Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:7The Bible emphasizes the importance of household salvation. One of the greatest examples of this is Noah, whose unsinkable faith in God saved his family from the Great Flood.Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”This passage first describes the warning Noah’s faith believed.In the days of Noah, there was a tremendous lack of fear of our Holy God. Adrian Rogers says, “The mark of a society on its last legs is when there is no fear of God.” But Noah feared God and demonstrated it through his godly living, godly knowledge, and wisdom. If we fear God, it will also show through our godly contentment, worship, salvation, confidence, insight and deliverance.This passage also reveals the work that Noah’s faith achieved.Being a man of faith, Noah obeyed God’s instruction and began building the ark long before he saw the flood; as a result, Noah saved his family. Adrian Rogers says, “If you work without faith, it is presumption; if you have faith without work, it is pretense.”This passage also addresses the wickedness that Noah’s faith perceived.In Genesis 6, God was brokenhearted over the sins of the generation. They were days of scientific progress, social plagues, and sexual perversion. The same sins from Noah's day are being committed today; as God warned Noah’s generation, He has warned ours, as well.Finally, we see the wealth that Noah’s faith received.Noah left a legacy of righteousness; though he acted in obedience, Noah was not ultimately saved by his works, but by God’s grace.By following the demonstration of Noah’s faith in God in the midst of our rebellious generation, we can usher our families into the ark of safety, which is a picture of Jesus Christ.God sealed Noah into the ark, just as we are sealed by Jesus Christ in our salvation.Apply it to your lifeAre you leading your household with an unsinkable faith like Noah? Does it move you to obey God and to fear him? Establish God as the Lord of your household and pray for your family today.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:5-6Hebrews 11 tells of the prophet Enoch, who so pleased God and walked so intimately with him, he never died. Enoch is an example for us as we learn to walk with God.Hebrews 11:5 says, “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”Enoch is a champion of our faith who shows us that walking with God is a life of faith.“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not guessing at the will of God; faith is hearing from God and believing God.”Second, walking with God is also a life of fellowship.We can know all about God without actually knowing Him intimately. But God created us in His image so He could have fellowship with us.Walking with God is also living a life of faithfulness.In the days of wickedness and violence, Enoch walked with God consistently, in the good times and bad. When we are faithful to God, He supplies us with power through the Holy Spirit to walk the Christian life, day by day.Walking with God is also a life of fruitfulness.Enoch was blessed with a family and named his son Methuselah, which means, “when he is dead, it will be sent.” Methuselah had a son named Lamech, who had a son named Noah. It was only after Methuselah, son of Enoch, died, that God sent the flood to destroy the Earth, sparing only Noah’s family.Just as he is an example of walking with God, Enoch is also a picture of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God will rapture the Bride to escape the coming judgment.We must walk with God, to live a life of faith and fellowship, that we may know Him intimately in these Last Days.Apply it to your lifeDo you want to walk with God as closely as Enoch did? Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Study Scripture today and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:4Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus’ redeeming work was in the heart and mind of God from the foundation of the world. Before He swung this world into space, God had redemption by blood in His mind.”Genesis 4 tells the story of two brothers: Cain and Abel, one a martyr, the other a murderer. In their story, we see a picture of the blood of Jesus Christ that makes a difference.Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”After the Fall of Man, Cain and Abel both offered sacrifices to the Lord in an act of worship. In Genesis 4, we see the stark contrast in their worship.While Cain offered a half-hearted sacrifice of the fruit of the ground, Abel offered the first of his flock: a spotless lamb, which was a prophecy of Jesus who was to come and redeem.God saw Abel’s sacrifice as good because “...without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).As a result, there was a conflict in their worship. Genesis 4:4-5 says, “…And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry...”Because his heart was not right with God and he was jealous of his brother’s favor, Cain murdered Abel. (See Genesis 4:8.)There are many who have the religion of Cain: who are not right with God and hurt others because of it. It is interesting to note that the first murder recorded in Scripture was over religion; it was also a religious crowd that crucified Jesus Christ.Adrian Rogers says, “Religion is what sinful people do for a holy God. The Gospel is the good news of what a holy God has already done for sinful man.”There are two religions in the world: the true and the false. If there were any other way to God, He wouldn’t have let His only Son die on the cross. Our only hope of salvation is by grace through faith, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.Apply it to your lifeThere is a red river of blood that flows through all the Bible. Do you have true faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood makes the difference?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 10:38The Book of Hebrews describes the heroes of our faith and explains how those heroes exemplified the only way to live.Hebrews 10:38 says, “Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”Many of us are plagued with worry, guilt, or loneliness; but there is not one problem that faith does not have an answer for. This is why it is crucial that we know what faith is, and how to have it.Faith is not blind superstition, positive thinking, or a feeling of optimism. Rather, it is confidence that rests in hope, conviction that sees the invisible, and communication that comes from Heaven.Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.”Faith can’t be altered by appearances or fettered by feelings. Our emotions are the shallowest part of our nature, while faith is the deepest work of God. And in a world that must see to believe, the Bible instructs us to believe in order to see. Faith is not limited by logic; it simply goes beyond it and becomes its own best logic.We must also understand the dynamics of our faith. Adrian Rogers explains, “Faith is the heart’s response to the character of God.” Only after we accept God through faith will we receive the wisdom to understand His works and the ability to worship. Faith—not fame or fortune—is the medium of exchange in the kingdom of God.Finally, a life of faith is destined to find, follow, and finish the will of God.Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”To win this race, we must be motivated by the saints of old and separated from the weight of the world. Repenting of our sins, we run the race of life with our eyes set on the Savior above.Apply it to your lifeIs your faith real, growing, and developing through wisdom and worship? Are you actively finding, following, and finishing the will of God?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: John 16:7There are things we will never understand until we lay down our intellectual pride and let the Holy Spirit speak to us. Only when the Spirit speaks can we understand three truths regarding who we are and what God makes us.John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”First, the Holy Spirit teaches the truth about the sinner’s basic problem.A man is a sinner because of what he is and what he has done. Born into this fallen world, it is in our nature to give in to sin.A man is also a sinner because of what he has not done. God made us to know, love, and serve Him; when we do not do that, we are refusing Him the glory He deserves.But our ultimate problem is that we are sinners for not believing, because the greatest sin is unbelief. Unbelief is the parent sin, out of which all other sins come; it is proof of man’s wickedness, and it is what separates us from God forever.Second, the Holy Spirit shows the truth about the Savior’s bountiful provision.When we believe in Jesus Christ, He changes what we are at our very core and gives us a new nature. Adrian Rogers says, “Christians are not just nicer people; they’re new creatures.”He also forgives us for what we have done. Every stain, blot, or blemish of our past is washed whiter than snow, buried in the grave of God’s forgetfulness.He gives us the righteousness we need in order to be saved.Finally, the Holy Spirit proclaims the truth about Satan’s broken power.Jesus’s death on the cross was God’s greatest victory over evil. Satan’s kingdom was crushed; he now sails a sinking ship and rules a doomed domain.When we receive Christ, we become more like Him every day. That is what our faith is all about, and what the Holy Spirit is working within us.Apply it to your lifeHave you laid down your intellectual pride and allowed the Holy Spirit to impart things only He can show you? Understanding man’s sinful nature and the Savior’s provision, are you becoming more like Jesus?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 2:1-14The way to be blessed is to obey God, which requires our trust in Him; and to trust Him is to love Him, and in order to love Him, we must know Him.1 Corinthians 2:1-14 shows us how to know God through the Bible.“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).Heavenly wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view; human wisdom is deficient, while heavenly wisdom is sufficient. Human wisdom is superficial, transitory, and limited, and can even be dangerous. We can only know the things of God through our spirits. When He wants to teach or reveal something to us, He imparts heavenly wisdom in our spirits.God has done three mighty acts that we might know Him; the first act is revelation, which is the communication of God's truth to man by God Himself. It takes the Holy Spirit revealing truth to us in order to really know that truth.Adrian Rogers says, “The natural can never know the supernatural until the infinite reveals Himself to the finite.”Secondly, God reveals Himself through supernatural inspiration, which is the very Word of God.“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).Third, God reveals Himself through supernatural illumination. The Holy Spirit is the one who turns the spiritual light on so that you can understand the things of God.Adrian Rogers says, “I can never know the Bible as I ought to know the Bible until I have the mind of Christ.”This doesn’t mean that we can know everything about God; it means that the average person who is obedient and diligent can understand the Bible and have personal communion with God.Apply it to your lifeAdrian Rogers says, “There is no knowledge of God without revelation, inspiration, illumination. And the illumination is your part where you come to God and surrender. When you come to God's Word this way, the Bible will burst aflame in your heart and in your mind and God will teach you things out of His Word.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Peter 1:22-25; 2:1-2We don’t have to be ordained ministers to be in the ministry; in fact, every man and woman who names the name of Jesus partakes in the ministry of the Word of God.1 Peter 1:22 says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart…”First, we must receive the Word of God personally into our lives.When we become Christians, we are literally conceived by the Word of God, as 1 Peter 1:23 says, “...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever…” God’s Word is a seed that produces new life within us. 1 Peter 2:1-2 says, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby…”We’re also cleansed and completed by Scripture: first made new, and then made strong by the Word of God.After we receive Scripture personally, we must respect the Word. There’s no debate about it: God is a God of truth. Therefore, His Word cannot have errors in it.Adrian Rogers says, “The God of truth cannot inspire error.”God’s Word is the product of the Spirit of God, therefore it is totally infallible because God is infallible.We must not only respect its inerrancy, but we must also respect its authority and vitality. There is living power in the Word of God that changes lives and lasts for eternity.1 Peter 1:24-25 says, “...All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.”Finally, we need to release the Bible; preach it everywhere. When we receive the Word of God and respect it, we won’t grow tired of it. We must preach it faithfully, fully, and freely.Adrian Rogers says, “Newborn babes desire it, men of God share it, preach it and proclaim it.”Apply it to your lifeAre you a minister of the Word of God? Have you received God’s Word? Do you respect it and release it? Consider its life-changing power today and share it with someone you love.