This is because in the Lord’s Supper, God deals with His people. Our worship services are not merely a time to passively hear a sermon as if it were a lecture (it’s not), but they culminate in a fellowship meal, where we break bread and partake of the cup of the New Covenant together.

For those walking in the light, this meal gives strength and encouragement. You come as confessing sinners to receive Christ, all you need to grow in grace, and you come in fellowship with those seated around you. But for disobedient Christians trying to live in the dark, hiding unconfessed sin or harboring bitterness against fellow believers, this meal is a “covenantal affront.” Darkness and light cannot dwell together, and the Father is pleased to discipline His sons and draw such sin out of your hearts through the work of the Spirit (1 Jn. 1, Heb. 12:4–11).

What this all means for you is this: Do not resist the work of the Spirit at this Table. Do not try to keep your sin from coming to the surface like a ball under water. Endeavor to live in the light and in fellowship with one another, confess your sins daily, and with simple and sincere faith— come receive the Lord with open hands.

Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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This communion meditation was given on June 28, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church Downtown in Moscow, Idaho.

One of our desires as Christian parents is not just to teach our children to obey God’s commandments but to help them grow to love the standard.

If you simply teach your children to follow the rules, keep their manners, and be nice to others—but they have no genuine love for Christ and His people—it is all ultimately worthless. If they are not devoted in their hearts to the Lord, seeking to do His will, all the outward trappings of our Christian culture will be eternally meaningless. As the Puritan Thomas Watson once wrote, “Morality without piety is profound madness.” Morality without a love for God makes no sense. In fact, when it comes to children in the church, it can even become a snare if they come to believe they are united to Christ simply because of the family they are in, the church they attend, or the way they behave.

In your nurture and discipline of your children, you are not just directing their actions or developing their morality, but also cultivating their loves. You are watering the soil of a soul that contains a seed of faith, believing the promises of God—that He is faithful to every generation (Ps. 103:17). Therefore, your prayer for them can be like the Apostle Paul’s for the Philippians: that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and discernment, that they would approve the things that are excellent, and be filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:9–11).

Now, one important part of teaching your children to love the standard is demonstrating that you yourself are under that same standard. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord, and parents, in turn, are to obey the Lord in word and deed (Eph. 6:1–4). This means that they should see you pursuing Christ, growing in holiness, and confessing your own sin and weakness.

And so the exhortation this morning is to teach all things for faith and obedience to your little disciples of Christ. But make sure you are teaching them to understand and love the standard. And by this I mean teach them to love the Standard-Giver, to love the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who fulfilled it perfectly on their behalf, granting us the grace to follow in His steps, even imperfectly.

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This exhortation was given on June 21, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

Those were the words of our Lord Jesus to His disciples after Peter’s confession revealed to them that He indeed was their long-awaited Messiah. They served as a sober warning then, and now, regarding the way in which His kingdom would come and advance. Lest they expect earthly glory and riches, Jesus told them that if they were to follow Him — they would be following Him to a bloody cross and a horrific death. That was the pathway to real, eternal glory.

And this morning, these are Christ’s words to you, if you are one of His disciples. You will only be lifted up with Christ in glory, if you are lifted up first on a cross and share in His death. As the Apostle Paul wrote, we are “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:17).

There is real joy and glory to be had for every Christian, but you must go low in imitation of Christ. You must die daily to yourself. You must endeavor to crucify your flesh, overcome the world, and resist the devil (Gal. 5:24).

As J.C. Ryle once wrote,

“Without a religion of this kind we shall never be saved. A crucified Savior will never be content to have a self-pleasing, self-indulging, worldly-minded people. No self-denial – no real grace! No cross – no crown!”

And so the question this morning is – do you know what it looks like to die? Do you know what it means to lay your life down in the service of others? To deny the sinful lusts of your flesh? To resist pride, anger, or envy? Do you know of the Apostle Paul’s desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, as well as the fellowship of His sufferings, that you may by any means attain to the resurrection of the dead? (Phil. 3:10–11).

Christ has prepared a cross for you to bear. But remember that beneath it is promised everlasting joy and resurrection glory.

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This exhortation was given on June 14, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

This sermon was preached at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho on June 7, A.D. 2026.

Text: Romans 13:8–14

⁸ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts (NKJV).

Introduction

As we enter the summer season, with all its God-given goodness, it would be wise for us as a church to consider and plan for the unique temptations that accompany this time of year.

A wise man plans ahead and prepares. For the summer, planning is not just needed for Airbnb bookings and National Park passes. It also involves preparing your hearts and your families spiritually for what is ahead. By this, I mean that you are called to consider the circumstances coming up, and be “watchful” against the various temptations you may encounter. Of course, there is nothing inherently immoral about summer—not at all. Despite the topic of this sermon, I am not a summer-hater… but I am a sin hater.

There are some unique opportunities that this season brings, which can also increase the potential for particular sins. And so this attitude of “watchfulness” does not dampen any summer fun, But is actually meant to protect and increase the blessings that God has in store for you over the next couple months. So this morning we will walk through a somewhat extended summary of the passage before us, and then turn to apply it in four specific areas.

Summary of the Text

Our passage this morning begins with an exhortation from the Apostle Paul to owe no one anything, except love (v. 8). This teaching connects to verse 7 just prior to our passage which reads, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Most interpreters do not see this statement as absolutely forbidding all borrowing and lending—which the Bible acknowledges and regulates, albeit with strong warnings. Rather, it is a command to pay what is owed and to fulfill your agreements. As Psalm 37 states, “the wicked borrow and do not repay.” But love will treat the one you owe as you would like to be treated. And so we are to have no outstanding debt, except a debt of love. For love is a debt we owe all men and one that can never be fully satisfied—it will always be owed.

The Apostle Paul then lists five of the Ten Commandments that have to do with how we treat our neighbors, and he explains that each of them, and in fact all of God’s commandments, can be summarized in the command “to love your neighbor as yourself” (vv. 9–10). The Apostle Paul then gives urgency to this command to love. He says you are to do this “knowing the time” that you are in, that it is “high time” to awake out of your sleep, for “salvation is nearer” than when you first believed, and that the night is coming to an end with day at hand (vv. 11–12).

But what does he mean by saying that his readers should know the time? What time is it? And what does it mean that their salvation is closer and the day is at hand? I believe there are two realities in mind for the Apostle Paul. First, on a very practical level, the Roman Christians’ salvation, and yours, is nearer than when you first believed because you are coming closer to both your own personal final salvation, which comes after this life, and the final day of the Lord in which all will be judged. So often, when we think of salvation, we think primarily in terms of a past event. “I have been saved by the Lord.” But Scripture actually speaks in past, present, and future tenses with regard to salvation. Consider Romans 5:9, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

Second, with the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ, light has entered the world and is ever-filling it. Jesus is the “light of the world.” And as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians quoting Isaiah, he said, “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” And there is coming a day when all the darkness will be gone, and we will be swallowed up in the light of the Lamb. Therefore, it is time for all people, but especially Christians, to awaken from any slumber that they are in. To leave the darkness of night behind, and to walk in the daylight, which is Christ.

Now, throughout the rest of this passage, the Apostle Paul continues pressing this motif of darkness and light, night and day. Throughout the New Testament, night and darkness represent the kingdom of Satan, where sin and death reign. Whereas the day is the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, who again is the light of the world. Therefore, because “the night is far spent” and “the day is at hand,” the Apostle Paul exhorts believers to cast off the works of darkness, which are sin, and to put on the armor of light (end of v. 12). You are called to walk as you are supposed to, in the daylight, and not in the darkness, which leads to revelry, drunkenness, lewdness, lust, strife, envy, and all manner of sin (v. 13). Not only are you to put down or discard sin, but you are to make no provision for it, which would allow you to fulfill your sinful desires (v. 14).

