Redemption Church Sermons - WV: Recent Episodes
Redemption Church WV
We are located in Huntington, WV and we exist to pursue Christ with passion and present Christ with purpose. Learn more at redemptionwv.com
Discouragement and Depression go hand in hand. These twin enemies will haunt those who want to serve the Lord boldly and passionately. Let's learn how to identify the causes and cures of discouragement.
Opposition is inevitable, but we will inevitably be used of God for His purposes. We will for sure be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, knocked down, always carrying in the death of Jesus, but not crushed, despairing, forsaken, or destroyed. We will manifest the life of Jesus.
We don’t have jobs. We have callings. It includes our occupation and the demands that come with it, but it’s all given by God and we do it for Him ultimately. And that includes whatever, whenever, for however long he calls us to it.
Nehemiah demonstrates leadership by seeking God’s direction, planning strategically, and inspiring others, even while facing opposition. This encourages us by keeping our eyes on God’s guidance in all situations, as great leaders are first great followers of God.
We don't pray big enough. I want us to ask huge unbelievable prayers of God. We want the city to see God work. There is nothing wrong with wanting to achieve great things for God so they glorify God.
Are we aware of the needs around us? In our families, neighborhoods, schools, and city? Primarily the over 70% of the Tri State that need Jesus Christ. Does this break our hearts? Do we fast, pray, and yes, even weep over the needs around us? Let's cultivate a sensitive spirit before the Lord as we seek to make Christ known.
The people of God are primarily citizens of the city of God, but in some degree participate in the city of man. And the mission of the city of God is to live in such a way that the city of God is clearly seen and grown through the preaching of the gospel and living the counter culture life of the kingdom.
Daniel shows faith in impossible situations through simple obedience, and in doing so transforms the culture around him.
God reserves the right to heal or not as he sees best. He is the one qualified to make the decision. However, he has giving us a process by which we are to seek healing in our lives.
Let's look at 6 foundational theological truths about sin, sickness, and healing. These will equip us to think biblically in our own suffering and as we minister to others in their pain.
A Spirit filled worship gathering must be meaningful and logical and understood, but open to spontaneity and freedom of expression. Where Christ and His Word are promoted with decency and structure and accuracy. As well as, enthusiasm and joy and feeling. We want all of the Spirit for all that He is, yet know that He’s in control and sane and involving our minds.
Each of us who have been born again, who believe in Christ, who are loved by the Father--we have the special privilege of knowing the Father, doing greater things than Jesus, and being indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God.
The topic of speaking tongues is often misunderstood and unfortunately abused. Let's learn what the gift of tongues is and what it's role is within a church by contrasting it with the Word of God.
What is the gift of prophecy? What isn't it? In this sermon we seek to find out as root our belief in Scripture, use wisdom in application, and stay open to the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible uses the example of the physical body to teach us about belonging to the spiritual body of Christ, the church. We have variety, but unity. We have an essential role to play. We are interdependent. We find our significance in Jesus, not our gifting.
Every Christian has at least one special skill or ability which enables them to contribute to the whole body of Christ with ease, pleasure, and effectiveness. Do you know what yours is? Are you serving with it?
When we trusted Christ, we received the Holy Spirit to indwell us and with Him came all of the wisdom and depths of God to live this new life. Every moment of your life, the wisdom to live God’s will God’s way is being revealed through the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God that ignites the facts of Scripture and empowers faith through the stirring of our feelings. It is unhealthy and at times sinful to ignore or suppress the Spirit’s moving us emotionally. Let's learn to let our feelings flow!
All believers have the power to live the Christian life. That happens as we are "filled with the Spirit". That means we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit to walk like Jesus. It means the Spirit is in charge. He has full control. And He moves us in the direction He decides we should go.
Without the Holy Spirit we were at the mercy of sin's power. But with the Spirit, we have a new power to defeat sin in our lives. When we walk by the Spirit and set our minds on the "things of the Spirit" we rise to a dimension of living never known before.
I think it’s time we as a church get serious about the Ghost. Who is He? What does He do? Why does it matter? We need to lay down a healthy foundation of objective truth about the Spirit upon which those more subjective truths must stand.
The only explanation for the radical transformation of the early believers is the presence of the Holy Spirit. He brought power, courage, and joy. The same must be true of us. If we are going to live extraordinary lives for Christ, the only power that can pull it off, is the Spirit of the Living God. Nothing else.
Most of us would have to admit that the person, work, and ministry of the Holy Sprit is a great mystery. In this series, I hope we move quietly and closely to the One who has been sent to fill us with His presence. He wants to empower us. He can change our attitudes and our emotions. He can warm us with his love, comfort us in our pain, strengthen us when we’re weak and fragile, and be our constant friend as we make our journey home.
This sermon is intended to convince you to become Christocentric. That Jesus would define our lives. If there's anything in life that we should be passionate about, it's Him. Thinking about Him, dwelling on Him, rejoicing in Him, and allowing Him to color the way we look at the world.
There is no human life more impressive in human history than Jesus. But Jesus never sought to impress. He wanted to transform. And he did that by coming to serve and to give his life for many.
A mediator is someone who can objectively represent both sides and is qualified to understand the demands and responsibilities of both sides in order to bring them together in reconciliation. There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
We're natural-born cravers. We were created to be. God has instilled in all of us desires, ambitions, wants, all with the drive toward satisfaction in life. There is bread that keeps us alive, but none of these things will give us eternal life. What can? Only Jesus, the Bread of Life.
Are you sick? Weary? Suffering? Depressed? Most of us are. All of us will be. But these old, broken bodies are pointing us to something glorious and eternal. The purpose of our sickness is to reveal our desperate need for Jesus and point us to redemption and resurrection.
You and I are not innocent. We are guilty. We not only need a defense. We need a defender. Someone who will plead our case in order to set us free. Think they can get you forgiveness? Think that they should? The Bible says there is only one that good.
In times of trouble in mind and spirit, the Bible doesn't usually explain to us our situation or even the details of God's plans. The Bible does tell us, however, continually who God is. And to trust Him. Namely, that He is the way. He is truth. He is life.
To abide in Christ means to trust in, lean on, dwell deeply with Jesus. It’s to draw your power and motivation and direction from Him. Abiding leads to life. Refusing leads to death.
A sermon series on Jesus' person through a study of His names and titles has to be incomplete. Because He's infinite. But through a survey of his 4 biographies in the Bible, we can rest in God's choice to reveal what is essential for us. Through God's truth we can know Jesus fully, truly, and personally.
We need a Shepherd, badly. We have a Shepherd, thankfully. Jesus is our Shepherd. He's a good leader, so we follow Him. He has great power, so we answer to Him. He knows everything, so we rest in Him.
