Hickory Withe Presbyterian Church

The sermon on February 2, 2025, will be from Romans 13:8-10- The Debt of Love We Owe.  “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, …” – Romans 13:8

Isaac Watts penned those memorable words, “But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe; ….” Christians owe a “debt of love” to Jesus Christ because of his sacrificial love for them. But we also, as you see, owe a debt of love to our neighbor. Jesus pours out mercy, grace, and kindness upon us; how can we not love him? But our neighbor may disappoint, hurt, and betray us. Loving him will challenge and stretch us. Nevertheless, our obligation is clear and the “2nd Table of the Law” (Commandments 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10) direct us how. This requires God’s grace strengthening us by the Holy Spirit’s presence in us as believers (See Romans 8:1-4).

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon on January 26, 2025, will be from Matthew 18:15-17 – Pursuing Spiritual Health in 2025: In Our Church – A Forgiving Community.   “If your brother offends you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.” – Matthew 18:15

Let us begin with a question, “What if Christians would follow our Lord’s counsel in Matthew 18:15 one hundred percent of the time?” Misunderstandings would vanish; true offenses would be identified, confessed and forgiven; families would grow in love for one another; relationships would flourish; and churches would thrive. And, yet, … something else too often occurs – Christians disobey the one they call ‘Lord.’ They take their grievance to a third party and a cascade of events follows – misunderstandings soar; unforgiveness between brothers and sisters grows; relationships fracture; and churches may split. As a result, “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14). Brothers and sisters, these things should not be – LET US FOLLOW OUR LORD’S COUNSEL IN 2025!

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon will be from Hebrews 10:24-25 – Consistent Attendance on the Lord’s Day.  “And let us consider how to stir up one another … not neglecting to meet together, …” – Hebrews 10:24-25

Reformation Confessions of Faith of the 17th Century clearly teach a “high-view” of the Christian Sabbath or the Lord’s Day (“Google” – Westminster Confession of Faith, Chap. 21; and 2nd London Baptist Confession of 1689, Chapter 22). The decline of this emphasis is multi-faceted, but is clearly detrimental to individuals, churches, and our nation. The writer to the Hebrews knows that there is a direct connection between Sabbath-breaking and apostasy (i.e. drifting away from the Christian faith to the point of denying one’s faith). A frank admonition is called for – OBEY THE 4TH COMMANDMENT AND HEBREWS 10:24-25 IN 2025!

Sunday Service Live-Streamed at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon will be from Ephesians 5:22-6:4 – Pursuing Spiritual Health in 2025: In Our Families.  “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, …”  – Ephesians 6:4

21st Century American culture is “egalitarian.” This is an involved and controversial discussion and would require much more space than I have in this short article to explain. But one negative of this cultural reality is that we’ve jettisoned the Scriptural teaching that the husband and father is the head of his household. He is to protect and to provide for his family physically and spiritually. Notice, the importance of the father is mentioned twice in the Ten Commandments (2nd and 5th Commandments – Exodus 20:4-6, 12) and it is inferred in two more of the commandments (4th and 10th – Exodus 20:8-11, 17). So, gentlemen, if you are the head of your household, STEP UP TO THE PLATE IN 2025! STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND START LEADING YOUR FAMILY SPIRITUALLY IN 2025!

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory With PCA

The sermon will be from Ps. 1:1-6; Deut. 8:1-10; Luke 9:23 – “Spiritual Health in Our Individual Christian Lives”.   “… man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” – Deuteronomy 8:3

Did you hear that? Man lives by “every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Do you realize that there are 783,137 words in the King James Version of the Bible? Other versions would vary somewhat, but I think it is safe to say that the version you own contains between 700,000 and 800,000 words. Have you read your Bible in its entirety, all 800,000 words? God humbled Ancient Israel so that they might learn this very lesson (See Deut. 8:1-20). Has God humbled us individually, our churches, and our nation in the first part of the 21st Century in order that we would learn the lesson, “… man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”?

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Romans 13:6-7 – “The IRS and You”. “Pay to all what is owed to them; taxes to whom taxes are owed …” – Romans 13:7

None of us looks forward to “tax season.” April 15^th, arrives with annual regularity, but many Americans wait until 11:59 PM on that date to file, grousing their way to the Post Office. But the Apostle Paul and our Lord Jesus call upon Christians to adopt a different attitude. Paul, as you see, teaches that we owe taxes; we are in debt to local, state, and national governments for services received. And, our Lord Jesus commands his followers, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s …” (Mark 12:17). The civil magistrate has a legitimate, God-given role in society (Romans 13:1-4, 6). Let us thank God for the services he provides for us and let us remember 1 Thessalonians 5:18 on April 15^th.

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 PM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Isaiah 9:6-7– “ Handel Nailed It”. “… and his name shall be called …” – Isaiah 9:6

Parents think seriously and prayerfully when naming their child. One’s name is significant. It communicates something important about the person. Ponder the names that Isaiah gave to Jesus Christ – “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Do you ever need counsel in this life? Jesus provides counsel that is wonderful. Do you ever need strength in weakness? Jesus leads his people on “from strength to strength.” Do you ever long for the compassion of a kind father? Jesus abounds in such love for sinners. Do you pine for peace without and peace within? Jesus bestows both in lavishing ways. Come to him for rest this Christmas season.

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Isaiah 9:6-7– “ The Eternal Kingdom of the Eternal King”. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, …” – Isaiah 9:7

God calls civil magistrates his “servants for good.” He establishes authority in human societies and he also establishes the individual authorities. He “removes kings and sets up kings” (Rom. 13:1-4; Dan. 2:21). And, yet, these kings, presidents, and governors are far from being perfectly effective in their rule; turmoil, societal breakdown, and even wars can still exist in their domains. The world pines for peace (Rom. 8:19-23). The peace for which we groan is now being realized through Christ as his rule advances throughout the nations and as it marches toward its ultimate victory when “of peace there will be no end.”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Isaiah 9:6-7– “ A Child Born and a Son Given”. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; …” – Isaiah 9:6

In the Christian community, we hear the truth of Isaiah 9:6 affirmed frequently from our pulpits, confessed repeatedly in our confessions of faith, and enshrined in our hymnals. We have heard John 3:16 since we were in children’s Sunday school and were required to memorize it. But I must ask us all during Advent 2025, “Has the wonder of Isaiah’s announcement ever truly gripped us?” Ponder Isaiah’s declaration, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; ….” Digest the Apostle’s message, “For God so loved that he gave his only Son, ….” Numerous church councils after Christ’s birth were required to wonder and to ponder over this astounding, great “mystery of godliness” – “He was manifested in the flesh,” (1 Timothy 3:16).

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Mark 1:1-15–”Repent!”. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.”  – Mark 1:14-15

The Old Testament prophets prepared Israel (and any other nation who would listen) for a coming Messianic kingdom. The kingdom’s “King” would descend from King David and establish a world-wide, eternal dynasty (2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Micah 5:1-5; Luke 1:30-33). The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled these predictions. Before his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, this promised kingdom was “at hand;” now, it is firmly established; Christ is resurrected and ascended to his Father’s right hand of power and authority; he is interceding for his people and will return in glory one day to punish his adversaries and rescue his people. The call to repentance and faith is also a summons from this kingdom’s King. If the summons was needed in the 1st Century, it is certainly needed in the 21st Century – “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA