Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Jesus moves on from Capernaum and teaches on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He calls his first disciples and shows His glory through a miraculous catch of fish.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Ephesians 5:21-33 "Wives Submit Like Jesus"Paul speaks to wives. Husbands are to love their wives in a way that leads them toward holiness, and wives are to submit to their husbands, who is the head of the church.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke tells us about Jesus ministry of Healing, Liberating, and Teaching. Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, and he moved to Capernaum. He shows his authoritative teaching and his authority over the spiritual realms.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Ephesians 5:22-33 "Husbands Love Like Jesus"Paul addresses husbands. He calls them to love their wives like Jesus loved the church. This love is rooted in our Union with Christ, and it is for holiness through sacrifice.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Jesus returns from the wilderness and begins His ministry in Galilee. He returns to Nazareth and is rejected in His hometown.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Satan leads Jesus into the wilderness to tempt Him. Jesus responds with Scripture.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke gives us Jesus' genealogy. This family tree links Jesus with Zerubbabel, David, Abraham, and Adam. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the king, Israel, and humanity were to be.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke continues the account of Jesus' life and ministry by recounting His baptism and God's commissioning.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Genesis 2:18-25 "What Is Marriage?"Let's go back to the beginning. We have to go to God's establishing of marriage to understand what it means for us today. Marriage is Exclusive, Covenantal, & Intimate.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John is in the wilderness, preaching the message of repentance, forgiveness, and judgment. God has set him apart to be a prophet. But he maintains his humility before God and man.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke wraps up the first section of his gospel. He gives us a glimpse into Jesus adolescent years.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 "What Is Love?"ContextThis sermon opens a series on marriage, but takes a step back first to define love itself — because the culture has distorted the definition so thoroughly that building a biblical view of marriage requires laying this foundation first.The Problem with "Love is Love"The cultural slogan "love is love" is logically empty — you can't define a word by using that same word. What the culture really means is: love is whatever I decide it means for me. Over recent decades, we have celebrated the individualization of love, reducing it to "you meet my needs and make me feel good without asking anything of me." This self-centered definition of love must be replaced before any honest discussion of marriage can happen.Three Dimensions of Love1. Love is an Act of the Will (Deuteronomy 10)Moses reminds Israel that God didn't choose to love them because they were numerous, righteous, or impressive. God looked at Israel in their sin and rebellion and chose to set his heart upon them anyway. Then he calls Israel to do the same for others — to set their hearts in love upon the sojourner, just as God loved them.The takeaway: love is a decision, not just a feeling. Romantic feelings fade after about two years — so if love is only a feeling, the culture's answer is to abandon the relationship and chase the feeling elsewhere. God's answer is to choose to love even when the feeling isn't there. This applies in marriage, friendship, parenting, and every other relationship.2. Love Serves Sacrificially (1 John 3:16-18)On the night of his betrayal, before the Last Supper, Jesus dressed like a servant and washed his disciples' feet. The creator of heaven and earth got on his knees and cleaned the dirt off their feet — as both an act of love and a model to follow.Sacrificial love costs something real. Sometimes it costs time. Sometimes it costs sleep. Sometimes it costs money. John echoes James in pointing out that seeing a brother in need and walking past with empty words is neither faith nor love. Real love shows up in deed and truth, not just words. And the ultimate example remains Jesus on the cross — the greatest sacrifice for those he loves.3. Love is Righteous (1 John 5:1-4)This third dimension surprises people. John argues that you demonstrate love for your brothers and sisters in Christ not just by serving them, but by obeying God. Pursuing holiness is an act of love toward other believers and toward the watching world.The sermon illustrates this with a pointed example: convincing a struggling friend to rob a bank "because God is love" doesn't demonstrate love — it tramples on God's holiness, violates a brother's vows, and teaches the watching world that the gospel doesn't matter. You cannot isolate one attribute of God — love — and use it to override his holiness, righteousness, and hatred of sin. The full context of 1 John 4:8 makes this clear: God demonstrated his love precisely by satisfying his holiness and wrath through the sacrifice of Jesus. Love and righteousness aren't opposites — they work together.Key TakeawayBiblical love has three inseparable components: we choose to set our hearts on others (will), we sacrifice for them (service), and we pursue holiness on their behalf (righteousness). We won't love perfectly this side of heaven — but through the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit, we have both the model and the power to love the way God calls us to love.