Adrian Rogers

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 23:3It is in a sheep’s nature to wander away from the shepherd. But it is in the shepherd’s nature to restore his sheep. Likewise, we can expect to fall out of fellowship with God. But by His grace, we can learn how to get right with God and stay right with Him.Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”If we have wandered from the path of righteousness, we must first remember the ministry of the shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd who restores His sheep when they are led astray.He uses the rod for protection and correction.For the stubborn sheep insistent on his own way, Jesus uses the rod, which is a shepherd’s chief weapon for protecting and correcting his flock. God loves us too much to leave us in our stubbornness. It would be foolish to resent the rod or quit because of it. God’s correction reveals our sonship, renews our worship, and restores our fellowship. Though correction is not joyous, it brings peace and fruitfulness.He uses the staff to retrieve.The shepherd’s solution for the straying sheep is a staff, which is a crook used to harness and retrieve sheep. When we stray away from God, He retrieves us with His love and draws us back to Him with His grace.He anoints His sheep and restores them to righteousness.For the sheep that have been hurt by the enemy or the elements, the shepherd anoints their wounds with healing oil. God has anointed us with the Holy Spirit, which protects us from the enemy’s infliction. After He ministers to His sheep, God restores us that He might master us. After we’re restored, we ought to follow Him on the path of righteousness closer than ever, observing and obeying Him.Adrian Rogers says, “If we don’t go from restoration to righteousness, we will go right back to the same problem.”The shepherd’s reputation is based on the activity, welfare, and obedience of his sheep. We stay right with God in order to reveal His majesty to ot

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 23:2Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”Though we can obtain great intelligence here on earth, we are spiritually inept, much like sheep. In stressful seasons of life, we can convince ourselves that we don’t have time to be still and rest. But God has called His sheep to lie down in green pastures and to drink from the still waters; we need to learn how to handle stress. We can handle stressful times, first by knowing the security we have in our Shepherd.We are secure in Jesus: the good, great, chief Shepherd.The New Testament describes Jesus much like the Old Testament describes a shepherd: full of compassion, care, and courage. A good shepherd will fight for his sheep, fending off anything that threatens his flock. Likewise, this is telling of Jesus’s character in the Gospels, who leaves the ninety-nine to retrieve the one who has wandered. (See Matthew 18:12.)Jesus is also our sufficient Shepherd.One source of stress is the fear that our needs may not be met. But in Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to “...seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added...”In Psalm 23, the green pastures are symbolic of His Word; and the still waters, His spirit. God intends for us to have our fill in Him, and be satisfied. When we are first satisfied in our relationship with God, we can begin to manage our stress.Finally, we have serenity in our good Shepherd.Sheep will not lie down until they are content; neither will people. A reason for our stress could be that we've forgotten to take time to slow down, to be still, and know that God is God. (See Psalm 46:10.)Psalm 104:34 says, “May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.”It’s not enough to study Scripture; we must be in the habit of digesting what we’ve read, and regularly carving out time to rest in His promises.Apply it to your lifeDo you have a hard time handling stre

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 23:1We can have all the things of this world and yet still be dissatisfied in our lives. Wealth, fame, and fortune do not fulfill a longing only God can satisfy.The secret of satisfaction is found in Psalm 23:1, which says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” This short verse is packed full of promises that, when correctly understood, can change our perspectives. We can be satisfied no matter what material wealth we may or may not have.First, we notice what the Psalmist, David, calls God: The Lord, which translates to “Jehovah.”Jehovah is the most sacred name, for it claims God as self-existing, having neither a beginning nor an ending.When we claim God as Jehovah, we speak of His deity. But in the next phrase: “...is my Shepherd,” we speak of His humanity.Adrian Rogers says, “In the Lord Jesus, we have sovereignty and sympathy, a king and a shepherd. We have a God who is able and a shepherd who is available, a God in the heavens and a shepherd in our hearts.”In John 10, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, who will lay down His life for the sheep (v. 11).But in Hebrews 13, He's called the great shepherd, who rose back to life for the sheep: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant…” (v. 20)He died to take care of the penalty of our sin, and He rose again to overthrow the power of our sin. And as the chief shepherd, He will one day take us from the presence of sin. Because He is sovereign, and He is our shepherd, the secret to satisfaction is the Lord, Himself. We must have a personal relationship with Him, as Jesus says in John 10:14: “I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.”A personal relationship with God means we are eternally secure in Him, permanently His, and protected by His grace.Apply it to your lifeThe Lord God is our Shepherd, our provider, our healer, our peace and righteousness; He is the ever-prese

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Galatians 6:1-3Whether we are saved or lost, we will all carry burdens at points in our lives; but we do not have to bear them alone. Galatians 6 shows us what to do with our burdens.First, this passage addresses the burdens we take up, the ones we share.“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).As believers, we are called to take up the burdens of another brother or sister who is hurting—to restore those who have backslidden. We must remember that a broken person doesn’t need a lecture; he needs to be brought back to fellowship with God. A backslidden Christian is like a broken place in our net of believers. He needs us to approach him gently, humbly, and sympathetically. To fulfill the law of Christ, we must love our brother back to fellowship with God and mend the broken place in the net.There are also burdens we bear, the ones we shoulder.“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load” (Galatians 6:4-5).We are not called to lives of ease, but of discipline. God lays burdens upon us and expects us to shoulder them ourselves. It is our own responsibility to repent and be saved.Finally, there are burdens we give up, those we roll onto the Lord.Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you...” Our loving Father urges us to lay brokenhearted burdens at His throne; our burdens can be used to bring us to our Master’s feet.Adrian Rogers says, “Burdens come to the high as well as to the low; they come to the rich as well as to the poor, to the saints and the sinners, the old and young. These are burdens we were never meant to carry alone.”Apply it to your lifeIf you are a believer, you are called to lift anoth

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 18:21One of God’s greatest gifts to us is forgiveness; He forgives us of our own sins, and He empowers us to forgive others who sin against us.Forgiveness is costly; the forgiveness of our sins cost the precious blood of Jesus. And sometimes, it costs something of us to forgive others. Yet, Scripture provides endless reasons to forgive, no matter the cost.First, we must forgive one another because God has so willingly forgiven us.Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”Second, if we do not forgive, we shut out the forgiveness of God.Matthew 18:35 says: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”Adrian Rogers says, “As long as you have an unforgiving spirit in your heart, you cannot get the forgiveness of God.”Third, if we don’t forgive, our unforgiving spirit will do us great emotional damage, namely, bitterness.We don’t just forgive an individual for their sake, but also for our own sake. So long as we keep our brother “on the hook” for something he’s done against us, we will also remain on the same hook.Adrian Rogers says, “When you forgive, you set a prisoner free, and discover that the prisoner was you.”Finally, forgiveness restores a broken fellowship.Matthew 18:15 says, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”We must forgive freely and quickly, taking the initiative and approaching offenders with a heart ready to receive them. We must forgive fully, not half-heartedly, and it must be final. Once we forgive, we must bury the offense in the grave of God’s forgetfulness and not bring it up again.As a result, we set ourselves free from the prison of bitterness, and set our brother free from his guilt. Once free, there can be reconciliation, which can lead to rev

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 Spir

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 a

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 wan

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 peopl

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 on-going; 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, fel

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 Bo

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 11It is very human to take up offense at little things, but it’s a dangerous thing to hold a grudge against the God of the Universe.There are four common scenarios many of us face and may be tempted to begrudge God. Scripture reveals how to change our perspectives before we harbor a grudge in our hearts.First, people get offended by God when they are persecuted for doing what’s right.In Matthew 11, John the Baptist had been arrested and faced the possibility of death. In a human moment, John honestly questioned Jesus, and he sent his question straight to Him. In response, Jesus was gentle, revealing to us that honest questions will receive sincere answers.God has not promised to keep us out of the dungeons, furnaces, or lions’ dens; if we end up in a valley, we must remember that God is God—He is on time and He is in control.Adrian Rogers says, “Christianity is not the subtraction of problems from life; Christianity is the addition of power to meet those problems.”Second, people may begrudge God when they are rebuked for doing wrong.In Matthew 15, Jesus expresses harsh rebuke to the Pharisees because of their self-righteousness.Our goodness is not enough to be saved; it is God who cleanses us from the inside.Third, people get offended by God because their expectations are not met.Becoming Christians does not deliver us from the unpleasantness of this world. In this life, we are sure to face disappointments, especially when we expect things that God has not promised. If we come to Jesus for some political, material motivation, we will be disappointed.Finally, people get offended by God because they envy other people’s blessings; they watch God bless other people, while they have not received the blessings they believe they’re due.In our flesh, we often forget that others’ blessings are not our diminishment; we must remember that God is not fair—and praise Him for that! The only thing we deserve is judgment, and yet He extend

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Peter 3:6It seems the more we try to put it in proper order, the messier the world becomes. As prophesied in Scripture, we will not know ultimate order and peace until Christ’s return.2 Peter 3 gives insight into what this world is coming to, and how we are to conduct ourselves as we near the Last Days.“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior…” (2 Peter 3:1-2).First, we’re warned about those who will deny Jesus’ Second Coming: “...knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts…” (2 Peter 3:3).Ridicule and mockery have always been the enemy’s chief tools. When Jesus was first here, He was mocked; we can expect to be mocked for believing He will come again. Scoffers will inflict emotional and intellectual opposition to discredit, diminish, or distract from the importance of his Second Coming.But as Believers, we have the scriptural declaration of His coming. God has promised it in His Word, and His power declares that He is able. All of creation, including the cataclysm of the flood (See 2 Peter 3:6.) and the promise of fire (See 2 Peter 3:10-11.) reveals how God will intervene.Though He can, He has not intervened yet because of His tremendous patience. He keeps the door of mercy open, so we may enter while we still have time.Adrian Rogers says, “Even now, the raging waters of God’s wrath are furiously pounding against the dam of His mercy.”Finally, this passage reminds us of the sovereign demands of His coming.“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…” (2 Peter 3:11).It is God’s desire that all come to repentance. We have a duty to share the saving message of Jesus Christ with oth

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:23-27It takes a family to raise a child, and it takes faith to make a family. The most powerful and influential people on Earth are mothers and fathers of faith.Hebrews 11 tells the divine origin story of the prophet Moses, who was protected by his parents, Amram and Jochebed. “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child” (Hebrews 11:23).The story of these parents teaches us important principles about faith for the family.First, we note faith’s vision.Moses’ parents recognized that he was the special handiwork of God. It is our responsibility to see our children as specific, individual creations of God, and raise them accordingly.Second, we recognize faith’s valor.Amram and Jochebed hid Moses for three months because the King had commanded that baby boys be killed. By faith, they recognized this physical conflict as a spiritual conflict between the gods of Egypt and Almighty God, and “they were not afraid” (Hebrews 11:23).In these treacherous days, raising children is a spiritual battle and our only hope is a solid faith in Jesus Christ.Third, we see faith’s venture.Moses’s parents did not have a spirit of fatalism; rather, they did their part to protect their son, trusting God to do the rest. When facing challenges, we must do all we can do with a spirit of optimism. If it is God’s will, we can trust that He will move heaven and earth for our children.Finally, Amram and Jochebed displayed faith’s victory.Hebrews 11 notes that because Moses’ values were established in him by his parents, he valued his faith more than all the riches of Egypt.Moses embraced the virtues of knowing Christ eternally, and rejected the vices of this world, refusing to be called Pharaoh’s son. (See Hebrews 11:24.)Adrian Rogers says, “There are a lot of pressures on our kids today, and we’d better be certain they have something on the inside.”Apply it to your lifeAre you raisi

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 12:1-11The Book of Acts shares numerous accounts of triumph over difficulty, as the first Christians experienced victory through prayer.In Acts 12, the Early Church faced persecution from Herod, who unleashed violence and put the Apostle Peter in prison (v. 1-4). Yet, in verse 5, we see that “constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”As we fight our battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, it is fundamental that we learn how to pray as the Early Church did.First, we must recognize the freedom of their prayers.Our enemy doesn’t want us to understand this. But try as he might, the devil cannot stop us from praying to our God; we are free to pray anytime, anywhere.Second, we see their faithfulness; they never ceased to pray.Whether God answers swiftly or there is a season of waiting, our approach to prayer should be faithful, constant, and frequent.Their prayers were also fervent: charged with intensity.Prayer is warfare—we should expect some opposition from the enemy; but we must pray wholeheartedly with fervor, concentration, and effort.Their prayers also brought them together in fellowship.Churches, which are built upon prayer, should be in the habit of drawing near to God together.The Early Church’s prayer also revealed their faith.They recognized that they were entering the throne room of God. And as we speak to God, we must do so with the faith that He will answer.We should also note the focus of that prayer.This church prayed specifically for Peter, who was in prison and set to be beheaded in the coming days. When we pray, we should avoid generalized requests and focus on specific concerns.Finally, we must remember the force of their prayer.God miraculously delivered Peter from prison. In the dead of night, Peter’s chains were broken, and the prison door was open. Peter walked out, just in time.Adrian Rogers says, “When we depend upon planning, we see what planning can do. But when we depend upon

