City Light Bible Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
City Light Bible Church
City Light Bible Church exists to glorify God by proclaiming the truth of His Word, strengthening the faith of His people, and spreading the hope of His Gospel. Pastor Chris Gee and the elders are committed to expository preaching, seeking to accurately explain the scriptures, and pointing to God’s Word as the singular authority in our lives.
This week we looked at the power of prayer, especially prayer for other Christians. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 illustrates how we should pray for other Christians: with a spirit of thankfulness, for their spiritual maturity and growth in love, and with the goal of preparing them for Christ's return. Listen as Pastor Chris provides practical tips for developing a consistent prayer life and emphasizes that asking God to act through prayer is the greatest task a person can accomplish.
On our second anniversary, this Sunday we reflected on the love shared in our community over the past two years. 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:8 explores how Christian love for the church should remain undeterred by distance, death, detriment, and difficulty just as Christ’s love for us remains steadfast. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us to keep Christ at the center of our love for the church and for one another as we embark on year three and beyond.
There are only two types of people in the world: those who accept God's Word and those who reject it. Those who accept God’s Word acknowledge its authority and transformative power in their lives. Those who reject God’s Word reject Jesus and His followers and ultimately incur the wrath of God. Listen as Pastor Chris reminds us that there is no middle ground, we must choose to receive God’s Word into our hearts and listen as God speaks through it or face the eternal consequences.
Discipleship involves both receiving and giving spiritual care. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12, the apostle Paul uses the analogy of parental love to describe the deep affection and sacrificial commitment involved in discipling others. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages the congregation to not only consider what they can gain from joining a small group, but also what they can contribute by sharing the Gospel, their lives, and biblical instruction with one another.
As we gear up for the beginning of a new ministry year, Pastor Chris examined common pitfalls in church ministry by outlining five ways people often approach ministry incorrectly. In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6, the apostle Paul highlights the importance of having pure motives and focusing on pleasing God rather than seeking personal gain or recognition in ministry. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us to approach church involvement with a God-centered perspective, reminding us that true ministry is focused on God, not ourselves.
This week Pastor Chris discussed what it means to be a model Christian, drawing inspiration from the early church in Thessalonica. In our passage we saw four key aspects of exemplary faith: imitating godly examples, boldly proclaiming God's Word, turning away from idols, and eagerly awaiting Christ's return. Listen as Pastor Chris challenges us to consider our own spiritual influence and strive to be positive role models by developing a faith worthy of imitation.
This week we kicked off our new sermon series on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. These two letters were written by the apostle Paul to the church plant in Thessalonica and are filled with specific instructions that are crucial for a young church’s survival and growth. Paul’s first lesson highlights the importance of understanding our own salvation. Listen as Pastor Chris explains how salvation is displayed through faith, hope, and love and how being saved means being loved, changed, and chosen by God.
As we concluded our series on global missions we explored 3 John 5-8, emphasizing two key ways for Christians to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission: showing hospitality to visiting missionaries and providing financial support for those preaching the Gospel abroad. Listen as elder Elliot Kang challenges us to see ourselves as the 'home front' for missions by making sacrifices and reorienting our lives to support those on the front lines of Gospel ministry.
In Romans 15, the apostle Paul provides a framework for supporting global missions. Through Paul’s requests, we see three key ways to support missionaries: financial support, encouragement, and prayer. Listen as Pastor Chris explains specific ways that we can get involved in missions through these three categories, and shares how City Light Bible Church will begin our church’s own missions ministry.
This week we discussed the importance of sharing the Gospel and going out to spread the Good News, looking closely at Romans 10:14-15. Listen as elder John Hannigan delivers this message on the urgency and necessity of Christians participating in God's mission to reach the lost.
