Hillside Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Keith Crosby, Lead Pastor
We believe that the Bible is God's totally true Word. We believe that God's Son, Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life, died for sinners and rose again from the dead. We believe that the Holy Spirit of God lives in those who receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. We believe that everyone who is "born again" through faith in Jesus is part of God's family, the Body of Christ, the Church.
Listen as Pastor Keith Crosby teaches on the truth that God humbles the proud and exalts the humble, as seen in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4.
Four actions to help prepare the next generation for service and leadership in the local church
Words of encouragement that prove essential to our finding our place in the church family
Understand that God cares for His people and God cares for you, down to the smallest detail
Four ways Jesus prepares you to fulfill the Great Commission so that you can Be One, Bring One, and Build One
Make these 3 priorities your priorities so that you may know where you stand with Christ and eternity
A women's panel discussing questions about dating, marriage, and relationships. A practical look at how to apply Biblical principles to dating and marriage.
The session for young professionals from our Split Night. A panel with Dave Dearinger, Jonathan Yang, and Chris Gee about how to manage your finances from a Biblical perspective.
Listen to 5 Foundry men talk about how we can think Biblically about different relationships that all Christians have.
Two steps to take so that you can embrace the facts you need in order to maintain spiritual self-discipline
Three elements of the Gospel story; the announcement, the virgin birth and the urgent response
The faithful Christian, like the faithful Christian leader or shepherd considers three matters in all that he or she does
Every act of a churches benevolence ministry must take at least three factors into consideration
Consider three realities about corporate worship so that you can adequately prepare to worship publicly
Consider these three approaches to worship so that your worship is God focused and God pleasing
We should reconsider our attitude toward the existence and attributes of God based on 5 realities
To understand the Apostle’s spiritually and emotionally healthy Christianity you have to grasp his understanding of himself in three ways.
As you come to church each Sunday take these 5 steps to growth and change so that you can revolutionize your life beginning in 2019.
God came to earth to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, rescue us; which is a very big deal indeed. That baby in the manger was God in the manger, Jesus Christ, and that is a very big deal indeed.
Review this series and its meaning and application in your life and sphere of influence.
Let's celebrate milestones, look at where we've been, evaluate where we are and talk about our future as a church family.
Understand four facets in this rule for life so that you can ingest and apply this antidote for chaos.
God calls for us to devote one day in seven in remembrance of Him. What are we to do on that day and why? Let’s understand four components essential to making time for God on the Sabbath for His glory, the sake of others, and our own growth as an antidote to chaos.
Life doesn’t always go as planned. God’s Word provides all we need to successfully navigate the rough places. But, there is one key action we must not omit.
Most people give little thought to what it means to take God’s name in vain. Therefore, let’s ask and answer three questions about taking the LORD’s name in vain as one ingredient in our antidote for chaos.
While a fool has said in his or heart there is no God, it is a greater fool who acts this mindset out. And all too often, Christ-followers play the fool.
You were saved to serve. Christianity is not a spectator sport. Time to get in the game.
Giving as an act of worship needs to be revisited and reconsidered as we give to the local church and through the local church to advance the gospel in obedience to God’s word.
For many these topics are more than a little confusing. We find clarity in a careful examination of the New Testament.
Many times, things get so crazy in our lives that we drift away from God’s purposes. We feel unsettled, anxious, and nothing is going right. It’s time to stop and think. What’s the matter? Where am I with God?
There is a void in our souls that only God can fill. When we try and satisfy this void with anything other than God we don’t “feel right.” Often God moves in our lives to cause us to consider our ways by reevaluating our priorities. Haggai chapter 1 bears witness to this: we cannot have divided loyalties, attempting to serve two masters.
Paul says that in Christ’s body, “each member belongs to all the others”. We are profoundly interdependent. The implications of this principle are spelled out practically in dozens of “one another” passages in the New Testament epistles. We will take a quick look at three of these “one another’s” that are key to start building community.
We need to be there for those who suffer loss. We need to be present; available; and useful---and sometimes just listen.
Every person every born has a choice to make when it comes to successful kingdom living, to embrace Christ and live for Him or to ignore Him and live for self. What’s it going to be?
