Jonathan White: Recent Episodes
Jonathan White
Sermons by Pastor Jonathan White, Lead Pastor of CrossPointe Family Church located in Hurricane, WV.
Introduction: Modern-day Christianity in America seems to be clueless and ignorant about the spiritual battle that exists all around them. The comforts of modernity have caused many in the church to fall asleep at the helm. This slothful spirituality is certainly not because the Bible hasn’t clearly…
Introduction: The title of today’s sermon is certainly relevant to us all. We all have some sort of work to do. We all must manage money in some way. And we are all worshipers of something - whether it be God, money, people, or things. Sadly, many false teachers are out there trying to keep you from…
Introduction: A few weeks ago we discussed the qualifications for elders/pastors. These qualifications were very weighty and detailed. The Lord takes the purity of His church extremely seriously. Today we are going to see the need to protect the pastorate - or the office of pastor. If we want to have…
Introduction: Pastoral burnout is at an all-time high in our nation. When asked by Barna Research whether they had given real, serious consideration to quitting full-time ministry within the last year, 42% said yes in March of 2022 while 29% had said yes in January of 2021. This is a marked increase…
Introduction I usually preach from a different text outside of the book that I am currently preaching through when I preach on Resurrection Sunday. However, this year the Lord gave me a Scripture right in stride through our study of 1 Timothy. This Scripture fits right in for today’s remembrance and…
Introduction An apostate is one who has abandoned the faith that they once professed. We live in a world of many apostates. We see countless examples of those who seemed like legitimate believers but turned out to be fakes. Joshua Harris is one such man who is a glaring example of this. He wrote the…
Introduction According to Gallup - church membership was incredibly consistent from 1938-1998 ranging from 68-73%. However between 1998 and 2018 this number sharply declined to 50%. Gallup noted that this was partly due to an increasing proportion of individuals stating they have no religious preference.…
Introduction Last week we discussed the office of pastor/elder in great detail. This week we come to the only other official church office listed in the Bible. As we go through today’s sermon, I want us to be sure to understand something very important. Although the offices of elder and deacon are the…
Introduction: The Scriptures give a very clear two-tiered approach to Church Leadership. There are elders and deacons. We see this clearly laid out in Philippians 1:1 : Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: There…
Introduction: We have mentioned already that this book is one of the Pastoral Epistles - consisting of 1 and 2 Timothy as well as Titus. And we discussed how these books are all about order in the church. Well today we come to a difficult passage for our culture. This is a sermon that was really not…
Introduction What is the mission of the church? Most people would say that discipleship and evangelism are at the heart of the mission of the church - and I would agree 100% with that! Last week we discussed the need for true discipleship in the church in order to maintain doctrinal purity. This week…
Introduction: We live in the information age. There is an overwhelming amount of information available to us in the 21st Century. Obviously much of this information available is tainted by humanism and sin, but there is also some great information out there for us to discover. There have never been such…
Introduction: I am excited to start this new book of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy starts off the first of three books that are called the Pastoral Epistles - which includes 1 and 2 Timothy as well as Titus. These three books are all about how the church should be run and managed. These are books about church…
Introduction: Jesus once said the following… “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Today we are going to see Jesus interact with the Pharisees and Scribes. These were two groups of religious leaders that were known for obeying legalistic guidelines to the T. Yet, they neglected the commands…
Introduction: A sermon based on sight and light is rather ironic for me at this present time with my eye condition! But this is where we are as we traverse the pages of Luke’s great Gospel. Today we will be discussing the light of Jesus Christ and the rejection that came from the crowds. And as we go…
Introduction: This is the first Sunday of the New Year! Last week we were blessed to gather for worship on New Year’s Eve. I love the excitement of the New Year. Many people are thinking about changes that they need to make in their lives. Many people are concerned about their future - even their eternal…
Introduction: Why is prayer so hard for believers? And why don’t Americans see prayer as important in their lives? According to Barna research from 2020, the percentage of Americans that had prayed during the past 7 days (mind you this was only one time in the past week!) was 83% in 1996. By 2020, this…
Introduction: Priority. The word means to take precedence or urgency. It is the state of being in superiority or rank. It refers to something that is very important and must be addressed before other things. This word has become more and more popular as of late. We hear people talk about priorities in…
Introduction: We live in a world where virtue signaling has become a common thing. Virtue signaling means to attempt to show other people that you are a good person by expressing opinions that are acceptable to them usually accompanied by inaction. We see this on social media oftentimes. We see people…
