Church of The Word | Sunday Sermons

Adoption is not just a sentimental issue; it is a gospel issue. The sermon begins with the reality of earthly adoption and the fatherless, but it moves quickly to something even deeper: God Himself is a Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, and a God who hears the cries of the vulnerable. His people cannot be indifferent to what He loves. A church shaped by the heart of God should not develop a disdain for the difficult, but should welcome, celebrate, and support a spirit of adoption, foster care, respite care, mentoring, and care for those coming from broken homes. The personal adoption story displays this truth in real life. What began as hesitation, selfishness, and fear became a testimony of God’s providence. A child’s picture stirred the heart, the financial need seemed impossible, and yet the Lord provided exactly what was needed—down to the penny. Adoption was not pursued because it was easy or affordable, but because God made His will clear and supplied the grace to obey. The difficult did not disappear, but God revealed His heart through it. Yet the sermon does not reduce adoption to a moral cause or emotional appeal. The deeper foundation is the gospel. Christians rejoice in forgiveness and justification, and rightly so, because the guilty sinner stands before the Judge and hears no condemnation in Christ. But the gospel goes further: the Judge does not merely declare the sinner righteous and send him away free. He brings the rebel into His own house and makes him a son or daughter. That is the wonder of adoption. God becomes Father. Rebels become children. Those who were spiritually orphaned are brought into the family of God by the Spirit of adoption, crying, “Abba, Father.” This changes identity, and a changed identity should produce changed compassion. Those adopted by God should increasingly reflect the Father’s heart toward the fatherless. Not every Christian is necessarily called to adopt in the same way, but no Christian is free to ignore God’s concern for orphans, widows, and the vulnerable. Scripture plainly reveals the Father’s care for them, and the specific obedience may look different depending on providence, gifts, resources, and calling. But the heart of the matter is clear: those who have been adopted by grace should live as children of the Father, loving what He loves and caring for those He calls precious. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Marriage is not designed to come apart. Some unions are made to separate, like a P-trap under a sink, but other unions are meant to hold permanently. Marriage belongs in that second category. It is a covenant bond God designed to be indivisible, and when it breaks, it makes a mess—sometimes through the guilt of one party, sometimes through the sin and failure of both, but always with real wounds and consequences. That does not mean divorce is the unforgivable sin. Christ washes sinners. He makes His people new. Those who trust in Him do not stand before God clothed in their broken past, their failed marriages, or their sin, but in the perfect righteousness of Christ. There is real mercy for the divorced, the remarried, the guilty, the wounded, and the sinned against. The gospel is big enough for all of it. But grace does not make divorce small. Jesus speaks about divorce in a way that shocked His original hearers, and His words are still hard in a generation where marriage is often treated casually. The world says the goal is personal happiness, but Jesus calls His people to take up their cross. The devil loves to destroy marriages, and Christians need to understand that divorce is serious in the sight of God. Like murder and adultery, divorce often begins in the heart. It begins with bitterness, resentment, selfishness, contempt, and words that cannot easily be taken back. A sentence can be planted like a seed and grow into destruction. So married people need to hear the Lord clearly: marriage is holy, words matter, hearts matter, and covenant faithfulness matters. The preacher must speak carefully, because wounded people do not need false guilt laid on them where Christ has forgiven. But he must also speak truthfully, because teachers are accountable before God. The commands of Christ are not always easy to hear, but they are good. The church must receive them with reverence, humility, and obedience, trusting that the Lord’s design for marriage is wiser than the world’s promise of self-centered happiness. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The Sermon on the Mount keeps pressing beneath the surface. Last week, Jesus exposed the heart of murder—showing that murder does not begin with the physical act, but with anger, contempt, envy, and hatred in the heart. Cain’s murder of Abel did not appear out of nowhere; it grew from a corrupt heart. God is not only concerned with what the hands do. He sees the intentions, desires, and motives underneath. Now Jesus moves to the heart of adultery. Just as murder begins before blood is shed, adultery begins before the outward act is committed. The sin starts in the thought life, in the look, in the desire, in the imagination, in the hidden places no one else sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. This means freedom from sexual sin requires more than external restraint. A person may avoid the outward act and still be guilty before God because the heart is feeding what the body has not yet carried out. Jesus is calling His people to wage war where the battle actually begins: in the thoughts, desires, and affections. To be free, sin must be fought at the root, not merely trimmed at the surface. The point is clear: adultery begins in the heart, and to walk rightly before God, Christians must wage war with sin in the thought life. God’s people are not called merely to appear clean, but to pursue purity before the God who sees everything. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The Sermon on the Mount is too important to rush through because it is the first great body of teaching Jesus gives to His disciples. It is practical, searching, and deeply needed. Christ is not merely giving religious information; He is teaching His people how to live, how to think, and how to be transformed from the inside out. That is why the sermon must be received slowly, repeated often, and pressed into the heart. The focus here is the heart of murder. Jesus teaches that murder does not begin with bloodshed, but in the heart. God does not look merely at outward actions or visible consequences; He sees motives, desires, bitterness, envy, hatred, and anger before they ever become physical acts. This is not a new idea invented in the New Testament. The Old Testament already shows that motive matters, and Scripture often reveals the hatred, envy, and jealousy beneath acts of murder. This strips away false confidence. People often say, “I would never do that,” but they do not know what they would do under the right temptation, pressure, opportunity, or lack of consequence. God sees what a person would do if every restraint were removed. And when people say, “God knows my heart,” they often mean, “God knows I have a good heart.” But Scripture says the opposite: the fallen heart is desperately wicked. The problem is not that man has a good heart and occasionally does bad things; the problem is that man has a bad heart and sometimes does outwardly good things. Jesus therefore goes beneath the surface. He is not content to polish behavior while leaving the inner man untouched. He aims at the root. He wants to transform thoughts, motives, desires, and loves. If the heart were truly changed, the whole community would be changed. The need for courts, police, judges, and swords exists because the heart of man is corrupt. The heart of the issue is the heart of man, and Jesus comes to deal with that heart by exposing sin at its root and calling His people to true inward righteousness. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The Sermon on the Mount is not a break from the Book of Matthew’s larger message—it is part of the kingdom announcement. Jesus has been preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and now in Matthew 5–7 He begins showing His disciples what repentance looks like. He teaches them how to think, how to live, and how to understand the law rightly from the heart. The sermon’s title, “Christ Fills Full,” comes from one of Matthew’s favorite words: fulfill. Matthew repeatedly shows that Jesus came to fulfill the Scriptures, and in Matthew 5:17 Jesus says plainly, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” To fulfill means to fill full—to bring something to its intended goal, meaning, and completion. This means Jesus does not come to destroy the Old Testament or set it aside as useless. He comes as the One to whom it all points. The law, the prophets, the promises, the types, the shadows, the sacrifices, the priesthood, the kingship, the covenant patterns—all find their purpose and fullness in Him. The Old Testament is not a disconnected religious background; it is the unfolding testimony of Christ. Jesus also fulfills the law by teaching its true intent. He strips away shallow, external interpretations and presses the commandments into the heart. The issue is not merely outward conformity, but righteousness before God from the inside out. Christ fulfills the law perfectly in His own obedience, fulfills the prophets in His person and work, and then teaches His people to understand God’s commands through Him. The point, then, is that the entire Old Testament points to Christ, and Christ fulfills its every purpose. He is not against Moses and the prophets. He is their goal. He fills full what they foretold, what they pictured, and what they required. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

After finishing the Beatitudes, Jesus immediately turns to the images of salt and light. This matters because the Beatitudes ended with persecution. Christians should expect opposition because the world hated Christ and will hate Christ in His people. But that expectation must never become an excuse for harshness, rudeness, or needless provocation. Christians are not called to be obnoxious in order to invite persecution. They are called to be faithful, winsome, kind, and clear. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” Salt preserves, but it also gives flavor. It makes what is around it better. In the same way, God wants His people to be spiritually “tasty”—pleasant, gracious, and beneficial to those around them. The church should not be bland, useless, or corrupt. It should preserve what is good, resist decay, and bring a holy pleasantness into the world through love, integrity, and good works. Light also reveals and guides. Christians are not meant to hide from the world or retreat into silence. They are meant to shine visibly so that others may see their good works and glorify the Father in heaven. This does not mean performing righteousness for man’s applause, but living so faithfully and openly that God’s goodness is displayed through His people. The calling of the church is therefore not merely to survive persecution, but to bless the world. Wherever Christians are placed—in homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, communities, and nations—they are called to do good, speak truth, preserve righteousness, and shine with the light of Christ. By being faithful, the church fulfills its calling to be a blessing to all nations. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Jesus ends the Beatitudes with a hard blessing: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” This sounds strange because persecution means suffering, and suffering does not feel happy in the moment. But Jesus is teaching His people to see suffering with an eternal mindset. Like sore muscles after hard labor, the pain can be received differently when it is tied to purpose. Suffering for Christ is not meaningless pain; it is an honor. This does not mean all suffering is blessed. Peter makes clear that suffering for wrongdoing is shameful, but suffering for righteousness is glory. Christians must not confuse being rude, foolish, harsh, or obnoxious with being persecuted for Christ. There is no virtue in being a “jerk for Jesus.” But when a believer suffers mockery, slander, loss, or humiliation because they belong to Christ and bear witness to Him with love and faithfulness, that suffering is precious in the sight of God. The sermon presses this personally through the memory of being mocked and beaten as a young boy for saying, “I’m a Christian.” The bruises hurt, but the humiliation hurt more. That kind of moment exposes whether someone is prepared to suffer for the name of Christ. Jesus’ parable of the sower warns that some receive the word with joy, but when persecution comes, they wither because they have no root. If Christians do not expect opposition, they may shrink back when it arrives. That is why believers must learn to count suffering for Christ as an honor before the trial comes. Children in school, adults at work, and Christians in every sphere need this mindset: popularity is not the goal. Jesus warns against living for the approval of all men. If the light of Christ is truly shining, the world may not always applaud it. Satan hates faithful witness, and the world often resists what exposes its darkness. But the Christian does not suffer as one defeated. To be counted worthy to suffer for Christ is a glory. Paul desired not only to know the power of Christ’s resurrection, but also the fellowship of His sufferings. The call, then, is to endure persecution, slander, and loss with joy—not because pain is pleasant, but because Christ is worthy, eternity is real, and suffering for His name is never wasted. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

America’s founding should not be treated lightly. It is a profound blessing to live in a country shaped by biblical ideas—ideas like law over rulers, limited government, justice, representation, liberty, property, and accountability before God. But those foundations are being eroded, and when a people forget the source of their blessings, they should not be surprised when the blessings begin to disappear. The modern story often says America was built mainly on the Roman Republic, but Scripture gives us something older and better: the Hebrew Republic. Long before Rome, God gave Israel a form of representative government. The people were not meant to be ruled by raw mob power, and they were not meant to be ruled by unchecked kings. They were to be governed under God, by law, with leaders who represented the people and remained accountable to the Lord. That matters because a republic is not the same as a pure democracy. A democracy can become two wolves and a sheep voting on dinner. A majority can vote to steal, oppress, punish, or destroy. Powerful people can manipulate the masses, buy influence, and use public emotion to create tyranny. That is why a constitution matters. A constitution places a higher law over both the rulers and the people. It says there are limits. There are boundaries. There are rights and duties that cannot simply be erased by the passion of the moment. And that principle is deeply biblical. In Israel, the law stood over everyone. It stood over the people. It stood over the judges. It stood over the king. No man was ultimate. No ruler was sovereign. No majority was god. The law came from the Lord, and that meant justice was not whatever the powerful could get away with or whatever the crowd demanded. Justice had to answer to God. That is why Isaiah says, “The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; He will save us.” God is the source of true judicial, legislative, and kingly authority. Every human government is derivative. Every ruler answers to Him. Every law must be measured beneath Him. So representative government is not merely a political preference. Rightly ordered, it is a biblical blessing—especially for a people willing to live under God’s moral order. But if a nation wants the fruit while cutting down the root, it will not keep the fruit for long. A people cannot abandon God’s law, mock His authority, despise His design, and still expect liberty to survive. The call, then, is not merely to celebrate the country, but to recover the foundations that made its blessings possible. Christians should think biblically about government, law, justice, liberty, and national life. The Lord is Judge. The Lord is Lawgiver. The Lord is King. And only a people who remember that are prepared to steward freedom without destroying it. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith #church

