Tri-State Community Church - Sermons: Recent Episodes
Tri-State Community Church
For centuries, Christians have traveled to foreign soil to plant churches. Tri-State Community Church is an effort to plant a church right here in the Tri-State area. In a sense we are stateside missionaries with a heart to take the Good news of Jesus Christ to the Tri-State area. Tri-State Community Church operates under the oversight of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP).
At Tri-State Community Church we are centered on God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through the person of Jesus Christ, God has fulfilled His ancient promise to dwell among His people, be their God, and gather His family. Jesus does what religion fails to do—change the hearts of His followers. Jesus continues to gather His family by advocating His gospel through His church.
Our purpose is to gather a family who loves and serves God through Jesus Christ and leads others in kind.
Great Consolation in Obeying and Following Christ // Luke 7:28-35 by Tri-State Community Church
Ordinary People Depending Upon and Following an Extraordinary Savior // Luke 6:12-19 by Tri-State Community Church
The Disciple: Called, Cleansed, Forgiven, Repentant // Luke 5:1-32 by Tri-State Community Church
(There are some slight connection issues, especially toward the beginning of the recording, which we apologize for)
The text we come to this morning is truly HOLY GROUND. It has been called by the church as “The Annunciation.” After centuries, even millennia, of waiting the announcement is made—the Savior is coming. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through the text verse by verse and from there draws a comparison with the text that comes before it. Here we will see some remarkable comparisons and contrasts—there are many lessons in these. The message concludes with some application for salvation. But also some application that is helpful for all but especially parents.
You can be taught the truth and yet not be certain of it. And you can be a Christian and still have doubts from time to time. These are two important realities concerning our walk with Jesus. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson shows how God has chosen to help us with these difficulties. From Luke 1:1-4 we get massive insights into God's own remedy to these common, pesky, and serious problems.
In our text this morning, Paul emphatically calls us to rejoice. This opens up a lot of questions. For example, can we rejoice on call like this? In other words, can we be commanded to rejoice? What if we are grieving? What if our health is failing? What if we have a loved one suffering? Can we rejoice regardless of what may be happening in our life? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson discusses these questions from Paul's words in Philippians.
Our text this morning is highly practical. In it, Paul entreats two truly believing but estranged women back together and he enlists either an individual or the church at large to help in the reconciliation. What could be more practical than handling estrangement among true believers? What I want to do this morning is first go through our text and explain the verses best as I can and from there, extract some principles for handling such estrangement so we are equipped when it should occur in our own congregation. These principles will apply of course to other applications such as the family, the work place, etc. However, these principles are predicated on true faith and therefore will break down in this regard when applied to those who do not share a true believing commitment to our Lord and Savior.
Have you ever experienced wavering in your faith and determination to follow closely after Christ? In our text Paul calls us to “stand firm in the Lord.” In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson, by way of explanation and contrast with verses 17, 18, and 19, shows us several powerful truths and promises which empower us to “stand firm in the Lord.” These truths and promises will help you stay true and determined to follow Christ.
Paul calls us to walk in imitation of him, not those who are enemies of the cross. In our text we see the importance of imitating the right example and the danger of imitating the wrong example. Horrifyingly, we may even find ourselves being the wrong example! How are we to identify the right example? How are we to avoid the wrong example? How are we to be the right example that others may be blessed? Listen in as Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through this great text.
In our text this morning we get a great lesson in what our posture should be as we make our pilgrimage through this life. Paul confesses he has not reached perfection, but because Christ has made Paul His own, Paul presses on, forgetting the past and straining forward. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson explains this glorious passage, making application of it to our daily lives.
In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson discusses a knowledge that progressively transforms us into the likeness of Christ.
In this message Pastor Rick answers three questions about church membership: 1) Is church membership biblical? 2) What is the role and responsibility of a church member? and 3) What are the blessings of being a church member?
and is meant to be an introduction toward a deeper understanding of what it means to come to Christ, grow in Him, and be glorified in Him for all eternity.
In this message Pastor Rick Anderson takes us to Paul’s description of two individuals, Timothy and Epaphroditus, in order to get a powerful illustration of what the Christian lifestyle is supposed to look like.
In this message Pastor Rick Anderson discusses the problem of complaining and arguing. In Philippians 2:14-18 we find: 1) A command to mortify complaining and arguing 2) Motivation to overcome complaining and arguing 3) Instruction in how to overcome complaining and arguing.
This morning we return to Philippians 2:12-13 where we continue in our consideration of the previously mentioned questions and concerns. In this message we pickup with question two asking, what is it to will and to work? And questions three and four: How does God work in us to will and to work? What is meant by fear and trembling.
Pastor Rick returns to Philippians 2:12-13 where he would have us to consider Four Questions:1 What is it to work out our salvation?2 What is it to will and to work?3 How does God work in us to will and to work?4 What is meant by fear and trembling?
Paul calls us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. But what is meant by salvation? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through ten ways the Scriptures speak about salvation. This is followed up by how salvation can be thought of in past, present, and future tense.
It may surprise some folks, especially if you are hearing this for the first time, but the sacrament of Baptism is meant to strengthen our faith. One of the reasons we often miss this is because too often we think of baptism in terms of what we have done--repented of our sins, put our faith in Jesus. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson explains that, baptism is really chiefly and principally about what God has done in Christ--and this is good news.
Having opened his letter in a spirit of great joy and thanksgiving, thanking the Philippians for their partnership with him in the gospel, Paul now turns to exhortation. In verses 27 to 30 Paul calls to Philippians to stand firm and strive side-by-side, afraid of nothing in their opponents for the gospel of Christ. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson explains verses 27 to 30 with an aim at showing what this looks like for the church today and where our empowerment for this comes from.
In our passage we get a strong word on what it is to live in Christ during this earthly pilgrimage. And we get a very strong word on what it is to die in Christ. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson briefly delves into both of these. The aim is to explain what it is to biblically live and die in Christ and offer some guidance in getting there.
Have you ever wondered what you would do if under fierce persecution you were told to renounce Christ or die. If you have walked with Christ for any length of time this is probably a question that has come up in your heart a time or two. And it is likely a question that has caused no little anxiety and fear. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us into these waters to show us where our hope, courage, and even joy is to be found—especially in severe moments like these.
In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson labors to show the power of motive—“Our motives, those hidden inward reasons for doing the things we do, can either empower us or kill us.” This message begins with an explanation of the text showing the various motives found therein illustrating how Paul’s motives empowered him to endure some very foul conditions for Christ’s glory. It concludes with how to rid our hearts free from impure motives. Glory be to Christ!
In Philippians 1:12-26 we get what some have called a missionary letter. There Paul sends word to the Philippian church he is well. But Paul also imparts a powerful lesson on the strength of living faithfully in Christ in foul conditions. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson explains Paul's lesson.
Life is full of decisions and these decisions turn into plans. As image bearers of God we were created to think, reason, and plan. And this is something we do constantly. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through Proverbs 16:1-9 to show us the relationship between our plans and God’s sovereignty and how we should approach our thinking, reasoning, and planning before our sovereign God.
Sociologists are telling us that Americans are afraid of more things and they are more afraid of those things than they have been in the past. And this resonates with what we see in our culture so we are not surprised by these findings. In this message, taking a large leaf out of John Flavel’s work on fear, we begin to explore how we are to navigate through our fear.
The German Reformer, Martin Luther wrote these words concerning Psalm 118: “This is my own beloved psalm. Although the entire Psalter and all of Holy Scripture are dear to me as my only comfort and source of life, I fell in love with this psalm especially. Therefore I call it my own. When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned, and even saints, could not aid me, this psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles... Would to God that all the world would claim this psalm for its own, as I do!’ In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson first breaks the psalm into digestible sections, then briefly explains each of these sections with the eye of showing how this psalm looked forward to Christ and how it applies to us today. It is our prayer that this psalm become your loving friend and aid as well!
This morning we come to Luke 19:28-48 in order to consider what the church has historically called Palm Sunday. This event is of great significance for in it, Jesus, conscientiously and deliberately fulfills the then 500 year old prophecy spoken by Zechariah. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through both the broader context of Luke as well as the context of the Old Testament in order to show the amazing significance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
In 1 John 2:15-17 John gives us this imperative: “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” This passage has been often misinterpreted and misapplied to great harm. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson first shows John’s method in bringing us to this imperative and then shows some misinterpretations and misapplications of it. From there we look at the verse more closely defining what John means by the word “world” and the word “desires” to show how this text is deeply penetrating. The message concludes by asking and answering how to overcome loving the world.
If you have read John's first letter then you have probably been puzzled by his use of “children, fathers, and young men” in chapter two, verses twelve through fourteen. Who is John speaking to? Who are the children, fathers, and young men? And why is John repeating himself? In this message, pastor Rick Anderson takes up these questions to show that something very powerful and pastoral is going on here—something that can give the true believer great confidence in his or her salvation.
In our passage John mentions an old commandment and a new commandment. Something has happened. Something that has powerfully transformed the old into the new. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson explains John's meaning and its implications, namely, that the true church is to be wonderfully loving because it has been transformed by and reflects the very love of Christ.
When we think of the phrase "the love of God perfected" we may be inclined to think of mountaintop experiences, warm fuzzy feelings or even ecstatic emotions. In this message Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through John's words in order to discover what this great truth describes and how it wonderfully applies to all the faithful followers of Christ.
In 1 John 2:1-2, John introduces the word "advocate." In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through several questions: 1) what is an advocate 2) who is our advocate 3) what is the scope of His Advocacy 4) why does it matter?
This message begins with three "flyovers" which set us up to understand the Psalm from our side of the resurrection of Jesus. From there we look at each verse in order to gain a working understanding of the message of Psalm 2. The fruit of this understanding is the wonderful news that our Psalm 1 Messiah is our Psalm 2 King!
The aim of this message is: 1) to explain the many metaphors and terms in the psalm 2) answer the question, "Who is the man in which Psalm 1 is referencing 3) show how Psalm 1 proclaims the gospel and empowers us to become Psalm 1 men and women.
The Son who is promised in this great verse is a human born just like any other human. But our text also informs us He is to be called Mighty God. Herein is the great gospel truth that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. In this message we gaze at what the bible says about Christ as Mighty God: He is Mighty to create, Mighty to Re-create, Mighty to Save, and Mighty to Keep.
In this message we continue our study of this great passage. After a period of deep darkness, Isaiah speaks of a coming light--a Great Light. This Great Light will dispel the tyranny and oppression of this world and the spiritual forces of darkness imprisoning it. This joy and deliverance comes because "to us a child is born, to us a Son is given. This Son is the light of the world who will dispel the darkness and bring to us peace. This Child is Jesus. He is wonderful. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace."
At the start this message may sound like a history lesson but what we have is a great anecdote to the increasing fear and anxiety which abounds today. As we look at the ancient history we see many parallels to our own time and more importantly, we see God's very own cure for this age old problem.
This message continues where last week's left off, namely, in verse 6 where we saw that walking in darkness is walking in the realm or kingdom of darkness. From this kingdom there can be no holistic fellowship with God. In this message we consider John's contrast, namely, walking in the light. Walking in the light is walking in the realm or kingdom of light. This contrast has led some to conclude the Christian should walk in sinless perfection. While that is attractive it is impossible in this life. Because of its historic popularity in the Ohio Valley we spend some time with it concluding with some remarks on what it is to walk in the light.
When John says, "if we say we have fellowship with God but walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth," who is he referring to? The false teachers? Antinomians? Nominal Christians? True believers who have sinned? True believers with besetting sins? True believers who have fallen into a pattern of sin? All the above? If yes to all the above, can the true believer lose fellowship with God? In this message we answer this important query.
In 1 John 1:5, John begins to share the message he had heard and proclaimed. As others have pointed out, one of the great lessons of verse 5 is found in John's starting point. We may have expected John to begin with the love of God. But instead, John begins with the character of God. In this message, Rick Anderson develops John's starting point, shows the implications of it for evangelism, shows how it leads us to ask the right questions, and finally, how it helps us face difficulties and tragedies.
Last time we began to look at the amazing subject of fellowship with God, and we began by looking at this fellowship from God's side of the relationship. In this message, Paster Rick Anderson continues the discussion on fellowship with God, this time looking at this fellowship from our side of the relationship.
Earlier in this study it was argued that the heart or essence of the Christian faith is fellowship with God. In this message Pastor Rick Anderson digs a little deeper into this fellowship by looking at what this fellowship is from God's side of the relationship. The answers are absolutely staggering and uplifting.
As wonderful as it is, the purpose of Jesus’ earthly ministry goes far beyond forgiveness of sins. There is an inherent danger today of stopping too early and seeing forgiveness of sins as the essence of the Christian faith. In this message, Rick Anderson shows us the true essence of the Christian faith is fellowship with God.
This week we begin a new series in John's first letter. The opening verses of this short letter are lofty. And in order to begin to appreciate the loftiness of these verses we begin by looking at some introductory material--things that had we been part of the original audience we would have known. From there we look at the amazing fact that the "word of life" has appeared and the apostles bear witness to it!
