Providence Reformed Sunday Mornings Broadcast

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 8:16-9:15. This passage of scripture has an overarching phrase in 9:11, “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way…” When Paul talks about giving, he brings it into the category of the graces of God; often considered to be the last grace.The chief end of man is not compliance to God’s law. It’s to glorify and enjoy God; it has to do with communion. The Christian life is about communing with the Father. It is the enjoyment of a real, interactive, loving relationship with God.Giving isn’t ultimately about money.It is possible to give much in a stingy way and little in a bountiful way. Coinage isn’t the only variable in the equation. John 3:16 tells us that the defining action of love is giving. If our giving isn’t right, then our loving isn’t right. The disposition or characterization of our gifts is directly related to the disposition of our hearts.The heart savingly touched by a savior, persuaded of His care for us, will transition the experience of giving from something compulsory to something about enjoying communion with God. And as we express this last grace of financial giving, God will make all graces abound.Do we value communion with God?This passage is primarily about enjoying a loving relationship with the Heavenly Father.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. In 2 Corinthians 8, the Apostle Paul talks about the tender subject of giving. The main idea in this passage is to be released from the bondages of the things we depend on, except for the Lord Jesus Christ.Paul talks about giving not as money but as a grace and considers the main idea from three perspectives: 1) the example of the Macedonians, 2) the example of the Lord, and 3) the method by which God estimates gospel generosity.The underlining message in this passage is much larger than giving, it simply has to do with this question: Can we trust a warm, loving Father to take care of us?

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 7:2-16. What we have here is a look into the apostolic ministry and the corresponding need of the church.Apostolic ministry was unique and had a unique authority. Were the Corinthian church to reject Paul, they would reject Christ.What the apostle Paul is doing with the Corinthian church is applicable to our churches today. As we involve ourselves in the concept of relational ministry, we grow in our love, intimacy, and friendship with the Lord Jesus Christ.The Corinthians needed to repent. If at any point they stopped repenting, they would have ceased to exist as a church. A churches vitality depends upon repentance, which is only made possible through union with Christ. We cannot rightly repent until we are made alive in the Lord Jesus.When the recognition of my sin causes me horror in that I have grieved a holy God and fallen away from His friendship, this is repentance.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. In this passage, we see a very important image, this idea of a temple. We know the location of the temple has changed as well as its realities - now the temple is living. Believers are described as the temple of God.There is a relationship between holiness in our own lives and a delight in the Lord as our God. It seems, because of our sinful flesh, most believers struggle for long periods to distinguish between the realities of our justification and our pursuit of holiness.One of the most challenging concepts of the Christian life is the recognition of this overwhelming joy that is at our fingertips, but it involves our own holiness and real righteousness.Paul asks five questions in this passage to which the answer to all is “None”. These things he compares, beginning with righteousness and lawlessness, have nothing to do with one another.Paul isn’t telling us to remove ourselves from the world but to remove worldliness from ourselves, the temple of the living God.There is a direct proportion to our own earnestness in casting off the old man and the joy that we have in Christ.

Please join us as Pastor Preston Hoffman concludes this sermon series on the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:7-12. Jesus Himself embodied the beatitudes before He would ever command them of His people.The first four beatitudes describe the root of the Christian life. Today, Jesus moves to the fruit; from the heart that God blesses to the life that God uses. The kingdom of God is not only internal transformation, it’s external demonstration.These final four beatitudes describe the public life of a disciple, the visible evidence of the invisible work of God. The outward life of Jesus’ disciples is not optional - it’s our faith made visible. The inward life gives rise to the outer life.Does your life display what your heart claims?Last week we asked what kind of heart does God bless; this week we ask what kind of life does God use? Jesus will show us what that life looks like lived out.

