We have so many reasons to thank the Lord, yet we get focused on other things and forget about all the blessings we have received from Him. In the sermon Pastor David encourages us to always remember the Gospel and never forget to thank the Lord for it.

Psalm 103 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,

3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

4who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel.8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9 He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever.10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.13 As a father shows compassion to His children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.15 As for man, His days are like grass; He flourishes like a flower of the field;16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children,18 to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments.19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.20 Bless the LORD, O you His angels, you mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word!21 Bless the LORD, all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will!22 Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Praying a Prayer like this is like asking for a psych eval and an autopsy at the same time. It reminds a person that there is one who knows both the entirety of our physical being as well as our soul. Not only does God know them but has crafted them personally.

In psalm 139 we see David praising God for His Omni-status - God's Omniscience, His Omnipresence and Omnipotence. We see David's praise of His creative purpose and His thoughts of care toward His creation. Finally, we see David's response of loyalty and trust.

Psalm 51 is a Prayer of Confession that's actually genuine. With all the celebrities, and even celebrity Christians falling into public sin, only to be followed by half-hearted contrition, or none at all, it's necessary to come back to this psalm and experience what godly sorrow looks like.

Whereas so many leaders of country's and cults have hideous sin in their lives, David stands out as one of few that actually chart a course to repentance. When a Muslim apologist was faced with having to deal with the pedophilia of Muhammad, he side-stepped and mentioned David's infidelity. But Psalm 51 shows us that unlike the progenitor of Islam, David recognized his actions as sin and sought forgiveness and healing.

Psalm 51

1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

The Bible commands us to praise the Lord, but it also gives us reasons why we should praise the Lord. In this sermon Pastor David examines how this psalm shouts that our God is good, our God is great and our God is gracious. It delights in His sovereign power over all creation and redemption.

Psalm 135

Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD,

2 who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God!

3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to His name, for it is pleasant!

4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His own possession.

5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast;

9 who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants;

10 who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings,

11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,

12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to His people Israel.

13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.

14 For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

16 They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;

17 they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!

20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!

21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, He who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!

Further Study: Ps 29:2 34:8; 115; 119:68; 148:8; 1 Pet 2:9; Dan 4:35; Isa 46:9-10; Job 37:10-12; 42:2; Heb 1:3; Col 1:15-20; Acts 17:28; Rom 11:36; John 6:44, 65.

None of us likes to be told what to do. We want to be our own boss, to call the shots, but the Bible warns us that there is a King over all the universe and it's not you or me. In this sermon Pastor David explains that rebellion against the Almighty means certain destruction, so we must bow the knee to Christ the King. There is no refuge from Him, there's only refuge in Him.

Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, saying, “As for Me, I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage, and the ends of the earth Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Further Study: 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 45:22-23; Acts 4:24-29; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5; Acts 13:33; John 5:19-24; Revelation 1:4-7; 19:11-16.

This Sunday Pastor David reminds us that the Great Commission isn't optional, but a command from the Lord.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

If Christ promised He would build His church, what are the means by which He does it? In this sermon Pastor David explains that God saves souls through our proclamation of the Gospel, through our evangelism. God uses His people to accomplish His saving work. Christians are the means God uses. We must proclaim the Gospel with boldness and pray for God to save souls through it.

Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Acts 2:47 And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Romans 10:13-14 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Further Study: Acts 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25; Phil 1:29; Eph 2:8-9; 1:3-14; Matt 16:18; John 3:3-7; 6:44, 65; Acts 2:47; Titus 3:3-7; Rom 10:13-17.

As the representatives of God's Kingdom on Earth, it is important that the Church is one unified body expressing the same saving message, regardless of denomination or ethnic/cultural history and life experience. It's not that the Father sent Jesus so that those redeemed by His sacrifice could have a lack of individuality or independent thought, but that our independent thoughts would be guided by the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures of His inspiration, so that we would be of the same mind on the things of God's grand narrative. In this sermon, Pastor David explains that we might disagree on minor details, however, we must be solidly together on the indisputable facts of the Gospel.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Divisions in the Church

1 Corinthians 1:9-13

10I appeal to you, brothers,a by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Christ’s Example of Humility

Philippians 2:2-4

2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.