In this series, we have been looking at who God is and what He has done. So far we have looked at the Father and the Son. In this message we now turn to the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
In this series, we have been looking at who God is and what He has done. And for most of us, if not all of us, we first learn about who God is by learning what He has done, namely, what He has done on the cross. On the cross, Jesus, the Son of God, suffered. He was buried and on the third day He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father in absolute authority. He shall come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead. And His kingdom shall endure forever. In this glorious kingdom there shall be neither tears nor suffering nor evil of any kind but only perfect love in the visible presence of the Lord!
In this message our discussion of the Trinity continues. After a brief review, we look at three things: 1) The Son of God is indeed very God of very God 2) all these blessing have come down to us from heaven 3) how God has chosen to experience human suffering in the person of Christ. This third point has huge ramifications in: 1) our understanding of the love of God displayed at the cross 2) counseling one another 3) putting the problem of evil in perspective.
In this message we begin to move into the heart of one of the most complex doctrines of the faith--the Holy Trinity. We begin by looking at a New Testament pattern expressed by the common phrase, "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." And from there we begin a discussion on the phrase "only-begotten". The purpose of this is to go deeper in our understanding of who God is so that our worship of Him is deepened.
Having invested a couple of weeks on the importance of the historic creeds and confessions, this week we begin to look at what the church has historically called the Nicene Creed. We begin by offering a thumbnail sketch of the historic context of the creed. There we see its importance for worship, salvation, and our understanding of who God is. Then we look at how to properly use the Creed in the context of the teaching ministry of the church. And finally, we look at the first article of the creed.
This message continues the discussion of the importance of Creeds and Confessions, this time centering Paul's Pastoral Letters.
Recently I was reminded how vast the bible is. This reminder came as I gave a bible to a person whom I had just spent about an hour sharing the gospel with. I was also reminded how important the creeds of Church history are: The Nicene Creed, the Apostles Creed. And also, our historic confessions. For these documents lay out the clear teaching of Scripture. They have been examined for hundreds of years by the church and they clearly state what the church has historically believed. Unfortunately, many have abandoned these important statements of faith and the results have been disastrous. In this message, I begin to demonstrate how important these documents are to the health and stability of the believer in Christ. My prayer is you will benefit greatly from this study series. Pastor Rick Anderson.
Psalm 24 raises two questions: "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? Who shall stand in His holy place?" The answer, "He who has a pure heart." This immediately leads us to another question. We do not have pure hearts so how can we ever brought favorably into God's holy presence? In this message Pastor Rick answers this important question from the text of Psalm 24.
Psalm 23 is one of the most popular and beloved psalms in the entire psalter. And it contains some of the best known verses in all of the Bible. "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." In this message, Rick Anderson takes us through this great psalm with the purpose of encouraging and strengthening our faith and confidence in the Lord our Great Shepherd.
As we walk with the Lord through this earthly pilgrimage we will go through seasons of great difficulty. And in the midst of this difficulty we may even find a period of time where it seems as though the Lord is absent--absent in terms of answering our cries. What do we do? In this message Rick Anderson shows us how Psalm 22 guides us through these difficult seasons.
This message is part two of the previous message in Psalm 20 and that is because Psalm 21 is immediately connected to the prayer of Psalm 20. In this message, Rick Anderson begins by reviewing Psalm 20 and from there discusses a historical example from Isaiah 36-37 where the principles of Psalm 20 were employed. This helps us "get into" Psalm 21. From there we begin to see that Psalms 20 and 21 form a team that powerfully works against our common anxiety in order to bring us to a place of security in Christ.
As we turn to Psalm 20 we find the psalmist in the "day of trouble." As we have discussed in earlier messages, this is a common occurrence in the psalms. But each psalm makes its own contribution and Psalm 20 is no exception. In this message, Rick Anderson takes us through Psalm 20 to show its contribution to God's overall message and how it is exceptionally relevant to the spiritual battles we face today.
In this message on Psalm 19, Rick Anderson takes us through four important and amazing truths: 1) God has made Himself known though what He has made 2) God has more accurately made Himself known through His word 3) the value of His word 4) what our response should be.
In this message, Rick Anderson takes us through a "birds-eye" view of Psalm 18 to show that it is a Royal Psalm of Praise. What this means is, Psalm 18 should inspire awe in our hearts for what the Lord has done for His King and through His King. Our wonder over this great psalm only intensifies as we see it applied to Christ--what the Father has done for Christ and what the Father will do through Christ!
The subject of prayer is a vast subject but it is also a subject that can yield feelings of guilt and inadequacy. When you read books about people who regularly spent hours in prayer each day and you attempt to rise up to this the results can be oppressive. Or you read the prayers of those who have come before us you can easily conclude “I cannot speak like this. I cannot even think of all of these things. This is something that only certain people can do, it is out of my reach.” In this two-part message, Rick Anderson, takes us through Psalm 17 where we discover five important and motivating truths that can help us in our time spent with God in prayer—whether it be five minutes or two hours!
One of the key words of Psalm 16 is the word “preserve.” David prays, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.” In this message, Rick Anderson explains each verse of this precious psalm and shows how the idea of preservation is at the heart of this sacred word.
Who shall live in the presence of God? That is the question Psalm 15 takes up. Its answer can be summarize by the words “he who walks blamelessly.” At first glance that doesn’t seem like good news. But as the Psalm is studied something absolutely beautiful emerges. In this message, Rick Anderson takes us through this study to see not only the beauty of it but also the magnificence of its promise for us as followers of Jesus.
Here is a three word question with profound importance: Who are we? Improperly or inadequately answered and what Jesus has done on the cross makes no sense or worse, becomes irrelevant. In this message from Psalm 14, Pastor Rick Anderson answers this question and in doing so exposes the profound importance of what Jesus has done.
Regardless of whether we have embraced Christianity or not the words “how long” are very recognizable and meaningful. And in the Christian life, we will face trying seasons where God’s answer to our prayers are seemingly absent. What do we do as followers of Christ when no relief is in view? When God is seemingly silent? In this message, Rick Anderson answers this question from Psalm 13.
In Psalm 12, David calls on the Lord to save from the widespread lies and flattery that abounded everywhere in his day. Moving to our own time we all recognize we also live in a time of widespread deception. Can the garden survive when it is totally overrun with the weeds of lies and manipulation? In this message, after developing both the danger of deception and common types of deception, Rick Anderson answers this question from Psalm 12.
In ancient times the city had walls that were carefully constructed to protect it from invasion. In the event of war, the walls would be the last thing to protect the city from their enemy. In the same way, we have enjoyed freedom to proclaim the Word of God in this country. Freedom protected by the walls of freedom of religion and speech. What happens when these walls come down? In this message, Rick Anderson develops this important question and explains six important truths that strengthen our faith when the walls come down.
As we follow the Lord there are two things we need to keep worked out in our minds and hearts: God’s promises and His timing. In our frailty, God’s timing, especially if it is delayed, can cause us to weaken in our conviction of His promises. In this message, Rick Anderson explains how the psalmist has struggled through this common pitfall and how the psalmist prayerfully prevailed. In following the psalmist we can also prevail through these difficult seasons growing stronger in the Lord.
In the midst of one of the most terrifying attributes of God is a wonder that is beyond comprehension. The Bible is abundantly clear God is a righteous judge and that is terrifying—if we haven’t found it to be frightening we have not come to grips with it yet. But Psalm 9 teaches us that God is a Sovereign Judge who is both an Advocate and a Refuge for all who know His name and put their trust in Him. To know His name is to know He is holy and compassionate and that He calls all people to repent and trust in Him. In this message, Rick Anderson labors to show that as we trust in Lord, the Sovereign Judge not only becomes a refuge but also an advocate!
Psalm 8 has had an interesting history. It has been described as being about human dignity. It has also been described as being about human insignificance! What the Psalm is really about is the majesty or excellence of the Lord. In this message, Rick Anderson shows how man, though insignificant in himself, is nevertheless given unspeakable dignity by the Lord. And how the Lord, through the instrumentality of human weakness, has restored this unspeakable dignity. Psalm 8 is a shock to the egocentric and a wonder to the humble but, most importantly, it is truly awe-inspiring to all who receive it in faith. O LORD our Lord, how majestic is Your Name!
Paul tells us that it is for freedom that we have been called. Throughout the course of this series we have seen this freedom as freedom to become like Christ. In this message we look closely at the “fruit of the Spirit to get a glimpse of how God makes us like Christ.
In verse 10 of our text, Paul asks, “Am I trying to please man? And he answers saying, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” In this message we look at 1) how Paul came to ask this question 2) the descriptive nature of Paul’s calling in contrast to how we are called 3) the inevitable truth that taking the road of being a “people pleaser” disqualifies us as a servant of Christ.
In Psalm 139, the halls of systematic theology meet the prayer closet. When we have studied theology aright we should be moved to praise the Lord who has so wonderfully revealed Himself. In Part one of this message on Psalm 139, Pastor Rick Aderson shows us how God’s amazing attributes, namely, His is exhaustive knowledge of each of us, the fact He is present everywhere, and His personally creating each of us from the womb really comfort, strengthen, and minister to us as we go through the difficulties of life.
In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson walks us systematically through the Scriptures to take us:1) to the meaning of the sacraments and how they function 2) to baptism and what it means for us as followers of Christ.
Life in a fallen world is not easy and sometimes, in the life of the believer, he or she may find themselves in circumstance that bring them down so low they cannot even pray. A well known Old Testament scholar once commented that Psalm 6 “gives words to those who scarcely have the heart to pray and brings them within the sight of victory. ”In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson explains this psalm with an eye to helping us through these difficult times and/ or training us to face them some day.
I am afraid that there are many in the church today that will never hear a sermon on Psalm 5 and other texts like it. And the reason is undoubtedly the hard sayings found in these texts. But we are called to preach the whole counsel of God and when we fail to do this there are inevitably large gaps in our spiritual formation. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson shows how we can derive strength from these hard sayings.
In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us to the heart of Psalm 4 in order to show how knowing what God has done to us as believers can strengthen us for every problem we face and potentially lead unbelievers to fear Him.
Psalm 3 is a classic example of why the psalms are so loved - they provide comfort for the faithful. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson first explains the psalm in its historical context and then shows how we can apply it today to find help in time of need.
In the first message of this two part series we saw that the welfare of the people are tied to the welfare of their king. Furthermore, all of the earthly kings of Judah point to Jesus who is the King forever and ever triumphant, therefore, the welfare of the true believer is as certain as Jesus is victorious. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson continues to show what kind of King Christ is and what a blessing it is to have and serve Him.
In this first part of a two message series, Pastor Rick Anderson explains that Psalm 20 is not a wish or a desire, but when properly understood, it is a certainty for every believer in Christ.
Praying through the Psalms is a well known spiritual discipline. In practice, some of the psalms seem to be for a time and place that is foreign to us. For example, Psalm 74 is a community lament in the aftermath of the complete destruction of the Temple. How does the 21st century Christian apply such a lament to his or her personal prayer life? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson shows this psalm to be highly relevant for today.
In the scriptures God promises to meet oppression, injustice, and wickedness with judgment. But as we watch the news we see people escaping justice, boasting proudly, committing lawless acts and prospering. It has been a perennial and powerful temptation to abandon God in chase of these perceived blessings. Is this wise? That is the question Psalm 73 takes up. Listen in as Rick Anderson explains.
Psalm 75 is not only a perfect blueprint for what worship is but also a strong statement concerning God’s sovereignty. It is God who lifts up and it is God who judges. At His appointed time He will bring this era of the gospel offer to a close. In short, God has the last word. It is time to quit playing games with God. These reflections bring us into the new year — 2023.
This is now our third message for this advent season and we have been following the music. And as we turn to Luke chapter two the music gets louder as we are confronted by an army of angels forming a choir and singing what the church has historically called the “Gloria in Excelsis Deo.” In this message we follow this high song of praise straight to the source of this praise—Jesus Christ. And this is really reflective of what the Christian faith is—praise to God through Christ.
As we continue through what the church has historically called “advent” we come to what many call “The Benedictus.” The Benedictus, named after the first word of Zechariah’s prophecy in the Latin translation, means Blessed. As we have said before, a few scholars have likened these addresses or songs as an aria in which the reader or hearer is enabled to bask in the significance of what has just happened. In this message we join in this aria, taking in the significance of the great things the Lord is doing, namely, ushering in the Messianic age. One of the great lessons from this is: We are redeemed to serve.
As we continue through what the church has historically called “advent” we come to what many call “The Magnificat.” The Magnificat, named after the first word of Mary’s address in the Latin translation, means magnify. A few scholars have likened these addresses or songs, as an aria in which the reader or hearer is enabled to bask in the significance of what has just happened. In this message we join in this aria, taken in the significance of the great announcement of Jesus coming into the world.
With the season of Thanksgiving upon us we turn to a great Psalm of thanksgiving. In this message we focus on the Psalmists resolve to proclaim words of thanksgiving before the entire cosmos. And though the journey may seem at times like a rigorous hike the summit we reach will reward all who take the trek!
