One Covenant Church Sermons

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofWhen it comes to those in authority, we are called to neither blind submission nor blatant rejection, but to honour authority with accountability. Doing so will keep authority in check against abuse, and also ensure that we benefit from the purpose of proper authority i.e. that we would be guided, protected and helped to flourish. Honouring authority in the church and outside the church matters because it protects God's name, and the gospel's credibility. Our motivation is Christ, the Master who became a Servant for us.

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofThe church has a sacred duty to care for the needy among us. We are devoted to one another as God's family. But precisely because we are family, this care must be carried out with discernment so that people are truly helped. The church must not be involved in subsidising sin and bad behaviour. We care in a way that preserves the personal dignity of the person being cared for.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 15 February 2026

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofPaul spells out the essential role of the pastor in bringing the gospel to his people through his faithful pastoring. While they receive his ministry as a gift from God, their hope is in God, the Saviour of His people.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 8 February 2026

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofThe apostle Paul shifts his attention to the congregation and calls the church back to what she confesses. The Gospel forms a people, guards us against spiritual drift, and frees us to live with thanksgiving rather than control. At the heart of the church's life is the mystery of godliness which we confess: the Gospel concerning the risen and ascended Jesus.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 1 February 2026

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofAs the apostle Paul transitions from his prior discussion on how public worship is ordered in the church, he focuses his attention on the qualifications of Elders and Deacons in the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and He governs His church through delegating His authority to church officers. For this reason, it is important to look out for godliness exemplified in one's household, reception of God's Word, and generosity towards others within the church. Though no one is able to live up fully to these qualifications, we do have a wonderful Saviour, who is pleased to use flawed individuals to lead His people and display His perfect mercy.Preacher: Aaron AkinsDate: 25 January 2026

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofTo address false teaching, Paul calls Timothy to order the church's worship according to God's Word, because worship shapes God's people. True worship is marked by prayer for all kinds of people and reflects the beauty of God's created order—all to exalt Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and humanity.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 18 January 2026

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofBefore entrusting Timothy with the charge to preserve and proclaim the gospel, Paul gives a personal testimony of how he had been called to the service of Christ. It was according to God's mercy and grace, and therefore is an encouragement to Timothy to press on because of his love for Jesus.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 11 January 2026

Sermon series: 1 Timothy: Under One RoofThe apostle Paul wrote 1 Timothy to his protégé in ministry to encourage him in the work of ministry. However, this was not simply written to Timothy, but an authoritative letter for the church of God. As Paul wrote against the false teachings which were spreading within the church, he emphasised the importance of right Gospel doctrine for right living. This involves a right understanding of the law, which exposes our sin and shows us our need for Christ in the Gospel.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 4 January 2026

Sermon series: TopicalBased on a framework developed by Glen Scrivener, this message explains that God is a loving union of 3, and therefore, He is love; that the world is shaped by 2 representatives: Adam and Christ. Adam brought death, while Jesus brings life; and that we are born 1 with Adam, but can become 1 with Christ by faith.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 28 December 2025

