Sermon by Ant Frederick on May 26, 2024.
In this world, it often feels like we don’t have enough time in the day to do everything that we need to do. This week, we’ll gain wisdom from the bible on the topics of productivity and rest.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Timestamps:
2:45 - What exactly is the Ketuviim?
7:00 - What is the Wisdom literature (in this case: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs) all about?
14:23 - How should we read the Wisdom literature?
25:12 - So Song of Songs…what are we supposed to do with this book?
29:33 - How do these books connect to Jesus?
Check out MidtownBiblicalLiteracy.com for videos, book recommendations, and Bible reading plans
God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs by Tim Keller
Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Dempster
Ghosts and Ancestors: Torah Stories sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Ruth sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Wisdom sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.
To submit your topic or question, text either "DOWNTOWN", “LEXINGTON”, OR “TWO NOTCH” followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.
Music by Levvy and Midtown Music
Sermon by Adam Gibson on May 19, 2024.
Last week, we discussed wisdom and friendships. This week, we discuss the inevitable outworking of that: conflict. What does the wisdom literature teach us about living in unity and handling confrontation?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Tim Olson on May 12, 2024.
We’re living in what has been dubbed “the loneliness epidemic.” 60% of US adults report feeling lonely regularly, 15% of men and 10% of women report having no close friends, and 1/3 of both report only having two close friends or less.
This week, as we examine the wisdom literature, we will discuss what it means to be a good friend.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Adam Gibson on May 5th, 2024.
This week, we discuss Proverbs 5 and 7, one of the most comprehensive sections of scripture regarding the biblical vision for sex. It’s one of the few subjects that Solomon devotes extended airtime to in the book of Proverbs. What is its purpose? What does God intend for sex to accomplish? How are we to think about it?
For parents, as a reminder, Kidtown is available for 3rd grade and under. If you are uncomfortable having your preteen in the Gathering they are welcome to serve in Kidtown this week.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on April 28, 2024.
The Bible is deeply aware of life's complexities and difficulties. This reality requires us to think well and wisely. Who we are and what we do shape the trajectory and person we become. Money is no exception. This week, we explore what the wisdom literature says about money.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Timestamps:
1:21 - What do we mean by the “history books” of the Old Testament?
11:28—What does Deuteronomy have to do with these books? And what is the overall message of the History/Former Prophets?
16:35 - How does the book of Joshua fit into the History/Former Prophets?
18:00 - How does the book of Judges fit into the History/Former Prophets?
20:25 - How does the book of Samuel fit into the History/Former Prophets?
23:38 - How does the book of Kings fit into the History/Former Prophets?
28:07 - Why do the History/Former Prophets matter within the scope of the Bible?
Check out MidtownBiblicalLiteracy.com for videos, book recommendations, and Bible reading plans
Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Dempster
Old Testament Narrative Books: The Israel Story by Gary Edward Schnittjer
Ghosts and Ancestors: Torah Stories sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Ruth sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.
To submit your topic or question, text either "DOWNTOWN", “LEXINGTON”, OR “TWO NOTCH” followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.
Music by Levvy and Midtown Music
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on April 21, 2024.
This week, we discuss something that has the power to destroy your life and keep you from becoming a wise person: pride. Thankfully, the book of Proverbs offers us a framework to think about pride’s destructive nature and, ultimately, its solution.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on April 14, 2024.
Last week we began exploring what it means to be a person of wisdom. This week we look at Proverbs 16:1-3 and ask ourselves, how exactly do we make wise decisions and what resources does God give us to become these sorts of people?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on April 7, 2024.
How do we become people who build our lives on God’s wisdom rather than ruining them? How do we navigate life and all its complexities? How do we make sense of death and suffering? How about friendships, wealth, and decision-making? What about sex and marriage?
These questions are where the Old Testament’s wisdom books come in. Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs depict how to navigate life’s complexity. Through poetry and narrative, the Bible shows us following Jesus is more than just acquiring knowledge. It’s about seeing reality the way God sees it and learning how to live within it—in short, it’s about becoming a person of wisdom.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Good Friday sermon by Adam Gibson on March 29, 2024.
Our church family spent Good Friday looking towards the cross and Easter Sunday celebrating our Risen Savior! The Good Friday sermon, baptism videos from the Easter Gathering, and this weeks LifeGroup Guide can be found below.
Sermon by Adam Gibson on March 24, 2024.
As we conclude the book of Ruth, we find out there’s more to the story. It’s not just about God’s faithfulness to Ruth and Naomi but about God’s faithfulness to His people throughout all time.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on March 17, 2024.
Last week in Ruth 2, we were introduced to a new character: Boaz, Ruth’s "kinsman redeemer." In chapter 3, we’ll see the risk Ruth takes to make sure God provides for her and Naomi.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
For this episode, we interviewed Dr. Jay Sklar. Jay Sklar is vice president of academics and professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary. He has written commentaries on Numbers and Exodus (forthcoming with Crossway), and two on Leviticus (TOTC and ZECOT). He has also published a website of resources to help those preaching or teaching in Genesis through Deuteronomy.