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 19Luke 10:21 says, “...You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”We are neither too intelligent nor unintelligent to believe in God and know Him personally! Psalm 19 gives us three ways in which God speaks to us, and in return, we can know God personally, intimately, and assuredly.First, God has confirmed His words in the heavens.“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork…” (v. 1). The heavens also declare God’s greatness. The vastness of the universe, along with its small intricacies, demonstrate God’s power.Adrian Rogers says, “There are no laws of nature; they are God’s laws that nature obeys. Science only discovers what God had already put there.” The heavens declare the goodness of God: “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge” (v. 2). It is God who daily maintains the fixed order in the universe, and provides everything it needs to give us life. His mercies are new every morning. (See Lamentations 3:23).God also speaks to us by placing His converting Word in our hands.We have access to Scripture, which is His very word. We ought to marvel at the Bible and celebrate its many virtues. It is inerrant, infallible, foundational, and full of God’s promises.Adrian Rogers says, “Every sentence, every jot, every tittle, every syllable is put in Scripture by the mind and purpose of God.” The Scriptures are of precious value, for “more to be desired are they than gold” (v. 10). They are protective, for “by them, Your servant is warned” (v. 11). They are profitable, for “in keeping them there is great reward” (v. 11).Finally, we can know God through His convicting Word in our hearts.By the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the Scriptures we read can become real. Psalm 19:12 says, “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” The Holy Spirit cleanses our wicked and deceitful hearts. When we hand our control over to the Spirit, He brings us into communion with the Father. This is the only way we can know Him personally, intimately, and assuredly.Apply it to your lifeDo you feel far and distant from God? Remember, by the Word of God in the heavens, in our hands, and in our hearts, we can know God personally.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: John 4:46-54In the Kingdom of Heaven, faith is the medium of exchange. Whatever we receive from God is according to our faith.Adrian Rogers says, “The greater your faith, the greater glory God gets; by faith man gives God pleasure and by faith God gives man treasure.”John 4 tells the story of a man whose superficial, superstitious faith was transformed into a strong, saving faith.“So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe’” (John 4:46-48).First, we must see the problem of superficial faith.In this passage, the nobleman had heard about Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine, and was blown away. But Jesus knew that signs and wonders do not truly help in developing a strong faith.We must also consider the problem of superstitious faith.God performed miracles through Jesus to authenticate His ministry. It is dishonoring to demand a sign from God in order to believe in Him. It is also self-deceiving; signs and wonders can easily deceive; it is how our enemy leads others astray.This passage also shows the progression of strong faith.There are steps in developing this sort of saving faith, the first being hearing the Word of God, and then believing it. What we believe is not contrary to reason; it goes beyond reason. We must obey the Word of God, and then rest in it.Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not seeing signs and wonders, rather, it is a response to the character of God.”Finally, this passage shows the provision of saving faith.After the nobleman’s son was healed, he not only believed in a miracle worker but in a Messiah.All of Jesus’ miracles point to the greater miracle, which is the new life in Him.Apply it to your lifeIf you want to strengthen your faith, get a good grip on the Word of God. Don’t look to the miracles, but to the Messiah; do not follow the signs, but the Savior.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 1:13The Bible instructs us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But so many times, we pray and seek God, ask according to His will; and yet our prayer seems unanswered.At the beginning of the Book of Luke, we meet Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, both righteous before God, blameless, yet barren. They were well in their old age, and without any children, they had prayed for their whole lives. Verse 13 says, “But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son…” We can learn three things from Zacharias and Elizabeth when prayer seems unanswered.First, unanswered prayer could mean it has simply been denied.God will not grant prayers that aren’t according to His will. Sometimes, we pray with sin in our heart, outside of the will of God. Remember, God wants to meet every one of our personal needs, but He will not enable our lust, pride, or selfishness.An unanswered prayer could also mean it’s strategically delayed.Adrian Rogers says, “With God, timing is far more important than time.” Answered prayers could be delayed to display His glory. As we see in Zacharias and Elizabeth’s story, God could wait until the situation is so difficult, there's no way we, ourselves, get the glory from it.Or, our prayers could be delayed to dispense God’s grace.As interested as He is in His glory, God’s also interested in our joy. In Luke 1, God was about to bring Jesus into the world. God planned the arrival of Zacharias and Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist, so he could prepare the way for this long-awaited Messiah. God knew what He was doing; He had a strategic plan to display his glory and to dispense his grace, in the fullness of time.Finally, the answer to your prayer may be strangely different.For Zacharias and Elizabeth, God gave them something better than they asked for; it was different. He was the forerunner of the Messiah. Their son filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb.Adrian Rogers tells us, “God gives the best to those who leave the choice with him.”Apply it to your lifeWhat do you do when your prayer seems unanswered? Check to make sure you are seeking the glory of God. Then pray without ceasing.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 19:1-6Adrian Rogers says, “A home is the sweetest place on earth, the nearest place to Heaven. It’s the only part of the Garden of Eden that we have left.”Matthew 19 discusses the importance of family faithfulness; first, by recognizing that marriage is made by Heaven.And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, ‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?" (v. 4-5).Marriage is the supreme commitment, overruling every other commitment we could ever make. The priority of marriage is to build a home, and we cannot build a home without God’s guidance. We raise children with the intention of them leaving home to build homes of their own.Marriage is also permanent, and its purpose is to be one flesh, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Adrian Rogers says, “Marriage is a romance in which both the hero and the heroine die in the first chapter, and a new person comes into being: one flesh.”But marriage can be marred by Hell; there is nothing wrong with romantic love, but we are deceived if we believe that is enough to sustain a marriage. We are commanded in Scripture to love our spouses unconditionally, as God has loved His church.There is no fear in perfect love, only peace, security, and joy. We must be careful not to allow guilt to fester in our marriages; guilt turns to anger, and anger into bitterness.When we experience trials, reconciliation and forgiveness are called for in order to put the family back together. If we seek restoration, we’ll find that the relationship can potentially be even stronger than before it was broken.Finally, marriage is always marked by hope. No matter our circumstances, there is always hope because the grace of God covers all of our sins. God does not hold grudges; His forgiveness is always available for those who seek to honor Him in their relationships.Apply it to your lifeA godly home is the greatest testimony we have in this world. If you are married, make certain that Christ is the head of your home and continue to feed your love day by day.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Deuteronomy 5:29The family was the first institution formed by God, created to meet the deepest physical, social, and spiritual needs of mankind. It is in the home that a child should learn who he is, what he can do, and what is expected of him.In the midst of this moral free fall, it is time we ask ourselves: what is the future of the family? Adrian Rogers says, “If there is no future for our families, there is no future for this nation.”Deuteronomy 5:29 says, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!”Our homes are the universities of life.In these homes, we must train our children to abide by God’s law so that we can preserve the family’s future. God gave the Ten Commandments to the family. God’s priority plan for us is to pass our faith from parent to child.Parents are the professors of their homes.Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “You shall teach them diligently to your children...” Though we can’t control our children, we can guide and teach them in the way they should go. Our primary goal as parents should be that we love God with sincere, selfless, and strong love so that we can set an example for our children to love Him, too.The Ten Commandments are the curriculum.These commandments are the liberating laws of life and the tracks upon which our families run. We are to set boundaries for our kids around the parameter of God’s law.Our children are our students.It is not the church’s responsibility to raise our children in faith, it is ours. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:8-9).Finally, life is the laboratory.Life is where these things are taught. We must teach our children convictionally, consistently, creatively, conversationally, and conspicuously.Apply it to your lifeOur homes are where our children learn everything they need to know about life. Have you established your home as a university, yourself as a professor, and God’s law as the curriculum? Are your children your students, viewing life as the laboratory?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: James 1:21-25We cannot grow as Christians if we are not actively studying the Word of God. It’s not enough to know facts about and within Scripture. When we go to the Bible to extract truth, we fail; rather, we must receive the truth and welcome it in.The Book of James shows us how to understand the Bible, and reveals four ways to welcome the Word of God.We first welcome the Word with a repentant spirit."Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). There is a moral qualification to hear from God; hangover sins and unrepentant hearts can keep us from understanding Scripture.When we study the Bible, it is crucial that we first make a full confession of sin and ask God to search our hearts for any trace of wickedness.We also welcome the Word with a receptive spirit, with meekness, which is a teachable spirit.James 3:3 says, "Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body." Likewise, God wants to break us and take us under His control, making us sensitive to His commands.Third, we welcome the Word with a responsive spirit."But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Once we understand the Scripture we read, we must obey it; if we don’t, we are self-deceived.Adrian Rogers says, “A study of the Bible gives you knowledge about God. Obedience gives you knowledge of God.”Finally, we welcome the Word with a reflective spirit."But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:25). When we read the Bible with a reflective spirit, the Bible reads us in return. It gives us a new perspective of our lives and shows our truest selves. Rather than quickly glancing at Scripture, we must learn to gaze into it.Apply it to your lifeAre you actively receiving the Word of God with a repentant heart and a receptive, responsive spirit? Remember, as Adrian Rogers says, “The best way to understand the part of the Bible you don’t understand, is to obey the part you do understand.