Tikvat Israel Sermons

“So Who Do You Say I Am?” A bold question that demands a personal answer—beyond opinions, beyond the crowd. In Gospel of Matthew 16:1–20, the Messiah isn’t just revealed… He’s encountered. Check out this sermon from Lloyd Brown   

Healthy cells have something important: a good membrane. They don’t let everything in. Maybe that’s a lesson for us, too. In this week’s message from Matthew 15, we explore how Yeshua held boundaries, showed compassion, and responded to people’s expectations with wisdom. Because sometimes the most spiritual prayer might be: “Lord, help me to be selectively permeable.” Check out our latest sermon from Rabbi David: “How to Be a Cell Membrane.”

Check out what Rabbi Aaron Allsbrook from Ohev Yisrael has to share about Listening and Responding to Hashem. 

Why would an Arab Israeli grandfather learn Yiddish—the language of European Jews—and teach it to his grandson? This surprising story comes from this week’s guest speaker, Ruby Bishai, an Arab Israeli Christian. Ruby shared powerful stories from his family, his work in a Messianic Jewish ministry serving Arab and Jewish youth, and his passion to bridge and restore. To learn more about his inspiring work in the Land of Israel, visit fieldsofwheat.org. You can also listen to Ruby’s message—based on his testimony and Matthew 15—here:

Sponge, Funnel, Strainer, or Sieve? Which kitchen tool will help you live? God is faithful, a patient planter, and loyal Are you rocky, thorny, or fruitful soil? In Matthew 13, Yeshua invites us into the classroom of the Kingdom—where learning isn’t passive, and growth takes intention, patience, and discernment. This week at Tikvat Israel, we’ll explore how parables, kitchen tools, and soil all point to the same question: will we simply notice the lesson, or will we bear fruit thirty, sixty, and even one hundred fold? Check it out in this week’s sermon from Rabbi David on the New Covenant Parsha (Matthew 13): What Kind of Student, Soil, and Kitchen Tool are You?

What if Shabbat isn’t just “not working”?  What if it’s about healing and wholeness?  Learning to stop striving, because you’re not a solo ox--there’s a stronger ox connected to you! In Matthew 11–12, Yeshua doesn’t just teach about rest--he is that rest, and challenges how the religious leaders understood it. “Come to me, all who are weary and broken, and you will find rest for your souls.” Check out our latest sermon from Rabbi David along with some glimpses of the real-time survey from our community about Shabbat!

A king sends his humble son to teach the people the heart behind the law — love, forgiveness, restoration, and compassion. Some welcome him. Others think they already understand everything. In Matthew 9, Yeshua calls a tax collector, eats with sinners, and challenges the religious: “Go and learn what this means — I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Messiah comes not to affirm what we know, but to teach us what we’ve missed. He calls the outsiders, confronts the insiders, and invites all of us to follow, to unlearn if necessary, and to become teachable again. Because the kingdom of God isn’t built on experts — it’s built on learners. Check out our latest sermon from Rabbi David, “Go and Learn” based on the New Covenant parsha.     #besorah #podcast #tikvatisrael #RVA #messianic #synagogue #judaism #yeshua #Matthew #parasha #parsha

The narrow gate isn’t easy—and it’s not meant to be walked alone. At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua sets before us two paths. Through the story of Paul and the one man who believed in him—Barnabas—we discover how encouragement and integrity help form lives built on the rock. Join us as we explore “The Narrow Gate of Encouragement,” our most recent sermon from Rabbi David based on Matthew 7:13-29.

“I wouldn’t want to be part of any club that would have me as a member.” — Groucho Marx What if faith sometimes feels like that too? This week we talk about belonging, rejection, and how Yeshua teaches us to live with lovingkindness on the margins. Check it out in our most recent sermon from Rabbi David. Faithful on the Margins: Following Yeshua with Humility, Discernment, and Hesed (Matthew 7:1-12)

When George Müller was ten years old, his father caught him stealing coins from his desk and punished him swiftly and harshly. But instead of learning not to steal, young George learned a different lesson: don’t get caught. By the end of his life, George turned into a man who trusted God for every meal, every step, and thousands of orphaned children. For the rest of the story of George’s remarkable testimony, check out our latest sermon from Matthew 6:19-34: “Where is Your Treasure?” By the way, listening to the podcast is great, but if you want the full experience, join us Saturdays at 10AM for our worship service.