Timestamps:
2:22 - What were your initial impressions of the Bible?
6:24 - Why did you decide to pursue doctoral work in the Old Testament?
9:08 - Why did you decide to specialize in Leviticus?
10:12 - How would you broadly summarize Leviticus?
11:59 - What makes Leviticus so tricky to understand?
17:35 - How do we make sense of impurity laws?
28:42 - Is the Day of Atonement really the centerpiece of understanding Leviticus and the Torah?
33:22 - How do we understand Leviticus in light of the New Testament?
37:24 - If Jesus fulfilled Leviticus, why should we even bother reading it?
40:32 - How do we extrapolate and practice the wisdom principles from the commands in Leviticus?
43:15 - What does abiding with Jesus in Scripture and prayer look like for you?
Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) by Jay Sklar
Numbers (The Story of God Bible Commentary) by Jay Sklar
Preach and Teach the Bible website
Also Dr. Sklar has a number of (free!) commentaries and articles available on The Gospel Coalition that you can check out here.
Check out MidtownBiblicalLiteracy.com for videos, book recommendations, and Bible reading plans
And check out our other site on the spiritual practices…FollowingJesusTogether.com
Ghosts and Ancestors: Torah Stories sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Ruth sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.
To submit your topic or question, text either "DOWNTOWN", “LEXINGTON”, OR “TWO NOTCH” followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.
Music by Levvy and Midtown Music
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on March 10, 2024.
Last week, we looked at Ruth chapter 1 and how, in roughly ten years, Naomi’s dreams of a better life are ruined. Chapter one then implicitly asks the reader, “How will God provide?” In chapter 2, we’ll see God’s invisible hand at work through seemingly ordinary faithfulness.
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on March 3, 2024.
Stories have the power to move us. They have the ability to affect us like facts, and bullet points can’t. A good story doesn’t leave us where it found us. That is especially true of biblical stories.
Over the next four weeks, we will journey into the true story of Ruth. Ruth is a story with ups and downs, conflict and loss, joy and laughter. There are compelling characters who we are meant to learn from both in good and bad.
It’s in this story that we are faced with a question we must all ask in our lives at one point or another, will we entrust ourselves to a sovereign and faithful God?
This series is part of our Year of Biblical Literacy initiative.
Sermon by Jake Blair on February 25, 2024.
If you knew God was with you no matter what, what do you think your life look like? As we’ll see in our final week of the series, Joseph goes through pain, suffering, and exile, yet the Bible says, “The LORD was with him.”
Sermon by Jake Blair on February 18, 2024.
This week, we look at Exodus 32: God's people have left Egypt, but as we'll see, there's still a lot of "Egypt" left in God's people. So, how can we faithfully follow Jesus when external and internal pressures compel us to make God in our image?
For this episode, we interviewed Dr. Gary Schnittjer. Gary Edward Schnittjer (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is distinguished professor of Old Testament in the School of Divinity at Cairn University in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and author of Old Testament Use of Old Testament (Zondervan Academic, 2021), Torah Story, 2nd edition (Zondervan Academic, 2023), and Old Testament Narrative Books: The Israel Story (B&H Academic, 2023).
Timestamps:
8:20 - What were your initial impressions of the Bible and what changed?
11:44 - What made you want to pursue PhD work in the Old Testament?
16:10 - Why did you want to write a textbook on the Torah?
20:06 - What do you think people have to know about the Bible before reading it? How does the Torah fit into it?
26:36 - How exactly does the gospel begin in the Old Testament?
30:34 - How do we read Old Testament narratives?
38:18 - How do we think about the biblical laws?
40:09 - What have been helpful Bible reading practices and resources for you?
Check out MidtownBiblicalLiteracy.com for videos, book recommendations, and Bible reading plans
Torah Story, Second Edition: An Apprenticeship on the Pentateuch by Gary Edward Schnittjer
Old Testament Use of Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide by Gary Edward Schnittjer
Old Testament Narrative Books: The Israel Story (Scripture Connections) by Gary Edward Schnittjer“
Why We Need the Bad News of Israelite History” by Gary Edward Schnittjer from The Gospel Coalition
Ghosts and Ancestors sermon series - Lexington | Downtown | Two Notch
Throughout the year, we want to know the concepts and passages you wrestle with. We'll answer some of these questions in podcast episodes throughout the year.
To submit your topic or question, text either "DOWNTOWN", “LEXINGTON”, OR “TWO NOTCH” followed by your topic to 855-855-0655.
Music by Levvy and Midtown Music
Sermon by Jake Blair on February 11, 2024.
This week, we study one of the most prominent characters in the Torah: Moses. In Exodus 3, we'll see how Moses' commissioning raises many doubts and objections and how God replies in a way we may not expect.
