09/06/2026
MEDITATION - MATTHEW 22:46
And no one was able to answer him [Jesus] a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
CALL TO WORSHIP - Psalm 37:1–11
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”
NT READING - Ephesians 6:10–20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Heidelberg Catechism (38. Sunday)
QUESTION 103. What does God require in the fourth commandment?
In the first place: that the ministry of the Gospel and schools be maintained; and that I, especially on the day of rest, diligently attend church, to learn the Word of God, to use the Holy Sacraments, to call publicly upon the Lord, and to give Christian alms. In the second place: that all the days of my life I rest from my evil works, allow the Lord to work in me by His Spirit, and thus begin in this life the everlasting Sabbath.
SERMON SERIES: RENEWAL IN CHRIST
SERMON TEXT - 2 Corinthians 10:1–6
“I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
SERMON TITLE: A NEW WEAPON FOR OLD STRONGHOLDS
SERMON SUMMARY:
Recently, I endeavored to build my kids a playground in our backyard. I started with a burst of energy and supplies and I accomplished much very quickly. However, after a few days of toil fatigue and reality quickly set in. I was tired and was beginning to spend far more than I had initially budgeted for. Constructed ground to a halt for months. Everyday, my kids would ask when I would be done and my only answer was… soon. One day, I suddenly woke up with a burst of energy and recommitted to getting things done. In many ways, my new found commitment to finish was even greater than my first initial effort. As I neared completion, I kept finding new innovative additions until I was finally satisfied that the project was complete. I took a picture and told my kids to go and have a ball. Completing a task is often far more difficult than beginning a task. The same is true for the Christian life. The Corinthian church had repented and reconnected with Paul. They had given to the support of the church, but there was still work to do in completing the task of ridding their congregation from sin. The last %10 often proves to be the most challenging, but is needed to go from surviving to thriving. In our text today, Paul instructs them how to finish the job, by the power of Jesus, in the battle for the soul of their church.