Sermon series: We Are Not AloneChristmas tells us that we are not alone, Jesus the King has come for us. He has come to cover our shame, take away our fears and save us from our sins.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 24 December 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodIsaiah 12 is a song of praise in response to all God had done for His people in Isaiah 1-11. It shows us that with the coming of Jesus, we have a reason to praise because God's anger has turned, His salvation has come, His deeds are proclaimed, and His presence is near.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 21 December 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodDespite the apparent hopelessness as a result of God's judgment, Isaiah 11 gives us a surprising image in the form of a shoot from the stump of Jesse. God promised the coming of a King, whose reign shall be marked entirely by justice and peace. This messianic King is now raised as a signal to the nations and is gathering people from everywhere to His kingdom.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 14 December 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodAs an instrument of divine judgment, Assyria was raised up by God as a rod of His anger against His people. At the same time, God will not allow His people to be completely obliterated. He will preserve a faithful remnant for Himself, as He had done in the past. For this reason, those who are faithful have no need to be fearful, even when affliction comes.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 7 December 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodBefore God brings peace and joy (Isaiah 9:1-7), He confronts the evil that destroys His world. Israel's arrogance, stubbornness, and mistreatment of others invite His judgment—and so do ours. But Christ bore that judgment and offers us His mercy and peace.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 30 November 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodIn this passage, God meets His people with both firmness and warmth: He warns of calamity, but guides them through confusion, and gives them the hope of the coming light. Misplaced trust leads to darkness, but Jesus brings light, joy, freedom and peace.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 23 November 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodIsaiah 7 tells of King Ahaz, who faced a crisis and chose fear over faith, trusting Assyria instead of God with devastating consequences. God still pursued him and then gave him the sign of Immanuel, pointing forward to Jesus. Christ bears our weight, lifts us to safety, and invites us to stand firm by trusting Him. To stand firm in faith is to stand firm on Christ. When we do so, we'll stand firm in everything else.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 16 November 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodIsaiah 6 is an important pivot in the opening section of the book. As the prophet Isaiah beheld the holiness of God, he recognised that he is undone before the Lord. At the same time, God showed grace to the prophet and commissioned him for ministry to a rebellious people. If what happened to a man of unclean lips could happen to a nation of unclean lips, this gives us hope that God is not yet done with His people.Preacher: Aaron AkinsDate: 9 November 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodIsaiah 5 reveals a God who has lovingly cared for and richly blessed His people, planting them like a prized vineyard and providing everything they need to flourish. Yet instead of bearing good fruit, they produce only stinking grapes. Through six woes, God exposes how His people have corrupted His blessings and despised His Word, leaving judgment as the only fitting response. The chapter ends in darkness and distress, yet even here God's judgment is not merely retributive; it is also restorative for those who turn to Him and put their trust in Christ, the true Vine.Preacher: Chua Si YangDate: 2 November 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodGod brings His straying people back by taking away their reliance on power, and their boasting in beauty. Through Christ, He gives them all that power and beauty promise, but cannot deliver.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 26 October 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodGod's people in Isaiah's time were full—full of wealth, power, and idols—but empty of trust in Him. They had lost their way, putting their hope in what they had, instead of in who God is. Isaiah warns that a day is coming when all human pride will be humbled before the terror and splendour of the Lord. Our only hope is to hide in the Rock, Christ Himself, who was struck that we might stand secure.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 19 October 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodWhen God's people are unfaithful to God, this affects all of their social relationships. Instead of justice and righteousness, they become marked by greed,corruption, and injustice. God will act to bring His people back through judgment and redemption, and promises them a glorious future hope which is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 12 October 2025

