One of the unique items that the Queen of England always travels with is mourning clothes. Knowing that the news of a death can come at any time, she is always prepared to wear the appropriate attire. The gospel promises that one-day mourning clothes will no longer be needed. By the saving grace of Jesus, we will one day trade in our mourning clothes and put on the garments of praise.

The yoke of Christ connects you to the righteousness of Jesus that lifts you up for the glory of God. The more it grows, the better it is. The more it grows, the more joy it produces. The yoke of Christ connects and makes you submissive to Jesus, who loves you, is working to provide well for you, and is preparing the glory of heaven for you.

The invitation is to exchange the yoke of sin for the yoke of Christ. One condemns and destroys the other redeems and gives life.

The work of the cross is complete and a testimony to the power of God. The work of sanctification continues in the hearts and lives of every believer. Our confidence is not in our ability or the ability of someone to help us. Our confidence is in Jesus, who completed the work of redemption on the cross and will perfectly complete the work of our faith in us.

Joyful obedience is different from obligated compliance. When you are bound to the law, you are obligated to obey its demands and suffer its judgment. When you are free in Jesus, you are free from the law, free to enjoy the righteousness of Jesus, and free to obey His commands willfully.

There are some things you have to do. Usually, these things come from the demands of the law. For example, paying your income taxes is an obligation of the law. You do not pay your income tax out of joy or desire but out of obligation. Because paying taxes is a demand of the law, you only pay what is required and nothing more.

There are some things you do out of joy. These things come from the desire of your heart. For example, spending time with your spouse, giving gifts to your children, or enjoying the company of friends are not done out of obligation but out of joyful desire. Being free from the law and bound to Jesus is not about trading one burden for another. Being free from the law and bound to Jesus is about being free from obligation and set free to enjoy a relationship that produces joyful obedience.

Before you can be obedient to the commands of Jesus, you must have faith that Jesus can accomplish His purpose and His will. When Christians have faith, they obey. Experiencing the power of God comes in the context of obeying God.

What does it mean to delight in the Lord?

Psalm 1 teaches that the righteous take pleasure in the law of God. This is the truth that gives understanding to the second part of verse 2; "but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2 ESV)

What we find pleasure in attracts our attention. Whatever has our attention, we will seek out. The one who delights in the law of God does not approach the law of God with dread but with joy. This pleasure is better than the world's pleasures because it satisfies, fulfills, and is never-ending.

Where the hopes and desires of the wicked are lost to the wind, the delight of the righteous is satisfied and fulfilled in the Lord. The way of sinners leads to rejecting God and scoffing. The way of righteousness leads to delighting in the Lord and meditating day and night on His word.

The work of atonement could only be accomplished by Jesus and has been accomplished by Jesus. The work is done. It is finished. You must decide to receive the gift of His atoning work by believing faith or to reject the cross. You cannot add more to what Jesus has done. You either must receive the gift or reject it.

The work of redemption is finished and offered to you today. Receive the free gift of the atonement and be saved today.

It is easy to recognize and condemn the sin we see in others. But all sin demands the sacrifice of the lamb of God. All sin is just as wicked, just as shameful, and just as costly as the vilest of sinner's sin. All sin is just as shameful as the sin of those who cried "crucify Him."

To the one who rejects Jesus, the cross remains offensive and ugly. But to the one who has been made clean by the blood of Jesus – the cross is beautiful and glorious! Come to Jesus. Bow before the King of kings. Believe in faith and be saved.

Direction is more important than location. We tend to give more importance to location, but where you are heading matters more than where you are. You may be far away from the Lord today, but God beckons you to draw near (direction language). And the beautiful promise is that no matter where you are - when your direction changes from chasing after the world to drawing near to God, God meets you where you are and exalts you to a right relationship with Him.

Babies are cute, and we find them adorable. Even though they are not potty trained, they often spit up, drool when teething, incessantly cry when hungry, have no patience, and have a very low tolerance to any discomfort we do not think ill of them because they are babies. However, if a teenager behaved like a baby, we would recognize it as a lack of proper development and needing treatment or discipline. If an adult acted like a baby, we would judge the person as mentally ill. It is ok to be immature in the faith. It is not ok to remain immature in the faith. It is ok to be a babe in Christ. It is not ok to remain a babe in Christ.