Jesus is the beginning and ending of all things. And everything in between. He knows how the pattern all fits together. Because He puts it together and He holds it together. And He’s ready and able to defend it.
Messiah was the one who would fulfill all of the promises of God about the kingdom of God for the people of God. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He has the words of eternal life. Will you believe?
When it comes to God’s rule there is a monarchy, not a democracy. God’s arrangement of things is that there is a kingdom with a king. And this king be a king over all human kings. And this Lord be a Lord over all other lords. Or any other authority. That His name be above every other name. No one has the right over Him as He does over us. In fact, no one has the right over anything like He does.
Jesus has a name above every other name. His sovereign authority is summed up in the name "Lord". We don't make him Lord, we acknowledge and receive Him as Lord through faith. Then live our lives in response to his good and gracious rule.
Moses’ psalm gives us a paradigm for how to live wisely. It starts with God, and ends with God. It focuses us on his holiness and wrath. It encourages us to live wisely in light of who he is. And it ends with his grace and favor. A perfect model, all year long.
There are only two things on this earth that are eternal. The first is God’s word. The second thing is people. It does something to us when we realize that the Word of God and people are eternal investments. In light of that. God calls us to guard the word and refresh people.
Christ calls us to think straight and stand tall. Refuse to bend and bow to pressure. Swim up stream rather than drift down. Live without hesitation or laziness. Fully committed to Jesus Christ and his mission.
It's amazing how God's grace, mercy, and peace transform our attitude, perspective, and conscience. We become freed up to serve others in prayer, discipleship, and encouragement.
This is a call for all of us to step up. To get into the fight without fear. Our culture is hurting and being fed a way to life and happiness that will lead to death and sadness. And they won’t hear about Jesus unless we regularly sacrifice for the cause of Christ. Let's be and do what God has called us to.
We are in God's hands. The choice to find meaningful connect in the church family is ours to make. We have 3 options. Either choose community, reject community, or postpone the choice. What will you choose?
God is love. So he gives love away. He gives us Jesus as a demonstration of his love. When we take Him we are receiving God’s love. But love isn’t put in our heart to stay. It’s to be given away to one another.
We don’t automatically relate to one another. Meaningful connection is the direct result of time, energy, and cultivation. True community will only result as we give ourselves to it's pursuit, motivated by our faith in God.
There are serious consequences to isolation. There are invaluable benefit to deep relationships. Our church must overcome present barriers to community and involvement. This will not only facilitate growth, but it is essential to our survival. Are you willing? Are you available?
We can have infinite joy in the midst of terrible times if we know Christ is proclaimed, even death is gain, and our salvation is obtained, here and now.
Every Christian was once a fugitive from God. Our guilt was great and penalty severe. In Jesus we have a Mediator. Through grace, we are now reconciled to God not as slaves, but as sons and daughters.
You looking for the meaning of everything? You looking for all of God? You have it in the person of Jesus Christ. Beware of any teaching that undermines the sufficiency and deity of Jesus Christ.
Being “a different kind of man” is one of the highest and hardest callings you will ever receive. So be on alert, stand firm, be strong, act in love, and God let do extraordinary things for his glory and your good through your ordinary, faithful, different kind of life.
To live in joy, I need the right hope. That’s Christ. To serve with joy, I need the right attitude. That’s Christs. To be on mission with joy I need the right message. That’s Christ. To rest with joy then I need the right resources. That’s Christ.
God has established our core identity in Jesus Christ, placed us in his family, and given us every thing we need to live for Jesus.
Jesus is the message, Christians are His messengers. The church's task is to faithfully make known that Jesus is the King of the world and calling all into his kingdom. Today is the day to take Jesus as Savior and Lord, if you haven't. If you have, today is the day to tell someone about Him.
If you’re dependent on your circumstances for hope you will never have hope. But when the object of our hope is God, we always have hope. For the Christian, hope isn’t an optional way to live, it’s essential. Because hope is a person. Jesus Christ.
We aren't a perfect church, but can be a real one. We don't have all the answers, but can care. We may not be smart, but can be wise. A people who cry and understand those who do. All because we bring it to Jesus who hurts with us and has been hurt on our behalf.
When journeying through storms remember the presence and promise of God, the importance of practical encouragement, and the necessity of complete faith. We have Jesus who says I love you and I died for you. I will be with you and never leave you on your journey. Your world may break apart but I will hold you fast.
You know where you stand with God. And how you’ve lived your life is not the issue of whether you're right with Him or not. Instead, it’s whether or not you will accept or reject Jesus as your God and Savior. So ask Jesus, right now, to forgive you and give you peace with God.
God chooses to use trials to redirect us, sharpen us, to make us wiser, to teach us patience, to slow down our foolishness, to quiet our spirit. The hope is that God does it out of love and succeeds in bringing about his purposes.
People put off all kinds of things, including important things. But faith in Jesus Christ it is too important to delay. And the more we put it off, the more desensitized we come to the risks and consequences of unbelief. Today is the day of salvation.
We all churn within over anxieties and pressure. But we can come to Jesus who promises to carry our burdens for us. The results are rest and peace in every circumstance and situation. Will you believe Jesus Christ as he gently commands us to come to Him?
We aren’t saved by praying a prayer or affirming a theological creed. We’re saved by Jesus. Jesus says don’t look at death. Look at me. I am life. I made you. I have the power over death. I am the resurrection. Look to me for life after death.
When we get to the crucifixion story, we see Jesus’ humanity like nowhere else. Look to Him, the founder and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
In Christ, child of God you are forgiven and loved. God’s plan for his people is undefeatable and irreversible. He will give us the universe and all that is in it. Nothing will stop Him.
When we base our life story on our encounter with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, no one can refute it. You may not know where to show a person Jesus in the Bible. You may not have answers to their theological questions about God. You can have been a Christian 10 minutes and still be a powerful witness for Jesus Christ. By simply telling of your story of where you were before you met Jesus, how you met Him, and what your life has been like since.
Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Being the church is no exception. If we're going to be and look like the church of the book of Acts, we've got to be founded on the same truths of who Jesus is to us, how Jesus works among us, and what Jesus gives for us.
The Word calls Christians to be faithful parents and also commands Christians to honor their parents. When we live in these relationships as families, we model the gospel to the world and bring glory to a perfect Heavenly Father.
No one escapes misunderstanding. Including Jesus Christ. And as it is with our teacher and Lord. So, it is for us. In Acts 21:18-39 we can learn to respond to misunderstanding without resentment and endurance to stay at the mission God has called us to.
