Aletheia Church, Providence RI: Recent Episodes
Aletheia Church
This is the podcast of Aletheia Church in Providence, RI, with Pastor Justin Chapman. Aletheia exists to make disciples who bring the truth, grace, and changing power of the gospel for the glory of God and the good of all people. For more information, visit www.aletheia.org/providence
Family is one of God's greatest gifts — until sin goes unchecked. In week two of our Family series, we trace the painful unraveling of one household in Scripture to uncover what happens when tolerated sin and neglected righteousness are left to grow. But even in the most broken families, grace has the final word.
Family is beautiful — and we're pretty confused about what it's for. In this opening message of our new series, Family, we open Genesis to rediscover what God actually designed family to be: companionship, partnership, celebration, and a bond that holds fast. Wherever your own family story has been messy, this is an invitation to see something good, worth wanting, and worth pursuing.
We were made for praise — not just as a feeling, but as a full-bodied response to who God is and what he's done. We close out Summer Playlist, our journey through the Psalms, in the loudest, fullest song in the whole book: Psalm 150. Every instrument, every voice, every breath — all of it, made for this. Wherever you land on exuberant worship, this is an invitation to want it — together, in view of his mercy.
What happens when we finally get honest about how short our days are? In this sermon, we open Psalm 90 — a prayer that doesn't rush past our fragility or our sin, but leads us straight through them into the steadfast love of God. It's not the most comfortable song in the hymnal, but it might be the wisest.
Are there times when it feels like God might be good, but he's not good to you? Asaph was one of the main worship leaders in Jerusalem during David's reign, and he felt like there was a gap between God's goodness and his experience. Psalm 73 is Asaph's account of what changed the weather in his soul—he went into the sanctuary.
The day after America's 250th birthday, we turn to Psalm 72 to ask a bigger question: what would it look like to live under a truly perfect King? This message traces the ache behind every patriotic song to the one Kingdom that can actually satisfy it — pointing us away from cynicism and idolatry, and toward prayer, worship, and allegiance to Jesus, the King every earthly kingdom was pointing to all along.
Weakness is hard to admit — especially when the world around you runs on credentials and performance. But Psalm 41 doesn't let us hide. It invites us into honest, even ugly prayer, and walks us from lament all the way to victory.
In this week's sermon, we dig into what it means to lay hold of God's goodness when you're at your weakest — whether that's poverty, sickness, betrayal, or being quietly pushed to the margins. God's goodness isn't for people who have it together. It's for the weak. And it leads somewhere real.
Psalm 1 opens the entire Book of Psalms with a stark picture: two paths, two people, two very different outcomes — and the only thing separating them is who they listen to. In this sermon, we dig into the ancient songs of Scripture and find that they are not just expressions of devotion, but expressions of reality. One life is rooted like a tree by living water — fruitful, steady, unshaken. The other is like chaff — weightless, directionless, carried wherever the wind blows. The question isn’t which life looks better. The question is: where are your roots?
We close out our 1 Timothy series with one of Paul’s most searching charges: take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. It’s not enough to just have it — we’re invited to immerse ourselves in it. In this message from 1 Timothy 6, we unpack what that looks like through three movements: fleeing the lie that the wealthy life is the good life, fixing our eyes on the return of Christ, and abiding in the grace of God here and now.
Is genuine Christian community actually possible — or is it just a beautiful idea that always falls apart? In this sermon, we dive into 1 Timothy 5 — a passage that gets specific about the areas where honor is hardest: caring for the vulnerable, honoring those who lead, and bringing that same posture into the workplace. This one is practical, a little uncomfortable, and full of grace.
What does it take to actually pursue God? Paul’s letter to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:14–4:16 gives us a clear answer: train yourself for godliness. In this message, we explore four compelling reasons to pursue godliness — because it aligns with truth, because God is worthy, because the counterfeits will destroy you, and because our hope is anchored in a living God. Plus, a practical call to stop merely trying and start training.
The credibility of any church rises or falls with the character of its leaders. In this sermon on 1 Timothy 3, we walk through Paul's qualifications for elders and deacons and discover that the bar isn't about heroic achievements, it's about the quiet, daily faithfulness of a life shaped by the gospel.
What does it actually look like to be in the world without being shaped by it? In this sermon, we dig into 1 Timothy 2 and wrestle honestly with what the Bible says about prayer, political leaders, masculinity, femininity, and the distinct identity of the church.
In this first message from 1 Timothy 1, we discover why the gospel is worth fighting for, what happens when teaching drifts away from it, and how love is both the goal and the evidence of sound doctrine. Paul’s personal testimony of mercy and grace reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God — and that the fight for the gospel is ultimately a fight worth having.
In the final message of God Just Tell Me, discover what it really means to know and follow the will of God. This sermon challenges common misconceptions and calls us away from overthinking, over-spiritualizing, and self-driven motives—inviting us instead into a deeper, obedient relationship with God through His Word.
What do you do when God’s will feels unclear? In Proverbs 3:5–8, we’re called to trust God—but in real life, uncertainty often leads us toward panic, self-reliance, or even patterns that pull us away from Him. This sermon walks us through what not to do in seasons of confusion, and what it actually looks like to follow God with wisdom, discernment, and steady faith.
What are you really seeking when life feels uncertain? In this episode on Matthew 6:31–34, we contrast the anxiety-driven pursuit of earthly security with Jesus’ call to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. Learn how to discern God’s will through Scripture, the example of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and spiritual family—and why what you love ultimately shapes what you seek.
Ephesians 1:11–12 shows that God is not only working all things according to His will, but He is doing so with a purpose: His glory. This shifts how we understand our lives, our decisions, and even our uncertainties. God’s will is not just about direction, but about transformation—shaping us into people who live for His glory rather than our own.
In John 21, the risen Jesus meets His disciples not in triumph, but in the quiet aftermath of disappointment and uncertainty. As He restores Peter after his denial, we see that the resurrection is not just about victory over death—it is about restoration, renewal, and a future rewritten by grace. Jesus is alive, and failure is not the end of our story. The call to follow Him still stands.
In John 12, a crowd gathers to celebrate Jesus as King, waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna,” yet beneath the celebration lies confusion. While the people expect a political savior, Jesus comes to establish a far greater kingdom—one that challenges and reshapes their expectations. This sermon invites us to consider whether we follow Jesus as He truly is, and points us to the King who came not just to reign, but to save.
Acts 4 gives us a compelling picture of the early church—not just in belief, but in practice. They are united, generous, and bold. And what drives it all is not pressure or performance, but grace. In this sermon, we see how the gospel creates a new kind of people—those who no longer cling tightly to possessions, status, or control, but instead live open-handed lives for the sake of others.
In Mark 12:41–44, Jesus observes people placing their offerings in the temple treasury. Many rich people give large amounts, but Jesus highlights a poor widow who gives two small coins—everything she had. In this sermon, Pastor Justin Chapman shows that this moment reveals something deeper than generosity. It reveals where our dependence truly lies.
What happens when the work God calls you to begins to face resistance? In Nehemiah 4, the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall is met with mockery, threats, and fear. Yet instead of stopping the work, Nehemiah leads the people with courage, prayer, and perseverance. The call is not to retreat, but to remember who God is and continue the work He has given us.
In 1 Chronicles 29, David gives a staggering personal offering toward the building of the temple. The leaders follow. The people rejoice. But the real story isn’t about wealth—it’s about worship. This sermon invites us to consider what our generosity reveals about our worship—and ultimately points us to Christ. Because of Him, we are free to give, free to worship, and free to build for eternity.
God doesn’t just accomplish His mission alone—He partners with faith-filled people.
In the first message of our Kingdom Builders series, we walk through Genesis 12 and 22 to see how God formed Abraham through testing and obedience. This is not a story about arbitrary suffering—it’s about a God who shapes faithful partners for a global mission. And ultimately, it’s about the God who provides.
From Psalm 145, we are reminded that God’s glory is too great to be contained in a single lifetime. The calling of the church is to become an unbroken chain of praise—declaring who God is and what He has done from one generation to the next—so that His glory endures long after we are gone.
What is the goal of the mission? In Psalm 84, we are reminded that the mission of Jesus isn’t just what we do—it’s what we’re invited into: the presence of God Himself. In a loud, busy, distracted world, God invites His people to rediscover the joy, strength, belonging, and hope found simply in being with Him—together.
As we kick off the celebration of 15 years of God’s faithfulness at Aletheia, Dr. Stephen Mansfield calls us to recover the biblical meaning of remembrance. Preaching from Luke 22:19, he shows that remembering is not simply recalling the past, but receiving a present impartation of God’s power for what He is calling us to do now. This message invites us to remember who we are—and to move forward in faith.
The mission of the church isn’t optional or distant—it’s urgent and right in front of us. In the final message of The Mission series, we look at Jesus’ words in John 4 as he calls his disciples to lift their eyes and see that “the fields are white for harvest.” We, the church, are also called to join the harvest and faithfully step into what God is already doing right now.
What does it mean to be sent by Jesus with the gospel and the Holy Spirit? In John 20, Pastor Justin Chapman shows that mission doesn’t begin with pressure or performance, but with peace, purpose, people, and the power of the Spirit. As Jesus sends his disciples just as the Father sent him, we too are sent with God’s pleasure, shaped by God’s purpose, surrounded by God’s people, and empowered by God’s Spirit.
At the center of God’s mission stands the cross. In John 12, Jesus reveals that his suffering, death, and exaltation are not a detour from God’s plan, but the very means by which God’s love and holiness meet. In this sermon, we see how the cross glorifies God, defeats Satan, judges sin, and draws the world to Jesus—calling us to see the cross not as tragedy, but as the centerpiece of God’s saving mission.
Where does God’s mission begin? In this opening message of The Mission, we learn that the mission of God flows from the extravagant, undeserved love of the Father. This sermon challenges both rebellious and religious hearts, calling the Church to be shaped by God’s love and sent into the world with compassion, urgency, and grace.
How does the Bible define joy? This week, Jonathan Cothron guides us to a robust, Christ-centered definition of joy. In this sermon, we look at the story of Mary and how she found joy in receiving God’s presence in her life, especially as she sings her famous song, the Magnificat.
n this message, Pastor Justin explores a part of the Christmas story we often overlook: the Flight to Egypt in Matthew 2. While we usually focus on the joy of the wise men, Scripture reveals that Jesus arrived right in the middle of deep darkness, political threat, and injustice. Join us as we meditate on a God who does not remain distant but enters into exile with us, weeps over our grief, and offers a hope that will one day wipe away every tear.
Isaiah 7 shows us that God doesn’t wait for life to settle before giving peace—he steps into the chaos with us. Instead of offering quick fixes, he gives us something better: Emmanuel. This message is an invitation to stop scrambling, breathe, and receive the peace only God can give, and then bring that peace into the world around us.
As we begin our Advent series, we look at Isaiah 9 and Micah 5 where the prophets show us what God does in the darkest moments: He gives a promise. A Son. A King. A Light the darkness cannot overcome. We are invited to trust God’s promises, turn toward his light, and hold onto real hope this season. Darkness doesn’t get the last word—Jesus does.
As we conclude our journey through the Gospel of Matthew, Pastor Justin Chapman unpacks how the death and resurrection of Jesus fulfill every covenant promise God made throughout Scripture. From the Passover meal to the cross to the empty tomb, Jesus becomes the Lamb, the curse-bearer, and the risen King who launches new creation. This is the greatest moment in history—and it demands our response.
In Matthew 23–25, Jesus confronts his disciples with the truth about judgment, the end of the age, and the choice every person must make. Pastor Justin Chapman walks through Jesus’ warnings, exposing our illusions of control and self-righteousness, and calling us to endurance, clarity, and wholehearted allegiance to Christ. The gospel isn’t something to admire from a distance—it demands a response.
In Matthew 19–21, Jesus overturns what we think we need—achievement, power, and self-made goodness—and shows us what we truly need: Him. Following Jesus means releasing lesser loves to receive the only King who can save and satisfy.
In one of the most dramatic turns in Matthew’s Gospel, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ at the very gates of hell. Pastor Justin unpacks how Jesus builds his Church not on perfection but on revelation—and how he calls every disciple to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him.
In Matthew 11–13, Jesus invites us to trust him by coming to him for rest, learning from him in humility, and treasuring him above everything else. The Kingdom of God isn’t a concept to admire but a reality to enter. In this message, we’re challenged to stop striving, surrender control, and choose the King himself. Because to choose the Kingdom is to trust the One who rules it.
In Matthew 8–10, Jesus doesn’t just proclaim the kingdom, he demonstrates it. Through healing, deliverance, and mission, the power and authority of the king become unmistakable. In this sermon, we unpack what Jesus’ authority means for modern disciples: trust his power and sovereignty, submit to his reign, and bring the news of his kingdom to the world.