I believe the spirit realm is real and active, and Christians must engage that reality with gospel-first discernment and spiritual weapons. Demons can deceive, so any contact with the occult must be cut off and repented of. The first step when spiritual trouble appears is submission to God, then biblical resistance—putting on the whole armor of God—not simply running straight to secular solutions. That said, discernment is needed: some struggles are physical or psychological and deserve wise care, but too often the default is to treat everything as merely chemical while neglecting prayer, Scripture, Christian community, and spiritual warfare. Complete spiritual protection requires all parts of the armor; whatever piece is missing becomes an open door for the enemy. Pastoral ministry must begin with the gospel, call people to repent of occult involvement (even “cultural” items that open doors), and equip believers to pray, confess, remove idols, and stand firm in Christ. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The Beatitudes build upon one another as a picture of the Christian life. It begins with poverty of spirit—recognizing sin, need, and helplessness before God, and crying out for the riches of grace given at Christ’s expense. Then comes mourning, where sin, death, and the shortness of life teach the soul to seek comfort from God. Meekness follows as strength brought under the hand of God, power restrained and submitted to the Lord. Then comes hunger and thirst for righteousness, the spiritual appetite that drives growth and receives God’s promise of satisfaction. Mercy flows from having received mercy, and purity of heart marks the ongoing work of God cleansing His people. Now Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” This is not merely a call to avoid conflict, but a call to reflect the mission of the Son. The Father sent the Son to reconcile sinners to Himself, and those who have been reconciled are now given the privilege of serving as ministers of reconciliation. Peacemakers bear the family resemblance of God because they seek what He seeks: peace through truth, forgiveness, righteousness, and restored relationship. Christians should therefore be the most peace-seeking people—not weak, passive, or unwilling to confront evil, but eager for reconciliation wherever righteousness allows it. They should be patient when wronged, slow to anger, quick to forgive, and willing to bear long with the sins and failures of others. This should be seen in the home, the church, the workplace, the neighborhood, and the community. The forgiven should become forgiving, and the reconciled should become reconcilers. This also means Christians should be a sobering voice in the world, especially when nations rush toward war. The civil magistrate does bear the sword to punish evil and protect the innocent, but because men are sinful and power corrupts, Christians should be slow to embrace war and careful to ask whether it is just. There are always people who profit from bloodshed, power, weapons, and conflict, and God’s people should not be easily manipulated by fear or propaganda. A peace-loving people should pray for nations, missions, neighbors, rulers, enemies, and the spread of the gospel. Peacemaking, then, is part of the identity of God’s children. Those who belong to the Son are called to reflect the Son’s reconciling work. They seek peace without compromising righteousness, pursue reconciliation without ignoring truth, and labor for harmony because they have first been brought near to God through Christ. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

First, there is an important overlap between men and women: both are created in the image of God, both are fallen in Adam, and both need to be saved by grace through Jesus Christ. Men and women share equal dignity before God, equal need of redemption, and equal value as image-bearers. But equality in worth does not erase distinction in design. God created men and women differently, with different strengths, roles, duties, and callings. Those differences are not the result of cultural accident or oppression; they are part of God’s good creation. Everything God made was good, and the distinctions between male and female are meant to be received with gratitude rather than resentment. The sermon confronts a culture that struggles to understand, honor, and celebrate these created differences. Men and women are not meant to be in competition with one another, but to complement one another according to God’s design. Adam was not complete alone. The one thing God called “not good” before the fall was that man was alone, so God made woman as a suitable helper for him. This means masculinity and femininity are not enemies, but gifts meant to work together for God’s glory. The focus, then, is on what God has uniquely entrusted to men—biologically, spiritually, and morally. Godly masculinity is not something to be despised, distorted, or abandoned, but something to be understood from Scripture and lived faithfully before God. Men are called to receive their created design as good, embrace their responsibilities, and live in a way that honors the Lord who made them. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #sermon #masculinity #fathersday

The commands to love God with all the heart and to love neighbor as self expose sin more deeply than outward laws ever could by themselves. A person may be able to say they have never murdered or committed adultery in a courtroom sense, but Jesus presses the law into the heart. If someone does not love God with the whole heart, they have broken the first table of the law. If someone does not love their neighbor as themselves, they have broken the second. The law does not merely judge outward behavior; it searches motives, thoughts, desires, words, and hidden intentions. This should leave every honest person poor in spirit. If salvation depended on perfect obedience from the heart, there would be no hope. God sees not only what has been done, but what would be done if there were no restraint, no authority, and no consequences. External obedience is not enough. Jesus calls His people to wage war at the level of the heart—taking thoughts captive, fighting sinful desires, and seeking obedience that comes from love rather than mere outward conformity. But this heart-searching truth is also filled with hope for those who belong to Christ. Believers are already children of God, though what they will be has not yet fully appeared. Justification happens the moment a sinner trusts in Christ, but purification continues throughout the Christian life. The Holy Spirit convicts, exposes, cleanses, and leads God’s people to confess sin, seek forgiveness, make things right, and walk in the light. Those who have this hope purify themselves as He is pure—not to become God’s children, but because they already are. The Christian life is therefore an ongoing work of purification. The believer still battles sin, but not as one abandoned or condemned. The promise remains: when Christ appears, His people will be like Him, because they will see Him as He is. Until then, the call is to bring the heart into the light, surrender sin to Christ, and keep walking with Him. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

God is merciful, and He favors the merciful with mercy. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” This Beatitude calls Christians to reflect the character of their God by becoming compassionate, forgiving, patient, and kind. God’s holiness and justice must never be forgotten, but neither should His mercy. He cares for the poor, the oppressed, the downtrodden, and those who suffer. He is slow to anger and ready to forgive. His mercy is most clearly displayed in Jesus Christ, who came from heaven to relieve the suffering of a rebellious and sinful people. He loved us when we did not love Him. Because believers have received this mercy, they must extend it to others. Mercy motivates Christians to forgive quickly, care for their neighbors, alleviate human suffering, and carry the gospel to the farthest reaches of the earth. Just as God commands His people to be holy because He is holy, He calls them to be merciful because He is merciful. The church should therefore be known as a compassionate people who reflect the mercy they have received from God. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith #mercy

Every person is hungry for something. Nobody is neutral. Everyone is filled with thoughts, driven by desires, pursuing something—going to bed with something on the mind and waking up chasing it again. And Jesus is going to press that issue in the Sermon on the Mount: what is the appetite of your life? What do you crave? What do you daydream about? What do you pursue when no one is watching? That’s why Matthew 5:6 matters: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” The sermon’s point is that Christians—people who truly call Jesus “Lord”—don’t just agree that righteousness is good. They long for it. They crave it the way a starving man craves food and a dying man craves water. Not merely righteousness as an abstract idea, but righteousness as a living reality: a life shaped by God, a conscience cleansed, a heart made clean, a world made right. And the focus of that hunger is God’s Word, because righteousness isn’t invented—it’s revealed. God’s Word tells what is good, what is true, what is clean, what is holy, what pleases the Lord. So hunger for righteousness shows up as a hunger for Scripture—because Scripture is where God’s ways are learned, where the mind is renewed, and where the heart is trained. And here’s the promise that makes this beatitude so hopeful: the hungry will be filled. Jesus doesn’t shame hunger—He blesses it. He doesn’t tell the starving soul, “Try harder.” He says, “Come.” The one who truly wants God, wants holiness, wants truth, wants to be changed—will not be left empty. God satisfies that appetite. He fills those who come to Him with real righteousness: Christ’s righteousness counted to them, and Christ’s righteousness worked into them over time. So the question that sits underneath this is simple: What has your appetite right now? What are you hungry for? Because whatever you hunger for is what you’re going to chase—and Jesus is calling His people to crave the kingdom and righteousness more than anything else. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 5:5 gets slowed down on purpose because the Beatitudes aren’t just beautiful sayings—they’re a portrait of what a Christian is supposed to look like. There’s a time to dig into typology, complexity, and deep doctrine, and that matters. But there’s also a time to lean into orthopraxy—right living—because right doctrine that doesn’t produce a right life becomes hypocrisy. And hypocrisy doesn’t just hurt the hypocrite—it damages the witness. If the world hates Christians because they look like Christ, that’s glory. But if the world despises Christians because they talk big and live small, because they claim Jesus and don’t resemble Him, that’s shame. Peter’s point is simple: suffering for righteousness is blessed; suffering because of sin is deserved. So this Beatitude is approached as a call to visible Christian character. The focus is on meekness—and the sermon frames it as “inherit the earth” with this main point: Christians are called to exhibit self-control and gentle strength. Meekness is not weakness. It’s not timidity. It’s not being a doormat. Meekness is strength that has been mastered. It’s power under control. It’s a man—or a woman—who could retaliate, could dominate, could lash back, but refuses because Christ rules the heart. It’s restraint, patience, and steadiness that comes from fear of God, not fear of man. And that’s why meekness marks true disciples: it proves the heart is no longer ruled by ego, anger, and entitlement. It shows a different King is on the throne. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 5 is introduced with a warning most people don’t expect: the Sermon on the Mount is not meant to make people feel safe in themselves. It’s meant to leave people astonished, exposed, and emptied. When Jesus finishes, the crowds aren’t comforted—they’re stunned, because He teaches with authority, not like the scribes. And the sermon doesn’t wrap up with a soft landing. It ends with a dividing line: hear and do these words and you’re a wise man on the rock; hear and ignore them and you’re a fool building on sand. That’s because Jesus is not handing out moral tips. He’s taking a wrecking ball to self-righteousness. The man who thinks he’s fine because he hasn’t murdered anyone gets cut down: anger, contempt, and “you fool” put a person in danger of hell-fire. The man who thinks he’s clean because he hasn’t committed adultery gets cut down: lust is adultery in the heart. The religious man who prays, gives, and fasts gets cut down: if it’s done to be seen by men, it profits nothing—he already has his reward. So the Sermon on the Mount drives people into poverty—not financial poverty, but poverty of spirit. It leaves them asking the question that shows up later in Matthew: who then can be saved? That’s exactly what happens with the rich young ruler. He comes asking what good thing he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus presses him until the truth shows: he’s not “good,” and he won’t surrender what owns his heart. He walks away sorrowful, and the disciples don’t respond with smug relief. They respond with shock: then salvation is impossible. And that’s the point. The sermon is designed to destroy the lie that people can balance good deeds against bad deeds and earn acceptance—like a spiritual scale where morality can outweigh sin. That’s not biblical theology. The Bible says everyone is a sinner, everyone has offended an infinitely holy God, and no one has anything in themselves to recommend them to Him. So the Sermon on the Mount does something merciful and severe: it leaves people empty-handed. It brings them to the throne of grace not with confidence in performance, but with open hands begging for mercy. And that’s why the most hopeful line in the entire sermon is the first one: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The kingdom doesn’t belong to the impressive. It belongs to the broken. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

