Sermon by William Burrows

What could possibly keep us from accepting an invitation to a feast prepared by God himself? In Jesus’ Parable of the Great Banquet, the invitation is gracious, the feast is ready, and yet those who were invited begin to make excuses. Everything has been prepared, yet they refuse to come.

On today’s episode, we will consider the generosity of God’s invitation in the gospel—and the danger of treating it as though it can always be postponed. Christ calls sinners to come, to receive and rest on him alone as he offered to them in the gospel—to be satisfied in him. But the day will come when the invitation is no longer extended. The question we must answer is, will we continue to make excuses? Or will we come while the door is still open?

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Vineland Road is a resource ministry of the Christian Reformed Church of St. Joseph, Michigan. For more Reformed preaching and other confessionally Reformed resources, visit crcstjoseph.com.

Sermon by Pastor John DeVries

The phrase “according to their kind” (or “according to its kind”) is repeated ten times in Genesis 1. Have you ever wondered why? The answer points us toward the remarkable order and variety God built into his creation. God establishes boundaries between kinds while also providing tremendous potential for variety within them.

Pastor John DeVries examines how this “kindness” in creation helps us understand the world around us and points beyond creation to its Creator. The incredible variety of living things displays God’s glory, giving us reason for awe and leaving humanity without excuse. And as Genesis moves toward mankind, we will see that one particular creature stands apart from all the rest: humanity, uniquely created in the image of God.

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Vineland Road is a resource ministry of the Christian Reformed Church of St. Joseph, Michigan. For more Reformed preaching and other confessionally Reformed resources, visit crcstjoseph.com.

Sermon by Pastor John DeVries

Have you ever wondered why God created everything in six days? He certainly didn't need six days to accomplish his creative work. The structure of Genesis 1 is intentional, establishing the seven-day week and leading all of creation toward the seventh day of rest. That pattern gives us an important clue for understanding what God is doing in this text.

In this episode, Pastor John DeVries examines the significance of the seven-day week and the way its pattern points beyond creation itself. The work of God is complete, whole, and perfect, and the divine rest all of creation is moving toward ultimately finds its fulfillment in Christ. Right from the start, the opening chapters of Genesis are already pointing us toward the gospel: God’s creation and re-creation lead his people to perfect rest in Jesus Christ.

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Vineland Road is a resource ministry of the Christian Reformed Church of St. Joseph, Michigan. For more Reformed preaching and other confessionally Reformed resources, visit crcstjoseph.com.