Christmas Generations (Matthew 1:1-17)

When we summarize  our history we tend to avoid the embarrassing people in our family line.  We all have those relatives that we do not like to talk about because of what they have done or what they are currently doing.  So, when our Lord lays out the genealogy of Chris you would think that He is going to call to our attention the good people and ignore the embarrassing ones?  Well, if you look at the genealogy some of the most embarrassing skeletons in the closet are brought out front and center.  Why would our Lord do that?  Why would our Lord even give us a genealogy at all? 

Is Assurance as Simple as “Just Believe?” (Hebrews 11:1-7; 39-40; LD 7)

When we go through this life and we struggle in our faith it is hard to know where we find our hope.  Do we find our hope in believing the promises of the Gospel or do we need to wrestle with how many fruits of faith we have to make sure we really have Christ?  If we say that we are not to wrestle with all these fruits then why such a chapter on the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11?  What is the purpose of calling attention to their works and struggles?  What does the flow of this text tell us about assurance?

Contrasting Wisdom and Folly (Ecclesiastes 7:1-13)

The saying in this age is that “laughter is the best medicine.”  I grant that no one likes an Eeyore crashing the party.  We all know that such a pessimist is not someone very fun to be around or listen to complain all the time.  So, if this is true then why does the preacher tell us that it is better to be in the funeral parlor rather than wedding feast?  Are we not to enjoy the fruits of our labors?  How can we go through life with such a pessimistic outlook?  Where is the joy and wisdom in such pessimism? 

What is True Thanksgiving? (1 Peter 1:3-9)

Thanksgiving is a time where we find our joy by counting our blessings.  There is nothing necessarily wrong with counting our blessings, but what is the basis of our blessing?  Peter challenges us to see that there are trials that we can be thankful for as well.  Why would be thankful for trials?  What hope does Peter give in calling our attention to thankfulness even in the midst of trials?  Or is Peter just telling us to be happy because the Lord commands us to be happy?  

The Irony of Wealth (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)

Having more wealth and assets would improve one’s standing in this age.  If one is wealthy then one would have more joy because there are more things and distractions to keep someone from experiencing the pain of living life under the sun.  So, is this true?  Is it safe to affirm that we can find more joy and contentment just by acquiring and having more?

Where is the Joy? (Ecclesiastes 2:12-26)

The book of Ecclesiastes is not a book that opens with the most optimist outlook on life.   Our argument has been that the way to find life is to look above the sun rather than only under the sun.  So, how do we know that the preacher really wants us to look above the sun?  Is there a way that we can have life or joy in this life?  How do we have joy in this life or is just a series of disappointment culminating in death revealing dark humor of a very mean God? 

Knowing the Cost of Redemption (Luke 22:39-46; LD 4)

When we think about Redemption we can take things for granted that we should not take for granted.  We can look at the work of Christ and minimize what it cost.  How much did it really cost Christ to accomplish our redemption? How hard was it really for Christ the God man to redeem us?  I mean He is God so what is the real challenge?  How can redemption be something that is horrible for Christ when God is glorified in the midst of it?

Sincere Worship (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

It is easy for us as Christians to think that the people outside the church are really bad people while we are the good or moral people.  The preacher in Ecclesiastes wants us to be careful of such a position because within the community we might worship the Lord, but we might not really be worshipping the Lord.  What is the problem of living this way?  How does making such a show of piety without true heart conviction present a problem?  How can this be a functional atheism when we are worshipping the Lord?

He Was Made Sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, LD 5)

If we were to think about how we stand before the Lord in ourselves it would be rather frightening.  There is no basis for us to draw near to the living God with all our sin.  We might be tempted to harm ourselves to show some sort of a commitment to the Lord.  There is a problem in that we cannot harm ourselves enough to show real dedication.  It is impossible for us to cleanse ourselves enough to draw near to God.    If that is the case then how can we draw near to such a holy God and enter back into this graces?  How can we approach such a holy God as an unholy people? 

We Really Need Redemption (Psalm 51; LD 3)

David has done a very bad thing in the midst of the community.  He is the one who has been born in sin.  Does this mean that David is not that guilty because he is a sinner anyway?  Where does David turn for his hope and assurance of his sin being taken away? 

Foolish Ambition (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16)

The world tells us that ambition is something that is necessary to get ahead in life.  We certainly affirm that the one who does not work does not eat.  So, having work and ambition is not something that is necessarily sinful.  So, we have no problem with being ambitious or working hard. It seems that the preacher is warning us of an ambition that gets in the way of godliness. So, when does ambition become foolish?  Where is the line for being appropriately aggressive or ambitious and not being ambitious?  You would think that we need to launch a huge survey, but in reality Solomon’s wisdom applied to us by the preacher helps us with this issue.

