Preaching Christ’s Gospel in the Gallatin Valley

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.

The Christian gospel confronts us with a humbling truth: we are heinous sinners so estranged from God that only Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection can bring us near. From the moment the eternal Son took on human flesh, He began a path of humiliation that would culminate at the cross, where He would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows as the true Scapegoat. Though He never sinned, Christ was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, taking upon Himself the chastisement that brought us peace.

Christ's suffering accomplished what no moral example could achieve: the actual removal of our sin and the crediting of His righteousness to our account. This means that our sins are credited to Christ. The other side is that His righteousness is credited to us. We are delivered from eternal condemnation and restored to full communion with God. This is shalom: not a cold peace treaty, but the complete restoration of fellowship. Christ now lives to make intercession for His people, ensuring that those He has redeemed will persevere to the end and find safe passage into the most holy place in heaven itself.

In Acts 3, Peter confronts a common human tendency: trusting in visible leaders rather than the God who works through them. After the healing of the lame man, the crowd focused on Peter and John as if the miracle came from their personal holiness or power. Peter immediately redirects their attention to Jesus Christ, the true source of life and healing. The miracle was not a testimony to the apostles’ piety but to Christ’s authority and resurrection power. This passage reminds us that God builds His church through ordinary means and imperfect servants, while all glory belongs to Christ alone.

Peter then proclaims Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Suffering Servant foretold by the prophets, and the Author of Life whom Israel rejected but whom God raised from the dead. Though the crowd had participated in this rejection, Peter extends a gracious invitation to repent and turn to Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The gospel offers restoration not to the worthy but to those who recognize their need for a Savior. As believers, we are called to place our confidence not in human leaders, spiritual achievements, or personal performance, but in the Triune God whose power raises the dead, renews hearts, and grants life through Jesus Christ.

How do we know that God will keep His promises? Psalm 132 addresses that very question. In the midst of uncertainty, the psalmist looks back to God's covenant with David and asks whether the Lord has forgotten His word. Rather than giving in to despair, he brings his concerns directly to God and pleads for the fulfillment of God's promises. The Lord responds with reassurance: His purposes have not changed, His timing is perfect, and His promised King will come. In Jesus Christ, the covenant promises made to David find their fulfillment, giving believers confidence that God never fails to keep His word.