For decades the evangelical church has done evangelism around the question "Are you saved?" While this is a crucial question, it has had a tendency to eclipse and even extinguish discipleship. Peter's restoration provides a great corrective to this. As Peter is restored, he is at the same time called to serve the church. In this message we see this applies to all believers.
It is well known that Peter betrayed Jesus three times on that night Jesus was arrested. And often times we can be be very harsh in our estimate of Peter's conduct. In this message we look to the extended context of Peter's denial and restoration. As we do so, we see Jesus takes the initiative to explain, protect and restore His wayward disciple.
One of the great mysteries concerning Jesus' resurrection is at first even Jesus' closest disciples fail to recognize Him. Lots of complicated and sophisticated arguments have been put forward to why that is. In this message we discover that a very clear and life transforming truth is often missed in all of this, namely, that even though we don't recognize Him, Jesus is nevertheless present. From there we begin to look at how we can have a more tangible communion with Jesus.
In this text Jesus Reveals Himself to His gathered disciples now for the third time. In this message we build on what we learned in part one to see how we know Christ to be present with us and how to anticipate His loving care.
This passage is the text in which the famous phrase “doubting Thomas” originates: a phrase used to describe anything from skepticism to agnosticism and atheism. Because we are prone to read these ideas into the text, in this message we go back and retrace the footsteps of the disciples from the upper room to the cross and Jesus post resurrection appearances. We also look at Thomas’ world view in order to understand where Thomas is really at as he hesitates to believe Jesus is alive. What we discover is a great antidote for crushed hope.
This is now the third time the risen Savior has appeared to His disciples. In this message we look at the advantages of Jesus' departure for us today.
When we think of the great themes of John's Gospel the word sent probably escapes us. But the fact that the Father has sent Jesus is a major theme in John. In this message we see the practical implications of this, namely, that it is an empowering truth.
In this passage there are things hard to understand. In this message we try to shine what light we can culminating in what is plain, namely, Jesus has brought abundant peace.
In this message we look at the wonder of the resurrection and its foundational role in our faith.
In this message we take a fresh look at the crucifixion of Jesus where we discover that in spite of all human opposition, God's plan of salvation moves perfectly forward. This is a comforting and strengthening truth for our present time.
In this well known passage, we find the chief priests handing Jesus over to Pilate in hopes to have Him executed. This is truly the position of unbelief. Unbelief desires to do away with Jesus. It doesn't want Him interfering with our lives. In this message we see how the priests, Pilate, and the crowd all attempt to do away with Jesus. And in this we see a reflection of ourselves. What have you decided in regards to Jesus?
In this passage, John weaves two scenes together: Jesus before Annas and Peter before those in the courtyard of the high priest. It is here where Peter falls, denying Jesus. In this message we look at what went wrong with Peter and how the Lord was nevertheless working to make him more Christlike.
In this message we look a John's account of Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane where we observe a number of great lessons.
Commenting on these verses, the 18th century pastor, J.C. Ryle said, “There are things here that are hard to understand.” In this message, we spend some time explaining some of these tough passages working our way to Jesus’ great petition that the Father keep His children in the faith. Taking in this truth and seeing its powerful foundation will comfort and refresh us in God’s love.
In this incredible passage, Jesus takes us into some incredible mysteries: 1) the invisible made visible 2) the elect 3) the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. In this passage we look at these mysteries to better understand the incarnation, election, and predestination all for God’s glory and our edification.
As we have seen, John is showing us that Jesus is most glorified at the cross. This seems counter intuitive to us. How could Jesus be glorified by hanging in humiliation and anguish on the cross? In this message Pastor Rick Anderson explains.
In this text, Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for His departure. And though they do not yet understand, they will soon see that Jesus has come to usher in a new age–the age of the New Covenant. In this message we look at and apply what Jesus’ shares during this difficult but monumental occasion.
Because Jesus has announced His departure, His disciples are filled with grief. Jesus meets His grief stricken followers with news that it is to their advantage that He departs. In this message we look closely at how Jesus’ departure inaugurates the coming of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit will resume where Jesus’ has left off empowering the disciples to further the advancement of the Kingdom.
As Jesus' departure draws near, He prepares His disciples for His absence and what appears to be their greatest danger--falling away. In this message we take a sober look at Jesus' words to His disciples that we too may escape from the snares that could lead us astray.
In this glorious text we find transformation. God is transforming those who are joined to Christ by faith. And here we get some clear cut patterns or models in which we see how God is transforming us and what He is transforming us into. Listen in as we discuss these soul warming and empowering patterns.
In this message we look at this well known passage to see that 1) Jesus is the true vine who produces abundantly 2) Fruitfulness is not an option in the believer’s life 3) Fruitfulness is not something we can do ourselves, but is the product of abiding in Christ. What is this fruit? What is meant by abiding? Listen in as we answer these questions.
The phrase “doctrine divides” has become so popular as to almost be cliché. For years, many have advocated that we do away with doctrine. In this message, we see how unbiblical this notion is and to the contrary, we discover doctrine is a necessary ingredient in maturity.
Last time we saw that every gift comes to the church through Jesus. In this message we continue our journey understanding what unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace looks like and how it is achieved by looking at two pertinent gifts–apostles and prophets.
As we have seen, Paul has called us to be eager to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The marvelous thing about this unity is it is a unity that doesn’t erase diversity. In this message we begin the journey of seeing how Jesus has gifted His church to be a unity of diverse people.
In this message we look at two passages: 1) “The Father is greater than I” 2) “the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.” What does Jesus mean when He says, “The Father is greater than I.” And what exactly does it mean that “the ruler of this world is coming”? How is the evil one the ruler of this world? What are the implications of this for unbelieving humanity? How is he coming? How does he rule today? These and many other questions are answered. The message concludes with a comforting synthesis of these two great passages.
Jesus says, “Peace I give to you, My peace I leave with you.” The moment we put our faith in trust in Christ we are brought into peace with God. And though this peace (positional peace) can never be improved, things come into our lives which often disturb our inner peace (what I call pilgrimage peace.) In this message I first show how Jesus brings peace and why we should pursue it. And from there show how our growth in grace can improve our pilgrimage peace.
After briefly explaining the context, we begin a discussion on the peace that Jesus offers and how unique and different it is from anything the world can offer.
In this message we look at three parallels that I believe really help us as believers in Christ to understand what is going on in these sacred verses, 1) Jesus’ life from the Father/ our life from Jesus 2) Jesus’ union with the Father/ our union with Jesus 3) Jesus’ love and obedience to the Father/ our call to love and obey Jesus.
In our text this morning Jesus gives us a powerful word. It is a word that casts off fear and anxiety. In this message we look at how we are to understand and apply this word that we may find security in an hour when so much fear, insecurity, and anxiety abound.
In our text Jesus says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” In this message we look at these words to discover 1) what Jesus means by being glorified 2) how is Jesus glorified right then and there 3) how Jesus is glorified 4) how the Father is glorified 5) what the practical implications are for those of us who believe.
The virgin birth of Christ is one of the cardinal non-negotiable truths of Christianity and it is an integral part of the Christmas season. The goal of this message is two-fold: 1) to show how to develop and defend the doctrine of the virgin birth 2) to be brought into the joy and wonder of this great truth.
The title, “A Powerful Apologetic,” needs some introduction. By “apologetic” I mean a defense of the biblical faith. The title could alternatively be: “A Powerful Defense.” But I leave it as it is because it is 1) a defense given by Jesus 2) a defense of Christ’s claim to be none other than Yahweh–The Great I Am. Jesus gave this apologetic to His disciples to strengthen them through a dark hour and He has recorded these things for us to strengthen us the same.
In Mark 1:15 Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.” The kingdom has arrived because the King has arrived. But what kind of kingdom is it? And what are the people of this kingdom to be like? Our text speaks volumes to these important questions. In this message we look at what kind of kingdom community Jesus creates in order to both inform and challenge.
Unfortunately, Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet has been seen by many simply as a lesson in humility and service. But when the passage is developed we see how it symbolizes the Love, Sovereignty, and Humility displayed by Christ at the cross. When Jesus bows down to wash the disciples feet, the Holy Sovereign stoops down to personally cleanse the filthy. In the same way, when Jesus goes to the cross, the Holy One dies to cleanse the filthy.
Our text this morning is about a reversal: 1) Elizabeth, who was reproached and barren has been exalted 2) Mary, an obscure young peasant has been greatly blessed 3) the humble have been exalted 4) the hungry have been filled 4) every believer has been raised from spiritual death to be seated with Christ in the heavenly places. And contrariwise 1) the proud have been scattered 2) the mighty have been brought down 3) the rich have been emptied. In this message we see this all centers on our proximity (union) with Jesus.
For some, Christmastime can be very painful. And I am afraid this year this describes a lot of us. When you know there will be empty seats at the Christmas table the sound of joy can be like fingernails down a chalkboard. In this message we look at how the arrival of Jesus can transport us above this grief and loss.
Our text this morning is chock-full of theological truths that are so important that any deviation from them results in a faith that is not true to the Christian faith. In this message we begin to look at a few of these.
One of the questions I routinely ask of Scripture is, what is unique about this particular passage? When this question is asked of Luke 1:1-4 we get an astonishing answer that speaks of an incredible gift to the church. Listen in as we consider and discuss these great blessings.
It should be every believer’s joy to praise the Lord. In this message we explore this task of adoring our Lord by looking at the content in which the Psalmist praises God. If you are looking to grow in your praise of God we believe you will find this material helpful.
These words, taken from the Lord’s Prayer, are so familiar that we may have never bothered to study them. Once we begin to study them we discover what appears on the surface to be a contradiction. For example, Jesus calls us to pray the Father will not lead us into temptation. Does this mean we will be free of temptation? James says God would never tempt us so are we praying that the Father not do what He has already promised not to do? And if God does not tempt anyone how do we understand Jesus being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. These are just a few of the questions we consider in this message.
In this message we begin to put to practice what we have been studying, namely, our approach to God in prayer. After establishing a biblical warrant to pray God’s Word back to Him, we look at several passages that will provide “fodder” for approaching HIm in a reverent and glorifying manner.
One of the most commonly lifted prayers has undoubtedly begun with the words, “Our Father.” One of the itinerant dangers of commonality is that our prayer morphs into a mechanical and thoughtless utterance. In this message we look at “fatherhood” as well as what it means to pray “our Father.” Once we begin to understand these words, as well as who can pray them without presumption, we are less likely to address our Heavenly Father in a mechanical and thoughtless way.
In our first talk, we focused on our approach to prayer. In this message we begin to focus on the actual exercise of prayer. And here we are reminded once again of how important theology is. In this message we see how our prayer life will be a reflection of who we believe God is.
The words of the title, “When You Pray,” are found in one of Jesus’ most famous sermons--the Sermon on the Mount. Unfortunately, this sermon is about as misunderstood as it is famous. In the first part of this message we examine how this sermon is to be applied. There we discover the application is two-fold: 1) to convict us of sin 2) to direct those in Christ in living out their faith as God’s “Peculiar People.” From there we sit at Jesus’ feet to learn how we should approach the Lord in prayer.
Unbelief is not something that exists outside of the church, it is alive and well inside the church. There are many important doctrines that are simply explained away in unbelief by many sectors of the church. In this message we take up one of those doctrines known as “judicial hardening” as we develop what the Holy Spirit is teaching us in John 12:37-40.
There is an important phrase in our text this morning, namely, “Sons of God.” In this message we look at this phrase to discover that a believer is not someone who believes in a few loose facts or creeds. A believer is someone who has been profoundly changed by God.
In recent weeks we have been looking at the anguish of soul Jesus suffered on our behalf even before He went to the cross. As I have said, in verse 27, the horrors of Jesus’ assignment and His perfect love for the Father meet. What we learn from there is the most important thing for Jesus was the glorification of the Father. It was more important than sparing His life upon the cross! And this is the case because Jesus loves the Father more than anything else. In this message, we drink from the Father’s words in verse 28 in order to transform our own lives into loving the glory of the Father so that we will reject our sinful preoccupation with our own personal glory in favor of living and breathing for the glory of the Father.
In our text this morning we find a collision between the horror of Jesus’ assignment and His love for the Father. Knowing what carrying out the will of the Father was going to cost Him, Jesus cried out, “Save Me from this hour.” But knowing it was for this purpose that He came, Jesus’ love for the Father overcame His inner anguish. In these verses we get some light on where Jesus found the strength to carry out the Father’s will and in doing so we find incredible strength to carry our own cross.
Our passage this morning graphically reveals how out of step much of 21st century American Christianity is with that revealed in Scripture. In this passage Jesus shows the way to life is death--death to self. The way to life is not mere mental assent to a couple of vaguely understood precepts, but through a saving faith that follows Jesus in self denial.
They hailed Him as King but He was not the kind of King they were looking for. In this message we look at what the church has historically called the Triumphal Entry. Jesus comes down the Mount of Olives and reveals Himself to be the King of the Kingdom of God. Not a King on a war horse who conquers and rules externally. But a King who brings the kind of peace no king or kingdom could ever accomplish.
In this message we take a look at Mary’s beautiful act of devotion toward Jesus. In this act of devotion we truly see what we call Gospel Motivation. The true believer is not motivated externally by the threat of punishment but internally by deep, loving, gatituted for who Jesus is and what He has done.