Please join us as Pastor Preston Hoffman discusses the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:1-6. At the beginning of His sermon, Jesus answers the question: What kind of heart does God bless? The kingdom of God and the role you play in it does not begin with what you do but begins with what you are.The Sermon on the Mount is a portrait of those who have been transformed by the true gospel. The kingdom life begins with a transformed heart - humbled, broken, surrendered, and hungry for God. These qualities are not natural; they are the spirit-wrought foundations of true discipleship.The Sermon on the Mount is not a path to earn salvation, it is the life of those already saved by the King. In His portrait, Jesus describes the inner posture of every true citizen of His kingdom.This sermon explores the first four Beatitudes - poverty of spirit, mourning over sin, meekness, and hunger for righteousness - as the inner life of a true disciple. It is a call to examine the heart, embrace Christ’s sufficiency, and pursue the righteousness only He can give.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 6:1-13. Paul has been defending his apostleship and is drawing attention to the unique connection between apostle and the authority of the apostle as he proclaims the gospel.It’s the nature of mankind that necessitates continuous authoritative preaching and ministry. We require a continual proclamation of the gospel. We need the encouragement, the revelation of truth, the urgency by the power of the Holy Spirit to probe oneself such that we can see and repent of our sinfulness and truly enjoy this life God has given us. Redemption doesn’t make ministry unnecessary or optional.One of the themes in these verses is the concept of authority. Every molecule in creation works within the paradigm of authority. The same is true of sin; it’s commanded in a way that it’s removed by the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.Our sinful flesh is resistant to authoritative biblical ministry. Paul has to contend not just for his authority but for authority itself.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. Our attention may be drawn to three primary themes in this passage. First is the fear of the Lord; the centerpiece of what compels Paul to confidently go forward in Christ. The fear of God must have more to do with God’s people than simply that He doesn’t care what we do and loves us no matter what. The reality is that redemption in Christ results in a new creation, a noticeable change. Are we concerned about the Father’s displeasure of our own sinfulness even though we are redeemed? If we feel a sense of freedom in our sinfulness, then we have misunderstood and diminished the love of Christ and the fear of the Lord because it is not acting as a counterbalance for a holy life.Second, Christ’s love for the redeemed. Paul’s understanding of Christ’s love for him enables Paul to holdfast, stay on task, and to endure all things. The Lord’s joy in His people is our strength. Paul recognized that the Lord Jesus died for him. He died for you. We become inclined to diminish the gift and life of Christ if we think of our redemption in unbiblical terms, as an abstract mass of people; but redemption is very personal. If we don’t view the love of Christ in a personal way, it could never counterbalance a life of faithfulness. The love of Christ compels us. It changes us. We are a new creation. We no longer look at people according to the flesh and a right understanding of this will change the way we act.Thirdly, the glory of new life through being reconciled to Christ. When one becomes a new creation in Christ, everything around them will also change. A life in Christ is a constant source of blessing and encouragement. God is pleading for us to come to Christ and freely receive new life.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 5:1-11. Heaven is a place of holiness, happiness, and humility. If we would be ready for heaven, these are the things the apostle Paul would encourage us to recognize.Light, momentary afflictions are integrated into our lives by God’s design for spiritual growth in ourselves and for encouraging others. The Christian life isn’t about avoiding difficulty, the Christian life is shaped by difficulty. In our temporal bodies, we groan as we drag along remnants of our sinful flesh. The point isn’t a discouraging look at redemption but to see there is a profound difference between our earthly tent and the building in heaven.One of the challenges of our lives is spiritual self awareness. What is it that you are really hoping? Paul is helping us to understand the importance of continually having our affections shaped. If we have a wrong perception of the Christian life then we will not realize that we should be encouraged at the way the Spirit is working, that our experiences can be explained spiritually and we can press on and be joyful, not being hampered by temporal, fleeting hindrances to faithfulness.The weight of the normal, Christian life has as its only counterbalance the day of the lord. The redeemed should be fanatically joyful about a future in heaven, but the urgency of the last day should absolutely impact every moment of our lives as we aim to please the Lord.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15. In verses 7-15, we see the challenge of being depleted as the Corinthians give their lives to Christ and the challenges that occur in a normal gospel ministry. In gospel ministry, the minister is in the background as the servant, proclaiming Jesus Christ. The point isn’t simply that humanity is diminished in the glory of Christ but that the gospel not only does in fact glorify Christ but also simultaneously intentionally deals with the pride and conceit of man.The gospel is accentuated in this sinful earth by placing it in something so mundane - a common earthen vessel. The treasure inside is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.Why clay pots? Because the surpassing value belongs to God, not to us. He is the one with power and glory. Humans have trouble wholly exalting another but the reality is that biblical servanthood is about directing attention to God. We are not to accentuate the clay pot; we are to accentuate Christ.Giving faithfully, in gospel labor, will always physically deplete the giver to some extent. Gospel ministry is not about personal gain but His glory.