Now note that phrase “make no provision.” To make “provision” for something is to prepare for it. To budget for it. To draw out plans or to make something possible to happen. If you make provision for something, you are using foresight to take care that it can come to fruition. And so to make no provision for the flesh is to simply give no opportunity to fulfill the sinful desires and lusts of the flesh. And the Apostle Paul says the way to do this is to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” He is your armor of light that Paul mentioned in verse 12. In Galatians, Paul teaches that in the waters of baptism you have put on Christ (3:27). It is something that has been done. It is a past event. And at the same time, it is a present event, as you must continue to put on Christ daily—putting off your old self and its sinful desires, and putting on His righteousness to walk in the good works He has prepared for you.

And so what I want you to see here in our passage this morning is that darkness and light are absolutely opposed. They cannot co-exist. If Christ is the light of the world, and you are united to Christ, you have no business continuing to walk in the dark. Instead, you must continue to put on Christ and walk in love, reminded that judgment day is ever closer. To live in the flesh, and to make habits of the sinful deeds of darkness is to make yourself at home in the world that is perishing, the night which is vanishing and headed for destruction. Therefore, Christians must not walk in the darkness, because we are “children of light” (Eph. 5:8). You were once sons of disobedience, blinded by your Satan and your sin, but now you have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. You have arisen from your sleep and put on Christ. Therefore, live like it.

And so with that general exhortation from our passage, I now have before you four specific temptations or sins to be on guard against this summer.

Vacation Snarls

We all know that vacations are meant to be a break from the busyness of life, from work, and from school. They are a time to get away and explore—and vacations are meant to be fun. And yet how do they usually begin?

With an argument the night before, as your wife is surrounded by a pile of laundry and open suitcases…

Or with the impatience of a husband in the driveway the next morning, waiting for what feels like an eternity to leave…

Or with the kids in the back seats bickering one mile down the road…

The reality is that underneath the surface of many a vacation is a slow boil of stress, which when given the opportunity, bubbles up with impatience, exasperation, snappy and unkind responses to your spouse, and sour and sinful attitudes from both parents and children.

Have you ever wondered why it is that we treat those closest to us the worst sometimes? Why do we treat those outside our family better than those inside our family—our own flesh and blood? Why do you speak to your husband or wife in a way that you would never imagine talking to a friend or stranger? Why are you so impatient with your own children, the ones you are called to nurture and care for?

There are probably a few reasons for these things, but one of them is that home is where we let our guard down, allowing whatever is churning in our hearts to come out. As our Lord once taught, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk. 6:45). In public, for perhaps both good and self-serving reasons, we usually do not let the nasty things in our hearts come out… or at least we keep up our appearances. But in the family, it can sadly be a different story. And this should not be the case…

Yes, we are called to honor all men, but there should be a special love and devotion given to those closest to us. In our passage this morning, the Apostle Paul exhorts you to love your neighbors as yourselves. And who are your most immediate neighbors? Your spouse is your nearest neighbor. Your children are your closest neighbors. And the command to love means doing no harm to your neighbor, especially those who are precious to you. Therefore, knowing the temptations that often come with vacation and travel, you are called to prepare your hearts—to give no provision for the flesh. Putting on Christ, or walking by the Spirit, is a very practical thing. Making no provision for the flesh is not just a spiritual saying but involves a proactive choice to be disciplined in your pursuit of holiness and love.

And so, when it comes to vacations, you need to keep your expectations realistic, remembering that plans are only plans at best, kids get sick, the hotel may be less than advertised, and the perfect vacation really only exists in your Instagram feed. If you know you may be tempted to be short with your wife because you get stressed before heading out on a trip, you need to remind yourself of that and ask the Lord for help to love your wife well. If, as a wife, you are tempted to complain about packing up all the kids’ clothing, you need to earnestly attempt to accomplish that task without grumbling. When you do sin… when you speak harshly to your children in the back seat or to your spouse… you must be quick to confess your sin, seek forgiveness, and remain in fellowship with your family. And when you are sinned against, you must endeavor to forgive from the heart. As we are told in 1 Peter, “Have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’”

It really is such a blessing to live in a time and place that allows you to travel with your families and to have the means to do so—whether that’s a day trip to Coeur d’Alene or a flight on a plane. Family trips are often when lasting memories are made, when time slows down, and the good busyness of life is momentarily set aside to enjoy one another and the world God has made. Therefore, to receive this gift well from your Father, you must endeavor to vacation with a heart of gratitude and with genuine love for one another.

Prioritizing Lord’s Day Worship

Many otherwise solid and faithful Christians use vacation as an excuse to skip attending church. But vacation is not a reason to set aside God’s clear commandments.

In the fourth commandment, God’s people are called to honor and observe the Sabbath day and to keep it holy (Ex. 20, Dt. 5). Christians observe the Sabbath on the Lord’s Day, on Sunday, and this day is to be set aside for the corporate worship of God, rest from our vocations and labor, and fellowship with the saints. Additionally, the author of Hebrews exhorts believers not to forsake or neglect meeting together (Heb. 10:25).

These commandments to honor the Lord’s Day and to gather together in worship are not seasonal or optional. Which means that—all things considered—if you are in or near a town with an evangelical church, you should make plans to attend that church. You should set aside about two hours on Sunday morning to worship the Lord—no matter where you are. Now, I do say “all things considered” because if you are camping in the forest for the weekend or in a location that genuinely lacks a church, that is a different situation. In those cases, I would still encourage you to set aside specific time to honor the Lord in family worship. Still mark the day as especially devoted to the Lord. But also do not make a habit of being off-the-grid half the Sundays of the summer.

This is not legalism—but a call to basic Christian faithfulness. Sundays are for worship, even when away from your home church. This devotion not only honors the Lord, but it also teaches your family what matters most in life. Your children will be blessed to have grown up in a family that prioritized Lord’s Day worship, even when on the road.

As with all of God’s commandments, there are great blessings to be had from obeying them. And in the case of attending Lord’s Day worship when out of town, it really is a blessing to find yourself far from home yet find unity in the faith among fellow believers. This is especially true if you are able to visit more like-minded Reformed or Presbyterian churches while on vacation.

My wife and I are both from New Jersey, and during our most recent trip to visit family, we decided to attend a conservative Presbyterian church that we had never been to before and knew no one at. It was a very small church, and when we walked in, we were greeted right away by a husband and father of little kids who said, “I recognize you…” As I began to explain that we had never been there before, he said, “You’re from Moscow.” Unfortunately, in the Reformed world, you never know if that is a good or bad thing, but we were delighted to learn in this case it was very good, and his family had greatly benefited from the resources our community produces. And our family had a great time worshiping with our Presbyterian brothers and sisters, whom we had never met before.

Now, one interesting piece of American history that I recently came across is that during the late 1800’s, upperclass families would take extended summer vacations on New England lakes and shores, where the weather was milder than in the cities to the south. Do you know what you can still find in these locations? Old “Summer Chapels” that were specifically built to facilitate Lord’s Day worship for the temporary residents. They could have said, “Oh well, we don’t need to go to church because there are none up here and it’s just a temporary stay.” But instead, there was both a desire to reach these families from the clergy and a desire from the people to attend church even while away from home.

One of the great things about these Summer Chapels was that they fostered interdenominational unity—with Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, and more worshiping together in a service led by pastors from these various denominations. Now “Summer Chapels” may not be as prevalent today—and unfortunately, if they were, I wouldn’t trust the orthodoxy of the preachers presiding—but this is an encouragement to occasionally attend churches that are outside your tradition.

Sometimes, out of necessity or curiosity, you will attend an evangelical church that you would never become a member of if you had your way. But there is a blessing to be had in these situations as well. While you may walk away from a service not agreeing with everything the pastor said, or still recovering from the light show… it really is a good reminder to your family that God has His people everywhere. It is a great opportunity to love the brethren, as we are told in 1 John, even those who are in some ways quite different than you. And I do really believe it is good for our children to learn about the diversity of traditions in the evangelical faith, to know that they exist and how to think about them, and for your families to be able to have conversations about these differences without mocking fellow believers. While we do not agree on every point of doctrine and practice—and some of them are very important—there still is a fundamental unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pursuing Modesty

Now let’s address the sometimes controversial topic of modesty, particularly with summer clothing (or lack thereof).

