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When biblically understood, providence is a secret weapon that wields contentment and joy in the bosom of the Christian. In this lesson, Pastor Josh lays out the contours of providence and then unpacks its consolations. Acts 17:28; Rom 11:32–36; Phi 2:12, 13; Prov 16:33; Gen 45:5; Jas 1:2–4; Heb 10:36; Eccl 7:16–18; Ps 37:1, 2; Eccl. 3:10–13

Best of men can confuse expectations with reality. After countless warnings, we can still be confused. Jesus patiently carries us along.

This sermon is comfort with a little kick—rich in its consolations but not feeble in its applications. It begins with God's everlasting covenant, rooted in his own unchanging being, and the promises which cannot be broken, with all the assurance of unending good to those upon whom he sets his love. Spurgeon explores the certainty and security of the covenant, never straying far from Christ's finished work, whether he is speaking of the covenant itself, or the God who makes the covenant with his people. Then he turns to the promise, "I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me" (Jer 32:40). Here he considers how God fulfils that promise, not by a twisting or emptying of certain spiritual realities, but by God's gracious and sovereign work in the soul, granting his people a holy awe, a filial fear, and a sense of grateful obligation. He considers the work of the Holy Spirit in this connection, giving us a trinitarian perspective on the whole, and uses the guarantee of a people united to God in holy fear to draw sinners to Christ to find certain peace and life everlasting.

Part 2 of "The Mind of Christ" picks up where Philippians 2:1-4 left off and moves to the model itself: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (2:5-6). Robert Rohlin reviews the four cords that bind believers together - consolation, comfort, communion, and compassion - then shows why church fights are almost never about doctrine. They are about me. He works through the Greek behind "esteem others better than themselves," explains why your outlook determines your outcome, and uses a first driving lesson, a hijacked airliner in the news, and John 13's basin and towel to make the point stick. The heart of the message is a Savior secure enough to serve: Jesus knew exactly who He was, and that is precisely why He picked up the towel. It ends at the cross, where Robert asks a question worth sitting with - how can anyone be arrogant standing beside the cross? Three things to carry home: remember what you have in Christ, regard others as more important than yourself, and resemble the Savior who did not grasp. If pride is quietly winning somewhere in your life, this message hands you a cure you can start using Monday morning.

This exposition examines the Reformed doctrine of predestination, specifically focusing on the Westminster Confession of Faith's treatment of God's sovereign decree regarding the non-elect and the assurance of the elect. The speaker emphasizes that God's withholding of mercy is an act of justice that glorifies His power, while the extension of mercy to the elect is purely of grace, stripping believers of any grounds for pride. By referencing Romans 9 and 2 Peter 1, this episode argues that true understanding of this high mystery leads not to intellectual arrogance but to deep reverence, humility, and diligent obedience. It concludes by urging believers to find abundant consolation in the certainty of their effectual calling, ensuring that theological knowledge fuels praise and active participation in the local church rather than mere academic curiosity.

Part one of a two-part message on Philippians 2:1-6, and the tenth message in Pastor Robert Rohlin's study of Philippians. Epaphroditus has carried good news and hard news from Philippi to Paul's prison cell - a joyful church with a crack in it, and two faithful women, Euodia and Syntyche, who no longer get along. Rohlin works through the four cords Paul uses to hold a church together: consolation in Christ, the comfort of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, and compassion from the deepest part of a person. He then turns to the mindset that keeps unity - one mind, one love, one accord - and to the two things that kill it, selfish ambition and empty glory. Division inside a church, he says, is more dangerous than any enemy outside it, and it almost always starts over something small. Why listen? Because the little things are what divide people, at church and at home. Rohlin brings in the rowers of Ben Hur pulling to one drumbeat, the church at Ephesus that kept its programs and lost its first love, D. L. Moody quietly shining the shoes of visiting preachers at Northfield, and the man who comforted a young widow by polishing her children's shoes for their father's funeral. You will get a plain definition of humility - not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less - and a test you can put to your own attitude this week. Part two picks up the mind of Christ in verses 5 and 6.

1. The Experience of Devastation 2. The Expression of Consolation 3. The Exhortation of Contemplation

Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

This sermon explores the theme of divine comfort found in Isaiah 40, addressing the universal human desires for rest, forgiveness, and security amidst suffering. The exposition highlights how God's words of consolation address specific human struggles, including a troubled conscience, isolation, mortality, and vulnerability, by promising the end of spiritual warfare, His visible presence, and the assurance of His sovereignty over life and death. The central theological argument posits that the ultimate source of this comfort is the Word of God, which stands forever and is most fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. By connecting the prophetic promises of Isaiah to the incarnation, atonement, and resurrection of Christ, the message presents Jesus as the tender yet almighty Shepherd who defeats sin and death. The sermon concludes with a pastoral call for believers to rest in this unchanging truth and to proclaim these good tidings to a weary world.

This sermon explores the theological significance of suffering for the believer, drawing primarily from Psalm 94 to argue that days of adversity are often blessings in disguise. The central message asserts that God uses hardship as a tool for spiritual instruction, deepening the believer's understanding of His Word and character. The text emphasizes the unshakeable assurance that God will never abandon His people, citing multiple Old Testament promises to counter feelings of forsakenness. Furthermore, it highlights God's ability to provide inner relief and consolation, even when external circumstances remain difficult. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, urging the audience to trust in God's faithfulness and find joy in the midst of trials.

This sermon explores the dual application of Job 5:29, addressing both the downcast sinner and the struggling believer. It begins by describing the natural and spiritual condition of sinners who are cast down due to separation from God, guilt, and the emptiness of life, offering the gospel as the definitive message of lifting up through Christ's sacrifice. The tone shifts to pastoral comfort for Christians experiencing tribulation, emphasizing that suffering is a certainty in this life but is not the final word. The preacher highlights sources of hope, including the sovereignty of God, the faithfulness of Christ, the comfort of Scripture, and the fellowship of saints. In conclusion, the message affirms that while believers may be cast down, they are not destroyed, as God provides eternal consolation and ultimate restoration.

Face au découragement de ses disciples et aux crises actuelles comme l'insécurité, Jésus offre une consolation en appelant à une foi inébranlable. La paix du croyant repose d'abord sur la promesse de son retour glorieux pour rassembler les siens dans la demeure éternelle du Père. Il s'affirme également comme le seul chemin, la vérité et la vie, excluant toute autre voie religieuse pour parvenir au salut. En révélant sa parfaite divinité et son égalité avec le Père, Jésus garantit l'autorité suprême de ses promesses et la réalité de sa protection. Enfin, il assure à ses disciples une efficacité dans la prière en son nom, leur permettant d'accomplir des œuvres spirituelles de grande portée sous l'action du Saint-Esprit.