Solid Rock Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Solid Rock Church
In this sermon from James 5, we looked at how James closes his letter with a clear call, we are not meant to live the life of faith in isolation. In suffering and joy, we move toward God and one another. When we are sick or weak, we invite the church to pray and care for us. When sin takes root, we bring it into the light through honest confession, where grace and healing can begin. Prayer is not a formula for controlling God or a guarantee of immediate healing; it is confident trust in the Lord who is powerful enough to heal and wise enough to know what's best. James ends with a call to restore the wandering brother, reminding us that because Jesus came after us, we refuse to let one another suffer alone, struggle in secret, or wander without being pursued.
In this sermon from James 5:7–12, we were reminded that faithful endurance is rooted in the hope of Christ's return. We were encouraged to remain patient in seasons of suffering, resisting the temptation to complain or turn against one another. Looking to the examples of the prophets and Job, we were challenged to trust that God is compassionate, faithful, and at work even when we cannot see the outcome. As we wait for the Lord, we are called to live with steadfast faith, love for others, and integrity, remembering that how we live while we wait matters just as much as what we are waiting for.
In this sermon, we discussed how trying to control our circumstances and accumulate wealth give only the illusion of security. To calm our fear and anxiety, we try to control people and circumstances. The idea that we can control the future or the actions of others provides a fragile security that we cannot possibly maintain. Similarly, we may seek our security in money or possessions. It is tempting to think that if we have "enough" we will be free to live out our best. The reality is that the accumulation of wealth does not grant freedom but instead leads to yet another false security that puts money above God and others. The only solutions to our problems with control and money are to pursue surrender to God and a heart of generosity. As Christians, we are called to trust God with our present and future, being sensitive to His greater plan and where it will lead us. We are also called to view our material possessions as a blessing of God’s provision and a stewardship to invest in building His eternal Kingdom.
In this sermon from James 4:1–12, we were reminded that the conflicts and quarrels we experience often reveal the sinful desires at war within our own hearts. We were challenged to recognize that these desires are rooted in worldly wisdom, which opposes God and damages our relationships with Him and with one another. We also saw the hope found in God's greater grace, as He lovingly calls us to submit to Him, humble ourselves before Him, and draw near to Him. The sermon concluded by reminding us that God alone is the righteous Judge, and our response should be one of humility, repentance, and trust in His authority.
In this sermon, we continued our series in James by looking at James 3:13-18 and asking what true wisdom really looks like. We were reminded that wisdom isn't measured by what we know or say, but by the fruit it produces in our lives. Godly wisdom is marked by humility, peace, mercy, sincerity, and impartiality, while earthly wisdom is driven by selfish ambition and jealousy, leading to disorder and division. As we walk in the new nature God has given us, He produces the fruit of righteousness in us, reflecting the wisdom that comes from Him.
In this sermon from James 3:1-12, we looked at a warning from James about the power of our words. Throughout this chapter, James uses the "tongue" to represent our speech, and he especially emphasizes the destructive potential our words have. He compares the tongue to a horse’s bridle, a ship’s rudder and a small fire to show that even though the tongue is a small part of our body, it can have huge influence. Additionally, James identifies a problem when we use our words to praise God while at the same time speaking to one another in hurtful ways. Though it is difficult, God calls us in His Word to use our words to give life, encouragement and grace.
In this sermon from James 2:14-26, James reminds us that genuine faith is more than words, knowledge, or a profession of belief—it is a living faith that produces action. While salvation comes by grace through faith alone, true saving faith never remains alone; it reveals itself through obedience, compassion, and good works. Abraham demonstrated his faith through obedience to God, and Rahab demonstrated her faith through courageous compassion toward God's people. Their actions did not earn their salvation but proved the reality of their trust in God. In the same way, our faith should be visible in how we love, serve, and care for others. As James concludes, "faith apart from works is dead." A living faith trusts God, obeys His Word, and bears fruit that reflects a transformed life in Christ.
In this sermon from James 2:1–13, James confronts the sin of favoritism and calls believers to see people through God's eyes rather than the world's standards. Because every person is created in the image of God, human worth is not earned through wealth, status, appearance, influence, or achievement; it is received from the Creator. Favoritism reveals a distorted view of people and a forgetfulness of God's mercy toward us. James reminds us that God often works through those the world overlooks and that His character is completely impartial. When we seek validation from status or comparison, we begin ranking people according to external measures rather than honoring them as image bearers. The royal law, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' calls believers to extend to others the same dignity, mercy, and compassion they have received from Christ. As we remember our own need for mercy and rest in the value God has already given us, we are freed to love others without comparison, favoritism, or judgment.
In this sermon from James 1:19–27, we see that God's Word was never meant to simply inform us but to transform us. James reminds us that spiritual maturity begins with a humble and teachable heart that is quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Human defensiveness, self-protection, and the need to be right often keep us from receiving what God wants to show us. James calls believers to allow God’s truth to take root deep within and reshape them from the inside out. Like a mirror, God's Word reveals what is true about us, exposing what needs to be changed—not to condemn us but to heal us. Sincere faith is not measured by how much truth we hear but by how deeply that truth changes the way we speak, love, and live. As we respond to God's Word with obedience, we discover that His commands are not bondage but the pathway to freedom, flourishing, and becoming more like Jesus.
In this sermon from James 1, we saw how the struggle of enduring trials often becomes a deeper battle with temptation. We were reminded that temptation does not begin with God, but with our own desires, which, when left unchecked, can lead us away from Him and ultimately toward sin and death. We explored the progression James describes—from desire, to temptation, to sin—and saw the importance of recognizing this pattern in our own lives. In contrast to the shifting desires that pull us away, we were pointed to God, the "Father of Lights," who is consistently good and generous. Ultimately, we were reminded that God is not the source of temptation, but the giver of every good and perfect gift, inviting us to trust Him rather than seek fulfillment on our own terms.
In this sermon from James 1:1–12, we see that trials are not meaningless interruptions to the Christian life but one of the primary ways God forms us into mature and steadfast people. Writing to weary believers scattered by suffering, James reminds us that hardship reveals what we trust in and invites us into deeper dependence on God. Trials expose our self-reliance and control while producing endurance, resilience, and spiritual maturity. James encourages believers to ask God for wisdom in the middle of confusion, trusting that He welcomes dependent people with grace. Ultimately, God does not waste suffering. He uses it to form people who remain anchored in Jesus through every trial.
In this sermon, we explored how hurt impacts the human heart and how God meets people in pain with compassion, truth, and healing. Psalm 34 reminds us that God does not shame the wounded, ignore the brokenhearted, or abandon those carrying disappointment, betrayal, conflict, rejection, or loss. David writes Psalm 34 from his own experience with fear, disappointment, danger, and rescue, reminding us that God is not distant from suffering. He sees, He hears, and He draws near to brokenhearted people. Hurt itself is not sin, but hurt left unattended can shape false stories inside us and, as Hebrews 12 teaches, can grow roots of bitterness that impact how we see God, ourselves, and others. Matthew 18 gives us wisdom for pursuing restoration when hurt involves broken relationships, while also recognizing that not every hurt is sin—some hurts come through misunderstanding, immaturity, disappointment, or unmet expectations. Finally, 2 Corinthians 1 reminds us that God often heals hurting people through redemptive relationships, honest conversations, prayer, grace, and biblical community.
In this sermon, we explored how marriage often exposes the unhealed wounds, survival patterns, and generational dysfunction we bring into relationships. In Malachi 2, God confronts His people for abandoning "the wife of their youth," reminding them that marriage is not merely a contract, but a sacred covenant marked by faithfulness, grace, and commitment. Through the story of one couple's redemption journey, we see that oneness in marriage grows out of oneness with God, and that healthy marriages are not marriages without pain. Instead, marriage is where two imperfect people continue moving toward one another with honesty, grace, forgiveness, and dependence on Jesus.
In this sermon from the Gospel of Luke 10:38–42 in the Redemption Stories series, we explore how the beauty of motherhood can quietly shift from a meaningful calling into an overwhelming burden. Through the story of Martha and Mary, we see how doing good things can become heavy when they are driven by anxiety, control, and the fear of not being enough. Martha's struggle reveals a deeper narrative many moms carry: the pressure to get it right and the quiet belief that they are falling short. Yet, Jesus meets her not with correction but with compassion. He sees her, names her anxiety, and invites her into something better. Instead of striving for perfection, He calls her to sit with Him, reminding her that her worth is not found in what she accomplishes but in being with Him. God's redemption in motherhood is not found in doing more, but in laying down the illusion of control and receiving peace, identity, and rest in His presence.
In this sermon from Psalm 27:7–10 and Romans 8:14–16 in our Redemption Stories series, we saw how God meets us in the pain of rejection and speaks a new identity over our lives. Through David's words, we were given language for the ache of not being seen or affirmed—a wound that can lead us to strive for acceptance or withdraw in protection, quietly asking, "Am I enough?" Yet we were reminded that the gospel meets us in that place of pain. Through Jesus, we are adopted, accepted, and delighted in by the Father. As we receive His love, we were invited to grieve what was missing, move toward forgiveness, and begin to experience the freedom and healing He brings.
In this week's sermon from Psalm 139:13–16, we explored how what the world often labels as a "learning disability" is not a flaw in how God created us, but a reflection of how human systems define and measure value. We were reminded that we are intentionally formed by God with dignity that is not diminished by our struggles to meet human standards. This truth confronts the shame that can come from not "fitting in" and invites us into a deeper identity rooted in God's design and perspective. We were then pointed to Jesus, who was often overlooked and misunderstood, yet through what appeared to be weakness became the means of redemption. Ultimately, we were reminded that our limitations do not disqualify us, but can become the very place where God meets us and works through us.
In this week's sermon from Romans 6, we saw that what we often call addiction, the Bible describes as a kind of slavery—a pattern of sin that begins to take authority over our lives. But rather than calling us to try harder, we were reminded that Paul begins with something deeper: our identity. Because of our faith in Jesus, our old self has been crucified, and we are no longer enslaved to sin. From that foundation, we were given four clear ways to respond: to consider what is true about who we are in Christ, to refuse to let sin reign, to stop offering ourselves to patterns that keep us stuck, and to actively present ourselves to God. Ultimately, we were reminded that freedom is not found in our willpower, but in surrender—learning to say no to what enslaves us and yes to the One who gives us life.
In this week's sermon from Genesis 3, as we began our Redemption Stories series, we saw how the voice of shame entered the human story through the lies of the serpent, leading Adam and Eve into sin and hiding. We explored how shame is more than just a feeling—it is a voice that accuses, distorts our identity, and drives us into isolation, whispering lies about who we are, how God sees us, and whether we truly belong. We were reminded that Jesus exposes this voice as coming from the enemy, the father of lies, and shows us a different way by confronting shame with truth and refusing to agree with its accusations. Ultimately, we were pointed to Jesus, who endured the cross and defeated the power of shame, so that we no longer have to hide, but can step into a restored identity—fully seen and fully accepted in Him.
In this week's sermon from Ephesians 2, we saw how the resurrection power of Jesus meets us in our deepest brokenness. We were reminded that apart from Christ, we were not merely struggling, but spiritually dead—living in the effects of the fall through separation from God. Yet we also saw the turning point of the gospel: that God, being rich in mercy and love, stepped into our story and made us alive together with Christ. Through the resurrection, we were reminded that our identity and position have been completely changed—our striving replaced with grace, and our lives set on a path of restoration.
In this final sermon in our Story of Redemption series, we looked at how Jesus meets us in the middle of our disappointment and confusion. Through the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, we saw how easy it is to lose sight of hope—even when we've been walking closely with Jesus. As they wrestled with what had happened, we were reminded that Jesus draws near, not after we figure things out, but right in the middle of our questions and grief. We saw how He patiently listens, opens the Scriptures, and begins to reshape our understanding, revealing that what feels like the end may actually be part of God's greater redemptive plan. Ultimately, we were invited to see that the same Jesus who walked with them is still present with us—awakening our hearts, restoring our hope, and calling us to step fully into His redemption story.
In this week's sermon from Malachi in our Story of Redemption series, we were reminded of God's unchanging declaration to His people: "I have loved you." We saw that His love is not something we earn, but something that has always existed, continues today, and will never end. Yet we also recognized how easy it is to question that love, often trying to earn what God freely gives. Throughout Malachi, we see God confront His people’s apathy and rebellion while still graciously calling them to return to Him. We were then pointed to the promise of a coming messenger and the hope of the Sun of Righteousness—Jesus—who rises with healing for those who receive His love. Ultimately, we were reminded that in Christ’s death and resurrection, we see the clearest proof of God's love: that while we were still sinners, He came to redeem, heal, and reconcile us to Himself.
In this week's sermon from Zechariah in our Story of Redemption series, we saw how Jesus is the Pierced One who brings grace, mercy, and cleansing from sin. Zechariah prophesied that God's people would one day look on the One they had pierced and mourn for what they had done. From kings and priests to the least of the families, all would recognize their sin and grieve the weight of it. Yet even in the midst of their sin—and ours—God provided Jesus as the One who would be pierced in order to cleanse His people. On the cross, Jesus endured the piercing and suffering demanded by His own people, the very ones He came to save. What appeared to be a dark and devastating moment became our greatest hope, as He took upon Himself the punishment we deserved. When we look to Jesus, the One who was pierced, our mourning can be transformed into joy through the forgiveness that comes through faith in His name.
In this sermon from the Story of Redemption series, we looked at Haggai 1 and saw a God who lovingly invites His people to consider the emptiness of their disobedience. Though they had returned from exile, their focus had shifted from rebuilding the temple to building their own houses. By calling them to consider their ways, God exposed how spiritual drift can lead to lives that feel busy, yet ultimately unsatisfied. When the people responded, we saw that God does not shame them but met their obedience with His presence and stirred their hearts to action. Ultimately, Haggai points us to Jesus, who makes us the dwelling place of God. The Lord who disrupts our misplaced priorities is also the Lord who draws near to restore what matters most, His presence with us.
In this sermon, we looked at the book of Zephaniah and studied a dimension of God that we often struggle to believe. While the early chapters confront sin and announce the coming Day of the Lord, we saw the book take a surprising turn toward joy. The Lord removes judgment, restores His presence, and promises that His people will no longer fear evil. Even more surprising, He rejoices and sings over His redeemed people with loud joy. We were then pointed to Jesus, where the judgment of the Day of the Lord is absorbed at the cross so that what remains for us is not God's condemnation, but His delight. The good news of the gospel is that God not only forgives us, but fully restores our communion with Him—and He rejoices over us.
In this week's sermon from Habakkuk in our Story of Redemption series, we looked at what it means to trust God enough to be honest about our confusion and doubt. Following Habakkuk's journey from the desperate cry, "How long?" to the declaration, "Yet I will rejoice," we were reminded that faith is not the absence of doubt but the courage to bring our questions into our covenant relationship with God. We saw that God's kindness is not always expressed through quick relief, but through His faithful presence. Because of this, we were encouraged that we do not have to clean up our questions or rush our grief in order to draw near to Him. We can bring our disappointment, our doubt, and even our frustration into His presence, trusting that He is at work in ways we cannot yet see.
In this sermon, we looked at the story of Nahum and were reminded that God's justice and God's love are not opposites but work together for the healing of His world. We saw how Nahum speaks to a weary and wounded people, assuring them that God is not indifferent to their suffering and that evil will not have the final word. God's judgment was revealed not as impulsive anger, but as love's settled response to deep-rooted evil—a picture of a God who is slow to anger, yet unwilling to allow injustice to endure forever. We were then pointed to Jesus, where justice and mercy meet fully at the cross. The good news of redemption is that the judgment Nahum announces is ultimately absorbed by Christ, so that sinners can take refuge in God and the wounded can trust that evil will one day be fully brought to an end.
In this sermon, we looked at Jonah 2 and were reminded that God meets us even in the depths of our distress. We saw how Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish reveals that salvation often begins when we stop running, let go of control, and honestly cry out to the Lord. What Jonah initially experienced as punishment, he came to recognize as God's mercy—using desperation to expose his helplessness and draw him back into relationship. As Jonah remembered who God truly is—powerful, holy, kind, and attentive—his heart began to move from self-reliance toward surrender. We also saw how Jesus points to Jonah's story as a foreshadowing of the Gospel. The good news of redemption is that God is still rescuing people today, not because they have their lives together, but because they call on the name of the Lord and discover that salvation belongs to Him.
In this sermon, we studied the book of Micah and learned that God’s plan for redemption doesn't move forward through human strength, status, or self-reliance, but through human weakness, humility, and trust. Micah shows us that Israel's broken leadership would lead to defeat and a deep longing for a better King. God promises that this King would come from an unexpected place, Bethlehem, and would be both humble and eternal. Jesus fulfills this promise as the Shepherd King who cares for His people, carries their pain, and lays down His life for them. Even in seasons of waiting and suffering, our peace is not found in the absence of struggle, but in the presence of the Shepherd who absorbs judgment, heals what is broken, and gathers our scattered stories into His redeeming care.
This service was pre-recorded as we continued our Story of Redemption series. Due to inclement weather, we worshipped together from our homes rather than in person. Today's message was a good reminder that while we may be physically apart, we remain united as the body of Christ, trusting God to meet us wherever we are and to speak through His Word.
Click here for our service video!
In this sermon, we looked at the book of Amos and explored how God's justice and kindness ultimately meet in the person of Jesus. Through Amos, we saw that God refuses to ignore injustice and rejects worship that overlooks sin or harm. The book of Amos exposes a tension we all live with: we long for justice when wrong is done around us, yet we struggle when that same standard of justice is applied to our own hearts. We studied how Amos makes it clear that God's justice must be satisfied, but he does not provide the solution. The Gospel reveals the answer. At the cross, God pours out His justice fully on Jesus. Christ bears our sin, satisfies God's righteous judgment, and removes our condemnation. Because God's justice has been satisfied, we are reminded that God now meets our sin, wounds, and regrets with mercy, forgiveness, healing, and restoration.
In this sermon, we walked through the book of Joel and God's promise to restore nearness with His people through the Holy Spirit. We were reminded that when sin broke communion with God in Genesis 3, Scripture began pointing forward to a renewed relationship between God and His people. In Joel 2:28, God promises to pour out His Spirit, revealing His mercy and His desire to dwell with His people and renew them from within. We saw how this promise is fulfilled through Christ and poured out at Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit now indwells every believer—opening hearts to the gospel, giving new life, sealing believers with a guaranteed inheritance, and equipping them for the good of the church and the mission of Jesus. Ultimately, we learned that redemption is not just God fixing what is broken, but God drawing near to restore relationship with His people.
In this sermon, we explored the story of Hosea and the shocking beauty of God's covenant love revealed through a lived parable of betrayal, pursuit, and redemption. Hosea's marriage to an unfaithful wife exposes our own tendency to wander—trusting other loves to give us what only God can. Yet instead of rejecting His people, God relentlessly pursues them, pays the price to redeem them, and restores them from shame to belonging. The story of Hosea ultimately points us to Jesus, the true and faithful Husband, who meets our unfaithfulness not with condemnation but with compassion. At the cross, Jesus pays the ultimate price with His own blood, reclaiming us as His own and inviting us home—not merely forgiven, but renewed, restored, and securely loved.
In this sermon from Luke 2, we were reminded that true joy is not something we manufacture, but good news God announces. God sends a heavenly messenger to ordinary, fearful shepherds, showing us that the joy found in Jesus is offered to all. The angel's message centers on the identity of the Child—Savior, Christ, and Lord—revealing that lasting joy flows from who He is and what He has done, not from changed circumstances. As we close our Advent series, we remember that the joy of Christmas is not something we summon; it is something we receive—the Savior who has been born for us.
In this sermon, as we continue our Advent series, we reflected on Jesus' teaching that true joy is not found in the absence of sorrow, but in the transformation of sorrow through His presence. In John 16:20–24, Jesus prepares His disciples—and us—for a life in which weeping and rejoicing coexist. He promises that our sorrow will turn into joy, not be ignored or replaced by it. We confronted the idol of comfort, which offers quick relief but often keeps us from the very places where God forms deep, lasting joy. Jesus invites us into a joy that cannot be taken away—a joy rooted not in our circumstances, but in Him. This joy allows us to live with eyes open to the sadness of the world while remaining anchored in the hope of the resurrection. As we depend on Jesus through prayer and honest engagement with our sorrow, we discover a joy that endures, grows, and ultimately prevails—joy that holds space for sadness.
In week two of our Advent series, we explored how Habakkuk stood in the middle of a collapsing world and still declared, "Yet I will rejoice." His joy wasn't rooted in circumstances but in the unchanging character of God. At Christmas, we see the fulfillment of that hope in Jesus—Immanuel—who stepped into our broken, hurting world to offer a joy that isn't fragile, circumstantial, or threatened by loss. When we name our losses and anchor our hearts to Jesus rather than our circumstances, we discover the unshakable joy He was born to bring—a joy no one can take away.
In this sermon, we looked at Psalm 16 and were reminded that the joy we often chase through moments of anticipation can leave us uncertain, disappointed, and still wanting more. But true joy—lasting joy—comes from a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. In his presence, we receive a joy that does not fade and does not leave us lacking. As believers, we can rest knowing that joy comes from Jesus himself, and in him our souls finally find a joy that fully satisfies.
In this sermon, we looked at Daniel 7 and saw "one like a son of man" who came with the clouds of heaven and was presented to God, the Ancient of Days. This Son of Man was given dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom where all people and nations serve him. This Son of Man is Jesus—fully human and identifying with our struggles, yet fully God and sinless. Jesus took on the title "Son of Man" from Daniel 7 to fulfill his mission of redemption for all who come to him in faith. Through his life, death, and resurrection, the Son of Man ascends to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, where he is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that never ends.
In this sermon, we looked at Ezekiel 34 and saw the heart of a God who refuses to abandon His people to unfaithful shepherds. While Israel's leaders were like shepherds who took advantage of the flock, God promised to come to us Himself, to search for the lost, bind up the wounded, and bring His sheep home. That promise is fulfilled in Jesus, the True Shepherd. He sees the weary and helpless and moves toward them with compassion. He seeks the wandering, carries the broken, and lays down His life for His sheep. Where others take, He gives. Where others wound, He heals. Jesus is the Shepherd who came looking for us, and when He found us, He healed our wounds and led us home.
In this sermon, we looked at Lamentations 3 and saw that even in the ashes of Jerusalem's ruin, the author of Lamentations rediscovers an unchanging truth: when everything falls apart, God's compassion remains. His love doesn't end when we reach the end of ourselves, and His mercy rises like the morning sun after the darkest night. Waiting becomes the place where faith grows, not because our circumstances change, but because God meets us there. In Jesus, we see the fullest expression of this truth: the Savior who gave His cheek to those who struck Him, carried our griefs, and was cast off so that we could be brought near. His compassion doesn't remove our suffering; it redeems it by transforming our lament into living hope.
In this sermon, we are reminded that Jesus shows up with kindness in the midst of our suffering. In John 11:17–44, He arrives at Lazarus's tomb, and He doesn't stand at a distance from our suffering—He steps into it. Jesus listens to Martha's frustration without rebuke, meets Mary's tears with His own, and enters the tomb of death to bring life. His delay was not indifference but intentional love, revealing that His kindness is not measured by how quickly He fixes our pain but by how He joins us in it. Jesus weeps before He works, showing that the heart of God is not cold toward our sorrow but deeply moved by it. When Jesus shows up, He doesn't just change our circumstances—He restores our hope.
In this sermon, we studied John 11:1–16 and were reminded that God's silence is not His absence—it's an expression of His deep and intentional love. When Mary and Martha urgently called for Jesus to heal their brother, He stayed where He was. What seemed like indifference was actually driven by deep affection. Jesus loved them too much to offer a quick fix; instead, He wanted to reveal resurrection power rather than temporary relief. While they waited and grieved, He was orchestrating a greater story—one that would reveal God's glory and strengthen their faith. In the end, His delay shaped the sisters' trust, stretched the disciples' courage, and set the stage for a miracle that displayed His authority over death. God's silence is never wasted; it’s the soil where His glory grows and our faith matures.
In this sermon, we studied the book of Jeremiah, where God reveals how Israel had become a deceitful bride, chasing after lesser loves while He remained the faithful husband who pursued her still. In the midst of judgment, Jeremiah pointed to a coming hope on a day when God would raise up a Righteous Branch from David's line, a King who would reign with wisdom, justice, and righteousness. That promise is fulfilled in Jesus, the true and faithful King who took our sin upon Himself so that we might stand in His righteousness. Through His blood, the new covenant was established, not written on stone, but written on our hearts and brought to life by the Spirit. This is the gospel story: the faithful Husband redeeming His unfaithful bride, restoring what was lost, and writing His love into the very fabric of our hearts forever.
In this sermon, we took a closer look at the book of Isaiah to see how God's plan to redeem His people was foretold long before the cross. In Isaiah 53—the most quoted Old Testament passage about Christ—we studied the vivid picture of the Suffering Servant written 700 years before Jesus came. We see that He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows who understands our pain; that He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, bearing the punishment we deserved so we could be made whole. Isaiah reminds us that Jesus' death and resurrection were not accidents, but the sovereign plan of God to redeem a people for Himself. The story of redemption in Isaiah 53 assures us that Jesus took our place, walks with us in our suffering, and fulfills every promise in His perfect time.
In this sermon, we were reminded through the Song of Solomon that God's love for us is not distant or passive—it's deeply personal and pursuing. This Scripture paints a vivid picture of a bridegroom passionately pursuing his bride, overcoming every obstacle to win the affections of his beloved. Likewise, in Ephesians 5, Paul reminds us that marriage itself is a living parable of Christ’s covenant love, meant to direct our eyes to the profound mystery of the gospel. Later, we saw how Revelation unveils the pinnacle of this story, the wedding supper of the Lamb, where the church, made pure by Christ, enters into eternal union with Him. This great story of love and redemption finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the Faithful and True Warrior-Groom who conquers every enemy to secure His people forever.
In this sermon, we walked through Ecclesiastes, where "The Preacher" wrestles with the meaning of life. We heard how wisdom, work, pleasure, and wealth—all things we often chase—are like a vapor that cannot satisfy. Yet, as we were reminded through the text, God has placed eternity in our hearts, pointing us to the only One who can give true meaning. The book concludes that to fear God and keep His commandments is "the whole of man." This is more than just our duty; it is the essence of what we were created for. And ultimately, we saw how Christ entered our vanity, bore our judgment, and rose victorious so that our fleeting lives could carry eternal weight. In Him, our vanity is transformed into victory.
In this sermon, we studied Proverbs 3:5-6 and looked at God's invitation into redemption by trusting Him with our whole heart. This trust means forsaking self-reliance and surrendering every part of our lives to His wisdom. Trusting God is not a vague feeling but a whole-person response in which we surrender our understanding, desires, and emotions to Him. The call is to acknowledge Him "in all our ways" through daily dependence, bringing Him into every decision and circumstance. When we do, God promises to redeem what is crooked in our lives, setting our feet on a straight path that leads to life in Him. The path of trust is not easy, but it is certain, because Jesus Himself walked it for us and opened the way of redemption.
In this sermon from Psalm 22, we looked at a time when David poured out his heart in anguish, feeling abandoned by God and surrounded by enemies, yet still holding on in faith that God would deliver him. His cries and vivid descriptions of suffering point beyond his own experience to Jesus, the true Suffering King who was mocked, pierced, and feeling forsaken. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, the story of redemption moves from despair to victory, turning suffering into salvation and opening the way for people from every nation to worship the risen King. Because of Him, our cries of pain are met with God's presence, our sin is met with His forgiveness, and our lives are drawn into His greater story of redemption that ends with glory and the promise of all things made new.
In this sermon, we looked at the story of Job, and saw how Job, though crushed by loss and pain, declared one of the clearest confessions of hope in all of Scripture: "I know that my Redeemer lives." Job's words remind us that our suffering is not the end of the story, because God has provided a living Redeemer who takes up our cause. Job's confession is fulfilled in Jesus, our Redeemer who came to earth, died for our sin, and rose again in victory. This is the hope that anchors us in our darkest seasons. Like Job, we can face trials with confidence, knowing our Redeemer lives and that God’s unstoppable story of redemption will one day make all things new again.
In this sermon from the book of Esther, we looked at how God’s redemptive plan cannot be stopped. In Esther 4, we see that God’s people were facing imminent destruction from the Persian King. Sovereignly placed as the queen of Persia, Esther courageously risked her life to advocate for her people and rescue them from death. This is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus, the greater Advocate who gave His life to secure our eternal salvation. Esther’s story reminds us of God’s unstoppable story of redemption and calls us to live courageously, advocating for others wherever He has placed us.
In this sermon, we explored redemption through the story of Nehemiah, learning how shame can keep us from living fully in God's restoration. Just as the broken walls of Jerusalem reflected Israel's need for rebuilding, our own brokenness points to our need for Christ. Through scripture, we unpacked how unhealthy shame isolates and condemns, while healthy shame leads us to humility and dependence on Jesus. Through His kindness, Christ restores our identity and purpose. We are invited to lay down our sin and shame at His feet, allowing Him to rebuild our lives and lead us into the freedom and joy of true redemption.
In this sermon, we looked at John 16:29–33 where Jesus reminds us that trials are a part of life, but they are never the end of the story. He meets us in our fear, fatigue, and uncertainty, offering peace that only He can give, courage that's fueled by His presence, and victory secured through the cross. Whether you are stepping into a classroom, navigating a tough workplace, or walking through personal struggles, this message invites you to be courageous because Jesus has already overcome the world.
This week, as we finished up our Heart of the Elders series, we looked at the final two verses of 2 John. In this passage, John closes his letter with a personal and heartfelt farewell, expressing his desire to be with the church in person. Though he has more to say, he chooses not to continue writing, emphasizing that face-to-face connection brings a deeper joy and fellowship than paper and ink ever could. We reflected on how, just as God spoke to Moses as a friend, John longs to personally minister to the church, to share the truth of Christ and hear how they are walking in it. John concludes this book with a greeting from the church he is with, reminding us of the beauty of Christian community and the joy found in walking together in truth and love.
This week, we continued in 2 John by exploring verses 9–11, where we looked at John's warning to the church to stay rooted in the truth of the gospel and to guard against drifting from sound doctrine. Abiding in Christ means living in Him, drawing life from Him, and bearing the fruit of obedience- not to earn salvation, but as evidence of it. John's strong caution against welcoming false teachers is not about rejecting unbelievers, but about protecting the gospel from distortion. In a world still filled with subtle lies, we’re reminded that abiding in Christ also means abiding in truth, and it's both our joy and responsibility as a church to defend that truth with love.
In this sermon, we explored the heart of a faithful shepherd through the words of the apostle John in 2 John 1:4–6. John doesn't rejoice in numbers or outward success, but in seeing God's people walk in the truth—a life shaped by the grace, presence, and commands of Jesus. We were reminded that the call to love one another isn't new—it’s foundational. It's woven throughout all of Scripture and modeled perfectly by Christ. We looked at how truth, love, and obedience are not separate ideas, but one unified path of discipleship. As believers, we can be encouraged by the truth that God meets us in our greatest need, and from His presence flows gratitude, love, obedience, and even joyful sacrifice. We ended our time with a simple yet profound call: walk in truth, love one another, and let your life reflect the God who first loved you.
This week we began our study of the short but powerful letter of 2 John, focusing on the greeting in verses 1–3. In these opening verses, we explored the apostle John's emphasis on the central role of truth. Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth, and it is this truth that unites believers from all walks of life in fellowship and service toward a common mission. We ended our time reflecting on how John concludes his greeting by reminding us that grace, mercy, and peace come from the truth, and by affirming that Jesus is truly God, fully divine and one with the Father.
In this sermon, we looked at how God's promise to King David was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. We studied 2 Samuel and how David was chosen by God to be king after Saul, the first king of Israel, disobeyed the Lord. Though David spent years on the run from Saul, he eventually became king and followed after God's heart. God then made a promise to David: one of his descendants would reign over a kingdom that would never end. This promise, known as the Davidic Covenant, shaped Israel's hope for a coming Messiah. But every king who came after David fell short, until Jesus. Through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus proved that He is the promised descendant of David. He has established the Kingdom of God, and through faith in Him, we become part of it. Even as we enjoy the Kingdom of God now, we look forward to its full and final fulfillment when Jesus returns to reign forever as our perfect King.
In this sermon, we looked at how the story of Ruth is a profound portrait of redemption, belonging, and grace. As a Moabite woman, Ruth was an outsider to the covenant promises of Israel. After the loss of her husband, she was destined for a forgotten life without hope. Yet through her bold declaration of faith—"Your God will be my God"—she was adopted into God’s family. Then, through the kindness of Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, God restored what had been lost in Ruth's life, weaving her story into the very lineage of Jesus. As believers, this is our story as well. We were once far off, strangers to God's promises, but by faith in Christ, our true Redeemer, we have been brought near. Jesus takes those who are broken, wounded, or forgotten and invites us into His eternal plan of redemption.
In this sermon, we studied Judges 2:16–18, where we see the heart of God revealed in His response to His people's rebellion. Even when Israel repeatedly turned from Him to serve other gods, God raised up judges to rescue them—not because they deserved it, but because He was moved by their groaning and suffering. This passage reminds us that our deliverance doesn't depend on our ability to earn it, but on God's mercy. In the book of Judges, we see every earthly "deliverer" ultimately points to the true and final Deliverer—Jesus—who saves us not temporarily, but forever. His compassion moves Him toward us even when we are undeserving, and His faithfulness calls us to trust Him more deeply and surrender more fully.
In this sermon, we explored how God calls His people—like Joshua and Paul—to move forward with strength and courage, even when facing fear, hardship, or weakness. After Moses' death, Joshua stepped into an intimidating leadership role, but God promised His presence and success if Joshua remained faithful to His Word. Similarly, Paul wrestled with a persistent "thorn" in his life, yet God reminded him that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness. Both men discovered that God's strength isn't found in the absence of struggle, but in trusting Him through it. As believers, we are encouraged to cling to God's presence and promises—especially in seasons of suffering or transition—knowing He will never leave or forsake us.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise God made about the coming Prophet. God originally made this promise to the Israelites through Moses in Deuteronomy, saying there would be a prophet even greater than Moses who would speak God's words. We see in John 1 that the Prophet, along with the Messiah and a messenger in the spirit of Elijah, were anticipated figures by the Jewish religious leaders. Though these leaders did not accept Him as the fulfillment of the Prophet and Messiah prophecies, the Apostles preached in Acts that it was Jesus who was the fulfillment of both promises. Jesus, the only perfect Prophet, willingly took the punishment reserved for a false prophet at the hands of the religious leaders who did not believe Him. That sacrifice on our behalf saves us from our own deserved punishment and invites us to a relationship with God through Christ's righteousness.
In this sermon, we looked at how the story in Numbers 21 is more than just a strange moment in Israel's wilderness journey—it's a powerful foreshadowing of the gospel. When the Israelites were bitten by fiery serpents because of their rebellion, their only hope for healing came not through human effort, but by looking in faith at a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that just as the Israelites looked to the bronze serpent and lived, so must every person be born again by looking to the Son of Man, who would be lifted up on the cross. The central theme of this sermon—and of God's overall redemptive story—is that salvation cannot be earned; it is a gift we receive by putting our faith in Jesus.
In this sermon, we studied Philippians 3:3–12, where Paul reflects on all the things he once saw as achievements—his background, reputation, and religious performance—and how he came to see them as worthless compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Rather than clinging to his resume, Paul rejoices that he is found in Jesus, not having a righteousness of his own, but one that comes by faith. This passage invites us—especially graduating seniors—to consider what we're building our identity on. In a world that tells us our worth comes from success, status, or self-image, Paul reminds us that nothing compares to being in Christ. Our greatest pursuit in this next chapter of life isn't a goal to accomplish, but a person to know: Jesus, who has already taken hold of us.
In this sermon, we explored the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and how it powerfully foreshadows what Christ would ultimately accomplish through His perfect sacrifice. While the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to offer sacrifices for the people's sins, this ritual was only a temporary covering and had to be repeated year after year. In Hebrews 10, we studied Jesus emerging as the hero in God's story of redemption, offering His own blood as the ultimate sacrifice, one that secures eternal redemption for all who believe. Unlike the sacrifices of animals, Jesus' sacrifice was once for all, fully sufficient to cleanse you from sin and remove your guilt forever. There was no need for it to be repeated. When He declared, "It is finished," He proclaimed that His sacrifice would be the final and complete atonement for our sins. Because of this, we are invited to confidently enter into God's presence every day.
In this sermon on Mother's Day, we're reminded that God's invitation is not to the strong, polished, or put-together, but to the thirsty, the tired, and those who come with nothing to offer. In Isaiah 55, God says, "he who has no money, come, buy and eat," offering daily provision and soul-deep satisfaction that cannot be earned. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 11, calling the weary to come and find rest—not by performing, but by bringing their emptiness to Him. Moms, this is for you you—but not just for you. None of us have to be enough, fix everything, or hold it all together. In the daily demands and quiet struggles of life, we are all invited to come to Jesus again and again, and find in Him the grace, strength, and rest our souls truly need.
In this sermon, we looked at how the rock that was struck in Exodus 17:1–7 points forward to Jesus, the true Rock who was struck for us (on the cross) to give living water to our thirsty souls. Just as God provided physical water from the rock to sustain Israel in the wilderness, 1 Corinthians 10 reminds us that the Rock was Christ—He is our ultimate source of life and provision. In John 4, Jesus offers living water that satisfies forever, not just for a moment. The invitation for us is practical and urgent: to stop looking to temporary sources to quench our spiritual thirst and to come to Jesus daily for what our hearts most deeply need. When life feels dry, when relationships fail, when success leaves us empty, Jesus is still the Rock who pours out grace, peace, and strength for today and hope for tomorrow.
In this sermon, we explored how the manna God provided in Exodus 16 was more than just daily sustenance for Israel in the wilderness—it was a sign pointing forward to something far greater. Just as manna came down from heaven to meet Israel's physical need for survival, Jesus declares in John 6 that He is the true bread from heaven who satisfies our deepest spiritual hunger. The manna had to be gathered daily, reminding God's people of their dependence on Him; in the same way, Jesus invites us into daily dependence on His life-giving presence. While the Israelites who ate the manna eventually died, Jesus offers us something immeasurably better—Himself. Those who come to Him, the living bread, will never hunger or die spiritually. In Christ, we find not only provision for today but the promise of eternal life with Him.
In this sermon from Exodus 14, we looked at how God rescues His people from impossible situations—not just through Israel's dramatic escape through the Red Sea, but ultimately through the resurrection of Jesus. God led Israel into what looked like a trap—not to harm them, but to show His power to save. With the sea in front of them and Pharaoh's army closing in behind, the people were overwhelmed by fear, doubt, and the temptation to return to slavery rather than trust God with the unknown. But God wasn't asking them to save themselves—He was asking them to be still and watch Him move. The Red Sea wasn't just a miracle of deliverance—it pointed ahead to the cross and resurrection, where Jesus stepped into death for us and rose again to bring us into new life. Like Israel, we're invited to stop striving, surrender control, and trust God to do what only He can do—bring us into a life of freedom, purpose, and identity in Christ.
In this sermon from Exodus, we reflected on how God heard the cries of His enslaved people and remained faithful to His covenant with Abraham by rescuing them from bondage. In Exodus 6, God reaffirms four key promises: to bring His people out from under their burdens, to deliver them, to redeem them, and to make them His own. As these promises unfold in Exodus 12, God establishes the Passover meal as a physical reminder of His deliverance through the blood of a spotless lamb. Every element of that first Passover pointed ahead to Jesus, who would later enter the story as our Redeemer. He is the true Passover Lamb—His death brings freedom from the slavery of sin. Like the unleavened bread, His body was broken, wrapped, buried, and revealed again in the glory of His resurrection. Just as Israel was called to live as a free and set-apart people, we too are invited to live in the freedom and redemption made possible through Jesus sacrifice.
In this sermon, we looked at Genesis 22:1–18 and the powerful story of Abraham offering Isaac on Mount Moriah. This emotional account points us to the incredible generosity of our Heavenly Father, who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all. As Abraham obeyed God's command to offer his beloved son, we see a reflection of the gospel—where God the Father sacrificed His only Son, Jesus, in our place as the ultimate substitute. Just as Isaac carried the wood for his sacrifice and submitted willingly to his father, so Jesus carried the cross and obeyed God completely, even to death. In the same mountain region where God provided a ram for Abraham, He later provided Jesus, the Lamb, to be sacrificed for the world. This story invites us to stand in awe of God's provision, His mercy, and the overwhelming generosity of His love with which He gave His only begotten Son for our redemption.
In this sermon, we explored Genesis 12:1-3, where God tells Abraham, "In you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Galatians 3 explains that this was actually the Gospel being shared beforehand. We looked at how God called Abraham to leave behind everything that once defined him- his home, his people, and everything familiar to follow Him into an unknown future. In return, God promised him a new identity, a new family, and a future that would bless the whole world. This promise was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, showing that God's plan from the very beginning was to reverse the effects of sin, restore His image in us, and build a kingdom made up of people from every nation. Through Scripture, we see that the Gospel isn't just about personal salvation- it’s about God's bigger plan to redeem the world through Jesus. Through faith in Him, we become part of God's promise to Abraham, receiving His blessings and becoming heirs in His kingdom.
In this sermon, we launched our new series, The Story of Redemption, where we will explore how the Bible is not a collection of myths or human ideas, but a single, unified story of redemption. This story was written by human authors under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with Jesus as the undeniable hero. In 2 Peter 1:16-21 and 1 Peter 1:10-12, Peter reminds us that he and the other apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus' majesty. They saw His glory firsthand during the Transfiguration and heard the Father's voice declare Jesus as His beloved Son. This eyewitness testimony affirms the prophecies of the Old Testament. Peter also reminds us that the Old Testament prophets, led by the Holy Spirit, foretold both the sufferings and the glories of Jesus, serving future generations—including us—who now see the full picture of redemption. This great salvation story, foretold by prophets, witnessed by apostles, and longed to be understood even by angels, has now been written down for us as a light in the darkness, until we see Jesus face to face.
In this sermon, we explored Matthew 14:22-33 where Jesus walks on water, revealing why we don't have to live as captives to fear and anxiety. This passage reminds us that Jesus is with us, so we are never alone in the storm. It shows that Jesus cares for us, responding when we call on Him, and that He is sovereign, ruling over everything- even what we fear. Like Peter, we may struggle when we focus on the waves, but when we fix our eyes on Jesus and cry out in faith, He is ready to lift us up. No matter what we face, we can trust that He is present, He cares, and He is in control.
In this sermon, we explored how the promise God made to Abraham serves as our secure anchor through Christ. God promised Abraham that he would have many descendants, and that through him, the entire world would be blessed. As Abraham walked in faith, God reaffirmed His promise by swearing upon Himself, demonstrating the unwavering certainty of this covenant. When we place our trust in Jesus, we become descendants of Abraham and recipients of the unbreakable promise God made. This promise of blessing is fully realized in Christ's completed work, which opens the way for us to enter beyond the veil into a personal relationship with God.
In this last sermon from our Courageous series, we studied a time when Jesus demonstrated a perfect example of vulnerable transparency. In Matthew 26:36-39, Jesus honestly expresses His deepest sorrow and grief, even at the risk of exposing His pain to others. Though fully God, He embraced His humanity by inviting His closest friends, Peter, James, and John, into His darkest moment. Rather than hiding His anguish, Jesus allowed Himself to be seen in His sorrow, even as He faced the weight of the cross. His openness didn't stop with His friends; He went even further, bringing His raw emotions before the Father, fully trusting that He wouldn't be rejected or seen as "too much" for God. This passage challenges us to move beyond hiding our weaknesses and to courageously share our burdens with God and those closest to us, knowing we are already accepted, forgiven, and loved through Christ. By this, we can see that true intimacy—with God and others—only happens on the other side of vulnerable transparency.
In this sermon from our Courageous series, we looked at how God delights in meeting us in our emotional honesty. In Matthew 5:4 and 1 Peter 5:6-7, He invites us to cast our grief and anxieties on Him because He cares for us. Even Jesus, in His darkest moments, modeled emotional honesty before the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. Similarly, we are called to be emotionally honest with one another, sharing burdens and comforting each other. However, being emotionally honest requires courage, especially in a culture that often views emotions as weakness. For this reason, many of us have learned to hide our true feelings out of fear, shame, or past wounds. Yet, through acknowledging our need for help, seeking wise counsel, and creating safe spaces for vulnerability, we can rediscover our hearts and experience deep relationships with God and others. Emotional honesty is essential to understanding that we are fully known and fully loved as the Gospel restores us with new hearts to live abundantly as emotional beings in a broken world.
In this sermon, we explored how our relationships serve as the fertile ground for God's transformative work in our lives. Colossians 3:9-17 describes this transformation as putting off the old self and putting on the new—a renewal that restores us to the image of our Creator, echoing the original design of Eden before sin entered the world. This process unfolds within biblical community, where truth-telling, forgiveness, and love cultivate deep, intentional relationships. As God's chosen people, we are called to embody compassion, kindness, honesty, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with and forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven us. When we clothe ourselves in these virtues, we become a people ruled by Christ's peace, rooted in His Word, and overflowing with gratitude and worship. In a world of shallow connections and quick fixes, the church is called to model a different way—a community where transformation happens through grace-filled, honest, and intentional relationships.
In this sermon, we looked at 2 Corinthians 3 and studied how every Christian is in a lifelong transformation process. The Gospel not only saves us, but also begins a lifelong transformation known as sanctification. In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul contrasts the old covenant, written on stone and leading to condemnation, with the new covenant, written on our hearts through the Spirit, bringing life and freedom. The law given through Moses, though glorious, ultimately reveals our sin and leaves us in fear, while the ministry of Jesus removes the veil from our hearts, allowing us to behold and reflect God’s glory. As we walk with Christ, the Spirit transforms us from one degree of glory to another, shaping us into the image of Jesus. This process is not immediate but ongoing, as we learn to embrace God's work in our daily lives with confidence, courage, and celebration. In Christ we live unveiled—no longer hiding in fear and shame but fully exposed to the transforming power of God.