In our text we find religious leaders vehemently resisting Jesus. In this message we take a look at this resistance using Psalm 2 as commentary and in doing so discover a number of devastating effects of continuing in this posture.
In our text we find two sisters who believe that illness could never have prevailed over Jesus but what about death? The answer to this question brings us to the very heart of the gospel as well as the heart of what Jesus came to accomplish.
In this message, through Jesus’ challenge to His adversaries, we see the dangers of approaching Jesus with the wrong heart attitude. From there we conclude that spiritual discernment is impossible without the right heart attitude. It has been said, “Right now counts forever.” Let us drink deeply of this message that our eternal fate not follow after that of Jesus’ adversaries.
In this message we get Jesus’ explanation for what He has claimed in chapter 8 (“I am the light of the world”) and what He has done in chapter 9 (healing the man born blind).
It is clear from verses three and four that the significance of this story runs much deeper than a blind man being healed nearly 2,000 years ago, as incredible as that is. In this message, Pastor Rick takes us into the heart of the significance of this passage to show the true meaning of this text.
In John 9:6-7 Jesus uses a peculiar method for healing a man born blind. He spits in the dirt and makes mud and smears this mud on the eyes of this blind man. Why this method? Why not simply give a command as He does in other miracles? In this message, pastor Rick Anderson explains why.
The problem of human suffering has perplexed every generation of mankind. How do we solve the mystery of human suffering in the light of the existence of a Holy, Just, Powerful, and Loving God? In our passage, Jesus sheds much light on this question. In this message, Pastor Rick develops the passage showing Jesus’ response to a human suffering question. He also offers suggestions as to why so many today are unable to handle the biblical truth in this area and how this leads to anger towards God.
Earlier in John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” And the following verses are the record of a reaction to this truth. In the midst of dealing with this reaction, Jesus sets forth one of the fundamental marks of the true believer--he or she abides in His word. Listen in as this theme is developed in this morning’s message.
In verse 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In the verses that follow, we have the reaction of prejudice and unbelief. In this message we focus on Jesus’ reaction to this prejudice and unbelief.
One of Jesus’ most famous sayings is: “I am the light of the world.” But what exactly does Jesus mean by that statement? In this message we look at both the biblical and historical contexts to discover the extraordinary reality of which Jesus points so that our hearts may be tuned afresh to praise Him.
Unless you regularly use a King James translation then you have probably noticed a break at the end of John 7 and beginning of John 8. Usually the text is bracketed with a footnote stating that not all ancient manuscripts contain this passage. The age old question is this: Is John 7:53-8:11 part of John’s gospel? In this message we look at the question of its authenticity and from there we study its message in our usual manner. In the process we discover that the heart of this passage is the gospel.
Jesus famously said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” In this message we look at the context in which Jesus shares these words, the meaning of these words, and the reaction of the people to these words.
I am often asked, “Why should you believe Christianity over all other religions?” Here is the answer in one word--”Resurrection.” In this message we look at a number of key events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ and from there follow those who made the remarkable discovery early on the Sunday morning which followed. The tomb was empty--Christ had risen. What are the implications of this? They are staggering. This message closes with three of them.
It would be hard to overstate the significance of the event traditionally entitled Palm Sunday. Here Jesus rides into Jerusalem conscientiously declaring Himself to be both King and Messiah. And the crowds enthusiastically rush out to proclaim Jesus their King. The problem is, Jesus does not turn out to be the King they were looking for. Herein lies a very important lesson for the church--one that needs to be taken ever so seriously. Many are calling on Jesus to stand with them in their political and social agendas when our true calling is to learn of Jesus’ agenda and stand to serve Him. The result is a distorted Christianity that looks very little like the Christianity of the New Testament.
The world asks, “Why should we listen to Christianity? Why Listen to Jesus? In our passage this morning Jesus gives us three reasons: 1) His teaching is from God the Father 2) Jesus, Himself is from God the Father 3) Jesus is returning to God the Father. In lieu of these three realities we must: 1) embrace His teaching as certain fact 2) embrace Christ because our lives truly do depend on Him 3) follow Him wherever He leads us.
What are the biblical sacraments? What is their purpose? What do they do? How does God use them? How should we understand them? Where are the answers to these questions taught in Scripture? In this message, we look at the biblical sacraments of Passover, the Lord’s Supper, Circumcision and Baptism in their historical context with an eye to answering these important questions.
In this message we look at Jesus’ response to the charge of Sabbath breaking. In doing this we get some of the ground rules behind Christian ethics. How can the Old Testaments priests work harder on the Sabbath and not be found guilty of breaking it? How can a person be circumcised on the Sabbath and be guiltless of breaking it? These are just some of the questions we take up.
In this message we discover much about the great mystery in how we become believers as well as gain valuable information in how we should carry out the work of apologetics. How many times have you heard someone respond to the gospel by saying “That is your opinion.” In this message we are reminded that the gospel is not our opinion but teaching directly from the Father Himself.
In this series of messages we continue to chew on gleanings for Jesus’ famous bread of life discourse.
In this series of messages we continue to chew on gleanings for Jesus’ famous bread of life discourse.
In this message we begin to look at what has been called Jesus’ bread of life discourse.
2020 has been a challenging year. And as it has closed it has left many anxious, scared, and uncertain. In this message, Pastor Rick leads us in how to address this fear. If you are anxious, scared, or uncertain, or simply wanting to help someone who is, then we hope you will listen to this message.
In the last message, from Isaiah 24, we looked at what this world is coming to--sure judgment. In this message we look at the wonderful salvation the Lord has brought in Christ Jesus--a salvation that calls for a new song.
I would imagine every generation has asked, “What is this world coming to?” At the end of 2020 we have asked and heard this question asked many times. Well, the Scriptures give us a definitive answer to this question. In this message we look at where God is taking us and how only in Him can we be safe and secure.
Why has Jesus’ opponents chosen not to believe in Him? For that matter, why does anyone? It is not for want of evidence. It is not for want of disclosure--the Lord has thoroughly revealed Himself in His word, especially in the context of our passage. In our text this morning, Jesus reveals the answer.
Jesus has been accused of Sabbath breaking and blasphemy--making Himself equal with the Father. In verses 19 through 30 Jesus made it clear that He is equal with the Father. In our text this morning, Jesus boldly states that the Father bears witness to His claims. The Father bears witness through 1) John the Baptist 2) the works Jesus does 3) the Scriptures. Because it is only through Scripture we can see any of this we see how important it is for the Pastor to center on preaching the word soundly and in a way that presents Christ.
In this passage, Jesus responds to the two charges laid against Him: 1) Sabbath breaking 2) blasphemy--making Himself equal with the Father. In this message we look at His great rebuttal and glean from the ways Jesus is equal with the Father.
As Jesus continues His earthly ministry things begin to heat up. His opponents see Jesus’ acts of mercy conducted on the Sabbath as Sabbath breaking and His calling God His Father as blasphemy. In verses 19 and following, Jesus responds to these charges and in doing so He gives us some of the most remarkable passages in the New Testament concerning His divine nature and acts.
This morning we come to a well known story of Jesus healing a man who had been invalid for 38 years. But as we will see, this miraculous healing is not the main focus of the narrative. Because Jesus healed this man on a Sabbath, the Jews accused Jesus of committing the crime of Sabbath breaking but in actuality, Jesus was healing the man on the Sabbath to reveal their crime of heartless religion. Through this story we are all called to examine ourselves to see that our own faith is not of the pedigree of heartless, lifeless, and Christless religion.
This morning we take a fresh look at the well known story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman of Samaria. Listen in as we discuss: What is the significance of this story? What is its main message? What is meant by “Living water?” What is it to “worship in spirit and truth?”
As the Pharisees hear that Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John, Jesus leaves for Galilee. The Pharisees had created a complex man-made system of religion that looked orthodox to many people, yet it was a system of religion which hated Jesus. Jesus’ increased popularity and teaching threatened this system of religion. Do we have any such system’s of religion today? This message answers this question in the affirmative revealing three popular systems of religion which many believe to be the real deal, but at the heart is in rebellion with Jesus.
Our text this morning covers a brief time period when the ministry of John the Baptist overlaps that of Jesus. During this time, John’s disciples become upset that more people are going to Jesus than John. John responds to his disciples with extraordinary humility--Jesus must increase while he must decrease. And in verses 31-36, John proclaims a powerful presentation of Christ to show why He must increase. In this message we consider this gospel presentation for our own growth and to be equipped to share this saving truth with others.
In John 3:22-30 we have one of the most important lessons in gospel ministry. John’s disciples become upset because more people are going to Jesus than John. John’s answer to his troubled disciples exhibits extraordinary humility. In this message, Rick explores this extraordinary humility to show that it is what he calls an “informed humility.” Listen in as Rick explains what he means by “informed humility” and shows how it applies to both gospel ministry as well as killing envy.
John 3:16 is one of the most glorious passages in Scripture--at one time it could be seen on massive billboards all along our nation’s highways. Because of this, John 3:16 is often very isolated from its context. If you have memorized 3:16 ask yourself this question: what is said in John 3:14, 15, 17, 18, 19. Often our minds go blank. In this message, Rick develops John 3:16 from its context and goes on to show the intensity of God’s love by 1) who He loves 2) the value of His gift and giving 3) what He spares us from 4) and the gift of eternal life in His presence.
Jesus tells Nicodemus “Unless a man is born from above he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus’ words amount to this: unless God saves you, you cannot be saved. Should we share this with unbelievers? In this message, Rick answers yes, explains why and when we should share this, and what should follow this hard word, namely, Christ “lifted up” (John 3:14). Jesus is never more magnetic to sinners than when He is “lifted up.”
In this message, Rick explores the mysterious wonder of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, namely, “You must be born from again or born from above” (John 3:3). What does Jesus mean by this? What is the context of His words? What is it to be “born from above”? What are some of the practical implications of this? Listen in as we discuss this glorious truth.
In this morning’s message we come to the end of this glorious chapter where we get a snapshot of the true nature of the Christian faith. Verse 37 tells us the disciples heard, followed, and were wonderfully received by Christ. In this message we explore this hearing, following and receiving. There is a lot of hearing but not much true hearing and there is a lot of claim to believe but not a lot of true following. Listen in as we clarify what this true hearing and following is and as we briefly reflect on Christ’s wonderful reception of those who trust Him.
In John 1:6 we learn of a man sent by God who was given the charge to “Make straight the way of the Lord” (vs. 23). This man was John the Baptist and his assignment was to clear the obstacles from our hearts which stand in the way of our Savior. In this message, Rick shows us three of these obstacles: 1) constantly looking at self 2) failing to look to Christ 3) lack of repentance. While we are constantly looking to ourselves we are not looking to Christ and while we are not looking to Christ we do not see ourselves as we truly are and when we fail to see ourselves as we truly are we do not believe we need to repent. The answer rests in a fresh view of Jesus.
In this message, Rick takes us through a number of opening themes that run throughout the gospel of John.
Death is one of those subjects we ignore and resist. It is often neglected in the pulpit because of its uncomfortable nature. But we must take it up and learn how we are to think about death. How are we to face death? God is far from silent on this subject and His instruction is very comforting. In this message, Rick takes up these issues in order to prepare us for this great enemy.
King Asa started out as a good and faithful king who once stood up to a one million man army by leaning wholeheartedly upon the Lord. But all that starts well does not necessarily end well. Asa’s later years as king were a disaster which brought his kingdom much suffering. In this message, Rick draws a number of lessons from this disastrous end, especially the danger of modern pragmatism in the church.
In this message, Rick Anderson threads two points together. The first concerns how to interpret and apply Old Testament narratives. To illustrate this point, Rick deals with a common objection which skeptics often ask: “How can you believe in a Bible which calls for the death of those who will not seek the Lord?” The second and main point, building on the first, answers, how the believer is to cope with all the emotional, psychological, political, spiritual, violent commotion going on in our society.
A halfhearted devotion to the Lord is readily accepted as saving faith in many quadrants of the church today. But this is dangerous and to be vehemently rejected. In this message,after showing a halfhearted devotion to be unacceptable to God, Rick calls us to seek the Lord with the end of making Jesus our first love.
In Proverbs 9 we have two opposing voices, two opposing paths, two opposite roads. You cannot travel both. You must choose one or the other. In this message, Rick begins by explaining Proverbs 9 and from there goes to the New Testament parallels. As the light of the New Testament shines upon Proverbs 9 it reveals Christ’s presence all over it. Furthermore, we have a solemn warning, choosing wisdom is not on the same playing field as a diet or exercise program. Choosing wisdom over foolishness is a matter of life and death.
We have all heard people say, “what is becoming of this world.” Where are things headed as we march toward what we are calling “a new normal”? Where is this world headed? How do we process all the radical changes that have taken place in the last two months? Think about how different this word was at Christmas time? In this message we find a solid footing to rest our confidence for the future--Christ delights in His people.
The design of Psalm 147 is to stir our hearts to praise our Lord, In this message, Rick, identifies and briefly explains each of these. May the Lord use them to stir your heart to praise and thanksgiving.