In 1 Timothy 2, the Apostle Paul exhorts women to adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, rather than with elaborate hairstyles, jewelry, or expensive clothing – all of which communicated both inappropriate extravagance and sensuality. The word here translated as modesty conveys the sense of being dressed with decency, moderation, and self-respect.

And yet while the topic of summer modesty obviously refers to outward clothing, before we even speak of clothing, we must remember that true modesty begins in the heart. It is an inward posture of the heart. It is a desire to honor the Lord with your body and clothing, to love one another, and to pursue true feminine beauty. When the heart is made right before God—when a woman isn’t seeking the wrong kind of attention because she is content and secure before the Lord—modesty then flows organically outward and is displayed in her conduct—whether it be in demeanor, speech, or clothing. In fact, absent this inward modesty, outward rule-keeping or fastidiousness can only go so far. A woman can actually be covered head to toe in clothing and still lack modesty in the way she carries herself.

Now, we won’t get very descriptive in do’s and don’t’s, as that is a conversation best had amongst yourselves. But to be plain, we are talking about not taking the summer temperatures and activities as a reason to dress in a sexually suggestive way, displaying parts of your body that ought to be covered when in the presence of others. And so there are four main admonitions under this header of modesty I want to give this morning.

First, for women—it is your responsibility to give thought to your clothing and prepare for your needs this summer, such as what you will wear at the beach or wherever you may be. Because in our age stores are filled with clothing that is purposefully not modest—it does take certain effort to find what you want. In general, if you are unsure about something, you should get a second opinion or simply put on something else. Better to be sure and confident than uncomfortable and potentially embarrassed. You do need to understand that a call to modesty is not a call to frumpiness or dour attire. It is good to desire to be beautiful and attractive, but that is different than being overtly sexual and an attraction. So this is a call to true feminine beauty that honors the Lord.

My next point is for husbands and fathers. You are called to give reasonable and kind feedback to your wives and daughters. You should proactively have expectations discussed, understood, and agreed upon for your families—with the input of your wives—so that you are not surprised last minute by an outfit for the park or the pool. And if, as you are getting ready, your wife’s clothing does give you pause, you want to be the person who gently points it out to her, rather than leaving that potentially uncomfortable conversation to someone else, or to no one at all.

And third, for older women—Titus 2 teaches that it is the role of older women to teach younger women to be discreet and chaste—to be self-controlled and pure. This means that when necessary, it is appropriate for you to help a younger woman who is clearly struggling in this area. But you must remember to do so with great wisdom, care, and gentleness, recognizing that such a conversation may likely cause embarrassment. Therefore, if you ever find yourself in such a position, you should speak in a way that you would have appreciated being spoken to when you were a younger woman.

Lastly, there are two contrasting kinds of responses when seeing someone dressed immodestly, whether a believr or unbeliever. The obvious sinful response that most think of is that of lust. Of indulging in sinful thoughts regarding the woman you have taken notice of, which you must resist by the grace of God. But another sinful response is that of a haughty spirit. Of looking down in compassionless judgment on a person, forgetting both the ways in which the Lord has opened your eyes to various sins in the past, and the ongoing presence of other sins in your life right now that you still need His grace to overcome.

Remaining Sober

And our final specific application is regarding the enjoyment and abuse of alcohol.

Late nights around a fire with friends, afternoon picnics, and camping trips often include alcoholic drinks, which are a gift from God to be enjoyed. Psalm 104 tells us that “wine makes glad the heart of man,” and the Preacher of Ecclesiastes commends his readers to drink wine “with a merry heart.” And so, as a church community, we broadly have cultivated a culture of liberty and enjoyment when it comes to beer, wine, whisky, and the like.

At the same time, we would be foolish to ignore what else Scripture has to say about this topic. Proverbs 20 tells us that “wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” Proverbs 23 speaks of those with sorrow and redness of eyes, warning, “Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper.” Isaiah declares woes against those who drink into the night “until wine inflames them” and those who are “mighty at drinking wine.” The Apostle Paul lists drunkards—those who are enslaved to drink, without a genuine desire to fight their sin—as the kind of person who in the end “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:11). And lastly, the Apostle Paul used the same night and day theme of our passage when writing to the Thessalonians, stating, “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night” (1 Thess. 5:5–7).

I have laid these warnings down one after another not to diminish or tarnish the blessing of alcoholic drinks, but to warn you in order to protect that gift from being destroyed.

You must walk as children of light, casting off the works of darkness—which means you may not become drunk. You must walk properly as in the day, which means exercising self-control, remaining sober-minded, and not becoming intoxicated. Drunkenness is a sin that God hates. It results from a lack of self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit, and often is tied to other hurt or pain or discouragement that the Lord wants healed the right way.

Likewise, you should also know that flirting with drunkenness by purposefully getting “buzzed” is, at best, extremely imprudent and, at worst, an alarming disregard for God’s call to holiness and a sin. No one who is endeavoring to love the Lord, and who desires to be holy, would spend their time seeing how close they can get to real transgression without crossing the line.

Additionally, you must not allow your brothers or sisters to get drunk either. Of course, you cannot control them, but you can help by “making no provision for the flesh” by setting the tone for when you are hanging out. And if they get drunk or demonstrate a desire to be loose concerning alcohol, you are called to admonish and exhort them lest they be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13).

And lastly, remember that reputations matter. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches” (Prov. 22:1). A good reputation is gained by ordinary faithfulness over an extended period of time. A good reputation is earned by walking uprightly before the Lord and men consistently. But a bad reputation can come in an instant. A bad reputation can result from one foolish decision, whether in the presence of a few or many. It is not vain to care about your good name. You should desire a good reputation for yourself and for your family, because having one usually means that you are endeavoring to love the Lord and those around you.

If drunkenness is a sin that you personally have or are struggling with, I do want to encourage you to get help. You are not the only one. Reach out to a pastor or your parish elder, share with a close friend… do whatever you need to do to get in the light. And hear this—if you have historically struggled with the sin of drunkenness, you need to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with deciding that alcohol isn’t for you. Nobody here will notice, and if they do pick up on it, nobody will care. There is nothing wrong with deciding that in your pursuit of holiness, alcoholic drinks simply aren’t worth the risk of temptation. That can be a prudent decision for some and fulfills the Apostle Paul’s command to “make no provision for the flesh.”

Conclusion: Summer Opportunities

In conclusion, I do want to emphasize again that the summer season is truly a blessing from God. Which is why we want to guard against wasting it with the foolishness of sin.

Scripture calls us to “practice hospitality,” meaning that extending hospitality is meant to be a normative, ongoing part of the Christian life and not a random occasion. And the warm weather of spring and summer offers additional opportunities to extend such hospitality even outdoors, whether in your backyard or at a local park. If this is an area you struggle with, I have two suggestions.

First, simply make the decision to do it. Decide with your spouse, or with your roommates, that you are going to welcome people in your home, and find a good day to do so in the near future. And second, make two lists. Make a list of friends you would like to spend more time with, and another of people in the church you would like to get to know. And simply work through those lists at a pace that makes sense for your family and your season of life.

Additionally, do make an effort to rest and enjoy your families this summer, preferably outside in God’s creation. You don’t need to go anywhere to do this. Dads—put down the phone, put away work or side projects, and play with your kids outside. Go to Idler’s Rest or the city pool or build a fort in your backyard. Give your family your undivided attention and delight in your children while they are still in your home.

Colossians 3:17 says that “whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” This summer that is a good word to live by. If you know deep down that your attitude, or your words, or your actions are not in accordance with God’s will—that you can’t do it in the name of Jesus with thanksgiving—then humble yourself and repent. Cast off the works of darkness and turn to the Lord, that you may walk in the light. And if you can give thanks to God for whatever you are doing—do it then with great joy—and do it in the name of the Lord who is good.

No matter what situation you are in—whether you have sinned, been sinned against, or are experiencing a hard providence—the question you need to ask yourself is, “Where is Jesus in this?” What does Jesus think of this? What is He doing in my life right now? How is He calling me to respond? It’s a question that brings your focus back to the center of everything—your sympathetic Savior and the comfort and correction He offers in all circumstances.