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. Paul is regaling on the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He affirms his weakness and his being in the shadow of the Lord Jesus. It is the weakness of men in which the glory of God is most profoundly shown. Our outer shells are wasting away but the gospel of Christ grows our inner being in grace. Therefore, we do not lose heart.We have unsinkable buoyancy during these light, momentary afflictions because the gospel isn’t about us; Jesus Christ is central. The amazing thing about this gospel is we are the ones who benefit from the preeminence of the Lord Jesus. We are His servants - do we look at ourselves in this way? The gospel ministry is a profound valuation of that which is unseen. As we grow in the image of the Lord Jesus, we should more highly value spiritual growth in Christ. The history of the Christian church is the result of faithful ministry where Jesus Christ is lord and we present ourselves as servants. Giving out the light of Christ is an incredible privilege we would do well to be reminded of.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 3:1-18. The Lord Jesus Christ is more glorious and brighter than the sun - the beatific vision. Something both beautiful and breathtaking, drawing a permanent gaze from us as something transformative in our lives.One particularly important thing we can draw from this passage is the concept of a living ministry. There is not only one covenant, there are two and the one was only a delivery vessel for the second, the permanent convent of the Lord Jesus Christ.The other, that we see in verse 18, is the idea that we behold the face of Christ and are being transformed now. As we grow in holiness, the Lord reveals more of Himself to us and we enter into deeper communion with God.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 2:5-17. This passage draws our attention to the biblical norm of forgiveness and recovery.Being in a warm, loving congregation that reflects the love of Christ is one of the most important aspects of our relationship to the Lord Jesus. Healthy church life involves a normal process of confession, repentance, forgiveness, and reaffirmation of love.It’s much easier to say we forgive than to restore such a one with warmth and comfort. This would be full obedience by the congregation in their forgiveness, but we are prone to incomplete obedience.As we take time to involve ourselves in the full biblical process of forgiveness and recovery, we see the aroma of Christ.Only as congregations grow in their love and realistic experience with the living Son of God in a way that involves a transformational reaffirmation of love, will they then begin to truly enjoy a certain level of breadth of numerical and expansive growth.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4. This letter is about Paul’s unashamed commitment to the gospel as revealed in scripture.The Corinthian church was not a mature church. They were acting like they didn’t receive the gospel but germinated it on their own. They exalted strength and were attracted to flashy and contemporary ideas. Paul is trying to get them to understand that the strength of Christ is revealed in the weakness of man.This church has committed themselves to what is temporal and seen and Paul is trying to draw their attention back to what is eternal and unseen. We are inclined to be drawn to today or tomorrow and forget that all we do is of urgent importance against the last day. Every decision we make needs to be made in light of eternity. He’s not calling into question their redemption but urging them to reframe in a way shaped by the gospel.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 1:1-11. One of the keywords in the first chapter of 2 Corinthians is “comfort”. But this isn’t comfort as we typically think but rather more of a sense of “encouragement”. Part of the issue in 2 Corinthians is the inclination to “clip-short” the promises of God. Paul is drawing their attention to what it is the Lord has set in front of them for their own good and the salvation of others - the comfort, or encouragement, to go on with the gospel and be strengthened by the comfort God gives them amidst their afflictions.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner begins a new preaching series on 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Paul describes heaven as the eternal weight of glory.The Corinthians underestimated the unseen, spiritual, and eternal, preferring the seen, physical, and temporal, and did not embrace the renewal of the inner man. The renewing of our inner selves begins at redemption but that is just a start. Redemption is not a static condition that ends with justification. Spiritual discipline, however, is necessary for growth, not affections that are directed at physical, earthy, temporal things.There’s a tendency to think heavenly glory is a continuation of earthly glory. But what leads to heavenly glory is earthly affliction; the crown follows the cross. The final end of the continuum of earthly commitment to Christ and the accompanying difficulties is heavenly glory.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner preaches on Psalm 67. Psalm 67 draws our attention to the fullness of God’s kingdom. If there is to be a kingdom of priests with access to a holy God, there must be a gospel that comes and sweeps into all the nations. We can lose sight of God’s grand and glorious purposes in all He does in our lives. Psalm 67 is a Westminister Catechism question 1 psalm. It answers the question of why are we here and what are we doing - what is our chief end?We should ask ourselves: How do the things I do fit into God’s grand purpose?