Determining God's will can be difficult. God reveals Himself through His word, His Spirit, and His people. However, through discernment, humility, and patience we can confidently commit our ways to the Lord and trust Him to work all things together for His glory and our good.
When we look to the past it’s to learn from it and be thankful for God’s grace. When we look to the future it’s be alert to it and ask for God’s grace. Both of those things happen in the present and are dependent on God’s grace. So, let’s fight good fights. Run the race God has us running. Keep the faith to the end.
It’s no accident that God’s people are constantly on the move in the Scriptures. Some of the greatest lessons we learn in life come from His calling us to new places and new things. Through the unfamiliar we are forced to trust God, see through different lenses, become open to the new. . God's calling us from where we are to where he wants us to be and it’s in the process of following that we are changed.
The promise from God’s Word to us right now today, no matter what we’re worried about or scared of, is this: A mindset that leans on God as an everlasting rock of support will be watched over by God and kept in an infinite, calm, posture of rest. Now that’s a promise!
The greatest evidence of God’s power is His ability to change sinful hearts and lives into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. The transformation of individual lives. Resistance to that power comes from stubborn and unbelieving hearts. Receiving that power happens as submissive believing hearts trust Jesus Christ.
Everything Christians believe and do should be rooted in the Bible. We need to be careful that what we believe and do is thoroughly studied and understood before applying. We can do this while staying open to the Spirit's prerogative and power.
We feel that if we want to make a difference in the world we need to be impressive and attractive and powerful and competent. And the image a servant doesn’t convey any of those things. Today we learn several characteristics of God's view of greatness.
"Discipleship” is a church word that is heard a lot but that doesn’t mean we know what it means. Discipleship is an informal behind the scenes character training experience where one person works with one or a few in the living out of the Christian life and ministry. Who are you discipling? Who is discipling you?
That Jesus came to save is the essence of His life and his message. His first impression to the world! The word of salvation is God’s first word to us through the personal name of His Son.
God has been surprising people for 2000 years in the way He gave His Son to the world. And for 2000 years humanity has been responding. How do you respond to the person of Jesus Christ?
The mystery of Advent is revealed in the gospel, which is the message that we are in Christ, Christ is in us, and everything we need can be had in Christ.
Every Christmas we're reminded of the coming kingdom of God that ushers in perfect universal peace. Until then the only peace we will know can be in our heart through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the king.
We can sometimes believe that because we aren't gifted or impressive that we don't have what it takes to make difference for Christ in our world. But the truth is no one has what it takes. . Only God can does. He promises us, "my grace is sufficient."
Everyone is seeking for security, approval, acceptance, comfort, meaning, and purpose. Only God can give those things ultimately. He offers them to us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Do you know Him personally? Are you personally making Him known?
We exist to pursue Christ with passion and present Christ with purpose. People who live passionately maximize their abilities and talent and impact. Christ loved God and fully lived so that we can love God and live fully ourselves. And He’s who this all about.
Whatever the barrier for us to talk of Christ to others and whatever the barrier for the person we're going to talk to trust Christ. God knows just the right way to bring things to a boil.
God is sovereign over giving or withholding opportunities in our lives. He takes full responsibility for the results. We respond in faith while we wait and obedience when we are called. Sometimes it's not until walking through the open doors that we come to understand the closed doors.
Disagreements are inevitable. Even among Christians. Spiritual maturity is being able to handle that with grace and humility. Even if a separation is necessary.
On the one hand, salvation by grace alone is not to be compromised. On the other hand, love should be demonstrated toward others when the issue isn’t central. When the emphasis is on works or self we either compromise or live selfishly. When we emphasize Christ's grace we live lovingly.
We are called to stand firm in our salvation being by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and the freedom that it brings. Far too many Christians are too scared to live fully in the freedom that Jesus died for them to enjoy. Too easily convinced to go back into the slavery of sin or a system of human effort.
It's at the end of experiences that God reveals the benefits. And we know that it is through Christ's difficult experience that we receive all of His benefits. So, we strengthen one another, encourage one another, and commit one another to the grace of God as we journey home.
Failure and discouragement call for perspective. Success and elation must be tempered by reality. Jesus is with us and making us like Him in all of the ups and downs of life. Balance and stability is the result of learning to trust Jesus.
God’s plan is still people. We still have the message of salvation. We still have the good news that Jesus saves. God is still setting people free in everything. He has appointed to eternal life those who will believe, rejoice, and glorify God.
A fulfilled person knows who they are, what they're called to, and why it matters. When we have a deep sense of identity, calling, and purpose we are able to persevere through adversity and disappoint me no matter what.
God is the great change agent of our lives. He is always making us different in some particular. Transforming. Modifying. So that we become different. Namely, like Christ. So...we remain open, stay sensitive, let God do the calling, and obey when He calls.
Spiritual maturity is taking God seriously and knowing God intimately. That doesn't just happen. Hidden in the very mind and heart of God are the characteristics of godliness and it takes time in His presence to learn them.
The key evidence that you want spiritual maturity will be an internal drive to diligently stay at it and an invisible determination to persevere in pursuit of Jesus Christ and his life in you.
In Psalm 26 we learn that the spiritually mature are open to the Lord, obey out of God’s acceptance rather than for his acceptance, reject godless community, are marked by gratitude, are faithful in public worship, and view life theologically. It's a life that wants to please God regardless and model's Christ's life regardless.
God requires us to mature in Christ. This is why Christ came, lived, died, and rose again. However, we can find ourselves resisting that. Why? In Hebrews, we find 3 reasons we stall out in our spiritual growth.
Adolescent traits that Christians must cultivate and never lose are a willingness to risk, a sensitivity to God, a commitment to authenticity, and courage to stand alone.
Spiritual adolescence is the season where we have both the knowledge of an adult and the capacity of an adult, but still lack the wisdom of how to put that knowledge into godly living. Common areas of needed growth are: Selfish Division, Personal Immaturity, Sexual Immorality, and Unrestrained Liberty.
Maturing spiritually is for a Christian of any age. It must never stop. We see in the lives of the early Christians, 3 areas of growth that stimulate maturity and demonstrate that we are maturing.
Some things about spiritual childhood aren't to be done away with. But instead should be encouraged. But there is another type of childishness that has no place in the life of the spiritually mature. In this sermon we learn 3 areas of childlikeness to celebrate and 4 areas of childishness to be condemned.
Sin was punished and paid for in Christ so that God would be both the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
The Christian life is walking with the Lord. It is caught rather than taught. However, we can see what it looks like and begin to step out in faith as God compels us to walk by the Spirit.
We'll never mature in our faith, if we've never been born into our faith. There are four musts that accompany a true coming to faith in Christ. We must be born again, it must be biblical, it must be personal, and it must be authentic.
