A Response from Lament

on June 29, 2025June 30, 2025

In Psalm 102, the psalmist starts out with strong lament over the sorry state of his life, but moves to thinking about God’s everlasting nature and compassion, and confidence that God’s goodness will endure and lead to praises by people of all nations. This realization enables him to move forward out of guilt and self-pity. What is the connection, and what does he move toward?

Matthew 5:13-16 (NLT) ; 馬太福音 5:13-16 (CUVS)
Psalm 102 (NLT) ; 詩篇 102 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Great Works

on August 18, 2024August 19, 2024

Pastor Ryan’s sermon “Great Works” talks about God’s great works – specifically the Exodus and the Covenant at Sinai (Ten Commandments), and how that covenant works today.

Exodus 34:5-7,27-28 (NLT) ; 出埃及記 34:5-7,27-28 (CUVS)
Psalm 111 (NLT) ; 詩篇 111 (CUVS)

You can also download Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Laurenz Blickwedel on Unsplash

Why Hold On?

on August 11, 2024August 12, 2024

Pastor Ryan’s sermon “Why Hold On?” asks the question “If we have tasted the good of the Lord, then why do we still hold on to the ‘bad’ of the world?”

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NLT) ; 彼得前書 2:1-3 (CUVS)
Psalm 34:1-8 (NLT) ; 詩篇 34:1-8 (CUVS)

You can also download Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Zachary Spears on Unsplash

Scattered Seed

on June 9, 2024June 10, 2024

Pastor Ryan’s sermon “Scattered Seed” is based on Jesus’ parable of the sower: some seeds fell on rocky soil, some on thin soil, some among thorns, and so on. Jesus explains what it means, so our job is to figure out where we fit in the parable. It all seems quite straightforward, until you look at the farmer…

Hosea 10:12 (NLT) / 何西阿書 10:12 (CUVS)
Matthew 13:1-9 NLT) / 馬太福音 13:1-9 (CUVS)
Matthew 13:18-23 (NLT) / 馬太福音 13:18-23 (CUVS)

You can also download Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Roman Synkevych on Unsplash

The Jar Paradox

on June 2, 2024June 3, 2024

Pastor Ryan’s sermon “The Jar Paradox” talks about the paradox in the image of believers being “fragile jars of clay”, as well as the paradoxes that follow in Paul’s letter. It doesn’t make sense that the great treasure of the Gospel would be “stored” in relatively fragile containers, and yet that is exactly what God has done in entrusting us not only to experience His love, power and grace for ourselves, but also to be witness of that to the world around us.

Psalm 18:1-6 (NLT) / 詩篇 18:1-6 (CUVS)
2 Corinthians 4:5-12 (NLT) / 歌林多後書 4:5-12 (CUVS)

You can also download Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript). In this sermon, he talks about the classic children’s book The Velveteen Rabbit. Since it is out of copyright, you can read it online for free if you like.

Photo by Earl Wilcox on Unsplash

Honour the Lord

on May 26, 2024May 27, 2024

Pastor Ryan’s sermon “Honour the Lord” talks about what that means. Are we included in the “heavenly beings” that Psalm 29 calls to honour God? What are some ways that we can honour God with our words and actions? How do we turn our hearts to want to honour Him?