A disciple and a Christian are not two different categories in the New Testament. That’s one of the big mistakes people make—thinking, “First you become a Christian, and later, if you want to get serious, you become a disciple.” But Acts 11:26 flips that: they were disciples… and those disciples were called Christians. In other words, disciple is the definition, and “Christian” is the name the world put on it. So the question isn’t “Are you a Christian?” as if that’s merely a label. The question is: are you a disciple—and are you a disciple-making disciple? Because the assumption of the New Testament is that if someone belongs to Jesus, they come under His authority. They learn His ways. They live His ways. And they teach His ways. Christianity is not passive spectatorship. It’s apprenticeship to a King. And that includes duplication. God built duplication into creation—He made the first man, gave him a wife, and established fruitfulness and multiplying as part of the mandate. But that same principle gets fulfilled in an even greater way in the kingdom: spiritual fruitfulness. Even if someone never marries. Even if someone never has children. The call still stands: be fruitful and multiply—by making disciples. That starts with the most central thing: the gospel. Knowing it clearly. Living it honestly. And being able to communicate it so that another person can come into a real relationship with Jesus Christ, receive forgiveness of sins, and become a disciple too, who then learns to duplicate again. Yes, God can convert someone in a dramatic, once-in-a-generation way—like Saul on the road to Damascus, bright light, direct confrontation, sovereign commissioning. But that’s the exception. The normal way the kingdom spreads is simpler and steadier: disciples living the life, teaching the truth, winning others to Christ, and training them to do the same. So the point is straightforward: disciples duplicate. They don’t just learn. They learn, live, and teach what Christ taught—and they obey this command as a basic part of following Jesus. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew is about to move into the Sermon on the Mount—the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached—and the sermon frames it like this: Jesus has been calling people to repent, and now He’s going to start showing them what repentance actually looks like in lived obedience. The Sermon on the Mount is packed with practical instruction, but it’s not random moral teaching. It sits inside a bigger story Matthew has been building from the beginning. The big idea here is “Come to the Mountain.” In Matthew’s telling, Jesus is being portrayed as the mediator of the covenant—a greater Moses. Just like Moses delivered the old covenant through the first five books, Matthew intentionally echoes that structure and order, showing that Jesus is not just another teacher in Israel—He is the One who brings the true and final covenant reality those books were always pointing toward. As the Sermon on the Mount begins, it mirrors the moment of the law being given—especially the Deuteronomy theme of a “second giving” and explanation of God’s commands—only now the One on the mountain is not merely repeating Moses. He is speaking with divine authority as the mediator Himself. And that leads to the other half of the sermon’s point: the law exposes the need for grace. The law is good. Its ethics are beautiful. Its wisdom is real. But it is not a ladder to salvation. The law functions like a mirror—it shows what is true about the heart. And what it reveals is not self-righteousness but failure. Even with sincere effort, even with strong resolutions, God’s commands keep exposing how far short human obedience falls. The law does not become a refuge; it becomes an accusation that drives the soul to cry out for mercy. That’s why Matthew is preparing the reader for grace before the Sermon on the Mount even fully unfolds. Israel broke covenant again and again. Prophets were sent, and the people repeatedly failed. Even David—the man after God’s own heart—ends up clinging to mercy with a broken spirit. So when Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” it isn’t sentimental. It’s covenant reality: the kingdom belongs to the broken, the needy, the ones who know they cannot stand on their own righteousness. So this introduction sets the frame: the mountain is a covenant scene, Jesus is the covenant mediator, and the law—when truly heard—doesn’t produce pride. It produces poverty of spirit, and poverty of spirit is the doorway to grace. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Around this time of year—right after remembering Passover and celebrating the resurrection—Matthew 4 lands with real force because it’s describing what happened at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The timeline is framed like this: John the Baptist is preaching in the reign of Tiberius, Jesus is baptized, and immediately afterward the Spirit drives Him into the wilderness where He is tested by the devil. That wilderness scene matters because it shows the kind of King Jesus is: He refuses Satan’s shortcut to dominion—a kingdom without a cross—and He wins the battle the right way, under the Father’s will. Satan’s offer was real pressure, but it was also a lie. He acts like he can hand Jesus the world through his network of influence, yet the world ultimately belongs to God—“the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Whatever authority exists among the nations is only delegated and temporary, never ultimate. Jesus rejects the counterfeit path, defeats the devil, and then steps out of the wilderness to begin His ministry. And this sermon’s point is the pivot that follows: the King has come, and His kingdom dawns and expands. The kingdom does not explode instantly through political takeover. It advances progressively as the gospel is proclaimed, disciples are made, and God’s power is displayed in real, supernatural, life-changing ways. The reign of Christ spreads through Word and work—truth preached, people transformed, and darkness pushed back—showing that the kingdom is not merely an idea but an invading reality. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The sermon shifts from Matthew into John 5 to focus on what is called “the incredible claims of Jesus.” “Incredible” is explained in two senses: it can mean unbelievable—a claim too wild to accept—or it can mean astonishingly believable when supported by real evidence. The point is that Jesus makes claims so sweeping that no one can remain neutral; a verdict has to be reached, because eternity is at stake. Jesus claims things no mere moral teacher can claim. He presents Himself as the eternal Son of God, not beginning at Bethlehem but existing before creation. He claims authority that belongs only to God: to judge all humanity, to give eternal life, and to raise the dead in the final resurrection. These are not small religious opinions. They are total claims about reality—either true, or they reveal Him to be a false prophet of the worst kind. The sermon’s driving argument is that the resurrection vindicates everything Jesus says. If Christ truly rose from the dead, then His “incredible” words are not arrogant fantasies—they are divine truth. The resurrection becomes the dividing line: it forces belief or unbelief, surrender or rejection. John 5 is then read to show how Jesus speaks with that kind of authority and calls every hearer to decide what will be done with Him. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

It’s Palm Sunday week. People love the picture of Jesus riding into Jerusalem like a king—until they realize what kind of King He is. A donkey, not a warhorse. A crown, but first a cross. And Matthew 4 fits that perfectly, because Satan offers Jesus the very thing everyone wants Him to take: A kingdom. Authority. Power. Glory. But with one condition: No suffering. No obedience. No cross. Just bow… and take it. That’s the temptation: the crown without the cross. To feel the weight of it, go back to Adam. God gave Adam dominion—real authority under God. He was meant to rule the world as a steward, expanding God’s order and glory. But the serpent offered him a shortcut: “You will be like God.” Be your own authority. Define good and evil yourself. Take the crown without submission. And Adam took it. He chose autonomy over obedience. Power over worship. A kingdom without God. And everything collapsed. Now Jesus—the last Adam—stands on a mountain again, facing the same kind of offer: Authority without obedience. Glory without suffering. A kingdom without the Father’s path. And this time the answer is different: “Be gone, Satan… You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” Where Adam reached, Jesus refused. Where Adam grabbed, Jesus obeyed. Where Adam took the shortcut, Jesus stayed the course. And here’s what makes Satan’s offer so dangerous: it’s not imaginary. Scripture says the world lies under the power of the evil one. There really are systems, kingdoms, and powers twisted by Satan’s influence. But Satan always does the same thing: he offers what ultimately belongs to Christ— but through rebellion instead of obedience. And that’s not just Christ’s temptation. That’s ours. Every day, the same offer comes in modern clothes: Success without integrity. Influence without submission. Results without obedience. Glory without sacrifice. It whispers: “You can have the crown without the cross.” But God’s order has never changed: Cross → then crown. Suffering → then glory. Humility → then exaltation. Obedience → then authority. Never the other way around. Jesus didn’t take the fast road. He obeyed perfectly. He suffered fully. He went to the cross willingly. And because He did, the kingdom wasn’t offered to Him like a bribe—it was given to Him as a reward: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Not stolen. Not shortcut. Not compromised. Earned. So the question is simple and uncomfortable: Where is the shortcut being taken? Where is obedience being traded for results? Where is a “crown” being chased that requires bowing to something other than God? The world still offers crowns. Quick ones. Easy ones. Cheap ones. But they always come with a hidden cost: worship something else. Jesus shows a better way: Reject the shortcut. Worship God alone. Carry the cross. Because in God’s kingdom, the cross isn’t the end. It’s the path to the crown. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 4 opens with a sober, steady theme: Into the Wilderness. The wilderness is not an accident. It is a place God leads His people on purpose. The point is simple but weighty: God is sovereign. He will test His sons. The response must not be testing God, but trusting and obeying Him. The sermon explains this through everyday analogies. A teacher tests students—students don’t test the teacher. Asking honest questions is fine, but trying to take over the classroom is rebellion. In the same way, parents should test their children in wise, measured ways—letting them attempt hard things, try ideas, take responsibility, and learn under protection. That kind of testing is love. But when a child starts challenging authority—trying to become the center of the home, trying to run the house—that isn’t maturity, it’s rebellion, and it requires discipline. That same principle is traced through Scripture. God led Israel into the wilderness to train them like a father trains a son—teaching them dependence, exposing what is in the heart, and proving whether they would trust Him. Adam faced it in the garden: who’s in charge, and will you trust God? Israel faced it in the wilderness: who’s in charge, and will you trust God? And Jesus faces it in the wilderness: who’s in charge, and will you trust God? The same pressure points keep repeating because they expose the core issue beneath all temptation. And the sermon lands the application squarely on believers: all sons get tested. Christians should not be surprised by wilderness seasons—God uses them to reveal trust, to train obedience, and to settle the question of authority. The repeated issue is always the same: Is God in charge, or is self in charge? And when the test comes, the call is not to demand God prove Himself, but to submit, believe His word, and walk forward in obedience. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 3–4 is used to spotlight Jesus’ baptism under the theme “The Beloved Son.” At the center of the passage is the Father’s voice from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” That declaration reveals Jesus as the Father’s joy—not merely because He is “a Son” in title, but because He has perfectly done the Father’s will and receives divine approval. The sermon leans into the ache many sons carry—wanting to hear genuine pleasure and approval from their father—and shows that this moment displays the purest, truest form of that affirmation. Then the focus widens to the gospel: the Father’s love for the Son is not kept at a distance from believers. Those who trust in Christ are accepted in Him, meaning the very love the Father has for Jesus is bestowed upon His adopted children. That love is secure—unearned and unlosable—because it rests on Christ, not on performance. Believers are not trying to earn a place in the Father’s heart; they already have one in the Son. At the same time, the sermon keeps a second truth alongside this security: Christians should still live to please the Father. Obedience matters, not as a way to win love, but as the fruit of already having it. Trying to obey out of fear or to earn God’s affection insults Christ’s finished work, but obeying out of love—walking in communion, striving for holiness, and living in a way that honors God—can genuinely bring joy to the Father. The passage therefore holds together both comfort and calling: secure adoption through Christ, and a life of willing obedience that flows from love rather than anxiety. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Sin is a lot like hoarding—something ugly and destructive that people gradually become comfortable living with. The story of that South City building makes the point painfully clear. From the outside it looked promising, but once inside, the reality was revolting: rooms packed with filth, rot, insects, waste, and decay—so bad it took months of cleansing and dumpsters of trash to make it livable. And that visceral disgust most people feel when they see something like that is used as a metaphor for something deeper: the holiness of God and His revulsion toward sin. Leviticus helps people grasp holiness through the language of cleanliness. Humans can understand, at least in part, the difference between clean and unclean, orderly and defiled—and God uses that to teach what it means that He is holy. God is not casual about sin. The sins people tolerate, excuse, or even secretly enjoy are not “small” to Him; they are spiritually filthy and unlivable. A holy God finds sin disgusting—lying, cruelty, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and every hidden corruption people stash away in the heart. That raises the terrifying question: how can sinners ever approach a holy God and not be consumed? The Old Testament answers that question with types and shadows. God taught Israel through sacrifices that the wages of sin is death, and that sinful people cannot draw near without atonement. The warning is severe: when Aaron’s sons offered “strange fire” in Leviticus 10—worship God did not command—fire came out and consumed them. Status did not protect them. God was teaching that He is not to be treated lightly. The New Testament confirms the same truth: in Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit and God strikes them dead, showing that God’s holiness is not an Old Testament relic. He is loving, yes—but also fearfully holy. And this leads to the central question of the sermon: how can messed-up sinners become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? Because that is exactly what the New Testament claims—God does not dwell in temples made with hands, but in a holy people. That privilege should produce awe and trembling, because the Holy Spirit is not an entertainer. He does not exist to give thrills and emotional experiences. He comes to make a people holy. The answer is Christ. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. The incarnation begins in the womb—God taking on flesh—living a sinless life, tempted yet without sin, accomplishing what no one else ever could. Then He died the death sinners deserved, bearing sin in His body and giving His people His righteousness. Because Christ has fulfilled all righteousness and paid the penalty of sin, God can now make the unclean clean. The hoarders of sin can be washed, declared righteous, and truly become the home of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3 then is framed as John’s urgent preparation: a sinful people must be made ready to meet a holy Jesus. Read the full blog post here: https://cotwstl.org/home-of-the-holy-spirit-matthew-31-41/ Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 3 is revisited with a sharper focus on one central theme: the three baptisms. The passage presents two baptizers—John and Christ—and it distinguishes three kinds of baptism that must not be confused: water, Spirit, and fire. This matters because each baptism represents something different in God’s redemptive work, and understanding them requires tracing their meaning through the Old Testament and seeing how they unfold after Christ’s ascension. John’s role is limited but necessary. John can baptize with water for repentance, calling people to turn from sin and prepare to meet the Lord. But John cannot change a heart. Human ministry can point to Christ, warn, plead, and call for repentance—but only Christ can do what no man can do: cleanse the inside, give a new heart, and baptize with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-baptism speaks to saving renewal and God’s transforming work in those who belong to Christ. The third baptism—fire—is presented as a sobering reality tied to judgment. The sermon stresses that “fire” in Scripture consistently speaks of God’s holy opposition to sin, His wrath, and His disposition toward the unrepentant. There is a secondary sense in which believers may experience refining fire, but the primary emphasis is warning: God is not a sentimental deity, but a holy God. Hebrews 10 is brought in to underline the weight of this truth—God is a consuming fire. Sin will be dealt with either through judgment already borne by Christ at the cross, or through judgment borne personally by those who refuse to repent. The passage therefore becomes both explanation and confrontation: water repentance is a call to prepare, Spirit baptism is the saving work Christ alone can give, and fire baptism is the judgment awaiting those who will not bow. The whole chapter is read to keep that message anchored in context, because readiness to meet the Lord is not optional—it is the dividing line between mercy in Christ and judgment apart from Him. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Every person is only a heartbeat away from standing before the judgment seat of Christ. That is true for believers and unbelievers alike. The question is not whether that day will come, but whether there is readiness to meet the Lord. For the unbeliever, the issue is plain and urgent: repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Readiness to meet the Lord does not come through morality, religion, sincerity, or effort, but through trusting in Christ alone for salvation. If there has been no repentance from sin and no reliance upon Christ, then there is no readiness to stand before God. But this question also presses upon believers in another sense. A Christian may be ready to meet the Lord in terms of justification—knowing that sins are forgiven and that salvation rests securely in Christ—while still feeling the weight of unfinished service. The desire should not be merely to arrive in heaven forgiven, but to arrive having lived faithfully, having used time well, and having spent life for the glory of Christ rather than for comfort, ease, or distraction. That is the burden of this exhortation: not to drift through life, not to settle for a pleasant existence, and not to come before the Lord empty-handed. The wise men brought gifts when they came to Christ, and that image serves as a fitting reminder that a life devoted to Jesus is itself an offering. The longing should be that when the Lord is met, there would be evidence of love, service, obedience, and a life poured out for His name. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