There are definite and fixed stages of through which we must pass in route to becoming spiritually mature. The Bible uses the analogy of physical development. They are Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, and Adulthood. We all start at the same place and we all go through the same stages. Identifying and understanding where we are and where we want to be is the place to start in maturing.
Spiritual maturity means such things as being fully developed, wise in the ways of life, and a determination to submit to God. It includes self-discipline, a determination to obey the Bible, and a commitment to know Christ and be like Christ and tell others about Christ, every day, all the time. All of that with an attitude of contentment and joy.
The Bible describes the city of man as primarily being a place of darkness, death, and unbelief. And every person is born into the city of man, but in God's goodness he chooses to bring some, through a new birth, into the city of God. You become a citizen of this city through the light of the gospel of Jesus and his death for sin, a new life in Christ's resurrection, and you enter the city through faith.
Strongholds are situations or dilemmas that are keeping us bound and we can’t break free. Things we can’t work ourselves through or fix. But nothing is too difficult for God to break us loose. In God’s power there can be even a miraculous rescue. So we rest in God and we pray.
Whatever God plans, He pursues. This makes us patient. Whomever God chooses, He uses. This makes us humble. Wherever God selects, He sends. This makes us content.
God is forever on the cutting edge of change. Never his nature. Never His Word. But He changes his ways and his movements continually. We must remain calm, seek God's glory, embrace change, and continually evaluate.
All of us are seeking for security, approval, acceptance, comfort, meaning, purpose, joy that lasts/ On top of that there’s fear, a lack of peace, even a sense of guilt. There is a deep itch and some unknown scratch. Augustine wrote our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee, God.
God’s arm isn’t short. He has never met his match. He is offering you Jesus right now and you can have him right now and be forgiven right now and have eternal life right now so that if you would die right now you would be with God right now. Grace.
Based on external appearance, past experiences, or personal preferences our sin nature assumes the worst, our sinful mind forms bad opinions, so we do, say, or ignore unjust, cruel, and even hateful things. This is sinful, painful, and the only rescue from it is Jesus Christ.
We must be careful and above all biblical when thinking about miracles. The Bible teaches us that when it comes to the miraculous we can be open and expectant while maintaining discernment and honesty. When we do God will get the glory and people will come to Christ.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a turning point for the 1st century believers in the book of Acts, and Christian’s today still live under that same power and influence. The boldness, courage, and strength the early disciples had didn’t come from sheer force of will power or good intentions. It came from the assurances they had because the resurrection was real. The apostle Paul encourages us with 4 assurances that are rooted in Jesus’ resurrection. Assurances of hope that can reorient, and motivate, and encourage how we live and how we believe today.
If we are going to become a church like the early church, then we must be a church centered upon Christ. To do that, we must look to the Scriptures for our model of a Christ-centered church. Paul’s opening passage of thanksgiving to God for the Philippian church shows us what the realities of a Christ-centered church looks like.
God isn’t looking for strong willed individualists. No matter how gifted. He wants humble, broken, bruised, and dependent sons and daughters. People who have learned they can’t make it on their own.
It's essential for life and ministry to intentional be set aside or set apart to enter a time of deep soul searching, learning from God’s word, but more importantly personal rearrangement of your life and lifestyle. To form habits in the private part of your life that will be essential for godliness, relationships, and ministry.
God is all knowing and unchanging. No detail escapes notice. Faithful to complete his plans. But when it comes to our experience He deliberately surprises us with difficult assignments. Sometimes he uses surprises to expose a sin, cultivate a Christ like quality in us or open a door of ministry. But he always supplies sufficient grace to handle the unexpected.
There is no one more persistent than God. We are no match for Him. When He wants to do something, He does it. When He wants someone, He gets them. No thing is impossible. No person is out of reach. When God decides to pursue a person, he gets them every time.
The work of salvation is God's from start to finish. He invites us to the joy of being a means by which He does it. In Acts 8, we have an example of how a simple clear conversation about Jesus is all it takes. In Christ, we can do this.
We know that a ministry is authentic when the person of Christ is central, accompanied by a freedom from the power of sin, and evidencing contagious joy.
When a person dies in faith in Jesus Christ, they are welcomed home, not rejected. This gives us confidence and hope to live boldly before God and others in the here and now.
Times of stress allow us to demonstrate the power of the gospel in real time, to all who see, that we can take it. Those of you under pressure, have no idea how God is using your life right now. You are displaying what faith in Christ looks like to a watching world.
As a church grows and becomes more programmed, individuals can be overlooked. Add to that the scattering of our membership during the pandemic and it can be hard to know who is still with us. There may be individuals asking: Does anyone even know my marriage is struggling or that I’m engrossed in sin or facing financial hardship? Do they even care? Who is there to help and walk with me through it? We have to somehow make sure we’re passionate about reaching more and more while at the same time insuring that each individual is being cared for.
After Jesus was presented in the Temple, two elderly persons rejoiced at the sight of him. The woman, Anna, shows us how ordinary obedience, even in life’s drudgeries and setbacks, is how God chooses to work in extraordinary ways. In quiet obedience, she models who we are, what we are, and why we are, always pointing to where we are—in Jesus.
Jesus is offering you Himself as your God and Savior. Right now. He quietly, every year, gets the message across. And of all years, he would love to just show up in your life. And the way that happens isn’t just to read about him, but personally know Him.
It’s Christmas. He’s given us another one. Yet another season of time to reflect and respond to him. Do you know him? Have you felt compelled by his life today? What did he cause you to feel? Amazement, astonishment, marveling, questions? Has there been a time where you believed? When you said Jesus you became sin for my sake.
How do I know that Jesus is the Son of God? John 1 gives us 4 reasons. He is eternal. He created all things. He gives spiritual life to man. He was the very representation of God on earth. Receive Him in His fullness.
Advent is a time dedicated to the truth that God always and forever keeps his promises. God makes promises, keeps promises, and fulfills his promises. Ultimately, all his promises have their "yes and amen" in Jesus. Advent reminds us that Jesus is the promise God keeps.
Christ, the Chief Shepherd, has decided that He will do his winning through his sheep. It's not on us to be attractive, powerful, and skilled extraordinary people. All we do as sheep is depend on the ability and wisdom of the Shepherd to know what to do and how to do it.
This is a story that took place in the first century, but is relevant to us, as a warning. A warning against being a Christian fake. Not just in pulpits, but in the pews. And messages like this need delivered on occasion to wake us up to take God seriously and to take these words personally.
