Four Oaks East Podcast

Text Exodus 5 Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes   Big idea - The covenant God is coming for his people, so we can trust in his keeping and turn to his care when deliverance is delayed and hope is hard. 1. See and hear the heart of the cruel oppressor 2. See what his slavery does - it leads to madness - it leads to mutiny 3. See and hear the heart of the covenant God Two invitations: 1. Decide who will have your allegiance 2. Decide who will be your refuge

Text: Exodus 4 Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes  Big idea: Disobedience is disastrous, so we must rejoice in God’s patience, relying on God’s provision.  Objection 1 - "They won’t listen" (4-9) Ex. 14:31 2 Cor. 4:7 Objection 2 - "I’m not equipped" (10-12) Objection 3 - "There has to be someone else" (13) Objection 4 - The quiet refusal to obey (24-26) "(This) is a shocking reminder how strange the Old Testament can be.”   “Biblical scholars love this passage because it is totally incomprehensible”  “What?!” Application: 1. Let us obey, rejoicing in God's patience Rom. 2:4 2. Let us obey, relying on God's provision

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes  Text: Exodus 3 Big Idea - Since our covenant God has made his person and purpose known, we can press on to know him. I. The "How" of Divine Disclosure - God interrupts (1-2a) - God ignites (2b-5) Exodus 15:11 II. The "Who" of Divine Disclosure - He's the Promise Keeper (6) - He's the Prayer Hearer (7) - He's the People Rescuer (8-9, 18-22) - He's the Fearful's Accompanier (10-12) - He's the Covenant Maker (13-16)

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo Text: Exodus 2 Big Idea: The God who hears preserves a deliverer in the reeds, purges a prince in the wilderness, and prepares redemption for a groaning people.   I. God Preserves the Deliverer in the Reeds (vv. 1-10) + Faith fears God more than Pharaoh + God is at work in hidden providence II. God Purges the Prince in the Wilderness (vv. 11–22) + God breaks the man He will use + Midian is not a detour, but preparation III. God Prepares the Rescue for a Groaning People (vv. 23–25) + God heard + God remembered + God saw + God knew + Jesus Is the Greater Moses

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: Exodus 1 Big idea - We can live as confident people in exile because we belong to a faithful God who reveals himself through Exodus.   1. What is Exile?  - Exile is Marked by Domination (1:11-14) - Exile is Marked by Death (1:15-22) 2. What is God doing in Our Exile?  - He is keeping his promises - He is blessing amid brokenness - He is welcoming outsiders in - He is delivering through a deliverer

Pastor Joshua Hughes Luke 24:23-35    Big Idea: Encountering the resurrected Jesus reinterprets reality and makes broken hearts burn.

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo  TEXT: James 5:13–20 BIG IDEA: 
A worked-out faith is a praying faith, that is personal in pain, pastoral in weakness, mutual in confession, and mighty in its reach. I. Personal Prayer Pray in every circumstance
 (v. 13) + Suffering should drive us to prayer.
 + Cheerfulness should drive us to praise. II. Pastoral Prayer Pursue healing in community
 (vv. 14–15)
 + When suffering lays us low, the church comes near.
 + The elders pray, anoint, and entrust the sick to the Lord. III. Mutual Prayer Pursue honesty with one another
 (v. 16)
 + Confess your sins to one another.
 + Pray for one another. IV. Mighty Prayer Pray with fervency and faith
 (vv. 17–18)
 + Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.
 + God works powerfully through the prayers of ordinary, dependent people. V. The Pursuing Savior Go after the wandering
 (vv. 19–20)
 + A praying church is also a pursuing church.
 + We go after the wandering because Christ came after us.

