Full Assurance | Hebrews 10:19-39 | Once for All
Sermon, Video Mark Groen Sermon, Video Mark Groen

Full Assurance | Hebrews 10:19-39 | Once for All

There's a difference between hoping things are okay with God and actually knowing they are. Most of us live somewhere in the middle — intellectually convinced of the gospel, but unsure whether we can really walk into the presence of a holy God with confidence.

That's precisely what Hebrews 10:19–39 addresses. Every argument the author of Hebrews has been building — the priests, the sacrifices, the temple imagery — has been driving toward this: full assurance of faith. Because of what Jesus has done, we don't just have permission to draw near to God. We have confidence to do it.

But that assurance isn't meant to stop with us. This passage moves outward — we're called to stir one another up, to build each other up in faith, and to resist the pull toward the isolation that defines so much of modern life.

Read More
Once For All | Hebrews 10:1-18 | The Law Says Do, the Gospel Says Done
Video, Sermon Mark Groen Video, Sermon Mark Groen

Once For All | Hebrews 10:1-18 | The Law Says Do, the Gospel Says Done

We all know the feeling of looking back with fresh eyes — hindsight has a way of bringing things into focus that we couldn't quite see while we were in the middle of them.

That's exactly the vantage point the author of Hebrews writes from. Having moved into the New Covenant, he looks back on the rituals and sacrifices of the Old Covenant and sees them clearly: those things were never the solution. They were a shadow — real and meaningful, pointing clearly to their source — but a shadow nonetheless.

Read More
Through the Blood of Jesus | Hebrews 9:11-28 | Once for All
Sermon, Video Mark Groen Sermon, Video Mark Groen

Through the Blood of Jesus | Hebrews 9:11-28 | Once for All

One of the central ideas in the Christian faith is the idea of the power of the blood of Jesus. I don’t think it would take us long to come up with a list of well-known hymns that talk about the blood of Jesus, and we also know several verses from the Bible that express this important and powerful truth. If we think about it a little, unless you have a working knowledge of Christian doctrine these phrases might not make much sense. Being washed in the blood of the lamb doesn’t sound like it would be anything that would get you too clean, unless you know the foundational Christian teaching behind it. There’s power in the blood seems a bit strange unless you know that the idea is that the power of the blood is to pay for your sin.

Read More
A Better Covenant | Hebrews 8:1-13 | Once for All
Sermon, Video Mark Groen Sermon, Video Mark Groen

A Better Covenant | Hebrews 8:1-13 | Once for All

We all have an inherent desire for the "next big improvement," but in the spiritual life, there is nothing that can supersede the work of Jesus Christ. In this study of Hebrews 8:1–13, we explore why the New Covenant is described as "much more excellent" than the old.

The author of Hebrews makes a compelling case that while the earthly tabernacle and its sacrifices were important, they were merely shadows of the heavenly reality where Jesus now ministers as our High Priest. By looking at the prophecy of Jeremiah, we see how God has moved from a law written on stone to a covenant written on our hearts, ensuring that we can truly know Him and experience total forgiveness.

Read More
To the Uttermost | Hebrews 7:11-28 | Once for All
Video, Sermon Mark Groen Video, Sermon Mark Groen

To the Uttermost | Hebrews 7:11-28 | Once for All

Does the good news of the Gospel ever seem "too good to be true"? In our study of Hebrews 7:11–28, we confront the doubts we often have about our own salvation by looking to the indestructible life of Jesus Christ.

This passage details how the arrival of Jesus brought a new priesthood and a new Law, fulfilling the temporary "types and shadows" of the Old Testament. We explore why the earthly priests could never perfect God's people and why Jesus, our sinless and eternal High Priest, is able to save us to the uttermost.

Read More
A Higher Priest | Hebrews 7:1-10 | Once for All
Video, Sermon Mark Groen Video, Sermon Mark Groen

A Higher Priest | Hebrews 7:1-10 | Once for All

One of the easiest ways to explain the value of something is to make a comparison. We do this with food, with celebrities, and even with historical figures. In Hebrews 7:1–10, the author uses a comparison with the mysterious Old Testament figure Melchizedek to explain why we must remain faithful to Christ.

Early believers were tempted to return to the tangible "check-the-box" rituals of the temple sacrifices. This sermon explores why that would be a step backward. By looking at Melchizedek—a priest-king who had no recorded genealogy and who received a tithe from Abraham himself—we see a foreshadowing of a priesthood that does not rely on earthly markers, but on eternal appointment.

Read More
God’s Promise is Sure | Hebrews 6:13-20 | Once for All
Video, Sermon Mark Groen Video, Sermon Mark Groen

God’s Promise is Sure | Hebrews 6:13-20 | Once for All

Is your life anchored to something that holds, or are you drifting with the winds of the world? In this study of Hebrews 6:13–20, we discover the "overarching theme" of Scripture: the covenant faithfulness of God. Using the story of Abraham, we examine how God ratified His promise with an oath, swearing by Himself because there is no one greater.

This "covenant of grace" ensures that our salvation does not rest on our own efforts, but on the unchangeable character of a God who cannot lie. Whether you are facing life's storms or struggling with failure, find peace in the anchor that is firmly set in the presence of God through Jesus Christ, our great high priest who has gone behind the curtain as our forerunner.

Read More
Solid Food for the Mature | Hebrews 5:11-6:12 | Once for All
Video, Sermon Mark Groen Video, Sermon Mark Groen

Solid Food for the Mature | Hebrews 5:11-6:12 | Once for All

Are you surviving on a spiritual diet of "Pop Rocks and Mountain Dew"? In this study of Hebrews 5:11–6:12, we examine why spiritual nourishment is essential for every believer to stand firm in their faith. The author of Hebrews issues a sharp warning to those who have become "dull of hearing," urging them to move past the basics and feast on the solid food of God's Word.

Read More