These are great days in which to live as a Christian. We have the opportunity and calling to boldly make known the person and work of Jesus Christ. This requires courage. This courage comes through a humble dependence on God's sovereignty and power, as well as our personal dependence and involvement with fellow believers.
Religion is the enemy of authentic Christianity. It seeks to intimidate any who oppose it and it's based on human wisdom. It rejects it's need for Christ and it lacks God's power. Authentic Christianity, has the hope of resurrection, the confidence of the Spirit's power, and the promise of salvation. The main thing we need is a relationship with Jesus. The last thing we need is any other substitute.
We all are born spiritually crippled. Jesus raises us up by his mercy and gives us faith. The result is total forgiveness, spiritual refreshment, and total restoration.
All of us have mental and emotional memories of church embedded in us. Our default setting is to form opinions based on our church experiences. The goal in this sermon is to set those aside and instead let God’s opinion permeate regarding what a local church's priorities are to be.
Acts 2:37-41 isn't in our Bible to cause theological controversy but to bring the offer of hope and salvation to sinners. We can arrive at some very firm convictions from the Bible about God’s plan of saving sinners. That includes sinners then and there in the first century and the sinners here and now at Redemption Church.
The first thing that happens when the Spirit is poured out on the church is the preaching of Jesus Christ. Great preaching is simple, biblically based, and Christ centered. Peter's sermon is all three. He preaches six Christ centered doctrines that call for an immediate response from his listeners, including us.
This is a key moment in the book of Acts. God gives the Holy Spirit to indwell His people. The result is power. In chapter 1 they are held back. In chapter 2 they are sent to the streets. In chapter 1 the Son ascends. In chapter 2 the Spirit descends. This is the beginning to a whole new transition in God’s kingdom. But it is a chapter that has been terribly confused. Our goal is to take it simply and read it clearly and understand it accurately so we can apply it correctly.
The followers of Christ simply obeyed Jesus command to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to empower them. While waiting, they prayed, sought the Scriptures, and asked for his leadership. God is not looking for perfect performance, but dependent believers. God's plan isn't complicated, but simple.
All followers of Christ are witnesses to his life, death, and resurrection. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to empower that witness. In this passage we learn four things that power of the Spirit is and isn't. The power isn't a symbol, but is a reality. The Spirit is not a program, but is an ability. The power isn't to promote, but is to witness. The power isn't restricted, but is universal.
Jesus Christ is God's message for the world. God's people are God's messengers to the world. No other book of the Bible inspires the richness and courage our present mission better than the book of Acts. And no book affirms more clearly our God given power to persevere and make Christ known. We may be small in number, but no remnant was ever more sure of its future.
There is a certain fragrance to the gospel. It often smells like victory. It should smell like hope. But most of all, it must smell like Jesus. Some people will love that smell and be attracted to it. Others will hate that smell and be repulsed by it. Still, wherever we go and whatever we do, we will carry the fragrance of the gospel with us, as life to life and death to death.
Jesus’ Great Commission to his disciples are not just his parting words of encouragement to a bewildered, doubting band of believers. They are the backbone of everything the church does in this world and in preparation for the next. They give us all the confidence, assurance, boldness, power, energy, and belief we need to be on mission. Jesus is above us all, Jesus is in us all, and Jesus is with us all—we cannot fail.
In this text, Jesus gives us five reminders to help us fight anxiety. To do so, we must first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
You will never kill personal sin until you kill the power of sin. You may stunt it’s growth. You may stall its effects. You may keep it at bay. You may even choke it to unconsciousness. But in order to kill it, you must get to its source.
We’ve seen what we ought to know about our identity as Christians—now we’ll see how we ought to live out that identity. It’s Jesus who tells us who we are, and it’s Jesus who tells us how to live. We must be rooted in Jesus, built up in Jesus, and firmly established in Jesus for all we are and ever will be as Christians.
Our identity as Christians comes with a calling to hardship and suffering. Yet as we endure hardships as Christians, we become better ministers and servants of Jesus and his message of good news to everyone.
Colossians 1 gives us the framework for understanding the fullness of who Christ is, what he has accomplished, and why he came into this world. We are who Jesus says we are, and until we understand who Jesus is, we’ll never understand who we are and what we were created to be.
God has given us Christ, the greatest gift, so of course He'll give us everything else that is needed to be conformed into the image of Christ. While He works that plan, we live lives free of opposition, accusation, condemnation, or separation.
Romans 8:28 is one of the greatest promises in the Bible. It's based on fact, not feeling. It's God's project, not ours. It's a total plan, not partial. It's purpose is good, not evil. It's for Christians, not Non-Christians.
Suffering is a part of God's curriculum. It has a point and an end that far surpasses the pain. God calls us to groan to Him, hope in Him, and pray with Him while we wait.
Many believers through ignorance or misunderstanding do not walk in the freedom that is theirs in Christ. They trust Christ, by grace, but try to live like Christ through their own effort. We are free to enjoy the benefits of God's grace, which we see in this passage are: God is our leader, God is our Father, Assurance of God's favor, and we inherit the world.
God the Father, has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to secure our salvation, free us internally, and gain us righteous standing before God. We have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit. However, we still have a sin nature residing within us. Christians make regular personal decisions about whether we will yield to the person of the Spirit or our sinful nature.
The first half of Paul’s letter to the Romans is the clearest, most accurate, and most compelling presentation of the gospel in the whole Bible. It shows our need as sinners, God’s grace to meet our need in Jesus, the peace we have with God by his grace alone, and the power we have in the fight against sin. But every single bit of good we have is owed to the gospel alone. We never leave it, never move on from it, and never grow out of our need for it.
God has been doing a work in us and through us as we've studied the book of Job. It only seems fitting that we'd wrap the series by looking at what Job has taught us about God. We'll look at seven truths about God that were true for Job and are true today.
Studying the life of Job is only helpful if it helps us live our lives with God. We will review the book of Job, reflect on seven lessons about ourselves, and respond in faith and long obedience.
Our hope isn't in living happily ever after, but in the truth that God is refining in us gold like qualities. These qualities can be enjoyed in some degree in this life and in full in eternity. This is a truth that can only be realized through faith in Jesus Christ our God and Savior.
We all long for justice and we all long for grace. God is the source of both. This passage points us to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for sinners. In Christ, forgiveness is worth asking for and justice is worth waiting for.
God's rebukes are reliable and effectual. We dare not ignore it or resist it. A response of full authentic surrender pleases God, yields rest for our souls, and is effective for God's mission.
God's way of revealing Himself to us can be unsettling. But since His ways are perfect, I submit. Since He's in full control, I follow. Since He has all the answers, I listen.
Jesus meets us where we are, forces us to admit the truth, gives us His life to enjoy, call us to Himself, and keeps coming to us until we do.
