Sunday Morning Podcast | The Moody Church

Advent means “arrival” and it’s full of awaiting. In the Old Testament era, the people of God were awaiting the advent of their Messiah, the Anointed One, who would fulfill all of God’s covenant promises to His people.   And two thousand years ago, a baby was born in Bethlehem, Jesus the Son of God, who is called the Christ, the Messiah, and the Hope of all the World. He died on a cross, was buried, raised, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father, from whence He shall return to set all things to rights.   And so too, in the New Testament era, the people of God are awaiting the advent of our Lord and Savior, the crucified and risen Son of God, the return of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who shall reign forever and ever!   So here we are, in the days between the advents. We are both rejoicing in The King who has come, and longing for The King who is coming.   In this four-part sermon series, we will be digging into Matthew’s biographical account of the coming of Jesus the King.   Matt

Today we come to the fourth and final chapter in the Book of Jonah.   It all began when God called Jonah to go preach to Nineveh, and Jonah flatly disobeyed, heading nearly 3,000 miles in the opposite direction aboard a ship to Tarshish. And just when he thought he’d gotten away, God hurled a great storm to stop him in his tracks. Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of God. But in His mercy, God rescued Jonah from the watery grave with a great fish that swallowed him whole.   And after three days, Jonah finally repents and calls upon the mercy of God. In response, God has the fish vomit Jonah up on the shore and recommissions him to go preach to Nineveh. And this time, Jonah obeys. He cries out judgment against Nineveh and the whole city responds in repentance, crying out to God for mercy.   Chapter three ends with this beautiful crescendo: “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he w

Sometimes people get the impression that in the Old Testament God is full of wrath, whereas in the New Testament He is full of love, compassion, and mercy.   It’s understandable why that impression could be formed. After all, the Old Testament contains major moments of judgment like the Flood, the Plagues, and the Exile, and the New Testament contains the epicenter of grace as Jesus lays down His life for our forgiveness.   But what we tend to forget is that while the cross does mean mercy and grace and forgiveness for us, for Jesus it meant judgment, wrath, and condemnation.   The reason the New Testament feels less full of judgment is because Jesus took the judgment we deserved. The reason it feels like there’s less wrath is that Jesus bore the wrath instead of us. The reason there’s no condemnation is because Jesus was condemned in our place.   The New Testament has its fair share of judgment, wrath, and condemnation, it’s just that Jesus has paid it all!   And not only that, but the Old Testamen

The most important question you can ask: Is certainty of salvation possible? In this sermon, Dr. Erwin Lutzer shares the great lessons from the heroes of the Reformation that continue to encourage us as believers today.   The Story of the Goose: John Hus (1373-1415) Opposed abuses The authority of the Bible alone The priesthood of all believers His martyrdom   The Story of the Swan: Martin Luther (1483-1546) His search for salvation His great discovery in the Book of Romans His stand at the Diet of Worms   The Broadening Influence of Luther Geneva America England   Takeaways: The authority of Scripture alone The priesthood of the believer The assurance of salvation through the righteousness of Christ

Alan Redpath (former Senior Pastor of The Moody Church from ‘53-‘62) famously said: “When God wants to do an impossible task, he takes an impossible man and crushes him.”   Pastor Redpath understood that certain kinds of traits that tend to get you ahead in life, like driven-ness, strength of will, self-confidence, and ambition. But, these things are spiritual liabilities until they’ve been tempered, chastened, and humbled.   Just as coal must be crushed to become a diamond, and gold must be purified in the fire, there is a brokenness we must learn if we’re ever to be useful to God. And that’s exactly what’s happening to Jonah. God crushes Jonah to temper him so that he can be useful.   In this sermon, we join Jonah as he finally comes to the end of himself and the beginning of his usefulness in ministry. There are four significant moments for Jonah’s redemption from this passage:   Recognition: Jonah perceives the Lord’s discipline and begins to realize that God loves him enough to stop him in his

When we run and hide from God, when we conceal our secret sins, God comes looking for us. Because God never gives up on those He loves. In this passage, Jonah tried to run from God. So, God sent a ferocious storm and a giant fish to bring Jonah back; because God loved Jonah. This sermon explores three things about the relentless pursuit of “The Lord of the Storm.”   The Chance of Discovery: God brings Jonah’s rebellion into the light through the storm He sent. If God loved Jonah less, He’d let him go. But in His mercy and grace, God brings Jonah’s rebellion into the light. Takeaway: Confession is grace. God is bringing our rebellion into the light because He loves us too much to let us self-destruct. Confession is our first step toward healing. The Sentence of Death: All Jonah must do is repent and cry out for mercy for God to respond. But Jonah doesn’t do that, and in his stubbornness continues to run from God. So, God makes Jonah own the deadliness of his sin. Takeaway: Conviction is grace. Have you e

If you've ever felt discouraged in sharing the Gospel with people who don't seem interested, Dr. Mitch Glaser's message from Romans offers three points of encouragement from Paul's letter to the Romans: Paul’s Broken Heart for the Salvation of the Jewish People (Romans 9:1-3) Paul’s Prayer for the Salvation of the Jewish People (Romans 10:1-2) Paul’s Hope for the Salvation of the Jewish People (Romans 11:1-3)   Takeaway: God chose the Jewish people to bless the Gentiles (Genesis 12:3) and the Gentiles to bless the Jewish people through the proclamation of the Gospel (Romans 11:11).