In the first sermon of our Courageous series, we looked at the value of expository preaching and teaching. This method of teaching allows Scripture to speak for itself and interpret itself, placing each passage within the greater story of redemption. In Nehemiah 8, the people of Israel gathered with eager hearts to hear the Word read and explained. After Ezra read the Law, the people responded in worship, even before it was interpreted. Then, the Levites helped them understand it more deeply through teaching. Similarly, in Luke 24, Jesus Himself opened the Scriptures to His disciples, revealing how everything pointed to Him. Expository preaching helps people grasp the Bible's message as it was intended—within the bigger story of God’s redemption. When we commit to this kind of preaching, we allow God's Word to shape and correct our understanding of who He is, leading us into a deeper relationship with Christ and personal transformation.
In this sermon, we examined Romans 14:1-12 and explored the Apostle Paul's biblical approach to disputable issues within the church, distinguishing between biblical doctrine and personal convictions. At Solid Rock Church, doctrine represents the core beliefs based on clear biblical mandates, while our stances on secondary issues serve as guidelines for practical matters where Scripture does not provide explicit instruction. In this chapter, Paul urges mature believers to welcome those who are weaker in faith, refrain from passing judgment on secondary issues, and hold personal convictions with humility—always seeking to honor the Lord rather than prove oneself right. While the church must stand firm on biblical convictions, it is not its role to dictate personal convictions or preferences. Ultimately, each believer will stand before God's judgment seat and give an account of their life, reminding us to prioritize biblical doctrine over personal convictions and to protect the church from unnecessary division.
In this sermon, we explored Ephesians 4:11-16, focusing on the gifts God has given to the church—apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers. These roles are intended to equip believers for ministry, foster unity in faith, deepen knowledge of Christ, and encourage spiritual maturity and Christlikeness, while protecting the church from false doctrines and deceit. We examined how the church must grow together in love and stability, with each believer actively contributing to the health of the body. Ultimately, the goal is for the church to reflect the fullness of Christ, staying grounded in truth, unity, and accountability, while guarding against false teachings.
In this sermon, we examined 1 Timothy 1:3-11 and focused on how the doctrine of the church serves as the foundational set of non-negotiable, biblically-based beliefs that unite and strengthen the body of Christ. In this passage, Paul warns against false doctrines, myths, and speculative ideas that lead to division and distract from our mission. Instead, he urges the church to embrace sound doctrine—healthy, life-giving teaching that draws us closer to God and one another. When doctrine is used according to its intended purpose, it exposes our sin and leads us to Jesus, the Great Physician, who heals and restores us by His grace. When the church remains tethered to sound doctrine in both teaching and practice, it strengthens the body of Christ and leads to a love that flows from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. At Solid Rock Church, we uphold a high view of Scripture as God-breathed, without error, and authoritative, recognizing doctrine as essential for spiritual growth and church unity.
In this sermon, we looked at the secrets to setting and achieving goals in our lives. The challenge in reaching our goals doesn't lie solely in our work ethic and determination, but in the way we handle failure. Many of us take an "all-or-nothing" approach to growth, either giving up entirely when we fall short or, even worse, letting the fear of failure prevent us from trying at all. However, the Gospel invites us to a different approach. In Colossians 3:23, we're reminded to work hard, not for human approval, but for the Lord. The secret to meaningful resolutions is rooted in grace: working diligently for the approval of Jesus—approval we already have—and waking up each day to His mercies that are new every morning. Like farmers, we must till the soil, plant the seeds, and pull the weeds—doing what we can with diligence, while trusting God to bring about the growth in His perfect timing. As Christians, we know the Holy Spirit is at work, transforming us in ways we cannot. Transformation happens when we continue to show up with whatever effort we have, trusting God to bring about the change.
In this sermon, we studied James 3, which offers a warning about the power of our words. Throughout this chapter, James uses the "tongue" as a symbol for our speech, particularly emphasizing the destructive potential of our words. He compares the tongue to a horse's bit, a ship’s rudder, and a small fire, showing that, although the tongue is a small part of our body, it can have a huge influence. James also highlights a problem when we use our words to praise God while simultaneously speaking hurtfully to one another. Though it is difficult, God calls us in His Word to use our words to bring life, encouragement, and grace.
In this sermon from the fourth week of Advent, we explored Luke 2:15-21 and reflected on the first responses to the birth of Jesus— awe, treasure, and worship. The shepherds, amazed by the angel's message, hurried to Bethlehem to see the Savior. Their wonder overflowed into bold proclamation as they shared the good news with all who would listen. Mary, filled with awe and amazement, treasured this miracle in her heart, deeply reflecting on all that God had done. In this passage, we can see that even though the shepherds returned to their daily lives, they were forever changed; they went back glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard. In this brief yet profound portion of the nativity story, we discover the true meaning of Christmas: awe-filled wonder, treasured reflection, and passionate worship.
In this sermon from the third week of Advent, we looked at Luke 2:11-14 and reflected on the profound truth of experiencing God's delight. This passage takes us to the moment in the nativity where the angels announce to the shepherds the good news that, through the birth of this baby, God is bringing His peace and delight to earth. The multitude of angels praising God highlights the cosmic significance of that moment. In a world marked by chaos, anxiety, and separation from God, the birth of Jesus signals the beginning of God's plan to offer peace and delight to those who believe in Him. This peace comes to us through a restored relationship with God, bringing rest to our souls through the assurance of being fully loved and accepted by Him.
In this second week of Advent, we reflected on the birth of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of God's sovereign plan. We explored how God orchestrates history to accomplish His purposes, despite human intentions. Luke 2:1-11 highlights the contrast between human power, as seen in Caesar Augustus' decree, with divine authority, demonstrated in the fulfillment of prophecies like Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 7:14. Jesus' humble birth in Bethlehem, His placement in a manger, and the angelic announcement to shepherds reveal the lowliness and accessibility of the Messiah. This "good news of great joy" assures us that the King has come to rescue His people and establish an eternal kingdom, offering salvation to all who place their faith in Jesus.
In this sermon, we launched our Advent series by looking at Luke 1:26-33 where we see the announcement of Jesus' birth to Mary by the angel Gabriel. Mary, a young virgin from Galilee, is told by Gabriel that she has found favor with God—not because of anything she has done, but purely by God's grace. This reminds us that, like Mary, we too are favored by God's grace when we come to Him in faith, not through our own works. Gabriel tells Mary to name her son Jesus, meaning "God is Salvation," and reveals that her son will inherit the throne of David and establish a kingdom that will never end. This prophecy was foretold by the Old Testament prophets and reminds us of the eternal promise we have in Christ. Just as Gabriel told Mary of His Kingdom without end, we too can have eternal life with Him when we trust in Him alone for our salvation.
In this sermon, we discussed how remembering what God has done is vital to our worship. There are often times of trial and suffering in our lives when it can feel like God is distant, and we may wonder if He will rescue us. Psalm 77 encourages us to remember all that God has already done when we are in the midst of struggle. One key moment in Israel's history was when God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and parted the Red Sea. When God's people were in trouble, they were encouraged to recall God's miraculous provision in the past. Remembering what God has done in the past helps us trust Him during hard times and gives us an opportunity to worship Him for what He has done and will do.
In this sermon, we studied Psalm 32 and reflected on the profound blessing of forgiveness and the joy that comes from living in honesty and transparency with God and others. In this scripture, the psalmist contrasts the heavy burden of unconfessed sin with the freedom found in acknowledging sin and receiving God's forgiveness. When we attempt to manage guilt in our own strength—through silence, denial, or blame-shifting—it deepens our suffering and separates us from the life God has for us. However, repentance is an act of worship that brings life and restores us to a God who is our refuge and deliverer. Trusting in His steadfast love gives us the courage to take our guilt to Him in confession where He promises to transform our guilt and shame into joy and gladness as we experience His abundant grace.
In this sermon, we studied Psalm 6, where David models how grief itself can become an act of worship as he vulnerably brings his pain before God. In this psalm, David is grieving not only his intense physical suffering but also the pressure from his enemies, which leads him to feel as though God is disciplining him in anger. However, instead of allowing his grief to drive him away from God, we see David bring his pain directly into God's presence. Through his tears, David recognizes God's graciousness and attentiveness, transforming his heartfelt lament into an act of worship. God responds to David's plea by comforting him with His presence, restoring David's hope, and turning his grief into a profound encounter of worship.
In this sermon, we studied Psalm 42 and explored the universal experience of depression—not in terms of clinical diagnosis, but as the emotional weight everyone encounters in different forms and intensities as we navigate life with imperfect bodies in a fallen world. The psalmist expresses deep spiritual longing, emotional pain, and a sense of distance from God, while also recalling moments of joy and connection in worship. The journey toward hope begins with honest self-reflection and confession, where acknowledging our feelings helps us understand our needs, desires, and ultimate longings. By embracing this honest approach with God and within our biblical community, we find the strength to confront despair and depression, anchored in the truth of God's steadfast love and the support of others.
In this sermon, we explored Psalm 96 where David emphasizes that gladness is meant to be celebrated by sharing it with God and others. While all of creation worships God without words, humans are uniquely created and called to express their gladness verbally through celebration. Keeping our gladness to ourselves can lead to loneliness and prevent us from experiencing the fullness of that joy. However, when we express our gladness through singing, telling, and declaration, our joy becomes complete, and others are invited to join us in acknowledging God's greatness and splendor.
In this sermon, we explored Psalm 22, where David expresses his deep feelings of abandonment and despair. His raw cry reflects a sense of forsakenness by God and rejection by others. Despite his pain, David's honesty about his emotions marks the beginning of hope, which sets the foundation for transformation. He recalls God's past faithfulness, emphasizing that God's presence is crucial, even when circumstances remain unchanged. As we continued, we examined how worship becomes powerful when it is honest, leading to hope that fuels internal transformation and eventually manifests in external change. Like David, we too can be transformed by telling the truth about our current struggles and trusting in God's presence, even before our situations shift.
In this final message from 1 John 5:16-19, we looked at the conclusion of John's letter, which provides guidance on keeping our hearts free from idols. He emphasizes the practical application of brotherly love, urging believers to pray for their brothers and sisters who are struggling with sin. John reminds us that, as God's children, we are anchored in a truth greater than ourselves: that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Throughout 1 John, the overall message encourages believers to live in the light, relying on Christ's eternal protection and the transformative power of God's grace.
In this sermon, we studied 1 John 5:13-15, which reminds us that God desires a deep relationship with His children, inviting us to abide in Him daily through prayer. Prayer is more than just asking for things; it is a way to express our hearts, longings, and trust in Him. In this passage, the Apostle John writes to assure believers that they can confidently approach God in prayer, knowing He hears them when they ask according to His will. This confidence isn't based on receiving everything we ask for but on knowing that God listens, cares, and responds in ways that align with what is ultimately best for us. Prayer invites us to bring our longings before God, trusting that even when His answers don't match our desires, they are always for our good.
In this sermon, we studied the Apostle John's three powerful witnesses that affirm Jesus Christ as the Son of God: the water, the blood, and the Spirit. The "water" points to Jesus' baptism, marking the beginning of His ministry, where God publicly declared Him as His beloved Son. The "blood" refers to His sacrificial death on the cross, where He atoned for the sins of humanity. The Holy Spirit confirms Jesus' identity throughout His earthly life, guiding Him from His miraculous birth to His ascension back to the Father's right hand. Together, these witnesses testify in perfect unity, affirming that Jesus is the promised Christ of the Old Testament and the only source of eternal life. For those who believe in Him, this testimony serves as an anchor for the soul, opening the door to the riches of God's grace and an intimate, eternal relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit.
In this sermon, we looked at how God's love for us fuels our desire to obey His commandments. The Bible warns us against two pitfalls in the Christian life: legalism, which emphasizes obedience without love, and antinomianism, which dismisses obedience altogether because of God's abundant grace that covers our sins. In this passage, the Apostle John highlights that true obedience flows from our relationship with God, rooted in His love for us. We love because He first loved us. For those who are in Christ, the commandments of God are a delight and lead us to an abundant and blessed life. Though we struggle to follow them perfectly, God's love empowers us to keep striving, knowing that His grace catches us when we fall short, and His commandments lead to life and sustain us in hardship.
In this sermon, we studied John's teaching on love and how, as believers, we can confidently live in God's grace. God's love, perfected in us over time, drives out fear of His judgment. When we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, we are no longer under condemnation and are invited into a transformative relationship with Him. As we grow in our understanding of God's love, we gain confidence in facing His judgment, knowing there is no condemnation for those in Christ. God's perfect love drives out fear of judgment, with the assurance of His love and grace.
In this sermon, we looked at how our growing knowledge of God leads to a deep, abiding relationship with Him. Abiding is more than just being familiar with God; it's an active, ongoing connection with God that transforms our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. This connection is grounded in the confession that Jesus is the Son of God. By accepting this truth, believers have access to God's presence, which dwells within us as we make ourselves at home in His love.
In this sermon, we studied 1 John 4:7-12, where John teaches about love. He reminds us that true love originates from God, who is the very essence of love. In this passage, John highlights two main reasons why we should love one another. First, our love for others serves as the true mark of knowing God. Second, loving one another is how God's love becomes visible in the world today. By loving others with the same sacrificial love that God demonstrated by sending His Son to die for our sins, we offer those who have never seen God a glimpse of His love through our actions. Loving others is not just an arbitrary command for us to obey, but an invitation to live as we were created to—in an abiding relationship with God and others, while providing a tangible way for others to experience God's presence in the world today.
In this sermon, we continue our series on 1 John by exploring how to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:1-6 teaches us the importance of testing the voices we hear in the world around us in order to recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit. John provides three ways to test these voices: First, hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit begins with knowing that we are His beloved, as God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit in the way a father speaks to a beloved child. When we listen for God's voice, are we hearing one of condemnation and rejection, or one of acceptance and love? Second, we must assess whether the voice is consistent with the Gospel, remembering that the Holy Spirit's voice will always affirm Jesus' identity as the Son of God. Finally, we compare what we hear to the voice of God in the Bible; the more we read and listen to Scripture, the more familiar we will become with the voice of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. All of this is intended to help us enjoy a flourishing relationship with Jesus, as He walks with us daily and speaks to us through the Holy Spirit.
In this sermon, we explored the Apostle John's transition to a familiar focus, emphasizing that love should be more than just words—it must be demonstrated through actions and truth. John reassures his audience that genuine love for others is a clear sign of belonging to Jesus. We then examined John's encouragement for believers to trust in God's greater knowledge and compassion, rather than being swayed by our own doubts or condemnation. Through scripture, we studied that confidence before God comes from living according to His commandments and doing what pleases Him. We concluded by highlighting that the central command is to believe in Jesus Christ, and that those who keep His commandments remain in Him. Through this obedience, it is evident that God abides in us through His Spirit.
In this sermon, we explored the familiar command to love one another, contrasting it with Cain's example of hatred toward his brother Abel in Genesis 4. We examined the Apostle John's warning to believers in 1 John 3:13, which tells us to expect hatred from the world but emphasizes that genuine love among Christians is a true mark of faith. In this passage, John calls us to examine ourselves and practice forgiveness to prevent bitterness. Ultimately, love should be demonstrated through actions, not just words. As believers, we are called to reflect Christ's sacrificial love by meeting the needs of others and showing God's love.
In this sermon, we explored the Apostle John's advice on how our actions reveal the true state of our hearts. Although all believers struggle with sin, John warns that those who persist in sin are not abiding in Christ; instead, they are children of Satan. By studying 1 John 3:4-8, we learned that the sin John refers to is unrepentant, ongoing sin that stands in complete opposition to God, which he describes as "lawlessness." We also learned that persistent, unrepentant sin aligns a person with the works of Satan, which is contrary to following Jesus, who came to destroy Satan's works. As children of God, our actions should reflect our identity if we are truly abiding in Christ. Even when we sin habitually, our response should include recognizing our wrongdoing, repenting, and relying on God's grace.
In this sermon, we looked at the Apostle John's encouragement about abiding in Christ. 1 John 2:28 explains that by believing in Christ, we gain confidence and will not be ashamed when Jesus returns to earth. Through scripture, we studied that upon being born again, Christians immediately become children of God. We later examined John’s warning from 1 John 3, reminding his readers that we live in a world that doesn't know us because it doesn't know Christ. Believers then and now can be encouraged, knowing we will be transformed when Jesus returns and that our hope in Him motivates us to pursue purity in this life, following Christ's ultimate example of purity.
In this sermon, we examined the Apostle John's warning against being led astray by false teachers who proclaim a different message than the gospel. While the early church was on the lookout for a specific antichrist figure, John wanted them to understand that anyone who denies Christ is against Him and should be considered an antichrist. Additionally, we learned about John's specific warning against Gnosticism, a prevalent heresy in the early church. All believers, both then and now, need to recognize the significance of not only focusing on large, obvious lies but also remaining vigilant against smaller deceptions that can creep into our minds daily. We are encouraged to abide in Christ and to have assurance of our salvation, clinging to the promise of eternal life that it brings. This assurance does not stem from our own special knowledge or actions but from the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
In this sermon, we explored the Apostle John's warning against loving the world and its desires, which oppose God's will. Instead, we are encouraged to focus on our eternal relationship with the Father, made possible through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and the forgiveness of sins. John explains that loving the world involves embracing its sinful desires—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—all of which contradict God's will. Through scripture, we examined the need for spiritual discipline to guard us from the distractions of worldly affection and to fully experience God's love. Believers are reminded that worldly pursuits are fleeting, whereas obedience to God's will leads to eternal life.
In this sermon, we studied the Apostle John's poetic encouragement to believers, whom he consistently addresses as 'little children'. John offers specific encouragement to both older and younger members, highlighting each distinct role and contribution within the community. Through scripture, we explored how the Bible values children, young people, and older individuals in the Kingdom of God. Regardless of the season we're in, we each have a calling in accordance with our stage of life and something to learn from everyone.
In this sermon, we studied an old message in a new context: the command to love one another. This has been a hallmark of how God's people are called to interact with one another. In 1 John 2:7-11, the Apostle John reminds his readers of this timeless truth. John contrasts loving one another versus hating one another, explaining that those who hate their brothers in Christ are in darkness, while those who love their brothers walk in the light. In our lives, we can easily stray into unresolved conflict and division with other believers. This leads us into potential for sin and disobedience to God. As the church, we are called to love one another, even when it's not easy, so we can pursue righteousness together.
In this sermon, we looked at how the Apostle John encourages believers to avoid sin, while reassuring us that even when we do sin, Jesus will advocate for us as the ultimate propitiation for all sins. John emphasizes that truly knowing God is shown through obedience to His commandments and a transformed relationship with sin. Habitual sin damages relationship with God, others, and oneself, but Jesus' advocacy offers a way to restore these relationships. Believers are encouraged to walk as Jesus walked, demonstrating our intimate relationship with God through obedience and love.
In this sermon, we looked at 1 John 1 to see what it means to walk in the light instead of darkness. The Apostle John tells us that God is light, so anyone who has fellowship with God cannot walk in darkness—to do so is to live in denial of the truth. The word "walk" in Scripture often refers to our lifestyle and the actions that define our character. To walk in the light doesn't mean we don't struggle with sin; verses 8 and 10 tell us that denial of our sin is another way we walk in self-deception. When we walk in the light, we have fellowship with God and one another, we confess and are forgiven for our sins, and we are continually made righteous by Jesus' redeeming work. When we walk in darkness, we are separated from God and others, we conceal our sin, and are apathetic to righteousness. The call for all believers is to walk in the light, not to be perfect but to experience fellowship, grace, and righteousness in Christ.
In this sermon, we looked at how the Apostle John proclaimed the incarnate Christ through the witness of hearing Him, seeing Him, looking upon Him, and touching Him. John encouraged his readers and denounced false teachings that claimed Jesus was a spirit and could not be human. He declared that Jesus is eternal life and that, through Him, we can have fellowship and joy with the Father and the Son.
In this sermon, we looked at what it means to love those who are different from us. The parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates that true neighbors are those who show compassion, regardless of racial or cultural differences. Jesus challenges the lawyer's attempt to narrowly define "neighbor," highlighting that loving God is demonstrated by loving others. We can put this love into action by acting on the needs we see and feel, shifting our focus from identifying neighbors to actively being good neighbors, reflecting Jesus' love and compassion.
In this sermon, we began looking at what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. We defined "neighbor" as anyone in our sphere of influence. Romans 12:14-18 teaches believers how to treat others, encouraging us to live peacefully in community with one another even when it’s challenging. As humans, we naturally do things that serve ourselves or look out for our own comfort and protection. In the same way, God calls us to love those around us.
In this sermon from Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus emphasizes the greatest commandments: to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The reality that God has made us valuable and worthy of love is often missed. This biblical self-love is not about selfishness but about recognizing and honoring the worth God has placed in each of us. Jesus modeled self-care by taking time to rest and pray, demonstrating how His ability to love others originated from His intimate relationship with the Father. When we receive and embrace God’s love, it naturally overflows into love for others, manifesting as patience, kindness, and empathy. Spiritual self-care includes spiritual disciplines that remind us that we are made for the love of God. Physical self-care allows us to care for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Emotional and mental self-care requires slowing down and acknowledging that we were created to have needs and to seek help from God and others. Just as Jesus knew and walked in the Father’s love, we are called to live life walking in God’s love for us.
In this sermon from Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus emphasizes the greatest commandments: to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The reality that God has made us valuable and worthy of love is often missed. This biblical self-love is not about selfishness but about recognizing and honoring the worth God has placed in each of us. Jesus modeled self-care by taking time to rest and pray, demonstrating how His ability to love others originated from His intimate relationship with the Father. When we receive and embrace God’s love, it naturally overflows into love for others, manifesting as patience, kindness, and empathy. Spiritual self-care includes spiritual disciplines that remind us that we are made for the love of God. Physical self-care allows us to care for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Emotional and mental self-care requires slowing down and acknowledging that we were created to have needs and to seek help from God and others. Just as Jesus knew and walked in the Father’s love, we are called to live life walking in God’s love for us.
In today’s Mother's Day sermon from Isaiah 61:1-4, we looked at the connection between how mothers care for their children and how God cares for us. Isaiah 66:13 reminds us that mothers bear the image of God by uniquely displaying God's desire to nurture and care for us as His children. However, before God calls moms to fulfill their calling to nurture and care for their children, He first invites them into a relationship in which He nurtures and cares for them. Isaiah 61:1-4 reminds us that, through the Gospel, God has promised to comfort all who mourn and bring healing to the pain in our stories, even healing pain that goes back to the generations before us. Before we can properly care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves by bringing our own wounds and hurts to Jesus. To care for ourselves well is to take our wounds to Jesus and trust that He draws near to the brokenhearted. Jesus doesn’t change the past, but He does heal our pain and change the way the past shapes who we are today.
In this sermon, we looked at what it means to love God with all our soul. The Bible uses the word "soul" to describe the seat of personal identity and the part of us that will live eternally and reunite with our new bodies at the resurrection. Our soul is the place inside of us where we long to commune with God. It's also the part of us that yearns for what we desperately need. We love God with all our hearts when we authentically bring ourselves to Him and cry out for what we need from Him.
In this sermon from Mark 12:28-31, we looked at Jesus' command to love God with all our strength. To better understand what it looks like to love God with all our strength, we also looked at Paul's instructions in Romans 12:9-13. In this passage, Paul shows us what this kind of love looks like: Loving God with all our strength includes having brotherly affection for one another, showing honor to one another, serving one another with zeal and faithfulness, as well as rejoicing with one another while being patient in our suffering, constant in our prayer, generous in our finances, and hospitable to those we host in our homes. Loving God with all our strength is more than just going through the motions or checking the boxes on a list of things to do in order to be a “good Christian;” loving God with all our strength happens when we serve God and one another out of a sincere and irrevocable love for God.
In this sermon, we looked at the command to love God with all our minds. The Scripture describes the human mind as the central source for our thoughts, wisdom, and moral discernment. It's also the place where we experience inner dialogue and conflict, as well as spiritual battles and transformation. By engaging our intellect to understand God as He actually is, our minds are transformed, making us more like Jesus, increasing our capacity to marvel at the glory of God, and increasing our love for Him.
In this sermon from Mark 12:38-31, we took a deeper look into what it means to be human, and the role of the heart in relationship with God. Even though our hearts are susceptible to sin, God has designed our hearts to give us passion, desire, and emotion. Jesus died not just to remove our sin but also to give us new hearts with renewed passions and desires. With our hearts transformed, we are able to bring all of these things to God in the way in which we were designed. Our hearts are an essential part of who we are and critical in our ability to obey God’s commandment to love Him.
In this sermon, we examined how we are made in the image of God while also existing as created, finite beings. To be in the image of God does not mean we look like Him physically, but that we were created to reflect who God is. We see this in Genesis 1 and 2 in three ways: We have stewardship over God’s other creation, we have rationality and choice, and we are designed to be in relationship. While we are image bearers of an all-powerful God, we are also created beings and, therefore, we are limited and finite. This is a good thing and is according to God’s design! Even before sin entered the world, we see that Adam needed help, that he didn’t always make the right choices, and that he needed God to provide him with suitable relationship. We often live with the pressure to be more than we were created to be or with the thought that our limited nature is a weakness. Instead, when we rightly recognize our limits and our reliance on God, we reflect God in a way that honors who we were created to be and gives glory to Him.
In this Easter sermon, we looked at the prophetic words of Isaiah 53 and the significance of Jesus' resurrection. This passage foretells the suffering and resurrection of the coming Messiah and reminds us that Jesus' agony and death were the fulfillment of God’s will and essential for our redemption. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death and made a way for us be rendered as righteousness before God by faith. Isaiah 53 ends by pointing out how Jesus shares the rewards of the resurrection with those who put their trust in the transformative power of His resurrection, giving us access to a relationship with God.
In this sermon, we looked at the Gospel of Luke's portrayal of Jesus' deliberate path to Jerusalem, culminating in the pivotal events of Holy Week. The narrative, starting in Luke 9:51, highlights Jesus' determination as He set His face toward Jerusalem and walked toward His impending death, burial, and resurrection. This journey ended in Luke 19:41 when Jesus stopped outside of town to overlook Jerusalem. As He looked down on the city, He was overcome with sorrow for its inhabitants because, amidst their turmoil and suffering, they failed to recognize the peace that Jesus offered. His tears were not only for Jerusalem but for all humanity - past, present, and future. Jesus grieved for those who suffer in anguish and who overlook His presence, and the peace that only He can offer. Jesus is still offering the same peace today for those who would believe and put their trust in Him.
In this sermon, we looked at what it's like to be with God. God values relationship, and in Matthew 11:25-30, we see the intimate connection between the Father and the Son. Jesus invites us to share in this relationship by showing us who the Father is. The call to enter this relationship is not through striving, good works, or perfection; we are simply invited to lay down our heavy burdens and rest. While the world would weigh us down, Jesus desires for us to take his yoke upon ourselves—a yoke which is easy and light. Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart, and He is kind to our souls. While following Him may not always feel light, we can securely rest in relationship with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at what it's like to be close to God by examining Jesus, who embodies "the radiance of the Glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature." In John 11, we see God's compassion for us and how His glory and power to save sinners is revealed through the brokenness of our world. After the death of Lazarus, Jesus' response to Martha's grief was kind and gentle, offering Himself as the solution to her pain. Jesus, Himself, confronted the brokenness of the world, sharing in the weight of our struggles, and He empathizes with our present-day suffering as our compassionate High Priest.
In this sermon, we looked at Romans 3:19-26 to explore the nature of God's justice. True justice requires upholding laws and consequences consistently and without favoritism. In Romans 3, Paul reminds us that every human has sinned under God's Law and is subject to God's judgment. Paul says that while God is just and always upholds His law, He is also kind and patient and has made a way for us to be made righteous without violating His own justice. Through the shedding of His blood, Jesus became a substitute payment for our sin and the death we deserve, satisfying God's just demands while also offering grace and forgiveness to believers.
In this sermon from 1 John 4:7-10, we looked at how love is embedded in God's nature and how He is the source of all love that is experienced in the world. Love is not merely an attribute of God's personality or something He does in the world; love is part of the very essence of His being. Despite varying definitions of love in the world around us, the Bible describes love as a selfless and compassionate desire for the good of the one who is loved, initiated by the one who loves, with no expectation of anything in return. This is how God has loved us. The ultimate demonstration of God's love is displayed in the Gospel through the sacrifice of God's only Son, Jesus, to atone for our sins. Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrated His love by doing this for us while we were still dead in our sins and had nothing to give in return. To know God is to know love, and the evidence of having received God’s love is a willingness to share it with God and others. When we love others the way God has loved us, we reflect His image in the world around us.
In this sermon, we looked at how Revelation 4 reveals the profound nature of God's character. The vivid imagery of God sitting on His throne magnifies the majesty and holiness of God. The four creatures hovering around God's throne repeatedly declaring God’s holiness further reveals that God is sacred, pure, worthy of awe, and unlike anything else in existence. This holiness is not just about moral purity; it signifies God’s unique position as the sole supreme being, deserving reverence and worship. This chapter in Revelation begins with an invitation from God for John to draw near and see who He is and what He is like. As God invites John to "come up here," we see an open invitation for all of humanity to draw close and witness His majesty firsthand. This encourages us to pursue a deeper, more personal relationship with a God who is not like us, yet who wants to be with us.
In this sermon, we continued our journey to answer the question, "Who is God?" We began by looking at how God reveals Himself in the Bible as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. In the Gospel of John, we saw that the Father, Son, and Spirit have eternally existed in a loving and honoring relationship within themselves. God did not create us because He was lonely or needed relationship; He already had relationship before He created us. He created us as image bearers to reflect His character and qualities in the world through how we live in relationship with Him and one another. Our very essence and purpose are intertwined with our ability to forge deep, meaningful connections with God and others. Through loving and honoring others, we mirror the communal nature of God Himself and fulfill our ultimate purpose in the world.
With this sermon, we started a new series on the Greatest Commandments. In this series, we’ll spend time looking at the commands to love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. This week, we began with the question, “Who is God?” If we are going to love God, we must first know who He is. We looked in Exodus 3:13-15 at the significance of God’s name: “I AM WHO I AM.” This name goes beyond human comprehension and speaks to God’s eternal, self-existent nature, unbound by time. Unlike us, God’s existence is necessary for the universe to exist and He is self-sustained, inviting us into a relationship of wonder and worship. This revelation is not just about understanding God’s identity but also realizing the depth of relationship He offers to us as His creation.
In this sermon, we looked in Matthew 16:13-19 at the pivotal moment when Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" This question was more than a theological pop quiz; Jesus was drilling into the core of the disciples’ personal faith. As Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” we were reminded of how the entire narrative of Scripture points toward that answer. The Old Testament’s anticipation, prophesies, and law all serve as a prelude to the coming of the Christ. Peter was declaring that Jesus is the Son of God who became flesh and dwelt among us, fulfilling God’s promise to rescue His people and restore His Kingdom on earth. This confession of Jesus’ identity is foundational to our faith and the essence of the Gospel. As God’s representatives in the world, we are all called to be prepared to answer the same question Peter answered… “Who do you say that Jesus is?” Our mission in the world is to be prepared to give an account for the hope we have in Jesus and to share what we believe about who Jesus is, what He has done, and how we called on Him to be saved.
In this sermon from 1 Peter 3:15, we looked at how we were created to live our lives on mission to make disciples for Jesus, beginning in our own neighborhoods and reaching toward the ends of the earth. We were also reminded that our mission starts with living our lives with sincere love for God and others, serving as a beacon to draw others toward Him. The Bible tells us that living our lives in this way draws people toward us as they see a hope in us that they desperately desire for themselves. In this passage, Peter reminded these persecuted Christians to always be prepared to explain, with gentleness and respect, the reason for the hope they had in Jesus. God reminds us today that He is also calling us to be prepared for these conversations, always ready to answer the question, “Why do you set your hope on Jesus?”
In this sermon, we looked at God’s plan for His Church to grow together in biblical community. We began in Genesis 2 with a reminder that we were created with a need to be in relationship, with God and others, in which we can be fully known and fully loved. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul lays out God's plan for His Church and the essential roles of Church leaders in equipping Church members to minister to one another in order to build up the body of Christ. Growing together is the sanctification process through which God makes us more like Christ, individually and collectively. For sanctification to take place in our lives individually, it is critical for each member to engage in ministering to one another, leading to the collective growth and sanctification of the Church. As we grow together in biblical community, we are being sanctified together, becoming fully restored in the likeness of Christ.
We begin 2024 with our Created sermon series, reminding us why the Church exists and how that connects to what we do at Solid Rock. In this sermon, we looked at how Psalm 95:1-6 calls God's people to worship. The Psalmist reminds us that we are created by God to worship Him for who He is and what He has done. Worship is a reverent acknowledgement of God's creative power, majesty, and authority over all creation. Psalm 95 begins by inviting us to express our joy and gratitude toward God through music and singing. We see in this passage that worship is relational because our singing is not just about God, but an act of worship to God. This passage ends with an invitation for all humanity to worship and humble themselves before God, the Creator, reminding us of our mission to share the Gospel with those who don't know God. Every human is created to worship and, as a church, our mission is to make disciples for Jesus through Christ-centered worship, fostering biblical community, and living out the mission of Jesus in our everyday lives.
In this sermon, we looked in Acts 9 to see the grace of God at work in providing Saul with a fresh start. Saul was one of the early Church's biggest opponents: he watched approvingly as Stephen was stoned for his faith, and he obtained special permission to arrest anyone who followed Jesus. On his way to arrest believers in Damascus, he encountered Jesus, who asked, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Saul was blinded by the encounter so his travel companions led him into the city, where he met a man named Ananias who God had sent to heal him by the power of the Holy Spirit. Saul believed in Jesus, was baptized, and became one of the most passionate evangelists and defenders of Christianity ever to live. This story reminds us that we all need a fresh start. However, it's not the new year or resolutions that provide this fresh start; it's the enduring, persistent grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
After walking through Isaiah 9:6 over the last month, we ended our Advent series by looking at the final title given to the baby who was to be born in a manger: Prince of Peace. Our need for God's peace began in the Garden of Eden. After being banished, Adam and Eve no longer had peace on earth; they were left with a longing for the peace and blessing of Eden, where they once walked with God and one another without strife and division. Ephesians 2 reminds us that Jesus came into the world to tear down the walls that divide us from God and one another. Verse 14 says that Jesus, Himself, is our peace. Peace is not found in changing our external circumstances; peace is only found in the presence of Jesus. The baby in the manger came to be our Prince of Peace, that in Him we could have His perfect peace in a broken and fallen world. Through Jesus' presence, we can be sad for the brokenness we see in the world around us while also having an internal peace only possible through Him.
In this sermon from Isaiah 9:6, we focused on how "Everlasting Father," one of the prophetic titles ascribed to Jesus, foretells His birth and the profound impact it would have on humanity's relationship with God. This title emphasizes Jesus' role in revealing the fatherly nature of God and His eternal authority and care for us. The arrival of Jesus in the world signifies the birth of a Savior who would open the door for us to have a direct, enduring relationship with God as our Father. Through Jesus, believers are invited into the family of God, in which we find eternal love, guidance, and protection. Through Jesus, God has given us the right to be called "children of God" and to be invited into an eternal relationship with Him as our Forever Father.
In the second sermon of our Advent series, we looked at how Jesus fulfilled the Isaiah 9:6 prophesy to come to earth as a Mighty God. The nation of Israel would have understood this prophetic title of the coming Messiah as a "God who is mighty in battle." In 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, the apostle Paul explains that, through His resurrection, Jesus overcomes all dominions, authorities, and powers, effectively defeating sin and death. This triumphant victory over the grave reveals His divine power and authority, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of a Messiah who would be a Mighty God who brings salvation. Jesus is the war hero who God sent to earth to conquer our greatest enemies: sin and death.
With this sermon, we launched our Advent series by looking at Isaiah 9:6 to see what God promised to the world through the birth of His Son. This week, we focused on God's promise that His Son would come to us as a Wonderful Counselor. John 14:15-26 tells us that Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit to those who follow Him. The Holy Spirit, described as the "Advocate," or "Helper," is given to believers as a source of divine help, counsel, guidance, and comfort. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit, whom the world cannot receive, will teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus said. Jesus was born into the world to be a Wonderful Counselor and, through His Word and the presence of His Holy Spirit in our lives, He is still our Wonderful Counselor today. For those who are in Christ, the Holy Spirit and God’s Word provide us with continual personal guidance to an abundant life filled with peace, joy, and security.
In this sermon, we looked at the Apostle Paul's account of how he was set apart and called into the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul testifies that he was saved by God's grace as the Gospel was revealed to him through Jesus Christ. Paul also shares how he had previously persecuted the Church and how God used his story to display the truth of the Gospel. If we are in Christ, we are called into the ministry of reconciliation. Like Paul, we have a story that God is using to display the truth of the Gospel and He is glorified when we share our story of redemption.
In this sermon, we looked at John chapter 4 to see how Jesus shared the hope of His coming with a Samaritan woman. Jesus is at the center of the Gospel message, and He is also the best example of what it means to share the Good News with others. While it would have been taboo in first century society for Jesus to converse with this Samaritan woman, He ignored man-made regulations to boldly engage her. Jesus shared truth with the woman while also being sensitive to her story and struggle, as He was so often with those who were broken and humble. Ultimately, Jesus offered her hope: He was the long-promised Messiah. As we share His story, we can follow Jesus' example by being bold, sharing truth, showing sensitivity, and offering the hope of Christ.
In this sermon, we looked at Romans 10:13-17, where Paul reminds us that salvation is available to everyone who calls on Jesus. He then uses a series of rhetorical questions to highlight God's call for every Christian be an evangelist by sharing the good news of the Gospel. Paul says that no one can call on the Lord if they don't believe, and they can't believe if they haven't heard about Jesus. Evangelism is God's plan for us to share the Gospel with those who don't know Jesus. God has chosen to make His only appeal to the world through us. As evangelists, Christians are entrusted with the message of reconciliation, going into the world with an invitation for all to be saved through believing the Gospel and calling on Him.
In this sermon, we closed our What is the Gospel? series by addressing the final question: "What is my role in my spiritual growth?" As human beings, it's our natural inclination to step away from the good news of the Gospel and toward lesser hopes. As we studied Scripture, we found that even the Apostle Paul had a list of things in which he could be tempted to find a sense of worth outside the Gospel. However, we also looked at the liberating truth that, through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been credited with Christ's righteousness as a gift. Therefore, our role in our own spiritual growth is to continually recenter our hope in the good news of the Gospel instead of the lesser hopes of this world.
In this sermon, we looked at Acts 2:36-41 in which Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares to the people of Jerusalem that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah. Peter urges the people to believe the truth of Jesus' divinity and to see His redemptive work on the cross as a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies. When the people listening are "cut to the heart," they ask Peter what they are to do with the internal conviction they are feeling. He responds with a call to repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Faith and repentance change the hearts of the people in Jerusalem, and this moment in history marks the beginning of the Church, with about three thousand souls saved. Just like this moment recorded in Acts 2, God calls us to respond to the Gospel with faith and repentance to receive what God is offering to us through Jesus.
In this sermon, we looked at God’s great love for us and how it was always God's plan to offer His Son, Jesus, who has always existed as part of the Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Out of love, Jesus willingly came to rescue us from condemnation and the consequences of sin. The Bible says that He did this by dying on the cross then rising again on the third day, conquering sin and death. As a result of His sacrifice, we are freely given forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, and healing from the effects of sin. Jesus perfectly accomplished this work on the cross and lovingly calls us to place our trust and faith in Him.
In this sermon, we looked at Romans 3:9-24, in which the Apostle Paul addresses the universal nature of sin. Paul begins by affirming that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power and judgment of sin. Referring to several Old Testament passages, Paul makes the point that no one is righteous or seeks God on his or her own, and that the sinfulness of humanity is made visible through the words that come out of our mouths and our violence toward one another. Paul concludes that every human has sinned and has fallen short of God’s glory. He ends this section of Romans with the good news of the Gospel: while all humans are sinners and under the curse of sin, all who believe the Gospel are justified by God’s grace as a gift through faith in Jesus.
In this sermon, we looked at Isaiah 6:1-7 where the prophet Isaiah shares his transformative vision of the holiness and majesty of God, revealing the immense chasm between God’s holiness and our sinfulness. In this vision, God was seated on a throne as seraphim worshipped Him, declaring, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" When confronted with God’s holiness, Isaiah was brought to a place of humility where he confessed his sin and the sin of his people, recognizing their unworthiness and their need to be cleansed. In response to Isaiah's confession, one of the seraphim moved toward Isaiah, revealing God’s grace and initiative to move toward us to cleanse and redeem us from our sin. As the seraphim touched Isaiah's lips with a coal from the altar, cleansing Isaiah of his sin, we see a beautiful foreshadowing of the cleansing work of Jesus on the cross. We, too, are called to respond to God’s holiness by turning toward Him in confession and repentance, leading us to the miraculous cleansing grace of Jesus that comes from believing the Gospel.
In this sermon, we looked at how Ephesians 2:1-10 unveils God's transformative kindness toward us in the Gospel. The good news of the Gospel is that, while all people are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins, we are graciously offered a new and eternal life through Christ. The Gospel reminds us that God is our Holy Creator and we are accountable to Him for breaking His Laws. The Gospel also reminds us that Jesus did all that was required by the Law to pay for our disobedience and render us as righteous. God graciously gives this righteousness to all who believe. As believers, we are not saved by our own merits; we are saved by grace through faith. Not only has God done the work to save and transform us, in His grace, He also prepares good works for our future and calls us to walk by faith instead of walking in our own strength.
In this sermon, we looked at the kindness of God seen in Malachi 3:1-5 and 4:1-6, as He speaks through the prophet Malachi to give His people a vision of a future transformation when He will change their hearts. Malachi 3:15 points to the first Advent of Jesus, when His arrival will follow a divine messenger who will prepare the way for Him. The next time He speaks to His people, He won’t be sending a prophet to speak; He will be coming Himself to speak. Also, when He arrives, He will usher in an era that will bring about purifying refinement rather than destruction. Malachi 4:1-6 points to the second Advent, which will bring judgement and healing. Even as God reveals the inevitability of His judgement at the second coming of Jesus, He also reveals His compassionate desire to renew and heal His people and restore their relationships with Him and one another. The Church today sits between the two Advents of Jesus. He already arrived and brought with Him the Good News of the Gospel that transforms and purifies the hearts of those who believe. We now await His second coming, when He will usher in the final era that brings permanent and eternal healing and joy for His people as He, once again, makes His dwelling place with man.
In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 3:6-12 and saw how God confronted Israel's unfaithfulness in tithing. God begins by reminding Israel of His unchanging character and nature then confronts them about robbing Him through their neglect of tithes and offerings. God challenges them to bring the full tithe into the storehouse so there may be provisions for ministry. The principle of the tithe is that God provides more than enough for His people to live off 90% and give the additional 10% to provide what is needed for His Church. God has not promised to make His people rich; He promises that when His people bring the full tithe to the storehouse in wholehearted worship, He will provide for them until there is no more need. Not only that, God also promises that His provision for those who tithe will become a testimony to the nations. This is God's promise for the Church today: When God's people bring their tithes and offerings to Him in wholehearted trust and worship, they will be blessed by being provided for until there is no more need and there will be an abundance of resources for God's mission to take the Gospel to the nations.
In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 2:17, where Malachi addresses the Israelites' questioning of God’s justice. Israel was in a time of rebellion against God and was experiencing the consequences of God withholding His blessing. In response, they questioned why God seemed to favor the evildoers. Instead of asking God to reveal to them their sin and humbling themselves in repentance, they saw everyone else as the problem. We looked at the answer to their question in Romans 3:21-26, where Paul unveils God's master plan for righteousness and justice through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Paul explains that the law could not make anyone righteous but that the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law: the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. This righteousness is a gift of grace and is accessible to all who believe. This righteousness also demonstrates God's justice, resolving the issue of "delayed punishment" for past sins. By sacrificing His Son, God remains just, and becomes the justifier, addressing the Israelites' doubts and extending salvation to all mankind.
In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 2:10-16 and how God spoke through Malachi to address the Israelites' negligence in maintaining their covenant with God and their covenants with one another. He rebukes the Israelite men because they were divorcing their Israelite wives and marrying wives who worshipped other gods. This violated their marriage covenants with one another and the greater covenant that God had made with them. This section of scripture ends by calling the people of Israel to guard their spirits against unfaithfulness. Today in the Church, fulfilling our covenants still matters. When we break our covenants with other believers, we also violate our covenant with God. Just as God spoke to the Israelites, He is calling the Church to guard our faithfulness to our covenant relationships with God, our spouses, and other believers.
In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 1:6-14, in which God rebukes the people of Israel for their insincere worship. As God addresses Israel, He confronts the priests for offering defiled sacrifices and treating His name with contempt. God declares that He deserves better than their half-hearted offerings and threatens to close the temple doors to such offerings. This passage highlights the significance of sincere devotion and proper reverence in approaching God in worship. In verse 9, God invites Israel to turn its face toward Him, that He might be gracious toward them. This is true of our worship today: God doesn't want us to just show up and go through the motions. Our songs, our prayers, and our serving mean nothing if they aren’t rooted in honor and reverence toward God. As with Israel, God invites us to turn our faces toward Him, that He may be gracious toward us.
In this sermon, we looked at how Malachi 1:1-5 reveals the amazing love of God, expressed through His sovereign choice of Jacob over Esau. Despite Israel's disobedience and shift to pagan worship, God's deep affection for His chosen people remained unwavering. Through His deliberate choice to love Israel before they even existed, God establishes a covenantal bond that transcends human shortcomings, displaying His unconditional love and commitment. This passage calls for God's people to return to His love with sincere worship and obedience, inviting us to recognize and respond to God's unchanging love with hearts changed by its transformative power.
In this sermon, we looked in Isaiah 61:1-4 at God's promise to send a Messiah who would bring good news to the oppressed, brokenhearted, and captive. In this passage, God promises to send a Messiah to comfort those in sorrow, liberate those who are imprisoned, and provide hope and healing to those who are suffering. Here we see a beautiful and kind invitation from God to bring our pain and sorrow to the Messiah. We learned that in and through our mourning, the Messiah will heal our heart wounds and restore hope to our lives. In Luke 4, Jesus claims to be God's fulfillment of this promise and, all throughout Jesus' life and ministry, we see Him live out this claim in the way He gives comfort to those who are suffering, and healing to those who mourn. God's promise in Isaiah 61 is still unfolding today. Now, through the Holy Spirit, God gives us comfort and healing, and restores our hope when we take our mourning to Him.
In this sermon, we looked at the suffering of Jesus through the lens of Isaiah 53. Our Suffering Saints series began by looking at Adam and the fall, when sin and death came into the world. Sin and death had to be dealt with, overcome, and undone. Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all. Jesus, the Lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice, the sinless substitute, was crushed for our sin. Through His sacrificial death, those who come to Him in faith have peace with God and are healed. In His resurrection, we have a blessed hope that we will spend eternity with Him in heaven.
In this sermon, we looked at 2 Corinthians 1:3-9 in which the apostle Paul praises God as the ultimate source of comfort and compassion in times of affliction. Paul reminds us that God doesn't promise to fix our afflictions this side of heaven, but He has promised the abundant comfort of His presence. God's presence and grace are sufficient to give us what we need when we face affliction. Paul also tells us that the ultimate purpose of suffering is to move our dependence away from ourselves and onto God. It’s also meant to foster a shared experience of comfort in Christ within the Christian community as we confess our needs to God and others within our Biblical Community. Paul encourages believers to trust in God's comforting presence amidst suffering, knowing that our struggles lead to a deeper understanding of His grace and a strengthened faith in Him.
In this sermon, we looked at Acts 6:1-8:4 and saw how Stephen was persecuted for his faith in Jesus and how God used his suffering to bless others. Stephen was one of the chosen men appointed to oversee the distribution of food among the widows in Acts 6. Despite faithfully serving the community, some of the religious leaders falsely accused him and arrested him. In the face of these charges, Stephen fearlessly defended his faith and delivered a powerful sermon recounting the history of God’s people. This further angered his accusers, so they put him to death by stoning him. Although Stephen endured immense suffering, his unwavering commitment to his beliefs and his bold proclamation of the Gospel started a movement of Christians from Jerusalem to the other parts of the world, spreading the Gospel and fulfilling the Great Commission.
In this sermon, we looked in Job 2:1-13 at the suffering of Job and the comfort we can have from knowing that God is always in control, even when we don't understand the reason for our suffering. Because God is sovereign, we can know that our suffering is never meaningless and is always "preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." We also looked at how we can walk with others who are suffering. When Job was facing affliction, Job's wife was harsh and urged him to forsake God but Job's friends began comforting Job by being present and silent with him in his affliction. As we seek to understand our own suffering and the suffering of those around us, we can be assured that God's presence is with us as we are present with one another.
In this sermon, we looked at the suffering Joseph endured at the hands of those around him. Joseph's own brothers sought to harm him, other people lied about him, and there were still others who forgot about him over the course of his difficult trials. Through all of this, God was with Joseph. In each instance, God preserved Joseph's life, blessed his endeavors, and gave him favor with those around him. When Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he did not seek revenge against them; he displayed forgiveness and a desire to reconcile with his family. While Joseph endured many hardships, he came to understand the truth that he shared with his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” This is true for us today when we face harm and suffering at the hands of others. In Christ, we have the assurance that God uses even our most difficult circumstances for our good and His glory.
In this sermon, we looked at the suffering Joseph endured at the hands of those around him. Joseph's own brothers sought to harm him, other people lied about him, and there were still others who forgot about him over the course of his difficult trials. Through all of this, God was with Joseph. In each instance, God preserved Joseph's life, blessed his endeavors, and gave him favor with those around him. When Joseph was reunited with his brothers, he did not seek revenge against them; he displayed forgiveness and a desire to reconcile with his family. While Joseph endured many hardships, he came to understand the truth that he shared with his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” This is true for us today when we face harm and suffering at the hands of others. In Christ, we have the assurance that God uses even our most difficult circumstances for our good and His glory.
In this sermon, we looked at the how the prophet Daniel suffered under ungodly leadership. From the time he was born through his time in exile, the kings who ruled over him were most often in opposition to God's will. However, when confronted with the expectation to disobey God, Daniel stood firm in his convictions. In Daniel 1:8-16, God mercifully granted him favor among the leaders despite Daniel's resistance to the king's orders. When Daniel was specifically targeted by people seeking to harm him and was found to be breaking the law in Daniel chapter 6, he didn't abandon his conviction to obey God, despite it possibly leading to his death. In his visions, Daniel saw a future in which the king was God Himself, and His dominion would be forever. As God's people today, we can face suffering and wrestle with obedience to God while, ultimately, placing our hope in the future reign of Jesus.
In our opening sermon of the Suffering Saints series, we looked at the suffering of Adam and how all suffering began with him. Genesis 2:15-17 describes how God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and entrusted him with the responsibility of caring for it. God allowed Adam to eat freely from all the trees, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which would lead to death, but Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and disobeyed God’s command by eating the forbidden fruit. Because of their disobedience, God pronounced various ongoing judgements in Genesis 3:16-24 - the serpent would crawl on its belly, there would be pain for women in childbirth, husbands and wives would now turn against one another, and man would have to toil and work hard for sustenance. Adam and Eve were then banished from the Garden of Eden and God placed cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life, ensuring they would no longer have access to it and would live forever in their fallen state. Since the time of God's initial judgement toward Adam and Eve, God has been patiently bearing with the objects of His wrath. Instead of unleashing His wrath, God has freely given His grace and kindness toward mankind, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. In His love, God is undoing the power of sin and death in us through our faith in the resurrection of Jesus.
In our Father’s Day sermon, we looked at how Jesus taught about the Father's love for us through a parable in Luke 15:11-24. In this parable, Jesus introduces us to a kind father who provided well for his family and was generous with his children. One of his sons asks for, and receives, his inheritance early then leaves his father's home. After living recklessly and losing everything the father had given him, the son comes to the end of himself, which is where he actually finds himself. Luke 15:17 says that the son “came to himself.” In this moment, the story turns and the son decides to go home empty handed and ask for his father's forgiveness, hoping the father will let him back into his home as a servant. Instead of hesitantly receiving the son as a servant, the father celebrates his son's return and immediately restores him to full sonship. This parable shows us a beautiful picture of what a loving father looks like and illustrates what every earthly father needs more than anything: an invitation from God, the perfect Father, to be accepted as His son. It's through experiencing our own sonship to God that we have something to give away to our children.
In this final sermon of our 2 Peter series, we looked at the Apostle Peter's view of the sacred Scriptures. In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter passionately affirms the credibility and reliability of his message as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ's majesty. He declares that he didn't follow cleverly devised myths but was an eyewitness of Christ's transfiguration, during which he saw the glory of God firsthand. Peter emphasizes the authenticity of the prophetic Word, reminding us that it serves as a light shining in a dark place. He warns against private interpretation of Scripture and highlights the divine origin and authority of God's Word by emphasizing that prophecy wasn't the result of human will but from holy men who spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. In 2 Peter 3:14-18, Peter ends his letter by urging his readers to be on guard against the twisting of Scripture and encourages them to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory now and forever.
In this sermon, we looked at Peter's encouragement to the exiled Christians in Asia Minor to ignore the skeptic false teachers who deliberately overlook the promises of God. Peter tells these suffering Christians to remember that God is not bound by time and, in His patience, God is allowing more people to come to repentance. While God's patience is prolonging the suffering of some, the big promise of the Bible is that Jesus will return to put an end to all His enemies and usher in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Here there will be no more suffering and God will again make His dwelling place with man. Just like the Christians in Asia Minor, this is where we find our encouragement to hold fast to our faith even in the midst of suffering.
In this sermon, we looked into 2 Peter chapter 2 at Peter's warning against false teachers who will infiltrate the church and lead people astray by promising freedom while actually leading them into captivity. Peter says that these false teachers will preach destructive heresies and, ultimately, deny Jesus as Lord. He also warns that these false teachers will take advantage of "unsteady souls," luring them into temporary relief through sensuality that winds up enslaving them. They will teach that God isn't going to bring a future judgement, which leads people to live however they desire. In the end, these false teachers will distort the way to God and lead people into destruction. The good news of the Gospel is that God delivers on His promise to give freedom, and the commands of the Lord lead to life, not destruction. In the final judgement, those who oppose God and refuse to believe the Gospel will be condemned, but those who know Jesus will be saved to eternal life.
In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call for Christians to continue pursuing godliness and spiritual growth even in the midst of persecution and suffering. Drawing from the spiritual reality that Christians are partakers in God's divine glory, Peter calls Christians to add to what we already have in Christ by pursuing and practicing Christ-like qualities. He reminds us that God is restoring us back to the "Imago Dei" (Image of God) of Eden. While this transformation doesn't happen instantly, we are invited to participate in what the Holy Spirit is doing in us by pursuing the Christ-like qualities of virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. When we practice these things, we will experience them in increasing measure, and we are kept from being ineffective and unfruitful for God’s Kingdom.
In this sermon from Luke 1, we looked at the fulfillment of prophecy through the promise of the coming Messiah. Luke writes of the unmerited favor given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and shares her song, in which she praises God for all He has done for her and all those who fear Him. Through Mary’s beautiful song, we are reminded that the promises of God are true and that His unmerited favor is available to all who humble themselves before God and come to Him in faith.
In this first sermon of our 2 Peter series, we looked at Peter's call for persecuted Christians to find their strength in knowing God more deeply. Peter begins by reminding these Christians that God’s grace and peace are multiplied to them through knowing Him. This knowledge is more than knowing a lot about God; the Greek word Peter uses implies a full knowledge of God that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus. Peter goes on to remind them that God gifts His divine power for Godly living through their knowledge of Jesus and trust in His precious promises to them. This is a helpful reminder to us today that God's grace, peace, and power are still given to us through our deepening relationship with Him and our trust in His promises.
With this sermon from 1 Peter 5:12-14, we finished our 1 Peter series by looking at how the Christians in Asia Minor were called to stand firm in the true grace of God in the midst of their suffering. Peter calls those who are weak and suffering to be strong by finding strength in what God is doing in them, not what they can do for themselves. Peter tells them that the strength to stand firm is possible because God is still working in their lives to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish them. This gives us hope today, knowing that even when we are feeling weak and experiencing difficult circumstances, God is still working to strengthen us and give us what we need to stand firm in His grace.
In this sermon from 1 Peter 5:6-11, we were reminded that we are not of this world. We were created for Eden, and God is faithfully redeeming us unto Himself. As we live in the tension of this world, awaiting the new Eden, Peter encourages us to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand and cast our anxiety on Him. This reminder helps us to not focus on the things of this world but on God's sovereign and caring nature. In verses 8-9, we are warned that Satan seeks to devour. We have an active enemy. We are called to resist the devil by standing firm in our faith, knowing that one day Christ will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us with Him forever.
In this sermon, we looked at the heart-attitude and role of leadership in the local church. In 1 Peter 5:1-5, Peter calls the elders of the church to have a specific heart-attitude, that reflects the heart of Jesus, toward their role as church leaders. Peter reminds these leaders that their influence over the church doesn’t come from force or power, but from their own submission to Jesus as the ultimate Shepherd of His people. The church is then called to place themselves under the care of elders, as the elders lead from a place of humility. This is a beautiful picture of God’s design to work through imperfect people to make His presence known and to provide safety and care for His people in the church.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus’ closest followers kept their distance as He went to the cross. As Jesus died on the cross and cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” we see just how much Jesus trusted His Father. In contrast, Luke 24 tells us that all of Jesus’ acquaintances, and the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching while He was interrogated, tortured, and crucified. They wanted to see what was happening to Him without putting themselves in danger. They wanted to be close enough to see if what Jesus had told them was right but not so close that they would be let down, disappointed, or humiliated for believing that He was the Son of God. Unlike Jesus, they didn’t ultimately trust God with their lives. The same can be true for us today. We want to be close enough to see what Jesus is up to without giving Him the space to be up to something in our lives. We want to know enough about Jesus to make us feel safe, without risking anything to follow Him. Therefore, many of us follow Jesus at a distance. The truth of the Gospel is that the safest place we could be is in a trusting relationship with Jesus.
In this sermon from Luke 19, we looked at how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, fulfilling ancient prophesy and signaling to the Jews that their King had arrived to set them free. However, as soon as Jesus arrived, His intentions were misunderstood. The Jews thought Jesus was there to lead a revolt and set them free from the Romans and they were excited that God finally sent the King to bring political and religious freedom. Meanwhile, the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, thought Jesus was nothing more than a rebellious leader who would arouse the anger of the Roman government and they wanted Him silenced at any cost in order to protect themselves from a punitive response. Despite these misunderstandings, it’s clear in Luke 19:37-48 that Jesus didn’t arrive in Jerusalem to fulfill the desires of man; He was there to fulfill the prophetic desires of His Father. Jesus went to Jerusalem as the King of Kings, to tear down the old religious system (the Old Covenant) and establish a new way of having relationship with God (the New Covenant). No longer would God’s people need a priest to go into the temple and offer sacrifices. No longer would God’s presence be shielded from His people by a thick curtain. With His death, Jesus became the last sacrifice of the Old Covenant and, when He rose again on the third day, He inaugurated a New Covenant in which God would make His dwelling place with man again. Palm Sunday reminds us of Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die to give us access to a relationship with God.
In this sermon from 1 Peter 4:12-19, we began by looking at God's declaration that those who are in Christ are His "beloved." Peter reminds us that God's love for us doesn't change just because we encounter suffering and hardship. This is important because Peter's encouragement to suffering Christians is to not be surprised or caught off-guard in suffering. Instead, Peter encourages us to rejoice in our suffering, knowing we are experiencing fellowship with Jesus. Peter ends this section on suffering by encouraging Christians to entrust themselves to the faithful Creator. Like these early suffering Christians, we can entrust our souls to the faithful Creator, knowing we are His beloved and He is trustworthy, even in the pain of suffering.
In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call for us to follow the example of Jesus by living righteously in the midst of persecution. As believers, we are able to reject sin and suffer for righteousness because we have freedom in Jesus and our former life doesn't define us. This shift in the way we live may surprise people but Peter reminds us that we will all give account to God for our actions. What God calls us to is not like our former life; instead of living recklessly, we are called to be self-controlled, to love one another, and to use our gifts for the benefit of those around us. In all of this, our goal is "that in everything God may be glorified through Christ Jesus."
In this sermon, we looked at 1 Peter 3:8-22 where Peter sums up the instructions he has given to the believers exiled in Asia Minor. Peter tells them to have unity of mind in the things of Christ and other virtues that will help them support each other in the suffering they are experiencing in an unbelieving society. He instructs them not to repay evil to those who speak evil of them or insult them but to bless because they are blessed. Peter encourages these Christians by reminding them that God sees their suffering and hears their prayers. He also reminds them that it’s better to suffer for good than evil because Christ also suffered in order to make us alive in Christ. As we are united with Christ in suffering, we are reminded of the hope and life we have in Him.
In this sermon, we looked at the calling for Christians to honor one another in marriage, even in times of suffering and persecution. In 1 Peter 3:1-7, Peter writes to a group of Christians who have been exiled yet calls them to continue working toward a God-honoring marriage. Similar to Paul’s marriage instructions in Ephesians 5, Peter calls wives to submit to their husbands and for husbands to provide care for their wives. In addition to these instructions, Peter calls wives to see their beauty in their inner character rather than their outward appearance. He also calls husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way by paying attention to their needs and protecting them so that their prayer life isn’t hindered. All of this reminds us that, even in the midst of our own suffering or persecution, the love of Jesus compels us to live our lives aimed at glorifying God.
In this sermon, we looked at how 1 Peter 2:13-25 challenges the way we treat those who disagree with us or mistreat us. Peter writes to Christians who are being persecuted by the oppressive Roman government. After reminding them of their identity in Christ, Peter now calls them to submit to this pagan authority and to do good. While believers' citizenship is in heaven, we don’t have license to rebel and disobey our local government; Peter reminds us that human governments are put in place by God to restrain evil and reward good. According to Peter, Christians have been called to do good by honoring everyone, loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, fearing God, and honoring the governing authority of the land. As we applied this message to our lives, we discussed the importance of discerning between our personal convictions and clear Biblical convictions. As Christians, we are called to submit to the mandates and laws of our governing authorities, even when we disagree or are mistreated, until or unless we are forced into an action, or prohibited from an action, that violates clear and explicit Biblical conviction. In this, we honor God by trusting Him as the One who is sovereign over all earthly authorities.
In this sermon, we looked in 1 Peter 2:1-12 at Peter's calling for believers to put off their old identity, which is rooted in the flesh, in order to live according to their new identity, which is rooted in the Word of God. Peter tells these exiled believers that their suffering is a reflection of the suffering of Christ because He, too, was rejected by men, but chosen and precious to God. He reminds them that despite experiencing rejection by men, they have been born again into a new identity in Christ: a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's own possession. Peter describes believers as God's beloved sojourners and calls us to pursue a life of good deeds, rooted in our new identity in Christ, and aimed at the glory of God.
In this sermon, we looked at 1 Peter 1:13-25 to see Peter's first commands for the Christians who were suffering persecution in Asia Minor. Building from the opening doxology in verses 3-9, Peter roots his instructions for the Church in what is already true about them: They have been born again into a living hope and an inheritance that is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. With this foundational truth in place, Peter first commands these believers to set their hope completely on the grace of Jesus. With their hope set on the grace of Jesus, Peter commands them to live in holiness and reverence to God, seeing Him as a loving Father who can be trusted, even in His judgement. Peter then commands these believers to love one another earnestly, with a pure heart, out of the secure and reverent relationship they have with God. In the same way today, we can be assured of this inheritance we have in Jesus as we set our hope on Him, live in holiness and reverence to God, and love one another earnestly out of the love He has given to us.
In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call to rejoice in the midst of suffering and persecution because of the living hope and eternal inheritance we have been given in Christ. In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter reminds believers that we have each been supernaturally regenerated as a new creation: the old has been buried with Christ and we have been born again to walk in new life. The same power that worked to raise Jesus from the dead is also working in us. This power is described as a “living hope” because it can’t be spoiled or put to death by the suffering in our lives; even when we face things that are hard and discouraging, our hope isn't diminished by circumstances. In saying this, Peter wasn’t minimizing the intensity or length of time that these exiled Christians were suffering; he was directing their focus to something that far outweighed what they were going through and maximized the glory and goodness of their salvation. Peter ends this section by calling suffering Christians to rejoice because our born-again hearts are anchored in a salvation and inheritance that is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. We are free to rejoice in our sufferings now while we await Jesus' return and the eternal salvation of our souls.
In this first sermon of the 1 Peter series, we looked at how Peter opened his letter to the believers who were suffering from persecution in Asia Minor. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, we read that God sees His people who are suffering as chosen exiles. As believers, the suffering we encounter in the world is evidence that we are exiles living in a foreign land that is not, ultimately, our home. Even though we have earthly citizenship, we are now citizens of God’s Kingdom and will never truly be at home on earth. As believers, we are chosen by God. While we encounter suffering, we can be assured that God hasn’t changed His mind or forsaken us. Just as Peter reminds the Christians in Asia Minor, even while experiencing suffering, we are still known by the Father, forgiven by the blood of Jesus, and being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In this sermon, we looked at the calling for every believer to live out the ministry of reconciliation in our everyday lives. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul calls the Church to be moved by the love of Jesus to give away to others what we have received from Him. Through the Gospel, Jesus first reconciled us to Himself, then to one another. This Biblical concept of reconciliation means to be completely restored to a place of favor. In Christ, we go from being enemies of God to receiving God’s undeserved favor. When we are in Christ, we also go from being enemies with one another to spiritual siblings who live in the undeserved favor of one another. As believers, we have experienced the reconciliation that comes from the love of Jesus and are now called to be ambassadors for Him and live out this reconciliation with those in the world around us.
In this sermon, we looked at how God designed mankind to thrive in life-giving relationship with Himself and others. Because of sin, shame entered the story and became a significant enemy to intimate relationship. The shame of Adam and Eve, reflecting the shame in our lives today, moved them away from one another and God. Instead of showing up after the Fall and telling the truth about their sins, the fear and embarrassment of being fully known convinced them that they needed to hide. In Colossians 3, Paul reminds us that the Gospel restores all that was lost in the Garden and gives us the courage to be known again. Paul tells the Church to put on new life in Christ, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator, to live once again in intimate relationship with God and others. While it’s not possible to have this kind of relationship with every person in the world, we can experience intimate relationships within the Church that reflect the life-giving relationships that Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden.
With this sermon, we started a series looking at the Vision of Solid Rock Church. This Vision comes from seeing how we were designed to gather with the saints of God in a regular routine to practice the rituals of worship. While the concepts of routine and ritual can be off-putting to the modern-day church goer, God designed this to happen in a way that gives life and leads to a flourishing relationship with Christ. In Hebrews 10, we see how God has called us into covenant relationship through Jesus and to worship Him in consistent routines with other believers, practicing the God-ordained Biblical rituals that lead to a vibrant spiritual life and draw us closer to God and others.
In this sermon, we looked at the prophet Elijah's experience in 1 Kings 19. Elijah fled from Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, after she swore an oath to kill him. He was frightened, discouraged, and exhausted—a situation we find ourselves in all too often. In the midst of Elijah's anguish, God ministered to him by giving him food, water, and an opportunity for rest. Elijah then went to Mount Horeb, called the Mountain of God, where God asked a simple but profound question: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The prophet shared his fears for God's people, and himself, as the people of Israel abandoned their covenant. As Elijah cried out in despair, God offered His presence. A great wind, an earthquake, and a fire all came before Elijah—but God was not in these. Instead, Elijah heard a gentle whisper, a sign of God's nearness. This story reminds us that in the midst of our anxiety, hurt, doubt, and shame, God is always at work, and He is always near.
In this sermon, we looked at how the baby born in a stable will return as a groom who returns for His bride on their wedding day. At His first Advent, Jesus paid with His blood to purchase us as His bride and to ratify the covenant relationship between us and God. In Revelation 19:6-9, we see that not only has Jesus paid the price for us, He has also done everything required to prepare us to be presented in radiant splendor to Himself. We don't have to make ourselves righteous or prepare ourselves for His return; Jesus makes His bride righteous by her faith. When we confess our sins to Jesus in faith, He cleanses us of all unrighteousness and makes us holy. As the bride of Christ, we await His return like a radiant bride awaits the return of her groom for their wedding.
In this sermon, we looked at how the second coming of Jesus gives us hope in the midst of a world that seems broken and full of injustice. 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 19 illustrate how Jesus is predicted to return as a victorious warrior who conquers His enemies and establishes the Kingdom of God on Earth. This is the same Jesus whose first Advent led Him to suffer, die, and resurrect from the dead. Through His resurrection, Jesus secured victory over His enemies and gave us hope that we, too, will one day resurrect from the dead and live eternally in His victory. Looking at the description of Jesus’ return in Revelation 19, we see a good Father who loves His children and is ready to bring a final end to all their suffering. Like a good father, He fights for His children. When Jesus returns as a victorious warrior riding on a white horse, we will see what He sees and fully understand His love for us.
In this Advent series, we are looking at the differences between the first and second coming of Jesus. In His first Advent, He came as a humble servant, fulfilling prophesies of the Messiah who would come to Earth to suffer and die to heal His people from sin and suffering. When He returns, He will come as a battle-ready groom, prepared to rescue His bride from His enemies and reign as a victorious King.
In the first sermon of this series, we looked at how Jesus will return as a judge to separate His people from His enemies, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. In Luke 13:22-30, Jesus teaches that He will return in order to judge the world and that the gate to heaven is narrow; the only people He will allow into heaven are those whose righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees. The good news of the Gospel is that when we turn to Jesus in faith, He imparts His righteousness to us as a free gift and He establishes us as blameless and holy. Through faith in Jesus, our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees. For those who believe, the judgement of Jesus is not something to be feared, it's something to long for. This Christmas, may our celebration of the first coming of Jesus stir our longing for His second coming.
In this sermon, we looked at how fasting is deeply connected to worship. In the Old Testament, fasting was closely related to grieving or repentance of sin. In the New Testament, fasting became a spiritual discipline or pathway that leads to a deeper, more personal relationship with the One who created and redeems us. Fasting allows us to slow down and be more present and aware of our needs as well as how we have replaced God with idols of the heart. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God reveals our brokenness and gives us Himself. When we receive His profound love, we wholeheartedly respond with gratitude and worship.
In this sermon, we looked at the connection between serving God and worshipping God. The book of Malachi opens with God referring to Himself as a father and Israel as His son. In verses 3:13-18, God confronts Israel's vanity in serving. The people had ceased to serve God out of their love for Him and had, instead, come to a place of complacency and contempt in which they were going through the motions of worship while their hearts were bitter and rebellious. God reminds Israel that He hasn't called them to serve Him like a slave serves a master but like a son serves His father. Just like Israel, we can drift away from serving God out of our worship. The good news of the Gospel is that God doesn't give up on us or turn His back on us but loves us as a good Father who invites His children to return to Him.
In this sermon, we continued to look at God’s design for His Church and how our fellowship with one another is connected to our worship. In the New Testament, God uses the Greek word "koinonia" to describe the community within the Church. The koinonia is a community of close mutual relationships, in which people share possessions and partner in living the mission of Jesus in everyday life. In Acts 2, the believers experienced the overwhelming love of Jesus in a way that compelled them to eagerly desire to give that love to others. This created a koinonia community where they had everything in common: they shared life, they shared struggles, and they shared resources. When we are devoted to the koinonia, our giving will be generous, our receiving will be grateful, and both will be done as acts of worship. A church devoted to the fellowship is a church engaged in worship and living the mission in everyday life.
In this sermon, we looked at the connection between our love for God and our love for others. In 2 Corinthians 13:11-14, Paul gives the church six commands, starting with the command to rejoice or worship. The next five commands guide us in our relationships with one another. In the Bible, God continually compares our fellowship with Him to our fellowship with one another, saying that we can't claim to have fellowship with Him if we aren't living in fellowship with one another; our relationship with one another is connected to our relationship with God. Therefore, our worship is deeply connected to our relationships. This helps more greatly understand Matthew 5:23-24, when Jesus said that if we discover we have a broken relationship with another believer, we should set down our worship and go get right with that person then return to offer our gift of worship to the Lord.
In this sermon, we looked at Colossians 3:12-17 to see how we can cultivate a lifestyle of worship through gratitude. Paul calls us to put on and wear the attributes of Christ on a daily basis. Additionally, he encourages us to allow the peace of Christ to rule over our hearts with thankfulness and to let the Word of God dwell in us richly so that everything we say and do gives thanks to the Father. This genuine thankfulness connects us to Christ and compels us to a lifestyle of worship.
In this sermon, we looked at the role of prayer in our worship. We read Matthew 6:7-13 to see Jesus' instruction on how to pray and Mark 14:32-36 to see His example of prayer. We also looked in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 at how Paul modeled this same prayer in his own life. Through these passages, we see that prayer is not only about getting God to change something external in our lives but also about asking the Father to align something internal in our hearts. Whether or not we get what we're asking for, we always get God. Prayer doesn’t have to change the things we can see to be supernatural; all prayer is supernatural. Prayer is where finite beings commune with the eternal God. Prayer shifts our trust from earthly things to God and re-postures our hearts from trusting in idols to worshipping the one true God.
In this sermon, we looked at the role of the Word of God in worship. The Word of God reminds us of who God is and what God has done. It leads us to salvation and restored relationship with Him. With our relationship with God restored, we are able to see God for who He is and reflect on His goodness and kindness towards us which evokes reverence, gratitude and love in our hearts towards God. Worship happens when we take those inward affections and display them in our outward actions toward God. Not only does the Word of God evoke worship, it also describes how God desires for us to express our worship: to be aimed at Him and Him alone. When we come before His presence in worship, He instructs us to leave all other false gods or idols behind, to identify Him as the one true God, and to rest in His presence.
In the first sermon of our "Worship is…" series, we studied what a heart of worship looks like and where it comes from. Worship happens when our love for God aligns with our right thoughts about God and is expressed in our obedient actions toward God. When the Lord gives us His presence, it exposes our neediness and we either run and hide or turn toward Him. When we take our neediness to the Lord and cry out for help, He responds with kindness, filling our hearts with gratitude, love, and worship. Worship isn't something we conjure up in our strength; it is a heart posture that comes out of our experience with God when He meets us with loving kindness in the midst of our deepest needs.
In our last sermon of the Ephesians series, we looked at Paul's final charge for believers to stand strong in the gifts that Jesus has given them. This exhortation reminds us that the devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us through his evil schemes. Our defense against these schemes is to put on the whole armor of God, given to us as Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, His Spirit, and His Word. When we put on this armor, we stand firm in the very same strength that raised Jesus from the dead.
In this sermon, we looked at how God is restoring His people as image bearers in the way we work and lead others. In Ephesians 6:5-9, Paul calls those who are in Christ to engage in work in a way that reflects His image. We do this by following instructions and going about our work willingly and wholeheartedly, whether or not anyone is watching, always looking for opportunities to do the will of God. When we engage in work this way, we can see our efforts as a gift to our employer, trusting Jesus for our ultimate reward. Additionally, Christians who are employers or managers are to lead those who have been entrusted to their care in a way that reflects the relationship between Christ and His people.
In this sermon, we looked at God's call for parents and children to bear His image in the home through the way they interact with one another. God calls children who are in Christ to honor their parents by speaking respectfully, listening to and following their instruction, and expressing gratitude for their care. When children honor their parents, we get a glimpse of the honor that we are all called to display toward God. Parents are to instruct and correct their children in a way that nourishes and cultivates their souls. This requires parents to be patient, kind, and slow to anger in shepherding their children. When parents guide and love their children in this way, we get a glimpse of what it looks like to be in relationship with a good God who is also our loving Father.
In this sermon, we looked at how we are called to bear the image of God in marriage. In Ephesians 5:22-31, Paul turns his attention to marriage as he calls husbands and wives to a specific role in reflecting the image of the Gospel. Wives are to submit to their husbands in a way that bears the image of the Church submitting to and honoring Christ. Husbands are to sacrificially love their wives in a way that bears the image of Christ loving His bride, the Church, by willingly laying down His life for her. Neither wives nor husbands are expected to bear this image perfectly but to strive to bear the image of God wholeheartedly as they are being transformed by God. Even in imperfect Christian marriage, the relationship between Jesus and the Church is on full display as husbands and wives pursue the Lord together.
In this sermon, we looked at Ephesians 5:1-21 to see Paul's description of what it looks like to imitate God as those who are being transformed by the Gospel. Paul uses the metaphor of walking in the light, instead of the darkness, as a picture of the transformative process for those who are in Christ. In Him, we are being transformed back into image bearers of God. In this section of Ephesians, Paul specifically addresses how our words are connected to what's in our hearts and calls the Church to be imitators of God by paying attention to and guarding our speech. Instead of speaking in a way that is shameful, foolish, or vulgar, we are to speak in a way that is kind, just, and true as we walk in the light as imitators of God.
In this sermon, we continued looking in Ephesians 4, where Paul tells the church in Ephesus to put off the old self, from before they heard the Gospel and knew the Lord, and to put on the new self, which is theirs in Christ Jesus. Beginning in verse 25, Paul gives practical advice about how to conduct ourselves as we live everyday life in Christ. When we put on this new self and truly live as His, we honor God and maintain the unity of the Spirit.
In this sermon, we looked at Paul's reminder to the Christians in Ephesus to no longer walk as their old selves before they heard the Gospel and learned about Jesus. In Ephesians 4:17-25, Paul teaches us that at the core of the old self is a darkened heart that has become calloused and can no longer feel pain, grief, guilt, or conviction. He also warns that once our hearts become darkened and calloused, we give ourselves over to moral riot. Paul reminds the Ephesians that they are no longer the same and gives them instructions to take off this old self by putting away falsehood and telling the truth about their sin and suffering. We, too, have been commanded to put off the old self and put on the new self, created in the image of God. By giving our sin and suffering a name and telling the truth, our hearts become alive and sensitive, allowing us to walk in the new self in right relationship with God and others.
In this sermon, we continued to look at the gifts of grace Jesus has given to the Church in order to build up the Church and maintain unity. Jesus has called spiritual leaders to equip the members of the Church for ministry so that they may minister to one another in truth and love. Every believer has been equipped and entrusted with a spiritual gift of grace to serve the other members of the Church. When each part is working according to God's design, the Church grows into full maturity, becoming more like Jesus individually and collectively, and God's people flourish.
In this sermon, we looked at how God has given the Church everything it needs to maintain the unity Christ provided. In Ephesians 4:7-12, Paul says that God has given leaders to the church as gifts of grace in order to equip all of the members to fulfill their calling in ministry, thereby leading the whole Church to spiritual growth and unity in Christ.
In this sermon, we looked at Ephesians 4:1-6, where Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus shifts focus. While chapters one through three focus on God's redemptive work of grace and our identity in Christ, this passage begins to focus on how we walk. This walk refers to how we live and conduct ourselves according to the wonderful mercy and calling of God. Paul calls believers to walk in a manner worthy of this calling and says we are to act in humility, gentleness, and patience with one another in order to preserve the unity we have in the Holy Spirit. The repetition of the word "one" in verses four through six emphasizes the unified identity we have as Christians in that we all share the same Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and Father through faith in Jesus. Paul urges believers to pursue this unity in our actions toward one another.
In this sermon, we looked at Ephesians 3:14-21 when Paul tells the Ephesians that he prays for God to strengthen them spiritually and grant them understanding of Christ's love. Having already revealed the mystery of the Gospel, in which God ordained Jews and Gentiles to be co-heirs in Christ, Paul knows that this unity will require strength through the Holy Spirit and a foundation in Christ's love. As we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit and truly comprehend His love, our lives become more aligned with Christ and reflect the character of God. Only the one true God, who does far more than we could ever ask or imagine, could accomplish this in us. He alone deserves the glory.
In this sermon, we looked at Paul's insight into the mystery of the Gospel. In Ephesians 2, Paul explained that Jesus broke down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles, uniting them as one. In Ephesians 3, Paul says that the Gospel is made visible in that the Gentiles are now fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promises of God. Through God's love toward the Jews and Gentiles alike, the mystery of the Gospel is displayed in the immeasurable and unsearchable riches of God's mercy, grace, kindness, and love toward all.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus is the cornerstone who holds all things together. In Ephesians 2:18-22, Paul points to the Trinity as an example and reminder to the Church that we are brought together in unity as members of God's household and citizens of His Kingdom, built upon the truth of Scripture. As the members of God's household trust Jesus in faith, He gives us access to the Father through the Spirit, draws us close to Himself, and binds us to one another in Christian community. Our lives are forever bound and held together by Jesus as our cornerstone.
As we celebrate independence and freedom in our nation, it's an important time to reflect on the true, enduring freedom we have in Christ. Jesus' completed work on the cross, His resurrection, and Him imminent return provide us with eternal freedom from sin and death. However, we can be tempted to misuse this freedom, taking advantage of grace and turning to the sin we've been freed from or burdening ourselves with rules and moralism to prove our worth or even viewing our individual freedoms as the end goal. Jesus calls us to something more radical: to use our freedom in Him to humble ourselves and serve others. Rather than using our freedom for our own advantage, we are to lay down our rights in service and love for one another. Jesus Himself exemplified this ideal best by laying down His rights as God to become the perfect example of a servant. Our freedom in Christ allows us to live this way without fear, knowing that we are totally secure in our liberty in eternity with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at the powerful and practical implications of the Gospel for those who are in Christ. In Ephesians 2:11-17, Paul commands the church to remember who they used to be and the hopelessness of their state before they were in Christ. He reminds the Christians in Ephesus that they were spiritual gentiles, born into separation from God and hostility toward one another. Paul emphasizes that Jesus is our peace and only through Him are we reconciled to God and each other.
In this sermon, we looked at how the Gospel leads to a transformed life in Christ. In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul reminds the Ephesians that we have a fallen human nature and that God, rich in mercy, love, and kindness, has redeemed us from sons of disobedience to sons of God by making us alive in Christ and adopting us into in His Kingdom. The core truths of the Gospel declare that: (1) All humans are needy and incapable of redeeming themselves, (2) God is merciful, loving, and kind, (3) When we take our neediness to God, He moves us from death to life and raises us as beloved children in His Kingdom.
In this sermon, we looked at how Paul expresses his gratitude to God for the Ephesian believers. Their faith and their service to one another brings Paul joy that he “do[es] not cease to give thanks” to God on their behalf. We also looked at how Paul prays for them to grow in their knowledge of God and in their awareness of all they have in Christ—who is over all things.
In the first sermon of our Ephesians: The Mystery of the Gospel series, we looked at one of the key phrases in the book of Ephesians: "in Christ." These words occur over 35 times and communicate the core of the Christian faith. In Ephesians 1:1-14, Paul describes the spiritual blessings we receive because we are in Christ. This passage reveals the incredible grace and salvation that God has so richly lavished upon us and prompts us to give God the praise He rightfully deserves.
In this final sermon of the Jonah series, we looked at the heart of God. In this series, we've seen how Jonah's pursuit of comfort led to disobedience and his disobedience trapped him in hopelessness. Jonah repeatedly found himself in situations where he was so desperate and without hope of saving himself that he believed death was his only escape. Through Jonah, we see how God sovereignly and miraculously works in the smallest details of our stories to invite us to repent and find mercy and salvation in Him. The story of Jonah echoes the theme of the entire Bible: "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."
In this sermon, we looked at the grace and compassion of God, first for Jonah, then for the people of Nineveh. When God called Jonah to go preach a message of repentance, Jonah went the opposite direction. Through a series of events, including having his life preserved in the belly of a big fish, God showed grace and "came to Jonah a second time." This time, Jonah was obedient to what God called him to do and preached to the Ninevites about repentance. When the Ninevites showed true repentance, God had compassion and didn't bring upon them the destruction He had said would take place. Just as God was compassionate toward the people of Nineveh, He shows great compassion toward us and loves us deeply. He created us and, through His grace, desires for all to turn from sin and be reconciled into a relationship with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jonah's psalm of thanksgiving in Jonah 2 declares that the miracle of salvation belongs to the Lord. Jonah begins by summarizing his experience of salvation and indicating that God is a good God who hears when His people cry out to Him for help. After reaching a place of complete desperation and despair, Jonah is finally awakened to see how the obstacles that God used to stop him from running were actually good gifts meant to lead him back to the Lord's presence. Jonah's distorted view of God had caused him to run from God instead of toward Him but, in his despair, Jonah is awakened to the true character of God. He remembers that God isn't angry and vengeful; God is slow to anger and abounding in love. We, too, can find ourselves isolated from God or even running from Him when we have a distorted view of who He is. It’s a miraculous expression of the Lord's loving kindness when He graciously stops us in our tracks to awaken our hearts to who He truly and to bring us back to Himself.
In this Mother's Day sermon, we looked at God's hope for moms who are shackled by the guilt of feeling like they aren't enough. In the story of Hosea, we get a beautiful picture of how God meets all of us in our failures and inadequacies. Unlike the critical voice in our heads or the harsh judgement we feel from the world, God meets us in our failure with a gentle invitation to let Him guide us to a place where He provides everything we need and restores our relationship. When we see ourselves as an unfaithful wife, God sees us as a radiant bride. When we can't seem to get our lives together in our own strength, the Gospel reminds us that Jesus has already done the work to restore our lives and has paid the price to purchase our lives out of our failure. Through the story of Hosea, God reminds us that even when we feel unlovable and inadequate, we belong to Him and He calls us His own.
In this sermon, we kicked off the Jonah series by looking at the power of shame and the power of God's kindness in the storm found in Jonah 1:1-6. The story of Jonah opens with God's calling for Jonah to take the message of repentance to the gentiles in Assyria. Within the first 3 verses, Jonah has already disobeyed God to protect his own comfort and run from God's presence in an attempt to avoid the shame he feels. To keep His plan of redemption on track, God caused a dangerous, life-threatening storm to come against Jonah and the pagan sailors he is traveling with. Much to our surprise, the pagan sailors are closer to believing in God's kindness than Jonah, one of His own prophets. In the severity of the storm, we see the even-greater severity of God's kindness in what He's willing to do to fulfill His plan of redemption for those He loves.
In this final sermon of the Genesis series, we looked at how the resurrection of Jesus restored all that was broken by the Fall. In Genesis 3:14-24, God tells the serpent, Adam, and Eve that, from that point onward, everything that He had created for good would now be broken. In Romans 8, Paul describes the impact of Adam and Eve's decision, connecting our individual suffering to the futility and suffering that all of creation has been experiencing since the Fall. Paul and other Biblical authors point out that in Genesis 3, God was also looking forward to the day that an offspring of Eve would step on the head of the serpent in a final decisive victory. The resurrection is the God-ordained moment that washes over the full human timeline. The resurrection reverses the impact of sin and death and cleanses those in the Old Testament who died in faith, rendering them righteous. The resurrection also sent a wave forward in time to wash over all who would hear the Gospel and believe, rendering us righteous and securely tethering us to Christ so that nothing in this fallen world can separate us from His love.
In this sermon, we looked at how Adam and Eve's disobedience introduced brokenness into God's story and produced a need for creation to be redeemed. In Genesis 3, we find Satan masquerading as a serpent, twisting God’s truth into a lie to convince Adam and Eve that they are missing out on something good. When Adam and Eve believe the lie and disobey God, all that God had created for good becomes broken and fallen from His glory. Created for relationship, Adam and Eve are no longer able to walk in love and fellowship with God and each other; the shame of their sin drives them into hiding and emotional isolation. In His mercy and grace, God still shows up in relationship with Adam and Eve and provides loin cloths for them. While these loin cloths don't fix the problem, they point to the One who can fix the problem. These gifts reveal to us that God is gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and love, and good to all; they remind us that the maker of the loin cloths is also the maker and redeemer of our souls.
In this sermon, we looked at God’s purpose for the Law in Genesis 2 so that we can better understand the purpose of God’s Law in our lives today. After placing Adam in the Garden, God gave Adam a Law to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This Law was meant to keep Adam and Eve in the knowledge of good and protect them from the knowledge of evil. For us today, the Law give us the knowledge of what is good by revealing the character of God and foreshadowing the future realities of God’s enteral Kingdom. However, because none of us can obey God’s Law, it also reveals what is evil and our deep need for the Gospel. We need someone to rescue us from the penalty of disobeying God’s Law and reconcile us to God. Jesus came to Earth as the Son of God to perfectly obey God’s Law and then offer Himself as a sacrificial payment for our disobedience. Through His death and resurrection, we have been forgiven of our sins and reconciled to an eternal relationship with God, restoring us as image bearers in God’s creation who await the coming of God’s fully restored Kingdom.
In this sermon, we continued the Genesis series by looking at how God created man and woman in His image as relational beings. In Genesis 2, God declares that it is not good for Adam to be by Himself. This doesn't mean that Adam is able to be relational if he wants to; this means that Adam was designed to exist within perpetual intimate relationship. To address this need in Adam's life, God creates Eve as a helper. Before Eve is created, Adam spends time with the animals God had already made and can't find anything to fulfill his relational need. Eve isn't created primarily to help Adam with the workload of caring for the garden; Eve is created to help Adam with his need to be known. When we live in intimate relationships within our families and the Church, we are sampling the eternal realities of the coming Kingdom.
In this sermon, we looked in Genesis 1 and 2 at God's design for work and rest. As God told mankind to be fruitful and multiply, He was commissioning us to multiply and fill the kingdom with His image bearers. We were created to be small reflections of His Kingship in the world. God worked for six days and then He rested. We were created to bear this image in the world through our working and resting. Work wasn't created to be a burden and rest wasn't created as a means of temporary recovery from work; work and rest are inserted into creation by God to be a blessing and part of us bearing His image in the world. As we follow God's plan for work and rest, we bear His image to the world around us.
In this sermon, we looked at what it means to be created in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26-31, God created mankind with the explicit purpose of bearing His image in the world. God created us like Him in that He gave us minds with which to think, reason, and make decisions. He created us like Him by giving us hearts with a capacity for relationship and a soul that will exist for eternity. God created us like Him in that He gave us the capacity to work and create, bearing His image as sub-creators in the world. As image bearers, we are set apart from creation and commissioned by God to bear His image in the world. Where you see a human being living according to God’s design, you will see a small reflection of God Himself.
In this sermon, we looked at the function and purpose of God's creation. In Genesis, 1:1-25, we saw that all matter, space, and time has been created by God and exists under His rule and reign in order to reveal and glorify Him. God created the world with designed rhythms and divine purpose that are clearly seen in creation. Romans 1 declares that God made His invisible attributes visible through His creation. The immeasurable nature and incomprehensible complexity of the universe bear testimony to a creator who is even higher, more immeasurable, and more incomprehensible. As human beings, God designed our hearts with the capacity to worship. The rest of creation was designed to aim our worship toward God alone. When we see God as the author and sustainer of all that exists and behold His glory in His good creation, our hearts are drawn toward God, the only One truly worth of our worship.
In our final sermon of The Dawn of the Church series, we looked at the everyday mission of the Church. As seen in Acts 2:41-47, the first Christians had an immense joy in Jesus that gave them a passionate love for God and a compassionate love for their neighbors. This immense joy fueled a courageous response to persecution and suffering as well as a deep desire to care for the poor and discarded. Even though the number of Christians was relatively low in these early days, they quickly caught the attention of their society. These believers didn’t just make a difference in the world, they made the world a different place. From the dawn of the Church to our present day, knowing Jesus continues to produce a passionate love for God and a compassionate love for others. This love compels us to live the mission of Jesus in our everyday lives by serving others and sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel.