Every believer should be a man or woman of prayer. But prayer is not always easy. Many times, we come to God with minds and hearts that are blank—we don’t know what to say or how to say it. Psalm 86 provides us with help in this. Listen in as Rick identifies and explains seven prayerful petitions to guide our prayers in the hour of trouble.
Every Lord’s Day is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But on this particular Sunday we especially focus on this great historical event. As the eye of faith meets the risen Savior new life is breathed into our souls. In this message, Rick Anderson, shows us Jesus’ resurrection is the believer’s victory over the grave and death as well as the path of life.
This morning we come to what the church has historically called “Palm Sunday” named after the palm branches which were laid down on the road before Jesus as He traveled from the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem. It was a moment of intense excitement. But at the same time, it was an hour of devastating confusion. While Jesus was right in front of them, they failed to see who He really is. And they failed to see what He really came to do. What was the cause of this mistaken identity? What are the consequences? Who is Jesus? What did He come to do? How do we avoid falling into this? Listen in as Rick Anderson answers these questions from the text.
Out of deep anguish and life-threatening distress David famously cries out to the LORD: “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). Here David is showing us how to handle deep anguish and life-threatening distress. But a few questions must be answered: 1) what is the Rock of which David seeks safety? 2) where is this Rock? 3) How do I get to this Rock? In this message Rick Anderson answers these three important questions so that others may find the security and safety that is being offered in the Gospel.
This morning we find ourselves in a new chapter where the Coronavirus has forced us to meet via distance. While the technology we are using may seem exciting there is an inherent danger in what we are doing. Online technology can never replace a physical meeting. Secondly, meeting this way increases our susceptibility to spectating. We cannot be a spectator and a worshiper. As a spectator we can be drawn into worship but then we cease spectating and begin worshiping. Why the big concern? That is the subject of this message. Listen in as Rick Anderson first shows us how the Lord transforms us into Christ-likeness and then moves on to show how this transforming work is related to worship.
This past week we find ourselves seeing some of the sobering effects of the Coronavirus. School closings, work closings, grocery store shelves have all created an eerie atmosphere which has instilled great fear and anxiety. How long will this last? How dangerous will it be? What toll will it take on life as we know it? While these are important questions, without diminishing these questions in any way, I want to ask what I believe is a more important question: What would God have us to think about this? In other words, what direction does God give us on this? That is the subject I take up in this message.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). What does it look like to be born again? What does it look like to be converted? I plead with you to listen in as I take us through a living illustration of real, life-transforming conversion from Genesis. This is no academic triviality. What could be more important than life after death? What could be more important than being right with God? What riches could compare to being in eternity with Christ?
We all long for success. If we desire to be a failure something is wrong. And the believer desires victory over sin, patience with difficult people, progress and growth in Christlikeness. We desire endurance in the storms the Lord brings into our life. We desire contentment in the most difficult circumstances and etc. How do we achieve this? Listen in as Rick shows us how our text not only takes us to the source of success but shows us how we can overcome with beauty and grace.
“I hate myself.” “I look in the mirror and I hate what I see.” “I am too fat.” “I am too skinny.” “I am ugly.” “I am a failure.” “People hate me.” Thoughts and feelings like these are powerful, crippling, and dangerous. As we have seen in our study of Genesis, these emotions have driven people to do dreadful things like selling Joseph into slavery. Because of these emotions you have loved ones starving themselves to death, shutting everyone out, or plunging needles into their arm--you may be doing this to yourself. The good news is the ministry of Christ brings true healing. I urge you to listen to this message because these feelings are so dangerous they cannot be left unattended by the Gospel.
What is true joy? What keeps us from having it? And when we experience it why does it flee so quickly. What are the things that extinguish it and cause it to decay. That is the subject Rick takes up in this message.
What is going to happen to us. This question lingers in the human mind more than we realize. Who do we turn to for answers? The “experts” who formulate theories and peddle them as gospel truth only to abandon them for the next theory? No! We need to hear from the Lord whose word of truth never changes. He has everything to say about what will happen to us in the days to come.
In Genesis 48 the people of God are in a very vulnerable spot. Jacob, the patriarch, is about to die and the household of faith are in Egypt. What will become of the people of God? Will they fall away? Will they be absorbed into the high-life of Egypt? The answer is just as comforting to us as it was to them--the people of God are in God’s amazing hands. This message explores the wonder of our Lord’s powerful work to save and sustain His people--work that continues to this day.
The Bible confirms that God is in control of all things. It also confirms that God intimately cares for His children. But how do we allow the truth that God is caring for us to confront our lack of faith in those moments when life's circumstances consume our thoughts and emotions? We need a renewed vision of Jesus Christ!
Do you know you can flourish in God’s grace even as your health, wealth, and success fail? For many years a false gospel of wealth, health, and prosperity has been proclaimed and heralded as the true gospel. These false preachers say “God doesn’t want any of His children to be sick and poor.” But health, wealth, and prosperity are blessings the Lord withholds from many of His true children while giving them to some of the most wicked people who ever lived In this message Rick Anderson shows us there are greater blessings than wealth, health, and prosperity, namely: faith and repentance, victory over death, justification, holiness, righteousness, adoption and even loss,sacrifice and self-denial. Rick goes on to show how you can flourish in God’s grace even as your health, wealth, and prosperity fail.
To suggest that crisis is your friend could leave you labeled as insane. To teach that prosperity is of the Lord is an easy lesson. To teach the equally true precept that loss is of the Lord is no easy lesson. But to only embrace the first lesson with no knowledge of the second will leave you practically unable to cope with loss--loss you will certainly face in this lifetime if you haven’t already. Find out how you can see hard times in a completely new light as Rick Anderson explains how a national crisis served God’s glory and our salvation.
As we come to the last Sunday of 2019 we also come to the last Sunday of the decade. Let us recap all of the changes that have taken place. Where were you 10 years ago? What were you doing? Where did you work? Were you in college, school, or in between? Were you married? Had you met your spouse? Where you dating? Had the Lord blessed you with your children? When we entertain these kinds of questions we are amazed by the myriad of changes that have come into our lives. And we are equally amazed by how fast time marches on. But what is it marching towards? In this message as we look back to where the Lord has taken us we look forward to what the Lord is doing--”making all things new”!
What could be more astonishing than the Son of God stepping into time, space and history in the person of the Lord Jesus? Every believer should be absolutely astonished by this! Every human being! So ask yourself--are you absolutely astonished? Are you less than astonished? Has your earlier astonishment dimmed. Was there ever any astonishment? In this message Rick covers a number of reasons for this lack of astonishment and from there shares God’s remedy for this dullness of heart.
The Christmas story is familiar to many of us. But have you ever asked why a little town in Galilee? Why a virgin? Why a virgin birth? The Christmas story invites us to inquire into these questions and pays great dividends to those who do. In this morning’s message, Rick follows these questions into the very heart of the incarnation and from there sets forth three life-transforming truths taken from our passage.
This morning’s message is an attempt to speak to Gabriel’s words to Mary, namely, that the child who she will bear--Jesus--will be great. The heights of Christ’s greatness are truly unreachable with human oratory or language. Nevertheless, the Lord calls us to meditate often on the greatness of Jesus for it is one of the best remedies to heal our sin sick souls. May the Holy Spirit raise us to see!
One of the key words of Luke 1:5-17 is the word barren. The state of barrenness is a state of lifelessness--like a barren desert where nothing can live and prosper. In this text the Lord promises to visit his people who are largely barren with the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit through John the forerunner of Christ. This message is as relevant today as it was to the first century. We too are a people who are barren in so many ways. May the Holy Spirit pour forth His life-giving blessing upon our barren souls!
There are many who do not believe we can have certainty concerning salvation. But in this message, Rick shows us Luke writes his gospel so that we can have certainty! And Rick goes on to explain how Luke, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, establishes certainty. May your heart be encouraged to know you can have certain confidence in what Jesus has accomplished.
Meandering through life’s difficulties often requires vast wisdom. Perhaps one of the greatest fears we have is failing our children, parents, siblings, friends, and most importantly our Lord. The good news is, in our passage, we get a great lesson in how to negotiate these difficult seasons in a Christ-centered and God honoring way. In this message Rick explains the text calling us to trust Christ and use the wisdom He so wonderfully provides.
In this message, drawing from the end of Genesis 46 and the first half of Genesis 47, Rick labors to show that the joy and blessing of having God with us far exceeds all the misery, sadness, and heartbreak of this life.
If you have studied your bible for any length of time then you may have asked, “What do I do with all of these genealogies and lists of names that I cannot pronounce?” Before you skip over them one more time listen in to this message where Rick shows us that: 1) these lists are important to God. 2) these lists are part of God’s revelation to us where He shows us things about HImself 3) these lists teach us things about our own spiritual health.
In this message Donald Bean examines the question of God's goodness in light of Revelation 1. How does this chapter and book of the Bible encourage our hearts when life becomes overwhelming? By reminding us that grace and peace are found in God alone and that God demonstrates his love for us perfectly in Jesus Christ.
In this message Donald Bean examines the question of God's sovereignty in light of Revelation 1. How does this chapter and book of the Bible encourage our hearts when life becomes overwhelming? By reminding us that grace and peace are found in God alone.
In this message Rick takes up the question of emotions standing in the way of fighting against our faith. How do we move forward in our faith when our feelings are saying “No!” Or when our feelings are saying “I don’t feel like it.” Or when we are scared of losing what our heart tells us are the good things of life.
In Genesis 45 we encounter two great themes: God’s providence and reconciliation. To many these may sound like cold, lifeless, and academic terms. In this message Rick shows us that an understanding of God’s providence can enable us to find healing, offer forgiveness, and ward off bitterness that may otherwise overtake us when bad things happen to us.
As we have been studying how the Lord is working in the hearts of Joseph’s brothers we have seen them face their sins. But so far they have stopped short of true repentance. In this study, Rick shows us how the Lord brings them to true repentance and what this repentance looks like.
In our previous study Joseph’s brothers began to face their secret sin. In this study, Rick shows us a second important parts of forgiveness, namely, the recognition of God’s mercy in Christ.
Guilt is an unspeakable word to modern society. We explain it away. We justify it away. We attempt to store it away as far as we can get it. But healing can never come until we face it, own it, and repent of it. In this message, Rick takes us through the hard road to repentance as it is illustrated for us in Genesis 42.
There is one thing that profoundly changes the heart and life of a sinner and that is a glimpse of the beauty, majesty, and splendor of Christ. In this message, drawing upon the multiple ways Joseph foreshadows Christ, Rick attempts to put forth Jesus in His beauty, majesty, and splendor.
Life is full of ups and downs--pleasantries and unpleasantries. In this message, Rick sets our focus on one of the great gems in the Joseph narrative, namely, how to handle awful circumstances, suffering, future uncertainty and even prosperity.
In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson presents a view of baptism espoused by the Westminster Confession of Faith challenging us to see that baptism is not a sign of the believer’s faith but a sign of Christ’s covenant promises.
In our study of Joseph we have seen him go from being the favorite son to the favorite slave and finally to the favorite inmate. As Joseph plunged further and further it would have been harder and harder to see anything that could come out of his increasingly desperate situation. But nothing could be further from the truth. In this message, Rick shows us that God’s amazing work is generally hidden from our view.
If we are to glorify God in all we do. If we are to see evil for what it is. If we are to overcome temptation. If we are to keep from falling into self-pity. If we are to be so bold as to lay down our lives rather than displease God then one thing the believer must know is the Lord is with him. In this message, Rick develops the power of this theme out of the way the Lord worked in Joseph’s enslavement and incarceration.
When was the last time you heard a message on Genesis 38? Have you ever heard a message from Genesis 38? Genesis 38 contains material in which viewer discretion is advised! This chapter takes us down and into the gutter. But it also points us to the only way out of the gutter. Sin leaves us feeling dirty, filthy, unclean, and disgraceful. This is why so many do not go to church. In this message, Rick shows us how this chapter points us to the Savior who goes to the gutter to redeem, wash, purify, and empower sinners like us!
In Genesis chapter 37, years of family dysfunction culminate to form the perfect storm. Favoritism, envy, jealousy, deceit, selfish ambition all coalesce into a murder plot that ends in human trafficking--Joseph is sold off to Egypt. In this message, after developing the narrative, Rick brings us to two painful realities: 1) Our sins can often return to us through our children. 2) Very often our vices can be passed on into the hearts of our children. Has God done something about this? Yes He has. In Christ our mess can be cleaned up, we can be made new, and our families can find healing!
Appearances are everything to worldly eyes. But not everything is as it appears to be. In this message Rick shows us how Esau’s genealogy warns us of the foolishness and danger of falling to the lure of this world.
What do you do when you find yourself in a dark season? When your idols have a particularly strong grip on your heart and God feels so far away? In this message Rick speaks to this issue answering these questions from Genesis 35.
If you have ever read Genesis 34 you may have said to yourself “What do I do with this!” But if you do the hard work of prayerfully studying the passage you will discover there is a wealth of parenting lessons. It is true that the lessons are all in the negative--that is in the form of what not to do--they are nevertheless very instructive in raising children. In this message, Rick draws some of these lessons while showing the overarching message to be God’s patience, mercy, and long suffering in keeping His covenant promises.