Speaker: Pastor Ian Thomas Text: James 5:7-13 Big Idea: A worked out faith patiently endures suffering with our hearts established on the return of Christ. In the face of suffering, we are invited to endure patiently, live purely, and pray persistently. I. Endure Patiently James gives two exhortations: 1. “Be Patient” (5:7a, 8a): in the face of injustice (cf. 5:1-6), suffering, and trials, James invites us to pursue the virtue of “long-suffering” (cf. Ps. 130:5) 2. “Establish Your Hearts” (5:8a): rather than growing fainthearted in our suffering, James invites us to be determined and anchored in our hearts, with our faith set on Christ. James provides three examples of enduring patiently: 1. Farming (5:7b) 2. 3. The Prophets (5:10-11a; cf. Rom. 8:16-17) Job (5:11b ; cf. Job 42:1-6) II. Live Purely We should be aware of the increased temptation toward sin when we face suffering. James warns of two particular temptations and the dangers of the sins of the tongue: 1. Grumbling against one another (5:9; cf. Phil. 2:14-15) 2. Rash speech and vows (5:12; cf. Mt. 5:33-37) III. Pray Persistently

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 5:1-6 Big Idea: A worked-out faith turns from the misery of trusting riches and embraces the joy of generosity because of Christ’s generosity. Misery 1: Stockpiled Stuff that Corrodes and Convicts - Matthew 6:19-21 Misery 2: Dishonest Dealings that God Hears of and Hates Misery 3: Gluttonous Gratification that Desensitizes and Destroys Application: 1: Fast and Feast 2: See and Be Transformed by the Generosity of Jesus - 2 Cor. 8:9 - Phil 2:5-11

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 4:13-17 Big idea: A worked out faith is a humbly surrendered faith that recognizes how mighty God is and how momentary we are.  I. Make plans in pencil and in prayer  II. Live aware of your misty mortality  III. Surrender to God’s plan because it’s better than yours IV. Walk in the light you’re given

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 4:1-12 Big idea: The teleios principle: whole people are peaceable people, but passions at war produce people at war.  We are a people at war with others We are a people at war with God Case Studies of Passions at War: 1 - Disordered Desire - Desire is mismanaged - Desire is misdirected Case Studies of Passions at War: #2 - Worldliness Case Studies of Passions at War #3 - Pride Case Studies of Passions at War #4 - Judgmentalism To move toward wholeness, get low before God To move toward wholeness, get close to God To move toward wholeness, get honest with God

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo Text: James 3:13-18 Big Idea: wisdom is not measured by what you know, but revealed by what you grow – either disorder from below or righteousness from above. I. The Test of Wisdom: Show, Not Tell (v. 13) + good conduct + meekness (power under control) II. Hellish Wisdom: From Below (vv. 14–16) + Motive: bitter jealousy & selfish ambition (v. 14) + Origin: earthly, unspiritual, demonic (v. 15) + Outcome: disorder & every vile practice (v. 16) III. Heavenly Wisdom: From Above (vv. 17–18) + Priority: first pure (v. 17) + Posture: peaceable, gentle, open to reason (v. 17) + Practice/Fruit: mercy, good fruits, impartial, sincere → harvest of righteousness sown in peace (vv. 17–18)

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 3:1-12 Big Idea: The power of the tongue must be bridled because it can do violence to our hearers as it gives vent to our hearts.  1. The tongue is influential 2 Cor. 5:9-10 Proverbs 15:4 Proverbs 6:16-19 2. The tongue is inflammatory 3. The tongue is indomitable 4. The tongue is inconsistent 5. The tongue is informative Luke 6:45 Matthew 7:16-17 Where is the hope?   

Speaker: Kyle Kraeft  Text: James 2:14-26  Big Idea: The only true and saving faith is a living and working faith, so don’t settle for anything less.  I. The Counterfeits of True Faith (v. 14-19) - “Can that faith save?”  1. True faith is more than words “Faith grows hands and feet. Faith climbs stairs, ties ropes, bends knees. Faith sweats, sends emails, cooks meals, plants churches, builds hospitals, flies to the other side of the world, and spends itself in servant form. That’s what saving faith in the Lord Jesus means.” - David Gibson 2. True faith is more than knowledge II. The Character of True Faith (v. 20-26) “You see now…” - Abraham: "Do you really trust me?" - Rahab: "We have heard about the God of Israel..." - Grace is entirely FREE, and yet immensely COSTLY. What about justification?  - Do James and Paul contradict? (NO!) - James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. - Rom. 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. - For Paul, justification is about our status and standing  before God. - For James, it is a proof of the validity and vitality of our faith.  III. The Contours of True Faith (Therefore...) - What true faith is: Not just what you say or know but WHO you TRUST. - Where it's from: True faith is a Spirit-wrought gift of life (James 1:17-19). - How it works: True faith always works - through love. - Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.  So how do I know if I have true faith? (Is it breathing?...) 1. Are you trusting in Christ as the basis of your standing with God? 2. Do you have a love and desire for God’s word, people, and his presence? 3. Are you moved by love, toward people, in action? - (This is about direction, not perfection) 4. Where do you run when you fall short?