Introduction: Many people today struggle with sharing the Gospel because they are concerned about the response of the hearer. What if they reject me? What if they persecute me? What if they refuse to hear me? What if they gossip about me and slander me? This has been the best offensive move by Satan…
Introduction: The word determination means firmness of purpose or resolve. Those who are determined are not thrown off by outside influences. They are focused on the task at hand. Yesterday was Veterans Day. We are appreciative of those who have had the determination and fortitude to fight for our nation…
Introduction: Have you ever had a day where everything seemed to go wrong. You stepped out of bed right onto your new glasses. The refrigerator died. The dog did his business on your new carpet. The toilet overflowed because your kid used way too much toilet paper. Your HVAC won’t kick on. And your car…
Introduction: Some things in life are unexplainable. Some things you have to see to understand - and even then you are left with more questions than answers. One such instance is the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. No matter how many times one watches a video of this process, one cannot…
Introduction: Who is Jesus? Well according to some research over the past few years, there is a great divide between what Americans believe about Jesus and what the Bible teaches about Jesus. 52% of Americans answered that He was a great teacher but isn’t God per a survey conducted by Ligonier Ministries…
Introduction: Engel v. Vitale was the 1962 Supreme Court case that changed American forever. It was based upon a 22 word prayer that is as follows: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.” The prayer in New York…
Introduction: An ambassador is a diplomatic official who is sent out to be a representative of their sender. Many countries of our world have ambassadors that are sent out to represent them. Everything that they do or say should align with their nation’s values and ideals. They are not sent as individuals…
Introduction: In his book, The Screwtape Letters , C.S. Lewis stated: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally…
Introduction: Research suggests that the average person hears between 20,000 and 30,000 words every single day! That is a ton of communication that people hear daily. With all of this communication coming our way, how do we sort out what is most important? And even more pressing, how do we discern what…
Introduction: I have entitled today’s sermon without a doubt because we sometimes fail to be real in church. We sometimes struggle to admit when there is a struggle. We sometimes struggle when there are questions we cannot find the answers to. Today’s Scripture presents an eye opening view of who Jesus…
Introduction: One night while conducting an evangelistic meeting in the Salvation Army Citadel in Chicago, Booth Tucker preached on the sympathy of Jesus. After his message a man approached him and said, “If your wife had just died, like mine has, and your babies were crying for their mother, who would…
Introduction: A man purchased a home. This home was an older home, but it was in the exact location that he desired to live. Because he was so excited about the location and because the housing market was booming at the time, he refrained from having a home inspection performed. However, a little while…
Introduction: At the end of the 1983 college basketball season, Duke lost by 43 points in the ACC tournament. The program was in disarray and many thought that Coach K’s career was over. How could he keep his job after such a poor performance? At dinner, which was at Denny’s that night (notice it wasn’t…
Introduction: Be strong. Our world today really likes to preach messages like this right? Be strong. Be filled with pride! You can do anything if you set your mind to it. You can be whatever you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do. Just be strong and keep pressing on and you will be successful.…
Introduction: God always has a chosen remnant that obeys Him and that He protects. There was a remnant in Genesis 6 as Noah and his family were delivered during the flood of the entire earth. In 1 Kings 19 Elijah was told by God that there was a remnant of 7,000 that had not bowed their knee to Baal.…
Introduction: Stop… And Consider Your Ways… We live in an extremely busy and frankly a self-absorbed culture. Between work schedules, vacation schedules, travel and local sports, entertainment, recreation, smart phones, social media, and countless other activities - people spend very little time considering…
Introduction: Everyone follows someone or something. We are made to follow. We can see this from the beginning of time. Leaders have risen to power through gaining followers. Kings lead because they have subjects that follow them. Even in modern times we see people have followers on social media. People…
Introduction: The first verse in our Scripture for today is likely the most misunderstood and erroneously quoted verse of Scripture in the world today. The late pastor and theologian R.C. Sproul attested that this is probably the most popular verse known by pagans. Any time that the church or a believer…
Introduction: Every family has a culture embedded in it. Some families are outdoorsy. Some families are extremely social. Some families tend to keep to themselves. Some families are known for sports. Some families are all about books. Some families love to travel. Some families are more homeward in orientation.…
Introduction: The sermon title might seem a bit strange at first. What are backwards blessings? The last half is probably more self-explanatory as we all probably see that we live in an upside down world! But in our Scripture today, Jesus pronounces some blessings and woes to two groups of people. Yet,…
Introduction: Do you remember having a really important decision to make? Maybe it was a big move. Maybe it was an important job change. Maybe it was an important health decision. Whatever the decision was, it was overwhelming. Making the wrong decision would likely result in a bad outcome. And you felt…
