Who is Herod, really, and what is at stake in his struggle to put the Christ child to death? And how do we make sense of Matthew’s use of the Old Testament to explain who Jesus is? Join us as we unmask Herod and peer over Matthew’s shoulder into the depths of salvation history.

Led by a star, Gentile sages arrive in Jerusalem seeking a newborn king of the Jews. In a chapter filled with wonder and consternation in which prophecies of the Messiah come to pass, Matthew focuses our attention on responses to Jesus. What will we do with the news of his arrival? Will his birth elicit anxiety, hostility, apathy, or joyful submission?

Having brought of his treasure something old, Matthew now draws out something new as he presents to us the unexpected manner of the Messiah’s birth, shrouded in scandal and mystery, rooted in promise, bringing salvation, and for as much as for the people of Judah. How will we respond to the news that Matthew brings?

Each gospel begins in a unique way; Matthew begins with a genealogy demonstrating that Jesus is the Christ, the son of David, the son and of Abraham. But what is the significance of this ancestral line, and how does it connect Jesus to the Old Testament? Join us as we follow Matthew’s explanation to answer the question: what child is this?

This morning as we enter into December we reflect on Genesis 3, the entrance of sin into the world, and the announcement of the gospel that accompanied God’s coming in judgement. Lord, come quickly!

The world around us is broken in ways we deeply feel, and so we long for things to be made right. And yet we often set our longing on things that fall short of what we and the world need. Join us as we see how Isaiah confronts our need and our short-sighted hope with God’s provision in Jesus Christ.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His steadfast love endures forever. One reason we need the church is to take joy in the ways God delivers his people, because thanksgiving is a public matter. The Lord saves all kinds of people in all manner of ways, and he likewise commands us to consider the steadfast love he shows to others.

Nehemiah seems to end on a downer as we see once more the rebuilding community failing to keep themselves unstained from the world. In a chapter prefaced by the subtle seduction of the world and placing on full display the fundamental reality of compromise, do we yet find a word of hope? Are we able with Nehemiah to look beyond the sin and disappointment of the present to final victory and blessed reward? Join us as we wrap up Nehemiah pondering both failures and a future.

As we approach the end of Ezra-Nehemiah yet another list of names heads a chapter filled with rejoicing. How might we foster the kind of joy in God’s faithfulness this chapter displays? Join us as we consider their joy in a record of God’s faithfulness, joy in a celebration of God’s faithfulness, and joy in preparation for God’s continued and future faithfulness!