Forest Park Church Sermons

Agur’s prayer in Proverbs 30 is filled with humanity and wonder. Wonder is a posture before God and His world, with eyes and ears open and hearts and minds seeking understanding. Growing in wisdom requires wonder at the goodness of God and His creation. This wonder drives us to analyze and investigate, to observe and marvel, to attempt to explain, but also to say: too wondrous for me; I cannot understand.

The church in Thyatira is commended for its love, faithfulness, service, endurance, and progress in the Christian faith. However, the church began to grow soft in its love and turned to permissiveness and tolerance of evil. We learn that genuine love abides in truth; there is both tenderness and toughness, grace and truth. Jesus instructs His people to distance themselves from any teachings that tolerate evil, and to hold on to the Christian faith, for our reward is waiting.

Revelation 2:8–11 draws us into the heart of a suffering church—Smyrna—a people facing pressure, poverty, and slander because they belonged to Jesus. Yet Christ meets them withcomfort, courage, and a call to remain faithful, reminding them that He is the First and the Last, the One who died and rose again, and the One who limits suffering and secures eternal life. Today we’ll explore how Jesus knows our pain, sets the boundaries of our trials, and promises victory to those whodepend on Him. And we’ll consider together how believers can respond with trust and endurance—and how those still exploring faith can find hope in the Savior who carries His people.

John encounters a vision of the Son of Man, and is overwhelmed by what he saw, and falls as if dead. The Son of Man speaks, reveals who He is, and instructs John to write what He sees, what is, and what will be. As we take a close look at the Son of Man, we will discover who He is, what He reveals about Himself, and what it means for the believer.

John is writing to seven churches in a culture of increasing hostility and intolerance, where they are tempted to compromise and conform to social pressures. He repeatedly calls upon these churches to persevere to the very end, reminding them that Christ is coming back and sovereign over the evil they face. As we come to the prologue, we discover that Revelation is about Jesus and from Jesus, given to believers to reveal what must soon take place, and it promises a blessing to those who read, hear, and obey the words of this book.

Peter, who rebuked the scoffer for deliberately overlooking the truth, turns to the faithful Christian and reminds them not to overlook the certainty of Christ’s return. Peter also recognizes that the faithful Christian will have questions about the return of Christ, especially after the seeds of doubt sown by the false teachers. We will examine the apparent delay, what Christ will do, and what sort of people we should be.

Luke 2:21–38 takes us beyond the manger to the temple, where Simeon and Anna meet the long-awaited Messiah. Their response—faithful obedience, Spirit-led praise, and boldproclamation—teaches us that hope fulfilled in Christ isn’t the end of the story; it’s the beginning of a life that worships and witnesses. Today we’ll explore how Jesus makes obedience and intimacy with God possible—and how we can respond with gratitude and courage to share the good news.