Christ Pres - Sermons: Recent Episodes
Christ Presbyterian Church of Oxford
Scripture Reference: John 11:1-6, 17-44In John 11, When death overcomes one of Jesus good friends, the One who proclaims Himself to be the Resurrection and the Life shines forth. Against the backdrop of death, Jesus, in His Words and Actions, display the character of God and calls all to trust Him as Resurrection and Life. He is comfort in pain and death and He is the master of bringing life out of death.
Sermon Points:
- Jesus Waits (vv. 1-6)
- Jesus Weeps (vv.33-35)
- Jesus Rages (vs. 33, 38)
- Jesus Wins (vv. 25-26, 29-44)
Scripture Reference: John 10:7-18
Sermon Points:
- The Care of the Sheep
- The Character of the Shepherd
- The Calling of the Church
Scripture Reference: John 8:12-13, 28-38Jesus makes one of his seven I am statements when he refers to himself as the light of the world. Light dispels darkness, light reveals the truth about things that otherwise would never be seen if they remained in darkness. Jesus as light reveals the uncomfortable truth about humanity, the truth about God, and the transformation that He brings in the lives of his followers. Do you want to live in truth? Come to the light?
Scripture Reference: Mark 4:1-20
Sermon Points:
- The Seed and How the Gospel Enters Your Life
- The Soil and What Hinders the Gospel in Your Life
- The Saved and How the Gospel Bears Fruit
Scripture Reference: Colossians 1:19-23We are alienated from God, but because God loves us he has reconciled us to himself.
Sermon Points:
- Alienation
- Reconciliation
Scripture Reference: Exodus 14:1-31
Sermon Points:
- God Is Greater
- God Is at Work
- God Is for Us
Scripture Reference: Matthew 3:1-4:11 & Luke 4:14-21Taking a brief look Jesus’ baptism, temptation, and first sermon together gives us a greater understanding of how they are connected and how these three episodes can encourage us to live in and live out the Gospel.
Sermon Points:
- Christ’s Baptism
- Christ’s Temptation
- Christ’s Sermon
Scripture Reference: Lamentations 3:19–26
What do you do when the worst possible scenario comes true? How do you live with incredible hurt but hope? The writer of Lamentations gives us a glimpse into the heart of God for his people, even as they suffer. Learning to lament well is essential to Christian maturity.
Sermon Points:
- The Worst of Suffering
- The Hope in Lament
- The Practice of Waiting
Scripture Reference: Haggai 2:1-9
The Temple meant that God was present with Israel. But it was destroyed and under judgment. Jesus said he WAS the Temple and would be judged on our behalf. Why? So he could make his church the new locale for his presence and each believer into a temple for the Holy Spirit.
Sermon Points:
- ]The Temple and Israel
- The Temple and Jesus
- The Temple and You
Scripture Reference: Revelation 21:1-6
Sermon Points:
- The Goal of Our Hope
- The Grain of Our Hope
- The Getting of Our Hope
Scripture Reference: Zephaniah 3:14-20There are good days and there are bad days. Zephaniah prophesies about a terrifying Day of the Lord where God will judge his people. And yet, he follows up these dire predictions with some of the most tender, borderline sentimental expressions of affection from God. How can both be true? Only in the resurrection!
Sermon Points:
- The Problem
- The Judgment
- The Resolution
Scripture Reference: Habakkuk 1:12–2:4; 3:17–19God uses unjust nations to judge injustice, and Habakkuk waits in perplexity. The so called “Problem of Evil” is famously dragged out to justify abandonment of the God of the Bible. But what Habakkuk learn is that the “righteous shall live by faith.” And there, we find a life rooted in hope beyond circumstance.
Sermon Points:
- The Conversation
- The Dilemma
- The “Answer”
Scripture Reference: Micah 5:2-5aThe persistent rebellion of God’s people leads the prophet Micah to say some sobering things about God’s judgment upon them, even to the point of saying that he will “leave them” for being such. But there’s hope even in exile as we wait for THE Good Shepherd to rescue and lead his people.
Sermon Points:
- See God
- Miss God
- Follow God
Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 31:31-34
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the Old Testament covenants as if they failed to produce what God intended. So he foresees Christ instituting a new covenant, sealed in His blood, writing God’s law on our hearts through the Spirit, creating people who want what God wants.
Sermon Points:
- What is the covenant?
- How is the New Covenant “New?”
- How do we participate in the New Covenant?
Scripture Reference: Proverbs 11:30
Sermon Points:
- You have a stunning identity.
- Your identity has a stunning cause.
- Your identity produces stunning behavior.
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 52:13-53:12Israel’s suffering is judgment for sin, but the Servant suffers voluntarily and substitutionally. Christ is not just an example of suffering; He bears our guilt to create a new community by grace.
Sermon Points:
- The Ordinary Servant
- The Suffering Servant
- The Substituting Servant
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 9:1-7Isaiah ministered during a time of great gloom and fear, a real social darkness. But a new kind of King is coming! Christ is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace—the King who doesn’t use power to take, but to save.
Sermon Points:
- The Historical Setting
- The Good News of the Child
- The Messiah’s Kingdom
Scripture Reference: Hosea 1:1-3, 3:1-5When the prophet Hosea lives out God’s strange command to him and speaks as God’s mouthpiece, something incredible emerges. In what theologians have called the most scandalous book of the Bible, we actually see something about the desires of our heart. We long for someone to see us for who we really are and committed to love us with a never stopping, never giving up love.
Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 10:1-4, 43:1-5Visions of glory are a powerful human motivator. In Ezekiel’s prophecy, God’s glory leaves because of sin, yet returns in promise. In Christ, God’s glory takes up residence not in a temple of stone but in His incarnate body—and through Him, in us.
Sermon Points:
- Glory Examined
- Glory Lost
- Glory Regained
Scripture Reference: Deuteronomy 18:15-22The entire prophetic tradition springs from the expectation in Moses sermon: God will raise up a final, authoritative Word-bringer. Israel’s prophets are echoes—Jesus is the Voice. Christ doesn’t only bring God’s word; He is the Word.
Sermon Points:
- The Need for a Prophet
- The Problem with Prophets
- The Fulfillment of the Prophets
Scripture Reference: 1 Chronicles 29:9-22King David reaches the end of his reign and prepares his son Solomon’s building project before he finishes. There he reflects on the way in which God provided for his people and provides a powerful model for Christ Pres as we prepare to launch a building campaign of our own.
Sermon Points:
- The Story
- The Lesson
- The Application
Scripture Reference: Joshua 21:43-45
Anticipating the unknowns of 2026 can be exciting and anxiety inducing. We can be confident that the same God who promised and delivered the land to His people has made promises to us and He is faithful to keep them.
Sermon Points:
- God Makes Promises
- God’s Promises Seem Dim
- God Is Faithful to His Promises
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 55:1-13
Sermon Points:
- Mercy Invites Us to a Feast
- Mercy Invites Us to Focus
- Mercy Invites Us to a Future
Scripture Reference: Titus 3:3-8Paul ends his letter to his co-worker Titus by appealing to the appearing of “our Savior.” In a world that is full of quarreling, envy and hatred, the goodness of God appeared as a baby in order to bring about salvation and transform His people into those that do good works.
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:10-24Paul ends his letter by reminding his audience that they are in a fight. But it’s a fight not against not flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil. Paul has already reminded the Ephesians that Christ is seated in the heavenly places above all rule and authority and power and dominion (1:20-21), and now Paul shows us how the work of Christ enables the church to stand against the devil who always wants darkness, death, and division.
Sermon Points:
- The Backdrop of the Appearing (v. 3)
- The Appearing (v. 4)
- The Results of the Appearing (vv. 5-8)
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:5-9The Ancient Greeks told the story of Pandora’s Box and how “hard labor” escaped when she opened it. Mankind has always struggled with a negative view of work. No surprise that Paul takes up this topic in Ephesians 5 and gives some of life changing insight into how Christians are to view their jobs.
Sermon Points:
- The Context of Paul’s Teaching
- The Content of Paul’s Teaching
- The Confidence in Paul’s Teaching
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:1-4You can’t sequester your beliefs when you enter the public sphere to make decisions as a Christian. But we need to start “local” by looking into what the Gospel says about our most fundamental relationships, that between parents and children. Paul has wisdom to spare in these (oddly) short verses.
Sermon Points:
- The Simplicity of the Commands
- The Wisdom in the Commands
- The Motivation in the Commands
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 5:22-33Christians have lived through their fair share of mania regarding cultural discussions around the topic of gender roles. But have we always lived up to Paul’s ideal he sets forth in Ephesians 5? Probably not. When we see God’s complementary design for men and women, our marriages can flourish again.
Sermon Points:
- The Role of the Church: Wives
- The Role of the Head of the Church: Husbands
- The Big Finale: Profound Union
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 5:22-33Marriage can be so hard. Paul turns to the topic of marriage as the culmination of a letter dedicated to the idea that God was repairing the world by uniting all things in Christ. Our marriages are intended to be pictures of that union. When we use marriage for what it was intended, we experience flourishing.
Sermon Points:
- Marriage is a picture of God’s Grand Plan
- Marriage is an antidote for human selfishness
- Marriage is a sign of how Jesus heals us
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 5:1-20Paul continues to focus on the new life the Lord brings by the Spirit dwelling in His people. The new life is marked by love, which practically changes our relationship with money, sex, and alcohol. The Scriptures press in on these issues, not to shame us, but to bring them to light for healing and transformation.
Sermon Points:
- Walking Opposed to Love in Darkness (vv. 3-8)
- Walking in Love as Light (vv. 8-20)
Scripture Reference: Matthew 12:1-8
Sermon Points:
- The Details of the Conflict
- The Heart of the Conflict
- The Application of the Conflict
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:17-32How does change happen in the Christian Life? Paul in Ephesians 4 says it involves a putting off and a putting on. But what’s so encouraging is that the life you are putting on actually is the life that fits the person who is united to Christ. It’s a life of truth, kindness, generosity, and forgiveness.
Sermon Points:
- The Old Self (vv.17-22)
- The New Self (vv. 23-32)
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 4:1-16You don’t have to be a philosophy major to understand how complicated the problem of the “one and the many” is for even daily life. But Paul launches straight into the topic of Christian unity in Ephesians 4, making it a top priority for God’s people to work towards if we hope to be a maturing church.
Sermon Points:
- Understand Unity
- Embrace Diversity
- Grow Into Maturity
Scripture Reference: Psalm 46:1-11When life gets turned upside down, we have a God who is a mighty refuge. In the midst of crisis we can rely on a strong God because He became weak and a present God because He was forsaken.
Sermon Points:
- A Perilous World
- A Powerful God
- A Present God
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 3:14-21
What do you think the Apostle Paul would pray if you could hear him offer a prayer for you? The end of Ephesians 3 is just that. What he gives us, therefore, is the idealized version of how every Christian should live their lives, especially as it pertains to how love transforms our “inner world.”
Sermon Points:
- Have Strength
- Know Love
- Be FullBowing The Knee
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 3:1-13Add the wonder of Paul’s description of the church in God’s eternal plan together with the immensity of the blessings afforded to those “in Christ,” and Paul realizes that he has something that people need to know. The first half of Ephesians 3 is highly instructive of an evangelism that isn’t packaged but full of joy.
Sermon Points:
- Mission Motivation
- Humble Confidence
- Corporate Thinking
- Captivated Imagination
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 2:11-22
Sermon Points:
- Hostility Remembered (vv. 11-12, 14)
- Hostility Killed (vv. 13-16)
- Hostility Transformed (vv. 17-22)
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 2:1-10Having set out that heaven and earth will be reunited through God’s work through the church, Paul turns to how the world will be healed in YOU, a Christian. Turns out, he has to animate the “bad news” of the Gospel before we can really understand the “good news” of his grace, to be in union with Christ!
Sermon Points:
- Man is Dead
- God is Gracious
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:15-23As the apostle Paul writes his letter to the Ephesian church, he is overwhelmed with gratitude and tells them how he is praying for them. In Paul’s prayer we see the unlocking of a mystery. What is most needed in all of our lives is NOT necessarily a chance in circumstances. No, what is most needed is to have the eyes of our heart enlightened so that we live according to what is unseen but real.
Sermon Points:
- Knowledge (vs. 17)
- Hope (vs. vs. 18)
- Inheritance (vs. 18)
- Power (vs. 19)
- Church (vs. 22-23)
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:4,5,11Watch lovers speak to each other and invariably the talk turns to other-worldly themes. We instinctively know that we were made to be loved outside of time. Paul is excited to say that a huge blessing of being “in Christ” is the knowledge that it was true before we were ever born.
Sermon Points:
- The Doctrine
- The Objections
- The Blessings
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:3-14The more overwhelming the site you’re describing, the more words you’ll throw at it to try to sum it up to those who’ll listen. Paul sits down to contemplate the blessings God’s people have in Christ and what follows is a litany of keywords about the Christian’s spiritual status in one long run-on sentence of pure joy.
Sermon Points:
- Adoption
- Redemption
- Inheritance
Scripture Reference: Ephesians 1:1-3Keywords give us the ability to be “found” online if we know what we’re searching for. In a Christian’s quest to build the church, Paul provides a host of power-packed terminology to guide his favorite church plant in Ephesus towards becoming complete in Christ by being united to his church and looking for blessing.
Sermon Points:
- The Utility of Blessing
- The Location of Blessing
- The Fountain of Blessing
Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 3:10-17We live in a day where even having a talk about “truth” is incredibly confusing. We have attempted to build a society on the shifting ground of our feelings. But a community that lives by the revealed truth of God’s word simply functions differently. What would it look like to be a “people of the book?”
Sermon Points:
- The Bible stands the test of time
- The Bible comes with its own power
- The Bible is a “word from the outside”
Scripture Reference: Luke 7:18-35
When Jesus shows up in a life, he overturns all the personal identity markers that used to define his people. This means that you can find yourself in really strange places when you’re following him. How that can be is seen this Sunday in a little scene from the life of John the Baptist.
Sermon Points:
- Surprised by Jesus
- Founded on Grace
Scripture Reference: James 5:13-16
If we are going to be a church that is a home, that entails being in transparent, intimate relationships with both Jesus and each other. These kind of life-giving relationships require admitting the truth about our messy selves, but a promise of healing and restoration is on the other side.
Sermon Points:
- Connected to Jesus
- Connected to Jesus’ Body (The Church)
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 13:2God’s people have always had a special relationship with the outsider and the stranger. God says when you serve them, you’re actually serving me. Why is this the case? And how can we find ways to serve and love our communities without having to power through guilt as the only motivation to do so?
Sermon Points:
- The Meaning of Hospitality
- The Practice of Hospitality
- The Heart of Hospitality
Scripture Reference: Matthew 11:27-12:14
If we are going to be the kind of church that looks and feels like Jesus, then there should be something about our body that is restful. A body of Christ removes burdens rather than heaps on burdens and shame. Jesus interaction with Pharisees on the Sabbath presses home this point, in the person of Jesus, people finally find true Sabbath rest. The One who says “come to me and you will find rest” should shape the way Christ Pres functions with each other and in Oxford.
Sermon Points:
- Burdening Restlessness
- Life Giving Rest
- Restful Church
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 13:2
Every church has a concept that “centers” their activities and gives a sense of purpose and mission for their members. But a church is so complex, how do you know what God would you to make that essential to your church? This week we look into the power of the Gospel to be the power behind everything your church does.
Sermon Points:
- A Gospel Centrality
- A Gospel Heart
- A Gospel Identity
Scripture Reference: Luke 5:27-32
Sermon Points:
- Jesus’ Love Pursues
- Jesus’ Love Celebrates
- Jesus’ Love Offends
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 9:1-13
Sermon Points:
The Person Covenant Kindness Embraces (vv. 1-8)The Power Covenant Kindness Exercises (vv. 9-13)
Scripture Reference: John 6:1-14, 25-51
What is our natural response when we don’t have enough patience, kindness, faith, resources, wisdom, or humility? How might our response change if we follow Jesus’ pattern?
Henri Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved: “To identify the movements of the Spirit in our lives, I have found it helpful to use four words: “taken,” “blessed,” “broken,” and “given…” These words also summarize my life as a Christian because, as a Christian, I am called to become bread for the world: bread that is taken, blessed, broken, and given… these four words have become the most important words of my life… they speak about the most divine as well as the most human behavior. They reach high as well as low, embrace God as well as all people.”
Sermon Points:
- Bread & the Bible
- Living Bread
- Leftovers
Scripture Reference: Psalm 23
Is there a more appropriately famous Psalm than the 23rd? For good reason God’s people have clung to it in times of distress. But when was the last time we camped out on those images and studied them in hopes of finding new joys of the Christian’s security in Christ?
Sermon Points:
- The Sheep and the Shepherd (vv. 1–3)
- The Traveler and the Companion (v. 4)
- The Guest and the Host (vv. 5–6)
Scripture Reference: Psalm 110
A powerful instinct defines our humanity in the object of our admiration. We become like what we admire. David in Psalm 110 penned a verse that was quoted or referred to over 20x in the New Testament. What did he discover that fixated him so much?
Sermon Points:
- The Messiah is a King
- The Messiah is a Priest
Scripture Reference: Psalm 32
David shows us that guilt can actually lead us to a place of joy. It sounds so upside down in today’s world, however, being honest with guilt and turning to the right place brings freedom, forgiveness and joy. Could our guilt actually be a pathway to joy? Let’s follow David.
Sermon Points:
- Defining Guilt (vv. 1-4)
- Acknowledging and Confessing Guilt (v. 5)
- Cleansing of Guilt (vv. 5, 7)
- Walking Daily in Psalm 32
Scripture Reference: Psalm 137The Psalms are capable it turns out of exposing the darkest parts of our heart, the places where we experience deep and violent thoughts of hatred. But there is a godly way to manage that emotion. And Psalm 137 provides a vivid, if not disturbing, look into that very thing.
Sermon Points:
- Some Explanations
- Some Lessons
- Some Hope
Scripture Reference: Psalm 145Is there anything worse than feeling down and having some terminally perky religious person tell you to “cheer up and praise the Lord?” Yet, in Psalm 145, David ends his Psalm authorship with a litany of praise to the Lord and commands us to do the same. Why?
Sermon Points:
- The Object of Praise
- The Nature of Praise
- The Future of Praise
Scripture Reference: Psalm 16
The emotion of hope consists of having something to look forward to even in the bleakness of everyday life. But David has found the key to celebrating even in the midst of isolation and pain. Only if he can be rescued from the enslaving power of death can he know true hope.
Sermon Points:
- The Defeat of Idols (vs. 1-6)
- The Delight in God (vs. 7-8)
- The Death of Death (vs. 9-11)
Scripture Reference: Psalm 73
Does doubting mean lack of faith? Does doubting mean immaturity? What does a follower of Jesus do with their doubts? Psalm 73 gives us a window into the doubt of a Psalmist named Asaph. Surely this means the Christian life has a place for doubt, and that doubting can actually lead us to a deeper relationship with Jesus and others.