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:24-25In this seemingly hopeless world, many of us are facing difficulties and trials, desperately in need of some hope.Most of the Book of Jude paints a dark picture of what’s to come, yet it ends with a message of blessed assurance. No matter how grim the apostasy becomes, the children of God are going to make it through.Jude 24-25 provides three reasons for our blessed assurance.First, we are reminded of the sovereignty of the Savior: “Now to Him who is able…” (Jude 24).God is King of the Universe. He is able to do anything, and do it right. He is able to save us, to secure us and satisfy our souls. We will make it through the trials because He is able—our responsibility is our response to His ability.Second, verse 24 shows us the security of the saint: “...to keep you from stumbling…”Adrian Rogers says, “People who are truly born again can never, ever again be lost souls: not because they hold onto God, but because God holds onto them.”God is able to keep us from falling because of His fathomless love. In His infinite power, Jesus Christ preserves us. The same God who runs the Universe knows when we’re hurting. We are also secure because of His eternal purpose. There is an eternal chain of redemption that cannot be broken. Those whom God has called are justified to bring glory to God.Adrian Rogers says, “What has been decreed by Heaven cannot be annulled by Hell.”Finally, we are assured by the sufficiency of salvation: “...and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior...” (Jude 24-25).Through our salvation, God is working to make His children holy, sanctifying us. He is making us more like Jesus Christ with every passing day. And one day, very soon, He will present us before Himself, faultless. As a Bride walks to her Bridegroom, so will we enter His presence, without blemish.Apply it to your lifeAs we endure trials and difficulties of many kinds, we can have the bl

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:22-23Our souls are worth more than anything this world has to offer; that’s why the heart of God is wrapped up in the matter of soul-winning.Jesus is the supreme example of this and commands us to follow His lead through the Great Commission.Adrian Rogers says, “If you are not endeavoring to bring men to Jesus Christ, you are living in sheer disobedience to your holy call.”Jude 22-23 reinforces the call to rescue the perishing and share the Gospel with this lost world.First, this passage shares the soul winner’s compassion: “And on some have compassion, making a distinction…” (Jude 22).We are motivated by God’s love for us to have compassion on others and share the Gospel with them. Our method of compassion is by way of the Church; the Church’s primary job is to seek the lost and bring them in.Second, we see the soul winner’s compulsion: “...but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…” (Jude 23).The fire in this passage symbolizes the flames of Hell and separation from God. Our fear of our fellow man’s eternal doom urgently motivates us to tell him about Jesus Christ.Finally, this passage shares the soul winner’s caution: “...hating even the garment defiled by the flesh” (Jude 23).This passage indicates that the ones we snatch from the flames are moral lepers. In Scripture, sin is illustrated by leprosy: a horribly contagious disease that isolated men and labeled them “unclean.” In Leviticus, God instructed Moses to burn the garments the lepers wore with fire, lest they catch the disease. When we deal with lost souls, we cannot let our compassion and compulsion destroy our caution. We must never compromise our own morals to win somebody to Jesus Christ.Adrian Rogers says, “You never bring people to Jesus Christ by becoming like them; you may be with them, but do not become like them.”Jesus was a friend of sinners, and we should be as well; but He lived a holy life, and we should, too.Apply it to your lifeDo you h

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:17-21The Bible warns us that in the Last Days, many men shall depart from the faith. The Book of Jude prophecies the apostates to come and gives us insight on surviving the apostasy.First, we must remember our exhortation.Jude 17-18 says, “But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.”These verses warn us of apostates who want to disprove the Bible as the Word of God. We don’t have to be taken off guard or deceived.Second, we must recognize our enemy.“These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit” (Jude 19).Apostates present themselves as unifiers, yet they cause division because those who know and believe the truth cannot walk arm-in-arm with apostasy.They are depraved – being motivated by the flesh rather than by the Spirit of God. And because they don’t have the Spirit of God, they are dead in their flesh.We must retain our environment.“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20-21).This passage urges us to keep ourselves in God’s love.Adrian Rogers says, “If you are going to survive the apostasy, the safest place is in the love of God.”Though we can’t lose God’s love for us, we can remove ourselves from the protection and provision of His love if we aren’t vigilant.We retain our environment by building our faith on God’s Word. We also remain in God’s love by praying in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit encourages, enlightens, and energizes our prayers; He expresses to us how we should pray.Finally, we must look to Jesus with steadfastness.Apostasy is one of the signs that Jesus is at the door; He may come any day now. We must be sure to keep our eyes on Him, who keeps us.App

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:14-15The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the greatest prophetic event of all the ages, and the signs of the times warn us that it is coming soon.One of the signs of the Last Days is apostasy—when people who have received truth go on to reject and ridicule it.Jude 14-15 warns apostates of their judgment to come from Jesus Christ Himself.First, we see the surety of His coming: “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes…’” (Jude 14).Merely seven generations from Adam, Enoch was the first to prophesy the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. God gave Enoch a vision of the Second Coming, before Jesus had ever walked the Earth the first time. In days of apostasy, Enoch was a holy man who walked so closely with God, the Lord brought Him up, so he never actually died.Enoch’s “rapture” is a prophetic picture of the Church in the Last Days, when the Lord raptures His people and meets them in the air.Second, we see the severity of His coming: “...to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds...” (Jude 15).Adrian Rogers says, “The first time Jesus came to redeem; the second time He is coming to judge.” God’s heart yearns that we would not be judged. We see this in God’s promise to Enoch to withhold His judgment upon the Earth until after Enoch’s son, Methuselah’s death.Methuselah represents the mercy of God. Though men deserved to be punished for their wickedness, God held back His judgment until after Methuselah died. Then, God flooded the Earth, still sparing Enoch’s lineage through Noah.One of these days, mercy will give way to judgment. God has not forgotten His promise; Jesus is coming back to execute judgment.Third, we see the sanctity of His coming. Jude 14 says the Lord will return with “ten thousands of His saints.” This means we are coming back with Him. God’s kingdom will come; as waters cover the sea, the Earth will be fill

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:12-13An apostate is someone who rejects and ridicules the truth of the Gospel—he also tries to replace it in order to lead others astray. As believers, we must be firm in our understanding of biblical doctrine and beware of those who would deface it.Jude 12-13 paints a gruesome portrait of an apostate so that we can recognize those who bring harm to the Church.First, an apostate is dangerous like a sunken rock: "These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves” (Jude 12). The devil hates the unity we have in Christ. So, a devilish apostate will act as a rock in the river of love, dividing in order to destroy our godly fellowship.Second, an apostate is deceptive like a waterless cloud: “They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds…” (Jude 12). An apostate promises much, but produces little; his listeners walk away still thirsty for truth.Third, he is dead like a fruitless tree: “...late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots…” (Jude 12). There is no use pruning a dead tree; it will never produce fruit. Likewise, there is no fixing apostasy; it is rooted in a dead, unbiblical doctrine.Adrian Rogers says, “An apostate can imitate Christianity, but he cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit.”Fourth, he is disturbed like the raging sea: “...raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame…” (Jude 13). No matter what he portrays outwardly, an apostate has no inner peace in his heart. In turning from the truth of the Gospel, his moral discernment is destroyed.Finally, he is doomed like a wandering star: “...wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). An apostate has knocked himself out of orbit; never again will he feel the warmth of the Son. He is destined for aimless, everlasting darkness.Knowing their destiny, we should be heartbroken for apostates; nevertheless, we must contend for the faith. If we dare

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:11False doctrine is poisonous to the Church of Jesus Christ; it is the devil’s preferred way of infiltrating the Church and destroying it from within.The Book of Jude reveals the marks of apostasy. Apostates are like snakes in the garden, hiding in the grass, preparing to strike.An apostate is someone who has received the truth and rejected it—and has begun ridiculing it.Jude 11 says, “Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”This verse mentions three men who illustrate the marks of an apostate: Cain, Balaam, and Korah.The first snake in the garden is Cain, who represents those who pervert the Gospel. In Genesis 4, Cain murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy. Abel, who understood the things of God, had offered to the Lord a blood sacrifice, which pleased Him. Cain, who did not understand the things of God, brought the fruit of the ground, which represented his own efforts.Adrian Rogers says, “There are only two religions: the true and the false—one is the way of Cain, and the other is the way of the cross.”The second snake in the garden is Balaam, who represents those who prostitute the Gospel. In Numbers 22-25, the very clever and gifted prophet Balaam, exploited the message of God for his personal advantage. This story is not arguing against paying those in ministry positions. Rather, it condemns those who will do anything for personal gain, including prostituting the Gospel.The final snake in the garden is Korah, representing those who protested the Gospel.In Numbers 1, Korah protested Moses and Aaron, God’s appointed prophet and priest. Korah did not respect their authority, so he rallied others to defy the prophetic message and priestly mediator God had established.Apostates seek to replace the truth with false religion, but like Korah, they stand on shaky ground; God is not pleased and will not be replaced.This is

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:8The Book of Jude warns us of the dangers of apostasy, which is when someone falls away from the faith. An apostate is someone who has been given the opportunity to receive the truth but has rejected it. Apostates cause great harm to the Church.In verse 8, Jude describes apostates as “filthy dreamers,” people with imaginations that are not rooted in truth. But the church is called to contend for our faith and truth, and make sure apostates’ dreams never come true.First, we must recognize that these dreamers defile the flesh. Because they ridicule the truth, apostates are more prone to sexual immorality than unbelievers.As people get away from the Word of God, they give way to their imaginations and dreams—as night follows day, they give way to their sensual sins. We see this so often with young people who have been raised in church but have never been saved. Once they enter adulthood and experience a new environment without the Holy Spirit’s restraint, they fall into ungodly lifestyles.Apostates are also marked by how they despise the Father. With rebellious hearts, they reject authority and despise dominion within the church. They don’t want to believe that the Word of God is truth.The final mark of apostates is that they disgrace the faithful, or, “speak evil of dignitaries” (Jude 8). Having rejected the truth, apostates will speak blasphemously against Almighty God and His Word.Adrian Rogers says, “There is nothing too glorious, nothing too holy that they will not defame.”Our world is full of these filthy dreamers, and unfortunately, apostates don’t ridicule from outside the Church—they do it from within.With a broken heart, Jude urges us to contend for the faith, to understand it, and know how to defend it, so that we may stop these filthy dreamers in their tracks and fill our churches with people who fear God.Apply it to your lifeAre you part of a church that believes that the Bible is the Word of God? Are you equipped

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1:1-7The Book of Jude warns us of something very sinister that will happen to the Church in the Last Days. Children of God cannot afford to be ignorant or neutral; Jude 1-19 sounds the alarm, calling us to the fight for the faith and do battle for the Bible.These verses first reveal the danger of apostasy.“For certain men have crept in unnoticed… ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).Apostasy, or turning back on the faith, is a very deceptive and destructive heresy. Jude warns of apostates, who have crept into the Church and deteriorated the integrity of God’s Word.This passage also gives a description of the apostates.Jude 17-19 claims that because they lack reverence for God, apostates freely mock holy things. They act without restraint, claiming the grace of God as a license to sin. And because they deny God as Lord of their lives, they exercise no rule or regulation.Adrian Rogers says, “The basic ingredient missing in the life of an apostate is a fear of God.”Third, this passage reveals the destruction of apostates.Verse 5 reminds us of the children of Israel, who were delivered from Egypt, yet perished at the hand of God in the wilderness. Despite their experiences, they were never truly devoted to God.There are people today who think they are saved, but they are not true believers. They have come to the borderline of truth but have never entered into that truth. Jude 6 says they will face destruction despite their profession, position, or possessions.Finally, Jude reveals our defense against apostates.If we want to contend for our faith, we must submit to the truth of the Gospel. We need to study what the Bible says. We must be familiar with its inerrancy, understand the deity of Christ, and know our salvation comes by grace through faith.Our defense against apostasy is to live out our faith with boldness, together, in churches rooted in bi