This week shook me. I had a moment where I truly felt how thin the line is between “normal life” and standing before God. I was listening to my daughter describe her symptoms, and the word preeclampsia came up. I’d heard the word before, but I didn’t really know what it meant. Then I started reading: high blood pressure, blurry vision, migraines… and she’d been having migraines for days. The blurry vision hit Wednesday night. And because someone had providentially given them a blood pressure cuff, they checked her pressure “just to see.” It was sky high. Then I read what can happen if this goes bad—death. And it hit me like a truck: my 20-year-old daughter could die. My granddaughter could die. And for a couple days, I felt those emotional highs and lows that come when you realize you are not in control of anything. It humbled me. I had to say it out loud before God: Lord, You don’t owe me my daughter. You don’t owe me grandchildren. You don’t owe me another day. He’s not in our debt. Every breath is mercy. And I cried out to Him—not as someone making demands, but as someone pleading for grace. Because it reminded me of something we all avoid thinking about: life is fragile. We are a heartbeat away from the judgment seat of Christ. A heartbeat. So I want to ask you straight: Are you ready to meet the Lord? If you’re not a believer, I’m not going to soften this—your main issue is this: have you repented of your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ? Are you trusting in Him alone to save you? If not, you are not ready. You might be successful, respected, busy, “doing fine”—but you are not ready to stand before God. But I’m not only talking to unbelievers. I’m talking to Christians too, because there’s a second sense of being “ready.” I can know my sins are forgiven and still feel the weight of this: Have I been living for Jesus? Have I used my life well? Have I done what I’m here to do? And I’ll be honest with you—I don’t feel ready in that second sense. I’m ready to meet the Lord in the sense that I know my Savior and I know my debt has been paid. But I don’t want to stand before Him empty-handed. Wise men brought gifts when they met the Lord. And when I come before Him, I don’t want my life to be a story of comfort, distraction, and wasted time. I want to have something to lay at His feet. I want to do more for Him than just “have a nice life.” That’s why Matthew 3 matters so much. John the Baptist shows up preparing people to meet the Messiah. His whole ministry is basically this warning: He’s coming. He could show up any day. Are you ready? And John doesn’t tell people to get ready with vague spirituality. He tells them plainly: repentance, confession of sin, and faith in Christ are essential if you want peace with God. That’s the point I want to land on with you: peace with God doesn’t come from pretending you’re fine. It comes when you stop making excuses, you come into the light, you confess what’s true, and you throw yourself on Christ. That’s how a person gets ready. And that’s how a believer stays ready—by living honestly before God and living intentionally for Him, because none of us knows how many heartbeats we have left. Read the blog post here: https://cotwstl.org/are-you-ready-to-meet-the-lord-matthew-31-17/ Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

When Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, He is not inventing new imagery. The shepherd metaphor runs throughout the Old Testament. Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd.” David himself was taken “from the sheepfold” to shepherd Israel. Kings and priests were called shepherds because their responsibility was to lead, feed, and protect the people. The word “pastor” simply means shepherd. God consistently describes His people as sheep and their leaders as shepherds. By the time we reach the New Testament, Israel has had many shepherds—but most have failed. The prophets repeatedly rebuked Israel’s leaders for neglecting the flock. Ezekiel 34, in particular, condemns the shepherds of Israel who fed themselves instead of feeding the sheep. And in that same chapter, God makes a promise: He Himself will come and shepherd His people. Read the full post here: https://cotwstl.org/the-lost-sheep-of-the-house-of-israel-matthew-118-21-23/ Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

In Acts chapter 20, we find one of the clearest and most personal passages in the New Testament that describes what an elder is and what an elder is called to do. The reason for this message is practical. In the coming days, we’ll be discussing the possibility of appointing another elder in the church. For some time, we have recognized the need for additional shepherds. The church has grown, responsibilities have increased, and Scripture teaches that a healthy church is led by a plurality of qualified elders. Two years ago, this same need was brought before the congregation. Nominations were made, conversations were had, but the outcome was that no additional elders were appointed. Some nominees were not members, some did not desire the office, and so we have continued on as we were. But the need has not gone away. If anything, it has grown. So this morning, we turn to the Word of God and ask a simple question: What is an elder? And just as importantly, what does an elder do? Why This Matters to Every Christian Some of you may be thinking, “I have no interest in being an elder. Why is this relevant to me?” That’s a fair question. But the answer is simple: elders were God’s idea for the health of His church. The structure of church leadership is not a human invention. It’s not something that churches created because it seemed practical or efficient. God, in His wisdom, designed the church to be led by qualified, godly men who shepherd His people. So even if you never desire the office of an elder, you still need to know: What God expects from an elder What you should look for in an elder What kind of leadership God says is healthy for His church Many churches have drifted away from these biblical standards. Instead of asking what God wants in a leader, they ask: Who is entertaining? Who draws the biggest crowd? Who is funny or charismatic? Who looks good on stage? Who is trendy or culturally appealing? But none of those things are the biblical qualifications for an elder. The church is not a business, a stage, or a social club. It is the flock of God, and God has very clear instructions about how it is to be shepherded. Read the full blog post: https://cotwstl.org/the-biblical-blueprint-for-church-leadership-acts-2017-38/ Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew chapter two introduces a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible—the theme of Egypt, exodus, and deliverance. The story of Jesus fleeing to Egypt and later returning is not an isolated historical detail. It is part of a much larger pattern that begins in Genesis and unfolds through the life of Israel, the ministry of Christ, and even the lives of believers today. Matthew is not simply telling a story; he is showing a pattern. He wants the reader to recognize that Jesus is retracing the steps of Israel, fulfilling what the nation could not accomplish. The movement into Egypt and out again is part of that divine pattern. The theme of Egypt appears early in Scripture. In Genesis 12, Abraham encounters a famine in the land and travels to Egypt for survival. There he experiences trouble and danger, yet God preserves him and eventually brings him back out. Later, the patriarchs follow a similar path. Because of famine, Jacob and his sons go down into Egypt, where Joseph provides for them. What begins as refuge eventually becomes bondage. Israel grows into a nation there, but they become enslaved under Pharaoh. In time, God raises up Moses and delivers His people out of Egypt in a mighty exodus. This pattern becomes central to Israel’s identity. Egypt represents bondage, oppression, and exile. The exodus represents salvation, covenant, and new beginnings with God. Jesus Follows the Same Path In Matthew chapter two, the pattern appears again. Herod seeks to destroy the child Jesus, and Joseph is warned in a dream to take Mary and the child and flee to Egypt. There they remain until Herod’s death, and then they return to the land of Israel. Matthew explains this by quoting Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Some critics claim that Matthew is misusing the Old Testament, because Hosea is clearly referring to Israel’s past, not to a future Messiah. But Matthew is not misquoting or distorting Scripture. He is using a literary and theological pattern that his audience would have recognized. In Hosea, Israel is called God’s son, brought out of Egypt in the exodus. Matthew is showing that Jesus is the true Son who fulfills that history. The pattern is being repeated, but this time perfectly. The Pattern of the True Son Matthew presents Jesus as the true and faithful Son of God. The pattern unfolds in a clear sequence: God’s Son goes into Egypt. God’s Son is called out of Egypt. God’s Son passes through baptism. God’s Son is tested in the wilderness. God’s Son enters the promised land. This was the story of Israel. But Israel failed repeatedly. They grumbled, worshiped idols, and broke covenant with God. Jesus, however, walks the same path without failure. Where Israel was unfaithful, Christ is perfectly obedient. He is not merely another participant in the story—He is the fulfillment of it. This same pattern also applies to those who belong to Christ. The story of Israel and the story of Jesus become the story of every Christian in a spiritual sense. All of God’s sons experience an exodus. Every believer begins in a kind of spiritual Egypt—a place of bondage to sin, idolatry, and death. Through repentance and faith in Christ, God delivers His people from that slavery. After deliverance comes covenant. Just as Israel passed through the Red Sea and entered into covenant with God, and just as Jesus was baptized, believers also enter into the covenant community through baptism. Then comes testing. The Christian life is not a straight path of ease and comfort. It is a wilderness journey. There are temptations, trials, and struggles with sin. There are moments of grumbling, fear, and doubt. Yet God uses these trials to refine His people and prepare them for what lies ahead. And ahead lies the promised land—the final rest, the eternal kingdom, the presence of God forever. The exodus from Egypt was one of the greatest acts of deliverance in the Old Testament. But the exodus accomplished by Christ is greater still. Israel was delivered from physical slavery. Christ delivers His people from sin, death, and the wrath of God. He leads His people not just to an earthly land, but to a heavenly kingdom. Matthew wants the reader to see that Jesus is the true Son, the true Israel, and the true Deliverer. The patterns of Scripture all converge in Him. The Christian life is not random or directionless. It follows a pattern set by God Himself: Deliverance from bondage Covenant with God Testing in the wilderness Entrance into the promised rest This pattern is seen in Israel, fulfilled in Christ, and repeated in the lives of believers. Every follower of Christ is on an exodus journey. The wilderness may be long, and the testing may be hard, but the destination is certain. The God who calls His people out of Egypt is faithful to bring them home. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 2 presents a stark contrast that demands decision: Herod the Great, master of worldly power, versus Jesus Christ, the eternal King born in obscurity. Herod possessed everything the world celebrates—political mastery, wealth, influence, and fear-inducing authority. Yet his "greatness" rested on insecurity, cruelty, and bloodshed. When threatened by news of Christ's birth, he responded with violence rather than humility, revealing the hollow foundation of earthly kingdoms. Christ entered the world with no palace, no army, no fanfare—yet wise men traveled far to worship Him. Unlike Herod who seized power, Jesus received authority from the Father. His kingdom advances not through coercion but through transformed hearts, not by fear but by truth. This is why Christianity has always unsettled tyrants: Christ demands supremacy, not accommodation. Worship Shapes Identity The fundamental difference between these kings lies in worship: Herod demands loyalty but cannot inspire true devotion; Jesus receives worship because He alone is worthy. This distinction matters eternally because worship always shapes identity. What we honor, we imitate. Those who revere worldly power will pursue dominance and success. Those who worship Christ will be formed by humility, faithfulness, and hope in His eternal kingdom. Heroes are never neutral—they direct loyalties and form values. Herod's kingdom rose quickly and vanished completely. Christ's kingdom entered quietly and will never end. The Unavoidable Question Even Christians can become impressed by visible success and immediate results, forgetting that Scripture measures greatness by faithfulness to God, not worldly achievement. Christ may not resemble the heroes culture promotes, but He alone reigns forever. His authority is universal and eternal, advancing through grace rather than force, truth rather than spectacle. Every heart serves a king. Every life is shaped by what it worships. The choice remains: Will we be formed by the kingdoms of this world or by the King of kings? Choose your hero wisely—eternity hangs in the balance. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

