True Worship

Over the past weeks, we've explored what living in God's light truly requires, and now, as we approach Lent, a season traditionally marked by fasting, this passage from Isaiah challenges us to examine our own spiritual practices closely. Do they draw us closer to God and push us toward justice and mercy, or do they make us only look religious on the outside? God cares less about what we give up and more about what we replace it with—acts of justice, compassion for the hurting, and breaking chains of oppression. Join us as we discover that true worship transforms not just our hearts but our actions toward everyone around us.

This week, the sermon will look to Psalm 15 and examine a crucial question: "Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?" The answer might surprise you. While the Old Testament imagined God confined to a tent or temple on a hill, Jesus flipped that picture upside down by descending from the hill to meet people right where they lived—especially those society pushed to the margins. When we recognize Christ's deep compassion and care for all creation, including us, how will we respond? Join us this Sunday back in person (!) as we explore what truly allows us to abide in God's presence.

After three weeks with the prophet Isaiah, we shift to the songs of King David, a man who knew both triumph and failure in his walk with God. David rose from shepherd boy to king, yet his story includes serious mistakes that remind us how easily we lose our way when we take our eyes off God's light. In Psalm 27, David declares a powerful truth that echoes through generations all the way to Jesus: "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?" Join us as we explore how David's honest song of trust in God's light and salvation resonates directly with our own struggles. We'll see you at worship on Sunday!

Do you ever feel that, despite your efforts, it feels like you have accomplished nothing? Isaiah shares his struggle with "laboring in vain," feeling like his work brought no results among God's scattered people. But here comes the beautiful turning point—God expands the mission beyond what Isaiah ever imagined, declaring that restoring just one group seemed too small a task for the light He planned to shine. Through Isaiah's story, we discover how God transforms our disappointments into something far greater than we ever dreamed possible. See you Sunday!

Last week, we discovered how God called His people to shine as a beacon of light for all nations, guided by the promised Light of Christ. In this week's sermon, "A Light to the Nations," we will dig deeper and define what it means to carry that light as God's servants in our daily lives. The prophet Isaiah challenges us to examine our lives: Do we follow the one true God who calls us to shine His light everywhere, or have we allowed other things to take His place in our hearts?

God's original promise to Abraham didn't stop with one group of people—it always reached toward every nation and every person. Join us as we discover how the New Covenant in Jesus Christ empowers us to become the light-bearers God created us to be.

Bridging the season between Advent and Lent, our upcoming sermon series. “From Law & Prophets to Light” explores the prophetic promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who came as the Light of the World to complete all that the Law and Prophets foretold. Through the words of Isaiah, the Psalms of David, and the covenant story of Moses, we discover how God's people have always been called to be beacons of light—first as a remnant returning from exile, and now as modern Christians carrying Christ's light into the world. Join us from January 4th through February 15th as we trace God's faithfulness from the old covenant through the new covenant established in Christ.