Forward Church Sermons

Men need a plan, something to put their hand to that’s built on the foundation of Christ…what’s yours? You can ask God and he will help you. Let’s talk about how to develop that plan in this year’s Father’s Day message.

Join with us today as we hear from our special guest, Meredith Lord.

A mother’s peace is not found in her children’s outcomes, but in being anchored in Christ as her source, helper, and identity. When she becomes healthy in spirit, soul, and body and keeps God first, she creates a stable, life-giving atmosphere where her children can thrive without carrying the weight of her purpose.

In this message, we expose the difference between emotional hype that acts like a mystical sugar pill and mature faith in the truth of the gospel that anchors us in what God has already completed in Christ. Paul’s call to walk by faith and not by sight invites us to stop leaning on external stimulation and instead live from the settled, eternal reality that is already ours.

When the Word is truly received, the works will naturally follow as a result of how you see the Word.

When we place our faith and hope in Christ, it allows Him to do a work in us, to remove our dead root of sinful nature and replace it with His life. It’s as if we were buried with Him, and then raised when He was raised to new and eternal life. From then on, in Him we truly are alive.

Jesus entered the darkness of Psalm 22—fully bearing our separation—so that through His once-for-all sacrifice as our High Priest, He secured eternal redemption and established a new covenant where we are forever made righteous in Him. Now, as new creations, we don’t strive to become—we live from what He finished, resting in His work while His resurrection life flows through every part of us.

Family Sunday - March 29, 2026 by Forward Church Sermons

God is not the source of trials or temptation—He is the one who gives wisdom, strength, and a way through what we face in a broken world. When we see Him clearly, prayer becomes confident, faith becomes steady, and our hearts rest in His goodness.

Through the Spirit and the finished work of Christ, believers can know the things God has already freely given and pray with confidence where His will is clearly revealed. In areas where Scripture has not specified the details—such as personal plans, timing, or direction—we humbly seek His guidance, trusting His grace and leadership along the way.

Since God already knows our needs and desires to give good things to His children, prayer begins by hearing and believing what He has spoken. Faith is born through the Word, and as we receive God’s promises into our hearts, His living Word shapes our thoughts, guards our hearts, and produces the fruit of His will in our lives.

Because our Father already knows what we need, prayer is not informing Him or persuading Him — it is partnering with Him. As righteous sons and daughters, we bear one another’s burdens and pray for one another boldly and confidently, expecting healing and restoration in a hurting world.

In this conversation, Justin Merrill explores the profound themes of grace, identity, and the nature of God through the lens of the parable of the Prodigal Son. He emphasizes that the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son collectively reveal God's relentless pursuit of humanity and His desire for restoration. The discussion highlights the contrasting perspectives of the younger and elder sons, illustrating how both can misunderstand the Father's heart. Ultimately, the message centers on the unconditional love and acceptance that God offers to all, regardless of their past or performance, inviting listeners to embrace their identity as beloved children of God.

Perfect love is not flawless love — it is mature love, and mature love casts out fear. When we try to love from insecurity, survival instinct, or a need to be completed by someone else, fear filters what we give and receive. But as we allow God’s love for us—revealed fully in Christ—to mature in us, we become whole in Him and are finally free to love others without fear.

This message reveals the New Covenant reality that the anointing is not a special experience or office, but Christ in you, the indwelling Spirit given in full measure to every believer. Church offices exist to serve, not to exercise lordship, and spiritual gifts are diverse expressions of the same Spirit working in all, not evidence of different anointings. When we rest in Christ and commit to loving God and people, fruit is borne naturally through abiding, not striving.