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner preaches on stewarding singleness in the church. 1 Corinthians 7:6-40. A situation that is true of all of us on occasion and will ultimately be true of all of us permanently, is that of being single. Marriage to a human being is always temporary. Our permanent state is marriage to Christ.When the scriptures speak of being single, it’s important to think of the permanent relationship we will have with the Lord Jesus Christ.Faithful living is the time between “one big thing” and the next. The occasion of singleness can be used to invest in the things of God and His people or to be dead while you live.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner concludes the series on the Gospel of John. John 21:15-19. In this gospel, Jesus asks a series of questions, the last being to Peter: “Do you love me?”.Jesus and the apostles never proposed that people question whether or not God loves them. The clear message of the Bible regarding God’s love is summarized with finality in John 3:16. We are often concerned about God’s love for us but this was settled at the cross.The most important question in the scriptures isn’t if God loves us, that has been established. The most important question is: “Do I love Christ?”

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 20:8-10. John 20 draws our attention to understanding the resurrection. One reason it was so difficult for the Israelites to understand the resurrection was God’s people never saw a slain animal rise from the dead. The women that were at the cross of Jesus and ran to the tomb, were satisfied with the crucifixion, with the idea that the Lord Jesus Christ had been stricken for their sins. They had a level of understanding of the words, “It is finished”, and embraced that idea. However, they didn’t understand the resurrection.In becoming a child of the King, we have to continually study how to cast off the old and embrace that which is new.Mary Magdalene didn’t understand the resurrection but she refers to Jesus as “Lord” and longs to be with Him. She loved Christ and understood He was directly related to her own spiritual life.The disciples didn’t understand the scripture that said He must rise from the dead. They didn’t understand the breadth of His resurrection and what it meant for them.As we contemplate and meditate on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is much more than His simply dying. Christ was raised from the dead by the Father, just as with us.In a spiritual sense, the redeemed are made new, in unity with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 19:30. One thing that is profoundly important as we consider the cross, is the glory of God. The cross reveals to us how a heart is changed. The answers to all our questions on how a heart is changed, how one is justified, and how one is sanctified have directly to do with the glory of the cross of Christ. Our affections change when we look at Christ on the cross and consider His love for us.The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This was also Jesus’ purpose. The grand purpose of God is His own glory. Can it be that the humble emptying of Christ in giving Himself as an atonement for sin is in fact also His glory?

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 18:33-38. What we see in chapter 18 is the humiliation of the King of Kings. Every part of what occurs is by His design. Pilate, the regional governor, has the confidence to call the King of Kings to speak with Him. The Lord Jesus submits, declaring He is a King but His kingdom is not of this world. Jesus so debased Himself that the people around Him had the confidence to treat Him like a lowly man and brought Him to Pilate out of envy, never submitting to Him. Jesus has continually said our priority should be the spiritual; seek first His kingdom.

