First Presbyterian Church of Norway

Should Children Eat the Lord's Supper?

Pastor Matt discusses an essential question regarding communion. Are children allowed to partake of the Lord's supper--

Where Is Jesus In The Old Testament?

Pastor Matt wraps up the series on the Old Testament by showing four essential texts and how Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament.

Malachi: God's Final Word

Malachi is God's final message to Israel at the close of the Old Testament. A century after the exiles' return to the land, the post-exilic community is steeped in covenant infidelity. Israel complains to the LORD about their perceived mistreatment in a series of disputes. Meanwhile, they are utterly blind to the gravity of their covenant transgressions and the offense they have become to God. Yet the LORD declares, -My name will be feared among the nations- -1-14-. Malachi, whose name means ...

Zechariah: Your King Is Coming

Zechariah proclaims the return of the king. The prophet's messianic expectation is unrivaled in the Old Testament. Amid the dark days of the post-exilic community -c. 520 B.C.-, God's people need hope. Externally, foreign kings rule over Jerusalem, imposing high taxes and authoritarian control. Internally, the community shows little interest in religious or moral reform. The temple remains uncompleted, and all hope seems lost. In every way, the prophet's ministry began when people -despised t...

Jesus Demands One Thing

Gideon Rossouw teaches on the radical call of Christ to follow Him, from the gospel of Mark.

God's Design for Marriage and the Kingdom

Gideon Rossouw continues the series on Mark, by explaining God-s design for marriage and the kingdom.

A Roadmap For Disicpleship

Gideon Rossouw discusses the nature of God-s kingdom and how we are encouraged to follow Jesus in discipleship.

Dependance On Christ In Prayer

Peter Moi preaches on the importance of prayer in the lives of believers from the gospel of Mark.

The Son Of God Revealed

Gideon Rossouw continues the series in Mark by preaching on the transfiguration and how Jesus is revealed as the Son of God.

A Costly Cross To Bear

Peter Moi continues in the gospel of Mark by reminding us that there is a cost in following Jesus.

Seeing Jesus Rightly

Gideon Rossouw continues our series on the gospel of Mark by highlighting the importance of seeing Jesus rightly in order that we might worship Him rightly.

Leaven Of Unbelief Hardens Hearts

Peter Moi continues our series on Mark, as he reminds us of the danger of wrong doctrine and how it leads to unbelieving hardened hearts

Even Dogs Can Be Saved

Mark continues his gospel of the kingdom by showing that the proclamation of the kingdom of God also extends to the gentiles. Three miracles highlight that Jesus rewards the faith of dogs, Jesus brings healing to deaf dogs, and Jesus feeds hungry dogs

Haggai: God's House First

Haggai teaches that we need a renovation of our hearts to please God and experience his blessing. In a time when God's people were called to rebuild his house, which lay in ruin, the post-exilic community was busy building their own homes and living lives of indolence and vanity. The prophet shows that the self-centered pursuit of pleasure and plenty winds up empty. The writer of Hebrews picks up Haggai's themes and calls the church to sacrifices that are pleasing to God. Haggai is a book tha...

Zephaniah: Fortunes Restored

Zephaniah contains some of the most beautiful language in the entire Bible. Amid the terror of the day of the LORD, the prophet proclaims a glorious hope for the remnant of God's people. Fortunes shall be restored, the lame shall be saved, and the LORD will be in our midst -Zeph. 3-17-20-. Jesus' mission of mercy fulfills this hope. He inaugurated God's salvation plan in his first coming, and all will be accomplished when he returns -cf. Matthew 5-2-12- 11-2-6- Rev. 21-. Meanwhile, God's peop...

True Worship

Peter Moi expounds the difference between true worship and vain religiosity in the gospel of Mark.

