Intentional Atonement | John 10:1-21 & Isaiah 53:1-12 | Redemption Accomplished for His People
Why did Jesus lay down His life? In this third sermon from our Understanding Grace series, we explore the deep assurance that comes from knowing Christ’s atonement was intentional and effective. From Isaiah’s prophecy to Jesus’ words in John, Scripture reveals that Christ did not die to make salvation merely possible—He died to actually redeem His people.
Adopted by God | Deuteronomy 7:6–11 & Romans 9:1–16 | 5 Devotions on God's Sovereign Love
Day 1: Understanding Unconditional Election
Bible Reading: Romans 9:6-8
Devotional: Begin by reading Romans 9:6-8, focusing on the principle of election as outlined by Apostle Paul. This doctrine can be difficult to understand, but it's crucial in comprehending God's sovereignty and His unconditional love for us. The sermon we listened to emphasized that our salvation doesn't depend on our works or merits, but solely on God's mercy. Today, let's meditate on this divine grace and express gratitude for His unconditional love.
Adopted by God | Deuteronomy 7:6–11 & Romans 9:1–16 | God's Covenant Love Revealed
Why are we called the children of God? In this second sermon from our Understanding Grace series, we explore the astonishing truth that salvation is not based on human effort but entirely on God's sovereign love. From God's choosing of Israel in Deuteronomy to Paul's teaching in Romans, Scripture shows us that adoption into God's family is rooted in His mercy, not our merit.
Creeds, Reubens, and the Faith Once for All Delivered to the Saints
I like Reuben sandwiches. In fact, I am on a quest to find the perfect one. So far, the best one I have ever had is at Valois in Hyde Park near the University of Chicago. If you are ever on Chicago's South Side, I recommend you make trying one a priority.
The problem with enjoying a Reuben is that it is not the type of thing you go the refrigerator and make for yourself. I also cannot walk up to the sandwich line at our local grocery store to enjoy my favorite sandwich. It is something I am rarely able to enjoy.
Fallen Humanity | 5 Devotions on Total Depravity and God's Grace
Day 1:
Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3:1-15
Devotional: Today we begin our journey with the first sin, the fall of man. We see how the first humans disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. However, in Genesis 3:15, we also see God's promise of a Savior. How does this promise impact your understanding of God's love and mercy, even in the midst of our rebellion?
Fallen Humanity | Genesis 3:1–24 & Romans 3:1–20 | Why Grace Is Our Only Hope
Why do we need grace? In this opening sermon from our Understanding Grace series, we explore the sobering truth about the human condition apart from God. From the first act of rebellion in Genesis to Paul’s clear teaching in Romans, Scripture shows us that we are not merely flawed—we are spiritually dead. But it is in the depths of our fallenness that the light of God’s grace shines brightest.
The Officers of the Church: Acts 6, 1 Timothy 1, Titus 1 | 5 Devotions on Leadership in the Church
Day 1:
Bible Reading: Acts 6:1-7
Devotional: The early church faced challenges in leadership roles and inclusivity, especially concerning the Greek-speaking Jewish widows. Reflect on how the apostles solved this problem by appointing seven deacons. Consider the importance of clarity and definition in leadership roles within the church and how this impacts the congregation.
The Officers of the Church: Acts 6, 1 Timothy 1, Titus 1 | Defined by Service, Rooted in Grace
We continue our study of presbyterian church government and look at the offices of elder and deacon.
There may not be anything that is much worse for an organization than to have undefined roles for the people who serve in those organizations. This often happens with large corporations. It's actually the things of plots of television shows and movies where you see people who have worked for a company that's been around so long and they've done certain things and sometimes people aren't even sure what their jobs are. Their roles were at one time defined, but it becomes a thing of comedic error to find that they don't even know why they're there or what they're doing.
Well Ordered: Numbers 11 & Acts 15 | 5 Devotions on the Importance of Church Government
Day 1:
Bible Reading: Numbers 11:10-17
Devotional: Today, reflect on Moses's plight in the wilderness. He felt overwhelmed by the task of leading God's people, so God provided him with elders to share the responsibility. As you read, consider the role of church leaders in your life. How do they support and guide you? How can you support and pray for them?
Reflection Question: In what ways have you felt the support and guidance of church leaders in your life?
Well Ordered: Numbers 11 & Acts 15 | How Christ Cares for His Church Today
What does the Bible really say about how the Church should be governed? Is it just a matter of preference—or has God actually given us a pattern for leadership in His Church?
In this sermon, Pastor Mark explains why the form of church government matters. Drawing from both Old and New Testament passages, we see that Christ rules His Church not through lone leaders or distant hierarchies but through servant-hearted elders working together. This model, found throughout Scripture, protects the flock and proclaims the gospel with clarity and unity.