Please join us as guest Pastor Mark Chanski, Coordinator of RBNet, preaches from 2 Samuel. 2 Samuel 23:13-17. The deep loyalty of King David’s devoted subjects is supremely displayed in various exploits of David’s mighty men who exhibited their allegiance to him with their military feats. We can exposit and apply these verses to discover if we, ourselves, are mighty men of our king, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 17:20-26. A primary theme we see in the last section of the high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ is the idea of unity, of which Psalm 133 paints a beautiful picture. The unity Jesus Christ prays for is not a negotiated unity, but an other-worldly, unnatural, unexpected unity; something associated with the newness the Lord brings to every individual within the body. One of the things we see in this unity is its simple, resilient functionality. Redemption is often described as an unbreakable union. A union of His people that is used to bring all believers to Christ.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 17:6-19. In this passage we see that the Lord Jesus has three priorities. The first priority is simply this idea that those to whom Christ spoke and offered redemption would know that the source of everything He has said, every promise He has made, every admonition, have as their source the Father in heaven. Secondly, we see that the Lord has a priority of guarding His people. The reality is life is dangerous for those who follow Jesus, for those who are committed to Him and His word. The third priority is sanctification and growing in holiness.It’s reasonable for us, as His redeemed, to understand His priorities. Our focus should not be on the danger from which we are guarded or on our sanctification but on God Himself. As we walk toward God, these other things will fall into place.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 17:1-5. The entirety of John 17 is a prayer that Jesus is praying in the disciples’ hearing. What is eternal life? To know God and to know His Son. Belief and knowing do not mean the same thing. The salvation of the elect is the fruit of the trinitarian relationship. There is a difference between bearing fruit as a result of a relationship and bearing fruit for the creation of a relationship; a subtle but profound difference. This is important when we consider our relationship with God.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 16:16-33. In verse 16, in the last hours, we see the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of “in a little while”, a reference to the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection. We see the Lord Jesus encouraging His disciples. He has overcome and is bringing peace, in the context of a raging battle. This discourse reminds us that there are seasons of grace in our lives where we can take in and embrace the truths of God, storing them up for times of affliction when it’s hard to invest and take in these truths.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 16:1-15. In John 16, we see an introduction to a Christian spiritual life. In particular, we see highlighted the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is front and center to the true spiritual life of those who are redeemed. The spiritual aspects of our lives are sometimes seen as less valuable and less consequential than the physical. In John 16, the apostles were required to confirm that spiritual has priority over the physical.As we enter into our relationship with the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ, and come to more fully understand the things of God, we will recognize that the physical characteristics and aspects of our lives will begin to take second place. If you’re waiting for your physical circumstances to get better before involving yourself in spiritual maturity, it’s not going to happen, because God doesn’t work that way. We receive spiritual understanding and maturity on His terms, not ours.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 15:18-16:4. In chapters 14-17, what we have are the most profound words of Christ as He passes on to the spiritual army the orders and expectations for the continuation of the Holy war. In John 15 and 16 the most notable illustration is that of warfare. The on-the-ground general, Lord Jesus Christ, is telling the fighters who will remain what to expect and how to fight; He will die in the fight but the fight will rage on and only end when He returns. You are not entering into the commission in which you were drafted if not daily using your spiritual weapons.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 15:1-7. The question at hand is simply what does it mean to abide in Christ? Often when we think of abiding, there is an inclination to draw attention to the union with Christ. But what we see in the term “abiding” in this chapter, particularly in verse 4, is that it is a verb, a directive to those already in union with Christ. To abide in Christ means we can participate in and look forward to: being grafted in, friendship, safety, revelation, comfort, correction, worship, adoration, and eagerly waiting. To abide and flourish we must believe and apply His truths.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 15:1-17. Doing the works of Christ is the purpose of all believers (John 14:12). God honoring productivity is not a New Testament idea. The first command God gave Adam and Eve, be fruitful and multiply, sounded a lot like John 15. God’s intention for creation was not only to have children but that they involve themselves in the work of the earth - cultivating and creating. This fruitfulness was in the context of abiding with God. In John 15, we see that the recovery of communion with Christ brings a recovery of God honoring productivity (fruitfulness). Both physical and spiritual productivity was necessary and expected as fruit bearing is the essence of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.Another thing we see in this passage is that the abiding work that the lord Jesus is calling us to is the consequence of prayer. We should ask ourselves, “Is the work I do a result of prayer? Am I willing to ask the Lord to help me with all the things I think, say, and do with my hands?”