The story of Jonah is first and foremost about God. It’s a story that shows us God’s unrelenting grace for undeserving people. And, it’s a story for people like us, people who run from God and need second chances. The story of Jonah shows us a God whose love never stops and never quits, who is always and forever pursuing and redeeming us.   In this sermon, we’ll explore three themes from the story:   Uncomfortable Call: God sends Jonah to pursue his worst enemies. It’s an uncomfortable call for Jonah. And while we expect that God’s prophet would answer that call, Jonah instead chooses to run. Unexpected Flight: Jonah won’t give his enemies a second chance for three reasons. His autonomy was threatened. His identity was threatened. Hi prejudice was threatened. Like Jonah, we are far too often prone to this kind of disposition. We also tend to run from God. Unrelenting Grace: Jonah ran from God, but God runs after Jonah. If God loved Jonah less, He would have let him go. But the fact that God pursues

Everybody wants to change their world. And while there are lots of beneficial ways we can help make our world a better place, if you want to change your world in a way that matters for eternity, there’s no better way to change your world than to join Jesus in His mission of redeeming the entire world!   How do we join Jesus on mission in our world?   In this sermon, we’ll see how the Gospel gives us three things to change our world:   New Motivation: The Gospel gives us a new motivation to live for King Jesus. New Perspective: The Gospel changes how we see the world as we look to the New Creation. New Assignment: The Gospel gives us a new assignment as ambassadors on mission.   Takeaway: Change Your World Through Mission   Do you want to change your world in a way that matters for eternity? God is, in Christ, reconciling all things to Himself, bringing in the New Creation where King Jesus will make all things new when He returns.   And we have the privilege and responsibility of being ambass

How do we become a person of love? In this sermon, we’ll explore how Jesus is inviting us on a transformational journey to become people of love like Himself. On this transformational journey, there’s a pattern to follow, a power to change, and progress to be made.   Pattern: Jesus is our model of self-giving love. To follow Jesus is to become like Him. It is His pattern that we are to follow. Power: How are we to become people of love like Jesus? You need a new heart, a clean heart. On the cross, Jesus cleanses our hearts so that the Holy Spirit might come indwell us and transform us from the inside out. The Holy Spirit is transforming us into people of love. Progress: Becoming a person of love won’t happen in an instant. But the new life must push its way through the compacted soil of years of selfish habits and self-absorbed living. Our selfishness has become a bit of a lifestyle, and we have much relearning to do. We are called to work out what God is working in us, because progress comes through

Each of us is more than just a body; we're also a soul. And as our bodies need calories for nourishment, our souls need nourishment as well to live and thrive. What can satisfy our soul’s hunger?   In this passage from John 15:4-13, we’ll explore Jesus’ invitation to feed our souls through community.   The Soul’s Design: Our souls were made for an abiding connection with the abundant, pulsating, and vibrant life of God Himself. Jesus came to die for our since and rise again to make us right with God, so that we might have an abiding connection with God through Jesus. The Soul’s Health: Our souls thrive in the indwelling presence of Christ as His word, love, obedience, and joy become our own. A healthy soul I sone that is tethered to Christ. The Soul’s Communion: Our souls are enfolded in living communion with our Triune God and His forever family. Following Jesus isn’t a solo sport, it’s a team effort. To have a soul-connection with God, is to have a soul connection with God’s family. And to abide i

Abundant life! A life rich in meaning, full of purpose, thick with substance, durable and flourishing—that’s the kind of life we all want. It’s the kind of life that deep down we know we were made for. And it’s the kind of life Jesus is offering those who will follow Him.   When Jesus says, “Come, follow me!”, He’s inviting you on the four-stage Journey of a Lifetime to know God, feed your soul, grow in love, and change your world. It’s a spiritual journey of abundant life—the life you and I were made for—and it all starts when we respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.   In this sermon, taken from Luke 15:1-2 and 11-32, we focus on the first stage in the journey and what it means to know God through worship. The story Jesus tells in this passage is nothing short of brilliant. Jesus shows us three things: The Purpose of Our Lives: We are made to come alive in joyous relationship with God. The Problem We All Have: Through both irreligion and religion, we estrange ourselves from God. The Pursuit

