Sept. 8, 2025: Honorable Conduct

After declaring the indicatives of what was true of them in Christ, Peter laid out several imperatives for the first-century readers of his first letter to take to heart. As Alistair Begg points out, his instructions—to prepare their minds, be sober-minded, set their hope on Jesus, be holy, live in reverent fear, love earnestly, and obey the truth—remind us today of our need for grace and of the abiding truth of God's Word.

Above all things, God exalts His name and His Word. This became evident to Moses when, feeling inadequate, he questioned God's choice of him as a spokesman. In response to these doubts, God assured Moses of His presence and identified Himself as the great "I AM." In his final sermon at Parkside Church, Alistair Begg focuses on this unique encounter found in Exodus 3. God met Moses's need with assurance of His "isness" as well as His presence—spiritual realities that remain reliable and trustworthy for believers still today.

After failing in his first attempt as Israel's deliverer, Moses spent the next forty years living the routine life of a shepherd. During these "silent" years, God was preparing Moses to shepherd His people. In this study in Exodus 3, Alistair Begg walks us through God's appearance in the burning bush, His assurance of His sovereignty, and His assignment for Moses. Whether our lives seem out of control or stuck in humdrum routines, God is still in charge, and His promises remain trustworthy.

Amid trials and hardships, have you ever wondered where God was? When life's difficulties seem random and apparently pointless, it's vitally important to know what we believe about God. In this message on the opening of Exodus, Alistair Begg reminds us that even when heaven is silent, our heavenly Father is still at work behind the scenes. The same power that provided a way for Moses to become a redeemer for his people is at work in the vast array of details of our lives today.

The Joseph story is well-known, but the hit musical's "technicolor dream coat" may have more influence than many realize. The challenge of this brilliant narrative is to bring out both moral lessons and the richness of the Gospel grace it proclaims as the plot illustrates much about the Lord's redeeming patterns. The Tron Church's Willie Philip helps us think through how to preach Christ from these chapters, not just using it as a springboard to Jesus but actually mining the richness of the text—which is about far more than Joseph!

The story of our earthly pilgrimage is not a straight line—yet when our lives twist and turn and we face unanswered questions, hardship, and sorrow, there is hope for all who trust in Christ. Beginning with the transition from the end of Genesis to the opening of Exodus, Alistair Begg reminds us that God's providence underpins everything, as He is sovereign over all things, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. What was true for the Israelites is true for us today: We can trust that the unseen controller of history is working out His purposes in His way, making everything beautiful in His time.

In the moments before He died, Jesus saw His mother, Mary, standing with John and tenderly commended them to one another's care. In this Mother's Day message, Alistair Begg ponders the history and heart of Mary, reminding us that Jesus' loving and temporal provision for her in this moment is an emblem of a far greater reality—the eternal provision Christ makes for all who believe in Him. With this act of loving grace, Jesus establishes a whole new category, fashioning a family of faith that finds both forgiveness and fellowship in the work of the cross.