Author: carycox

Posts on this blog will mostly be: Glory of God focused Christ-exalting Gospel-centered

Kingdom54 – Kingdom Authority Pt3 – Mat9 9-17

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 9:9-17. Who is Jesus? What sort of man is he? This is the question Matthew wants us to consider. Through his accounts of the miracles of Jesus and the discipleship teachings that follow them, Matthew brings us face to face with Christ and his identity as the Messiah. See him as the Friend of sinners, the Bridegroom of God’s people and the One who makes all things new! Respond by following Jesus.

Kingdom53 – Kingdom Authority Pt2 – Mat 8-9

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 8:23 – 9:8. Matthew is showing us the amazing miracles of Jesus, which demonstrate his authority and identity. The result is a dumb-founded look on our faces as we stand in awe of Jesus, and are called to believe him and follow him.

Husbands and Wives – Colossians 3

Mickey McCall, one of our elders, from Colossians 3. Helpful teaching from God’s word on marriage! Husbands and wives are called to set their eyes on Jesus Christ, put off the ‘old man’ and put on the new. This results in a marriage that is Christ-centered. But what does this look like?

Kingdom52 – Kingdom Authority Pt1 – Mat8 1-22

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 8:1-22. After showing Jesus’ authoritative teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew highlights the healings and miracles of Jesus. Jesus’ powerful actions showed his kingdom authority. And as we discover who Jesus is, we must respond by following him with total allegiance.

Kingdom51 – Responding to Jesus – Mat7 24-29

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 7:24-29. Jesus finishes his Sermon on the Mount by calling for a response: total obedience! The great storm of testing is coming; a Day of Judgment before God. Those who believe Christ and obey his teaching will stand through the storm. But those who see no danger and reject the teaching of Christ will face total destruction. Powerful words from Jesus!

The Glory of God

Pastor Cary Cox. Our focus is usually on getting relief from our most pressing problem or discomfort. God is focused on bigger things. His goal is the display of his great glory in all the earth; that all will know that he is the Lord! He deserves this glory, and he will get it.

Kingdom50 – Warnings From Jesus – Mat7 13-23

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 7:13-23. Jesus gives powerful warnings about the final judgment, and calls for obedience to his teachings. Following Jesus and submitting to his Lordship (as seen in the Sermon on the Mount) is a difficult path that few follow. But it leads to life! False teachers, false disciples, not all will be saved, and Jesus as the great Judge; What a powerful passage of Scripture!

Kingdom49 – Judge Not – How Disciples Treat People – Mat7 1-12

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 7:1-12. “Judge Not” is one of the most frequently quoted verses in the Bible these days. Yet it is also one of the most frequently misused. Jesus has a strong word for his followers, forbidding us from being mean-spirited, overly-critical fault-finders. Rather, the kingdom of heaven calls disciples of Jesus to love our neighbors.

The Marriage Bed – The Gift of Sex in Marriage

Pastor Cary Cox. The Word of God has some very clear things to say about sex in marriage. Sex is not ‘dirty’ but a beautiful gift from God to be enjoyed by a husband and wife. We look at 3 helpful passages: Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:1-9, and Proverbs 5:15-23.

Kingdom48 – The Satisfied Soul – Mat6 25-34

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 6:25-34. When God gives us a new heart that treasures him above money and the things of this world we will increasingly be set free from lives dominated by worry, fear and anxiety. Worry reveals our lack of trust in God, and shows us what our trust truly is.

Kingdom47 – Captivated by the Kingdom of Heaven – Mat6 19-24

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 6:19-24. The Kingdom of God captivates us (arrests, captures, holds our attention) and becomes our great Treasure! When repentance comes we are never the same. Jesus becomes our all-satisfying Delight, and the things of this world lose their grip on our souls.

Kingdom46 – How Disciples Pray – Mat6 7-15

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 6:7-15. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He doesn’t give us magical words to repeat, but shows us the attitude, or HEART of true prayer. Our prayers must be the overflow of humble, worship-filled hearts that are passionately consumed by the glory of God – his Person, his Name, his Kingdom, his Will. In prayer we align our purposes with those of our Father.

Kingdom45 – Secret Righteousness – Mat6 1-6 16-18

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. Jesus has commanded us to do visible good deeds, to be salt and light. But now he warns us against doing visible righteousness with bad motives – to show off. A heart-searching message about hypocrisy, true character and having a genuine, private walk with God.

Kingdom44 – Revenge of the Christians – Mat5 38-48

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 5:38-48. How does Jesus require his disciples to respond when we are insulted, mistreated and abused? The revenge of the Christians…is Love!

Kingdom43 – Jesus Requires Faithfulness and Truthfulness Mat5 31-37

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 5:31-37. Jesus continues his hard sayings, his requirements for his disciples. His followers must be faithful in their marriage relationships, and completely truthful in their words. In this way the citizens of the kingdom of heaven are salt and light in a dark and broken world, for the glory of the King.