August 20 Sermon: I Was Glad
We all have places that we love to go. Special destinations that mean so much to us or maybe it is someplace that you desire to travel to but you haven’t made it there yet. These might be places that have significant meaning to you or it might be places that have nostalgic meaning to you. I’m guessing you can think back to a place from your childhood that was a super big deal for you to go to and you have strong memories connected to these places. I don’t remember how the conversation came about but just this past Friday Kris and I were chatting in her office and we reminisced about places we ate at when we were young. Strong feelings of nostalgia sprung up in both of us as we recalled going out to eat at Godfather’s Pizza at the corner of Minnesota Avenue and 33rd street in Sioux Falls.
August 13 Sermon: Not to Us
Back when we were going through the Ten Commandments earlier this year I drew out several times how the Ten Commandments and really, Genesis and Exodus, spend a lot of time pointing out the idea of a distinction between the creature and the creator. For example, in the first commandment we saw that God is the creator and he alone is worthy of worship. In the pagan worship of their neighbors there was not a distinction between the creator and his creation. In paganism, all is one, there is no God who is outside of creation but everything is summed into the one.
July 30 Sermon: My Salvation, My God
We’ve all desired something and desired it deeply. These longings that we have can often end up consuming our thoughts and become our focus. Often this goes beyond just what we think about, these desires can often end up directing our lives, even without us even realizing it. It frames not only how we think but it can cause us to act in different ways. These yearnings often also shape our loves and the path of our lives soon follow. This is why it is so important that we are mindful of our thoughts. This has been true in any time but as I was pondering this concept the past week I was once again drawn to the affluence of our time.
Dwell in the Word: Psalm 13
Psalm 13 has us in another psalm of David and in this chapter of the psalter we find David asking some questions. Once again, the psalmist is clearly facing a difficult circumstance of some kind and here we see a pretty high level of desperation. The questions David is asking shows that he might be to a bit of a breaking point. When we read the first verse you have to not only appreciate the honesty of David but I also appreciate that these questions are in scripture. We know that God does not forget his people. We know that he is slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love.
Dwell in the World: Psalm 12
We find ourselves in Psalm 12 and once again we see the psalmist feeling overwhelmed with the state of the world around him. Right away with the first three words here in this chapter we have David asking for rescue from Yahweh. In this instance it isn’t David calling out to have his health restored in a sickness and he isn’t asking to be saved from a military attack or coup. Instead, the concern that we see being expressed here is that the godly one is gone. David says that those who are faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
July 23 Sermon: Lead Me to the Rock
There are times in life where we just feel like giving up and like there is no point in us continuing with the path that we are on. Whether these are substantial, life altering decisions or frustrations we have building up over small things. We have all gotten to the point in our lives where we want to give up or change course. We have seen situations like this in another psalm that we have looked at this summer. In that psalm we saw that the writer just wanted to give up and die but God provided rescue and sustained the psalmist that he might bring glory to his name.
Secure in the Storm | Psalm 11 | Dwell in the Word
Psalm 11 opens not with despair but with confidence: “In the Lord I take refuge.” In this Dwell in the Word episode, Pastor Mark Groen walks through this short yet profound psalm to help us see what it means to trust God when the world feels like it’s falling apart. Whether we’re tempted to run or freeze in fear, this devotional reminds us that God is still enthroned—and He sees.
July 16 Sermon: Surely
Let’s be honest. As you read through the pages of scripture there are many times where you come upon passages that can make us feel uncomfortable. And this is only naturally because there are difficult passages in scripture that speak of things that can come up against many of our modern sensibilities. We live in a time that is very different than the one in which the Bible was written. Things were naturally very different and even some simple customs might seem off to us just because it is nothing like anything we would ever even imagine doing. There are also times where the way sin has been softened in our culture even makes us as Christians balk at some of the bold statements about what is sinful.
July 9 Sermon: Not Even One
There is a spiritual and theological truth that is very easy to objectively verify. That truth is the doctrine of original sin. You see it everywhere when you observe the world around you. Sin and depravity are everywhere. You can observe it in the big problems of the world when we see moral decay all over the place. You can see it in the issues that happen closer to home as well with a plethora of examples we could list of things that show us the world is broken. We can see it in our homes when we have struggles and conflict within our own families but at the end of the day, we must also acknowledge that the greatest proof of this depravity is the sin that we know is in our own hearts.
Dwell in the Word: Psalm 10
We come to Psalm 10 and we see a question that many of us have most likely asked. God, why do you seem so far away and why are you hiding yourself in the worst of times? You may have asked this question in time of personal difficulty or when someone you know was experiencing hardship. You may have also had this question come to mind when there was something going on in the world that you were deeply troubled about. This is something all of us have considered and it is a blessing that we see these things talked about openly in the pages of scripture because there is an answer to these thoughts that can plague our minds.