There are moments in the life of the church when it is right to step back from the flow of sequential exposition and ask a more foundational question—not what comes next, but why are we here at all? Psalm 50 presses that question upon God’s people with clarity and force. It confronts assumptions about worship, exposes empty religion, and reorients the heart toward what truly glorifies God. Scripture is not vague about humanity’s purpose. Of all that God created—galaxies, oceans, animals, and angels—only mankind was made in His image. And with that image comes a calling. Humanity is not accidental, aimless, or self-defining. Humanity was created with a chief end: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. That truth immediately raises another question: How is God actually glorified? Psalm 50 answers that question by linking God’s glory not to ritual performance, but to thankful, obedient worship flowing from a redeemed heart. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Matthew 2 reveals the fundamental divide Christ brings to the world—worship or warfare, submission or resistance. The wise men from the East demonstrate that Gentile inclusion was never God's afterthought but His eternal plan, fulfilling the Abrahamic promise that all nations would be blessed through his seed. These foreigners arrived first, not by accident, but by divine design. The wise men's worship establishes a crucial truth: Jesus receives what belongs to God alone. No angel accepts worship, no prophet demands it, yet this child in Bethlehem receives it without correction because He is God incarnate. The incarnation makes possible what seemed impossible—fully God, worthy of worship, yet fully man, born in history. Herod's fear exposes the threat Christ poses to all earthly authority. True kingship cannot coexist with rival claims to ultimate authority. Christ demands comprehensive allegiance, not compartmentalized devotion. This explains why tyrants throughout history have opposed Christianity—not merely because it offers private comfort, but because it proclaims a King whose authority supersedes all human power structures. The response to Christ's birth creates a pattern that persists today. Those far from religious privilege often recognize His worth first, while those closest to religious systems frequently resist His claims. Wisdom seeks Christ; pride fears Him. The wise men understood what Jerusalem's leaders missed—this King came not merely to reform existing structures but to establish His own eternal kingdom. Every generation faces the same choice Matthew presents: bow in worship before the rightful King, or join the futile resistance of earthly powers destined for judgment. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Christmas brings us again to Matthew chapter 1, a passage familiar to many, yet endlessly rich. The title Emmanuel—God With Us captures the heart of this text and the heart of the gospel itself. The birth of Christ is not merely a sentimental moment in history; it is God’s decisive answer to humanity’s deepest problem. The point of this passage is clear: human rebellion separated us from God, and Christ came to save us from our sins and restore peace with Him. The Problem: Rebellion, Not a Mistake The story begins long before Bethlehem. Adam and Eve did not merely break a rule; they declared war. Their sin was not an accident or a minor lapse—it was an act of rebellion against God’s authority. When Satan promised, “You will be like God,” the temptation was autonomy. Humanity wanted the right to define good and evil apart from God. That same impulse remains today. People may want God’s blessings, protection, and kindness, but they resist His rule. At its core, sin is not ignorance—it is defiance. Scripture describes fallen humanity not as neutral toward God, but as hostile to Him. Where rebellion exists, fellowship cannot. Every relationship illustrates this reality. Fellowship cannot flourish where there is ongoing defiance. Love may remain, but intimacy does not. This is the condition into which Christ was born. The Debt: What We Owe and Cannot Pay Rebellion always creates debt. Humanity owed God loving, loyal obedience. Instead, what accumulated was guilt, disobedience, and moral bankruptcy. Sin is not merely something done to ourselves or others—it is something done against God. Justice demands payment. This is why forgiveness is never cheap. God does not simply ignore sin or sweep it aside. The debt must be satisfied. Left to ourselves, there is no means to pay it. The Name Jesus: Salvation Accomplished Matthew tells us the child would be named Jesus, meaning the Lord saves. The explanation is explicit: “He shall save His people from their sins.” Not from discomfort, inconvenience, or political oppression—but from sin itself. This salvation is not theoretical. It is substitutionary. Christ came to pay the debt humanity could not. His life of perfect obedience and His death on the cross are the means by which justice is satisfied and forgiveness is secured. The Name Emmanuel: God Draws Near The second name given is Emmanuel, meaning God with us. This name explains how salvation is possible. Jesus is not merely a moral teacher or a prophet. He is God Himself, taking on true humanity. The incarnation is the great wonder of Christmas: the Creator entering His creation. God the Son willingly assumes human nature, lives under the law, faces real temptation, and yet remains without sin. Only one who is fully God and fully man could reconcile God and humanity—representing humanity before God while possessing the infinite worth necessary to pay the debt of sin. Though Emmanuel was not commonly used as a personal name during Jesus’ earthly ministry, it perfectly describes who He is. In Christ, God does not remain distant. He comes near. Peace Restored Through the God-Man Christ came not only to end rebellion, but to restore fellowship. Peace with God is not achieved by human effort, moral reform, or religious ritual. It is achieved through reconciliation. That reconciliation required a mediator who could stand between God and humanity without compromise. In Jesus, rebellion ends, debt is paid, and peace is restored. God is no longer merely for His people—He is with them. The Meaning of Christmas Christmas is not ultimately about atmosphere or tradition. It is about reconciliation. It proclaims that God has not abandoned a rebellious world. He entered it. The incarnation declares that sin does not have the final word and separation is not permanent. In Christ, God comes near—not to condemn, but to save. Emmanuel means the war is over for all who are united to Him by faith. God is with us, and because of that, peace with God is possible again. That is the glory of Christmas. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

A New Beginning Written Into History Matthew 1 and the Meaning of Fourteen Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy that is anything but accidental. At first glance, it appears to be a straightforward family record tracing Jesus from Abraham to David, from David to the exile, and from the exile to Christ. But Matthew pauses to highlight something unusual: fourteen generations, three times over. That detail raises an obvious question. Why fourteen? And why does Matthew deliberately shape the genealogy to make it work? The answer is not sloppiness or ignorance. Matthew knows the Old Testament well. He intentionally omits certain names that appear in Chronicles, something Jewish readers would immediately recognize. Commentators across the board agree: Matthew is making a theological and literary point. The genealogy is not merely historical; it is interpretive. It preaches before the sermon even begins. --- Fourteen as Structure, Not Trivia Matthew divides Israel’s history into three movements of fourteen generations: From Abraham to David From David to the Babylonian exile From the exile to Christ This is not numerology for curiosity’s sake. It is storytelling with purpose. Matthew is showing that history is not random. It moves forward under the providence of God, according to promise, pattern, and fulfillment. Something decisive happens at the end of each set. --- From Promise to Pinnacle: Abraham to David The first fourteen generations build steadily from Abraham to David. God makes a promise to Abraham: a seed will come through whom all nations will be blessed. Generation after generation passes, and the promise seems delayed but never abandoned. Then, at the fourteenth generation, David arrives. This is the high point. The kingdom is established. A throne is secured. God adds a new promise on top of the old one: David will have a son who will reign forever. Matthew is saying, we were right on schedule. God did exactly what He said He would do. --- From Glory to Disappointment: David to Exile The second set of fourteen tells a very different story. Instead of ascent, there is decline. King after king fails to be the promised ruler. Covenant breaking, idolatry, bloodshed, and injustice dominate the narrative. This section is marked not by fulfillment, but by disappointment. The throne that once represented hope becomes a symbol of failure. Eventually, God brings judgment. Jerusalem falls. The people are carried away to Babylon. The throne of David sits empty. Fourteen generations end not in triumph, but in exile. --- Silence, Waiting, and an Empty Throne The final fourteen generations unfold under a shadow. There is no king. No prophet announces deliverance. The promises remain, but they seem suspended. The people return from exile, but the glory does not return with them. This is the long silence of Israel’s history. The throne remains vacant. The debt of covenant breaking remains unpaid. And then—at the precise moment Matthew has been building toward—Christ is born. --- Christ as the True New Beginning Regardless of how one interprets the symbolism of fourteen—whether through David’s name value, covenantal rhythm, or literary symmetry—the point is unmistakable: the birth of Christ marks a decisive new beginning. Where kings failed, Christ succeeds. Where the covenant was broken, Christ fulfills it. Where exile brought judgment, Christ brings forgiveness. Jesus does not merely resume the story; He restarts it. He comes not to extend a failing system, but to accomplish what it could never achieve. He comes to forgive sins, cancel debts, and restore what was lost. The empty throne is filled. The silence is broken. The promises are kept. --- From Israel’s Story to Ours Matthew’s genealogy is not just Israel’s history—it is a mirror of human experience. Long stretches of waiting. Cycles of hope and disappointment. The burden of failure and guilt that no human ruler can resolve. Into that mess, Christ comes. For Israel, His birth meant freedom from exile and sin. For all who are united to Him by faith, it means the same. What generations of effort could not accomplish, Christ completes in full. Matthew’s message is clear: history has a direction, and it leads to Jesus. The genealogy does not end in chaos or despair. It ends in Christ—because in Him, every true new beginning begins. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