Good Friday is good news because it brings good things by the death of our good Savior. It preaches us the message that we’re reconciled to God—once we were his enemies under his wrath; now we are his friends under his grace. It brings the reality of substitution—his death for our life, his righteousness for our sin, his blood for our redemption.
Who we are in Christ determines how we see others. How we see others determines what we relate to others. We are to love our neighbors. Before we ever do that we must see them the way Jesus does. Before we do that we must be people of compassion. Before we become that we must first receive Jesus' love and compassion.
The Romans Road tells us four things. We're all sinners, we're all dying, we're all loved, and we're all eligible. This is the gospel, with no filter and no fluff.
The world has always been a hostile place for evangelism. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul gave thanks for the reception and operation of the gospel message. We’ll discover 3 essentials for evangelism that generates gratitude.
We can’t save anyone. It’s impossible. So we don’t need evangelism tools or a script or a program or a pep talk. We need God to do the impossible. To raise dead hearts to faith. Let’s ask him to do that and keep on asking him to do that. Think right now of a couple 3 people who you think, "no way they’re trusting Christ or coming to an Easter gathering." Pray for them by name and invite them to our Easter gathering.
We will be happier, more content, godlier, and more effective in the world when we realize that our life is not about us, our significance, our dreams, or our importance. It’s all about His greatness.
Our personal integrity is something that only God can produce and something that cannot be taken away by our culture or circumstances. It empowers us to have joy in the present and hope for the future. Additionally, an authentic Christian will stand out as distinctive in a jaded and suspicious world.
Wisdom is seeing things from God's perspective. Wisdom personified is Jesus Christ. There are a handful of essential insights about becoming wise that we will learn from Job 27-28.
While God tells us we can know Him truly and rightly. We cannot fully explain or interpret and define all of His ways. God is doing something that is much bigger and higher than what we can speak on or understand. In the words of A.W. Tozer, "The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate its concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him—and of it."
God sometimes feels absent. His plan is not always clear. Sin can seem to be overlooked. Yet we trust Him because He knows, He's ours, and He is in control.
Few things are as frustrating as being spoken against unfairly. How do we respond? Job's example and Jesus' life provide balanced insights and timeless principles that are biblically rooted and personally relevant.
Everybody in this world is going to connect themselves to something or someone. The question is who? Or what? Most often, we abide in the thing or person that we think promises the most happiness. Jesus promises us that he alone can offer that true, complete joy and happiness in himself. And the way we receive it is by abiding in him and his love.
Every battle against fear, anxiety, depression, pessimism and cynicism is either won or lost by what we believe about God—his character, his attributes and his promises. Jesus assures his disciples (and us) that the antidote for anxiety is faith in his promises—believing God, believing Jesus for all he has promised to be for us now and in the future.
Every battle against fear, anxiety, depression, pessimism and cynicism is either won or lost by what we believe about God—his character, his attributes and his promises. Jesus assures his disciples (and us) that the antidote for anxiety is faith in his promises—believing God, believing Jesus for all he has promised to be for us now and in the future.
The first gospel proclamation came to humble shepherds in a field. With all the fanfare and glories of heaven surrounding them, they received the song of “peace on earth.” This peace came in the form of a baby boy, born to a teenager surrounded by beasts of burden. This God-Man would be the key to peace on earth for all people.
The Song of Zechariah is compiled of almost no original material. After nine months of no talking, Zechariah’s lips are loosed and he sings the praises of God for his Messiah. With nothing but Old Testament memory, Zechariah shows how God fulfills all his promises. God’s people have been rescued, and Zechariah’s own son will prepare the way for this Messiah child.
Mary's Song shows us everything we need to know about the blessing God gives and should be given. He is blessed because he is our Savior. He is blessed for who and what He is. And He is blessed for His promises fulfilled to us. In the Song of Mary, we have all the lyrics for the magnifying of God.
Our lives are fragile and finite. Death comes for all of us. But God has revealed that eternity awaits. We have the offer of grace in Jesus Christ so that we can live in confidence that our future is secure. Trust him today.
As sinners living in a fallen world, God is constantly exposing our need for grace. He has provided it vertically for us in the person of Jesus Christ. He then graciously empowers us to administer grace horizontally to one another in our journey home.
Whether it's life's problems, relational conflict, or spiritual decisions when things are ignored or allowed to linger they get worse, not easier. This is true whether we're resisting legalism, dealing with sin, or trusting Christ. Ask hard question, do hard things, and rest in Jesus finished work.
Job wants to plead before God. But he feels inadequate. He reasons from 4 different angles: If I could stand before God, what would I say? If I say I’m innocent, we both know I’m not/ If I fight for my joy, it still would be incomplete. If only I had a mediator, then I could be at peace with God. Without a mediator, no amount of tradition or religion will bring us hope. Jesus is the Mediator.
It's hard to know when and how to give encouragement to those who are hurting. We can learn from Job and Eliphaz that assumptions block our ability to gain insight, shame blocks our message of grace, and pride hinders the opportunity to show compassion.
Sometimes it's too dark to see, too hard to hope, and to painful to find rest. In those times, we pour out our souls to God, who cares and understands. He is deeper than our pit.
The context of suffering is not only difficult but complex. Wise friendship saves the lectures and enters the pain. Comfort comes as we share the emotional and spiritual load and ease whatever burdens we can. All of this is possible because Jesus not only understand our pain, but bears it for us.
God is all sovereign and gives us both prosperity and adversity. Tests are inevitable and more will be coming. Don't be surprised. Don't be disillusioned. Our prayer is for God to increase our faith and keep us from lowering our view of Him.
God gives us everything we have. We will leave this earth with nothing, but our souls for which we are accountable. In the meantime, we live on what he has let us borrow. Let's live lives of contentment in Christ and glory to God.
God is sending and allowing things to come into our lives that we don't anticipate but are best. Job will remind us that there is an invisible reality and a sovereign God overseeing all of life and working it together for the good of his people.
Christ has fulfilled the law for us. So we have liberty to enjoy the life he gives. This liberty can be fully enjoyed only as we realize we are connected to our fellow believers, we are accountable to God for actions, and we are individuals with differing convictions.
God promises a place with Him forever through faith in his son Jesus Christ. We will be with Him at death or when He returns to Earth. Ultimately he will renew our world and bring heaven to earth forever.
Worry and fear are slave masters that Jesus' life, death, and resurrection frees us from. He empowers us to turn our worry list into our prayer list, choose joy in any circumstance, and become contagious witnesses to the truth that Jesus is enough.