For the truth is that Jesus is with you when you sin. He is not standing far off, but He is near, calling you back to Himself, extending forgiveness again, promising to cleanse you of all unrighteousness and to help you walk in His ways.

Jesus is also with you in your suffering. Whether you have been grievously sinned against or some sickness or tragedy has come upon you, though you may not be in control, He is. He cares for you and promises that though you may not see it now, all things really will work for your good.

Jesus is always present with all of His saints. No circumstance catches Him off guard, nor can it turn Him away. In His death and resurrection, He has united Himself to you, and you are being transformed into His image from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). In this life, you will experience sin and suffering, but you must remember that He will sustain you to the end, that you may be found blameless on that last Day (1 Cor. 1:8).

Therefore, the next time you find yourself or a loved one in a moment of frustration or despair, turn to your Father in heaven and ask that question, “Where is Jesus in all of this?” And know that He is near and at work in your lives—for your good and His glory.

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This exhortation was given on May 31, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church Downtown in Moscow, Idaho.

This doctrine teaches that the external works of the Trinity in creation and salvation history are undivided. Simply put, God is one and acts as one. To believe otherwise is to become a functional tritheist, believing, for example, that the Father alone creates, the Son alone saves, or that the Spirit alone sanctifies. But the orthodox and biblical doctrine of inseparable operations insists that all three persons of the Trinity perform every work of God in creation. As the great Athanasius of Alexandria once taught, “the Father does all things through the Word and in the Holy Spirit. In this way is the unity of the Holy Trinity preserved.”

And so, as a test case this morning, we could ask, “Who raised Jesus from the dead?” Was the resurrection the work of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit? And the answer would be, “Yes.”

For we are told in Galatians that the Father raised Him (1:1). In the Gospel of John, Jesus claims that He both lays down His life and takes it up (10:17–18). And 1 Peter teaches that Christ was made alive by the Spirit (1 Pet. 3:18). In this, we see that the resurrection was a glorious, undivided work of our magnificent Triune God. And so it is with all of His good works.

Therefore, on this Trinity Sunday, come to the Lord’s Table and receive not just the work of the Son, but “the Three-in-One and One-in-Three.” Come to the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit.

Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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This communion meditation was given on May 31, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church Downtown in Moscow, Idaho.

Text: Galatians 5:16–26

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Introduction

Today is Pentecost Sunday, where we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church in Acts Chapter 2. This significant event in salvation history takes place after Christ’s exaltation at the right hand of His Father in heaven, which we celebrated last week as Ascension Day, and the sending of the Spirit is one of the main promises given in the Old Testament.

Often, when we think of Old Testament prophecy, we think primarily of the Messianic prophecies, those foretelling the coming of Christ. But alongside these prophecies concerning the New Covenant is the promise of the Holy Spirit.

As the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…” (Ezk. 36:26–27a). Likewise, as the Apostle Peter quoted Joel, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…” (Joel 2:28a). Jesus also repeated this promise to His disciples, saying, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth…” and “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Jn. 14:16–17a, Lk. 24:49, see also Acts 1:4–5). Therefore, to be a Christian is to have the promised Holy Spirit.

In our passage this morning, the Apostle Paul references the Spirit seven times, with nearly all of the references associated with action on your part. He says you are to “walk” in the Spirit. Be “led” by the Spirit. “Live” in the Spirit. “Keep in step” with the Spirit. But what does all of this actually mean? What does it look like in your life? This is one of those Christian phrases that can sound nice, but when it comes down to it, we’re not sure how to actually do it. To make it real and concrete.

Summary of the Text

After exhorting the believers in Galatia to stand in their gospel liberty and in service love one another, the Apostle Paul then exhorts them to “walk in the Spirit,” with the strong promise that if they do so, they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (v. 16). “Flesh” here does not refer to the body, or at least primarily to the body, but instead is Paul’s word for our sinful desires.

He then explains that in each believer there exist two contrary desires—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit—causing them at times not to do the things they wish (v. 17). It’s important to note here that Paul is accurately describing the life of a genuine believer. While in Christ you have been saved from the eternal penalty due for your sin, and have been given a new heart, there still remains what theologians call “indwelling sin” or a remnant of corruption in you. In this life, our sanctification is imperfect, and a war remains.

Paul then states that those who are led by the Spirit do not find themselves “under the law”—meaning they are not under its condemnation but are rather are justified by faith (v. 18, see Gal. 3:2, Rom. 8:1–14). He then vividly contrasts the works of the flesh, which he says are evident (vv. 19–21), with the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22–23). And these two lists could not be more different. One is filled with that which gives life, and the other has the aroma of death. In fact, Paul warns that those whose lives are marked by the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God—they do not have the Spirit in them, and they will die in their sin (v. 21). But note that those with the Spirit are not merely those who do not practice Paul’s list of sins, but they are a people who exhibit the fruit of righteousness and in union with Christ have crucified their flesh and its sinful desires (v. 24).

Paul then repeats his call to “walk in the Spirit” or “keep in step with the Spirit” as the ESV translates it (v. 25). The Greek word here for “walk” is different than the one in verse 16, and means to follow or fall in line behind the Spirit. And lastly, Paul warns the Galatians against pride and the sins accompanying it (v. 26).

Spirit v. Flesh

Now I want to point out a very important concept for the believer in verses 16–17 that is often not seen or misunderstood.

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

So here we find a great promise in verse 16: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” In the Greek, the word we simply translate as “shall not” is very emphatic. It is saying if you walk in the Spirit, you will absolutely not or you will in no way gratify the desires of the flesh.

This is really great news. But then, at first glance, it may seem that Paul immediately backtracks in the next verse. For he then notes the inner battle in every Christian between the Spirit—the work of God—and the flesh—our sinful desires, the remaining sin that is in us. They are at absolute odds. And he says that as these desires compete against each other, you are kept from doing the things you want to do. Your efforts are thwarted. And so it may seem as if Paul says 1) if you walk by the Spirit you will certainly not gratify the desires of the flesh AND 2) because of this battle though you will frequently be frustrated with your attempts at obedience. As if it’s always going to be a rollercoaster, up and down, and often upside down, or a long battle in which you are mostly on the losing end, making it seem as if meaningful and lasting victory over particular sins is not possible… at least in this life.

Helpfully, Pastor Joe Rigney, in his excellent book More Than a Battle, has taught that one way to get at the true logic in this passage is to swap the order of the verses… while keeping Paul’s logic intact. In our passage, it is written as “A, because B.” But we can flip it—keeping Paul’s meaning—and better understand his argument by stating it as “B, therefore A.” For example, “I eat because I am hungry” can also be stated as “I am hungry, therefore I eat.” With this, we can understand this passage as: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. [THEREFORE] Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

The significance is this. When you look at it this way, the problem and destination become clearer. There is a battle raging inside of you between what you know you ought to do by the Spirit, and what your sinful flesh still desires. This is the battle between the old man, the man of the flesh, which you must crucify each and every day, and the new man, who desires the things of God. But thanks be to God—you are told that if you endeavor to “walk by the Spirit”—you will receive the grace to resist your sinful appetites.

By His death and resurrection, Christ has justified you before God. He took on your sin and gave you His righteousness. You have been declared holy in the sight of God. You have been united to Christ and your salvation is all grace. But that grace does not just change your standing before God, or your position before the Lord—but now it is at work in your life, conforming you to Christ. You are holy—and you are being made holy. His Spirit is at work in you. You are no longer under the dominion of sin—its power has been broken. And yet, you know that you still wrestle with some remaining corruption, you still have sinful desires. And the great promise from God in this passage is that there is a way to have victory in these battles—if you walk by the Spirit.

Now, if you are a Christian… you know what this passage is about.

Christians are not people who never sin… but people who, in humility, are convicted of their sin and know what to do with it. They know the forgiveness found in repentance and confession. But many Christians do find themselves lacking the hope Paul describes here, stuck in that very real battle between the Spirit and the flesh.

