Sermons, Sunday school, and Bible studies from Faith Presbyterian Church in Clinton, LA. We hope you can join us in person, but feel free to follow along or catch up on anything you may have missed here!
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We started our next Bible study series tonight, embarking on Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Join us as we consider what on the surface appears to be a rather mundane greeting and yet is actually so much more.
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Join us as we discuss the calling of Moses in Exodus 3.
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Join us as we look at Moses's early life.
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The Cost of Following the Lord of Glory (Matthew 8:18–22)
28:35
28:35
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Why does Jesus actively discourage would-be followers? Two encounters give Jesus the opportunity to bring clarity. Following him is costly. Join us as we consider the humility, the rejection, and the paradox of following Jesus. He is at once both the suffering servant of Isaiah and the Son of Man of Daniel 7. What will you do with the challenge he …
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Ruined Sinners to Reclaim (Matthew 8:14–17)
28:09
28:09
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28:09
What if Jesus doesn’t heal me? As Matthew continues to narrate Jesus’ healing ministry we see him again heal by touch and by word, yet Matthew peels back the curtain and sets it in the context of Jesus’ larger mission. As he does so we find that Jesus everywhere transcends what we expect, so that even when he does not deliver us from this light and…
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Join us and be encouraged as we consider Psalm 110 and the questions in the catechism pertaining to Christ's exaltation.
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Join us as we continue to explore the catechism’s exposition of the work of Christ. Moving on from the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, we next consider his estate of humiliation, its extent, and the powerful comfort we may draw from considering its detail. At the end we briefly introduce Christ’s exaltation, but will continue to develop…
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The Gentile Who Built His House Upon the Rock (Matthew 8:5–13)
33:18
33:18
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How does the centurion’s faith relate to the promise to Abraham? How does Jesus use it to challenge a presuming crowd? And how do we see Jesus’ power on display in this encounter? Join us as we consider the second in a series of healing miracles that follow the Sermon on the Mount, and search your hearts in light of Jesus’ words in this passage.…
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How does an encounter between Jesus and a leper portray for us the wonder of the gospel? Join us as we examine this brief encounter that displays the depths of ruin and sin, the breadth of Jesus’ love, and the heights of the gospel’s power! And whenever you find yourself doubting the extent of Christ’s love for you, knowing he is able but doubting …
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Listen in as we discuss our Prophet, Priest and King!
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Submitting to Jesus’ Authority (Matthew 7:13–29)
36:51
36:51
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What becomes of those who do not heed Jesus’ teaching? As Jesus wraps up the Sermon on the Mount he turns to his hearers and presses home the urgency of his teaching and the danger of being entertained by Jesus’ words and yet holding his demands at arms’ length. Four illustrations drive home the importance of heeding Jesus’ words and not merely hea…
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Righteous Judgment and the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:1–12)
34:45
34:45
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How do I love my neighbor as myself? Just as Jesus leaned into our love for God, so now he turns to press us with regard to our love of neighbor. As he begins to draw the Sermon on the Mount to a close he reveals the hypocrisy of a condemning spirit, the necessity of discernment, the help the Father is ready to provide, and a handy rule of thumb to…
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Today our conversation began in Ephesians 3, moved on to Westminster Larger Catechism Q42 and drifted far afield into helpful topics such as Jesus's name, the Lord’s supper, and the means of Christian growth.
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Tonight we reviewed the books of Samuel. You'll want to visit this recording on our website to see the handout but please join in as we consider in broad strokes all that the Lord has been showing us over the past year of study.
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Quieting an Anxious Heart (Matthew 6:25–34)
31:54
31:54
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How does Jesus help calm our worries? Like a tender shepherd Jesus knows his sheep, and he knows his preceding words about worldly wealth may exacerbate our anxiety. Join us as we see him remind us of the fullness of our life, our value in our Father’s eyes, and the futility of our anxiety to give us anything of value. Drawing on his words in this …
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Join us as we consider timeless truths contained in these questions from the Westminster Larger Catechism
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Census, pestilence, sacrifice, curtains. Why does the book of Samuel draw to a close in such an odd way? How does the ending shape what we make of David? How does it contrast him with Saul on the one hand, and point forward to Jesus on the other? Join us as we wrestle with a perplexing conclusion.
