Mark 6:30-44 “Becoming a Self-Feeding Christian” (ft. Guest Speaker Jim Larson)

Song of Solomon 2:1-4 “Covenant Love Cleaves, Delights, Guards” (ft. Guest Speaker Arlen Busenitz)

Arlen Busenitz opens Song of Solomon with God's design for marriage and sex, summarized in one sentence: Covenant love cleaves, delights, and guards. Beginning in Genesis 2, he establishes that marriage is not a social construct or a contract but a covenant — a lifelong commitment where God joins two people together as one flesh. He then unpacks the Song of Solomon's invitation to delight in one another. For example, expressing and receiving love, celebrating each other's worth, and keeping the flame burning through daily acts of love and respect. Using the fire illustration, sex is recognized as a good gift from God meant to be enjoyed within marriage, not outside it. Finally, he calls couples to guard their marriages against the little foxes (resentment, distraction, pornography, and anything that creeps into the vineyard), noting that the answer is not fighting each other but standing together against them. Ultimately, we are empowered by the gospel that offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and a fresh start. Exact Scripture References: Song of Solomon 2:1-7, 15 Song of Solomon 7:6 Genesis 2:24-25 (leave, cleave, one flesh — God's design for marriage) Matthew 19:6 Ephesians 5:22-33 Ephesians 4:26 1 Corinthians 7 1 Peter 3:7 Revelation 2:4-5 Romans 12:15 Proverbs 5:18 Topics and Keywords: Song of Solomon as God's design for marriage and sex Marriage as covenant, not contract Leave, cleave, one flesh God created and blesses marriage The fire illustration — sex within marriage The purity culture — what it got right and wrong Delight in expressing and receiving love Five love languages — time, acts of service, words of affirmation, physical affection, gifts Inward beauty versus outward beauty Guard your hearts — do not awaken love until it's time Little foxes that spoil the vine Us against the foxes — not against each other The gospel gives power to slay the foxes Forgiveness versus reconciliation Fresh start through the gospel Singles — channel energy to serve the Lord Sanctification through marriage

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The Conclusion of the Matter…”

Pastor Andy summarizes Ecclesiastes on Father's Day, tracing Solomon's exhaustive exploration of every direction a life could go — pleasure, wealth, achievement, building lasting things — all of which collapse into the same verdict: vanity of vanities, all is vanity. He connects this to the greatest plague in Western society today: nihilism, illustrated starkly by Canada's MAID policy, encouraging those with diminished capacity to choose medically-assisted suicide. Yet Pastor Andy argues that all this meaninglessness doesn't disprove God, it points to Him. Just as cold points to heat and death points to life. Solomon's conclusion is the only logical one: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. Paul picks up this thread in 2 Corinthians 4, showing that the light and momentary afflictions of this vain life are working an eternal weight of glory. The Holy Spirit was given as a helper, an unmistakable guarantee that mortality will be swallowed up by Life. In conclusion, Jesus Christ is the only aim worthy of a human life, the only one who brings all of life's tensions into balance, and today is the day to give Him everything. Scripture References: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 Ecclesiastes 1:2 Romans 1:18–3:31 2 Corinthians 4:17–5:8 Colossians 2:3 Topics and Keywords: Ecclesiastes and the question of what life is for Solomon's explorations: pleasure, wealth, achievement, building Vanity of vanities — all is meaningless Ecclesiastes 7 — do not be overly righteous or wicked The consolation prize of life — eat, drink, enjoy your wife Nihilism as the greatest plague in Western society Canada's MAID policy as a societal expression of nihilism The cold, dark, and death point toward heat, light, and life Fear God — the logical conclusion of Ecclesiastes Paul's overview of Romans — the universal problem and the good news 2 Corinthians 4 — eternal weight of glory The Holy Spirit as a visceral guarantee of eternity Walking by faith not by sight Jesus Christ as the only worthy aim for a human life Dying to self and living for Christ brings all of life into balance Father's Day — the role of a dad

Mark 6:30-44 “Becoming a Self-Feeding Christian” (ft. Guest Speaker Jim Larson)