In this sermon, we looked at the heart of Biblical community. In 1 Corinthians 12, we see that Christian relationships are more than a working partnership for doing ministry; we are called to bear with one another, boasting in our weakness and exposing our neediness to one another. Fear of rejection is one of the most painful things a person can experience because the desire to belong is hardwired into who we are. The Gospel calls and empowers us to take the risk. The Gospel declares that we are accepted by God as needy beings that can’t fix ourselves. Believing the Gospel means we agree that we need help from God and others so when we tell the truth about our neediness, we live in unity with the Gospel. This is why Paul encourages believers to take the risk of being known by sharing our weaknesses with one another, trusting that the Lord will lead us to healing and strength in Him.
In today's sermon, we took a deeper look into the Gospel rhythms of everyday life in the early Church. Acts 2:42-47 captures a beautiful and challenging picture of the rhythms necessary to living life with one another in Biblical community. At the dawn of the Church, the believers were devoted to spending time together on a regular basis. They worshipped together weekly and spent time in one another's homes on various days throughout the week. They were able to meet each other's needs because they were available and present. Like the believers in the early Church, we are called to live life in the rhythms of Biblical community, spending time together consistently and intentionally. We can't worship together if we aren't meeting together, can't grow together if we aren't spending intentional time together, and can't meet each other's needs if we aren't available. In order to experience the kind of Biblical community that marked the early Church, we need to be willing to go against the grain of current cultural pressures and make sacrificial decisions that create margin in our lives. When we do this, we are able to truly share life with one another in Biblical community.
In this sermon, we continued The Dawn of the Church sermon series by looking at the early Church's devotion to Communion. In Mark 14, Jesus reveals the full meaning of the Passover meal to His disciples and transitions the Passover meal into the Communion meal we practice today. In the Passover meal, we see that the promises of Exodus 6:6-7 are fulfilled in Jesus. As we take Communion together, we remember and celebrate everything the Passover meal symbolized: Only Jesus can rescue us from our burdens and our slavery to sin. Through His death and resurrection, we are redeemed from sin and death and adopted into His family as the people of God.
In this sermon, we continued to look at the early Church's devotion described in Acts 2. This week, we looked at these early Christians' deep devotion to praying together as they passed along what Jesus taught His disciples about prayer. In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray. He gave them an example prayer before teaching them about the heart behind prayer. Through this passage, we learn that prayer isn't about making transactions between us and God; prayer is a way for us to lean into God's presence and experience His goodness. New Testament Scriptures tell us that when we don't know what to pray or how to pray, we can ask the Holy Spirit to pray for us, ask others to pray for us, be honest with God about where we're at and what we're feeling, pray for things we are thankful for, pray Scripture and the written prayers of others, and pray the words that Jesus equipped His disciples with in the Lord's prayer.
In this sermon, we continued our The Dawn of the Church series by taking a look at the early Church's deep devotion to their fellowship with one another. We learned that, as believers, our fellowship with Jesus is made visible through our fellowship with one another. To be part of the fellowship of Jesus implies that we are in a partnership with one another in the mission of Jesus as we share our lives in both suffering and blessing. Living as the fellowship of Jesus also includes giving generously to the Church as a reflection of God's generosity toward us. As described in Acts 2:41-47, the fellowship of Jesus is the sacred gathering of those who have believed the Gospel and through which God choses to display His power to the world.
With this sermon, we began the first of four weeks looking at the devotion of the early Church to the Apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer found in Acts 2:42. This week, we focused on the Church's devotion to the Apostles' teaching. This heartfelt dedication was born out of belief in the message of the Church, found in Christ Jesus. As we devote ourselves, both personally and corporately, to the powerful message of the Gospel, we are able to experience true life in Him and forever be changed from the inside out.
For this second week of The Dawn of the Church series, we looked in Acts 2:22-41 at the first sermon of the Church. In this passage, Peter uses the Scriptures to boldly preach that Jesus is the Messiah who was proven by miracles and signs, predicted by the Prophets, delivered up according to the plan and foreknowledge of God, crucified, killed, and raised up by God. Upon hearing his words, the people listening are deeply convicted and ask Peter what to do. Peter’s answer is simple: repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. Acts 2:41 tells us that about 3000 people were saved that day. This first sermon of the Church provides a template for all church sermons today and it informs each of us as believers. As we believe and continue to be changed by the grace of God, we are to share the Gospel of Christ with those around us so they may experience the life-changing love of Christ.
With this sermon, we launched The Dawn of the Church: Acts 1-2 series. We looked at Acts 2:1-21, when God uses fallible humans to establish His infallible Church by sending His Spirit to empower the Church and accomplish works that would otherwise be impossible for His people. This significant event marks the dawn of the Church and reveals that the true power of the Church is found in the Holy Spirit of God. God has given the Holy Spirit to the Church to empower believers to deliver the message of the Gospel. Through His powerful Gospel, God is dismantling the curse of sin and death, saving the lost, setting captives free, and uniting all who believe into one people as His Church.
In this sermon, we looked at the importance of the Church investing in the next generation. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses challenges the Israelites to not only be a people who follow and honor God but to also pass on this charge to their children. In the roughly 936 weeks between a child’s birth and high-school graduation, the Church has the responsibility and privilege to join with parents in raising up kids to know and follow God. This means intentionally investing in kids and students, leading out in transparency and grace, and shepherding young hearts to live for Christ.
In this sermon, we looked at the surprising and glorious angelic announcement of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:8-21. The angels appear to shepherds watching their flocks at night and proclaim that the Savior, Messiah, and Lord has been born! The joy of heaven overflows into the appearance of an angelic multitude giving glory to God and praising Him for His favor toward mankind. After traveling to see Jesus with their own eyes, the shepherds tell others about the angelic announcement of this newborn Messiah. They praise God, rejoice, and are glad because their long-awaited King has come! Like those who had been awaiting the arrival of the Savior, we struggle with sadness, fear, loneliness, and a general sense that things aren’t as they should be. We find that what this world has to offer is insufficient; we are in need of something greater. The celebration of Christmas reminds us that there is a source of ultimate joy found in our Savior who enters into our sadness, fear, and loneliness and gives us a reason to be glad!
In this sermon, we looked at Mary and Joseph's experience of the first Christmas. In Matthew and Luke's accounts of the nativity, we see that Mary and Joseph faced many difficult situations that caused them deep loneliness. We also learned how God gave us the feeling of loneliness to remind us that it’s not good to be alone; we were created to be deeply connected to God and to others. Loneliness allows us to know when that connection is missing and drives us toward real intimacy with God and others. Jesus died on the cross to provide this true relational intimacy. Without the Gospel, we would be shackled to perpetual loneliness. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has reconciled us to Himself and to one another by faith, allowing loneliness to remind us of our need to live in community.
In this sermon, we looked in Luke 1:26-50 at Mary's response to Gabriel's announcement that she was about to become pregnant with the Messiah. When Mary first encounters the angel, she is stricken with fear. Like many of us, she tries to calm her own fears by attempting to control the situation. Instead of giving into Mary's demand for understanding, Gabriel responds to Mary's troubled heart by letting her know that God is bigger than her fear and that He is going to overshadow her with His presence and power. Mary surrenders to the Lord's will for her life and her fear is transformed into rejoicing. Fear is the God-given emotion that is meant to send to us running to God. We run to God because we trust in Him as a good Father who has good intentions for our lives. In His arms, we surrender our desire for control and acknowledge that our anxiety and rage are inadequate responses to our fear. Like a good father, God helps us discern what is true and replaces our fears with rejoicing.
In this sermon, we looked at the story of Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth. Both were considered righteous before God, yet they lived with deep sadness at never having the child they longed for. The sadness they felt wasn’t a result of personal sin, but the overarching brokenness of this world. It reminds us that even those who are in Christ still have hopes and desires that may never be realized in this life. We see Elizabeth take her sadness and burden to the Lord in prayer while faithfully serving. The Lord answers her prayer with a son, who would become John the Baptist. God didn’t owe her this response, yet chose to answer her prayer for her good and in order to provide a prophet pointing us to Jesus, who meets us in our sadness and disappointment. We are provided comfort through the Holy Spirit and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who shifts our sadness into gladness. Because of Jesus, we can experience hope and connectedness in the midst of our sadness and truly know what it means to be glad!
In this sermon, we looked at how John ended his Gospel with Jesus' invitation to Peter and John to follow Him and trust Him with the outcomes of their life stories. In this closing scene, Peter asks Jesus what the outcome of John’s life will be and Jesus responds by making it clear that He alone will be the author of John's story. Then Jesus says, “Follow me,” inviting Peter to surrender his life and trust in Him. At the end of his Gospel, John says that there aren't enough books in the world to contain all the stories of Jesus. That's because Jesus is still writing His story, which includes your story. Jesus is extending the same invitation to you: “Follow me.” This simple invitation means fully trusting Jesus and submitting your life to Him as the primary author of your story. Have you truly surrendered your life to His invitation?
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus forgave and restored Peter to his calling as one of Jesus' disciples. In John 21:15-19, Jesus makes Himself known, for the third time since His resurrection, to seven of the disciples on the shore the Sea of Galilee. After a miraculous catch of fish and a gracious meal with the disciples, Jesus addresses Peter in a way that brings to light how Peter denied Jesus three times. Through a series of three questions, one for each of Peter's denials, Jesus draws Peter back to Himself. This moment is bigger than Jesus simply forgiving Peter for his sins; Jesus forgives Peter, calls him back into relationship, and restores his calling. In this story, we also see how God forgives and restores us. When we repent and ask for forgiveness, God does more than forgive our sins; He cleanses us of all unrighteousness, invites us into a loving relationship, and restores our calling and purpose in His Kingdom.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus made Himself known to His disciples at the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were still recovering from the emotionally tumultuous series of events surrounding Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and were now exhausted and discouraged from fishing all night with nothing to show for their efforts. Jesus meets them in their discouragement and exhaustion by miraculously providing for them what they couldn't provide for themselves. This resurrection appearance is more than an event to prove Jesus' power and identity; Jesus appears to the disciples and invites them to sit down and share in a meal that He provides for them. In this moment, we see the ultimate purpose of the resurrection. God meets us in our deepest need by graciously offering to us what we can’t provide for ourselves: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and authentic relationship with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at John's statement about why he wrote down his account of Jesus' life, ministry, death, and resurrection. John tells us that he selected some of Jesus' miracles to reveal to his readers the identity of Jesus in the hope that we would know Jesus to be the promised Messiah and the Son of God. Earlier in his Gospel, John tells us about how he came to fully believe in Jesus when he saw the empty tomb. It’s John's desire that we, too, would come to believe in Jesus and have abundant life in His name.
In this sermon, we looked at Jesus' resurrection appearance in John 20:24-29. The week after the resurrection, rumors and threats were being perpetuated by the Pharisees, which made believing in the resurrection not only difficult but also dangerous. As the disciples hide in fear, the others tell Thomas that they have seen Jesus but Thomas says that he won’t believe unless he can touch Jesus’ physical body. Eight days after the resurrection, Jesus appears again to the disciples and, this time, Thomas is present. Knowing what Thomas wants, Jesus invites him to touch His wounds from the cross. Upon seeing Jesus and hearing His voice, Thomas immediately believes and declares, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus meets Thomas right where he is in his doubts and fears and gives Thomas what he needs without even being asked. This is how Jesus meets us as well! Despite what we ask for, or even demand, of Jesus, He knows what we actually need. The way that Jesus reveals His wounds to Thomas reminds us that Jesus still shows up in our lives in unexpected ways to give us what we really need: Himself.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus made Himself known to the disciples after the resurrection. In John 20:19-23, Jesus miraculously passes through the locked doors of the upper room in order to be with the disciples. Finding them in fear and turmoil, Jesus shows them His wounds and invites them into the peace of His presence. As Jesus turns the disciples’ fear into gladness and their chaos into peace, He empowers them with the Holy Spirit to go out into the broken world with His message of forgiveness that brings peace and gladness to the nations.
In this sermon, we looked at the eternal significance of the resurrection of Jesus. In John 20:1-18, we see Mary Magdalene go to Jesus' tomb on the third day following His death. She didn’t go to see if He had resurrected but to make sure He had been properly buried. Upon seeing the empty tomb, she thought that the tragedy of Jesus’ death was now followed by the additional tragedy of His body being stolen. She quickly went to get Peter and John, who ran into the tomb to see for themselves. John immediately believed in the resurrection but Mary wasn’t convinced; it took hearing Jesus say her name for Mary to believe. Believing in the resurrection is an essential truth of the Christian faith. Each of us must wrestle with the reality of the resurrection and decide whether or not we believe. John makes it abundantly clear that he wrote this Gospel believing that reading it would allow you to see Jesus as the Messiah who died on the cross and resurrected from the dead and that, by believing, you would have abundant and eternal life in Jesus.
In this sermon, we looked at how the details of Jesus' burial reveal the depth of His trust in the Father. With more than 90 references to Jesus' relationship with God the Father, John's Gospel account helps us to see how Jesus completely entrusted Himself into the hands of His Father in His darkest hour. In order for Jesus to qualify as our Messiah, He had to obey the law perfectly in life andin death. John19:38-42 reminds us that Jesus laid down His life, fully trusting that His Father would complete His plan to redeem the world as well as keep His word and bring Jesus back to life. This is the same trust that we are called to display toward the Father. Do you truly trust Him with your life as well as what happens after you die?
In this sermon, we looked at John’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus in John 19:16-37. While John wants us to see the intensity of this moment, he doesn’t want us to lose sight of the bigger picture of God’s unfolding plan to redeem His creation. When Pilate says, “What I have written, I have written,” we can see the finality of what God has written. John includes many prophetic details, connecting Jesus’ death with the rest of the Bible, giving us a beautiful and powerful picture of God’s goodness in Jesus’ suffering. This allows us to understand the intensity of Jesus’ physical pain and the shame of His public humiliation as things that needed to happen for God’s redemption plan to be fulfilled. Through His great redemption plan, we are drawn into the eternal salvation only available through faith in Jesus.
In this sermon, we looked at Jesus' claim to be the King of the Jews. In John 19:1-15, Pilate was struggling to know what to do with Jesus so he had Jesus severely beaten and humiliated, hoping this would appease the Jewish leaders and Jesus could be released. However, when Pilate presented a beaten and bloody Jesus, the crowd of Jewish leaders replied, “Crucify Him!” Viewing this part of John’s Gospel through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah reveals that what was happening to Jesus was the unfolding of God’s intentional and necessary plan. Although Pilate and the Jews were unaware of God’s plan, Jesus’ suffering was fulfilling the prophesies of the coming Messiah who would save His people. Like Pilate, we too have to decide what to do with Jesus. While Pilate initially referred to Jesus as a man, he presented Him as a king in the end. Today, we are left with this question: Is Jesus simply a man who was beaten and crucified oris He a King who laid down His life and took it back up again for His people?
In this sermon, we looked at John 18:28-40 when Jesus claims to be the King of the Kingdom of Truth. The Jewish leaders wanted to have Jesus put to death, while still maintaining the appearance of adhering to their strict religious laws, so they passed the burden onto the Roman Governor, Pilate. They knew that if Pilate could get Jesus to admit to His claim of being a king, it would make Jesus look like a political threat to Caesar, and Pilate would be forced to put Him to death for treason. As Pilate questions Jesus, Jesus doesn’t deny that He is a King but points out the difference between His Kingdom and earthy kingdoms by saying that His Kingdom is not of this world and is a Kingdom of Truth. This left Pilate, and every person since, pondering the reality of absolute truth and wondering, “Is there a truth greater than my perception of the world?” Our brokenness keeps us from naturally being drawn to absolute truth and seeing that we are all broken people living in a broken world that is hopeless without Christ. However, when we recognize absolute truth, we see both this difficult truth about ourselves as well as the liberating truth that God meets us in our brokenness, sets us free from guilt and shame, and leads us to healing.
In this sermon, we looked in John 18:12-27 at Jesus' faithfulness as He was being interrogated by the Jewish religious leaders. As Jesus continued to do His Father's will during the interrogation and false accusations, Peter was outside in the courtyard denying, three times, that he was one of Jesus' disciples. While John specifically captures Peter's unfaithfulness to Jesus, the reality is that all of the disciples abandoned Jesus to face His death alone. In this story, we see a convicting reflection of ourselves. Like Peter, we too are followers who make promises to Jesus, only to go back on those promises when the journey gets hard. However, this wasn’t the end of Peter’s story; we looked ahead in scripture and found that weeks later he was instrumental in organizing the disciples to launch the church in Jerusalem. Despite his ongoing personal struggles, it was Peter who helped break down the walls of racism and partiality in the early church. Just as God continued to use Peter to advance His Kingdom, God works in and through us as we take our failures and unfaithfulness to Jesus, entrusting ourselves to Him as the Shepherd of our souls.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus' arrest unfolded in John 18:1-11 and how this affects our lives today. After Jesus' prayer in the upper room, He and the disciples go out to the garden just outside of town. Judas comes to the garden, leading the religious leaders and Roman soldiers. When the leaders ask which one is Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus steps forward and identifies Himself, saying, “I am.” At His words, the soldiers and religious leaders fall to the ground in fear. Knowing what was to come, Jesus’ deity continues to be displayed as He willingly lays His life down by His own authority. This is further emphasized when Peter tries to take the situation into his own hands and Jesus asks him rhetorically, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” The cup Jesus refers to is laying down His life and taking it back up again for our salvation and eternity with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at John 17:20-26 when Jesus prays for the believers who will come to Him through the work and testimony of His disciples. Christ prays that we will be united in our faith with one another just as He is united with the Father. This unity is grounded in our relationship with Christ and will be a sign to the world that He was sent by the Father. Jesus even gives believers His glory, that we may reflect that glory back to the Father and the world would see His glory as we become perfectly one. As His disciples today, we are called to be unified as we faithfully share the Gospel and live the mission in our everyday lives, that more and more would come to know the life-changing love of Christ.
In this sermon, we continued to unpack Jesus' prayer in John 17. As Jesus prays to the Father, we see a beautiful picture of His earthly ministry and fulfillment of God's will and purpose. Jesus prays for His disciples to be protected by the Father as they face suffering in their ministry. However, the protection that Jesus prays for isn’t to remove the suffering the disciples would face; He prays that the Father would use their suffering to sanctify them while keeping them in His presence. As His disciples today, the same is true for us: As we face trials, we are being sanctified, or set apart, for God. The Gospel meets us in our brokenness and sinful nature and transforms our hearts to be more like Christ and reflect His glory. Despite any difficulties we may face, we can be assured that our sanctification is rooted in the finished work of Christ and always leads to heart transformation.
In this sermon, we looked at John 17:1-5 when Jesus begins to pray and ask the Father to glorify Him through His upcoming suffering and death. Through His prayer, Jesus helps us understand how the Father glorifies the Son and the Son glorifies the Father. In His prayer, we also see our part in glorifying God: We don’t add glory to God when we glorify Him; we glorify God by making Him known and revealing His glory that already exists. In this passage, Jesus also reminds us that even our salvation is a way through which God reveals His glory. As believers, our greatest desire must be to make much of God by reflecting His goodness and making Him known to the world.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus prepares His disciples to walk through a difficult season of fear, loneliness, sorrow, and failure. In John 16:25-33, Jesus tells them that a new era is coming when He will overcome the world and return to the Father to sit as the mediator and advocate between man and God, thus giving His disciples direct access to the presence of God. Jesus is teaching us that peace is not found in the absence of suffering and failure, but in the presence of God alone.
In this sermon, we looked at John 16:20-24 when Jesus shares very difficult news with His disciples. He tells them that the time has come when He will no longer be with them but that they will have a fullness of joy that supersedes the dark and difficult circumstances they will face. Despite any troubles we may encounter in today’s world, this same fullness of joy is ours in Christ Jesus.
In this sermon, we looked at John 16:4-15 when Jesus once again encourages His disciples with the hope of the coming Holy Spirit. Jesus knows the disciples are full of sorrow at His departure and the reality of their future suffering at the hands of those who would persecute them. However, Jesus tells them it is actually better that He should ascend to the Father so the Holy Spirit will come. The Spirit’s ministry convicts the world, leads Jesus’ followers into truth, and furthers the message of Jesus in Trinitarian unity. All of Jesus’ disciples, including the Church today, can find tremendous hope, comfort, and joy in the fulfilled promise of the Holy Spirit.
In this sermon, we looked in John 15:18-16:4 when Jesus talks with His disciples about the persecution and suffering they will encounter. Jesus explains that because the world hates Him, His works, and His message, the world will also despise His Church. Those who follow Jesus will face hatred and hostility. However, Jesus also encourages believers with the promise of the Holy Spirit. As the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit will comfort believers, empower them to proclaim the name of Jesus long after His ascension, and enable them to withstand persecution in His name.
In this sermon, we looked at John 15:1-17 when Jesus gives us a picture of our relationship with Him by saying He is the true vine and we are the branches. As people who have heard and believed the Gospel, we are commanded to continue to abide in Jesus: to find our identity in Him, to bear fruit through His power, and to bring glory to God in the process. Here we find true joy and show that we are His disciples. However, the true test of abiding in Jesus is how well we love one another. As chosen friends of Jesus, we are called to bear fruit, laying down our lives for one another, just as Jesus laid down His life for us.
In this sermon, we looked at Jesus' promise in John 14:15-26 to send the Spirit of Truth to His disciples to help them after He is gone. Jesus tells His disciples that they are to keep His commandments after He is gone as evidence that they belong to Him. This sounds like an impossible expectation to fulfill until Jesus explains that God will send the Holy Spirit to teach, remind and empower them to love God and keep His Commandments. He offers this to us, too. Out of His love for us, God sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in us, fulfilling everything that is required of us. As Christ followers, we are to strive in every way to love Jesus and keep His commandments. This isn’t a legal transaction, but a whole-hearted effort rooted in faith that the Holy Spirit will empower those who believe to this end.
In this sermon, we looked at John 14:11-14 when Jesus gave a parting promise to His disciples. Jesus told His disciples that if they believed in Him, they would do greater miracles than they had seen so far and God would grant them what they asked for. The Kingdom of God would be established on earth as the Father carried on Jesus' works through weak and imperfect believers. Of these greater works, the greatest miracle happens when the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of someone who is spiritually dead to see the goodness of God’s grace, saving and transforming them from a sinner into a saint.
In this sermon, we looked at John 14:1-11 when Jesus addressed His disciples' troubled hearts. The disciples were becoming anxious and broken hearted the more Jesus talked of leaving them but Jesus reassures them that the key to not being troubled is rooted in believing and trusting in His promises. Jesus uses the imagery of a large house with many rooms to illustrate six promises about Heaven. He tells the disciples that believing and trusting that they will spend eternity with Him is enough to bring peace to their troubled hearts even in the midst of extremely troubling circumstances.
In this sermon, we looked at a new command Jesus gave to His disciples in John 13:31-35. After washing the disciples' feet and telling them to do the same for one another, Jesus gives them the command to love one another. He calls this a new command because He has given them a living example of the specific kind of love He has for His followers. Additionally, from this point forward, the outworking of this new command to love one another will be a primary way by which Jesus’ followers are identified once He’s gone. Before Jesus is arrested, His followers could be identified by being with Him physically; going forward, Jesus will be reflected in the disciples’ love for one another. As His disciples today, we are called to have this same love for one another. The primary identifying marker of His church is the sacrificial love shown for one another.
In this sermon, we looked in John 13 at a specific command Jesus gave to His disciples. After taking the place of a servant by washing the disciples' feet, Jesus tells them to do the same for one another. More than a command to physically wash each other’s feet, Jesus was calling His disciples to an inner humility and heart attitude of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience toward one another. Jesus calls us to do the same today. When each member of the church adopts this servant heart attitude toward one another, we experience the joy of living in authentic Gospel community.
In this final sermon in the 2021 All In series, we looked at how Israel anchored itself in God's Word as His people moved into their new land. In Joshua 8, the people of Israel had come to the place in their journey where they could finally fulfill what God had commanded them through Moses in Deuteronomy 27. They reached the area of Shechem where God commanded them to stop and read His Word out loud. In this place, they set up an altar, gave their offerings, and anchored their hearts in Him. As we move into our new building, we must be anchored in God’s Word as well. In order for Solid Rock to continue being Solid Rock, the Word of God must be our primary focus in determining what we preach, what we sing, and how we worship together as the Body of Christ.
In this sermon, we looked in Joshua 7 at how God disciplined the nation of Israel for the hidden sin of one man and called them to consecrate themselves before continuing their mission to take possession of the promised land. We also looked in the New Testament where God instructs His people about how consecration works. In Colossians 3, God calls the Church to take off the old self, by putting sin to death, and to put on the new self, by believing and walking in the Truth of the Gospel. The Gospel calls believers to walk in the light by wholeheartedly owning and confessing sin. This means that believers are called to radically own their sin and walk in transparency with one another rather than hiding in shame or pridefully defending ourselves. The sign of a growing and maturing believer is the consistent readiness to radically own sins and ask forgiveness from God and others in order to be consecrated to be more like Jesus.
In this Mother's Day sermon, we looked at how God displayed His powerful love and mercy through the story of Rahab in Joshua 6. On the surface, this story just seems like part of the logistics in how God conquered Jericho. However, when you look closer at Rahab and the way God displayed His mercy toward her because of her faith, we find a powerful message of hope for the church today. After the spies first entered Jericho and encountered Rahab, we learn that she had heard about the nation of Israel and all of the powerful things God had done for them. Rahab feared the Lord and believed He was powerful and good to His people. Although she was unworthy, God chose to spare her life, cleansing her of unrighteousness and adopting her as a daughter in His family. This Mother’s Day, we’re reminded that while motherhood is a very high calling, the first and highest calling for all women is to be daughters of God. All who are in Christ have been washed clean by the sacrifice of Jesus and adopted into His family.
In this sermon, we looked at how God prepares the hearts of His children to receive His promises. In Deuteronomy 8, God gave the nation of Israel specific instruction about how to enter into the promised land, with their hearts postured in humble gratitude and obedience and ready to give God all the praise for fulfilling His promise. God tells Israel to not forget how He has guided them on their journey and provided for them at each step of the way. One of the important lessons that God taught the nation of Israel is that man does not live off of bread alone. Through God’s miraculous provision of manna, water, and protection, He more than showed them, and us, that we need more than what we can provide for ourselves. In Joshua 5, God calls Israel to stop and share in a Passover meal before moving ahead into the promised land in order to remember and celebrate God’s provision over the past 40 years. As a church, we stopped today to take communion and mark the beginning of an intentional time of asking God to prepare our hearts to step into the promise of the new building, asking ourselves the same important questions that God asked of Israel:
- Have we sufficiently remembered how He has led us as a church over the past 40 years?
- Are we carefully and humbly striving to keep His commands?
- Have we learned as a church that man does not live on bread alone but, instead, lives and flourishes by nourishing itself on every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord?
In this sermon, we looked at Psalm 19:7-14 which highlights the beauty and importance of God's Word. Because of God’s intimate involvement in the writing of the Bible, we see His character and perfection reflected. Every part of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, proclaims Jesus and it is because of the centrality of Christ in the Sacred Scriptures that we can see His beauty come forth and shine through each page. The whole of the Bible is sweet and good for us because it displays the glory of our King. It also shows us the snares of this world and how to live as believers: Not as people seeking to earn our salvation but as people living under the mercy and grace of God.
In this sermon, we looked at John 13:1-11 when Jesus displayed the love of God toward us by humbly washing the feet of a group of selfish, half-hearted disciples, one of whom had already decided to abandon Him. John tells us that, in Jesus’ certainty that it was time for His death, resurrection, and ascension, He showed this intentional act of love toward His disciples. While Peter was resistant at first, his conversation with Jesus transformed him from not wanting his feet to be washed at all to wanting Jesus to bathe his whole body. Through this dialogue, we see that Christians are every day becoming in practice what we already are in Christ: cleansed from all of our sins and unrighteousness. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as a tangible and powerful demonstration of His love for us. When we turn to Him in faith, He is faithful and just to take even the worst sinners and wash us clean from all unrighteousness.
In this sermon, we looked in John 12:35-42 at Jesus' invitation to walk in the light by believing in Him. Despite the many miracles and signs that Jesus had performed, John tells us that most of the Jews did not believe in Jesus because their hearts were hardened and they loved the glory of man more than the glory of God. Those who did believe in Jesus feared being rejected by their fellow Jews so they wouldn’t confess their belief publicly. All of this helps us have a better understanding of what it means to believe in Jesus with a Biblical faith. Unlike the modern-day version of faith that is more like wishful thinking, Biblical faith produces trust, confidence, and loyalty. It’s not enough to simply say, “I believe in Jesus”; each of us must evaluate our faith and ask if we believe in Jesus with true Biblical faith.
In this sermon, we looked at Jesus' response to a group of non-Jewish worshippers who wished to see Jesus and speak with Him. In John 12:20-32, we see that even before the cross, Jesus was drawing the nations to Himself. Jesus responds to this request from the Greek worshippers by pointing to the necessity of His upcoming death and resurrection. He uses a farming metaphor to explain that unless He is put to death, buried, and comes back to life, no lasting fruit will come from His time on earth. However, through the resurrection, God will multiply His Kingdom, reminding us that God’s plan for salvation has always included nations beyond Israel. The promise of the Gospel is this: anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or social status. When we profess Jesus as our Savior and our King, God forgives our sins, renders us as righteous, and adopts us into His family as citizens of His Kingdom.
In this sermon, we looked at the significance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. In John 12:12-16, we see that Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem the way in which a king would enter their capital city after a significant victory. Ironically, on this same day all over Israel, Jewish fathers were separating one lamb from their flocks and bringing them to Jerusalem to be slaughtered for Passover later that week. While Jesus entered the city as a victorious king, He also entered the city as the Passover lamb that was being led to the slaughter for the sins of the world. As the people gathered along the streets, they laid palm branches and cloaks on the ground and shouted, “Hosanna!” This term, meaning “God, save us,” was both an expression of adoration and desperation. As His people, this should also be our declaration each time we gather in His name: “Jesus, we love you and we need you!”
In this sermon, we looked at how God set up His Church with specific roles for every member in order to see His Church flourish and grow into a beautiful reflection of Christ. In Ephesians 4, Paul explains that leadership roles in the local church exist in order to equip members to serve and minister. Rather than leaving the work of ministry in the hands of church leaders, every member is involved in the ministry of the church based on their specific gifting and calling. This is God’s only plan and design for the local church. When the members of the local church serve and minister to one another, there are three powerful results: The whole church grows and matures together to become a reflection of Christ to the surrounding community, the members will be protected from false doctrine and evil schemes from the devil, and the members will walk in truth and love with one another.
In the second sermon of the Serving All In series, we looked at how all believers have been gifted by the Holy Spirit to be "all in" serving the local church. In 1 Corinthians 12, we see that every Christian has been given a spiritual gift and an area to serve within their local church. When Christians serve the way God has gifted them, their serving will be more than busywork or simply volunteering to accomplish tasks; every act of service, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, that is empowered by the Holy Spirit is intimately connected to the work God is doing to expand His Kingdom and call people to salvation. When Christians serve according to their spiritual gifts, eternity is impacted and their serving becomes a powerful tool through which Christ is vibrantly glorified.
In this first sermon of the Serving All In series, we looked at Philippians 2:1-8 in which Paul calls all believers to find their full joy in being of one mind and one heart. The only way to achieve this is for each member to exchange their personal interests for the interests of others. This requires humility, seeing others as more significant than yourself, and seeking to serve others rather than to be served. Paul says that this should be the mindset of the Church because this is the character of Christ and we are in Christ. When we have this Christlike mind and heart toward one another, our joy will be magnified and lead the church to continue becoming even more unified in heart and mind.
In this sermon, we looked at John 12:1-8 when Mary anointed Jesus' feet with expensive burial oil. Just one week before the cross, this was another prophetic moment indicating that Jesus' death was drawing near. Through the unfolding details of the story, we find Judas upset because the perfume wasn’t sold and money given to help the poor. Jesus says that Mary did the right thing because the poor would always be with us. Jesus wasn’t telling His followers to turn a blind eye toward the poor; He was validating Mary's decision to express her devotion to Jesus through a sacrificial act of worship. When we turn our hearts toward Jesus with full devotion, He recalibrates our love for everything and everyone else. When we love Jesus first, we are better able to love not just the poor, but all those around us.
In this sermon, we looked at a prophetic moment that took place among the religious leaders after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. While occupied by the Romans, the Jews were allowed to continue living in their homeland and practicing their religion as long as they didn’t violate the rules the Romans set for them. As more people began to believe in Jesus, the Jewish leaders became fearful that His following would catch the eyes of the Romans and put the Jewish nation in jeopardy. Caiaphas, the high priest who would eventually send Jesus to the cross, convinced the Jewish leaders that they needed to kill Jesus in order the save their nation. According to John, God was speaking prophetically through Caiaphas to remind us that He would bring together the Jews and Gentiles into one family as “the children of God.” While this moment solidified the Jewish leaders’ plot to kill Jesus, it’s also a beautiful reminder that it’s only through Jesus’ triumph over death that we are adopted into His family as children of God.
In this sermon from the Gospel of John, we looked at how Jesus unveiled His glory as the Son of God through raising Lazarus from the dead. Because death is the result of sin, Jesus’ sorrow for the suffering of His friends was intermixed with anger at the evil of sin and death. This miracle reminds us that what we need most, power over sin and death, in found only in the person of Jesus. He isn’t one of many options; Jesus is our only option and our only hope. Without trust in the resurrection of Jesus, our lives are shackled and bound to sin and death and we are powerless to overcome. However, when we place our faith and trust in Jesus, He unbinds our shackles, freeing us from our shame. When we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us from every sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
In this sermon, we see the two-fold response from Jesus following the death of Lazarus. John 11 says that Jesus was "greatly troubled" and "deeply moved." He was greatly troubled by the sin that causes death yet deeply moved by the sorrow felt around Him. Jesus wept because He saw the grief and sadness that mankind was going through as a result of sin and death. As Christ followers, we can take comfort that Jesus knows our humanity and grieves with us in our sorrows. He is a loving and compassionate Savior that meets us in our suffering and shares the heavy burdens of this world.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus glorified Himself through Lazarus’ resurrection. In John 11, Jesus allows Lazarus, one of His close friends, to die in order to raise him from the dead four days later. During a conversation with Lazarus’ sister, Martha, Jesus says that her brother will rise again. Martha is fully aware of the resurrection in the last day but she doesn’t realize that Jesus is speaking of the power to resurrect Lazarus right then. Jesus wants Martha to see that He is the author and sustainer of life and the only one who holds power over life and death. This means that when we follow Jesus, we entrust our life and death into His hands. As His followers, we live in constant pursuit of dying to selfish motives, trusting that Christ is bringing new life out of death every day.
In this sermon, we looked at how the love and glory of God is displayed in the suffering of His people. In John 11, Jesus intentionally allowed Lazarus to die from a serious illness in order to raise him from the dead in front of the disciples. When Jesus’ disciples heard they were going to travel to where Lazarus was located, they were concerned it would lead to their own deaths. Though the disciples were afraid of dying at the hands of the Pharisees, Jesus told them that He was glad for this experience that they may believe. The death of Lazarus served the greater purpose of helping the disciples to see Jesus’ deity more fully when he showed His authority over life and death. Through the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, we learn that God’s love for His people is an intimate, brotherly love that allows suffering in order for us to see Jesus more clearly, ultimate leading to deeper belief and trust in Him.
In this sermon, we looked at the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees in John 10:30-42. This portion of John's Gospel demonstrates that Jesus intended for it to be clearly seen that He was the Son of God. Despite their best efforts, the Pharisees were unable to trap Jesus in blasphemy or convict Him of breaking any of God’s Laws. To the contrary, Jesus referred to Psalms 82 to deconstruct their case against Him and pointed out that His works actually bore witness that He had been consecrated and sent into the world by the Father. Jesus did the works of God because He and the Father are one. All of this continues to build John’s case that Jesus is more than a man; He is the Christ, the Son of God.
In this sermon, we looked at the eternal security that Jesus give to those who are truly saved. In John 10:22-31, the Pharisees asked Jesus to tell them if He was the long-awaited Messiah who would reign over Israel, defeating their enemies and establishing God’s eternal Kingdom of peace and righteousness. Jesus responded by telling the Pharisees that He came to give the security of eternal life to the people who believe in Him. This made the Pharisees angry because, according to Jesus, they weren’t included in this eternal security because they weren’t willing to follow Jesus. The good news of the Gospel is that true believers, whose lives are rooted by faith in Christ, are eternally secure in the Father’s hand.
In this sermon, we looked in John 10:1-18 at the contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees were trying to lead people to heaven through their own system of religion that required paying the substantial price of self-sacrifice and carrying the heavy burdens of guilt and shame. Jesus tells the Pharisees that He is the only one who can lead the people to abundant life and points out the primary difference between Himself and the Pharisees: The Pharisees will abandon the sheep when the wolf comes but Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will lay down His life and take it up again in order to defeat the enemy of death. Like the Pharisees, we often lean on our own understanding and trust in what makes sense to us instead of trusting in the Good Shepherd. As Christians, we are called to know and follow the voice of our Good Shepherd, trusting that He is the only one who can lead us to abundant life.
In this sermon, we looked at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Just as that master graciously entrusted what was his to his servants to use, Jesus entrusts His possessions to us to use. When we recognize that Jesus does this as a gift of grace, we can be confident in making much of His gift instead of holding it and operating out of fear. When we have stewarded well the gift He has given, we will be able to “enter into the joy of our Master.”
In this sermon, we looked at the peace that Jesus brought into the world through His birth. In Luke 2, the angel announces to the shepherds that the Messiah has been born and He has come into the world to bring peace to those with whom God is pleased. Isaiah 9:6-7 describes this peace as the peace that has no end and Philippians 4:4-6 describes this peace as the peace that surpasses understanding. Different from the worldly concept of peace that comes and goes based on our circumstances, the peace of Jesus doesn’t fade or diminish. Additionally, the peace of Jesus surpasses our understanding because it’s not rooted in us or the things we can see; it’s rooted solely in our faith in Jesus. Christmas is the celebration of the Son of God who came near to bring us the peace that transcends any difficulties we may face in this life.
In this sermon, we looked at how Christmas serves as a reminder that what we already have in Christ gives us enough reason to rejoice, even if God doesn’t change our struggles and hardships. In Psalms 69, David describes the desperation of his suffering and calls on the Lord to respond. While David asks for deliverance, he also asks for the Lord to sustain him if the situation doesn’t change. David’s hope wasn’t solely in the situation getting better or easier; his hope was for God to draw near and commune with him in a time when life seemed unbearable. David asked for God to show up as his redeemer to pay the ransom for his life. All of this points to the birth of Jesus. Christmas is the celebration of God coming near to us in our brokenness rather than hiding his face in embarrassment of the mess His children have made. The ultimate Christmas gift is God sending Jesus to be our redeemer, paying the ransom for our lives.
In this sermon, we looked at how we are compelled to rejoice because of the hope we have in Jesus. In 1 Peter 1, Peter writes to Christians who were losing hope in the midst of suffering and hardship. While Peter was honest with God’s people about the suffering they were experiencing, he also reminded the Church that our various trials in life do not kill our ability to rejoice because our hope remains alive. During the Advent season we, too, are reminded of our living hope. Living hope is the unwavering certainty and assurance, rooted in the finished work of Christ, the compels us to rejoice as we wait patiently on the Lord to fulfill His promises, even in the midst of difficult or uncertain circumstances.
In this sermon, we continued our "A Weary World Rejoices" Advent series by looking in Jeremiah 33 at God's Christmas promises to His people. God's people were living in a very tumultuous world during Jeremiah's time. They were weary from all of the political struggles and oppression they were experiencing and God seemed far off and unresponsive to the injustices Israel was facing. In the midst of their suffering, God faithfully reminded His people of His promise that the coming Messiah would bring righteousness and justice into the world. However, God’s people couldn’t see their own injustice toward God. They were eager for God to send His vengeance against His enemies, not realizing that their disobedience meant that they, too, were enemies of God. Much like the people of Israel in their tumultuous times, we can often fail to see that the greatest injustices in the world start in our own hearts. Before we go to God to heal the injustices we see in the world, we must first ask for God to forgive and heal our own injustices against Him. Only then can we care for the oppressed and engage in the injustices of the world from a platform of compassion and humility, instead of vengeance or hate, because we recognize that Jesus died for our injustices too. As believers, we can rejoice in the name of Jesus, the One who brings righteousness and justice to our world.
With this sermon, we began our Advent series, “A Weary World Rejoices.” Today’s world can often drain us and make us feel weary. This redirects our hearts’ attention away from Christ, causing us to rely on our own understanding and strength to persevere or simply just survive. Hebrews 4 tells us that, when hardships tempt us to find rest apart from Jesus, He will help us in our time of need. As believers, we can draw near to Jesus as the one true source of rest. He has made a way for us to draw near to Him and receive the rest that only comes from a personal relationship with Him. In the midst of our broken world, let us continually approach Jesus with confidence and find our rest in Him alone.
In this sermon, we looked at the Gospel promise that Jesus takes away God’s judgement against those who humble themselves before Him and acknowledge that He is the Lord. In John 9, Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth in order to open his spiritual eyes and lead him to salvation. In contrast to the religious leaders who stand in their religious pride and self-righteousness, the blind man goes from not knowing who Jesus is to believing that He is the Messiah. Although the man was born physically blind, it is the religious leaders who are truly blind. Like the man who was healed, it’s only when we humble ourselves in faith, acknowledging Jesus as Lord, that we are healed from our spiritual blindness.
In this sermon, we looked at the cost of following Jesus. Through the story of the blind man who Jesus healed in John 9, we see that even though our salvation is given to us as a free gift, following Jesus comes with a cost. Jesus healed the man’s blindness as a free gift but the man then had to make a decision: Would he risk everything in order to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ? When we’ve been saved by Jesus, He takes His rightful place in our hearts as our greatest treasure, calling us to forsake all other treasures. The man who was born blind had to let go of his acceptance from the Jewish community, even risking his relationship with his parents, in order to publicly express his faith in Jesus. We, too, must consider the cost of following Jesus. For many of us, it may require letting go of comfort. For others, it may require letting go of important relationships or possessions. For some, it may even mean enduring persecution and suffering. However, regardless of the cost for all who follow Jesus, the treasure of knowing Him as Lord is worth far more than anything else we could ever attain in this world.
In this sermon, we looked at how spiritual blindness keeps us from seeing the works of God in our lives and in the world around us. In John 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. When Jesus’ disciples assume that this man’s blindness is due to the sins of his parents, Jesus tells them that the blindness was allowed by God so that His works might be displayed. The Pharisees hear that Jesus healed the man of his blindness and, with arrogance and self-righteousness, they accuse Jesus of breaking God’s Law on the Sabbath and completely miss an opportunity to see the works of God. Jesus healed the man’s physical blindness in order for God’s light to open our spiritual eyes to see His works and glorify Him. In order to avoid suffering from the same spiritual blindness of the Pharisees, we must guard our hearts against self-righteousness and open our eyes to the mighty works of God.
In this sermon, we looked at the primary factor that distinguishes Christians from non-Christians. While the evidence of true saving faith can reveal itself in many ways, the primary evidence of true faith is found in who a person believes Jesus to be. In John 8:48-59, the Jews reveal that they truly don’t understand who Jesus is when they accuse Him of being demon possessed. As the conversation continues, and the Jews compare Jesus to Abraham and the prophets, Jesus doesn’t build a case to prove He is higher than Abraham; He simply tells them that before Abraham existed, “I am.” This present-tense wording reflects Jesus’ existence before Abraham and sets Jesus apart as transcendent and unable to be compared with any human being. In each of our lives, everything hinges on this one question: Who do you believe Jesus to be?
In this sermon, we looked in John 8, when Jesus challenged the true spiritual identity of the Jews who claimed to believe in Him. While some Jews had begun to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they were still relying on their spiritual heritage from Abraham to validate themselves as children of God. However, Abraham was not saved by his family ties but by faith in God’s promise. Just as Abraham was saved by faith, they too must be saved by faith. Jesus challenged their claim to be children of God by pointing to their disbelief of the Truth. The primary identity marker of God’s children is that they live by faith, believing and trusting in God’s Word.
In this sermon, we looked at John 8:31-38 when Jesus proclaimed that if we will abide in His Word, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free from our slavery to sin. Jesus proclaimed this to a crowd of Jews who had already placed their faith in Him. However, when the people heard these words, they argued that they were not enslaved to anyone. Jesus explained that we are all slaves to whatever we obey; our actions reveal the identity or our true master. It’s only through the life-long journey of abiding in the Word of God that we are able to experience true freedom. Jesus has come to set us free from our slavery to sin and adopt us into His kingdom as sons and daughters.
In this sermon, we were reminded that Jesus is not from our world. In obedience, Jesus left the perfect presence of God to come into our broken world where sin leads to spiritual death. Throughout His ministry, Jesus repeatedly emphasized our great need for salvation and His plan to reconcile us to Himself. In John 8:21-30, Jesus warned his listeners that their unbelief and denial would lead them to “die in their sin.” When we wholeheartedly believe in Jesus, the Son of God, He rescues us from sin and death, forever reconciling us to God.
In this sermon, we looked at John 8:12-20 in which Jesus tells His followers that He is the light of the world and that, if they truly believe in Him, they will follow Him. The Pharisees, who were experts in the law, begin to question Jesus from a legal perspective, asking Him to name witnesses that validate His claim to be the Son of God. In verses 19-20, Jesus exposes the real root of the problem for the Pharisees: they don’t know Him nor do they know His Father. The problem wasn’t that they didn’t know a lot about God, the problem was that they didn’t know God personally. In this passage, we see the Light of the World who draws us to Himself that we may believe and truly come to know Him as we walk with Him daily.