Scripture Reference: Psalm 87For most of us, when we start to feel the aching sense of loneliness that seems to characterize more and more of modern life, we turn inward to our problems or even our marriages and families for hope. But Psalm 87 introduces us to a different source of joy, the Church.
Sermon Points:
- Affection Expressed
- Alienation Overcome
- Adoption Secured
- Fountains Accessed
Scripture Reference: Psalm 88Psalm 88 is unique in that it doesn’t have a happy ending. In most other Psalms, the writer finds God’s hand in everything they’re experiencing. But what if you’ve tried that, but there’s still no answer? Here we find amazing insights into the pain of depression.
Sermon Points:
- Depression and Experience
- Depression and Disconnection
- Depression and Connection
Scripture Reference: Psalm 8
Though our culture looks inward to our feelings or our accomplishments to search for an identity, David sings to a majestic Lord and discovers his purpose and significance in light of Him. Psalm 8 poetically reveals what the rest of Scripture teaches, that we will only find our purpose and identity as we look outside ourselves to the Lord and how He made us and redeems us.
Sermon Points:
- The Significance of the Lord (vv. 1-2)
- The Significance of Man (vv. 3-8)
- The Significant Response (v. 9)
Scripture Reference: Psalm 63CS Lewis is an expert on the deep longing of the soul (what he called “Joy”) and how important it is to understanding the human condition. But David has found the ultimate fountain of joy in God, and investigating it opens up all kinds of doors to our humanity.
Sermon Points:
- The Occasion for Joy
- The Emotion of Joy
- The Cultivation of Joy
Scripture Reference: Acts 1:1-11Acts 1:1-11 examines the church’s role in God’s mission. It explores how Jesus’ ascension marks the continuation of His work through His people and warns against the dangers of mission drift. This message calls believers to remain focused on the gospel and to joyfully embrace their role as witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Scripture Reference: Psalm 51It’s been argued that there is no sensation that haunts a human being more than the pervasive (and often unnamed) sense of guilt inside us. Psalm 51 walks us through exactly how King David, on the heels of a massive moral failure, navigated his way to God’s grace.
Sermon Points:
- The Occasion of Guilt
- The Mischief of Guilt
- The Nature of Guilt
- The Healing of Guilt
Scripture Reference: Psalm 3David is afraid as his son Absalom has enacted a coup and is trying to hunt him down. As David prays, we see how he seeks the help of others and trusts the Lord, and thereby gives us a roadmap for our fears.
Sermon Points:
- Fear Defined (vv. 1-2)
- Fear That Leads to Wisdom (vv. 3-8)
Scripture Reference: Psalm 13One of the most striking features of the book of Psalms, for careful readers, is how realistic they are. Psalm 13 doesn’t shy away from full acknowledgement of the tragedy of human pain and sorrow. But how do God’s people keep from being consumed by it?
Sermon Points:
- Own the Sadness (vs. 1-2)
- Establish the Truth (vs. 3-4)
- Start the Healing (vs. 5-6)
Scripture Reference: Psalm 19Psalm 19 is a pretty famous Psalm because it celebrates the universal joy of finding wonder in our daily lives. But we often miss the point, so David leads us not only to find true joy in God’s word, but in the Living Word, the One the Psalm points us to… Jesus.
Sermon Points:
- The Emotion of Wonder
- The Limitations of Wonder
- The Focus of Wonder
Scripture Reference: Psalm 2
Psalm 1 and 2 have been called the opening pillars of entrance into the world of the Psalms . Psalm 2 is a overarching look at the central problem and solution of humanity. If we are going to dig deeply to understand our own lives before God, we must come face to face with both the gracious, sovereign, and just reign of King Jesus and our ultimately futile resistance to Him.
Sermon Points:
- The Rebellion (vv. 1-3)
- The King (vv. 4-9)
- The Invitation (vv. 10-12)
Scripture Reference: Psalm 1Psalm 1 and 2 have been called the opening pillars of entrance into the world of the Psalms. Psalm 1 is the powerfully clarifying contrast between two ways of living life: a life of blessing OR the life of a scoffer. It begs us to look for THE Blessed One to come.
Sermon Points:
- The Blessed and the Scoffer
- The Tree and the Chaff
Scripture Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
When it comes to pain and loss in this life, Christians can put their hope in the second coming of the Lord and we must be diligent to keep that day on our hearts and minds as we live in this broken world.
Sermon Points:
- Hoping in the Day of the Lord
- Preparing for the Day of the Lord
Scripture Reference: Matthew 6:11, Leviticus 23:37-43, Matthew 6:16-18The New Year typically brings renewed goals! The Scriptures give us numerous practices that help form us individually and communally into the likeness of Jesus. What would it look like for our practices around food this year to point us to what God is doing and shape us into the likeness of Jesus. Scripture points us to the practices of feasting and fasting.
Sermon Points:
- Consider Food (Matt. 6:11)
- Consider Feasting (Lev. 23:37-43, John 2:1-10, Rev. 19:9)
- Consider Fasting (Matt. 6:16-18)
- Consider the Bread of Life (John 6:35)
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 40:1-11
Sermon Points:
- Words of Payment
- Words of Provision
- Words of Proclamation
Scripture Reference: Luke 2:8-20
When the angels appear to the shepherds in the countryside fields outside Bethlehem, they do so because they are finally being granted permission to sing about what they LOVE to contemplate: the scope of the Christian Gospel. Can we learn what the angels learn so we can sing like they?
Sermon Points:
- The Angels
- The Shepherds
- The Mother
Scripture Reference: Revelation 19:1-9, 21:1-8, 22:14-21Revelation gives us an astounding picture of what Christians are looking forward to at King Jesus return. John sees that Jesus return brings everlasting life and joy as He makes all things new! Could St. Augustine be right when he said, “In God’s home, there is an everlasting party?”
Sermon Points: Your future self says “Come” because…
- The joy will never end (19:1-9, 21:4,8, 22:15)
- All things are made new (21:5)
- God is there (21:3)
Scripture Reference: Revelation 20
We don’t like to hear the ending of books before we’re read them, but Christian need to know their own “ending” so that we don’t give in to despair. So much has been written in Rev. 20 and so much disagreement about what it teaches, but perhaps the message is simpler than we know?
Sermon Points:
- A Snapshot of History
- A Thousand Year Reign
- A Bound Devil
- A Vision of Thrones
Scripture Reference: Revelation 19:1-9
The surprising culmination of John’s vision of Jesus’ dealing with his people culminates in the great Wedding Supper of the Lamb, where Jesus will take his Bride to himself. Turns out, the whole of Scripture can be summed up in this story: the Husband-Heart of God pursing his people.
Sermon Points:
- The Wedding Event
- The Wedding Story
- The Wedding Bliss
Scripture Reference: Revelation 17John unpacks a second, albeit disturbing, image in Rev. 17-18 of a disgusting Prostitute who has corrupted the nations of the world. Far more than just a sexual image, John is talking about whoredom in the very seats of the powerful, and what God has in store for those in bed with her.
Sermon Points:
- The Identity of the Prostitute
- The Character of the Prostitute
- The Fate of the Prostitute
Scripture Reference: Revelation 16
In the third and final recapitulation of seven-fold judgements that God’s people will have to face, we see God putting an end to all excuses, and, by implication, all mercy. All that’s left is punishment. How does a Christian view the ultimate end of evil and how does it inform how we live today?
Sermon Points:
- The Perspectives on the End
- The Inevitability of the End
- The Thoroughness of the End
Scripture Reference: Revelation 12:17-14:5The dragon calls forth two beasts to assist him in waging war against followers of Jesus. These two beastly images paint a vivid picture of world history. The church must know that Satan will try to conquer the church through intimidation and false teaching. However, the good news of the complete salvation of the Slain Lamb means His people will endure.
Sermon Points:
- Intimidating Beast (13:1-8)
- Deceiving Beast (13:11-15)
- Mark of the Beast (13:16-18)
- Resisting the Beast (13:9-10, 14:1-5)
Scripture Reference: Revelation 12How do you account for the outrageous evil that we’ve seen inflicted on the church in the last 100 years of human history? Revelation 12’s answer is that it is due to the rage of the Devil, the mighty dragon. But the chapter includes the powerful ways in which God’d people ultimately prevail.
Sermon Points:
- THAT the Devil is Working
- WHY the Devil is Working
- HOW the Devil is Defeated
Scripture Reference: Romans 4:1-8
Sermon Points:
- Abraham Was Not Justified by Works
- Abraham Received Justification by Faith
- God Is the One Who Justifies Abraham
Scripture Reference: Revelation 8:1-9:21
What John sees in Revelation 8-9 are powerful images to describe world history until Jesus returns from the perspective of the world. God hears the prayers of His people pleading with Him to come in judgment, liberation and cleansing and responds with the trumpets. These trumpets are like tornado sirens, warning all of those who choose to live independently of King Jesus to repent and believe or the pain and suffering will increase.
Sermon Points:
- The Why
- The What
- The Call
Scripture Reference: Revelation 7John’s encouragement following the dreadful news about the terrible Four Horsemen has to do with the “sealed.” But who are the “sealed” and why do they sing like they do? And why is it important for the Christian to remember that THIS is their standing before the Throne?
