Living Fearlessly Before the Lord, Confident in Who He Is, and Who We Are in Him

Living Fearlessly Before the Lord, Confident in Who He Is, and Who We Are in Him

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A brief look into the supremacy of Christ and His creative and redemptive work. In this we find not only our hope, but the assurance of our salvation, and how this should shape the way that we live here on earth, until that beautiful day where we are called into His glorious presence. In the current day and age, where the world is driven by fear, we as the beloved have been delivered from this dominion of darkness. We have…

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The Word Made Flesh

The Word Made Flesh

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We start off today with a story by Paul Trask’s wife, Leslie, which relates directly to today’s message. The story features a farmer endeavoring to save his precious birds during a blizzard. Though he seeks to do his birds good, alas, they are afraid of him, to their own detriment, and the farmer’s dismay. He wishes he could become one of them, on order to lead them to safety. In like manner the Old Testament nation of Israel was afraid…

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Communion as Betrothal

Communion as Betrothal

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When the church celebrates communion, both Jesus and Paul tell us to remember Jesus, and the sacrifice He made to secure our eternal salvation (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:25). And so during communion we should indeed reflect backward and remember that most profound event. But looking backward and remembering – while vitally important – is not the whole story! Communion powerfully beckons us forward to a rich consummation at the Lord’s climatic return to planet earth.  To help us understand…

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Is Jesus the Good Samaritan?

Is Jesus the Good Samaritan?

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In Luke 10:25–37 Jesus is confronted by a legal expert who puts him to the test by asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Since this is a legal expert, Jesus explores this lawyer’s own understanding of the statutes. And the lawyer does well by citing a combination of Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your…

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As the Lord has Forgiven Us, So We Should Also Forgive

As the Lord has Forgiven Us, So We Should Also Forgive

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On the cross, Jesus overcame evil with good: He didn’t return evil for evil; He didn’t pass on the evil by seeking revenge; He absorbed it (Romans 12:21; 1 Peter 2:23). The only way we can truly absorb evil—the only way we can forgive—is to “roll it over” on Jesus who deals with it for us in perfect love and justice. To do that is to show love for our enemy because of our desire that he should know the…

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The Church: The Community of the Spirit

The Church: The Community of the Spirit

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There are 5 descriptions of the early church that can be distilled from the early chapters of Acts. God’s new ekklesia (church), besides being the community of the forgiven, is also: the community of the outpoured Spirit,  the blessed citizens of the eschatological City of God, the Heavenly Zion, living out their high calling and final destination and dwelling in the coming Heavenly Zion, while yet residing in the present  evil world, the firstfruits of the last days remnant (the…

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The Talking Snake: Eden Revisited

The Talking Snake: Eden Revisited

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Pastor Steve Carpenter closely examines the Fall of Adam & Eve in Genesis chapter 3, with careful attention to the snake’s engagement with Eve. Very insightful. You may download a text copy of this message by using the orange button below —->

The New Covenant and the Forgiveness of Sins

The New Covenant and the Forgiveness of Sins

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Because God is a forgiving God, He is a healing God! These two are inseparable accompaniments of each other. Our healing always touches multiple levels in varying proportions—the emotional, the spiritual and the physical. These are not separable categories in our lives. We cannot rigidly distinguish between emotional and spiritual illness, which inevitably also carry in them physical implication. God is concerned about the whole person: body, soul, spirit, mind, will, and emotions. So if we harbor grudges, offenses, anger,…

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Healing the Paralytic

Healing the Paralytic

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This message of God’s full and complete forgiveness of sins was heard and rejected by the proud, blind, corrupt Judaism of Jesus’ day, but a handful of religious outcasts received it as the best news that could ever be heard by listening ears, and they became the early nucleus of a new people of God known as the church, the called-out assembly, whom Christ has received as the inheritance and reward of His sacrifice. And we, the church of Jesus…

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The Parable of the Two Debtors – part 2 of 2

The Parable of the Two Debtors – part 2 of 2

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Today, Pastor Steve Carpenter continues his exploration of Jesus’ Parable of Two Debtors from Luke 7:36–50. Jesus now places this (former) prostitute on a high pedestal for all to see, while at the same time giving a scathing indictment of Simon’s own rudeness. Jesus looks squarely at this woman, whom everyone else was trying to ignore, while at the same time speaking directly and pointedly to Simon the Pharisee.  To drive His point home to Simon He tells the Parable…

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