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Jude 1-4The Book of Jude warns us of the apostasy that will take place in the Last Days, in which many will turn away from the faith. But we do not have to live in fear of losing our salvation.This book can be seen as a believer’s security blanket in dark days.Jude 4 says, “For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”In the face of apostasy, Jude urges us to remember the completeness of our faith. There are no additions or corrections to be made to the Gospel.We must also remember the correctness of our faith. Sometimes, we can be certain of something, but still be wrong. This is why we must continually study God’s Word for direction.This faith has been committed to us. We are stewards of it, expected to speak up and contend for it.If we want to know we are secure in our faith as we watch others fall away, we must remember God’s sovereign purpose. We are called: summoned by the King of kings to be saved.Adrian Rogers says, “Our salvation did not begin with us; it began with God. If it began with you, you might lose it; but since it began with God, you can never lose it.”God foreknows, therefore He calls and justifies; those He justifies, He glorifies. If you have truly been called, this work He has done cannot be undone.We are God’s special people; God loves the lost, but the saved are His beloved. We are secure in God’s perfect love.Adrian Rogers says, “There is nothing that can separate you from the Love of God. Nothing you can do to make Him love you more, nothing you can do to make Him love you less.”Finally, we must remember God’s strong power, which preserves us. We cannot be lost by God; we are in good hands. Our Father keeps our salvation and preserves us by the blood of Jesus Christ.Apply it to your lifeIf you are a believer, you do not have to live in fear that God

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 22:31-34Adrian Rogers says, “Failure doesn’t need to be a hitching post to tie us to the past. Failure can be a guidepost to lead us into the future.”God is not finished with us in the dark nights of failure; His mercies are new every morning. Simon Peter’s denial of Jesus Christ in Luke 22 reminds us that failure is not final.In times of failure, we must first remember that Jesus is sovereign.“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times’” (Luke 22:61).Peter remembered that Jesus, who knew long before he did, that he’d deny Him, told him this would happen. This revealed that God was still in control, even when it doesn’t seem so.We can find comfort knowing the Lord sees our failures. These missteps do not come without His permission.In his failure, Peter also learned the sympathy of Jesus.In the midst of His own agony, Jesus turned to look at His backslidden disciple. Christ’s sympathetic love is what convicts and changes us.In our times of failure, we need to see our security in Jesus.“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren’” (Luke 22:31-32).As the enemy sifted Peter to find out his sins, he also wants to find our flaws to use against us and condemn us. Jesus wants us to be sifted, too—not to exploit our impurities, but to cleanse us.Jesus prayed for Peter as he was sifted. Jesus prays for His believers, even to this day. He convicts us of our sins so that we will not wander for long. And when we return to Him, He is faithful to forgive.Adrian Rogers says, “The same Jesus who prayed for Simon Peter… is now in the glory praying for you.”Apply it to your lifeWe will all fail at some point, but even in the darkest nights, a new day is d

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Malachi 3:7-11By definition, stewardship is our relationship with money: how we obtain, save, invest, spend, and give our wealth.God is interested in this relationship—in how we care for the things He places in our hands. Satan, who is also very interested, would love to keep us in financial bondage.Malachi 3 shows us how to open the windows of Heaven and receive the blessing of financial freedom.“Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’” (Malachi 3:7).If we want freedom, we must first recognize our failure; financial bondage is not just debt. If money increases our worries, or if we have plenty in the bank, but no treasure in Heaven, we are in financial bondage.Second, we need to renew our fellowship; God isn’t interested in our money, just our hearts.When we remember tithing is God’s way of revealing our priorities to ourselves, we will see tithing as a great blessing. It is our privilege to show God that He is first in our lives and everything else is second.After we return to our fellowship with God, we need to release our finances to Him.Adrian Rogers says, “If you can’t trust God with your finances, how is God going to trust you with true spiritual riches?”“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).According to Scripture, tithing is ten percent given to the temple of God (church), for the work of the temple. Giving to charities or ministries is good, but it is not a replacement for our tithes.When we learn to give back to God freely, we’ll see a spiritual renewal. God will renew our faith, rebuke our foes, and restore our fruitfulnes

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20Whether we realize it or not, we are part of a war between light and darkness, good and evil, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ and Satan. We cannot afford to be ignorant and we cannot possibly be neutral.Adrian Rogers says, “When you were born again, you were born from above. And you, being Heaven-born are Heaven-bound. You were born for the battle and you were born to win.”We’re not wrestling against flesh and blood. We’re wrestling against principalities and powers of darkness.Ephesians 6:10-20 shows us how to prepare ourselves for this Christian Warfare.In preparing for the battle, we must first remember our adversary. Satan is a decided fact; never underestimate him or count him out. He is a destructive force; systematic, spiritual, strong, and sinister. Yet, he is our defeated foe.Adrian Rogers says, “Satan had his back crushed and broken at Calvary; soon his head is going to be crushed when Jesus comes again.”We must remember our armor, which is specifically outlined in Ephesians 6:-The Belt of Truth-The Breastplate of Righteousness-Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, knowing nothing stands between our souls and the Savior-The Shield of Faith-The Helmet of SalvationGod wants us to enter the battlefield armed with integrity, purity, tranquility, certainty, and sanity. Don’t leave off any piece of the armor of God in this battle. Christian warriors must understand their point of attack. We have the victory. God has equipped us with three things:The first is our stance. We are called to be strong, to stand against these dark forces of evil with the blessed assurance of victory in Jesus.Second, we recognize the power of our sword, which is the sword of the Spirit and the Word of God. We must also remember the power of our prayers when prayed in the Spirit.Finally, the Christian warrior must remember his allies.“...praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: John 6:16-21John 6:16-21 tells the story of Jesus walking on the water to His disciples’ boat in the midst of a treacherous storm. Sooner or later, you are going to find yourself in a storm—not like the storm depicted in this passage; rather, one far more terrifying.Things could be going fine, then suddenly you could get a life-changing phone call, or face a shocking diagnosis. How can we find peace in the midst of the storm?We remember what God has promised to us now, in the stillness.Peace is not the subtraction of problems from life. Peace is the addition of power to meet those problems; the power being the promises of God.“I am governed by His providence.” In this story, the storm did not take Jesus by surprise. When difficulty comes, remember God’s providence is over it all.“I am growing by His plan.” God’s plan is not to indulge you; it is to enlarge you. If you are in a storm, it is your privilege to grow and become more like Jesus Christ.“I am graced by His prayers.” Did you know that He sees you right now? He is not far away. He sees right through the dark, sees you in the storm, and He prays for you.“I am gladdened by His presence.” Sometimes, God waits upon you to wait on Him; but just know… He is coming.“I am guarded by His power.” Adrian Rogers says, “The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”“I am guided by His purpose.” God has not promised smooth sailing, but He has promised you a safe landing. Your destiny is already determined. He will see you to the shore.South African minister Andrew Murray once said, “God is willing to assume full responsibility for the life that is totally yielded to Him.” Jesus said, “In this world, you’ll have tribulation. But take heart! I’ve overcome the world.” (John 16:33)In the midst of your storm, see Jesus, the great I AM, walking on the water, straight to you.Apply it to your lifeAre you in the midst of a storm? Remember the promises of God! Take hear

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Job 13:15We have all faced devastation at some point in our lives; it is in those difficult seasons we often ask ourselves if God is enough. Can God be trusted in our troubles?This is what Job learned in his suffering. God allowed the devil to bring hardship on Job because the devil didn’t think Job could love God just for who He is.Yet, in Job 13:15, Job says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” The Book of Job shows us that God Himself is not only necessary, but He is enough.First, we can trust God even when we’re submerged in suffering.Job’s troubles began with the seemingly instant loss of his livestock—his financial security. While Job was still reeling over the news, a second messenger informed him that he’d lost his ten children. His body was infected with a horrible disease, and as a result, his reputation was tarnished. But in the midst of this overwhelming devastation, Job continued to praise God.Adrian Rogers says, “You can have faith and calamity all at the same time. Faith is not receiving from God what we want; faith is accepting from God what He gives.”We can also trust God when we are forsaken by our friends.Job 19:14 says, “My relatives have failed, and my close friends have forgotten me.” Job’s friends were perplexed by his hardships; because they didn’t understand, they assumed he was at fault and left him. Being abandoned by friends is one of the deepest hurts we could face. God understands every part of us and promises He will not leave us.Third, we can trust God when we are dismayed by darkness.Job had no idea what was happening to him, or why. When we find ourselves in this kind of complete darkness, we should remember to lean upon God, the guiding light of our soul’s darkest hours.As Job pleaded his case to God, God reminded him of His sovereignty, sufficiency, and sympathy. Job learned that in his suffering, abandonment, and dismay, God was nearest to Him. God was necessary to live through the trial;

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Galatians 6:1-5Whether we are saved or lost, we will all carry burdens at some point in our lives; but we do not have to bear them alone. Galatians 6 shows us what to do with our burdens.First, this passage addresses the burdens we willingly take up.“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).As believers, we are called to take up the burdens of another brother or sister who is hurting—to restore those who have backslidden. We must remember that a broken person doesn’t need a lecture; he doesn’t need to be ignored or reported, shot down, or cast away. Instead, he needs to be brought back to fellowship with God.Adrian Rogers says, “The church is the only army in the world that shoots its wounded.”A backslidden Christian is like a broken place in our net of believers. He needs us to approach him gently, humbly, and sympathetically. He has broken fellowship with God and is weighed down by a guilty conscience, the enemy, and the threat of public shame. To fulfill the law of Christ, we must love our brother back to fellowship with God and mend the broken place in the net.There are also burdens we must faithfully endure.“But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load” (Galatians 6:4-5).We are not called to lives of ease, but to lives of discipline. God lays burdens upon us and expects us to bear them ourselves. It is our own responsibility to repent and be saved.Finally, there are burdens we wisely lay down.Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you...”Our loving Father urges us to bring our broken hearts to His throne; how beautiful that our burdens can be used to bring us to our Master’s feet.Apply it to your li

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Ephesians 5:21-33Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a complete commitment for life. As we see in Ephesians 5:21-33, marriage is from Heaven; it is not simply a contract… it is a covenant.Husbands and wives are of equal worth before God; both bear His image, but in differing ways, because marriage is symbolic of the way God relates to His people.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.”When the Bible speaks of the husband being the head of the home, it is not speaking of his rights; it is speaking of his responsibilities.There are three major responsibilities of 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 gently.Husbands are also responsible for sacrificial love.This is a passionate commitment that comes from the deepest part of our being.Sacrificial love is also a purifying love, as Ephesians 5:26 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 sacrificial love through their protection and provision. They are to meet the family’s physical, spiritual and emotional needs.Finally, husbands are responsible for showing steadfast loyalty.Jesus promised to never leave nor forsake His church. (Read 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; if we view marriage as a covenant, we will cultivate something beautiful, like Heaven itself.Adrian Rogers says, “A home ought to be a little bit of the

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Genesis 6:5-14In Genesis 6, God was brokenhearted over the gross and numerous sins of Noah’s generation. The same sins committed then are being committed today. As God warned Noah’s generation, He has warned ours, as well.As Noah, an unsinkable saint, found grace before God and provision from the flood, so can we find His grace and be saved from the wrath to come.Genesis 6 reminds us that grace provides a Savior: Noah’s ark is a picture of Jesus Christ.Genesis 6:14 says, “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.”Scripture notes the security of this ark Noah was instructed to build, made of incorruptible material, with sufficient room for everyone aboard. Shaped like a coffin, sealed shut by the Almighty Himself, this boat’s only window was placed above, so Noah would remain Heavenly-minded. God provided for Noah’s every need in His sovereign timing.Adrian Rogers says, “When you come to Jesus, you not only have security and sufficiency but also shelter and substance.”Grace provides salvation: Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (See Genesis 6:8.) This is the first mention of grace in the Bible.As Ephesians 2:8 reminds us, we are “saved by grace, through faith.” Noah and his family had to take the step of faith onto the ark, just as we have to put our faith in Jesus Christ.Grace provides security: we are saved by grace and kept by grace.God sealed Noah into the ark, just as we are sealed by Jesus Christ in our salvation. We may stumble and fall within the ark, but the door is sealed shut: if we are Christians, there is no falling off the Good Ship Grace.Adrian Rogers says, “Security is not in a place; security is in a Person, and His name is Jesus.”The ark was the safest place for Noah to be because God was in the ark; if the ark had gone down, God would have gone down, too.God is still in the ark; may we enter in before His wrath is poured out once again.Apply it t

