SonRise Community Church Evening Seminars
Weekly Podcast of our Sunday Evening teaching series.
30 episodes
latest
fortnightly cadence
English language
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Episodes
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Weekly Podcast of our Sunday Evening teaching series.
Reading the feed…
Man, so as we come to our text today, so we started our series last week looking at the personal letters in the New Testament. So what distinguishes these three letters specifically is the nature. They are all dealing mostly with one specific issue detailed to one specific individual. We'll have some conversation with 2 John. There'll be a lovely little discourse on who the elect lady is. Lots of fun thoughts. But for the most part, there is a specific person with a specific reason, so I'm writing to you for one thing. So again, we have other, quote, "personal epistles," like you have letters
As we turn to this evening series going through Paul's letter to Philemon, let me begin by saying in this letter, we encounter three unique individuals. We have Paul, the once proud Pharisee turned apostle. Philemon, a wealthy landowner in the city of Colosse, the Colossian church. And we have Onesimus, a poor slave. Think on that last name for a minute, Onesimus. It's not a random name. In Greek, the name means useful. Over the next four weeks, as we spend four weeks on these 25 verses, we're gonna find out that Onesimus was anything but useful. Uh, he was a runaway, maybe a thief. It's not q
Good evening, thank you, hello, hi guys. Thank you for being here for our last Sunday evening of the spring. We're going to continue on, well, continue on. Tonight we're going to finish another installment of the tough text series. Last week we did the psalms of imprecation, or the imprecatory psalms. Tonight we're going to look at a probably not as difficult topic, but I think for many a tough text in its own right, the psalms of lament, specifically those psalms where we read. And we kind of wonder within the soul, is it really okay to talk to God like this? These are not true statements to
Tonight we turn to Psalm 137. We will read the whole psalm and then dive into it as we unpack it together. Psalm 137 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres, for there our captors required of us songs and our tormentors mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion." How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. Remember, O
Semper Reformanda We now come to Semper Reformanda. Although it is not one of the five solas, it is a Reformation teaching that helps tie them all together. Over the last seven weeks, we traced the ecclesiological history of the medieval church, the need for the Reformation, and the development of the five solasScripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and for the glory of God alone. Together, these reveal how salvation is found in Christ and how the Reformation sought to recapture the gospel. The Origin and Meaning of Semper Reformanda The phrase Semper Reformanda comes from th
Transcription: Soli Deo Gloria So as I said, we come tonight to Soli Deo Gloria, the final sola on our list. So this is the fifth of the five solas, and we've worked through up to this point now. Sola Scriptura, that's at the foundation for everything that we've discussed, that from scripture alone, we understand who God is, we understand who we are, we understand salvation. So it all begins with the scriptures that teach us, that inform us, that drive us. So from there, we then talked about Sola Gratia, so we talked about that grace alone. So it is by grace we are saved, it is not of ourselve
Well, tonight, we're continuing on in the five solas series, the five big themes of the Protestant Reformation, which are sola scriptura. What does this mean? Scripture alone, sola gratia, what's this mean? Sola fide. We come now to solus Christus, or in other words, Christ alone is what this means. That is tonight, Lord willing. Next week, Pastor Andrew will do the penultimate study, soli deo gloria, to the glory of God alone. I say penultimate because it's not the last one. There'll be one more after that on semper reformanda, which means always reforming. But tonight, as we look at solus Ch
Romans chapter 1, verses 16 and 17 say the following. For I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. To the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it, it being the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith as it is written. The righteous shall live by faith. This passage is not only the distinctive theme of Pauls letter to the Romans, we could go further to say that this passage could be viewed as a summary, a two verse summary of Pauls entire theology. Pauls entire theology, its all about the gospel, that in the
Sola Gratia - Transcript And we are going to be in Ephesians chapter 2 have your Bibles go ahead and open up Ephesians chapter 2 looking specifically at it from the context of sola gratia grace Alone, there's a lot of passages you could go to to talk about grace alone But this is one of the foremost and so we're just going to spend time in this Enjoying what we see but tonight we're continuing on in our series of the five solas Looking at the five big themes of the Reformation seeking to find out why they still Matter or in other words trying to answer the question. Are we as Protestants? Stil
And so, today we continue in our new series on the solas. So kicking it off with sola scriptura is what is before us tonight. Again, Pastor Adam opened us last week with a bit of a history of the Middle Ages, a bit looking at the ecclesiological side of some of the mess with the papacy and kind of the breakdown of the church, which is what led to the Reformation. And so, today Im given the opportunity to begin with sola scriptura, for it is from scripture that we begin to unpack a lot of what the Reformation meant and also the foundation for the rest of the solas. Where do we derive these teac
The Ecclesiopolitical Trajectory of the Late Medieval Age: A Precursor to the Reformation I'm going to do something that is absolutely riveting: I'm going to read a long paper for you, part of it. This is 30% of chapter three, what I'm reading you tonight. So, I'm going to be going fast. Please write down any questions you have; we'll save them for after. Without further ado, tonight we are looking back at history. Why look back? Simply put, history has an abundance of riches to teach all who are willing to look at them. One could possibly dispute this claim by asking what benefit there is to
So in Philippians 4, last week we talked through verses 2 through 9, and Paul moves from sweeping themes of chapter 3, pressing on, standing firm, to grounding us in a call for a gospel-shaped life together in the church. So he begins by addressing, if you recall, a fracture that happened between Judea and Syntyche, and their urge to agree in the Lord, not by pretending necessarily that nothing happened, but by bringing their minds and their affections under Christ. So their unity matters because their conflict threatens the peace and the witness of the congregation. So Paul then widens the le
