The Scriptures teach that freedom in Christ always leads to a choice: whether to sow to the flesh or to sow to the Spirit.

Drawing from Galatians 6 and the prophet Hosea, the Scriptures reveal a consistent spiritual principle—whatever is sown will be reaped, and the harvest is always a magnified version of the seed. To sow to the flesh is to reap corruption; to sow to the Spirit is to reap eternal life. This truth is not limited to the Old Testament but stands firmly within the New Covenant, addressing how believers are called to live with the freedom Christ has given.

The Scriptures expose Israel’s failure in Hosea as a warning: God’s people transgressed the covenant, rebelled against God’s kingship, trusted their own way, and used God’s blessings to create idols that led to their destruction. They sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind. Yet the Scriptures also proclaim hope—calling God’s people to sow righteousness, break up fallow ground, seek the Lord, and reap steadfast love as righteousness rains down.

The Scriptures teach that believers often struggle because they assume grace exempts them from this principle, believe small sins produce manageable consequences, or fail to examine the seeds they are sowing. Sin is never manageable; it always leads to corruption. At the same time, righteousness does not grow automatically. Fallow ground left unattended will always produce weeds.

The Scriptures therefore call God’s people to intentional sowing: examining the heart, confessing sin, memorizing Scripture, praying together, practicing discipleship, and actively pursuing kingdom work. In every season, the question remains the same—what seeds are being planted, and what harvest is being prepared?

Sermon Text: Hosea 8.1-10

Date: January 11, 2026

Preacher: Todd Pylant

Prosperity can blind the heart—unless we remember who the true source of every blessing really is.

The Scriptures teach that prosperity—especially spiritual prosperity—can quietly become one of the greatest dangers to the people of God.

The Scriptures open with the warning to the church in Laodicea, exposing the deception of believing, “I am rich, I have prospered, I need nothing,” while being blind to true need. From there, the Scriptures lead us to Deuteronomy 8, where Moses prepares God’s people to enter a land of abundance and blessing. The Lord promises to bless them richly yet also warns that fullness can lift the heart in pride, leading God’s people to forget the Lord who brought them out of slavery, sustained them in the wilderness, and provided everything they possess.

The Scriptures describe a dangerous progression: God blesses His people, they initially bless the Lord, then forget the source of their blessings, begin to believe they can maintain them on their own, and eventually believe their own power produced them. When trials come and self-sufficiency is exposed as an illusion, the heart looks elsewhere for help—and whatever becomes the source of help becomes the god that is served.

The Scriptures show this pattern fulfilled in Hosea, where God’s people were filled, their hearts were lifted up, and they forgot the Lord, turning to other gods. The same warning is echoed again in Revelation, making clear that this temptation is not limited to ancient Israel but confronts the church in every age.

The Scriptures call God’s people to remember that everything received is a gift, to practice daily thanksgiving that identifies God as the source, and to examine where they truly turn for help. Only by remaining connected to the source can the people of God resist the danger of prosperity and remain faithful under blessing.

Sermon Text: Hosea 13.4-9

Sermon Date: January 4, 2026

Preacher: Todd Pylant

The Scriptures teach that the Christmas story is not a gentle moment of divine courtesy, but an overwhelming announcement of who this child truly is.

The Scriptures lead us to Luke 2 and the message of the angels, calling us to listen carefully to what heaven says about Jesus. The birth of Christ is not presented as a nostalgic or polite gesture, but as good news of great joy that confronts the world with divine authority. The angel announces that the child born in the city of David is Christ the Lord—Messiah, Savior, and King—encapsulating the heart of Advent’s message .

The Scriptures emphasize that this announcement comes not to the powerful or religious elite, but to shepherds working the night shift, the most common of the common. An angel stands near them, followed by a multitude of the heavenly host—not a choir, but an angel army—declaring glory to God and peace on earth. This scene reveals that the incarnation is a show of divine purpose and power, not mere courtesy or sentimentality .

The Scriptures teach that peace is proclaimed to all people, yet peace with God is found through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The shepherds respond by going with haste, seeing the child, and making known what had been told them. Mary treasures these things in her heart, while the shepherds return glorifying and praising God .

The Scriptures call us to believe that Jesus is fully God and fully human, the Messiah who fulfills all hope, the only Savior who bears sin, and the Lord before whom every knee will bow. This is the astonishing truth at the heart of Christmas.

Sermon Text: Luke 2.8-20

Date: December 21, 2005

Preacher: Todd Pylant