The moment we are in does not pause the mission we are on. As we look back on where we’ve come from and consider the times we are living in, this passage from John 20:19-21 gives us four powerful reminders of how to live on mission for Jesus.   Fear is always the opposite of faith. Peace is always the Christian response. The cross is always our hope and motivation. We go confidently because Jesus sends us.   Our response to the call of Jesus should be: "Here I am, send me."   John 20:19-21

How would you respond if you saw the risen Jesus face-to-face three days following the crucifixion? The disciples were notably disturbed, fearful, and shamed in this passage from John 20. Yet Jesus’ response to them was something that reverberates thousands of years later for believers today: "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."   In this passage, we learn that in Jesus' presence we have four priceless things: Peace Power Perspective Purpose   Are you living your life like Jesus is dead? Are you feeling demoralized, or stuck? The resurrection gives you the chance to live in His presence with all the promises therein. Because when you’re in His presence it changes everything. How will you live in light of this?   John 20:19-23

How do we make peace with God when our sin has damaged that relationship?   In this passage from Psalm 51, written by King David, we explore five steps to the spiritual practice of confession:   The Review The Repercussions The Roots The Requests David asks God for a CLEAN heart. David asks God for a NEW heart. David asks God for a MISSIONAL heart. The Responsiveness   Psalm 51

What does it look like to return to the Lord with all your heart?   In this passage from Joel 2:12-17, the context is that God had sent a great famine on the people of Israel, and they were in perilous conditions. And in that context, God, in His mercy, sends His prophet with one word: Repent!   This passage teaches us what it looks like to repent and turn to the Lord.   The nature of true repentance (vv. 12-13a) The incentive for repentance (v. 13b) The submissiveness of repentance (v. 14) The urgency of repentance (vv. 15-17a) The reason for repentance (v. 17b)

Life is learned, and we’re all learning how to live from someone. And at the end of the day, we will live our lives in one of three ways: by Default (replicating familial patterns), by Drift (doing what everyone else is doing), or by Design (building your life with intention).   In this sermon, we explore two philosophies of life, one religious and one secular, and compare these to a third way, the Way of Jesus.   Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: God set up the world to work best for those who live rightly; so, if you want a whole and happy life now and Heaven when you die, be good. The problem is if you try to build your life on this philosophy, it simply can’t support the weight of your life. It won’t be able to handle the pressures that come your way, and in the end, it’ll collapse. Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is sinking sand. Expressive Individualism: Life is about finding our deepest, inner self and expressing it authentically in the face of all expectations; so, if you want a whole and happy life,

The Bible often uses an analogy comparing two ways, two paths that people can take in their spiritual journey. In the Garden of Eden, God presents Adam and Eve with two ways, and two trees, one that’s fruit is life and the other that’s death.  At the end of Deuteronomy, Moses presents Israel with two ways, “See, I have set before you life and death, good and evil.” Then Joshua, having led the people into the land of promise, presented them with two ways, to serve either foreign gods or the true living God: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” In the Proverbs we are again presented with the two ways: the way of folly and the way of wisdom.   You see, God is always bringing His people to the proverbial fork in the road, the moment of decision, the parting of the ways. And in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus once again presents us with The Two Ways.   In this passage from Matthew 7:13-29, we’ll organize our thoughts around three questions:   What are the two ways? The Way of the Pharisees vers

One of the foundational questions of moral philosophy down through the ages is: “What is a virtuous life?” When Jesus speaks about what a life of virtue looks like in the Sermon on the Mount, He’s not doing so in a vacuum. He’s joining an ongoing conversation in His Greco-Roman and Jewish milieu. And the clearest example of this dialogue is in Jesus’ articulation of what we now call “The Golden Rule.”   In this passage from Matthew 7:12, Jesus is the first person in world history to make love the central, unifying virtue. This is a watershed moment that continues to shape us today. Not only does Jesus give us unparalleled moral clarity with His ethic of love, He also provides us an unprecedented power to live into that ethic. Let’s explore how Jesus ties the Sermon on the Mount together front-to-back with rhetorical genius.   The Way of Love: Scholars of the Gospels have long observed that Jesus’ virtue of love both unfolds and deepens over the course of His teaching ministry; and it all begins with His

What does God want from us? It’s a confusing and frustrating question, but we can find a helpful answer in Micah 6:1-8 where God gives Israel a clear answer.   Three things the Lord requires: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. So, what does this answer mean?   Do Justice: In the original Hebrew, the term is “misphat”, meaning justice. Justice is advocacy, generosity, and action. The early church was famous for all three of these: advocacy for racial and gender equality, generosity in their provision for the poor, and action in rescuing babies from infanticide and women from pagan temple prostitution. Many scholars point out that the early church grew at an astonishing rate in part because of how the people of God reflected the beautiful heart of God in justice through these actions, and people couldn’t resist this beauty. Love Kindness: The English translates this requirement as kindness, but the Hebrew word, “chesed,” can be translated as steadfast love. But perhaps the best ap