Jesus was the most humble and submissive person to ever live. He humbly submitted to death for us. He now calls us to follow his example in being people who submit rather than resist. Submitting to God and submitting to right authority.
Because Christ has bore our sins, we can stop respecting shame and start sharing it with those who understand. Because Christ alone is qualified to shame, we can stop judging others and start cultivating compassion.
This is an extremely pivotal time to be a Christian. It’s an extremely crucial time to be a faithful follower of Jesus. We must be the church in the world to the world without being influenced by the world. We must stand fast without compromise on the word of God and be faithful and bold in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus.
Lines are being drawn in our culture and some of those lines are very blurry. But for the follower of Jesus the lines are very clear. Those who are rooted in the word of God will be blessed by God and used by God to do extraordinary things for his glory, and those who have no roots will dry up, whither up and be blown away. The most effective biblical mandate for the church to ease the suffering of mankind is to preach, teach, live, and proclaim the word of God and the Gospel of Christ!
When David collaborates with his son on the 72nd it will be his final song. Solomon will pen the prayer that was prayed for him by his father for a kingship marked by justice, flourishing, dominion, and blessing fueled by attentive empathetic love. But the prayer will become a complete reality only in King Jesus who leads sacrificially with love and justice drawing God’s children to Himself while transforming us to live and look like Him.
Might our exhaustion of striving melt away as we climb onto the back of Jesus our King of Glory and watch Him transform us into a generation who truly seek Him with deep hunger. Maybe you don’t even feel like you can stand up, let alone ascend the mountain of God and stand in the presence of God. There isn’t a mountain in this universe too high for the King of Glory to climb. Climb on His back and rest your weary bones.
No one can wash away our sin but God. In Psalm 32 we learn the joy of forgiveness, the agony of guilt and shame, the relief of confession, a prayer for protection, and the wisdom of instruction.
In this life, there will always be authorities refuse to submit themselves to God. Instead they lead in their own carnal desires, selfish pride, and godless standards. The collateral damage of this can be severe but the hope of the promised King of kings remains our hope no matter who is king.
God is a refuge, a strength, and very present help in all trouble. This is a promise of his power and his presence for all who trust his sovereign care. We experience this care by remembering his past works, reflecting on his present workings, and resting in his future promises.
God never promises to prevent danger from coming against us—he promises to protect us in the midst of danger. Yet his protection is not in the form of prosperity nor possessions. It’s in the form of a person—Jesus Christ, the crucified, risen, and ascended Almighty Son of God.
When God brings custom made crisis into each of our lives it is designed for us, not our circumstances. We are able to receive it as grace as we trust God's love, receive new perspective, and reflect on his care for us in Christ.
When telling people about Jesus: Start where they are and develop need, use the familiar to get across anything unfamiliar, be clear and logical, and apply it personally and effectively.
Story is one of the best ways to learn spiritual truth. Jesus was a master storyteller. A great example is Mark 4:1-20 and the parable of the sower, seed, and soil. What type of soil are you?
When communicating the Bible, first, make sure the text is observed, explained, and applied. Second, keep the text central. Third, Illustrate any difficult ideas with personal/relevant material.
This is the fourth step of Bible Study: Applying the text. This asks and answers the question: So What? Another word for applying would be “obeying”. In application we need to: Think, Acknowledge, Ask, and Pursue.
Correlation is comparing Scripture with Scripture. This not only gives us broader knowledge of any topic, but it deepens our understanding of the topic. It helps keep us discerning between truth and error. It helps us stay reasoned and balanced in our interpretations.
Every verse and passage of the Bible has a meaning. Interpretation is the process of coming to that understanding. In this sermon we'll talk about 2 questions to ask and 2 hazards to avoid. I'll end by asking 3 questions of you as the interpreter as you set out to discover meaning in the Bible.
The Bible study method of Observation asks and answers the question: What Do I See? It is the most important step of the process. The longer you spend on this step and the more effective you are at it, the more accurate and thorough will be your interpretations and applications. Look for things emphasized, repeated, related, alike, and unalike.
In this sermon we’ll talk about the name, the divisions of the book, the history of the Bible, it's central theme, and the doctrine or theology of the Bible.
The longer I pastor the more I realize how essential it is for you who want to get into studying your Bible on your own to be able to do so. Not a week goes by where I do not put into practice the principles that I’m going to teach you. Not a sermon is prepared without my going through these steps of Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Correlation, Application.
The wisdom and self-discipline required to remain faithful day in and day out all the way to the end cannot be found inside of ourselves. But the good news for God’s children is that it is rooted in what Jesus has done and it hopes in what He will do.
Through Jesus we are brought into a love-saturated relationship with God that is unbreakable. God is with you, standing by you, fighting for you, with infinite love and nothing anywhere or at anytime can stop this! Nothing and nobody, anywhere or at anytime, can take God’s love from you.
Open physical affection is a biblical value and human need. Overview: Every human made is made in the image of God. Each one has an essential and deep need for the affection of God and from people. Vertically, we see God's love for us in Christ and receive it in Christ through faith. Horizontally, we express our love through verbal and physical affection for others.
Every Christian sins. Healthy community is open, honest, tough and tender in fighting sin together. We must be people who invite evaluation of our lives from Christians who are close to us. We must be people who give loving evaluation to others who are close to us. The Bible gives instruction on what this looks like.
Jesus has left us in the world, not to be of the world, but to reach the world. Practically, it means we're good and humble citizens, neighbors, and Christians. By remembering how Jesus saved us and was all of these things for us we can be models of grace and good works.
Since we have received grace from God, let's obey God. Overview: Before our salvation we were powerless to live godly. But now that Jesus has come into our life we are saved, sanctified, promised glory, and redeemed. All of it founded on the grace of Christ.
The best adornment of the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple obedience. However, the normal Christian life is one of struggle. Struggle to obey. However, through community sanctification and the power of the Spirit we can fight our sin and live balanced lives of grace and godliness.
All of us are older and more mature in our faith than somebody. All of us are younger and more immature in our faith than somebody. God is calling us to be invested in and to invest in others for the good of all of us. It's never too late or too soon to begin building our faith into others.
The most dangerous teaching for the Christian comes from within the church, not without. We must be discerning that what is taught under the banner of Christianity comes from right motive, teaches the right things, and results in right living.
When leadership is unqualified the whole church suffers. Church leadership requires a set of character traits that come with maturity. The heart of the leader is one of a servant who leads under Jesus the senior pastor. Pastors, stay balanced as both tough and tender. Church, be a reason that your pastors are happy.
Every person finds their sense of self and meaning in life somewhere or in someone. For the Christian, our identity is found in who we are in Jesus, our Savior. Our callings are given to us by Jesus, our Lord. All rooted in the Work of Christ, our Word.