Sermon Points:
- The Identity of the Sealed
- The Meaning of the Sealed
Scripture Reference: Revelation 6:1-17
As John gets a peek behind the veil into heaven, the scroll is broken, and all are shown the unfolding plan of God in world history. With vivid images, John sees that world history will be characterized by four horseman riding and bringing suffering. This sight is alarming, but also comforting to see that suffering is NOT a sign that the world is out of control, but instead a sign that Jesus is indeed coming and at work.
Sermon Points:
- An Explanation of Suffering (vv. 1-8)
- Strategy in the Suffering (vv. 9-11)
- Security amidst Suffering (vv. 12-17)
Scripture Reference: Revelation 5If Revelation 4 is the setting to the drama, then chapter 5 IS the drama. John is broken by the knowledge of a mysterious scroll, but immediately pointed to a Lion which, to his surprise, appears as a Lamb. In this profound vision is the very heart of the Christian meaning of life.
Sermon Points:
- John Weeps
- The Lamb Bleeds
- Heaven Sings
Scripture Reference: Revelation 4
When John steps through the open door of heaven, his vision is dominated (shown in the sheer amount of times he uses the word) by a Throne. He’s fixated and amazed. The entourage surrounding him suggests something deeply profound about human beings proclivity for worship.
Sermon Points:
- How John Sees
- What John Sees
- What John Means
Scripture Reference: Revelation 3:14-22
Jesus seeks to bring about changes in his churches he’s confronting in Revelation chapters two and three, but it’s not enough to change the way they are “thinking” about themselves. They must also change their actions, and chapters two through three contain oceans of wisdom for God’s people seeking to pursue Godly change.
Sermon Points:
- Things Charged
- Do the first things…
- Endure patiently…
- Wake up…
- Buy from me gold…
- Things Promised
Scripture Reference: Revelation 2:1-7Christians live in a world that is being invaded by grace and reconciliation, but a world that still is beset by sin and destruction. We live in the “already and the not yet.” So when the Son of Man in John’s vision comes to speak to the churches, he does so with commendation and condemnation.
Sermon Points:
- Things to Commend
- Fighting Against Error
- Enduring Suffering
- Doing Good Works
- Things to Condemn
- Lack of Love
- Compromise With The World
- Deadness
- Lukewarm-ness
Scripture Reference: Revelation 1:9-20
Our story opens with John as a political exile on an island prison, likely concerned that his ministry life is ebbing away. But a voice from the heavenly realm speaks to him, and nothing will ever be the same. And the voice that spoke to John still speaks to us today. But will we listen?
Sermon Points:
- John Is In The Spirit
- Jesus Is Among The Lampstands
- The Church Is Safe With Her Champion
Scripture Reference: Revelation 1:1-8
The book of Revelation is written to a group of churches whose lives are getting “worse” as they follow a risen and ascended “unseen” Jesus. This book comes to people struggling to make sense of the world around them and says “LOOK!, things are not as they seem!” What is revealed to the apostle John and then shared with the churches are astounding images that make sense of the world, bring assurance and peace by ultimately revealing the character and presence of Jesus among them.
Sermon Points:
- Reveals (vv. 1-3, 11)
- Reveals Through Pictures
- Reveals a Person (vv. 1, 4-8)
Scripture Reference: Romans 8:18-25
The Apostles Creed ends by confessing what Christians believe about the future. In summary, God will finish what He started. He created a world to dwell with humanity as His image bearers. No matter, how much sin has infected and destroyed the world and humanity, God is going to save and restore it all. This Christian hope is embraced when we confess I believe in “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
Sermon Points:
- The Resurrection of the Body
- The Life Everlasting
Scripture Reference: Matthew 18:21-35
Cancel Culture as we knew it in the last decade seems to be fading somewhat, but the questions our society faced throughout still linger in the conscience. But Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness as THE necessity of the Christian life is just as fresh (and challenging) as it ever was and the Creed seeks to keep every generation from forgetting that.
Sermon Points:
- The Costliness of Forgiveness
- The Reality of Forgiveness
- The Practice of Forgiveness
Scripture Reference: Acts 9:1-19
Much has been said, that doesn’t bear repeating, on the consistent anti-institutional bent of the present age. Talk of “the church” seems quaint to those who long for authenticity. But we believe in “the holy catholic church” which means that believing people find their primary identity in the collection of others who are so united to Christ.
Sermon Points:
- The Reality of the Church
- The Meaning of the Church
- The Challenge of the Church
Scripture Reference: John 14:15-26
Some mystery surrounds the person and work of the Holy Spirit, for sure, but that doesn’t mean that He is due any less adoration and worship from God’s people than any other member of the Trinity. Today, we look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as THE active agent, the “mover shaker” of the Godhead.
Sermon Points:
- The Importance of the Spirit
- The Action of the Spirit
- The Focus of the Spirit
Scripture Reference: Romans 2:3-11
Tim Keller once said, “You’ve accepted Jesus as your savior, but have you accepted him as your judge?” The idea that Jesus will return and execute justice is very much a controversial, and complicated prospect for Christians to think about. But there’s good news in his returning to judge that we’ll look at in the Apostles Creed.
Sermon Points:
- Necessary Justice
- Complicated Justice
- Gracious Justice
Scripture Reference: Mark 4:35-41
Sermon Points:
- It Raises Questions
- It Exposes Unbelief
- It Awakens Love
Scripture Reference: Genesis 11:1-9; 12:1-3
Sermon Points:
- Law of Babel (vv. 11:1-9)
- Gracious Call of Abram (vv. 12:1-3)
Scripture Reference: Luke 18:9-14
Sermon Points:
- The Problem of False Justification
- The Source of True Justification
Scripture Reference: Philippians 1:1-11
Because the Lord is at hand, and through the grace we have in Christ, we can see one another through a different lens than the worlds sees us. We can cultivate these three postures towards each other that our modeled for us here in Paul’s introduction to his letter to the Philippians.
Scripture Reference: Mark 1:40-45
Sermon Points:
- Our Need for Cleansing
- The One Who Cleanses Us
Scripture Reference: Matthew 28:16-20
By its nature, good news HAS to be told. We aren’t really enjoying the thing until we spread the news about it. Jesus’ death and resurrection are followed by a powerful commission from him to bring his Lordship to bear on every area of life, and he empowers us to do so by his nearness.
Sermon Points:
- Empowering the Mission
- Directing the Mission
- Accommodating Our Doubts
- Clarifying Our Mission
- Promising Our Success
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:62-28:15
Progressive commentators have said that it is unimportant whether or not Jesus actually rose from the dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts surrounding the mountain of hard evidence for Jesus’ bodily resurrection not only establish its importance, but rescues human hope as well.
Sermon Points:
- The Evidence
- The Verdict
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:32-54
The most transformative events in our lives are when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat. The Cross of Jesus is a profoundly ironic twist of fate that has changed the hearts of Jesus’ followers since the day he “yielded up his spirit” and died. “Why?” will be our question this morning.