Have you heard about deepfakes? The technology is terrifying when you think about all the implications of how it could be used to destroy someone’s reputation or even cause havoc with the stability of governments.

The church has been countering deepfakes since the very beginning. There have always been some who claim to preach the word but actually weaken, manipulate, and twist the word to suit their desires and agendas. Such people are spiritual deepfakes. They look like they are preaching the word, they say they are preaching the word, but they are not.

The way these are confronted and countered is by knowing the word so that counterfeits are recognized, by preaching the word faithfully so that others can recognize such counterfeits, and by keeping close to the word so that when such fakes come along, they are quickly identified.

This is the mission of the church – to preach the word. In every season with all faithfulness, until Jesus returns – preach the word.

In Acts 16, the Bible records that Paul and Silas had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel and casting out a demon from a slave girl. They were ordered to be imprisoned and their feet fastened in the stocks. The next verse gives a simple description:

Acts 16:25 (ESV) — 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Paul and Silas were doing what Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:15-21. They were being abused by the government. They were in the unsanitary, uncomfortable, and unpleasant confines of a 1st-century jail. They were surrounded by others who did not know Jesus. But what do they do?

They do not complain. They do not scream and cry. They do not even demand justice.

They worship. They prayed and sang hymns to God. They were worshiping with integrity. They were worshiping in faithfulness. And they were worshiping for the glory of God.

The worthiness of fighting for something is not from the outcome but the value of what could be lost. It is worth the risk to contend for a brother’s restoration and lose than surrender him to the devil without a fight. Do not give up on your brothers and sisters without a fight. Speak truth into their lives, Contend for their restoration. Honor the testimony of the church.

Archeologists recently discovered a church building that may have been built over the home site of one of the disciples who lived in Bethsaida. Though this particular congregation has long been forgotten the church of Jesus remains. Though this building has been reduced to ruins and buried in the earth, the work of the church continues.

This is a helpful reminder to us. If there comes a day when our church building no longer stands or the records of our times and lives are lost, the work of the church will continue. Until Jesus returns, He will be gathering His followers Himself. Until Jesus returns, He will be sustaining the church in His power. Until Jesus returns, the church will be proclaiming the hope of the gospel.

The church has its power and purpose only when it is founded on Jesus. If the church attempts to move beyond or grow past the foundation of Jesus and the gospel of salvation it ceases to be a church. Today there are congregations with steepled buildings and signs in the yard declaring it to be a church, but who have abandoned their foundation of Jesus and the gospel. Without the foundation of Jesus, they are merely a social club or community group. When Jesus is our foundation, we are His church and His witness to the world.

From the sermon, Every Life Sacred Job 31:13-25, pastor Ben shares three things you should do in response to the sanctity of life.

From the sermon Gather Together, Hebrews 10:24:25.

Have you ever noticed that when you have unconfessed sin that you also have a greater temptation to skip church? When you gather with other believers, God uses the experience to draw you to faithfulness and expose anything that is keeping you from faithfulness.

From the sermon Gather Together, Hebrews 10:24:25.

For all the advantages and conveniences of technology, some things cannot be done virtually. Sermons can be heard through many technological avenues, but the church can only be who we have been called to be when we gather together.

We need to reform the old phrase “I’m just a sinner saved by grace with a new phrase. “I was a sinner, but now I am saved by grace!”

Jesus came as a baby, but this is only the beginning of the story. Do not let this humble beginning fool you. He was King of kings and Lord of lords an eternity before his birth. And He is forever King of kings and Lord of lords. Do not stop at the manger but go to the cross. Do not stop at the cross but go to the empty tomb. Do not stop at the empty tomb but go to the ascension. And do not stop at the ascension but wait expectantly for His second coming. Jesus is King. Jesus is Lord. Confess Him as Lord today and be saved.