Psalm 1: Jesus Is the Blessed Man | Psalm Devotional
We begin a new chapter in our Morning Psalms and Prayer series by diving into the foundational opening of the Psalter: Psalm 1. While often read as a simple instruction for living, we look deeper to see how these verses point directly to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Join us as we meditate on what it means to truly delight in the Law of the Lord and find our strength as trees planted by the living water of the Gospel.
Psalm 119:169-176: God Seeks Us by His Word | Psalm Devotional
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, and it ends the way it has been speaking all along: with a cry for help that is answered by the word of God. In this episode of Morning Psalms and Prayers, we finish the psalm with verses 169 through 176 and notice the rhythm of the psalmist's prayer. He cries, he pleads, and each time the answer comes "according to your word."
He Was Lifted Up | Acts 1:1–11 | The Ascension and the Mission of the Church
In this Ascension Day sermon on Acts 1:1–11, Pastor Mark Groen calls us to remember a powerful and often overlooked truth: Jesus was lifted up in glory—not as an afterthought, but as part of God's eternal plan. The Ascension is a historical reality, a heavenly enthronement, and a future promise that Jesus will return in the same way He ascended. This message explores what the Ascension means for our confidence, our calling, and our mission as the church today.
The Supremacy of Christ | Hebrews 1:1–14 | The One Who Sits Above All
In this sermon from Hebrews 1:1–14, Pastor Mark Groen opens our study through the book of Hebrews with a clear declaration: Jesus is the one who completes the picture of redemption. Like the final missing piece of a puzzle, Jesus brings everything into focus—He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature. The author of Hebrews makes it clear: Jesus is greater than the prophets, higher than the angels, and worthy of all our worship. This message challenges us to elevate Christ to His rightful place in our lives and to rest in the peace that comes from His finished work. If you're struggling to find clarity or peace in life, this sermon points you to the one who brings both.
Morning Psalms and Prayers | Psalm 119:25–32 Devotion on the Power of God's Word
You may notice that I highlighted things a little bit differently today, and not just because they're in blue. I highlighted smaller sections of the text. And so what you see here is that we have my soul clings to the dust, give me life according to your word. And then I highlighted your statues, then wondrous works, according to your word. Teach me your law, your rules, your testimonies, your commandments, notice what all of those things actually are. They are all things from the word of God. We, obviously, According to your word is the word of God.
Morning Psalms and Prayer: Psalm 119:17-24
As we think about what these verses mean for us today, we see here in verse 18, Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. What a great prayer that is, that we want God to open our eyes. We understand that without the work of the Holy spirit in us, we are not going to truly understand the word of God. We need that spirit working in us. So what a prayer that God would open our eyes and help us to see wondrous things in his law, that we would know God's word, that we'd be able to apply it to our lives because there There are so many wonderful things in his word, and we need God's help to understand those and apply them to our lives.
Morning Psalms and Prayer: Psalm 119:9-16
As we come to the second section of Psalm 119, we see something very important. The focus here in Psalm 119 is on the word of God. And what we see is a question, how can a young man keep his way pure? Well, that goes for anybody. How can an older man? How can a younger woman or an older woman? How can any of us keep our way pure? And the answer that the Psalmist has is by guarding it according to your word. That is important. If we want our way to be pure, we need to guard our lives according to the law of God, according to the word of God. We see here in verse 11 what the solution is, to store up God's word in our hearts that we might not sin against him. We often might pray, God, deliver me from sin. That's a wonderful and good prayer. We should pray that every day. But often we think that that somehow is magically going to happen. But that isn't how any of this works. God works through his word and through his spirit. We need to have his word within us, to be working and sanctifying us.
Morning Psalm and Prayer: Psalm 119:1-8
So as we begin to look at Psalm 119, what we are going to see is that Psalm 119 is primarily about the word of the Lord. It's about his word and what it does for us. And so as we come to this, we see this first statement, and it really lets us know where we're going, right? Blessed are those whose way is blameless who walk in the law of the Lord. If we want our way to be blameless, if we want to walk in the law of the Lord, we need to know his word. We can't just arbitrarily come up with ideas on what God wants us to do. We need to know his word. And so that is how we are blessed. That is how we know the goodness of God, not only in keeping his law, but also knowing his gospel, knowing that we have a way to live that God has designed, but also that when we fail and when we sin, when we reject God's law, we have forgiveness in Christ Jesus. It is blessed for us to know those things. And so now we also see that verse 5, Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes.
Noah Found Favor | Genesis 6:1–8 | Grace in the Midst of Judgment
Genesis 6:1–8 is a passage that often stirs questions—about giants, judgment, and God's grief. But at its heart, it’s a deeply theological and gospel-rich portion of Scripture. In this sermon, Pastor Mark Groen helps us see how the lines of Seth and Cain intertwine, why the earth was ripe for judgment, and how Noah stands as a signpost of God’s mercy in a world gone mad. This is not a tale of random destruction—it’s a story of covenant faithfulness, of righteous grief, and of grace that saves.