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 2:1-13 Big idea: A worked-out faith is a welcoming faith marked by an impartial warmth that produces a diverse unity.  # 1. A Critical Admonition  - Affluence - Appearance - Accent - Age - Ancestry - Affinity - Achievement # 2. A Concrete Illustration # 3. A Compelling Rationale - reality has been re-storied for us - whole-hearted obedience is whole-law observance - we’ve been liberated through mercy’s triumph

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes  Text: James 1:18-27 1. Spirit-filled self-mastery and people’s foolishness Proverbs 10:19 Proverbs 13:3 Proverbs 15:28 Proverbs 18:13 Proverbs 29:20 Matthew 12:36-37 Ephesians 4:29 Colossians 4:6 2. Spirit-filled self-mastery and sin’s corrosiveness Psalm 4:3-4 3. Spirit-filled self-mastery and the Word’s offensiveness 4. Spirit-filled self-mastery and need’s relentlessness 3 ways to get involved: 1) Provide resources 2) Join a care community 3) Consider your own home

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 1:1-18 BIG IDEA: A worked-out faith is realized in trials and resolute in temptation, so we must look to Jesus as the source and supply of the faith we need. 1. A worked out faith is realized in trials ...as we count it all joy with expectant hearts ...as we remain prayerful and steadfast 2. A worked out faith is resolute in temptation ... because it knows temptation’s source ... because it recognizes temptation’s method ... because it knows how to fight

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: James 1:1-18 Big idea of James - A worked out faith will transform our ways - including our words, our wealth, and even our woes. 1. James’ bio 2 James’ burden Reasons we should not be reluctant to affirm James as a Christian book: a) Arguments from silence are generally unpersuasive. b) James’ ethics are rooted in a backward look to the finished work of Christ. c) James ethics are rooted in a forward look to the return of Christ. d) Christ is present in James, even when not named. e) James and Paul don’t actually disagree. f) James and Jesus are in lock step. 3. James’ bailiwick - on wealth - on words - on woes

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo  Text: Matthew 2:1–12
 Big Idea: In Epiphany, Christ is revealed to the world, resisted by many, and received in worship that bears witness.  1. Revelation Given (vv. 1–2) God reveals His Son not in ideal conditions, but in the shadow of Herod’s throne. + A true King enters a world ruled by fragile and threatened power. + The first worshipers are far-off Gentiles, showing from the outset that God’s revelation has a missionary horizon. 2. Revelation Resisted (vv. 3–8) Not everyone who hears the news welcomes the King. Revelation often meets resistance: + Political resistance – Herod is troubled and responds with rage. + Popular resistance – Jerusalem is disturbed but remains unmoved. + Religious resistance – the scribes are informed but indifferent, proving that proximity to Scripture is not the same as proximity to Christ. 3. Revelation Received (vv. 9–12) Rightly received, revelation leads to joyful worship and a reoriented life that bears witness to the King. + The wise men’s worship is:     * Christocentric – centered on Jesus, not the setting.     * Corporeal – expressed with their whole selves.     * Costly – marked by sacrificial generosity.     * Consequential – resulting in a changed direction and obedient witness.

