Sermons
Entrusted: Guarding the Gospel in Every Generation
The Gospel message and God’s gift of salvation is for all people. As the winds and rain of false teaching beat down on the church in Ephesus, Paul calls on Timothy to restore true belief. Starting with salvation itself, Paul reminds that God desires for all people to be saved…
Heart of Worship
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” These simple words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount reveal the heart of worship: the devotion of the heart to that which it values above all else. This was true for the worshippers of Baal in the Old Testament as well…
The Family of God
This Sunday we pick up Joseph’s story down in Egypt, where he has been living as a slave in the home of Potiphar. Genesis 39 teaches us that moral integrity requires decisive action, as Joseph flees temptation rather than compromising his character. It also reveals that doing…
The Family of God
Last week we saw firsthand the extent to which favoritism, self-interest, and conniving deceit can drive a family into relational and spiritual dysfunction. After stealing his twin brother’s birthright blessing, Jacob escapes Esau’s murderous fury and seeks refuge in Harran, in…
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” This was the sobering yet accurate observation made by Tertullian in the second century AD as he watched the gospel spread throughout the Roman world and beyond. Jesus left His disciples with a clear expectation of what was…
Spring is here and you can’t miss it! All throughout the northern hemisphere of planet earth, the natural world is daily revealing the evidence of new life—budding trees, blossoming flowers, busy and buzzing bees. But these natural testimonies and the new natural life they…
The early church was a suffering church. The first three hundred years of Christian worship was shaped by the reality of persecution. In 313, the Emperor declared that Christians must be tolerated. Believers took advantage of their new freedom and soon after would be found…
Because He Lives
This Sunday we again find ourselves at the feet of Jesus, learning the way of the Kingdom through a parable. We’re told the story of two sons. Both had the same father. Both had been given the same command, “go and work”. And both had the same timeline, “today”. Yet the two…
God's Better Story
God’s Better Story – Wednesday Night Bible Study. Click Here to go to YouTube for the live stream of this service.
Renewal for the New Year
In our “always on” age, the idea of doing two things at once is almost a given. Between ever-increasing (and always intrusive) “notifications” the attention of even the most conscientious among us is constantly pulled in multiple directions—work, email, texts, social media—even…
Renewal for the New Year
Ready or not, here comes another new year. So many feel discouraged right out of the gate when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. Past failures to achieve well-intentioned goals or to establish new habits leave many wondering, why do I even try? Brothers and sisters, let’s be…
Advent 2025
Millions around the world (believers and unbelievers alike) know John 3:16 and can begin reciting it— even from memory: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… Therein contains all the “glad tidings” of Christmas—God loves us. Even when we were still…
Advent 2025
Of all the many blessings for which we give thanks, there are but three as Paul says, which will remain: faith, HOPE, and love. This Sunday marks the beginning of the Advent season—the time when we remember (re-member) the Lord’s first appearing and long for His second. Let us…
Psalm
This week kicks off a seven-week sermon series focusing on the Psalms. The 150 individual psalms which make up the book have served as the bedrock of Christian worship for the past two-thousand years—giving voice to the wide breadth of the human experience (love and anger,…
2025 Oct Bible Study, Footprints of Jesus
Click Here to go to YouTube for the live stream of this service.
God has been calling His people to eat with Him quite literally for thousands of years. The many feasts and sacrifices of the Mosaic Law point back to that time when God’s covenant with Israel was confirmed. Do you remember just how it was confirmed? Ushered up by God Himself,…
They Walked with God
Who is Moses? Merely the sound of his name would remind a Hebrew speaker of his miraculous infancy—when he was “drawn out” of the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter he became a prince and his life was preserved from the Egyptian massacre of all Israelite boys. Moses was a murderer and…
They Walked with God
A man’s ingrate son disowns his family and demands his inheritance. In his new pagan paradise he squanders it all only to end up starving and alone. Jesus told His disciples of this “prodigal” to get them to understand something about God and about themselves. Sunday’s sermon…
I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH
From Judea to Antioch, the Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15 paints a picture of a Church at a stand still. The main issue at hand was the requirement of circumcision for converted Gentiles joining the Church—the Judiaizers on one side and Paul and Barnabas on the other.…
I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH
“Check the blueprints again.” Such a direction might be given by a concerned foreman who notices something out of sorts on the building site. If the mistake was grave enough, the one responsible might be called to give account, lest the integrity of rest of the build be…
Poured Out
Many people pray for rain, but no one asks God to send floods. The National Weather Service reports that flooding can cause more damage in the U.S. than any other natural disaster—to the tune of 8 billion dollars per year, on average. A flood can wash out roads and bridges and…
Poured Out
One hot summer day, Robert Lowry (pastor, hymn-writer, and Philadelphia-native) posed a question that would become the opening words to one of his most well-known songs. “Shall we gather at the river?”—he asked. What river? The river of life! Revelation 22 says that it “flows…
Wednesday Night Bible Study - February
Click Here to go to YouTube for the live stream of this service.
