Topic: Sin

Beloved, the victory that Christ won over sin has given us greater blessings than those which sin had taken away from us. Let Lent be a reminder to us that there is a much higher purpose that exists beyond our mortal pain, as we march on to the joy of our Easter Vigil in this life, and eternal reward in the next. O happy fault!

We spend so much of our lives self-focused, but almost none of that time self-aware. We convince ourselves of lies about how we want people to see us, but we never confront the reality of who we really are in our sinful state. The Transfiguration of Christ gives us the perspective of God’s holiness, our depravity before Him, and our need for Jesus’s saving grace. When we fall prostrate before the Lord, we gain true perspective on how messed up we really are.

The journey of the Magi following this Star represents the highest calling to which we can devote our lives: a lifetime of being led to Christ, by Christ. In other words, we look to Christ to light our path and direct our steps to Him. It is one thing to see this Star, but we are only wise when we embark on the journey of our lives using it as our guide.

We spend all our life building our own towers of Babel – monuments to sin and pride. Both collectively and individually, we put ourselves in the place of God. We build them brick by brick, over the course of decades, and we become blind to the fact that our building of the towers is not only sinful, but irrational. And therefore, we can’t expect the world to improve – to take down the collective tower of Babel – unless we are willing to take down our own towers, brick by brick. Listen as the Rev. Galloway explains the importance of confronting our sins.

We don’t get to “play nice” with sin. When we ignore or keep around “small” sins because it is convenient for us, we forsake the Truth and embrace falsehood. God requires us to embrace his WHOLE commandment – not to keep us down, but so we may truly flourish. Watch this sermon by the Rector to learn more.

Elder Nathan discusses the Christian struggle between the "Already" (our salvation in Christ) and the "Not Yet" (our final sanctification). What are we supposed to do when we continue to sin, even though we truly want to please God?

Our striving is in vain, if we do not keep the Lord Jesus Christ always before us. And if obedience to Christ is central to our lives, He will empower us to do great things for him.

How are we to approach our own struggle with temptation? Watch as Elder Nathan discusses how we should treat temptation with great seriousness, and how Christ's victory over temptation protects us.

Ash Wednesday begins the Christian season of Lent, a 40-day journey of reflection, penitence, and self-discipline, leading up to Holy Week and Easter. If we don't properly examine ourselves, we will not grow spiritually during this or any season. Watch as Elder Nathan explains how we can prepare for Lent with self-examination.