This Sunday's Worship Materials can be found in the "Featured Sermon" below. We meet in person at Harper Park Middle School, and the service is also livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

The Results of Kingdom Faith (Matthew 15:21-28)

December 15, 2013 Speaker: Dr. David Silvernail Series: The King and His Kingdom! - A Series in the Book of Matthew

Topic: Sermons Passage: Matthew 15:21–15:28

Sometimes it's hard to see how this Christmas season, filled with messages of joy and peace, seem to have a whole lot to do with the messages we're hearing from Matthew. More than one of you have asked why I wasn't preaching special Christmas messages this year. And it's clear that my reply -- that the entire Gospel of Matthew is a Christmas message -- is confusing to some. Perhaps this week, with a difficult passage from Matthew 15:21-28 about a Caananite Woman, will shed some light on what I mean.

In this passage we see a woman who's at the end of her rope. She's a loving mother who has a very sick daughter. Let's say it plainly. There is evil in the world, there is sin and guilt in the world, Satan is a real foe and when you mess with him, there are terrible consequences. No explanations were needed for the mother. This mother had seen it with her own eyes and was on a quest to find help for her little girl. Now I'm sure that she tried everything to bring healing to her daughter. Her love was sure, certain, and as deep a love as this world could give, but it wasn't enough.

But there was hope. Jesus was close by. She had heard of His miracles. She has heard of His compassion and grace. Even more, she knew that He was the Son of David, the One who would bring mercy and peace into this world. Maybe she had heard things about Him, like one of the Christmas Hymns we sing during this Advent season, "Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace, Hail the sun of righteousness! Light and Life to all He brings, born with healing in His wings!" She has hope because Christ has come.

And isn't that one of the key messages of Christmas? We have hope because Christ has come! Come Sunday to hear more of this "Christmas message."

See you then, Dr. Dave

More in The King and His Kingdom! - A Series in the Book of Matthew

October 26, 2014

The Commission of the King (Matthew 28:16-20)

October 19, 2014

The Resurrection of the King (Matthew 28:1-15)

October 12, 2014

All is Lost (Matthew 27:57-66)