Chris Sheppard

Reflecting on years of pastoral ministry at the church, the message calls the congregation to exalt Christ for all He has done and to see an upcoming relocation decision as an opportunity to display God's glory both corporately and in

Matthew 5:20 teaches that entrance into the kingdom requires a righteousness greater than human works or external religion. The righteousness Christ demands is impossible for sinners to produce and must come from God by grace through faith.

Matthew 5:19 teaches that believers must not relax, annul, or disregard any part of Scripture in life or in leadership. The Old Testament Scriptures remain fulfilled in Christ, and the New Testament shows believers how to live under God's

Isaiah 7 and Matthew 1 are used to affirm that Jesus is fully God and fully man, the God-man promised as Immanuel. Because he is truly man he can bear sin, and because he is truly God he conquers sin, death, and the grave.

Isaiah 7 and Matthew 1 are used to show that Christ truly came as man, born of a virgin and descended from Abraham and David. His true humanity means he can bear the sins of his people and bring the promised blessing to the nations.

Working through Proverbs 11, this message presses hearers to choose discretion and generosity over folly, warning that a beautiful woman without discretion is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.

The Old Testament, the Gospels, and the apostolic preaching all present one consistent message: the promised Messiah who suffered and rose again. Christ is the center of the whole Bible and must remain the church's consistent message.

Solomon's warning that a false balance is an abomination to the Lord while a just weight is his delight becomes the occasion for weighing whether a life is marked by genuine righteousness or by a merely religious lawlessness that rejects

Matthew 5:13-16 calls believers to live as salt and light in a decaying and dark world. Christ exposes external religion and sends His people to display good works that bring glory to the Father.

Solomon's scattered proverbs on diligent labor, careless speech, and the legacy a life leaves behind are gathered together to press the question of whether a life is being built on wisdom's way or squandered on the fool's folly.