We all know Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” But how do we actually do that? In Matthew 6–7, Jesus shows us that trust is the engine of discipleship. In this sermon, we are reminded that self-reliance is the enemy of Kingdom life—and that only by trusting the Father’s goodness can we overcome anxiety, greed, and judgmentalism.
Jesus opens the sermon on the mount by flipping our expectation of "the good life" upside down. In his kingdom, the poor in spirit inherit the kingdom, the mourners are comforted, and the persecuted are blessed. In this sermon, Pastor Justin walks through Matthew 5, showing how the promise of Christ's kingdom subverts our expectations of what blessing is, and transforms our motivation from one of anxiety and fear to one of love and faith.
In Matthew 3–4, we see Jesus baptized in the Jordan, affirmed by the Father, tested in the wilderness, and calling disciples into mission. Where Adam failed, where Israel failed, where we fail—Jesus succeeded. In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows us how our perfect Christ pioneers the way for imperfect people like us to know God’s acceptance, fight temptation, and follow him in his mission.
The Gospel of Matthew opens not with a miracle or a parable, but with a genealogy. Why? Because Matthew wants us to see who Jesus truly is. In a world full of opinions about Jesus, the most important decision you’ll ever make is not your career, your relationships, or your future plans—it’s who you say Jesus is.
When the world feels fractured by violence, division, and fear, where can we place our hope? In Revelation 7:9–17, we’re given a heavenly vision: a countless, multi-ethnic multitude gathered before the throne of Jesus, unified in worship. This is not just a future reality—it shapes our calling now: to resist fear, love our neighbor, and live as a diverse, unified family of faith.
What shapes the values of the church? Not preference, not culture, but the gospel story. In this sermon from Ephesians 2:1–10, we continue our House Rules series and explore our church values: Truth, Grace, and Change. Discover how the gospel rewrites our story and calls us into a life marked by humility, freedom, and transformation.
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? In this sermon on Matthew 28:18–20, Pastor Adam reminds us that in this house, we are disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. Every believer has a next step—whether it’s exploring faith, deepening foundations, leading others, or even stepping into ministry. Discover what it means to obey Jesus’ final command and how God’s promise of his presence empowers us to go.
Spiritual warfare isn’t just dramatic exorcisms or strange encounters—it’s the daily battle against deception and discouragement. In this sermon, we explore the nature of spiritual warfare, the armor God gives us, and the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can stand firm in the evil day.
Saul had everything—status, reputation, religious zeal. But on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Jesus interrupts Saul’s mission and flips his world upside down, turning him from persecutor to preacher. In this message, we see how Jesus still meets people where they are, strips away false identities, and replaces them with the surpassing worth of knowing him. The question isn’t whether Jesus will lead—it’s whether we’ll follow when he does.
In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done. In this sermon, we explore the dangerous but transformative prayer: Lead me. We unpack what it means to truly let go of control and allow God to shape our lives around his holiness, his kingdom, and his will.
Has guilt, shame, or fear ever caused you to hide? But Psalm 139 ends with a bold and vulnerable prayer: “Search me, O God.” Pastor Adam unpacks how that prayer leads us out of hiding and into deeper freedom.
Proverbs 3:5–6 is one of the most quoted verses in Scripture—but how do we actually live it out? In this sermon, we talk about what it means to truly trust in the Lord with all your heart. It’s a daily choice to trust—not just with your plans, but with your entire path.
“Do not lose heart.” That’s not a cliché. It’s a call to focus. From the reality that God changes hearts, to the truth that our suffering reveals Christ, and the promise that our inner selves are being renewed day by day—Paul’s message in 2 Corinthians 4 speaks courage into weary hearts. You are not without hope. And your weakness? It’s not a flaw—it’s the very place God shines.
What do we do when we’ve fallen into sin? In Micah 7, the prophet shows us a path that’s honest, hopeful, and anchored in grace. Instead of denying or drowning in guilt, we’re invited to respond with a heart that mourns sin, rebukes the enemy, acknowledges God’s justice, and waits on His mercy. God meets us in our lowest moments not to shame us, but to convict, comfort, and restore.
In Ephesians 3:17–19, Paul prays a timeless prayer for strength, depth, and the life-changing knowledge of Christ’s love. In this sermon, we unpack what it means to be strengthened by the Spirit in our inner being, especially when life is hard. We see God’s love doesn't shift with our circumstances—it remains constant; and as we grow in truly knowing and experiencing that love, we find strength, hope, and power that lasts.
The early church wasn’t just a crowd of believers—it was a spiritual family, shaped by the message of Jesus. In Acts 2, we see a community marked by unity in purpose and diversity in background, all centered on Christ. We explore how Jesus redefines what family means, and how the beauty and power of spiritual family isn’t something we manufacture—it’s something God creates when we respond to His message.
We all feel the pull to escape into distractions, habits, or anything that helps us avoid the pressure and pace of life. But in Ephesians 5, Paul points us toward something better: life in the Spirit. In this episode, we unpack how being filled with the Holy Spirit empowers you to live wisely, discern God’s will, and find meaning even in the mundane. Instead of zoning out, the Spirit calls us to zone in—to walk in wisdom, gratitude, and purpose.
Pentecost wasn’t just the birth of the Church—it was the beginning of a Spirit-filled movement to reach the nations with the gospel. In this sermon, we look at Acts 2 and how God’s very presence in his people was meant to propel them outward with the good news of Jesus. We’re invited to be part of that same mission today—through prayer, generosity, and a willingness to go.
The Spirit of God isn’t just a vague force, He’s a gift from the Father, given through the Son, and He’s with us, in us, and working through us. We look into John 14 and 16 and talk about how through the Spirit, we’re invited to walk with God, love Him, and love others. And just like Jesus needed the Spirit to live out His mission, so do we.
The Holy Spirit isn’t just a force or a feeling—He is the powerful presence of God, giving us life. In this sermon, we examine Ezekiel 36 and explore why we need the Holy Spirit. He’s the one who gives us life, who regenerates our hearts, and who applies everything Jesus has accomplished to us. Without him, we can’t live, we can’t grow, and we can’t truly follow Jesus.
What kind of work will God reward? In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul reminds us that even as believers, the work we do will be tested. Whether you work in corporate, in ministry, healthcare, or creative space, it’s not just about what you do, but how and why you do it. When your work is rooted in Christ and fueled by love, it’s never in vain.
What does it look like to really do a good job? Proverbs 31 gives us a picture of work shaped by wisdom, integrity, and purpose. In this sermon, we learn how doing a good job is not about hustling for your own glory, but faithful work that honors God and blesses others.
When work is hard, how do we respond? In this sermon, we explore how the frustration we feel in our jobs can actually reveal what’s going on in our hearts. Work was a good gift from God that’s now marked by struggle, but through Jesus, that curse is being healed.
From the beginning, work was never meant to be a burden but a meaningful partnership with God himself — a vital part of what it means to be human. In this sermon, we’re looking at Genesis 2:4–19 and talking about how God made us for good, meaningful, creative work — not just to get by, but to partner with him.
The resurrection changed everything—but what will you do with the good news? In Luke 24:1–12, we see different reactions: the women ran to tell it, the disciples dismissed it, and Peter investigated and ended up marveling. We break down each response and ask: are you telling, doubting, exploring, or marveling? The gospel invites us to consider the evidence and be amazed.
Paul shows us how to gospel well—by letting our hearts be stirred, stepping into real conversations, and pointing people to Jesus. In this sermon, we talk about spotting gospel moments, building bridges, speaking truth with love, and why the resurrection changes everything.
The gospel of Christ is both a comfort and a confrontation, and as we faithfully proclaim it, we can expect a variety of responses. Yet, regardless of how people respond, at the core of our mission is the love of Jesus that compels us to continue sharing his truth. In this sermon, let us be encouraged to faithfully declare the gospel, trust God to bring about transformation, and respond with grace to whatever unfolds.
No one is excluded from hearing and believing the gospel. Looking at the story of Peter and the gentile, Cornelius, in Acts 10:34-48, we see that as God calls us to share the gospel with everyone he is also at work in people’s lives, preparing their hearts to receive the message of Christ.
In this sermon, we explore Acts 2:22-41 and the call to boldly proclaim the gospel—the good news that sinners can be made righteous through Christ. Boldness comes as a gift from the Holy Spirit, empowering us to share the only hope for salvation—Jesus Christ. We learn some practical ways to step out in faith and proclaim the gospel to those around you.
In this sermon, we dive into Numbers 33:50-56, exploring how God’s journey for his people through the wilderness was meant to establish the exclusive worship of him. Idolatry has no place among God’s people, and we must confront and destroy the idols in our lives that compete for our worship. Through identifying, acknowledging, and expelling idols, we learn to embrace the promise giver and live with a heart fully devoted to him.
No matter where we are in life—whether in a season of wandering or on the brink of something new—God’s call remains the same: be faithful, make disciples, and raise up the next generation. In this episode, we explore Numbers 26 and 27 where we see the power of faithfulness, the lessons found in leadership, and the role of God’s presence in shaping those who will come after us.
While sex is a gift from God, mishandling it can lead to devastating consequences. God’s wrath against immorality isn’t out of anger, but out of his deep love for us and his desire for us to be holy. In this sermon, we explore the profound truth that God’s grace is revealed through his jealousy for our holiness.
God’s holiness serves as both a guide and a source of strength when we face envy, discontentment, and resentment. We explore the significance of remembering God's holiness while navigating the wilderness of life to find contentment, grow in gratitude, and shine as a beacon of hope in difficult seasons.
When the spies return from Canaan with a report of giants and fortified cities, fear takes hold of the people, leading them to doubt God's ability to deliver on his promise. We reflect on the story of the Israelites in Numbers 13 and 14, where fear and faith collide in the face of God's promises.
In this sermon, we explore the deeper significance of holiness in the Israelites’ journey. God prepares His people for a journey of rest, but this rest is only found through holiness. Holiness isn’t about rules or being “holier than thou,” it’s about being set apart for God’s purpose, as he leads his people toward peace, blessing, and rest.
In this new series, we explore the significance of God's presence at the center of our lives, drawing from the Book of Numbers. In the wilderness, the Israelites were called to focus on God’s presence, and we are called to do the same today. We dive into the rituals God gave his people—rituals that reveal deep values and help us center our lives around him.
Jesus not only saves us from our past but also gives us new life, new identity, and new purpose. Through the story of Mary Magdalene, we see the transformative power of Jesus’ resurrection and we are challenged to say “yes” to God’s call and to share the life-changing message of Jesus: Go and tell all to come and see that Jesus saves.
How can we honor Jesus publicly? How does the image of the cross give us the courage to take bold risks for the Kingdom, even in the face of fear or opposition? We explore the powerful transformation from passive, private faith to a bold, public mission, inspired by the courage displayed by Joseph of Arimathea in the wake of Jesus' death.
Whether it’s personal doubts, allegiances to something else, or our own religious filters, we often stand in the way of genuine belief. But the cross confronts and overcomes these barriers by revealing God's character, power, and faithfulness through Christ at the cross.
We look into Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus, where his curiosity was met with the ultimate revelation of God’s love on the cross. This is the same invitation extended to us to shift our focus from the wrong things and onto the right things to truly find life.
Loving others isn’t just a nice idea—it’s the primary application of the gospel. John’s letter show us practical ways to love one another that leads us to a deeper, more committed love that reflects Christ to the world.
We dive into the powerful truth that the arrival of God’s love in Christ transforms us in every way. When God became human, he demonstrated the ultimate act of love—a love that is worth remembering, celebrating, and sharing.
As we dive into Zephaniah 3:14-20, we see the incredible transformation of fear into joy through the arrival of Christ. God doesn’t leave us in fear—he changes our outcomes and offers his powerful presence, turning our anxiety into unshakable joy.
As we reflect on the darkness that still exists in the world, we see how Jesus’ arrival brings wisdom, justice, compassion, and blessing—offering true peace to those in need of it. And as recipients of this peace, we are to step into the darkness and offer it too.
In a world marked by longing, pain, and the ongoing battle between good and evil, the Bible tells us that the arrival of King Jesus is the foundation for our hope. Jesus’ victory over the serpent is not just a past event—it is a present reality that allows us to persevere amid life’s struggles.
In this day and age of information, we can easily be swayed and overwhelmed by all the news, whether good or bad, that is readily available at our fingertips. But Paul, in Romans 15:8-13, shows us we can still have joy and peace by believing in the hope that God confirmed in Jesus Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 Paul challenges the Corinthians—and us—to rethink how we view our bodies and desires. As we wrestle with unfulfilled desires, we discuss how trusting in God's goodness and provision can lead to flourishing, and how our bodies can become instruments that reflect God’s life-giving nature to the world.
Christ’s love compels us to a strange but beautiful ministry—one where we move from seeking God’s approval to living out of the fullness of his love, sharing it with others. We are reminded that Jesus is the great minister of reconciliation, and our own experience of being reconciled to God fuels our mission to reach the lost.