Habakkuk: Though Fig Trees Fail

Great consolation for life's woes can be found in Habakkuk. The prophet wrestles with the problem of faith when everything around him appears to show that God no longer cares. Writing before the fall of Assyria -c. 640-615 B.C.-, Habakkuk wrestles with God in two dialogues to come to terms with God's seeming disregard for saving his people. The first dialogue deals with the problem of the perceived delay in God's salvation. The second dialogue deals with the problem of God using wicked nation...

Nahum: God's Wrath on Nations

Written a century after Jonah, between 663 and 612 BC, Nahum prophesies the downfall of the Assyrian Empire. Written to Nineveh, a chief city in the empire, the LORD foretells of his coming wrath against the Assyrians for their unceasing evil -3-19-. Upon wider biblical reflection, the theme of God's wrath on nations reveals that God judges states, nations, and empires based on their response to God and his moral order -cf. Jer. 18-7-10-. Furthermore, the wrath promised to wicked nations is a...

The Glory of God Came Near

Peter Moi continues His discussion on the gospel of Mark by examining Mark 6-45-56.

WCF 2.1: Of God and the Holy Trinity Part 1

Micah: Pardoned in God's Court

Micah's prophetic writings showcase God's amazing grace. Israel and Judah are soundly condemned by three cycles of legal hearings in the case of the LORD vs. his people. Flagrant examples of idolatry, injustice, and treachery bring the sentence of God's covenant curses. Nevertheless, while impending doom, in the form of national destruction and exile, is the short-term punishment, amazing grace is also promised. There remains a future pardon for the remnant of God's people. The hallmark of th...

Jonah: Religious Hypocrisy

Religious hypocrisy haunts God's people in every age. The book of Jonah treats this ailment. Jonah is a foil for Israel, whom God uses in this narrative to confront their hypocrisy. The principal issues of hypocrisy are the abdication of their God-given calling, the vanity of their prayers, and the delusion of their judgments of who is worthy of mercy and who is beyond redemption. To get this wrong is to miss the gospel entirely. Everyone deserves judgment, and at the same time, no one is bey...

Obadiah: War Is Coming

Obadiah proclaims that war with God is a losing proposition. The Lord indicts Edom, Israel's blood relatives, for their treachery. They stood by and cheered as the Babylonian Empire sacked Jerusalem. This betrayal was ultimately against God, who declared that Edom, the house of Esau, should serve Israel, the house of Jacob -cf. Gen. 25-23-. By despising this yoke, Edom declared war against the Lord. As a result, God would raise up the nations to destroy Edom. Edom's fate is illustrative of th...

WCF 1: Of the Holy Scripture (Part 2)

What is the Bible- Gideon Rossouw expounds the second half of chapter 1 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, -Of the Holy Scripture.-

Amos: Social Injustice

God cares about social justice. So, it isn't surprising that Amos, likely the first of the writing prophets, concentrates so much of his efforts on addressing Israel's social injustices. Many modern notions concerning social justice are incompatible with biblical justice, so it is essential to understand what God has to say about the matter. While most of Amos focuses on the destruction of Israel because of their radical injustice, the book ends with a promise of restoring the Davidic kingdom...

WCF 1: Of The Holy Scripture (Part 1)

What is the Bible- Gideon Rossouw expounds chapter 1 of the Westminster Confession of Faith, -Of the Holy Scripture-.

Joel: The Day of the Lord

Little is known about the prophet Joel, but his message is unforgettable. The day of the LORD is coming, and all the inhabitants of the earth should tremble. Joel writes to a rebellious Judah about God's coming judgment. He uses the imagery of an invading army of locusts to describe the coming judgment of God's people -called -the day of the LORD--. The land will be devoured, and the people will be left with nothing. But it does not need to end that way. Joel also prophesies hope for those wh...

God's Got This!

Celebrating the one-year anniversary of Ber-a Presbyterianske Kirke with a sermon from Paul's letter to the Philippians.

