The Valley of Decision

July 9, 2023 • Pastor Ben Pitney • Joel 1:13–15

Citzens and Servants

July 2, 2023 • Pastor Kevin Canterbury • John 11:50

You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish. The words of Caiaphas are the words of God. In his own mind, Caiaphas was no doubt giving voice to a common-sense statement of political expediency. Yet he was unconsciously echoing a saying of Jesus himself (cf. Mark 10:45). Caiaphas was right; the death of Jesus would save the nation from destruction. Yet Caiaphas could not suspect that Jesus would die, not in place of the political nation Israel, but on behalf of the true people of God; and he would save them, not from physical destruction, but from eternal destruction (cf. 3:16-17). The understanding of Caiaphas’ words in a sense that Caiaphas could not possibly have imagined at the time he uttered them serves as a clear example of the way in which John understood that words and actions could be invested retrospectively with a meaning not consciously intended or understood by those present at the time.

Satan’s Battle Against Women

June 25, 2023 • Sherri Van Fleet • Genesis 3:15, Romans 16:20

When Satan entered the Garden of Eden, he did not try to directly corrupt the man. He went straight to the one that the entire divine plan for mankind depended on – the woman. But God immediately instigated His plan of redemption and put women right in the center of it! As you read through Scripture you will see this pattern – Satan attacks key women, God redeems these women and uses the attack against them as an opportunity to further His plan of redemption despite Satan’s attack against them! When Satan attacked Eve with his insidious deception, God redeemed this attack by announcing that He would send the Redeemer as the “seed of the woman” Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20