Christ Church (Moscow, ID)

Preacher: Ben ZornesCourage is not being the first to comment, and the last one to leave a Facebook fight (round about 1am). Courage isn’t talking louder than everyone else. It isn’t the mere presence of adrenaline in the midst of a tense situation. Courage has many counterfeits, while cowardice often wears a bold face.

Preacher: Douglas WilsonWhen you consider the peril our nation is currently in, and you reflect on the fact that this psalm came up as the text for this Lord’s Day purely by happenstance, your conclusion needs to be that it is almost as though a higher power were at work.In 1582, in Edinburgh, an imprisoned minister named John Durie was released from prison. He was welcomed on the edge of town by several hundred of his friends, and as they walked along, that number soon swelled to several thousand. Someone began to sing—Psalm 124—and they all, much moved, sang it together in four parts, much as we will be singing it later in the service. "Let Israel now say in thankfulness..." One of the chief persecutors was said to have been more alarmed by this spectacle than anything else he had seen in Scotland, which is very likely saying something.

Preacher: Ben ZornesTexts: Eph. 3:14–15, Gal. 4:26The US Congress recently introduced the rules for their new legislative session. They struck gendered familial terminology (i.e. father, mother, son, daughter, etc.) from the House’s rules for legislators. The recent events of our nation reveal our void of fathers and mothers. This is just one more effort by the godless to further erode the biblical structure for families.

Preacher: Toby SumpterThe thing that drives our militance is joy. The joy of the Lord is literally our strength. The cash value of all of this is that we want to be a community known not merely for militance, but for a militant joy. We want our homes to be places of fellowship, our tables places of laughter, our community a place of forgiveness, our social media posts to be overflowing with good humor.

This excerpt is from Pastor Doug's sermon, 'State of the Church 2021.'1. Worship2. Honesty about sin3. Marriage4. Music5. Hospitality/community6. Christian Education7. Debt-free8. Joviality, cheerfulness, laughter9. Family dinners/sabbath10. Study/read11. Work12. Stories

Preacher: Toby SumpterText: John 12:20–33It has sometimes been said that people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good, but that is actually a slander and a lie. In fact, C.S. Lewis said rightly, “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.” Likewise, Lewis said, “Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you get neither.”

Preacher: Toby SumpterSo this is the exhortation: if you’re new here, you are most welcome. If you’d like to really dig in and be part of this crazy blessing, the most important thing you can do is confess your sins to God and anyone you’ve sinned against. And not just one time, but regularly, daily, weekly. Don’t let any bitterness or guilt build up. That will only get in the way. And if you’ve been here for a while, don’t put on airs. Check your hearts: Are they clean? Don’t get lazy. Remember where you came from.

Preacher: Douglas WilsonText: 2 Cor. 10:3–5We are living in a time of great uncertainty and turmoil, and in such times, men turn naturally to their gods. In the case of many Americans, jack-secularists, they have resorted to long-neglected temples, only to find that their gods have toppled over like Dagon. They are therefore governed by fear and anger, both right and left. We are not in their position, and so whatever we do, we must not copy or imitate them.

Preacher: Douglas WilsonText: Luke 18:1–8The year behind us, 2020, has been quite a year, and it may have occurred to some of you that when 20 turns 21, it might start drinking, and then what shall we do? Of course, we shall pray about it, but there is a particular kind of prayer that we need to understand in times like these.

Preacher: Chase FluhartText: 1 Pet. 2:4–10