This sermon teaches that true and lasting awe is found not in fleeting moments, but in humbly recognizing God's immense glory and our smallness in comparison. The ultimate expression of this awe-inspiring grace is the gospel, where Jesus, though a king, became lower than the angels to redeem us, demonstrating God's immeasurable love and crowning us with His own glory.

This sermon defines true, lasting joy not as happiness in circumstances but as a deep-seated rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ, a joy that is only possible when we stop trusting in our own self-righteous "filthy rags" and instead receive His perfect righteousness. This gospel-centered joy comes from the profound truth that, despite our unworthiness, Christ has made us friends of God and offers us a love that is unwavering and eternal.

This sermon teaches that Christians can embrace trials not as hindrances, but as divine opportunities for refining their faith, which is made steadfast by its object, the unchanging Christ. Through looking to Jesus's own suffering, believers are comforted and empowered to process grief without resorting to self-pity, ultimately growing in character and experiencing God's goodness more deeply.

This sermon recounts how two secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, were compelled by the cross to move from hidden fear to public faith, providing a courageous and costly burial for Jesus. Their actions demonstrate that the cross calls believers to sacrifice worldly security for the sake of Christ, offering in return the promise of resurrection and eternal life as Jesus occupies the tomb we deserve.

This sermon asserts that when we gaze at the cross, we see God's ultimate power and love, which transformed the heart of a Roman centurion who realized his lack of control. This profound event reveals that through Christ's sacrifice, we are no longer outsiders, and are called to live a life of worship and faith, giving up our own will to embrace God's glory.

This sermon uses the story of Jonah to expose the sin of self-righteousness, which twists our hearts into anger and a refusal to extend God's grace to others. It presents Jesus as the "better Jonah," whose willing pursuit of His enemies and ultimate sacrifice on the cross provides a permanent solution to our self-righteousness by granting us His perfect righteousness.

This sermon teaches that difficult circumstances, while challenging, are a powerful opportunity for spiritual growth because they expose our true devotion and our need for God's power. By resolving to live differently and resting in Christ's presence within a supportive community, we can grow and mature, confident that Jesus has already resolved to be with us.

This sermon uses the despair of Psalm 88 to teach that Christians are not immune to profound suffering and feelings of abandonment by God. It encourages believers to honestly lament their pain to God, drawing comfort from the fact that Jesus experienced ultimate despair on the cross so that we may have hope.

This sermon uses the journey of the Magi to encourage believers to seek the promised King and leave behind the "flawed kings" or idols of their lives. It asserts that by embracing the paradox of the humble and powerful God-king born in Bethlehem, we can experience a transformation that leads us to offer our lives in worship to Him.