God’s Wisdom in an Unlikely Lineage Matthew opens his Gospel with a list many readers are tempted to skip — a genealogy. But to Matthew’s first-century audience, that list was not filler; it was a credential. It proved that Jesus met every prophetic qualification to be the Messiah — descended from Abraham, heir of David, rightful King of Israel. Yet Matthew does something unexpected. Instead of presenting a pristine family record meant to impress, he highlights the imperfections. He includes names that respectable readers might have preferred to omit — Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba — women whose stories were marked by scandal, loss, or outsider status. Why would Matthew, writing to persuade skeptical Jews, emphasize such figures? Because the Spirit intends to show that the grace of God runs deeper than human pedigree. The genealogy of Christ is not a showcase of moral perfection, but a tapestry of redemption. Grace Woven Through Every Generation From the first promise to Adam to the covenant with David, God bound Himself to fulfill redemption through a specific lineage. Every name represents another link in the unbroken chain of God’s covenant faithfulness. But woven through those names is the story of grace: Tamar (Genesis 38) — sinned and was sinned against, yet through her, God continued Judah’s line. Rahab — a Gentile prostitute of Jericho, redeemed by faith and grafted into Israel’s hope. Ruth — a Moabite widow who trusted Israel’s God and became the great-grandmother of David. Bathsheba — marked by tragedy and scandal, yet the mother of Solomon, through whom the royal line continued. Matthew wants readers to see that God does not sanitize history; He redeems it. These names prove that the Messiah’s family tree includes both kings and sinners, both Jews and Gentiles, both the righteous and the repentant. From Genealogy to Grace This genealogy is not only a record of how Christ came to us, but an invitation showing how we may come to Christ. After this genealogy, Scripture never again needs to trace human descent — because salvation is no longer inherited by blood but received by faith. “There’s a family tree leading up to Christ,” wrote one preacher, “and there’s a family tree proceeding from Christ.” Through faith, the repentant and the lowly — those once excluded — are grafted into the household of God. We belong not by race, but by grace. The Fulfilled Promises The genealogy stands as the final proof that God keeps His word. To Adam, God promised a Seed who would crush the serpent. To Abraham, He promised a Seed through whom all nations would be blessed. To David, He promised a Son who would reign forever. Matthew’s genealogy announces that every promise is kept in Jesus Christ. With His coming, genealogies no longer need to prove descent, because the true Son has arrived — the final link in the covenant chain. The God Who Comes Down The genealogy ends with the most astonishing truth of all: “Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.” Heaven’s King chose to be born not into wealth or prestige, but into humility — to a carpenter’s home in a forgotten town. The Creator entered His creation, walking the same dusty streets as those He came to save. He came down to lift the lowly, to include the outcast, and to make sinners sons and daughters of God. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