We Love a Little Right? (Luke 10:25-38; LD 2)

Our catechism makes a very strong statement that we naturally hate God and our neighbor.  It is not that we have issues with God and our neighbor, but that we actually hate God and our neighbor.  This is not something that we want to affirm about ourselves because we think that we love a little or that there is something in us that is not that bad.  So, why such strong language?  How do we know that we really do have issues loving our Lord?  How much should we love our Lord and our neighbor?

Wisely Tolerating Imperfect Justice

This world is a place where you do not have to look far to see people doing very bad things and getting away with it. Sometimes we can use the modern day proverb, “If you can’t beat them join them.”  What does that mean?  It means play their game and try to beat them at their own game.  The problem with this thinking is that as a human being we are still trying to exalt ourselves rather than live by a principle of justice.  So, how do we go about our days in this world knowing that there are people who are beating the system and getting away with it?  Will they stand and be okay or will the Lord deal with them?  How do we find contentment in the midst of this frustration?

Really, A Comfort in Death? (Ephesians 2:11-22; LD 1)

If you were to poll people on the street they would probably confess a willingness to spend lots of money to be more comfortable.  We want to be comfortable, but there is the issue that we all face in this life: nothing lasts forever.  We know that if we get something new that makes life a little easier it will not last.  It will break.  This is why the promise of the catechism is so radical that we can have a comfort in life and in death.  How can that be?  A comfort in death?  Is this really possible to a comfort that is in this life and extends beyond this life? 

Perfect or Imperfect Timing Under Heaven? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15)

The preacher in Ecclesiastes claims that all is vanity.  If this is true then why continue with life?  If this life is so meaningless then why get up every morning?  If this is really true does that mean that God has forsaken His creation? If God has not forsaken this creation what does it mean?  How do we account for non Christians actually enjoying their work or seeing it as fruitful?   So, is everything really vanity under the sun or is the preacher just overstating his case? 

Lead and Deliver Us (Matthew 6:13; LD 52)

One of the greatest temptations we have in this life is to rely on ourselves to arrive at the goal of heaven.  We think that there are strategies we can take or maybe works we can do to please the Lord in our strength.  How do we know that we should be relying on the Lord in everything that we do?  How do we get through this age if we are self deceived and struggle in sin?  What does the request for leading and deliverance teach us about our frailty as humans?

The Wisdom of Hedonism (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

You do not have to look very far today to have someone tell you that the way you enjoy life is to pursue things that will give you pleasure and avoid pain.  This is something that sounds very wise and we might even say that it is common sense to enjoy life in a mindset of pursuing only pleasure.  It might seem like common sense, but can a pursuit of pleasure take away the emptiness and vanity of this age?  If this too leaves you empty then what will take away that emptiness and vanity of this age?

This Day Our Daily Bread (Luke 11:3; LD 50)

When we think about the Christian life it is easy to think that the Lord just wants us to pray about the spiritual issues we might be having.  I mean the Lord is busy so why would he care about the evil flesh?  How do we know that the Lord wants us to be physically healthy?  Is it wrong for us to request that the Lord care for our physical needs?  How do we know that the Lord really will care for our physical needs?  How are these physical needs even a spiritual concern?  So, should we place before the throne of God our physical needs and burdens?

A Faith Crises Under Heaven (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18)

The reality of the Christian life is that the life is a struggle.  We do not simply believe and then everything in life falls into place easily without much effort.  That would be nice, but it is not the reality of life under the sun.  In the midst of this struggle we can have a bit of a crises in our faith.  We can begin to question, doubt, and be tempted to walk away.  Where do we turn to be refreshed in the life and wisdom of God?  Where do we find our comfort?  How does the preacher in Ecclesiastes teach us and encourage us to persevere in the midst of this faith crises?

Your Will Be Done (LD 49; Matthew 6:10)

You do not have to travel far to find the cynics who do not want to consider the Lord’s will.  As fallen human beings we really think that our will is going to give us something that is greatly beneficial.  After all it is easy to dismiss God’s concern because He seems so distant.  So, why is it essential that we want the will of the Lord?  How can desiring His will over our will be something that is really beneficial for our daily walk?  How do we know that God really cares or is able to act on His concern when we are so fallen and broken in this age?