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In these closing chapters of Samuel we have seen David at war and David in worship; here in this penultimate chapter we see both again, in reverse. The two parts of the chapter together reflect on the Lord’s covenant with David and the success he has brought him in war. Join us as we discuss David giving God the glory, see how this distinguishes hi…
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Hard words from Jesus about where our hearts lie as he confronts us with two treasures, two visions, and two masters. While we may think we can follow Jesus part time, he bids us choose—and reveals to us the slavery inherent in pursuing earthly wealth. Join us as we weigh his words and their challenge, and join us next week as Jesus goes on to addr…
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Join us as we consider more of what the Westminster Larger Catechism has to teach us.
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Your Father Knows What You Need (Matthew 6:5–15)
39:41
39:41
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How does one pray? In the midst of a passage on hypocrisy Jesus provides us instruction on prayer. First he tells us how (not) to pray, then he provides us a prayer that we may both pray ourselves and use as a model. Join us as we consider the six petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, of how to pray for God’s glory and our good, together with some furthe…
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Join us as we consider both our ultimate problem and the ultimate solution, found in Christ. The end of Genesis 3 and the beginning of Revelation 22 help frame our discussion as we continue in the Larger Catechism, wrapping up the outline of our sin and mercy and beginning to consider the covenant of grace.…
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As we continue through the closing chapters of Samuel we encounter a Psalm, also familiar to us as Psalm 18, that bids us reassess David and to frame the whole of his reign in light of God’s favor. How does a chastened yet grace-filled reflection help us to frame our own experience? How does it help highlight for the work of the son of David? Join …
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A Secret Perfection, A Secret Reward (Matthew 6:1–18)
34:40
34:40
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As Jesus begins the next section of the Sermon on the Mount we meet instructions that appear to stand in tension with something he said earlier. Are our good works supposed to be observed by others, or not? As we work through Jesus’ words we see him answering three “how” questions: how do we resolve apparent contradictions, how do we understand hyp…
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Romans 5:12-21, Westminster :Larger Catechism Qs 22·26
46:23
46:23
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Paul’s description of Adam’s sin and Christ’s obedience helped frame our discussion of WLC 22–27 this morning as we dove into the bad news of Adam’s sin and its devastating effects, trying to bear in mind as we did so how the one man’s obedience is not like the trespass, for Christ’s obedience is able to undue all the damage Adam’s sin has wrought.…
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Today we look at David's handling of the consequences of Saul's sin. There is much to discuss and learn in this chapter.
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The Love the Lord Requires (Matthew 5:43–48)
34:39
34:39
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What does Christian love look like? What makes it unique? In this challenging paragraph we consider the object of the love the Lord requires, its nature, and its motivation. We also look at the practical help offered, as well as the examples of Jesus and Stephen.
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Psalm 121, Westminster Larger Catechism Q's 18–21, 30
39:36
39:36
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Today we focused on Psalm 121, and Westminster Catechism 18–21, 30. Join us as we consider the Lord's good providence in all things.
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A return to Jerusalem; a new coup; a powerful general; a wise woman; a list of officials. What do we make of a chapter including such diverse materials? How does it bring David’s story to a conclusion of sorts, and how do we assess the ending? How does it link both backwards and forwards? Join us as we consider 2 Samuel 20.…
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Walking the Second Mile (Matthew 5:38–42)
25:48
25:48
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How would Jesus transform our response to adversity? Where can we find the strength to show the meekness he calls blessed? Join us as Jesus confronts our confusion of justice and revenge, as we explore the meekness he requires, and as we look to him as our example and so much more.
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Join us as we consider the Westminster Larger Catechism Q's. 11–17.
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Absalom’s coup has failed and David’s son is dead, but David continues to be caught between his role as father and his role as king. How can he and the people move forward? Will he resume his reign over the nation, or will it continue to fracture and rebel? And where is God in this picture? Join us as we continue in 2 Samuel!…
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Psalm 19 and Westminster Larger Catechism Q1–Q10
33:50
33:50
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Join us as we look at Psalm 19 and begin our adventure through the Westminster Learger Catechism.
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What would it look like if we consistently loved the truth in thought, word, and deed? In this passage Jesus puts his finger on the problem of broken word and broken oaths, lays bare the aggravation of mincing words and finding loopholes, and calls upon us to love the truth in thought, word, and deed, even as he who is the way, the truth, and the l…
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Will the kingdom of heaven be inhabited by pirates, with eye patches and hooks for hands? Jesus has strong words for us on adultery, lust, the fight against sin, and divorce. Join us as we consider the seriousness of sinful desires, our duty to fight sin, and the role of God’s mercy.