Some of you—right now—are growing frustrated and tired. You feel defeated. You are caught in a repeated cycle of very real and serious sin, repentance, and then… repeat. Whether it’s the secret sin of lust and pornography. An always simmering pride and anger that gets unleashed on those closest to you. Frequent abuse of alcohol—trying to escape whatever is in front of you with drunkenness. Whatever it is… you may feel bogged down in a mire… stuck in a ditch… and you don’t even know if it’s worth trying anymore. If God can even really help you.

What I want you to hear this morning is this… you don’t have to stay there.

The Apostle Paul acknowledges that battle you have been waging, and while there will always be a fight on this side of eternity, he says that you can find victory. The desires may and will linger in some form—but with the power of the Spirit living in you—remember the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead—those desires can be denied. There is hope for you if you walk by the Spirit.

Walking by the Spirit

Now to return to my initial question though—what does that phrase actually mean How do you wake up tomorrow, get out of bed, and choose to walk in the Spirit?

The first thing I want you to notice that walking is is an action. It is important to understand that the Christian life is not one of sitting back and expecting God to simply change you with no effort of your own. Yes, justification—being made right with God—is what we call monergistic. Meaning that it is the work of God alone and not man. You did nothing to contribute to your salvation, and in fact, before you were given a new heart you did not even have the desire to be saved. As Ephesians 2 teaches, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins… but God, being rich in mercy, made you alive with Christ.” There is no will involved there at the start. Your will is dead. It’s enslaved to sin.

But sanctification—growth in the Christian life, growing in holiness—involves your own will. It takes action. It is something accomplished only by the help of God, and yet you are active in your Spirit-enabled striving.

So “walking in the Spirit” might sound esoteric or mystical or charismatic, but it is actually very practical and real. Walking in the Spirit looks like this: praying to God, confessing your sin, and admitting that you can’t fight it on your own. That you can’t break this sinful habit on your own. That you need Him to help you walk in new patterns of obedience, leaving your old sinful habits behind.

And then…?

You get out of your bed. And you do the things you know you are supposed to do. You walk in obedience with the Spirit’s help. And a lot of this will look very mundane—perhaps even unspiritual—but all of it is spiritual if it’s done in faith. By that I mean—you might need to make real, detailed, specific, concrete plans to overcome a habitual sin. If you are overspending, you sit down and you make a budget. If you are turning to pornography or alcohol, you identify when your temptations come and you order your life in such a way as to make fulfilling those sinful desires as difficult as possible. If you are neglecting your family with overtime and doom scrolling—you need to put the phone down and schedule intentional family time.

This is not just a matter of avoiding sin or trying not to do the wrong thing. In our passage this morning you have those two lists. One of the works of the flesh and one of the fruit of the Spirit. One is a list of sins and desires that you must suffocate and put to death. As verse 24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” So you must seek to mortify your sins, to kill your sinful desires, each and every day.

But the other list is one of fruit, which you must proactively cultivate and grow with the Spirit’s help. They are what your new heart should desire, and what you should be striving for in your lives. And so walking in the Spirit is fighting by faith with the Spirit’s help.

In his epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul teaches a related practice of “putting off” and “putting on.”

In Ephesians 4:17–24 we read, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

You can see here again, there is a dual action of putting off, putting away, of killing the deeds of the flesh… and putting on, practicing righteousness and holiness. Paul then lists starting in verse 25 of Ephesians 4 examples of the “off” and “on”: Put away lying—and speak the truth. Put away stealing—and work so hard that you are in a position to be generous. Put away sinful speech—and build up others with your words.

Walking in the Spirit is endeavoring to live in a manner worthy of your calling in Christ. It is to be united to Christ, and by the power of the Spirit, to crucify your sinful desires in favor of righteousness and holiness.

Spirit-Filled Means of Grace

Now, I also believe that God has given His church very specific practices and disciplines that are essential to walking in the Spirit.

So if we go back to Acts 2 and look at the Day of Pentecost—immediately following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter’s sermon, and the people’s response of repentance—the new Christians began to walk by the Spirit that they had received in faith.

We read, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41–47).

We see here that while Spirit-wrought signs and wonders certainly accompanied the Apostles in their ministry, the church as a whole devoted itself to rather ordinary duties—that were yet Spirit-filled. These practices included receiving baptism, receiving the apostles doctrine and teaching—so hearing the Word preached—, fellowshiping with one another, breaking bread together—which many Reformed interpreters understand to specifically be referring to the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.

We call these duties “means of grace” — for they are “instruments” of grace or “mediums” of grace. They are God-ordained means by which we can receive ongoing grace in the Christian life for our encouragement and progress in holiness. And so one very basic and practical way to pursue walking in the Spirit is to receive these disciplines as gifts from God to be used in faith.

This is why if you reach out to your parish elder or meet with a pastor for counsel on a specific sin struggle or issue… you most likely will be asked about your habits in reading the Word, prayer, and fellowshipping with other believers. It is not because we think you just need to take a Bible verse like a pill and everything will become magically better. But rather, we recognize that the Christian life is war—against sin, the flesh, and the devil—and our Lord has given us the weapons to fight that war.

And you need to consider whether those weapons have been neglected or forgotten in your life, or have grown rusty with misuse. So let’s briefly hit each one of these means in Acts 2 and see how the Spirit is at work in each one.

First, consider what Scripture says about the sacrament of baptism.

In Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 he ties the reception of the Spirit directly with receiving baptism, saying, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is the entrance into new life and fellowship with God and the community of believers. We believe that when we baptize a child or an adult, that God is actually doing something in that ordinance. It’s not merely a ritual or a symbol, but as the Westminster Confession teaches, grace is granted in the waters of baptism. Baptism, of course, only happens once (usually). But the grace you have received from it is ongoing, and every time you witness a baptism in church it stands as a reminder to you of your own.

Second, consider what we are told about the Word of God, the holy Scriptures, and the apostles’ doctrine.

We read in 2 Timothy 3 that all Scripture is breathed out by God—breath there being a reference to the Spirit—and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work.” Likewise, the Apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians 6 that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit—it is the very weapon and a tool that the Spirit works through. When you are thinking wrongly and its causing stress or anxiety in your life, it is always helpful to speak with a friend because they are able to interupt those thoughts and correct them with the truth. And that is what the Spirit is able to do through the Word. Jesus said He would lead us into all truth, and the word is our primary source of that truth which we need.

Mentioned third, is fellowship.

We don’t often think of this as a means of grace. Isn’t it just a term for hanging out with people? Am I saying that potlucks are a means of grace? Well, yes… We are all different members of one Body, united in Christ who is our Head. And when we come together, the Spirit works through our presence and words to build one another up in the faith. As we read in Hebrews 10… “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Elsewhere in Hebrews, we are told to “Exhort one another daily” so that we are not hardened by sin. As John Piper memorably put it, “Perseverance is a community project.” Walking in the Spirit is a community project. There is no lone-ranger Christianity, and God has given the church to you as a help.

Fourth, we have the Lord’s Supper.

At the beginning of our worship service, we have what is known as the Sursum Corda… where I say “Lift up your hearts,” and you respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.” The reason I mention this is that historically, that liturgical element was placed at the beginning of the Lord’s Supper… this is where Calvin had it in his liturgy. And the reason had to do with what we believe is happening when we partake of this sacrament. We believe that the Spirit lifts our hearts and our souls up to Christ, that we may spiritually, yet truly, partake of Him and receive nourishment and grace for our walk with the Lord. One reason that B.B. Warfield called John Calvin the “theologian of the Holy Spirit” is because of the emphasis he put on the Spirit’s work in the Lord’s Supper, but also in the whole of the Christian life. And so when you come to this Table, don’t just do it as a routine, but do it expectantly, and do it in faith.

And lastly, we come to prayer… an often overlooked or neglected means of grace.