After Jacob wrestles with God he is a changed man--a man who illustrates for us what a sinner looks like in the hands of a gracious God. After developing the text, Rick points us to several characteristics which mark a person, a sinner, who has been transformed by the hands of our gracious God!
In this text we discover that you can obey God’s commands, embrace His promises, call on Him for deliverance, embrace your unworthiness, receive His many blessings, and even give up all or a good portion of your stuff and yet still be found missing one crucial thing. Listen in to this message as Rick takes us to this crucial component.
In this message, after taking us through this passage explaining it verse by verse and stopping to make a number of applications, Rick shows the overarching message of Genesis 31 to be Jacob’s exodus out of Laban’s dominion. Rick explains Jacob’s exodus to be a preamble of Israel’s exodus which in turn is illustrative of our exodus from the dominion of the evil one, sin, and darkness. But it doesn’t stop there--listen in as Rick shows how the blessings of those who are in Christ are so much more than mere salvation!
Psalm 127:1 says: “Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain.” In this message, Rick shows us how the Lord builds His house even in the midst of sin and chaos thus showing Himself to be a great Father who straightens bent sinners like ourselves for His glory.
In Genesis 29, Jacob the cheater gets cheated. Where is God in this? What about Jacob’s vision of the ladder where God has promised to be with Jacob always? Listen in as Pastor Rick Anderson explains.
In this message we explore God’s amazing and intruding grace. The Lord intrudes upon Jacob in the midst of his cheating and deception only to give him a vision of a ladder which reaches from earth to heaven. When the clear teaching of Jesus is shone upon this vision we discover that Jesus is this ladder or stairway--the only way to heaven is through Him!
One authenticating trait of Scripture is its realism. It does not paint a false rosy picture of life in this fallen world. In Genesis 27 we get a view of family dysfunction--favoritism, rivalry, rebellion, deceit, false repentance, and more. At the start we see some of our own family dysfunction but as we continue to study we begin to see ourselves! The message of hope in this chapter is that even in the midst of all the fallenness, God’s purposes to save His people go unthwarted. If the Lord can save a person as deceitful as Jacob He can save you and me!
It is possible to be devoted and even love Jesus while being in great error about who He is, why He came, and what He accomplished. It is only as Christ reveals Himself to our hearts that these errors begin to diminish and the joy of salvation take root. In this message, Rick leads us as we follow the women to the tomb and encounter the risen Lord.
In this message, Rick shows us that it is possible and even common to come to Jesus with the wrong idea of who He is. Our hearts are more than ready to invent a “custom Jesus.” And if we come to Jesus with the wrong idea of who He is or why He has come we are in great danger of falling away when we realize He is not who we thought. This is how the crowds could go from worshiping Jesus on Palm Sunday to crucifying Him a few days later. From this we see that our souls depend on our receiving Jesus as He is offered in the gospel.
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar and beloved portions of scripture. Listen as Donald Bean explains why this text provides hope for believers throughout the ages.
When you are scared, lonely, tired, lacking in wisdom, do not know which way to go, where to turn it is comforting to have someone with you. In this message, I labor to show that if you are in Christ, the Lord is with you in a way that even surpasses the way in which He was with Isaac. With this comforting truth we can face any and all things that come our way!
In Genesis 25:19-34 we are met with the two important doctrines: God’s sovereign choice in election and our responsibility to embrace God’s promises. In this message I labor to show from the text that God alone builds His church through His electing grace. But that having been said, we are responsible to embrace these promises--promises that are readily available to each of us. Dismissal and indifference to God’s promises in Christ show us to be lost like Esau who sold his birthright for a pot of stew.
Genesis 24 reveals to us nothing other than Almighty God advancing His kingdom. In the midst of this heart warming narrative we see the Lord working providentially, opening hearts, and giving the gift of faith. Through this story we see not only how the Lord has worked in our own lives but also how we can hope for Him to work in the lives of our loved ones and neighbors as well.
Living a life devoted to following the Lord in this life is not easy. Many of the things the believer in Christ goes through are perplexing--even shocking. In the course of our study we have walked with Abraham as he as made his way through his earthly pilgrimage with the Lord. We have seen him through the ups and downs. But never does he face a test like that of Genesis 22. In this message we follow Abraham to observe all the Lord is teaching us through life’s difficulties and trials.
Genesis 21 is a chapter which demonstrates the great faithfulness of the Lord in keeping His promises. After 25 years Abraham and Sarah have a son--Isaac--the child of the promise! And Isaac’s miraculous birth points us to both the miraculous birth of the Ultimate Child of Promise--Jesus the Messiah--as well as the new birth that each believer experiences in Christ. The burden of this message is to show that this rich salvation is all of God!
Often times when we have blown it, even if we know it to be untrue, we envision God as shying away from us possibly embarrassed of us. And it is up to us to make it right with Him so He will come back. Looking at the serious mess Abraham makes of things, Rick explains this important chapter to show that the Lord does not shy away from us when we have blown it nor is He embarrassed to call us His own and much more.
If the Bible were merely a product of “religious men” there is no way we would have the story of Genesis 19. Make no mistake about it, Genesis 19 is meant to leave a lasting impression upon us. But as our culture steadily degrades we must admit that Genesis 19 is losing its shock factor. In this message, Rick offer two words as organizing principles for the multitude of lessons we get from Genesis 19--Pilgrimage and Judgment. All of this to show this important truth: how we understand God’s judgment will be directly reflected by our earthly pilgrimage.
In this message we continue to delve into the Lord’s intimate encounter with Abraham. There we find the Lord drawing Abraham into the secret counsel of God demonstrating that Abraham is much more than a servant of the Lord but a close intimate friend.
In Genesis 18 Abraham experiences an unexpected visit by unimaginary company--three angels and the Lord Himself. In this passage, God reveals Himself as a God who visits His people in an intimate way. Among the many lessons in this chapter, Rick shows us that our God is an intimate God who heals the soul and serves His people.
The story of the wise men coming into Jerusalem from the east is one of the most well known stories in the gospel of Matthew. But sometimes familiarity can carry its own blindness. In this message, Rick takes us through the narrative inductively, explaining the passage, establishing its place in the context, and explaining the cast of characters in the story. As this is done a powerful message is revealed concerning God’s heart for us and His mysterious work in calling us to Himself in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah speaks of a great Light which transforms gloom and anguish into joy and praise. Furthermore, Isaiah teaches us that the source of this light is a child--“to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). How can a child bring such light? In this message, drawing from Isaiah 9:1-7, Rick offers seven answers to this question. These answers are offered so that our faith may be renewed and strengthened and we may be able to give an answer for the hope we have.
Everyone would agree that we are living in a dark and uncertain time. And as we see in Isaiah chapters seven and eight, this has often been the case for the people of God. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson draws from the prophet Isaiah to show what the faithful are to do in these dark and uncertain times. And to show how we receive the Lord will largely determine who He is to us--a sanctuary or a snare.
Isaiah 7:14 famously says: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” What is lesser known is these words are given as a sign to an anxiety stricken and unbelieving king in a time of crisis. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson develops this context in order to show how there can be no neutrality to this promise. If you are trusting in Christ there is no evil that can ultimately prevail against you. But if you are not trusting in Christ then there is good reason for anxiety.
On the night Jesus was betrayed He took bread and broke it. And He said to His disciples, “Take eat; this is my body.” And He took a cup, and after giving thanks for it He gave it to them saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson seeks to develop the significance of this in order to show that the Lord’s Supper is true nourishment for the soul.
When Jesus introduces the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper He doesn’t do it in a vacuum. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper has for its foundation the rich Old Testament sacrament of Passover. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson develops the Passover to show that Jesus is the true Passover Lamb and as the true Passover Lamb provides His people with a complete deliverance.
The sacraments were given to us in order to strengthen us in our weakness and frailty. Unfortunately, for many of us, after the initial excitement wears off we have a tendency to forget about our baptism. But God’s design is to strengthen us by it. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson shows how your baptism can be a source of strength in overcoming temptation and hard times.
Do you get excited when you think of Baptism? Does it produce joy in your soul? How we understand baptism will greatly influence our answer to these questions. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson surveys the Word of God to show that the Lord has greatly blessed us with the ordinance of baptism. It is an instrument designed by the Lord to strengthen us in our weakness and frailty by making the otherwise invisible spiritual covenantal blessings visible.
In Genesis 16 to 17 we find Abraham weak and frail in the faith--looking and trusting in his own efforts to fulfill God’s promises. And it is in the midst of this low point that the Lord comes to Abraham to strengthen him by introducing and instituting the sacrament of circumcision. Drawing from this story, Pastor Rick Anderson shows the sacraments to be designed and instituted by God to strengthen us. Listen in to see how these lessons can strengthen us today.
n Genesis 17 the Lord calls Abraham to undergo the sacrament of circumcision and in the process we are taught some very important lessons. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through the meaning of the sign and seal.
Listen as Jim Bean provides a brief introduction to the book of Ephesians and speaks to the comfort it provides believers then and now.
To understand Scripture we must grasp the overall story line. This helps us answer the question, “How does what God is doing with Abraham in Genesis 17 apply to us today?” To begin answering this question, Pastor Rick Anderson establishes two important principles: Unity and Conditionality.
In Revelation 5 we're given a glorious picture of the scroll and the Lamb. Learn how this revelation gives believers confidence in God's sovereign plan.
Abram is rightly heralded as a man of great faith--the father of the faithful. We can sometimes get the impression that Abram never went through periods of lows. But our study of Genesis has informed us that Abram went though much difficulty and struggle in terms of his faith. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson shares with us the Lord’s method of reviving us when we come to these difficult places.
Every year the church celebrates Christmas—the Lord stepping into time, space, and history by way of the virgin birth. And every year the church celebrates Easter—the resurrection of Christ. But what about the Ascension? After Jesus rose from the dead where did He go? Where is He currently? Why did He have to leave? Wouldn’t it have been better had He stayed?
The answer to these questions profoundly speaks to strengthening our faith, overcoming temptation, nurturing hope, fostering worship, and producing awe as we behold what God has done for us in Christ.
Every year the church celebrates Christmas—the Lord stepping into time, space, and history by way of the virgin birth. And every year the church celebrates Easter—the resurrection of Christ. But what about the Ascension? After Jesus rose from the dead where did He go? Where is He currently? Why did He have to leave? Wouldn’t it have been better had He stayed?
The answer to these questions profoundly speaks to strengthening our faith, overcoming temptation, nurturing hope, fostering worship, and producing awe as we behold what God has done for us in Christ.
Every year the church celebrates Christmas—the Lord stepping into time, space, and history by way of the virgin birth. And every year the church celebrates Easter—the resurrection of Christ. But what about the Ascension? After Jesus rose from the dead where did He go? Where is He currently? Why did He have to leave? Wouldn’t it have been better had He stayed?
The answer to these questions profoundly speaks to strengthening our faith, overcoming temptation, nurturing hope, fostering worship, and producing awe as we behold what God has done for us in Christ.
In Genesis 16 we find Abram and Sarai at one of their lowest points. But the point of the chapter is not to slam them but to show the Lord’s faithfulness to look after us. Pastor Rick Anderson develops this theme to show us the Lord looks after His children even when He finds us at our worst.
What do you do with your doubts? What do we do when everything seems to be at odds with the promises of God? What do we do when the world, flesh, and evil one pounce upon our convictions? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson shows us how Genesis 15 speaks to these questions.
Our bibles have pictures in them—word pictures. Places where the words form brilliant images. Genesis 14 is one such place. It is a place where the veil is lifted and heavenly realities are revealed. It is a place where the invisible life of faith becomes visible. It is a place where life in the next world becomes visible in this one. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes us through these heavenly realities.
In Genesis 13 Abram deals with some significant strife brewing between his herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmans. In the process of resolving this conflict Abram demonstrates a truly selfless and sacrificial heart. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson show us the source of this selfless and sacrificial life that we too may be transformed into the same.
In the first half of chapter 12 Abram demonstrated great saving faith and in the second half he suffered a great fall. In Chapter 13 however, the Lord restores Abam. In this message, gleaning from this, Pastor Rick Anderson develops the wonderful determination of the Lord to save, restore, and bless His children.
Scary circumstances, situations, and storms come into our lives. As believers in Christ how are we to endure them? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson sheds some light on this question by: 1) showing the role that fear plays in eroding our faith 2) how placing the eyes of our heart on Christ and His promises strengthens us to endure the scariest trial.
As we have seen in our study of Genesis, chapters 3 through 11 are certainly on the darker side. Humanity is constantly adrift into ruin. But in Genesis 12 a bright light bursts forth—a glorious ray of Divine light. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson discusses some of the great gems of the faith that rest in this great chapter.
Everywhere we look we see people practically killing themselves to make a name for themselves. Why? Pastor Rick Anderson argues that one of the reasons is due to a significance crisis caused by living in rebellion against God. We have been put here to represent His name, carry out HIs will, and reflect His beauty and glory not our own. In this message, Rick shows us God’s road to true significance.