Kingdom42 – Anger and Lust Will Drag You to Hell – Mat5 21-30

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 5:21-30. We look at Jesus’ hard-core words about anger and lust. Jesus calls his disciples to a righteousness that comes from a repentant heart – and warns us of the danger of judgment in hell for those who give themselves to heart sins.

Part5 – Textual Criticism and Bible Translations

Our Can We Trust the Bible series concludes with part 5. A brief introduction to textual variants and criticism, and a look at some of the differences in Bible translations.

Kingdom41 – Christ is the Fulfillment of the Law – Mat5 17-20

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 5:17-20. Christ wants us to know that he did NOT come to abolish the Old Testament but to FULFILL it. Every word of it points to him, and he is the final interpreter of it. All of the Old Testament must pass through the ‘filter’ of Jesus to see how it now applies to his disciples. Jesus expects his followers to obey God and walk in practical righteousness.

Kingdom40 – Go Change the World – Mat5 13-16

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 5:13-16. In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus is explaining the demands of discipleship. The citizens of the kingdom of heaven are sent out into the world to shine  a public and visible light that brings glory to the great King.

Part4 – Development of the Canon

Part 4 of our Can We Trust the Bible Series continues, as we take a brief look at the history of the Canon of Scripture. Leaning on Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and Gregg Allison’s Historical Theology we see how the early church recognized which writings belonged in the Bible.

Kingdom39 – Broken and Blessed Citizens of the Kingdom – Mat5 1-12

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 5:1-12. How should we approach the Sermon on the Mount? Both resting in Jesus’ righteousness (we can’t obey his sermon!), and increasingly walking in his power to obey (we can obey his sermon!). Resting and working. We also look at the Beatitudes: the blessed and broken citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Kingdom38 – The Ministry of the Messiah – Matt4 12-25

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 4:12-25

Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, which is described by Matthew as the dawning of a great light to those who are in darkness. We see Jesus calling people to follow him as disciples. We see him healing the sick and casting out demons and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom!

Kingdom37 – Christ Our Victory – Matt 4 1-11

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 4:1-11.

In the temptations of Jesus Christ we see Christ passing the tests that Israel failed in the wilderness. He is the true Israel and the Last Adam, who has won the victory for his people! Our hope is in Christ.

Kingdom36 – Jesus Revealed – Matt 3 13-17

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 3:13-17.

At Jesus’ baptism he is publicly revealed to Israel. And in those moments by the river we see truth about who Jesus is. He is the righteous one who makes us righteous. He is the anointed one who gives us his Spirit. He is the Son of God who reigns as King. And he is the suffering Servant who lays down his life for his people.

Kingdom35 – Prepare for the Kingdom – Matt3

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 3:1-12.

Imagine a time when no one had heard of Jesus Christ! Suddenly, after 400 years of silence from God, a man in the desert begins to shout about repentance. God’s kingdom is breaking into this world! We look at the link between God’s kingdom and his judgment of sinners. Repent!

Part1 – How Jesus Viewed the Scripture

Part 1 of our short series, Can We Trust the Bible? As followers of Jesus, our view of Scripture should be the same as his. Did Jesus believe Old Testament characters really existed, and that OT events really happened?

Kingdom34 – Out of Egypt I Called My Son – Mat 2

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 2:13-15.

Matthew quotes a verse about Israel, saying it is fulfilled in Christ. He also arranges his story about Jesus’ early life and ministry to show that Jesus retraced the history of Israel. Where they failed, he triumphed. Jesus is the new Israel, and the true people of God are those who are in Christ!

Kingdom33 – The Despised King – Matt2

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 2:13-23.

King Herod’s attempted slaughter of the Messiah Child. God’s powerful and tender protection of his Son. Jesus the Nazarene, despised from childhood. He was despised by men, for us!

Kingdom32 – Worship the Newborn King – Mat2

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 2:1-12.

Matthew is telling us that with Jesus’ coming the kingdom of God has burst into this broken world. The wise men being miraculously led to the Child give us a glimpse of what God is doing: people from every tribe, tongue and nation – Gentiles! – are coming into God’s kingdom through the powerful and sovereign work of God.

Kindom31 – The Birth of the Savior King – Mat1

Pastor Cary Cox, from Matthew 1:18-25.

Matthew’s account of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of God, the long-awaited KING! He will save his people from their sins!

Kingdom30 – Jesus Christ the Son of David – Mat1

Pastor Cary Cox from Matthew 1:1-17. Matthew begins his gospel with a BANG disguised as a genealogy. In his genealogy of Jesus Matthew SCREAMS to us that he is the Son of David, the promised and long-awaited Messiah, the King and Savior of the world!

King and Kingdom29 – The Death of King Saul – 1Sam31

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 31.

Saul’s death shows the judgment of God against his sin. Yet it also shows God’s faithfulness to David. The word of God has outlived the one who opposed it. We also look ahead to see how the story continues from David to Christ.

King and Kingdom28 – David’s Worst Day – 1Sam29-30

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 29-30.