Sermon Points:
- The Ironic Antagonism
- The Vicarious Abandonment
- The Explosive Outbreaking
Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26The hero, Jesus, is accused of treason. Amidst the trial, we see interactions between the hero, Pontius Pilate, a criminal named Barabbas, and the crowds. All of these interactions reveal the character Jesus and the way He will save and restore. Our hero will be a suffering servant, healing the world by taking what He does not deserve.Sermon Points:* The Hero & Pilate * The Hero & Barabbas * The Hero & the Crowds
Scripture Reference: Matthew 26:30-46In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experiences a powerful and puzzling emotional breakdown. There on the Garden floor he cries out with a passion that shows exactly what it cost him to love his people the way in which the Cross would ask him to do.Sermon Points:* Pain in the Cup * Pain from his Friends
Scripture Reference: Matthew 26:17-29What a strange scene with Jesus sitting with his disciples (including his betrayer) and having a meal to commemorate what was about to him on the Cross. Why would he do that and what that means for how WE take Communion in our day is our topic this morning.Sermon Points:* Passover Past * Passover Present * Passover Future
Scripture Reference: Mark 10:35-52Sermon Points:* The Blind Ones (vv. 35-45) * The Seeing One (vv. 46-52)
Scripture Reference: Matthew 25:31-46In the last public teaching before his arrest and crucifixion, our hero Jesus tells the audience about the judgment to come. It's a sobering passage, but it reveals Jesus love for this world and how committed He is to rid this world of everything poisonous. Jesus is the judge who sees all, is opposed to all evil and amazingly receives every act of generosity as if it was done for Him. He's a judge who can be trusted.Sermon Points:* The Certainty of judgment (vv. 31-34, 36) * The Criteria of judgment (vv. 33-45) * The Judge of Judgment
Scripture Reference: Matthew 22:23-33Jesus' confrontation with the Sadducees unveils the flaws in the materialists worldview. Denying the resurrection not only makes us theologically in error, but we rob ourselves of the joy it takes to thrive in a world full of unfulfilled longings and death.Sermon Points:* The Problem with the Materialist * The Correction of Jesus
Scripture Reference: Matthew 21:1-11, 14-16Our hero enters Jerusalem in a way that reveals very clearly his claims about himself and therefore stirs up quite a bit of energy. Jesus' parade into town on what is now known as "Palm Sunday" is boldly proclaiming Himself as King. However, this King's carrier is a common donkey. Combine these two facts, and Jesus is revealing just the kind of King that He is! One that is humble enough to die for His people.Sermon Points:* The Hero Is King * The Hero Is Humble
Scripture Reference: Matthew 24:1-35Human beings have an insatiable desire to know the future. It's the only way in which we can have hope. Well, Jesus has pronounced some serious judgement on the Jewish temple. So when will this happen and what can we expect from our future?Sermon Points:* The Temple Will Fall * The Son of Man Will Come * Jesus’ Followers Will Be Ready
Scripture Reference: John 13:1-20Sermon Points:* Washed by Christ for Acceptance * Washed by Christ for Service
Scripture Reference: Matthew 20:1-19Our hero teaches another parable displaying the kind of kingdom he is bringing into this world. That kingdom is one of sheer grace! Grace is disturbing in a world that functions according to merit, but holds out tremendous hope.Sermon Points:* The Allergy * The Antidote
Scripture Reference: Matthew 21:33-46Jesus enters Jerusalem virtually daring the religious establishment to oppose him. It's almost as if he wants to die at their hands. (!) But he shows them through this parable that they lack the singular attribute that must be persistent in each of Jesus' followers soul: repentance.Sermon Points: * The Challenge of Identity * The Challenge of Pride * The Challenge of the Stone
Scripture Reference: Matthew 19:13-30Our hero, Jesus, has an interaction with a man who by the worlds standards has it all, and the result of the conversation leaves everyone perplexed. The man and the hearers of this passage are confronted with a sobering question, is Jesus worth letting go of all my other treasures...is He worth it? He is, but there must be something about riches that make it difficult for people to see Jesus' worth.Sermon Points:* Facing Jesus (v. 16) * Missing Jesus (vv. 17-24) * Treasuring Jesus (vv. 13-15, 25-30)
Scripture Reference: Matthew 19:1-9As Jesus continues to show the "upside down" Kingdom, he takes aim at the social ill of divorce, which had become absurdly easy to obtain (for men...) and oppressive to wives. HOW he lays out the principles for marriage shows just how the Gospel provides hope for those hurting.Sermon Points:* The Text * The Principle * The Practice
Scripture Reference: Matthew 18:21-35Jesus begins to unpack his Kingdom ethic in chapters 18-20, including a remarkable parable about his demands for radical forgiveness from his followers. Few topics can be more difficult for Jesus' followers to stomach, but we have to make sense of it if we're going to follow him.Sermon Points: * Costliness of Forgiveness * Reality of Forgiveness * Practice of Forgiveness
Scripture Reference: Matthew 17:1-8Few stories in the Gospel of Matthew are quite as strange to modern readers as the Transfiguration. But Jesus' majesty are seen in stark relief when you see that behind this story is a Jewish backstory that shows just exactly what Jesus has come to do not just personally, but cosmically!Sermon Points:* The Story + The Countenance + The Company + The Cloud * The Backstory
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4:11-16Sermon Points: * Living by the Sword (vv. 11-12) * Resting in the Priest (vv. 14-15) * Going before the Throne (v. 16)
Scripture Reference: John 21:1-19As we look into the new year, it tends to to be a time of reflection and planning. What do you do with your failures? After Jesus resurrection, He finds Peter on a beach. In this interaction, an amazing truth is revealed. Our failures don't keep Jesus away from us, actually they are the very reason He came and He works through them.Sermon Points:* Jesus Response To Our Failure * Jesus Work Through our Failure
Scripture Reference: Daniel 7:1-14Christians may not be those who are uninformed about the story of Christmas but may over time become unimpressed by its significance. For those who have heard the story of Jesus’ advent, perhaps we also need to see it for what it truly is. Strange as it might seem, Daniel’s apocalyptic vision is not a bad place to do just that.Sermon Points:* The “Beastly” Rule of Earthly Kingdoms (vv. 1-8) * The HeavenlyRule of God’s Kingdom (vv. 9-10) * The Warrior-King of God’s Kingdom (vv. 11-14)
Scripture Reference: Matthew 16:13-23How is it possible that Peter can be so "right" in his confession about Jesus' true identity as Messiah and so wrong about Jesus' mission. The answer to that question uncovers something profound about the new identity that being a Christian brings, with Peter as the prime example.Sermon Points: * Peter's Confession * Peter's Affirmation * Peter's Failure
Scripture Reference: Matthew 14:13-21After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus tries to withdraw to contemplate the loss of his dear friend. But quickly, he returns to ministry to feed a hapless people with a meal that they wouldn't forget and a meal that his followers would be instructed to celebrate until he came again.Sermon Points: * Jesus' Meal Does A Lot With A Little * Jesus' Meal Is For Everyone * Jesus' Meal Foreshadows Better Meals
Scripture Reference: Matthew 14:1-13aMatthew inserts an interesting little story about the fate of John the Baptist at the hands of Herod Antipas, king of Judea in Jesus day. But the life of Herod provides an anti-example to us who, with the benefit of hindsight, can see what evil choices do to spoil a conscience.Sermon Points:* Herod's Choices * Herod's Consequences * Herod's (Untaken) Path Out
Scripture Reference: Matthew 13:1-23The worldwide hero spent a lot of time teaching and his disciples claim this hero has the words of life. Why then is it often so difficult to listen to Jesus? The parable of the sower in Matthew 13 is one of Jesus' explanation for why He is dismissed, ignored and rejected. The problem is the condition of our hearts.Special thanks to Tim Keller and Ricky Jones for helpful material on this passage.Sermon Points:* The Purpose Of Parables (13:10-17) * The Problem (13:3-9, 18-23) * The Proper Response (13:11, 16)
Scripture Reference: Romans 12:1-2Sermon Points: * Embracing the Depth of God's Mercy * Embracing the Body for Service * Embracing the Mind with Truth
Scripture Reference: Matthew 12:1-14When Jesus shows up in the Jewish countryside, his claims start to create reactions, depending on what was in the heart of his listeners. The Pharisees were famous for their miscalculations regarding Jesus, but when the topic of true rest arose, they were laid bare and wanted to kill him.Sermon Points:* Check your Facts * Check your Heart * Check your Motivation
Scripture Reference: Matthew 11:1-6, 15-19The Hero Jesus, has come to rescue and set the world to rights. However, the way that Jesus will bring rescue offends some and even disappoints a devoted follower like John the Baptist. In these interactions, Jesusexposes the pride of our own hearts how he has come to rescue us from ourselves.Sermon Points: * Offensive Circumstances * Offensive Call To Change * Offensive Healing
Scripture Reference: Matthew 9:35-10:7Having demonstrated the power of his kingdom, our Hero, Jesus, then chooses 12 disciples to carry on his mission of compassion, prayer and healing. Jesus' priorities are the same for the church today and grasping HOW he passes these along is central to our present sense of mission today.Sermon Points: * A Mission of Compassion * A Mission of Empowerment * A Mission of Strategy
Scripture Reference: Matthew 8:23-34Jesus is traveling through Galilee doing amazing things, demonstrating his power. But until you understand the nature and context of his miracles, you can't feel the full power of just what's being suggested: Jesus is claiming authority of the chaos of our lives and healing people by the power of his Word.Sermon Points:* The Chaos From Without * The Chaos From Within
Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:11-18Sermon Points:* Subversive Motives * Subversive Freedom * Subversive Kingdom
Scripture Reference: Matthew 8:1-4It's one thing to be physically separated from your community, quite another to be spiritually ostracized. Jesus encounters a leper who suffers from both, but the healing Jesus brings demonstrates something astounding who still struggle with God's willingness to heal and his power to do so.Sermon Points: * Jesus is Willing * Jesus is Holy * Jesus is Advancing
Scripture Reference: Matthew 6:9-13In an epidemic of loneliness in the West, why is communion with God not any more of an antidote to that? could it be that we are thinking of prayer all wrong? The Lord's Prayer equips Jesus' followers NOT with just a template for prayer, but a powerful means to change HOW we think of connecting with God.Sermon Points:* Familiarity * Perspective * Celebration
Sermon Reference: Matthew 5:17-22Jesus opens his famous Sermon on the Mount with a perplexing statement refuting a rumor that he had come to discard God's law. Instead, he said he came to "fulfill" the law. What he meant by that is the key to understand the nature of Jesus' whole mission, loving the law.Sermon Points:* The Clash of Authority * The Clash of Religious Purpose * The Clash of Motivation
Scripture Reference: Matthew 4:1-11If a hero is going to bring rescue, then he must face down and defeat that which is bringing danger. The ancient and dangerous villain of this world is known as Satan, or the devil. in Matthew 4, Jesus confronts his and our arch enemy by taking upon himself the devil's assault of temptation. In this confrontation, we learn the tools of our enemy, but also where victory is to be found.Sermon Points: * The Reality of the Enemy * The Workings of the Enemy * The Defeat of the Enemy
Scripture Reference: Matthew 4:1-11
If a hero is going to bring rescue, then he must face down and defeat that which is bringing danger. The ancient and dangerous villain of this world is known as Satan, or the devil. in Matthew 4, Jesus confronts his and our arch enemy by taking upon himself the devil's assault of temptation. In this confrontation, we learn the tools of our enemy, but also where victory is to be found.
Sermon Points: * The Reality of the Enemy * The Workings of the Enemy * The Defeat of the Enemy
Scripture Reference: Matthew 3:1-17Everyone undergoes some sort of preparation before meeting a person of significance. What might it look like to be prepared to meet the hero and savior of the world? John the Baptist is out in the desert for this very reason, preparing his listeners to encounter Jesus. Disruptive words like confession, repentance, and baptism are emphasized. These words might seem off putting, until you realize the hero is coming to identify with and save the REAL YOU by sheer grace.Sermon Points:* John Prepares * Jesus Saves
Scripture Reference: Matthew 2:13-23
Joseph and Mary find themselves in the center of God's will for their lives...and they're suffering horribly. But Matthew sees beneath the surface of their struggles to the undercurrents of fulfillment that Jesus is going to bring, becoming the True and Better Israel for his people.