The Need for Creeds

Gideon Rossouw unpacks -The Faith We Confess- beginning a new teaching series on the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Hosea: Redeeming a Prostitute

Hosea, the first book of the twelve minor prophets, gets straight to the heart of Israel's problem. A holy people in covenant with God has become a nation of prostitutes. The core issue is apostasy -14-4- which is related to -spiritual whoredom- throughout the book -e.g., 5-4-. Israel has rejected their pure devotion to the LORD and has chosen the worship and ways of the surrounding pagan nations. To illustrate Israel's lurid estate, God commands Hosea to marry the harlot, Gomer -ch. 1-. Unsu...

Daniel: Universal Dominion

The kingdoms of this earth war and rage, but God sits upon his throne, exercising dominion over all. The message of God's universal dominion was desperately needed when God's people were captives under foreign rule. The book of Daniel is written to encourage God's people that God is in control. Nothing they experience past, present, or future is outside God's providential rule. But Daniel writes even more. God's kingdom dominion is universal, and he will rescue his people and restore them to ...

Ezekiel: The City of God

God appointed Ezekiel as a watchman for Israel -chs. 3- 33-. Ezekiel's prophetic duty was to warn God's people of impending judgment and call them to repentance. He preached doom to the rebellious house of Judah, whose nation was destroyed in 586 BC at the hands of the Babylonian empire. Writing from exile, Ezekiel pronounced judgment on Israel's enemies, but he also preached hope for the faithful remnant -11-13-20-. God's new and eternal city shall arise from the ashes of the old -chs. 40-48...

Lamentations: National Eulogy

Lamentations is a national eulogy, a collection of five poems grieving the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. The book comes to terms with God, who brought about the death of his nation. While Babylon besieged the city and destroyed the Temple, Lamentations focuses entirely on God, who was behind it. Judged for their grievous sins, the exiles are in their darkest days. But amid grief, there is hope for national restoration -5-19-22-. God's -hesed- -covenant love- is the basis for this hope -3-21-2...

Depend on Christ

Peter Moi unpacks Mark 6 and exhorts us to depend on Christ for all we need.

Jeremiah: Man Against the World

Jeremiah was a man against the world. From an early age, the LORD called him to be a prophet to the nations, -to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow- -1-5, 10-. His ministry not only pronounced doom for the nations in rebellion to God but also to Judah, whose brazen wickedness would get them expelled from the land. Jeremiah was not a popular person. Speaking the truth came at great personal cost -e.g., 11-18-23- 16-1-13- chs. 36-38, et. al.-. But the few who did receive hi...

Isaiah: Paradise Regained

Perhaps no other book in the Old Testament matches the grandeur and majesty of Isaiah. Regarded by many as the theologian of the Old Testament, Isaiah's prophetic ministry lays a foundation for redemptive history. He vividly describes man's depravity, the character of God, and the coming Messiah and new creation glories. Isaiah called Judah to repentance throughout his ministry and prepared them for the coming judgment that would ruin their land. At the same time, he also preached the hope of...

The Song of Solomon: Wisdom for Lovers

The Song of Solomon is a collection of love poems between a bride and groom. Major themes in the book are love, adoration, and sex. Sexuality is God's gift, and within the confines of marriage, sex is a deep and profound expression of love that pleases God. Historically, however, the usage of this gift has been grossly distorted, both in Israel and the Ancient Near East, even as it is today. Sadly, Christians throughout church history have also, at times, taught and practiced far from biblica...

Ecclesiastes: Wisdom for Mortals

Life is meaningless--a chasing after the wind- -1-14-. The wise man and the fool suffer the same fate. All men die, and we can't take anything with us when we go. Others will enjoy what we have toiled for, and even the good things we have now will not give lasting satisfaction. The book of Ecclesiastes calls this hevel -e.g., vanity, meaninglessness, transience-. Ecclesiastes paints a bleak but accurate picture of life. Yet a deeper study reveals that the author also writes to give us meaning...