We know a tree by the fruit it bears, and we can discern a Christian by His character profile. Unpopular as it sounds, it is possible to profile a real Christian as Christ provides us a profile in the Sermon on the Mount, generally, and in our passage, particularly.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and swims like a duck, it could well be a duck (the same is true of Christians).
On the trip the team used a simple way to study the Bible as they went through a portion of the book of Acts, tracking the development of the early church.
While God affords us liberty in prayer, there are certain principles and patterns we do well to observe as we distill and derive principles of prayer from Jesus Christ’s model prayer in Matthew 6:5-13.
Prayer is a simple yet profound concept and act of worship. Sometimes we make it more complicated than we should. Understanding the basics of prayer may help you develop a more God honoring and satisfying prayer life. Let’s learn from Jesus the basics of prayer so that we can build on His solid foundation.
Worship is all encompassing. It’s everything we say think and do. In Matthew 6 Jesus shows us the necessity of worship in our helicopter fly-over of Matthew 6 in ways we might not always have considered applicable to our time and culture.
If Christ changes everything (and He does), and if we detach and discard the junk that has to go, then we need to replace old desires and attitudes with new ones. In today’s passage, we find three places to start.
Faith needs to be expressed in obedience that leads to concrete actions that please God, even if we are going through trials and difficult situations.
This message is a look into Jesus being asked if He is the Christ, and His response is so much bigger than they imagined.
The Good Shepherd is imagery that Jesus employs to illustrate the difference between Himself and others. This sermon tackles the sheep/shepherd theme in Scripture, and depicts God being a close and intimate God with his creation.
Christ changes everything, and that includes you, me, and our conduct. But too often, we fall prey to conventional wisdom (pragmatism), and ways of thinking, speaking and acting which must be detached and discarded from our lives if we are to have an impact for the Kingdom of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus, clarifying the Law and the Prophets seems to suggest our desires, attitudes, and actions must change if we wish to be His followers.
Life changing, eternity changing contact with Christ changes everything from the way we think, to live, and speak. It changes how we relate to people. As we continue our discussion of successful kingdom living, we consider how successful kingdom living changes everything from us to the world around us!
Live every day of your life as who is saved, not by any goodness in yourself, but by the grace of God. In doing so be a light to the world, that others will see the love of Jesus in you.
Successful kingdom living starts from within us, at salvation. And the new heart we receive through Christ takes our upside down, worldly thinking and rights it like a capsized boat. We may look the same, like the houses built upon sand and the solid rock look the same, but like those houses, we are founded and grounded on Christ and that makes a difference in the way we think and live (a noticeable difference). By not concealing our vibrant faith we can begin to change the world, one soul at a time, no matter who we are or where we are if we build our house (lives) upon the Rock.
Successful kingdom living starts from within us, at salvation. And the new heart we receive through Christ takes our upside down, worldly thinking and rights it like a capsized boat. We may look the same, like the houses built upon sand and the solid rock look the same, but like those houses, we are founded and grounded on Christ and that makes a difference in the way we think and live (a noticeable difference).
How do we live ‘the successful Christian life’ beyond platitudes like ‘your best life now?’ How do we live effectively as citizens of the kingdom of God in Christ? The Sermon on the Mounts is our declaration of independence from worldly thinking. It is a Christian manifesto that describes a life lived out in obedience to Christ. Our first sermon counter-intuitively comes from the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7:24-29, with Success Defined.
The world is full of broken relationships. Peter damaged his relationship with Christ by denying Jesus three times. But Jesus restored Peter in John 21 and recommissioned Peter to ministry. In this narrative we can distill principles for restoring relationships in our own lives whether we sin against God or others.
People know viscerally or intuitively that Christ offers something that other religions don’t. And they can’t put their finger on it. Christ provides for us what we cannot provide for ourselves, forgiveness as His expense.
Christian, you have been given a new lease on life through your redemption. How will you use it? In light of what Christ has done for you, what will you do for Him (and what will your epitaph be)?