In this sermon, we looked in John 8:1-11 when the Pharisees bring a woman before Jesus. They claim that this woman had been caught in adultery and ask Jesus what to do with her. The Pharisees hoped to corner Jesus and force Him to condemn her to death so His followers would turn away from Him. Instead of condemning the woman for her sins, Jesus exposes the sins of the Pharisees. In this encounter, we’re reminded that Jesus is the only one qualified to dispense punishment for sin and we are transformed when we receive His grace. Jesus forgave this woman, ending the conversation with the command, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus has enough grace to forgive even our most shocking sins and He expects our hearts to be wholly transformed when we truly experience His amazing grace.
In this sermon, we looked at what Jesus meant when he said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink." In this simple invitation, Jesus outlined the Gospel. With gentle honesty, Jesus told the crowd that they had all broken the law of Moses, but they were also invited to come to Jesus to drink of His forgiveness. After this, the religious leaders started debating whether or not Jesus was born in the right town to be the Messiah. Ironically, if they had taken time to ask, they would have discovered that Jesus’ place of birth lined up exactly with the prophesies regarding the Messiah and that the very evidence they were using to disprove Jesus’ identity actually proved it. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t possess the credentials or proof that He was the Son of God as predicted by the Prophets; it was because of the hardness of their hearts that the religious leaders rejected Jesus despite His simple invitation to come to Him for salvation. His invitation extends to us today: that we would come to Him, taking the Gospel just as it is, to drink and be filled.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus lived His daily life in complete submission to the unfolding plan that His Father had for Him. In John 7, Jesus' brothers encouraged Him to make a public appearance in Jerusalem but He refrained from traveling there at that time because it would have put Him directly in the crosshairs of the Pharisees’ plot to arrest Him and have Him killed. Jesus knew that His public entry into Jerusalem would start the unfolding of the final week of His time on earth, ending with His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. In response to His brothers’ encouragement to travel to Jerusalem, He said, “My time has not yet come.” In other words, Jesus was telling His brothers, “I trust my Father’s plan for my life.” Like Jesus, we are called to wholeheartedly trust our Father and His plan for our lives.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus challenged the large crowd that was following Him to consider whether they were following Him because of who He claimed to be or because of what they wanted from Him. Up to this point in Jesus’ ministry, many people were leaving their homes to follow Him. Jesus tells the crowd that unless they eat His flesh and drink His blood, they won’t receive eternal life. Rather than pressing in for more understanding, many of the people turned away from following Jesus and went back home. Jesus then turns to the twelve disciples and challenges them as well. They reply that they have no one to return home to because they have staked their lives on the Truth that Jesus is the Holy One, the true Son of God.
In this sermon, we looked at Jesus’ claim to be the only way by which a person can get into heaven. In John 14, Jesus makes it clear that our entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is not something that can be bartered for or purchased by us. Our entrance into heaven is already paid for by His death and resurrection and Jesus has invited us to enter through the only way possible: faith in Him alone.
In this sermon, we looked at how Psalm 51 reveals the transformative power of repentance and how God works in our repentance to lead us to abundant life. In this Psalm, we see that our repentance begins when God lovingly and mercifully reveals our sins to us, leading us to have broken and contrite hearts. It’s in our brokenness that the loving kindness of God begins to work powerfully in our lives. He tenderly creates a new heart within us that is renewed and restored, leading us to abundant life filled with joy and gladness.
In this sermon, we looked at where God’s people go to find perfect peace. In contrast to the peace that we find in the world when we are comfortable and things are going our way, perfect peace can only come from trusting in the Lord. Isaiah reminds us that when the people of God put their trust in the Lord, He keeps them in His perfect peace; a peace that is not contingent on our circumstances or our environment but, instead, surpasses all human understanding. This is the perfect peace that can only come from the safety of dwelling in the salvation of the Lord.
With this sermon, we began our Listen to the Music series, looking at the importance of the Truth we sing and declare in worship. Ephesians 5:25-27 tells us that believers are the Bride of Christ and we wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be reunited with our Bridegroom. Until that day, He continues to lovingly redeem us as we prayerfully ask Him to continue working in and through us.
In this sermon, we looked at the reason we do not lose heart amidst the growing darkness we experience in the world around us on a daily basis. In 2 Corinthians 4, we are reminded that we live in a fallen world with an enemy who is seeking to devour us. Despite this, we do not lose heart because we know that, through our perseverance, things that are unseen by the world are being made visible. When the world sees Christians suffer without being destroyed, God’s power in the resurrection of Jesus is made visible, shining like a light of hope that extends the grace of Jesus to more and more people for the glory of God.
In this sermon, we looked at how the Church is called to be a light in the midst of suffering. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus uses a parable to illustrate what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. In this parable, a man who was beaten by robbers and left for dead was passed up by two religious leaders. The only person willing to stop and show compassion for the dying man was the most unlikely candidate: a Samaritan. Not only were Samaritans considered to be social outcasts, but this Samaritan man was already in the middle of his own difficult journey. Nevertheless, the Samaritan was willing to set aside his personal agenda, comfort, and resources in order to bridge the gap between death and life for this beaten man. Through the example of the Samaritan’s sacrificial love, we see what it looks like for the Church to be the light of the world in the midst of suffering.
In this sermon, we looked at Galatians 6:1-5, in which the Apostle Paul calls us to bear one another’s burdens through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus defeated the ultimate burdens of sin and death. Now when our brothers and sisters are caught in sin, we are to seek restoration with gentleness and humility. As we bear one another’s burdens, we act as extensions of God’s grace and redemption, and a light to the world around us.
In this sermon, we looked at the light that comes from proclaiming the true Gospel. In 2 Corinthians 3:7-4:6, the Apostle Paul contrasts the glory of God revealed through the Law (Old Covenant) with the glory of God revealed through the Gospel (New Covenant). While the glory of God can be seen in the Law, that glory is veiled to us because of our unrighteousness. It’s the light of the Gospel that shines in our darkness when we hear and believe the Good News that we are made righteous by faith alone in Christ alone.
In this sermon, we looked at Paul’s response to the hardship and difficulty he had faced in his life: He chose to focus on Jesus and His provision. Paul knew the faithfulness of Jesus to provide for him before and he was confident that Jesus would provide again, this time through the support of other believers. Like Paul, when we are facing difficulty and struggle, we must choose to remember what Christ has done for us in the past and confidently trust that He will provide light in the darkness of our current and future struggles.
In this sermon, we saw that through the death of Jesus on the cross, the divisions and distinctions that we see in the darkness the world promotes have no place within the church. Believers are responsible for working towards unity and peace within the church and are called to go into their communities and workplaces, bearing the Light of the Gospel, to those who are trapped in darkness and sin.
In this sermon, we looked at Jesus' command to His followers to reflect the light of His love toward one another. In John 13, Jesus reveals the depth of His love for His church by humbling Himself to wash His disciples’ feet then commands them to do the same for one another as an expression of their love. In this act of sacrificial love, we see a glimpse of the humility our Savior displayed when He died a criminal’s death on the cross and washed away our sins. It is by our sacrificial love toward one another that the world will know that we belong to Jesus. Before we can be a shining light of hope to the world around us, we must first humble ourselves before one another in sacrificial love.
With this sermon, we began our new series, “The Light in the Darkness.” In this series, we’ll explore what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:14-16 when He declared that His followers at the light of the world. In this sermon, we looked at Psalm 96 and were reminded that the light of the Church is seen when we gather in worship, bringing glory to God by singing the Gospel and declaring His glory to one another. When we exalt the splendor, majesty, strength, and beauty of Christ together, we remind one another that all of our idols are worthless and only God is worthy of our praise. Before we can be a shining light of hope to the world around us, we must first knit our hearts together in Christ-exalting worship.
In this sermon from John 6:35-37, we looked at what it means to find our ultimate satisfaction in Jesus. Earlier in John 6, Jesus fed the multitude and they all ate, at no cost to them, until they were satisfied. In the same way, when we believe in Jesus as the Son of God, He completely satisfies our souls, and our only payment is to simply believe in Him. Though this passage, we’re reminded that the source of our greatest satisfaction in life comes at the lowest cost to us. When we truly believe in Jesus, He satisfies every longing of our souls, and gives us eternal satisfaction for free.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus challenged the crowd that followed Him to evaluate their motives for seeking Him. In John 6:22-34, we see that the crowd Jesus had miraculously fed has now followed Him Capernaum. They were hungry for another meal and wanted to see what miracles Jesus would perform next. As He addresses the crowd, Jesus questions why they are following Him and exposes their pure heart motives. As our church body begins to gather in person again today, this is a good reminder for us to consider what draws us together. Are we gathering to worship Jesus as our Savior or are we gathering seeking temporary satisfaction in other things? May we be true followers of Jesus, knowing Him as our Savior and finding our satisfaction in Him alone.
In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus intentionally led His disciples into difficult situations in order to reveal Himself more deeply to them. In John 6:16-21, Jesus tells His disciples to get into a boat at night and travel to Bethsaida and, eventually, Capernaum. This led to a long and difficult time of rowing against the wind in rough seas and the dark of night. Walking on water in the midst of the raging sea, Jesus went out to the disciples and said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Through this event, Jesus shows us that part of God’s perfect and loving plan for His followers sometimes includes sending us into difficult, and even scary, situations. He does this not to show off His power, but to show us who He is and to lead us through the sanctification process to something better.
In this sermon, we looked in 2 Timothy 1:3-14 at a message for moms that applies to us all. In one of the final letters before his death, Paul writes to a young pastor to encourage him to remember his spiritual heritage. Paul reminds Timothy that his sincere faith, which produces power, love, and self-control, first dwelt in his mother and his grandmother. Paul encourages Timothy to fan this spiritual gift of faith into flame by following the pattern that has been set for him and by guarding it like a precious deposit. This is a call for mothers to see the significance of their role in their children’s spiritual journeys. It’s also a reminder for all of us to fan into flame the gift of faith deposited into our lives by living boldly for Jesus in power, love, and self-control.
In this sermon, we looked at John 6:1-15, in which Jesus miraculously fed a group of 15,000 to 20,000 people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This large crowd was following Jesus from town to town in order to witness His miracles of healing. From a small amount of bread and fish, Jesus created a meal for the entire crowd and everyone ate until they were satisfied. The people were so enthralled with Jesus’ miracle-working power that they wanted force Him to be their king. Knowing that He would soon be crowned King through His gracious sacrifice rather than by the force of men, Jesus withdrew from the crowd to be alone on the mountain. Through this miracle, we see a distinct difference between being part of the crowd who follows Jesus for what He has to offer and being part of the few who follow Jesus solely for who He is. At a time when we are not able to gather as a large crowd, this challenges us to consider why gathering on Sundays is important. While there are many good reasons we desire to be together, the primary purpose of us gathering as the church is to worship Jesus as our gracious Savior and King.
In this sermon, we looked at the role of the Bible in revealing Jesus to His followers. In John 5:30-47, Jesus names three sources that bore witness to His identity as the Son of God. The first witness was John the Baptist and the second witness was the miraculous signs that Jesus performed in His public ministry. However, these two witnesses were insufficient to open the eyes of the people to see Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus tells us that a better witness is His Father’s witness, revealed in the Scriptures. Jesus says that when the Scriptures abide in us, God’s love lives in us, and leads us to salvation.
In this sermon, we continued The Gospel of John series by looking at John 5:18-29. Here we find Jesus’ response to the Jews who were seeking to kill Him because He claimed to be equal to God. Instead of attempting to pacify those who were growing in hostility toward Him, Jesus further explained His identity. Jesus challenged the Jews, and the crowds who followed Him, to see Him in His full authority as the Son of God. Too many of us come to Jesus as our Savior but reject Him as our Lord. If Jesus is your Savior, the only way He has authority to save you from sin and death is because He truly is the Son of God, the King of Kings, and the Lord over all the Earth.
In this sermon, we looked at the powerful hope found in the resurrection of Jesus. Before the resurrection, Jesus’ followers were in the middle of the greatest tragedy in human history: The Son of God was brutally put to death for our sins. His followers had placed all of their hope in one man and this man, their Messiah, had been killed. In Luke 24, Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother, visited the tomb to drop off spices they had prepared for the body of Jesus. To their surprise, they found the tomb empty and two angelic beings who reminded them that Jesus had said He would be crucified, buried, and raised from the dead on the third day. With great excitement, they immediately left the tomb to go tell the world about the risen Savior. The resurrection isn’t the end of the story; after the resurrection, Jesus transferred to His followers His mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Easter is not the happy ending; it’s the happy beginning that reminds us that something new has begun. Like the women at the tomb on the first Easter morning, our mission for Jesus began at the resurrection and continues until He returns.
In this sermon, we looked in Matthew 21:1-11 at Jesus' return to Jerusalem, where he rode into town like a new King victoriously returning from battle. Despite this triumphant return, Jesus is greeted with mixed responses, from the adoration of His faithful followers to the hatred of the Jews seeking to kill Him. As Jesus made His way into Jerusalem, some people gathered along the streets to shout that He was their King, the Messiah, the Savior of Israel. Despite these proclamations, the parade fell short of the standard welcome for a respected and adored King. Some responded to Jesus with faith and adoration, others as fans following at a distance until things became hard, while others altogether despised Jesus. There were no valuable gifts offered and Jesus wasn’t ushered to the most important place in the city to be adored. Instead, Jesus headed to the temple to drive out the money changers, who had distorted God’s house of prayer. As Matthew points out, everything that happened on this day was to fulfill Old Testament prophesies, initiating the final series of events leading up to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
Think about your current relationship with Jesus. If you were there that day with Jesus entering in to your city, which group of people would you be in? Would you be one of the faithful few, one of the fair-weather fans who followed at a distance, or one of those who opposed Jesus?
In this sermon, we looked at the fullness of Jesus’ grace displayed in an unusual occurrence of healing, leading to a confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders over His identity as the Son of God. In John 5:1-18, Jesus went to the Pool of Bethesda, where there was a crowd of people in need of healing. After Jesus sought out and healed an invalid man, the Jews’ persecution of Jesus turned from disgruntled opposition into a plot to kill Him. Not only did Jesus heal a man who didn’t have faith, He chose to heal him on the Sabbath, and He didn’t use the Pool of Bethesda for the healing. While the persecution began because Jesus had healed the man outside of Jewish religious customs and cultural superstitions, the persecution quickly intensified into a death-plot because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God as He announced, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Through this healing encounter, we see the grace of Jesus fully displayed and we’re reminded that God still works far beyond our own religious practices and cultural expectations.
In this sermon, we continued The Gospel of John series by looking at what happened when Jesus returned to His hometown after revealing Himself as the Christ in Samaria. In John 4:43-54, Jesus encounters a servant of the king whose son is sick and dying. John tells us that Jesus is without honor among those who know Him the best. Even though the people of His hometown had seen and believed in His miracles, they stopped short of believing that He was the Savior of the world. While they were excited about His miracles, they didn’t believe in Him as their Savior. We often see the same thing in the Church today: those of us who are most familiar with Jesus are also the most likely to take Him for granted, exchanging our personal relationship with Jesus for what we want Him to do for us. Unlike most of the people in Jesus’ hometown, the man in John 4:43-54 completely believed in Jesus and his son was healed. Like the father in John 4, may we place our complete faith and trust in Jesus as the Savior of the world.
Take time to watch the sermon above and spend time in these worship songs!
At Your Name on Spotify At Your Name Downloadable lyrics
Lord, I Need You on Spotify Lord, I Need You downloadable lyrics
Access online giving here! Sign up for our newsletter here!
In this sermon, we continued The Gospel of John series in John 4:27-42. We looked at how having an encounter with Christ can allow us to put down the things that hinder us from being faithful to share the Gospel with others. The woman at the well had such a transformative heart-changing meeting with Christ that she left the reason she was at the well to go back to those who made her feel like a shame-filled outcast and invite them to ‘come and see’ Christ for themselves. Jesus tells His disciples that they are to enter into the fields to bring in the harvest for God’s Kingdom by making Him known to others and inviting them to having a relationship with Christ.
In this sermon, we followed the Gospel of John's narrative of the woman at the well. Although this woman attempted to protect herself from the cultural and personal shame she carried by visiting the well in the middle of the day, when most people would not be there, she was met by Jesus. We saw Jesus seeking a personal relationship with her by intentionally having a conversation in which He revealed Himself as the Messiah. Jesus addressed the idols of her heart and met her in the midst of her brokenness and sin. The woman had come to the well for water but Jesus offered her something greater: eternal life. The story of the woman at the well shows us that God loves us despite our broken and bankrupt lives. God values us enough to actively seek us, welcome us into intimate relationship, and rejoice in our worship of Him.
In this sermon, we continued The Gospel of John series in John 3:16-36, where we looked at God’s character as a loving judge who saves sinners from condemnation. Out of His love for us, God sent Jesus into the world, not to bring condemnation, but to rescue us from the condemnation that was already here. God’s love for us doesn’t mean that His moral standard for righteousness changes; Instead of changing the moral standard for righteousness, God did something better: He made a way for us to become righteous by faith.
In this sermon, we looked at the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:1-15. Jesus told Nicodemus, an expert in the Jewish scriptures, that he must be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Despite his vast knowledge of the Bible, Nicodemus was unable to make sense of what Jesus was saying about being born again. To help Nicodemus understand, Jesus compared Himself to the serpent that was lifted up in the desert in Numbers 21. By making this comparison, Jesus revealed Himself to Nicodemus as the source of new birth that comes by faith. Like the serpent in Numbers 21, Jesus was pointing to the cross where God would provide a way for His people to be relieved from His judgement. On the cross, Jesus took up the symbol of the curse of sin and death and transformed it into a symbol of healing that “whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
In this sermon, we looked in John 2:12-22 at the first of two times when Jesus confronted corruption of the temple. In this confrontation, the disciples of Jesus were further convinced of His identity as the Messiah when they saw His zeal for the purity of the temple (Psalms 69:9). Jesus unveiled His death and resurrection to the people as He prophetically pointed to the future, when He would raise up a better temple that allowed God’s people real access into His presence. In His death, Jesus tore down the old system, making a new and better way for us to be near to God by refining our hearts and placing His Holy Spirit within us.
In this sermon, we looked at the first miracle performed by Jesus: turning water into wine at a local wedding. In John 2:1-11, we see key elements that reveal the glory of Jesus. Through the miracle of turning water into wine, we see that Jesus’ Kingdom is a Kingdom of faith and that His primary purpose on earth was to carry out the will of His Heavenly Father. We also see Jesus’ authority over our spiritual cleansing, as He pours out immeasurable grace in our lives. Through this simple story, we clearly see that Jesus provides far more than we need; He turns sinners into saints.
In this sermon, we looked at what happens when someone beholds the glory of Jesus. Far too often, we look at things from a worldly perspective so we don’t see them as we should. This can mean that we also don’t see Jesus as He truly is. In John 1:35-51, two disciples of John the Baptist beheld the glory of Jesus. This changed everything about them, including their identities and their lives’ missions. Upon seeing Jesus as the Lamb of God, the two disciples immediately shifted their loyalty from John the Baptist to Jesus. Not only did their loyalty shift, their mission in life changed as well and they immediately went to invite others to come and see the glory of Jesus.
In this sermon, we looked at the role of John the Baptist in the life and ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist was a rugged man who lived in the wilderness and spoke boldly to all who would listen. His message to Israel was controversial, as he proclaimed that just being born a Jew wouldn’t get you into heaven. He called the nation of Israel to prepare for the coming of the Messiah by repenting and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Though he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, John the Baptist had never met Jesus. When he saw Jesus for the first time, he excitedly proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” The rest of John’s Gospel will continue to reveal Jesus as the Lamb of God who became the Lamb who was slain, in order to make holy and perfect for all eternity those who would believe upon His name.
In this sermon, we continued The Gospel of John series by looking at John 1:14-18. After building the case for Jesus being God, through whom all things were created, John makes the astounding announcement that God came to earth to dwell with man. Through John’s firsthand account of the life and ministry of Jesus, we see deity taking on flesh and dwelling among humanity. As the Son of God, He was both fully God and fully man. He was able to obey the Law perfectly in His flesh, thus fulfilling the Law’s demands, qualifying Him to go to war against sin and death on our behalf, and empowering Him to overcome victoriously. Through the incarnation, we see God and we know who God is. Through Jesus, we know that God has come to speak to us, set up His tent, and dwell among us.
In this sermon, we continued The Gospel of John series by looking at the true light, referred to in John 1:9-13. Last week, we looked at how the Creator became our Redeemer through Jesus coming to earth to be the light that shines in our darkness. In this week’s passage, John proclaims that the true light (Jesus) came into the world and was rejected by His chosen people because they didn’t recognize Him. However, we know that Jesus made Himself available for all to know Him and receive new life by believing in Him.
In this sermon, we began The Gospel of John series by identifying the main character, referred to as the Word. John proclaims to his readers that the Word was with God in the beginning, the Word was God, everything has been created through the Word and, more importantly, that the Word is the light of men that has come to earth to have victory over the darkness. Through John’s Gospel, we see that Jesus is the Word who came to earth to bring light into our darkness. After laying His life down on the cross, it appeared, for a brief moment, that the darkness would win. But on the third day, the light of Jesus triumphed over the darkness when He resurrected from the grave.
In this sermon, we looked at both Old Testament and New Testament writings to see the importance of spiritually investing in others. In differing ways, these passages point out that living, breathing examples of faith, and teaching through word and action, can help grow the faith of others. This spiritual investment, often from the older generation to the younger generation, equips disciples to continue the work of disciple-making. God uses this intentional spiritual investment to eternally change lives and impact the world for Him.
In the final sermon of our Advent series, we looked at how the birth of Jesus ushers in a new covenant in which God promises to dwell with His people: “God with us.” This is first seen in the incarnation of Jesus, fully God and fully man, living among His people. However, this was only temporary because the birth of Jesus was the beginning of His journey to the cross, where He would die, resurrect, and ascend back to the right hand of the Father. All of this had to take place in order to begin God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit will continue to dwell with us until Christ returns to fulfill the new covenant, making all things new and establishing His dwelling place with man for eternity. Christmas is more than the celebration of one event in history; it is the celebration of one event in history that changed all of eternity: God making His dwelling place with man.
In this third sermon in our Advent series, we looked at how Christmas reminds us that we were meant for a king and a kingdom. With all of our diversity, we were created by God to live in one Kingdom, under the kingship of one Righteous King. In Isaiah, God describes the coming Messiah as a righteous king who would be a wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and prince of peace. Over 700 years later, the angel appears to Mary and announces to her that the promise of the Messiah will be fulfilled in her womb. Once Jesus is born, wise men from the east come in search of this newborn king. Threatened by the news of a newborn king, Herod attempts to use the wise men to find Jesus so he could kill him. When the wise men find the king, rather than handing him over to king Herod, they worship him as their own king. Just like the wise men so long ago, we celebrate the birth of our King this Christmas!
In this sermon, we looked at the connection between Jesus and the shepherds who first heard the angels’ announcement that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem. In the Old Testament, we see hints of this connection in the prophesies of the coming Messiah. These prophesies pointed to a future ruler, from Bethlehem, who would lead the people of God like a shepherd. This shepherd would be crushed and wounded so that God’s people could find peace and be healed. In John 10, Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, whom God sent to lay down His life and take it up again for the sake of His sheep. Like a Good Shepherd, Jesus promises to stand over us and protect our souls from our enemies. As His sheep, we will learn to recognize our Good Shepherd’s voice and trust Him to lead us to eternal life.
In this first sermon of our Advent series, we looked at the hope we have in the promises of “The Long-Awaited One,” Jesus Christ. Since the fall in Genesis 3, God has been unfolding His story of Redemption, while protecting the lineage of the coming Messiah. After 42 generations and deep longing for the fulfillment of the promises of God, Emmanuel finally arrives to defeat sin and death. While Advent is about looking at the fulfilled promises in the New Testament coming of Jesus, it’s also about looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus. When Jesus returns, all things will be made new, and all enemies of God will be put to death. Jesus reminds us that He will remove sin, suffering, and death, and that the former things will pass away. Our eternal dwelling place will be with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at the book of Esther. Though God is not mentioned in the book, we saw that He sovereignly orchestrated the events of Esther’s life to accomplish His purpose. In our own lives, there may be moments when we feel that God is not present or that He has forgotten about us. However, just as with Esther, we can trust that He is always present and working, and that His outcome is for our good and His glory.
In this sermon, we looked at how God called Hosea to do something that seemed completely ridiculous in order to display God’s love toward His people. Through Hosea and Gomer’s story, God reveals what happens when His people pursue idols as a source of abundant life. God warns Israel that if they continue cheating on Him with other gods, they will no longer be His people. However, we also see that God will not keep His unfaithful wife (the Church) at a distance or withhold Himself from her, but sacrificially buys her back, alluring her into the safety of His arms, completely restoring her as His bride. Even today, we may desire God's authority over our lives but often turn our focus towards other gods, inviting them in under the assumption that they will make us happy. Through Hosea, God calls us to drop our false gods and turn back to Him, promising to accept us again as His radiant bride.
In this sermon, we looked at the book of Zephaniah and how God called Judah, and all the nations, to repent to avoid the judgement He is going to pour out on the Day of the Lord. Our good and perfect God is coming to purge sin and its destructive effects from His creation once and for all. Those who are still in sin’s grip will be carried away along with it in the coming judgment. Those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will not taste the judgement of God, but will experience redemption, restoration, and eternity with Him.
In this sermon, we looked at the story of Daniel and how God revealed Himself as the ruler of all rulers. God used Daniel to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. He showed the king that his kingdom would give way to other kingdoms and that God would send a king who would be like a large rock, not made with human hands, that would bring down all earthly kingdoms. All of this was pointing to the coming of Jesus. He is the stone that brings all earthly kingdoms to nothing and who establishes the Kingdom of God like a great mountain that endures forever.
In this sermon, we looked at how God’s story of redemption flows through the story of Naomi and Ruth to bring about His plan of redemption. Their story serves as both a figurative portrait of the redemption of Jesus and a literal part of Jesus’s lineage. As Boaz steps into the story of Naomi and Ruth to sacrificially redeem when no one else will, we see a picture of Jesus’s redemption for the church. God used this story about the redemption of two widows to give us a picture of His redemption for us. He also used a story of what might be considered a story of ordinary people living out ordinary, hopeless lives to bring about the most newsworthy story of all time: Jesus is coming to redeem the world and save them from their sins.
In this sermon, we looked at God’s plan to raise up a better king for the nation of Israel. God reveals to Samuel that He is looking for a king who would be a man after His own heart. Through David’s story, we see that even though God is now going to place a man after His own heart on the throne of His people, he will still be a man with a deceitful heart and a sinful nature. Even though David is a better king than Saul, he is still not the ultimate King to sit on the throne of God’s people. In 2 Samuel 7, God promises to send a Messiah who will lead His people in righteousness. All of this was pointing to Jesus, the Son of God, who would come as the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David who will sit on the throne forever.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we saw how God’s People rejected Him as their king and asked for a human king so they could be like other nations. Through King Saul’s story of sin, the humiliation that his sin brought upon the People of God, and the attempt to shift blame for that sin, we see that God’s People need a better king. Christ is our Better King. He undoes our shame and humiliation, allowing us to walk in transparency and freedom. Through His blood, He purifies us and transforms our identity into members of His Kingdom.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God used Moses to deliver His Law to His people, foreshadowing the Gospel that was to come. Jesus validated the Law by teaching that only those who are perfectly righteous, by obeying every letter of God’s Law, will be accepted into heaven as God’s people. Jesus obeyed the Law perfectly, qualifying Him to take our place on the cross and to take our punishment for our disobedience to the Law. Through Jesus, God made a way for His people to be made righteous by believing the Gospel. Through the Gospel, we have been forgiven for breaking God’s Law, allowing us to see God’s Law as good and right. This forgiveness and love from God encourage us to strive to obey God’s Law with the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing that we have already been rescued and accepted as God’s people.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we took an in-depth look at Moses’ role in the larger story of the Bible. God came to Moses during a time in which the nation of Israel was experiencing great suffering in its slavery to the Egyptians. Through God’s interaction with Moses, we see that God is completely aware of what His people are going through and He hears their cries to be rescued. We also see that God does not observe His people from a distance; He is intimately involved and knows the suffering of His people personally. Through Moses’ narrative, we behold God’s rightful place as the hero of His story. Just like Abraham, Joseph, and Moses were not the heroes of their stories, we are not the heroes of our stories. God’s plan for redemption unfolds in a way through which He alone is the hero and it’s only by the mighty hand of God that His people find their rescue.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued The People of God series by looking at the story of Joseph. Through his story, we get a beautiful picture of redemption and forgiveness and a better understanding of how God’s will for our lives unfolds in seasons of blessing and seasons of suffering. Joseph understood that his life didn’t belong to him. Because of this, he was able to be part of God’s story of redemption by letting go of his right and desire to repay his brothers for their evil toward him and exchanging it for the desire to bless them instead. This is what God has offered to us through the Gospel; Jesus paid the price for our evil and exchanged God’s punishment toward us for God’s blessing. Through our faith in Jesus, God redeems our stories by forgiving our sins, taking what was intended for evil and turning it into something good.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the story of Jacob and saw how God’s grace in Jacob’s life is a reflection of God’s grace toward the entire world. Jacob was a deceitful younger brother who advanced himself in life by manipulating and lying to the people closest to him. Through Jacob’s role in God’s redemption story, we see that God displays His sovereign plan over the lives of His people, even before they are born. He does this despite our brokenness and self-centeredness. As in Jacob’s story, God invites His people to wrestle with Him in order that they will come to understand Him more deeply and experience His goodness more personally. God allows pain and adversity into our lives in order to awaken us to see Him for who He is and to take hold of His promises of blessing toward us.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the how Abraham’s story fits into the larger story of the Bible. Is Genesis 12, God made a promise to Abraham to make his family into a great nation, through which all the families of the earth would be blessed. Abraham believed God’s promise and it was counted to him as righteousness. Abraham’s righteousness was a free gift that he received as a result of his faith in God’s promises to him. Through Abraham’s story, we learn that when the people who lived before Jesus came to earth believed the promises of God, they were ultimately believing the Gospel. Through their faith in God’s promises, they received God’s abundant grace and His free gift of righteousness. In the same way, when we believe the Gospel, we are adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters and we become God’s people, heirs according to the promise.
In the sermon this past week, we looked at the story of Noah. Like Enoch, Noah walked through life in fellowship and obedience with God. Through Noah’s story, we were reminded that God is Holy and He punishes sin. However, in His mercy, He also saves those who truly trust in Him and walk with Him. Noah was considered righteous, not because his life was free from sin, but because He walked with God and trusted God even when called to do something that seemed impossible. Through Noah’s story of building an ark of wood as a place of refuge, we see a foreshadow the cross and our true place of rescue. Like Noah, Jesus is calling you to walk with Him in fellowship and obedience so that He becomes your place of refuge.
In the first sermon of The People of God series, we looked at who the people of God really are and how Adam is the pattern for all who would follow after him. Adam and Eve were created as image bearers and the image of God was passed on from them to the rest of mankind. As the apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 5, the image of God that was marred by the sin of Adam has been passed down to you. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus has made available to each of us an abundance of grace and the free gift of being made righteousness through faith. The people of God aren’t perfect people. They are people in need of God’s abundant grace. As we journey through this sermon series, we will see how the people of the Bible fit into God’s redemption story and, ultimately, serve to point us to Jesus. We will also see our role in God’s redemption story and find that the people of God are the many sinners made righteous through believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we wrapped up our One Church, Multiple Generations series by looking at how God is still working in us as adults. In Romans 12, we see that God calls us to have a genuine love for one another. Genuine love comes only from the work of the Gospel in our lives and by the church engaging in Biblical community. We are to urge each other on through genuine love, prayer, rejecting evil, and serving one another. We need to be challenged by the truths of Scripture and held accountable for observing them. At Solid Rock, we desire to continue to work toward Biblical community in which people can know one another deeply and spiritually.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked in Titus 2 at the Biblical model for discipleship, in which Paul calls the spiritually mature adults in the church to invest in the next generation. He lays out this discipleship model: while pastors and elders are responsible for teaching sound doctrine to the whole church, spiritually mature men and women are responsible for discipling younger men and women by teaching them how to apply sound doctrine to their lives, urging them toward Godliness and modeling what it looks like to follow Jesus.
In the second sermon of the One Church, Multiple Generations series, we looked at God’s encouragement to students and how SR Students ministry is leading our Junior High and High School students to set an example for adult believers. There may be times when students do things that are looked down upon. Immaturity occurs when a person encounters freedom without a sense of responsibility. Maturity is the ability to bridle independence and freedom through self-control and displaying a deep sense of responsibility for personal decisions. In 1 Timothy 4, Paul calls a young pastor to spiritual maturity: to live his life in such a way that he shows the older people in his church what it looks like to be truly mature in Christ. This is not a call for teenagers to disregard those who are older than them, but instead to show others who Jesus is by allowing their lives to serve as an example.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we began a new series looking at how God has called Solid Rock to be one church that spans multiple generations. We began this past Sunday by looking at Solid Rock Kids ministry through the lens of Deuteronomy 6:4-9. We learned that leading children to know and love Jesus is rooted in who God is, instead of who parents want their children to be. Seeing children become everything God created them to be begins with seeing God clearly. Secondly, we learned that leading children must begin with the hearts of the parents. By God’s design, parents don’t simply pray their children into the Kingdom of God; parents have to lead them there. Parents who want their children to know and love Jesus must first fall in love with Him themselves. All of this takes place within the God-ordained partnership between parents and the local church. The role of the church in this partnership is to fully support and equip parents to be the primary disciple makers in their homes.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we ended the Colossians series by looking at Colossians 3:18-4:1. In this section of Colossians, Paul reminds the church how Christ has redeemed the hierarchy of relationships on earth. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve walked in righteous submission to God that led to abundant life and human flourishing. They were to reflect this leadership and submission by the way Adam led Eve and the way they displayed their dominion over creation. Because of sin, God’s good creation was twisted and marred, distorting the leadership role of human civilization. Through the Gospel, God’s redemption reaches into the darkness of human culture and redeems what has been lost in our homes and in our society.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued the Colossians series by looking at Colossians 3:9-17. In this section of Paul’s letter, he declares that “Christ is all and in all.” Therefore, all that is Christ is in us. This means that the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit, and His transformational power, is conforming us into the image of Jesus. Additionally, because Christ is all and in all, He leads His followers into a community that bears the identity of Christ through displaying compassionate hearts toward one another and bearing with one another in love.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s call to live, not as who we used to be, but as we are in Christ. In Colossians 3:5-10, we are called to put the evil desires of the flesh to death and to cast off who we used to be. When we live our lives according to the desires of the flesh, it leads to death. However, when we die to ourselves we are free to live empowered by the Spirit of God, which leads to life. Paul’s command is to stop living as we were and start living as we are now in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at God’s command to set our minds on Christ. In Colossians 3, Paul contends that if we have truly believed the Gospel and therefore, died to ourselves, then we should redirect our minds away from the things of this world and set our minds on something that has real value. As he addresses the inherent human desire to seek after things of perceived value, Paul calls believers to set their minds on Christ and seek after Him.
What things of earth have captured your attention lately? How can you reorient your thinking towards Christ?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at how Christians are saved and transformed in daily life through hearing and believing the Gospel. When we instruct one another in the Gospel, we are united together and built up in our faith, in order that no one is able to knock us off course. Paul reminds the church that they are to continue growing in Christ through the same means that they were first saved: by believing the Gospel. When we make it our daily practice to hear and believe the Gospel, our lives remain rooted in Christ and continue to be built up and established in Christ.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we unpacked a beautiful hymn of praise to Christ that contained two very powerful statements: He is the firstborn of creation and the head of the Church. For the former, we saw that everything is created through and for Him, He is preeminent over all things, and He is the sustainer of all things. For the latter, His headship over the Church is proven through His resurrection, His deity, and His saving work on the cross. Because of these beautiful truths from scripture, we can know and trust that Jesus is worthy of our worship and our lives.
This past Sunday, we began a series in the book of Colossians. Paul began by encouraging the believers at Colossae. Although they were surrounded by a domain of darkness, along with false teaching and doctrines, Paul reminded the Colossians to remain faithful to the hope of the Gospel and the person of Jesus. As former citizens of the domain of darkness, it’s easy for Christians to be tempted by the things and beliefs of this world. However, through the work of Christ, we are now citizens of God’s eternal Kingdom, that we may be continuously sanctified by the Gospel and knowledge of Him who saves us.
In the final sermon of our Gifts of the Spirit series, we looked at 1 Corinthians 14. In this passage, Paul continues his plea for the church to pursue love as the basis from which they serve with their spiritual gifts, in order that the church may be built up. Paul reminds the church that in order for the gift of tongues to be beneficial, there must be an interpreter who can translate the tongues spoken into a revelation, knowledge, prophecy or teaching. Without translation, the person speaking in tongues will seem like a foreigner to the listeners and the church will not be built up. In this final plea, Paul’s main point is to encourage the church to bring their gifts together and to use them to build up one another, striving for order and peace that reflects the character of God.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how our spiritual gifts must be rooted in love toward one another in order to be beneficial to the Church. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that our spiritual gifts are simply like a noisy or clanging symbol without the foundation of love. The Bible defines love as a sacrificial commitment that is directed toward the object of love. How we engage in using our spiritual gifts should reflect the love we have for one another in Christ.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God orchestrates spiritual gifts among the members of the church in a way that reflects His oneness, accomplishes His purposes, and serves the common good of the church. God has orchestrated the coming together of the members of the church in a way that allows us to accomplish more for the Kingdom than we could on our own. Our oneness also allows us to divide one another’s grief and multiply one another’s joy. When the church walks in loving unity, we complement one another in a way that allows our image bearing of God to shine at its brightest.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel sets moms free from the burden of not being good enough. In Matthew 11:25-30, Jesus invites the those who are weak and helpless to come to Him in order to find rest for their souls. We were reminded that we don’t become close to God by impressing Him with how many tasks we complete, how smart we are, or how amazing our Pinterest-perfect our lives are. In His great love, God chooses to reveal Himself to us despite our inability to be "good enough". When you are feeling inadequate and like a failure as a mom, Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” We find rest for our souls when we encounter Jesus at the cross. This is where Jesus meets us in our inadequacy and trades our not good enough for His more than good enough.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the Biblical for understanding our individual and unique spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Paul reminds the Church that the Holy Spirit empowers every believer with specific spiritual gifts according to God’s will. Spiritual gifts are given to believers to serve the common good of the Church, not the personal preferences or ambitions of the believer. Each spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit and equally supernatural, valid and necessary for ministry in the Church to thrive.
This past Sunday, we began our Gifts of the Spirit sermon series. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-3, Paul begins by calling the church spiritual gifts are a supernatural product of our salvation. The Holy Spirit of God opens the ears of those who hear the Gospel in order that they might believe. Spiritual Gifts are a supernatural outworking, or fruit, of our salvation. The presence of spiritual gifts is a confirmation of the Lordship of Jesus in our lives.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God makes us alive through the power of the resurrection. According to the Apostle Paul, apart from Christ we are physically alive but spiritually dead. It’s only through the power of the resurrection at work in us that we are made truly alive. God doesn’t wait for us to get our lives together because He knows that we can’t. God makes us alive, even when we are dead in our trespasses. He meets us in our fallenness, rescues us from darkness, and makes us alive together with Christ; this is why the resurrection means everything. Through our faith in the resurrection of Jesus, God awakens our souls from the dead and makes us alive in a new and right relationship with Christ.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked in Isaiah 42:5-9 at God’s calling for Israel to become a lighthouse of hope to the world. God spoke to Israel out of His authority as the creator of the universe. He reminded them that He is the Lord and that He was going to rescue them from darkness and send them into the world to be the conduit of light through which He would rescue the nations. In the same way, God has called Solid Rock to be a light of hope in a dark and fallen world. In the Gospel, God has given the church a new covenant that opens the eyes of the blind, sets prisoners free and rescues people from the darkness of this present world.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God faithfully guided the nation of Israel across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land in Joshua 3 and 4. We read how God’s promise and presence stopped the waters of the Jordan River and allowed the nation of Israel to cross over on dry land. We also saw that crossing the Jordan was just the beginning of the impossible journey that faced the Israelites. What God was doing in Israel’s journey was bigger than crossing a river; He was setting a trajectory of faith and worship for future generations that would impact the nations. Through Israel’s story, we learned that the challenges we encounter when we follow God’s will for our lives are not a change in God’s plan; they are part of God’s plan. The challenges that God leads us through in life help us to see Him more accurately, trust Him more deeply and follow his lead in our lives more obediently. We were reminded that what God has done at Solid Rock over the last 24 months isn’t about us; it’s about God’s faithfulness in setting a trajectory of worship for future generations and a missional mindset to reach the nations.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at what it means to be a ‘sent’ church. In Psalm 67, God issues a clear invitation for the nations to praise, be glad, and sing for joy because of God's amazing salvation. This is the mission of the church: to make God’s ways known on earth and to proclaim His saving power among the nations. The mission of God doesn’t exist for the church; the church exists for the purpose of accomplishing the mission of God. As a church, our mission is to lead people into a vibrant, life-changing relationship with Jesus through gathering in worship, growing together in community and living the mission in our everyday lives. We exist to be part of God’s mission to build a Kingdom of image bearers, from every tribe, tongue and nation, who declare together with one voice, “Great is the Lord!” This is why Solid Rock is on the earth and why we have been planted by God in this community.
This past Sunday, we continued the ‘Sent’ sermon series by looking at Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and Scribes in Luke 15. Jesus was being criticized for showing hospitality toward people who had been identified within the culture as being unclean or sinful. Jesus responds to this criticism with three parables. In each of these parables, we find a very similar theme: heaven rejoices when one sinner repents. Whether it was illustrated by one sheep, one coin, or one son, Jesus believed that one sinner was worth it. Jesus showed hospitality toward sinners because He believed it was worth it if one sinner was saved.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Jesus calls the most unlikely people to become His most influential leaders. When Jesus called Saul, who later becomes known in the Bible as Paul, he was one of the leading persecutors of the church. While traveling with legal authorization to terrorize the church and arrest Jesus’ followers, Saul was radically stopped in his tracks by Jesus. As Saul was struck with blindness, his friends helped him into town where Jesus then called another unlikely person, Ananias, to go to Saul and pray with him. Despite the danger of being arrested, Ananias went to pray and Saul regained his sight and became a faithful follower of Jesus. Saul knew he had encountered the risen Christ and he immediately began to proclaim that Jesus was the Son of God to anyone who would listen. Both Saul and Ananias serve as perfect examples of how Jesus calls the most unlikely people to live a ‘sent’ life.
This past Sunday, we began our ‘Sent’ sermon series. Our desire is for God to begin stirring a passion in our church that will normalize the Biblical calling to live our lives on mission, sent by God into the world to share the Gospel with those who are not yet saved. This is what we mean by living a ‘sent’ life. There is a world of people around us who are dying and set to spend eternity in hell, separated from the good and glorious presence of God. They have no hope unless someone is sent to them and shares with them the Good News of the Gospel. We are God’s chosen method by which He saves the world. Living a ‘sent’ life means that, as you go into the world, you live your life with the primary mission to share the hope of the Gospel.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at God’s design and purpose for discipleship. Matthew 28:18-20 reveals that there is no authority in heaven which can challenge the will of Jesus, and there is no authority on earth that can call the will of Jesus into question. No power on earth or in heaven can rival His authority. Therefore, we can trust His command to be disciples and make disciples for Christ. Being disciples of Jesus means surrendering our lives and embracing the life that Christ gives. This is the only way to true life. As Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” This death happens daily as we, by the grace of God, strive to be more like Christ.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the unique calling of church leadership. The primary roles of church leadership are divided into elder and deacons. Elders, a synonymous title with pastors and overseers, are Godly men who serve in humility and wisdom to lead the church in Godly character and shepherd hearts through prayer, counsel, teaching Biblical doctrine and decision making. Deacons are Godly men and women who set the example for other believers by acting as lead servants, helping to organize and lead the ministries of the church. Both elders and deacons are expected to exhibit the character traits of Godliness in their everyday lives. Churches aren’t meant to be organizations that are led by gifted elders and staff who do the work of ministry; churches are meant to be thriving communities of gifted members, equipped by church leadership to do the work of ministry. When each member is serving out of this equipping, the church is built up with a unified faith, centered on the person and work of Jesus.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at what it means to be a church member. In John 13:34-35, Jesus called his followers to be distinguishable by the way they love one another. The New Testament goes into great detail to define what Jesus fully meant by “love one another,” with at least 42 ways that the members of the church are to love one another. These are explicit Biblical commands of Jesus that create a culture of truth and grace among the members of the church. Devotion to the Biblical distinctions of the church and these “one another” commands is where a person crosses over from being an attender to connecting to the Biblical community in a devoted covenant relationship. A church membership covenant is a mutual agreement in which believers express their devotion to Christ and one another in a way that promotes unity, permits accountability and establishes the Biblical expectations for believers which allows for Christ-centered relationships to flourish and grow in love and unity.
In our first week of The Body of Christ sermon series, we looked at how the Bible outlines clear distinctions of the Christian church. Jesus established much of the doctrine of the church through His life and teaching and then commissioned His disciples to go make disciples of the nations, as a mission to establish the church. Through His teaching, we learned that the true Christian church is the distinct, called-out assembly of those who profess that Jesus is the Son of God and follow His teachings. Although Jesus’ disciples were His first followers, it was the Holy Spirit who actually inaugurated the church at Pentecost and guided the disciples in their mission to launch the church. The distinctions of the Christian church include believing that Jesus is the Son of God, baptism, Biblical teaching, communion, prayer, fellowship and living the mission in everyday life.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how, in the midst of his suffering, Job holds on to the hope that God would redeem his story. Half way through the story, we find Job longing for God to step in and write a better story with his life. At the end of the story, God reveals Himself to Job instead of offering explanations or giving Job immediate relief form his suffering. After Job begins to see God for who He is, Job repents and turns to God to worship Him for His infinite power and wisdom. We see that turning to God in repentance leads us to find the consolation of His mercy and the comfort of His acceptance. When we turn to God and ask for mercy, He gives it generously. Job longed to see God more than He longed to find relief or an explanation for why he was suffering. Job discovered that seeing God’s glory is better than hearing God’s explanation. Job found something better than redemption; he found the Redeemer. Whether or not God does anything in our lives, He is worthy to be worshipped!
