Narberth Presbyterian Church

10/15/2026

10/09/2026

Dear NPC family,

Our topic this Sunday – in our series through Galatians – is the great and profound doctrine of adoption, how through faith in Christ we are graciously welcomed into God’s family as sons and daughters! Personally for me, the realization of this beautiful truth many many years ago changed everything in my relationship with God. I’m excited to preach on it this week!

One of the questions we’ll be talking about in the sermon is how do we press this good news of our adoption deeper into our hearts so that we don’t just know it, but we feel it and it changes us insides out? I’ll give one thought to answer that question in my sermon, but I thought I might share a second thought here in this email.

If you’re someone who wishes that faith was more for you, or that God didn’t just feel like only an idea but an actual person who loves you and is in relationship with you as your Heavenly Father, then here is a way forward: Pray.

(So obvious, right? And yet, sometimes the obvious things are the most profound.)

You can pray, “Abba, Father”… “Dad”… “Daddy.” “Help me to know you.” Or even, “I believe, help my unbelief.” Because God loves to answer prayers like that! And what’s more, there is nothing like talking with someone to help us realize that they are there, that they are present, that they are listening. So if you’re someone who wants to know God as real and near and attentive and mindful of you… then just ask for it! Just pray.

Link to Livestream on Sunday, October 11 https://youtube.com/live/kkB7KYAZcz0?feature=share

You can join us, whether in-person or on-line this Sunday at 9:30am, with Prelude starting at 9:25am, to praise the Lord in word, in music, and in truth! A video recording of the entire service will be available on YouTube or the NPC Website, after approximately 11:00am. Videos of the sermon alone will be available by noon.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Jason

Narberth Presbyterian ChurchSunday Worship ServiceBroadcast live ...

10/02/2026

Dear NPC family,

This Sunday, we continue in Galatians, and the question that Paul address is, “Why, then, the Law?” If justification is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and not through works of the Law, then why did God give the Law in the first place? What is its purpose?

You’ll notice from the sermon title that I’ll be expanding this discussion beyond merely the Old Testament Law to morality in general. And this is because 1.) a lot of people in our culture are probably not thinking about the importance of keeping the Old Testament Law, but they may be thinking about the importance of being “good” or “moral”; and 2.) I think what Paul writes in Galatians also addresses that.

And it’s because Paul explains in his letter to the Romans that even those who were never given the Old Testament Law (e.g. Gentiles), they were still given what he calls a “law written on their hearts,” to which “their conscience also bears witness.” And I think Paul would agree that “works of morality” – like “works of the Law” – also can’t justify us. Which then begs the same question: “Why, then, morality?” If we can’t be justified before God through our “good” works, then why did God give us a sense of morality in the first place? What is its purpose?

In the sermon, you’ll see that Paul gives a really important reason for why God gave the Law (and morality). And we’ll be talking a lot about that on Sunday morning. But there are two other reasons for the Law that we won’t be getting into (because Paul doesn’t in our passage for this Sunday), so I’ll mention them briefly here:

A second reason for the Law is to help us know what godly living looks like. Since the Old Testament Law is part of God’s revelation in Scripture, it shows us something of who God is – and in particular, how he is holy and righteous and just. By extension, then, the Law shows us how we ought to live if we want to be godly. Again, we don’t pursue godly living to earn God’s approval (we’re justified through faith, remember?), but the kinds of people who desire God’s approval are also the kinds of people who desire to be godly… and the Law shows us how to do that.

A third reason for the Law is to restrain injustice. While it can’t justify us or change our hearts, it can warn us against doing things that will harm ourselves or others, and thus it can be leveraged by a society to curb evil. In other words, even if the Law can’t affect a “saving grace” (e.g. justify us), it can at least affect a “common grace” of greater social justice and harmony.

We won’t be talking about these two other uses of the Law on Sunday, but I thought you might want to know. Oh, and maybe it makes you wonder, “What, then, is the first use of the Law?” Come on Sunday and find out! 😊

Link to Livestream on Sunday, October 4 https://youtube.com/live/FU_NBrHw3VE?feature=share

You can join us, whether in-person or on-line this Sunday at 9:30am, with Prelude starting at 9:25am, to praise the Lord in word, in music, and in truth! A video recording of the entire service will be available on YouTube or the NPC Website, after approximately 11:00am. Videos of the sermon alone will be available by noon

See you then,

Pastor Jason

PS. Just a friendly reminder that the Cornerstone Christian Academy children’s choir will be joining us this Sunday, blessing us their voices as they sing a Prelude and an Offertory. See you there at 9:30 AM!

