Preaching Christ’s Gospel in the Gallatin Valley

Why must Christ be raised from the dead? Romans 4:25 teaches that Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. His resurrection vindicates His finished work, secures our standing before God, guarantees our future glorification, and assures believers that salvation rests not on the strength of our faith but on the objective, historical work of God in raising Jesus from the dead

When Peter and John were commanded to stop preaching Christ, the early church did not pray for safety or comfort. No, they prayed for boldness. Acts 4 reminds us that God's sovereign purposes cannot be frustrated by human opposition and that the church's calling remains unchanged: to proclaim the Gospel faithfully. In a culture filled with distraction, division, and pressure to dilute biblical truth, believers are called to stand firm, trusting the One who rules over all things and empowers His people to live and speak for His glory.

In times of suffering, many believers ask, "Where is God?" Hebrews 2:9-18 provides a powerful answer by pointing us to Jesus Christ, our merciful High Priest and Pioneer. Lord's Day 16 reminds us that Christ's death was not optional but necessary to satisfy God's justice and secure our salvation. By becoming lower than the angels, suffering in our place, and triumphing through His resurrection, Christ entered our broken world to deliver us from slavery to sin, fear, and death. Because He endured temptation and suffering, He is able to help His people in every trial. This sermon explores how Christ's humiliation leads to His exaltation, how His death secures our redemption, and why believers can find comfort and hope in the midst of suffering. Through Christ, God does not abandon His people to chaos but leads them into everlasting communion with Himself.

Peter and John, ordinary fishermen with no formal rabbinic training, stand before the most powerful religious leaders in Jerusalem and boldly proclaim the risen Christ. Acts 4 reminds us that God delights in using weak and unlikely people to accomplish his purposes. The leaders who thought they had silenced Jesus now face the undeniable evidence of his resurrection power. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter declares that salvation is found in Christ alone, the rejected stone who has become the cornerstone.

Prayer is the chief expression of Christian gratitude, yet it remains one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life. We struggle because of our sinfulness, our doubts, our busyness, and our tendency to trust visible means more than the God who provides through them. In the Lord's Prayer, Christ teaches us not merely how to pray, but to whom we pray. Through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are given the astonishing privilege of addressing the Creator of heaven and earth as "Our Father." Prayer is not a performance to impress others or a technique to manipulate God. It is the joyful privilege of adopted children who come confidently before their loving Father. Because Christ has purchased our access to God and continually intercedes for us, our prayers matter. Prayer expresses our dependence, deepens our communion with God, cultivates gratitude, and conforms our will to His. As grateful children, we pray not simply for God's gifts, but out of love for the Giver Himself.

In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus contrasts two prayers that reveal two very different hearts. The Pharisee trusts in his own righteousness and compares himself favorably to others, while the tax collector comes with nothing but a plea for mercy. Christ's verdict overturns every human expectation.

This sermon explores the danger of self-righteousness, the beauty of humility, and the gospel truth that sinners are justified not by their works but by God's grace through faith in Christ alone.