North Avenue Church Podcast

Cyrus is raised up to physically deliver Israel from exile and yet there is another future Servant of the Lord who will deliver us from spiritual bondage by taking away our sins. You can watch this message here.

God's providence not only applies to the salvation of His people, but also incorporates the hardening and judgment of His enemies. While this may be a less popular topic, it is one that is clearly taught in Scripture and one that we must not ignore. You can watch the message here.

You can watch this video here and the full message here.

You can watch this clip here and the full message here.

You can watch this video here and the full message here.

You can watch this excerpt here and the full message here.

Ezra is certainly one of the least read, preached, and discussed historical books of the Old Testament. What is the goal of spending the summer months in this rather remote part of Scripture? There is much for us to learn and grow from in this wonderful book! As we will see again, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). [Image from here.] You can watch the message here.

We see God's sovereignty clearly in the Exodus event of the Old Testament, including God's sovereignty over the heart of Pharaoh. You can watch this message here.

How are Christians to think about introspection in regard to our salvation? Here are four marks we are building our houses on the rock. Good fruit is growing from your transformed heart Your outward righteousness is matched by inward righteousness You know and are known by Jesus You experience godly grief over your sin, not worldly grief You can watch the message here.

Six Marks of False Convert: The Beatitudes do not truly character your life You obey God superficially and selectively to please man The gospel is folly to you, not captivating The Lordship of Jesus is a mantra, not a reality Your faith is dead, not living You do not experience joy and anguish regarding how others are walking with Jesus You can watch the message here.

God does everything for the glory of God. God also commands us to praise and glorify Him. Is this egotistical? You can watch the message here.

We have the privilege of seeing the despair, grief, fear, doubt, and unbelief of the disciples come into the peace-and-joy-giving presence of the risen Jesus and His scars. You can watch this message here.

You can watch the message here.

The teaching team continued introducing the glorious and challenging topic of God's providence this Sunday. You can watch the message here.

Last Sunday we covered the nine marks of a false teacher. We pick up with point ten this week and cover eight more marks of a false teacher according to Scripture. 10. They fail to truly help people fight their sin 11. They exploit the sheep financially 12. They undermine the authority of Scripture… By rejecting parts of the Bible By tampering with God's word By claiming God has spoken to them when He has not 13. They preach another gospel (for example: by denying the imputation of Christ's righteousness) 14. They teach so as to please man not God (and thus avoid persecution) 15. They act like lords, not servants 16. They may teach mysticism and asceticism 17. They are waterless clouds You can watch the message here.

This is a brief reflection on the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, a Christian elementary school in Nashville this past Monday. These reflections were recorded on Tuesday, March 28th. You can watch the message here.

Here are Nine Marks of a False Teacher: They disguise themselves as servants of righteousness They reject the narrow way They sound attractive to our flesh They are often popular They often allow idolatry They twist Scripture They often allow sexual immorality They often deny God's wrath They speak like the world You can watch the message here.

Meditating on God's providence involves some of the deepest thinking and applying God's providence involves some of the most all-encompassing application. This doctrine boggles the mind, warms the heart, and applies to all areas of life! You can watch the message here.

This is the second part of our prospective members' meeting from Saturday, March 18th. You can watch the message here.

This is from our prospective members' meeting on Saturday, March 18th. You can watch the message here.

You can watch this video here and the full message here.

This is the sermon outline, which Mark borrowed from Voddie Baucham and Don Carson: Two gates Two ways Two crowds Two destinies Here are discussion questions that go with the message: Two Gates: 1) Have someone read Matthew 7:13-14. What are things that will change in a person who is truly born again? 2) Have someone read 2 Corinthians 5:14-17. What are ways Christianity in the South has tended to water-down the new birth?   Two Ways: 3) Have someone read Colossians 3:5-11. What makes the wide path so attractive and easy to follow? 4) Why is the narrow path so challenging and difficult? How can we faithfully persevere to the end?   Two Crowds: 5) Have someone read 1 Corinthians 15:33-34. Why does bad company have such a negative effect on us? How do we continue to love lost people without being influenced poorly by them? 6) How has being part of a body of faithful believers (the "few" who are on the narrow path) been a help to you personally?   Two Destinies: 7) Have someone read Psalm 73 verses 3-4 and 16-19. How does seeing the future help us not envy or imitate the wicked? 8) Have someone read Luke 13:22-30. What will "destruction" mean for those on the wide path? What will "life" mean for those on the narrow path? How can this spur us on in faithfulness?   You can watch the message here.

This week we wrapped up our cultural series, which began in September of 2022. You can watch this message here.

We had a packed teaching team for the last message in the Romans series! What a tremendous 15 months this series has been.

You can watch this video here and the full message here.

What does the Golden Rule really mean? The Golden Rule does not mean that you treat others according to your own tastes and preferences! The Golden Rule arises from a deep love for God The Golden Rule is not based on how others have treated you in the past The Golden Rule is not based on how others may treat you in the future The Golden Rule is meant to devastate us and lead us to Christ You can watch the message here.

The teaching team wants to be clear that they are not critiquing Keller and Mason out of some personal dislike. Both Keller and Mason were pastors that they would have recommended in the past. Keller used to be one of Mark's favorite teachers to listen to and read. However, sadly, the woke worldview has begun to creep into their teaching and we now have serious concerns with some of what these men teach. You can watch the message here.

Mark had the privilege of interviewing Jerry Ediger for a second time about his life and God's faithfulness. He has had diabetes most of his life and been in a wheelchair since he broke his neck at age 17. Jerry's story is an amazing display of God's providence throughout Jerry's many trials. Listen in and be prepared to laugh and be encouraged! You can watch the message here.