A church that is ordered properly is founded on the grace of God, led by qualified leadership, taught rich theology, and witnessing in word and deed.
We can be comforted by three powerful promises this Christmas from Luke 2: God is sovereign, our suffering has significance, and Jesus is a sympathetic savior.
There is no escaping the gloom and anguish of this life. But in the Incarnation darkness meets light, desperation meets joy, and oppression meets liberation as our yearning hearts meet Jesus.
The ministry of rescue is when Christians seek to rescue others from the foolishness of their sin. This rescue requires timing, gentleness, humility, self evaluation, and the right motive. Ask yourself when stepping in: Is this Spirit led? Is my approach gentle? Is my heart humble? What's my motive?
Prayer is essential at all times for all things. Overview: Prayer is essential when we have internal struggle, physical sin, are corrupted by sin, and when facing huge obstacles. We need to pray continuously about all areas of life, not substituting responsibility, or making excuses because of our imperfections.
God is our healer. When we're sick, we go to him in prayer. While obeying medical advice, we call others to pray for us. If we have hidden sin, we unload that to God and others appropriately. Whether God heals or not, we praise him in faith.
We need a fully formed theology when it comes to divine healing. Overview: Divine healing is controversial and delicate. We must know the difference between original sin and personal sins. Original sin brought sickness and death. Not all sickness is because of sin. Some sickness is caused by sin. It is not God's will that everyone be healed.
In suffering, First, don’t focus on the situation or you’ll be angry. Instead be patient. Second, don’t focus on yourself or you’ll fall into self pity. Instead stay hopeful. Third, don’t focus on someone to blame or you’ll complain. Instead, sic God on it. Fourth, don’t focus on the present or you’ll recruit God into your plans. Instead, wait on God to give you insight.
Now is not forever. Eternity is almost here. We must become spiritually rich through faith in Jesus Christ. If he makes us materially wealthy then steward it with generosity rather than look to it for security.
We have no ability to be the sovereign in our life or in the lives of others. We are limited in knowledge. Limited in ability. Limited in time. And limited in sovereignty. God is omniscient, omnipotent, eternal, and sovereign. You aren’t. Christ died to become King. Submit and trust in Him.
James presents a contrast between the wise and the unwise by looking at the outward signs, inner characteristics, and results. The wise are marked by attractive behavior lived out in humble sincerity. The life of the wise brings peace and godliness everywhere it's found. The unwise are marked by pride that is lived out in selfishness. The life of the wise brings disorder and sinfulness.
The most dangerous member of the church is behind our teeth. The tongue. It has the danger to condemn us, control us, capacity to destroy us, combat us, and conflict within us. Having come to Jesus for forgiveness and power we can use our words to bless God and others as God intends and we want.
While we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Genuine faith produces good works in the life of a true Christian. Genuine faith is not indifferent, but involved. Genuine faith is not independent, but in partnership with works. Genuine faith is not intellectual, but of the heart.
Prejudice is incompatible with Christianity. It contradicts God's nature, is illogical, and violates the command to love our neighbor. Instead, let the Scripture be our standard, let love be our law, and grace be our message.
The word of God changes God's people. But only if we prepare ourselves for it intentionally, receive it willingly, and live it authentically. We prepare with an open heart, closed mouth, calm spirit, and clean heart. When received rightly the word affects our speech, love of neighbor, and relationship with the world.
Everyone will face temptation their entire lives. When our evil desire latches on to an opportunity we sin which brings forth deathlike results. Instead, let's fight temptation by refusing to believe the lie and choosing to see God as a generous giver of life.
God is making his people into the image of Christ through trials. Overview: Every believer will inevitably face trials. These trials will be custom made by God. He will send them in his timing in order to shape us into the image of His Son. We endure them through sound theology, prayer for wisdom, and faith. The result will be abundant life now and eternal life later.
James is a practical guide to testing our faith to see if it's genuine. Do we have genuine endurance? (Chapter 1). Do we have merciful love? (Chapter 2). Do we have gentle humility? (Chapters 3-4). Do we have lasting patience? (Chapter 5).
Even when our love for God and obedience to Him leads into the fire, He will be in it with us and see us through it. We can bank on this because all of God’s promises belong to His children through our Suffering Savior, Jesus. Including God’s promise to be never leave us or forsake us so we can boldly say that a day walking with God in the fire is better than any day anywhere else without Him.
The Word of God must drive our walk with God. And because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Because Jesus died on behalf of ruined sinners like you and me. And was raised from the grave in power. The transforming power of the Word of God, by the lavish grace of the God of the Word, forever belongs to the children of God.
Worshipping anyone but God is idolatry, even if you call it religion. And you were born to worship so resist the worship of counterfeit god’s by walking in the joy of worshipping Jesus.
God's glory is displayed when His immeasurable love shines through underestimated people into unexpected places accomplishing extraordinary healing.
Jesus' cry of “It is finished!” secures God's promise to finish every work He begins and insures the child of God can persevere to the end. We can rest in this promise even when it is hard to carry on knowing that the work God has begun in us will be completed.
Because of Jesus we can be called friends of God. And our friendship with God becomes both the inspiration and the empowerment of our friendship towards others, leading us to be godly friends who value what God values and therefore boldly live God’s will and speak God’s truth.
Fools who turn to God for mercy get mercy and fools who don’t, don’t. So wise fools walk with God and they walk with Him prayerfully. So might God graciously transform us into people who are living in intimate relationship with Him marked by an ongoing conversation with our Father through prayer.
The redemptive plan of God is unstoppable. The question is will you stand by passively or get active. God’s kingdom will come with or without you! But because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, you can link arms with the King of kings in His invincible work.
It's countercultural to own our identity as sinful and broken people but the reality is that our own worst enemy in this life is ourselves. But oh! What a friend we have in Jesus! And owning our identity as sinner is an essential step towards receiving mercy.
The temptation we all face is to think that we're alright, that we've got it all together, and we're just fine they way we are. But that causes us to miss the greatness of God's grace. When we realize how truly broken, needy, and helpless we are, then we will truly see the grace, mercy, and love of God for what they really are.
When by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus alone, God transforms a nobody into somebody, it’s good news for everybody. And we should respond with thankfulness, hopefulness, and boldness.
God’s divine providence testifies that He is worthy of obedience even when it’s difficult.
To move forward we must be closer. To be closer we must be together. Willing? Available?
Anointed worship is better felt than defined, but it's a deep connection and response to God's revelation of Himself
Holy Week addresses Human History - Starts with promise, spirals into sin, Jesus dies to reconcile, and Jesus rises to restore. Will you respond or miss your moment?