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:17-18In 2 Corinthians 4, the Apostle Paul was facing, by all appearances, deep affliction. Yet, he was a man who lived above see level; his perspective shows us how to live in faith in times of trouble.“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen...” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).First, we must recognize the reality of the unseen, spiritual world; what is not seen is more real than that which is seen.Hebrews 11:3 explains that the invisible world was here first. God spoke and made the visible out of the invisible. The invisible world will be here last, as 2 Corinthians 4:18 continues: “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”According to Scripture, the unseen world is a vital resource. Knowledge of the unseen world helps us when we’re going through times of trouble, fear, or temptation.As Believers, we are not immune to suffering, but we have the power to smile through it because we know God is with us. He offers supernatural strength to those who fix their gaze on what’s unseen.We must release the power of the unseen spiritual world in our own lives. There are three great enemies of our faith that exist in the material world.Appearance, or what we see. We are called to hope in what we don’t see.Adrian Rogers says, “Hope means anticipation that is joined with assurance, which is based on divine promise.”Emotion, or what we feel. God doesn’t do His deepest work in the shallowest part of our emotions.Reason, or what we think. We cannot let our hearts be limited by our logic.Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not contrary to reason, it goes beyond reason.”When a man lives above see level, he will see the invisible, therefore, he will tap into the unknowable and do the impossible. Apply it to your lifeAre you going

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 27:20The Book of Acts tells the story of the Early Church and the missionary voyages of Paul the Apostle. In Acts 27, Paul writes about his experience sailing through a treacherous storm. Paul’s gripping narrative offers us insight into riding out the storms of life.First, we must note the reason for these storms; we will all find ourselves in ferocious waters at some point, due to the nature of this sinful world.Storms can be engineered by our own disobedience or foolishness. God could also send us into a storm for our own development. Or, like Paul in this passage, we could also be dragged into storms by other people.When Paul was a prisoner on his way to Rome, he was transported into a storm by others. His circumstances were out of his own control.Acts 27:9-11 says, “So Paul warned them, ‘Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’ But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.”When we face difficulties due to other people’s mistakes, Acts 27:9-20 reveals five things not to do if we want to keep the ship afloat:Make decisions in haste (v. 9)Depend upon worldly wisdom rather than godly wisdom (v. 11)Take the easy way out (v. 12)Follow the crowd (v. 12)Depend upon circumstances (v. 13)*If you want an in-depth study of these five things, we invite you to take our Email Challenge, "What Not to Do in a Storm."Verses 14-20 illustrate what happens when an ungodly man gets himself into a storm. His direction dissolves, his effort increases, resources are wasted, and he begins to lose hope. As a result, he becomes very foolish; he’ll try to abandon ship and escape.But the godly will react differently to the storms, as Paul says in Acts 27:22, “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost...”Paul’s faith in God was stronger than his fear of the st

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 7:1The new religion of the day is tolerance. What used to be a beautiful concept of recognizing and respecting others’ beliefs without sharing them, is now a toxic practice.Tolerance was once a good virtue, an entitlement to your own opinion. Now, tolerance is an unreasonable thought that all opinions are correct.In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged…” In order to understand the true context of this command, we must take a hard look at today’s tolerance: the good, the bad, and the ugly.First, we must understand the concept of discrimination: to see what is good and what is bad. Before it became such a heated word, at its core, discrimination simply meant evaluation. Once we evaluate the difference between good and bad, we must eliminate what is bad, and appropriate what is good.The Bible urges us to use this critical thought process to discern what is good and bad. Judgment based on Scripture is considered righteous, but judgment measured out of our own heart and mind is wrong.Second, we must acknowledge the time for toleration. In Matthew 7, Jesus commands us to tolerate each other’s faults. This doesn’t mean we deny others’ faults, it simply forbids us from exercising unmerciful, self-righteous condemnation.Luke 6:36-37 instructs, “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”We have no right to judge others this way, yet we tend to execute merciless judgment over each other. This is rooted in our own iniquities, insecurities, and ignorance.Adrian Rogers says, “There is no one big enough, no one just enough, no one loving enough to judge us but God Himself; and surely the judge of all Heaven and Earth will do right.”Finally, there must be a time for serious self-examination.Matthew 7:3 says, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consi

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 20:1-15Fairness is a wonderful human attribute we learn about when we’re young and demand of each other as we grow.In Matthew 20:1-15, Jesus shares the parable of the vineyard workers. The owner of the vineyard rises early to hire laborers, then adds hired laborers at various times throughout the day. At the end of the day, he pays his laborers all the same wages.This may not seem “fair” in our human understanding, but we must remember that God is not fair, but He is good.First, this passage shows us that it’s always too soon to quit, but never too late to start.Though it is better for us to start serving God early in life, it is never too late; He calls us to the vineyard, even at the eleventh hour.Second, if we bargain with God, we will cheat ourselves. Matthew 20:2 reveals that the early workers had haggled with the owner for more money until they finally came to an agreement. Yet, they are surprised when the owner offers the same wage to the later laborers.Third, it is wise to let God keep the books; if we try to keep a record of our service, we run the risk of taking credit we don’t deserve.Fourth, don’t look for fairness; ask for mercy. Fairness is based on the idea that we are owed something, but God does not owe us anything. As sinners, He deals with us on the basis of justice and mercy, and if we ask for justice, we will get exactly what we deserve. Instead, we should beg for mercy.Finally, another’s blessing is never our own loss; just because the vineyard owner blessed the later workers doesn’t mean the early workers lacked. Likewise, when we see God bless others “more” than He blesses us, we are not losing anything.Adrian Rogers says, “We will be much happier in this life if we take our eyes off of our brothers and sisters, put our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be grateful for what He does.”Apply it to your lifeHave you been called to the vineyard to serve our Lord Jesus Christ? It’s never too late to start.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 29:1Proverbs 29:1 says, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”Can a man spiritually pass the point of no return? Can he be so willfully rebellious that God will give up on him? The answer is yes, and that’s a frightening thing. God is a God of infinite love, yes, but He’s also a God of wrath and judgment. There is a deadline, and if anyone crosses God’s deadline, his doom is sealed.We must listen to the warnings God graciously gives us before we reach the point of no return.When we have sinned against God, He convicts us through the Holy Spirit, physical illness, sorrows, good things, and godly people. He uses these things to guide and correct us.Yet, when we choose our stubborn rebellion over this conviction, we make it more and more difficult for ourselves to ever turn back to God.When we’ve hardened our necks (as stated in Proverbs 29:1), there is bound to come sudden destruction; not only in our minds, with strong delusions, but in our spirits as well. We will find that the Holy Spirit of God no longer speaks to us and that God no longer draws us in.We all think we have more time to get right with God, but sometimes, this isn’t the case. Once your heart no longer beats, your destiny is settled, and there is no second chance. God convicts because He loves you so much. He wants to save you. His reproof is rooted in love. If you continue to reject it, destruction will follow.There is good news, though. Anybody who wants to be saved can be. The man who crosses the deadline has no desire to be saved. But if you have a desire to be saved, the Holy Spirit of God is working in you; it’s not too late.Apply it to your lifeHave you listened to God’s conviction or have you remained stubborn in your rebellion? You must be receptive to God’s loving correction if you want a relationship with Him. Pray today, and ask the Lord if there is anything in your life that is not p

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 5:3When we give our hearts to Jesus Christ, the work within us has begun, and God will see that it is finished. (See Philippians 1:6.) But we are not automatically mature in our faith and Christian manner. We simply receive the basis for a Christian character that God cultivates within us over time.Romans 5 offers insight as to how God develops Christian character.First, God allows pressure to come.“...we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope (Romans 5:3-4).God wants that which will sustain and give strength to come out of us; the only way to draw it out of us is through pressure. We don’t have to understand the trouble and pressure we face; we simply have to stand under it.The second step to building Christian character is patience.God wants to teach us endurance so that our faith is strong enough to withstand the things that cause others to drop out.Third, our patience results in a pure character.Someone who has gone through the experiences of tribulation and perseverance has a refined faith, pure as gold.Adrian Rogers says, “A refiner of gold knows when the gold is pure when he can see his own face reflected in it; so our Lord wants to see His character reflected in us.”Finally, our purity of faith results in hope.Romans 5:5 says, “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.”We receive hope through our tribulations because they teach us that God is faithful and He sees us through them.Hebrews 6:19 says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…”Adrian Rogers says, “Hope is not wishful desire; it means rock-ribbed assurance based on the Word and character of God.”Apply it to your lifeIf you are feeling pressure today, understand that these are not obstacles, but opportunities. We glory in tribulation because God knows what He is

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 27:1There are a few reasons people reject the Gospel upon hearing it. Some are rebellious, others are too self-righteous to recognize their need for a Savior. But perhaps the most common reason is procrastination.People will put it off, thinking that they will have plenty of time to receive Christ later on.But Proverbs 27:1 warns us of the perils of postponement: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.”There are four reasons why no one should put off being saved.First, if we put it off until tomorrow, we will lose today.Adrian Rogers says, “A day lived without the Lord Jesus is a day that is lost for all eternity.”Second, our hearts will grow harder.In Acts 24, Paul is a prisoner of Caesarea. The Roman judge, Felix, calls for him to answer questions he has about Jesus Christ. Paul preaches a Christ-centered message, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit is so strong, Felix trembles. Felix was at the threshold of salvation, but then he did something that so many people do: he told Paul, “When I have a convenient season, I will call for you” (Acts 24:25). As a result, Felix lost his conviction; he strayed further and further away from God.Likewise, our hearts will get harder over time; it will be more difficult for us to receive Jesus tomorrow than it will be today. Adrian Rogers says, “Tomorrow you will have more sin to repent of. And tomorrow you will have a harder heart to repent with.”Third, there is always the danger of sudden death.Death is a reality many of us choose to ignore. But every day is a gift from God; it is arrogant to assume we will live to see another day, and ignorant to assume what each day will look like.Finally, Jesus is coming again, and those who aren’t saved will be left behind.We are closer to the Second Coming than ever before; if He comes while you are unsaved, it will be too late for you. This is why we ought to be vigilant, taking advantage of the day we’ve

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 21:22-28The great hunger of every human heart is to know Jesus in a real way. The world is tired of hypocrisy and games; the only way we will reach people with the Gospel is if we are real, not cardboard, Christians.Proverbs 21:28 says, “A false witness shall perish, but the man who hears him will speak endlessly.” This passage reveals the fatality of a false witness; it is dangerous to be a phony.In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus gives a grave warning to those who merely appear to be saved. He warns us of their false praying, false teaching, and false power. Though they seem to have done a lot of good for the Kingdom of God, they have done it in vain, because they are not truly born again.Yet, this passage also addresses the reality of a faithful witness. There are three marks of a true Christian that signify that his worship is real.First, he has a listening worship.No one is prepared to serve the Lord until he has first heard the Lord. In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” We hear God through prayer and through the power of Scripture. The Bible has the power to convert, to conquer, to counsel, and to commune.Second, he has a faithful witness.Because the faithful witness listens to God, he speaks of what God has done in him.Adrian Rogers says, “We dare not speak for God until we’ve heard God. But if we’ve heard God, we dare not be silent.” We are all called to be witnesses. Yet we cannot speak of what we haven’t seen or heard. The mark of a Christian is the burden for souls and the burning desire to share Jesus with others.Finally, he has a lasting walk.1 John 2:19 explains how cardboard Christians do not last: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us…”True, solid faith lasts; we have the joy to know that those who are truly in Christ Jesus can never be separated from Him.Apply it to your lifeAre you a faithfu

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 14:14King David, though a man after God’s own heart, was a great sinner and backslider. In 2 Samuel 11, he committed adultery and, in covering it up, he committed murder. But in 2 Samuel 12, we find that David was also a great repenter. He exemplifies the way back to God after we slide into sin.We must first recognize the causes of David’s sin. In a time of war, David was at home while his army fought without him.Adrian Rogers says, “The sin of omission is failure to do what you ought to be doing.”David’s casualness quickly turned into a careless, compulsive affair with a married woman. That carelessness turned into callousness. After committing the hot-blooded sin of adultery, David murdered his mistress’ husband, Uriah, in cold blood.We also see the costs David faced when he covered up his sins rather than confess them. He aged prematurely, his body groaned inwardly under heavy conviction, and he experienced a spiritual dryness.Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”David’s backsliding was a critical condition. As children of God, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins until we confess them. If we do not, God must chastise us as he did David. God is more interested in our relationship with Him than anything else; He will do whatever He has to in order to restore it.Then, God will use someone or something in our lives to confront us about our sins. For David, he sent the prophet Nathan, before his continual sin cost him his life.2 Samuel 12:13 conveys that, had David persisted in his sin, God would have killed him. Once David realized how far he had drifted from God, he was desperate to find the way back. We don’t have to carry around our own condemnation anymore; we can be clean.Apply it to your lifeProverbs 14:14 says, “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above.” Do you have any un