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus in a culture that idolizes materialism? In this sermon, we'll reflect on the dangers of covetousness and we'll learn to combat anxiety as we seek God’s kingdom through acts of generosity, serving those in need, and cultivating a heart that treasures what truly matters.
Despite the brokenness introduced by sin—affecting marriage, singleness, and the value of children—there is hope that can be found in Christ for redemption. In this sermon, we talk about the importance of pursuing Christ-likeness in our lives and advocating for policies that celebrate and protect the beauty of family.
All human beings bear the image of God. Drawing from Genesis 1:26-27, we are challenged to consider the inherent value of every individual and how this understanding should shape our actions, beliefs, and society as a whole.
What does freedom mean to you? In this sermon, Paul's words challenge us to understand the true nature of freedom in Christ and how it should shape our lives and relationships.
As believers, we are made citizens of the kingdom of God and are called to be witnesses of our invincible King. In this sermon, we tackle the topic of faith and politics to understand what it means to follow Jesus in our cultural moment and how we can live as kingdom citizens in a complex world.
Being set apart for God means we are viewed as strange and weird. We are called not to fit into the mold of this world but to be transformed by renewing our minds through God’s truth in the Scripture. In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows us how to live out our faith in ways that may seem counter-cultural, yet beautifully align with God’s purposes.
Why is water baptism important? In Exodus 14, Pastor Quentin shares with us how God demonstrated his saving power over his desperate and lost people surrounded by dead ends and an aggressive enemy. Through this imagery we see that baptism is a divine act showing God’s power to rescue the lost.
What we believe about the future will determine and shape how we live in the present. In the last segment of studying our mission statement, we look into how it is the glory of God that is the good of all people. We need God’s vision of his glory to sustain God’s way for our life as a church.
In this sermon, we will look at what we value as a church. Drawing from the imagery and theology of John’s prologue, Pastor Justin unpacks how Jesus, as the Word made flesh, reveals the truth, grace, and changing power of God.
In this new series, we revisit the reason why our church exists and what we value as God’s people. We will look at the story of Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus and how it challenges us to live out our mission of making disciples because making disciples is the mission of Jesus.
How should we live in light of Christ's return? We examine Peter’s final words to the church about God's judgement, the certainty of his promises, and our call to holy living. Discover how the hope of a new heaven and new earth should motivate us to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, even as we navigate a world that often scoffs at his return.
How does God balance justice and mercy? In 2 Peter 2:4–22, God brings justice to those who perpetuate false gospels while offering salvation to those who hold fast to the gospel of Jesus. This message challenges us to consider our own lives and faith, urging us to trust in God’s ultimate plan of rescue and recompense.
As the church starts to wane in their faith, Peter reminds them of the trustworthiness of the apostles’ testimonies about Christ and warns them of false prophets and false teachings. When we struggle with our faith, Pastor Quentin reminds us that we know God is involved in the world because he has spoken to us through scripture.
At the beginning of Peter’s second letter, we are told how God has done all that it takes for us to participate in his divine nature. Pastor Quentin reminds us that God's grace empowers us to strive for godliness, and out of this new nature and new love for God comes fruitfulness for the kingdom.
In this final chapter, James brings the believers’ attention to addressing greed that may arise from the selfish accumulation of money and things. Jonathan urges us to assess our attitude towards wealth and things and to align our practices with the teachings of Jesus so that we can transform our relationship with wealth and foster a community grounded in justice and compassion.
Everyone makes plans. Some just for the day, others for their whole lives. Pastor Quentin delves into the teachings of James 4:13-17, where we are reminded of the fleeting nature of life and the necessity of humility in our decision-making processes as we learn the importance of anchoring our plans in God's will rather than our own.
The Bible describes wisdom that comes from God as pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin exhorts us to fight for true wisdom in a world that is filled with false wisdom, always drawing close to the Father, and resisting the devil and his schemes.
Our words hold immense power for both harm and good. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin explores the responsibility we carry in controlling our speech and the importance of aligning our language with grace and humility. We learn that taming the tongue can lead to personal and communal transformation.
In this sermon, we delve into a more challenging message from James. Pastor Quentin shares with us how true faith in Christ, which justifies us, proves itself good, useful, and alive by its deeds. We are called to live out a faith that is alive and active through works of obedience.
In a society where distinctions based on wealth and status are common, David Fulton reminds us, through the words of James to the early church, to see others how God sees them without judgement and to treat others with mercy guided by the wisdom God gives.
We are so quick to point out the mistakes of others but do we see clearly enough to point out our own mistakes? In this sermon, Pastor Quentin emphasizes the importance of honest self-reflection as we study and respond to what the Word of God teaches us for us to become people of integrity.
Experiencing trials in life is not pleasant but it is necessary if we are to grow in our faith. Pastor Quentin takes us on a deep dive into understanding the kinds of trials we face and how they strengthen our faith and bring us closer to Jesus.
In this sermon, we delve into Jesus’ profound invitation in Matthew 11:28–30: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We explore the ways we often misinterpret this call to rest and discuss the true meaning of finding rest in Jesus.
What do you think you need to have for you to be content in life? In 1 Timothy 6, Paul warns the believers against false doctrine and harmful desires. Here, we learn that what makes us truly rich does not come from contentment brought by earthly wealth but in taking hold of eternal life in Jesus.
The Bible says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Pastor Quentin digs into our relationship with money and presents the idea that we are either serving money or serving God with our money. At any given point in our lives, we are bound to serve something or someone but a servant can only serve one master.
“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.” Tithing is not giving to God but returning what rightfully belongs to him. In this sermon, we look at the importance of tithing in the Christian faith and how it unlocks God’s blessings and purposes in our lives.
In Deuteronomy 8, the Israelites are given a picture of a bountiful promised land along with a reminder to remember the Lord as they enter it. Whether in lack or plenty, how we approach money reflects our relationship with God. In this sermon, we are exhorted to remember God for us to manage our money well.
We're all going to face discouragement. We're all going to have moments of failure. We have to pre-decide to have an eternal perspective. Just like the Apostle Paul, we must fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. We must pre-decide to persevere.
What kind of people do we want to become? In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he discusses the transformative power of love and how it should permeate every aspect of our lives, shaping our actions and attitudes towards others. Listen in and learn how we can live a life led by love.
We're faced with many decisions that need to be made each day. In this sermon, we take a look at the life of Daniel to see how he consistently made good decisions. We find that consistent faithfulness is the key to long-term fruitfulness. If you want to be fruitful, where do you need to be consistent?
Making good big decisions in life often begins with making good small decisions. It’s true with health, with money, and, more importantly, with following Jesus. In this first part of the series, we’re looking at one of the essential pre-decisions—pre-deciding to resist temptation.
Happy Easter! On Easter Sunday we celebrate the historical fact of Jesus’ resurrection, but have you ever wondered why God chose resurrection? In this sermon, we look at the spiritual perspective of Jesus’ resurrection. In his resurrection, God exalted Jesus to a position of King of kings.
Have you ever asked, “What is God’s plan for my life?” The Bible gives a clear answer to that question—God’s plan is for his people to be priests. Unfortunately, the job of a priest is less familiar for us than it was for the original hearers of the New Testament letters. But by looking at Jesus’ work as our great high priest, we start to grasp what it means to be his priestly people.
Prophet, Priest, King — these three “offices” of Christ help us understand what it means to be God’s people. The Bible speaks about Jesus as the Great Prophet and we, his prophetic people. How do we live out our calling as his prophetic people? That’s the question we explore in this sermon.
The book of Isaiah ends with a vision of new heavens and a new earth from God for his people. What’s there? What’s not there? How should this vision impact the way we live today? In this sermon we look to answer those questions and see how the vision of God’s new world points us to the hope we have in Jesus.
At the end of Isaiah 59, God promises to put the Spirit that’s on Isaiah intro a generation of his people. Isaiah lived by the Spirit in his day, so what does it look like to live by the Spirit in our day. In this sermon we look at questions we should ask of a prophetic, Spirit-empowered generation.
The Israelites were in geographical, but all humanity is in spiritual exile. We try to deal with our exile through life hacking and technique, but God has a better answer—the Servant. The Servant is the true answer to our exile, and in this sermon we explore what the Servant does to end our exile.
From chapter 40 onward, Isaiah’s message is addressed to God’s people after the exile. But God wasn’t done with his people. God’s discipline was carried out in love, and his message to the exiles is one of comfort. In this sermon, Pastor Steve Cabral shows one of God’s major promises to his people—his presence.
Every now and then, a story is inserted into the poetry of Isaiah that acts like evidence for the message. This week’s story is about King Hezekiah. He faced odds that were totally against him, but it turns out chance and odds don’t apply to those who are called to trust God.
A “woe” in the Bible is an expression of dissatisfaction, anger, and sadness from God. In Isaiah 28, God’s woe is directed at the leaders of Judah who have chosen to trust political alliances rather than God. God’s woe against them shows us just how fragile and damaging self-reliance is, as well as what God has done to offer us something better.
It’s baptism Sunday at Aletheia, and we’re looking at what it means that Jesus is our High Priest. Priests were an important part of keeping holiness going for Israel, but they were flawed. Whether or not we realize it, we treat certain people like priests, but any priest we trust is flawed… except Jesus.
How do we measure holiness? Many people think that morality is the measure of holiness. That’s certainly part of it, but Paul describes a holy life as one that pleases God. He also describes where we get the power to live that kind of life.
How can a holy God be around an unholy people? In the Bible, when unholy people get around the presence of a holy God, they die… unless there’s atonement. In this sermon, we explore what the atonement sacrifices from the Old Testament point to, and what it means for how people approach God.
How do you feel about God’s plan for the future—scared, excited, indifferent? However you feel about it, we can’t ignore it. This future hope that God has given is meant to revolutionize how we live in the present.
When Gabriel announced Jesus’ birth to Mary, he addressed her as “favored one.” What God does for Mary is a small taste of what he does for the entire world through Jesus. In this sermon we look at how God’s favor impacts Mary, because that same favor is available to everyone who believes in Jesus.
What’s your biggest financial fear? According to the author of Hebrews, that fear will keep you from doing what God wants you to do with your money. The answer is simple yet profound: God is our helper.
Those who love the lofty city with its promises of immediate gratification await God’s judgement. In contrast, those who remain faithful to God will reap the rewards of the heavenly city. God’s message through Isaiah tells us that what we love today, what gives us joy and pleasure, reveals where we live.
God is a giver. In this first week of our Big Give teaching series, we look at God’s first gift—life itself. What kind of life has God given us? What response is required of us?
Chapters 13–23 are full of judgment passages against seven different nations. The passage addressed to Egypt makes the target clear—pride. God confronts their pride, yet judgment is the very instrument God uses to transform Egypt into a worshiping nations. In this sermon, we explore what Egypt’s story has to do with us.
We all have our coping mechanisms, and so did Ahaz. When Ahaz ruled Judah, he faced a threat from surrounding kings. God sent Isaiah to tell him that he didn’t need to fear, only to trust. Ahaz chose to trust in something other than God. We face the same choice and the same outcomes.
God promised to transform Judah from something rotten into something beautiful. But how? Instead of getting the “how” we get to the “who.” God promises to use Isaiah in the transformation process. Isaiah’s call informs the call of every disciple of Jesus, and shows us how God uses us in his plan to renew our world.
We kick off season one of a series in Isaiah this week. The first chapter introduces us to the book as a whole, and what we see is a promise of transformation for Judah. It leaves us with the question: How will this Judah become that Judah? And that question leads to other questions: How will this church become that church? How will this me become that me? Isaiah 1 points us to the answer.
Sadness is a fact of life for everyone. But sadness doesn’t need to lead to despair. In this sermon, we look at how the Scriptures equip us to deal with the reality of sadness by hoping in God.
What do you do when there’s a big gap between the person you think you should be and the person you are? That gap is called shame, and handling the wrong way will lead us to self-hatred or arrogance. But there’s a better way, a way to be healed of our shame.
You might not think of yourself as an angry person, but we’ve all been angry at someone. Relational anger is a big deal, and if we mishandle it, Paul says we give “an opportunity to the devil.” But there's a better way—a way made possible by the gospel.
Anxiety is something we all experience. Yet just because it’s a normal experience, the Bible says we don’t need to remain consistently anxious. In this sermon we look at where anxiety comes from and how to ensure that it doesn’t stick around.
In this week between teaching series, we look at an interesting question: Why do people seek after things they don’t need? When talking to a group of philosophers in Acts 17, Paul says that God made everything but doesn’t need anything. This amazing biblical truth can change everything you think you know about God.
As a church we want to see our city and New England changing to look more and more like the kingdom of God. But how does that happen? And what’s our part to play? In this sermon, we look at what it means to walk in the good deeds God has prepared for his people.