Guest speaker Pastor Jim Larson, missionary to Tanzania for 15 years, uses the feeding of the 5,000 in Mark 6 to call believers to become self-feeding Christians. After returning from their first ministry assignment exhausted and hungry, the disciples faced a crowd of 15,000 to 20,000 people and responded with their flesh rather than their faith. First, they wanted to send them away. Then, they sought to buy their way out. Jesus redirected them: Check your resources, bless what you have, and trust Me. The miracle that followed — five loaves and two fish feeding thousands with 12 baskets left over — demonstrated that faith tested is faith that can be trusted. Pastor Jim draws a parallel between Jesus blessing, breaking, and distributing bread and the Inductive Bible Study Method: 1) Observe the text, 2) Interpret it, and 3) Apply it. Deep, engaged time in God's Word is exactly the type of "green grass" sheep need daily, not just on Sundays. He closes with Job 23:12 as the gold standard: "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food," and Psalm 42's image of the soul thirsting for the living God. Scripture References: Mark 6:30-44 Mark 6:7-13 Matthew 14:21 Matthew 11:28-30 Matthew 13 Job 23:12 Psalm 42:1-2 John 3:16 Topics and Keywords: Becoming a self-feeding Christian Context of the feeding of the 5,000 — exhausted, hungry disciples The crowd arriving before Jesus and the disciples Jesus moved with compassion — sheep without a shepherd Spiritual food before physical food The disciples' three responses: send away, buy out, trust Jesus Don't let your flesh overcome your faith Jesus blessing, breaking, and distributing — a picture of Bible study Inductive Bible study: observe, interpret, apply Green grass versus brown grass The three pillars of faith: knowledge, assent, trust 12 baskets leftover — one for each disciple Job 23:12 — treasuring God's word more than necessary food Psalm 42 — thirsting for the living God Tanzania missions — hunger for the Word

Job 40:3-5 “What I Learned…”

Pastor Andy concludes the book of Job by examining Job's two responses to God's appearance in the whirlwind. The first response in chapter 40 — "I have said too much already" — is not the comfort it appears to be. Job went from pounding his fist to pouting: ready to serve God, but begrudgingly. God wasn't finished. Chapters 38-39 reveal His wisdom in creation and chapters 40-41 reveal His power over creation. Together, these point to the one word that changes everything: Sovereignty. Job's final speech in chapter 42 is the real turning point, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." The reason for the trial is never given, but the result is a fresh revelation of who God is. Pastor Andy then tackles the hardest question: Why do bad things happen to good people? He answers it with one word: Love. Real love requires a free choice with real consequences, and the size of the cross tells you everything about how much God loves you. Scripture References: Job 40:3-5 Job 42:2-6 Job 23:3-7 (referenced — Job wanted to present his case before God) Job 38-39 (referenced — God's questions about wisdom in creation) Job 40-41 Romans 8:28 (All things work together for good) Genesis 50:20 Romans 5:8 Mark 12:24 2 Corinthians 1:3 (The God of all comfort) 1 Corinthians 2:9 Topics and Keywords: Job's initial response — from pounding to pouting God's appearance in the whirlwind — wisdom and power displayed in creation Job 38-39 — the wisdom of God in creation Job 40-41 — behemoth and Leviathan — the power of God Job 42 — the final speech and fresh revelation The difference between hearing about God and seeing Him Sovereignty — God as the great chess master Job never learns why — but gets something better Real faith doesn't need to know why when it's certain of who Why bad things happen to good people Love requires a free choice with real consequences The size of the cross as the measure of God's love Christianity as death to self and full surrender Trust the Lord — the action point of Job

1 Timothy 2:4 "Knowledge of the Truth" (ft. Guest Speaker Dr. Vishal Mangalwadi)

Guest speaker Dr. Vishal Mangalwadi anchors his message in 1 Timothy 2:4 — "God wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" — arguing that American evangelical theology has focused on sin as the central problem while the prophets consistently identify lack of knowledge as the deeper root. From Hosea 4:6 ("my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge") through Isaiah 1 and Romans 1, he demonstrates that sin is the fruit of suppressed truth and a darkened mind. Dr. Mangalwadi calls for a second reformation alongside the first (Sola Fide): the recovery of truth, as Jesus is the Truth, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and the church is called to be the pillar and foundation of the truth. He closes with a provocative question from Revelation 20. Scripture References: 1 Timothy 2:4-7 1 Timothy 3:14-15 (the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth) Titus 1:1 (Paul appointed to further faith and knowledge of truth that leads to godliness) Titus 1:5-12 (Cretans as liars — cultures built on falsehood) Hosea 4:6 (my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge) Isaiah 1:3-4, 21 (Israel does not know — sin follows ignorance) Isaiah 5:13 (my people will go into exile for lack of understanding) Isaiah 11:2-9 (spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding — earth filled with the knowledge of the Lord) Isaiah 53:4-11 (by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many) Romans 1:18-28 (suppression of truth leads to depraved mind and sinful behavior) Revelation 20:1-3 (referenced — the mighty angel binding Satan from deceiving the nations) Revelation 1:20, 2-3 John 14:6 (referenced — I am the truth) John 14-16 (referenced — Holy Spirit as Spirit of truth) Topics and Keywords: God wants all people saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth Sin as the fruit of lack of knowledge Paul's role as herald and apostle — cultivating faith and teaching truth The church as the pillar and foundation of the truth The West becoming post-truth Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel — nations destroyed for lack of knowledge Romans 1 — suppression of truth leads to depraved minds Isaiah 53:11 — by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many The first reformation: Sola Fide The second reformation: the recovery of truth Jesus as the Truth, the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth Europe's demographic collapse and civilizational vulnerability The church as the mighty angel binding deception in Revelation 20 The Bible as the foundation of Western civilization Healing of the nations through knowledge of truth