2 Samuel 16–17 Absalom’s coup continues. David makes his way… read more

As Jesus turns to the body of the Sermon on the Mount he heads off objections to his teaching and says something that leaves disciples in shock to this day: unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What are we to make of this difficult saying and the paragraph that accompanies it? How does Jesus’ teaching relate to the Old Testament? How does the gospel relate to obedience? How do we follow Christ? Join us as we ponder these challenging words.

Join us as we continue in 2 Samuel 15, where betrayal, power struggles, and the pursuit of a kingdom collide in a dramatic tale of loyalty and deceit. As David flees a fortress city become a trap, a series of encounters reorients his heart and mine, and the quick-thinking, God-reliant David resurfaces (though yet with faults). What will become of God’s king and God’s people?

Jesus calls his disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but what do these images mean for us, and how do we make sense of the enigmatic warnings that come with them? This morning we examined the usefulness of disciples, the temptation of persecution, and the outcome of our discipleship. Join us as we continue to make our way through the Sermon on the Mount!

The fallout of David’s non-reconciliation begins as Absalom massages the people’s egos and steals their hearts. His conspiracy is broad and deep, and David must respond swiftly for his own safety and that of his followers. In the midst of so much human action, the most unlikely interaction—with a Philistine mercenary!—will reawaken David’s faith and put the Lord’s actions back in the forefront of the narrative. Nevertheless in this section David continues to point us to Jesus primarily by way of contrast. Join us as we begin to consider Absalom’s coup and David’s flight! To be continued…

As Jesus begins the most famous sermon ever preached he begins by meeting objections his teaching will raise, asserting blessing for his disciples, and offering us three windows: into the character of his disciples, into the content of the kingdom, and into the persecution of believers. Join us as we consider these Beatitudes and the comfort that precedes command.

A nation rocked, a family torn asunder, a father and son estranged, a royal heir in exile. Thus 2 Samuel 14 begins. And though David’s heart inclines toward his son, his actions do not. Will the machinations of David’s court bring about reconciliation? Or will we see the parable of the Prodigal Son by way of contrast? Join us as we are frustrated by the events of this chapter and reflect on how it drives us to a different son of David.

The last chapter of Genesis draws us to a close of sorts, and yet contains a to-be-continued feel. God’s faithfulness to bring Abraham’s family to this moment points to future faithfulness yet to come, though some elements of the promise are not yet fulfilled. Join us as we reflect on the book and discuss the reflex of faith that causes both Jacob and Joseph to desire a burial in the promised land, even as their descendants remain in Egypt for the time being.

As Matthew turns to the first major block of Jesus’ teaching we encounter a two-verse preface. Easy to overlook, this preface nevertheless orients us to what follows with important reminders and observations. As we consider it this morning we are reminded that Jesus teaches for the world, Jesus teaches his disciples, and Jesus teaches with authority. Join us as we consider both the encouragement and the challenge that these observations bring!