What makes Christianity different to every other faith system in the world? In a word… grace. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores how grace subverts all our expectations, and how we can bring the good news of grace to others.
The gospel is good news because it’s a solution to a problem. If you don’t understand the problem, the solution won’t sound like good news. In this sermon we take a deep dive into the problem the gospel addresses. What we discover is that the problem is worse than we ever imagined.
The songs we sing say will shape the lives we live, because songs carry wisdom. But not all wisdom is worth its salt. God has given his people the gift of wisdom songs so that his wisdom shapes their lives most.
Why would the psalmists write songs about stories from Israel’s history for people to sing? Today we’re looking at psalms that recount Israel’s history. These psalms of memory show us the importance of singing about God’s faithfulness to his people over the generations.
Some psalms in the Bible are characterized by exuberant praise. Others are characterized by lament. These songs are surprising, raw, and make you wonder if they should even be in the Bible. These songs teach us how to respond to pain, that we can turn to God in these moments rather than away from him.
Praise is singing characterized by joy and exuberance. It’s also accompanied by hand-raising, hand-clapping, and dancing. What is praise all about, and why do God’s people do it?
Marriage can be a coin with two very different sides — joy on the one side and pain on the other. The biblical teaching about marriage isn’t ignorant of the pain but rather goes to the source of the pain and redeems it.
The command to “honor your father and mother” might be more important than we realize. It’s one of the Ten Commandments, which means it was one of the ways Israel would experience blessing and bless the world.
All parents have a picture of a preferred future for their children. How do we know we’ve got the right picture in mind? In Deuteronomy, Moses preaches to the Israelites, showing them how to pursue God’s picture for their children.
This is our final sermon in our Acts series. The details Luke chooses to focus on in the final chapters of Acts show us where his emphasis lies. In this sermon, Jonathan Cothron points to what that focus is and what it means for this generation of Spirit-empowered witnesses.
After two years in prison, Paul finally got a chance to appeal for his freedom. But what did he do? He preached the gospel. When we get squeezed, what will come out of our lives?
Paul made many close friends through his work of spreading the good news about Jesus. There’s something about the mission of Jesus that makes us a strong, flourishing community.
Philippi had a special place in Paul’s memory. He’d been especially mistreated there. But the discomfort Paul felt in Philippi was like good soil for unbelievable fruit.
Phil Bonasso is a co-founder of Every Nation Churches & Ministries, and in this sermon he explores the importance God has placed on relationships. Whether or not we’re willing to accept it, we can’t be who God wants us to be unless we embrace the relationships he wants us to embrace.
The Jerusalem council is pivotal in Acts but uninteresting for modern readers at first. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at how the challenge facing the Jerusalem council can make or break the mission of the church in any generation.
We love stories, and the truth is that we see our lives as part of a story. But is it the right story? In Acts 13, Paul preaches the gospel to a city of Jews and Gentiles, and he tells them the story they’re meant to be living.
Behind the moments when God seems slow, silent, absent, or confusing is the feeling that God seems… wrong. When Jesus decided to wait for Lazarus to die, everyone thought he was wrong. This moment from the ministry of Jesus helps us know what to do when we feel like God is wrong.
We like things to move fast… like 2-day shipping with Amazon. But God doesn’t always work quickly, even though he has more power than Amazon. What do we do when God seems slow? In this sermon, we look at two people who knew a slow process, Abraham and Sarah.
This is the first sermon in a new series, When God Seems Gone. Everyone who follows Jesus can feel at one point or other that God seems distant. How do we handle those moments? What should we do?
It’s resurrection Sunday and our theme today is “Everything can change.” We’re told so often about how to change for the better, but many of those changes don’t stick. The resurrection, however, is news of a different kind of change… one that sticks.
[We only have audio for this sermon because we’re moving into a new auditorium next week.]
We have negative associations with kings—tyranny, oppression, self-enrichment—yet on Palm Sunday we celebrate the arrival of Jesus as King. How is it good news that Jesus came to rule as King?
We can all get caught up in thinking that the grass is greener on the other side, but Jesus calls us to love where we live. He told his disciples to see their surroundings differently, to see the opportunities all around them. He calls us to do the same.
Before Jesus instructs his disciples to go make disciples of all nations, he makes the statement, “All authority has been given to me.” What is the link between Jesus’s authority and the commission to go make disciples of all nations?
When Jesus was asked what the greatest command is, he connected loving God with loving your neighbor. So the question becomes, how are we meant to love our neighbors? That’s what this sermon is all about.
In this final part of season 2 in Acts, we look at Peter’s miraculous release from prison. It’s a battle of two kings—King Herod and the true Sovereign King, God himself. When you see the true King at work, the threat of the lesser king shrinks into its right perspective.
Peter’s encounter with Cornelius creates a firestorm of pushback, but once Peter tells the story, the listeners accept it. In our day and age, how does the Spirit work to reshape our perspective? This story helps show us.
The encounter in Acts 10 is as much about Peter as it is about Cornelius. The way God sends Peter to Cornelius does something important inside both men. This shows us that our sending plays an important part in God transforming us and those he sends us to.
Saul seemed like the least likely person to become a disciple of Jesus. Not only was his story transformed by Jesus, but it built up the entire church at the time.
After taking the gospel to Samaria, God sends Philip to a desert road to speak to one man. The identity of this man shows us something about God’s heart for his mission and for the nations.
In Acts 8, the gospel spreads beyond Jerusalem. The first place it goes is very unexpected—Samaria. Will it work in Samaria? Can it overcome 900 years of bad blood?
Jesus knew Lazarus would die and yet chose to wait to do something about it. Why? He had something important in store for Lazarus’s sisters, as well as for those around the family. In this sermon, Jonathan Cothron explores what this amazing story means for our lives today.
Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000 appears in all four Gospel accounts. However, in John’s account, the people who get fed miss what the sign signifies. When they find Jesus again, he tells them what the sign truly meant.
When Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda, he asks him, “Do you want to be healed?” Why does Jesus ask him this question and what does it mean for our lives?
Matthew and Luke introduce us to Jesus by telling us the details surrounding his birth. John introduces us to Jesus by calling him “the Word.” In this sermon we see how this links to the promise in the Bible of a prophet like Moses, and why this is really good news.
What comes to mind when you hear the word priest? Jesus is the promised Priest who comes to gather a kingdom of priests. In this sermon we look at what it means to be a priest and what that means for our lives as followers of Jesus.
Jesus’ arrival is the fulfillment of a promise—a promise made throughout the entire Bible. In this sermon, we go all the way back to Genesis to show the first facet of the promise—the promised Son who will crush the head of the snake.
The event that catapults the gospel of Jesus outside of Jerusalem is the martyrdom of Stephen. What does the death of Stephen teach modern-day witnesses? That the gospel is a saving truth, but it’s not a safe truth.
Shortly before describing how the gospel spreads beyond Jerusalem, Luke gives a snapshot of a problem in the church, and it’s a problem that’s cultural in nature. If the church is going to take the gospel to the Gentiles, how will they respond to this small crisis within the church?
Acts 5:41 is a bizarre verse. It says that the apostle rejoiced because they had been dishonored. In this sermon, we explore how that’s possible and what it means for modern-day witnesses of Jesus.
The story of the death of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 can feel unnerving. Why did Luke include this story in his history of the early church? The story exposes an internal threat to the church and what God does to prevent it.
So far in Acts, the story’s been smooth sailing. But in chapter four, the disciples encounter their first problem in the form of opposition. Spirit-empowered witnesses will face opposition, but facing opposition the right way will mean really good news.
When 3,000+ people were added to the group of disciples on Pentecost, what would happen? Chaos? In-fighting? Instead, we get a picture of the church that’s beautiful and completely different than anything else around.
When Jesus said that the disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, what did he mean? We see on Pentecost that one of the things power meant was boldness to proclaim the gospel. That same power is available to followers of Jesus today.
Today we’re starting a long journey through the book of Acts. Acts tells the story of the church in its early days and the spread of the good news about Jesus. The first scene from Acts shows us that the same power that the church had back then is available to us today.
In America, we spend more on self-help content than any other nation in the world. Yet we’re told that we’re fine just as we are. How does someone really change? In this sermon, we explore what makes for true change.
Grace is the thing that makes Christianity different from every other belief system. In Ephesians 2, Paul paints a sharp contrast between what people get apart from Jesus and what he offers to those he saves.
The Christian faith isn’t based on a feeling but on a fact of history—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this sermon, we look at just how trustworthy that historical moment is and what it means for those who believe it.
In Mark 3, Jesus has an interesting response to his mom and siblings. He identifies his family members as “those who do the will of God.” In this final sermon of our Family Matters series, Pastor Quentin Bunnell explains what it means for people to “do the will of God” and so be part of God’s family.
In Ephesians 5, Paul says that marriage refers to Christ and the church. In other words, Christ’s love for his church is the paradigm for a godly marriage. Also, when we experience Christ’s love for us, it’s the very thing that empowers godly marriages.
Parents have a responsibility to disciple their kids. But how? In Deuteronomy 6, Moses explains how parents teach their children—through the things they love and the stories they tell.
We’re all children, and that means that when the Bible says, “Honor your father and mother,” it’s a message for all of us. In this sermon, we explore what it means to honor your parents and where we find the power to do it.
What makes for a godly family? In this sermon, Pastor Quentin goes back to Genesis 2 to unpack what a whole and holy family looks like.
The author of Hebrews calls Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. In Gethsemane, Jesus held onto faith through prayer, and sometimes the only way to put faith into practice in the face of pain is prayer.
What does it look like to live by faith in interruption? When Mary experienced a life-changing interruption, her response was one of faith. We can learn about having faith in interruption by looking at her story.
When Mordecai and Esther faced a murky, uncertain situation, they got through it with faith. The way they found their confidence is the same way we can find confidence in our murky situations.
The story of Joshua and Jericho is one of the most famous in the Bible. It’s also a story of faith in practice. But why did God design Israel’s victory in such a crazy way? By looking at the story, we’ll see why.
Ruth’s story is a little different from the other characters in this series. It might not seem like Ruth’s story is crazy, but her faith is as strong as the others. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin Bunnell shows how Ruth is able to have crazy faith in dark times.
When David had an opportunity to take his destiny into his own hands, he refused. How did David know what was an opportunity from the Lord as opposed to an opportunity to refuse? Faith.
The story of Moses and the Red Sea is well known. What’s less well known is that God intentionally led Israel into what looked like a hopeless situation. What did Moses’s and Israel’s faith look like in action in this very scary situation?
Abraham is held up as the example of faith by the biblical authors. But that doesn’t mean it always came easily. In Genesis 15 Abram has an emotionally charged encounter with the Lord, yet comes away from it with greater faith than he had before.
What do you do when following Jesus looks like losing to the world? Certain Corinthians thought Paul seemed like a loser, but he writes to remind them that they’re thinking of the entire “game” in the wrong way. He tells them why following Jesus is better and how they can stay the course.
We’re the wealthiest, most powerful, most technologically advanced generation in the history of the world… and the loneliest. God said it it’s not good for a person to be alone. In this sermon, Pastor Adam Mabry explores why it’s difficult and so important that we live as individuals in community.
We are all multi-faceted beings—body, soul, spirit. But what happens when those facets don’t play nice together? This sermon explores the interaction of these components and how Jesus helps align the components of our personality to be truly human.
The serpent was able to convince Adam and Eve that their identities were deficient. When the Bible says that those who are in Christ are a new creation, it means that Christians have all the identity they could ever need. This sermon explores what it means to be a new creation.
We take our thoughts about ourselves into every situation and relationship. Something shapes those thoughts, for better or worse. God has spoken words that can shape our identity and free us to be truly human. In this sermon, we look at Genesis 1 and what it means that humans are made in God’s image.
When Thomas encountered Jesus, he went from being a total skeptic to a total believer. How is it possible for us to have a Thomas-like experience without seeing the risen Jesus? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how it’s possible, and why it’s actually better than what Thomas experienced.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt while his disciples cried out, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” The way Jesus chose to arrive in Jerusalem says something specific about who he is and what his arrival requires of us.
(Apologies that there is no video for this sermon and that the audio starts late.) The book of Joel begins with a specific Day of the Lord and ends with a description of "the great and awesome day of the Lord." In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what this Day is and what we must do about it.
We don’t know any details about Joel’s background except his name and his father’s name. We do know, however, that he faithfully brought the message of God’s grace to people who needed to hear it. In this sermon, Pastor Adam Mabry unpacks just how good that message of grace is.
There's a locust plague in Israel. But it's more than that. It's the Day of the Lord. In this first sermon in our series in Joel, Pastor Justin unpacks the intense first part of the book and explains why it's really, really good news.