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2 Samuel 18. Forces of father and son meet on the battlefield. Yet the father stays behind in ways that recall earlier scenes. Does this bode well or bode ill? A devouring forest, a sacred? terebinth, a son of David suspended between heaven and earth, a pierced side, a cursed burial. So many echoes of a different son of David, yet sideways, upside …
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What hope does Jesus offer angry people? And what hope do we have when the problem is in our hearts? Join us as Jesus demolishes our self-righteousness, reveals the depth of the law’s requirement and the extent of our sin, shows the urgency that anger presents, and then in himself satisfies God’s wrath against our sin.…
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Absalom’s coup continues. David makes his way to the Jordan following encounters with two people connected to Saul’s house. Once he arrives, our attention moves back to Absalom as he enters Jerusalem. Counselors come into play as Absalom takes Hushai into his service and seeks advice from Ahithophel. What will become of the insurrection? How will D…
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As Jesus turns to the body of the Sermon on the Mount he heads off objections to his teaching and says something that leaves disciples in shock to this day: unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What are we to make of this difficult saying and the paragraph that accompanies it? …
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Join us as we continue in 2 Samuel 15, where betrayal, power struggles, and the pursuit of a kingdom collide in a dramatic tale of loyalty and deceit. As David flees a fortress city become a trap, a series of encounters reorients his heart and mine, and the quick-thinking, God-reliant David resurfaces (though yet with faults). What will become of G…
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Jesus calls his disciples the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but what do these images mean for us, and how do we make sense of the enigmatic warnings that come with them? This morning we examined the usefulness of disciples, the temptation of persecution, and the outcome of our discipleship. Join us as we continue to make our way thr…
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The fallout of David’s non-reconciliation begins as Absalom massages the people’s egos and steals their hearts. His conspiracy is broad and deep, and David must respond swiftly for his own safety and that of his followers. In the midst of so much human action, the most unlikely interaction—with a Philistine mercenary!—will reawaken David’s faith an…
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As Jesus begins the most famous sermon ever preached he begins by meeting objections his teaching will raise, asserting blessing for his disciples, and offering us three windows: into the character of his disciples, into the content of the kingdom, and into the persecution of believers. Join us as we consider these Beatitudes and the comfort that p…
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A nation rocked, a family torn asunder, a father and son estranged, a royal heir in exile. Thus 2 Samuel 14 begins. And though David’s heart inclines toward his son, his actions do not. Will the machinations of David’s court bring about reconciliation? Or will we see the parable of the Prodigal Son by way of contrast? Join us as we are frustrated b…
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He Opened His Mouth and Taught Them (Matthew 5:1–2)
26:57
26:57
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As Matthew turns to the first major block of Jesus’ teaching we encounter a two-verse preface. Easy to overlook, this preface nevertheless orients us to what follows with important reminders and observations. As we consider it this morning we are reminded that Jesus teaches for the world, Jesus teaches his disciples, and Jesus teaches with authorit…
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The last chapter of Genesis draws us to a close of sorts, and yet contains a to-be-continued feel. God’s faithfulness to bring Abraham’s family to this moment points to future faithfulness yet to come, though some elements of the promise are not yet fulfilled. Join us as we reflect on the book and discuss the reflex of faith that causes both Jacob …
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The rape of Tamar and the murder of Ammon. A dark tale, a difficult text, an intense look at the depth and extent of human depravity as the consequences of David’s sin begin to work themselves out in his household. How does a text like this work in tandem with Romans 8 and Psalm 23 to reveal to us the beauty of God’s sovereignty? How does the black…
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How does the beginning of Jesus’ ministry provide us with a foretaste of the new creation? Join us as we see Jesus call his first disciples, preach and teach, and heal every disease and affliction among the people in Galilee and reflect on what it means for us in the midst of our suffering as we anticipate the new heavens and the new earth.…
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As we approach the end of Genesis, with the death of Jacob looming, we encounter two scenes of blessing in chapters 48 and 49. In a careful narration we are reminded of scenes before, and while the deception is removed, surprises remain. Grandsons are placed among sons in inheritance; blessing and prophecy join hands; the promise to Abraham carries…
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What David did displeased the LORD. But the next chapter begins with grace, as the LORD takes initiative and sends Nathan the prophet to David. How does a consideration of God’s ways with David help us to frame our own reflections on sin, its consequences, and our response to conviction? Join us as we consider 2 Samuel 12!…
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