Text: Psalm 63  Speaker: Kyle Kraeft BIG IDEA: You can bring the wilderness of your heart to your Lord, remembering and rejoicing that His steadfast love is better than life.  I. The Way of Remembrance - We need to remember who, what, and whose we are. - We need to remember where we are and why we're here.  - But even more so, we need the anchor point of knowing who God is.   “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:6-7)   II. The Way of Rejoicing - Rejoicing results from Reappraisal - Rejoicing is resolute before there is resolution Ps. 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes  Test: John 1:1-18

Speaker: Joshua Hughes Text: John 1:1-18 Big Idea: Because Jesus fully and truly entered our frailty and bore our sin, we are invited to fully and truly draw near and rest in him with our frailty and our sin. 1. What this Means: - Jesus is fully and truly God - Jesus is fully and truly human 2. Why this Matters:  - For our comfort - for our salvation 

Speaker: Joshua Hughes Text: John 1:1-18 Big Idea: Advent isn’t God resourcing you to be ok in your own strength, it’s God giving you the gift of being his child.  # 1. What the gift is? # 2. Why the gift matters? # 3. How the gift helps? # 4. How do we get the gift? 

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: John 1:1-18 Big Idea: Though we’re living in a land of death and darkness, we’re looking to Jesus the Logos who brings light and life. 1. Where we are living 2. Where we are looking - To Jesus, the Preexistent Word - To Jesus, the Creator - To Jesus, who brings light and life "The reason the darkness may be faced and lived in is that even in the darkness, there is one to address. The one to address is in the darkness, but not simply a part of the darkness. Because this one has promised to be in the darkness with us, we find the darkness strangely transformed, not by the power of easy light, but by the power of relentless solidarity."  - Walter Brueggemann  

Speaker: Pastor Kyle Kraeft Text: Colossians 4:7-18 Big Idea: Christ is all and in all so keep faith with all the faithful and continue co-working for the kingdom.  1. Live in the Economy of Encouragement True gospel encouragement points us to Jesus,  inspiring and igniting faith. “Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth” (Col. 1:3-6).  “Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God's Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without betraying the truth. He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother's is sure.” - Bonhoeffer  2. Live in the Mission of the Mustard Seed We need to have our VISION and VALUES radically shaped by the kingdom so that we joyfully give ourselves away in faithful service   Mark 10:42-44. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ. . . . If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. . . . If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.” - John Calvin

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo  Text: Colossians 4:2-6 Big Idea: Union with Christ compels us to speak to God about people and to speak to people about God, driving us to our knees in persevering prayer and to our feet in wise witness. I. Speaking to God About People (vv. 2–4) + Persevere in Prayer – Continue steadfastly + Be Watchful in Prayer – Stay alert, guard your soul + Give Thanks in Prayer – Cultivate a grateful heart + Pray Missionally – Ask for open doors, gospel clarity II. Speaking to People About God (vv. 5–6) + Walk Wisely – Live in a way that adorns the gospel + Seize the Moment – Buy up every gospel opportunity + Speak Graciously – Let your words be full of grace and truth + Answer Discerningly – Minister to each person with wisdom

Text: Colossians 3:22-4:1 Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Big idea: Christians do Christian work for Christ, heeding his rule and hoping in his resurrection. Luke 4:18-21 Philemon 15-16 1. Have an obedient posture in Christ 2. Aim to please in Christ 3. Be great at your job in Christ 4. Work for rewards in Christ 1 Cor. 15:19 Philippians 2:5-11  

Text: Colossians 3:18-21 Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes  Big idea - The resurrection life in Christ recasts our vision of how we live and love in our family relationships. 1 - Resurrection Marriage Relationships 2 - Resurrection Parenting Relationships

Text: Colossians 3:5-17 Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes  Big idea: We live out our union with Christ by putting sin to death, putting his character on, and pursuing his peace together. I. Put to death the sins to which we have died in Christ  (vv. 5–11) - In our bodies: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, - In our desires: covetousness - In our relationships: anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, lying Eph 4:29 II. Put on garments of those who have been raised with Christ (vv. 12–14) - Compassionate hearts - Kindness - Meekness - Humility - Forbearance - Forgiveness - Love III. Prize the peace of the body of Christ (vv. 15-17)

