Zephaniah 1-3 This message combines two themes of Advent (Joy & Peace) since winter weather prohibited us from meeting on the third Sunday of Advent.  An informative & delightful overview of Biblical prophecy in general and of Zephaniah in particular.

Micah 7  This week's Advent theme is "Love" and to explore that we turn (again) to the minor prophet of Micah.  Micah concludes his prophetic letter by celebrating God's merciful character in "pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of His inheritance."

We began our observation of Advent with the theme of hope. Micah 5:1-5 offers a word of encouragement to Israel in a time of sin and injustice. The titular prophet speaks of the coming Son of God who will bring hope to a broken and weary world. This passage allows us to see Christ as the perfect servant of God who restores sinners back to the Father and calls us to live under his reign as our prince of peace. 

God brought about a second creation event through the flood. Since God favors Noah, he enters into a covenant with him once his family leaves the ark. In this sermon, we explore how the covenant with Noah demonstrates that God loves to bless his people. 

Genesis 8 The chapter opens with such a wonderful declaration: "But God remembered Noah..."  

Genesis 7  Was Noah's Flood global or regional (as some scholars have advocated recently)?  Spoiler alert (and I won't leave you guessing as to my own persuasion): I don't think the details in chapter seven are at all ambiguous about the extent of the flood.

Genesis 6-9 Today we briefly "step back" from the slower verse-by-verse format in order to make observations pertaining to the "big picture" of this very important narrative, along with it's relationship to Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper.

We have now reached the flood narrative in Genesis. In this sermon, we look at God's instructions to Noah about building the ark. This passage is more than just a set of technical instructions. It shows us amazing and encouraging truths about God establishing his covenant, keeping his promises, preserving life, and providing us with a refuge in Christ.  

Genesis 6:3-9  The LORD "saw" that the wickedness of man was great and the LORD "regretted [repented]" that He had made man, so He determines to "blot out" what He has created -- but Noah found favor (grace)!

Genesis 6:1-4  The consensus among Bible commentators is that this passage is the most difficult to interpret (with certainty) in all of Genesis.  There are three main viewpoints (with some variations within each viewpoint).  We begin by looking at the advancing context in Genesis, we briefly identify the three views, and I advance the particular understanding that the "sons of God" are (types of?) fallen angels.

We continued to consider the genealogies in the early part of Genesis. For this week, we looked at the descendants of Adam from Enoch to Noah. The sermon emphasized the importance of living by faith according to the example of Enoch in a world of death and suffering.  

Genesis 4:25-5:20 By grace, the LORD's Promise (see 3:15) will be developed in the line of Seth (who is the appointed substitute for Abel).  Also interesting: What does it mean (or not mean) that Adam "fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image" ??

Genesis 4:17-24 To make good sense of the information recorded in Genesis chapters 4-5 it is important to understand that Biblical authors often are not driven by chronology (what happened first, second, and third), but by an important theme.  The theme you don't want to miss from Genesis 4-5 is that there are two traceable lines: Cain's line (ungodly) and Seth's line (godly, by grace through faith).  Today's message takes a closer look at the line of Cain.  Oh, it also provides the answer to, "Where in the world did Cain get his wife?"

Genesis 4:6-16 Today's sermon completes the narrative concerning Adam & Eve's first two sons, Cain & Abel.  Having been killed by his older brother, Abel's blood cries out to the LORD.  Cries out for what?  Justice?  Is Cain justly punished for murdering his brother?  If not, why not?

God created lament, and therefore, to lament is Christian. Lament is a way of bringing our anguish and frustrations to God in order to find comfort. We considered Psalm 13 today (which is an individual lament) using the four-part formula of turn to prayer, complain, ask boldly, and trust God. I pray it blesses you.  

Fellowship Church is currently spending two weeks in the psalms of lament. God created lament as a means of expressing and processing our sorrows in his presence. Thus, to lament is Christian. On August 31, we considered the community lament of Psalm 12 which celebrates the enduring word of God in a fallen world characterized by deceit. 

Genesis 3:20-24 Given that the man (particularly) is guilty of treason against the LORD Most High (to whom he owes his entire life & being), how is it that the full weight of God's wrath & justice does not immediately fall upon Adam?  Today's message explores the doctrines of "original sin" and "Christ's propitiatory life & death".

Genesis 3:16-19 After cursing the serpent and promising Satan's ultimate demise, the LORD God pronounces consequences upon the woman, and then upon the man, for their sin — but note, the "image of God" is not cursed.  They will still have the capacity to reflect God's image, though imperfectly -- something like a broken mirror.

Mark 4:21-34 Pastor Will concludes his three part series on Jesus's parables found in Mark chapter 4.  (Note the second message was not successfully recorded.)  In today's parables Jesus teaches the listener's responsibility to "pay attention" to the parables, the supernatural growth of the kingdom, and the eventual success of the kingdom.

Mark 4:1-12: This is Pastor Will. I am the new associate pastor at Fellowship Church. I hope you enjoy my first sermon in this role. It is the first of three sermons on the kingdom parables.