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 14:8-24. As we look at this gospel, and in the book of Acts, we can marvel how people missed Jesus as the messiah. No one can identify Jesus on their own - only God can open our eyes to the truths of Christ. The spiritual realities of our conversion is recorded clearly in scripture: man doesn’t find God, God finds man. No one can come unless the Father draws him. Chapter 14 has an idea of comfort, in the way Isaiah cried out “Comfort my people”, directly associated with the Messiah, with the greatest of all needs of mankind. We also see the introduction of the Holy Spirit as helper and the concept of prayer. Jesus tries to help His disciples understand that something better was coming than Jesus being with them physically. He was going to the Father to involve Himself in another aspect of the spiritual warfare on earth but was leaving with them the Holy Spirit.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 14:1-7. The Lord Jesus Christ tells the apostles "Let not your hearts be troubled." They didn't know and wanted to know where He was going; they were struggling and Jesus had a gentle rebuke and profound encouragement in these seven verses. We live in troubling times; most satisfied with "micro events" of peace. We may find we are building our lives on these events, which, though wonderful, are not true, enduring peace. Christ has intended that our peace be in Him, now.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 13:36-38. In these verses, Peter asks where is Jesus going and why he cannot go. Peter’s desire for knowledge, which is not offered by God, becomes a stumbling block for his life’s purpose of selfless gospel service. The sin of our first parents was the pursuit of wisdom independently from God and to use themselves as a standard for right and wrong. They were discontent with what God had given to them as revelation and this became a tremendous stumbling block for them. Taking in the truths of God is vital but are we content in what God has revealed? Are we content to invest ourselves in those things and their application? Everything we do, moment by moment, is in direct relation to what God has called us to. Another issue is lack of self knowledge and overestimation of one’s spiritual state and understanding of the truth. When God redeems us, He brings us to spiritual life as a baby.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner preaches on Luke. Luke 1. Luke has a distinct purpose, brought about by the Holy Spirit, to direct the truthfulness to that which may seem difficult to believe. One of the most important works that God has set for Himself regarding mankind is to humble the pride of man. One of the ways He has decided to do this, is to insist that the process of gaining understanding, walking with the Lord, and growing in sanctification is a process that is so involved in God Himself and something that takes time and investment; we see this in Mary and Zechariah.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner preaches on Isaiah. Isaiah 9:1-7. Isaiah chapter 11 begins with a shoot from the stump of Jesse. It isn't normal for growth to come from a stump; stumps represent death. The entire theme of these verses in chapter 11 are things that are absolutely unlikely. As we follow the Lord and hope to see change in our life, it seems slow, often impossible. But God isn't like us, so He doesn't do things like we do, and He is full of surprises. As we continue the theme of Isaiah chapter 11, Ezekiel chapter 37, the valley of dry bones, asks the question, "Can these bones live?". As the lion seems to not be able to lie down with the lamb, God says it will happen, just as the dry bones will live. The whole point of the Messiah is to bring life where life isn't expected. Without Christ, we are in a hopeless situation, spiritual darkness, with no help at all. In Isaiah chapter 9, we see redemptive beauty.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 13:31-35. These scriptures focus on one idea: Love. Jesus gives us a new commandment in verse 34 - love one another, just as Jesus has loved us.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 13:1-20. The central characteristic of Jesus Christ and Christianity could be described as humility. When we rightly associate humility with the grace of God, we see that it is born out of an association with our union with Christ; we walk in humility. In this passage of scripture, we don't have a command to be humble, we have an example from the Lord. This example sets the disciples on notice that their lives, and the lives of all Christians, would require humility.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner preaches ahead of Thanksgiving on Psalm 100, a psalm for giving thanks, drawing our attention to the appropriateness of focusing on the concept of thanksgiving. The scriptures help us with the idea of thanksgiving and the sweet privilege of serving God. One of the great aspects of the new birth is what was once difficult becomes natural; as we walk with Christ more and more, there is a natural inclination to express gratitude to God as we see more and more who God is and who we are. Things change when we cultivate a heart of thanksgiving. Psalm 100.