Creekside Bible Church

Pastor Jonathan preaching this morning from Romans 15:29 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. What did Paul mean when he said that he would come to the Romans "in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ"? And, why is he so confident in this? Today, Pastor Jonathan unpacks this loaded phrase to identify: 1) the BLESSING of the gospel of Christ and, 2) the FULLNESS of the blessing. Saints, we are more blessed than we realize. Join us today to get a taste of how blessed we really are in Jesus Christ our Lord!

Pastor Jonathan preaching this morning from Romans 15:25-29 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Which do you value more - material blessings or spiritual blessings? This message puts these things in perspective and will challenge you as to what you really value. We also deal with the topic of fruitfulness in the Christian life and an honest assessment of whether or not we are producing the fruit of the Spirit. Today we cover 3) the reason for the gift and 4) the significance of the gift (see part 1 for the first two points). Next week, we conclude with 5) the blessing of the gift. God bless you, Saints!

Pastor Jonathan preaching this morning from Romans 15:25-29 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Verses 25-29 all deal with a gift that Paul is privileged to deliver to the poor saints at Jerusalem. Though these may seem like minor details given in passing, the Spirit of God thought these important enough for the church in every age to remember this gift. What is this gift? See if you can find out. Hint: it's not the money! Join us today as Pastor Jonathan covers the first two of five points in this passage: 1) the priority of the gift and, 2) the desire to give the gift. Next time, we'll consider 3) the reason for the gift and 4) the significance of the gift. Then, the following week, we'll look at 5) the blessing of the gift.

Pastor Jonathan preaching this morning from Romans 15:22-24 22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. Having considered the Lord's work looking back, Paul now announces his plans to visit the Romans looking forward. This may seem like an ordinary portion of Scripture, but when we examine it more carefully, we find it very instructive and quite extraordinary. Join us today to learn how to make plans for the future in a way that honors God.

Pastor Jonathan preaching this morning from Romans 15:20-21. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: ​ ​​“To whom He was not announced, they shall see; ​​And those who have not heard shall understand.” Today's text gives us a unique insight into what drove the Apostle Paul to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of severe persecution and constant attacks from the enemy. Further, Paul brings out a quote from the Old Testament that demonstrates his recognition that God was using him to fulfill the Lord's eternal plan for redemption for the world. Today's message covers points 2 & 3 from Part 1 of this message. Look at what the Lord has done, Saints!

Pastor Jonathan preaching this morning from Romans 15:19b "so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." In Paul's closing remarks to the church at Rome, he wants them to take some time to look back at what the Lord has done. He draws out 3 big ideas in these verses showcasing what the Lord has done in: 1) the spread of the Gospel; 2) Paul's delight in the Gospel and; 3) Paul's recognition of God's plans for the Gospel. Today's message focuses on the first of these three points. Part 2 will cover the remaining two points.

Pastor Stan preaching this morning from Ephesians 4:24-32. 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 4:21-24 this morning. "21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 15:17-19a this morning: 17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, ..." Today's passage teaches us that boasting is right as long as your boast is in the right place! Join us today as we learn what it means to boast in Christ Jesus and what great reasons the Apostle had for boasting in Him. Included in this message is important instruction about "signs and wonders" - what they are, their purpose, and if they are still in operation in the Church today. May the Lord bless you, Church, and cause you to boast in nothing but Him!

Text: Romans 15:14-16. 14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. There's a lot of confusion in churches today about what the church is and what her function is. Paul begins his closing remarks to the church at Rome by pointing out 3 marks of every healthy church: 1) a confident recognition of who the people of God are; 2) a constant reminding of the people of God about the Word of God and; 3) conscientious ministers who are mindful that their service is primarily to the LORD. It's in realizing who the Church is and what she is to do that the people of God are strengthened and fully prepared for the LORD's imminent return. Are you ready?

Text: Romans 15:10-12 10 And again he says:​ ​​“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” ​ 11 And again: ​​​“Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! ​​Laud Him, all you peoples!” ​ 12 And again, Isaiah says:​ ​​“There shall be a root of Jesse; ​​And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, ​​In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” In quoting these Old Testament passages, the Apostle Paul shows us several reasons why the nations of the world (the Gentiles) GLORIFY GOD: 1) for Jesus Christ's work in us; 2) for our inclusion in the family of God; 3) for the wideness of our inclusion and; 4) for His amazing salvation in Christ. Join us today and test whether you are glorifying God in your spirit for the same reasons the Apostle identified in this text!

Text: Romans 15:7-10 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: ​ ​​“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.” ​ 10 And again he says: ​​​“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” In order for the Church to understand how to receive one another, we first need to understand how Christ received us. Paul expands our spiritual minds in today's text by teaching us that Christ's love is truly lavish. He is the Servant of all: 1) a Servant to the Jews; 2) a Servant to God and; 3) a Servant to the Gentiles.

Text: Romans 15:5-6 "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." What are you passionate about? There is one passion that all the people of God share in common because the LORD puts it into our hearts: a passion for God's glory. The Apostle Paul demonstrates this passion by how he prays for the Church in today's text. He prays to the God who is the SOURCE and the MEANS and the GOAL of all things. Join us today as Pastor Jonathan shows what it means to be "like-minded toward one another" and how, specifically, we bring glory to God as we relate to one another in the Church.