We live in a world lacking in peace. Our world has never known peace and apart from Christ, can never know peace. However, regardless of your circumstances, you can have people. Christ promises to give His disciples, His people peace. We’d like you to understand what we mean by the peace of Christ.
People often seem eager to seek Jesus and then ‘burn out.’ We often hear people talk of those who made a profession of faith in Christ only to see those new converts ‘walk away from the faith.’ How can this really be? Today we look at Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem at Passover and see how quickly the crowds who acclaimed Him refuse to believe in Him. And in so doing we understand why so many people today seem to fall away from the faith.
We live in the age of anxiety. We live in an uncertain world, or so it seems. People want security and will do anything or give up anything to feel ‘safe.’ And people get angry and become irrational when their ideas of safety and comfort are challenged. But the truth is true peace of mind, true security, and freedom from anxiety comes only through a relationship with Jesus Christ as He is the ways and means of our safety and peace of mind. He is the cure of all the fears that ails us. Take the cure.
Just as there are stages of grief (anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) there are stages of unbelief. Some people get over grief; others do not. Some people get over unbelief; others do not. In John 9 we see people confronted with an undeniable miracle that reveals the identity of Christ. And like last week’s message, some respond irrationally, intentionally ignoring the obvious clues and evidences to Christ, and wind up in violent opposition to the truth. But the blind man (who was healed) saw it all! And in the end, He embraced Christ. Don’t be blinded by irrational fears, intentional ignorance, or opposition to what is true. Embrace Christ.
We are often grieved as we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those whom we love and care for but who seem determined not to believe at all costs. In John chapters 7 and 8, we see unbelief in a number of aspects, unbelief as irrational, as determined despite the clues, and even as prone to turning violent. Understanding unbelief provides the Christ follower some peace of mind in the face of the unbelief of others.
Bad ideas are like viruses they float in the cultural atmosphere and we often breathe them in unawares. We get excited and outraged about refugees and sex trafficking, all of which are important, and we ignore that half a billion have been aborted in less than 50 years. We tear down statues of historical figures and gloss over the racism and nearly Nazi like eugenic beliefs of the likes of Charles Darwin and Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood). There’s an intellectual, moral, and spiritual disconnect here.
In John 13:1-17, Jesus provides us the ultimate example of what it means to serve others as Christ-followers. Let’s look closely at what Christ-like love and service looks like, as we consider three qualities He put on display.
Often we go through life seeking our purpose when our purpose is to serve (worship) God. Today’s discussion centers around four facts about finding your life’s purpose and applying your spiritual gifts to ministry.
Sometimes we forget the “power of prayer". Today's message reminds us of the place of prayer in our ministries and our lives.
People are often ensnared by bad habits, ‘besetting sin,’ addiction, poor choices and want to change. Yet somehow, they think “Well, I asked God to help me change but He’s not done anything yet!” They fail to understand they need to participate with God, cooperating with God, in their own spiritual growth process and they fail to take “next steps.” This message provides a short survey of action steps leading to real change from God’s Word. Change is doable, if you will take each point of this message and make it your own “I will…”
How does one know whom to date or marry? How does one know if they are ready for marriage? Join us as we apply the character principles of leadership to the search for a spouse, or to our own preparation for marriage, in this closing sermon of the Family Matters Series.
People often struggle to find the true meaning of Christmas. The Apostle Paul summarizes the Christmas Story in one sentence. Let’s learn from Him.
After Moses died, Joshua was called to take the horn of leadership. God establishes his leader in a powerful way and calls his people to remember.
In marriage, in families, and in life conflict is inevitable but fights are not. Today we discuss 4 keys for peacemaking in conflict.
Not all prodigals are equal in appearance or conduct. Often, they fly beneath the radar while in the home. Identifying them early enables us to more capably point them to the Savior. In today’s message, we see that there was another prodigal present.
So-called ‘prodigals’ present Christian families with knotty problems in terms of how to respond, or how to think about them (saved or unsaved; Christian or non-Christian). Today, we begin a discussion of parenting prodigals.
Parenting is an art, a science, and an act of worship. Eternities hang in the balance. Let’s consider three characteristics of parenting for eternity.