This week we explored the book of Jonah, focusing on the contrast between Jonah's lack of compassion for Nineveh and God's abundant love for all people. This story challenges us to examine our own hearts toward the lost and to embrace God's desire for all to be saved. Listen as Pastor Chris unpacks the lessons from Jonah and connects them to Jesus’ ministry and sacrifice on the Cross, our ultimate example of God’s compassion for the lost.
We kicked off our summer series on missions by looking at the central motivation for Christian missions: God’s glory. As Christians, we should be motivated to engage in missions because God desires His glory to be known and worshipped by all nations, with Jesus Christ as the perfect representation of that glory. Listen as elder Elliot Kang lays the groundwork for the rest of this summer as we explore the importance of making God’s glory known throughout the nations by showcasing and inviting others to behold and worship Jesus Christ.
We wrapped up our sermon series in Colossians with a discussion of stewardship. Colossians 4:12-18 highlights the importance of being good stewards of our energy, talents, resources, and ministry opportunities. Listen as Pastor Chris concludes our study of Colossians by reemphasizing its main themes: Christ's Lordship and the radical transformation of believers, encouraging us to dedicate all aspects of our lives to God.
This week we examined five men mentioned in Colossians 4:7-11: Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus. The ministries of these men reinforce key themes discussed earlier in Colossians and provide great lessons that we can apply to our own lives and service. Listen as Pastor Chris emphasizes these men’s faithfulness in ministry, transformation through the Gospel, suffering for Christ, forgiveness, and full commitment to Jesus as Lord.
Colossians 4:2-6 discusses the importance of preparing ourselves for evangelism, focusing on two key elements: prayer and testimony. To be effective in our evangelism we must be persistent, watchful, and thankful in prayer, asking for open doors to share the Gospel clearly. We also must live wisely and be gracious in our speech as part of our testimony towards non-believers in hopes of making them more receptive to hearing the Gospel. Listen as Pastor Chris expands on how to practically prepare ourselves for effective evangelism in our daily lives.
As we continued our discussion of the countercultural family, this week we focused on Colossians 3:20-21 which instructs children to obey their parents and fathers not to provoke their children. Pastor Chris discussed practical ways that children can honor their parents throughout their lives and highlighted how fathers must exercise authority and discipline in a biblical way to avoid provoking or discouraging their children. Listen to learn how to apply these commands and build a joyful family that is pleasing to the Lord.
We heard from one of our elders, John Hannigan, this week as he discussed the blessings of forgiveness displayed in Psalm 32. As we confess our sins to God, we receive a full pardon and freedom from guilt and shame. This freedom then allows us to draw near to God and receive His instruction. Listen as John encourages us to confess our sins without delay so that we may receive the abundant blessings that God has promised us.
This week we discussed a biblical perspective on marriage roles and responsibilities. Colossians 3:18-19 makes it clear that wives are to submit to and respect their husbands with a gentle and quiet spirit and husbands are to sacrificially love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Listen as Pastor Chris expands on these roles and explains that marriage is intended to glorify God by reflecting the relationship between Christ and the Church, giving others a glimpse of the Gospel.
Colossians 3:15-17 proposes a life mission statement based on three components: living with others in the peace of Christ, immersing oneself in the Word of Christ, and doing everything in the name of Christ. Listen as Pastor Chris emphasizes living out this statement through pursuing unity and thankfulness in the church body, integrating Scripture deeply into our lives, and living in a way that is consistent with the character of Jesus Christ in all areas of life.
This week we discussed how to love an imperfect, and sometimes disappointing, church. Colossians 3:12-14 shows us that we can do this by embracing our Gospel-centered identity as God's chosen, holy, and beloved ones, which empowers us to put on Gospel-driven character qualities such as compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and forgiveness. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us to look to Christ as our ultimate example and motivation for loving, instead of criticizing, our church community despite its imperfections.
In the biblical account of Jesus healing the demon-possessed man in Gerasenes, we see that Jesus has power over not only the natural world but also the supernatural world. Jesus uses His power to liberate and restore those who are broken, transforming them into something even better than they were before so that they can proclaim the Gospel and tell others of God's mercy in their lives. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us, as those who have been transformed, to boldly proclaim the good works God has done for us and live in a way that reflects our freedom in Christ.