In John 21, Jesus told his disciples to throw their nets on the right hand side of the boat, and all of a sudden their nets filled up with fish. In this final sermon in our Fishing series, Pastor Justin looks at the meaning of Jesus' final sign to his disciples in the Gospel of John, as well as what it means for disciples of Jesus today.
If Jesus told you that the road ahead was filled with betrayal and trouble, would you still go? That's exactly what his apostles did. In this sermon, Campus Ministry director Jonathan Cothron explores the surprising promise of goodness in the midst of persecution.
At a dinner party with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus described the mission of fishing as a doctor healing the sick. It can be uncomfortable to tell people that they're sick. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin unpacks how Jesus made that really good news for people. By following Jesus' example, we can help people understand the good news too.
When Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus's house, it made the onlookers angry. Whatever was going on in their hearts threatens to undercut the mission of making disciples. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what that thing in their hearts was and how we must be wary of it in our own hearts.
Jesus had compassion for people because they were like sheep without a shepherd. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus' motivation for making disciples and how we can have that same motivation in our own lives.
Fishing. This is the metaphor Jesus used to describe the mission of making disciples to his first disciples. They understood fishing for fish, but fishing for people was totally unfamiliar to them. To become effective at fishing for people, they'd need to follow Jesus' lead into the unfamiliar.
Jesus illustrates abiding in him as a vine abides in the branch. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin explains what that means and what it's really really good news.
Jesus said there’s a difference between fickle faith and true discipleship—abiding in his word. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at how Jesus explains the difference.
This new series focuses on one question: What does it mean to abide in Christ? In John 6, Jesus calls himself the bread of life, and says that the only way to life is to feed on him. Pastor Justin unpacks this enigmatic saying and how we can do it in our day-to-day lives.
What advice would Jesus have for our new year goals and plans? In this sermon, Pastor Justin Chapman looks at Jesus' words to his disciples in Luke 17. Jesus warns them about something that can get them off track, and how they can stick to the path he's called them to.
As we reflect on the year behind us, how does Jesus want us to see it? In this sermon, Jonathan Cothron, Campus Ministry Director of our Providence location, looks at how Jesus wanted his disciples to see their immediate surroundings.
What does John mean by describing Jesus' arrival as the arrival of new creation? In this final part of our Christmas series, Pastor Justin Chapman walks us through John 1:1–18 to explore the good news of new creation arriving in Jesus.
It's Big Give Sunday 2021! As we continue our series in the songs surrounding Jesus' birth, Pastor Justin looks at the song of Simeon. In his song, we find out why it's good news that Jesus is "a sign that opposes" and how that empowers us to be generous.
There's a tendency at the end of the year to just push through until you can take a break. But the invitation of advent is to rest in Christ and adore him in every moment. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin looks at the song of the angels in Luke 2, and what their message means for us today.
In the final chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul says that he has learned how to be content in every situation. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains the "secret" that Paul discovered that empowered him to be content in every situation.
In this series, we're looking at the songs that surround the birth of Jesus in the Gospels. Mary sings a song of adoration because God has exalted her. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what that exaltation looks like and how we can sing the same song of adoration.
Paul tells the Philippians to "watch out for the dogs." In this sermon, Campus Ministry Director, Jonathan Cothron, explains Paul's strange warning and how it relates to our lives. The warning is against treating any lesser prize in life as the greater prize.
What does he mean when Paul tells the Philippians to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling." In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what it means, and how working out our salvation leads to invincible joy.
If you were looking for sources of joy, "humility" would be a very unlikely place. Yet Paul says humility is a powerful and surprising source of joy. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin Bunnell unpacks the surprising ways in which humility leads to joy.
This is part one of our new series in Philippians. Two things are true about this letter Paul wrote: 1) Paul constantly talks about his joy; 2) Paul wrote the letter from prison. In chapter one of the letter, Paul gives us his first source of invincible joy—gospel partnership.
In this final part of our series, we're looking at the topic of race. Pastor Justin explores how Jesus crosses an ethnic barrier to engage a woman from Samaria… when Jews and Samaritans typically had nothing to do with each other.
How is Jesus' seemingly narrow and restrictive teaching on sex and sexuality good news? In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus' answer to a question on divorce in Matthew 19 to find out.
Pastor Adam Mabry visits our Providence location for part 4 of our Jesus, Justice, and ________ series. The question in focus for this sermon: How does Jesus say we should use our wealth?
Imagine being a non-anxious presence in an anxious political climate. In his answer to a politically-charged question, Jesus explains that a person can live for God while under the authority of human government. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus' response and how it helps us to live well for God and with government.
Talking about the marginalized—the poor and needy—has become controversial because we have the conversation along political lines. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus' parable about Lazarus and the rich man, showing us that Jesus engages the marginalized in a very different fashion.
This is the first part in a series looking at important subjects that often spark debate. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at John 5, where Jesus says that he is the authority on what's right and wrong.
This week we're taking a closer look at our mission: We exist to make disciples who bring the truth, grace, and changing power of the gospel for the glory of God and the good of all people. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus' parable of the sower, and explains how it equips disciples to be sowers.
In this final part of The Test, Pastor Quentin Bunnell looks at the final days of David’s life. The most important thing for David to focus on is setting the next generation up for success. It poses the following question to the reader: How will we set up the next generation for success in following Jesus?
The later parts of David's life are marked by tragedies—but they are partly of his own making. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at the rise of Absalom, David's son, who stages a coup. David's apathy created a vacuum into which Absalom stepped. Apathy can do similar damage in our own lives.
The story of David and Bathsheba is probably the best known failure from David's life. At its core, it's a failure of holiness. In this sermon, Pastor Justin walks through the story and explains why holiness is such good news.
In God's presence there is both joy and danger. In his first major act as king of Israel, David brings the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem—the presence of God to the center of Israel's national identity. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks how we must respond to experience the joy of God's dangerous presence.
When facing one of the greatest challenges of his life, David was able to find strength in the face of despair. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin looks at David's response in the face of despair and looks at how we can tap into the same strength when we face down despair.
When David has the chance to kill Saul and secure the kingship for himself, he doesn't take it. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains the times when temptation to disobey will be most intense, and where we find the power to trust and obey.
In the familiar story of David and Goliath, Israel is paralyzed with fear at the sight of Goliath but David moves swiftly towards the fight. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at the beliefs and perspectives that give David a paralysis-defying courage.
David's story begins with God "seeing" him. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores how God's oversight of David is of ultimate importance in his story.
What does it mean for Christians to be the light of the world? In this sermon, Aletheia's discipleship director, Sarah McCarthy explores how Christians embody grace by showing up.
Jesus has given his disciples a very clear mission: Go make disciples. In this sermon, Jonathan Cothron explains why we must go, why we don't go, and where we find the power to go.
Is love simply a feeling? The New Testament author John doesn't seem to think so. When he describes the God kind of love, he makes it very clear that love shows up. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin explores the ways in which love shows up.
Christianity is an embodied faith, and that means God calls us to show up (with our bodies) for him and for others. In this first part of our new sermon series, Embodied, Pastor Justin looks at the foundation of our embodied faith—the embodiment of God himself in Jesus Christ.
If you knew how your life was going to end up, how would it affect the way you live today? Although we may never know what job we'll have ten years from now, God has told us how the story of this age ends. In this sermon, Pastor Quentin Bunnell looks at how that story ending empowers present victory in our lives.
How can you live with hope in a body destined to wear out and die? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what Paul means when he says, "We have this treasure in jars of clay," and how that reality is the key to winning the war within the body.
Every one of us has an internal opponent working against the things of God. How do we defeat it? In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul tells us how.
Who gets to tell you who you are? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what it means when Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ." Believing in Jesus gives you a new identity source, and that's really good news.
Our emotions can feel like a battlefield, but it's a battlefield God can lead us through. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Elijah's experience of deep despair in 1 Kings 19. God led Elijah through his emotional battlefield, and he can lead you through yours too.
James says if you can tame the tongue, you can control your whole life. But taming the tongue is almost an impossible battle. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks James chapter three, and talks about the power our tongues wield, and how to make sure that power if used for good.
There's more to the battle within than meets the eye. In this first part of our new teaching series, The War Within, Pastor Justin dives into what the Scriptures say about the unseen resistance every disciple faces.
Happy Easter! In this final sermon of our series, Road to Resurrection, Pastor Justin looks at how a person truly comes to believe in the risen Jesus.
When Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives, something more was happening than simple fear. In this sermon, Pastor Adam Mabry looks at the difference in the responses of Jesus and his disciples to a dark moment, and unpacks what it means for how we can face darkness.
Who doesn't want to be great? In this first part of our Easter series, Pastor Justin looks at the Passover meal that Jesus has with his disciples, and Jesus's response to the disciples arguing about who's the greatest.
Peter tells disciples not to be troubled by their experiences. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the comparison Peter makes between Noah's ark and followers of Jesus. This comparison is the key to understanding why disciples don't need to be troubled in their experiences.
What do you do when you're dishonored by someone? In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks Peter's answer to that question for Christians.
"Be holy." This is Peter's instruction to his readers. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what holiness looks like in action, as well as how God uses it — to make his people into a hot spot of his glory.
When Peter writes to a group of Christians facing difficulty and complexity, he starts by getting their minds onto the destination to which their journey is taking them. In this sermon, Pastor Justin studies the opening of Peter's letter, and explains how fixing our hope in the right place prepares our minds to live well.
In this final sermon in the Awesome God series, we look at the name "The Lord Almighty." Pastor Justin unpacks the encounter that God has with Jacob to show how God uses his power to transform his people.
Genesis 22 is perhaps one of the most unsettling chapters in the Bible, but, like all Bible passages, it's in there for a reason. In this sermon, Pastor Justin delves into the chapter to explain what we learn about God as the One who provides.
In Genesis 16, Hagar describes God as "the God who sees." In this sermon, Pastor Justin dives into Hagar's experience to help us understand what it means for God to see and why it's really, really good news.
What is powerful enough to give us peace in the midst of fear? In part two of our Awesome God series, Pastor Justin looks at Gideon's encounter with God. Ironically, it's the fear of God that's powerful enough to give us peace in the midst of fear.
It's Big Give Sunday 2020! In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus's words in Matthew 6:19–21. In the passage, Jesus tells us what kind of treasure we should treasure. When that message drops into our hearts, it frees us to give big for God.
Herod and the wise men had two drastically different responses to the news of Jesus's birth. In this sermon, Providence's director of campus ministry, Jonathan Cothron, shows how we all are presented with the same choice of how to respond to God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ.
Matthew begins his Gospel account with a genealogy. What appears to be a boring part of the Bible actually contains some powerful truths about who Jesus is and what he came to do. In this sermon, pastor Justin looks at the meaning of the genealogy ahead of the season of Advent.
The final chapter of Daniel is a fitting end to the book. The visions are summarized and Daniel is given instructions for what to do in light of them. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how this chapter shapes our perspective on the age in which we live, and what we can walk away and do.
In Daniel 9 we see a man longing for the end of his exile. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Daniel's way of processing his yearning, and how it can help us in a way that doesn't lead to dishonesty or despair.
Daniel receives a terrifying vision of four beasts, but what follows dwarfs the fear of the beasts. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the meaning of the vision and how it's really good news for those who follow Jesus.
The story of Daniel and the lion's den is one of the most famous Bible stories. In the face of danger and malice, Daniel remains stable. In this sermon, Pastor Adam Mabry unpacks Daniel 6 and explains how we can find the same stability as Daniel when we face danger and malice.
In Daniel 4, the most unexpected twist happens — Nebuchadnezzar experiences a transformation, and becomes a humble, worshipful king. In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows how we all have more in common with Nebuchadnezzar's pride than we'd like to admit. What's more, God will take us through humbling experiences in order to make us thrive in exile.
[There was a problem with our video for this sermon, so there's only audio.] The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is well-trodden territory as an example of biblical loyalty to God, but what can we learn about hope and its sources from this story? What kind of hope would motivate these Hebrew men to accept the death sentence by rejecting the popular idolatry of their day? How can we look to these men for hope as we reject idolatry in our own lives? In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Daniel 3 to uncover how hoping in God proves superior to hoping in idols.
The book of Daniel has a large scope, but it begins with a small story… about meat and vegetables. In this sermon, Pastor Justin illustrates how Daniel and his friends navigate the tension of being in Babylon, and how Christians can learn to do the same in our current cultural moment.
Great conversation is the lifeblood of a great relationship. How then can we have meaningful conversation with God? In this final part of our With God series, Pastor Justin looks out the Lord's prayer and how it helps us understand how to pray.
In chapter four of James, he calls the people he's writing to "an adulterous people." Describing sin as adultery is an uncomfortable metaphor, but in this sermon, Pastor Justin explains why it's a helpful metaphor in understanding how we can have a life-giving relationship with God.
Having a close, life-giving relationship with God involves more than just God and you—it requires that we love others too. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at 1 John 4, where John explains how the love we're called to have for each other is so profound, that it defies hate.