Sermon series: Isaiah 1-12: Sinful People, Saving GodThe book of Isaiah opens with God confronting His people like a grieving father betrayed by his children. They have rebelled against Him completely, and their empty worship only wearies Him. Yet instead of letting judgment fall, God issues an unthinkable invitation, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow”. He offers them a clean slate and resets the relationship they had broken. This is the stunning picture of the unthinkable grace God lavishes on all who are His.Preacher: Chua Si YangDate: 5 October 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveIn the concluding passage of this letter, the apostle John draws everything together under one great theme: confidence. He desires that we live with confidence before God in this uncertain world. This confidence is grounded in what we know, particularly the fact that God saved us through Jesus Christ, hears us through prayer, and keeps us through the prayers of the church and His sovereign might. Our today is in the hands of Jesus, but so is our tomorrow, and He will bring us safely into eternity. This is why we can live with confidence and hope in this life.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 28 September 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveJohn has shown that God's children are known by love and obedience. Now, he assures believers that their faith in Jesus is grounded in God Himself. The Father gives us victory over the world through faith (1 John 5:1–5). The Spirit testifies to the truth of who Jesus is (1 John 5:6–10). The Son gives us eternal life (1 John 5:11–12). Our confidence rests not in ourselves, but in the testimony and work of the triune God: Father, Spirit and Son.Preacher: Paul LeeDate: 21 September 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveLoving one another is a mark of being a true follower of Jesus. But this kind of love is only made possible for the follower of Christ because God is love in His very nature, God has loved by giving His Son as a sacrifice for sin, and God continues to love by living in us, and is accomplishing the goal of His love for us. Indeed, we love because He has first loved us.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 14 September 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveThe gift of the Holy Spirit is so precious that it will be counterfeited. Because of that, John wants us to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) to see if they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. John shows that those who have the Holy Spirit will believe in Jesus, stake their lives on Him and stay in the church that He is building.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 7 September 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveThis passage shows us that even as genuine believers, assurance that we are truly children of God is something we need to fight for. However, the foundation of that assurance is not what we do, but what Christ has done. We receive this by faith, and the result is a life lived in faith, obedience and love.Preacher: Aaron AkinsDate: 31 August 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveThe apostle John focuses on the social test in these verses, i.e., whether one has love for a fellow believer. Love for one another is not a duty of burden, but a gift of assurance that we truly know God. Since we have been brought from death to life, we are no longer called to treat one another, as if we're still living in the darkness. Rather, we love one another by God's grace and in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who laid down His life for us as a demonstration of the love that we are called to.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 24 August 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveIn this passage, we discover who the true children of God are, what they will be, and how they live now. In His love, God makes us His children through Christ. And when we see Christ when He comes again, we will be like Him. And so today, in light of that hope, we live lives joyfully dependent and lovingly obedient to God, expressed in our practical actions.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 17 August 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveIn his love for his readers, John issues a stern warning about the danger of the antichrists. They are those who leave the fellowship of the church, and who deny that Jesus is sent by God, and is indeed the Son of God. They are deceptive. In order to resist them, we need to let God's truth abide in us, and we need to continue to abide in God. And what will move us to do so is to know that Christ is better than anything antichrists can falsely offer.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 10 August 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveJohn shows how someone “does the will of God” and “abides forever”. This involves knowing how the Father has loved us, and loving Him in return. And we love Him by turning our hearts away from things that are not from Him and that will pass away.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 3 August 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveIn a world of spiritual confusion, the apostle John assures his readers that they can truly know God. It is made possible through the atoning work of Christ, who is our Advocate before our Father. As we grow in obedience, love for fellow believers, and Christlikeness, we see the evidence of God's work in us, giving us confidence that we do know Him.Preacher: Joseph TernDate: 27 July 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Walking in the LightAs believers, we know that we have communion with the triune God through the reality of walking in the light. It begins with knowing God as holy, which helps us to grasp why we need the Gospel in the first place. In light of this, we are called to fellowship with one another as the fruit of our fellowship with God, as well as to live with humble integrity through the confession of our sins. This is made possible through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world (John 8:12).Preacher: Joel SimDate: 20 July 2025

Sermon series: 1 John: Knowing You Are AliveJohn writes to assure believers that their faith is real—not just for certainty's sake, but so their joy may be complete (1 John 1:4). He calls them to trust the reliable witness, receive the eternal Word, and enter the genuine welcome of God's people and of the Triune God Himself.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 13 July 2025

Sermon series: TopicalAs followers of Jesus, we are called to enter into one another's sorrows and carry each other's burdens with Christ-like gentleness and care. This is never easy. But we can do this because Christ has carried our ultimate burden—our guilt, shame, and sin—and now empowers us by His Spirit.Preacher: Gideon TeoDate: 6 July 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Being RebuiltAs the book of Nehemiah draws to a close, we encounter a surprising and sobering conclusion to Israel's great revival. Despite a season of spiritual renewal, the people return to their old ways, leaving Nehemiah visibly frustrated and heartbroken. This ending compels us to grapple with the painful truth of how fragile and incomplete human reform can be. Yet even in this failure, there is great hope to be found in Christ alone, the true source of lasting renewal.Preacher: Chua Si YangDate: 29 June 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Being RebuiltIn light of the spiritual renewal that God's people experienced, Nehemiah 11-12 looks at the fruit of this revival. This is seen through the repopulation of Jerusalem, the joyful worship of God's people, along with the setting up of necessary structures to ensure continuity of worship. All of these are only possible because of God's faithfulness towards His people, which led to the completion and dedication of the city walls.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 22 June 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Being RebuiltIn the process of being rebuilt, the people have their part to play. They come back to God to renew their covenant commitments. They do this by confessing their sins, celebrating the faithfulness of God, and committing afresh to fulfilling their covenant obligations.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 15 June 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Being RebuiltThe walls have been rebuilt, but the people are in shambles. God needs to rebuild the people too, and He does so by preserving them, instructing them, and giving them joy.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 8 June 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Being RebuiltIn the process of restoring the walls, we discover that God is also in the process of restoring His people. In the place of injustice He gives them integrity. He gives them discernment against deceit, and perseverance to finish what they started.Preacher: Aaron AkinsDate: 1 June 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Being RebuiltIn these chapters, we find the actual rebuilding and repairing of the city walls by God's people, under the leadership of Nehemiah. As a result of opposition, along with the difficult work of rebuilding, God's people were overwhelmed by the task at hand. However, through trusting in a great and awesome God who fights for them, they see that all things are ultimately in His hands, and they can labour without fear as a result.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 25 May 2025