Colossians 3:5-11 exhorts believers to put to death sinful desires and actions such as sexual immorality, anger, and lying. This passage reminds us that through faith in Christ we have died to our old sinful nature and are raised to new life in Him. As we are renewed in the knowledge of Christ, we should live in a manner consistent with our new identity in Him. Listen as Pastor Chris reminds us of who we are in Christ and how to use the message of the Gospel to motivate us towards Christlikeness.
The final two chapters of Colossians pivot the focus from theological knowledge to practical Christian living. This week we looked at Colossians 3:1-4, a passage that calls believers to set their minds on the things of heaven, remaining focused on Christ and the future glory that awaits. Listen as Pastor Chris discusses practical ways to maintain an eternal perspective and live with a purified heart and mind fixed on our coming transformation when Christ returns.
This week we looked at three types of false teaching that were threatening the church in Colossae and remain a threat today: legalism, mysticism, and asceticism. The things offered by each of these teachings pale in comparison to the truth, spiritual growth, and internal transformation that are found in Jesus. Listen as Pastor Chris warns against these false teachings and exhorts the church to pursue the all-sufficient Jesus Christ and embrace the spiritual fullness He alone offers.
This Easter Sunday, we explored four powerful pictures of salvation seen in Colossians 2:11-15: heart transformation, spiritual resurrection, debt cancellation, and victory celebration. This message is a call to celebrate our salvation but even more to rejoice in our great Savior Jesus Christ who secured this salvation through His death and resurrection. If you need a reminder of who our great Savior is or you do not know Him at all, listen as Pastor Chris presents this beautiful message of hope so that you too can celebrate in the victory of Jesus’ resurrection.
In Colossians 2:6 the apostle Paul encourages us to walk in Christ Jesus. This walk must begin by receiving the free gift of salvation and must be motivated by Christ Himself. Our spiritual walk should be defined by being rooted in and building on Christ, established in faith, and abounding in thanksgiving. Listen as Pastor Chris expounds on how to successfully complete this spiritual journey and find rest and fulfillment in Jesus along the way.
Burn out is a problem seen too often in the midst of Christian ministry. In Colossians 2:2, Paul expresses a desire for the hearts of the Colossians to be encouraged, not discouraged and burned out. So, how do we avoid this common pitfall? Listen as Pastor Chris outlines three essential ways and encourages us to maintain the mindset that the ultimate purpose of our ministry is to glorify Jesus.
We finished up our mini-series on Christian ministry by looking at John the Baptist. By studying his ministry, we learned three important steps we can take to imitate him: we must know our purpose is ultimately to point to Christ, we must rejoice in that purpose, and we must work to fulfill that purpose by putting Jesus on display in all aspects of our lives. Listen as Pastor Chris challenges us to assess our own ministry and hearts so that through serving our joy may be complete.
This week we continued our discussion of Christian ministry in Colossians chapter one. The goal of Christian ministry is to help others reach spiritual maturity by proclaiming Christ through warning against sinful conduct and teaching the Word of God. Christian ministry requires effort so we must stay connected to Christ and rely on His power to sustain us, not our own. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us to evaluate, explore, and engage in ministry opportunities to proclaim Christ.
This week we began a three-part series within our Colossians study that will look more in-depth at church ministry. We see in Colossians 1:24-27 that church ministry is hard work and in ministering to others we open ourselves up to suffering and persecution. But, we persevere by relying on God’s power to work through us, knowing that the ultimate goal of our efforts is to make the message of the Gospel fully known. Listen as Pastor Chris helps us to see ourselves as stewards of God’s Word and encourages us to put forth extra efforts to speak the truth of the Gospel to others.