For it’s in prayer that you can confess your sin and need for the Lord, and it’s in prayer where we are told that the Spirit specifically aids us. As we read in Romans 8, “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Think about how amazing it is that you can talk directly to the living God. That You can approach Him in the name of Jesus, knowing that He hears you. And then understand that even when you don’t pray as you should, when you’re unsure what to say or are too weak to even speak, the Spirit Himself is at work, making known your needs to the Lord.

And so what I want you to see this morning is that walking in the Spirit is not a mystery or just a nice Christian phrase. The Lord has given you specific practices to pursue that He has ordained to be a benefit to you in your faith. That He has promised to work through for your good.

But you do need to understand one more thing about all of this…

There is a faithful way to practice Bible reading, and worship, and prayer… and there is a faithless way to practice them. By this I mean that there really is a way to be a very religious hypocrite. To be someone who just is going through the motions, but your mind and your heart is far from God. Maybe all of this is simply what your family does, or how you grew up, or for whatever reason, it’s the path of least resistance in your life… at least for now. What I mean is that you can diligently attend to the means of grace without faith. And one way to know if you are attending to these things with or without earnest faith is to examine your lives.

Do you actually desire to grow in holiness? Or are you actually fairly content with your sin? Do you love or hate your sin? Are they your beloved secret sins, or are they what you abhor? Are you growing in holiness? Are you putting up a fight and seeing any progress? Are you becoming more loving or more patient with those around you Or are you known as a bitter person, a liar, a manipulator, and someone quick to anger? Are you getting better at practicing self-control? Or do you feel yourself slipping each day?

On the surface—two people can look pretty similiar. They are both Christians and church-going people. They confess the same faith, they read the same Bible, they live in the same church community… And yet one can be filled by the Spirit with light and life, while the other is rotting on the inside.

But these things always become evident eventually. As our Lord Jesus taught, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (Mk. 7:20–23).

In our passage this morning are those two lists. Which list better characterizes your life? Which list do you truly long to belong to? The sinful deeds of the flesh… or the life marked by keeping in step with the Spirit—even imperfectly?

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to highlight that one thing the Spirit grants believers is the gift of assurance—of the assurance of salvation.

As we read in Romans 8, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” To walk by the Spirit is to walk in the grace of God, which you have already received.

At the beginning of this sermon, I referenced the promise of the Spirit from Ezekiel. “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…” (Ezk. 36:26–27a). Here we see that the Spirit Himself gives you new life and He will cause you to faithfully walk in the Lord’s commandments.

So all of this we are considering this morning is done from a position of absolute rest and reliance on the finished work of Christ, which has been applied to us by the Spirit. There is real rest—you are not earning your salvation or favor from God. And yet, there is work to do. Sanctification involves your own will and effort.

Some days and weeks, you will feel like you are just gritting your teeth and forcing your way through whatever trial or temptation you are facing. You will find it is all very difficult—and you might be tempted to wonder if that means something has gone wrong or if you are even a child of God.

If this is you… Do not despair.

God has purposed to make you holy, and He will accomplish this in you through many tests and trials. This takes effort, but it is a kind of effort that comes from and works through the Spirit in you. As Philippians 2 reads, you are to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

The Christian life is one of striving and pushing forward, but it all grace, all the way down. You will need to fight. You will need to plan, and strategize, and get help, and fall down and get back up. But you will be able to look back, and you will see the Lord’s hand on every moment of it. You will be able to see that all of it was done with the Spirit’s help.

Therefore, do not lose heart. Do the next thing. Keep in step with the Spirit. And labor in the Lord, as He labors in you.

This event was Christ’s royal coronation. In His resurrection, Christ’s sacrifice was shown to be accepted as He publicly defeated death. And in His ascension, He is now exalted and enthroned high above all principalities and powers, forever having dominion (Eph. 1:20–21). As the Spirit prophesied through King David in Psalm 110, “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

The late theologian, J.I. Packer, summarized the message of Christ’s ascension as “Jesus the Savior reigns!” He wrote,

“In a weary world in which grave philosophers were counseling suicide as man’s best option the unshakable, rollicking optimism of the first Christians, who went on feeling and proclaiming that life was wonderful and the world a marvelous place because Jesus was on the throne of the universe, was beyond comprehension.”

Ascension Sunday is a joyous reminder for you, Christian, that your Lord Jesus is in control. Christ is King. He is the King of heaven and earth, the King of this nation, this church, your family, and your heart. “In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” says the Lord Jesus (Jn. 16:33). When sin and suffering threaten to destroy your peace, to destroy your family, or your health, or your comfort—there is One to whom you can turn, who has all authority and power. There is One you can trust, who sovereignly ordains all things for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28). Jesus, your great High Priest, has passed through the heavens and ascended on high. Therefore, hold fast the confession of your faith, and come now boldly to His throne of grace, where mercy may be found (Heb. 4:14–16).

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This exhortation was given on May 17, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church Downtown in Moscow, Idaho.

This liturgical uniform of the Old Covenant High Priests consisted of an ephod with two beautiful onyx stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel on each shoulder. This was so the High Priest would carry God’s people on his shoulders before the Lord. Additionally, he wore a breastplate with twelve unique stones, each engraved with the name of one of the twelve tribes and gloriously set in gold. This was so that the High Priest would bear the people over his heart in the holy place.

You can imagine how wonderful and encouraging this sight must have been to God’s people. To see this man of God, on the Day of Atonement, entering the Holy of Holies bearing their names before the Lord.

One of the great benefits of our Lord Jesus’ ascension is that He now forever lives as our true and final High Priest at the right hand of the Father in heaven. And it is there where He always lives to make intercession for us, the people He came to save to the uttermost (Heb. 7:25).

Your name is engraved on the palm of His hand (Isa. 49:16). You have been set as a seal over His heart, with a love as strong as death (Song 8:6). Tribulations and distress, sin and failure, may and will come—and He will never let you go. He will be forever faithful to You, and His ascension is a sure pledge that He will one day bring You to your heavenly home (HC 49).

So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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This communion meditation was given on May 17, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church Downtown in Moscow, Idaho.

Each week following this exhortation and our time of confession, the minister calls you to rise and declares that “Your sins are forgiven through Christ.” For those new to our church or liturgical worship, this part of the service may be quite surprising at first, with the kneeling to confess our sins and then a minister pronouncing a pardon. You might wonder, isn’t this creeping Roman Catholicism? How can a man so boldly declare that my sins are forgiven?

There are two explanations for the appropriateness of this liturgical act.

First, the assurance of pardon you receive after confessing your sins is grounded in the promise of God found in His Word. We read in Proverbs that “he who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Prov. 28:13). Likewise, 1 John 1:9 reads, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Therefore, the assurance you receive here each Lord’s Day is the same kind of assurance you ought to have whenever you sincerely confess your sins to the Lord and one another.

Second, as a minister called by God and this congregation, it is my great duty to proclaim the gospel and the free forgiveness found in Christ, especially to His people. Christ has committed the keys of the kingdom to His ordained officers, saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (Jn. 20:23). In this act, Christ is speaking through the minister in the same way that He does in the preaching of the Word. The pastor does not have any special power in Himself to extend forgiveness, but rather, in the office he holds, he is called to authoritatively proclaim God’s forgiveness to all who repent of their sins and turn to Christ.1

And when you hear these words, your simple duty is to receive them in faith, as coming from our gracious Lord Himself, who delights to cleanse you from all sin.

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This exhortation was given on May 3, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

To Packer, the fatherhood of God and adoption in Christ constitute the sum of New Testament religion. Christians are people who have God as their Father.

By nature, this is not so. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he explains that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, made us alive by uniting us to Christ in His death and resurrection and adopting us in His Son (Eph. 2).

You have been adopted in Christ, and so you, too, hear “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” in the waters of baptism (Mt. 3:17).

You have been adopted in Christ, and so you too pray saying, “Our Father who art in heaven…” (Mt. 6:9).

You have been adopted in Christ, and so you too can cry out “Abba! Father!” as a son and heir through God (Rom. 8:15–17).