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 13:7Adrian Rogers says, “The measure of a man is what that man thinks about money.”The Bible does not condemn having money, nor does it put a premium on poverty. But there are many Believers who do not understand the meaning of true riches.Proverbs 13:7 says, “There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing…” This passage first reveals the poverty of the godless rich. There are several ways for a man to be wealthy in the eyes of the world yet have a poverty-stricken spirit.A man is poor, no matter how much he has, when he seeks satisfaction in his money.Our lives are not a sum of our possessions; when we act as if they are, we’ll be empty.A man is also poor when his money increases his trouble.There comes a point when all that we think we need is actually a burden rather than a blessing.A man is poor when the goal of his life is making money.This consuming drive will control his character and distort his values.A man is also poor when he has no treasure in Heaven.We will not bring our earthly riches with us into Heaven. Anything of real value is of lasting value; the more we give of it, the more we have of it.Finally, a man is poor when he doesn’t have Jesus in his heart.We cannot buy our way into Heaven. Our earthly riches will do us no good on Judgment Day; we cannot bribe the Judge.Proverbs 13:7 also describes the prosperity of the godly poor: “...and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.”Money is not evil, but it does not equate to godliness.A man is truly rich, no matter how little he has, when he is content with what he has been given.He has spiritual riches: being right with God, having hope, purpose, and peace in life. He has secure riches: the inheritance reserved for him in Heaven cannot be destroyed. He has a godly legacy to leave behind. Finally, he has satisfying riches, for his riches are found in the Lord.Apply it to your lifeDo you have true riches that are spiritual, secure, and satisfying?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 29:1In front of every unsaved person, there is a deadline. If we cross God’s deadline, it is too late. Proverbs 29:1 reveals: “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”There are three thoughts to draw from this passage, so that we may never know the pain of crossing God’s deadline.God deals with sinners over and over again, convicting us in loving patience. He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and through situations we face. God also speaks through His believers and through Scripture.But sometimes, when God convicts, we still rebel; Proverbs explains that a stiffened neck represents the refusal of God’s conviction.Sometimes people harden their necks to the Gospel by procrastination.Postponing salvation is detrimental for three reasons: If you wait until tomorrow, you’ll lose tonight; something worse may come tomorrow, or tomorrow may not come.Another way people harden their necks is by pride.Many are afraid of what other people will think if they confess their sins.Adrian Rogers says, “When God judges your sin, He does not judge primarily by the outward sin committed, but by the inward light rejected.”People also harden their necks because of worldly pleasures.They are afraid to give their hearts to Jesus because they are afraid of what they will have to give up. They forget that the only things God asks us to give up are things that hurt us.Adrian Rogers says, “If it’ll make you healthy, happy, holy and wholesome, God says, ‘Help yourself.’”When man rebels against God’s convictions and reaches that deadline, he will face sudden destruction. His mind will be destroyed through strong delusion; because he has refused the truth, he will believe lies. His spirit will be destroyed through spiritual desertion; the Holy Spirit will withdraw Himself from a rebellious man. His body will be destroyed through sudden death; the remedy will no longer be available.Then he will

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 1:20Adrian Rogers says, “The voice of wisdom is the voice of God; when wisdom speaks, God speaks.”Wisdom is perhaps the most important virtue, and there is a deadline to obtain it. One of these days, God will issue His final call for wisdom, as seen in Proverbs 1:20-33.This passage reveals the invitation of wisdom.“Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares… ‘How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge…’” (Proverbs 1:20-22).The call to wisdom is a public invitation available to anyone who would seek it. It is a pressing matter, yet it is also a patient invitation; though many will continue in their folly, Wisdom continues to call people unto herself.This passage explains the indoctrination of wisdom.“Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you’” (Proverbs 1:23).We can diligently memorize the facts, dates, and events in Scripture, but we’ll never understand its wisdom until we repent of our folly.Adrian Rogers says, “The only way you’re going to know the truth of God’s Word is for the Holy Spirit to turn the light on in your sin-darkened soul.” Once a sinner repents, the Spirit will reveal the wisdom of Scripture and affirm its reliability in his heart.Finally, this passage conveys the indignation of wisdom.“They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled to the full with their own fancies” (Proverbs 1:30-31).When the call to wisdom is rejected time and time again, the invitation will eventually turn to indignation. This derision will lead to desolation; no longer will God’s voice be heard, no longer will His hand be outstretched. This will lead to sure destruction. There is coming a time when lost sinners will stand before the judgment of God, asking for mercy.Today is the day of mercy; wisdom

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Revelation 13:1-8Scripture offers prophecies to warn us of the future and edify us as we live through these Last Days. Revelation 13 describes a man, the antichrist, who will rise to power during the Great Tribulation; we must beware of this beast.This passage first describes the social unrest that proceeds the beast:“And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea…” (Revelation 13:1). The sea symbolizes society in turmoil and distress, as the Bible claims wicked people are like the troubled sea. (Isaiah 57:20). This desperately wicked world is ripe for the antichrist’s entrance.This passage also shares the beast’s satanic attributes:“...like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion” (Revelation 13:2).Third, we see how the beast will seduce the world.Revelation 13:3 claims the beast will seem appealing, charming, and clever. The whole world will marvel at this man, who disguises himself as a man of peace.But this passage also addresses his sinister ambitions.“Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 13:6-7).He will be driven to deify Satan, defy the Savior, destroy the saints, dominate society and delude sinners.Finally, this passage warns us of the false prophet, who will present the beast to the whole world.Much like the Holy Spirit brings people to worship Jesus, the false prophet is designed to bring people to worship the beast in the End Times.Revelation 13:13-16 explains that the false prophet—who by causing fire in the heavens, worship of an image of the beast, and controlling the world’s commerce through a mark of the beast—will bring the entire world to the beast’s feet.Adrian Rogers says, “If you’re not sealed by the Spirit, you will be branded by the bea

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10Though it has been anticipated for over two thousand years, Jesus Christ could come again at any moment, as prophesied in the Book of Revelation. But as children of God, we have a settled faith. 2 Thessalonians 1-2 reveals how to have a steadfast hope in a shaky world: “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels” (1:7).First, we need not be dismayed; when Jesus comes again, His lordship will be revealed. Though we don’t know the exact time or day, we know He will return exactly on time. “…when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (1:10). We will be witnesses of His redeeming love, saving grace, and keeping power; our testimonies will be what brings others to wonder at Him as well.Secondly, we need not be deceived; the devil is a liar and inspires deception. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 states: “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…” As Jesus says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9); the antichrist will come directly from the devil. Though his wickedness is already at work in this world, the antichrist also has a precise timeframe in which he will be revealed (2:6-7).Finally, we need not be disappointed. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 reveals, “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”Adrian Rogers explains, “The same Jesus that spoke them into existence is going to speak them into oblivion.” Jesus, who came first to seek and to save, will return with judgment. He came first in mercy; He will return in flaming fire, to take vengeance. He came first in humility; He will return in incredible power.Apply it to your lifeKnow

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11If we believe in our hearts that Jesus is coming again, we must be ready for His return; 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says He will come “like a thief in the night.” This chapter, 1 Thessalonians 5, offers four truths about Jesus’ glorious return.First, it will be a surprising day.We are certain that He is coming, but we do not know when. As we wait for Him, we should be sharing our faith with others, so that they are also ready for the Second Coming.Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus Christ is coming; He came on time, He was born on time, He died on time, and He rose on time. He’s coming again in His own time; He will never be late.”Second, we can escape sudden destruction.“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). The day of Christ’s return will be a solemn, sudden, and sure day—the calm before the storm of judgment to come. On that day, He will rapture His Church from the world, and believers will escape the Great Tribulation prophesied in Revelation.Third, we must endure this surrounding darkness.We live in a world plagued by moral, spiritual, and political darkness. As children of God, we must be aware and wise up, be awake and get up, and be alert and dress up—putting on the armor of God. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:8, we need to get our hearts right and keep our heads right: “But let us who are of the day be sober.”Finally, we will experience a sure deliverance:“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11).This passage explains that we can expect to be delivered from His wrath. This assurance is meant to edify us in these Last Days. As God rescued Noah and his family before flooding the Earth in Genesis 6, so will He rap

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Daniel 9:20-27Before Jesus stepped into our world the first time, Daniel 9 predicted His Second Coming. This Old Testament passage can be seen as an outline of the things to come in the Last Days, when time runs out.“Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city…” (Daniel 9:24).This passage first designates the period of time (490 years), the people (God’s chosen people, Israel), and the place (the Holy City of Jerusalem) to take center stage in the End Times.This passage also determines the prophecy’s purpose: “...to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy” (Daniel 9:24).Adrian Rogers says, “God has a plan and in 490 years, He’s going to finish that plan; nothing has gotten out of hand, not a jot or a tittle will fail from the law, till all has been fulfilled.”This passage also reveals how it will come about. “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince…” (Daniel 9:25).This command to rebuild Jerusalem was given in the Book of Nehemiah; this is when God’s clock started ticking. Adding up the years recorded in the Bible concerning Israel’s commencement and construction, we calculate 483 of the 490 years prophesied.When Jesus came, the clock stopped and it has yet to resume; there are seven more years of biblical prophecy yet to be fulfilled.Daniel also saw Jerusalem being destroyed, symbolizing how God’s chosen people (Israel) rejected Him. We are living in an undetermined period of time marked by wars and desolations as God deals with Israel.But once the Bride is complete, and the last soul is finally redeemed (Romans 11:25), Jesus will return to rapture the Church, and the clock will begin ticking again.After the seven years of Tribulation, when the 490 years are complete, Jesus will

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Samuel 1:10-28There is a war against motherhood in our world. Perhaps the most powerful and influential class of people in the world today are magnificent mothers.1 Samuel 1 tells the story of Hannah, a barren woman who wanted more than anything else to have a son. After much prayer, God gave Hannah a son named Samuel, who was considered one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament.Hannah’s story offers five powerful principles of magnificent motherhood.The first is the principle of proper priority.“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish” (1 Samuel 1:10).Hannah had a God-given instinct to be a mother. She recognized that there is no greater earthly blessing than children.The second principle is the power of prayer.Adrian Rogers says, “The time to begin to raise godly children is before they're born, and even before they're conceived.”Hannah is one of several women in the Bible who were considered barren, and later given children by God; other examples are Sarah, Rachel, Ruth, and Elizabeth. Their children went on to bless the world and glorify God. Understanding this, we should begin praying for our children before they are ever conceived.The third principle is purpose.Hannah’s reason for wanting a child was to dedicate him back to God; she wanted to glorify God through her child. Our prayers for our children should not regard their wealth or power, but how they will glorify God.The fourth principle is persistence.“Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him” (1 Samuel 1:17).Hannah was a woman of prayer, but not just prayer easily uttered and soon forgotten; she continued to pray before and after this child was born. By her example, we learn to never waver in our prayers, no matter how dark the circumstances.Finally, there’s the principle of persuasion.A mother makes the deepest impression on a child; her chief weapon in her arsenal is the influence

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18“Rapture” means to be caught up or snatched away speedily; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 explores the sacred mystery of the Rapture, which is prophesied in the Book of Revelation.“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).The central figure of this event is Jesus Christ, who is returning to rapture His church: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).When Jesus descends with a shout, the dead in Christ rise first, then the living saints will be caught up to meet them in the air.Adrian Rogers says, “If you have the same nature as Jesus Christ when He comes again, you’re the one going up, whether you’re beneath the ground or on top of the ground. If you’ve been Heaven-born, you will be Heaven-bound.”This passage should be of comfort to us, knowing that we will meet Him in the air. We are assured of the rapture by the saving work of the Lord, which is the Gospel. We are also assured by the Word of the Lord, which is Scripture.Though we don’t know the exact date when the rapture will occur, we know it is close and certain; it will happen “in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).There will be signs of the times; these don’t predict the Second Coming but simply affirm it will take place.Though the “when” of the Rapture is a mystery, the “why” is clear; it is God’s divine strategy to rescue His Bride from the Great Tribulation to come. It is when we will reunite with our fellow Christians who have died, as we are all received by the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.After we are caught up in the air, the Bridegroom will take us, His Bride, to the place He has prepared for us.Apply it to your lifeYou can have pe

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Revelation 1:1-13The Book of Revelation was divinely written to inspire and warn those living on the edge of eternity. In Revelation 1, we are given a formal introduction to the contents of the whole book.First, we see the central Person of Revelation, which is Jesus Christ.“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place...” (Revelation 1:1). The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus Christ; we will see Him in a different way than we’ve seen Him before.Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus is the hero of the Bible; if you read the Bible and you don’t find Jesus, go back and reread it.”Revelation 1:1 also presents our clear purpose as servants of Jesus Christ. We are bondslaves who seek to understand the mysteries of Scripture because we love our Master.There is also a comforting promise within this text:“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).We live in a messy, confusing world that is cursed with sin and pain. Through this book, we can understand the mystery of history and make sense out of suffering.This text also explains Revelation’s certain prophecy.We are surely living in the Last Days. There are no more prophecies that need to be fulfilled before Jesus can come. Revelation reminds us of the things which were, things which are, and which shall be. It deals with the past, present, and future.According to the Book of Revelation, the future includes the rapture of the saints and the tribulation of this world. It prophesies the Battle of Armageddon, the beast, the millennium, and the glorification of the Savior.It tells us of the final judgment, in which each of us will learn of the eternal state of our souls. But lastly, at the end of this book, we’re offered the last invitation of the whole Bible: “Come” (Revelation 22:17)!As we live on the edge of eternit

