Sermon Songs: Hebrews 12:1-4

On By BrianIn Hebrews HymnsLeave a comment

We must run with endurance this race
With faith in God and His promises
Trusting God daily, we’ll keep the pace
Resting each hour in His faithfulness

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

We must run this race with endurance
Looking ahead to the finish line
Laying aside ev’ry hinderance
Entangling sin that would slow, confine
(Repeat Chorus)

We must this race with endurance run
Gaze on the cross and His suffering
He looked to the future joy and won
We follow Him, our Savior and King
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

The Church’s Foundation

On By BrianIn PASSION ReflectionsLeave a comment

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
(Ephesians 2:19-21, ESV)

The apostles and New Testament prophets are the foundation of church. They were led by the Holy Spirit to communicate the New Testament truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now the church is being built on that foundation. We don’t need apostles or prophets anymore. The foundational work has already been done. The church is being built on the truth of the gospel recorded for us in the New Testament.

So when Paul writes to Timothy, he spends 10 chapters in two books hammering home again and again the priority of teaching and preaching God’s given Word. This is what we need. This is how the church grows.

So we must prioritize the Bible. It is through the public teaching and preaching of God’s Word, as well as personal exhortation and encouragement from the Word, as well as personal study and meditation in the Word that the church is built up.

The Bible is the measure by which we must evaluate every practice in our church and in our lives, and so we must prioritize the Bible in our church and in our lives.

The Bible’s message of the gospel is the foundation of the church. Take up and read!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:29-40

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By faith, we are saved from all our sins
There is no longer judgment to fear
Through His death Jesus our pardon wins
Fully forgiven, we now draw near

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

By faith, we follow our Lord always
Trusting Him through the good and the bad
He is with us to help us each day
One day we’ll rise, be forever glad
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Fear and Great Joy

On By BrianIn PASSION ReflectionsLeave a comment

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
(Matthw 28:8, ESV)

How should we respond to the resurrection of Jesus? The women who first visited the tomb suggest two ways:

First, fear! The woman departed quickly with fear. The soldiers earlier trembled with fear and became as dead men (v4). Fear was a common response to events of resurrection of Jesus. Here indeed is a fearful thing! An angel moves the stone to show an empty tomb and announces the resurrection. This is not the way the guards or the women expected that morning to go. It was just another assignment for the guards, just a visit to the tomb for the women, and suddenly it all goes sideways. Like if you went to a funeral, and the person in the casket suddenly got up and said “hello” and walked out. You would be afraid! Fear was a natural response to a fearful event. Our problem is that it is not our response. We don’t fear. The angel and Jesus both tell the women not to be afraid (v5, 10), but we do not need those words because we are not afraid. It has all become so familiar that we have lost sight of how earth-shattering, mind-boggling, crazy this is. The awesome power of God beyond anything we can imagine on display as He raised Jesus from dead naturally leads to fear!

Second, rejoice! The women departed with great joy! This Jesus whom they had followed, whom they had seen crucified and buried, was alive again! Imagine a beloved parent or child or sibling who has passed away suddenly alive again, and you begin to understand some of their joy. Do you love Jesus? Then His resurrection should bring you great joy! On top of that are the ramifications of His resurrection. Our sins defeated – the punishment paid, our shame and guilt removed. And death defeated – the hope of our own resurrection and the resurrection of those who have died in Christ. Here are reasons for great joy – so rejoice!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:23-28

On By BrianIn Hebrews HymnsLeave a comment

Faith in God’s promises gives courage
To follow Christ in His suffering
Fleeing sin and the gods of this age
Trusting God’s presence and soon coming

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the GloryLeave a comment

Whispy Clouds in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20