Introduction: In our justice system, a person has to raise his or her right hand as they give an oath asserting that they are going to speak the truth. The right hand is a symbol of power and authority as well because around 90% of people are naturally right-hand dominant. As I thought through this interchange…
Introduction: I am by no means a master woodsman. Our very own Jonathan Bowling has some impressive skills in this area. But I do know one thing from experience. Cutting along the grain is much easier than cutting against the grain. When chopping a piece of wood into two pieces, you can chop across the…
Introduction: Church: He is risen! He is risen indeed! Today we are going to go through one of my favorite chapters of the Bible - Isaiah 53 . There are many reasons that I love this chapter. One is that it shows God’s omniscience - or that He is all knowing. It speaks in vivid detail of crucifixion.…
Introduction: Today’s message focuses in on some further inquisitive questions from religious leaders and others into why Jesus did what He did on earth. We expect this out of the Pharisees and Scribes and religious elites. But what is unexpected is that the disciples of John join in on the questioning…
Introduction: It has been said in the past that the church is the only fellowship in the world where the one requirement for membership is the unworthiness of the candidate (repeat). What a statement, Church. Wouldn’t churches across the world look a little differently if this was how we truly viewed…
Introduction: As we begin today’s message, we will be seeing an account that involves a paralytic man. We are not told details about how long he was paralyzed or what caused his paralysis. But we are able to observe that he is unable to get around other than being carried on a bed by his friends. It…
Introduction: There are two groups of people that struggle to come to Christ. One group is prideful and denies their need for Him. Oftentimes they even deny His existence despite the proof that is all around them. This group seems to grow by the day. But the other group is in just as bad of a situation.…
Introduction: So many people live their entire lives asleep. No, they don’t close their eyes and nod off as they walk around. But they are clueless about what is truly going on around them. They do not see God working in this world. They are oblivious to the spiritual warfare going on around them. They…
Introduction: Power and Authority. We mentioned these terms last week but didn’t fully define them. Today we are going to see them illustrated in a mighty way as we see the supernatural works of the Messiah. Authority describes the overarching divinity of Christ. There is no one higher than Him. This…
Introduction: Researchers have spent a lot of time trying to understand the quick changes of crowds. Some call it ‘group think.’ Others refer to it as ‘collective behavior.’ But it is clear that a crowd often reacts differently than a single person would in the same situation. Today we are going to see…
Introduction: Today we are going to see Satan’s temptations square off against the Truth - namely Jesus Christ who referred to Himself as the Way and the Truth and the Life ( John 14:6 ). And we are going to see how Christ uses the truth of the Word of God to combat the temptations laid before Him. At…
Introduction: Today there are an estimated 8 billion people in the world. During Jesus’ time there was an estimated 200-250 million. Both are pretty big numbers. Obviously there are many more today. But as we look at the scores of people over the centuries we can’t help but overwhelmed. There have been…
Introduction: Have you ever thought about how roads are cut and planned? I am reminded about the new corridor of route 35 between Putnam and Mason counties. It is amazing to see all of the work that was done. Valleys were filled in. Mountains were brought low and cut into. What seemed like an insurmountable…
Introduction: During our men’s prayer time this past Tuesday morning, one of the men brought up dealing with growing pains in their child. I am sure anyone here who is a parent has gotten that wake up call from one of our kiddos about leg pain in the middle of the night. And if you don’t have kids, I…
Introduction: We have just come through the climax of these first couple of chapters. And that climax was Christmas. We saw the birth of the Messiah - Jesus Christ. We saw the ordinary circumstances of a humble King born to two peasants and placed in a feeding trough. But then we saw the angelic worship…
Introduction My friends, God has been working to secure salvation for the world since before the foundation of the universe. He has been divinely orchestrating all of the events that led to Christ’s incarnation on this earth. Sometimes, we miss the fact that God is working in the micro as well as the…
Introduction: Our God is a God of faithful fulfillment. In fact, we will continually discuss fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies as we go through the book of Luke. Theologians have shown that Jesus Christ fulfilled at least 300 Old Testament prophecies concerning His coming. Some actually think it…
Introduction: Last week we discussed the persevering promise. We talked about how long Zechariah and Elizabeth awaited the birth of a son to them. This week we are going to learn about the impossible promise. I am sure that most of us know that it takes a mom and a dad to have a baby. We won’t go into…
Introduction Today we have quite an interesting account and quite a few verses to cover. We are going to see a supernatural promise of God fulfilled. Our God is a God who keeps His promises my friends. There is no promise that He makes that does not come to fruition. Numbers 23:19 states: God is not…
Today's sermon is about how certain the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. (Pardon the last few minutes - wireless mic connection issue. See below for manuscript if needed!)