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: John 13:34Perhaps our greatest human need is to be loved and to give love to someone else. Not only are we, as Christians, called to love others, but we are also called to exhibit a Christ-like love.In John 13:34, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”Christ-like love is selfless.In a society based on self-love, self-help, and self-fulfillment, we are called to humble ourselves as Jesus did.Adrian Rogers says, “The grace of God exalts a man without inflating him, and it humbles a man without debasing him. We don’t live in sinful exaggeration or false humiliation, but in sober estimation.”When we experience God’s grace, through faith, we are at peace within ourselves to show love to others in fellowship.Christ-like love is also steadfast.Nothing we can do will make God love us any more or any less. The cross of Jesus showed that His love could stand the test of trials and extreme pressure; it will never let us go, even until the very end.Christ-like love serves.As Jesus gave this commandment, He was performing the duties of a servant, washing His disciples’ feet—even those of Judas, who would betray Him later that night. Jesus practiced what He preached; He didn’t give the disciples what they deserved, rather, what they needed.Adrian Rogers says, “You can’t look down on people while you are washing their feet.”Finally, Christ-like love is sanctifying.In this passage, Jesus uses the example of foot-washing to symbolize sanctification. As Jesus washed the dirt from their feet, He spoke of the spiritual defilement in their lives so that they may understand what it meant to be cleansed from within.Once we are saved, we are always saved—we are totally cleansed from the inside out, white as snow. But we live in a dirty, grimy world and sometimes we need to have our spiritual feet washed; this is called sanctification.As Jesus demonstrates in this passag

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19This is the Gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins; He was buried and rose again on the third day. But what if death had conquered—what if Jesus had stayed in the tomb?1 Corinthians 15:12-19 gives a tragic account of our lives without Jesus—a picture of what our lives would be if there had been no Easter. Preaching would be profitless and our faith would be foolish: “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Corinthians 5:14).If Christ is still in the grave, every preacher of the Gospel is wrong. If Jesus Christ is dead, our faith is also dead, because faith is no better than its subject.Without the resurrection, the disciples would have been deceivers: “Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ...” (1 Corinthians 5:15). The disciples, who were tortured and persecuted as martyrs, would have had no gain preaching of Christ’s resurrection if He were still dead.Adrian Rogers says, “A man may live for a lie, but not many men willingly die for a lie.”Without Easter, sin would be sovereign: “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 5:17)!God cannot overlook our sin; if He did, He would cease to be Holy. We have no hope of forgiveness apart from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a result, death would have dominion: “Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Corinthians 5:18).If Jesus had not beaten death once and for all, death would have the last word and ultimate dominion. But because Jesus Christ rose from the grave, there is life beyond death.Finally, if there had been no Easter, the future would be fearful: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 5:19). Without the resurrection, we are a miserable people, with very little to look forward to.Adrian Rogers says,

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Chronicles 20:1-25Praise is a powerful thing, in times of joy and in times of help, but especially in times of trouble.2 Chronicles 20:1-25 shows us how to praise our way to victory in times of opposition.In this passage, King Jehoshaphat faced fierce opposition on all sides. Likewise, every Christian will encounter problems in the form of sin, sorrow, or death.As King Jehoshaphat brought his people together to focus on God through fasting, we must also establish our purpose in times of opposition and seek Him.Third, the King examined his past; in verse 7, he asks God, “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”In times of trouble, we must look back at the times when God was with us. He will never fail; what He has done before, He will do again.The King embraced God’s promise, that this land was given to Abraham before him as a place for his people to dwell. God has given us something better than the land of Canaan; He has given us victory in Jesus. We have that promise to stand on in times of defeat.In humility, Jehoshaphat kept his eyes fixed on God and not on himself. The battle belonged to God; the King’s only responsibility was to depend upon Him.To prepare for battle, King Jehoshaphat worshiped God and expressed his praise. Adrian Rogers says, “Praise infuses the energy of God and praise confuses the enemies of God.”Because of the praise, the King had victory over his enemy and inherited all his enemies’ possessions; his people enjoyed the provision of God. Adrian Rogers says, “God brings us these problems to bring us to Him; the very things we dread are those things that break with blessings on our heads.”Apply it to your lifeLearn to see opposition as an opportunity. Seek God before taking action and consider fasting. Remember that God has been faithful in the past; go to His Word, stand on a promise, then ask th

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 3:18Adrian Rogers says, “Calvary was not only the Earth’s greatest tragedy, but it was God’s greatest triumph.”Seven hundred years before Jesus Christ suffered and died upon the cross for our sins, the purpose of His passion was prophesied in Isaiah 53.“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).First, we must recognize the substitutionary purpose of the Cross.Jesus died on the cross as our substitute. Our sinfulness separates us from our Holy God. There is no possible way for a just God to overlook our unjust sin. In order to punish sin, yet love the sinner at the same time, God sent His son, Jesus, to reconcile the world. There is a river of blood that runs all the way from Genesis to Revelation, in which God atoned for our sins through sacrifice. Jesus became that final, perfect sacrifice for our sins.Adrian Rogers says, “Salvation does not come by learning lessons from the life of Christ, but by receiving life from the death of Christ.”Second, we see the suffering passion of the Cross.1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…” Jesus suffered emotionally; before He faced the cross, Jesus asked God that “if it be possible, let this cup pass…” (Matthew 26:39). The cup is a metaphor for taking on the pollution and punishment of sin. Jesus faced immense physical suffering upon the cross; He died in utter agony in order to satisfy God’s wrath.But praise God, at the end of Jesus’ suffering, we see the settled provision of the cross; in His final moments, Jesus declared, “It is finished.” This statement means our sins were paid for in full.Finally, we understand the saving power of the Cross.Through Christ’s sacrifice, we have been brought to God, made al

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 6:1-19The grace of God enables us to live godly lives in Christ Jesus and empowers us to live in liberation. Romans 6 gives three basic principles for liberated living.First, we must know our identification with Jesus, who gave Himself for us.“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:5-6).Adrian Rogers explains, “Calvary not only deals with the sin; Calvary deals with the sinner.”Jesus has acted on our behalf; when He died for us, we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. And now, in us, we have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.Second, we must reckon our appropriation of Jesus.“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). Reckoning is acting by faith, on what we know to be true, which is that we are dead to our sins and alive in Christ.Third, we must yield our emancipation to Christ.The victorious life is God’s work in us; we cannot do it without Him, and He will not do it without us. Yielding begins when we dethrone sin. We must choose against our old master. No longer will our eyes be a tool for sin, nor our ears be sin’s instruments, nor will our hands do its bidding.Next, we must enthrone the Savior.“...but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). We must make Jesus Lord of our lives, enslaving ourselves to Him, as Romans 6:18 explains: “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”When we become slaves of Christ, we receive new freedom, faithfulness, and fruitfulness. God will begin to live His life in us, claiming victory every step of the way.Apply it to

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 22The Old Testament and the New Testament tell the same story of Jesus Christ. The entire Bible is all about Jesus and the fulfilled prophecy of His salvation.Psalm 22 greatly details the crucifixion of Jesus Christ a thousand years before He was born.This Old Testament picture of Calvary first shares the amazing prophecy of the cross. “O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent” (Psalm 22:2).This verse mimics some of Jesus’ final words on the cross, as recorded in Matthew 27. Supernatural darkness came over the Earth at noonday, making it both day and night. Jesus was mocked and scorned, a prophecy fulfilled, not by Himself, but by His enemies.“I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me” (Psalm 22:14).According to the Gospels, Jesus’s bones were never broken; rather, He was pierced, and blood and water spilled from His side. These verses also prophesied that He’d also be stripped of his clothing, and lots cast for His garments.Second, this passage describes the agonizing passion of the cross; no one has suffered like Jesus did.To pay for our redemption and forgiveness, Jesus suffered at the hands of three.First, He suffered at the holy hand of God; in the moment Jesus bore our sins, God’s eyes were too pure to look upon Him. As He was dying, Jesus was forsaken by the Father. (See Psalm 22:1.)He also suffered at the hateful hand of man, as verse 6 says, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.”And He suffered at the hellish hands of Satan; all of Hell’s demonic power was concentrated upon the cross.But thank God, Psalm 22 also tells of the abounding provision of the cross. As a prophet, Jesus declares the Father; and as our great High Priest, He delivers the faithful.Adrian Rogers says, “Salvation is more than having our sins forgiven; it is coming to a relationship where we

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Exodus 17:8-11In this spiritual battle against the world, the devil, and the flesh, we can oftentimes be our own biggest enemies. In Exodus 17, God called the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and led them through the wilderness toward Canaan.Reading this story as Christians, we see Egypt represents the world, Pharaoh the devil, and Canaan the victorious life. There are four principles of victory found in this passage.First, we must receive a gracious provision. In Exodus 17, the Israelites are in the barren land, dying of thirst. God instructs Moses to strike a rock with his rod, and when he does, water gushes from the rock. This is a glorious illustration of our salvation. Jesus, the rock of ages, was smitten for us. And blood and water that flowed from His side represent the Holy Spirit.Second, we must realize God’s grand purpose. Adrian Rogers says, “God’s plan for His people was not merely that they come out of Egypt and go into the wilderness of Sinai. God’s plan for His people was that they go into the land of Canaan. God brought them out that He might bring them in.”Many of us have been brought out of the world, but we’ve never experienced the victory of Canaan. But God has brought us out to bring us in.Third, we must respect the grievous problem. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh...” As the Amalekites came against the Israelites in their weakest moments, the flesh will come up against us in our journey to the “promised land.” But we must remember the glorious principle: victory is God-given. We overcome the flesh by the power of God.Adrian Rogers says, “Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness.”When you take the rod of God, which is the Word, the Power, and the Spirit of God, and hold it high, you will see victory.Apply it to your lifeDo you need to see a victory in your life -- over your flesh? Remember: holiness is not the way to Christ;

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 11:17-19Throughout life, we will experience two kinds of tests: those that cause us to stumble, and those that cause us to stand. The devil will tempt us to do evil, while God tests us to do good and make our faith strong and pure.But God may ask us to do something that surprises us, and our response will reveal our true faith. In Hebrews 11, we are reminded of when Abraham’s faith was tested.“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (Hebrews 11:17-19).When we face trials and temptations, there are three questions we should ask ourselves to pass the test of our faith.Can I trust God with the possessions He has given to me?God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to give back his only beloved son, Isaac. God wanted to know if Abraham loved Him more than he loved Isaac. God does not want a place in our lives; He desires, deserves, and demands preeminence in our lives. We need to consider if there is anything we would not give back to God if He asked for it.Can I trust God with the purpose He has for me?Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not primarily believing God in spite of the evidence; it is obeying God in spite of the consequences, not having to know why.” Obedience is the proof of our trust in God. We must be informed, intentional and impassioned about seeking the will of God for our lives.Can I trust God with the promises He has made to me?God had already miraculously fulfilled His promises to Abraham before. Though he did not know how He’d do it, Abraham knew God would keep His promises again; and He did. God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place on the altar and gave Abraham back his son.Adrian Rogers says, “We don’t live by explanation; we live by promises.”Appl

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Matthew 7:7-11Nothing will bring you to your knees in prayer like having children; it also gives us a clearer picture of how God the Father provides for His children if only they would ask. In Matthew 7, Jesus shows us not only how to pray, but what happens when parents pray.“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).First, when we ask, we are expressing our desire.There is no substitute for prayer; unoffered prayer is not only a tragedy, but also a sin. Our Lord has not merely invited us to ask and pray; He has commanded us to ask and pray. Prayer initiates fellowship with God; our faith develops as we wait for Him to answer. If God gave us what we needed without our asking, we would cease to be dependent upon Him.Second, when we seek, we explore our direction.When we go to God, we are seeking His purposes, His presence, or His power. Adrian Rogers says, “Prayer is not bending God’s will to fit our will; prayer is finding the will of God and getting in on it.”Third, when we knock, we are exerting determination.“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11)!Sometimes, prayers are very direct: we ask, and God gives. Other times, we ask, and God gives us something better than what we’ve requested. Other times, the answer is denied; if we are not asking according to God’s will, He will say no. God will not give us something that will harm us or hinder our walk with Him.But sometimes, the answer isn’t denied, just delayed. This is the time we should continue knocking—keep bringing the request to God in Jesus’ name. We must remember that God is good, wise, and able to do exceedingly more than we could ever ask Him to do. (See Ephesians 3:20.)Apply i

It is good to desire contentment for our families, and peace despite circumstances. But if money can’t buy it, how can we have it? In this message, Adrian Rogers uses the family described in Psalm 128 to show how to cultivate contentment in the home.