When James and John sought authority and position, Jesus rebuked them and redefined greatness, declaring that His kingdom does not operate through lording power but through self-giving love and service. In Christ, authority is not a hierarchy to climb but a life to give, flowing from union with Him and expressed by loving one another rather than ruling over one another. Clint Byars Lead Pastor | Forward Church Phone: 770-824-3434 Email: [email protected] | [email protected] Websites: www.forward.church | www.clintbyars.com Membership: https://www.clintbyars.com/membership

God makes His presence and voice known in an atmosphere of love. Jesus defines His commandments not as rules to perform, but as living in the love the Father has for us and letting that love flow back to God and toward others. As we receive God’s love, abide in it, and love one another, we experience His manifested presence, His joy, and clear fellowship with Him.

Jesus never taught us to relate to the Holy Spirit as distant or unpredictable. In this message, we look at how the Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and makes it known to us—so we can walk with God relationally, in truth, peace, and confidence as friends of God.

Jesus doesn’t think of us as His servants, He considers us His friends. He then goes on to say that he has shared everything with us that Hid Father told Him. When you take time to persuade your heart of these powerful realities it changes how you make decisions. You are secure in Him, but there’s work to do.

Jesus took it very seriously when religious people who were supposed to represent Him made following God hard for people. He rebuked them for their hypocrisy and set the precedent that we are not to merely look good on the outside, but we are to walk with inward integrity, and help others lift their burdens, not make it difficult to experience God’s mercy. In this message, we do a deep dive into the heart of Jesus and how we are to minister to others.

As we enter 2026, we are invited to stop striving for life through effort or information and instead come to Christ for the refreshing that is already ours in salvation. Jesus calls the weary to take His easy yoke, to sow to the Spirit rather than the flesh, and to trust that righteousness, rest, and fruitfulness flow naturally from abiding in Him. When we allow Christ to refresh our souls, we become free to sow spiritual seed and experience the life of the Kingdom to the glory of God.

This Christmas, we celebrate that the child born in Bethlehem is the King whose kingdom will never end and whose light has already dawned in the world. Jesus declared that this kingdom is here and at work within us, growing quietly like leaven as it fills our hearts. As we live in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, we allow His kingdom to spread through our lives and into the world around us.

The Most High God with Us - Clint Byars by Forward Church Sermons

This Christmas, we fix our eyes on the Word made flesh-Light with no darkness. Love revealed, the Anointed Savior, the unchanging Father of lights, and the Preeminent One through whom and for whom all things were made. Our joy is made full not by examining ourselves but by the looking unto Him.

Family Sunday 11-30-2025 by Forward Church Sermons

Your words reveal the atmosphere of your heart, and gratitude is the fastest way to shift that atmosphere. When peace guards your heart, it governs your mouth and empowers you to walk in love with the people closest to you.

Most of our pain comes from the stories we tell ourselves - not the people around us. When we stop taking things personally and choose gratitude over judgement, we begin interpreting life through our identity in Christ rather than our ego. This renewed lens produces peace, clarity, and emotional freedom.

When we choose gratitude, we’re not just obeying Scripture—we’re reshaping our hearts and even our brains to trust God’s goodness. Like the disciples who forgot the miracle of the loaves, anxiety often comes from forgetting who Jesus has already proven Himself to be. When we remember His faithfulness and give thanks, peace—both spiritual and biological—rises up to guard our hearts and minds, empowering us to live calm, steady, and confident in every circumstance.

Worship is Different Under the New Covenant - Clint Byars by Forward Church Sermons

Your prayers are no longer hindered by wars in the heavenly realm, God has already forgiven you in the blood of Christ, and healing is available for all who believe. Today we will discuss how all of our beliefs must be informed by the new covenant and the resurrection of christ.

The heart is the Father for you must be the foundation of your faith. The resurrection is the pinnacle of his heart for you, and every belief we have must be rooted in these two things. Today we’ll look at the prodigal son parable to frame our beliefs and relationship with God to bear fruit.

This message unpacks the heart of evangelism rooted in the Father’s love, where the ministry of reconciliation isn’t a duty but an overflow of knowing we’ve already been reconciled to Him. We’ll look at how Jesus modeled serving from Sonship in John 13 and how, from that same place of identity and rest, we can carry God’s heart to the world.