SPEAKER: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo TEXT:  Colossians 3:1–4 BIG IDEA: Because believers have died and been raised with Christ, our true life and identity are now hidden with Him in heaven. Therefore, we must set our hearts, minds, and hopes on Him, living on earth as citizens of heaven. I. A New Address (v. 1) + Every believer has two addresses: one earthly, one heavenly. + To seek the things above is to pursue the presence and reign of Christ. II. A New Mindset (v. 2) + Let God’s Word shape how you think and see the world. + A heavenly mind makes an earthly difference. III. A New Security (v. 3) * Your old life is dead; your new life is hidden securely in Christ. * The world may not understand you, but heaven does. IV. A New Destiny (v. 4) + Christ isn’t just part of your life, He is your life. + One day His glory will be revealed in you. + Live this day in light of that Day.

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: Colossians 2:16-23 Big Idea: To truly grow spiritually, we must recognize and reject the ripoffs while clinging to and contemplating the Christ. Three Markers of False Teaching: 1. A Conscience-Binding Code of Conduct 2. A Showy, Swaggering Spirituality 3. A Plausible Yet Powerless Personal Optimization

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: Colossians 2:13-15 Big idea: We can rest in full assurance that we have all of Christ for all we need, because the cross has reversed our death, our debt, and our defeat. Reversal #1: At the cross, death gives way to life. Reversal #2: At the cross, destitution gives way to riches. 

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo Text: Colossians 2:6–12 Big Idea: The Christian life begins in Christ, continues in Christ, and is complete in Christ. So don’t be captivated by counterfeits, but walk, filled and raised, in the sufficiency of Christ.  I. The Call – Walk in Christ (vv. 6–7)
 + The Gift Received – Christ Himself is the gospel’s great gift. + The Call Issued – As you received Him, so walk in Him. + Three Pictures of Growth – Rooted, Built Up, Established in the Faith. II. The Caution – Beware Captivity, Cling to Christ (vv. 8–10)
 + The Warning – Don’t be taken captive by empty deceit. + Two Sources of Deception – Human Tradition and Elemental Spirits. + The Sufficiency of Christ – All the fullness of God dwells in Him, and we are filled in Him. III. The Covenant – Buried and Raised with Christ (vv. 11–12)
 + Spiritual Circumcision – At the cross, Jesus was cut off so we could be brought in. + Baptismal Union – Buried with Him, raised with Him through faith. + Covenant Identity – Marked not by ritual but by faith and the Spirit’s seal.

Speaker: Pastor Funmi Ojetayo  Scripture: Colossians 1:24–2:5 Big Idea:
 God grows His people to maturity through faithful ministry and gospel community, where Christ is proclaimed, love is displayed, and assurance is firmly laid.  I. The Goal: Maturity in Christ for All God’s People (1:28b) + The aim of gospel ministry: “to present everyone mature in Christ” + No JV and varsity Christians - maturity is for everyone II. The Method: Proclaiming the Mystery with Suffering and Toil (1:24–27, 29) + Marked by Suffering: Paul rejoices in suffering for the gospel and the church’s sake (2Cor. 11:23-28; Phil. 2:25-30) + Centered on Christ: “Him we proclaim” - not gimmicks, but Christ in you, the hope of glory + Sustained by the Spirit: Toil and struggle carried by God’s dunamis power III. The Result: Gospel Communities (2:1–5) + Encouraged hearts: strengthened from the inside out + Knit-together love: sacrificial, not sentimental, guarding against deception + Full assurance in Christ: confidence that steadies and unites

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: Colossians 1:15-23 Big idea: Since the Christ we confess is sovereign over all and his work is sufficient for all, we must hold fast to him through it all. I. Who Christ Is A) Christ is Truly God B) Christ is Supremely Great  II. What Christ Accomplishes A) Christ's Work Propitiates B) Christ's Work Purifies C) Christ's Work Perseveres