Narberth Presbyterian ChurchSunday Worship ServiceBroadcast live ...

10/02/2026

Livestream link https://youtube.com/live/FU_NBrHw3VE?feature=share

09/25/2026

Dear NPC family,
This Sunday we are still in Galatians, and we’ll be looking at the first half of chapter 3. And in that text, Paul relies heavily on Old Testament references to make his point.

This means that if we’re going to understand what Paul is saying, we too will have to pay some attention to what God has done and said in the Old Testament. In fact, if you want, you could do some pre-reading in preparation:

- Life of Abraham: Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 17:1-27
- Giving of the Mosaic Law: Deuteronomy 27:9-26, and Leviticus 18:1-5.

Now, my guess is that when we get to that part of the sermon, it will start to feel a bit dry. Like listening to a random stranger talking about something that happened in their family decades ago. And you’re right. I’ll of course try to keep it interesting, but it will feel like a digression from what we typically like to hear in sermons, which is “what does the text say to me?”

But two things: First, don’t worry. There will be plenty in the sermon that’s about speaking to you. In fact, I’ll be referencing this song near the end of my sermon to bring my point home. Take a listen if you want. It’s a secular song, but there will be a nice tie-in.

But second, perhaps now would be a good reminder that the point of history and the point of salvation and the point of what Jesus has done is actually – not ultimately – you. God’s ultimate purpose in all that he does is actually – are you ready for this? – not to love us, but it is to glorify himself. Maybe sit in that for a moment, if that feels foreign to you.

Now, here’s the good news. The good news is that God’s character is such that glorifying himself… includes loving us. It includes being for us, and sending Jesus into our world and our history to do all that’s necessary to save us. That’s the Gospel!

With this frame in mind, then, let me invite us this Sunday to come to the text anew: Yes, listen for how God does enter your life and speak to you… because he loves you! But also, listen for how he invites you to enter his story (even in the Old Testament!) to understand him… because you love him.

Link to Livestream on Sunday, September 27 https://youtube.com/live/YoQlsvMEt_0?feature=share

You can join us, whether in-person or on-line this Sunday at 9:30am, with Prelude starting at 9:25am, to praise the Lord in word, in music, and in truth! A video recording of the entire service will be available on YouTube or the NPC Website, after approximately 11:00am. Videos of the sermon alone will be available by noon.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Jason

Narberth Presbyterian ChurchSunday Worship ServiceBroadcast live ...

09/18/2026

Dear NPC family,

Have you ever had conversations with people – or even yourself – about the “exclusivity of the Gospel?” It might go something like, “Doesn’t it seem exclusive to say that only Christians can be saved, or only Christians can go to heaven, or only Christians have the right view of God/world/humanity/etc.?”

This Sunday, as we continue in our Galatians sermon series, we’ll explore this theme of inclusivity and exclusivity. Yes, there are ways that the Gospel is exclusive. And we’ll see that Paul is unapologetic about it; he calls certain people “false brothers” – people not truly in the faith community – because they get the core of the Gospel message so wrong.

But we’ll also see ways that Paul’s Gospel is super-inclusive: salvation and inclusion into God’s family is not based on Jew or Gentile, and is not based on keeping the law or doing certain “good works”, but it is simply based on faith alone in God’s grace alone in Christ alone… and anyone can choose to believe!

To be fair, however, this is no different from the world. The world also includes and excludes in the same way: if you share the same values/beliefs/preferences as we do, then we will include you; but if you don’t, then we won’t. And this is an unavoidable reality that applies to every community, whether Christian or not: you can’t create a sense of belonging or “us”, without there also being an “other”… a “them.”

So what makes the Gospel different? What about the way of Jesus makes it so that we’re not stuck in the same ruts of inclusion and exclusion?

Link to Livestream on Sunday, September 20 https://youtube.com/live/ksK6G1589wU?feature=share

You can join us, whether in-person or on-line this Sunday at 9:30am, with Prelude starting at 9:25am, to praise the Lord in word, in music, and in truth! A video recording of the entire service will be available on YouTube or the NPC Website, after approximately 11:00am. Videos of the sermon alone will be available by noon.

Come join us this Sunday and find out!

Pastor Jason

09/11/2026

Dear NPC family,
Today, we mark the 25th anniversary of terrorist attacks that changed our country, if not the world. It’s hard to remember what life was like before then, having now lived a quarter century in its aftermath, but I do remember that beautiful crisp morning, the shock of hearing the first wave of news, and then the deep grief and anger over the whole tragedy. Like a scar, enough time has passed, allowing the wound to heal, but it’s still there… unforgettable.