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the first half of God’s response to Job. In chapters 38-40, God calls Job to collect all of his good deeds and ready himself for questioning. God begins by revealing his power over all of creation, the sin of the wicked, and the darkness of death. He also reveals how all of creation exists in submission to God’s sovereign power. Then God asks Job to compare himself to God: Who is more Holy? Who has more power? Who has more glory? Who has the ability to judge sin? In the end, God reveals that Job doesn’t compare to the majesty and power of God and he is hopeless to save himself.
All of this points us to Jesus. Through Jesus’ perfect life, He displayed the holiness and righteousness of God. Through His miracles, He displayed his power over creation. Through his death, He displayed God’s righteous anger poured out on all sinners and, through his resurrection, He displayed His power over sin and death. Through everything, Jesus displayed His radiant glory and preeminence over all things. Everything about how God revealed himself to Job points us to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God was revealing to Job that He, and He alone, was worthy of praise and that He, and He alone, could save Job and redeem His life from the misery of his suffering.
In the sermon on Sunday, we looked at the connection between worshipping God and finding true wisdom. In Job 26, Job gives a summary of what man can do with his wisdom: Man can cut channels deep into the earth, and put an end to darkness, in order to bring precious metals and gems to the light. However, despite man’s best efforts, Job confessed that true wisdom cannot be found in the things of earth or within man’s own strength. God holds the knowledge of what man cannot understand. Only God cuts channels deep inside the heart of man, putting an end to the darkness inside hearts and bringing to light things that are precious. When we worship God in awe and reverence, we are declaring that God is superior to us in all things. Therefore, when He speaks, we are inclined to listen and to release our grip on the pride of our own wisdom. Our minds and hearts are then postured to receive wisdom from God. This section of the book of Job ends with a call to worship God for His incomprehensible and unsearchable nature.
Last Sunday, we began the year with a new sermon series - Worthy of Worship: The Book of Job. Job was a wealthy and successful man with a large family. Job’s fear of the Lord empowered him to turn away from evil and worship God. His worship was rooted in seeing who he was in comparison to God. Satan accused Job of only worshipping God because of his many blessings and proposed that if God removed his blessings, Job would cease to worship. With God’s permission, Satan stripped away all that Job had to be thankful for. Job responded in grief and worship. Job’s grief revealed how much he cared about the things God had blessed him with and He was completely broken for what was lost. However, Job acknowledged that he didn’t bring anything into the world, he was not entitled to anything and everything he had was a gift from God. Today, we often worship God only when we are happy with what He is doing for us. We sit and wait to be moved and our worship is dependent on whether or not God does something we like. However, God is worthy to be worshipped simply because of who He is. Job reveals the heart of true worship: whether or not God does anything in our lives, He is worthy to be worshipped!
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s exhortation to the Philippian believers, and to us, to look forward to the prize that lies ahead for the believer in Christ—that prize is heavenly communion with our Savior. In the meantime, our lives on earth are the “race” God has given to us to run on our way to receiving that prize.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Abraham and Isaac’s story ends with a promise. The promise God makes to Abraham is fulfilled in Christmas. Like Abraham and Isaac’s journey, Jesus’ birth at the manger is the beginning of His difficult journey of trust, obedience and sacrifice. As Jesus lived out His life on earth, every day was one more step in His journey up the mountain toward the altar of the cross, where He laid down His life as the perfect substitute sacrifice for us. The Bible promises that all who trust in Jesus will be saved. This is God’s promise to Abraham and this is God’s promise to you. The real meaning of Christmas is this: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Abraham and Isaac’s story continues to point us toward Jesus. As he constantly walked in obedience and trust, Abraham obeyed God all the way to the point of offering his son Isaac as a burnt offering. From the beginning of man’s relationship with God in the Garden, God’s law has prescribed death as the requirement for sin. So, for hundreds of years, the nation of Israel offered sacrificed animals as an atonement for their sins. Later on in the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah opens his prophesy by expressing how God is no longer satisfied with the sacrifices of animals. He goes on to prophesy about how God would send a new king, in the lineage of David, to deal with sin in an unexpected way. This new king would become a servant who would be rejected, pierced, crushed, wounded, and killed as a sacrifice and ransom for many. This Messiah King would be like a lamb being led to the slaughter. In the book of Romans, Paul reminds us that Jesus was put forward as a sacrifice to satisfy God’s requirements for our sin. This is why John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus walking toward him, declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the heart of what it means to truly trust God. In Genesis 22, we see how Abraham’s trust in God compelled him to continue his journey to sacrifice Isaac, even in the midst of uncertainty. At this point in the journey, Abraham had no indication that God was going to provide a substitute sacrifice. Abraham trusted God because he believed that God was in control and able, even if it meant resurrecting Isaac back to life. Abraham obeyed God because he believed that God was trustworthy to fulfill everything He promised and do what was right and good.
In Genesis 22, we see foreshadowing of what Jesus would do several thousand years later. Christmas is about celebrating the obedience of Jesus, as He stepped away from His throne and entrusted Himself to His Father, to be born as a baby in a manger. Jesus wasn’t entrusting Himself to Mary and Joseph; He was entrusting Himself to His Father. We have been called to follow Jesus’ example of entrusting ourselves to the Father. Even when God calls us to do things that are scary and don’t make sense, and even when it may cost us everything, God is trustworthy.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at a portrait of true obedience through the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. God approached Abraham to test, refine and solidify his faith by asking him to give up his one and only son, whom he loved dearly. When God calls for Abraham’s attention, His authority is rooted in who He is, not what He is asking for. Similarly, Abraham’s obedience is rooted in his understanding of who God is BEFORE God asks for anything. Abraham’s response of “Here I am” conveyed his readiness to hear from and obey God. Likewise, when God calls us, it is less about where we are going and more about Who is calling us there.
Additionally, we see a foreshadowing of the cross in Abraham and Isaac’s story. This wouldn’t be the last time God would ask someone to give up a beloved one and only son; the next time He would ask it of Himself. Through feeling the weight of what God asked of Abraham, we can better understand the weight of the sacrifice of Jesus and the love of God toward us. Despite how difficult it would be to give up a beloved son, God did just that... and He did it for you.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we recognized how easy it is to affirm the goodness of God in general terms. It’s easy to proclaim God’s goodness when things are going well but it becomes much more difficult when our plans and our lives seem to be going backward on a daily basis. The Psalmist David reminds us that, no matter our life circumstances, fear of the Lord leads us to a heart of worship. We are called to praise God, not just with our mouths but with every fiber of our being. The fear of the Lord produces continual praise, commitment, personal obedience, and knowing and trusting in the goodness of God and all He is.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God redeems our suffering for our good. In James 1, God calls Christians to find joy in suffering because He is redeeming what was intended to bring us harm and using it to lead us to something better. God is using suffering to expose where our faith is diluted by doubt and where it is rooted in false doctrine, in order to bring to completion the work that He began in our lives. Redemption is the miraculous process of restoring something to better than it was. God is using the hardship, trials and suffering in our lives to lead us to something better. God is refining and stabilizing our faith, solidifying our doctrine, and using Gospel-saturated community to redeem our suffering and lead us to full maturity in Christ.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel calls and empowers Christians to wage war against the sin that we face in our daily lives. In Romans 8, we see that the Holy Spirit leads us into battle. The war for our souls has been decisively won with one very specific battle victory: the resurrection of Jesus. However, the war has yet to come to an end and we fight this war in small battles with sin everyday. As Paul reminds us, the battle with sin is a battle of the affections. The reason we still struggle with sin is that we love it too much and Jesus too little. It’s not enough to want Jesus; we must love Him more than we love our sin. We love sin because it makes us promises, offers temporary relief to pain, and brings us momentary pleasure. Jesus offers us something better: His love. Romans 8 reminds us that nothing cans separate us from the love of Christ. Jesus makes us a better promise and offers us the comfort of His never-ending presence in the midst of the battle. The Gospel reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus because He has already won the war for our souls. Therefore, we should wage war on sin in our everyday lives.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the forgiveness we receive from God should compel us to readily forgive our neighbor. In Matthew 18, Jesus uses a parable to tell Peter that there should be no measure to the forgiveness we extend to one another. The debt we owe God for our sins is immeasurable and impossible to fathom ever paying back in 10,000 lifetimes. Yet He freely offers His forgiveness. When we consider forgiving one another, there is no comparison between the moral violation of sinning against us and the moral violation of sinning against an infinitely Holy God. Jesus isn’t minimizing the pain a person experiences when someone is sinned against; He is maximizing the chasm between sins committed against us and the sins we commit against God. There is no comparison. When we try to fathom God’s immeasurable forgiveness toward us, our hearts can’t help but become stirred with gratitude and a readiness to forgiven others, without keeping a record.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel informs and impacts the way we pray. In Matthew 6, Jesus lays out a framework for how His followers should pray, in light of the Gospel. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we are not praying to a far-off, unknown spiritual being; we are praying to our Heavenly Father. Our familial bond to God means that we are praying to One who loves us and in whom we can trust. At the same time, Gospel-saturated prayers are tempered with a sense of awe and wonder. We pray confidently and intimately with God because He is our Father, while never losing sight of the truth that our Heavenly Father is also the Creator and sustainer of the universe. Prayer should be an everyday journey into the awe and wonder that comes from intentionally stepping into the presence of an infinitely Holy God. All of this is made possible only by the grace of Jesus.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel impacts the way we view our money and possessions. In Matthew 13:44, we learned that the Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest treasure a person can find. In fact, the Kingdom is so valuable that the person who finds Him willingly and joyfully trades allegiance with every earthly treasure out of the joy of finding Him. He is infinitely more valuable than anything else we can find in our lives. Jesus tells us that whatever our treasure is will hold the position of “primary stakeholder” in our hearts and will ultimately become our master. When Jesus becomes our ultimate treasure, our ultimate object of worship, our master and our King, we are free to receive His provisions and blessings with joy, while holding them with the loose grip of wise stewardship and sacrificial generosity.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel impacts our physical health. Because of our sin nature and ever-present battle with our flesh, we have a tendency to see our bodies as irrelevant to spiritual living. As we saw in 1 Corinthians 6, Jesus died and resurrected that we might experience the eternal resurrection of our physical bodies. Therefore, our bodies matter to Jesus. Our physical bodies were bought, with a price, by the death of Jesus. The sins you commit in your body have been atoned for and the residue of your sins will be completely cleansed from your resurrected body. The Bible calls us to steward our bodies for the glory of God. We should see our physical bodies as the means by which we live out the mission of Jesus on earth for God’s glory. Therefore, we should strive to live healthy lives in order to live out our redemptive potential as followers of Jesus.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued the Everyday Gospel series and looked at how the Gospel impacts our work. In Genesis 1 and 2, we see that God created human beings to flourish through work. As a part of God’s original design, untainted by sin, work is the cultivating and harvesting of God’s creation in order to receive God’s good provision. Because of sin, the way humans view and interact with their work became marred and distorted. Rather than being a joy through which we receive God’s good provisions, work has become a burden, full of pain and obstacles. However, through the Gospel, God is restoring our hearts to see our work the way He designed it to be. As Christians, we should work hard and honestly, not for wages or recognition or to make it across the
finish line into retirement. The grace of Jesus stirs our hearts to give great effort to our work for God’s glory and the joy of cultivating, creating and keeping as part God’s design for human flourishing. We work hard until the day we enter into eternity, where we will, quite possibly, continue to work as Adam and Eve worked: as a means to receiving God’s good provision for all eternity.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the Biblical mandate for children to obey their parents and for parents to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. This is a calling to walk in faith toward complete restoration of what was before The Fall. Parents, the purpose in disciplining your children is to imitate your Heavenly Father. Your children should see a reflection of their relationships with God through their relationships with you. When they receive discipline and
instruction, tempered in patience and love, you are teaching them how to interact with their heavenly Father. When you engage in Biblical parenting, you and your children both have the opportunity to see a beautiful reflection of who God is, stirring your hearts for worship of your Heavenly Father. When you fail as a parent, you personally experience what your children need to experience when they make mistakes: patience, love, forgiveness and gentle correction. As the Gospel covers you with grace in your parenting, you are reminded of how patient God is with you. Through your parenting mistakes, God displays His amazing love for you by restraining His anger, patiently disciplining you, and instructing you,
without provoking you to anger.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how gender is part of God’s
design for humans flourishing. Our gender-based identities are inherently part of the Imago Dei and the way we interact within our genders reflects the way that the Godhead interacts within Himself; This is especially true in marriage. The Bible presents a blueprint for marriage that leads to human flourishing and true joy. We are all called to mutually submit to one another and we are all called to submit to Jesus. Wives, as a part of their specific roles as image bearers, are called to also submit to their husbands. A wife’s submission to her husband is a reflection of the Church’s submission to Christ. Husbands are called to lay down their lives (literally and metaphorically) for their wives. Just as Jesus lived His life in sacrifice for the sake of the Church, husbands are to do the same in their everyday lives. The ultimate purpose of marriage is to serve as a
reflection of the relationship between Jesus and the Church. When we seek to find our fulfillment and happiness in Jesus alone, mutually submitting ourselves to Christ and living within our God-designed roles, our marriages will be saturated in joy.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel shapes how we invest our greatest commodity in this life: our time. Every calendar entry reflects our personal theology on happiness. Our commitments govern how we spend our time; How we spend our time reflects what we give our lives to; And what we give our lives to is guided by the answer
to one primary question, “What will make me the happiest?” The lie of the ‘American Dream’ is that I will be happy if I can graduate from high school, go to college and make good grades, find a nice-looking, easy-to-get-along-with spouse with whom I can raise well-mannered, nice looking kids, live in a nice home in a nice neighborhood, and drive a nice car to my fulfilling job; All of this until the day when I will glide into retirement with ease, die quietly in my sleep and not go to hell. The problem isn’t that these are evil things, but that they can’t deliver on the promise to bring us true happiness. True happiness is found only in a life surrendered to
knowing Jesus and making Him known in this life, until that day when we step into eternity to behold His majesty finally and forever.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel is good news in our justification and sanctification. Trusting in Jesus, and His work alone, changes who we are. And because the Gospel changes who we are, it changes what we do and how we live. Jesus says that he who hears and
believes the Gospel is like a farmer planting seeds in good soil; genuine faith produces good fruit. James says the same thing more specifically when he says that genuine faith in Jesus will produce good works. Genuine faith in the Gospel saves us and leads us to reflect God’s moral character and live for God’s perfect will. The Gospel is good news in our salvation and in our sanctification; it changes who we are (justification) and the way we live our lives through good works (sanctification).
Last Sunday, we began our new series: The Everyday Gospel. We started off the series by looking at how the Gospel shapes our identities and the way we see ourselves and each other. Unlike the cultural worldview that determines your identity based on what you do and how well you perform what you do, the Gospel declares that who we are is 100% based on who God is. We are image bearers. In the same way that God cannot be understood apart from the Trinity, who you are is rooted and reflected in the community to which you belong. As human beings who have been redeemed by the finished work of Jesus and called to unite with other believers, you reflect God’s image: His Character, His Beauty, His Will. You are an image bearer. This is who you are!
In the sermon this past Sunday, we wrapped up the sermon series “Even Sinners Such As I” by looking at how Jesus alone truly satisfies the longing of the human soul. Ironically, as fallen people, we are prone to seek satisfaction in things on Earth that can’t satisfy. In Isaiah 55:1-3 we were reminded that true satisfaction for the soul comes from placing our faith solely in Jesus. Through hearing and believing the Gospel message, our souls find true delight in the life-giving promise of eternal life. This is what drove the Apostle Paul to find delight in forsaking everything he had acquired and accomplished in life in order to take hold of Jesus (Philippians 3:7-8). It is only through faith in Jesus that our souls are truly satisfied.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how we have been set free from our slavery to sin by Christ and we are called to stand firm in that freedom through walking by the Holy Spirit, not giving ourselves, once again, as slaves to sin. As Christ followers, we don’t have to convince God to lead us toward His will. The Holy Spirit is consistently leading us towards holiness, compelling us to live our lives for Jesus and issuing warnings to us when we consider listening to the voice of the flesh. Our conscience is not static; it can be seared by sin and it can be cleaned and renewed by the work of the Holy Spirit. We have been set free from a guilty conscience and bondage to sin in order that we may remain free with a clear conscience, dwelling in the kinship of Biblical community.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel frees us from our slavery to idols. In Deuteronomy 4:15-20, God reminds us that anything can become an idol. An idol is anything or anyone that takes the place of “first love” in our lives. Idols are most often the good things that we have received from God that have become ultimate things. Idols draw us away from worshipping God by convincing us to bow down to them and serve them. God rescues us from our idols when we chose to see Jesus as better. When we rest in this truth, Jesus once again becomes our First Love, and our hearts and minds are latched to Him, loosening our grip on our idols.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel rescues us from our fears and anxieties. In Philippians 4:4-9, we were reminded that our battles with anxiety and fear are common struggles among Christ followers. The Apostle Paul calls Christians to combat anxiety through worship, prayer and living in Christian community. We set our attention and affections on Jesus by recalibrating our hearts to worship, through reading His Word and meditating on His flawless character and infinite attributes. When we turn our hearts away from the objects of our anxiety, and toward God, we encounter His greatness. In seeing the greatness of God, the objects of our anxieties and fears begin to decrease. Additionally, when we press into the community of Christ, through transparency and serving one another, we dispel the lies behind our fears and experience the life-transforming grace of Jesus reflected through His church.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the miraculous work of God in redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 says that God chose us in our weakness in order to redeem us by working in us and through us for His glory. He takes what is weak, makes it strong and then uses it to save the world. This is the essence of our redemption: God redeems us, not because of how lovable we are or how much potential we have, but in order to display His power as the Great Redeemer. God chose us, not based on what we have to offer Him, but based on what He has to offer us. Through Christ we have personally witnessed the greatest miracle of all: God’s miraculous power and work of redemption in our lives!
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the finished work of Jesus is enough to earn God’s approval for us and secure our calling in ministry. In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Paul reminded the church that this was the basis for his encouragement and confidence to share the Gospel boldly in the midst of much persecution. This is also why Paul didn’t give in to the temptation to become a people pleaser or seek to find his value and worth in the applause of man. Paul understood that Jesus already did enough to earn our approval and secure our calling. We need not be shackled by what others think of us or motivated by the expectations and opinions of others in order to gain their applause and approval. Instead, we can live as people who have already been approved as God’s children and representatives, entrusted with the Gospel in order to live boldly for God’s glory.
This past Sunday, we looked at how sin and shame can impact our lives. Through the story of the Exodus, God reveals how the sin of Israel and the sin of the Pharaoh brought shame upon the people of Israel. Just like the people of Israel, shame tries to identify us as worthless and unacceptable, and pushes us far from people and the presence of God. However, God shows Himself to be faithful to claim us as His own and make us new creations through the work of the cross. Although the cross is one of the greatest instruments of humiliation and shame, Christ conquered our enemies of sin and death and traded our shame for the righteousness of God.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s description of life before and after salvation. Prior to our salvation, the Bible calls us a people who are dead in our trespasses and those who walk according to the world. However, because of God “being rich in mercy because of His great love,” He moves us from death to life. This salvation process is only made possible through the faith that He gives us. As His workmanship, we are then made more like Him daily as He produces good works in us.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel produces hope in our suffering. In Romans 5, Paul reminds us of the justification that we have through our faith in Jesus and how that justification brings us peace with God and access into God’s presence. Additionally, our faith in Jesus has secured for us God’s forgiveness for our sins and eternal adoption as God’s children. All of this gives us hope not in the circumstances of this life but, rather, in a hope that is founded in the life to come. Through Romans 8, we were reminded that all suffering is painful but our hope isn’t based on a temporary end to our pain. Our hope has to be found in something that is beyond what happens to us today. True hope can only be found in the eternal end of pain and suffering, which is offered to us through believing the Gospel and placing our trust in Jesus.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God’s abounding grace works in our lives to eradicate sin and transform us into the image of Jesus. In Romans 6, Paul give us two primary commands in our battle against sin: consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ and present ourselves near to God rather than near to sin. Paul says that when we obey the command to consider our identity and our worth according to the Gospel, we are empowered to draw near to God rather than drawing near to sin. When we walk in nearness to sin, we will give in and obey it’s desires. However, when we walk in nearness to God, by setting our affections on Him, we will walk in obedience to God and sin will no longer have dominion over our lives.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel calls us to walk in transparency with God and each other. In 1 John 1, the Apostle John admonishes the church to understand that our confession of sin is what opens the door to true fellowship. John says that if we claim to have no sin in our lives, we are essentially calling God a liar and declaring that we have no need for the Gospel. To live as though there is no sin in our lives is to live in disbelief of the Gospel. This is why it is ludicrous to claim to be a Christian while, at the same time, living in self- righteousness. God calls his Church to wholeheartedly believe the Gospel and to walk in authentic transparency with God and one another.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God’s power is perfected in us in the midst of our weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12, we saw how the Gospel leads us to boast in our weakness rather than hiding or pretending to be something we are not. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth, encouraging them from his own experience, that God takes the things that Satan uses to harass us and uses them to humble us and, ultimately, make us stronger. Paul's conclusion is that if Christ's power is made perfect in our weakness, then we would rather boast in our weakness rather than try to hide it. Through Paul’s example, God is showing us how to embrace our weakness in humility and transparency and allow His power to meet us in our weakness.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the humble confession of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, when Paul openly declared himself the “chief of sinners.” Through looking at Paul’s confession, we were reminded that Jesus didn’t come to rescue people who think they have it together. Jesus came to save sinners. In contrast with what much of the Church today believes, the sign of true spiritual maturity isn’t the absence of repentance; it’s the growing presence of Christ-exalting, Gospel-saturated repentance as believers become more and more aware of the daily need for the Gospel. At Solid Rock, we desire to become a church where Gospel- transparency is part of our DNA. This means that we are open with one another about our struggles because we are walking in covenant relationship with one another, creating a context where our identities aren’t in jeopardy by being honest about our weakness. Ultimately, we desire to become a church that is honest about our struggles because we believe the Gospel, which says we are sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus came to the world to save sinners, even sinners such as I.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Matthew 9:35-38 and focused on a powerful word that reveals the heart of Jesus: compassion. Much of the work Jesus did during his earthly ministry displayed the compassion He had for others. In this passage, Jesus saw the harassed and helpless and didn’t judge them or turn His back on them; He felt compassion for them. Jesus challenged His disciples to have this same kind of compassion. In a world full of the harassed and helpless, laborers are needed. In order to be a laborer for the harvest—or, in other words, to see those struggling and have compassion to do something about it—we must pray and follow the example of Jesus. He asks us, as disciples, to see those struggling around us and act with the same compassion and love that God has shown to us.
For our Mother’s Day sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Sarah’s response to God’s promise in Genesis 18 and 21. Through her example, we see a beautiful picture of what it looks like to be a woman after God’s own heart. Through her lack of faith, God turned Sarah’s self-doubt and fear into faith in God’s power to do what seemed impossible. Being a woman after God’s own heart means that your identity is rooted in what God alone thinks of you and what God alone has promised you. Being a woman after God’s own heart means that your life is rooted in God’s promises as you trust Him to do the impossible in your life and through your life. God desires to free women from the shackles of shame, the burden of legalism and the lie that, unless they have it all together, they have no value. God promises to take the ashes of failure and turn them into beauty. God promises to take the discarded and broken shards of self-image, which women often have from living in a fallen world, and give them an identity rooted in what Christ has done for them, rather than what they can do for themselves.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the Bible’s Gospel Story conclusion in Revelation 21 and 22. In this passage, God reminds us that He is the author of the story and the Bible is ultimately about His redemption plan to rescue the nations from sin and death and restore all things to the condition they were originally created to be at the beginning of the story: “Very good.” What makes this good news for us is that Jesus has done all of the work and made the ultimate payment on our behalf in order that God’s redemption would come to us for free. The Gospel Story calls us to trust and believe that the payment Jesus made on the cross was enough forus.AtthemomentwehearandbelievetheGospel,oursalvationispaidforinfull. The Gospel Story ends with the glorious reminder that God has invited us, who are unworthy and have nothing to give for payment, to receive what He is offering for free and have complete and eternal satisfaction.
What aspects of this life are you tempted to trust in before or instead of Jesus? How does it affect you to know that God is offering you His love and forgiveness for free?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked again at the final restoration that God promised. Revelation 19 begins with the mighty sound of the nations gathering together in the great wedding hall, where Jesus will claim the Church as His bride. In this passage, we see a beautiful picture of our worship and community being fully and finally restored. Jesus rides into the wedding hall, at just the right time, to rescue his bride from the villain. Jesus is no longer postured to endure the injustices of His enemies with great patience; Instead, He unleashes His righteous anger, bringing His enemies to an end. This the moment in God’s story when the preeminence of Christ is made known in the heavens and on the earth, as sin and death are brought to an end. Jesus secured our victory over sin and death at His resurrection, but this is the moment when the whole universe will know, without wavering and without doubt, that He truly is the King of Kings.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we were reminded that we are God’s children and, therefore, we are saints because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. The Holy Spirit reminds us who we are in Christ during our journey through sanctification, as we become more like Him every day. Paul reminds us that, since we are children of God, we are awaiting our inheritance of glorification as heirs with Christ. At the revealing of the sons of God, creation will be set free from its bondage to corruption and the saints will become fully and finally like Jesus. Whatever hope and blessing, forgiveness and confidence we have in this life through our faith in Jesus, all pale in comparison to the new glorified body we will receive on the day when we finally and fully behold the glory of Christ.
What are some past achievements or events in your life in which you placed hope but, in the end, didn’t deliver what you had hoped for? (i.e. job, marriage, children, retirement, etc.) How does the promise of future glorification give you hope for your life today?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the second part of God’s re-creation work in our lives. Last week, our focus was on the work that God has done to restore everything that was lost in the Fall. Our focus this week is on how our efforts fit into the amazing work that God is doing in us. Fueled by the love of Christ, we are compelled to put our old selves to death and walk in the new life that we have in Him. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been set free to pursue holiness and righteousness; fueled and anchored in the grace of Jesus and the victory He has already won on our behalf.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the impact that the resurrection of Christ has on our lives. God has restored everything that was lost in the Fall. Through faith in Christ, we are re-created as image bearers and stirred once again to worship the one true God. In Christ, every barrier that kept us from dwelling in genuine fellowship with one another has been put to death, allowing us to dwell in abiding and transparent community with one another. And in Christ, our mission to multiply and become a kingdom of image bearers of the Most High God has been restored, as He entrusts to us the message of reconciliation as His ambassadors on earth.
How is your relationship with Christ challenging you to step deeper into Christian community? In what ways can you be more engaged in the mission of God to share the message He has entrusted to you and to live as His ambassador in your everyday life?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued looking at God’s great Rescue. We recognized that the resurrection of Jesus is the greatest singular moment in the Gospel Story. Jesus came to do what no person in the Old Testament had been able to accomplish. All of man’s attempts to save himself fell short. The sacrifices in the temple weren’t enough. The pursuit of a high standard of morality was never enough. Jesus did what no man or woman can do; He lived his life in perfect obedience and fulfilled the demands of the law, then He died and resurrected from the grave to overcome sin and death for us. The resurrection of Jesus is the climax of the Gospel Story of the Bible. This is also the climax of your story. Jesus’ resurrection is the decisive moment when the war for your soul was won.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the part of the Gospel Story where the rescue begins to takes place. The first four books in the New Testament, referred to as the Gospels, contain the story of God’s Son stepping down from His throne and into our world to become flesh and live a perfect life of obedience to the Law of God in order to rescue us. Through faith in Jesus alone, His perfect obedience becomes our perfect obedience. Everything that is required of us to enter Heaven was accomplished through Jesus and He gives it to us as a gift to be received by grace alone. When we place our trust and our faith in Jesus, our sins are forgiven and He makes us righteous.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued our journey through the Gospel Story by looking at one of the primary themes in the Old Testament. From Genesis 12 through the book of Malachi, we see God making and reiterating his promise to rescue mankind from sin and death. Through every small story in the Old Testament, we see a perpetual cycle of man’s struggle with sin and God’s promise to rescue. At the end of the Old Testament, the Gospel Story leaves creation with the lingering promise that God will rescue mankind and make all things new again. This is the same promise we cling to today as we look to Jesus, the hero of the Gospel story who fulfilled all that God promised.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued our journey through the Gospel story. We looked at the fall of humanity and the impact that sin had on our God-designed purpose for worship, community and mission. Through believing the lie of the serpent, Adam and Eve sinned by engaging in self-worship, the root of all sin. Once our worship was distorted, our community and our mission followed. Self-worship leads to self- centered community. When we are engaged in self-worship, we only engage in community as long as it’s comfortable and we perceive it to be beneficial. Self-worship also distorts our mission. When we are engaged in self-worship, we only engage in mission that makes us feel better about ourselves and we only help those who we perceive are in need.
Am I willing to fully engage in relationships in the church that aren’t easy or comfortable? Is there a part of the mission that God has called me to get involved in that I have been resistant to or completely avoided?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the beginning of God’s Gospel story. The story began with the account of how and why the universe was created. In this narrative, we see that the first man and woman were created with the primary purpose of reflecting God’s image in the created world. God was building for Himself a Kingdom of image bearers, through multiplication and living in community. Even though this plan became distorted through sin, God sent His son, Jesus, to rescue what was lost because of our sin. He redeemed our ability to dwell in deep and abiding community, thereby restoring our mission to multiply, in order to expand His Kingdom.
This past Sunday, we began The Gospel Story sermon series. In this series, we will be looking at how all of the small stories of the Bible come together to tell one epic story of redemption. In God’s redemption story, Jesus is the hero. The Bible tells the story of Jesus coming to rescue His people from sin and death. This story continues today in our lives. When we trust Jesus as our rescuer, He becomes the hero of our story and God begins writing a redemption story with our lives. When we are able to see our lives this way, we find more purpose and meaning than before. We see ourselves as supporting characters in God’s epic drama and begin to feel the weight of the fact that God has invited us to join His story.
Do I see my life as the main story or a small scene in God’s epic redemption story? Am I using my life to tell the story of God’s redemption?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we revisited Isaiah’s story from week 2 of the All In series. We looked at Isaiah’s response to God’s forgiveness in his life and asked the question: “Why did Isaiah respond to the forgiveness of God with complete devotion and surrender?” In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul explains that our salvation compels us to live for Christ and no longer live for ourselves. Isaiah’s experience compelled him to let go of trusting in himself and completely trust in God. When God called Isaiah to go, Isaiah responded by submitting his life to the mission of God because he believed the mission God had for him was better than his own.
Have you come to the place in your life where you are ready to completely trust God and submit your life to His mission?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the first church devoted itself to the mission of Jesus immediately after hearing and responding to the Gospel at Pentecost. Those who were saved were baptized and devoted themselves to the mission of Jesus inside and outside the church. Their devotion was evident by the way their hearts overflowed with gladness and generosity toward one another through sharing their resources generously for the mission of Jesus.
Do you live in gratitude and generosity as a response to the grace of Jesus in your life? Do you believe that the mission to which Jesus has called Solid Rock is worth the investment of your life and resources?
In the second sermon of our 2018 All In series, we looked at Isaiah’s response to his encounter with the Holy presence of God. Like Isaiah, when we encounter the presence of God, it leads us to repentance and surrender. We surrender our deep, desperate situation to Jesus, as the only hope we have of being rescued. The redemptive rescue of Jesus leads to the mission of Jesus. Everyone who has been saved by Jesus has also been called to His mission. God calls us to engage and invest in the same mission through which He saved us.
Have you truly surrendered your life to Jesus through faith and repentance? Have you surrendered your life to the call God has for you to engage in the mission of Jesus?
In our first sermon of the 2018 All In series this past Sunday, we looked in Matthew 25 at a parable in which a wealthy man went on a journey and entrusted his servants to manage his resources while he was gone. Through this parable, we are reminded that everything we have belongs to God, and we have been entrusted with God’s resources according to our abilities. Therefore, God expects us to invest everything He has entrusted to us for His Mission through giving generously to the church, living within our means, meeting our financial obligations, and enjoying what’s left. Ultimately, we have been entrusted to manage God’s money for God’s mission.
Do you trust God’s intentions enough to invest everything He has entrusted to you into His mission? Are you truly willing to live All In for the Mission of Jesus?
This past Sunday, we continued in our SR Vision series by answering the question,“What is Biblical community?” We discussed that Biblical community is designed by God, with an intentional purpose to eternally change the lives of those who are in Christ Jesus. Biblical Community is set apart because it is solely centered on the Truth of the Gospel. When we live in true Biblical community, we reflect God’s purpose and glory. We do this by living out the Gospel in our everyday lives and walking in His truth, transparency, and grace.
As we kicked off the SR Vision sermon series this past Sunday, we began by looking at what worship truly is and what it has to do with God’s work in transforming our lives. With New Year’s Resolutions fresh on our minds, most of us have been evaluating the changes we want to see in our lives in 2018. As we seek positive change, we need to remember that true change doesn’t come from behaving differently; it comes from beholding the glory of God. WE can’t change US. We are only changed by beholding something better, something more beautiful, something more powerful. If you truly want to behave differently, you need to be wiling to behold differently: to think deeply about the holiness of God, to behold the majesty of His beauty, and to be overwhelmed and overcome with His goodness in your life.
What are the areas of your life that you truly want to see changed in 2018? In what ways can you position your life to be a reflection of God’s glory to the world around you?
In the final sermon of the Advent series, we looked at the essence of Christmas. What is Christmas really about? Christmas isn’t merely the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but it is the celebration of God’s plan to rescue sinners through Jesus. God gave his Son as a gift to us, that He would live a perfect life, die a sacrificial death and resurrect victoriously over death. Through faith in Him, we can have peace with God and peace with our fellow man. Through God’s gift, His one and only Son, we can be transformed from enemies of God to children of God by faith.
In the third sermon of the Advent series, A Son is Given, we looked at the significance of Jesus being called the Son of Abraham. The Apostle Paul saw a very deep and profound connection between Jesus and Abraham and, according to Paul, this was the center of the Gospel. He even mentions that when God made his original promise to Abraham in Genesis 12, God was “preaching the Gospel beforehand” to Abraham and because Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness. This is the center of the Gospel message: by faith in Jesus, sinners are made righteous. Abraham was considered perfectly righteous before God, not because of what he did but because of whom he believed in. Jesus was born as the Son of Abraham to fulfill all that God had promised to us through Abraham, that He would bless us by sending to us a righteousness that can only be attained by faith. This is the true gift of Christmas.
How did God fulfill His promise to make Abraham’s name great and bless all other families through him? Have you truly received the righteousness that can only come from believing in Jesus?
In the second sermon of our Advent series, A Son is Given, we looked at the significance of Jesus being identified as the Son of David. In order to understand the real meaning of this title, we looked deep into the Old Testament to a promise God made to King David in 2 Samuel 7 that God would establish the throne of David forever through one of his descendants. When the Angel Gabriel tells Mary she will give birth to the Son of God, he indicates that this baby will be the One to whom God referred in His promise to King David. The promise wasn’t just made to David; it impacts us all. God promised that He would one day send a Savior and King to save people from their sin and death and, as a free gift, give them ‘forever in Heaven with Him’. When we think about the meaning of Christmas, the celebration isn’t only about the birth of Jesus; the true celebration of Christmas is how the birth of Jesus sets in motion His life, death and resurrection and how that guarantees us eternity with Him.
When you think about forever, what is it that you are most looking forward to? What does the Bible say is required of you in order to know you will spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven?
As we move through this Advent season, we are focusing on Jesus as the Son of God who was given for us. In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at prophesy about the birth of Jesus from Isaiah 8 & 9. Isaiah announced, 700 years before the birth of Jesus, that God would send a light to shine in the midst of our darkness and bring hope to our hopelessness. The “light” would be God’s own Son, born into the world to guide our lives as a wonderful and wise Counselor and lead us as a powerful King, who wages war on Satan, sin, and death in order to protect us and bring us peace. The Gospel of Luke introduces Baby Jesus as the child about whom Isaiah was prophesying. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior and King!
How does the birth of Jesus bring hope to your life in the midst of darkness and despair? Have you truly trusted in Jesus as your Savior and King?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at how God calls Christians to pursue holiness. Created in the image of a Holy God, our lives have been marred by sin, and God’s holy image has been distorted by our disobedience. Through our faith in the obedience of Jesus, God is restoring His image in us through the process of sanctification. This is the life-long process of being transformed into the image of Christ. Even though God is the one who transforms, He calls us to participate in this transformational work by walking in faith and pursuing holiness, not as a means to become holy, but because God has already made us holy through Christ.
In our services this past Sunday, we took time to share and celebrate the work God has done in our lives through the Desires of the Heart sermon series. As we walked through each sermon in the series, we looked at the idols of dreams, relationships, performance, being right, control, comfort and possessions. Most of us discovered that our idols are the good things that God has blessed us with that we turn into ultimate things. Our prayer and hope throughout this series has been for God to do a refining work in our lives, individually and collectively as a church. Before we take another step forward in the Solid Rock story, in which we intend to build bigger buildings and create more space to invite more people to be a part of His story, we deeply desire for God to purge our hearts of anything that we have made into an idol.
In the sermon this past week, we answered the question, “Now what?” Now that we have started to identify idols in our lives, what do we need to do to see these idols removed? Idol worship is not simply disobeying God; it’s setting our whole hearts on something besides God, which always plays out in disobedience. Our idols meet us in our need for comfort, security, significance, acceptance, love, satisfaction and peace. By itself, removing the idols leaves a vacuum in the soul in our deepest desires, needs and longing. Idols can’t simply be removed; they must be replaced with something better. Repentance is the great exchange of allegiance, affection and focus. It’s the is the process of reorienting our hearts towards God and allowing Jesus to take the place of our idols. In true repentance, we find that Jesus is the only one who can truly bring joy and peace for our souls.
In the sermon this past weekend, we looked at the final idol in the Desires of the Heart series: The Idol of Possessions. In Luke 12, Jesus stops his teaching to address a question about inheritance from a man in the crowd. Instead of directly answering the man’s question, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach the crowd about the idol of possessions. Using a parable, Jesus points out that what the man is really after is much deeper than filling his pockets and his barns; he is looking for something that will satisfy his soul. Jesus’ conclusion is straight to the point when He explains to the crowd that it is foolish to store up an abundance of wealth in an attempt find satisfaction, joy and peace. Having wealth or possessions isn’t idolatry in itself, but becomes an idol when we look to these things for joy and satisfaction. Instead, Jesus reveals the good heart of God to give us more than we can acquire or store up on earth by giving us access to His eternal Kingdom. True peace for our souls is only found in pursuing a life that is so immensely satisfied in God alone, we are filled with joy and willingly loosen our grip on our earthly possessions.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the idol of comfort. In 2 Corinthians, we learn about God’s perspective on comfort and how that contrasts with the American Dream theology of the modern church. The Bible draws a distinction between pursuing comfort for the flesh and seeking comfort for the soul. God Himself is the one true source of comfort for the human soul and He provides this comfort to His people through two primary avenues: His presence and engagement with a Biblical community. We looked at the three primary manifestations of the idol of comfort and how this idol can become a significant barrier from fully engaging in worship, community and mission.
What comfort idols have your eyes been opened to today in your own life? How have your idols of comfort inhibited you from fully obeying God and following Christ in your life?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the idol of being right. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with desiring to be right, when we allow that desire to become so significant to us that it causes arguments and divisions, the desire has become an idol that is more important to us than our desire to be loving. The idol of being right hinders us from extending forgiveness when we’ve been wronged and being gracious towards those with whom we disagree. Jesus calls us to not only consider our love for one another more important than being right, He calls us to extend love even to our enemies. Jesus himself was mistreated, misunderstood and opposed by those who he chose to die for. He shows us that when we are secure in our relationship with our Heavenly Father, we don’t have to insist on always being right. We can let go of this idol in order to love others well.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we took a break from the Desires of the Heart series to look at the heart of God in the midst of tragedy and suffering. When tragedy strikes, the first human response is to ask the question, “Why?” Questions like “Why did this happen?” or “Why did God allow it?” seem to beg to be answered. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul reminds Christians that suffering can’t be understood by looking at the event itself. In order to understand God’s heart and perspective on suffering, we have to look at the bigger picture of the human story to see that suffering is a result of living in a fallen world. However, this doesn't leave us without hope; our hope is not in taming evil or fixing the brokenness of this world. Through Romans 8, we are reminded that, in the midst of our suffering and groaning, we are waiting for something better. Our hope is rooted not in understanding the purpose of a single event of suffering but in God’s promise to redeem and one day put an end to sin, suffering and death itself.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Jesus sees performance-based idols in the story of Martha and Mary. In Luke 10, Jesus addresses Martha’s idol of performance and, through her example, we see how performance-driven idols negatively impact our most important relationships. Performance-driven idols occur when we allow our satisfaction in life to hinge on our performance or the performance of others. When our lives are driven by idols of performance, the result is that, like Martha, we miss out on what Jesus has for us. We allow tasks to trump relationships and drive wedges between us and the people we love the most by choosing the distraction of tasks over depth of relationships.
Questions for Reflection
1.Do you allow your satisfaction in life to hinge on how others see your performance as a parent, employee, friend, etc?
2.Do you find yourself accomplishing tasks and then finding subtle ways to make sure that people notice?
3.Does it crush you when you feel like you don’t meet someone else’s expectations?
4.Do you find more validation in the opinions of others or the Word of God?
5.What is your ultimate goal in life: to stand respected before men or to stand accepted before God?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at another example of how a good thing can become an idol when we allow it to become the ultimate desire of our hearts. In Genesis 22, we saw how God tested Abraham to refine his desires and expose the ultimate object of his love when He called Abraham to sacrifice his only son, whom he loved deeply. God was not calling Abraham to end his love for his son but, instead, calling Abraham to love and trust Him more than anything else on earth. In this example, we see how our love for others, when it exceeds our love for God, can become an idol. Idolizing the people we love is destructive because it imposes a set of expectations on the other person that only God, Himself, can fulfill. When we do this, we crush those we love under the weight of our expectations that they will make us happy and satisfy our needs and, at the same time, we remain empty and unfulfilled. As with Abraham, God isn’t calling us to stop loving others; He is calling us to love Him first and foremost. When we make God the object of our greatest affections, we are released to love others sacrificially, with no strings attached. This is the most powerful way to love.
Questions for Reflection
1.Why is it better to love God more than you love others?
2.Think about your most important relationships.
a.Is there a relationship in your life that you are uncontrollably fearful of losing?
b.Is there a relationship in your life that seems to make you particularly angry?
c.Is there a relationship in your life that makes you feel insecure?
d.Is there a relationship in your life that causes you to feel a sense of despair?
e.Is there a relationship in your life that causes you to question your identity?
f.Is there a relationship in your life that causes you to feel unworthy or unloved by God?
g.If you’ve listed relationships in answer to the above questions, ask God to reveal whether these may be an idol in your life.
3.What action step can you take this week to make God the supreme object of your love and affections?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the idol of dreams. Like many other things that become idols in our lives, dreams can be good things that become idols when we turn them into ultimate things. When we make our dreams ultimate, we tend to bulldoze over people to get what we want, neglect our most important God-given callings and destroy relationships in the wake of pursuit. The true and sad reality is that even if we attain the goals of our dreams, whether a career, a relationship or an accolade, idols never deliver what they promise. Thankfully, Jesus died and resurrected to set us free from our idols. God has a better dream for our lives than we can ever muster up on our own. Whether or not we achieve our own dreams, God truly satisfies when we make Him our ultimate.
This past Sunday, we looked at Isaiah 44 as we continued our Desires of the Heart series. We discussed the foolishness of idol worship and yet how common it is in each of our lives to create and keep idols. When we unleash our desires and pursue idols, it causes a deep desperation. This desperation leads to compromising our principals in order to possess and protect the idols. Sinful heart attitudes are the metaphorical doorway to the room where we keep our idols. These sinful heart attitude s serve as the defensive strategy we employ when anyone or anything gets too close to our idols. The good news of the Gospel is that God desires to save and redeem us from our idolatry. What are some of the good things in your life that you are tempted make idols? How does the truth that God created you and He forgives you help you to let go of idols?