People often think of spiritual warfare in terms of demonic possession and indigenous people, along with some missionaries hiding under the bed instead of understanding that God is sovereign. Spiritual warfare also includes our culture and many churches seduced by ideologies, philosophies, and secularized thinking. Spiritual warfare also includes the battle for the mind. It includes the marketplace of idea. Our talk views this perspective in terms of family matters.
People often think of spiritual warfare in terms of demonic possession and indigenous people, along with some missionaries hiding under the bed instead of understanding that God is sovereign. Spiritual warfare also includes our culture and many churches seduced by ideologies, philosophies, and secularized thinking. Spiritual warfare also includes the battle for the mind. It includes the marketplace of idea. Our talk views this perspective in terms of family matters.
Women have it rough in this world, have had it rough throughout history, have it rough in marriage in general, and have it rough even in Christian marriages. Men and women often fail to understand and embrace their respective roles within marriage. Our series on Family Matters includes discussion of the roles and goals of men (husbands) and women (wives) in the context of marriage and the family. Today, we focus on what it takes to be a good wife, according to God’s Word.
Women have it rough in this world, have had it rough throughout history, have it rough in marriage in general, and have it rough even in Christian marriages. Men and women often fail to understand and embrace their respective roles within marriage. Our series on Family Matters includes discussion of the roles and goals of men (husbands) and women (wives) in the context of marriage and the family. Today, we focus on what it takes to be a good wife, according to God’s Word.
Family matters matter to God and so they should matter to us. A good marriage requires a good husband and wife team. Good husbands are made, they aren’t born. Today we discuss the three in one role of a good husband. A good husband is: a lover, a learner, and a leader.
Family matters matter to God and so they should matter to us. A good marriage requires a good husband and wife team. Good husbands are made, they aren’t born. Today we discuss the three in one role of a good husband. A good husband is: a lover, a learner, and a leader.
To fully understand the calling of Abram it is useful to view it in the context of what came before. Sin is the setting of side of what God’s wants and doing what we want. Two examples of this are the fall of man in the Garden and the decision after the flood to build the Tower of Babel. Out of these events Abram was called to follow God, not knowing where he was going, but trusting the one who called him.
Family matters matter to God and so they should matter to us. Family can be a blessing and a course. Those we love dear and those who hurt us most are often our family members. But what is a family? Why is there a family? What role does marriage play in family? Why is marriage important. As we begin this series we will start with the institution of marriage and its purposes and God’s plan for marriage, family, the church, and society. But first things first. To have a family, it takes a marriage.
Family matters matter to God and so they should matter to us. Family can be a blessing and a course. Those we love dear and those who hurt us most are often our family members. But what is a family? Why is there a family? What role does marriage play in family? Why is marriage important. As we begin this series we will start with the institution of marriage and its purposes and God’s plan for marriage, family, the church, and society. But first things first. To have a family, it takes a marriage.
People unnecessarily parse John 6 into the feeding of the 5,000, the questions about communion, Jesus being rejected for hard teaching, Jesus walking on the water, etc. Sometimes we over complicate chapter 6. It is a singular story about the rejection of the Gospel but those who hear from a Messiah something that was not what they wan ted to hear. The Gospel stings. It elevates God and humbles man. It’s an offence to many, a joke to others. Jesus lays it out for the masses and most of them reject Him.
Unity is a word that sounds nice, but what does it really mean? How can we achieve it and what difference does it make?
Sometimes difficult – even terrifying – things happen. Even to those who trust God. Fear can set in. At such times, we need to remember our spiritual anchor. Psalm 34 provides David’s first-person account of God’s direction in overcoming fear’s grip.
People have all kinds of ideas about worship. Maybe we don’t understand worship clearly enough. Psalm 100 gives us the basics of worship by giving 7 commands, derived by 4 essentials of worship which we will discuss and apply.
People find all kinds of reasons to disbelieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, God the Son, and Savior. Unbelief, however, doesn’t change the facts. Jesus is who is He. These days there are people who claim that they are ready to believe in Him as a good teacher, a prophet, a good man, or even a historical figure. But Jesus demands more than this. In His confrontation with the Jewish Leadership, Jesus turns the tables on His accusers and calls a number of witnesses to testify against them in their own figurative trial: John the Baptist, the Miracles He performs, the voice of God at His baptism and ultimately the Scriptures in the form of the Law of Moses… leaving them with little wiggle room.