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 9:1-6Acts 9 tells the story of Saul’s conversion to becoming Paul. While on his way to persecute Christians, Saul came face-to-face with Jesus. And Saul’s first question to Jesus was:“Lord, what wilt thou have me to do” (Acts 9:6)?We are clever creatures who have lost our way and must relearn how we can know the will of God.First, remember that God has promised to guide.Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."God has a moral plan for each of our lives. God’s will is sovereign; it is always done. There is no changing the fixed standard of right and wrong He has established.Though God’s will is particular for each of us, there are six universal truths about His plan:It is not a roadmap; it is a relationship.It is not the end of our joy, but the beginning.God does not speak only to certain people; He has a plan for everyone.Learning God’s will is not always a dramatic experience; oftentimes, it is spoken softly.God is not finished with us, whether we’re 9 or 99.God does not hide His will from us. He wants us to know it even more than we do.God’s guidance hinges on our willingness, meekness, and openness.He is willing to guide when we yield to His control. Sometimes, God will give visions, miracles, or dreams to reveal His plans, but many times, He speaks practically. He guides through Scripture, His people, and the Holy Spirit within us. We must be sensitive enough to hear and know His voice.God also leads with sheer wisdom, through the renewing of our minds.God opens and closes doors, and guides the meek through it all. Many times, we don’t even know it was the providence of God until afterward.We don’t have to be afraid of the will of God. Adrian Rogers says, “The will of God will not take you where the power of God cannot keep you.”Apply it to your lifeAre you trying to find the will of God for your life? How much time are you spending alone with God? If we want to understand God’s particular will for our lives, we must begin to obey the Scriptures we understand.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ephesians 5:18The Christian life is a blessing, but if we don’t understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it can feel more like a burden. The secret to a blessed Christian life is being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is important to know how to have a spirit-filled life.Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...”Having a Spirit-filled life is a command from God to obey, as well as a blessing to enjoy. It is also our obligation as Christians, because on our own, we don’t have the strength to do what the Bible commands us to do.The only way to truly worship God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Our marriages and work relationships hinge on this as well. We serve our families and colleagues as we should when we first submit to the Holy Spirit.It is also how we win in this spiritual warfare we face every day. It is our only hope in ever witnessing to others. We are up against the organized, demonic forces of Hell.Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”Adrian Rogers says, “There has never been a greater day, a greater age, a greater opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus than right now.”What are the requirements of being filled with the Holy Spirit?There must first be a complete commitment to Christ. We must continually yield control to Him, consciously claiming our dependence on Him every moment. When we do this, we receive a spirit of adoration for God—a passionate, blazing love for Jesus Christ that doesn’t burn out.We also receive a spirit of appreciation for our circumstances. Ephesians 5:20 claims Christians are to be, “Giving thanks always for all things…”Finally, we receive a spirit of accommodation toward others. Every day, every place, we are learning to submit to and serve others.Apply it to your lifeAdrian Rogers says, “We need a generation of Spirit-filled people. As the night grows darker, the saints grow brighter, and the hunger intensifies. And there are people who are looking, waiting, wondering: Is there an answer? The answer is in Christ.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 John 5:11Every Christian ought to have the privilege of knowing, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he or she is saved. But having doubts doesn’t necessarily mean we are not saved.Adrian Rogers says, “Doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body; it doesn't mean you're dead, it means something's wrong.”1 John 5 reveals how to be saved and know it, without hesitation.“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).When doubts arise, we must remember, first, how we are saved: by grace, through faith (see Ephesians 2:8).Adrian Rogers says, “Grace is the unmerited favor and love that God shows to us. It's what made God love us when we were unlovely. God doesn't love us because we're valuable… we're valuable because He loves us.”Faith is not intellectual belief; it is trust and commitment to God. Think of grace as the hand of God reaching down to us, and faith is our hand reaching up to Him.Understanding this, we can find our assurance through three basic tests:Lordship TestIs Jesus Christ the Lord of my life?If we claim to love God, we will keep His commandments.Fellowship TestDo I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I in fellowship with other believers?Fellowship is the nature of both the Christian and the Church.Relationship TestDo I have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?The assurance of our salvation is ongoing; it is not a past event, stamped by a time and date, and place. It is a present decision to trust in Jesus, right now. We can trust in Him, for He alone is the assurance of our salvation.Apply it to your lifeDo you have doubts about your faith? Consider the lordship, fellowship, and relationship tests. If you don’t know whether your doubt is the Holy Spirit’s conviction or the devil’s tactic, believe in Jesus.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 15:13-18In Acts 10, the Gospel was made available to Gentiles for the first time. Up until Acts 15, many in the church believed Christianity was exclusively for the Jews. Concerned, they met in Jerusalem to discuss God’s plan for the Jews.Acts 15:18 reads, “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” God has a plan for this world, the church, for the Jew and the Gentile. And as we hear rumors of a new world order in these last days, we know the reasons why the world is out of sorts to begin with.The church is out of her rightful place.The church, which is the bride of Christ, belongs with the groom. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us, but we are not by His side. Ephesians 1:13-14 explains that the Holy Spirit is “the earnest of our inheritance,” meaning He is a token of God’s love to His Bride while we wait to join His side.Second, there will never be world order until Israel is restored and there is peace in Jerusalem.God is not finished with the Jewish nation; they are still the chosen people. God gave the land of Israel to Abraham’s descendants in an everlasting covenant, yet, the Jews have been scattered across the earth. As God prophesied Israel's disobedience, dispersion, and disgrace, He also prophesied their resolve and return.Third, Satan is out of place, because the criminal belongs in prison.There will never be order as long as Satan’s spirit is working. The world stumbles in darkness orchestrated by Him. But Satan will not always have the run of this world. There’s coming a time when he will be cast into the prison of his own making: hell.Finally, there will be no world order until the King is on the throne.Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords; soon, His Will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.Adrian Rogers says, “I cannot wait for the time our Lord comes and we have a new world order; when the church and Israel and Satan and Jesus are in their rightful place. It has a good ending, and we’re on the winning side.”Apply it to your lifeAs the days grow gloriously dark, pray for the nation of Israel, and for those who may not know the Lord.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: EcclesiastesThe Book of Ecclesiastes is the journal of King Solomon. It is a record of some of the perplexities he had, as well as some of the mistakes he made. There are three themes from this book when considering the beauty of this life we get to live.First, this book reveals the complex mysteries of life.God does not want life to make sense to us. God, in His infinite wisdom, makes life a mystery to draw us to Him. God put eternity in our hearts; He gave us a desire to see life from an eternal perspective. The answer to life’s mystery is not in nature, history, or science. The answer is that apart from God, wisdom, wealth and work are all meaningless.Ecclesiastes also addresses the challenging adventure of life.In spite of its mystery, God urges us to live with enthusiasm and joy. We cannot let our problems make cynics out of us. There are going to be some hard times; we would be foolish to not enjoy the good times. Adrian Rogers says, “Since God is good, we should live joyfully. Since God is sovereign, we should live confidently. And since God is holy, live life reverently.”Finally, this book reveals that life is a comprehensive test.Everything is going to come to judgment. Because of this, we must learn to rejoice. Adrian Rogers says, “God’s laws do not restrict us; they liberate us.” We must learn, also, to rest and remember; to honor, to obey, to serve God in every season.Everything that King Solomon wrote is by divine inspiration. But we know some things he didn’t know because we have the New Testament. We have an understanding that even Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, did not have before he died, primarily, the answer to the age-old question: What is life all about?Glory to God, we know that Jesus said, “I’ve come that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly.”(John 10:10)Life is about Jesus and only Jesus. Apart from Him, everything is meaningless.Apply it to your lifeLife is a complex mystery and a challenging adventure. In order to pass the comprehensive tests of life, we must learn to rejoice in every season, to rest in God’s grace and goodness, and to remember Him.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 John 2:18-29The days are growing gloriously dark; the time is ripe for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.1 John 2:18-29 heeds three warnings to us as we near the rapture and Great Tribulation prophesied in the Book of Revelation.First, we are living in the last days, and we need to be awake.“Little children, it is the last time....” (v. 18)Ever since the ascension of Jesus Christ, we have been on the brink of His return. And because the signs of the revelation are here, we know the rapture must be very close.When He raptures His church, He will come secretly, like a thief in the night; we must be spiritually awake.Second, the antichrist is coming, and we need to be aware.“...and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (v. 18)There is a wicked, malevolent, ungodly person waiting to be revealed after the rapture of the church; he is called the antichrist. We must be aware that he is devilish, divisive, deceptive, and destructive.Third, our Lord is on His way, and we need to be abiding.“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye shall also continue in the Son, and in the Father.” (v. 24)While living in the last days, we need to make ourselves at home in the word of God.Now more than ever, we need to appreciate, appropriate, and assimilate Scripture.We must make ourselves at home with the Spirit of God.Adrian Rogers says, “Anything I can talk you into, somebody else can talk you out of; the one who teaches you is the Holy Spirit of God.”Finally, we need to make ourselves at home with the very Son of God.When Jesus comes for us, we shouldn’t have to be formally introduced. Rather, when we see Him face-to-face, it should feel like uniting with someone we’ve known heart-to-heart.Apply it to your lifeThe signs of the upcoming revelation are all around us in these last days. Are you ready for Jesus to come? Are you awake and aware — are you abiding in Christ?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ephesians 5:23Adrian Rogers says, “We can never be over those things that God wants to be under us -- until we get under those things that God has put over us.”In order to learn how to cultivate a marriage and a healthy home, we must first understand godly authority.Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Savior of the body.”This does not mean wives are inferior to their husbands; in Christ, we’re equal. But God created us to meet different needs and fulfill different roles within the home. When the Bible speaks of the husband being the head of the home, it is not speaking of his rights; it speaks of his responsibilities.There are three major responsibilities that deal with the husband, the first being his servant leadership.Ephesians 5 does not call the husband a dictator. Rather, we are given the example of Jesus Christ, who is head of the Church, yet serves her and meets her needs. We are to meet the needs of our wives, who submit to our servant leadership.Husbands are also responsible for sacrificial love, which is first passionate. It is a commitment that comes from the deepest part of our being.It is also a purifying love, as Ephesian 5:26-27 says: “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word... not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”Husbands are to express their love through their protection. If the enemy wants to attack our homes, he has to go through the husband. Husbands are also responsible for offering loving provision, to meet our family’s physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.Finally, husbands are responsible for showing steadfast loyalty. Jesus promised to never leave nor forsake His church. (See Hebrews 13:5.) Likewise, we are responsible for keeping the vows we made when we entered our marriage covenant. If we think of marriage as a contract, we will look for loopholes, and miss the blessing that it truly is. But if viewed as a covenant, we will cultivate something beautiful.Apply it to your lifeAre you cultivating a marriage based on servant leadership, sacrificial love, and steadfast loyalty?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Samuel 24:1-7King David was a remarkable man after God’s own heart. He lived by principle, not by appearance. He was a warrior who knew many victories, but perhaps his greatest victory was the one over his own spirit when subjected to authority.In 1 Samuel 24, David is hiding in a cave after King Saul has put a bounty on his head. King Saul comes into the cave, unaware that David and his men are hiding just out of sight. David has the opportunity to kill Saul, the man actively trying to kill him. But he does not; instead, he shows us how to behave in a cave, when no one else is watching.He refuses to take vengeance and acts as we should according to Scripture: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).Like David, we must remember the principle of spiritual authority. David knew that he had no right to take Saul’s life because Saul was God’s chosen and anointed king. There is no king, no power, no ruler that has not been ordained of God. To rebel against them is an act of rebellion against God. We are all subject to them and must submit to their leadership.Second, David gently pleaded for change, with reverence, respect, and reason. David relied on God to change Saul’s heart.If the authority in question commands us to do something that is contrary to the Word of God, we should obey God rather than men. But we must be sure that even when we disobey our appointed leader, we have a warrant from Scripture. Even still, we should act in a manner that respects authority. God took care of Saul, and God will take care of our enemies as we learn to rely on the Lord.Finally, David made a gracious promise to King Saul, that when he became king, he would protect Saul’s loved ones.The spirit of God was in David. Adrian Rogers says, “David never won a greater victory than he won that day in the cave: a victory over self, a victory over Saul, and a victory over sin.”Apply it to your lifeAre you facing conflict in submitting to spiritual authority? Consider how David behaved in the cave. Recognize the great principle of authority and show respect to those God has placed over you.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 5:1-5, 17Any Christian who has not discovered the tremendous power of kingdom authority is living beneath his privileges.However, Adrian Rogers says, “God will never place you over those things that He means to put under you, until you get under those things that He has put over you.”Many of us fail to think of the Holy Spirit as a person with authority, yet the Holy Spirit has authority to rule and reign in our lives. In fact, kingdom authority is mediated by the Holy Spirit.Romans 5 reveals why we should be under the authority of the Holy Spirit.“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).Adam was the first man created by God and was given dominion over the Earth. But Adam sinned; he forfeited his dominion to sin. And because we are his offspring, we are identified with Adam in this slavery to Satan. Through Adam, we received weakness rather than power and gained ungodliness rather than godliness. We also received wrath rather than approval, warfare instead of peace. We inherited our sinfulness from Adam: not only when we do as we shouldn’t, but also in failing to do as we should.But Romans 5 also reveals what we receive through Jesus when we join the kingdom of light:“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).When we submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit, we receive justification of our sins and reconciliation with the Father. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the fellowship with God that was severed when Adam sinned. We’ve also been regenerated and made righteous to reign through the power of the Holy Spirit.Apply it to your lifeEach one of us is either with Adam in the kingdom of death, or we are with Christ reigning in the kingdom of life. Choose Jesus today; choose kingdom authority through the Holy Spirit.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Peter 1:23-25There is an ongoing war over the Bible. There are those who despise it, but some of the greatest enemies of the Bible are those who disregard that it is the very Word of God.If we want the kingdom authority that God has promised His children, we must be under the authority of the Word of God.We must see it as incontestable:There is no contest, controversy, or denial that the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible is absolutely perfect, for the God of truth cannot speak in error.1 Peter 1:23 claims: “...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever…”Second, we must see the Bible as the incorruptible Word of God; there is no blemish or spot in it.Though many have come against it with their own personal agendas and opinions, the Bible outstands them all.Third, we see that it is indestructible:“...because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever...” (1 Peter 1:24-25).Finally, the Word of God is indispensable:“Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:25).The Gospel is the message of the church, and we get the Gospel from Scripture. We don’t need a new or modern Gospel for the new and modern age; it stands the test of time. The Bible also prescribes the church’s method, which is (and always will be) preaching.Adrian Rogers says, “No church will ever grow and prosper and be a New Testament church until the pulpit is central and the Gospel is central in the pulpit.”In order to join a church body, one must be born again into the family of God. Only the Gospel can grow this family, and therefore, grow the Church.Apply it to your lifeDo you see the Bible as the incontestable, incorruptible, indestructible, indispensable Word of God?Adrian Rogers says, “We can never have Kingdom Authority, speak or preach with authority, witness with authority, live with authority until we get under the authority of the Word of God.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 14:7-12God wants us to live with kingdom authority, but there can be no reigning in this life until we confess these three words: Jesus is Lord.Lord means “someone or something having power, authority, or influence.” When we claim to commit to Jesus Christ, we must surrender to His lordship, as Paul explains in Romans, “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself” (Romans 14:7)First, remember the redeeming claim of His lordship.“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” (Romans 14:8).When Jesus died for us, He purchased our souls with His redeeming blood; we are no longer our own, we belong to Him.Adrian Rogers says, “When you gave your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, that was the last independent decision you ever made.”Second, we see the resurrection conquest of His lordship.“For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9). There can be no other king in our lives; no man can serve two masters (see Matthew 6:24). Christ requires our submission and absolute ownership of all we possess with unquestioned obedience.We shouldn’t be afraid to trust our lives to the One who loved us enough to die for us.Finally, there must be a regal confession of His lordship.“...As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11). We will confess Christ as Lord, whether in this world or the next.Confessing Christ as Lord seals our salvation and conquers Satan; it also comforts and confirms the saints. The more we assert it to others, the stronger our faith becomes.As we confess Christ’s lordship, the things of this world fall away. Our separation from this world convicts those who see the difference in our lives and want to understand the source of our joy.And when we claim Christ as Lord, our decisions seem to make themselves, as He guides us in all things.Apply it to your lifeHave you surrendered to the lordship of Christ? Is He Lord of all that you have and do, Lord of your thoughts, your tongue, your temper, time, and testimony?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 10:17-19When we were born again, we became spiritual freedom fighters in God’s invasion army. We cannot be neutral in this spiritual battle: we are in a fight to the finish. We must learn how to come against the enemy and use our kingdom authority in the warfare of prayer.First, let us remember that our kingdom authority has been sovereignly established by God. He delivered us from the bondage of spiritual death. Without Christ, we are spiritually dead, but when Jesus came, He gave us life through His sacrificial death.We’ve also been delivered from our staggering debt; in His death, Jesus paid the debt of our sins in full.Jesus also delivered us from the bondage of satanic dominion. Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”Through His resurrection power, Jesus stripped, shamed, and subdued the enemy. Adrian Rogers says, “We don’t pray for victory, we have the victory; we stand in victory.”Secondly, kingdom authority must be strongly enforced if we want to do what our King wants us to do. While we were slaves to Satan, in bondage to his dark kingdom, Jesus came to set us free. Even though Satan’s defeat is absolute, it must be appropriated. He will not roll over in defeat; he will fight to keep us bankrupt, brokenhearted, and bound to our sin. We must come against him in the power of the Holy Spirit.Finally, kingdom authority must be strategically exercised through the children of God who bear clean hearts. Those who act according to the Spirit must also come from the right position: seated with Jesus in the heavenlies.Adrian Rogers says, “Without Jesus, you are in Satan’s dark kingdom, and Calvary is your defeat. But when you come into the kingdom of God, it is now your victory.”Apply it to your lifeAre you longing to pray with kingdom authority? Understand the necessity of your clean heart and begin praying from your victory in Heaven. Remember this wisdom from Adrian Rogers: “Stop praying from earth to Heaven, and start praying from Heaven to earth.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ephesians 1:15-2:6As Christians, most of us can accept that Jesus Christ is King and He has authority. However, some of us fail to grasp that He has given that kingdom authority to His servants.Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”We’re in a spiritual battle, up against the organized, mobilized, and demonized powers of Hell. Therefore, we must understand what kingdom authority is in order to utilize it.First, kingdom authority over all God's creation was gloriously given to Adam.God made us to have dominion; it is the very reason we were created.Second, that kingdom authority was legally lost by Adam.When tempted by the devil, Adam and Eve failed to use the kingdom authority that God had given to them, and therefore, they became slaves of Satan.Third, kingdom authority has been righteously regained by Jesus Christ.Adrian Rogers says, “God owes Satan nothing, but God owes everything to His own justice and His own holiness; Jesus Christ came to this Earth as the second Adam, to gain back what the first Adam lost.”Kingdom authority was lost by a man, and it was legally regained by a man: “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus died that we might have spiritual authority, not to do what we want, but authority to do what He wishes.”Until you are under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word, and the things God has set over you, you will never live with authority.The devil hopes that you will not understand the incredible power we’ve been given; that he can keep you in the dark. If we ever utilize kingdom authority, all of Heaven will break loose.Apply it to your lifeIf you are struggling to claim your kingdom authority, remember: the same weapons that belonged to Adam in the Garden of Eden were the weapons that Jesus Christ used in the wilderness. Spend some time in Scripture, saturating your life in the Word and in the Spirit of God, that you may understand your kingdom authority.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 119:9It seems as though the chaos of this world is ever-increasing, day after day; when taking a closer look, the primary problem is the thoughts of man.We’ve seen this before in Scripture. Just before the Great Flood in Genesis, the thoughts of men’s hearts were shockingly wicked before the Lord. This is not a new problem, although it does seem to push new boundaries every day.We are constantly being exposed to narratives of violence, promiscuity, perversion and greed. No wonder our thoughts are out of control!Satan is very sinister, very clever and diabolically wicked. He wants to capture the hearts and minds of an entire generation; why? When Satan has your mind, he has you!Though it seems daunting, it is possible and imperative to control your thought life.First, there must be the purification of the mind. Your mind must be clean to begin with, and the Word of God is the cleansing agent. Jesus says in John 15:3, “Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” The Word of God points us toward confession and repentance (the Greek word for “repentance” translates to mean “changing of the mind”).After your mind is clean, you must be determined to keep it clean. There is a battle for your mind. If you’re half-hearted, you will lose it. You must be serious about taking every thought captive and comparing it the truth of Scripture, before it captivates you. You must fiercely guard your heart with the Word of God. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” It is the Word of God hidden in your heart that is the antidote to future temptation. Therefore, you must saturate yourself with the Word of God.When Scripture gets in your mind, it changes your attitude; your attitude determines your actions.Adrian Rogers says, “When you begin to meditate on God’s Word, then you become a second-nature Christian, which is your true nature, the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.”Apply it to your lifeDo you carefully consider the influences you allow to pollute your thoughts? Deep clean your mind today. Choose to meditate on Scripture. Memorize it, personalize it, verbalize it, vitalize it, and internalize it.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Galatians 5:1We live in a world that speaks much about freedom but knows little about it. Jesus came to set the captives free, to break the power of sin.Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” When we understand the dimensions and dynamics of freedom in Christ, we can live liberated lives.In Jesus Christ, we are free from the bondage of legalism.In Galatians 1:6, Paul questions why some deserted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and followed a “different gospel”. The specific “gospel” these believers bought into had to do with self-effort and good works. But the true Gospel reminds us of God’s unconditional love. We cannot earn salvation on our own; it is the grace of God alone that saves us from our sins.Adrian Rogers says, “God’s love is an action toward us, not a reaction to us. It is not based on what we are but on who He is.” The true Gospel of grace speaks of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; anything else is false.We’re also free from the bondage of criticism.There are some who entangle fellow believers with their own preferences and subject them to criticism. But we must stand fast in the liberty in which Christ has made us free. Though we must be conscious of our weaker brothers, we cannot be in bondage to them. Every demand of the law has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus Christ. We must remember who we are in Him and that He loves us.Finally, we’re saved from the bondage of fatalism, or the elemental forces of nature.In Galatians 4, Paul discusses the Galatian church’s fascination with astrology. In their obsession, some of these believers had enslaved themselves to the idea of fate. But Christ has set us free from the slavery of circumstance. We were in the heart and mind of God before the foundations of the world were established.The cross of Jesus Christ reminds us that when we die to ourselves, we find liberated living.Apply it to your lifeAre you living the executed, energized life in Christ? Don’t stay in bondage today; you’ve been set free from legalism, criticism, and fatalism. Praise God for all He’s done in your life and walk with Him.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Titus 3:3-7As Believers, this world is not our home; but while we’re on our way to glory, we are to demonstrate God’s grace to those around us. Titus 3 reveals the life we could have if we choose to live grace-filled lives.This passage recognizes our past guilt.We are sinners by birth, nature, and choice. Titus 3:3 says, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.”This passage also describes our present grace.Grace is absolutely contrary to human nature. All the wisdom of this world could never explain it. But having experienced God’s grace for ourselves, we understand what we were once foolish.By His grace, we are freed from a life of sin and the hateful spirit that plagues this messy world.Scripture says, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit…” (Titus 3:4-5).Grace is rooted in God’s love; there is nothing we can do or stop doing that will save us; it is the grace of God alone that atones our sin. The Holy Spirit supernaturally regenerates us and cleanses us from the inside out. It is a continual work; day by day, the Spirit keeps us, renews, restores, and refreshes us.Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn’t love us because we’re valuable; we’re valuable because God loves us.”This present grace is rooted in the saving death of Jesus Christ. (See Titus 3:6.)Jesus Christ provided himself as an innocent sacrifice; He bore our sins and died the death we deserved.This grace is also for our future glory.Titus 3:7 says, “...that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”Because of God’s grace, we are joint heirs of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is a token of our future inheritance. We are simply passing through this world as pilgrims on our way to greater things; the best is yet to come.Apply it to your lifeHave you been forgiven of your past guilt, renewed by God’s present grace, and received the promise of future glory? Let your life be a testament of God’s wonderful grace.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Titus 2The amazing grace of God is what writes our spiritual biographies. Titus 2:11-15 explains how God saved us, and brought us from grace to glory.First, this passage reminds us what grace brought: salvation.“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…” (Titus 2:11).Without Jesus, we are spiritually dead, separated from God. We are considered devilish, disobedient to God, and depraved in our humanity. We cannot redeem our depravity and earn salvation; however, God brought salvation to us, because of His grace.Adrian Rogers says, “You’re not saved by the merit of man, but by the mercy of God; not by the goodness of man, but by the grace of God. Salvation is not a reward for the righteous; it is a gift for the guilty.”Secondly, Titus 2 reveals what grace taught: sanctification.“...teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age…” (Titus 2:12).Though saved by grace, we cannot continue to live in sin. There is nothing to earn, yet there is so much to learn. We must engage in discipleship and study God’s Word.Third, Titus 2 explains what grace sought: service.“...who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14).Grace is a gift at the cost of the giver, and we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus. We are also purified from the inside out; we don’t work for God’s love, but our good works are a sign that we love the Lord.This passage also calls us peculiar; we are meant to be different, set apart, a trophy of grace used for the service of God.Finally, this passage shows us what grace wrought: glorification.“...looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13).The story is not over yet; what began in grace will end in glory. As believers, we have a glorious hope that He will come again. And one day, we will see Him, the one who saved us by His grace.Apply it to your lifeDo you have the blessed hope of Christ’s return in you? Remember the amazing grace of God today, which brought salvation to you while you were dead in your sins.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Samuel 11Children of God are just as capable of sinning as they were before they were saved. However, there is a much greater cost to their sin than before.King David was a man above every other man—none more noble, gifted, or humble than David; yet he fell into a deep, dark sin. David committed the sin of adultery with a married woman, and she conceived his child. So, David then committed the sin of murder.We need to know the tragic cause of David’s sin, so that we may know how to avoid the high cost of low living.First, David committed the sin of idleness. 2 Samuel 11 reveals that David was home when he should have been with his compatriots in war. This is why we are called to the harvest field or the battlefield, to stay occupied, lest we commit a sin of omission.Second, it was a sin of carelessness. David began to take his many victories for granted. He presumed God would keep blessing him. This teaches us that an unguarded strength is a double weakness.It was a sin of impulsiveness: David wasn’t planning to sin that day.Adrian Rogers explains, “Sin is a combination of undetected weakness, an unexpected opportunity, and an unprotected life.”It was a sin of callousness. When his scheme to cover up his sin was compromised, David ordered for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle. He planned, connived, and orchestrated calloused, cold-blooded murder.It was a sin of stubbornness. Despite the conviction he felt, David went a whole year without repenting. But God did not forget David’s sin, and He wouldn’t let David forget either. David’s sin weighted, wounded, and weakened him. David received words of rebuke, arrows of conviction, and hands of pressure from God.David was finally confronted by the prophet, Nathan, and was convicted and chastised. He had to pay the consequences for his sin. But God was faithful to forgive him; He is faithful to forgive us, too.Apply it to your lifePerhaps it’s time for you to be lovingly confronted, too. If you have muddled through or glossed over your sin, thinking God has forgotten, He has not. Repent of your sins and ask God for forgiveness.