“Hebrews brings Melchizedek before Hebrew Christians to show that Jesus is far more than another priest in a long line of priests. Melchizedek, the king of righteousness and king of peace, appears in Genesis without the usual genealogy and points toward the eternal Son of God. Abraham’s tithe and the blessing he received establish that this priesthood stands above Levi, above Aaron, and above the whole system that came through the law.”
Guest Speaker: Craig Cook
This Sunday we had a guest speaker, Craig Cook, share the Word and a ministry update regarding his work as a missionary in Spain.
Pressing On to Maturity in Christ
“Hebrews 6 calls Hebrew Christians to leave the ABCs and go on to maturity. The foundation matters: repentance from dead works, faith toward God, resurrection, judgment, and the basics of life with Christ. But the foundation was never meant to be the whole house. The writer presses believers beyond merely giving a nod to Christianity into a faith that is rooted deep enough to stand through bad times, frustrating times, and hard trials.”
Grow Up!
“The author of Hebrews grieves that believers who should be growing into teachers still need the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. Milk has a purpose for infants, and new believers should not be discouraged for needing it. But milk was never meant to be the permanent diet. Solid food belongs to those who have trained themselves by constant use, who are pressing into the Word instead of merely staying near it.”
Our Great High Pries
“Hebrews contrasts the earthly high priest with Jesus. The earthly priest came from among men, knew weakness, offered sacrifices for the people, and had to offer sacrifice for himself too. Jesus fulfills the office better than Levi, because God appointed Him forever after the order of Melchizedek, and Jesus needed no sacrifice for Himself. Jesus stands before the Father as the sinless advocate who can say, “Father, I’ve been there.”
God's Living Word
Gust Speaker: David Shirley
“Psalm 46 stands over forty-six years and says what needs saying first: God is a very present help in trouble, and God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” The number forty-six becomes a sweet reminder of mission, rest, priestly setting apart, and the Lord’s faithfulness, because God has done well and deserves all praise and honor.”
The Heart God Wants
“Hebrews was written to Jewish believers whose faith was teetering, and the letter keeps putting Jesus in the center because Jesus is better than Judaism, better than prophets, angels, law, and Moses. The writer honors Moses as faithful in God’s house, but Christ stands higher because Moses served in the house and Christ rules as the Son over the house. God’s house is God’s people, the church, and membership in that house shows itself by holding fast the confidence and hope in Christ.”
The Better Builder
“Hebrews has already made it plain and simple that Jesus is better. Chapter one says Jesus is better than angels, better than prophets, better than anything and everything. Chapter two shows that the new covenant is better than the old covenant, because grace is better than the law. Hebrews 3 takes that same theme and says Christ is the better builder.”
The Deadliness of Drifting
“Hebrews 2 sounds one of the strongest warnings in the New Testament: “pay the most careful attention” so that drifting does not happen. The sirens in Homer’s Odyssey give a picture of the danger. The song sounds beautiful, but it pulls sailors toward death. The warning of Hebrews is not about a mythical danger, but about a real one: distraction, neglect, familiarity, and that slow drift away from “so great a salvation.”
The Supremacy of the Son
“Hebrews sets Jesus above everything the Jewish believers were tempted to go back to. Jesus is better than the prophets, better than angels, better than the law, better than Moses, better than Joshua, better than the priesthood, better than the temple, and better than the sacrifices. The letter strengthens teetering faith by saying, again and again, that Jesus is not just another part of the old system. Jesus is the King of glory, the final sacrifice, the mediator of a better covenant, and the One who makes all the promises of God sure.”
Remember the Lord
“Liberty reaches its high-water mark at the Table, where Jesus gives his body and blood and promises to drink the cup new in the Father’s kingdom. The Lord sets people free indeed, not by national charters but by the new covenant that trades their sin for his righteousness. From there Psalm 33 lifts the room into praise. The Psalm calls the upright to sing a new song because the word of the Lord is upright and all his work is trustworthy. The Psalm ties what God says to what God does. His word and his work stand together.”
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
“Luke 18 sets the point on the front end. Jesus tells a story so that disciples should always pray and not give up. The text meets the ache of long prayers that feel like they hit brass skies and answers it with a command, not a suggestion. Prayer becomes the antidote to discouragement, because prayer turns hearts to the God whose Word says, I am God and there is no other, the One who knows the end from the beginning and has proven His faithfulness.”
The Father's Open Arms
“Luke sets Luke 15 in motion with grumblers who say, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” The complaint draws out three confirmations of God’s heart: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The pattern is deliberate. Heaven rejoices when the lost is found. Jesus then lets the spotlight fall, not on the son’s rebellion, but on a gracious Father who seeks and celebrates.”
God's Calling to Faithfulness
“Jesus sets the parable up with a single thrust: faithfulness. The master entrusts “coins” to his servants, “each according to his ability,” not to confuse them with talents as in skills, but to press home stewardship. That line carries deep comfort. God knows each servant better than the servant knows himself, is mindful that they are dust, never wastes wounds or trials, and never expects what he has not first entrusted. The issue in the story is never the size of the deposit but the response to it. The five and the two both invest, and the master’s word is the same: “Well done, good and faithful servant… come and share my happiness.” Faithfulness, not brilliance, brings joy.”
Guest Speaker: Ted Hinzman
“The call to take every thought captive refuses the lie that freedom is automatic. 2 Corinthians 10 says the weapons God gives are not fleshly but mighty to pull down strongholds, to cast down imaginations, to bring every thought under the obedience of Christ. A stronghold shows up like a castle that keeps truth out and keeps a person locked in. It feels protective, but it works like a prison.”
All That Matters
“Paul closes Galatians by putting the pen in his own hand and drawing a hard line. The cross stands at the center. The legalists who want a “good showing in the flesh” push circumcision to dodge the heat that comes with the cross. The cross will not flatter pride. The cross says salvation is God’s work, not human polish. So Paul refuses to boast in anything but “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” where the world is crucified to him and he to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes a thing. Only a new creation counts.”
Walking By The Spirit
“Paul calls the church to street‑level life in the Spirit. Galatians 6 opens with a fallen brother “caught” in sin, not a hardened rebel but someone overtaken and stuck. The Spirit then sets the agenda: “restore that person gently,” with watchfulness, because temptation is no respecter of persons. The image does the work. Restoration is like setting a broken bone. The goal is healing, not humiliation. Spiritual maturity is revealed by restoration, not condemnation.”
The Fruit of the Spirit
“We celebrate lives marked by God at key transitions and gather weekly to strengthen faith through worship, prayer, and the study of scripture. Galatians 5:22 and 23 centers the Christian life on the fruit of the Spirit, not on human effort. We confront the stark contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit that emerges from union with Christ.”
Freedom Without Bondage
“We celebrate new life and the saving work of Christ while committing ourselves to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. We recognize children as gifts whose angels behold the Father and call parents to teach God’s truth continually at home. We commit to intercessory prayer, godly example, and patient discipleship so faith becomes the habit of a family, not a checklist. We also accept the church’s role as an extended family to support parents in living faithfully before their children.”