Of all the genres contained in Scripture the genealogies may be one of the most difficult. What do you do with all these lists of names that you can hardly pronounce? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson draws out a number of lessons from the seventy names listed in Genesis Chapter 10 and shows there is a real gospel connection that we must praise God for.
Life is messy, and one thing the bible does not do is sweep the mess under the rug. Instead, the bible faces this messiness head on showing us the only way out. In this passage we come to a dark story in the life of an exemplary and holy man--take heed--if he can fall so can you! In this message Rick takes us through three life transforming lessons that will help us avoid a similar fall.
In our present culture it is not uncommon to hear people say “I am worthless.” They may not say it in these exact words but it is what is meant. And who hasn’t wrestled with these thoughts. In this message Rick shows us the criteria for determining our value--and God’s answer is breathtaking.
We all live and dwell in the aftermath of Noah’s flood and the fall of humanity. Everything bad thing that has ever happened to us is part of the aftermath of the fall. In this message Pastor Rick Anderson shows us how God meets us with His comfort and grace in this aftermath.
Sin is a public problem. By the time we get to Genesis 6 the world had so degenerated that it became ripe for judgment. Only one family was saved. In this message, Rick takes us through what God has done in Noah to show us that the central message that Noah received is the same today.
In this message Donald Bean looks to 2 Corinthians 5:21 and unpacks the beauty of what Martin Luther called the Great Exchange. Our sins for Christ's perfect obedience.
In this message Rick preaches a word of caution: God’s mercy is abundant but not unlimited.
Reliability, Authority, and Sufficiency of Scripture // Part 3 by Tri-State Community Church
Reliability, Authority, and Sufficiency of Scripture // Part 2 by Tri-State Community Church
There are a couple of interpretations of Genesis 6:1-4. One interprets fallen angels siring children to the “daughters of men.” In this message, Rick looks at two popular interpretations of this important verse and from there makes an important application, namely the dangers of slipping away, living by impulse and feeling, and not being grounded in the word of God.
Last week we began to look at one of the types of passages that are often overlooked, namely, the genealogies. In this message our study of the genealogy continues. In this study, Rick backs up to Genesis three and redevelops the first gospel announcement in verse 15. From there he shows how the themes of the gospel develop in chapters four and five. There we see that we have a real history, involving real people, who choose a real destiny. This culminates into the hard fact that it is never a waste to follow Jesus!
In the Scriptures there are numerous genealogies. You know those lists of names that you can barely pronounce. Have you ever been tempted to just skim through them? Have you ever been tempted to pass over them altogether? In this message, Rick seeks to develop the purpose of one of the genealogies found in the book of Genesis. In doing this we discover a very powerful and practical message.
Do you ever find yourself getting lost in God’s Word? Wondering what the passage all about? The good news is God has gone to great measures to accommodate our weakness and needs. In this message, Rick points out a literary device that is woven into the structure of Genesis four that God uses to take us right into the heart of the message. This message is meant not only to open up Genesis 4, but also to give you tools that can be used to help your understanding of many other passages of Scripture.
It is a temptation for some to skip these dark passages. But God has given them to us for our benefit that we might grow in grace. One of the lessons we learn from Genesis 4 is where the dark road of rejecting God leads. In this message, working through the passage verse by verse, Rick points out a number of important insights that are gained by studying this dark road.
In this dark passage we see the unfortunate fate of a man who refuses God’s mercy and grace each step of the way. In this message, Rick draws a number of lessons to be learned from the dark path of Cain, namely, to take care lest an unbelieving heart leads us to fall away.
After Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion the disciples plunged into a state of exceptional grief, confusion, loss, and even unbelief. Immediately following His resurrection, Jesus meets His followers right in the midst of this loss and unbelief. In this message Rick develops this to show how Jesus also meets us in our weakness, unbelief, and loss.
Sometimes things do not go the way you want them to. And this can be very painful especially when you have your whole heart invested. Nor is it uncommon to reach a point in your life where you say, “This is not the way I wanted it to go.” In this message, Rick explains the significance of “Palm Sunday” to show how Christ can bring healing to dashed hopes.
Many can resonate with these words: “I want to change but I can’t.” Receiving help from the Lord and praising Him in worship are directly connected. In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson discusses the message of worship found in Genesis 4:1-5 and in doing so touches on the struggle to to connect with, find help from, and worship God.
The conclusion of Genesis chapter 3 is loaded with mystery. What are we to make of the “us” of verse 22? The tree of life? The Cherubim? While the passage is loaded with mystery it is also full of tragedy and sadness. And while the passage is loaded with tragedy and sadness grace is nearby. In this message Pastor Rick Anderson expounds on the mystery, tragedy, sadness and grace of this passage.
Shame is one of the most horrible emotions that we can experience. It cuts deep into our soul like a razor and leaves a mess that can last for a lifetime. In this message Pastor Rick Anderson shows how the Lord takes away our shame and transforms it into glory!
Authority of every description has fallen on hard times these days. As a result we have all suffered a loss of intimacy and respect. What is the cure? In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson takes this up discussing biblical authority within the context of the gospel as it is proclaimed in Genesis 3:20.
In this message Pastor Rick Anderson discusses the effects of the fall upon men especially as it concerns marriage and the workplace.
In this message Pastor Rick Anderson discusses the effects of the fall upon women and especially the unique pain that a mom undergoes in bearing and raising children.
In the the life of the church there are all kinds of questions that can be answered correctly without any working understanding of the answer. On such question is, “How did Jesus defeat Satan?” In this message, Pastor Rick Anderson seeks to answer that question starting from the foundation given to us in Genesis 3:15.
The history of Israel and her kings teach us of a correlation that exists between the righteousness/ unrighteousness of the king and the welfare of the people. Once we understand this principle we can begin to see how the perfectly righteous Kingship of Christ is truly a blessing to His people.
God is active in the ordinary moments of life working for His glory and our good. In this message, Donald looks at ways we can glorify God in the ordinary and examines the ordinary means of grace.
We are constantly bombarded with the temptation to walk in the light of men, the world, and the flesh. But in Isaiah, through a great vision of hope, the Lord calls us to walk in His light. In this message Rick shows us that God’s light does not change, is trustworthy, and breaths life in to death, darkness, and hopelessness.
In this message, gleaning from the birth narrative of Jesus, Rick discusses the absolute sovereignty and providence of God.
What can we learn by Mary’s famous visit with Elizabeth? One of the answers is definitely worship. In fact, one of the core themes of the beginning of Luke’s gospel is worship. In this message, gleaning from this well known story, Rick develops God’s role in worship, our response, and the effect worship has on on the believer.
In this message Rick takes us through the well know story of Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. And through this story we learn what Luke wants us to know about Jesus which is really the same thing as saying, this is what the Holy Spirit wants us to know about Jesus.
Luke has set out to write his gospel so that we may have certainty concerning the things that have been accomplished. In this message, Rick takes us through a well known passage where we see that the silence has been broken. God has moved to accomplish His long awaited promises.
Romans 8:32 reveals God’s heart in a way that is truly amazing. The Father has bestowed such love upon His people that He has not even withheld the greatest of gifts--Jesus. If He will give us Jesus how will He not graciously give us all things. In this message, Rick attempts to open up the beauty and simplicity of this amazing passage.
In this message, standing upon an amazing statement made by Paul in Romans 8:31, Rick steps back for a moment in order to review the highlights of what we have studied so far in Paul’s letter to the Romans. In the course of this we learn one of the Bible’s key remedies for enduring hard times.
The words, taken from Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good” are often used as an absolute that applies to everyone. Is it true? Are all things working for the good of everyone? In this message Rick discusses how Romans 8:28 is often misapplied and leads us in the proper application of this tremendous truth of Scripture.
To a culture crazed by strength weakness is a bad word. But the truth is we are weak and frail. In this message, Rick discusses how the Holy Spirit meets us in our weakness and provides us precisely what we need.
We often think of suffering as dashing all hope. In this message, drawing from Romans 8:19-25, Rick discusses how biblical hope is not incompatible with suffering. To the contrary, the road to glory takes us right through suffering.
In this message, drawing upon the message of Romans 8:18, Rick discusses how the gospel empowers us to face suffering
In this message, expounding on Romans 8:14-17, Rick discusses the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in leading us, adopting us, and assuring us.
One of the great causes of falling away from the church, dullness in the Christian life, and lack of joy in God through Christ is found in flirting with and entertaining sin. In this message, drawing on the writings of John Owen, Rick explains Paul’s charge to put this remaining sin to death. As we receive this charge, the blessings of the gospel bud and blossom in our hearts.
The fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of a believer is well known. And like all truths that are well known, familiarity can often leave us less than awed by it. In this message Rick reviews Paul’s argument up to Romans 8:9-11 and then presents five points that will hopefully set our minds and hearts into worshipful adoration of the fact that God’s dwells with us.
In Romans 8:5-8 Paul contrasts Spiritual mindedness with fleshly-mindedness. Paul informs us that to be fleshly-minded is death but to be Spiritually minded is life and peace. In this message Rick explains what Paul means by these two phrases, presents a practical way in which we can discern whether we are Spiritually minded or fleshly-minded and concludes by showing how the believer can increase in Spiritual mindedness.
One of the most glorious passages in all of Scripture reads: “There is now, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This verse should take our breath away. Sadly, too often, it does not. In this message, Rick looks at one of the principle reasons for this lack of awe and from there moves to gaze at what God has done to make this verse a reality.
The Christian life is a battle. As believers we deeply desire to obey God but we often fail. In this message, Rick takes us through Romans 7:14-25 showing us that though we are free from sin's dominion we are not free from its presence.
In this message, from Romans 7:7-12, Rick shows that the law is both a mirror and a window.
In Romans 7:1-6 Paul presents a principle, an illustration, and an application. The principle is: “The law is binding on a person only as long as he lives.” The illustration is marriage. The application is one of the most beautiful pictures of salvation in the whole of Scripture. In this message we glean from this picture and behold our husband, Christ Jesus our Lord.
In Romans 6:17 Paul says that the believer has been committed to “the standard of teaching.” In this message we examine what Paul means by this and in doing so we learn how God shapes and molds us into the likeness of Christ.
The passages of Scripture are not put together willy-nilly, there is a divine order and we do good to pay attention to it. Overcoming sin in the Christian life requires an active contemplation of what God has done to us. He has set us free to become slaves; slaves of righteousness.
If you are a true believer then you received a bundle. This bundle includes a death, new life, and empowerment to live out this new life. In this message, Rick explores this bundle showing that, in Christ, we really have the resources to overcome our sin and worldliness and live lives that are increasingly Christlike.
Life can be difficult but God has not left us without hope! Listen and learn how Psalm 62 provides hope for those in the midst of life's most difficult trials.
We live in a day where doctrine is considered unimportant, divisive, and in some cases to be avoided. But sound doctrine is essential in overcoming sin in our lives. In this message, Rick demonstrates the importance of doctrine and then looks at the doctrinal consideration of Romans 6:6, namely, that the believer is no longer enslaved to sin.
Romans 6 teaches us that the true believer is united or with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. In this message, Rick begins to discuss how this “withness” empowers us to walk in newness of life.
Paul begins Romans 6 by asking, “Shall we go on sinning that grace may abound?” After answering emphatically in the negative, Paul begins to explain why. In this message, Rick begins to expound upon Paul’s explanation with a call to think, ponder, and reflect on what God has done to every believer. In short, reckon yourself dead to sin.
If God’s grace is greater than our sin. And if where sin increased grace abounded all the more. Shall we continue to sin that God’s grace would abound even further? In this message Rick discusses Paul’s answer to this question looking at the role of the law in the believer’s life.
As we come to the end of our discussion of Romans 5 we come to the very heart of the gospel. In this message Rick takes up the glorious news that God’s grace is greater than our sin.
In Romans 5:12-21 Paul makes reference to two historical events that changed everything. In this message, Rick develops how each of us have been affected by these events.
We have heard and even sing the phrase: “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). But what does it mean? In this message Rick opens up this phrase giving us three concrete promises that fill our hearts with hope.
In Romans 5:14, Paul says that Adam was a type of Christ. But after saying this, the Apostle immediately shows us how Christ is different than Adam. In this message, Rick develops the significant difference between the accomplishments of Adam and that of Christ.
Many in every generation have asked “What is wrong with the world?” In this message, Rick develops the Apostle Paul’s answer to this important question.
If Romans 5:1-11 were to be summarize with one word a good candidate for this word would be Hope. Not the hope of popular conversation which is largely desire or wishful thinking but hope that is certain. In this message, Rick first stands back for a “Bird’s eye” view of the letter to this point and then develops the two reasons Paul gives us for the certain hope we have.
In Romans 5:1-11 Paul calls us to rejoice in hope, God, and even suffering. We may see ourselves rejoicing in the first two, but how do we rejoice in suffering? In this message, Rick answers this question concluding with the tools God has given us to empower us to rejoice in suffering.
Christianity is not a lifeless religion--Jesus is alive. In this message, Rick takes us through Luke 24 with an eye to the active and living ministry of Jesus. The believer is far from pulling him or herself up by their bootstraps--they are the recipients of Christ’s active ministry to them!