Jesus used a profound image when describing what it means to live your life with God. In the same way that a fruit-producing branch "abides" in a vine, so a fruit-producing person "abides" in God. In this second part of the series, Campus Ministry Director, Jonathan Cothron, explains what that means and how we can abide in Christ.
Our new sermon series is about discovering how to spend time with God. Some of us find ourselves chasing after wealth, sex, money, power, and other sources of pleasure in the world. Others of us find it hard to seek because we feel we aren't worthy to seek God, or we bear difficult resentments against God. In this sermon, David Fulton examines the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 to show us how we indeed can come home to be with God.
In this final installment of our Vision for this House series, Pastor Justin unpacks Ephesians 2–3. In these chapters, the Apostle Paul explains his personal motivation for being part of God's house, and why it's worth it, even though it landed him in prison. His reasoning shows that being part of God's house is worth any cost.
How should Christians view and relate to non-Christians? It's an important question, and in this sermon, Pastor Justin preaches from Jesus's confrontation in the temple to answer it. God's house must have God's heart to help outsiders become insiders.
Spiritual family is much more than God's way of giving Christians good vibes. In this sermon, Pastor Justin teaches from 1 Peter 1–2, where we see how important spiritual family is in the way God brings about his purposes in the world.
Everyone's a builder. In our decisions, relationships, families, careers—there's a way we can build wisely or build foolishly. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul explains what it takes to be a "wise master builder."
In 1 Timothy 3, Paul calls the church a pillar and buttress of the truth. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what that means and how it shapes the mission of our church.
God wants people to live with hope… and he's given us the church to help us do that. In this first part of our Vision for the House series, Pastor Justin looks at Hebrews 10:19–24 and how it shows us the church's role in our ability to hold onto hope.
Today, we're wrapping up our series in Ecclesiastes and beginning a new, upward-looking series about Good and Beautiful Vision. In this sermon, Pastor Adam draws from the Old and New Testament to offer a hopeful, optimistic understanding of the ways that a good and beautiful vision for anything begins with a good and beautiful vision of God.
Life reveals at least one grim truth: we will all face death at some point. Given that, what is the best way to approach death and overcome fear of it? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Ecclesiastes to uncover the Scripture's claims about how we can overcome slavery to the fear about death.
As citizens of one of the most learned cities in the world, we're likely to believe that the Good Life is found in the wisdom of the academy. However, the author of Ecclesiastes proposes a strong challenge to those who would seek salvation in wisdom alone. In this sermon, Pastor Adam navigates Ecclesiastes 7 and 8 to unveil how both wisdom and knowledge without character produce condemnation.
In a thoroughly capitalist society and an increasingly globalizing world, money has attained a kind of divinity. It is the altar at which far too many of us worship. And yet, the worship of money is not a new phenomenon to the author of Ecclesiastes. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks Ecclesiastes' warnings about the futility of the love of money.
Time tends towards cycles, or so implies the author of Ecclesiastes. We've all experienced something like this: we experience ups, downs, highs, lows, periods of great joy, and periods of great turmoil. We may seek stability, normalcy, or consistency in life, but we rarely find any of these for very long. What might the author of Ecclesiastes have to say about our constant struggle to cleave to the peaks of our lives in a world set on cycling? In this sermon, Pastor Adam explores Ecclesiastes 3 to show that only God can sustain us through life's seasons.
Time tends towards cycles, or so implies the author of Ecclesiastes. We've all experienced something like this: we experience ups, downs, highs, lows, periods of great joy, and periods of great turmoil. We may seek stability, normalcy, or consistency in life, but we rarely find any of these for very long. What might the author of Ecclesiastes have to say about our constant struggle to cleave to the peaks of our lives in a world set on cycling? In this sermon, Pastor Adam explores Ecclesiastes 3 to show that only God can sustain us through life's seasons.
In a culture obsessed with social mobility, what does the author of Ecclesiastes say about our desire to seek satisfaction from attaining higher earthly heights? In this sermon, Pastor Justin Chapman from Aletheia Providence describes how even the summits under the sun can't be the source of the meaning we crave.
Today, we're beginning a new sermon series in Ecclesiastes entitled "Chasing The Wind." The Bible is full of wisdom and promises, but more often than we like to admit, life doesn't align with our expectations. We invest, we build, and we plan, and yet, our lives are still contain suffering and disappointment. Why? In this sermon, Pastor Adam explores the wisdom of the writer of Ecclesiastes to help us determine how to respond to the glitches in the systems of our lives.
Many of the established routines of our lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 crisis. How can we make sure that we are still being worshipful with the new habits that are developing in our "new normals?" In this sermon, Pastor Adam shows that the good story of the gospel empowers us to build habits of Christlike virtue.
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, anxiety was a defining characteristic of this generation. How does the Gospel speak to anxiety or other thoughts that plague our minds and attempt to distance us from God? In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows us from the Book of Philippians how when we practice gospel thoughts, we welcome in the God of peace.
Emotions can be tough, and sometimes, we can fail to properly engage our emotions honestly. On the other end of the spectrum, the Scriptures don't allow our lives to be driven entirely our emotions. In this sermon, Pastor Adam explores the ways in which The Good Story shapes our emotions.
As we step into out new series entitled The Good Story, we consider a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees in Matthew. Jesus notes a close connection between the spoken words of the Pharisees and true natures of their hearts. How are our own words connected to the inner substance of our hearts? Do our words glorify God and edify others, or do they debase God and other people? In this sermon, Pastor Justin Chapman from Aletheia Providence shows how the good story of the Gospel should shape our words for the Kingdom.
On this most unusual of Easters in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we remember the unusual, surprising, and altogether earth-shattering story of the event celebrated on this Christian holy day - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
How do you find peace when you're in the middle of a crisis? In this sermon, Pastor Justin pauses from our Romans series to see how the Bible can help us in a time of stress, confusion, and unease.
Only the Christian story is big enough to include everyone without flattening anyone. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks Romans 12, where Paul describes how, in the people of the gospel, there's both a strong "me" and a strong "we."
In chapter eleven of Romans, Paul builds into a crescendo and breaks into song. We all want his same experience of awe and wonder, but we need to see that he gets there through the most surprising route—by thinking about God's severity and kindness. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what it is about God's severity and kindness that should lead us to worship and humility.
When Jesus offered to go and heal a centurion's servant in Matthew 8, the centurion said no. Well, he still wanted Jesus to heal his servant, but he believed Jesus could do it from anywhere. His faith made Jesus marvel. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores that interaction to find out what it was about the centurion's faith that impressed Jesus, and what it means to put that into practice in our own lives.
We’ve looked at some mind-bending topics over the past two weeks as Paul endeavors to give us a peak into the mind of God. In the rest of chapter ten, however, he’s going to show us that that the while the inner workings of God’s mind may be complicated, His plan is simple. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Romans 10 to uncover Paul's conviction that the gospel is simple, has a simple message and a simple method, and calls for a simple response.
What does it mean for the gospel to be "a stumbling block of offense?" Is it ever ok for the gospel to be offensive, and, if so, to whom is the gospel meant to be offensive? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Romans 9 to unveil how the Gospel is a stumbling block of offense to the self-righteous.
This week, we begin Romans Season 3 with a stunning passage from Romans 9. In it, Paul seems to imply that God chooses whom to love and chooses others to relegate to destruction. How can a God like this be just or loving? In this sermon, Pastor Justin illustrates how the Apostle Paul explains the gospel in a way that responds to these objections and expounds upon the striking conclusion that God chooses.
Before we enter into Season 3 of Romans, we're taking a week to look back over the arc of Paul's thinking in chapter 5–8. Pastor Justin leads us through a fly-over of Romans 5-8 and unpacks the life-changing benefits of a new relationship and a new identity in Christ through Jesus.
Suffering is an unfortunate fact of life for both Christians and non-Christians. However, those who belong to Jesus have access to a unique solution in the midst of our suffering; we have access to the intercession of God's Holy Spirit. What does this mean, and how can we access the peace the Spirit provides? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the second half of Romans 8 to explain how the Spirit sanctifies us through suffering.
We're back in Romans Season 2! In Romans 8, Paul begins to expound upon the concept of the Holy Spirit and its role in salvation. How does the Holy Spirit change the way we relate to God? What does the Holy Spirit produce in our lives? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the first section of Romans 8 to explain what it means for followers of Jesus to be Spirit-filled sons of God.
Where can we find the good life? Money? Security? Fitness? Family? How do we discover that which can provide us with an eternal sense of satisfaction? In this sermon from the Promise Kept series, Pastor Adam explores Revelation to show that the good life is positioned between God's promises, amidst His presence.
Christianity certainly involves a personal commitment to Jesus, but it also can't be only a personal commitment. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Zechariah 6 and 1 Peter 2 to see what it means to be a living stone that God is building as part of a spiritual house.
The promise of Christmas is that God would send a Savior who would make his people clean. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks Isaiah chapter four, explaining what "clean" looks like and why we can celebrate this good news at Christmas.
In the book of Jeremiah, God promises that a Righteous One will arise to create a people of righteousness who will spread God's presence throughout the world. As the people of our world search for meaning and satisfaction, who will share God's redeeming and fulfilling presence with our neighbors? In this first sermon of the Promise Kept series, Jonathan Cothron explains how we, God's people, are the promised priests who fill the world with the presence of God.
In a city as academic as Providence, it's easy to think about discipleship in terms of classes or theological and theoretical exercises. However, discipleship in the mold of Jesus is a deeply experiential and practical endeavor. Given that practicing discipleship is important in following Jesus, how is it that Christians should approach generosity? In this sermon on Big Give Sunday, Pastor Justin explores Micah 6 to show that the practice of giving generously allows us to practice apprenticeship of Jesus.
In chapter seven of Romans, Paul gets honest about his own experience with sanctification. He wants his fellow disciples to understand why sanctification can be frustrating and slow-going at times, but also how to face it with God's grace. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how Paul's own thinking about sanctification can help us walk the road of obedience to Jesus.
What's obedience all about? Is obeying God all about avoiding hell, or could obedience be about something greater? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Romans 6 to show how obedience is about a lot more than rules. After all, obedience leads to life.
God made us to have dominion over all created things, but we lost our right to rule when the first humans submitted their God-given authorities to Satan. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Romans chapters 5 and 6 to illustrate how exactly Jesus's sacrifice restores to us the right to reign.
In season one of our Romans series, we looked at what the gospel is and why we need it. In this first part of season two, Pastor Justin looks at Paul's encouragement for us to rejoice in the hope we have through the gospel… even when we suffer.
In this final part of Romans Season 1, Pastor Justin camps out on the topic of faith. What does faith look like in action in our day-to-day lives? It has a lot to do with how we handle the unknowns of our past, present, and future.
Sometimes, our hard work turns out to not be enough to achieve a desired outcome, and this is never more true than in the story of our salvation. Our salvation is built on trust in God's promises, not in the power of our own works. In this sermon, Pastor Adam explores Romans 4 to uncover what it looks like to have faith to receive the promises of God.
How do we enter into the God's family to become one of His children? Did God change the requirements for salvation between the Old and New Testaments? In this sermon, Jonathan Cothron explores Romans 4 to illuminate Paul's claim that we find ourselves (and have always found ourselves) in the family of God by faith.
In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the last half of Romans 3 to unpack how exactly God's grace, shown through Jesus, reconciles us to God and reveals him to be trustworthy.
In our lives, we love stories that remind us of hope and grace and kindness. And yet, there's a real possibility that we embrace these stories because they distract us from the turmoil of sin that we create ourselves. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Romans 3 to illustrate that sin is far more dangerous than we ever imagined, and in the face of our sin, God is far more faithful than we ever expected.
We love to love our tribes. Families, friends, races, religions, Republicans, Democrats, rich, poor — we tend, as humans, to embrace those things which distinguish us from other groups. Our problem arises when we set ourselves as judges above other groups, because God is the only one in the universe just enough to judge between the groups of the world. How can we abandon our desires to judge those around us? In this passage, Pastor Justin unpacks our false group identities and shows from Romans 2 that our judging attitudes condemn us when we fail to see that God will judge everyone equally.
When you love someone, but you're watching them hurtle towards self-destruction, you might find yourself filled with anger about the situation. This is something of the substance of the wrath of God. In this sermon on the second half of Romans 1, Pastor Justin tackles the topic of God's wrath and challenges us to respond with repentant obedience at the idea of God's wrath.
Romans is Paul's masterpiece—an exploration of the gospel, deep and profound. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Romans 1:1–17 and how Paul provides a surprising emphasis in his greeting.
A vision is a picture of a preferred future. The vision of Jesus gave him endurance when he went to the cross, and his followers are called to make his vision their vision. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what that vision is and how we take it to heart for ourselves.