Introduction: What is likely the most popular question that is asked among Christian circles? What is God’s will for my life? I think we have all heard this question and probably asked this question countless times! It seems like such a big question. What does God want me to do? What is His ultimate…
Introduction: It has become more and more obvious that many church families have a heard time interacting in America. Many churches are marked by sterility and distance. Others are marked by dissension and division. Today’s message dives into relationships in our churches. Paul is going to touch on a…
Introduction: Pastor and theologian John MacArthur discusses three popular ways of viewing the world throughout history. The first being the cyclical view. This is one that is common in Eastern thought such as Hinduism in which there is a continual cycle of death and rebirth - reincarnation. This cyclical…
*pardon lower audio - had to be re-recorded due to technical difficulties. We have hope even in the midst of grief and suffering because of the promise of the return of Christ.
Introduction: Work. What word comes to your mind when think about work? Taxing? Boring? Hard? Fear? Is our understanding of work Biblical in today’s church? Do we really understand what God thinks about diligent work? And why in the world is today’s sermon putting the word work and love in the same phrase?…
Introduction: Have you ever been hiking and come to a fresh stream of water? Maybe you were desperately thirsty and that water was exactly what you had been waiting for. It looks so pure and safe as it flows over the rocks. It’s peaceful music that is produced by its flowing is like a sound machine that…
Introduction: Faith is an extremely misunderstood subject in our world today. People have the erroneous idea that faith is believing in something that is unlikely, outlandish, and more like a fairy tale. And the church as a whole hasn’t helped this misunderstanding in our culture as it has traversed…
Introduction: In the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament, we see Nehemiah and some of the Israelites starting to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem. The task is arduous and unrelenting just at face value. There is a huge task to be done and not a ton of men to get it done. Yet, it gets even harder when…
Introduction: Have you ever had anyone try to sell something to you that you knew they didn’t believe in? Maybe it was a car salesman or someone at a furniture store. They said some great things about the item and even appeared knowledgeable, but it was clear that they didn’t really believe what they…
[Please ignore four point heading slides - formating error - points available if you click handout below - thanks!]
Introduction: Anger is a difficult emotion to control. I think there is something about anger that we like. We feel empowered. Adrenaline starts flowing through our veins and we feel like we can accomplish anything. Our pride usually swells and all of the sudden we become like God in our own eyes. We…
Introduction: Israel constantly rebelled against God. Time and time again, a prophet would be sent and the people wouldn’t listen. It would take an enemy warring against them for them to wake up and repent. This consistent theme throughout the Old Testament makes this account that much more intriguing.…
Introduction: Have you ever had a near death experience? Many people have. I had one last year. On September 27, 2021, I was rear-ended by a 20,000+ pound truck that was going around 60 mph while I was stopped behind a group of cars that had come to a halt because of a coal truck turning off of the road.…
Introduction: The word turbulence means the violent or unsteady moving of something. We see turbulence in flights when there is a shift in air movement that makes for a rough plane ride. We see turbulence in water when waves make for a rough ship ride. But we also see that sometimes life can get turbulent!…
Introduction: Today we are going to start in the book of Jonah. These first few verses bring up a great question for you to ask yourself. What are you running from? Hopefully the answer is nothing. Hopefully the answer is that you are running with God and not from God. But today, we are going to have…
Introduction: On mission… That is quite a loaded statement. Some of our minds go to military combat when we think about that phrase. Some of you maybe even served in the military or serve in the military. We are grateful for your service my friends. Others may hear that phrase and think of the space…
Introduction: The Gospel demands all of us. It is something that penetrates our minds and hearts. It changes the way we live, think, spend our finances, raise our children, do marriage, and relate to others. It demolishes social barriers, economic barriers, and ethnic barriers. There is no aspect of…
Introduction: John Piper in his book Don’t Waste Your Life , told the following two accounts. In April 2000, Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards were killed in Cameroon, West Africa. Ruby was over eighty. Single all her life, she poured it out for one great thing: to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached,…