Proverbs: Wisdom for Sons

The Book of Proverbs is enigmatic. The book is filled with riddles -e.g., 1-6-, and the book itself is a puzzle. Proverbs gives little mention of God and no mention of the Covenant or God's great redemptive acts. Does this mean that Proverbs is merely a collection of -secular- wisdom-- By no means- A deeper look reveals that Proverbs is a profoundly religious book. Proverbs shows that the way of wisdom is for sons of the covenant. Only those who trust in YHWH and follow his ways are genuinely...

Psalms: Wisdom for Worship

The book of Psalms is God's songbook, called Sefer Tehillim --Book of Praises-- in the Hebrew Bible. Psalms is a collection of 150 psalms, hymns and odes -often collectively called -psalms-- divided into five books comprising the -praise of Yahweh- -e.g., Hallelujah-. Many authors contribute to the Book of Psalms, but the principal writer is David. As God's anointed king, David was the model worship leader of God's people. But he is also the type and foreshadow of Jesus Christ. The New Testam...

Psalms: God's Songbook

The book of Psalms is God's songbook, called Sefer Tehillim --Book of Praises-- in the Hebrew Bible. Psalms is a collection of 150 psalms, hymns and odes -often collectively called -psalms-- divided into five books comprising the -praise of Yahweh- -e.g., Hallelujah-. Many authors contribute to the Book of Psalms, but the principal writer is David. As God's anointed king, David was the model worship leader of God's people. But he is also the type and foreshadow of Jesus Christ. The New Testam...

The Choices We Make

Rev. Ric Stanghelle shows from 1 Kings that the choices we make will affect the generations to come, and he challenges us to leave a legacy of faith.

Marvel at Jesus' Power

Peter Moi expounds the power of Christ in Mark 4-5.

Job: Wisdom for Suffering

The book of Job imparts wisdom for suffering. The book is both a theodicy-a defense of God regarding the problem of suffering-and a rebuke of self-professed knowledge of the hidden purposes of God's dealings. The book of Job rebukes man's arrogance for thinking he can know the purposes and reasons for God's actions and why bad things happen to certain people. The central message of Job is this- The LORD gives, the LORD takes away, and the LORD restores, for reasons not revealed to us- and it ...

Jesus Sows the Seed of the Kingdom in You

Peter Moi shows from Mark that Jesus is the one who does his kingdom work in you.

The Devil Could Not Stop Jesus From Saving You

Peter Moi continues his series in the book of Mark.

Esther: Celebrate Your Deliverance

The Book of Esther reveals the backstory for the Feast of Purim, which celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from an annihilation plot during the days of the Persian empire. The heroes of this story are Esther, a Jewish captive turned Persian queen, and Mordecai, her guardian and cousin. But standing sovereignly behind these heroes is God. While God is not expressly mentioned in the book, a closer look shows that God's hand of providence is behind this grand reversal of conditions. As Mordec...

Ezra-Nehemiah: The Call to Reformation

The book of Ezra-Nehemiah is a call to spiritual reformation. Rebuilding the city of David is not enough. God's people must also live according to God's ways. The book casts the theme of reformation in several ways. First, the LORD uses civil leaders to bless his people and curb evil. Second, the need for reformation is constant as the people continue to fall back into old sins. Third, the ministry of God's Word is the principal means of reform. While the glory of Israel was restored for a se...

The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath

Peter Moi expounds the glories of Christ's lordship over the Sabbath.

Chronicles: United for Worship

Chronicles gives hope to the exiles expelled from the Promised Land due to their sin. God is still with them, and he has work for them to do. Chronicles calls God's people --all Israel-- to reunite for their appointed task-return to God's city, rebuild his Temple, and restore the LORD's worship. Worship is a central focus of the book, emphasizing David and Solomon's roles in building the Temple in Jerusalem and uniting -all Israel- together in worship. It is in this work that God's people wil...