Tri-Annual Singing!
October 17, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: Authority
Subject: Authority
The Patternists: The Chastisement of the Lord
Hosea prophesied during a very dark period in Israel’s history. To show to Hosea and the people how far they had fallen from Him, He had the prophet take a harlot as a wife. The reason? “For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:2).
Hosea married the harlot Gomer, and she conceived and bore him children. The name of each child was given by God, as a means of emphasizing the broken relationship between God and His people. Hosea’s first son was named Jezreel, “for in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel” (1:4). His first daughter was named Lo-Ruhamah, “for I will no longer have mercy on Israel, but I will utterly take them away” (1:6). Hosea’s second son was named Lo-Ammi, “for you are not My people, and I will not be your God” (1:9).
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The Patternists: Bound by Promise
The Hebrew writer speaks of the promise God made to Abraham. “For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you’” (Hebrews 6:13-14). We know that God kept His promise to Abraham. We know this because it has been revealed through scripture. However, the promise was certain to be fulfilled as soon as it was made, because God was the One who made it! Consider the writer’s point: “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18).
Only one thing was needed to show Abraham the surety of the future promise. God cannot lie. The oath He swore by Himself simply showed it “more abundantly.” Because of His nature, what God promised was assured. In this we rejoice, because He has promised hope to those who are His. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” (Hebrews 6:19).
Sermon: We give thanks to You, O God!
An analysis of a wonderful Psalm of praise to God. The 75th Psalm. For His wondrous works, His authority, His compassion for the humble, and judgment of the prideful.
Sermon: The Temple Tax
The 12th in our series on the life of Jesus. Jesus teaches Peter an important lesson concerning His person by the miraculous securing of, and paying the temple tax in Matthew 17.
The Patternists: “Why has the Lord done so?”
Deuteronomy 29 contains a renewal of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with Israel. The location was the land of Moab, and Moses “called all Israel” to affirm their willingness to keep that covenant. The covenant contained promises of blessings, contingent upon Israel’s faithfulness; but also stated curses, the consequence of disobedience.
Moses stated the reason for this covenant, and the oath of faithfulness they were to make, “so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober” (18-19).
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The Patternists: Lent is NOT Christian
I was watching FOX News late Wednesday night, and noticed a mark on Laura Ingraham’s forehead. At first glance I thought she had a bruise, but quickly realized she was sporting an ash cross. Ash Wednesday is really not on my radar, and you don’t typically see people walking around with ash on their foreheads, so it was the first indication I had that the Lenten season has started.
I took to the internet to jog my memory about this observance. Some who are unaware might think my ignorance of the observance to be peculiar. Since I am a professed Christian, and gospel preacher, some might think it obvious that Lent would be an important “season” for me to observe. Consider the following quote from an article written by an Episcopal priest named Scott Gunn, “This Wednesday, Christians around the world will begin their observance of the season of Lent.”