In this final part of the series, pastor Justin looks at the book of Daniel. It's filled with fascinating stories and mind-bending prophetic images, and it's all given to help the Israelites endure their exile with hope and faithfulness. It can teach us today how to maintain faithfulness in a culture that often feels like exile.
Ezekiel's prophetic visions began five years after the exile. Although the book has a grim beginning, it ends with a beautiful vision of a renewed Jerusalem. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at God's explanation in Ezekiel 36–37 for how that beauty will be brought out of the wreckage.
People often come to Jesus in a time of need, but what keeps them following Jesus is Jesus himself. In this one-week break from our series in the Major Prophets, Pastor Justin unpacks Philippians 3:1–11, where the apostle Paul explains why Jesus is more valuable than anything else, and how that reality can shape our lives.
In part 2 of our exploration of the major prophets, David Fulton looks at the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah addressed the same time in Israel's history—the lead-up to the exile—but instead of using the language of kingdoms, he used the language of covenant. Israel's issue wasn't just political; it was their unfaithfulness to the covenant they made with God. David asks and answers the question, What does the message of Jeremiah mean for our lives today?
This is the first of four weeks focused on the major prophets in the Old Testament. The book of Isaiah is a message of warning and hope. In this sermon, Pastor Justin does an overview of Isaiah and unpacks what it means for our lives today.
Growing up in Christ isn't easy, it's a fight. What makes it worth it? In this final sermon of the series, Pastor Justin looks at John's vision in Revelation 7 and explains this picture makes the fight to grow up in Christ worth it.
If we're going to be great friends and find great friends, we need to grow up. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus's words in John 15 and at wisdom from Proverbs to explain how the friendship of Jesus can deeply impact our friendship with one another.
When Jesus was asked a question about marriage, he went back to how marriage played a part in God's story. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Mark 10 and numerous verses out of Proverbs to put some practical applications for how we can mature in our approach to romantic love.
Jesus said that money is the number one threat to our trust in God. Money isn't evil in itself, but it seems like a viable alternative for security and fulfillment. In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows how Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 9 help us to love God with our money by using money as a tool for his kingdom.
Learning wisdom from God isn't always easy. Some lessons don't feel like good news. Unless we grow up in how we think and how we feel, we won't mature. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at 2 Corinthians 10 and 2 Timothy 4, where Paul tells us what it looks like to grow up in our thoughts and emotions.
Changing for God's glory doesn't happen by accident, by association, or by osmosis. It comes from putting something into practice. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at what Paul the Apostle said about our part to play in becoming mature.
To grow in an area of life, you need some way to measure growth. In this sermon, Pastor Justin preaches from psalm 90, where Moses explains what it looks like for God's people to live a life that glorifies God.
In this final part of the series in Habakkuk, Jonathan Cothron looks at the prophet's response to God. What started out as a frustrated exchange became worship for Habakkuk, and Jonathan looks at how he gets there and how we can move from frustration to worship when God seems different than we expect.
Jeremy Moore from Freedom Church in Philadelphia preaches about what it means to live as a son and daughter of God.
One of the great promises of Christianity is the ability to live in freedom, but often Christianity is associated with giving up freedom. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Galatians 5 to find out what it means to truly live in the freedom Christ offers us.
Will the strong eat the weak forever? In this sermon, Pastor Justin outlines what the biblical concept of justice is and how the Babylonians in Habakkuk's time were rejecting it. This vision of God's justice helps us process times in life that feel unfair.
We like God's plans for our lives to come through quickly. That's not always the case. When God seems slow, how do you live with hope instead of frustration? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the second part of Habakkuk's exchange with God to find the answer.
The prophet Habakkuk lived in an evil time, and although he prayed earnestly, things only got worse. So he cried out to God. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at God's answer to Habakkuk, and what it means for our lives in the moments when God seems silent.
Easter Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, but the possibility of resurrection is often met with skepticism. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul explains why resurrection is central to the Christian faith, and why it's really, really good news for those who believe it.
Just before he entered Jerusalem and people celebrated him as King with palm branches, Jesus told a parable intended to correct people's wrong thinking about what it meant. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks that parable to show us the meaning and significance of Palm Sunday.
Jesus announced his ministry by saying he'd come to preach the good news to the poor. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at the words of Jesus to help us understand what it means to love our neighbors who are poor. It might be different than what we expect.
Loneliness isn't just a matter of the quantity of friendships you have — it's a matter of the quality of relationships. In this sermon, Tyler Parker looks at Jesus's words in John 15 to show us how we can form the kind of friendships that are deep, and how we can extend that friendship to others experiencing loneliness.
Jesus said the most important thing in life is to love God and love your neighbor. In this sermon, Pastor Justin kicks off this series by looking at how to love your neighbor well in the complex landscape of race.
In the opening of his letter, Jude said this Christian community needed to “contend for the faith." In the close of his letter, he tells them how. By looking at Jude's words, Pastor Justice explains the advice Jude gives for how to defend yourself against unbiblical living, and how to treat others who are influenced by it.
Blasphemy sounds like an old-fashioned word, but the danger it presents to a church community is as dangerous today as it was in Jude's time. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains why Jude warns his readers against the influence of blasphemy.
In the opening of Jude, he says to his readers that he wanted to write a feel-good letter about how great it is following Jesus. But Jude was aware of something dangerous that was threatening to take root in their church. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what heresy Jude warned against and how we recognize it today.
Jesus told his disciples to go make other disciples, but he also told them to wait. They wouldn't be able to successfully help others find and follow Jesus without the promised Holy Spirit. In this sermon, Pastor Justin gives three reasons that the Holy Spirit is essential for the mission of making disciples.
Ministry sounds like something that ministers do, but we can wrongly assume that ministers are only paid professionals, like pastors or church staff. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Ephesians 4, where Paul describes how church leaders are meant to equip disciples for ministry. Leaders do the equipping and all followers of Jesus do the ministry.
How do you help someone find and follow Jesus in a time when challenging personal views is culturally taboo? In this sermon, pastor Justin looks at one verse from Judges 21 that shows us why disciples of Jesus must let the gospel be their foundation, rather than personal opinions.
When Jesus gave his followers the mission to make disciples of all nations, it was assumed that this meant engaging other people. They couldn't carry out the mission by withdrawing. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks six reasons from Isaiah 45 why we must engage our world with the gospel.
Every disciple experiences pressure to do things Jesus wouldn't do, say things Jesus wouldn't say, and agree with things Jesus would never agree with. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at the great faith of Moses in Hebrews 11. Even though Moses had all the pressure of Egypt bearing down on him, he withstood it by faith. We learn from his story how to withstand the great pressures we face.
Abraham is celebrated in the Bible as one of the greatest examples of faith. In Hebrews 11, we see how his faith moved him from the comfort of the city he grew up in to the wilderness of Canaan. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains why faith is the very thing we need when obedience to God gets uncomfortable.
Hebrews 11 is often called "the hall of faith," where famous Old Testament characters are celebrated for their great faith. Enoch is included in this list and yet little is known about what he did. And that's the point. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how Enoch's inclusion in the hall of faith means that even our most mundane moments in life matter.
Following Jesus requires endurance. How do disciples find this endurance when they face great challenges? In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Hebrews 10:32–39, where the author is encouraging the Hebrew believers to hold onto their boldness and not to give up.
Nobody is immune to battles with anxiety. Yet Jesus promised that, even though this life won't be trouble free, he's given us the necessary tools to battle anxiety. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how Psalm 42 equips us to battle anxiety effectively.
At the beginning John's Gospel, he doesn't give us an account of shepherds, or inns, or Mary and Joseph. Instead, he introduces us to Jesus as God the Word. In this Christmas sermon, Pastor Justin explains what this title means and why it's really, really good news.
In this sermon, Pastor Justin teaches from a familiar Christmastime passage—the three wise men. We don't know much about these wise men, but we know they were one of the few people to recognize that God had done something special in giving Jesus Christ. Their response? To give generously back to him.
In his account of Jesus's death, Mark stays away from the gory details of crucifixion and focuses instead on the isolation that Jesus experienced. In this sermon, Pastor Justin answers the question, Why was King Jesus forsaken by everyone in his death, including God the Father?
The temple in Jerusalem had been the center of religious and political life for the Jewish people. But Jesus predicted that it would be destroyed, and that its destruction would mean an unprecedented time of upheaval. In a time when the world can feel like it's coming apart at the seams, Jesus's words to his disciples are as timely for us as they were for them.
When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, he confronts the Jewish rulers. His accusation is that they're pretending to be all about God but their hearts are really invested elsewhere. They're pretending. In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows how the same places pretense used to hide for them are the same places pretense hides for us today.
The Gospel of Mark has been building in momentum and tension as Jesus and his disciples make their way to Jerusalem. When they finally arrive, Jesus uses the image of a fruitless fig tree to illustrate the kind of fruitless faith he see in the temple. In this sermon, Pastor Justin describes the signs and dangers of fruitless faith, as well as the power for fruitful faith.
Sometimes everything seems like a ploy for power. Politicians volley for our votes, celebrities demand our attention, and we even seek acclaim for ourselves. In this sermon, however, Pastor Justin uses Mark 10 to unpack how Jesus's view on power upends the expectations of the rich and poor alike.
Have someone ever been too busy to meet with you? Oftentimes, big, important people are inaccessible to average humans. If Jesus is infinitely important person, we would expect the distance between our Lord and ourselves to span an eternal distance. However, using Mark 9, Jonathan Cothron shows that Jesus is the kind of leader who wants passionately to commune with His disciples.
Chapter 8 is a turning point in the Gospel of Mark. After Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Christ, Jesus starts telling them he's going to suffer, die, and rise again. He then says that anyone who wants to be his disciple will need to take up a cross of their own. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Jesus's four reasons that carrying a cross is necessary and really good news.
In Mark 5, Jesus says yes when Jairus asks him to heal his daughter. But on the way Jesus gets delayed, and Jairus's daughter dies. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the way this passage helps us trust Jesus in the times he seems late in showing up to help us.
One of the notable things about Mark's Gospel is the small amount of Jesus's teaching included in it compared to other Gospels. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at one of the portions of Jesus's teaching Mark chose to include and explains why it's so important in understanding the upside-down kingdom of God.
When Jesus first confronts the religious leaders in his day, it showed just how different kingdom life is from a life characterized by religion. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how religion and the gospel have very different things at their core.
Mark recounts four stories from Jesus's ministry in which he shows his authority over people's problems. An unclean spirit, all different diseases, leprosy, and paralysis—none of these could stand in the way of Jesus's power. In the final story, however, Jesus explains that he's doing much more than just fixing people's problems. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the profound way in which Jesus deals with our conflicts.
Like any good superhero movie, Jesus begins his mission by putting a team together. But he does it in a completely upside-down way. In this sermon, Pastor Justin preaches on Jesus's call to discipleship and what it means for those who say yes.
We all have our own ideas of the kind of king Jesus should be. At the beginning of Mark's account of Jesus's life, however, he deeply roots Jesus's story in the story of Israel. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the important ways that Jesus fulfills the story of Israel, and how Israel's story is the story of us all.
Evangelism should be a regular part of life for a Christian. However, there are mixed messages that often undercut the true power of the gospel we're called to share. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains why evangelism is so important and reveals the mixed messages that so often muddy the gospel message.
The way John ends his letter is unexpected. Although he repeats themes over and over in the letter, he chooses to end the letter by telling them to "keep themselves from idols." In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains the brilliance of John's final encouragement and the way it assures his listeners that in choosing Jesus they've made the right choice.
In the beginning of chapter five of 1 John, he says that those who are born of God "overcome the world." In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks just what John means by this famous phrase, and how it's different than we might expect.
In a world of counterfeits, how can we know who or what is deserving our trust? In this installment of the Substance series, Kevin McKenzie helps us understand how true love — God's love — gives us discernment, confidence, and security.
Every family has a family culture. The same is true of God's family. In this sermon, Jonathan Cothron explores what it looks like for Christians to carry out God's family culture of loving one another.
Those who believe in Jesus aren't just called adherents of a religious belief system. God calls them "children." In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks John's profound claim that we who believe are now children of God.
The thing that can rob you of a faith of substance is more subtle than you'd expect. Deception has been the enemy's weapon of choice since the beginning. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks John's exploration of deception — what it looks like, how we defend against it, and why it's worth the fight.
There are two wrong ways to deal with sin — to either be too harsh, or to be too lenient. In his letter, however, John doesn't downplay the darkness of sin. Rather, he shows us what Jesus has done to save us from it. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what it means when John says that Jesus is our advocate and our propitiation.
The first words in a piece of writing are always important. In the opening of John's letter to the churches, he explains that his purpose in writing is that they would have joy. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks John's explanation for how disciples of Jesus gain access to substantive joy.
In an increasingly restless world, God's people are called to embody the solution. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Hebrews 4, explaining what it means to be a people who strive to enter God's rest.