Sermon Points: * A Jewish Do Over * A God Who Grieves * A Branch Arising
Scripture Reference: Matthew 1:1-6, 16-25
Every hero has an origin story! Matthew introduces us to this long anticipated hero by way of a genealogy and then a supernatural beginning involving a virgin pregnancy. These two avenues of introduction set the table for the kind of hero Jesus will be. He is going to be a hero that identifies with the broken and sinners and will save and heal everything that is wrong with the world.
Sermon Points: * The Need For a Hero * The People of the Hero
Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 15:1-26
The Scriptures claim that the bodily resurrection of Jesus is the lynchpin of all history and the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul says that without the resurrection, "our faith is in vain" and "we are of all people most to be pitied." But if the resurrection happened, then forgiveness is a reality, life is stronger than death, and the trajectory of everything is changed.
Sermon Points: * Reality of the Resurrection * Meaning of the Resurrection * Application of the Resurrection
Scripture Reference: Luke 23:1-4, 32-49
No other event in Jesus' life gets more attention than the rather ignominious death on the Cross, what anyone would have thought the lowest moment of his life. But the reasons why they seized up on it are at the heart of what is most unique about the Apostles Creed's witness to the watching world.
Sermon Points: * The Reality of his Death * The Significance of his Death * The Application of his Death
Scripture Reference: Philippians 2:1-11 Why does the class theological formulation that Jesus was "fully God, fully man" matter? We tend to do ok with Jesus divinity, but his humanity feels irreverent and perhaps even disrespectful. But properly understand, Jesus' humanity connects our salvation with the reality of the world around us!
Sermon Points: * The Theology * The Implication * The Application
Scripture Reference: Matthew 17:1-13
No act of believing can be said to have integrity until the full weight of exactly who we have put our faith in has been reasonably grappled with. Matthew 17 tells the almost incredible story of Jesus' unveiling himself to show us exactly what the Creed means when it says, "Jesus...our LORD."
Sermon Points: * The Majesty of Jesus + The Countenance + The Cloud + The Company * The Ministry of Jesus
Scripture Reference: John 1:1-3
Of all the ways in which Christian distinguish themselves from the pagan religions around us, the doctrine of creation stands near the top. What is a human being's relationship to the world around them? How do we properly understand our place in God's creation, as it's Lord and Maker?
Sermon Points: * Creation and God * Creation and the World * Creation and Us
Scripture Reference: Matthew 6:5-13
If we are all by nature worshipers and living by faith, then it makes sense that the Apostles Creed begins with the being and nature of God, which is reality itself. The Creed invites us to place our faith in the one true God who exists in three persons. Therefore, "I believe in God the Father Almighty..." is inviting us into a relationship with God who is both strong and humble, near and transcendent, powerful and tender, just and merciful.
Sermon Points: * In God * The Father * Almighty
Scripture Reference: Mark 9:14-29
Throughout Christian history, believers have found it helpful to distill essential doctrine into creeds. The Apostles Creed has stood the test of time as a faithful expression of belief. But what does it mean when we say we "believe" in these things? How does "belief" work?
Sermon Points: * The Centrality of Believing * The Dynamics of Believing * The Act of Believing
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 28:14-22Sermon Points:* The Call of the Scoffer * The Joy in the Cornerstone
Scripture Reference: Psalm 63David has something on the inside of him that gives him remarkable calm and poise in the midst of life crushing circumstances. We need to learn about how our soul works AND how our souls can only be satisfied in God's love.Sermon Points:* Understanding the Soul * Satisfying the Soul
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 24:1-4, 10, 18-25The last chapters of 2 Samuel attempt to summarize the life of King David with a series of stories ending with a strange census and confusing question of how God was working. What do we see in David's life reflected in this final story?Sermon Points:* Sovereignty * Sin and Judgement * Atonement
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 23:13-17In this tiny vignette, we see a scene from King David's life and the daring do of his "Mighty Men" that not only shows us how to interpret Old Testament stories, but gives us a powerful glimpse into the way in which God plans to deal with evil.Sermon Points:* A Sighing King * A Supporting Band * A Transforming Sacrifice
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 16:5-14This chapter finds David at the lowest point of his life. His family is depleted and shattered. He is being run out of his own home by his beloved son. But the place where David found refreshment is still available to us today.Sermon Points:* The Mess David Finds Himself In * The Refuge David Retreats To
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 12:1-14David is far gone in his sin. Not only has done heinous things, but he's covered it up and in full denial. But Nathan's intervention on his behalf successfully leads David into genuine repentance and shows us how we can do the same.Sermon Points:* The Need for Intervention * The Substance of the Intervention * The Response to the Intervention
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 11:1-27It's revealing that the name of God is almost completely absent in this dark chapter of David's life. Instead of reflecting the generous and loving heart of God, David commits heinous sin. It's a window into the workings of sin. When your chief goal is to avoid being caught rather than enjoy being forgiven, you will never have true security.Sermon Points:* The Setting (vv. 1-2) * The Spiral (vv. 1-27) * The Displeasure (v. 27)
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 9:1-13In the timetable of the Scriptures, shortly after David receives God's overwhelming covenant promises, the king looks to display covenant kindness to another person. David makes a man named Mephibosheth the object of his kindness and lavish generosity. The freedom and security that Mephibosheth finds as the recipient of the king's undeserved favor is a window into the freedom and security we long for found in Jesus Christ.Sermon Points:1. The King's Kindness Goes to the "Unlikely" (vv. 1-3) 2. The King's Kindness Gives a New Identity (vv. 7-11) 3. The King's Kindness Gives a Transforming Security (vv. 8, 13)
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 7:1-16The Covenant that God makes for David has some of the most foundational truths about God's relationship with his people that when you study it, it breaks on you with such joy when you see Jesus as "great David's greater Son."Sermon Points:* Provision from God, not for God * A House for David, not for God * An Eternal Line, not a Temporary One
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 6:12-23Dejected by the loss of Uzzah, David must learn that God's intentions for him are actually to bless him and not curse him. So David pursues a new path, a path of grace, that leads him to a complete transformation of his kingship.Sermon Points:* The Gospel in the Presence * The Transformation in the Presence
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 6:1-11David wants nothing more than for his kingship to be marked by a deep desire to be in the Presence of God. However, David is going to have to learn in a powerful way that this desire must be marked by truth about God's holiness.Sermon Points:* The Need for the Presence * The Problem with the Presence
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 30:1-25David finds himself in a dark and desperate situation. His response demonstrates for us the kind of King we can trust in our own desperate situations. We need a king who conquers evil and is overflowing with loving generosity.Sermon Points:1. The Distress (vv. 1-8) 2. The Rescue (vv. 7-20) 3. The Generosity (vv. 21-31)
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 24:1-22David finds himself in a wilderness on the run from king Saul, which is always a place of temptation. David remarkably resists an alluring temptation to take matters into his own hands with an enemy. David's remarkable actions show us the pathway of resisting our own temptations by entrusting himself to the eternal King who is the righteous and wise judge.Sermon Points: * The Place of Temptation (vs. 1-3) * The Temptation (vs. 4) * The Victory over Temptation (vs. 4-15) * The Power over Temptation (vs. 12, 15)
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 18:1-9; 20:41-42David's relationship Jonathan gives a deep and powerful picture of the King's intention with his people, which is not just to be their King...but to be their friend. In David and Jonathan, we see Jesus' intimate friendship with his people.Sermon Points:* Saul as Anti-Friend * Jonathan as True Friend * David as Ultimate Friend
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 17:24-27, 41-49The story of David and Goliath is often told as an example of how we should "slay the giants in our life." But that makes US the hero of the story. King David is picturing US, but rather the Savior that would come and finally be our champion.Sermon Points:* Heroism Failing * Heroism Mocked * Heroism Achieved
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 16:1-13As Samuel comes to anoint the new king of Israel, he is surprised by God's choice of David. This initial meeting foreshadows how God will work in and through David. God is deeply concerned with people's hearts AND will bring salvation by way of a humble and righteous king.Sermon Points: * A Godly Heart * A Saving King
Scripture Reference: 1 Samuel 15:17-35In order to fully understand David as the "man after God's own heart" you have to see its opposite. King Saul is an example of a life lived in the allegiance to people's opinions about him, and in the end, it cost him everything.Sermon Points:* Saul's Disobedience * Saul's Fixation * Saul's Blasphemy
Scripture Reference: Ruth 4:13-22We begin our series on David's life with the story of his lineage. Living in a time of cultural upheaval, God was at work in the midst of great pain to establish a pattern of redemption and salvation. "Seed" and "Land" would again be preserved.Sermon Points: * Connections with the Past * Shadows of the King * Relevance for Today
Scripture Reference: Psalm 103We can never truly know what a new year will bring. Psalm 103 instructs us, that no matter the situation we find ourselves in, we are to engage in the disciplines of blessing the Lord and remembering His character.Sermon Points:* Blessing (vs. 1-2, 20-22) * Remembering (vs. 2-19)
Scripture Reference: Matthew 25:1-13Christmas can be so powerful "ho hum" for us the older we get. Is it possible that we think of Jesus first coming so little because we have lost sight of his second coming? What will that be like? The parable of the bridesmaids gives peculiar insight into learning to wait on Jesus well.Sermon Points:* The Tradition of Weddings * The Practice of Waiting * The Hope of the Future
Scripture Reference: Isaiah 40:1–9Sermon Points:* A Cry of Comfort from the Lord * A Cry of Preparation for the Lord * A Cry of Confidence in the Lord
Scripture Reference: Genesis 17:1-14God is now ready to mark Abram out as a unique family of God, his agents of transformation in a broken world. But the manner and means that he does that will strike many as bizarre, but when you understand the meaning of circumcision, the purpose of the church emerges.Sermon Points:* Be Blameless * Apply the Sign * Become the "Father of Many Nations"
Scripture Reference: Genesis 15:1-17As God makes big promises to Abram, the patriarch asks a perfectly natural question, "How can I know this is all going to work out." God's response to that simple question results in one of the most astounding passages in all of Scripture, and the key to what we mean by "grace."Sermon Points:* The Promise * The Response * The Grace
Scripture Reference: Genesis 12:1-7Genesis 12 is the break-through point in the "story thus far." Suddenly, God calls a childless pagan to be the head of a new family that'll carry the mission of God through to completion. It's a commission that God's people still have even in our day, to remake the world for his glory.Sermon Points: * Land * Blessing * Nations
Scripture Reference: Genesis 11:1-9The benefits and need of diversity are heralded everywhere in modern culture, but the idea is not new. It's always been God's plan to build a beautiful, diverse, unified people of God and we see it's origins at the tower of Babel.