Did Jesus really claim to be God? If Jesus is equal to God, having the same power and ability as God, is the giver of life like God, deserving the same worship (honor) as God, and is the only Savior (giver of eternal life like God), then Jesus is God.
Today we consider 4 contrasts between a genuine saving faith and a faith that is something less. In John 4, the Apostle John contrasts the faith of the Samaritans who believed Jesus and the faith of the Galileans who wanted a sign. One group wanted salvation; the other group wanted ‘action’ or ‘entertainment’ or ‘a thrill.’ As the royal official begins, spiritually in the camp of the Galileans (wanting a sign) as he pleaded for his son’s healing we see him ‘end up in the camp of the Samaritans, with a simple, saving faith that trusts. Often we confuse mental assent for genuine saving faith. The two are radically different things, as these narratives show.
In John 4, we find Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well and we learn a lot about Jesus’ teaching that He is the Messiah and that His message is THE message of salvation. We also learn how to and how not to bear witness to Christ and how to explain the Gospel.
Understand four realities about the message of Jesus as it relates to the assurance of salvation so that you can encourage and engage yourself and others.
To find the right answers, we have to ask the right questions, particularly when it comes to understanding our own salvation. It’s fair to say that we always receive from God better than we deserve. Justice is receiving what we deserve. Grace and salvation is receiving better than we deserve.
Baptism is one of the more misunderstood rites or ordinances associated with the Christian Faith. What is baptism? It’s an outward symbol of an inward change. It’s an act of obedience to Christ’s command in Matthew 28:18-20. Those who embrace Christ as Savior are baptized as He directed as a public demonstration of their loyal love for Him.
People often look at Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus as about Nicodemus’ lack of understanding. However, what John 3:1-15 is all about is Jesus officially explaining His message to representatives of the Jewish Leadership and nation. When you look at the passage and read the sermon notes are you at all inclined to wonder how we complicate His message?
As we continue to decode Jesus (who He is and who He claimed to be), we see Jesus bear witness to His earlier claims by His unmistakable actions. Having promised Nathanael and the other disciples that they would see greater things, Jesus turns water into wine (that’s a biggie). We see evidence and indications that Jesus is God, the Creator.
What does it mean to follow Jesus? Is your priority focused on the Kingdom of God and making disciples, or are you looking for a gospel of prosperity?
As we consider the content and action found in John 1:35-51, we see the titles ascribed to Jesus, which decode His identity. We also see how the disciples, in some instances, bear witness to His identity and how He bears witness to His own identity.
As we work through John’s Gospel we gain a great deal of insight into who Jesus is and where we fit into His kingdom. We see this particularly in light of John the Baptist’s ministry. We can learn a lot from John’s example as we seek to bear witness to Christ in our own context.
There are many views and opinions about who Jesus was. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke provide us a picture of all that Jesus did, John’s Gospel tells us who Jesus was and what He thought. We see the “I am” statements. We see the 7 Signs of His identity and we understand Jesus’ beliefs, explained pointedly in His own words. Most of John’s Gospel is His own words.
Many have failed to grasp the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, missing out on the hope, healing, restoration, and reconciliation made available to them.
The account of the of the Rich Man and Lazarus is profound. Many fail to grasp it’s significance for our era in particular. The thesis statement is found in verse 31.
Paul provides us an excellent blueprint for evangelizing the unchurched in Acts 17:16-34. He addresses a group of educated elites and philosophers with the gospel. We can learn 5 lessons from Paul’s example.
People often fail to appreciate of the impending return of Christ and all that will follow. As we think through the joyful inevitable we must not lose sight of the need for non-Christ followers to embrace Him for rescue, restoration, and salvation. The world is perishing and Jesus Christ has left us here as instruments in His hands to point others to Him? Will we fulfill this calling with urgency? We should.
We are reminded that Jesus’ church is to be passionate about evangelism and compassion ministries.
