Use and The Lord’s Purpose | Rev. Pearse M. Frazier

Use and The Lord’s Purpose | Rev. Pearse M. Frazier

In what is commonly called the Sermon on the Plain, the Lord tells His disciples and the crowd, “A good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit” (Luke 6:43). He wasn't simply teaching them how to judge others. He was inviting each person to examine the fruit of his or her own life. We often equate usefulness with productivity, asking, “What do you do?” or “What did you accomplish?” But perhaps the better question is: Useful for what? Together we'll explore what it means to bear good fruit by seeing use in light of the Lord's end in creation: a heaven from the human race. Readings: Luke 6: 39-49 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/luke/6/], Psalm 127 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/psalms/127/], Divine Love and Wisdom 329 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/divine-love-and-wisdom-dole/contents/3290]-330 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/divine-love-and-wisdom-dole/contents/3300] Minister: Rev. Pearse M. Frazier Delivered July 19th, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, located in Bryn Athyn, PA. We are committed to helping each other draw closer to the Lord God Jesus Christ through lives of love and useful service, guided by the Old and New Testaments and the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church (contained in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg). Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings; services and times can be found at brynathynchurch.org [http://brynathynchurch.org].

In the World, Not of the World | Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith

We are told that Obadiah “feared the Lord greatly” (1 Kings 18:3), and yet he managed the house and palace of Ahab, who was the worst king up until that point. For our part, how can we continue working with the Lord when our efforts seem fruitless, or when it feels like people around us are going in the opposite direction? Readings: 1 Kings 16 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/1-kings/16/], 18 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/1-kings/18/], 19 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/1-kings/19/] (selections); New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Teachings 126 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/new-jerusalem-and-heavenly-doctrine-chadwick/contents/1260], 128 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/heavenly-city-woofenden/contents/1280] Minister: Rev. Jeffrey O. Smith Delivered July 12th, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, located in Bryn Athyn, PA. We are committed to helping each other draw closer to the Lord God Jesus Christ through lives of love and useful service, guided by the Old and New Testaments and the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church (contained in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg). Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings; services and times can be found at brynathynchurch.org [http://brynathynchurch.org].

The Hidden Benefits of Freedom | Rev. Jeremy F. Simons

The Heavenly Doctrine has little to say about forms of government and many of the political issues of our time. But it has a great deal to say about the value of political freedom -- the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. You might be surprised at what some of these benefits are. Readings: Revelation 19:11-21 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/revelation/19/], Apocalypse Revealed 820 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/apocalypse-revealed-rogers/contents/8200], True Christianity 815 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/true-christian-religion-rose/contents/8150] Minister: Rev. Jeremy F. Simons Delivered July 5th, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA.  The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, located in Bryn Athyn, PA. We are committed to helping each other draw closer to the Lord God Jesus Christ through lives of love and useful service, guided by the Old and New Testaments and the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church (contained in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg). Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings; services and times can be found at brynathynchurch.org [http://brynathynchurch.org].

Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament | Rev. Malcolm G. Smith

After His resurrection, on the road to Emmaus, the Lord showed two of His disciples that the entire Old Testament was about Him. “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). This Sunday we begin a new sermon series that attempts to replicate those disciples’ experience. With the help of the teachings for the New Church, we will discover Jesus (God in His Divine Human) throughout the Old Testament, and we will discover more about our God’s experience during His life in this world, by means of the inner meaning of stories from the Old Testament. Readings: Numbers 24:15-17 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/numbers/24/], Luke 24:13-32 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/luke/24/], Arcana Coelestia 5620:14 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/secrets-of-heaven-nce/gen-43/56200], True Christian Religion 231 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/true-christian-religion-rose/contents/2310] Minister: Rev. Malcolm G. Smith Delivered June 28th, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, located in Bryn Athyn, PA. We are committed to helping each other draw closer to the Lord God Jesus Christ through lives of love and useful service, guided by the Old and New Testaments and the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church (contained in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg). Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings; services and times can be found at brynathynchurch.org [http://brynathynchurch.org].

The Great Commission(s) | Rev. Steven P. Gunther

At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus sends His disciples out with a specific mission. At the end of True Christian Religion, the Lord once again sends His disciples out with a mission. Finally, at the end of the book of Revelation, the Lord offers us an invitation. What do these three things have in common, and what do they teach us about our “commission” from the Lord both as individuals and collectively as a church? Readings: Matthew 28:16-20 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/matthew/28/], Revelation 22:12-17 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/kempton-lite/revelation/22/], True Christian Religion 791 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/true-christian-religion-chadwick/contents/7910], Apocalypse Revealed 956 [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/apocalypse-revealed-rogers/contents/9560] Minister: Rev. Steven P. Gunther Delivered June 21st, 2026 at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, PA. The Bryn Athyn Church is a congregation of the General Church of the New Jerusalem, located in Bryn Athyn, PA. We are committed to helping each other draw closer to the Lord God Jesus Christ through lives of love and useful service, guided by the Old and New Testaments and the Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church (contained in the theological works of Emanuel Swedenborg). Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings; services and times can be found at brynathynchurch.org [http://brynathynchurch.org].