This past Sunday, we opened the Desires of the Heart series by looking at how the Bible describes and defines idols. Beyond the idea of statues or figurines, we looked at how anything that God has created “good” can be distorted into something we idolize. When these good things somehow shift in our hearts to become things that we trust in to make us happy, bring us comfort or give us security, they become our idols. Idols are the things that our hearts treasure. While idols can be hard to see in our own lives, Jesus teaches us that our actions and words reflect the idols of our hearts. When we encounter the Holy Spirit of God, He reorients our hearts’ desires away from the idols of this world and towards himself. Have you ever stopped to take time to truly explore the desires of your heart and ask yourself, “What do I hope to get from fulfilling this desire?” Are you willing to discuss your deepest desires with another Christian and ask this person how your words and actions may indicate idols in your heart?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we wrapped up the “Acts - The Unstoppable Church” sermon series by recapping the main outline of the story and asking the question, “What happened next? ”Acts is the story of God’s people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, launching the mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As the church advances from Jerusalem to the nations, we see a powerful work of God in and through His church, defying all odds to grow beyond anything the disciples could have ever imagined. However, the ends of the earth are not completely reached in the book of Acts. Fortunately, the story of the church doesn’t end with the book of Acts. The story of God’s unstoppable church is still being written today. As Christians, our stories are the small stories that make up the bigger story of what God is doing on Earth. As God works in and through our lives, the mission continues and God’s Kingdom advances as The Unstoppable Church. Do you see yourself as a part of the church at Solid Rock like we read about in Acts? Have you truly let go of all of your prejudices against those who aren’t like you to embrace your identify as part of God’s family? (race, social status, personality struggles) How can you be more intentional to share the “excellencies” of God in your everyday life?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the “fuel” behind the explosive movement of the church. What made the church of Jesus so unstoppable, despite the Jewish and Roman governments’ relentless attempts to shut it down? In Paul’s final recorded sermon, he explains the power of God’s unstoppable church. He uses the Old Testament scriptures to validate Jesus as the promised hope of Israel and proclaims that the church is not simply a sect or a movement; it is the fulfillment of God’s plan to bring His Kingdom to earth, opening up a way for His people to be saved from their sins and enter into His eternal Kingdom through faith in Jesus. How does it challenge you to know that, as a Christian, you are a part of an unstoppable movement? Have you truly taken the step of faith to become part of God’s eternal Kingdom by trusting in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins and resurrected from the grave?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s life of worship. Although we never see Paul singing songs to God, we know that he lived his life in worship to the Lord. In Acts 27, as Paul sails through a dangerous storm, we see an illustration of what it looks like to live our lives in worship. Through Paul’s example, we see that worship is not based on the circumstances around us but is the posture of our hearts in the midst of our circumstances. In the middle of life’s storms, you can posture your heart in fear or you can posture your heart in trust. A life of worship is the posturing of your heart in gratitude, trust, surrender and affection towards God regardless of your circumstances. Do you trust God and what He has planned for you? Do you trust God in the midst of uncertainty the same way you trust Him in seasons of bless ing? Have you come to the place where you see all of your life, including the hard times and moments of suffering,as opportunities to worship?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Paul shared his story when he appeared before King Agrippa. From his example, we considered how we share our own stories. When we share our testimony it is essential to remember who the main character is. The point of sharing our testimonies is to present Jesus as the hero who has rescued our lives from despair and destruction. Whether we find ourselves in prison, in bondage to addictions or simply living behind the enslaving façade of self-reliance and self-righteousness, our testimony is the story of how Jesus set us free. Have you ever shared your story with someone who isn’t a Christian? What steps can you take this week to begin sharing your story?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s desperate situation in Acts 23, as he was under constant threat of being killed by the angry Jewish mob. As his nephew informed him of the assassination plot against him, Paul told the centurion to take his nephew to see the tribune. Despite that fact that Paul’s life seemed to be completely in the hands of others, his trust in God never wavered. What if the centurion was part of the assassination plot? What if the tribune didn’t believe his nephew? Ultimately, Paul was resting in the presence of Jesus and standing firm on the promise that Jesus had made to lead Paul to Rome. In those moments in prison, Paul had to decide whom he trusted in more: Jesus or his circumstances.
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at Paul’s final address to the Jews bound in chains in Jerusalem. As Paul addressed the angry mob, he compared the Jewish leaders to white washed walls. This was a metaphor that Jesus used to expose hypocrisy among religious leaders who looked good on the outside but had corrupt hearts. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, they were, in fact, the ones who were guilty of breaking the law and deserved punishment since it was unlawful to arrest and beat a Roman Citizen without due process. Paul’s main point was that despite their hypocrisy and cruel treatment of him, he stood before God with a good conscience because he had faithfully and boldly lived out the mission of Jesus before them. Even while in chains and standing before an angry mob, Paul faithfully preached the Gospel of hope and the Resurrection. What does it mean to stand before God with a good conscience? How is God challenging you to live your life on mission for Jesus in your local community?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued to look at the work of God through Paul’s life. Paul had arrived into Jerusalem and faced rising opposition against the message of the Gospel. After his suffering and arrest, revealed through the work of the Holy Spirit, Paul stands before his accusers and proclaims his defense by sharing the grace of God that changed his life. Even in the midst of great hostility, Paul courageously and authentically tells his story of redemption: God saved him by grace through faith in Jesus.Whose story are you telling? Is it all your own or is it a new story written by the Sovereign God who loves you and has a purpose for you?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the tension surrounding the ministry of Paul and the message of the Gospel in Acts 21. Even with the false rumors and the violent crowd coming against him, Paul demonstrates that he is willing to suffer for the Gospel. His main purpose is not personal comfort, political correctness, or public affirmation; it is to preach salvation by grace alone. Paul kept his focus on the“things above” (see Colossians 3), resting in the sufficiency ofGod and the power of the Gospel, even when facing intense suffering. Have you truly heard the message of the Gospel? How has the Gospel impacted your life on a daily basis? Do you tend to run from or avoid suffering in your life, or do you allow it drive you to the person of Jesus Christ?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Paul and the other believers responded as the Holy Spirit revealed that Paul’s life was headed towards imprisonment and death. As we looked at how the early church took their concerns toGod in prayer, we also looked at what prayer is and the role it should play in our lives. Often times we think of prayer as simply talking to God or asking for things. While these are aspects of biblical prayer, we learned from Paul’s example that prayer includes elements of thanksgiving, worship and submission. Paul’s life served as an example of what it looks like to pray to God in trust and submission as he ultimately put his life in the Father’s hands and continued to live out the mission that God had set before him even when the journey became hard and dangerous. What things do you typically include in your prayers to God? Do you believe you have freedom to approach God in prayer anytime and any place? How is God challenging you to grow in your personal prayer life?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the faithfulness of Paul and all that God did through him to spread the Gospel and expand the church. As he addressed the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20, Paul used his own life as an example of where true faithfulness comes from. Paul had encountered the grace of God in such a way that he lived in constant awareness of the many sins from which he had been forgiven and how much he was loved by God. This awareness compelled Paul to see his life as something of little value compared with knowing Christ and living the mission so he faithfully submitted his life to the Word of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. What does God want to do in your life today? Have you received this life-changing grace from God? What is something you can do this week to continue growing deeper in your relationship with God, that you may faithfully submit your life to Him?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the true work that God was doing in the book of Acts: saving, forgiving and redeeming lives. In the early church, much like the church of today, the primary work that God was doing was sometimes dismissed or sidelined by the miracles He performed. However, God works through supernatural miracles to validate His primary work, not for them to become His primary work. Through God’s unstoppable church, the Spirit of God works alongside the Word of God in and through His people to establish His Kingdom on earth.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul ’ s response to the idol worship going on in Athens. Upon entering the city, Paul w as very disturbed by what he saw. Instead of seeing a beautiful city that was full of knowledge and culture, he saw a city that was steeped in idolatry and evil. The people of At hens had manufactured an entire religious system that allowed them to control and manipulate the gods in order to feed their desires for pleasure. Dissatisfied with thei r religious system and their manmade gods, the Greeks took it one step further by creating an addit ional altar: the altar “ To The Unknown God. ” In a similar way, modern American culture has become skept ical of absolute truth and we see a shift away from Truth-driven living and toward pleasure- driven living. Our culture is recirculating the Greek philosophy, “ If it feels good, it must be right. ” Even in Christianity, there is a shift away from a Bible-based vi ew of God to a modified version of God that can be controlled and manipulated. Like the peo ple of Athens, we need to return to the one true God. The God of the Bible is not sa fe but He is always good. He is a God who wages war against the injustices of this world and br ings to nothing the pride of His enemies. The God of the Bible is a God who displays wrath towards His enemies and unending love towards those who trust in Him.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the role that the Scriptures play in declaring that Jesus is the Christ and what it means to claim to believe in Him. In Acts 17, Paul continues his missionary work in Thessalonica and Berea. In every interaction, we see the same pattern in the unstoppable mission of Jesus: the Gospel is preached from the Scriptures; some people believe in Jesus and join the Church while some reject Jesus and join the angry mob. It’s critical that today’s Church see its purpose and efforts as a continuation of the same work. As God’s people use the Scriptures to show that Jesus is the Christ, some will hear this message and believe and others will reject it. Those who put their faith in Christ receive Him as King and their decisions are to be driven by submission to God through the counsel of His Word.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the role of women in the church through the example of Lydia, the first recorded Christian in Philippi. In Acts 16 we read that God opened Lydia’s heart to hear and believe the Gospel. As a woman in first-century Roman culture, it was very risky for Lydia to choose her own religion. It was also dangerous for her to live out that new religion among her family, let alone in public. Through Lydia’s courageous example, we see how God calls women to salvation and also calls them to lead their families and communities to Christ. God establishes the first church in Macedonia (Eastern Europe) in Lydia’s home and the unstoppable church continues to advance.
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at a major dispute that divided Paul and Barnabas on their second missionary journey. We used this as an opportunity to talk about Christian disputes, where they arise from and how to pursue reconciliation. In Acts 15, Luke tells us a story of what happened and not necessarily what should havehappened. Through the counsel of scripture, we see a consistent and reoccurring theme of the Biblical mandate for Christians to pursue reconciliation in the midst of offense and division. Because Christ died to put our sins to death, there is now no justification for Christian division. We don’t have to agree on personal preferences or even personalconvictions, but unity in our Biblical convictions and our love for one another should always supersede our differences and draw us toward reconciliation and unity.
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the significance and power of the resurrection of Jesus. In Acts 13, the Apostle Paul preaches the Gospel to the Jews by showing them how Jesus is the descendent of David who was expected from the Old Testament prophesies. Everything about Jesus’s life, death and resurrection was a fulfillment of God’s plan, which He revealed ahead of time through the Old Testament prophets. Even though Jesus was ultimately killed as an innocent man, he died willingly as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all people so that anyone who believes in him would be set free from the corruption of sin and death.
In the sermon this past Sunday we continued the Acts series by looking at the spiritual battle that the devil has waged against the souls of mankind. In Acts 13, we find the narrative of Paul and Barnabas leading a key Roman official to Jesus. In this account of evangelism, we see that behind the scenes of every salvation is a spiritual battle between the will of God and the will of Satan. As the Holy Spirit continues to move through the obedience of the early Christians, we see once again that the church of God is truly unstoppable.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued the Acts sermon series by looking at how God used the people of Antioch as a launching pad to send Paul and Barnabas out as missionaries. This was a great reminder to us a church that in order to fulfill the mission that God has called us to, it will require some to go out from the church to reach unreached people around the world and some to stay put in order to reach the unreached people in our local community. Either way, every believer has been called and equipped to live out the mission of Jesus to take the Gospel to the world, starting in our own homes and neighborhoods and reaching to the ends of the earth. Who can you think of that God has placed in your life for you to point toward Jesus? How has God challenged you or shaped your calling to be involved in reaching unreached people around the world?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we finished the All In sermon series and celebrated the work that God has done and will continue to do through the Solid Rock Church family. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul ends his plea for generosity by reminding the church that God is the actual supplier and multiplier of our resources, enabling us to be generous. He lays out 4 things that happen when God’s people engage in faith-driven generosity: (1) we will be empowered to be more generous, (2) God will receive the glory, (3) the needs of ministry will be taken care of and (4) it will increase our love for one another. As we wrap up the All In series and take the first step of faith on the All In journey as a church, we do so with eagerness and joy, fully expecting to do more than we have asked for or imagined.
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the role of the saints in the mission of Jesus. Admittedly, Christians have nothing significant to offer Jesus for the purpose of accomplishing His mission. If the mission of Jesus were contingent on what we could do for Him, the mission would have been wrecked on day 1. But through Acts 12, we are reminded of the role of the saints in the unstoppable mission of Jesus. Acts 12 ends with an account of Herod. In the opening, Herod displays his intentions and his power by putting James to death for his faithfulness to Jesus. However, by the end of the chapter, God has the final word of Herod by putting him to death. Through this narrative, God reminds His people that the mission of the church can’t be thwarted, even by the most powerful men on earth and those who oppose the mission of Jesus will lose in the end. However, we also see the role of the saints outlined through the recorded narrative of Peter’s arrest and miraculous release from prison. While the success of the mission is 100% dependent on the power of God, Christians are called to join God on His mission by believing, praying and giving God glory.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we resumed the Acts sermon series by looking at what it means to live our lives in alignment with the mission of Jesus. In chapter 11, we saw that through persecution, God led his followers from Jerusalem to Antioch where they shared the hope of Jesus with the Gentiles. This was a big turning point in the story of the church. It was through the faithfulness of a few Christians in Antioch who decided to align their lives with the mission of Jesus that the Gospel finally broke through the geographic and ethnic barriers fulfilling what Jesus prophesied and commanded just before his ascension. This was an epic breakthrough for the church that began with Christ followers who were willing to align the mission of their life with the mission of Jesus. Like these early believers, we must first grasp the reality of what’s at stake in order to truly respond to the mission of Jesus and realign our lives to live on mission for Jesus daily.
In the final sermon in the ‘All In’ series, we looked at how making a commitment is the first step of putting our faith into action. Making a generous commitment is an individual decision guided by faith and joy in God’s economic principles of reaping according to what you sow. Making an ‘All In’ commitment means trusting God will provide beyond what you need in order that you may abound in every good work. What is the difference between making a commitment based upon faith rather your own strength? What is something that we can begin to sacrifice in our life in order to make an ‘All In’ commitment?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we learned how the grace of God fuels all-in generosity. When a person truly encounters the generosity of God, it compels them to willingly and eagerly give sacrificially of themselves regardless of their circumstances. When we willingly surrender our hearts 100% to God and His promises, we are able see generosity as an opportunity to sow seeds in God’s Kingdom that will produce eternal fruit for others. How does God’s grace motivate us to give generously? Since generosity is not a dollar amount, but instead a Christ-like condition of the heart, what are some practical things you can begin doing in your own life to be more generous?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued our discussion on what it looks like to live with all-in faith. We learned that living with all-in faith means trusting in Jesus and letting go of what we can do. Trusting in ourselves is rooted in what seems possible or attainable. All-in faith requires trusting Jesus to lead you beyond what seems possible and letting go of trusting in anything we can do! Why is faith without trust not real faith? What do you feel like is holding you back from trusting God by being generous with what He has given you?
On the second Sunday in the “All In” series, we looked at the first of two sermons on what it looks like to live with all-in faith. We learned that living with all-infaith means abandoning your faith in anything other than Jesus as the only way to attain eternal life in God’ s Kingdom. All-in faith means believing that eternal life in God’ s Kingdom is better than anything else, compelling us to give up everything to follow Jesus. In the passage about the rich young ruler, what was he relying on in order to inherit eternal life? As a follower of Jesus why should we be willing to forsake all treasures on earth for eternal life and God’ s Kingdom?
In the opening sermon for the 'All In’ series, we discussed what it truly looks like to follow Jesus all-in. In Luke 9, Jesus tells His followers that we have to be willing to die to ourselves in order to live for Him. This type of dying means surrendering selfish ambitions and desires and allowing God to replace those with His ambitions and desires for you. A life that is all-in for Jesus requires loving God and others by sacrificially and generously giving of ourselves. How does God’s love for us affect us in giving generously and sacrificially? What is a next step of faith for you as your pursue an ‘All In’ life for Jesus?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we read in Acts 11 as Luke retold the story of the Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit. This passage encourages us to take a closer look at the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. It’s only through the Holy Spirit’s work in us that we are able to see the desperation of our sin and the hope that Jesus provides. As the Holy Spirit magnifies the work of Christ, we are drawn into a faith-relationship with Jesus and our hearts are made new. When a person comes to faith in Jesus, there is an immediate work of the Holy Spirit in that person’s life. However, much of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives comes after the moment of salvation as He empowers us for ministry and continues the slow, life-long work of reorienting our hearts towards becoming more like Jesus. In what ways have you experienced the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? How has the Holy Spirit gifted you for the work of ministry?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Acts 10 is a significant turning point in the redemption story of God’s people. Long ago, God had promised to work through Israel in a way that would reach far beyond the borders of Israel. Though the Gospel had spread outside of Jerusalem, the church was still primarily focused on sharing the good news of Jesus with the Jews. In Acts 10, God gives a vision to Peter, and we begin to clearly see God’s mission to save the nations become a vivid reality. What does it mean to you that God loves you and has called into a relationship with him despite your unworthiness? How does Jesus’s resurrection impact your life practically on a daily basis?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the miraculous work that God was doing through the unstoppable church in Acts. As we saw in Peter’s example in Acts 9, the unstoppable church operates in complete faith that God can do anything and heal anyone. In everything we ask of God, we must also submit every desire and plan to God’s good and perfect will. God is not on the hook to do anything and everything we ask of Him. When God chooses to perform miraculous work through the unstoppable church, He does so to display His glory and goodness and draw hearts to himself. What does it mean to pray in faith verses praying without faith? What is the main point of God’s miraculous work around us?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the power of God to save the most unlikely people through the most unlikely people. When God saves a person, it doesn’t mean that they are no longer tempted to sin or that they will have an easy life. Salvation means that the person is now new on the inside and has a new mission in life. The ‘Unstoppable Church’ is a group of unlikely people who have trusted in Jesus and are now living for Him by engaging in the mission despite how dangerous or impossible it may seem, believing that He will keep His promise and His church will prevail.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the Gospel-appointed meeting in Acts 8 between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch in which we have this beautiful insight into how the Holy Spirit worked in both Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch's life. Philip is lead by the Holy Spirit to "rise and go" and live out the mission and meet the Ethiopian Eunuch who is seeking the Truth of Scripture; and in obedience, Philip shared the Good News about Jesus!
Have you heard the Good News about Jesus? If you are seeking peace and hope, it is found in the person of Jesus Christ. We would love to tell more about Him! Are you sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit? Are you prepared to answer the calling and share the Gospel in a God appointed meeting? We would love to help you live out the mission!
In the final sermon of the Real Tree of Christmas series this past Sunday, we looked at the Tree of Life. As the story of the Bible unfolds, we find that the Tree of Life has great significance. The Tree of Life represents eternal life in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned, they were banished from the Garden of Eden in order to keep them from eating from the Tree of Life. Through the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel, we read about a future tree that will be a place for the nations to gather and find life. In the final chapter of the Bible, we encounter the Tree of Life once again. In the prophetic image of heaven in Revelation 22:1-5, we find the Tree of Life in middle of the New Jerusalem, giving life unending to the people of God and serving as a source of healing for the nations.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued the Real Tree of Christmas series by looking at the Tree of Suffering. Over 600 years before Jesus was born in the manger, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, describing the Messiah as a tree that would suffer on behalf of God’s people. In Isaiah 53, we read that the tree of suffering would enter our world in complete vulnerability, from the most unlikely source; He would be born as a baby from earthly parents. Setting aside His majesty, Jesus became human like us in order that we might have healing and redemption. Baby Jesus was also the victorious Savior who would suffer and die in our place to provide victory over sin and death for us. How does Jesus’s willingness to enter our world in vulnerability and humility encourage you in your relationship with Him? How does it impact your affection for Jesus to know that He endured suffering in order to provide peace and healing in your life?
In the sermon his past Sunday we continued the Advent series, The Real Tree of Christmas, by looking at the Tree of Promise. In Genesis 12, God makes a promise to Abraham, that through his family tree God will bless all other family trees. The Gospel of Matthew opens the nativity story with a genealogy that introduces Jesus as the promised descendent of David and Abraham. Through faith in Jesus, God promises to bless the nations by undoing the curse of sin and death. What does it mean that God has sent Jesus to rescue you? Can you think of a time where you were required to follow God and trust Him based on faith alone?
This week we started our journey toward Christmas with our Advent sermon series, looking at how the Bible uses trees to bring about the full meaning of Christmas. On Sunday, we looked at the fall of the family tree of humanity in Genesis 2 and 3. In these chapters, we see how God’s laws are always for our good and how Satan twists the words of God to tempt man into disobedience. At the moment of the first sin, God announces that the curse of sin and death will impact the family tree of Adam and Eve. This curse not only sets the stage of human history for the birth of a Savior, but it also prepares our hearts to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas: eternal life through faith in Jesus.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the movement of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Samaria. Fueled by severe persecution, the church members from Jerusalem began to disperse throughout the region of Judea and Samaria. In Acts 8, we followed the story of Philip as he took the Gospel message to the Samaritans. Here, Philip encountered a dark and demonic culture steeped in magic. Through Philip’s proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus, many Samaritans became believers. The Holy Spirit was imparted to these believers after Peter and John arrived, drawing a significant distinction between the power of man through the magic of Simon and the power of God through the message of Philip.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the biblical topic of adoption. In Galatians 4, we see that adoption is the central theme of the good news of the Gospel. All that we have in Christ is a means to the end of being adopted into God’s family. God initiated our adoption at His costly expense and extended the free gift of son-ship to us by faith. As image bearers, God has called His people to reflect His character and heart to the world through caring for orphans. What does it mean to you that God has made a choice to adopt you and give you the gift of son-ship/daughter-ship? In what ways has God challenged you to get involved in caring for the orphans in our world as a reflection of the way God has cared for you?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at Acts 6 and 7, where we see the first martyr of the church. Steven, who was selected to serve the church as a deacon in Acts 6, was a man full of the Holy Spirit, of good reputation and full of wisdom. Just after being selected to serve, he is arrested while talking about Jesus in the streets of Jerusalem. After being falsely accused and questioned, Steven stands before his accusers and preaches that Jesus is the Christ. In his final moments on Earth, he encounters Jesus in a very intimate way. Steven serves as a beautiful and tangible example of what it means to trust in Christ alone in life and in death. Do you feel like you are equipped to give a sufficient answer for what you believe and why you believe it? If you truly trust Jesus with your life and death, how should that impact the way that you live?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the inward mission of the church in Acts 6:1-7. In this part of the early church narrative, we see church growth cause the workload of ministry to increase and personal barriers emerge. In response to these challenges, the church is driven by the Gospel and empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome personal barriers in order to love one another well. Through this example, we see that when the spiritual leaders of the church faithfully and humbly equip the members to serve in ministry, the Holy Spirit causes the church to flourish and the community to be significantly impacted for God’s glory. What are some of the personal barriers that prevent you from loving others well (i.e. business, selfishness, prejudice, stress, etc.)? What spiritual gifts have you been given by the Holy Spirit to serve in the local church?
In the sermon this past Sunday we continued the Acts sermon series by looking at the contrast between someone who engages in ministry as a response to encountering the grace of Jesus versus someone who is involved in ministry for their own glory. Through comparing the example of Barnabas to that of Ananias and Sapphira, we see that giving to God is never really about money. As Jesus taught in Matthew 6 and Matthew 19, our grip on our possessions is an indicator of where our hearts truly are. When a person comes to believe and trust in the great grace of Jesus, there is an inevitable response to freely abandon their trust in possessions in exchange for trust in the Lord; loosening their grip on possessions to hold tighter to their commitments to one another. However when we engage in ministry for our own glory, as Ananias did, we inevitably make ministry about us by manipulating the truth to make ourselves look better and lead others astray. Have you come to the place in your journey where you have encountered the grace of Jesus by trusting in Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life? How has the grace of Jesus transformed the way you view your possessions and your commitment to other believers?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at what happened to Peter and John after the religious leaders caught wind of the miracle they performed at the temple. After being confronted, Peter and John were arrested and interrogated. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter spoke with boldness and refused to give into the pressure of the religious leaders. After being threatened and released, the church met together and prayed for God to make them bolder. Our hope is to become a church that lives with boldness in our community as we follow the example of the early church and pray, “Sovereign God, make us bold!”How can you take a stand for Jesus in your life this week? In what ways can you step outside of our comfort zone for Jesus this week?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Peter’s response to the growing crowd that gathered outside the temple after God miraculously healed a man who had been lame since birth. Peter begins by shifting the attention of the crowd away from himself and towards God, giving Him the glory for the power to heal the man. Then Peter quickly points the people to God as the architect and designer of His own sovereign plan to work through human history to bring about salvation for everyone. Peter’s main point comes out in verses 19-20 in his call for the crowd to turn from their wickedness to repentance, leading to forgiveness of sins and rest for the soul. What does it look like for you to allow your soul to rest in the work Jesus has done for you? What are some areas in your life where you can lean more on the promises of God and less on your own ability or strength?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the first recorded miracle of the church. In Acts 3:1-10 God worked through Peter and John to miraculously heal a man who had been lame since birth. In this account the apostles went beyond meeting the man’s temporary need for money and addressed the man’s permanent need. As he begged for money, the apostles offered the man the ability to walk. This is a beautiful expression of the Father’s love for us in Jesus. God has done more than answer our temporary prayers of self-prescribed comfort; He has given us eternal life as a free gift to be received by faith. As with the man who was healed, when God makes all things new our hearts are filled with worship and our lives become engaged in the mission. What is your typical response when you encounter someone in need? In what ways has God challenged you to be more intentional in meeting the needs of others?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the portrait of Biblical community described in Acts 2:42-47. The believers of the first church were fully devoted to the principles of Biblicalcommunity: Biblical teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. These early Christians had all things in common. Their common faith in Jesus created a common rhythm for living life according to a common system of priorities. Rather than living for themselves, they consistently and faithfully shared life together along with giving their possessions sacrificially and generously. As we see in Acts 2, the mission of Jesus is the natural outpouring of a community living in devotion to Him and His people. Biblical Community begins and ends with mission. Are there things in your life that are cluttering your schedule in a way that is preventing you from fully engaging in Biblical community? What action step can you take today to become more engaged in the Biblical community at Solid Rock?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the launch of the first Christian church. In chapter 2 of Acts we see the apostles carrying on the mission of Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to launch the first Christian church in Jerusalem. In this early example of the church, we see that the primary message of the church is the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This is the central theme of the Bible and the ministry of the church. The power of the unstoppable church is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the Gospel message. In what ways has God used His church to encourage you? Is Jesus the central character in the story of your life? Do you feel like the mission of your life aligns with the mission of God’s church?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the predominant role of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. Starting at Pentecost in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit has center stage as Jesus’s Church launches and the Gospel spreads from Jerusalem towards the ends of the Earth. In Acts 2, the promised Holy Spirit arrives with the sound of wind and the appearance of fire. As the Holy Spirit rests on the early Church, the people are filled with power. The first major act of the Holy Spirit is to empower the Church to proclaim the Gospel in many languages at once, displaying God’s eternal plan to draw the nations to Himself as one Kingdom. Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit continually fills believers with power to proclaim the Gospel, serve the Church and find the hope they need to face and endure persecution.
In the second sermon in the Acts series, we looked at what a Christian church is and what a Christian church is supposed to be doing in the world. We concluded that the church is a public gathering of the citizens of God’s Kingdom made up of those who have believed and professed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.Every believer is part of the church and every church is a part of the unstoppable mission to make disciples of the nations. In Matthew 28, Jesus give His disciples a very simple strategy for accomplishing this mission: 1) Share the Gospel with those who don’t know Jesus, 2) Unite new believers to the church through baptism and biblical community, 3) teach new believers to obey all that Jesus has commanded and 4) empower new believers to share the Gospel with those who don’t know Jesus. Through this strategy, the church has grown from 120 believers to over 2 billion believers over 2000 years. The church is the movement of God’s Kingdom, expanding and growing by taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
In the opening sermon of the Acts series this past Sunday, we looked at the connection between the mission of Jesus and the mission of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to Earth to live perfectly, die sacrificially, and resurrect victoriously, defeating sin and death. These accomplishments set the stage for God to launch His mission to establish His Kingdom on Earth through those who would believe in Jesus. After His resurrection, Jesus hands this mission to the Apostles and tells them not to start until they have received the Holy Spirit who would guide and empower them for this mission. Working in tandem with the word of God, the Holy Spirit imparts the work of Christ to those who believe and empowers them to carry out the unstoppable mission of Jesus on Earth. Do you believe you have truly encountered the Holy Spirit of God in your life? How is the Holy Spirit leading you to be involved in His unstoppable mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the parable of the loving Father found in Luke 15. While this parable is traditionally known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we looked at the main focus of the parable as the love of the Father. As we concluded the Redemption Stories sermon series, we looked at how the parable illustrates God’s love for all of us. We have all been marked as rebellious children who are desperate, unworthy and incapable of fixing our situation. It’s into this desperation that the Father comes to us. We find that as we turn to take the first step towards God, he has already made His way to us. When we turn from our rebellion towards the Father, we find that He welcomes us, restores us and celebrates our redemption. In what ways has your life journey reflected rebellion towards God? How have you proven yourself to be unworthy to be called God’s child? Have you taken the step of faith towards the loving Father by turning from your rebellion, acknowledging your desperation and unworthiness and confessing these things to Him?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the beautiful command to abide in Jesus found in John 15:1-11. Jesus uses a vineyard as a metaphor to describe the relationship between Himself, His Father and His followers. The Father is described as a vinedresser who distinguishes between genuine believers and those who pretend to be a Christian. As you would expect, the Father exposes the nominal or “fake” Christians and cuts them off from the vine. And then we read that the Father prunes and works on those who are genuine believers. Using trials and hardship in our lives, the Father cuts away the meaningless pursuits and futile thinking in every believer’s life that they may bear much fruit. All of this sets up the beautiful command for genuine believers to abide or remain as they already are: attached to the vine. Jesus is illustrating that the Christian life is perpetually dependent upon Him. This is what it means to walk by faith: to live life in complete dependence upon Jesus every day.
Does your daily life reflect a complete dependence on Jesus? Do you spend time with Jesus everyday through prayer and Bible study in order to receive the life-giving nourishment that only He can provide?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked Paul’s teaching on the amazing grace of God in Galatians 3. Pastor Jason talked about the difference between earning God’s favor by perfect obedience to God’s Law verses receiving God’s favor through faith. Paul says that it should be evident that no person could ever earn God’s favor through obedience, so the only hope we have is to trust in the work that Jesus has done for us. Despite this truth, the Christians in the Galatian church to whom Paul was writing, had begun to drift towards living according to the Law. We see a similar struggle in the church today. Rather than continuing to walk by faith, Christians today drift towards a manmade system that gives a false sense of having God’s favor. Paul lays out a reminder for Christians to continue walking in the same manner by which they were saved: faith alone in the work of Jesus alone. Jesus took our place on the cross and absorbed our punishment in order to offer His righteousness to us by faith.
Do you believe that God is pleased with you? Are you still trying to convince God that you can be good enough for Him to let you into Heaven?
This past Sunday we looked at how God has designed marriage to be a living portrait of His redemption in the world. After four and a half chapters about redemption in Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes how God has designed marriage to reflect the greater reality of the Gospel. Paul instructs wives to respect and follow their husband’s lead as they lay their lives down in sacrificial love for their wives. In giving instructions for marriage in Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul lets us know in verse 32 that his primary focus is Jesus and the Church. While his advice is helpful for marriage, his purpose is more majestic than what happens between the husband and wife; marriages are to be a reflection of the Gospel. Through these real-life examples, the Gospel relationship between Jesus and His church is reflected to the world.
If your marriage is more about God than it is you, how should this truth change the way you interact with your spouse? How has God challenged you to become a living portrait of His Gospel through your specific role as a husband or wife?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason taught from Genesis 22 discussing how good things can easily become bad idols in our lives. Idols can be anything that we love more or are more devoted to than God. As we learned from Genesis 22, even the good God-given gifts like children or ministries can become idols. As Christians, the essence of our faith is that we have confessed that we trust God more than anything else. That confession plays out functionally when God asks us to lay down things that are important to us. In those moments, we will be like Abraham, and decide if we will fully trust God enough to lay down the things that we love. What is it that you love the most in life? What are the things that you are afraid of losing?What causes you to become angry and defensive?
This past Sunday we looked at the true source of joy in contrast to the vast attempts of our culture to find happiness in fleeting things. In 1 Peter 1, we see the indescribable joy that comes from the living hope we have in Jesus. Because Jesus guards our eternity, we have an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading eternal inheritance. Knowing this truth provides for us a joy that hinges on eternity rather than the cheap momentary things this world has to offer. Our rejoicing in this life is based on who God is and what God has done and is completely separate from how comfortable we may be or how easy life is. When we believe the Gospel, our eternity is secured and our hearts are filled with indescribable joy that catapults our hearts in glorious praise.
How easily are you distracted from an eternal perspective by the momentary things in your life? Do you allow the circumstances of any given moment to dictate whether or not you have joy?
This past Sunday we looked at understanding God’s purpose for trials in light of His redemptive story. In James 1, we see that God uses trials of various kinds to mature believers to be complete in Christ. These trials can come from within ourselves through desires and choices we make, the fallen world in which we live, or from the choices that people in our lives make. We are reminded that God’s redemptive story draws our attention from the circumstances of life and points to His eternal purpose for those who place their trust in Christ.
How do you tend to walk through trials in your own life? Are you resting in your strength to endure, or are you seeking Christ and understanding the trial through the lens of His redemptive story?
As we continued the Redemption Stories this past Sunday we looked at the implications of our adoption into God’s family. In Galatians 4, we looked at the comparison between the servants of the house vs. the children of the house. While we used to be strangers in reference to knowing God, now through faith we have been immediately adopted in His family. We looked at the example of Jesus as He came to Earth, submitting Himself to the laws of nature that He created in order to rescue us from our bondage to sin and set us free to live as adopted children in God’s family under the law of His grace.
Have you come to the place in your journey where you have submitted your life to Jesus and exchanged your sin for His grace? In what ways have you grown to see God’s authority as something good to submit to rather than a hindrance to be avoided?
As we continued the Redemption Stories sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at a clear call from God to let go of any confidence we have in our ability to impress Him and to trust in the work of Christ alone for our salvation. While this struggle manifests itself in the early church through ritual acts like circumcision, the modern day church displays this struggle in the form of religious performance and moral façade. In Philippians 3:1-14, the Apostle Paul ardently denounces any confidence he previously had in the flesh in order that he might gain salvation in Jesus. As one who had diligently performed the religious duties of his culture and excelled in the religious system of his day, Paul stood as an authority in self-based confidence. If anyone had the right to stand proud in his accomplishments for God, Paul was at the top of the list. Plainly put, Paul says it this was: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Trusting in Jesus alone still leaves room for hard work and perseverance. The difference is that those who have been saved by faith in Jesus alone work hard to serve God and become like Jesus, not in an attempt to impress God and earn his favor, but as a irresistible response to what they already have in Christ.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked out how God leads his children through seasons of darkness as a loving Father. We looked at the redemption story of Israel and their journey through the darkness and suffering of slavery. Every redemption story begins with an epic struggle of despair and hopelessness. Being a child of God doesn’t infer an absence of darkness, but rather it promises the presence of God’s light in the midst of a dark and fallen world. From Israel’s example, we learned that in the midst of suffering, God proclaims to us: I hear your cry for help, I remember who you are and the promises I have made, I see your suffering and darkness, I know what you are going through, I will rescue you, I will redeem you from this darkness according to my plan and timing, and I will give you an eternal life of glory with me because you are mine. In the midst of the darkness we are to press into the presence of the Father, knowing that the journey through the darkness refines who we are and it helps us see that the light of God’s presence something to truly delight in. What seasons of darkness have you experience on your journey through life? How has God’s presence been there for you to guide and comfort you through the darkness? Have you truly come to the place where you trust in Jesus and Jesus alone to rescue you from darkness and guide you through life’s struggles?
In the first sermon of the new sermon series, we looked at the reality that every life is telling a story. With our choices and actions, we all write stories with our lives where we are the main character, and the storylines are driven by our own ambitions. In the stories we write, most often our failures are the hidden truths all throughout our story that we attempt to disguise as the failure of others or caused by “situations”. The heartbeat of the Redemption Stories sermon series is that Jesus wants to write a better story with our lives than we can write ourselves. In Ephesians 1:7-10, the Apostle Paul reminds us that redemption is only found in Jesus and no matter how hard we work, how well we perform or how much faith we have, the redemption of Jesus is always based on the riches of His grace. When we completely trust in Jesus, we turn over the authorship of our lives and become part of Jesus’s epic redemption story.
Have you come to the place in life where you have surrendered your role as the author and main character of your story? Have you trusted in Jesus and asked Him to include your story in His epic redemption story?
As we continued the A Church on Mission sermon series we looked at the identity markers of a church on mission. In Acts 11-13, the church of Antioch was a pivotal place for the advancement of the Gospel beyond the Jews to reach the gentiles. It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called “Christians”. They took the commission of Jesus to heart by sharing the Gospel and teaching all that Jesus commanded to all people. In their example, we see a deep dependency on God in prayer and a deep commitment to raise up leaders and send out missionaries to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth for the glory of God. Are you committed to growing as a disciple of Jesus through studying the Bible in fellowship with other believers? Who are the people in your life whom you feel like God is calling you to share the Gospel with?
In the sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at discipling women of Kingdom. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to Titus, he instructs Titus to set up the discipleship process within the church. He reminds Titus that women of the Kingdom are to live in a manner that reflects the sacred nature of being created in the image of God. Paul commissions Titus to release the spiritually mature women of the Kingdom to train the younger women in the faith on how to navigate life in a way that leads them to be more like Jesus in their homes, their church and their community.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the God-given design and calling on the men of God’s Kingdom. As the Apostle Paul lays out the structure of discipleship within the Church for Titus, we see that all men are called to the character of Christ described in the qualifications of the Elders. The role of Elder is not an elite role in the church for the special few. But instead, the role of the Elder is something that all Christian men should aspire to. Paul clearly calls Titus, along with the other qualified men in the Church, to engage in discipling the younger men in the Church as potential and future Elders, calling them towards leadership.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued to look at our inward Mission as a Church: to invest and engage in making disciples of the next generation. Whether you have children in your home or not, every believer is mandated to engage the next generation and lead them towards spiritual maturity. There is a significant difference between conforming our children into our image verses participating in the work of the Holy Spirit to conform our children into the image of Jesus. In Titus 2, Paul reminds us that only the grace of God can cause us to be more like Jesus. God’s grace conforms our inward identity by satisfying our deepest need and filling our hearts with a gratitude that convinces us to let go of the things of this world and pursue Jesus-likeness.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the second part of our internal mission as a church: to love one another. In 1 John 3, we were challenged by the truth that the way we love one another greatly impacts the Mission we are on and is a primary identity marker for the Church. Jesus told us that we will be known by the world as his disciples by how well we love one another. In contrast to the pop culture perspective on love, the Bible defines and measures love by willing sacrifice. Love is the willful choice to lay your life down for someone else. This means laying down our agendas, our preferences, our pet peeves, our to-do lists and even our own comfort. Before we can truly love one another, we must have hearts that are open to the needs of others and be ready for action.
Are you willing to love the people in your life who require more from you? What action step(s) can you take this week to engage in loving others?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued the A Church on Mission sermon series, looking at God’s design for believers to serve the local church. God has filled every believer with His Spirit, distributing supernatural gifts that enable us to do ministry beyond our natural abilities. According to 1 Corinthians 12, everyone who knows and loves Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit and has a spiritual gift with which to do ministry for the good of the church. A healthy church consists of believers with diverse roles serving in unique harmony, reflecting a singular mission.
What spiritual gift have you been given? What are you passionate about? Where is the greatest need in your church?
In the Easter sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the resurrection of Jesus truly displays the amazing grace of God. In John 10, Jesus declares to His followers that He is the Good Shepherd because, unlike the other religious leaders and systems of their day, Jesus was truly going to stand between His people and death. In the same way that a shepherd places himself between danger and his flock, Jesus says that He will protect His sheep from the wolves by laying His life down and taking it back up again. What an amazing thought… Jesus willingly and intentionally laid His life down and picked it back up in order to save undeserving people. This is the essence of grace, giving something good to recipients who didn’t ask for it, don’t deserve it and could never pay it back. We see in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the most vivid depiction of God’s amazing grace.
As we continued our sermon series A Church on Mission this past Sunday, we looked at the role of prayer in our church ministries and daily lives. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us that prayer isn’t about manipulating God to do what we want, but rather prayer is a time to submit our wants and desires to God in worship. As we pursue a daily prayer life, we are pursuing contentment in what God provides for us. Through prayer, we receive forgiveness and remind ourselves to be ambassadors for God’s forgiveness to the people around us. Prayer is also a powerful tool in pursuing holiness and becoming more like Jesus.
When we hear “build” and “church,” we typically think of church buildings. This past Sunday, we looked at what it means to truly build the church. In 1 Corinthians 3, we were reminded that the Church is made up of people, not buildings. The mission of Jesus is to build a prevailing church on Earth through His disciples. His disciples do the faithful work of the farmer, but only Jesus can cause hearts to change and the Church to grow. The only reason we are considering building bigger buildings at Solid Rock is so that we can become a beacon of hope to this community and become a more significant launching pad for missionaries globally, sending our people out into the darkness of this world with the light of hope we have in Jesus. As a church in this community, Jesus has commissioned us to plant seeds in the lives of the people around us by investing and inviting them into a relationship with Him.
Who are some of the people whom God has used in your life to lead you to salvation and spiritual maturity? What does Jesus mean when He says that the harvest is plentiful? How is God challenging you to engage in the work He is doing to build His church in our community?
As we continued the sermon series A Church on Mission this past Sunday, we looked at the topic of financial giving. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul reminds the church that there is a deep connection between sowing financially and reaping financially. We learned that God calls Christians to give regularly to the work He is doing through the local church from the joy in their hearts. God promises to take care of the needs of all who trust in Him. God also promises that when you sow generously, you will reap generously so that you can give beyond your tithe as an offering to the work He is doing globally. Giving is not a matter of doing; it is a matter of being who you were created to be. You were created by a generous God to bear His image in the world. Giving generously reflects God’s character and magnifies God’s glory.
Do you consider yourself someone who gives sparingly or generously? What obstacles keep you from making a commitment in your heart to give more generously to the work God is doing through the local church?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the identity and nature of the local church. In the Bible, the Church is never a place or a building; the Church is always a people who follow Jesus together and live on mission in their community. In Acts 2, we observed that the Church is the gathering of those have heard and believed the Gospel. As we saw in the Jerusalem Church of Acts 2, the nature of the Church is devotion to Jesus and each other. Jesus accomplishes His mission on Earth through a fully devoted church that exhibits a lifestyle of community and sacrificial living.
As we continued the sermon series, A Church on Mission, we looked at the topic of worship from a biblical perspective. This week we focused on the expression of worship, corporately, through the songs that we sing. In Psalm 150, we observed that when we gather together in corporate worship, we are stepping into a God-ordained time where we boast in the Lord. In order for our singing to be considered true biblical worship, our lyrics must boast about what God has done and/or who God is.
In the last six verses of the Psalms, God gives 13 commands for His people to engage in corporate worship through singing. The Psalms end with the final command for everything that has breath to participate in corporate worship.
As we continued the Church on Mission sermon series this past Sunday, we shifted our focus to the topic of worship. We concluded that the Bible teaches that we were created to worship God in every aspect of our life, but because of sin, our hearts are prone to worship the idols of creation, rather than the Creator. Idol-worship occurs when we pursue the passions of our flesh and carry out of the desires of our body and mind. When we turn to Jesus in true repentance of our idol-worship, He removes our sins, transfers our identity, reconciles our relationship to God and makes us fully alive to worship Him. We are created to worship God alone by finding our happiness in Him as the sole object of our heart’s deepest desires.
This past Sunday, we launched a new sermon series entitled A Church on Mission, in which we looked at the clear and singular mission that Jesus gave His church in Matthew 28:16-20. In His final address before His ascension back to Heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples to make more disciples and multiply God’s Kingdom on Earth. The Church today is the fruit of that mission. We carry the torch of the same mission: to walk with Jesus, living for His mission in our everyday lives. We are a church on mission!
What does it mean to be on mission? What priority should the Mission of Jesus have in your everyday life? What should it look like to live your life on mission for Jesus?
In the final sermon in the Revelation series this past Sunday, we celebrated the final appearance of God’s Eternal Kingdom. All who have trusted in Jesus will become the holy city of God, adorned in beauty and splendor as a bride who is ready for her groom. As the kingdom of man gives way to the Kingdom of God, Jesus will put death to death and restore eternal and abundant life, making all things new according to the riches of His grace. As the glory of God fills His Eternal Kingdom, the saints will enter into a better Eden and enjoy the eternal presence of God forever.
As we continued the Revelation series this past Sunday, we looked at Revelation 20:11-15.In this final scene of judgment, we see the created world exposed to the revealed majestic presence of the Holy God seated on His throne. At this moment in human history, all the people who have ever dwelled on earth will be divided according to what they have done with Jesus. Those who have trusted in Jesus will be judged by whether or not their names are written the Lamb’s Book of Life. Those who have trusted in themselves, rather than Jesus, will be judged according to their deeds. After the dead have been judged, the final enemy of Jesus, death itself, will be put to death. This is the beginning of the Eternal Kingdom of God, giving way to the New Eden.
As we continued the Revelation sermon series this past Sunday, we looked in Revelation 20:1-10 where God displayed His sovereign power and authority over Satan by seizing, binding, throwing, shutting and sealing Satan in order to restrain him from deceiving the nations for a period of time known as the Millennium Reign of Christ. Despite different views on the literal or symbolic use of “1000 years,” we rest assured that those who place their faith and trust in Jesus will be resurrected into eternal life. At the Final Battle in human history, we see that the saints of God will be finally vindicated and the enemies of God will be finally defeated.
In the sermon this past Sunday we made it to the exciting part of the story where the victorious king returns to make war against his enemies and rescue his bride. In Revelation 19 we saw that, at the return of Jesus, the saints will unite with one thunderous voice to worship Him as their King and stand before Him in righteousness and purity. While the saints enjoy the fulfillment of all that has been promised, His enemies will also reap what has been sown. At His return, Jesus will establish an eternal divide between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan forever.
We returned to the Revelation series this past Sunday, looking at the final strategy of Satan to dethrone Jesus and make himself God. We learned that Satan uses the intoxicating pleasures of wealth and immorality to seduce people away from God and that the intoxication of sin always gives way to deeper and darker sin. Promising pleasure, Satan always leads his loyal followers in desperation, shame, suffering and death. Despite His greatest efforts, Satan will be destroyed according to God’s plan. As God’s children, we must strive to not give in to the temptations of Satan and hold tight to the promises of God.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the continuation of the plan of Satan to wage war against God and His followers through raising up two earthly leaders: the Antichrist and the False Prophet. This week we looked at how the False Prophet will use the influence of the Antichrist and economic sanctions to control the people on Earth. Through his influence, the False Prophet will require the people on Earth to receive the mark of the beast, mimicking the Seal of the Holy Spirit with which God marks His followers in Ephesians 1:13-14 and Revelation 7:1-3.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued the Revelation series by looking at the character and strategies of the antichrist in Chapter 13. We noticed that Satan’s strategy is to masquerade as God in order that we might follow and worship him. Through pretending to be God, Satan’s followers are lured into finding their identity, joy and security in the things of earth. On the other hand, the Saints of God are those who find their identity, joy and security in the things of heaven. Through hearing and believing the Gospel, the Saints of God are empowered to face trials and persecution with faith that is rooted in God’s sovereignty.
