This Sunday we have the privilege of welcoming Dr. Sean McDonough, Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to our worship service. The Scripture passage is John 4:43-54, the story of the healing of the official's son. This represents the second sign of the deity of Christ from the Gospel of John. There's an interesting twist to this story that you won't want to miss!
This is the story of the first recorded miracle of Jesus: the changing of water to wine. It is also the first of many "signs" that John records in order to show us that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. We'll look at two aspects of this event: 1) What was the gift that Jesus brought to the wedding at Cana? 2) What was the cost of that gift?
The new fall series is called “Life-Changing Encounters with Jesus.” Our plan is to bring together the purpose of John’s Gospel with our new mission statement. Both emphasize our life-altering relationship with Jesus and inviting others to join us on this journey.
The end of the journey reveals if it was all worth it. Is the Christian journey worth it? In this Psalm we're invited to bless and serve God, but we'll see that even through our blessing God, He is ultimately blessing us. Blessing God is itself a blessing from God.
It's not easy (after all, we're a bunch of sinners!). But living together in unity under the Lordship of Christ is such a precious thing, we should actively and intentionally pursue it. Lean into it. Go for it!
Do you ever feel guilty because you aren't feeling as passionate about your relationship with God as you think you should? If so, then Psalm 132 will be a great encouragement to you. It will light a fire in your heart as you realize the lengths that God has gone to in order to be with you.
This sermon is called, 'Why Would God Distance Himself from Me?' Why would he do that? To wean you from him. That’s what Psalm 131 (just three verses) indicates. A significant life-changing lesson is in this Psalm. Come and see…
A couple of important questions Psalm 129 can help us answer:
You probably will not be talking soon with your colleagues at work or your fellow classmates about being blessed by fearing the Lord. But the topic of Psalm 128 does present us with the opportunity to look more deeply and at our walk with the Lord. What does it mean to 'be blessed?' And of course how do you fear the Lord who loves you deeply and desires your presence?
Work is a significant part of all of our lives, whether you work in an office, a classroom, a lab, or at home. Does God have anything to say about these many hours we spend working? Yes! Psalm 127 shows us two ways to approach our work: one that produces frustration, stress and anxiety; and one that produces joy and contentment. Let's look at how we can work according to God's design.
We're on week 7 of our Psalms of Ascent series, and Psalm 126 is all about joy. How can we maintain our joy amidst the ups and downs of life? We also recognize that this has also been a difficult week in our nation, with the killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and five Dallas police officers. We hope this sermon will be an encouragement to you if you feel afraid or discouraged, as well as a time to pray together for justice and unity in our country.
How often have you asked yourself, "Is there anything solid I can base my life upon?" There is enough uncertainty in this life to seriously threaten our sense of security. Just when you were about to give up, along comes Psalm 125 to remind us that if we've put our trust in Jesus, we have the permanence and immovability of a mountain. We're "The Unshakables!"
It may be a challenge to believe that the Lord is on your side, that he is for you. That is the assumption in Psalm 124. It starts, “If the Lord had not been on our side.” He was and is. The Psalm ends with these words, “Our help is in the name of the Lord.” In between these first and last verses are expressions of difficult experiences we are confronted with in our lives. The challenge: in the midst of life’s challenges to believe and experience that the Lord on your side and he is your help no matter what.
This Psalm is very short-- just 4 verses-- but it is packed with truth for us to learn about who God is. It will raise lots of questions for you, but the most important one is, "Who is on the throne of your heart?"
If we're honest, we all have Sundays when we would rather sleep in than worship with the church. We've all been tired, or stressed, or busy, or just didn't feel like it. The psalmist in Psalm 122, however, doesn't seem to have that problem: "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" This Sunday, we'll examine how we can have the same joyful approach to worshiping the Lord with his people each week. Don't miss it-- it'll be worth rolling out of bed for!
Where do you turn for help? Psalm 121, known as "The Traveller's Psalm," recognizes that things can get difficult on our journey through this life. The psalmist encourages us to turn to the Lord as our ultimate source for help and assures us that the "Maker of heaven and earth" is watching over our every move "both now and forevermore."
Today we begin a new sermon series entitled "An Ancient Playlist for a Timeless Journey." Psalms 120-134 are collectively known as the Psalms of Ascent. Jewish families would often sing these Psalms as they ascended the hill to Jerusalem to worship there.
So it’s Memorial Day weekend when we honor those who gave themselves to preserve our freedom. In New England we also recognize it as the start of the summer season. You need a break from an intense year. This series is about our journey, leaving our everyday lives for a higher place. It’s like a church going off on retreat for the purpose of regaining a more godly perspective. It’s for reviving your relationship with God and enjoying his presence. Psalm 120 starts at the low place, the first steps getting us ready for the journey. Likely you need a break from an intense year in Boston. Here we go...
This is the final installment of our sermon series entitled "The Church: The Dearest Place on Earth." This week's sermon expounds on Ruggles Baptist Church's new mission statement: "Inviting Boston and beyond into a life-changing relationship with Christ and His Church."
Why did the Lord bring you to Boston? Maybe you came here for school or for work or because your family is here. Yet God's word is clear that he didn't bring us here just to take from the city but also to contribute to it. This morning, we'll look at God's heart for Boston and how we should play a role in doing justice for the vulnerable here.