You have been brought into the family of God, and you have been made one with the Father in His Son, bound together by the Spirit’s love. Therefore, God as your Father ought to be at the forefront of all your prayer, worship, and work. It should be the primary image in your mind when you hear the word “God.” To miss this is to miss the heart of the gospel. As the Apostle John exclaimed, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are” (1 Jn. 3:1).

So do you truly know God as your Father? There is only way to Him, and it is through His Son. And this is Good News for you today.

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This exhortation was given on April 26, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

In Luke 10, we have one of those episodes, the story of Mary and Martha, which presents two very different approaches to the Lord’s presence in their home. For we read that while Mary sat devotedly at the feet of Jesus to hear His word, Luke writes that Martha was “distracted with much serving.” This left Martha overwhelmed and upset with Mary, and she said to Jesus, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.” And in doing so, she not only accused Mary of wrongdoing but also accused Jesus of not caring.

In response, Jesus did not rebuke Martha for her hospitality but instead revealed the sin beneath the surface of her service. He replied with affection, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Now, while this passage is instructive for all, I think it especially speaks to the lives of wives and mothers. Do you know what this is like? Being anxious or troubled about “many things” while caring for the needs of your household? I’m sure you do. Like Martha, at times you are prone to be outwardly busy with very good and necessary things—real duties—while neglecting the most necessary thing—doing it all with humble and happy hearts in the presence of the Lord.

And so the question to ask yourselves is this: When the laundry pile seems impossible to dig out of, when the dishes are about to fall on you, when your children have you surrounded like a nest of hungry chicks, when guests have overstayed their welcome—are you laboring in faith, motivated by love for God? Or are you so preoccupied and anxious that you have completely lost the plot and forgotten what all of this is for?

In those moments, the Lord is speaking to you, as He did to Martha, saying, “One thing is needful.” And it is the one thing that makes all of your labors count for eternity—fellowship with Christ, from which all your service must flow.

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth” (Ps. 34).

Merciful Father,

We confess to you and to one another that we have sinned against You by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

In particular, we confess the many times we have become angry or frustrated while serving others. The times in which we have let our hearts wander, forgetting that all we do is to be done heartily for Your glory. We know that Scripture calls us to practice hospitality without grumbling, and the reason we are prone to do so is that we forget that Jesus ought to be the most welcome guest in our hearts and home.

Please forgive us of these sins and those like them, and by Your Spirit make our devotion to Christ stronger, and wider, and deeper—that we may imitate Mary by choosing the good portion at His feet, that which will never be taken away.

Father, we also lift up our nation to You this morning. We are a very busy and distracted people, who have so crowded our hearts with various vices, numbing us to eternal things. And we ask that You would be pleased to pour out Your Spirit, that the hard hearts of our neighbors and countrymen would be broken, and filled with love for Christ. For without this, we will surely perish underneath the weight of our sin.

We know that if we regard any iniquity in our hearts, this prayer will be ineffectual. And so we silently confess our individual sins to you now, and Selah.

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This exhortation was given on April 19, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

Contrary to the popular interpretation, in this lesson Jesus is not prohibiting the judgment of others. Rather, He is showing how to judge righteously and without hypocrisy. He is calling His disciples to constant humility, saying, “First remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (v. 5).

Now there is one immediate application of this teaching for your own households. All of you know those moments when you come to realize that something is “off” in your home. Dad is frustrated. Mom is exasperated. The kids aren’t listening. Your roommates are always arguing. There is a constant, low-boil of strife and bickering. In these situations it is very important that you do not become so overly focused on admonishing or “fixing” everyone else, without first taking responsibility for yourself.

Think about it—what do your wife and children need the most? A holier husband and father. What do your husband and children need? A more sanctified wife and mother. How can you best love and encourage your parents and siblings? By being the best son or daughter, brother or sister, that you can be.

There is a striving in the Christian life that must always be constant. It is not a striving for God’s love. It is not a grasping for God’s acceptance – you already have those things in Christ. But it is a striving to grow more and more, by the Spirit, into the likeness of Christ. And the best way to help those around you grow in godliness and joy is to do so yourself. It is only then, when you have examined yourself and remembered your own sin, that you are best equipped to address and restore others with a spirit of gentleness and love (Gal. 6:1).

Prayer of Confession:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them (Rom. 1:18–19).

Merciful Father,

We humbly confess before You now our many sins which we have committed against You in thought, word, and deed. We have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep, following the sinful desires of our own hearts. But You have called us back to Yourself, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Great Shepherd.

We confess this morning the times in which we have focused greatly on the sins and failures of others, while neglecting our own transgressions against your holy law. When we have become harsh with those we love, while being soft with our own sin. We ask that You would show us clearly own our hearts, that by Your grace we would be enabled to remove any logs from our own eyes, so that then we would be able to see clearly and with humility help remove the specks in our brother’s eye.

Lord, we also confess that we live in a nation that is far from You, living in rebellion and practicing all manner of sin and wickedness. And so we ask, that in Your mercy, You would pour out Your salvific grace on our unbelieving neighbors. And we also ask in light our Lord’s teaching, that You would make Your church in America both more holy and humble, that we may judge righteously, without hypocrisy, and shine as a city on a hill.

We know that if we regard any iniquity in our hearts, this prayer will be ineffectual. And so we silently confess our individual sins to you now. Selah.

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This exhortation was given on April 12, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

God is our uncreated Creator. All things are of Him and through Him and to Him (Rom. 11:36). He works all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph. 1:11). He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mt. 5:45). He is the Father of lights, from whom comes every good and perfect gift (Jas. 1:17).

At the same time, what God gives is none other than Himself. As John 3:16 reads, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (Jn. 3:16). He is the gift. Through the incarnation of His own eternal Son, God united Himself to His own creation, and redeemed for Himself a people through the shedding of His own blood (Acts 20:28).

That is what we see and receive here in this holy sacrament. This Table is prepared for you by God the Father. And what you receive here in this bread and wine is God the Son by His Spirit. Therefore this is a weekly visible reminder that God, who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him over for us all, will also with Him freely give us all things (Rom. 8:32).

So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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This communion meditation was given on April 12, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

For on the cross, Christ forgave our trespasses, our guilt piercing His hands. And in His resurrection, He disarmed principalities and powers, making a public spectacle of them in triumph (Col. 2:13–15).

This was in fulfillment of what is called the “protoevangelium” or “first gospel” found in Genesis 3:15, in which God curses the serpent, declaring, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” As the Apostle John wrote, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn. 3:8b).

After His resurrection, Jesus then commissioned His Church to go throughout the earth, proclaiming His victory to every creature and nation. Satan had once offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world as a reward for His allegiance, but Christ refused, and having crushed and bound Satan, He instead received the nations as His rightful inheritance from His Father in heaven (Lk. 3:5–9, Rev. 20:1–3, Ps. 2:8). And now as the Church walks by the Spirit under Christ’s authority, we also have the privilege to crush Satan under our feet (Rom. 16:20, Rev. 12:11).

But what does it mean for us to crush this Serpent?

We crush the Serpent every time we worship the Lord, confess our sins, take up our crosses, walk by the Spirit, read Scripture, pray for those in need, love our wives, respect our husbands, honor our parents, instruct our children, work with our hands, practice hospitality, evangelize our neighbors, support missionaries, and love our enemies.

All these things Satan hates, and the Lord absolutely delights in them. So may the God of peace soon crush Satan under your feet.

Prayer of Confession:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting (Ps. 139:23–25).

Merciful Father,

We humbly confess before You now our many sins which we have committed against You in thought, word, and deed. We have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep, following the sinful desires of our own hearts. But You have called us back to Yourself, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Great Shepherd.

In particular, we confess the ways in which we have grown cold and lost our first love. We confess our backsliding, our complacency, and our unwillingness to destroy the works of the devil in our hearts and lives. Forgive us of this sin, and grant us Your Spirit, that we would have abundant life in Christ and see His kingdom advance.

Lord, we also recognize that our nation has turned from Christ and embraced the Serpent by the many sins that we practice and celebrate. And so we ask that You would have mercy on us. May Your gospel go forth through the work of Your church, and may Satan be crushed under the feet of Your saints in this land.