“When you come together,” Paul writes to the Christians who met together at Corinth, “what should be done then, my friends?” (1 Cor. 14:26, NRSV). Another way of asking the question could be this: when the body of Christ comes together, what does it look like? Paul says that…
Sermon on the Mount
Last Sunday, in preparation for foot washing, Earl reminded us of Jesus’ words in John 13—“no servant is greater than his master.” This Sunday will give us ample opportunity to put those words into practice as we once again turn our attention to the Master’s teaching in the…
All are welcome and encouraged to join us as we gather together this evening to celebrate Jesus’ birth. This good news of great joy came to us in the fullness of time and it is for all people of every age, race, socio-economic group, and generation. Jesus’ birth lit up our…
Isaiah & The Advent of Christ
God keeps His promises! Can you look back over your life and see the fingerprints of God’s faithfulness? If you’re anything like me, the old saying “hindsight is 20/20″ certainly resonates when I pause and look back. In the midst of those seasons of trial, tension, and waiting…
Jonah
Over the past month we’ve studied, prayed, and sung about the Word—learning it, loving it, and living it. Now, through the month of November we turn to the life and story of Jonah, the son of Amittai. But when the Word of the Lord came to this Israelite Prophet, far from loving…
Growing together in GOD'S WORD
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Growing together in GOD'S WORD
We live in an era often dubbed “the information age”—at no other point in human history have more people had greater or quicker access to information than we do today. But how has such an information-saturated culture contributed to our own stores of the most important kind of…
This Sunday we gather to worship around the basin and around the table. As we wash each other’s feet and share the bread and cup, we remember and proclaim the Gospel to ourselves and to the world—together along with the Christian brothers and sisters who have gone before and…
Following the Lamb
Join us for the fourth week of our sermon series Following the Lamb as we consider the ministry God has entrusted to us in light of the many competing needs, interests, and messages of our 21st century context. “Is it even possible” many ask, “to live like Jesus and His…
Following the Lamb
We pray that you were encouraged, challenged, and fortified over the past eight weeks as the same message of faith, endurance, and hope that was preached to the Hebrew Christians in the first century was also preached to you. This Sunday we begin a new series entitled Following…
Hebrews
Discipline—would you say it is generally a good thing or a bad thing? What role has discipline played in your life thus far? How do you most relate to discipline—as the one doing the disciplining or as the one receiving the discipline? While “heavenly disciplinarian” may not be…
Hebrews
Over the next seven weeks let us set our hearts and minds on the letter to the Hebrews. “In the past God spoke…” These are the very first words of Hebrews which remind us that God was not satisfied to create mankind and walk away, leaving us to our own devices—certainly not!…
Isn’t it interesting how what we label “urgent” we would not also always label “important”? The Preacher writes in Ecclesiastes that God has set eternity in the human heart (3:11). Do you sense eternity stirring in your own heart? What is it like? How do our lost family…
They Saw Him
Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples—those eleven who were present at the Mount of Olives at the close of Jesus’ earthly ministry. After 40 days like the ones they had just lived (experiencing not only fear, disappointment, and doubt but also joy, obedience, and…
They Saw Him
One author describes the forty-day period between Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension as the “Indian summer” of that truly miraculous point in human history when the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14). During these precious and numbered days, what was most…
Two thousand years ago occurred the single greatest event in history thus far—a non-resistant peasant from a small town was condemned as a threat to both the Roman Empire and to the Jewish religious establishment. The man was sentenced to death by crucifixion and following the…
Our Altar'd Lives
Over the past three weeks we’ve wrestled with the life-altering sacrifices of life, relationship, and treasure. This Sunday we’ll look at something which lies at the core of our sense of self: our status or standing. Deeply linked to our identity and self-worth, we often seek…
Sermon on the Mount
“Old habits die hard.” How often have these words rung true in our ears—for better and for worse? The same might well have been said of the Jews of Jesus’ day when he told them, “You have heard it said, but I say unto you…” This week, as we conclude our time in the Sermon on…
Sermon on the Mount
As we begin thinking about putting away the decorations and try to finish off the last of the holiday desserts before our New Years’ diets begin, may our refrains of “joy to the world” and “O come let us adore Him” resound throughout 2024 into Eternity! But the cost of…
Micah Walk Humbly
Who is like the LORD? This question has underpinned Micah’s call to repentance from the beginning, and now it will be asked directly as Micah concludes his message. In the New Testament, James’ reminder (1:17) that God’s character is unchanging has become a refrain ingrained in…
Micah Walk Humbly
God spoke through the prophet Micah to lead His people to repentance. Micah’s prophecies remind us that God expects believers to care deeply for one another and for the world around them. When we fail to do so, He will correct us. In the end, God’s plan will be accomplished.…
October 2023 Bible Study
Click Here to go to YouTube for the live stream of this service.