All of this suffering and preparation in David’s life begins to pay off, as David starts to look like the king of God’s people. Strengthening himself in God on his worst day, David goes on to be the rescuer of his people, showing wisdom, godliness, generosity and courage. All of this looks to Christ our great Rescuer!

King and Kingdom27 – Forsaken By God – 1Sam28

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 28.

Saul is full of fear and God will not answer him. In his desperation he turns from God’s path and seeks guidance from a medium. He has not listened to God’s word, and now he is in darkness, forsaken by God. Will we ever be forsaken by God?

King and Kingdom26 – Driven Away From Worship – 1Sam26-27

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 26-27. David’s season of suffering and sanctification continues. David expresses his great despair at the thought of being driven away from Israel, the place of the public worship and presence of God! The kingdom of God beats with a heart of worship for the King. David’s zeal for the house of God is seen and perfected in Christ.

King and Kingdom25 – Restraining Grace – 1Sam25

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 25. As we watch God’s unfolding plan in David’s life, we see the long, difficult process of sanctification. God is teaching David, molding him, preparing him. And wedged between two examples of David sparing King Saul, waiting and trusting God’s timing, we see God’s restraining grace at work in David’s life. God sometimes keeps us from doing what we want to do, and this is a great act of mercy!

King and Kingdom24 – The Pursuit – 1Sam23-24

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 23 and 24. Saul is obsessively pursuing David, but this is only to secure his own kingdom. So he’s really pursuing himself. David, on the other hand, is NOT pursuing the kingdom. He values something more. David chooses to wait on God and do what honors him, though this means a longer, harder road for David. He is pursuing God. Do we treasure God, or what God can give us?

Despite our sin and rebellion, God has pursued us in Jesus Christ, the great Son of David.

King and Kingdom23 – David Humbled and Saul Hardened – 1Sam21-22

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 21-22. Davis is officially a fugitive, running for his life from King Saul. These are very difficult days for David, but God is with him. God’s blessing doesn’t look look like comfort and ease. God is humbling and seasoning and preparing his servant, making him into a king. God will do the same thing with the great Son of David, Jesus Christ. Through Christ’s suffering comes our salvation.

Character And The Ministry – The Challenge of Character

Pastor Cary Cox. This message was given at the 2014 ACRC conference that focused on Challenges to the Gospel Ministry. We look at the threat from within. Are the seeds and habits all ready in place in our hearts that, if left unchecked, will disqualify us from ministry? Warning and gospel-encouragement from the Scriptures.

King and Kingdom22 – The Covenant Love of God – 1Sam20

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 20. David and Jonathan appeal to each other on the basis of their covenant. We see the covenant love of God for his people, which calls us to show steadfast love to one another! Our hope is in the unfailing, unrelenting, devoted love of God for his special, covenant people, through the blood of Jesus Christ.

King and Kingdom21 – How Do You Respond to God’s Anointed – 1Sam18-19

Pastor Cary Cox from 1 Samuel 18-19. Now that David has been thrust onto the public scene by his victory over Goliath, everyone must respond to him. In this text we see two very clear and contrasted responses to God’s Plan and God’s Man. Jonathan is willing to humble himself and love God’s Anointed, at great cost to himself. On the other hand, Saul knows that David is God’s choice, yet he stubbornly fights against God to preserve his own kingdom. How will WE respond to God’s Anointed?

King and Kingdom20 – David and Goliath and the Glory of God – 1 Sam17

Pastor Cary Cox from 1 Samuel 17. The honor and glory of God is the focus of this ‘Sunday School Classic.’ See the gospel shining as God saves his people through his anointed rescuer!

King and Kingdom18 – The Fall of Saul Part 3 – 1Sam15

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 15. Saul disobeys the command of God and is rejected as king. In his sin, we see ourselves and our need for Christ. We also take a look at God’s holy war in the Old Testament: how can God command the destruction of people?

King and Kingdom17 – The Fall of Saul Part 2 – 1Sam14

Pastor Cary Cox, 1 Samuel 14. The decline of King Saul continues. Chapter 14 shows a great contrast between foolish King Saul and his wise and courageous son, Jonathan. In Jonathan we see glimpses of the character and strength we wish Saul had. In Jonathan we see a hero. But only Christ can live up to these pictures in the Old Testament. He is our perfect and wise King, who defeats our enemies and leads us to God! All other heroes will fall.

King and Kingdom16 – The Fall of Saul Part 1 – 1Sam13

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 13. In Chapters 13-15 we see the sin and flaws of Saul, resulting in his rejection by God. God will put Saul down and raise up King David. Through David’s line will come the Christ! Here in chapter 13 Saul despises the word of God.

King and Kingdom15 – Great Sin and Great Grace – 1Sam12

Pastor Cary Cox, from 1 Samuel 12. Israel has gathered and Samuel is officially passing the reigns of leadership to King Saul. In his speech he charges Israel with their ‘great wickedness’ and God thunders from heaven to help them see their guilt before him. But as soon as Israel confesses their sin in repentance, Samuel comforts them with tender words of God’s great grace! God’s grace is poured out on his treasured people, yet it is not a license to sin.