During an important Jewish festival, amid scrutiny and threat upon his life, Jesus goes up from Galilee to the Feast of Booths to proclaim the gospel to the Jews. Jesus makes two bold statements that seemingly point to the feast’s very purpose: God's sustaining of Israel through provision and his illuminating presence. Truth be told, Jesus Christ is in fact whom this feast ultimately points to. Jesus calls his listeners to see Him as the fountain in which they can find nourishment, and the light of the world in which they can walk not in darkness, but in the light. However, Jesus’ opponents have much to say against Jesus about his claims. We must press into these claims and at the same time, listen to the words of the Great Shepherd who seeks to bring us from the dominion of sin into the kingdom of light.

Join us this Sunday as we listen to the teachings of Jesus found in the book of John and discover that Jesus is indeed the light of the world

In one of the great scenes of Scripture (Numbers 6:22-26), God speaks to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” God is teaching and directing Aaron, the High Priest, to bless His people, Israel. I use this blessing, called the Aaronic Blessing, after our communion service. But notice the next verse, v27, where God says, “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

While the Priest Aaron is ministering to God’s people, he is directed to bless them, because God is blessing them. Aaron’s blessing is predicated on God’s blessing. God’s blessing is rooted in the Surety’s pledge to atone for them. Jesus prays, “Yours they were, and you gave them to me…” (John 17:6).  Join us this Sunday as we consider the intercession of our Surety and worship Him for blessing us!

This past week we learned about Christ as our Surety. He co-signed, taking responsibility for our covenant obligations. Remember, He didn’t co-sign for a responsible partner, but for people that are spiritually bankrupt and have no hope of fulfilling their covenant obligations. 

Taking this role for our unfaithfulness came with an implied cost. When Christ took responsibility for us, He did so knowing it would require His birth and death for us. He would have to stand before the Father and atone for our breach of contract. This is part of His priestly ministry, the cost of satisfying the terms of the contract. As our Priest, He offers the required sacrifice for our sins. His sacrifice is not the end, but the means to an end. Do you know what that end goal is for Him, for us? Join us Sunday as we consider His Priestly sacrifice and worship Him for His selfless ministry on our behalf.

When my daughter went to the University of North Georgia, she signed for an apartment in Dahlonega. The problem was she didn’t have the credit history necessary to get approved, so I volunteered to co-sign on the application. When I signed the application, I was accepting responsibility for her if she failed to maintain the contract. I became her guarantor or surety.

Scripture teaches us that Christ became our Surety! He accepted responsibility for us, promising to cover our debt and fulfill our covenant responsibilities. Join us Sunday as we worship our High Priest, Jesus, who was born to intercede!

Do you need a priest? Believers will probably answer yes to that question, but have you thought deeply about your need for one? Have you considered how you functionally ask other people, tasks, efforts, achievements, etc. to act as your priest? “Go before me and win me favor,” might not be something you say, but it’s often something we feel. 

This Christmas, we’re going to consider the role of our Savior as our Priest. My prayer as we engage the Scripture is that we’ll deepen our understanding of and affection for Christ as our High Priest, not only to advance our worship of Him, but to functionally lean on Him in that role. Join us as we begin our celebration of His birth in a new sermon series, Born to Intercede; Jesus, our High Priest.

Many of you have heard the testimony of Rosaria Butterfield, a former tenured professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse University, with a Ph.D. from Ohio State. She was a lesbian in a long-term relationship, teaching and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and policies. In 1999 through the ministry of a local pastor and his wife, she came to faith in Christ as they ate meals, read scripture, and answered her questions. She married a PCA pastor in North Carolina, raised her children,  and now advocates in churches, urging them to stand for the Biblical teaching on heteronormativity in God’s created order. She has spoken before school boards and congress as God opens doors for her to share biblical truth. What a story! Some of us were recently able to attend her lecture at Johnson Ferry Baptist.

We’ve spent the last few years in Romans. This Sunday, I want you to meet its human author, the Apostle Paul. We’ll recount his life story and pick up statements that help us see how the gospel transformed his life. He was an advocate for the law, righteousness by works, and strict ceremonial practice. He persecuted the church and consented to the martyrdom of Stephen. But God transformed his life and made him a chosen servant of Jesus Christ. Join us as we worship the One whose gospel changes lives.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, did you know that Operation Overlord, the code name for the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, was one of the most highly kept secrets in military history? In fact, the allied nations (Britain, Canada, and the US) created a false flag operation, code named Operation Fortitude, to deceive the Germans into thinking the invasion was headed to Calais. The diversion came with the staging of a fake army in the southeast of England, complete with inflatable tanks, wooden planes, and fake radio traffic. Hitler took the bait and kept over 200,000 soldiers in Calais awaiting the invasion. When the allies launched the invasion, Hitler was caught flat footed, and while his troops were dug in at Normandy, they were not fortified and fell to the invasion. 

Did you know that God kept a secret? His prophets alluded to it, hinted at it, but never fully revealed God’s plan. He waited until the time was right (fullness of time) to launch Operation Gentile Redemption (ok, I made that title up). The prophets were clear that Messiah was coming, but they didn’t anticipate the full invitation of the Gentiles into His family. Paul reminds us that God has commanded the full disclosure of His plan through his preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The mystery has now been revealed! Join us as we worship the Redeemer, celebrate the beauty of the church, and glorify God!

Have you ever left a conversation with someone feeling greater amounts of guilt and shame then when you engaged the person? I remember visiting a neighbor who walked me through his home detailing all the improvements that he had made. His home and mine had the same exact layout, but his was fully updated. While I left with ideas of improvements that I could make, I also left feeling like I had fallen short of the standard. Maybe some of that was my own insecurity, but some was the manner he communicated the improvements. I walked away feeling behind on my home projects. I’m sure that I’ve done that to others in areas I am more competent in than home improvement.

In our text, the Apostle Paul warns us to be alert to people who walk into the church creating tiers of spirituality and tasks to perform for acceptance. He tells the church that this is the work of our adversary, Satan, whom God will soon crush under our feet. It’s interesting language because it’s words that the Father speaks to Christ, saying, sit here until I make your enemies your footstool, and points to Christ’s victory, being our victory. Join us as we celebrate Christ.

Tim, there are three critical decisions that you need to make in life: who you will live your life for; who you will live your life with; and, what you will spend your life doing. I heard this lesson with broad explanation for each decision my entire childhood. My dad was committed to challenging me to see the critical nature of these decisions. Well, God’s Spirit captured my heart early in life, called me to ministry as a teenager, and then led me to Debbie in my mid-twenties. Beyond this and other conversations that we had, my dad made my involvement in church a critical part of my upbringing, including providing me a Christian high school education.

This Sunday, we’re going to emphasize our role as parents to disciple our children and consider the responsibility of the covenant community to partner with parents in their role. While we accept our responsibilities, we labor in dependence on God’s Spirit to do the heart work that our children need. Join us as we pray for our children and worship the One who loves them more than we do!

One of my favorite movies is Mel Gibson’s We Were Soldiers. It’s a tribute to the men who served in the 7th Cavalry in Vietnam. At the end of the movie, Mel stands before the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. before the panel of men who died from the 7th Cav. In addition the names of the men who served are listed, those who died and those who survived. Each of these names are significant and tell a unique story.

In our text Sunday, the Apostle Paul, by his secretary Tertius, concludes the letter to the Romans by listing names of people who are partners in ministry. Why does Paul do this? What is he communicating through this list? What story do their names tell?  Join us Sunday as we rejoice in the history of people who have served and influenced the church and the One who called and filled them with His Spirit.