March 1 Sermon: And He Died
When I was a kid my cousins from Chicago would come to visit for two weeks or so every summer. I looked forward to it because Prentice was only a few months younger than I was and Judy was a year behind us. For two weeks a summer I knew that we would be together nearly every waking hour. A few years ago when I was in the Chicago area for a conference I had supper with Judy at a small restaurant near the University of Chicago and we reminisced about these days of summer. Days filled with driving our golf cart around the acre of land that surrounded our house. Going to the swimming pool. Riding bike around town and exploring. These were things she appreciated because she normally didn’t get to do those things. She shared with me that even though she is a Chicago girl through and through she felt so blessed to be able to have two weeks of a small town experience every year. One of the things we recalled was in the mornings before the pool would open we would sometimes get bored of being limited to the confines of our grandparents house and their black and white TV. Even the mean streets of Lennox didn’t offer enough adventure for us so I would jump on my bike and my cousins would get on my grandparents bikes and we would make the roughly 1 mile trek outside of town to the cemetery. A strange destination but we would go from gravestone to gravestone to find the headstones of our family members.
February 23 Sermon: Call Upon the Name of the Lord
When it comes to sin, I believe we are extremely aware of a serious truth. It doesn’t usually end with one sin. Sin is compounded. We do one thing and it leads to another. In a very public example like Watergate in the early seventies, we see that really the compounding sin ends up being worse than the initial transgression. We want to hide our sin or maybe downplay the significance of it.
February 16 Sermon: Fall and Promise
As we look around us there is no doubt. On a large-scale we see this in the world around us. Wars, terrorism, political unrest, and violence. On a small level we see discord in families and people who are suffering. We see the sin in our own lives, and we are not just victims in this broken world we end up as willing participants in it. We like to think there are human solutions to this problem. We see multiple political philosophies put out there as a solution with the goal of bringing about utopia. Yet, deep down we know our inability to do this. One of the key components of what we believe as Reformed Christians is the idea of total depravity. We believe that we are born dead in our trespasses in sins and we are incapable of saving ourselves.
Family Foundations | 5 Day Devotional on Genesis 2:4-25
This 5-day devotional is based on our message Family Foundations from Genesis 2:4–25. These readings are designed to help you reflect on God’s design for life, His provision for His people, and the foundation He has established for the family.
Family Foundations | Genesis 2:4-25 | Designed for Life and Flourishing
This sermon from Genesis 2 explores how God is not distant from His creation, but intimately involved in it. We see Him forming man, providing what is needed for life, and establishing boundaries that reflect His holy nature.
In this passage, God lays the foundation for human flourishing—through meaningful work, clear commands, and the institution of the family. His design is not arbitrary, but rooted in who He is, calling us to trust Him and live according to His Word.
Creation or Chaos? | 5 Day Devotional on Genesis 1:1-2:3
This 5-day devotional is based on the message Creation or Chaos? from Genesis 1:1–2:3. In this passage, we see that God is, that He creates by the power of His word, and that His creation is marked by order, not chaos.
These readings are designed to help you reflect on God as Creator, the meaning of being made in His image, and the hope of new creation in Jesus Christ.
Creation or Chaos? | Genesis 1:1-2:3 | From Creation to Covenant
Over the years of doing youth ministry, I have had several times where after a lesson I opened up the floor for any question that the students might have about the Bible or God in general. There is one question that has come up more than all of the others. This question is so common and yet I can still see the faces of some of the students over the years who have asked me it. Some of these students are now 30 years old with children and families of their own but I still have a clear image in my mind of them raising their hands and asking me the question. I’m not sure why it is so clear to me and why it has stuck out but this question has been a regular over the last 19 years. You may have already guessed what the question is but here it is for you. If God made everything, then who made God?
Devoted to Good Works | Titus 3:1–15 | Living the Gospel in Ordinary Faithfulness
In this final message from Titus 3:1–15, Pastor Mark reminds us that good works aren’t grand gestures done to earn God’s favor—but everyday faithfulness that flows from being justified by grace. The Christian life isn’t shaped by a smorgasbord of ideas but by the consistent truth of God’s Word and the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. Whether it's standing for truth, serving quietly, or resisting cultural confusion, believers are called to live lives of gospel-shaped obedience that glorify God in both the ordinary and the extraordinary.
A People for His Own Possession | Titus 2:1–15 | Living Out the Gospel with Grace and Conviction
In this sermon on Titus 2:1–15, Pastor Mark unpacks how God’s love isn’t just a distant concept—it’s a reality revealed in the person and work of Christ. As people redeemed by grace, we are called to live distinct lives that reflect the gospel in every season and station. From older men and women to young believers and those in challenging circumstances, the Christian life is marked by holiness, love, and good works. This message challenges us to embrace our identity as God’s people and live out our faith in tangible ways that impact the world around us.
Be Sound in the Faith | Titus 1:1-16 | Guarding the Gospel and Living It Out
What we believe shapes how we live—and the book of Titus makes that connection unmistakably clear. In this sermon on Titus 1:1–16, Pastor Mark begins a short series through this pastoral epistle by focusing on the link between doctrine and discipleship. We are reminded that faithful preaching, godly leadership, and spiritual discernment are essential to the health of the church. Whether we’re elders, parents, teachers, or simply followers of Jesus, we’re called to guard the gospel and live it out with faithfulness and love.
November 10 Sermon: Let No One Disqualify You
Noble Doss dropped the ball. One ball. One pass. One mistake. In 1941, he let one fall. And it's haunted him ever since. "I cost us a national championship," he says.
The University of Texas football team was ranked number one in the nation. Hoping for an undefeated season and a berth in the Rose Bowl, they played conference rival Baylor University. With a 7-0 lead in the third quarter, the Longhorn quarterback launched a deep pass to a wide-open Doss.
"The only thing I had between me and the goal," he recalls, "was twenty yards of grass."