Scripture Reference: Psalm 54:1-7
Sermon Points: * Reckoning * Remembering * Responding
Scripture Reference: Genesis 9:1-17
We live in a world that totters on the brink of collapse, it seems, from a lack of certainty about the world. But God's covenant (contract) with Noah shows that God's people can have a radical foundation for our relationship with the world, with justice, and in our own hearts.
Sermon Points: * Certainty about the World * Certainty about Justice * Certainty about Ourselves
Scripture Reference: Genesis 6:1-4
There is a very strange tidbit of a story in Genesis 6:1ff that is so odd that many are tempted to consign the Bible over to an absurd document of superstition. But if you dig into its meaning, you might find it opens us up to an unseen realm where God orders the world.
Sermon Points: * What does this story say? * What does this story mean? * Why should this matter to me?
Scripture Reference: Genesis 4:1-16, 25-26
If the world we live in is wrecked by sin and death but brimming with God's gracious and redemptive work, how should we respond? Genesis 4 outlines two different responses to God's promises and exposes our hearts in the process. The two responses diverge because of the differing objects of trust.
Sermon Points: * Faith and its object * Faith and anger * Faith and its result
Scripture Reference: Genesis 3:14-24
How do you embrace the effects of evil in life and the dire consequences of sin but look to forgiveness as God's only remedy. This is something in our culture that we don't do very well, but if we don't figure out how to love forgiveness, we'll splinter into oblivion.
Sermon Points: * The Consequences * The Sacrifice * The Human Condition
Scripture Reference: Genesis 3:1-13
Genesis 3 opens up for us the origins of evil and death. Evil can never find its origin in the Triune God. But, because God is Truth and Life, evil opposes God and His good world by twisting truth and trying to be independent of God. The result? Death.
Scripture Reference: Genesis 2:21-25
There are few things like human sexuality to polarize our secular culture's opinions of Christians. But rooted in Genesis 2 is a profound confession by Adam as he looks at Eve about God, and how he's going to save the world that will likely shock you.
Sermon Points: * Sex and the Trinity * Sex and the Bible * Sex and Us
Scripture Reference: Genesis 2:18-25
We live in a day when sex and gender have been torn apart in the culture's imagination, only to suggest that our sexual differences are merely skin deep. Genesis 2 says otherwise. Quite the contrary, our sexual differences are a window into the very love of God for his people.
Sermon Points: * Adam Finds Himself Alone * Adam Finds Himself a Helper in Eve * Adam Finds Himself in Eve
Scripture Reference: Genesis 2:5-17
For most adults, the singular formational activity in which we are engaged is our jobs. Which is probably why our work is so fraught with opportunities for difficulty in life. But Genesis 2 lays out a framework for how God intended for his image bearers to think about their work.
Sermon Points: * The Sacredness of Our Work * The Danger of Our Work * The Goal of Our Work
Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:26-2:4
The opening book of the Bible reveals a God who makes humanity in His image. This unique claim has profound implications for our dignity and purpose.
Sermon Points: * Dignity * Dominion * Delight
Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:1-5
The opening book of the Bible reveals a God who speaks things into being with a majestic artistry that forms the foundation of humanity's search for what is good, true and beautiful.
Sermon Points:
- The God of Creativity
- The Gift of Creativity
Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1 cuts across our present Western context with a clear and radical proposition: there is a God and he is the creator of all things. From that one premise comes the foundation of a Christian view of the world.
Sermon Points: * God and the gods * God and His Creation * Creation and God's People
Scripture Reference: John 5:37-47, Luke 24:25-27
If we are to correctly understand any work of literature, we need to know its intended message. The Bible has a central focus to its message that is key to its understanding. That message is bound up in the person and work of Jesus. The Bible Is Messianic Literature!
Scripture Reference: Psalm 1
We love headlines, sound bites, and summaries! However, the Bible is not designed for quick consumption, but instead is designed for repetitious reading over a lifetime. It takes work, but the result is worth it. This week: The Bible is Meditation Literature.
Sermon Points: * Definition of Meditation * Power of Meditation * Practice of Meditation * Key to Meditation
Scripture Reference: 2 Thessalonians 3:17
The average "person on the street" doesn't have a fair knowledge of the vast amount of scholarship that has bee spent on establishing an undeniable fact: that the Bible is the most reliable document of antiquity existing today. "Why," is our topic in this sermon.
Sermon Points: * Translation * Transmission * These Books * Trustworthy Authors * Truthful
Sermon Reference: 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Hebrews 4:12-13
Perhaps the reason why we are disinterested in the Bible is because we don't fully apprehend what the Bible claims to be. The truth is: if you are committed to the status quo in your life, then by all means don't dive into the transforming power that is the Scripture.
Sermon Points: * The God Who Speaks * God's Words and Our Words * God's Words and Our Lives
Scripture Reference: Deuteronomy 4:5-6
More times than not, we want to read the Bible like an answer book, looking for a technique that always produces a good result. But the Bible is wisdom literature. It teaches us to be wise, only as we immerse ourselves in its story and truth.
Sermon Points: * The Bible Is More Than A Rule Book * The Bible is Wisdom Literature * Why Does It Matter
Scripture Reference: 2 Peter 1:16-21
So is the Bible a book created by God or by the hands of sinful men? While we often say the correct answer, "Both!" oftentimes we fail to realize how differently that conviction leads us to look at the world around us and how we picture a Christian's mission in the world.
Sermon Points: * The Problem of the Bible's Humanity * The Solution of the Bible's Humanity * The Application of the Bible's Humanity
Scripture Reference: Luke 16:19-31
The vast majority of the objections our secular world has with accepting the Bible for what its come from the failure to understand the kind of tool the Bible is. Getting clear on the nature of Scripture is essential to growing in the wisdom it wants to impart.
Sermon Points: * The Bible and Certainty * The Bible and Sufficiency * The Bible and Authenticity
Scripture Reference: Numbers 21:4-9
The metaphor of a pilgrim or sojourner is commonly applied to the life of God’s people, and often brings us to a place of weariness and discontent along the way. What can we learn from this episode during Israel’s wilderness wanderings?
Sermon Points:
- Discontent Misdirected
- Discontent Redirected
- God's Sufficiency for the Discontented
Scripture Reference: Luke 4:42-44
Sermon Points: * The King of the Kingdom is Good News * The Work of the Kingdom is Good News * The Future of the Kingdom is Good News
Scripture Reference: Acts 7:54-60
Sermon Points:
- The Beauty of Christ’s Location
- The Beauty of Christ’s Love
- The Beauty of Christ’s Plan
Scripture Reference: Romans 12:1-2
Paul says that there is a life altering metamorphosis that changes every Christian into a servant of Christ. But HOW that transformation happens very succinctly gathers together all the grace Paul has unpacked throughout the book and shows us that it all happens, "by the mercies."
Sermon Points: * The Sacrifice * The Body * The Mercy
Scripture Reference: Romans 11:25-36
The whole of what Paul has been laying out throughout this book culminates at the end of Romans 11. Paul answers the questions regarding Israel's destiny, but then explodes in "wonder, love and praise" when he sees the unfolding plan of God!
Sermon Points: * Blessing to the World * Destiny for the Jews * Glory for God
Scripture Reference: Romans 10:4-17
Paul cares so deeply for his fellow Jewish countrymen that he writes an extended explanation of exactly HOW they are to come to faith, if they do. In so doing, he provides modern believing people with a new way of thinking about the challenging topic of evangelism.
Sermon Points: * The Mechanics of Evangelism * The Agent of Evangelism * The Effectiveness of Evangelism
Scripture Reference: Romans 9:1-8, 14-20, 30-33
Paul entertains a question about God's faithfulness to "bring us all the way home" that is potentially undone by Jewish rejection of the Gospel. The answer takes us deep into the mind of God and his purposes in election and a "love that will not let me go."
Sermon Points: * A Question About Jews * A Question About Election * A Question About Faith
Scripture Reference: Romans 8:28-39
Insecurities plague us everyday and are often the root cause of the anxieties that shorten our lives. But Paul's exposition at the end of Romans 8 gives us a picture of a totally secure and convinced life, resting in the certainty of the Christian vision of the future.
Sermon Points: * God's Sovereignty * God's Efficiency * God's Adequacy
Scripture Reference: John 20:1-18
Sermon Points: * The resurrection is the answer to our grief. * The resurrection is the reason for our hope. * The resurrection is the fuel for our mission.