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Genesis 10-11There is coming a kingdom of Christ, as well as a kingdom of Satan. These two kingdoms have been at war since the Book of Genesis, and we are in the middle of it. If we want to recognize Satan’s kingdom to come and know how it will ultimately face its gruesome demise, we must look at one which was already strategically defeated.In Genesis 10-11, we are introduced to a Babylonian man named Nimrod. He wanted to be king and to be worshiped like God. A few chapters prior, God gave the commandment to His people to be scattered and replenish the earth after the Great Flood. Rather than obey God, the Babylonians centralized their government under Nimrod’s authority and began building a tower to reach the heavens, all to make a name for themselves and to be equal with God. They directly disobeyed God and followed Nimrod in rebellion.How did this tower of blunders end in Genesis? The Babylonians spoke one language at this time. But God confounded their speech, and they suddenly couldn’t understand each other. The construction of the Tower of Babel ended with Almighty God coming down to earth and sending confusion into the camps of His enemies.We are not too far off from the blunder of Babylon.Have we not substituted our own wit for God’s wisdom? Through new minds, machinery, and money, are we not trying to make a name for ourselves? Do New Age religions not bank their ideology on finding the power within ourselves, generating independence from Almighty God?Dr. Adrian Rogers says: “What is the difference between manmade religion and the true salvation that comes from God? Man tries to build from earth to Heaven. True salvation reaches down from Heaven to man.”The only hope for this world is the coming of Jesus Christ. And when He comes, He will destroy the kingdom of Satan, and any other kingdom that dares to make an enemy of God.These are the days to get right with God. Let us not wait another second.Apply it to your lifeIf you’re practicing any kind of new-age religion or dabbling with astrology or witchcraft, get out of it. Repent. The time is coming soon when our Lord is going to step down from glory to judge Babylon. Let us rejoice and give honor to Him today.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Genesis 3:1-6“When a man ceases to believe in God, he doesn’t believe in nothing; he believes in anything,” observed writer G. K. Chesterton.New Age-ism is a melting pot of Eastern philosophy. It’s a cosmic sponge that absorbs all religions, cultures, and governments together. It’s not a new thought at all; it’s simply an age-old heresy repurposed for the modern world. But it is dangerously deceptive and must be viewed as such. There is no basis of morality for the New Ager, which results in the destruction of our values and our faith.Adrian Rogers says it this way, “New Age-ism is a repackaging of the mustiest lies around that go all the way back to the Garden of Eden.”Our Enemy, Satan, enforces belief in New Ageism first by applying satanic deception. He packages it as the potential for self-development, self-discernment, self-deification (the idea that we are all God, and God is in all), and self-determination.The Enemy also appeals to our selfish desires. We see this in the Garden of Eden, when Eve saw that the fruit was good food and desired the wisdom that the serpent told her it would give her. So she ate the fruit.Then, the Enemy appropriates a subtle disguise. Deception works best when dealt with in the details. The devil today appears as an angel of light. He reshapes evil until it looks good, useful, and harmless.Lastly, the Enemy achieves the scattering of New Age-ism through strategic dissemination. He mass-markets it, incorporates it into everyday life. Children adopt these seemingly innocent principles in primary school. These thoughts are folded into exercise routines and big-brand mission statements. It is widely popularized and made to seem inescapable.But we can escape it. And we must. Everything is not what it seems. We must treat every myth as a missile meant to attack our faith, and we must be ready for it.Apply it to your lifeIt is important to identify Satan’s deception around you, through the media, the marketplace, and modern thinkers. Are there thoughts or ideas you need to dispel today? Read Scripture, the truth that never changes, and pray through these things carefully, and ask the Lord to give you discernment

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Revelation 1:3Eternity is only a heartbeat away; at any moment Jesus may return, as Revelation 1:3 warns, “...the time is near.”When Jesus came to this earth the first time, He came with His glory veiled; when He returns, His glory will be unveiled, and we will truly see Him. The Book of Revelation gives insight regarding the soon coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.He is the resurrected Christ with undiminished humanity.Jesus is fully God and fully man; He has not laid His humanity aside.He is the reigning Christ with unrivaled majesty.In Revelation 1, Jesus appeared to the Apostle John wearing the robes of royalty.Adrian Rogers says, “When He came the first time, He came to redeem; when He comes again, He will come to reign.”He is the righteous Christ with undiminished purity.Revelation 1:14 describes His purity and holiness: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow…”He is the revealing Christ with unhindered scrutiny.Jesus sees us and sees through us; He cannot be deceived, for: “His eyes like a flame of fire…” (v. 14)He is the relentless Christ with untarnished integrity.“His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…” (v. 15) Brass is an emblem of judgment, and the feet speak of His going forth; when Jesus returns, He is not coming to redeem, but to judge.He is the regal Christ with unchallenged authority.Revelation 1:15 continues to speak of the power of His voice: “...and His voice as the sound of many waters…”He is the regulating Christ with unequaled mastery.Jesus continues to be the One who holds everything in His right hand.He is the revenging Christ with unspoiled victory.At Armageddon, Jesus’ words will be like a two-edged sword.Adrian Rogers says, “The Lord Jesus who spoke them into existence will speak them into oblivion.”He is the resplendent Christ with undimmed glory.The radiance of our Lord will light all of Heaven for all eternity.He is the reassuring Christ with undeniable deity.Jesus, who became the death of Death, is the One we worship. The Jesus we see in Revelation requires our full submission, our reverence and our great assurance.Apply it to your lifeAs you study Revelation 1 today, give Jesus your full submission and reverence, and receive His great assurance.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 5:5Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed that it is not the mighty men who are blessed; it is the mighty meek.Meekness is not weakness. Jesus was meek, yet He was a strong man. To be meek means to be yielded, to have a compliant spirit. Meekness is strength under control. When we were created, God put certain drives, instincts, and ambitions into our very natures. These are not evil in themselves, but they must yield to the Holy Spirit so that we may bring Him glory and honor.While some believe releasing or restraining our strength will lead to control, true meekness comes after we see ourselves as poor in spirit. Once we are broken over our condition, we can develop strength under control.Step One: Submit to the Son of God.Matthew 11:28-30 says:Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.Jesus offers our wild spirits rest and invites us to submit to His lordship and learn true strength from Him.Step Two: Receive the Word of God.We cannot snatch pieces of the Bible to feed our pride or our opinions.Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not meant to be interesting; it’s meant to be disturbing.”We must welcome the Word into our lives with humility, reaching out to Jesus Christ with both hands, letting Scripture be our bridle and bit.Step Three: Be Filled with the Spirit of God.The Holy Spirit of God produces meekness in us; we simply bear the fruit of it.When we are meek, we will receive our inheritance. This dynamic is explained in 2 Corinthians 6:10, which says, “...as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”Apply it to your lifeHave you yielded to the Holy Spirit and developed a meek spirit? Take these steps today: submit to God, receive His Word, and be filled with His Spirit.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 5:4The world tells us that a life without tears, sorrow, and heartache is a blessed life; but this is not true. In fact, in Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."We do all we can to avoid pain. We call on psychologists, self-help coaches, and entertainment to change our conditions. In reality, condition does not dictate character.Jesus, Himself, was a Man of sorrows. He teaches us how to turn our tears into telescopes. He teaches us to bring our sorrows and heartaches into focus in such a way that we can see beyond the present and into the future. Our tears today can become telescopes to make the future all the brighter and all the more meaningful.Turning tears into telescopes is a two-step process. We must identify the convicting guilt that causes us to mourn, and we must recognize the grace that comforts us.In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives insight into the deceptive power of sin. Man looks on the outward appearance and sees outward sin. But God looks on the heart and at our inner intentions that led to our sin.Our hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Our hearts are subject to sin’s defilement, which perverts the beautiful things we see and touch.If we are truly convicted by our guilt, it should lead to consuming grief and sorrow.There are two kinds of sorrow: godly and worldly. Godly sorrow leads us to repentance, but the sorrow of the world leaves us with remorse.Adrian Rogers explains, “Remorse without repentance can be a dangerous thing. A person filled with remorse is one who loves his sin and hates himself at the same time. A person who has repented is a person who hates his sin because he loves his Savior. Remorse looks at the sin and its consequences. Repentance looks beyond the sin to Calvary.”Looking at Calvary, we recognize the grace that comforts us. Mourning is the only way to know the comfort of our dear Lord. The word comfort is not a word filled with sympathy. The word “comfort” translates to mean with strength. When we receive God’s comforting grace, we are receiving His Spirit, which is our strength and our advocateApply it to your lifeHave you experienced guilt for your sins? Have you experienced the consuming grief of an unrepentant life? Have you experienced the comfort of God’s grace?

Victorious Prayer (1696)Matthew 6:13 says, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”Oftentimes, we don’t expect God to answer our prayers. But in this passage, Jesus taught us to pray for deliverance from the evil one. He would never teach us to pray that if He did not intend to deliver us. In these dangerous days, we’re up against the organized, demonized forces of hell. The best thing we can do is learn how to pray this victorious prayer.First, we must see the sinister person of evil. Many of us walk in darkness, because we don’t understand who our enemy is. By the aid of the Holy Spirit, we can expose him for what he is: a person of evil, who hides behind a veil of lies. We are instructed to be sober and vigilant, to view him as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)We also need to realize the seductive power of evil. His motive is to be worshipped, so he deceives us through various, seemingly harmless methods. It is ignorant to underestimate the devil’s power. Adrian Rogers says, “If you’ve never met the devil, it’s because you and the devil are going in the same direction.” We’re instructed to ask God for deliverance at the start of the day, not the end. If we’re asking God to forgive the same sins, we haven’t learned to pray, Lord lead us, lest we fall into temptation. Deliver us from evil.Finally, we must rely on the sovereign protection from evil… “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.” We don’t have to fear; we can stand upon this victorious prayer. And what is the ground of our victory? God Himself, who has absolute authority. His kingdom cannot fail; He rules on earth and heaven.John 14:13 says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, I will do it that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”Apply it to your lifeDo you want an answered prayer? Adrian Rogers says, “When your reason for asking and God’s reason for answering are the same, your prayer will be the same. Your prayer will be answered. When you want Him glorified and He wants to be glorified, your prayer will be answered.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 6:9-15Matthew 6:14 says, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”The two great enemies against the human soul are guilt and bitterness. And the freedom of forgiveness is the only thing that can combat them. We are freed from guilt when we are forgiven by God. We are freed from bitterness when we forgive others.There are four compelling reasons to forgive.The Grace Factor: We forgive because we have been forgiven.The Guilt Factor: If we do not forgive, we can no longer be forgiven.The Grief Factor: An unforgiving spirit keeps us in the prison of our own making.The Gain Factor: When we forgive, we release a prisoner and gain a brother.Remember the costly requirements of forgiveness. Forgiveness is much more than merely accepting an apology. It cancels a debt; when you forgive your debtor, then you pay up.Forgive freely as Jesus did, not after your transgressor has paid his price.Also forgive and finally; bury it in the grave. When God forgives us, He forgets, not intellectually; rather, He remembers our sins against us no more. There’s no grudge. Adrian Rogers says, “The biggest test as to whether or not you truly did forgive is if you keep bringing it up again.” This may seem difficult to do; but if we will let Him, God will give us the desire and the dynamic to do so.What are the results of forgiveness?There will be release: you will set a prisoner free and find out that prisoner is you. You will no longer bear this burden of bitterness that is destroying your soul.If your transgressor will receive that forgiveness, there will be reconciliation. You will gain a brother. And together, you will have a revival.Apply it to your lifeDo you have guilt and bitterness in your life? Have you repented and accepted the forgiveness of God? Have you forgiven others?