Text: Colossians 1:1-14 Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes 1. A Church Worth Emulating - Faith - Love - Hope 2. A Prayer Worth Lifting - for knowledge of God's will - for a worthy, pleasing, fruitful walk - for a joyful strength 3. A Salvation Worth Savoring

Speaker: Kyle Kraeft Text: Revelation 21:1-8  “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matt. 24:42-44). BIG IDEA: Jesus is Returning to bring Glorious Restoration, so be Roused to Readiness and Renewal I. Be Roused to Readiness for the Day of the Lord  13.  The Restoration of All Things. We believe in the personal, glorious, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ with his holy angels, when he will exercise his role as final Judge, and his kingdom will be consummated. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust—the unjust to judgment and eternal conscious punishment in hell, as our Lord himself taught, and the just to eternal blessedness in the presence of him who sits on the throne and of the Lamb, in the new heaven and the new earth, the home of righteousness. On that day the church will be presented faultless before God by the obedience, suffering and triumph of Christ, all sin purged and its wretched effects forever banished. God will be all in all and his people will be enthralled by the immediacy of his ineffable holiness, and everything will be to the praise of his glorious grace. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Cor. 5:10) 2 Cor. 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. II. Be Readied through Renewal in the Delight of the Lord (APPLICATION) 1. Return home to God now and always 2. Reorder your vision and values in Him 3. Renew your heart through love

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: Luke 22:14-20 Article 12: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself. The former is connected with entrance into the new covenant community, the latter with ongoing covenant renewal. Together they are simultaneously God’s pledge to us, divinely ordained means of grace, our public vows of submission to the once crucified and now resurrected Christ, and anticipations of his return and of the consummation of all things.  Big Idea: The Lord's table is where God's re-storied and reconciled people remember, receive and reharse what God has provided and promised in Christ.  1. We are Re-storied 2. We are Reconciled Jeremiah 31:31-34 3. We are Remembering 4. We are Receiving 1 Cor. 10:16 5. We are Rehearsing 

Speaker: Funmi Ojetayo TITLE: Beholding the Baptism of Jesus TEXT: Matthew 3:13-17 Article 12: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself. The former is connected with entrance into the new covenant community, the latter with ongoing covenant renewal. Together they are simultaneously God’s pledge to us, divinely ordained means of grace, our public vows of submission to the once crucified and now resurrected Christ, and anticipations of his return and of the consummation of all things.  What Jesus' baptism teaches about baptism:  1. A Command to Obey (v. 15) * In his baptism, Jesus models obedience * Baptism is not optional for disciples—it's the first step of obedience 2. A Cleansing by Immersion (v. 16) * The word for baptism in scripture means to plunge, submerge, or immerse * Immersion symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection 3. A Confession of Faith (vv. 6, 11a) * Baptism follows repentance and belief  * It is the visible sign of invisible faith. 4. A Covenant Union with Christ (v. 15) * In his baptism, then sinless Son of God identifies with sinners. * Baptism publicly affirms our union with Christ's death and resurrection. 5. A Celebration of the Trinity (vv. 16-17) * The Son obeys. The Spirit descends. The Father delights. * Every baptism in the Name of the Father, Son, and Spirit is a celebration of the Triune God. Respond: Have you believed? Then why wait to be baptized? Have you been baptized? Then remember what it meant. If your joy has dimmed—behold him again. 

Speaker: Joshua Hughes Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 Article 11: God’s New People. We believe that God’s new covenant people have already come to the heavenly Jerusalem; they are already seated with Christ in the heavenlies. This universal church is manifest in local churches of which Christ is the only Head; thus each “local church” is, in fact, the church, the household of God, the assembly of the living God, and the pillar and foundation of the truth. The church is the body of Christ, the apple of his eye, graven on his hands, and he has pledged himself to her forever. The church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God, and by her members' love for one another and for the world. Crucially, this gospel we cherish has both personal and corporate dimensions, neither of which may properly be overlooked. Christ Jesus is our peace: he has not only brought about peace with God, but also peace between alienated peoples. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both Jew and Gentile to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. The church serves as a sign of God’s future new world when its members live for the service of one another and their neighbors, rather than for self-focus. The church is the corporate dwelling place of God’s Spirit, and the continuing witness to God in the world. Big Idea: Since we are not our own but we belong to Jesus and to one another, we find our place and purpose with God in the community of his church. 1. What we are - a "we" - a body - a family - a bride - a building - universal - local 2. What we do - we behold - we belong - we become