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke 2:21-40 speaks of Jesus' presentation at the Temple. There, Simeon & Anna speak about Jesus and tell others about what they saw.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Peace with God comes through the work of Jesus on God's part and repentance on our part. This video seeks to answer the question: What is repentance?Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Acts 17:16-34 "Resurrection & Meaning"Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Setting the ScenePaul finds himself alone in Athens waiting for his companions. As he walks through the city, he's struck by how thoroughly it is saturated with idols — temples, statues, and shrines to every god imaginable. This stirs up a deep, righteous indignation in him, not just irritation, but a settled anger rooted in the conviction that glory belonging to God is being given to lifeless created things.Paul's Approach: Starting Where People AreRather than simply condemning the Athenians, Paul engages them on their own terms. He quotes their own poets, references their altar to the "unknown God," and uses the framework of their own worldviews as a bridge to the Gospel. This is a model for how Christians can engage culture — not by ignoring it, but by finding the points of contact and redirecting them toward truth.The Four Big Questions (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation)The sermon organizes Paul's message around four questions that every worldview must answer:Creation — Where did everything come from? Paul presents a God who is both transcendent (above and separate from creation) and personal (actively involved in it). This directly challenges the Epicureans, who believed the universe was a cosmic accident, and the Stoics, who believed in an impersonal divine force. The God of the Bible is neither absent nor impersonal.Fall — What went wrong? The problem is idolatry — placing anything in the position that belongs to God alone. This isn't just a problem of ancient Athens. It shows up today as trusting in political ideologies, wealth, relationships, self-sufficiency, or even religion itself. At its core, all sin is self-worship.Redemption — What is the solution? Jesus lived the perfect life no one else could live, earning righteousness before God. He then took on the punishment for sin at the cross. The resurrection is the proof and the centerpiece of this — which is exactly why it was mocked then and is still rejected today.Consummation — How does it all end? For the Epicurean, everything ends in nothingness. For the Stoic, everything is reabsorbed into a cosmic force. For the Christian, the end is judgment before God — and for those who repent and believe, it's the glorious new heavens and new earth in God's presence.The Call to RepentanceRepentance involves three things: honestly admitting specific sin to God, turning away from the false gods you've been trusting in, and turning toward the proper worship of the one true God. This isn't a one-time event — it's a way of life. The resurrection of Jesus has already defeated every false god, and that victory belongs to those who repent and believe.Key TakeawayThe resurrection isn't just a theological footnote — it's the answer to the modern crisis of meaning. Every competing worldview ultimately offers emptiness. The Gospel offers a personal God, a real rescue, and a glorious future. Paul's example in Athens shows that engaging culture thoughtfully and pointing it to Christ remains the calling of every believer.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke has been building up to the birth of Jesus. And the birth is accompanied by a spectacular display of God's glory.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Luke 1:57-80After Mary leaves, John the Baptist is born, and Zechariah regains his voice. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah gives us the second song in Luke 1.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Ruth 4:1-22 "Redemption Accomplished; Hope Restored"Boaz meets the unnamed redeemer and makes a shrewd case. And the unnamed redeemer passes his right of redemption to Boaz. At the end, Naomi's hope is restored as she holds her grandson on her lap. But the greater redemption and hope come through another baby born in Bethlehem 1,000 years later: Jesus, the Son of David.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth blesses Mary, and Mary offers up a song of praise to God for who He is and what He has done.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Six months after the visit to Zechariah, the angel Gabriel visits a young woman named Mary.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Ruth 3:1-18 "Redemption Proposed"The barley & wheat harvests are ending, and Ruth is without rest. Naomi hatches a plan, Ruth follows the plan, and Boaz agrees with the plan. But there is someone else who may stand in the way.When we find ourselves faced with difficulty or obstacles, do we work or wait? Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Zechariah is visited by an angel, and the birth of John the Baptist is proclaimed. But doubt settles in.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

