The sermon that saves will be the sermon which presents the Gospel and delivers the object of that faith: the Christ who is son, heir, and gifter of that same status for those who receive and believe the Gospel.

The point is not to get people to better “understand the Holy Trinity.” It is to get the hearer face to face with the fact that Jesus Christ is God.

This Holy Spirit chooses to use the vehicle of real human language, of His almighty, energic, performative, and effective Word (Hebrews 4:12) to convict and to save.

Jesus is revealed not as some aloof, indifferent hero, but as the One who sympathizes with the sick, the hound of Heaven who chases after the wandering, the One who would salve with the oil of righteousness, and the Savior who would cover with His robe of righteousness.

Humility, embodied in Christ, and translated to the bodies of His people in His body, is well worth a meditation this week.

To be found in Christ is to be found in the One who the angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven praise evermore in their glorious song.

I would encourage the preacher attracted to an opportunity to harangue his hearers because of perceived or known indiscretions of gossip and the like to, once again, resist for the sake of the entire community. As always, focus on the Christ.

God has given us a great gift through Christ Jesus. He has forgiven us and declared us righteous and holy. He now blesses us by calling us to serve Him in the lives of those around us.

This is one of the earliest bits of New Testament literature, and the words of this relative of our Savior are inspired and useful for teaching and reproof, for correction and training in righteousness.

If you find yourself preaching through epistles for multiple weeks, maybe, just maybe, your hearer will find something familiar from last week in what you are talking about this week which piques their interest, and even whets their appetite for what else might be coming.