We know that if we regard any iniquity in our hearts, this prayer will be ineffectual. And so we silently confess our individual sins to you now. Selah.

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This exhortation was given on March 22, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

Graphic created by Kevin Carden.

Jesus joined them in their journey, although they did not recognize Him.

He asked why they were sad, and they shared regarding a prophet named Jesus of Nazareth, whom they thought was going to redeem Israel. They explained it had been three days since He was crucified, and now His body was missing from the tomb, with some women reporting an angel appeared saying He was alive.

And yet, they did not understand or believe.

In response to this, Jesus replied, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things to enter into His glory?” And He then walked them through all the Scriptures concerning Himself.

But they still did not recognize who it was speaking to them, until they sat down for a meal.

Luke writes, “Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (vv. 30–32).

On this Easter Sunday, over two thousand years later, your Lord Jesus is the same. You may not understand what it is that He is doing. You may be confused and not seeing clearly. You may be foolish or slow of heart to believe. And Jesus of Nazareth comes to you now, at this table, and offers You this broken bread. And He is pleased to open your eyes, and by His Spirit fill your hearts again and again, with a joy that is eternal.

So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ. He is risen, indeed.

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This communion meditation was given on April 5, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

We can see this teaching clearly in Psalm 44. In the midst of distress and misery, the Israelites turn to God in this psalm and say with absolute honesty to Him, “All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You and we have not been false to Your covenant.” They’re saying in effect, “Lord, we have kept our part. We have remained true to You, so why have You left us?” And they continue to entreat God, crying out, “Awake! Why are You sleeping, O Lord. Rouse Yourself! Do not reject us forever.”

Now it seems quite audacious to say to the eternal and living God, “Wake up!” You might wonder if that is even allowed. The answer is yes—because this cry is done in faith.

This psalm begins with Israel recalling the mighty deeds the Lord has done for them, then declares that He is their King and the only one they look to for salvation. They are approaching God as His people, as His children, covenantally bound and devoted to Him—loyal even while suffering.

And so this Psalm serves as a pattern, a directive, for how you are to turn to the Lord in your distress.

When you encounter a difficult trial, one of the greatest acts of faithfulness is to call upon the Lord, and you do not need to hide your feelings from Him. It can be right to say, “Lord, where are You? I am drowning. I am lonely. I am so afraid. Why is this happening to me and my family?”

But you must not stop there.

You then need to remind God—and yourself—of His past faithfulness toward You. Literally count your blessings. Be specific. And then in faith—call upon Him for help, ask Him to wake up—just like a child who appears at the bedside in the middle of the night when they are scared or sick. For like every good Father, our Lord delights to comfort and protect His children.

Prayer of Confession:

Most Merciful Father,

Father, we come before You to confess our sins, because we know that You are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Often, when we undergo trials or afflictions, we do not turn to You for deliverance. Deep down we think that You are powerless or do not care. We are afraid to ask for You to intervene because in our doubt we do not trust that You will, and we do not want to be let down. We mistakenly think that in our suffering it is somehow holier to simply go on our own, and that it would be wrong to acknowledge our pain and cry out to You with honesty and for deliverance.

And so we ask that You would forgive us of our faithlessness, and teach us to trust You in all seasons of life, and to approach You as our compassionate Father, even and especially when You feel distant.

We know that if we regard iniquity in our hearts, this prayer will be ineffectual. And so we confess our individual sins to you now, and Selah.

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This exhortation was given on March 22, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

This is a disposition toward Lord’s Day worship that all of God’s people should desire to grow in. In a very real way, your soul should long to be in fellowship with God and His people, to hear the Word preached, to sing His praises, and to sit at His table in the congregation.

In the Isaac Watts hymn that we will sing shortly, How Sweet and Awful is the Place, we are given a tune to this Christian attitude, and a call to humility.

“While all our hearts and all our songs join to admire the feast,
each of us cry, with thankful tongues, ‘Lord, why was I a guest?
Why was I made to hear Thy voice, and enter while there’s room,
when thousands make a wretched choice, and rather starve than come?’
’Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in;
else we had still refused to taste, and perished in our sin.”

Where you are seated right now is the best place in the world to be. For you are seated among the people of God and in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. And you are a guest of the King at His feast. And yet, your presence here has nothing to do with who you are, where you come from, or what you have accomplished. You did nothing at all to earn your place here. All of this is free and unmerited grace from God.

So with thankful hearts, Come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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This communion meditation was given on March 22, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

“‘Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm… Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly…” (Joel 2:12–13, 15).

As with Judah in the ninth century BC, our state and nation are clearly under God’s judgment because we have turned from His ways, embraced wickedness, and are reaping the consequences. But one of the first mercies of the Lord in the midst of judgment is the opening of His people’s eyes to their need to repent and turn to Him again with prayer and fasting.

This past week, the Idaho House of Representatives and Senate passed a resolution “encouraging the people of Idaho to observe a day of fasting and prayer on March 1st to seek peaceful resolutions to the challenges facing the state and nation, to pray for snow and rain for Idaho’s water supplies, and to pray for wise decision making by state and federal leaders.”1

There is a long tradition of both the church and the civil government calling people to observe corporate days of prayer as an appeal to God in times of desperate need. In 17th-century Scotland and England, it was normal for the civil magistrate to call for times of prayer and fasting.2 And this practice continued in the United States, with an estimated 1,400 prayer proclamations issued by state governments prior to 1815. Therefore, in response to this biblical call from our elected representatives, our elders believed it would be right to pray in our service this morning for our state and nation.

We live in interesting times, but in the midst of the chaos of our sin, there is hope. Our Lord has preserved a remnant of His people in our land, and His Spirit has not altogether departed. He still graciously hears the prayers of His people, and He may yet relent that we may not perish (Jon. 3:9).

Prayer of Confession:

Most Merciful Father,

We come before You this morning, on behalf of our state and nation, seeking Your undeserved compassion. For we confess that we, as Your church, have fallen short of Your glory. We have followed the idols of our hearts and have not discipled our nation in righteousness. Many of our neighbors and countrymen have departed from the truth. They do not seek Your face and have embraced all manner of wickedness, even calling evil good.

Lord, have mercy on us.

In particular, we ask for peaceful resolutions to the afflictions besetting our land, including violence, protests, lawlessness, strife, envy, societal discord, and even war abroad.

We also pray for our state and federal leaders. We ask that Your Spirit would soften their hearts and cause them to humble themselves before You. Grant them wisdom to render decisions guided by justice and compassion, and let Your blessing and protection be upon our families and communities.

Father, we also lift up before You our need for snow and rain in our Idaho mountains. Without this blessing, not only are our water supplies diminished for crops, but our risk of destructive wildfires this summer also increases. Therefore, we ask that You would open Your heavenly storehouses and send rain upon our lands.

Lord, as we pray today for our land, show us also this day what our own besetting sins are. Reveal to us the ways in which we are not honoring You in our hearts and in our homes. Purify us, Your people, that we may be a light to our neighbors in troubled times. For as we pray each week, we know that if we in the church cherish secret sin in our hearts, these prayers are in vain and will be ineffectual. And so we now silently confess our individual sins to You. Selah.

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This exhortation was given on March 1, AD 2026, at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.

In the early church, the Lord’s Supper was often joined with a full meal known as a love-feast. The church would have what we call a “potluck,” and then at the end of the common meal, set aside the bread and wine. This sort of practice is how the Apostle Paul could rebuke the Corinthians for getting their fill before others, even to the point of drunkenness (1 Cor. 11:21).

Now, for various reasons, the practice of “love feasts” largely ceased in the church from the third century onward. However, while this particular custom has ceased, the celebrations continue. This meal is still a glad feast for the people of God. For at this Table we are joined together in love by God and with love for God. And as we commune with our Lord by His Spirit, this love overflows toward one another, as we recognize our unity as the Body of Christ.

So in the words of the Apostle Paul, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the feast…” (1 Cor. 5:7). And come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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This communion meditation was given on March 2, AD 2026 at King’s Cross Church in Moscow, Idaho.