Text: Romans 15:4b. In order for the Church to bear each other's burdens as the LORD commands, each of us must be instructed by the Scriptures. We must first learn patient endurance and then comfort, but we also need another key ingredient: hope. Do you have Gospel hope? Is your hope growing or languishing? What is it that can make your hope grow? Join us today as Pastor Jonathan explores this critical component of the glory of the Scriptures so that you are well-equipped to glorify God by pleasing your neighbor for his edification.

Text: Romans 15:4 "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Nestled in his instruction on how we are to love one another in the Church by bearing one another's burdens, the Apostle Paul includes some vital instruction on the glory of the Scriptures. He reveals that all the Scriptures are ultimately for the benefit of the Church and they teach us patient endurance and offer us comfort. Join us today as Pastor Jonathan shows 1) the usefulness of the Scriptures and, 2) how they are instructive to the Church.

Text: Romans 15:1-3 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” The strong in the faith have a debt of love to pay toward the weaker in the faith: we are to bear them up! How do we do this? And why do we do this? Join us today as Pastor Jonathan shows us from the first three verses of Romans 15 with: 1) a word to the strong, 2) a word to all in the Church and, 3) the example for all to follow. May the Lord bless you all as you seek to do His will!

Text: Romans 14:20-23. As we close out Romans 14, the Apostle leaves the Church with some important instruction for how to thrive in the Kingdom of God. What does it mean to "destroy" the work of God? And, how can we avoid that? How can stronger Christians help weaker believers to come to the knowledge of the truth regarding all the "doubtful things" that we tend to argue about in the Church? The answers may surprise you. Pastor Jonathan preaching today.

There are two wonderful benefits that the Apostle Paul highlights which are true for everyone who serves Christ in His kingdom: 1) he is "acceptable" to God and, 2) he is "approved" by men. Both benefits, however, have a depth of understanding that goes far beyond a mere surface reading of the text. Join us today as Pastor Jonathan opens up more of the text so that your love and your worship of the King will abound more and more! Text: "For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men" (Romans 14:18).

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:18.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from John 20:19-31.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:17.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:17.

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 4:17-20 this morning.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:17.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:16-18.

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 3:1-6.

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 2:19-22.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:13-15.

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 3:18b.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:10-12.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:8b-9.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Psalm 50:7-23.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Psalm 50:1-6.

Pastor Stan preaching the Creekside 2025 Christmas message from Luke 1:46-55.

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:7-8 "For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s."

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:5-6 "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;[fn] and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks."

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 4:16 "from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together [fn]by what every joint supplies, according to the [fn]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:1-4 "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 14:1-4 "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 4:15 "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,"

Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 4:1-3 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

The Church are those who have been spiritually awakened, raised from death to life, called out of darkness into Christ's marvelous light. How is it, then, that the Apostle Paul calls the Church to wake up? Join us today as we learn how to put into practice the command to love our neighbor as ourselves with three calls to action: 1) wake up, 2) put off the deeds of darkness and, 3) put on the armor of light. Rise and shine, Church! Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:11-14: "11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

Did you know that all of God's law sums up under one, brief heading? Join us today as we examine a simple yet profound truth - that love is the fulfillment of the law - and find out if you are someone who has fulfilled the law according to God's word. Your eternal destiny depends on it. Pastor Jonathan preaching Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,”[fn] “You shall not covet,”[fn] and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[fn] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Scripture commands us to pay certain debts so that no debt remains outstanding. But there is one outstanding debt that we are called to continually owe and pay to all, and that is the debt of love. Join us this week as we consider the first two of four shocking truths related to the statement: "for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:7-10 "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

What is your motivation for submitting to government authorities and for paying your taxes? The answer to that question will tell you a lot about your spiritual health. Join us today as we consider the kind of motivation God looks for in the matter of submission, and discover the real reason God wants us to pay our taxes! Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:5-7 "Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."

Join us as we learn about two more important graces that God has designed for us in all human governments. And then don't miss what's really going on this text; government it's a human picture of far greater spiritual reality of which every Christian needs to be aware. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:4 "For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."

Government is often thought of as a "necessary evil" that we put up with because they are seen as too restrictive to our freedoms or too corrupt to function as God intended, but today's text teaches us that every government - no matter how corrupt - is actually a grace from God because they 1) all restrain evil and 2) they recognize good works. Join us today as we continue our study of God's purposes for government. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:2-3 "Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

Romans 13:1-7 has been understood in various ways throughout the history of the Church and has been used to justify totalitarian regimes to unconditional submission to government to a justification for resistance and rebellion toward tyrannical governments. But what was the original intent of this instruction? And how are we to apply it today? Join us as we begin this series the Christian's relationship and responsibility toward the governing powers. You may be surprised to learn that the context in which these verses sit is often unknown or ignored. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:1-2 "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."

Pastor Stan preaching Ephesians 4:15 "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ"

Every Christian is engaged in a cosmic battle against evil and it's more personal than you think because of the nature of your real enemy. Can Christians be overcome by evil? Can you lose your salvation? Join us today as Pastor Jonathan addresses: 1) what it means to be overcome by evil; 2) what's required to overcome evil as we're commanded; 3) three practical actions we can take to overcome evil with good; 4) a few encouragements to obey this text. Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."