In our message this morning, we look at this well known text from three perspectives: Christ’s identification - who He is; reception - how He is received; and compassion - the loveliness of His heart.
Christianity insists that access to God is only through Christ. Many in our culture receive this as an offensive and arrogant claim. In this message we take up the idea of “access” to God and His blessings, answering the objections and looking to the treasures to which the believer has access.
The word peace is popular but little understood by many of us in the West. But the word peace takes us directly to the very heart of the gospel. In this message we look at the beauty of this word from it common usage as a greeting to it pinnacle in Christ Jesus. This message is especially for those who are going through tough times but all will find comfort for their soul.
In our study we have seen that the Apostle Paul emphatically states salvation is not through works but through faith in Christ. But James 2:24 says, “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” In this message, Rick shows us how these two apostle are not contradicting each other but teaching the same doctrine from different vantage points.
In this message, Rick develops the fact that it was perfectly reasonable for Abraham to believe that he would father a son even though he was nearly 100 years old and his wife 90. From there we see it is perfectly reasonable for us to trust in all of God’s promises with equal conviction.
While the word guaranteed may be abused by the advertising industry, it is still a powerful word. In this message, Rick develops the point that because the great promise of the gospel does not rely on the law it can be guaranteed to all who believe!
Nothing comforts, strengthens, and invigorates our faith like meditating on the fact that every believer in Christ is a fellow heir with Christ of the New Heaven and New Earth. In this message, Rick develops this great promise and then shows how it re-aligns our priorities, re-sizes earthly riches, and renews adoration and thanksgiving in Christ.
A very common error today is to think that the good things we do will outweigh the bad and therefore earn us entry into heaven. But the gospel message says, “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” In this message Rick opens up this passage paying special attention to the word “counted” to show that the gospel is much better news.
We have learned from our study of Romans that we have no merit or achievement of our own upon which we can use to stand in God’s presences or enter His heaven. But God has provided the necessary merit and achievement in Jesus Christ. Only through faith in Christ is this merit ours. In this study Rick looks at how this provides the environment for true community
Beginning in Romans 1:18 all the way through 3:20, for 64 verses, Paul describes the mess unbelieving humanity is in. Then comes the greatest paragraph, 3:21-26, which reveals God’s righteousness through the gospel. In this message, Rick develops this great paragraph to show that in Christ, God justifies sinners righteously--no accusation against them can stand.
We all want to be effective at sharing the gospel because we all want to see men, women, and children come to faith in Christ. But could there be something missing from our presentations? Something that is so crucial that it is causing the gospel to fall flat? In this message we look to this missing link.
How do we make sense of scripture? How do the various parts tie together? Listen as Donald Bean explains and walks through some Old Testament types of Christ showing that Jesus Christ is key to understanding all of scripture.
When we find it easy to pass judgment on others for their sins we can be sure that we are out of touch with God’s amazing kindness, patience, and forbearance toward our sins. In this message Rick explains Paul’s words on this subject as well us pointing us to the cure.
To Us a Son is Given: Part 2
Isaiah 9 presents the faithful with the greatest of gifts--the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In this message, Rick looks at this gift from the standpoint of 1)who this gift is for 2)the value of this gift 3)every blessing from God is given in this gift.
Isaiah 9:1-7 is one of the greatest passages of the Bible. It raises us up from one of the darkest passages. In this message we go into Isaiah’s dark valley and learn a lot about our own valley. From there we see how God’s light transforms this darkness.
To Us a Son is Given Part 1
Every Christmas we read, see, and hear verses like Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” But what is the context of this famous verse? How is it a sign? What is its significance? In this message, Rick takes us through the context and in doing so we see the force of this powerful verse afresh.
In this message, Rick explores the terrible news of the fallen human condition showing us how it not only reveals our utter need for Jesus but also the tremendous grace God offers us in the gospel.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best of news. But it makes sense only in the light of what is sometimes called: “The Bad News of the Gospel.” In this message, Rick begins to expound this bad news examining Paul’s indictment that all men know God exists by virtue of creation.
All of us who have attempted to share the gospel have had the painful experience of giving in to fear of potential rejection. In this message, Rick discusses the cause of this fear as well as the biblical remedy for overcoming it--eager and unashamed.
When we touch things we leave fingerprints behind. The marks are peculiar to each of us. When God touches the soul of a sinner with His gospel He also leaves a number of marks behind. In this message, Rick discusses three of these powerful marks.
We all like gifts and it is oppressive, even painful, to be without a purpose or cause. In this message Rick shows us what a gift apostleship is. It is a gift because the apostles are our eyewitnesses of Christ’s risen life and they have turned the world upside down with a message that has both a life changing purpose and a motivational cause.
We all have things in our past that we wish we could change. We have hurt others and others have hurt us. How wonderful it would be to made brand new, re-created. In this message Rick shows us one of the great blessings of the gospel message, being re-created in Christ.
Paul’s letter to the Romans is not only a remarkable literary work it is also a message with absolute authority. In our fallenness we are naturally bent on rejecting authority. In this message Rick demonstrates that if we reject the message of Romans we do so at our own peril. The only way to be free is to surrender to the “gospel of God.”
Why do we gather each Sunday to worship? Is this really necessary? Listen as Donald Bean, elder at Tri-State Community Church, answers this question.
For the last few weeks we have been studying the covenants. In this message Rick takes us into an important application of the covenant of grace, namely baptism. Listen in as Rick shows us how baptism serves not only a sign of the covenant of grace but also how it powerfully strengthens our faith.
In the Garden of Eden the human race, under the representation of Adam, falls into darkness. Adam has rebelled against God before the entire cosmos. What is God’s response to this rebellion? What is His response to the broken covenant of works? In this message, Rick picks up where we left off last time to discuss the covenant of grace.
An old friend of mine was fond of saying, “I would like to go to heaven but I can’t be good.” Have you ever tried to be good? Perfectly good? That is what it would take to get to heaven without a Savior—a perfect record. How then can those of us without a perfect record get to heaven? In this message Rick takes us to the Covenant of Works where we see what Christ has done in order to offer us a perfect record.
In the first instalment of this series we travel back into eternity where the way of salvation is not only made possible but certain. We will be looking at a number of mysterious passages of scripture which reveal an agreement, a disposition, a deep desire on part of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to bring fallen man into deep everlasting fellowship with Him. Listen in as Rick takes us to what is often called the “Covenant of Redemption.” We pray that you will not find this to be a mere academic exercise in theology but an informed encounter with the living God.
According to some studies, only a third of Americans describe themselves as “very happy.” Amazingly, it could be your view of happiness that is bringing you down. How do we typically view happiness? How is this affecting us? In this message Rick looks at these questions and offers a biblical corrective.
One of the pitfalls of always looking down is that we have a tendency to look to government to do what only God can do. One of the places where we see this manifested in our culture is in the vast human rights rhetoric that abounds today. Do we have inalienable rights? If so, are all rights inalienable? Do we have rights before God? Are there important distinctions that need to be made? Can inalienable rights be established by the state? Listen in as Rick takes up these important questions.
The foundation of human dignity and person hood are being destroyed. Once we are depersonalized and/or dehumanized we are unsafe! Because of this fact, it is imperative that we have a solid foundation for human dignity. In this message, Rick takes us to the essential link under girding human dignity.
What is man? Are we just a bag of chemicals? Are we just lucky monkeys or lucky animals because we happen to have nails on our hands and feet, short snouts, and large brains? Are we the products of impersonal forces plus chance—here today, gone tomorrow? In this message, Rick shows us that we all know there is more to us than this and why.
Most people believe that we are headed in the wrong direction. In this message, Rick identifies our current trajectory as one of despair that in part explains the rise of drug abuse and even suicide and begins to lay the groundwork for a substitute of hope.
Part 2 of the Foundations of Human Dignity, Rights, and Prosperity series
Part 1 of The Foundations of Human Dignity, Rights, and Prosperity series.
Preached by Rick Anderson
Preached by Rick Anderson. This track includes the ordination ceremony following the sermon
Preached by Rick Anderson. This track does not include the ordination ceremony at the end of the message.
In Matthew 24, Jesus prophecies the destruction of the temple. This must have seemed like madness to the Pharisees and his disciples. But in doing so, Jesus points out how easy it is for the mighty things of this world to become safehouses of unbelief.
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 23, Jesus declares seven woes on the Pharisees. How should we understand them today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
Here is the final message on the sacraments. Listen as the topic of Infant Baptism is discussed and understood Biblically.
Preached by Rick Anderson
Why do we baptise and what significance does and should it have on us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
Why do we celebrate the Lord's Supper and what significance does and should it have on us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
Why do we observe both the Lord's Supper and Baptism? Why are they significant and what do they mean for us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Psalm 130, the Psalmist upholds God's majesty and mercy together. He notes how these two things lead us to repentance and both are perfectly represented in Jesus Christ.
Preached by Rick Anderson
The holiday season is such a joyous time! But for some, it's a time of pain, sorrow, and loneliness. How should those facing sorrow respond?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 23, Jesus proclaims 7 woes on the Pharisees. He then provides a contrast between true and false leaders. How can we tell the difference today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 22, Jesus asks a provocative question; "what do you think about the Christ?" Listen to why this question is critically important.
Preached by Rick Anderson
Charles Spurgeon once stated many people do not love God but rather view Him with a cold admiration. What does loving God look like?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 22, the religious leaders again try to trap Jesus by asking what is the greatest commandment? Listen to Jesus' response.
Preached by Rick Anderson
Throughout Matthew, Jesus exposes the scribes and Pharisees empty profession of faith. This parable is no different... but what does Jesus mean when he speaks about the wedding garment?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. In this parable, Jesus gives believers a small glimpse of the heavenly feast to come... but He also speaks judgement on those who oppose Him.
Preached by Rick Anderson
As we read the parable of the tenents, it's important to keep Jesus' audience in mind. Jesus is presenting the parable - along with its Old Testament imagery - to those who oppose His authority as the Son of God. What do these words mean for us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
What do Jesus' words regarding the fig tree mean for us today? What does it mean to have leaves but not bear fruit?
Preached by Rick Anderson
Does it make a difference how we live as Christians? And what does Jesus' actions in the temple teach us?
Preached by Rick Anderson
Self-seeking is a means we use to establish value and identity. How can we free ourselves from this bondage? Listen to Jesus' words in Matthew 20.
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 20, Jesus foretells his death for the third time. Why is He emphasizing this point?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. What is the point of this parable and what does it mean for us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
This message concludes last week's sermon on forgiveness with some practical advice. In light of Matthew 18, must we forgive unconditionally? What does forgiveness look like? And how do you know when you've forgiven someone?
Preached by Rick Anderson
At a glance, the parable of the unforgiving servant appears to be solely about forgiveness. While true, it's also a lesson on the heart of man and our great need of a Savior!
Preached by Rick Anderson
Matthew 18 is one of the most cited verses in scripture but what is the goal of this passage? Restoration or retribution?
Preached by Rick Anderson
It's easy to be discouraged by current events. Newspaper headlines and leading stories always seem to focus on the negative. But this is nothing new... every generation tends to believe their situation is worse than those before. In Psalm 36, we're reminded that God is in control and His love is unchanging.
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Psalm 76, we're given a picture of God's victory over darkness. The Psalmist recounts God's deliverance of Judah from its foes, likely Assyria. The Psalm also recognizes the universal aspect of God's Lordship, reminding us Jesus Christ will return to this earth in power and glory.
This week we take a short detour from the book of Matthew to examine a beloved Psalm. In Psalm 8, David expresses awe and consternation at God's glory. Why is the sovereign of the universe mindful of man? And what does that mean for us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
The Gospel is central to Paul's teachings but what is it? How does it affect the our lives on a daily basis? In this Easter message, learn why the resurrection is vital to the Christian faith collectively and to us personally.
Preached by Rick Anderson
We skip ahead in our study of Matthew to study Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday). In this passage, Jesus is shown to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. Why are the people so excited to see Jesus come to Jerusalem and what does this mean for us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
"Woe to the world for temptations to sin!" Tempatation affects us all and sadly, sometimes "we" are the tempter. Listen to Jesus' words on this important topic.
Preached by Rick Anderson
Humility can be such a challenge! In Matthew 18, Jesus' disciples ask "who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus responds with an object lesson. Listen and learn what it means to turn and become like children.
Preached by Rick anderson
Loving people is costly! It often requires us to lay aside our rights. In Matthew 17, Jesus shares what it means to suffer for the Gospel?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 17, Jesus addresses the issue of faith. What does it mean to have faith like a mustard seed? How can faith move mountains?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In chapter 17, Matthew describes the transfiguration of Christ. Why is this event significant? How does it impact us today?
Preached by Rick Anderson
Why did Jesus have to die? What does it mean to take up our cross daily? Listen as Pastor Rick Anderson concludes Matthew chapter 16.
In Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus asks his disciples two important questions... who do others say I am? Who do you say I am? Why are these questions significant and what is meant by their answers?
Preached by Rick Anderson
In Matthew 16, Jesus warns his disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Preached by Rick Anderson