This week we looked at Colossians 1:19-23 and discussed how God brought reconciliation between Himself and sinful men and how God will bring reconciliation to our broken universe. In the time before the Fall, God’s creation and mankind were perfect, but now we live in a fallen and fractured universe, groaning for its return to perfection at the second coming. For those who follow God, Christ’s death allows us to be presented holy and blameless to Him even though we once were alienated and hostile. Listen as Pastor Chris elaborates on this reconciliation and encourages us that our faith will endure by the strength and grace of God alone.
This week we took a deep look at the unrivaled supremacy of Jesus. Colossians 1:15-18 gives us three evidences that Jesus is absolutely Supreme: Jesus is God, Jesus is Creator, and Jesus is Lord. He is over all creation, Sustainer of all things, the Head of the Church, and the One who should be glorified by everyone and everything. Listen as Pastor Chris presents this truth and challenges us to respond by making Jesus first place in our lives.
Colossians 1:12 introduces the idea that we are qualified by our Heavenly Father to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. But, how is that possible? The following two verses provide us with the answer: God rescued us from the domain of darkness through the sacrifice of His Beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. This rescue was necessary, complete, costly, and merciful. Listen as Pastor Chris discusses how this salvation was made possible for us and how we should then respond to this amazing truth!
As we continued our series in Colossians, we looked at how Paul consistently prayed for the saints of Colossae. Using Paul’s example, Pastor Chris outlined four ways that we, too, can be praying for other Christians: for increased knowledge of the Bible and of God, that their knowledge will lead to holy living, that they will depend on God’s strength in trials, and that they will maintain a heavenly perspective. Listen to learn how to take specific action steps to grow in your prayer life and encourage your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Gospel is no ordinary message. It is a global, grace-filled message about a grace-filled Savior bringing spiritual resurrection to a broken world. It is a message of absolute, verifiable truth. Do you treasure the Gospel and does your love for it motivate you to share this message? Listen as Pastor Chris preaches through Colossians 1:6-8 and uses these verses as motivation to thank God for the Gospel like Paul and proclaim the Gospel like Epaphras.
As we kicked off our series on the book of Colossians this week, Pastor Chris outlined seven key words found in Colossians 1:1-5 that describe a successful church: separation, family, thanksgiving, faith, love, hope, and Gospel. Listen to learn more about these traits of a successful, biblical church.
The Old Testament provides the backstory to the hope we have today in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This week, Elliot walked us through that backstory in Genesis chapters 3-5 as a play in four acts: disobedience, death, descent, and more death. While these acts may not seem hopeful by title alone, the story woven throughout these acts reveal how God fulfilled His promise for a Deliverer to defeat the serpent and it is through that Deliverer that God brings us to Himself. Listen to learn more about our almighty, kind, and faithful God and His plan for redemption and reconciliation.
1 Peter 1:13-16 provides us with three commands to follow: consider your future hope in Jesus’ return, abandon your past life, and imitate your Holy Father. As we begin a new year, Pastor Chris challenged us to take one of these commands and make it our New Year’s resolution. Listen as he discusses how to get this year started on the right foot by living out what it means to be a new creation in Jesus Christ.
As we celebrated Christmas Eve this Sunday, we wrapped up our Christmas series by focusing on Christ’s crucifixion - without Jesus’ death, there would be no reason to celebrate His birth. This baby who was born in a manger was rejected, betrayed, and despised. He was crucified for our sins, not His own, so that He could bear our pain and bring us hope of spending eternity with Him. Listen as Pastor Chris discusses and praises God for the substitutionary work of His Son, Jesus Christ: the true message of joy and hope this Christmas season.
The Christmas season is a wonderful time of rejoicing in the miracle of Jesus’ birth and its significance. Jesus' first coming, marked by wisdom, the fear of God, and righteousness, foreshadows His second coming when He will establish his Kingdom. This week, Pastor Chris discussed how the prophecies found in Isaiah 11 provide us with key descriptions of Jesus’ Kingdom and His eternal reign. Listen to learn more about our King Jesus and the future we have to look forward to.