Introduction: We have been going through a little mini series here in the book of Colossians. We first discussed Biblical Marriage and talked about the Biblical complementarian view of marriage - that we are equal and yet not the same. We discussed that we have different roles. Then last week we discussed…
Introduction: It takes a village to raise a child…or does it? This is an oftentimes cited statement (thought to be an old African proverb) by our culture that seeks to try to force its own ideas into the minds of our children. Who has the responsibility for raising children? The government? The public…
Introduction: According to most available statistics, around 50% of marriages end in divorce. And if you look at the top two reasons for divorce, they usually vacillate between infidelity and finances. But I want us to realize that these two reasons for divorce are much deeper than we give them credit.…
Introduction: What is worship? Sometimes we have a tendency to pigeon hole our definition of worship to just singing unto the Lord. We have a worship set that we sing before the sermon. We call certain music praise and worship music. And because of this, we have neglected to see the other forms of worship…
Introduction: The word importance refers to the state or fact of being of great significance or value. Today’s Scripture starts off mentioning the Gospel as of first importance. As we go through what this message of first importance is today, I pray that you take some time and reflect on your own life.…
Introduction: Happy Palm Sunday everyone! As the video just showed - the people rejoiced at Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem. They had in mind a different kind of leader than the servant leader He came to be. They wanted Him to dominate and conquer. Although His second coming will be just that, His first…
Introduction: My youngest son, Zane, has a tendency to get dirty. He has certain clothes that he likes a lot better than others. He also has certain socks he likes better. And so after playing outside and getting filthy, we take him in for a bath and he has nice clean clothes on. Yet, sometimes, he finds…
Introduction: Last week we just discussed higher thoughts. We talked about thinking heavenward. The sermon was a very positive one as we considered how we needed to view all of the earthly decisions that we make. If you recall, we said: You can only know what direction you are to go if you know the destination…
Introduction: The late Dwight L. Moody once stated: “Let us not be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.” Dwight L. Moody I would argue that this is a problem that we really don’t face today. As Pastor Kenny who was the former pastor at Good Shepherd in Scott Depot, WV once told me, “I’m afraid…
Introduction: For those of you who don’t know, this is the Washington Monument in Washington DC. When people go to see it, they are amazed by it’s shear size. It is the world’s tallest predominately stone structure in the world and measures around 555 feet and is made mostly of marble, granite, limestone,…
Introduction: We live in a culture of cancellation. However, this culture is not the kind of cancellation that is godly. People are oftentimes canceled in our culture for having a Biblical view of things such as abortion, Biblical views on sexuality, or their rejection of universalism. This cancel culture…
Introduction: There is something about a sunrise that is captivating. My family really enjoys being able to see sunrises. Where we live, we are able to normally see a beautiful sunrise most clear mornings. Watching the colors and the contrasts gives us one more reason to be captivated by God. The beauty…
Introduction: Last week we went through the first three ways we can rejoice in the struggle: We Can Rejoice in the Struggle By... Focusing on the Ministry Focusing on the Mystery Focusing on Maturity In these points we were shown that we can rejoice even in the midst of struggles by focusing on the Lord…
Introduction: No one likes to struggle. I don’t think there are many statements more true than this one - especially in our society. Today, the word struggle is almost a curse word. We do everything in our power in modern America to make sure that we keep struggle as a minimum. The old Staples commercials…
Introduction: Last week we discussed the first three points of this two part sermon. We saw that we can envision the invisible through the... Last week’s points: The Firstborn - The Preeminent Christ Who is Above All The Founder - The Cornerstone of all Creation The Fastener - The One Who Holds Everything…
Introduction: Have you ever wondered what the wind looks like? It is a relatively common question. We know wind is there. We feel it. We can study it. But we can never actually see it. How much more amazing would it be to see God! We know He is there. Creation screams His majesty. We see His handiwork…
Introduction: According to the Legal Information Institute, Eminent Domain refers to the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use. The catch is, according to the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States - the government is only able to exercise this…