Scripture Reference: Romans 8:1-17
Romans 8 is a chapter that is preoccupied with the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Christians. But what exactly does the Spirit do? How does he drive home the "no condemnation" that Paul pronounces at the beginning of this magnificent chapter?
Sermon Points: * The Spirit Brings Sanctification * The Spirit Brings Resurrection * The Spirit Brings Sonship
Scripture Reference: Romans 7:7-25
The law of God has picked a fight with believing people. Because what was started by grace can never be completed by law. This inevitably leads to conflict. Understanding and locating this conflict is THE key to Christian growth and sanctification.
Sermon Points: * The Reality of the Fight * The Location of the Fight
Scripture Reference: Romans 6:1-14
It is the express intention of the Christian faith to bring about a change of life in the believer. The whole forward motion of the Bible is to fix the world from sin's destruction. HOW Paul leads us through that in Romans 6 is revolutionary for the doctrine of sanctification.
Sermon Points: * Our Connection to Jesus * The Transformation that Results * The Implications for a New Life
Scripture Reference: Romans 5:1-11
Justification by grace through faith is the medicine that cures believing people of doubting lives. Paul wants the Romans to live assured lives. So in Chapter 5 he unpacks the logic of assurance of salvation and how we can really know that we are standing in his grace.
Sermon Points: * What Faith Delivers * Why Justification Works * How You Know You've Received It
Scripture Reference: Romans 4:1-5, 13-25
Paul has hung a lot of theological weight on the doctrine of justification, but the means by which those benefits come to Christians is through "faith." But what does it mean to "have faith?" Turns out that imbedded in the life of the Jewish patriarch Abraham is the powerful answer!
Sermon Points: * Faith vs. Boasting * Faith vs. Working * Faith vs. Doubting
Scripture Reference: Romans 3:27-31
Paul says that no one will be justified by the "works of the law." That was his way of confronting Jewish people for their adherence to exclusionary cultural norms. But we still have those ourselves. What are the ways we seek to justify ourselves in OUR day?
Sermon Points: * The Works of the Law * The Tyranny of Enough * The God of the Gentiles
Scripture Reference: John 2:1-11
Jesus is joy itself. He is what we are looking for in all our other pursuits.
Sermon Points: * The Problem at the Party * The Solution For the Party * The Cost of the Party
Scripture Reference: Romans 3:21-26
We LOVE to catalogue the details of good news! How much more does Paul revel in the precision and details of God's provision for his people in Christ. Three massive concepts: justification, redemption and propitiation, are all laid out for God's people to mine for joy.
Sermon Points: * Justification * Redemption * Propitiation
Scripture Reference: Romans 3:9-20
Nothing can break up the ordinariness of our day quite like an insult can. And yet, Paul unpacks a sweeping condemnation of all people (both religious and irreligious) in the middle part of Romans 3. This week, we look at the Christian doctrine of Total Depravity.
Sermon Points: * Negative Standing * Faulty Reasoning * Bad Motives * Spoiled Output * No Fearing
Scripture Reference: Romans 2:1-11
Having broadly condemned the irreligious in the latter half of chapter 1, Paul then turns his sights on the religious community, who demonstrate their own depravity through their condescending to others, while they do the very same things themselves.
Sermon Points: * Moralizing Judgers * Religious Judgers * The Cut Off Judge
Scripture Reference: Romans 1:18-32
Paul says that the Gospel is about salvation, but salvation from what? His answer is not one that this generation wants to hear: we need salvation from the very present wrath of God. But is that an archaic way of talking about God? What good could possibly come from this idea?
Sermon Points: * THAT God is Angry * WHY God is Angry * HOW God is Angry
Scripture Reference: Romans 1:1-17
Paul opens his letter to the Romans announcing his overwhelming desire to preach the Gospel to the Romans. The energy behind his message is a powerful antidote to the mundane and ordinary versions of the faith that occupy "Christ Haunted" churches in the South.
Sermon Points: * Big News * Not Ashamed * God's "Good Side"
Scripture Reference: Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 139:13-16; 1 John 1:9 * First Central Question * Second Central Question * Practical/Necessary Gospel Considerations
Scripture Reference: Acts 27:39-44; 28:23-31
The last years of Paul's life bring some of the most dramatic suffering he'd ever experienced. There is no triumphalism in the last chapters of Acts. But how do Christians face the inevitability of suffering in this life? How can Paul's last years of missionary work instruct us?
Sermon Points:
God's Plan in the Chaos God's Plan in the Suffering God's Plan in the Moment
Scripture Reference: Acts 18:1-11; 19:1,8-10
In the latter half of Acts, Paul is seen engaging in the most effective long term evangelism strategy ever conceived...church planting. This pattern of establishing Jesus Communities is the model for all those seeking to be faithful to be Jesus' witnesses in whatever generation.
Sermon Points: * Urban Strategy * Mixed Evangelism * Cross Echoes
Scripture Reference: Acts 17:16-34
Many people think that in order to embrace Christianity you have to check your intellect at the door. But Paul marches right into the epicenter of Greek culture and goes toe to toe with the philosophy of the day and shows how the Creator God can only make sense of life.
Sermon Points: * Paul's Skeptics * Paul's Tactics
Scripture Reference: Acts 16:11-34
One of the more compelling traits of the Christian faith is the fact that it is not locked into one culture or people group. A remarkable diversity is seen in Acts 16 of Philippian converts. Yet, through it all, the Gospel remains the same message of the Cross.
Sermon Points: * Lydia * Slave Girl * Jailer
Scripture Reference: Acts 15:1-2; 6-11; 13-20
From the very beginning of Jesus' church, full acknowledgement of the difficulty of "getting alone" has been owned. In Acts 15, we get a map of how to hold the church together unity when controversy and disagreement rises up and threatens to divide the church.
Sermon Points: * Don't Compromise On The Gospel * Compromise Wherever You Can * Stay Connected To Jesus' Church
Scripture Reference: Acts 13:16-39
Sermon Points: * The Gospel Case * The Gospel Content * The Gospel Conditions
Scripture Reference: Acts 10:9-16, 34-48
The action in the book of Acts leads to a dramatic vision by Peter who begins to see that Jesus' mission in the world will not be limited to a Jewish revolution. Instead, he is creating a worldwide, multi cultural, multi racial people of God worshipping around the Throne.
Sermon Points: * Peter's Conversion * Cornelius' Conversion * Our Conversion
Scripture Reference: Acts 9:1-19
The story of Saul (soon to become named "Paul") is repeated no less than three times in the book of Acts. Clearly, Luke wants Christians to relate this powerful conversion. But how can we do that when we rarely see so many fireworks surrounding our own experiences?
Sermon Points: * A Preparing God * A Vision of Jesus * An Entrance into a Community * An Newfound Mission
Scripture Reference: Acts 6:8-15; 7:51-59
The execution of Stephen looks to our modern eyes as ludicrously extreme. What could have caused this rioting mob to go to these extremes? Only when the Gospel exposes your deepest commitments, and threatens them, can we hope to see its freedom.
Sermon Points: * The Mob Threatened * Stephen's Testimony * Jesus' Advocacy
Scripture Reference: Matthew 2:1-12, 16
Sermon Points: * Herod - Opposition * Scribes - Apathy * Wise Men - Worship
Scripture Reference: Acts 6:1-7
The early church was growing! But no sooner does it start than the problem of divisions in the church arise. But rather than make the new converts feel guilty about it, the Apostles appoint a new office to insure that the ministry of the Word and Deed remain together.
Sermon Points: * The Problem * The Solution * The Result
Scripture Reference: Acts 4:31-5:11
Opposition from outside the church is one thing, but hypocrisy from within is equally (if not more) dangerous. Only the fearlessness of a Spirit filled community could create the integrity needed to firmly establish this new revolutionary movement.
Sermon Points: * Living In Fear * Separating Faith and Practice * Faking Spiritual Piety
Scripture Reference: Acts 4:1-20
Jesus' mission to repair the world from the effects of sin meets almost immediate opposition from the religious elite. Their opposition to the disciples message still resonates with attacks on Christianity even our day.
Sermon Points: * Attacking Goodness * Questioning Authority * Challenging Power
Scripture Reference: Acts 2:36-47
Many people who traffic on the outskirts of Christianity have weird notions of what it looks like to live a "Spirit filled life." But in the wake of Pentecost, there were tangible signs that the Spirit had come in power to transform a fledgling group into a worldwide movement.
Sermon Points: * Powerful Preaching * Careful Study * Shared Resources * Evangelistic Worship
Scripture Reference: Acts 2:1-12
The coming of Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the "shot heard around the world" for the Kingdom of God. This was the decisive event for the church, but it can be hard to understand the meaning behind it. What does Pentecost mean for us today?
Sermon Points: * What did this mean to THEM? * What does this mean for US?
Scripture Reference: Acts 1:4-11
The mission of Jesus continues with him taking his place beside his Father at the Throne of the universe. Without this key insight, God's people can (and often have) severely missed his purposes for what his kingdom is like AND how it's going to advance.
Sermon Points: * Clarifying The Mission * Empowering The Mission
Scripture Reference: Acts 1:1-3
The book of Acts is the second part of Luke's Gospel, so it's not a new movement that's being started, but God's advance into the world to plant Jesus Communities and heal the world. Father, Son and Holy Spirit working together to advance a Kingdom.
Sermon Points: * God, Directing... * The Kingdom, Advanced... * Jesus, Continued...