The Scriptures tell us that even though he is now glorified with a perfect and resurrected body, our Lord Jesus still bears the scars. He still bears the scars of his sacrifice, where the nails and spear pierced him as he took upon himself the punishment for all our sins. And that too was a tragedy – for as the only sinless person to ever walk the earth, he was the last person to deserve such punishment. And yet, in the tragedy, there was redemption – it was all God’s plan to atone for the sins of his people so that we could be forgiven and then reconciled and then adopted as children in his family, with full access to all the riches and wisdom and glory of his Kingdom… And then of course, there would be resurrection!

9/11 is a scar – not just on the cityscape of Manhattan, but also on our very calendars. How do you say “September eleventh” without recalling what happened 25 years ago? But the story of Jesus reminds us that scars have a purpose. They not only remind us of what went wrong, but also of what went right. Yes, tragedy; but in the midst of tragedy was great heroism, bravery, and courage… from first responders to civic leaders to everyday neighbors. What’s more, the scars of our individual and collective histories also remind us that we have a Savior who is not afraid of scars, and is fully capable of bringing redemption through them.

I don’t know where this day will take you – your memories, your feelings, your concern for loved ones. But I know we can know that our good Shepherd is always with us. Amen.

This Sunday, we will be continuing in our fall sermon series through the book of Galatians, focusing on the topic of people-pleasing – how it can become a problem, where we can find a solution, and what the outcomes are of being free of it.

Link to Livestream on Sunday, September 13 https://youtube.com/live/0u7jNmJvZJo?feature=share

You can join us, whether in-person or on-line this Sunday at 9:30am, with Prelude starting at 9:25am, to praise the Lord in word, in music, and in truth! A video recording of the entire service will be available on YouTube or the NPC Website, after approximately 11:00am. Videos of the sermon alone will be available by noon.

Pastor Jason

Narberth Presbyterian ChurchSunday Worship ServiceBroadcast live ...

09/05/2026

Dear Friends,
It’s the start of the new school year and the beginning of a new sermon series! We are switching gears from Jesus’ parables to Paul’s Galatians, where the focus is going to be on the Gospel of grace, and how Jesus – and Jesus alone – satisfies our need to be justified.

“Justification” is one of those words that carries a lot of meaning. And while I will be speaking more to its theological meaning over the course of the series, I also want us to be reflecting on the more personal meaning: In what ways do we seek to be justified? In what ways do we seek to be declared righteous? In what ways do we want someone (who means something to us) to say to us, “You’re good enough”?

Because isn’t that one of those deep nagging questions of our souls? “Will I be good enough?” A lot of us burn ourselves out working really hard at whatever it is we do because we’re trying to prove – to ourselves or to others, often both – that we’re good enough. A lot of us get into conflict and make it worse through defensive speech and behavior because – more than anything else – we have to be seen as in the right. And it's because deep down, we all seek justification. We all seek to be declared righteous. We all seek to be good enough.

The good news that Paul preaches, then – and that we’ll be looking at this fall in Galatians – is that the justification we seek is available to us!... just not through our own works or our own efforts; instead, it is a free gift from God that we receive through faith in Christ.

So, if your old ways of trying to justify yourself (e.g. burnout, defensiveness, etc.) aren't working for you, and you want to hear how you might receive God's better justification in Christ, then come and join us this Sunday!

And regarding this Sunday, it is a communion Sunday! The children and youth will be joining us for the whole service, and I encourage all of us to prepare our hearts to come to the Lord's Table.

Finally, we're going to keep doing name tags! We at first thought this might be just a summer thing, but after talking with several of you, it sounds like it might be a good idea to keep up this practice for the sake of facilitating fellowship after the service. We're even adding an additional name tag station in the foyer (aka narthex) to make it easier for more people to get one.

Link to Livestream on Sunday, September 6
https://youtube.com/live/0chBb_Fv0DQ?feature=share

You can join us, whether in-person or on-line this Sunday at 9:30am, with Prelude starting at 9:25am, to praise the Lord in word, in music, and in truth! A video recording of the entire service will be available on YouTube or the NPC Website, approximately 11:00am. Videos of the sermon alone will be available by noon.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Jason

Narberth Presbyterian ChurchSunday Worship ServiceBroadcast live ...

09/03/2026

Link to Livestream on 9/6 https://youtube.com/live/0chBb_Fv0DQ?feature=share