Introduction: Have you ever been in a situation where you just weren’t strong enough to do something? Maybe it was a stubborn rusty bolt. No matter how hard you worked on it, it just wouldn’t budge. Maybe it was a piece of furniture you wanted to move - but you just didn’t have the ability to get it…
Introduction: What are some reasons that we might write a letter? A letter of greeting and introduction? A letter of encouragement? A letter of thanks? A letter of joy? Maybe even a letter of rebuke and warning? Today we are going to start studying through a letter that Paul wrote to a church that, by…
Introduction: Redemption is a word we don’t use quite as often in today’s world. When we think of the word redemption today, we probably think about coupons! As helpful as saving a few dollars here and there is, this use of the word redemption pales in comparison to the Biblical use of this great theological…
Introduction: We live in a world that is restlessness. This comes in all kinds of forms. One is in the form of sleep. According to the CDC, at least 1/3 of Americans do not get the recommended amount of sleep (1). They are restless. We see that Americans also struggle with finding rest and contentment…
Introduction: According to the Lexham Survey of Theology , providence is the governing power of God that oversees His creation and works out His plans for it. What this means is that after creating the world, God continues to interact with His creation and govern it. He didn’t just wind it up and let…
Introduction: The Bible is full of accounts involving difficulties in the lives of people. It is clear that after sin entered the world in Genesis 3 that life started getting much more difficult. Today we see tragedy after tragedy. This very week we saw a tragedy at Oxford High School in Michigan where…
Introduction: The Pilgrims (who were a group of British separatists who struggled for religious freedom) had fled Britain to Holland in 1608 in search of religious freedom. Being in poverty and treated poorly in Holland, they set out across the Atlantic in 1620. During the 9-week journey, due to suffering…
Introduction: Two friends met each other on the street one day. One looked downcast, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you: three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.” “That’s a lot…
Introduction: What is the worst storm that you have ever been in? Was it a hurricane? Perhaps it was a storm producing tornadoes around you. It can be terrifying when you find yourself in the middle of a storm. There is a feeling of helplessness that overwhelms us when we catch ourselves in the midst…
Introduction: According to Cornell University, a citizen is a person who, by place of birth, nationality of one or both parents, or naturalization is granted full rights and responsibilities as a member of a nation or political community. Each of us here is a citizen of a country. I would assume most,…
Introduction: We live in a world where people are slow to own up to things. Some actually never seem to own up to anything. Whether the thing is good or bad, people are noncommittal on big issues. Ask someone what they believe about God or religion or politics and many people will start stammering and…
Introduction: According to multiple estimates, the average American produces around 4 pounds of trash per day. This amounts to a little over 1400 lbs of trash per year! Before you start worrying that this is going to be a political message, let me let you know why I mention this. We produce a lot of…
Introduction: Everyone loves a good hero story, right? What makes them a true hero? I think most of us would agree that it is their selflessness and service to others. No one thinks of a taker as a hero. If Superman came in and used his power to dominate everyone and make much of himself, he wouldn’t…
Introduction: The Few. The Proud. The Marines. I’m sure you have heard that slogan in the past. It was used in a lot of the Marines advertising campaigns a few years ago. It was a slogan that reached into the heart of man and brought out what was already there. Pride. I have the utmost respect for our…
Beginning of the service: I want to start off and see if we all memorized our verse from last week. If you weren’t here then I’d really like you to memorize this with us. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Let’s repeat this together. It is with this in mind that we continue worshiping…
Introduction: What does it mean to live? This is such a unique question and maybe a difficult question to answer. I think that many of us could come up with very different answers to this simple yet profound question. Is it having an adventurous spirit? Is it enjoying the pleasures of this life? Or is…
Introduction: Chains are usually used to restrict the movement of something or someone. Chains are used for bicycles to keep them safe and restrict their movement that might occur with a thief! Chains to sometimes used to restrain an animal like a dog to keep them from running away or attacking a neighbor.…
Today's sermon is all about how God finishes what He starts and brings His work to completion.