Guest Speaker: Charlie Newell by Forward Church Sermons

Our nation is still feeling the shock waves of the last few weeks, and people are seeking God. Millions are reading the Bible again or for the first time, and millions are going to church. This is a good thing. As people are responding this way, what can we do to make sure we’re walking out the assignments God has for us?

Jesus lived perfectly to qualify to be the acceptable offering for the sin of the whole world. Forgiveness and redemption are only available through faith in His blood. Enjoy today’s message as we root you deeper in the Gospel!

Proverbs 16:3 tells us to “commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” In this message, discover how committing your works isn’t complicated—it’s rolling your plans onto God, trusting Him with the outcomes, and walking daily in His life and purposes. When you seek His kingdom, abide in Christ, and yield your steps to Him, your calling becomes clear and your path firm. The waiting is OVER, it’s tome to make a decision, roll your works onto Him, and MOVE FORWARD!

Scripture tells us to apply your heart to instruction. We’re asking “what," but God is trying to tell us “how.” The what starts with you. It’s time to make a decision of how you’ll pursue His calling on your life, and He’ll give you the steps. You think you’re waiting on God, but He’s waiting on you. Let us help you move forward today!

You might think you’re waiting on God, but God is waiting on you. He has given you his spirit and has given you the mind of Christ, you can use it to make a decision and move forward. Today we’ll ask a few questions that will help you have a vision for your life and step into a meaningful life, full or purpose.

If you lack a clear life vision, you’re vulnerable to confusion and control. Without clarity, you’ll keep seeking something outside yourself to define you. The vision you embrace should be the outward expression of who you want to be and the values you live by. It’s time to pick a path, quit waiting for the nebulous “move of God” and waiting for someone to tell you what to do, make a decision, and get moving!

Faith in the Blood - Nate Tanner by Forward Church Sermons

Lasting change begins in the heart, where your deepest beliefs—especially about your identity—are formed. True repentance is a continual turning from your own logic to God’s truth, allowing His Word to work at the identity level and reshape how you see yourself. Your only real work is to believe what God says about you and rest in that truth, because that’s where transformation happens.

The kingdom of God is in every believer. All of God’s promises and provision are available, they’re one belief away. Today we will discuss the parable of the sower and how our hearts determine the fruitfulness of the word of the kingdom and how we can persuade our heart to be more receptive.

Bible reading is a foundational pillar of being a Jesus follower. But the magic of transformation happens when you let the Bible read you. The Word of God is alive, it’s a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, which is where your beliefs are written. Reflecting in the Word of God will reveal to you what you truly believe. Once you see your beliefs, you can allow yourself to put off lies and put on the truth. Here’s how.

Independence Day - Mike Crane by Forward Church Sermons

Grace is power, it’s God’s divine influence on your heart to strengthen you and teach you. Grace works in a believing heart. So how do you believe from the heart? You allow peace to guard your heart. How do you do that? You become rated and grounded in God’s love for you and Christ’s finished work. Here’s how.

If you are in Christ, you can live guilt free, under the power of GRACE! Join us today as we unpack this powerful GOSPEL truth. Here's a sneak peak: Grace is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.

Happy Father’s Day!! Young men are looking for a life philosophy and a structure that can build their life on. Today we’ll discuss how men are built to lead and build with kingdom purpose.

People misunderstand grace. Grace is God’s power working in you. Because of grace, we are dead to sin and alive to Christ and we live above the lure of sin. Join us today as we discuss how grace is power, and not a license to sin.

Isaiah 10:27 was fulfilled when God broke the Assyrian yoke off Judah not by human effort but by His power—one angel destroyed 185,000 soldiers in a single night. In the same way today, every burden and yoke is destroyed not by striving, but by the anointing of Christ that abides in you. Join us today as we discuss how to pray with your spirit to position yourself to be strengthened in your inner man by God’s grace.

Youth and Young Adult Pastor, Lyle Camp, brings a funny and insightful word on shifting your perspective to see what God already has in place in our lives.