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 12:27-50. This particular passage of scripture should, firstly, draw us into a spirit of thanksgiving for what the Lord Jesus has done. Secondly, it turns our attention to an idea of attentiveness - receiving Christ where He is, when He is. At some point, the throne of grace will not be available. Thirdly, the idea of sobriety, that Jesus is the light and anyone without this light walks in darkness. Lastly, the concept of grasping reality. God is sovereign but man is still responsible. There is a point at which our hearts can become so hardened there is no return.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 12:1-26. This chapter contains a number of narratives that continue to reveal the character of the Lord Jesus Christ and the great purposes that the Father had for the Son. When you look at John's gospel, you can see a spiritual maturity that he gained, in Christ. This gospel helps us understand the profound basis and ground of our relationship to Christ - love. But, what does love mean? The greatest joy we can have is when we are loving another person.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 11:1-44. This chapter draws our attention to Mary's, Martha's, and Lazarus's love and enriched and fervent devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. It also draws our attention to the way Jesus expresses the sovereignty of God and the tenderness of a loving God-man. And lastly, how we might deal with the difficulties and challenges of suffering.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 10:1-42. Chapter 9 and 10 speak to spiritual clarity and understanding, what is really true about God and ourselves. This point is continued in chapter 10 with the concept of the Lord Jesus being the good shepherd. He is establishing the simple idea that the relationship between the Lord Jesus and the redeemed is that of a shepherd and His sheep - a glorious relationship. When we think about sheep, it may be that we consider that being a sheep is a mark of immaturity. We may be persuaded that we can become spiritually mature enough to not be considered sheep anymore; but that is not true. Our dependency is not a mark of immaturity as we will never mature out of needing a shepherd. As sheep, we are dependent creatures and our maturity in Christ will never change that fact.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 9:1-41. One of the subjects we encounter in this chapter is the simple question, asked in 9:2, “Who sinned?”. This draws us into the doctrine of God’s providence and His governance. We see that suffering isn’t always a result of retribution or chastisement but sometimes, as seen continued in verse 3, it is to glorify God.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 8:12-38. A couple major themes we have discussed thus far are the concept of judging with right judgment, which involves clarity and the light that only Christ can provide which is seen in chapter 8, and understanding the truth, which also requires the light of conscious only available in Christ. Jesus brings attention to spiritual things opposed to physical things such as with the Samaritan woman, Nicodemus, and His feeding the crowds. In these verses, we see the idea that He is the light of the world. He brings attention to the Jews regarding spiritual freedom and their enslavement.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 8:1-11. Thematically, in John chapter 8, we see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true light and truth itself. He brings freedom from enslavement to sin.

Please join us as Pastor Carlos Garcia continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 7:1-53. What does Jesus mean when He speaks of judging? How do we judge rightly? Judgmentalism is forbidden, but not moral discernment. Jesus wants us to be able to judge rightly, not by appearances but with right judgment. Ultimately, wrong judgment both comes from and results in unbelief.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 6:41-71. One of the main ideas set forth in these verses is the idea of the primacy of the spiritual life over the physical. The spiritual aspect of our lives has always been intended to drive the physical.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 6:1-40. This passage of scripture gives to us the key by which we can delightfully enter into the rigors of taking the Lord Jesus Christ at His word. Not in an Adam and Eve like persuasion where they determine how to follow God, but based on the incontrovertible truth of the Lord Jesus Christ - what has He said? How will we receive Christ? Will it be based on our abilities to assess the mysteries of God or will it be on the persuasion to believe what He has said.

Please join us as Pastor Patrick Joyner continues the series on the Gospel of John. John 5:1-47. John chapter 5 is potentially the most profound chapter in the Bible that reveals the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no mistaking what Christ is saying - He is God. He has the same authority as God because He is God. He, as the Son, doesn't do what the Father does by way of imitation, He does what His Father does because He has the nature of His Father. He is God.