October 2023 Bible Study
Click Here to go to YouTube for the live stream of this service.
Peaceful Practices
When conflicts in our life appear unresolvable we should humble ourselves—willingly setting aside our own understanding and solution—and strive to see the issue (and person) at hand with God’s vision. As we seek to participate in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18) and…
Peaceful Practices
What images does the word peace conjure up in your mind? The rainbow flag of the contemporary LGBT social movement? The circular peace symbol popularized during the 1960s? Perhaps the dove—a symbol of the Holy Spirit descending in Christian baptism—or the olive branch brought…
Set Apart
Brothers and sisters, you are God’s chosen people—exiled here in Southeastern Pennsylvania for a short time. Stand firm and hold fast to Christ! As a people set apart for God, how should our lives be different because of the Gospel? How can we live as faithful disciples of…
There is no shortage of voices in the world today telling us how to find success and fulfillment through our studies, careers, physiques, bank accounts, families, and hobbies. Listening to these voices often leaves us feeling frantic, burned out, and like we just don’t measure…
WWJU
Last Sunday we began a new sermon series entitled What Would Jesus Undo. Our goal is to identify and study some anti-Gospel postures that undermine and threaten our spiritual vitality. Our first “undoing” was the posture of spiritual indifference. Join us this week as we study…
God Is ________
Join us as we move into week two of our six-week sermon series on the character of God. This week we turn our focus to God’s slow anger and His abundant steadfast love. Is this the God that you know? What informs your understanding of God’s character? In Scripture we see these…
Palm Sunday
“Rejoice greatly” and “shout”! These two imperative commands describe Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and introduce the prophetic “red flags” signaling that this Jesus is indeed Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Unlike Israel’s past kings, God promises—speaking through…
The Final Words
For the past six weeks we have been studying Jesus’ final words from upon the cross, asking ourselves what these seven holy utterances reveal to us about Christ’s sacrifice, God’s redemptive love, and our lives. Join us in the second-to-last week as we hear the Savior say, “It…
Wednesday Night Bible Study - February
Join us for week two of our Bible Study series on the Power and Purpose of Prayer. This week Pastor Rob will teach on the postures of prayer, touching on both physical postures (sitting, kneeling, standing) as well as spiritual postures (praise, intercession, repentance). All…
The Final Words
Join us for worship this week as we kick off a new sermon series that will take us through the season of Lent until Palm Sunday. We will be studying the final words of Jesus asking ourselves what Jesus’ words from the cross reveal about the redemptive work of God both in…
Join us this Sunday as we begin 2023 as the body of Christ, united in worship. As many in the world gaze reprovingly at their physical bodies in the mirror—calibrating their goals and standards for good physical health according to photoshopped magazine covers and airbrushed…
Come all ye faithful as we gather to worship on Christmas morning—in reverence, in celebration, and with thanksgiving. We will worship our way through the nativity story by singing carols, reading scripture, and hearing brief exhortations based on three “Christmas commands” we…
The Original Songs of Christmas
Join us this week as we enter the third week of our Advent Series, The Original Songs of Christmas, through the eyes (and ears) of the shepherds who heard the Angels’ song. The glory of the Lord shines around them—lighting up the darkness of night until it resembled the midday…
I AM
Each week in our “I AM” sermon series, we have sought to answer two questions. First, who does Jesus say that He is? Second, what difference does that make in our lives? As we consider Jesus’ words in John 14, we build upon six statements Jesus has already made about who He is:…
Wednesday Night Bible Study - October 2022
What does it mean to live in the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit a “what” or a “who”? How can I be more attuned to what the Spirit is doing in my life? How can I be sure that I “have” the Holy Spirit? Join us as we study and prayerfully reflect together on who the Holy Spirit…
I AM
To each and every one of us, the Lord Jesus declares “I am the bread of life.” He promises that if we come to Him and learn to trust and depend on Him, we will never go hungry or thirsty. For most, life in 21st century America does not leave us vulnerable to physical starvation…
Join us this Sunday as we begin a study on the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts that will be continued in our October Bible Study series, Abide with Me: An Invitation from the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters, as followers of Jesus we have not only the gift of the Holy Spirit…
In the midst of a society which both idolizes and demonizes work, believers must resist the pull to either extreme. Rather, as God’s chosen people, Christians orient their view of work—its importance, function, and its potential—around who God is and how He models both labor…
Rob and Emilie Presthus are traveling to Pennsylvania from France this week for Rob to be introduced to Franconia as our pastoral candidate on Sunday. Please join us: BFG Hour in Auditorium – 9:00am: Meet and get to know Rob more personally – his background, ministry…
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