gathering, preserving, and defending His church through His Word and Spirit. Christianity is not merely an individual relationship with God but participation in Christ's covenant community. We are the communion of saints.
This sermon explores the biblical meaning of the holy catholic church, the unity believers share in Christ, and the comfort of knowing that nothing can separate God's people from His love. Even in suffering, God continues His work of conforming His children to Christ until the day of glorification. Because Christ gathers His people, unites them as one body, and faithfully guards His church, believers are called to encourage and serve one another with confidence in His unfailing promises.
The Unhealthy and Unwealthy Gospel (Acts 6:8-15)
Faithfulness does not always lead to visible success. Stephen was a man full of grace, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. One would expect a warm embrace, but his reward was false accusation. In fact, he endured suffering rather than earthly triumph. Acts 6 reminds us that God's kingdom does not operate according to the world's expectations. Christ calls His church to faithful obedience, not guaranteed comfort. Even when believers face opposition, the risen and reigning Christ strengthens His people by His Spirit and preserves them to the very end.
Guarded by Our Shield and Defender (1 Peter 1:1-9; LD 20)
Peter writes to Christians living as exiles in a hostile world, reminding them that exile does not mean abandonment. The Father has chosen His people, the Son has redeemed them, and the Holy Spirit is sanctifying and preserving them. Though believers endure trials, the Triune God faithfully guards both His people and their eternal inheritance until they safely arrive home. Learn how our Lord’s “double guarding” guarantees our eternal inheritance.
Growing Pains (Acts 6:1-7)
Acts 6 reminds us that spiritual growth often brings practical challenges. As the early church expanded, longstanding cultural differences surfaced, threatening the unity of Christ's people. Yet the apostles refused to allow either division or neglect to define the church. Instead, they responded with wisdom, appointing faithful servants to care for the needy while preserving the central place of preaching and prayer.
This passage also reminds believers what it means to be disciples. We never outgrow our need to learn from Christ or to be conformed more fully to his image. Because Christ has made us his own, we gladly pursue holiness, care for the weak, bear one another's burdens, and labor together for the advancement of his kingdom. As God's Word continues to be proclaimed, Christ himself builds his church, preserves its unity, and grants lasting fruit for his glory.
Realizing Christ’s Promised Reign (LD 19; Psalm 110)
What difference does Christ's ascension make for believers today? Psalm 110 answers by revealing that Jesus' ascension was His enthronement, not His departure. Seated at the Father's right hand, Christ reigns as our victorious King, continually intercedes as our eternal High Priest, and will one day return as the righteous Judge. Though the church continues to face opposition and suffering, Christ rules in the midst of His enemies, preserving His people and advancing His kingdom according to His perfect wisdom. Because His sacrifice is complete and His priesthood is everlasting, believers can rest in the assurance that He continually represents them before the Father. The same Lord who now reigns invisibly will one day return in glory, bringing the Day of the Lord to its fulfillment, judging evil, renewing creation, and welcoming His people into their eternal rest. Until that day, Christ strengthens His church by His Spirit, sustaining His people as they persevere in faith and drink deeply from the river of life.
Can Piety Oppose the Gospel? (Acts 5:12-42)
Be careful of the pious ones." My dad's warning never made sense to me — until I noticed who Christ saved his sharpest words for. In Acts 5, the apostles walk out of a locked prison, a jealous council can't stop a movement it can't even contain, and we're left asking: how do we know if we're pursuing the real thing, or just performing it?
Better to Have an Ascended Priest? (LD 18; Hebrews 9:24)
Why is it better to have a priest we cannot see than one we could visit in person? The author of Hebrews answers a real struggle: we want a tangible religion, a priest behind a door we can knock on. But Christ's ascension means something far superior. It is superior because he is a priest who never grows weary, never dies, and is not confined to a single hour or place. Because his human nature is bodily seated in heaven, our own glorification is secured; because his divine nature fills heaven and earth, he is never distant from us, interceding even when we don't know what to pray. Christ is not absent — he is the pioneer already leading us to the reality that the old covenant could only picture.
Is God Greedy? (Acts 4:32-5:11)
Acts 4:32–5:11 isn't really a text about whether Christians may own private property. We can see that Scripture defends both generosity and ownership. The real issue is where we locate our significance. The early Jerusalem church, having just prayed for boldness, gave freely and quietly to meet real needs among them, submitting their resources to the apostles as an act of worship rather than self-promotion. Ananias and Sapphira, by contrast, staged a performance of sacrifice. They wanted the community to think they gave everything and gave generously. However, they actively conspired to keep back part of the offering for themselves. Their sin wasn't withholding money but lying to the Holy Spirit in pursuit of the community’s praise. The severity of their judgment is a sober warning against using the church's generosity as a platform for our own significance, and a call instead to imitate Christ, who emptied himself of all significance so that we, having nothing to prove, might freely bear one another's burdens.