Speaker: Joshua Hughes Text: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 Matthew 6:21 Matthew 6:24 Mark 10:23 Hosea 4:6 2 Cor. 8:2-4 We aim in generosity to be:  1. Ready (vv. 1-2) 2. Faithful (vv. 3-5) 3. Generous (v. 6) 4. Intentional (v. 7a) 5. Cheerful (v. 7b) 6. Expectant (vv. 8-11) 7. Missional (vv. 12-14) 8. Grateful (v. 15)  

Speaker: Greg Hutchins Passage: Matthew 4:12-25 Big Idea: Receive and run after the rule of God because his kingdom restores shalom in us and through us. We believe that those who have been saved by the grace of God through union with Christ by faith and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit enter the kingdom of God and delight in the blessings of the new covenant: the forgiveness of sins, the inward transformation that awakens a desire to glorify, trust, and obey God, and the prospect of the glory yet to be revealed. Good works constitute indispensable evidence of saving grace. Living as salt in a world that is decaying and light in a world that is dark, believers should neither withdraw into seclusion from the world, nor become indistinguishable from it: rather, we are to do good to the city, for all the glory and honor of the nations is to be offered up to the living God. Recognizing whose created order this is, and because we are citizens of God’s kingdom, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, doing good to all, especially to those who belong to the household of God. The kingdom of God, already present but not fully realized, is the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the world toward the eventual redemption of all creation. The kingdom of God is an invasive power that plunders Satan’s dark kingdom and regenerates and renovates through repentance and faith the lives of individuals rescued from that kingdom. It therefore inevitably establishes a new community of human life together under God. 1) Kingdom Declaration "God's rule through God's people over God's place." -Jeremy Treat 2) Kingdom Demonstration -3 dimensions of the Kingdom:  Inside-Out  Upside-Down  Forward-Back 3) Kingdom Consummation -Text for Revelation 11:15 -Text for Revelation 21:1-5

Speaker: Joshua Hughes Text: Romans 8:1-17 Artcile 9: The Power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By the Spirit’s agency, believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God’s family; they participate in the divine nature and receive his sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is himself the down payment of the promised inheritance, and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. Big idea - The Holy Spirit lives in us to lead us all the way home, so we must learn to listen to and lean on his leading as we walk with him.  I. The Fullness of the Spirit II. The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:16-25 III. Our Future With the Spirit  

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: John 16:5-15 Article 9. The Power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By the Spirit's agency, believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God's family; they participate in the divine nature and receive his sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is himself the down payment of the promised inheritance, and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. 1. Who the Holy Spirit Is A. He is Divine B. He is Personal 2. What the Holy Spirit Does A. He Speaks    - In Conviction    - In Inspiration and Illumination    - In Intercession Rom. 8:26-27 B. He Saves    - In Regeneration    - In Union    - In Justification     - In Adoption    - In Sanctification C. He Secures

Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes Text: Philippians 3:1-16 Article 8: The Justification of Sinners. We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God. Inasmuch as Christ was given by the Father for us, and his obedience and punishment were accepted in place of our own, freely and not for anything in us, this justification is solely of free grace, in order that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. We believe that a zeal for personal and public obedience flows from this free justification. Big idea: Only the discharging of sin’s debt and declaration of righteousness accomplished in Christ makes you forever right with God, so receive it, rest on it, and reappropriate it by faith. WSC Q33. What is justification? A. Justification is the act of God's free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours. Justification is received by faith alone. Romans 3:19-20 2 Corinthians 5:21 1. Paul's Pastoral Concern Galatians 5:1-6 2. Paul's Prior Confidence 3. Paul's Powerful Confession  