As we continued the Revelation series this past Sunday, we looked at the imminent defeat of Satan. In this section, we saw that Satan’s primary purpose is to thwart God’s divine plan for humanity and to kill God’s people. Jesus demonstrated His power and secured the final victory over Satan at His resurrection. Despite Satan’s momentary reign on earth, inflicting suffering and persecution on God’s creation, he will be ultimately defeated at the end of human history before the eternal age begins. As the story of human history unfolds, we see God’s power to frustrate the plans of Satan and protect the souls of His children.
As we continued the Revelation sermon series, we looked at the first of three textual interludes in the book of Revelation, where the story line takes a break to provide information about the situation regarding the saints and the great conflict. In each of these breaks, there is a significant emphasis on God’s sovereign control, even over Satan and his demonic forces as they unleash suffering and persecution on God’s people. In the first half of Revelation 7, God commands His angels to seal His people before the coming destruction. Those who were sealed belong to the King of Kings and had His protection. The second half of Revelation 7 reveals God’s people after the time of suffering has come to an end. In these verses, we see a brief snapshot of eternal life where the saints of God will enjoy the protection, satisfaction and joy of the unending presence of God.
As we continued the Revelation series this past Sunday, we looked at the blowing of the seven trumpets. With each trumpet, we see the growing crescendo towards the final coming of the Kingdom of Jesus. As the events related to each trumpet unfold, we see the true motives of Satan revealed as he releases suffering and death on those who have rejected God and followed Him on earth. Satan always promises life and always delivers death while God always delivers what He promises. God’s mercy will never end, but His invitation to receive His mercy will one day come to an end. Therefore God is calling the nations to repent and turn to Him for mercy and salvation.
As we continued in the Revelation series this past Sunday, we looked at the breaking of the seven seals, unveiling the plan of God to end human history and begin the eternal age. With each of the seals, God’s plan includes his sovereign control over the events of human history and Satan himself. With the first seal, God releases human depravity to run its course. As the seals continue to be opened, the inhabitants of earth pursue conquering one another, causing an outbreak of civil war that gives way to famine and disease. All of these seem to be guided by the intentions of Satan until a fourth of the earth has experience death. The seventh seal reveals the return of Jesus as the Lamb to bring about the end of death and suffering, ushering in the re-creation of all things.
As we continued the Revelation series this past Sunday, we turned a corner as we looked at Revelation 4 and 5. In these two chapters, we saw the unveiling of the throne room of God and His majestic presence. In the majestic presence of “He who sits on the throne,” all of creation, along with the church and the angels, will gather together with voice to worship God for who He is and what He has done. This beautiful and powerful image of what will be, when God’s glory is revealed, inspires and impacts our worship today. When the church gathers together in worship on a weekly basis, our worship is a snapshot of what worship will be like in eternity.
As we continued the Revelation series, we looked at the seventh and final letter to the churches, written to the church in Laodicea. Jesus reveals himself to the Christians in Laodicea as the only one who is faithful and the source of authority over creation. Even though they had exchanged their trust in Jesus for pursuit of security and purpose in their wealth, Jesus reminds them that he alone can satisfy their longings, he alone can clothe them in righteousness and he alone can heal their spiritual blindness. Despite the reality that their spiritual condition made Jesus sick to his stomach, he extended an invitation to them to joyfully repent and enjoy a deep and intimate relationship with Him and experience His victory over sin and death.
As we continued the Revelation sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at the letter to the church in Sardis. In this letter, Jesus points out that their inner identity doesn’t match their outer identity. While they are trying to portray on the outside that they are people of eternal life, on the inside they are dying. Jesus reminds the believers that He alone is the authority over the church and that He sees the content of their hearts. In response to their unfaithfulness and inconsistency, Jesus instructs the church to wake up, find strength for their faith by remembering and keeping the Gospel, and walk in repentance. For those who respond, Jesus alone will clothe them in righteousness and establish their permanent identity.
As we continued the sermon series in Revelation this past Sunday, we looked at the identity markers of the church in Thyatira. A midst a great deal of temptation and seduction from the pressures and leaders of the culture, there were those who remained faithful and held to the teachings of Jesus rather than giving in to compromise. In many ways, the church of Thyatira reminds us of who we are as a church and what we are to be known for in the world. Jesus calls His church to be known for its love, faith, service and patient endurance.
This past Sunday, we examined the church of Pergamum. Jesus praises the church for holding fast to His name and not denying their faith in Christ even in the midst of persecution. However, Jesus warns the church that they have compromised their theology and the church by allowing false teaching. Because of the false teaching and their toleration of the false doctrine, Jesus tells them He will come and judge them by the "sword of His mouth". Christ's solution is to repent.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the letter that Jesus wrote to the church in Smyrna. While acknowledging the very real suffering that they were facing, Jesus gave them courage by reminding the believers in Smyrna that He is the first and the last, the one who died and came to life. Because of this, believers can face involuntary suffering and voluntary sacrifice with joy and courage. Even though we may not be able to completely rid ourselves of fear, when we see Jesus as the Creator, Sustainer of the Universe, and the One who Conquered Death, we can submit our fears to Him and find courage to remain faithful.
In the second sermon in the Revelation series this past Sunday, we began by looking at the imagery used to describe Jesus. In Revelation 1:10-16, there are 9 attributes used to describe Jesus. While these attributes are not a literal description of His appearance, they give us a metaphorical image of Jesus returning as a powerful and triumphant ruler of earth. Nothing will be hidden from His sight and no one will be able to hide from His judgment. Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus first. In the midst of persecution, Jesus commends the Ephesians because they maintained the sound doctrine of the Gospel and pursued good works. But then He issues a warning because they have neglected the command to love. As Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus, we see how he addressed real issues within their church that are also issues we struggle with in the modern day American church. Our solution is the same solution that Jesus gives to the first century Ephesians: repent and return to the Lord.
If you were to truly repent in the areas of your life where you are falling short as a Christian, how do you think your life would be different?
In the opening sermon in the Revelation series, we first looked at the foundations for understanding the book of Revelation. We discovered that it is essential for Christians to study, think about and discuss the end times. When we give our attention to the end times without losing sight of the responsibilities of today, we discover more deeply the beauty and majesty of God’s character and complexity of His ways, and join the rest of creation in increasing our longing to see Jesus return and make all things new.
After 13 sermons covering 12 of the 13 chapters of Hebrews, we wrapped the Hebrews sermon series this past Sunday. Throughout this series, we found that the resounding message of Hebrews is incredibly relevant to our everyday lives. In the same way the author points these early Christians to put their faith into practice and endure suffering since Jesus is better than anything else in heaven and on earth, God has challenged us to do the same. By fixing our eyes on Jesus and learning to see our hardships as loving discipline from our Heavenly Father, we are empowered to live out our faith, endure hardships, stay the course and finish the race.
In what areas of your life do you need to increase your focus on Jesus? (Examples: work, marriage, parenting, friendships, etc.) How does your understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done impact the way you live out your faith and endure hardships?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the fruit that comes out of our lives when we truly trust in God for our salvation. Jesus taught that where there is saving faith, there will also be an outward evidence. In the same way that a tree produces fruit according to the nutrients provided by the roots, our faith serves as a foundation or “root system” for our lives. There is a fine line between obeying God because you don’t want Him to be mad at you and obeying God because you have faith that His ways are better than your ways. In Hebrews 10:26-11:40, God declares that saving faith produces the fruit of obedience, trust, hope, endurance, compassion and joy.
Do you strive to obey God because you believe your obedience will lead to more blessing? When you face hardships and suffering, are you more likely to give up because of doubt or endure because you trust God?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Hebrews 10 draws our attention to the truth that the God of the Bible is one who desires to be near His people. By fully trusting in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, God has invited us to draw near to Him in full assurance that He will take hold of our lives and lead us towards maturity in Christ. Through the work that Jesus has done on our behalf, we can now walk in an intimate relationship with God. Our relationship with God is based upon the truth of the Bible and dependent on walking in fellowship with other believers in worship, community and mission.
In the sermon his past Sunday, we looked at how Jesus’s performance on our behalf transcends into every area of our lives. Through his perfectly righteous life, we are made righteous in every area of our lives. Despite the performance-based trap of our culture, in Christ we have been set free from having to offer repeated sacrifices to make up for our inadequacies and shortcomings. Because Jesus has offered once and for all a better sacrifice than we could offer, we don’t have to perform to get God to notice us or earn His favor. Because we are already in Christ, we pursue his character in our lives.
Despite this truth, why do we continue to seek identity and security in our own performance? Why are we more prone to seek our approval in the small voices of our culture instead of the God of the universe who declares that we are loved and accepted already?
In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at Hebrews 9:1-14 to see how Jesus provides a better way for God’s people to enter into worship. We looked at how Jesus has replaced all of the items of Old Testament temple that were used to worship God. Jesus has become the light we need, replacing the lampstand; Jesus has become the bread of life for us, providing an unending invitation to fellowship with God at the table of his goodness by faith; Through Jesus’s sacrifice the temple curtain that inhibited the worshippers from entering into the Holy of Holies, has been torn open from top to bottom, allowing sinful believer’s unfettered access into His holy presence.
“19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God” Hebrews 10:19-21
Jesus has replaced the old form of worship under the first covenant, opening up a new and better way for believers to find healing, hope and joy that come through an enteral relationship with God.
Are you able to see how Jesus died to redeem worship for you on a personal level giving you access into the presence of God on a daily basis? What are the objects of worship in your life that compete with the presence of God?
As we continued the Hebrews sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at the fleeting things in our lives that we look to as anchors. Even though we find identity, joy, purpose and security in our spouses, our children and even in our careers, these things hold no guarantee for tomorrow. In the second half of Hebrews 6, God reveals that the true anchor for our lives is the promise that He makes to us in Jesus. Just as Abraham anchored himself in faith to the promise that God made, we too have been called to anchor our lives in faith to God’s promise. When we trust Jesus, we find that the unchangeable character of God gives us security we need to weather the storms of life.
What are the anchors in your life? Have you come to the place where you truly trust in Jesus and Jesus alone for your identity, purpose, joy and security?
In the final sermon in the Family Matters series this past Sunday, we looked at the biblical mandate for family discipleship. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses challenges the leaders of the home to take responsibility for teaching their children and their children’s children to love the Lord with everything they have. We began by looking at the goal of discipleship: to love God with everything you are. Distinct from religious activity, true discipleship leads to a deep and abiding relationship with God. If this is the goal of discipleship, then Moses lays out an important prerequisite. Parents must first have the Truth of the Bible written on their hearts. How can parents lead children to a place that they don’t know how to get to themselves?
It is the responsibility of the church to teach children about how much Jesus loves them, how God has a purpose and a plan for their lives and He is calling them to live their lives according to the unwavering Truth of the Bible. However, as soon as they leave the church, they walk out the door back into a culture that tells them that the Bible is outdated and irrelevant, do what feels natural, there is no divine plan for their lives and their self worth is based on performance.
Parents are the ones called by God to stand in the gap between what they learn at church and the contrast they experience in the world. As the church comes alongside parents as a partner in this amazing task of family discipleship, the primary responsibility falls to the parents to live out their relationship with Jesus with their children in the everyday moments of life.
What does discipleship look like in your family? Are you in a discipleship relationship? How can you lead your family to a place you don’t know how to get to?
In the second sermon in the Family Matter sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at how God created the heart of the woman to be a detail-oriented nurturer. It’s the woman who pays attention to the details of life, keeping her husband’s feet anchored to the ground and nurturing spiritual growth in her children. We also looked at how the fall has distorted the beautiful heart of the woman, causing her to be anxious and troubled about things that are less important, things that can’t be changed or sometimes aren’t even a reality. In the story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10, Jesus rebuked Martha for channeling her concerned heart towards the mundane duties of life at the expense of neglecting the spiritual priorities of the moment. Rather than putting off spiritual nurturing for a more convenient time, Jesus encourages women put off the to-do list of the day in order to make sure that pursuing Jesus is the main priority of the family.
In what ways do you find yourself neglecting spiritual priorities for the sake of life’s mundane tasks? How are you challenged to take advantage of the spiritual moments in your family rather than putting them off until all of the chores are done?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the author of Hebrews presents Jesus as a better priest in Hebrews 4:14-5:10. In contrast to earthy priests, Jesus is able to enter into the presence of God on our behalf without hesitation or the burden of his own sins. Jesus is the perfect priest because He is always qualified to mediate between us and God. And at the same time, He is also able to completely relate to our struggles and understand our temptations and suffering. When compared to human priests, Jesus is far more superior in every way.
Do you ever struggle with feeling unworthy to talk to God or to be in His presence? When you approach God in prayer, do you acknowledge the role of Jesus as your mediator who continually offers you access to enter into God’s presence with confident assurance?
As we continued the Hebrew sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at what it truly means to rest in Jesus. From Hebrews 3 and 4, we learned that our need for rest has less to do with our physical condition and more to do with the eternal condition of our souls. Our invitation to rest in Jesus is the hope of the Gospel. Those who believe the Gospel share in Christ's performance on their behalf. His faithfulness and worthiness become ours by faith. Because we believe, we are considered faithful and worthy, giving us a permanent rest from trying to earn God's favor by works. As we rest physically, we are reflecting the greater reality that we have come to rest eternally in Jesus. Do you see your personal rest as a testimony to the greater reality that you have been invited to rest eternally in Christ? Have you come to the place in your life where you truly rest in Jesus's performance on your behalf?
In the second sermon in the Hebrews series we looked at the significance of the words of Jesus. Since He is more superior than the angels (Hebrews 1), we should pay close attention to His message. Hebrews 2 reminds us that everything is subject to Jesus's authority, including death itself. Because of His great victory over death and the great salvation that He offers us in love, we should pay attention to the Gospel. Rather than seeing the Gospel as a means to salvation only, we should behold the Gospel in increasing measure as the message that God uses to save us and transform us into the glorious image of His Son.
In the opening sermon in the Hebrews series, we looked at how Jesus is better. In the opening chapter of Hebrews, the author sets Jesus apart from creation and the angels. We see that Jesus is more glorious, powerful, and satisfying than anyone and anything else that’s in Heaven or on Earth. Despite this truth, as part of creation, we tend to find our fulfillment in much smaller things. We find satisfaction and worth in our careers and our families. We turn to the ideas of man to heal the brokenness of our souls. We exhaust our resources and find glory in things that pale in comparison to the glory of the Son of God, failing to see that Jesus is better.
In the Mother’s Day sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the heart behind the mother’s prayer for her children. With good motives, mothers can still miss the will of God for their children. We looked at two examples of mothers praying for their children and the contrast between Hannah's request for a son (1 Samuel 1) and the request of the mother of James and John for her sons (Matthew 20:20-28). From Hannah’s example, we were challenged to see our children as His children, laying our desires before the Lord in submission to His will and trading what we want for our children for what God wants, trusting that his plans are better.
Do you ever find yourself insisting on what you want rather than submitting your desires to God? Have you ever had to let go of “good” desires in order to embrace God’s desires for you or for a situation?
In the final sermon in the sermon series, A Church United, we looked at the call from Jesus for His followers to live on mission in their every day lives. As Jesus invites us to follow Him, his invitation includes giving our lives as a living sacrifice for the mission. Every believer has been called to lead the nations to trust Jesus as the Lord of their life and join His mission.
Do you have a mission for your life? In what ways do you feel like God is challenging you to be more intentional about living your life on His mission?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the biblical description of the Christian community and what it means to be the church. We learned that the nearness of our relationships with one another should reflect the intimate relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We also learned that when individual believers fully engage in serving the local church through their individual spiritual gifts, the church is built up and grows toward spiritual maturity.
How does knowing Jesus empower you to have deep and transparent relationships with other Christians? How does your role in serving help build the church toward maturity? Are you fully engaged in serving the church according to your spiritual gifts?
In the second sermon in the series, A Church United, we looked at the key elements of corporate worship and how it miraculously affects the lives of believers. We learned that corporate worship is much bigger than simply singing songs about Jesus. Corporate worship includes biblical teaching, the ordinances of baptism and communion, fellowship and prayer. When believers gather together in true worship, God miraculously works to draw saved into community and the lost into salvation.
We launched a new series this past Sunday on the unity of the church entitled, “A Church United”. In the first sermon of the series, we looked at why unity matters. In Ephesians 4:1-6, the Apostle Paul urges the church to walk in unity and describes our bond as more than simply being nice to each other or singing songs in the same building. As a church, we are called to walk in deep and enduring unity displayed in humility, gentleness and patience towards one another because Jesus died for it, commands it and His mission for the church depends on it.
In the Easter sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the resurrection of Jesus and its impact on our lives today. In order to understand the fullness of the resurrection, we must understand it within the context of the whole story of the Bible. The resurrection was a real moment in time that dramatically impacted all other moments in time. Reaching backwards to the beginning of human history and reaching forward to the end of human history, the resurrection of Jesus is God’s glorious victory over death, fulfilling our deepest need by defeating our greatest enemy. By faith, Jesus’s victory over death becomes our victory, impacting every area of our lives that has been affected by the curse of sin and death.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the details surrounding the return of Jesus. There are few topics more debated in Christianity than the timing and series of events surrounding His return. Our focus in this sermon was less on the areas of debate and more centralized on the indisputable biblical Truths concerning the return of our Savior.
The Bible paints a clear picture about the nature of His return: there will be subtle and clear hints in the world, it will be impossible to miss, everyone will be caught off guard on some level and He will return victoriously. At His return, Jesus will accomplish several keys tasks according to the will of God. The climax of these events is when Jesus will strike the final blow to Satan, binding him and permanently removing his influence over humanity, bringing to an end the reign of sin and death. Until He comes, the Bible calls us to wait patiently and eagerly, directing our hope to the return of our victorious King.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at biblical mandate for Christian living. The Bible calls us to pursue a lifestyle that reflects God’s character in the fallen world around us. When we first become a Christian by believing in Jesus, we begin our spiritual journey as a spiritual infant. Through a growing knowledge of Jesus, combined with hard work and human effort, God causes us to grow into a mature reflection of His image, effectively and fruitfully living the mission He has called us to.
Do you find yourself driven to obey God out of gratitude for His grace or an attempt to create your own positive self-image or self-righteousness? How has the grace of Jesus shaped the way you love God and others?
This past Sunday, we took a look at the ordinance of communion as a part of our Unity of Faith sermon series. We began by looking at how communion originated from the Old Testament Passover meal. On the night before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He revealed to His disciples that the Passover Meal, celebrated by Israel for 1500 years, was really pointing forward to how God planned to fulfill His promise through Jesus’s death and resurrection.
Through Jesus’s sacrifice, God was keeping His promise to rescue us from our burdens, deliver us from our slavery to sin, redeem us and adopt us into His family. Jesus commissioned the church to regularly celebrate communion as an act of worship as a tangible and symbolic reminder of the death of Jesus on our behalf. Communion is intended to stir our hearts to remember God’s love for His people and His faithfulness to keep his promises.
This past Sunday, we took a look at the ordinance of baptism as a part of our Unity of Faith sermon series. We began by looking at how baptism originated with Jesus and how He commissioned the church to continue baptism for all believers as expression of their faith. We learned that baptism is not the point of salvation, but instead, it is an outward symbol of the transformation that has already taken place inside the life of a Christian. Baptism symbolizes that a believer has confessed their sins to Jesus, and He has forgiven all of their sins and cleansed them from all unrighteousness. Those who are baptized are declaring that their former life has been buried with Christ and that they have been raised to walk in a new life.
Have you come to the place in you journey where you have trusted in Jesus and Jesus alone for your salvation? Have you followed Jesus’s instruction by being baptized as an outward symbol of your inward faith?
As we continued the Unity of Faith this past Sunday, we looked at the identity and role of the church according to Jesus. In Matthew 16:13-20, we looked at Jesus’s statement, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” In this short, but enlightening statement, Jesus reveals that his church will be a people who gather together, unified by faith in who He is. As His people, He calls the church to grow into His image together as a community and sets the course of the church on an offensive mission to defeat the gates of hell and set the prisoners of sin and death free by proclaiming the Gospel.
Have you come to the place in your life where you have truly believed that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God? How has God used the community of the church to change your life? Are you committed to the mission of the church to share the Gospel with those who don’t know Jesus?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the foundational truth about human nature. We saw that through Adam’s disobedience in the Garden, sin and death entered the world and spread to all of mankind. Because of Adam’s sin, the glorious image of God was exchanged for the image of betrayal, and human nature was permanently bent towards sin. In Romans 5, the Apostle Paul compares the magnitude of Adam’s betrayal to the magnitude of the Jesus’s rescue. When we behold the extent that Jesus went to, experiencing humility, shame, suffering and death, we see the desperation of our sinful human nature. Because we are born into a desperate situation, we need a dramatic rescue.
In the Unity of Faith sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at the purpose of the Bible. We learned from the Psalms that God intends for the Bible to be read, and His words are to be treasured more than anything else on earth. God gave us the Bible to give us direction in life’s decisions by illuminating the path of righteousness. We also learned that, even though the Bible was written by human authors, the words of the Bible are inspired and superintended by the Holy Spirit. By faith, we believe that the Bible is the complete and infallible revelation of God’s will for redemption.
Do you value the Bible more than the treasures of this world? What areas of your life bear evidence that you believe and trust the Bible?
As we continued the Unity of Faith series this past Sunday, we looked at the work of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit of God is active throughout all of human history, creating the universe, supernaturally filling men and women in the Old Testament to accomplish God’s purposes in redemption and now He transforms the lives of those who believe the Gospel to become more like Jesus. How do we know when the Spirit of God is speaking? Can you see the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life?
As we started the new Unity of Faith series this past Sunday, we began with the foundational question, “Who is God?” While there is no way to answer that question in one sermon, we observed how God has chosen to reveal himself through the Bible as a God of three persons from the same source. This foundational truth lays the foundation for all Christian theology and establishes the essence of our unity of faith.
While looking at this truth, we discovered something about ourselves as well. In the same way that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist in permanent loving relationship, we were also created to reflect this. Our unity matters because we were created to live in harmonious community, bound by a permanent, loving relationship with God and His people.
As we started the new Unity of Faith series this past Sunday, we began with the foundational question, “Who is God?” While there is no way to answer that question in one sermon, we observed how God has chosen to reveal himself through the Bible as a God of three persons from the same source. This foundational truth lays the foundation for all Christian theology and establishes the essence of our unity of faith.
While looking at this truth, we discovered something about ourselves as well. In the same way that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist in permanent loving relationship, we were also created to reflect this. Our unity matters because we were created to live in harmonious community, bound by a permanent, loving relationship with God and His people.
In the sermon this past Sunday, we were challenged to consider the balance between working hard for Jesus and resting in the work that Jesus has done on our behalf. In Philippians 3:1-11, the Apostle Paul challenged us to loosen our grip on the things we possess here in this life, including our own achievements, and to rejoice in the Lord because he has achieved secured our eternal position with God in heaven.
Can you, like Paul, consider the most valuable things on earth as nothing compared to your relationship with Jesus? What step(s) can you take to loosen your grip on the things you possess in this world and tighten your grip on your relationship with Jesus?
As we continued in the Philippians sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at what it takes to walk in complete joy. In Philippians 2:1-18, the Apostle Paul used the example of Jesus to show us that complete joy is found in Christian community. Complete joy is found in living counter-intuitively to human nature, by emptying ourselves to live self-sacrificially for others and humbling ourselves to walk in obedience to Christ. In Christ, we find our fullest sense of joy when we walk in obedience to Christ by living for others.
Do you struggle to live for the interests of others? What are some areas that you need to be more open to engage in the community of Christ?
As we continued in our series through the book of Philippians, The Apostle Paul uses his own life as an example to call Christians to rejoice in the things that matter most in life. Rather than fixating and grumbling about things we don’t like in this temporary life, he calls us to focus on things that last like the eternity of others, biblical truths, unity in the church, our own salvation and the mission of Christ.
Do you consider things that are eternal as more valuable than the temporary things in your life that bring you joy? How do you think you would react if the temporary things that bring you joy were suddenly taken away and all that remained were the eternal blessings you have in Christ?
In the second sermon from Philippians, Paul shifts our focus from what God has done in our livescorporately to what He is doing in our lives individually. Paul begins this section by reminding the Philippians Christians that God is faithful to finish the work he began in us when he saved us. Even though our sins have been forgiven and our eternity is secure at the moment of salvation, God continues to cultivate our hearts by expanding our capacity to love, learn and live in pursuit of holiness and righteousness. We rejoice because God is doing these things in our lives day by day as we fall more deeply in love with Jesus and each other.
Are you able to see how God is working in your life to grow you towards spiritual maturity? What are some ways that you can participate in God’s work in your life?
We began our journey through Philippians this past Sunday by looking at ten reasons we have as Christians to rejoice corporately and individually. Rejoicing is a significant theme in Paul’s letter to the Philippians church and Paul begins his letter by pointing out that Christians belong to the koinonia. This one Greek word implies that the Christian community shares in a common grace, a common love, and a common sacrifice for a common mission.
How is fellowship in the church different from fellowship outside of the church? When you think about all that Christ has done in your life, what do you consider the greatest gift that he has given you?
In the sermon on Galatians 5 this past Sunday, we took a deep look at the freedom we have as Christians. The Apostle Paul begins this sect ion of his letter by reminding us that in Christ, we have been set free to walk in unrestricted harmony with God and His people. We learned that walking in freedom requires submitting to the Holy Spirit’s lead in our life and walking in rhythm with the truths of the Gospel. Are there areas in your life that God is calling you to stand in freedom rather than returning to slavery? Do you feel like you are walk in unrestricted harmony with God and His people?
We continued the Letters to the Church series in Galatians this past Sunday by looking at how absurd it is for Christians to turn back to the things that we turned away from when we met Christ. In Galatians 4, Paul writes from a personal perspective about the time he has invested in the Galatian believers. He is concerned that if they turn back to the small things in life, his investment in their life is now vain. Rather than scolding the Galatians, Paul subtly points out that compared to knowing the true living God, the things we clung to before knowing God are small and elementary and are no longer satisfying as they used to be.
We were reminded that God sent his Son to open our eyes to see the truth about the things that were controlling our lives and to set us free from slavery to small things. By knowing God personally, we have scale to weigh the purpose and value of things in order for me to let go of the small things and hold on to the “God” things.
What are some of the things that you struggle with for control of your life? What areas of your life do you think need to be recalibrated? What are some things you can do to grow in your knowledge of God?
In our Family Fellowship Sunday services this past Sunday, we took a deep look at the source of our identity and ambitions for life. In Matthew 3:13-18, Jesus demonstrates what it means to trade your dreams for the mission of God. We learned that the mission of God is more exciting, more fulfilling and provides more joy than anything we could ever dream up for ourselves because our identity isn’t contingent on how well we perform. Following Jesus means that we willingly trade our dreams for His mission and lead our families to do the same.
Do you find yourself more motivated by your own dreams or by the mission God has for you? Do you trust God enough to trade your dreams for His mission and lead your family to do the same?
As we continued the Galatians series this past Sunday, we looked at the full story of the Gospel. In Galatians 3:7-9, Paul reminds the church that the Gospel of Christ is the story of the Bible. We saw that the Gospel has always been a Gospel for the nations, uniting ethnicities and creating one kingdom under the sovereign authority of Christ. As we surveyed the Old and New Testament, we saw a beautiful portrait of the nations flowing like rivers towards the presence of God, standing shoulder to shoulder as His radiant bride reflecting His glory. As a Christian, do you see God as someone who has been added to your life or do you see God as the king of a kingdom to which your life has been added?
In the second sermon of the Galatians series this past Sunday, we looked at the impact that the Gospel has on the relationships we have with others. Because we have been invited into a community, the way we live out our faith in Jesus always has an affect on the community of Christ. In the same way that our faith removes the barrier between God and us, it also removes all barriers between those within the community of Christ, including those who we don’t like, those who are different from us and those who have offended us. In Christ, the church is more than a gathering place for friends, we are adopted into the same family and we share in the same inheritance from God.
Have you ever stopped to consider the ways in which your life affects other people in the church? Do you see yourself as someone who inspires or discourages others to pursue Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus has removed all barriers from between you and others?
In the Letters to the Church series, we started our journey through the book of Galatians this past Sunday. Pastor Jason pointed out how Paul boldly opened his letter to the churches in Galatia by reminding them that there is no other Gospel. The power of the Gospel lies within the Gospel without being modified or added to. As it is, The Gospel has the power to transform the worst of humanity into the perfect image of Jesus. Rather than conforming people into a religious mold, the Gospel finds us where we are, delivers us from darkness to light, transforms us from guilty to innocent and conforms us into the image of Jesus. Do you see Christianity as conformity into a religious mold or a process of transformation into the image of Jesus? Are you pursuing a faith-journey with Jesus with the goal of becoming more like him?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jasonconcluded the series on Romans in Romans 12:1-2. While this isn’t the last chapter of Romans, we were able to see Paul’s shift in chapter 12 to begin drawing life application from the theology of chapters 1-11. This last section of his letter begins with a clear call to live as “blank checks” before God out of the mercy we have received by presenting our lives as living, holy and acceptable sacrifices to God. As we engage in a lifestyle of faith and worship, our minds will be renewed so that we can know and embrace the will of God.
When it comes to your relationship with God, is your obedience driven by the joy you have in his mercy or by a fear of not being accepted? Have you truly come to the point in your faith-journey where you have willingly laid your life down on the table as a blank check before God?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason broke down Romans 10 for us to see the simplicity of God’s plan for salvation. Rather a complex system of religious rules, our salvation is the process of hearing, believing and confessing. While the culture we live in bombards us with a trendy version of wisdom, true salvation is based on believing the wisdom of the Gospel.
Have you truly come to the place in your journey where you trust the wisdom of the Gospel over the wisdom of the world?Do you look for opportunities to share the Gospel with the people that God places in your life?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason walked us through our relationship with God as a loving Father. In Romans 8, we were reminded that God is a loving Father who has set us free from condemnation of our sin, who leads us towards a life of peace, who reminds us of our adoption, who helps us in our times of suffering and weakness, who fights on our behalf to secure our identity and protect us from all accusations, all condemnation and any attempt to separate us from His love. As his children, we are to strive to follow His lead and live according to His wisdom.
Do you see God as a loving Father who leads you or a ruling dictator who demands obedience? Do you believe that God’s desire is to lead you away from what harms you and towards what is good for you? Do you see God as a valiant warrior who fights on your behalf to protect and secure your identity as his child?
As we continue in the Letters to the Church sermon series this past Sunday, Pastor Jason preached on the Bible’s instruction for battling sin from Romans 6. In this chapter of Romans, Paul begins with reminding the church what Christ has already done for them and then commands the church to remember this Truth as the starting point for battling sin. By trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection, Christians are now dead to the control of sin and it’s no longer a matter of being mastered by sin. For the Christian, it is a matter of your willful submission. In our struggle with sin, the Bible instructs us to not forget who we already are and to stop presenting ourselves willfully as slaves to sin. Instead, we are to remember who we are in Christ and present ourselves to God. Do you ever feel like you are losing the battle with a specific sin? Do you struggle to believe that the riches of God’s grace are more abundant than the debt of your sin? Are you willing to obey God’s instructions to (1) remember what Christ has done for you and who you already are in Christ and (2) to present yourself to God in your struggle against sin?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason walked us through Romans 4, discussing where we find hope beyond life's difficult circumstances. From Abraham’s example, we learned that faith is not the absence of dealing with reality. Rather, faith is walking with an unwavering hope in the midst of uncertain reality. As we considered the examples of Abraham, Elijah, Job and Jonah, we saw that walking in faith includes struggling with doubt while ultimately clinging to the promises of God. We walk in faith by placing our hope in the future promises of God as we live in the struggles of today. In Romans 4:18-5:5, Paul reminded us that God’s love for us is more powerful than our suffering and He leads us to hope in the midst of despair.
In what ways are you struggling to believe God today? Is your struggle to believe connected to a struggle that you are experiencing or have walked through in your past? Are you willing to lay down the identify of your life experiences and take up the identity of one who trusts God to keep his promises in the midst of suffering?
In his sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason walked us through the biblical truths found in Romans 4. In this text, Paul reminds the church that God is not impressed with our work for him or the status of our position. We don’t have to come from a religious family or grow up in the church culture to impress God. We don’t have to change our wardrobe or hide our tattoos to keep God from being embarrassed of us. We can have what Abraham has by believing in Jesus.
While the Law leaves us desperate and broken by further exposing our unrighteousness, the finished work of Christ on the cross completely satisfies all that God requires of us to make us righteous. The good news of the Gospel is that Christ has met all of God’s requirements and expectations for us. Christ has paid our debt for sin and earned God’s favor on our behalf. In Christ we have a secure position in God’s family!
In what ways are you still trying to impress God with your work for him?
In what ways are you pursuing a position with God rather than pursuing a relationship with God?
In what areas of your life are you still putting on the religious façade rather than walking in transparency and forgiveness?
In what ways do you feel disconnected from God because of your moral failure?
Are you willing to you exchange working for God for walking with God?
Pastor Jason began our journey through Romans this past Sunday. In Romans 1 & 2, the Apostle Paul boldly proclaims the Gospel as the only true source of grace and peace. The unrighteousness of man’s heart leaves the human soul in a desperate and weary state. There is nothing that man can look to in God’s creation and nothing in man's pursuit of morality that can provide true peace. It is only the perfect righteousness that God provides in the grace of Christ that can give peace to the restless and weary soul.
In what ways do you find yourself looking for peace in the circumstances and people of your life? Do you ever find yourself striving to be good in order to find peace? “28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29 ESV).
Pastor Jason wrapped up 1 & 2 Corinthians this past Sunday with a sermon on biblical stewardship and generosity. After laying a biblical foundation for money and possessions, we looked at 14 key principles to biblical stewardship and generosity from 1 Corinthians 16, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. We learned that biblical stewardship leads to God’s provision and God’s provision leads to generosity, and generosity leads to God’s glory. How is God challenging you and your family to pursue biblical stewardship? In what ways would biblical stewardship free you up to be more generous?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason preached on reconciliation. In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul lays a beautiful foundation for reconciliation by reminding the church that reconciliation is based on seeing our offenses from an eternal perspective, approaching these offenses by faith with a desire to please Jesus. Without these principles, true reconciliation is impossible.
We realized that God’s reconciliation is much bigger than our offenses. In the greatest act of reconciliation, God exchanged the wrath that we deserved, for the righteousness of Christ. Our reconciliation to God should affect our relationships with one another. Because of the exchange of our sin for the righteousness of Christ, we are to extend the same exchange to those who have offended us. When we extend the grace of God freely towards others, the same way God freely extended his grace towards us, we become ambassadors for Christ and a tangible expression of the Gospel.
Have you received the reconciliation that God is offering you, exchanging your sin for his righteousness? Are there any relationships in your life that need to be reconciled? What offenses are you harboring? Will you take a step towards becoming an ambassador for Christ by giving these offenses to Jesus and seeking to reconcile the relationship?
This past Sunday, Pastor Jason preached on the Light of the Gospel from 2 Corinthians 3 & 4. Far too often, the church teaches that being the light simply means to be kind or moral. The Apostle Paul confronts this perspective by helping the church to understand that being the light in the world means sharing the only thing that unveils truth and delivers people form darkness into light: the Gospel. Christians should be kind and pursue holiness, but these things alone won’t set people free from darkness. Only the Gospel of Christ can set people free and offer the hope of eternal life.
This is why the church must stand as a beacon in the midst of culture in order: to help people find their way to the truth and help guide believers through the dark and difficult journey of living in a fallen world. It is the role of the church to press back against the darkness and be a place of safe harbor for the broken hearted, the lonely, the despaired and the suffering.
Are you aware of opportunities that God has provided in your life to be the light in the midst of the darkness? Do you default to good deeds apart from the Gospel? Will you consider making a commitment to be the light in the world that God has called you to?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason preached on spiritual gifts from 1 Corinthians 12. Before discussing biblical instructions for spiritual gifts, the Apostle Paul first lays a gospel-foundation. He reminded us that understanding spiritual gifts begins with a personal relationship with Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. We learned that ALL believers have been given spiritual gifts and empowered by God to serve the church. Because God disperses spiritual gifts as He determines, engaging in using our spiritual gifts requires submission to God’s will. Spiritual gifts are given to individual believers to be brought together by the Holy Spirit to work together as ONE body. When the members of the body are using their gifts together to serve the church, it leads the church towards spiritual maturity.
Pastor Jason used the parts of a clock to illustrate how, as members of the church, we come together to function with one purpose. We were also challenged to see our individual gifts as more than just functional, our gifts also lead us into a deeper relationship with one another. Because the church is designed to function as one body, when one part of the body suffers, the rest of the body should feel it. And in the same way, when one part of the body rejoices, the rest of the body should rejoice as well. Collectively, WE are the body of Christ and each member makes up a part of the whole.
When you show up at church, do you feel like an essential part of the family? Are you aware of the spiritual gifts you have been given? Are you aware of the area that God is calling you to serve in the church? If you aren’t sure what your spiritual gift(s) are, we encourage you to take the Spiritual Gifts Analysis. Feel free to contact us at info@srchurch.tv to get plugged in!
Before our taking Communion as a church this past Sunday, Pastor Jason preached through 1 Corinthians 11:17-29. In this text, the Apostle Paul pointed out a major issue of division among the Corinthians believers during Communion. Instead of taking the Lord’s Supper as a community devoted to Christ and each other, some of the people were showing up early and eating and drinking way too much, leaving nothing for the other believers. Paul tells the church that when they gather together with division, it is for the “worse.”
Pastor Jason reminded us of the explicit “one another” commands of the New Testament that should be exhibited when the church gathers, especially for Communion. We were challenged to examine ourselves before taking Communion: Have I spent time in my relationship with God (word and prayer)? Am I ready to take Communion today with a grateful heart? Is there any unconfessed sin in my life that I need to deal with before I take communion? Are there any of the "one another" commands that I know I have neglected towards a specific person? Have I displayed favoritism or separatism towards another believer? Have I been harboring offense or bitterness towards another believer? Have I been putting my wants before the needs of others?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel confronts the entitlement-attitude of the current generation. We were challenged to consider the areas of our own life where we operate in entitlement rather than surrender. In 1 Corinthians 8 and 9, the Apostle Paul uses personal examples from his own life to show how he has surrendered his rights for the sake of the Gospel. The community of Christ is distinguished from other communities by a willingness to lay down personal rights for the sake of the Gospel. Even though all things are permissible, not all things are beneficial. Paul calls the church to become “All things to all people” by laying down personal rights and preferences in order to avoid creating obstacles for unbelievers and stumbling blocks for fellow Christians. Surrendering your rights does not mean that won’t have joy. Surrendering your rights means that you are forfeiting the knock-off prizes of this temporary life for the sake of the joy of an eternal reward that far surpasses anything this world has to offer.
If you were to be honest with yourself, which word would better describe your attitude in life, surrendered or entitled? How has God challenged you recently to become “all things to all people?” Are you willing to surrender your rights and personal preferences for the sake of sharing the Gospel with others?
In the sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Jason walked us through an overview of the discipleship process in 1 Corinthians 3. Discipleship is the process of learning and observing all that Jesus has commanded. Believers do this by meeting regularly with a mature believer over a period of time; learning how to deny the desires of the flesh, die to selfish ambitions, and shift obedience from self to Jesus. Discipleship helps us look less like ourselves and more like Christ everyday. From Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, we are challenged in that disciple-making is more than giving someone your opinion, it is a participation with God in the eternal work he is doing inside the life of a believer. Paul compared our lives to structures being built that will be tested and even though God is the one doing the work, we are called to participate in his work as “skilled builders.” Every layer that is built into our lives will be tested against the truth of the Gospel. Our lives must be built on a solid Gospel foundation or biblical framework. For this reason, the primary question asked in discipleship conversations is, “Can you show me what the Bible has to say about this situation?” As you think about your journey with Christ, have you ever been in a relationship where a mature believer takes you under their wing and shows you how to follow Jesus? If so, have you ever initiated a discipleship-relationship with a young believer to help them follow Jesus?
This past Sunday Pastor Jason led us through 1 Corinthians 2 to see that the church as been given the responsibility and entrusted with the rich, life-giving message of God’s word to lead people through life’s difficulties towards an eternal relationship with God. It’s the role of the church to invite the world into a life of hope and joy that is found along the path, paved with the wisdom of God’s Word. We were challenged and reminded that the the power of biblical counsel isn’t contingent on intellectual words or persuasive speech, but on the supernatural work of God by faith. In his letter to the Corinth church, Paul explains that true wisdom is revealed by the Spirit of God. Only the Holy Spirit can search the depths of our situations and hidden places in our hearts to reveal what is truly broken and interpret and apply God’s truth. God has positioned and called the church to stand as a beacon in the midst of cultural darkness in order to help people find their way to the truth and help guide believers through the dark and difficult journey of living in a fallen word.
We were challenged to ask ourselves: In my life right now, what area(s) or decisions am I facing that it would it be wise for me to seek biblical counsel? Will you consider approaching a mature Christian to seek biblical counsel on this matter?
As we continue our journey through the Letters to the Church sermon series, Pastor Jason preached 1 Corinthians 1. We observed Apostle Paul going after the division that was beginning to emerge in the Corinth church over loyalty to certain individuals over others. We discussed how most church division stems from placing personal preferences over and above biblical conviction. As Paul addressed the points of division in the Corinth church, he calls the church to unity. He reminds the church of who they are in Christ and to stand on the Gospel. He also reminds them that God didn’t save them because they were wise, noble or powerful. God saves and uses the weak to advance his kingdom. Therefore, no one has any room to exalt self or personal preferences above the good of the church. The Gospel calls us to a unity in Christ (fellowship) that leaves no room for us to exalt our opinions or personal convictions above our loyalty to Jesus.
When we let go of our personal preferences for the sake of the church and hold on to the truth of the Gospel, we stand united. As long as our loyalty is to Christ, our personal opinions will never have more power than our unity towards one another. This allows us to disagree on personal preferences and even personal convictions, while still remaining deeply united on what matters most. The primary mark of the Christian church is its deep loyalty to Jesus and deep abiding relationships with one another. Let us maintain the unity of the fellowship of Christ by submitting ourselves to Christ and his Word. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Have you ever allowed a frustration towards someone or offense from someone cause a division in your relationship with that person? Are you willing to strive to keep your loyalty to Christ and Biblical principals as more important than your personal preferences or personal convictions?
This past Sunday Pastor Jason wrapped up 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus by focusing on a “good conscience.” Because of our struggle with sin, every person is subject to a guilty conscience and the world offers 3 options for ridding ourselves of a guilty conscience: 1) hide our sin and pretend it didn’t happen, 2) shift the blame to someone else, or 3) change God’s moral law. In 1 Timothy 1:5, Paul charged the church to walk in love that comes from a good conscience. We looked at Paul’s sinful past where he “ravaged" the church of Jesus by dragging men and women form their homes to be put to death. If anyone had a guilty conscience to overcome, it was Paul. He even calls himself the worst sinner (1 Timothy 1:15-16). From Paul’s own example, we see that walking in a good conscience can only come from being cleansed and set free by the mercy and grace found in the Gospel. God’s mercy redirected the punishment we deserved onto Jesus and His grace gives us what don’t deserve, a clean conscience. We challenged ourselves to submit our guilty consciences to the truth of the Gospel that Jesus saves us from our sins and completely cleanses those who believe (1 John 1:9).
Pastor Jason ended the sermon by challenging us with these questions: Are there things or people from your past that still haunt you? Do you ever tell yourself, “If the people in my life today knew the things I did in my past, they wouldn’t love me or treat me the same.” Romans 8:1 reminds us that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Do you really believe the Gospel?
For Mother’s Day this past Sunday, Jason challenged moms to see the significance of their role in imparting sincere faith to their children. In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul reminded Timothy that his sincere faith dwelt first in his grandmother and mother. The Bible defines faith as the conviction of things that are true combined with a deep level of trust and value. Christian faith isn’t simply wishful thinking or positive thinking, but it’s exemplified by genuinely standing on the truth of scripture in the midst of life’s difficulties.
Our faith is ignited and sustained by growing in our knowledge of Jesus through the Bible. By rooting our lives in the scriptures, we avoid becoming shipwrecked or swerving from the faith.
Is your faith based more on what you want in life or in the promises of the Bible? Does your life exemplify a faith that looks like something that you are convicted is true? Is it obvious to outsiders that your faith is something you trust and treasure?
In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s connection between godliness (God-likeness) and the Gospel. According to Jesus, the Gospel has been deposited in our hearts and when it is deposited in good soil, it will reveal itself by producing good fruit. In his letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul continuously calls the church to guard the deposit of the Gospel. He calls the church to stay rooted in the Gospel in order to produce the good fruit of godliness. The Gospel is where Christians find the humility to gracefully walk through victories, the grace to wash over failures, and the strength to face adversity and suffering. Has the grace of God been planted in your heart? Has the Gospel become a well of life from which your soul draws from daily? Consider setting aside 15 minutes a day to meditate on the Word and let it soak into who you are.
We wrapped up the Ephesians series this past Sunday in Ephesians 6:10-20, where we discussed the power to stand against the evil schemes of the devil. We were reminded that the battles we face on Earth are not primarily against one another, but against the spiritual forces of evil. The most powerful thing we can do in spiritual battle is to remind ourselves and our enemy of what is true: God chose me in Christ that I should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined me for adoption as his son or daughter, and he has blessed me in the Beloved. In Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of my sins, which he lavished upon me. In Him, I have obtained an inheritance, and I have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Therefore, I have put off my old self and put on my new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness and I stand strong in the Lord and the power of his might. (Ephesians 1:3-14, 4:22-24, 6:10)