Sermon series: Nehemiah -- Rebuilding and Being RebuiltCrises are inevitable. Nehemiah shows us how to walk with God through them—by praying, discerning His hand, and acting wisely. But our true hope lies in the greater Nehemiah, Jesus, who prayed in Gethsemane, submitted to the Father's will, and gave Himself for us. Because of Him, we can trust God is with us in every crisis—and move forward in prayer, discernment and action.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 18 May 2025

Sermon series: Means of Grace: God's Help for Sinners and SufferersWe often think of Baptism and the Lord's Supper as rituals—but they are so much more. They are visible signs of God's invisible grace, given by Jesus Himself to assure us of His love. In our doubts, struggles, and failures, the sacraments speak louder than words. Through them, God says to us, “I am your God, and you are my people”.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 11 May 2025

Sermon series: Means of Grace: God's Help for Sinners and SufferersPrayer is one of the gifts God has given us to increase and strengthen our faith. In this passage, we see that prayer is possible only because of Christ, that it is for the Spirit to move our heart's gaze to Christ and His blessings, and that we might have power to live as God's people in all areas of life.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 4 May 2025

Sermon series: Means of Grace: God's Help for Sinners and SufferersGod has given us His authoritative Word, the Bible, so that we may know salvation in Jesus Christ, as well as how we can please our Lord. On top of that, He has blessed us with the gift of preaching so that we may hear what God has to say to us today. All of these point us to the greatest treasure Himself, Jesus Christ, who was the Word made flesh and in whom is eternal life.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 27 April 2025

Sermon series: Making Sense of Jesus' Death and ResurrectionThe resurrection of Jesus is a fact attested by historical evidence. Yet more than just a historical event, it is a compelling truth that has the power to renew our hope, remove our fear, and redefine our lives in such a way that we no longer just live for ourselves but for something and someone bigger. The resurrection helps us become truly useful, using all that we have and all that we do to go and tell of the glorious things that God has done.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 20 April 2025

Sermon series: Making Sense of Jesus' Death and ResurrectionIn the final moments of Jesus' life before His death, the supernatural darkness of God's judgment fell on Him. It was a judgment He did not deserve as the sinless Son of God. Yet, the darkness fell on Him as our substitute. And because Jesus took our place, His death, dispels our darkness, draws us near to God, and defeats our death so that we might truly live.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 18 April 2025

Sermon series: Trusting the Saviour: Luke 7-9In our concluding story for this sermon series, Jesus' disciples argued among themselves as to which of them was the greatest in the kingdom of king Jesus. Their dispute reveals how deeply rooted their unbelief was. Greatness is not something we earn, but a gift from God which we receive and is expressed through humble service. Through this, we participate in the work of our great God, who does more than we ask or think.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 13 April 2025

Sermon series: Trusting the Saviour: Luke 7-9After their mountaintop experience with the transfiguration, Jesus and His disciples returned to the throes of ministry as they encountered a young boy, possessed by an unclean spirit. The disciples' failure to heal the boy exposed their unbelief concerning what Jesus said about their authority over demons. In light of their unbelief, Jesus exhorted them to pay careful attention to His words, especially with regards to His impending suffering as Messiah.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 6 April 2025

Sermon series: Trusting the Saviour: Luke 7-9In the account of The Transfiguration, Jesus shows His glory. In doing so, He reveals that He supersedes Moses and Elijah who were the greatest of Israel's prophets. He is the divine Son, the Chosen One. Through His death, He brings about a new exodus, delivering God's people from slavery to sin and death.Preacher: Tan Huai TzeDate: 30 March 2025

Sermon series: Trusting the Saviour: Luke 7-9In a society where there were various ideas of who Jesus Christ is, He clarifies what it means for Him to be the Messiah. In light of His identity, Jesus calls His disciples, saved by grace, to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. What we have in Jesus is satisfaction that is greater than anything or anyone on earth can possibly give us.Preacher: Joel SimDate: 23 March 2025