After more than a hundred sermons in Genesis, the journey through Scripture now turns a page—literally and theologically. Genesis is the book of beginnings, where God made promises: to Adam, to Abraham, and ultimately to David through the prophetic line. Matthew opens with those same promises, but now fulfilled. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” — Matthew 1:1 In that single verse, Matthew ties together the entire redemptive story of the Old Testament. The Messiah Israel had long awaited—the seed of Abraham, the heir to David’s throne, the second Adam who would succeed where the first failed—has come. Matthew’s Audience and Purpose Matthew wrote primarily for a first-century Jewish audience steeped in the Scriptures. Every verse seems to echo an earlier promise, every event tied to the Law and the Prophets. Where Mark writes to the Romans with fast-paced action, and Luke writes to the Greeks with ordered narrative, Matthew writes to the Hebrew mind—to the synagogue reader, the student of Torah, the one who knew by heart the covenant history of Israel. That is why Matthew continually says, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet…” He’s not introducing a new religion; he’s demonstrating that Jesus is the continuation and completion of Israel’s story. The Thread of Promise To Adam — God promised a Redeemer, the seed of the woman, who would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15). In Matthew, Jesus is that Redeemer. He is the last Adam who restores what the first Adam lost. To Abraham — God promised that through his seed, “all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Matthew begins with the genealogy that connects Jesus directly to Abraham, then ends with the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” The promise to bless the nations through Abraham’s seed is fulfilled in the risen Christ. To David — God promised an everlasting King (2 Samuel 7:16). Matthew calls Jesus “the son of David”, and the Gospel culminates with the declaration: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” The rightful heir to David’s throne has taken His seat—not in Jerusalem’s palace, but on heaven’s throne. The Bookends of Matthew Matthew begins with a genealogy and ends with a commission—one establishes the line of promise, the other sends that promise to the world. Matthew 1:1 — The promise traced: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 28:18–20 — The promise extended: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me… Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” This symmetry is no accident. The Gospel that opens with a King’s birth closes with that King’s universal reign. The kingdom promised has arrived—and it will expand until the end of the age. A Covenant-Keeping God The heart of Matthew’s message is simple yet profound: God keeps His promises. Centuries of waiting did not erode His faithfulness. Every covenant, every prophet, every shadow of the Old Testament pointed to the one who would come. And He has come. The King has arrived. The covenant is kept. The promises are fulfilled. As believers enter the Advent season, this truth centers the heart: the baby born in Bethlehem is not a new plan but the culmination of an eternal one. From Adam’s fall to Abraham’s faith, from David’s throne to the exile’s longing—every page led here. Jesus is the Promise Kept. Application: Trust the God who always keeps His word. See Christ not as a break from the Old Testament, but as its fulfillment. Let gratitude and obedience flow from the assurance that the King reigns even now. “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20 Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Thanksgiving week gives us a reason to stop and remember what believers are commanded to do every day: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1). Psalm 107 isn’t merely a call to gratitude; it’s a command to testify — to speak openly and joyfully of what God has done. The Call of the Redeemed Verse 2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” Gratitude is not just an inward feeling — it’s an outward testimony. When the redeemed tell their stories, they glorify God and remind a watching world that He is still at work. The psalmist shows us a repeating pattern: a problem, a prayer, and praise. God’s people fall into distress, cry out to Him, and He delivers. Every rescue becomes a reason to speak His name. This pattern mirrors the gospel. Our lives were spiritual deserts, our souls in chains, our strength gone — until Christ redeemed us. Thanksgiving is not optional for those who have been rescued; it’s our joyful duty. Thanksgiving as the Cure for the Soul Living with gratitude is far more than a yearly holiday ritual. Psalm 107 shows that thanksgiving heals the heart and reorients the soul in multiple ways: 1. Thankfulness Cures Entitlement The entitled heart demands more; the thankful heart marvels at grace. Entitlement breeds misery because it expects life to always exceed its own standards. But the Christian who knows that every breath is mercy will find joy even in lack. 2. Thankfulness Cures Hopelessness When others hear us testify — when they see how God delivered us from sin, addiction, despair, or fear — it stirs faith. Our gratitude becomes someone else’s hope. Paul’s words ring true: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” If God saved the chief, He can save anyone. 3. Thankfulness Cures Lovelessness To remember God’s steadfast love is to fall in love with Him again. Cold worship melts when the heart rehearses His mercies. Gratitude revives affection; it turns routine religion into rejoicing. 4. Thankfulness Cures Bitterness and Unforgiveness When we see God’s providence even in our pain, bitterness loses its grip. The believer knows that “God works all things together for good” (Romans 8:28). Gratitude doesn’t ignore hurt; it places that hurt in the hands of a faithful Father who never wastes suffering. Gratitude That Speaks True thanksgiving isn’t silent. It testifies. When Paul and Silas sang in prison, their worship echoed through the cell blocks — and a jailer came to faith. The power wasn’t in their argument but in their adoration. Our witness doesn’t depend on eloquence or debate skills; it begins with a thankful heart that gives God public credit for what He’s done. Every answered prayer, every undeserved mercy, every day of grace — all of it is meant to make Him famous. Living Psalm 107 Psalm 107 ends with a challenge: “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.” Wisdom begins where gratitude lives. This Thanksgiving — and every day beyond it — let’s do what this psalm commands: Remember where God found us. Recount how He heard our cries. Rejoice in His steadfast love. Retell His works to others. For the redeemed of the Lord, thanksgiving is not a holiday — it’s a lifestyle, a testimony, and an act of worship that keeps the heart alive. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1 Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The Heart That Needed Jumpstarting A story can sometimes clarify truth better than an argument. Our church recently installed a defibrillator—a small device capable of restarting a stopped heart. If someone were to collapse in cardiac arrest, that machine could, by design, deliver the electric jolt needed to bring them back to life. The person pressing the button might be praised in the moment, but the real credit belongs elsewhere—to the inventor who designed it, to those who made and supplied it, to those who had the foresight to purchase it. Spiritually speaking, every human being enters life with a heart that has flatlined before God. Ephesians 2 begins, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Not weak. Not sick. Dead. We needed more than spiritual CPR; we needed resurrection. Salvation is not God helping the struggling; it is God raising the lifeless. And when the heart begins to beat again, He alone gets the glory. Grace Alone Paul makes it plain: “By grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:8). Grace means unearned favor—the saving initiative of God toward those who deserved wrath, not rescue. Grace does not merely open the door; it carries us through it. It originates in the Father’s mercy, is accomplished through the Son’s sacrifice, and is applied by the Spirit’s power. We contribute nothing but the sin that made salvation necessary. Every pulse of faith, every breath of repentance, is oxygen supplied by grace. If salvation depended even partly on our effort or virtue, then grace would no longer be grace (Rom. 11:6). Faith Alone Faith is the instrument, not the cause. Paul says, “Through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Faith is not the currency by which we purchase grace, but the open hand that receives it. Faith has no power in itself; its worth lies in its object—Christ Jesus the Lord. Even the ability to believe is given by God. The same Spirit who opens blind eyes also enables the heart to trust. That means there is no ground for boasting—not in baptism, not in moral reform, not even in the strength of our faith. The weakest faith in a perfect Savior saves better than the strongest faith in oneself. Christ Alone Ephesians 2 insists that salvation happens “in Christ Jesus” (v. 6). The church does not save. Religion does not save. Only Christ—His obedience, death, and resurrection—secures eternal life. He is the defibrillator and the lifeblood. Every work of salvation is His: He loved us when we were unlovely. He quickened us when we were dead. He raised us with Him and seated us in heavenly places. All of this is “in Christ.” Remove Him, and salvation collapses. Place Him at the center, and salvation stands secure. To God Alone Be the Glory When a heart begins to beat again—spiritually or physically—the natural impulse is praise. But the glory belongs not to the bystanders or the instruments, but to the One who gives life. God alone designed the plan, accomplished it in His Son, and applies it through His Spirit. The Father ordained it. The Son achieved it. The Spirit applies it. As Paul concludes, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Even our obedience is God’s artistry. The saved sinner is a living display of divine craftsmanship—grace made visible. Application: Living the “Soli Deo Gloria” Life Reject boasting. Every heartbeat of spiritual life is a gift. Rest in Christ’s sufficiency. Stop trying to earn what He finished. Reflect God’s grace. Live and serve as one who has been mercifully made alive. Rejoice in God’s glory. Our salvation story is the stage for His praise. When the redeemed church stands before the throne and sings, “Worthy is the Lamb,” not one voice will sing, “Look what I did.” Every chorus, every heart revived by grace, will join in one confession: To God alone be the glory—soli Deo gloria. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Hebrews lifts Jesus high—higher than angels, Moses, priests, sacrifices—and then shows how saints endured because their eyes were fixed on Him. Hebrews 11 is honest: not everyone “quenched fire and shut lions’ mouths.” Some were “stoned… sawn in two… killed with the sword… destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy” (Heb 11:37–38). Faith isn’t a hack to avoid pain; it’s the grip that won’t let go of Christ when pain comes. So why am I a Christian? Because Jesus is true. He fulfills the Scriptures, rises from the dead, and cannot be explained away. Because Jesus is better. Better than sin’s pleasures, better than my self-rule, better than any substitute the world offers. Because Jesus holds me. If I persevere, it’s because He perseveres with me (Heb 12:2; John 10:27–29). How to Persevere While We Wait We’re all waiting—ancient Israel for a first coming, the church now for His triumphant return. While we wait: Fix your eyes on Jesus. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” (Heb 12:2). Receive the Father’s training. Hard things aren’t proof of God’s absence; they’re signs of His fatherly love (Heb 12:5–11). Worship with a ready heart. Don’t bring Him lifeless ritual (Mal 1); bring Him yourself (Rom 12:1–2). Stay with the people of God. Perseverance is a group project (Heb 10:24–25). Remember the cloud. You’re not the first to run this race. You’re surrounded by witnesses who made it home (Heb 12:1). Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Genesis 50:22–26 We’ve reached the end of Genesis—105 sermons later! And the book doesn’t close with a bow so much as a bold “to be continued.” Joseph dies in Egypt, embalmed and placed in a coffin, yet he makes Israel swear: “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” (Gen. 50:25) That is the language of a man who believes God’s promises will outlive him. Genesis ends by modeling something every believer must learn to do well: pass the baton. The Relay of Promise From Eden to Noah, Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, Jacob to Joseph—Genesis is a relay of covenant promises. Each generation receives, cherishes, and then hands on what God has said. Joseph, at the height of Egyptian glory, refuses a final resting place in Egypt. He wants his bones in the land God swore to his fathers. Why? Because God keeps promises, and Joseph wants his children’s children to feel those promises in their hands. “God will surely visit you…” (Gen. 50:24–25) The New Testament honors this very act: “By faith Joseph… made mention of the exodus… and gave directions concerning his bones.” (Heb. 11:22) Of all Joseph’s achievements, Scripture highlights his faithful foresight. Living in Egypt Without Becoming Egyptian Joseph prospered in a first-rate civilization—architecture, agriculture, security, comfort. Israel would enjoy Egypt’s provisions for a time, and then suffer its oppression. The danger wasn’t only slavery; it was assimilation. Egypt had idols, stories, songs, and customs—an entire curriculum for shaping hearts. Sound familiar? We live surrounded by powerful cultural liturgies—media, schooling, platforms, and entertainment—all catechizing us and our children. If we are to pass the baton faithfully, we must: Name the worldviews shaping our homes (what stories, songs, screens are teaching). Counter-catechize daily with Scripture (family worship, prayer, singing). Model delight in the Lord’s Day, the Lord’s people, and the Lord’s Word. Refuse bitterness and panic; respond with clarity, charity, and courage. Egypt is real—but so is the exodus. The church in heaven is victorious, and the church on earth is militant. We’re not called to comfort; we’re called to faithfulness. Multi-Generational Faithfulness Joseph lived to see his grandchildren and treated them as his own (Gen. 50:23). Grandparents, you matter. Your presence, prayers, and stories can stitch gospel threads into a child’s heart. Steward your health, your time, your words—invest in your children’s children. And parents, remember: your kids will learn most by watching. They will catch your loves: Do you love the church? Do you treasure Scripture? Do you repent quickly and forgive freely? Do you order your calendar and budget around God’s kingdom? If we want their feet to run with the gospel, our own feet must already be moving. The Chiasm at the Finish Line The paragraph closes with a literary “mirror” (a chiasm) that centers on God’s promise. In short: A Joseph lived 110 years B Joseph’s descendants C God’s oath to Abraham (the center) B’ Joseph’s descendants A’ Joseph died at 110 The point in the middle: God’s promise to Abraham stands. That is the heartbeat of Genesis and the anchor of our hope. New Testament Pattern: Entrust and Endure Paul gives Timothy the same baton language: “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim. 2:2) That’s four generations in one sentence: Paul → Timothy → faithful men → others also. Then Paul adds three images: Soldier – Don’t get entangled; please your Commander. Athlete – No shortcuts; keep the rules. Farmer – Work hard; harvest comes later. Passing the baton requires focus, integrity, and patience. Practical Ways to Pass the Baton Establish a family altar. Brief daily Scripture, prayer, and singing. Keep it simple and steady. Talk on the way. Debrief sermons, school, headlines—bring the Bible to bear. Curate inputs. Be intentional with books, friends, screens, and sports. Practice repentance. Let your children hear you confess sin and ask forgiveness. Honor the church. Weekly worship is non-negotiable; serve and be shepherded. Name the mission. The Great Commission belongs to your household (Matt. 28:18–20). Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Genesis 50:15–21 We’ve reached the closing chapter of Genesis—a story that began with jealousy, betrayal, and deception, but ends with grace and reconciliation. Joseph’s brothers had once sold him into slavery, lied to their father about his death, and lived under that deception for over two decades. When Joseph finally revealed himself to them in Egypt, he embraced them, provided for them, and spoke words of peace. But even then, their hearts were still uneasy. After Jacob’s death, the brothers feared Joseph would finally seek revenge. So they sent a message begging for forgiveness—a mixture of fear, half-truth, and guilt. And Joseph wept. The Nature of Forgiveness Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in Scripture. Our culture equates forgiveness with forgetting, or with simply “moving on.” But biblical forgiveness is much deeper—it’s a moral and relational act. Forgiveness requires repentance. It’s the cancellation of a debt that is actually acknowledged. Jesus’ death on the cross was the full payment for sin—He cried, “It is finished.” Yet that payment only becomes applied to us when we repent and believe. There is no forgiveness apart from repentance. That doesn’t mean we harbor bitterness or vengeance toward those who wrong us. Like Joseph—and like Erica Kirk’s powerful words after her husband’s assassination—we must be willing to forgive. A heart shaped by the gospel stays ready to extend mercy. But reconciliation—peace, restoration of relationship—can only happen when repentance meets grace. The Beauty of Imperfect Repentance When Joseph’s brothers approached him, their apology was clumsy at best. They said, “Your father gave this command before he died, ‘Please forgive the transgression of your brothers…’” (Genesis 50:16–17). There’s no record Jacob actually said that. They were afraid, trying to manage Joseph’s response rather than fully confessing. And yet Joseph received them with tears. He didn’t dissect their motives or demand a perfect confession. He took the repentance as offered and forgave them. “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.” — Genesis 50:19–20 That’s the heart of true forgiveness: recognizing that God’s providence is bigger than people’s sins. The Gospel Pattern Forgiveness doesn’t minimize sin; it magnifies grace. It doesn’t ignore justice; it trusts God with it. Joseph’s words—“Am I in the place of God?”—echo through the gospel story. We are not the final judge. Only God has the right to punish sin. Our calling is to reflect His mercy while trusting His justice. At the cross, both justice and mercy meet. Jesus bore the penalty sin demanded, so that we, the guilty, could go free. And now, those who have been forgiven much are called to forgive others—not shallowly, but sincerely, as those who know the cost. Forgiveness That Brings Peace In the end, Joseph comforts his brothers and promises to care for them and their children. The family that once tore itself apart through envy and deceit is restored through humility and mercy. This is where the book of Genesis ends—not in wrath, but in redemption. Forgiveness doesn’t erase the past, but it redeems it. And when we forgive as God forgave us, we participate in His ongoing work of turning evil to good. The Point Forgiveness restores peace when repentance meets mercy. And the gospel teaches us to stay ready—to forgive as we have been forgiven, trusting that God’s providence can redeem even the worst wrongs. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Psalm 130 There’s a deep joy in gathering with God’s people and sitting under His Word. One of the church’s chief purposes is to teach that Word. Jesus’ Great Commission wasn’t just to go and make converts, but to “teach them everything I have commanded you.” Teaching isn’t confined to the pulpit—it happens in homes, in conversations, and in our own reading and meditation. This week’s passage, Psalm 130, reminds us that the Christian life is one of continual repentance—not a single event at conversion, but an ongoing turning from sin and returning to the Lord. Repentance Doesn’t End at Salvation The gospel call is clear: “Repent and believe.” But repentance doesn’t end there. The believer’s life is a daily fight against sin, an active turning toward righteousness. Scripture repeatedly commands us to flee temptation, put sin to death, and pursue holiness—not to earn salvation, but because we have been saved. God’s law is not a burden; it’s freedom. It exposes sin, yes, but it also points us to grace and teaches us to live in the liberty of obedience. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy.” — Psalm 130:1-2 Here we find a believer—not an unbeliever—crying out from the depths. This is not a first-time plea for salvation, but the cry of someone who knows God and yet feels the weight of remaining sin. The Cry of a Believer There’s no indication that the psalmist committed a particular “great sin.” Rather, he seems freshly aware of his ongoing sinfulness. Every Christian knows that feeling: reading Scripture, being struck again by the holiness of God, and realizing how short we fall. That conviction isn’t a sign of lost salvation—it’s a sign of spiritual life. The Spirit illuminates God’s Word, convicts our hearts, and draws us back to mercy. Even redeemed believers must continually come to the Lord for cleansing. That’s why we examine ourselves during communion. That’s why we confess our sins in prayer. The Christian life is a rhythm of repentance and renewal, turning again and again toward the grace of Christ. The God Who Forgives “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” — Psalm 130:3-4 What a staggering truth. If God kept a running record of our sins, none could stand. But He is not only just—He is merciful. And that mercy leads to reverence, not apathy. True forgiveness makes us tremble with gratitude. Waiting on the Lord “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” — Psalm 130:5 Repentance involves waiting—not passively, but actively trusting. The psalmist likens it to a watchman waiting for the morning: alert, longing, expectant. We wait for God’s deliverance, His assurance, His sanctifying work. In our fight with sin, that waiting is part of faith. We trust His timing. We rest in His promises. We cling to His Word as the anchor of hope. The Promise of Redemption “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.” — Psalm 130:7 There is plentiful redemption in Christ. The blood of Jesus doesn’t just cover sin; it abolishes its power. The same grace that saved us continues to sustain and sanctify us until the day when sin is gone forever. One day we will no longer struggle. We’ll do whatever we want—because what we want will be only what glorifies God. That day is coming. But until then, we cry from the depths, we repent, and we wait in hope. The Point In our ongoing fight to turn from sin, we must actively wait on God, hope in His promises, and never lose the fear of the Lord. Repentance is not a burden—it’s a gift. It’s the means by which God keeps our hearts soft, humble, and near the Fount of mercy. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Last night many of us attended the memorial for Stephanie Camden. It was a night filled with tears and memories—and the gospel. I was reminded again how funerals strip away distraction and force us to reckon with reality: life is short, death is certain, and eternity is long. In God’s providence, our passage this morning addresses the same theme. Jacob’s death closes the book of Genesis, yet it points beyond the grave. His death is not an ending but a gathering—a transition from pilgrimage to presence. Death Is Not the End “When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.” — Genesis 49:33 That phrase “gathered to his people” appears repeatedly in Scripture. It doesn’t mean burial among family—it means conscious reunion with the redeemed who have gone before. Physical death is not the end of existence. The body lies in the ground, but the soul lives on—either in the presence of the Lord or separated from Him. Jacob’s story began with deception, fear, and striving. But it ends in peace, with faith in the covenant promises of God. He knows death will not sever him from the Lord who swore to bless him. The God Who Redeems Grief Genesis 50 opens with Joseph falling on his father’s face and weeping. The mighty ruler of Egypt—second only to Pharaoh—is reduced to tears. And that’s right. God does not condemn sorrow. Jesus Himself wept at Lazarus’s tomb. In our culture, mourning often feels out of place. We prefer “celebrations of life,” and while there’s comfort in remembering, we must not bypass grief. Mourning is not weakness—it’s obedience. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Grief helps us face the truth about sin and death. It reminds us that death is an intruder, a consequence of the Fall. It stirs in us a longing for resurrection and the world to come. Preparing for Our Own Gathering Funerals are meant to prepare the living, not flatter the dead. Scripture says: “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” — Ecclesiastes 7:2 We all have an appointment with death and judgment. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) The wise person lives ready to meet God—confessing sin, making peace with others, walking in faith, and trusting in Christ alone. Hope Beyond the Grave Joseph carries his father’s body to the land of Canaan and buries him in the cave of Machpelah—the same tomb as Abraham and Isaac. The journey is long, solemn, and honored even by the Egyptians. It is a testimony that faith in God’s promise outlives the body. For the believer, death is not departure into darkness—it’s homecoming. It’s the gathering of the saints. The Point Physical death is not the end of conscious existence. And mourning death and sin prepares us for our own meeting with God. So let grief do its holy work. Let mourning drive you to mercy. And let the certainty of death lead you to the certainty of the Savior—Jesus Christ, who conquered the grave so that one day, we too will be gathered to our people. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Genesis 49:22–26 Jacob is dying. One by one, he blesses his sons, speaking prophetically about their future. When he comes to Joseph, the son once despised, betrayed, and sold into slavery, the tone shifts. Of all the blessings given, Joseph’s is the richest and longest. Judah will carry the line of the Messiah—but Joseph, at this point in history, stands as the most visibly blessed. His life testifies that the favor of God can rest even on those who suffer deeply. A Fruitful Branch Jacob begins, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; his branches run over the wall.” The picture is of a tree so nourished that its branches spill over boundaries—overflowing, abundant, and unstoppable. Joseph’s life bore fruit in every circumstance. Betrayed by brothers, enslaved in Egypt, imprisoned unjustly—yet everywhere he went, blessing followed. Not because the soil was easy, but because the spring was deep. Joseph’s life was rooted in God, and that made him fruitful even in drought. The Source of Every Blessing Jacob continues: “By the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath…” The language rises in a crescendo of praise. Jacob piles word upon word—heaven’s blessings, earthly blessings, generational blessings—all flowing from one Source. That is the point of this passage: God is the fount of every blessing. Every good and perfect gift, as James writes, “comes down from above, from the Father of lights.” The world offers counterfeits—shortcuts that promise pleasure, power, or prosperity. But apart from God, those gifts rot. Blessings severed from their source become curses. The Danger of Forgetting the Fount Israel’s later history proves it. The descendants of Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh—became large, wealthy tribes. But when comfort came, they forgot the Giver. They forsook the spring for broken cisterns that could hold no water. The same temptation faces every believer. When life goes well, we begin to think the fruit is of our own making. We chase “blessings” that don’t come from God—relationships outside His will, wealth gained without integrity, success purchased at the cost of holiness. But a true blessing never requires disobedience to obtain. The Wise and the Foolish The sermon’s title comes from the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. The hymn writer understood this truth: all good comes from God’s hand, and even the best heart is “prone to wander.” Fools look elsewhere for blessing. They drink salt water, hoping to quench thirst. But the wise look upward and say, “If it doesn’t come from Him, I don’t want it.” God’s blessings may come wrapped in hardship—Joseph’s did—but they are real, lasting, sanctifying blessings. And just as every good gift flows from Him, every trial He allows flows toward His ultimate good for those who love Him. The Fount Still Flows Joseph’s story ends in triumph not because life was easy, but because God was faithful. The same God who blessed Joseph is still the Fount today—pouring out grace through Christ, the true Son who was betrayed by His brothers, yet raised to rule. For those rooted in Him, there will be fruit—even in famine. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