People these days have many ideas about the church. Most of them are misinformed. The Church is more than a building. The Church is a collection of believers who worship Jesus Christ. The Church is the foundation for all ministry, it has a structure, and all of this is explained in God’s Word. Today, we’ll do a helicopter flyover of the Church, getting of bird’s eye view of what the church is, how its composed, and what it does.
All too often we talk a good game about our beliefs but fail to live them out. Therefore, we miss out. We miss out on a satisfying relationship with our Savior, God, and Sustainer. We miss out on opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. We miss out on living our purpose.
Human beings are people of extremes. Typically, there are two extreme, unbiblical approaches to the Holy Spirit: (a) a tendency to overemphasize Him to the near exclusion of the Father and the Son; (b) the neglect any mention of Him at all for fear of being accused of being charismatic. Our aim is to embrace neither extreme but to be biblically centered and balanced in our understanding of the Holy Spirit so that we can explain His ministry to other because we understand Him ourselves.
We need to think more carefully about the doctrine of Jesus Christ (Christology). People fail to appreciate fully who Jesus is and the implications of who He is and what He has done for us. Today’s message is an overview of the person and work of Jesus Christ as God the Son, Messiah, Savior; and Resurrected Lord.
We need to think more carefully about the doctrine of man. We sometimes forget that man is spiritually dead and unwilling and unable to desire the things of God on his own. Understanding the human condition takes pressure off of you when you share the gospel with someone and they reject it. Understanding the human condition helps you to realize that feeding and clothing the poor, while nice, is of little eternal value. Understanding the human condition helps you to realize how far we have fallen and devolved and how far God was willing to go to save us from our sin. Understanding the human condition helps you to understand why there are no truly good people only sinners saved by a truly good God.
We need to think more carefully about the doctrine of God. We need to think more carefully about God. Otherwise, we can’t tell people about Him, or discuss Him with those whom we love in an intelligent or helpful manner.
Christianity has a blueprint. We come with instructions. Those instructions are found in the Bible, the basis for our faith. We cannot know God apart from His Word. Examine the blueprint; read the instructions and know God.
Some say that Roe vs. Wade and abortion represent the watershed moral event of the last 100 years. The abortion controversy is a divisive one. There are Christians and churches that say, “Can we move beyond the abortion discussion to matters of evangelism, earth care, and social justice---because like homosexuality, the Bible doesn’t really talk about abortion. The fact is many in the church have grown comfortable with abortion as a necessary evil. Christians should be uncomfortable with the killing of the unborn because they Bible speaks very clearly on the subject.
Disciple-making is the mission of the church. The believer is called to a complete commitment to the task and to develop a sense of fear and wonder before the King of the universe.
Our aim today is to consider and embrace three resolutions in the coming year so that you may not merely survive the coming year but thrive under God’s watch-care and blessings.
There is so much confusion about the meaning of Christmas! Galatians 4:4-5 tells us pretty much in a sentence what Christmas is really all about, giving us something to really celebrate.
Persecution in some form is inevitable for Christians. Therefore, we should not be shocked, dismayed, and or disheartened when trouble comes our way. Today’s message is about persecution and our response.
As believers and servants of Christ we must ask and answer three questions in our heart of hearts about our commitment to Christ.
Our approach to explaining the Gospel must be sensible and our presentation must be clear and content filled.
Relations between Christians must be peaceable if we want to be taken seriously by the culture. We should not act like the world. The differences between us and others must be conspicuous. They must conclude that there must be something different at work in us because they see something different at work in us.
The honorable Christian man honors God and His wife by embracing at least four non-negotiables in marriage.
Embrace four non-negotiables in marriage so that your faith is seen as an honorable faith.
If we want to have a credible witness for Christ before the words then we must be ‘respectable.” To be respected, we must act respectably if we are grateful for our salvation, ready to serve Him, and rightly informed with regard to maintaining an eternal perspective. We need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk. 1 Peter 2 provides us a list of essential behavior that we must cultivate if we are to live out our faith before a world that considers us and our faith irrelevant.
