What has first place in your life? Who or what do you trophy more than anything else? In Colossians 1:18, Paul says Jesus is to have “preeminence” in everything.

This word “preeminence” is an important one. The New American Standard says “that he himself will come to have first place in everything.” The NIV explains that “in everything, Jesus might have the supremacy.” The Greek word is πρωτεύω. It means “to hold the highest rank, to take first place, to have a superior status.” The word appears only here in our New Testament, and it means that Christ is unrivaled in his fame and glory. He has no peer. He has no equal. He is the true GOAT — the greatest of all time.

Michael is described as a great angel, a mighty warrior. He’s even called an “archangel” in Jude 9. Yet Michael’s glory pales in comparison to Christ’s. Satan was once Lucifer, also an angel. He was the chief of all angels, a shining one, a preeminent one that God had given much power and glory to in the past. Yet he rebelled against God and is now “the prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. Satan, although powerful and intimidating, is completely impotent, unable to do anything apart from the permission Christ gives to him.

Just think about those stories in the Gospels. Every time Jesus encounters a demon, the demons are terrified because they know Jesus’ lordship and power. They would beg him not to be cast out or to be thrown into the abyss, because Jesus is the all powerful, all knowing, almighty God. Jesus is the supreme one, the preeminent one who has no equal. There’s many things that occupy our minds throughout the day, but Christ is to occupy the very highest place in our minds. He alone is to be seated on the throne of our hearts. Does he have first place in your heart today?

A few months ago, I preached this passage from Colossians 1:15-20. Together, we learned that…

• Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
• He is not just an imprint or likeness of God; He is the perfect representation and equality with God. This means he is fully God.
• that Jesus always existed, even before His physical birth.
• Jesus is actually the object of our worship, and that God alone deserves worship.
• Encouragement to make Jesus the center of our lives and worship.

You can listen to the audio using the link below:

Or you can watch online using this link:

For a complete list of my sermons and Bible studies, please visit the Sermon Page on my blog.

Other links:
Calvary Church Youtube channel
Calvary Church sermon podcast
Calvary Church website
Feed My Sheep podcast

The resurrection is at the core of the Christian faith. Without it, we have no hope (1 Corinthians 15:17). In this study of Mark 16, we learn…

• Why the disciples were surprised when they heard Jesus was alive
• How a Jewish “day” differs from a Western “day”
• How we know that Jesus’ body was not simply stolen and hidden
• What do we do with these strange final verses in Mark 16??
• A change that happens when the Holy Spirit arrives

This lesson was part of our Sunday morning Bible Study Community series on the Gospel of Mark. Here’s the audio recording:

And here’s a copy of the handout:

Thanks for listening. For a complete list of sermons and Bible studies, please visit my teaching page.

Good things often come in small packages. Never was this more true than when the Messiah — our Deliverer– arrived as a newborn baby in a little town called Bethlehem. Yesterday in our study of Luke 2:1-15, we learned…

• The answer to an interesting question about “crush” versus “strike” in Genesis 3:15
• Why holiday traditions are important, and ideas on how to create your own
• Who exactly was Caesar Augustus anyway?
• The significance of baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths
• How Christmas fulfilled a prophecy made 1,000 years earlier

Here’s the audio recording:

And here’s a copy of the handout:

Thanks for listening! This lesson was taught as part of our Sunday Morning Median Adults Bible Study Community. For a complete list of my sermons and Bible lessons organized by topic and Bible passage, please visit my Teaching Page.

“Unclean! Unclean!” a leper would cry if another person drew near. In ancient times, lepers were social outcasts and a threat to public health. The first signs of leprosy on the skin could send the heart into panic and feel like a potential death sentence.

To prevent widespread infection, lepers were instructed to maintain “social distancing” from the crowds. The Law of Moses prescribed, “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45–46).

But on one occasion, a leper broke etiquette and walked straight toward Jesus. Even more surprising, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. Last Sunday, in our Bible Study Community, we looked at this remarkable story in Mark 1:35-45. In this passage, we learned…

• How Jesus balanced a busy ministry life with private devotion to his Father
• What was Jesus’ top priority in ministry?
• A bit of background on leprosy
• A spiritual lesson how Jesus can cleanse each one of us
• The reason Jesus’ warned, “say nothing to anyone!”

Here’s the audio recording:

And here’s a copy of the teaching notes:

Thanks for listening. This lesson is from our weekly median adults Bible Study Community. Our class is aimed at those in their 30s-50s, but all are welcome to stop by the Fellowship Hall at 9am on Sundays at Immanuel Baptist Church.

Image Source: Newton, Richard. The Life of Jesus Christ for the Young, Division I & II. Philadelphia: George Barrie, 1880.

The week leading up to Easter is a great time to reflect on the work of Christ, and the many important events that occurred in those final days leading up to his death and resurrection. On the Monday of Passion week, the gospels tell us Jesus entered the temple and drove out all the businesses. What a chaotic scene it must have been.

“And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”” (Mark 11:15–17)

In our staff meeting this morning, I shared several thoughts and applications that come out of this passage…

• Each of us are described as a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has literally taken up residence in us, and abides in us every hour of every day. Are we keeping his house clean, in what we fill our heads and hearts, so the Spirit has complete ownership and control?
• The people of God corporately, the church, are also described as a single temple. As a church, do we pursue purity and a sense of awe and reverence in each of our ministries?
• Is there anything we’re doing that causes worship to become too ordinary, too familiar, so that we approach God in an almost casual or flippant manner?
• How can we promote a spirit and atmosphere of honor, reverence, and worship at church?
• Do we prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually before coming into the church?
• Are there things we do as a congregation, in our ministries, that distract people from the Lord?
• Do we remind ourselves regularly that God is the point, and that we are not?
• There is a real danger that religion can become a money-making racket. Are we stewarding God’s resources well, and seeking to honor him alone with our time, talents, and treasure?
• Thank God that so many in this church are devoted to prayer, and do treat it as a house of worship. May each of us provide that kind of example for others!