Michael Bouterse

28. Tribulation (Matthew 24) | Michael Bouterse

24. Tribulation (Matthew 24)

The golden age is ahead, not behind us: one day Jesus will return and set everything right. But in Matthew 24, Jesus foretells that before His return there will be a period of worldwide distress called "the tribulation." God will use this span of seven years to pave the way for Christ's return and to fulfill His promises to the Jewish people, who the Bible predicts will receive their Messiah at last.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Ezekiel 36:24, 34-35; John 1:11; Romans 11:26, 28; Matthew 23:37-24:35; Daniel 9:24-27; Nehemiah 2:5-6; Luke 19:42; 21:5-36; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Revelation 12:14; 13:1-18; and Zechariah 12:10; 13:1-2.

27. With Him in Glory (John 17:20-26) | Michael Bouterse

27. With Him in Glory (John 17:20-26)

Hope comes from what you believe about the future. And what lies ahead for Christians is: glory. God promises that one day His people will enjoy not just a gloriously renewed creation but a gloriously perfected relationship with Him—a relationship that takes us into the very heart of who God is.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 5:9; 8:17-25; John 1:1, 14, 17, 18; 5:19, 20; 7:17; 8:50; 12:27-28; 14:10, 31; 17:10, 20-26; 20:28; Titus 3:4-5; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Genesis 1:1; 3:17; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:1; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Matthew 28:19; Jeremiah 2:13; 1 John 4:7-8; and Exodus 33:18, 22-23.

26. Transformed by the Spirit (Galatians 2:11-3:6) | Michael Bouterse

26. Transformed by the Spirit (Galatians 2:11-3:6)

Christ doesn't just save us from the penalty of our sin. He changes us so that we live transformed lives. That change happens not through behavior modification or naked moral effort. Instead, God's Spirit changes us from the inside-out, giving us a new nature with new desires.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Galatians 2:11-3:6; John 20:17; Romans 6:3-5, 17; 1 John 1:8; 1 Timothy 1:8-9; and Colossians 2:20-23.

25. Adopted by God (Romans 8:12-17) | Michael Bouterse

25. Adopted by God (Romans 8:12-17)

It's amazing enough that God forgives us. But the gospel is even more incredible than that. Through Jesus, God has adopted believers into His family. We can know God as Father, a relationship of utmost intimacy and steadfast security.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 8:12-17; Genesis 5:28-29; 17:5; 35:16-18; Luke 1:59-63; Matthew 3:17; Revelation 2:17; Zephaniah 3:17; and Psalm 143:12.

24. Righteous in Christ (Romans 3:21-26) | Michael Bouterse

24. Righteous in Christ (Romans 3:21-26)

How does the story of the Bible change your life? In the New Testament letters, Paul gives us one answer to that question: God has shared with us His righteousness. Now instead of seeking our status or worth in what we achieve, the gospel frees us to rest in what Jesus achieved—and the result is life and peace.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Romans 1:23; 2:28-29; 3:21-26; and 2 Corinthians 5:21.

19. Parables (Matthew 13) | Michael Bouterse

19. Parables (Matthew 13)

As storm clouds of hostility begin to gather around Jesus, Jesus reacts to the rejection of His own people by speaking to them in parables. Through the parables, He discloses hitherto unrevealed truth about what God's Kingdom is like—especially during the age we're living in, while the world rejects God's King.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Matthew 12:24; 13:1-52; Mark 4:11-12; Daniel 2:44; 2 Peter 3:9; and John 3:16.

17. Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) | Michael Bouterse

17. Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

The Messiah is not just a rescuer but a king, one who claims ultimate authority. After Jesus begins His ministry, He asserts His Messianic authority in the most famous sermon of all time: the Sermon on the Mount. This crucial teaching of Jesus reveals that our need for God is far deeper than we could have imagined. But as we read the rest of the story, we discover in Jesus a savior who delights to meet that need—through laying down His life for us.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Luke 2:52; Matthew 3:2-3; 4:17; 5:3, 20, 21-22, 27-28; 31-32, 33-37, 48; Daniel 2:44; and Deuteronomy 18:18.

16. Birth (Matthew 1) | Michael Bouterse

16. Birth (Matthew 1)

The back side of a Persian rug is a tangled mess of knots and lumps. But flip it over and all the threads come together in a beautiful masterpiece. The Bible is the same way. Like a rug flipped over, the New Testament ties the earlier threads of the story together in and through Jesus. And one of the best examples is the very first page.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Matthew 1:1; Genesis 12:3; Jeremiah 23:5-6; and Isaiah 7:14.

15. Messiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) | Michael Bouterse

15. Messiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

The Old Testament anticipates the coming of the Messiah, a rescuer who will set everything right. But it ends on a cliffhanger—the Messiah hasn’t arrived yet! What we're left with instead is a kaleidoscope of clues for recognizing the Messiah when He arrives—when and where He’ll be born, what family He'll come from, the things He'll do and accomplish. But the most shocking clue of all is found in Isaiah 53, predicting a path for the Messiah that no one could have imagined.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 3:15; 5:1; 12:3; Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 1:1; Revelation 22:3; Micah 5:2; and Daniel 9:25-26.

7. Wilderness (Numbers 13) | Michael Bouterse

7. Wilderness (Numbers 13)

Yet again the Israelites abandon trust in God, stranding them in a desert for the rest of their lives. The exception is two Israelites named Joshua and Caleb, who because of their faith are the only members of their generation to enter the Promised Land.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Exodus 32; 33:1-2; Numbers 13:31-33; 14:1-4, 30; and John 16:33.

5. Sinai (Exodus 19-20) | Michael Bouterse

5. Sinai (Exodus 19-20)

God saved Israel from Egypt—but what did He save them for? According to Exodus 19, the answer is: relationship with Him. At Mount Sinai, God gave Israel the Law to reveal His character, and also the character of the human heart: our bent toward sin, our inability to obey, and our deep, deep need of a Savior.

Scripture passages cited in this message include excerpts from Exodus 19-20; Matthew 6:21; and Romans 6:1.

3. Call (Genesis 11:27-12:9) | Michael Bouterse

3. Call (Genesis 11:27-12:9)

Some 2,000 years after Eden, God begins a new chapter in His rescue plan to save the world through calling a man named Abram. His call marks the beginning of one specially chosen ethnic family, in whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 3:15; 4:25; 5:29; 6:9; 7:1; 9:21-22; 11:4; 11:27-12:9; and 1 Timothy 1:4.

2. Fall (Genesis 3) | Michael Bouterse

2. Fall (Genesis 3)

Why is the world broken? The Bible's account of the fall of humanity shows that the reason is far more complex than just simple rule-breaking. At the root of all our broken relationships—with others, the world, and ourselves—is the collapse of right relationship with God.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Genesis 2:16-17.

1. Creation (Genesis 2:4-25) | Michael Bouterse

1. Creation (Genesis 2:4-25)

Most stories begin by introducing the plot and chief characters—and the Bible is no exception! Scripture begins by revealing God as the main character, who creates a world of goodness, beauty, and relationship. In giving us a glimpse of life before the Fall, the opening act of the Bible offers a tantalizing picture of God’s original design for humanity and for the world, untouched by the ravages of sin.