Matthew 7:1 may be the most frequently quoted and most widely misunderstood verse in all of Scripture. For that reason it is all the more important that we understand and apply it correctly! In this message we see what Jesus did not mean and what He did mean in this passage. What does it mean to not judge? When is it right to judge? What is the difference between a judgmental attitude and wise, biblical discernment? What does it mean to not cast our pearls before pigs? These are some of the questions addressed in the message. You can watch the message here.

Reparations are now being taught by Disney as a kind of indoctrination to for our children. However, far more disturbingly is how popular reparations have become among the Evangelical world, including the Reformed world. In this message we hear from various evangelical leaders and the teaching team offers a critique of this view. You can watch the message here.

The teaching team covers Romans 15 which highlights the relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles.

It is tempting today to argue that all racial disparities in our culture are due to discrimination of one kind or another. But does this bear out with the facts and data? The truth is more complicated than that. Throughout this message, the main point is that disparities are due to a wide range of issues. Even the last five minutes of the message are not meant to blame all disparities on the passing of Medicaid in 1965. These issues are complex, but the main point is to say that CRT is wrong to claim that all disparities between ethnic groups are always due to racism and discrimination. You can watch the message here.

Scott preached for the first time since October and shared a powerful message about trusting God in the midst of the uncertainties and trials of life. There is much we can learn here! Let us commit to respond to anxiety with God's Word and Spirit. Here is the sermon outline: The significant sin of anxiety There is no reason to worry What are you seeking? Seven ways to fight the sin of anxiety Flood our lives with what fills with faith Live a day at a time Unmask the sin of anxiety Fight the sin with specific Bible verses Take things to God in prayer Immerse yourself in God's Word Remember the gospel You can watch the message here.

The Woke worldview is spreading through institutions in the world including the church. It functions like a new religion in many ways. It is important that Christians are able to identify and reject its false assertions. You can watch the message here.

The teaching team talks about how the strong brothers should show kindness to the weaker brothers.

Included below are the five sermon points along with discussion questions for further reflection. 1) WE SHOULD NOT ASK FOR AN IDOL How can we tell if we are actually beginning to pray for an idol? (Have someone read James 4:2-4) 2) WE SHOULD ASK HUMBLY How can we grow in praying in humble dependence on God's fatherly care? (Have someone read Matthew 7:7-11) 3) WE SHOULD ASK FOR MORE OF GOD What can motivate us to pray more earnestly for more of God Himself in our lives and the lives of others? (Have someone read Luke 11:13 and Jeremiah 29:12-13) 4) WE SHOULD ASK FOR THE SALVATION & SANCTIFICATION OF OTHERS How do we pray more earnestly for the salvation of others, especially those in our family? (Have someone read Romans 10:1) What can help us pray more earnestly for the sanctification of others? (Have someone read Colossians 1:9-11) 5) WE SHOULD ASK PERSISTENTLY What has helped you pray more persistently about matters of eternal importance? (Have someone read Luke 11:5-10) You can watch the message here.

This week the teaching team builds off of the previous week and continues to expose the false and dangerous narrative that the BLM movement has created using Critical Race Theory as its ideological foundation. BLM promoted the motto "Defund the Police" which led to the tragic consequences of higher crime, including more theft and murder, over the past three years, especially for black and other minority communities in our country. You can watch the message here.

The teaching team discusses the last verses of Romans 13 and how love is the fulfillment of the law.

Worry and anxiety are on the rise in our culture. We worry about all kinds of things and often think there is no way to win the battle. However, Jesus has something better for us than worry. Jesus gives us reasons to trust our Heavenly Father so that worry can be lessened and even destroyed as we learn to walk by faith in His promises. You can watch the message here.

Mark and Greg discuss the dangers of the BLM organization and also what has been misleading about how the statement itself has been used in our culture. You can watch the message here.

The teaching team discusses an important passage regarding how Christians should respond to and submit to governing authorities.

Jerry Ediger was converted around the age of six, found out he had diabetes when he was ten, and broke his neck playing football when he was seventeen. The Lord's providence has been displayed throughout all of Jerry's life, and especially so during the last 39 years Jerry has had paraplegia. We think you will be greatly encouraged! You can watch the interview here.

Anxiety is something that we all struggle with in daily life. Jesus mercifully tells us how to battle it the right way by God's grace. You can watch the message here.

The death of Tyre Nichols by the police in Memphis has been interpreted by many through the lens of CRT. How does this distort reality? And how does Scripture define key terms like righteousness and justice? You can watch the message here.

The teaching team covers this wonderful passage of practical application. We discover more fully what true love looks like in this passage.

The teaching team discusses real racism that existed in our nation's past and still exists today. However, they also show that much that is being called "racism" and "white supremacy" today is in fact not. This is due to parasitic worldview known as the Social Justice Movement, Critical Theory, and the Woke ideology. These false beliefs have, like a parasite, redefined terms so that things are being called racism that in fact are not. You can watch the message here.

Our eye must be fixed on the right object so that our whole body and life will be flooded with the light of truth. If we treasure heavenly things rather than earthly, and serve God rather than mammon, we will have a good eye and a life flooded with the light of God's truth and goodness. You can watch the message here.

The teaching team discusses the beginning of Romans 12. Romans 12-16 is when Paul especially begins to apply all the theology he has covered so far in the letter.

The teaching team covers the difficult phrase "all Israel will be saved" (11:26) and then spends most of the time meditating on the glorious doxology at the end of Romans 11.

Introduction: Structure of 6:1-21 Jesus is not teaching ultimate self-denial Jesus is teaching us to live for true and lasting treasure. You can watch the message here.

The teaching team tied up a few loose ends regarding the LGBTQ sexual revolution and ended with some practical application in how to fight our sin. You can watch the message here.