In this week’s message, we explore the Psalms and discover how God welcomes both our praise and our lament, inviting us to bring every joy and every sorrow before Him. Through the beautiful Passover refrain Dayenu—“It would have been enough”—we’re reminded to rest in God’s faithfulness, trusting that while His grace is already more than enough, His redeeming work in our lives is not yet finished.

Primary Texts

• Psalms — The sermon centers on the Book of Psalms as Israel's book of prayer and worship, emphasizing the two major categories of psalms of praise and psalms of lament.

Specific Scripture Passages

• Psalms 119 — Highlighted as the longest chapter in the Bible and an acrostic poem built around the Hebrew alphabet. Pastor Scott used it to illustrate the beauty of worship and God's delight in hearing His people's voices.
• Psalms 145–150 — Referred to collectively as the closing psalms of praise, with the refrain:
• "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
• These passages illustrate the Psalter's emphasis on worship and adoration.
• Psalms 13: 1
• "How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?"
• Used as the primary example of a psalm of lament, demonstrating that God welcomes honest cries of pain.

Systematic Theology — Pastor Scott quoted theologian Robert Jenson's famous definition of God:

He used this to emphasize that God is known by His saving acts throughout Scripture.

Pastor Scott showed a scene from The Chosen Season 5, Episode 4, titled "The Same Coin." It features the women followers of Jesus offering a personalized Dayenu ("It would have been enough") to Him on the eve of His crucifixion, and later the traditional Dayenu is woven into the Last Supper narrative.

https://youtu.be/rZp9k_ZFgwg?si=GYsVh72TE_-9LVT5

In this week’s message, we discover through Nehemiah’s call to confession that the Christian life begins and continues with repentance—not simply admitting individual sins, but surrendering our desire to be in control and acknowledging that God alone is Lord. As we wrestle honestly with the parts of Scripture that challenge us most, we’re reminded that Christ faithfully transforms us by His grace, one step at a time.

Primary Texts

• Nehemiah — The sermon centers on Nehemiah and the return from exile, emphasizing the people's confession, repentance, and recommitment to God after rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.
• Ezra — Referenced alongside Nehemiah as the account of Israel's return from Babylon, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the spiritual renewal of God's people.

Specific Scripture Passages

• The Gospel According to Luke 18:9–14 — The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
  • The Pharisee's self-righteous prayer.
  • The tax collector's humble confession.
• Pastor Scott uses this as the model of true repentance: acknowledging that God is God and we are not.
• Deuteronomy 6:4–9 — The Shema:
• "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."
• This passage illustrates that confession begins with placing God—not ourselves—at the center of life.
• The Gospel According to Matthew 4:17 (alluded to) — Jesus' call to "Repent," which Martin Luther cites in the opening of the Ninety-five Theses to argue that the entire Christian life is one of repentance.
• Genesis 32:22–32 — Jacob wrestling with God.
• Used as an image for how believers wrestle with difficult passages of Scripture and are transformed through that struggle.

In this week’s message, we explore the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to discover that God’s kingdom is built not through individual heroes, but through generations of faithful people serving together. As Jesus calls us away from the world’s pursuit of power and toward a life of humility, service, and mutual submission, we’re reminded that we each have a unique role in God’s greater story.

Specific Scripture Passages

• Ezra 3:10–13 — Quoted at length:
  • The laying of the Temple foundation.
  • Priests and Levites praising God.
  • Older generations weeping while younger generations rejoice.
  • The sound of weeping and celebration mingling together.
  • This passage serves as the sermon's central illustration of generations serving God together.
• Numbers 8:23–26 — Levites begin serving at age 25 and retire from regular service at age 50 while continuing to assist younger workers. Used to illustrate passing leadership from one generation to the next.
• Deuteronomy 4:9–10 — "Teach them to your children and to their children after them." This passage emphasizes passing the faith from generation to generation.
• The Gospel According to Mark 10:42–45 — Jesus teaches:
  • "Not so with you."
  • Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.
  • "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve."
  • This is the sermon's primary New Testament text, contrasting worldly power with Christlike service.
• The Letter of Paul to the Philippians 2:5–11 — The Christ hymn:
  • Christ emptied Himself.
  • Took the form of a servant.
  • Was obedient unto death.
  • Therefore God highly exalted Him.
  • Used as the supreme example of humble service.
• The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 5:21 — "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Pastor Scott argues this verse establishes mutual submission as the Christian posture before discussing marriage.
• The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 5:22–25 — Mentioned in discussing husbands and wives, emphasizing that husbands are called to love sacrificially as Christ loved the Church.
• The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 6:5–9 — Referenced in discussing slaves and masters, highlighting Paul's call for those in authority to exercise love rather than domination.

This sermon referenced several non-biblical books and literary works, along with one film adaptation:

• The Odyssey — This was the primary non-biblical work discussed. Pastor Scott compared Odysseus' individual "hero's journey" home with the communal, generational return of God's people in Ezra and Nehemiah. He used the contrast to show that Christianity rejects the world's model of the lone hero in favor of a community of humble servants.
• The Odyssey — The newly released film adaptation directed by Christopher Nolan was mentioned as the starting point for the sermon, though the discussion focused primarily on Homer's original story.