The art of rest isn't an isolated practice. It deeply affects our relationships. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what's at stake if we don't practice rest but how rest can help us build deep relationships with God and others.
The art of rest is not about passive inactivity. It's an act of resistance. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks an interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees that shows how rest resists self-justification and all its symptoms.
Rest is so much more than just a day off. It's a moment to pause and remember some very important truths. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at Ezekiel 20, where God explains the truths we can remember when we pause and practice rest.
Doubts about God's goodness can be academic, but the more difficult doubts to handle are those that come from a painful experience. In this sermon, Pastor Justin walks through Psalm 73 in which Asaph takes a journey through doubt to a strong belief in God's goodness.
In a world that never stops, how do we take hold of the rest Jesus promises us? In this sermon, Pastor Adam Mabry explores the part of the Bible where Sabbath rest first appears, how it's different than we expect and more important than we ever imagined.
Praise is an expected part of Christian worship, but do we understand why it's so important? In this sermon, Pastor Donny Fisher unpacks Psalm 145 and explains how important and impactful praise is in the life of a disciple of Jesus.
What do you do when you're praying not as a victim but as a victimizer? Psalm 51 was written by David at a time when he was guilty of terrible sin. In this sermon, Pastor Justin shows how God uses conviction as an invitation into real talk with him, and how what waits for us in that conversation is really good news.
We may think that anger is a "non-Christian" emotion. Not true. However, anger is powerful and needs to be handled well. In this sermon, Pastor Adam Mabry unpacks the way the writer of Psalm 137 processes anger, and explains how we too can have real talk with God about anger.
David wrote Psalm 3 when he fled from Absalom his son. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the way David prayed through his fear and how it can help us work through fear and anxiety in our lives.
The invitation to become a Christian is an invitation into a relationship with God. Like any important relationship, how you communicate impacts the health of a relationship. The book of Psalms is filled with examples of people talking to God, and there's a surprising level of honesty in their prayers. In this sermon Pastor Justin walks through Psalm 1 and explains how it shows us the important of learning to engage God in real talk.
We often talk about the meaning of the cross — Jesus paying for sin. But often do we think about what the resurrection means for our lives? In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks Ephesians 2:1–10 where Paul explains the significance of the resurrection for those who put their faith in Jesus.
Jesus gave his disciples the Holy Spirit to be their Helper in mission. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores verses from John 15 and 16 to see why we can't do mission without the Holy Spirit's help, and how the Holy Spirit helps in mission.
Is it wrong to try change someone's beliefs? In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the mission given to disciples of Jesus to take the gospel into the whole world. In trying to help others believe the gospel, Christians aren't motivated by anything other than the example of Jesus to love others.
There are two traps when it comes to work — thinking of work as a necessary evil, and thinking of work as the thing that gives you identity. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how the Genesis creation story gives a different (and much greater) definition of work.
Money isn't a popular topic to preach on, yet Jesus used money all the time to illustrate important issues of faith. In this sermon, Pastor Tendai helps us disarm the ways we push back against talking about money, and lean into what God wants to teach us about himself through our money.
Leading isn't comfortable, but change depends on leadership. In this sermon, Pastor Scott explains how we can look to Jesus as an example of true leadership. The true, uncomfortable leadership we see in Jesus isn't just for Sundays either; it's something we can live out at work during the week.
In our popular approaches to change, we tend to think we're either slaves to our circumstances or the masters of our own destiny. True change is fundamentally different. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how and why the gospel is the only hope for true change in ourselves and the world.
Grace is a familiar but powerful word. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains that there's more than just saving grace. There is ongoing, empowering grace that God wants to give us to keep going. There's also a very clear way he gives us this grace, and it's different than we might think.
Being a disciple of Jesus requires more than a vague knowledge of Christian belief; it involves regularly digesting the truth of God's word. In this sermon, Pastor Justin uses the life of Josiah to illustrate how our interaction with truth is essential to our identity.
Paul tells the Ephesians to be "imitators of God," then he dives into very specific details about what that looks like. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what kind of character those who are in Christ are supposed to have, and how only Jesus can make that possible.
When we think of spiritual power, we think of God being powerful. In Ephesians, however, Paul says that disciples of Jesus have been given access to this power. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the nature of this power and how it's released in our lives.
Paul uses the phrase "in Christ" sixteen times in his letter to the Ephesians. In this sermon, Pastor Justin looks at the first thing Paul says we have in Christ — spiritual blessings. The blessings we receive in Christ are far greater than any circumstantial blessings, because they drive to the core of who we are.
In preparation for a week of prayer and fasting, Pastor Justin looked at the biblical teaching on fasting in Isaiah 58. What we find is that fasting is a way to assess the things we commit our lives to. Done well, fasting is a reorientation of the soul.
One of the Bible's favorite metaphors is of a person as a tree that bears fruit. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores how prayer serves to cultivate the soil of our lives so we can be fruitful followers of Jesus.
Love is a vague word. You can love your spouse, love pizza, or love a certain sport. When the Bible says that God loves the world, what kind of love are we talking about? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores how John 3:16 sheds light on the ways in which God's love is different from our usual definitions and so much better.
Sometimes we give out of guilt. Sometimes we give to tilt the divine scales in our favor. For a follower of Jesus, the motivation to give should be completely different. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the surprising and unexpected reason that Christians are called to live generous lives. To learn more about our Big Give offering visit aletheia.org/biggive
When Jesus returns, he will renew the world. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks John's vision of the renewed world. It is an awe-inspiring glimpse into a world we've never seen before and yet it appears to fulfill the deepest human longings. Those who follow Jesus are elect exiles in this age, but in the age to come, they will find a city to call home.
The focal point of the Christian hope is not going to heaven after you die. It is the return of King Jesus to the earth. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks Revelation 19 and 20, chapters that explain why the return of King Jesus is such good news.
We all feel a level of comfort relating to people from our own generation. The gospel, however, is a message for all generations. In this sermon, Kevin McKenzie explains the importance of reaching the next generation by looking at the pivotal role Daniel and his friends played in their Babylonian captivity.
We're all familiar with "hellfire and brimstone" preachers who seem to find great joy in telling people they're going to hell. We've also heard those who water down the gospel so much that it lacks potency. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how we can't water down the gospel, but how an un-watered down gospel is actually really good news, because that's the only way it can clean us.
Revelation 12–14 presents every person with a stark choice. It's the most important choice any of us will every make. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks the rich symbolism in these chapters, and explains how we're in a spiritual battle whether we realize it or not. Our actions show which side of this battle we've chosen to be on.
The two witnesses in Revelation 11 represent the Church in its role to bear witness Jesus. It also shows us how that mission will be met with opposition, but that God brings victory in the areas that look like defeat. In so doing, he opens blind eyes to his glory.
God's judgment is in focus once again in Revelation 9, with this symbol of seven trumpets. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how these seven trumpets serve as a warning against worshiping the wrong thing, and how misdirected worship is something that we're all faced with in life.
In Revelation 6–7, we come face to face with the reality of the world we live in. We also see God's response to this reality. In this sermon, Pastor Justin walks through the meaning of the scroll's seven seals, what it means about how God's kingdom will come on earth, and how it should impact our lives.
In moments of chaos and crisis, it can be difficult to know where God is. In this sermon, Pastor Justin Revelation preaches out of Revelation four and five. The vision that John has of God's throne room, and the victory of the Lamb, assure us that God is King in the chaos.
Last week we looked at the cost of faithfulness to Jesus. Like any big purchase, the cost needs to be worth what you're getting in return. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what Revelation 3 says some of the rewards are for following Jesus faithfully. In light of these extraordinary rewards, we can readily bear the cost of following Jesus. Like the Apostle Paul said, in light of the glory being prepared for us, the price to pay is a "light momentary" cost.
What does "winning in life" look like for you? For followers of Jesus, the "win" in life means staying faithful to Jesus. By looking at Jesus's letters to the churches, we see what faithfulness looks like in action… and what it doesn't.
You may have heard many weird things about the book of Revelation. But we should push through the weird to understand it better. When we do we'll see that its message is incredibly important to our lives. Of no small importance is the fact that John's revelation from Jesus for the churches begins with Jesus himself.
If our lives are part of a bigger story, where is that story going? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores Ephesians 1 to see how our hope for the future helps us stay the course in the here and now.
When Jesus began preaching the gospel, he immediately started calling people to follow him as disciples. This means that true belief in the good news of the gospel leads a person to follow Jesus. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains what it means to follow Jesus.
When we consider the story that the Bible tells, a tension develops early on. How will God reconcile sinners to himself and judge sin? In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how Jesus is the unexpected twist that resolves this tension.
When current events are so uncertain, we need something to fix our hope on. By exploring the anticlimactic ending of Nehemiah, Pastor Justin explains how it (and the entire Old Testament) points us to hope in Jesus. The only way to have an unconquerable hope is to fix it on Christ.
Gathering together to worship God is supposed to have a transformative impact on a person. In this sermon, Pastor Justin examines what the Bible says true worship looks like, and what we can expect to experience when we worship.
In this sermon, Pastor Justin explores the reality of spiritual warfare in the lives of God's people, and the spiritual weapons we've been given to do battle effectively.
Taking a one-week break from Ezra-Nehemiah, Pastor Justin looks at how Jesus builds faith into his disciples. We all experience storms in life, but the faith that Jesus offers means we can be at peace, even when the storm is at its fiercest.
When Nehemiah began rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he encountered a major problem. There was a famine in the land, and the poorer Jews were suffering. Nehemiah called the wealthier Jews to repent of leveraging the situation to build wealth, and to be generously help those in need. He also personally exemplified extreme generosity. The thing that inspired Nehemiah's generosity is the same thing that will move us to be generous.
Ezra and Nehemiah have drastically different personalities, but their prayers are characterized by the same thing… honesty. The work God calls his people to can't happen without honest prayer. In this sermon, Pastor Justin helps us learn from Ezra and Nehemiah how to pray honestly.
In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how holiness means much more than just moral purity. To be holy is to be "set apart" for God. Holiness requires obedience, but when seen as faithfulness, obedience is a joy, not a burden. When Ezra returned to Jerusalem, he discovered that the people failed to be holy. His response shows us how to lay the groundwork of holiness in our lives.
Sixty years after the dedication of the temple, Ezra is sent to Jerusalem to bring the Law of Moses to the Jewish people. In the same way that the Law of Moses was essential to the lives of those in Jerusalem, the Bible is essential for our lives. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains how the truth found in God's word is a make-or-break issue. If we lay the groundwork of truth, success awaits us; without the groundwork of truth, failure awaits.
(Ezra 3–5) When met with adversity, the Israelites abandon the work of rebuilding the temple. In this sermon, Pastor Justin explains that all God's people are called to be temple builders. Adversity will try to keep us from the work of God, but God gives us everything we need to persevere in the work.
For this family service, all Aletheia team members and Aletheia Kids gathered together. When Jesus told his disciples he would build his church, he made it clear what their role in that growth would be: gatekeepers—followers of Jesus who welcome others out of darkness and into light. Living as a gatekeeper lays the groundwork for new growth.
Have you ever felt an undercurrent of discontentment in your life? The Bible compares the human condition to a leaking cistern that constantly needs to be filled up. However, Jesus offers a better way—a way to be filled up that never leaves us thirsty again.
Some believe that pain in life is proof that God doesn't exist or doesn't care. Others believe following Jesus means living a pain-free life. The way that Jesus approached pain, however, is radically different. Our approach to pain could mean the difference between keeping faith or losing it, so in this sermon Pastor Justin explains how Jesus shows us the way through pain to greater faithfulness to God.
What does God think about anger? We often assume he disapproves of it. Yet Jesus got angry… often. Looking at how Jesus handles his anger, Pastor Justin explains how there are two kinds of anger, good and bad. Bad anger can ruin our lives, but good anger is a powerful tool in God's purpose for the world.
One symptom of emotionally unhealthy spirituality is ignoring the impact of our past on our present—our family of origin, painful experiences, betrayals. In this sermon, Pastor Justin unpacks what we can learn from the life of Joseph to help unlock these prisons from our past and free us to embrace God's purpose in our lives.
Jesus's first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding. In this sermon, Denzel Paige shows us how Jesus made time for joy. Though our joy is touched by sadness in this life, Jesus went to great lengths to ensure true joy gives us incredible hope.
Jesus is the embodiment of everything that it means to be fully and perfectly human. That means that his internal life — his emotions — were handled perfectly. In this series, we start off by engaging the idea that Jesus embodies emotionally-healthy spirituality, and enables us to embody it too.
Looking at Peter's sermon at Pentecost in Acts 2, Pastor Justin unpacks what people are supposed to do in response to the resurrection of Jesus. If the miracle of the resurrection is central to the gospel, what does it mean to apply it to our lives