Introduction: We are starting a new book today. We are going to be going through the book of Philippians. I am so excited to get started into this incredible book. This first week will be a bit atypical as we will only cover the first two verses in the book itself and instead, we will reflect back to…
Introduction: What do you know? Most of us think that we know a lot more than we actually do. Let’s be honest, humility isn’t the default setting of the human condition. In fact, study after study shows that those with less understanding of a particular area seem to be more confident in their assertions…
Introduction: Jury trials are very interesting to me. I love watching old shows that have a courtroom. I say old shows because there aren’t many new ones that are not G rated enough for me to watch! In these trials, there is a variety of evidence and multiple testimonies that are presented. After much…
Introduction: Thanks to Mandisa and the broken record called Christian radio, one cannot think of the word overcomer without belting out her popular song aptly named from a few years back. I will spare you from hearing me rock that song right now even though it is most certainly playing in my head. However,…
Introduction: Does anyone here struggle with fear? I think we all can relate to at least a season in our lives where fear became a big problem for us. Fear can be paralyzing. It can consume you. It can be fear of a job loss, fear of losing a loved one, fear of persecution because of your faith, fear…
Introduction: God is love…what exactly does that mean? Does this mean that God only does things that are warm and fuzzy? Many false teachers out there propagate a God who never judges and never disciplines. But what exactly does the Bible mean when it says God is love? To begin understanding the definition…
Introduction: How do you tell that something is authentic? We live in an age where we see fake money, fake artwork, fake gemstones, and fake memorabilia. How can we tell what is real and what is not? During the California Gold Rush many fell prey to fool’s gold. This iron pyrite would have gold diggers…
Introduction: When you approach God in prayer - what kind of approach do you take? Is it one of confidence? Or is it one of cowardice? I pray it isn’t one of indifference as that is a whole different sermon! But - Do you ever seem to hear your conscience scream at you about how unworthy you are when…
Introduction: I came across a funny story as I was studying for this message that seemed to get us pointed in the right trajectory today. A 12-year-old boy was waiting for his first orthodontist appointment and was a bit nervous. Apparently he wanted to impress the dentist. On the patient questionnaire,…
Introduction: Last week, we discussed the first two points in this two-part mini series. We saw that: When Abiding in Christ…You Can Confidently Await His Return and When Abiding in Christ…You Can Cordially Be Part of His Family Today we will be getting into the final point that will be broken down in…
Introduction: This message is so timely for me and my family as we just came home from Colombia recently with our wonderful daughter, Liseth. We have missed being with our church family very much, but it was a wonderful trip despite the civil unrest that is plaguing the country of Colombia. I think that…
Introduction: Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet, was not always the fiery prophet that we see in the Scriptures. If we look at the call of Jeremiah in chapter one of his book, we see Jeremiah say this: 6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God ! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” His response…
Introduction: There is a certain scene in a great parenting movie called Like Arrows where a struggling dad is trying to make his child eat the rest of his food in order to get dessert. There is a definite tension in the air during this interchange. The dad’s friend’s family is at the table and you can…
Introduction: I was sitting in my office at our house working on a paper for one of my seminary classes when I became excited to hear the Fed Ex truck stop by our house. I then was able to see the truck outside of my upstairs office window. I was especially excited this day because our sound equipment…
The Presiding Reign of Christ Introduction: This is the final sermon in this short series on the deity of Christ. We have discussed the promise of the coming Christ as well as the presence and the presented work of Christ. We have discussed how important it is to fully understand the deity of Christ…
Today's sermon is the first part of a three part series discussing the unmistakable deity of Christ. We will focus on four Messianic prophesies of the coming Christ seen in the Old Testament.
The Unmistakable Deity of Christ Introduction Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. We assuredly need to believe that Jesus Christ is fully man as well in order to understand the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. God cannot die. So if Christ is not fully man, then there is no sacrifice for our sins.…
To Be Planted in the House of the Lord Introduction This is our fifth week in this series on why plant a church. I hope that you have enjoyed this series so far. I realize it is an interesting and unique series for most of us. It isn’t very often that you hear church planting taught in most churches.…
To Glorify God Introduction This is our fourth week in this series on why plant a church. As we start this journey, we want to make sure that we are focused on the vision of why we are doing what we are doing. We have discussed the fact that there are risks involved. Yet, we have continued along anyway.…
Today we discuss the early church's functions and explore how they are applicable to church plants today.
To Do the Will of Christ You may laugh at my answer for why planting a church. Sometimes people have some really detailed reasons for planting a church. Don’t get me wrong - there are a lot of great things that a church plant can do. They can serve at a local homeless shelter. They can give to feed the…
The Church should be the good kind of leaven as mentioned in Matthew 13:33. Let's be the kind of irreversible chemical reaction that changes the community for good.