This introduction to the Gospel of Luke looks at six answers to the question, "What is a Gospel?"Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Ruth 2:1-23 "God's Blessing in Bitterness"Naomi & Ruth are in Bethlehem, and they need food. Leviticus 19:9-10 commands property owners to leave a portion of the harvest so that the widow, orphan, and foreigner can provide for themselves. Ruth goes to harvest some barley and meets Boaz. Here is where the bitterness begins to turn to light.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

In this video, we are introduced to the types of literature in the New Testament and the reliability of the Gospels.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

This video wraps up our study of the Letters of John. The next series will be a study of the Gospel of Luke. In this video, John summarizes his teaching with three declarations about the Christian life.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Ruth 1:1-22 "From Famine to Harvest"In this sermon, we begin our series on the Book of Ruth. During a time of famine, Elimelech takes his family, flees Bethlehem, and goes to Moab to find food and life. Instead, the family is struck with horrible loss. How will Naomi handle the hardship?Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John tells us his purpose; he writes so we can have assurance of eternal life. This assurance leads us to confidence in prayer. To fulfill our call to love our fellow believers, we should pray for those who sin, with one exception.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

How do we know true teaching from false teaching? What do they say about Jesus? We have the testimony of Jesus' life and ministry and the testimony of the Holy Spirit.Please visit our Website for more information about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

1 Samuel 1:1-3, 20-2:10 "A Tale of Two Prayers"After the darkness and sin of Judges 19-21, what hope is there for Israel? The hope is in the faithful remnant and in the God who answers the prayers of His people.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John comes back to the theme of obedience. Everyone who has been born of God will show their love for God through obedience. And John reminds us that obedience is not a burden.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John continues his teaching, calling us to love like God, and grounding that teaching in God's grace.Visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Judges 19-21 "Chaos, with a side of Hope"We come to the end of the book of Judges. And Israel is in a mess. We learn what it looks like when a nation decides they want God without following His moral imperatives. Anger and violence rule the day, and justice is twisted. But there is still hope for Israel.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

What motivates us to love one another? God is love, He loved us first, and our love completes his.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

In 1 John 4:1-6, John continues his teaching. He calls the church to discernment and explains three tools to discern true and false teaching. Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Judges 17-18 "A Big Word for a Big Problem: Syncretism"The author of Judges takes us to the hill country of Ephraim and introduces us to Micah. Micah decides to enter into idolatry. This decision affects his family; it affects the tribe of Dan; it affects the nation of Israel. Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John reinforces the confidence and assurance we can have because of the person and work of Jesus.Visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John continues to offer comfort and direction to the church. His call in this passage is to love and not hate brothers and sisters in the church. Then he shows what this looks like. He continues his work of offering assurance of salvation as he teaches.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John continues with a passage that can be difficult. We must remember John's purpose to offer comfort to the church and Jesus' work of advocacy for the children of God.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Judges 16:1-31 "Fall and Redemption"In this passage, we come to the end of Samson's life. His pride and idolatry of love have led him to God's discipline. But his prayer brings one final act of rescue for Israel.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John gives some words of comfort after the warning against false teaching. Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John continues his letter to the church. In this passage, he deals with end times, false teaching, and tools available to the Christian to combat false teaching.Visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Judges 14:1-15:20 "Sin and Success"In the last sermon, we saw the narrative of Samson's birth. Here we see him as an adult, and things go south. Samson pursues what is right in his eyes rather than the holiness God calls him to. But God is still using Samson. How do we reconcile God's using the sinful actions of others to bring about His will? We look to the Cross.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John gives comfort and warning to the church.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John continues his teaching on assurance. In this passage, he gives two tests: An obedience test and a love test. Do you desire obedience? Be assured that you are in Christ. Do you seek to love those you go to church with? Be assured that you are in Christ.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Judges 13:1-25 "God's Answer? Be Holy"In this passage, we are introduced to Samson's parents as they meet the Angel of the LORD, who tells them they will have a baby. This Scripture shows God's Grace, God's Demands, and Our Response.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

1 John 2:1-2John tells us one of his goals for writing the book: he hopes to contribute to the church's pursuit of holiness. He also comforts them with the truth that Jesus has provided reconciliation with the Father and advocates before the Father's throne.Please visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

John begins by addressing three false claims being taught in the church.Visit our Website to learn more about Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Rev. Hughes gives direction on the Spiritual Disciplines so that we can grow in our love for God in 2026.Please visit our Website for more information on Fairlea Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.