The murder of Charlie Kirk was not just an assassination—it was a martyrdom. A man openly confessed Christ, proclaimed Him boldly, and knowingly lived under death threats until his life was taken. When asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said: for his courage and for his faith in Jesus Christ. That is a testimony worth honoring. The early church called their dead in Christ the Church Triumphant. But those of us still here are the Church Militant. We are not resting. We are fighting. Not a fight of flesh and blood, but of powers, rulers, and spiritual darkness in high places. The world wants us passive, quiet, fearful. But God calls us to armor up. The Nature of the Battle Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10–12: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness. This battle is not primarily political or cultural—it is spiritual. Yet it has cultural consequences. When truth is silenced, lies fill the void. When righteousness is mocked, corruption spreads. When boldness is absent, fear reigns. Charlie knew the risks. He walked straight into them, and he bore witness—martyr means witness. His death reminds us that the war is real, and neutrality is not an option. The Armor of God Paul lists the armor of God in Ephesians 6:13–18. Notice that every piece of armor is both defensive and offensive: Belt of Truth: The world thrives on lies. Christians must be anchored in God’s truth, not swayed by propaganda or fear. Breastplate of Righteousness: Our integrity guards us. Hypocrisy makes us weak, but holiness strengthens our witness. Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: We move forward not with violence, but with the good news of Jesus Christ, which reconciles men to God. Shield of Faith: Satan hurls flaming darts—doubts, accusations, despair. Faith quenches them. Helmet of Salvation: Our assurance in Christ protects our minds from fear, pride, or compromise. Sword of the Spirit: The Word of God is our only weapon, sharper than any double-edged sword, able to pierce hearts. And Paul adds: pray at all times. Prayer is the supply line that keeps the soldier connected to the Commander. Courage in the Face of Cost Courage is not the absence of fear—it’s obedience in the presence of danger. Charlie Kirk counted the cost and proclaimed Christ anyway. You and I may not face martyrdom today, but we will face ridicule, slander, perhaps even persecution. Will we armor up? Will we stand firm when the pressure comes? The world needs Christians who are not ashamed. Husbands who lead their homes in truth. Wives who model godly strength. Young people who refuse compromise. Churches who do not trade the gospel for popularity. We honor martyrs best not by building statues, but by imitating their faith. Application: Armor Up Today Guard your mind with Scripture. Lies dominate headlines—saturate yourself in God’s truth. Walk in holiness. Hypocrisy disarms the Christian; integrity strengthens him. Speak the gospel boldly. Silence is surrender. Share Christ where you are. Pray continually. Prayer is not backup—it is the front line. Stand together. The Roman shield wall was effective only when soldiers locked arms. The church must be united. Conclusion We grieve Charlie’s death, but we also rejoice—he rests in triumph with Christ. For us who remain, the call is clear: Armor up. Christians are in a spiritual battle with cultural implications. The time is not for retreat, but for readiness. The world is watching. The enemy is active. The Lord is with us. So put on the whole armor of God, and having done all, stand firm. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

Jacob is nearing the end of his life. He gathers his sons together, not just to say goodbye, but to speak prophetic blessings that will shape their future as the tribes of Israel. He tells them plainly what will come in the “days to come.” Some words sound like curses more than blessings. Others overflow with promise. But all of them show that God sovereignly calls and equips His people differently to fulfill His purposes. Unequal Allotments, Sovereign Wisdom When the tribes eventually receive their inheritance in the Promised Land, not all inheritances look the same. Judah will receive a broad and fruitful portion. Zebulun will be positioned near the sea. Issachar will be burdened with labor. Some might envy the larger or more desirable allotments. But Jacob’s prophecy reminds us that God does not distribute gifts equally—He distributes them wisely. This is a hard lesson for modern ears. We live in a culture obsessed with equality. Yet creation itself testifies that God delights in variety, not uniformity. People differ in height, strength, intellect, beauty, wealth, opportunity, and length of life. The attempt to erase those distinctions often breeds envy, bitterness, or tyranny. But when embraced rightly, diversity of gifts serves a larger purpose—God’s kingdom. A Body with Many Members The New Testament develops this theme. Paul writes in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 that the church is a body with many members. Not all are eyes, not all are ears, not all are hands. Each has a role. The body suffers if one part is missing, but it also suffers when one part envies another. The church needs preachers, encouragers, servants, administrators, givers, leaders, and intercessors. The tribes of Israel illustrate this principle: some will lead, some will fight, some will work the land, some will minister. Each portion is part of God’s larger dominion plan. Contentment and Stewardship The challenge for Jacob’s sons—and for us—is to embrace the portion God assigns. It’s easy to look across the fence and wish for another lot, another calling, another measure of talent or opportunity. But discontent dishonors the Giver. Instead, we are called to faithful stewardship. The question is not, Why didn’t I get more? but, Am I using what I have for His glory? The Point God gives different gifts to individuals, families, nations, and churches to fulfill His dominion purposes. Our calling is not to clamor for sameness but to rejoice in the variety of God’s design. He calls us out, equips us differently, and fits us together into something greater than we could imagine on our own. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

In Genesis 49, Jacob nears the end of his life and speaks prophetic blessings over his sons. These blessings are not mere words of wishful thinking; they are the Spirit-inspired voice of God, declaring what will come to pass. Among the twelve, Judah receives a prophecy that stands out because from his line will come the Messiah—Jesus Christ—whom Revelation calls the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). The Lion Motif in Scripture Jacob describes Judah in powerful terms: “Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Genesis 49:9–10) Judah is compared to a lion—majestic, powerful, and unstoppable. The image of a lion suggests both strength and kingship, and it sets the stage for the coming of the true King, Christ. Centuries later, John’s vision in Revelation ties directly back to this moment. The angel proclaims: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5) What began as a tribal blessing becomes a title of eternal glory for Jesus, the rightful heir of David’s throne. The True Heir and the Imposter The story of humanity reflects this same lion-king motif. Adam, created as God’s son and steward of creation, forfeited his authority through sin. Satan, the deceiver, seized control and has reigned as an imposter, spreading destruction and rebellion across the world. But Christ, the true Son, has come. He is the rightful heir who restores what was lost. His reign brings order, peace, and flourishing—not just in this life, but in the life to come. Just as the pride in The Lion King languished under the rule of Scar until the true heir returned, so the nations suffer under sin until the Lion of Judah establishes His kingdom. Christ’s Authority Over All Things Jesus is not only the Lion of Judah; He is Lord over every sphere of life. Lord over the individual: Each person must repent and confess Jesus as Lord, trusting in His death and resurrection. Lord over the family: As 1 Corinthians 11 teaches, Christ is the head of every man, and His authority shapes the home. Lord over nations: Romans 13 reminds us that rulers are deacons of God, accountable to Christ as the King of kings. Prophet, Priest, and King: He is the final Word of God, the mediator of the new covenant, and the sovereign ruler to whom all allegiance is owed. We were made for Him. Our lives only flourish when submitted to His kingship. The Call of the Lion King Jacob’s blessing on Judah finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is the conquering King who has crushed the serpent’s head, the heir of all nations, and the ruler to whom every knee shall bow. The call is simple yet urgent: acknowledge His rule, bow before Him in repentance and faith, and live under His reign. Rejecting Him leads to ruin; embracing Him leads to life. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith

When Jesus called James and John the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), it wasn’t a compliment to their patience and gentleness. It pointed to their hotheaded zeal—fiery brothers who once asked if they should call fire down from heaven on a Samaritan village (Luke 9:54). They loved Christ, but their anger often boiled over. In Genesis 49, we see two other “sons of thunder”—Simeon and Levi. As Jacob speaks his last words over his sons, he remembers their violent anger and its consequences: “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council… Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5–7) Their rage at Shechem (Genesis 34) had left bloodshed in its wake. Now, Jacob’s prophetic blessing is mixed with a curse: their tribes would be scattered. Indeed, Simeon’s descendants would fade into obscurity, absorbed into Judah’s territory, while Levi’s descendants were dispersed as priests across Israel. The Deception of Anger Like the Incredible Hulk myth I admired as a child, anger looks powerful. It feels like strength. But Scripture makes it plain: “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Sinful anger doesn’t defend—it destroys. It divides families, ruins friendships, shatters churches, and scatters people. It promises strength but enslaves its host. Righteous Anger vs. Sinful Anger There is such a thing as righteous anger—Christ showed it when He cleansed the temple, defending His Father’s house from corruption. But notice the difference: righteous anger is never selfish. It is controlled, purposeful, and directed at injustice or sin. Sinful anger, on the other hand, is impulsive, cruel, and self-centered. Jacob calls out his sons’ wrath for what it was: not strength, but a curse. The Gospel Hope The good news is that God does not abandon His people to their sins. Though Levi was cursed for his violence, God’s grace transformed his descendants into priests who would teach Israel His law. Even from sinful beginnings, God redeems. And in Christ—the true Son of God—anger is overcome. Where wrath scatters, Christ gathers. Where rage destroys, Christ heals. Where fury divides, Christ makes peace by the blood of His cross. Takeaway Recognize anger’s lie. It doesn’t make us strong; it enslaves us. Pursue self-control. By the Spirit’s power, put off wrath and put on gentleness. Remember the Redeemer. Even when anger has left scars, Christ can redeem and restore. Let us not be remembered as “sons of thunder” who scatter in anger, but as children of God who sow peace, build unity, and walk in the strength of His Spirit. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith