Advertise on podcast: St Andrew's Messages

The Command, the Christ, and the Confession: The Reformation has many themes and rallying cries, including ad fontes, "to the sources." It's a day we often remind ourselves what Martin Luther and others did, but it's a day to let the Word of God speak for itself. We return to Matthew (22:34-46) this weekend as we celebrate God's grace.

How often have you commented or even noticed that something was not fair? Experience may reduce the number of outbursts, but not the mental outrage. As we consider King Josiah (2 Kings 23), we may be tempted toward an incomplete fairness check that does not consider how our God treats us.

There is no other gospel. Period. Exclamation point. Any attempt to change or minimize the part that Jesus Christ plays in saving us from our sins is an attempt by the devil to take the spotlight off our Savior—placing it on our sinful selves. As we study the apostle Paul's greeting to the Galatian congregations this weekend in worship, we learn a valuable lesson for ourselves—that it truly is always and only about the One who came to win for us a salvation we could never win on our own.

God is in charge, so let go and let God, right? A simple reality check shows that is rarely our approach. Why not? Today we learn from King Hezekiah's worry check in 2 Kings 19 to cast all our anxieties on God, because he cares for us.

Apathy is not always just who you are; it often develops slowly due to neglect or inaction. It can easily look like a neutral position or even virtue, but it is the opposite of what we are called to in our walk with Jesus. Today we observe Israel's apathy under King Hoshea, let God's Word convict us too, and then look to the cross, the culmination of Jesus' zeal for saving sinners.

As we gather to dedicate our new space, we look back to the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem and how well King Solomon maintained the mission. Our comfort is not in our own success, but in that of Solomon's descendant whose mission was to sacrifice himself for us. We give all glory to God for all his blessings. All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

"You shall have no other gods." That's the First Commandment. The Bible emphatically denies the existence of any god but the Lord, so the commandment is about our hearts and what we treat as God. Like King Jehu (2 Kings 10), we show some signs of commitment, but they coexist with moments of idolatry. Only the true God can save us from our ambivalence.

The account of Old Testament King Ahab, his wife Jezebel, and a vineyard owner named Naboth is an account of greed, ego, and selfishness. It shows the utter sinfulness of mankind and how "me-centric" all of us can be. That's why it's not all about us. That's also why it always has been and always will be all about Jesus—our Savior and our Lord. To his name be worship and praise.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Few would sharply disagree with this well-known proverb, but what do we do about it? We learn from King Jeroboam (1 Kings 12), from ourselves, and from our Savior.

Two simple questions. What influences you? What should influence you? Rehoboam did not give those questions much thought. Today we can learn from his negative example in 1 Kings 12. All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

Do you find it difficult to identify areas in your spiritual life that require attention and change? Sometimes it's easier to pick out personal flaws in others. Over the next couple months, we'll use the lives of the kings of Israel and Judah as a reality check for our own personal spiritual journeys. This weekend we begin with King David, who was unable to check his blind spot. If we're honest, we are often no different, so we come before a God of mercy and grace not for congratulations, but for forgiveness. Join us to hear his message and praise him for our salvation.

Trust is something difficult to earn and easy to lose. We live in a world built on trust, but so often it's hard to trust anyone because we've been let down time and time again. Not so with our God! He is not only worthy of our worship and praise, but also our trust that he has everything under control and will build us up to deal with whatever comes up in life. In fact, faith trusts in God's promises. Why? Because he never lets us down in Christ our Savior.

In Matthew 22, Jesus tells a parable about a wedding banquet. Some are found to be unworthy and cast out. What makes us worthy or unworthy of a wedding? What are the standards for taking an earthly spouse compared to an eternal one?

The prison padre grimly tells the death row convict, "Son, I'd suggest you get right with God." What did he mean? Many think he's telling the man to be more moral, obey God's Word better, or be more religious. What do you think he means? Jesus told two parables in Matthew 21 to help you know what it means to "get right with God." And it's not what many think. We're glad you're here to gather with others needing and seeking the right answer from Jesus' words.

Have you ever been disappointed upon further examination or after opening a container to reveal the actual contents? That's what happened to Jesus on the Tuesday of Holy Week, but why such an extreme reaction as cursing a fig tree? Let's join his disciples to learn from him.