This Sunday, our sermon is titled Confident Christianity. One of the most compelling qualities of the apostle Paul is his unshakable confidence that God’s purposes will never fail—that God’s plan for His people and His mission to the nations cannot be thwarted. Writing to the deeply troubled church in Corinth, Paul boldly declares that Jesus “will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That promise is given to a church riddled with moral and relational dysfunction—yet Paul is utterly confident in God’s faithfulness.

From a Roman prison, with the real possibility of death looming, Paul writes to the Philippians, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” He continues, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me,” and concludes with the triumphant assurance, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This is prison-born optimism. Death-defying hope. Gospel-driven confidence.

Do you have this kind of confidence—for yourself, for the church, and for our calling in the world? In Acts 19:1–20, we will see where true Christian confidence is forged. Let’s pray that God’s Word would prevail among us, filling our hearts with hope and grounding our minds in gospel truth. If your faith needs strengthening or your passion for God needs rekindling, this passage reminds us that if God is for us, nothing and no one can stand against us.

See you Sunday—and bring a friend who could use encouragement in their faith.

This Sunday, our sermon is titled Confident Christianity. One of the most compelling qualities of the apostle Paul is his unshakable confidence that God’s purposes will never fail—that God’s plan for His people and His mission to the nations cannot be thwarted. Writing to the deeply troubled church in Corinth, Paul boldly declares that Jesus “will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That promise is given to a church riddled with moral and relational dysfunction—yet Paul is utterly confident in God’s faithfulness.

From a Roman prison, with the real possibility of death looming, Paul writes to the Philippians, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” He continues, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me,” and concludes with the triumphant assurance, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” This is prison-born optimism. Death-defying hope. Gospel-driven confidence.

Do you have this kind of confidence—for yourself, for the church, and for our calling in the world? In Acts 19:1–20, we will see where true Christian confidence is forged. Let’s pray that God’s Word would prevail among us, filling our hearts with hope and grounding our minds in gospel truth. If your faith needs strengthening or your passion for God needs rekindling, this passage reminds us that if God is for us, nothing and no one can stand against us.

See you Sunday—and bring a friend who could use encouragement in their faith.

This Sunday morning, we will conclude our Christmas-season study of Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. In Luke 2:22–38, we meet two faithful elderly saints, Simeon and Anna. Simeon is described in verse 25: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.” Anna, an eighty-four-year-old widow, is described in verses 37–38: “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel.”

Both Simeon and Anna lived with deep longing and confident hope that God would deliver Israel just as He promised throughout Scripture. They eagerly awaited the Messiah and refused to lose hope. This is the kind of faith we long for—a hopeful expectation untouched by the world’s evil, cynicism, anger, or anxiety. It is joyful, alert, and ready when Christ appears.

This Sunday, let us pray that the Holy Spirit would use this part of the Christmas story to shape us into Simeons and Annas—people joyfully expectant of the Messiah’s second coming, just as they awaited His first. Our sermon is titled “Expecting Jesus.” May that be true of all of us. See you Sunday—and invite a friend.

“And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God saying, ‘Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.’” (Luke 2:13-14).

In Luke’s Gospel, praise erupts in heaven and on earth—angels rejoicing above, shepherds celebrating below. Christ the Savior was born! Hope slipped quietly into the world as God Himself came to rescue and redeem. This Christmas Eve, our Waterbrooke Church family will join the chorus of believers through the ages, rejoicing with great joy that our Savior has come. He is worthy of all our praise, and we cannot stay silent!

Join us this week as Dr. Brian Thomas guides us through Luke 2:1–20 in his sermon, “Good News of Great Joy for Those in Darkness.”

In Luke’s Gospel, the Good News of Christmas is set in the real world, which is often quite dark. The angels’ announcement of Christ’s birth comes to humble shepherds and brings them joy and peace to the glory of God.

Last Sunday, we saw that one of Luke’s clear themes surrounding the birth of Jesus the Christ is “great joy.” Another one of Luke’s repeated descriptions of people’s reactions to the coming Jesus is wonder and amazement. Isaiah prophesied that the Christ’s name would be called “Wonderful”. When all the people hear that Zechariah and Elizabeth were going to be calling the name of their son John, Luke writes “And they all wondered…” In Luke 2 when the shepherds return in Luke 2 from seeing Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger, they were telling everyone about what they had seen and heard. Luke 2:18 and 19 says, “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told him. But Mary treasured these things her heart, pondering them in her heart.”

This Sunday, as we study Zechariah’s praise in Luke 1:67-80, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will cause us to be filled with wonder at this great gift of God’s Son who has come in great mercy to us. As the old Christmas hymn goes:

“I wonder as I wander, out under the sky, how Jesus the Savior did come for to die for poor ordinary people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander, out under the sky.”

Aren’t you amazed? I hope this Christmas, you will be filled with wonder, love, and praise as you wander out under the sky. See you Sunday. Bring a friend.

Over the next couple of Sundays, as we lead up to Christmas, we are going to focus on the praise that happens surrounding the announcement and the arrival of the Messiah. This week, we will look at Mary’s praise. Next week, we will look at Zechariah’s. Then, on the 22nd, Dr. Brian Thomas will focus on the praise of the angels and shepherds in Luke 2.

One of the most beautiful experiences that we can have in life is watching a young person who has been truly captivated by Jesus and the hope of the gospel. Mary, the mother of our Savior, is a young person who has been thrust into the living story of the saving plan of God for humanity. Mary will carry the Christ. What is beautiful is that Mary not only believes the message of the angel, but she explodes with delight in her God and Savior. Her trust in God far exceeds all the potential complications that this role might place on an engaged yet unmarried girl in her Jewish culture. She believes that her God is good; that her God is gracious; that her God is faithful. The message is called Mary’s Magnificent God. If you want to read in advance, the passage is Luke 1:39-56.

Let’s come together and see that what thrills Mary should thrill us. What shapes Mary’s obedient faith is what should shape our joy, our faith, and our hope as well. Looking forward to worshiping with you all.

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One of the most powerful statements that someone can ever say to us is “I am with you.” It is infinitely more powerful when that person is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. In this passage that we are studying today (Acts 18:1-17), the Lord Jesus appears to Saul at Corinth in a dream and tells him: “‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you...’”. This is exactly what Christ said to the disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel when Jesus gives the great commission. He ends by saying “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

On Thanksgiving weekend, we give thanks for the comfort and courage that comes from the promise of Christ’s presence in our lives. November 30 is the first day of Advent. Over the next several Sundays leading up to Christmas, we will celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here’s the great news. He came the first time in order to show us by His life and death and resurrection, that He would never ever leave us alone. He is with us!

The Christmas season can be a time of loneliness, sorrow, and struggle. Yet, the core message to each of us is this: His name is Immanuel, God with Us! Come this Sunday, as we merge our study of Acts with the message of hope in Christmas: Christ is with us forever! He will never let us go! May we find strength in this together and may His presence be with us even as we worship Him as a church family.

Join us for Christmas Eve at 3PM - Season of Great Joy!