We had the privilege of hearing from our worship leader, Kyle DeGuzman, to close out our series on corporate worship. In Colossians 3:16, Paul gives us specific criteria for the songs we should sing: songs that proclaim, dwell on, and teach the message of Christ. Singing Gospel-rich songs together will unite us and help us to grow hearts of thankfulness for Jesus’ sacrifice. May this message cause us to reflect on how to more wholly and joyfully sing songs of praise to our Savior!
Corporate singing is a typical part of our Sunday mornings, but why is this such an important aspect of our gatherings? This week Pastor Chris preached part one of a two-part series answering the question of why we sing. Singing is a unifying command that is seen many times in the Bible that allows us to glorify God, remember His truth, and engage our emotions in a God-honoring way. Listen to learn more about the power of song.
As members of the church body we are called to give financially to the church. But, how and why are we supposed to do that? First, we must understand that God owns all of our money already. As stewards, we are to give that money joyfully, sacrificially, and generously, remembering that giving to the church is trading our dollars for things of much greater value. Giving in this way glorifies the Lord, expresses our love for others, exemplifies the Gospel, and increases our joy. Listen as Pastor Chris expands on this discussion of faithful giving.
One of the core values of City Light Bible Church is expository preaching, a style of preaching that clearly explains and extracts meaning from God’s Word and calls people to obey it. As a church member that sits under expository preaching, it is important to be active and attentive listeners. In this sermon, Pastor Chris provides examples of how we can get the most out of expository preaching before, during, and after Sunday mornings so that we can understand the Word clearly and be doers of it.
As followers of Christ we are called to humble service. We see the ultimate example of this in Jesus Christ who, in full knowledge of His deity, stooped down to wash the feet of His disciples as an act of love that foreshadowed an even greater act of love of making them spiritually clean through the sacrifice of His life. Having knowledge of the Gospel and having experienced this love of Christ should motivate us to love and humbly serve others.
The type of joy that God intends for people to experience is found in these humble acts of service. If you apply this sermon, you will be blessed and find joy in a life well-lived. Listen as Pastor Chris outlines why and how we should live our lives in this way.
While the term deacon refers to a formal role in the church, deacon is also often used informally and applies to everyone who is called to serve. Deacons are the servant leaders in the church, facilitating ministries and freeing up the elders to focus on teaching and shepherding the flock.
Listen as Pastor Chris discusses the role of a deacon, exhorting each of us to assess where and how we can serve more actively as we strive to follow the ultimate deacon, Jesus Christ.
As we continue in our discussion of biblical eldership, this week Pastor Chris looked at the work of elders in the church. Elders are called to be spiritual examples, overseers of souls, and shepherds to their flock. The authority of elders begins and ends with the Bible, and they will receive an everlasting reward for their faithful service to the Lord.
Listen to learn more about the responsibilities of and reasons for biblical shepherding.
While only men are called into church eldership, studying and understanding the characteristics of a biblical elder is valuable for everyone. In 1 Timothy chapter 3, the apostle Paul outlines these characteristics. A biblical elder is passionate about his work for the Lord, his character is above reproach, his household is in order, and he has a reputation for being a man of God.
Listen as Pastor Chris takes a deeper look at these biblical characteristics and consider how you can build these characteristics within yourself and encourage them in others around you.
Church membership is a formal commitment to unite with a local body of Christians who regularly gather together to fulfill God’s purposes for a church. Becoming a member allows you to undergo greater examination of your faith, receive greater care from spiritual leaders, and experience greater community with other members. Listen as Pastor Chris challenges us all to take church membership more seriously.
The Lord’s Table offers us an opportunity to look backward to the Cross, inward for self-examination, outward to the Church, and forward to the return of Christ. May we approach communion with humble reverence and eager anticipation knowing that this ordinance tells the full story of the Gospel and gives us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet that is to come.