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 John 5:5-13Adrian Rogers says, “We do not live by explanations; we live by promises.” One of God’s promises is the assurance of our salvation.1 John 5 reveals the basis for our belief, and how to be absolutely sure of our salvation in Jesus Christ.First, our certainty comes from the Atoning Work of Christ.1 John 5:6 says, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ...”The wages of sin is death. (See Romans 3:23.) and without the shedding of blood, there’s no remission of sin. Jesus took our sin to the cross, and with His blood, He paid sin’s penalty.But there’s also the water, which speaks of that which continues to cleanse. This assures us, not only of our salvation but also of our sanctification. He saves us from wrath and makes us pure.Adrian Rogers says, “I wouldn’t give half a hallelujah for the hope of Heaven apart from the water and the blood, apart from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon that cross.”Secondly, our certainty comes from the Abiding Witness of the Spirit.The Holy Spirit takes the atoning work and He testifies of it. He gives witness to us and in us."It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6).Before we’re even saved, the Holy Spirit is telling us about Jesus. And when we receive Christ, He comes into us, and witnesses from within. "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself" (1 John 5:10).The Spirit also witnesses through us. When we are sure of our salvation, we can witness to others, because we know that our witness is not dependent on eloquence or logic, but upon the Spirit.The third cord of our rock-ribbed assurance is certainty of the Word of the Father. God gave us His Word.Adrian Rogers says, “The message of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is one message: Jesus saves.”The source of this life is Jesus. The substance of life is Jesus. And the surety of life is Jesus; for the Bible tells me so.Apply it to your lifeAre you absolutely sure of your salvation? Consider the three cords of your unbroken assurance today: the work Jesus did on the cross, the witness of the Spirit, and the Word of God.

Sermon OverviewScripture Reference: Judges 13:24Judges 13-16 tells the story of Samson, a Nazarite who was set aside by God for a purpose; He had been anointed with tremendous supernatural strength through the Holy Spirit. However, Samson was a bundle of contradictions. His story is not ultimately about his physical, mental, and spiritual strength; rather, it is about the high cost of low living.Samson’s sin meant he dishonored his parents.Samson’s parents were godly people; Samson fell into the wrong company and decided to marry a pagan girl despite his parents’ disapproval. Marrying someone who is not of the same faith almost always leads to disagreement, division, and confused children. Samson’s parents wanted more for him, but he settled for less.Samson also deserted his promise. (See Judges 14:5.)As he hung around the wrong crowd, he was hardened more and more by sin, forgetting his vow as a Nazarite.He also distorted his purpose.Samson’s strength was given to him to one day deliver Israel from the Philistines. Instead, he picked shallow fights with them, teasing his enemies and provoking them to anger.Samson defiled his purity.He wasted time with harlots without any conviction. (See Judges 14:16.)He also diluted his power.After breaking every other Nazarite vow up until this point, his uncut hair was the last vow. One prostitute, Deliliah, persistently begged to know the secret of his strength. When he told her, she relayed his secret to his enemies.Samson disgraced his profession.They cut his hair while he slept and his power was gone when he woke. The Spirit was gone from him; they blinded him and bound him. His series of small sins led to this tragic consequence.Finally, he diminished his potential.Now a spectacle in a Philistine temple, Samson repents of his sins and prays for strength one last time. God grants him enough of it to push the pillars over to kill the Philistines present, but Samson died with them.By God’s sovereignty, Samson’s purpose was fulfilled, yet he could have been used for so much more. God’s mercy is new every day.Adrian Rogers says, “While a child of God may not lose his salvation, he has so much to lose if he sins.”Apply it to your lifeDon’t play lightly with sin. Adrian Rogers says, “Treat sin like sin would treat you. Sin will have no mercy on you; don't have mercy on your sin.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 4:1-20Acts 4 tells of the great conquest of Jesus Christ, the one who died and arose from the grave.He is still alive and well; the Christ that walked the shores of Galilee is alive through His new body, the Church, even today.Because He lives, His persecution continues.Adrian Rogers says, “When you persecute the church, you persecute Jesus.”In the beginning of Acts 4, a miracle was performed by the disciple, Peter. He claimed it was the power of Christ in Him who healed. As a result, the people were beginning to follow Jesus. The religious leaders didn’t like it and began persecuting the Church. But because the apostles were acting as the hands and the feet of the Lord, it was Jesus who was persecuted, too.Because He lives, His preaching convinces.How did these uneducated fishermen preach and five thousand come to Christ? They were not dependent upon their power of persuasion or winsomeness to bring these people to Christ. It was the people’s encounter with Christ through the disciples that convinced them to believe.Because He lives, His power confronts.There are things happening in this world today that are undeniably done by the hand of Jesus. He is still performing miracles.Because He lives, His presence compels.After spending time with the resurrected Christ, Peter was compelled to tell others about Him. If we spend time with Jesus, we will be as bold as His disciples. His presence will compel us with a holy boldness; a knowledge that Jesus is alive and He lives through us.Finally, because He lives, His people confess.Acts 4:20 says, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Anybody who has known that Christ is alive cannot keep quiet; we cannot hold it in.Because He is alive, we can wear persecution like a badge of honor.We can let Jesus convince, confront and compel others through us.Let us not be ashamed to confess what He has done in our lives.Apply it to your lifeDo you know that Jesus is alive? Does your life reflect this? Stay in the presence of Jesus.Like an iron in the fire, let there be a holy boldness about you. Tell someone about Jesus today.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Peter 3:18The cross of Jesus Christ is the cure for sin. 1 Peter 3:18 points out three truths about how God forgives and deals with sin through the cross.The very first truth is the vicarious suffering of the cross. The word vicarious means “in the place of another”. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust....” Jesus, who is the just, sinless Son of God, died for the unjust, us. He became our substitute. He faced emotional and bodily suffering unlike anything we could possibly imagine.In the Old Testament, God instituted the ritual of the Passover Lamb. There was judgment upon the land because of sin, but God told His people to kill a perfect, spotless lamb. They were to take the blood of that lamb and put it upon the doorpost of their houses. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot...” Jesus' crucifixion bears symbolism of that of a Passover Lamb. Even then, God was using the Passover Lamb as a prophecy and a picture of the cross of Jesus Christ.Notice also the vital satisfaction of the cross. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sin....” Once; once for all. The debt has been paid in full. To say that there needs to be another sacrifice for sin is blasphemy. It is finished.We see also the victorious salvation of the cross. “He hath suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” Sin separates us from a Holy God. The cross reconciles us a Holy God. Adrian Rogers says, “On that cross, Jesus took Holy God with one hand, sinful man with the other hand and by the blood of His cross, He hath reconciled God and man.”God has a way of bringing us back.“Oh the love that thought it; oh the grace that brought it.”Apply it to your lifeDo you believe in the cross of Jesus Christ? The vicarious suffering, the vital satisfaction, the victorious salvation? Thank God for the sacrifice He made through Jesus Christ to bring us back to Him.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 22:39-47In Luke 22, Jesus told His disciples about His coming crucifixion at the Last Supper. When He later came to the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed three times: Lord, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.This wasn’t a literal cup; rather, a symbolic cup, meaning to experience something fully. Was He afraid of His coming crucifixion? Did the cup symbolize the physical pain He would soon feel? What was it that caused Jesus to dread the drinking of that cup? It was sin; every sin through all the ages polluted the cup, as well as the punishment of that sin. It was not the physical pain He would feel that caused Him to plead for another way. No; it was the vileness and filth of sin He would soon take on that caused Him agony. And the silence from heaven said, there is no other way.God will never overlook sin, for He is holy. By His holiness, He has sworn that sin will be punished. So, when Jesus took on our sins, God the Father, in holy justice, treated Jesus as if He were a sinner, and punished Him as such. Jesus knew this, yet He consumed the contents of the cup anyway. He chose it.In His holy humanity, Jesus shrank back. But in His divine love, He said, “Thy will be done.”Jesus wrestled between His holy humanity and His divine love. His love won. Adrian Rogers says, “The cross is God’s way to punish sin and forgive the sinner at the same time.”There is one more cup, one that we drink. Just before Jesus went into Gethsemane, Jesus was at last supper with his disciples. He told them: this is the New Testament in my blood. Drink it.This is the cup of communion, and it is ours to drink.He drank the cup of sin that we might have the cup of redemption.Apply it to your lifeHave you accepted the cup of communion? Have you wrestled with submitting your will to the Father? Can you truly say, “Not my will, but Yours be done?”Adrian Rogers says, “As I look at dark Gethsemane, there are two things it tells me. Number one, I want to hate sin. Number two, I want to love Jesus Christ.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ruth 3In the Book of Ruth, Ruth and Boaz’s love story is an illustration of Jesus Christ and the Church, His Bride. The advice Ruth received from her mother-in-law in chapter 3 reveals five ways to draw closer to Jesus.“Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor…” (Ruth 3:3).First, if we want to draw near to God, we must be freshly cleansed.We’re cleansed by the Word of God, which shows us what we are and reveals the defilement and dirt within us. We’re also cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, who is faithful to forgive us of our sins when we confess them.Second, we must be fragrantly consecrated.Ruth’s anointing was a sweet perfume; our anointing is the Holy Spirit, who makes our lives like incense to God.Third, we must be fitly clothed.Ruth was instructed to wear her best garments. Likewise, we are instructed to put on garments of salvation we’ve received through Christ.Fourth, we must be fully committed.“Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do” (Ruth 3:4).By placing herself at Boaz’s feet, Ruth told Boaz that if he is willing, she will accept him as her Redeemer husband. In the same way, we must sit at the feet of Jesus and fully commit our lives to Him.Finally, we must be faithfully compliant.As Naomi told Ruth to obey Boaz, we are called to not only hear the Word of God but obey it. Boaz received Ruth, reassured her, and replenished her with more barley than she could carry.When we draw near to our Redeemer, we’ll find ourselves received and reassured by His love, and see that He will replenish us with abundantly more than we could ask for.Apply it to your lifeIf you want to draw near to Jesus, be cleansed and surrender to the Holy Spirit. Clothe yourself in salvation, commit and comply with whatever He tells you to do.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ruth 2After losing her husband in a pagan land, Ruth made the wise choice to stay with her mother-in-law and continue worshiping the one true God. God honored her choice and lavished His amazing grace upon her by way of Boaz.Ruth 2:1 says, “There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz…”The love story of Ruth and Boaz is a beautiful portrait of Jesus Christ’s love for the Church.First, this story reminds us of God’s saving grace.Because of her husband’s death, the law of the land claimed a curse upon Ruth. Boaz, a mighty man of great wealth, was a close kinsman of Ruth’s family. If willing, he could redeem her from financial bankruptcy and provide for Ruth in her weakened condition.Adrian Rogers says, “The law excluded her, but grace included her.”In the same way, Jesus is our near kinsman who willingly took on flesh and blood to be made like us in order to redeem us.Second, this grace is sovereign: the unseen hand of God brought Ruth to Himself.As a young, penniless widow, Ruth went to work in Boaz’s fields just in time for the barley harvest. Ruth showed up in the fields at the exact right time because God is sovereign, and He has a plan.Third, this grace was a seeking grace; once he saw her in the fields, Boaz took the initiative.God has taken the initiative with us, and continues to seek us through Scripture, our sufferings, and His servants.This was also a satisfying grace; throughout Ruth 2, we see Boaz looking out for Ruth’s needs as she worked the fields.This mimics how God satisfies our every need and provides for His children to further His kingdom.Finally, this was a securing grace; Boaz charged the other men of the field not to touch her.Ruth was now safe and secure under the watchful protection of her kinsman redeemer. And in Jesus Christ, we are not only saved and satisfied; we are forever secure.Apply it to your lifeRuth was not placed in the fields of Boaz by accident. Likewise, you are not in your current circumstance by chance. Pray for God’s guidance and rest assured that He is with you, and He has a plan for your life.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: John 13:34The greatest need of mankind is to love and to be loved. Yet, it’s getting harder to do so than ever before. As Christians, we have been instructed to love as Jesus loved.John 13:34 says, "A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another." This commandment is easy to consider for those who are easy to love… but what about the ones who have hurt us, misused us or wronged us?Not only was Jesus the great teacher, He was the great example.As Jesus gave this commandment, He washed His disciples’ feet: a timely custom performed by slaves. He washed Judas’s feet, who would later betray Him. He washed Peter’s feet, the disciple who would later deny Him. And He washed Thomas’s feet, who would later doubt Him.Here is the Lord of glory doing slave labor… unto the very people who would let Him down.By doing this, He exemplified selfless love. He exemplified humility. Adrian Rogers says, “Real humility is not thinking lowly of yourself; it is not thinking of yourself.” God the Father had put everything into Jesus’ hands, yet he laid aside his garments, took a towel and washed fishermen’s feet.Jesus also exemplified steadfast love; He loves unto the end. If you want to love as Jesus loves, you’ll never stop. We love sometimes, but we only do so when everything is just right. Under pressure, we excuse ourselves from it. But even the unsaved can love that way! Adrian Rogers says, “Your character that cannot stand up under pressure and under testing is not real.”Jesus exemplified serving love. He met injury with service. Love does not give people what they deserve; it gives people what they need. Love is willing to serve at the lowest of tasks.Jesus exemplified sanctifying love.Those of us who are saved walk in a dirty world. Sometimes, we need to let Jesus wash our feet, to remind us of His love. Then, we may go and wash the feet of others.Apply it to your lifeAre you willing to love others with a selfless, steadfast, serving, and sanctifying love?As Adrian Rogers says, “Find somebody that needs that love, and give it to them.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Daniel 3:1-30As these days grow gloriously dim, we must stand on the principles of God’s Word—for things that are true and righteous, which last throughout time and eternity.Daniel 3 tells the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. This story reminds us that we will face immense pressure to bow down, yet we must stand alone, even when our faith is in the fire.First, see the fury they faced: there was emotional enticement and a social obligation to bow to the idol. Everyone was doing it; the government was even enforcing it. The devil is behind all of this defiling spirituality, seeking out converts.But Daniel 3 also reminds us of the faith that followed. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego exhibited a settled, strong faith, having already made up their minds beforehand to remain devoted to God. They knew God could deliver them, and even if He didn’t, they would never bow to anyone else (see Daniel 3:16-18).Adrian Rogers says, “It is one thing to have faith to escape. It's another thing to have faith to endure.”So, the three were thrown into the furnace as they were warned. And we see the fellowship they found in the fire: “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25).“...they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them” (Daniel 3:27).Rather than being consumed by the fire, God used it to cleanse them. Rather than sparing them from the furnace, He joined them in it.As a result of this miracle, Nebuchadnezzar had to admit: there is no God like our God.Adrian Rogers says, “Do you know when this world is going to start having respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible? When you and I, by the grace of God, stand alone.”Apply it to your lifeUnderstanding the fury to conform to this world, do you have the faith to stand alone? Take courage today—know that whatever fire you face today, the Lord is with you.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 13:1-7What does the Bible say about Christian citizenship? What are our responsibilities, duties, and rights? What are Christians to do, to think, and how are we instructed to behave?Many Christian citizens shy away from political involvement for various reasons. Some are discouraged, and others are intimidated or annoyed. But Romans 13:1-7 encourages us first to look at the reasons for human government.The Bible tells us that human government is ordained by God. Daniel 2:21 says, “He [the Lord] removes kings and raises up kings." God ordains human government for two reasons: to restrain evil and to reward good.Romans 13 also outlines the requirements for human government. And in Matthew 22, Jesus tells the people, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).As Christians, our responsibility is, first and foremost, to God; but we do have a responsibility to human government. Adrian Rogers says, “Separation of church and state does not mean the separation of God and government.” The government is here to restrain evil. The church is here to preach the Gospel. The state is not the master of the church, and the church is not the master of the state. The church is the conscience of the state. We are here to hold up a standard of truth.There are six duties Christian citizens have concerning our government.Pay our government: Jesus paid His taxes; we ought to do likewise.Pray for our government: Adrian Rogers says, “The greatest responsibility in America is not in the White House but in the church house.”Praise our government: We are to give honor to whom honor is due.Preach to our country: Adrian Rogers says, “We dare not identify the Christian faith with the Democrat or the Republican Party. We need to be free to tell both parties to repent and get right with God.”Participate in our government: Christians are to participate, not on the basis of parties, but principles. We are to be informed.Persuade our government: Our hope for America is to change public opinion. The Great Commission remains the same: we are instructed to win souls for Jesus Christ.Apply it to your lifeHave you been a good steward of your Christian citizenship? Are you involved? Get informed and pray for our government.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 10:17-21Adrian Rogers says, “Faith makes God’s grace available and real to us. Grace is God’s ability, and faith is man’s responsibility.”In the Kingdom of God, our faith is the measure of our victory and success. Our belief is our greatest spiritual asset and richest currency. Conversely, unbelief is our greatest stumbling block. This is why there is an immediate urgency to receive what grace provides through faith in God.Romans 10 reveals the intricacies of faith, what it is, and how to have it.First, we must consider the object of our faith in order for it to be real.When we rely on the wrong things, it can be dangerous to our spiritual health. We do not rely on positive thinking, or even on faith itself. True biblical faith is placed in Jesus Christ, alone.Adrian Rogers says, “If the object of your faith is God, then the ambition of your heart ought to be to know Him.”Once we confirm the object of faith, we see it originates from the Word of God.Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”In order to grow spiritually, we must hear from God; we cannot know the will of God by guessing at it. Faith cannot be generated; it is given, as Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”When God speaks to us through His Word and Jesus Christ, we will see the result of our faith, which is the Will of God.The objective of our faith is to get God’s will done on Earth as it is in Heaven.God is sovereign; He remains in control at all times. What He says He will do, He will accomplish. We have the beautiful opportunity to take part in His Will, through faith.Finally, we must know the operation of faith, which is the work of God.We do not work for our salvation, but our obedience to Him is proof that we believe in Him.Apply it to your lifeTrue faith does more than merely believe; it translates into action. When you pray and ask God what to do, and how to accomplish His Will for your life today, trust and obey Him.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 10:1-13Some may think being saved is an old-fashioned concept, but salvation continues to be man’s greatest need. Romans 10 describes the necessity and timelessness of salvation.First, this passage reveals the freeness of salvation. “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:2-4).Adrian Rogers says, “Some people think salvation roots in the merit of man. They think salvation is a reward for the righteous, but really it is a gift for the guilty.”Many remain unsaved, not because they think they’re sinners but because they think they've never sinned. The worst form of badness is human goodness if human goodness is what keeps you from salvation.Second, in Romans 10:6, we see the nearness of salvation.“But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’”We don’t have to go on a pilgrimage to find salvation, because Jesus Christ stepped out of Heaven to find us. He already paid the price with His life, already bore the weight of our sins on the cross, and rose to life to give us hope. We only need to be bold and unashamed as we confess Jesus as Savior and Lord.Salvation is not an intellectual belief that we tack on along with other ideas; it is trusting and committing everything to Jesus, claiming Him as Savior and Lord.Finally, we see the richness of salvation in Romans 10:12.“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.”Adrian Rogers says, “Nobody is so good they don’t need to be saved, and nobody is so bad that they cannot be saved.”God wants everybody to be saved; anyone who calls upon Him will be saved. We may fail Him, but He has never failed us. Salvation is by grace through faith, trusting the Lord Jesus.Apply it to your lifeAre you sure and solid in your salvation? Consider the freeness, the nearness, and the richness of salvation today.