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 4:9-33If there was ever a time for courage, it is now. In a world of cowardly Christians who are afraid of being criticized or disliked, we are called to be bold in our faith.Adrian Rogers says, “Boldness is having the courage to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of opposition.”We need the same holy boldness Peter and John had in Acts 4. Acts 4:13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”There are three principles that are the basis of our courage.The first principle is to keep company with God the Son.Boldness comes from knowing that Jesus Christ is with us and in us. We must make certain that Jesus is real to us and that we are walking with Him daily.Second, we must have confidence in God the Father.“So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them…’” (Acts 4:24).We need to see God for who He really is. God the Father is the Creator of all things, Controller of all things, and Conqueror of all things.Adrian Rogers says, “The man who can kneel before God can stand before anyone else.”Finally, we must receive courage from God the Spirit.“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).If only we ask, the Holy Spirit of God will give us courage. The apostles did not ask for safety; they asked for courage, for the ability to do more of what got them in trouble in the first place. As a result of the disciples’ boldness, multitudes of new believers were swept into the kingdom of Heaven.Likewise, we are made bold by the Holy Spirit to express God’s Word, extend God’s Hand and exalt God’s Son.Apply it to your lifeAre you a bold believer

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Acts 2:1-4The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 marked the birth of the Church, and the burst of the Holy Flame that is the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:1-4, the Holy Spirit was symbolized by fire and wind; it was vocalized by the speaking of tongues. This power was actualized in the disciples, as the Holy Spirit inhabited them and filled them.We must remember the principles of power, first given to us that Day of Pentecost.The Holy Spirit is a promise to be received. “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39). The Holy Spirit is the one who communicates the things of God. Our human spirits are the instruments of spiritual knowledge. The Holy Spirit of God speaks to your human spirit that you belong to God. God’s promise to us is clear: When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ and obey Him, the Holy Spirit lives in us.Second, the Holy Spirit is a power to be released. God wants us to live with power. We cannot depend on ourselves to be holy; we can’t earn it and we are not worthy of it. But if we repent of our sins, this power is gifted to us. Adrian Rogers says, “Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness.”Finally, the Holy Spirit is a Person to be recognized. The Third Person of the Trinity works in us. If we try to take credit for what the Holy Spirit of God is doing, we are taking praise under false pretenses. We need to constantly give God the praise and glory for what He is doing.When we do this, some will be amazed. Others will be amused, mocking us, for they don’t understand the Holy Spirit. But most importantly, there will be those who acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41).Apply it to your lifeAre you consciously, conspicuously filled with the Spirit of God? If not, you’re not just missing a blessing;

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: James 4:13-17James 4:15-16 says, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance...”If we’re honest, we all want to know what the future holds; we believe if we know what lies ahead, we can set ourselves up for success and avoid failure. But the Book of James offers three warnings for us in planning our future.First, beware of self-centered planning: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit” (James 4:13).This businessman had planned the period of time, the place, procedures, and profits. The problem is he left God out of the plan altogether; he did not consult with God or seek His will.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 plan for every area of our lives. If we confess our sins, acknowledge Him as Lord and listen closely to Him, He promises to guide us.We must also beware of self-confident presumption: “...whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).Our lives are like vapors -- here for a moment, quickly gone; we don’t know what the future holds, so we must not be frivolous with our time.Finally, beware of self-complacent procrastination. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Procrastination is a very deceptive and dangerous sin. The sins of omission are greater than the sins of commission.Adrian Rogers says, “It is a greater sin to fail to do what you ought to do than to do what you ought not to do.”It is good to plan, but we must commit our plans to God and actively pursue His will for our future.Apply it to your lifeWould you like for God to guide you this coming year?Adrian Rogers says, “Face your future by giving your hea

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:7-11At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who came to this Earth to save us from our sins. But the story of Christmas is not complete without the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The best is yet to be; the story is not finished until Jesus comes again.There are three things about the unfinished story of Christmas that ought to give us great cheer.First, we don’t need to be disturbed.2 Thessalonians 1:7 says “...and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven…” In these gloriously dark days, our hope is not in politics, sociology, or science. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who is coming again. When we see Him, we will wonder at His transforming love, His amazing grace, and His keeping power.Second, we should not be deceived.2 Thessalonians 2:3 says, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed…” From the time Jesus Christ came into this world, Satan has been moving against Him. And in the Last Days, Satan will fling his final insult into the face of God: the antichrist.There is unbelievable wickedness in the world today, but its evil is restrained by the Church, which is the salt and the light of the world. When Jesus raptures the Church, corruption will begin, and the antichrist will be revealed. Those who do not receive the truth when it is preached now will believe the antichrist in his reign.Finally, we will not be disappointed.The first time Jesus came, there was no room for Him in the inn; when He comes again, He’s coming as King of kings and Lord and lords. Jesus came the first Christmas to die in the sinner’s place. Jesus is coming the second Christmas to receive the sinner to Himself.Adrian Rogers says, “Our faith looks backward to a crucified Savior. Our love looks upward to a crowned Savior. And our hope looks forward to a coming Savior.”Apply it to your lifeDo you know Je

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 1:35Many who don’t believe in Jesus will call Him a great moral teacher. But when we look closely at His teachings, we find that He left no room for interpretation: Jesus Christ was the Son of God and God the Son.Luke 1:35 says, “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’”The doctrine of the Trinity is what makes our faith different from all other faiths.First, we must recognize the sublime mystery of the Trinity.We will never understand the Holy Trinity by human investigation, logic, or science. The only way we can know about the Holy Trinity is by divine revelation. There is one God, and He is a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If we try to understand it on our own, we will lose our minds; if we deny it, we may lose our souls.Adrian Rogers says, “It ought to give us comfort that we don’t understand the Trinity; it means that God is bigger and greater than we are.”Second, we recognize the sacred history of the Trinity.John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.”There is no contradiction between the three persons of the Trinity because they are One. The Trinity, together, created the world, composed the Scriptures, and commissioned the Church.Finally, we recognize the saving ministry of the Trinity.Through the Holy Trinity, we have our salvation. We have been selected by the Father, saved by the Son, and sealed by the Spirit.Apply it to your lifeIt’s not enough to simply accept the intellectual premise of the Holy Trinity. Give your heart to Jesus, the Son of God and God the Son. Adrian Rogers says, “Before God swung this planet into space, He had you in His heart and in His mind.”

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Colossians 1:12-21Adrian Rogers says, “To explain Jesus Christ is impossible, to ignore Jesus Christ is disastrous, and to reject Him is fatal.”It is crucial we understand who Jesus Christ is. If we know Him, we will love Him; and if we love Him, we will trust Him. To trust Him is to be radically, dramatically, and eternally transformed.Colossians 1:15 explains how Jesus reveals the Father: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”God is Spirit—invisible, unfathomable, unapproachable. We will only know God by revelation, and Jesus Christ came to reveal Him to us. We will never know the Father except through the Son; the visible Jesus makes the invisible God known.Colossians 1:18 explains how Jesus rules the future: “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Jesus is the power and preserver of creation: “And He is before all things, and in Him, all things consist” (Colossians 1:17).Adrian Rogers says, “The little baby in Matthew 1 is the Mighty God of Genesis 1; there was nothing made without Him.”Jesus Christ is the glue of the galaxies; He is the one who feeds the sun with its fuel, sets out all the stars, and guides the planets in their orbit. He is the purpose of creation—all things were created by Him, for Him (See Colossians 1:16.).Finally, Colossians 1:21 explains how Jesus reconciles the fallen: “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”Jesus reconciled God and man to a right relationship through His death on the cross. When Jesus created the universes, He did it with His Word. But when He saved us, it took every drop of His blood.We could not make peace with God, so Jesus made peace with the blood of His cross. We need to enter into that peace by faith and trust the Lord Jesus.Apply it to your lifeDo you know Jesus—who reveals the Fat

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Timothy 1:6-8Fear is an instinct that God has put into us to help protect and preserve us and our loved ones. But the Bible warns us about the damage, destruction, and debilitation of a “spirit of fear.”Adrian Rogers says, “Legitimate fear is like a thunderstorm: lightning flashes, thunder rolls, water pours down. But then it passes and the sun shines again. The spirit of fear is like constant darkness: a drizzle, a fog that you live in.”Paul’s instruction in 2 Timothy shows us how to handle our fear. 2 Timothy 1:6 says, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Because fear caused Timothy to forget who he was in Christ, Paul had to remind Timothy of how gifted he was and what God had done in him.When we focus on fear rather than on God, we leave our gifts and abilities unused, buried, and forgotten. And, like Timothy, many of us are afraid to fail, so we never try; we project our failures upon ourselves, so we give up.In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul reveals the deliverance from the spirit of fear, which is a spirit of faith: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”God has endued us with power over fear, through the Holy Spirit of God. If we understand that, we have greater strength than our foes, there is no need to be afraid. And through the Holy Spirit, we have been given everything we need.We are perfectly loved by the God who is in control; truly knowing that eliminates all dread. His perfect love casts out fear (See 1 John 4:18.).Finally, we’ve been given a spirit of sound mind. Many times, we are afraid, not on the basis of reality, but because the deceiver has made us afraid. God has given us a spirit of discernment and wise discretion. With a sound mind, we can look at every fear in the clear light of His Word. Apply it to your lifeIf you have been neutralized by a spirit of fear, remember that you have the power of the

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31Many of us struggle to believe God can use us as we are, with what little we have to offer. But the truth is, God does extraordinary things through ordinary people to give glory to Himself.1 Corinthians 1:26-31 gives good news to those who struggle with feelings of inferiority.“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty…” (1 Corinthians 1:27).This passage first recognizes God’s simple people. He chooses the nonintellectuals to shame the Ph.D. scholars. He uses the weak to shame the All-Stars; He has chosen the “nobodies” to shame the socialites.Thank God that He can use people with brilliant minds, high status, and extraordinary abilities. But praise God, He can use any average person who dedicates every part of himself to Him; God doesn’t just settle for these people—He goes after them.Second in this passage, we see God’s special power: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).Adrian Rogers says, “I learned that God didn't want me to do anything for him; He wanted to do something through me.”In the Book of Judges, the story of Gideon demonstrates God’s use of someone others consider “the bottom of the barrel” to do big things. Likewise, God used young David to take down the giant Goliath; as a result, God received the glory.Finally, we see God’s sovereign purpose for using ordinary people: that no man should glory in himself in God’s presence.We are saved by grace and not by works, so none of us can boast (See Ephesians 2:9.).There are no superstars in Heaven; if we want to be used by God in a way that matters, we only need to be available to Him and obey His will for our lives.Adrian Rogers says, “The highest pla

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Isaiah 40:28-31Many of us are emotionally fatigued, physically drained, and spiritually defeated; the reason being that most of us are dealing with some form of stress. Stress is the gap between the demands placed upon us and our ability to meet them. It’s not a sin to be stressed; Jesus Christ, in His humanity, knew what it was like to be weary.If it is not the demands of service that drain us, sin and spiritual warfare will weary us. But we must remember that God promises His insurmountable strength to us.Isaiah 40:28 says, “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.”Adrian Rogers says, “The Christian life is not just a changed life; it is an exchanged life: we give Him our weakness and He gives us His strength.”Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”When we wait on God, we take the initiative in actively pursuing Him. Practically, we must:Long for Him dailyListen to Him in our quiet timeLook to Him for our every needLive for Him, dedicating our lives to the service of the Lord.When we wait upon God, we are programmed for His service.In times of adversity, God will help us fly. We will face storms in this life that will surely stress us out. But if we wait on God, like an eagle, we can rise higher, see further, and fly faster.In times of opportunity, God will teach us to run. There’s enough time every day to do everything God wants us to do; sometimes we have to run to get it done. As we accelerate, we trust in God to sustain us, so that we will not grow weary.And in times of necessity, God will aid us to walk through the mundane. Our greatest need is day-by-day faithfulness in the little things, steadily walking in the regular humdrum times of life.Apply it to your lifeIf you believe in the promises of God, you must wait upon Him every day. L

