'Nisi Dominus Frustra' - 'Without the Lord, Frustration’ Psalm 127 This Psalm of Ascent takes the normal Christian life and broadens it beyond the walls of worship at church to every sphere of life. God encourages us to take to heart a timeless truth - without the Lord, frustration. The success of work and family-life depends on the Lord’s blessing. All striving in our own strength will amount to nothing more than “vanity”. The Lord isn’t calling us to idleness or passivity, but to diligence wedded to faith. Themes include: worship, prayer, trust and dependence, rest, faith.

Genesis 19:1-29 Jesus tells his hearers to “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32) for her heart went after her former life and she was turned into a pillar of salt and perished with the rest of Sodom. This morning We want to go back one step further and remember Lot himself. He is a tragic figure in the Scriptures. Through a series of compromises he lost virtually everything, escaping only with his salvation as a child of God. There are some serious lessons we as Christians can glean from this account in Genesis 19. He stands as a monument of the backsliding Christian who failed to abide in Christ. He failed his family, his generation and ultimately His Lord. Themes include: worldliness, compromise, faith, evangelism and witness, integrity, steadfastness.

Matthew 13:44-46 In these two short parables Jesus wants His hearers to capture something of the surpassing value of the kingdom of God. We have many ’treasures’ in this life, but gaining the kingdom ought to be to outweigh everything else we hold dear. In fact, Jesus stresses that there is no sacrifice too great for obtaining the kingdom. We should be willing to part with anything in order to enter into eternal life with Christ. The readers are forced into asking themselves: “What do I treasure most? And do i know, personally, the treasure Christ speaks of here?”

John 15: 1-11 The Secret to Bearing Fruit

Luke 17:11-19 Ten lepers find themselves in great need. All ten receive mercy through healing. Only one finds his heart healed. Nine out of Ten run with their miracle, only one turns back in adoration and worship. Perhaps this is what John meant when he said, “It is obvious who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are…” May this be a reminder that a thankful heart is exceedingly precious in God’s sight. Themes: Thankfulness, ingratitude, common grace, worship

Isaiah 53:2

Isaiah 9:6 The apostle John warns Christians that many false Christs (anti-Christs) are already on the loose - it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come.” It is not sufficient to say that we believe in Jesus. The claim needs clarification - ‘which’ Jesus do you believe in? Let us be thankful that the evidence for the historicity of Jesus is undeniable. Debate however has raged over the identity of Jesus. We are going to take a deep dive into the doctrine of Christ and study the Bible’s overarching testimony of who Jesus is. We will explore the nature of the Trinity; Jesus’ Deity; the Incarnation; His Humanity; the Purpose of his coming.

Isaiah 42:1-4 We find ourselves looking at Jesus through the eyes of the O.T. In Isaiah’s day, God’s people were threatened with exile, there was turbulence among the nations because a new super-power was emerging - the Persian empire under Cyrus. Fear led the people to get very religious again. And so there was an increase in idolatry. In the midst of all this futility, God calls out - “Behold my Servant!” He goes on to describe his Faithful servant, who will rule the nations, but will come in astonishing gentleness. He will be unlike any king before him. And His influence and work, will reach the farthest parts of the earth!

2 Timothy 3:14-16

Luke 12:10 This single statement of Jesus has perplexed and disturbed Christians throughout history to the present day. An ‘unforgivable sin’ seems so incompatible with the gracious God of Scripture who pleads with sinners to come and find forgiveness in Him. Why is blasphemy against the Father and Son a forgivable sin, whilst blasphemy against the third member of the Trinity not? What is this sin that bars a soul from heaven? Can the Christian commit it? Have you and I committed it? These are probing questions that need clear answers.

Luke 12:1-12 Having just left a Pharisee’s house after a fiery clash, Jesus now continues on with His public ministry. The crowds coming to him may well be at their largest here. Jesus is surrounded. Everyone wants to get close to the miracle-worker. The encounter at the house is still fresh in Jesus’ mind, so he takes the opportunity to first speak to his disciples about deadly influence the Pharisees have. He goes on to warn them that these leaders will be held accountable and are not to be feared. Instead, the Lord’s disciples are to bravely confess their allegiance, entrust themselves to God through persecution, and rely on the Holy Spirit to equip them in the presence of their enemies. Themes include: Unashamed discipleship, the Lordship of Jesus, the help of the Holy Spirit, Judgement, God’s faithfulness, the fear of the Lord.

Luke 11:37-54 Jesus receives a dinner invitation from a Pharisee and because he has made a practice of 'eating with sinners', he accepts. The night spirals south so quickly, it seems no one had time to even taste the food! The host is shocked to see Jesus reject their traditions concerning ‘washing'. In response, Jesus dishes the host and guests a 6-course serving of woes! Jesus was meek but he wasn’t mild. He exposes their hypocrisy and unmasks their uncleaness. It’s a tense encounter but it’s not without a purpose. Jesus isn’t having a bad day, he’s confronting bad men. Strong illnesses need strong medicine and so Jesus confronts their malady of hypocrisy head on…..

Luke 11:27-36 On the heels of an extraordinary exorcism and two illuminating parables, the crowds remain untouched. The Pharisees are blaspheming and others are demanding more proof. In the centre of this is a woman who stands in contrast to the masses and proclaims that she is ‘pro-Jesus’! Her understanding is incomplete and Jesus wants her and everyone listening to know for certain that siding with him involves both hearing and responding to His Word. Still, his exhortations and charges fall mostly on deaf ears and the constant refrain from the many is “Show us a sign from heaven!” His Word continues to go unheeded, as man will rather live by sight than by faith. The irony is, the people have chosen to close their eyes to the signs before them. Thus, Jesus reverses O.T. expectations and warns that Gentiles from the past will be their future judges… Themes include: Light and darkness, the sufficiency of God’s Word, faith and obedience, the superiority of Jesus, the certainty of final judgement.

Luke 11:14-26 Following his teaching about how to pray, Jesus encounters a demoniac who is severely oppressed. The people bring the darkness before the light, and the light overcomes it. The man is powerfully delivered and there is a buzz amongst the crowd. Can Jesus be the long awaited one? The Pharisees scramble to denounce him as darkness masquerading around as light. Jesus uses this exorcism as an opportunity to give a parable about his generation. Jesus draws a line in the sand. Who is with him? Who is against him? There are only 2 parties. The reader is forced into taking a position concerning this miracle-worker.

Psalm 73 When believers question their faith because they envy the prosperity and power of unbelievers, they can regain a proper perspective on life and confirm their faith by seeking God in the sanctuary (at Church, among his people), where they will be reminded of their glorious and eternal relationship with the LORD, in contrast to the sudden destruction of the wicked.