What if the most famous prayer in history wasn’t meant to be memorized—but practiced? When Yeshua teaches his disciples to pray, he simply says: “Pray like this.” This past Shabbat, we explored the Lord’s Prayer as a deeply Jewish prayer—conntected to the Siddur, echoed in the Talmud, and alive in the hopes of Israel. From Our Father to Daily Bread, we’ll discover how this prayer connects heaven and earth, invites the nations into the kingdom, shapes our hearts, and teaches us to trust God one day at a time. If you’ve ever wanted to pray but weren’t sure where to begin, this prayer offers a foothold—a simple, relational way to talk with God and be transformed from the inside out.  Check out our latest sermon from Rabbi David, “Pray Like This” from Yeshua’s teaching in Matthew 6:1-18.

How do you grow a Torah garden—and keep out those pesky gophers?  In the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua teaches us how to build a fence around the Torah, guard our roots, and protect what’s sacred before it’s trampled by entitlement, lust, greed, and unforgiveness. For faith that bears fruit, check out our most recent sermon from Rabbi David: “How to Grow a Torah Garden” based on our new covenant parsha, Matthew 5:27–48.

Not one yud is wasted. From hidden menorahs to the words of Yeshua, discover how both the Torah and the Prophets come to fullness—and how God’s faithfulness reaches across generations to make all things right. Check it out in this past week’s sermon from Rabbi David on the New Covenant portion, Matthew 5:17-26: “Torah from the Mountain: The faithfulness of God across generations.”

Feeling poor in spirit? Mourning? Hungry for God? Yeshua calls you blessed! The Sermon on the Mount is comfort for the weary and hope for the humble—Torah that transforms us and brings heaven to earth. The Torah from the Mountain calls us to be a different kind of people—humble, merciful, peacemakers, pure in heart. Check it out in this past week’s sermon on the New Covenant Portion, Matthew 5:1-16: Torah from the Mountain: Blessed are the Humble.

What exactly is the good news? This week we follow the reading cycle to the Gospel of Mark, where we explore this very question.   Straightened paths, submitted citizens, belief and action, righteousness grounded in trusting, and the same way of salvation for all.   Check it out in this week’s sermon on the New Covenant parsha from Elder Scott Moore

The Jewish Gospel of Matthew presents Yeshua as a Powerful Servant that came to operate in authority. While others sought titles and positions, Yeshua brought the Kingdom of God with power and simplicity. In the historic scene of expectation for the Messiah, the Jewish people waited for a political liberator, but God sent a spiritual King that would set the human heart free before setting the nation free. Join us as we dive deeper into the three fundamentals of Messiah’s ministry from Mark 1:14-28 with our special speaker - Pastor Ossimar.

Before Yeshua healed a single person, before He preached a single sermon, and before He called a single disciple—He waited. Thirty silent years. And when the heavens finally opened over Him, the very first thing the Spirit did was not send Him into ministry… but into the desert.   Why?   Because the wilderness reveals our hunger and because Yeshua is walking out another story.     In Matthew 4, the Adversary whispers to Yeshua, “Turn these stones into bread.” But Yeshua answers with the lesson Israel forgot, the lesson Adam and Eve rushed past, the lesson Esau traded away, the lesson Saul failed—and the lesson we still struggle with: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”   We avoid waiting. We fill the silence. We numb the hunger. But in the desert seasons—ankles breaking, plans collapsing, blessings disguised as disasters and vice versa—God does His deepest work.   Gam Zu L’Tovah. This too is for the good.

You may have heard of John the Baptizer, but have you heard of “The Little Dipper”?  This week in Matthew 3, John the Baptizer shows up calling Israel to repent — turn around, prepare, get ready for the King.   But then we meet his opposite: the Little Dipper — a made-up “prophet” who says, “Relax… a little sin is fine. The kingdom’s far away.”   John prepares the way. The Little Dipper prepares excuses.   Join us as we explore real repentance — turning, immersing, confessing — and why John is the coach we need even right now.   The Kingdom of Heaven is upon you!

As a first grader once said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him tap dance.” The way that Yeshua fulfills the expectations and prophecies in the Hebrew Bible is both expected and unexpected.  This whole year we are learning about the Gospel of Matthew.  We dove into Matthew Chapter 2 this week; let’s see how this very Jewish story fulfills the Israel story, shows the divinity of Yeshua, and transforms our lives.

Ever had your plans blown up — not by failure, but by Heaven? This is what happened to Joseph, the adoptive father of Yeshua. One divine interruption turned scandal into salvation. “Doubt can’t achieve what the Spirit can conceive.”