Pastor Funmi Ojetayo TITLE: The Work of Christ TEXT: Philippians 2:5–11 BIG IDEA: Jesus Christ descended in humility and rose in victory, so that through union with him we are redeemed, purified, and reconciled. I. The Humiliation of Christ (vv. 5–8) + Incarnation: God became human to rescue sinners. + Sinless Life: Jesus perfectly obeyed where we failed. + Sacrificial Death: Jesus died in our place, paying our penalty, removing our guilt, and reconciling us to God. II. The Exaltation of Christ (vv. 9–11) + Resurrection & Ascension: Christ rose victorious and ascended into glory, validating our redemption. + Session & Intercession: Christ reigns in authority and continually intercedes for us, securing our perseverance. III. Application: Our Union with Christ (v. 5) + The Christian life isn't about trying harder; it’s about being who you already are in Christ. + Union with Christ changes our identity, fuels our fight against sin, and empowers our pursuit of holiness.

Preacher: Kyle Kraeft Who is Jesus? Text: Matthew 16:13-23 Big Idea: The real Jesus is the only one who can give you real hope in real life.   The Redemption of Christ. We believe that, moved by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures. The man Jesus, the promised Messiah of Israel, was conceived through the miraculous agency of the Holy Spirit, and was born of the virgin Mary. He perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father, lived a sinless life, performed miraculous signs, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead on the third day, and ascended into heaven. As the mediatorial King, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, exercising in heaven and on earth all of God’s sovereignty, and is our High Priest and righteous Advocate. We believe that by his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute. He did this so that in him we might become the righteousness of God: on the cross he canceled sin, propitiated God, and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciled to God all those who believe. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death and defeated Satan who once had power over it, and brought everlasting life to all his children people; by his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. We believe that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. Because God chose the lowly things of this world, the despised things, the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, no human being can ever boast before him—Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. 1. The Promise: God with us 2. The Paradox: God like us Philippians 2:5-11 3. The Purpose: God for us Application 1. Let the real Jesus rearrange your heart  2. Let the real Jesus reframe your reality   

Preacher: Garrett Bone Text: Acts 2:22-41 The Gospel. We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ—God’s very wisdom. Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news is christological, centering on the cross and resurrection: the gospel is not proclaimed if Christ is not proclaimed, and the authentic Christ has not been proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not central (the message is: “Christ died for our sins . . . [and] was raised”). This good news is biblical (his death and resurrection are according to the Scriptures), theological and salvific (Christ died for our sins, to reconcile us to God), historical (if the saving events did not happen, our faith is worthless, we are still in our sins, and we are to be pitied more than all others), apostolic (the message was entrusted to and transmitted by the apostles, who were witnesses of these saving events), and intensely personal (where it is received, believed, and held firmly, individual persons are saved).

Preacher: Kyle Kraeft Text: Ephesians 1:3-14 Big Idea: God’s plan reveals and restores our purpose: to live into His heart and story to the praise of His glory.  1. The Relational Design of The Father Before Time - Deuteronomy 7:6-10  - John 6:37-40, 44 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.  …No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. 2. The Radical Deliverance of The Son In the Fullness of Time 3. The Restoring Down Payment of The Spirit Until The End of Time Application: Let God’s welcome fuel your worship, calm your worry, and shape your witness.

Pastor Funmi Ojetayo Text: Genesis 3 Big Idea: Sin’s deceptive root bears devastating fruit—but God, in His lavish love, rescues us by His redeeming grace. I. The Origin of Sin (vv. 1–7) + Doubting and Distorting God’s Word + Pride & Moral Autonomy: Reaching for God’s Throne + Desire: Temptation’s Triple Threat (Eyes, Flesh, Pride) II. The Consequences of Sin (vv. 8–24) + Alienation: Separation from God and Each Other + Corruption: Broken Creation, Frustrated Work, Total Depravity III. The Hope Beyond Sin (vv. 15, 21) + Covering: Grace Covers Shame (v. 21) + Covenant: The Promised Serpent-Crusher (v. 15)