Our fallen world, intentionally or otherwise, seems determined to distract our attention away from God and our mission. Therefore, we’ve got to maintain an internal perspective. We are faced with many urgent crises that seem to pull us away from being about our Master’s work. However, if we are eternally focused, then we will look beyond the apparent here and now scenarios as we keep matters of eternal consequence in view.
If we are grateful for all that God has given us in our salvation, then we will be ready to serve Him. How will we ready ourselves? Today’s sermon provides us inside into the necessary preparation. Part and parcel of our readiness is changing our priorities to match God’s calling on our lives. We’ve been given something special by Someone special and are we ready to serve Him according to His will? How can we ready ourselves. Consider taking 5 steps toward readiness.
Within the scope of the first 12 verses of this Epistle, Peter, sounding like Paul in the first 14 verses of Ephesians bursts forth in a song of matchless thanksgiving and joy. When you consider Peter’s circumstances, writing on the eve of Nero’s persecution of Christians, writing during a time when both Romans and religious Jews were persecuting Christians, you can’t miss the fact that Peter has kept His eye on the larger eternal picture.
Today, we live in a difficult and often Christian-unfriendly world. And this world is hard on all kinds people, Christian and otherwise. However, as we keep our eyes on the Savior we should radiate a joy and a gratefulness that induces some to stop, look, and listen to what we have to say. Why? They see the power of God at work in us. Today, we will consider four reasons for showing the world our gratitude toward God for all we have, despite our circumstances. In so doing we compel others to ask us, “What do you have that I lack?”
Ministry is messy. Where there are people there are problems and any church has plenty of both. Paul wrote to the churches in Rome which were filled with all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. They shared a common faith but came at it from different directions. Some were new believers; some were biblically literate. How would they mesh as God’s people? Paul provides us God’s view on the matter of unity and diversity within the local church.
The Scriptures are all equally important to how we see, live, and think through our daily lives. Because they are inspired by God they are like Him: eternal and timeless. They inform our living and lives. They empower us, with His wisdom, to make choices to obey Him, to serve Him, and to serve others. He has given us all the guidance we need to know, love, and serve Him as we face the slings, arrows, and joys this life may throw at us. The question is, “are we prepared?” Are we prepared to trust and obey Him according to His Word? Are we prepared to conform our thinking to His thinking, the thinking reflected in the pages of the Bible?
More than a few people are confused about “hearing from God” or “discovering God’s will for their lives.” Do we need a spiritual treasure map to help us discover where “X” marks the spot that is the center of God’s will and blessing? Should we be seeking or waiting for a “still small voice” to guide us in every decision? Let’s learn why such notions can become risky approaches. And let’s find joy in the reality that God’s best for every decision and our life’s direction isn’t really hidden in plain sight. Deuteronomy 29:29 gives us a simple explanation about how we can discover God’s will on a daily basis. Need direction? Join us as we understand the implications of Deuteronomy 29:29.
We live in an era of confusion where we often mistake what we feel or what we believe for fact. This is true today particularly concerning matters of identity: gender, racial, national, and spiritual. Jesus provides us a helpful (and sobering) reality check in Matthew 7:21-23.
Sometimes the world gets the better of us. We lose perspective, taking our eyes off of God, viewing our world only through the lens of circumstance and experience. Psalm 73 teaches us to look and live beyond our circumstances as we learn to view our world through the lens of eternity.
Christians can speak evangelistically even it circumstances do not permit us to share the gospel directly. We can lay the groundwork for a future gospel discussion by speaking and communicating in a manner that stands out as different. Such speech may also transform our relationships with others (colleagues, spouses, children; parents). Ephesians 4:29 contains 4 principles for gospel oriented speech that may lead to opportunities for evangelism and transform our relationships with others.
We live in a post-Christian world where people no longer understand Christian terminology (‘born again,’ ‘under the blood,’ ‘justification;’ ‘salvation by grace through faith.’ It’s almost as if we speak a foreign language. This is further complicated by our sound bite, twitter, and texting format communication styles. Our aim today is to give you a series of compact, compelling, and concrete explanations of what it means to be ‘saved’ so that you can share these simple descriptions with others.