Last Sunday, in Philippians 3, verse 12, all the way to chapter 4:1, Paul showed us what it looks like to press on and stand firm. So with our eyes forward and our hearts anchored in our citizenship in heaven, the pursuit of Christ, as Paul gives an example, is like a runner, an athlete, pressing toward the finish line. Paul openly confesses that he has not arrived yet; he's not perfected this life of being a Christian. And yet, he refuses to slow down. He's ready to keep moving forward because Christ has already taken a hold of him. Christ has gripped him, and Paul presses on, leaving what is
So, last week in Philippians 3, verses 1 through 11, Paul warns the church against a dangerous kind of religion, one that puts confidence in the flesh, and he tells the Philippians to watch out for those who boast on outward performance and human credentials, as though righteousness can be earned by a proven religious performance. So then, Paul turns the spotlight on himself, if you recall. He says if anyone could claim a spiritual advantage, it was he. He had the pedigree. He had the accolades, the training, the zeal, the reputation. He had it all. Yet Paul makes a stunning confession. Everyt
So in Philippians 2, 12-30, which we preached on last time, Paul shows us what the Christ hymn looks like when it is lived out in real people. So in chapter 2, verses 12-18, having just unfolded, if you recall, Christ's descent and exaltation, he says, Therefore work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Not to suggest that we earn salvation, but to call us to live out with a reverent seriousness when God has already worked in us. And the comfort comes in verse 13, For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. So our obedience is real and required, y
A reverent perseverance that depends on God's power, and a unity that refuses grumbling. A witness that shines in a dark world. And two living examples, Timothy and Epaphroditus, who embody the same gospel-shaped self-forgetfulness. So as we read, we're in chapter two, finishing it up. We're going to be doing 12, verses 12 through 30. Again, three points. Verses 12 through 18, worked out salvation, warm-hearted servanthood, Timothy, verses 19 through 20, and willing-to-risk servanthood, Epaphroditus, verses 25 through 30. So let's begin verses 12 through 18. Paul says, therefore, my beloved, a
So, as we continue through this letter together, Paul has already shown us what gospel-shaped love looks like. So, just to kind of give you a recap, in chapter 1, we watched it overflow in Paul's prayers and anchor his joy in suffering and fuel his partnership with the church. But now, as we step into chapter 2, Paul lifts our eyes even higher. He moves from his example of humility and love to this supreme example of Christ himself. Everything he has been urging the Philippian church toward finds its perfect expression in Christ Jesus alone. So Paul wants us to see that the unity and the humil
As weve seen in Philippians 1:1-11, Paul begins this letter by reminding the church who they are and how deeply he loves them. They are saints in Christ Jesus at Philippiset apart by God, bound together in a rich gospel partnership, and carried along by a God who always finishes the good work He begins. Pauls heart overflows with gratitude for them, and his prayer is that their love would abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that they might approve what is excellent, live pure and blameless lives, and be filled with the fruit of righteousness to the glory and praise of G
Imagine receiving a letter from a dear friend who is in prison. You might expect a detailed description of the harsh conditions, the uncertainty of the trial, perhaps even notes of fear, frustration, or despair. Philippians is a letter from prisonbut when Paul writes to this little church in a Roman colony, the first words that pour out of him are not complaint, but thanksgiving, joy, and heartfelt prayer. In Philippians 1:111, we get to listen in as a man in chains calls ordinary believers saints, speaks words of grace and peace over them, thanks God for their gospel partnership, and prays th
And so tonight in this tough text, we'll explore how this shocking statement, properly understood, does not call us to emotional rejection of our loved ones, but rather to something far more profound, a complete reordering of our of our affections that enables us to love others more deeply than we could ever do before. Through the lens of Augustine's concept of the ordo amoris, the proper ordering of loves, we will discover that Christ's demand represents not the destruction of human love and affection, but it's rather its ultimate fulfillment. So, to begin, Luke places the the words of this t
As I begin Id like to trace out the context of our passage tonight. The tough text in view is Romans 11:25-26, but in order to understand it we need to see most of Romans 11 that led up to it. So lets see it. In 11:1-10, as Paul begins Romans 11 hes eager to remind us that God has not rejected His people Israel, but has kept a remnant of faithful followers throughout the ages even down to today. So even though the vast majority of Jews reject the gospel, there remains a remnant alive and well chosen by grace while the rest of Israel has been hardened in their unbelief. Then, in 11:11-24, we sa
Beloved SonRise family, we are in the midst of our Tough Texts series, where we intentionallywrestle with passages of Scripture that challenge, perplex, or even discomfort us. These are theverses that make us stop, reflect, and lean harder on Gods Word. Tonight, we confront one suchpassage: 1 John 5:13-17. If I were to ask you today, What is the single greatest struggle in the Christian life? many ofyou would likely say doubt. We wrestle with the question: Am I truly saved? We examine ourfailures, our inconsistent obedience, and the persistent presence of sin in our lives, and wewonder, Do I r
The Role of Women in Church? 1 Cor. 14 Our tough text this evening is 1 Cor. 14:33b-35 which says, As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Why is this a tough text? Well, it certainly seems obvious why this passage is among the list of tough texts. What Paul says here has not only been called hateful toward women, it is directly at odd
Psalm 137, By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willowsthere we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs,and our tormentors, mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion! How shall we sing theLord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let mytongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy! Remember, OLord, against theEdomites the day of Jerusalem,how they said,Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundation
I. Introduction: The Mystery at the Heart of Divine and Human Agency Few subjects have provoked greater controversy in theology than the relationship between Gods sovereignty and human will. It is a question that has occupied philosophers, divided denominations, and humbled saints: How can God be absolutely sovereign over all things, and yet human beings act freely and be held morally responsible?The apostle Paul provides, in passing, a profound glimpse of the answer in 2 Corinthians 8:1617:But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. For he not o