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 102:6-7Loneliness is the most devastating and inevitable fact of human existence. We all must experience it, and we can’t stop it; rather, we must learn how to deal with loneliness.Loneliness is not solitude, nor is it being lonesome or being in isolation. It is insulation; it is feeling cut off, unnoticed, unloved, uncared for, unneeded and maybe even unnecessary.David expresses his loneliness in Psalm 102:6-7: “I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.”Everyone has three basic psychological and spiritual needs: to share love intimately, to be understood and cared for, and to be needed and wanted. When we don’t feel these needs are being met, we feel cut off.Loneliness can come from feeling rejected; it can be a deep inner wound that hasn’t healed, and we don't want to risk being hurt again. Others of us may have a sense of insecurity and low self-worth. We are unable to see ourselves as worthy of acceptance. Some of us are lonely because we’ve gone through deep sorrow, tragedy, and loss. In our grief, we lose our sense of perspective.We must see that loneliness can be destructive to our health and well-being. Many of our harmful vices and coping mechanisms are formed due to loneliness.We must also remember that Jesus is the answer to loneliness. He alone meets our three basic needs. He loves us intimately and He understands what it is to feel lonely.Psalm 102 is a messianic song, one that portrayed how Jesus would feel on the cross.Adrian Rogers says, “When David died, he could say, ‘yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me,’ (See Psalm 23.) but Jesus walked that lonesome valley all by himself.”He needs us as His beloved Body; more than that, He wants us as His Bride.We may be alone, but we are never alone. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Numbers 11:15; 1 Kings 19:4Depression is not just sadness -- it is a profound helplessness and hopelessness that we can’t seem to regulate on our own. Becoming Christians does not make us immune to depression. If it can happen to Moses, Elijah, and Jonah, it can happen to us.God’s Word offers insight to help us in dealing with depression. Each prophet who uttered prayers of deep depression was physically worn and emotionally distraught. When Moses desperately prayed for death, he had been leading the Israelites in the wilderness alone, heavy under their burdens. As the people blamed him day and night for their problems in the wilderness, Moses felt emotionally drained. Frazzled by death threats from Jezebel, Elijah made a long, strenuous journey without food and water; exhausted, he asked God to take him out of his misery. Likewise, Jonah was far from home after a perilous journey by land and sea. Jonah was also angry because God had started a revival in the land of Tarshish after Jonah had prophesied judgment upon the land.Adrian Rogers says, “Moses had his eyes upon others. Elijah had his eyes upon himself. And Jonah had his eyes upon circumstances. But none of them had their eyes upon God.”As a result, these prophets became spiritually run down. Right on the heels of great spiritual experiences, these prophets faced great letdowns; they were walking through valleys after hillside experiences.But we also see God did not answer the prophets’ prayers for death because He knew them. Knowing the prophets were in the throes of depression, God did not mistake the moments for the men.Instead, God physically blessed them. He gave Moses help and assurance that He’d take care of His people. God provided Elijah with food and rest to replenish his strength. As Elijah asked for pity, God instead showed him His great power. And God delivered Jonah from his grief through shelter from the sun. In the cool of the shade, God provided Jonah with a n

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 John 5:13As Christians, we have the opportunity to know without a doubt that we have eternal life. Praise God, we can be saved and know it; but we can also be saved and doubt it.As pain is a signal that there is something wrong with one’s physical body, doubt is a signal that something is wrong in the believer’s spirit.1 John 5 is written for those who are dealing with doubt, so that we may be saved and know it.“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).Understanding this, we can dispel doubt through these three basic tests:Commandment TestIf we claim to love God, we will keep His commandments (1 John 5:2). This does not mean we follow these commandments flawlessly. In this context, to “keep” means to steer. The commandments of God are the standard by which we chart our course. We order our lives by His commandments. This is not about sinless perfection; it simply means a Christian does not make sin his lifestyle.Adrian Rogers reminds us, “We’re not saved because we keep his commandments. We keep his commandments because we are saved.”Companion TestAnother birthmark of the Believer is love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Fellowship is in the nature of both the Christian and the Church.Adrian Rogers says, “The Church and God are not identical, but they are inseparable.”If we love Jesus, we will love the Church—because of who we are, and who fellow believers are. We, having the nature of God, are called to love the Church, which is both the Body and the Bride of Christ.Commitment TestThe assurance of our salvation is ongoing; it is not a past event, stamped by a time, 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?

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Hebrews 12:14-15Bitterness is a terrible problem that blows the joy out of our lives and leaves our souls in darkness. It often manifests itself in people as hostility and fault-finding. Sometimes, it can look like self-pity, or an aloof, disinterested spirit.The Bible warns about the blight of bitterness and describes how to uproot it before it takes its full effect. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord…”We must recognize the root of bitterness. A bitter person is someone who has generally been hurt. Adrian Rogers says, “The root of bitterness grows in the soil of a hurt that has not been properly dealt with.” The hurt could have been intentional, unintentional, or imagined; regardless, something happened and that hurt has turned into anger.Second, we see the fruit of bitterness: “...looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…” (Hebrews 12:15).Bitterness produces physical and emotional trouble; it fatigues us, it stresses and depresses us, and it can even make us sick. It also brings spiritual trouble; anger becomes a sin when we begin to live with it—when we nurse and feed it and cherish it.The bitterness turns to wrath, which burns slowly, then explodes into an unproportionally big anger. The arguing and clamoring lead to evil speaking, and then tragically transforms into malice—a desire to harm someone else.Finally, we must pursue bitterness to uproot it. Because bitterness is an underground sin, we have to seek it out. When we live outwardly good lives while bitterness festers beneath the surface, we prune its limbs while strengthening the root.The only way to uproot bitterness is forgiveness. On the basis of God’s grace, we must forgive others as God has forgiven us. We must make things right with our brothers and sisters if we want the love of God to take

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 19:11-12It’s been said that unjustified anger is like an acid that brings harm to anything it is poured on, including the very container it inhabits. If we can’t control our temper, we risk wrecking our lives and destroying our testimonies.Proverbs 19:11 reveals God’s answer to anger. “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”Scripture says sudden anger is to be controlled. When we feel it coming, we must confess it to God and keep it contained until we have a chance to consider it.Sinful anger is to be condemned; it is not a weakness, it is wickedness. It is anger without a cause rooted within us. It is centered on a person rather than on an offense. It refuses to forgive and let go.Stubborn anger is to be conquered. Bitterness and wrath take over when we let the sun go down on our anger. We allow the devil access in our lives when we let anger rule over us.We must recognize and repent of our anger and refuse the devil’s schemes to use our emotions against us. If we don’t control, condemn, and conquer anger, it will control, condemn, and conquer us.But there’s a sanctified anger we are instructed to channel. It is not destructive to the soul, and it does not result in sin. We see it in Jesus in Mark 3, when He cleared the temple of malicious Pharisees and self-seeking merchants who were taking advantage of the poor.It is not only possible to possess righteous anger, but it is also expected. In fact, injustice ought to stir us and move us to act. Never once did Jesus retaliate when he was personally attacked and abused, even when He was crucified. Yet, Jesus was moved with righteous anger to act when He saw other people being attacked and abused.Adrian Rogers said, “Sometimes anger is love’s clearest expression, but we need to be careful with it.”If we want to follow the example of Jesus, we are instructed to get angry at the right time, for the right reason, against th

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Samuel 12:1-142 Samuel 12 tells the heartbreaking story of how God dealt with David’s sins. David had committed adultery and murder. When David finally asked God for forgiveness, he faced cleansing with chastisement through the loss of a child.In order to understand why David suffered as he did, we must know the law of the harvest.The first principle of the law of the harvest is implantation: if we want a crop, we have to plant.We reap because we have sown, and many times we reap the physical and spiritual blessings somebody else has planted before us.The second principle is identification: we reap the same as we sow.Adrian Rogers says, “You cannot plant discord and reap unity. You cannot plant hypocrisy and reap holiness. You cannot sow to the flesh and reap to the spirit.”Galatians 6:7 confirms, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”The third principle is incubation: we reap later than we sow.David’s fatal crop came up days after God pronounced judgment on him. But some seeds sprout after a long incubation period. Whatever it may be, we will reap in due season.The fourth principle is intensification: we always reap more than we sow.Hosea 8:7 warns, “They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind.”If we do a little good, God rewards us a lot; if we do a little evil, our punishment will be far more severe than we’d expect.The final principle is implementation: if we want to reap a crop, we must get busy.God gives the opportunity, but we must implement the plan. We may try to talk ourselves out of planting based on exterior circumstances.Ecclesiastes 11:4 instructs, “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”David’s experience with the law of the harvest was a painful one. God forgave him, but He did not cancel out the law of the harvest. To be forgiven means there’s unbroken communion with God, but it doesn’t mean we bypass the suffering for wh

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Habakkuk 1-3The Book of Habakkuk might be the most pertinent Scripture in this day and age. In three short chapters, Habakkuk shows us how to give thanks in dark days.There are three things to remember about faith as these days grow gloriously dim.In chapter one, we learn that faith does not live by explanations, but by God’s promises.“The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’” (Habakkuk 1:1-2).Habakkuk has been praying fervently, crying out for help with a broken heart. Yet he experienced Heaven’s silence, Earth’s sinfulness, and Hell’s success. He begins to question if God is even listening. God will not explain everything to us because we would not understand His ways; He will not limit Himself to our understanding.In chapter two, Habakkuk shows that faith doesn’t live by appearances, but by providence.In the silence of a prayer tower, God revealed His providence to Habakkuk, first through Scripture, which is Truth.Habakkuk also saw God’s provision for the saints: “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith, when it is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the most powerful force on earth.God also provides retribution for the sinner. Judgment will come against all material, moral, and spiritual corruption running rampant on Earth. Adrian Rogers reminds us, “The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”God will also show provision through the reign of the Savior: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).Finally, in chapter three, we learn that faith doesn’t live by circumstances, but by praise.Habakkuk 3:3 says, “His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.”In these dimming days, we must remember God’s glory, rejoice in His goodness and rely on His grace. A

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1-2King David, though a man after God’s own heart, was a great sinner. In 2 Samuel 11, he committed adultery and, in covering it up, he committed murder. But in 2 Samuel 12, we find that David was also a great repenter. He exemplifies the way back to God after we fall into sin.We must first recognize the causes of David’s sin. In a time of war, David was at home while his army fought without him.Adrian Rogers says, “The sin of omission is failure to do what you ought to be doing.”David’s idleness quickly turned into a careless affair with a married woman. That carelessness turned into callousness. After committing the hot-blooded sin of adultery, David murdered his mistress’s husband Uriah in cold blood.We also see the consequences David faced when he covered up his sins rather than confess them. He aged prematurely, his body groaned inwardly under heavy conviction, and he experienced a spiritual dryness.Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”For those who are children of God, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins until we confess them. If we do not confess, God must chastise us as he did David. God is more interested in our relationship with Him than in anything else; He will do whatever He has to in order to restore us to Himself.Then, God will use someone or something in our lives to challenge us about our sins. For David, He sent the prophet Nathan.Once David realized how far he had drifted from God, he was desperate to find the way back.Psalm 51:7 says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”Even when he sinned, David had confidence in God’s lovingkindness. He confessed his sins without any excuse or alibi, and God was faithful to cleanse and forgive.1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”We do

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1-52 Samuel 11 is a dark chapter in the history of King David’s life. David was at the height of his career, seeing continuous blessings from God. But then came —David committed the sin of adultery.“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold...” (2 Samuel 11:2).Marriage is a divine creation, a supreme commitment, and a faithful continuation. It is the first institution created by Almighty God, designed for one man to be married to one woman until death do them part.Though he did not understand the beauties of monogamous marriage, David broke the marriage vows he made to his wives. When David sinned against his marriage, he ultimately sinned against himself.Adrian Rogers says, “There is no sin that will do you more damage, hurt, or harm than the sin of sexual impurity. Sexual immorality is harmful spiritually, psychologically, and physically.”David also sinned against his family, which is the basic unit of society; God established monogamous marriage to meet a family’s deepest emotional, physical and spiritual needs. The glue that holds the home together is sexual faithfulness.Adultery is also a sin against the church; when a member of a church lives in sexual immorality, he sins against the holy body of Christ.No matter how society tries to glamorize it, adultery has destroyed great nations in the past: Rome, Egypt, and Babylon, to name a few. It may be the sin that destroys our nation, as well, because it is a sin against Almighty God.If we want to avoid sinning the way David did, we must make the decision; bring our failures and sins before Jesus Christ and depend on Him. We have a responsibility to exercise our devotion to Christ and to our families.We must let our love develop, cultivate and grow over time, guarding our hearts; we must be disciplined, and have control over w

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Samuel 26:21No man in Scripture ever had a brighter beginning, nor a sadder ending, than King Saul. Any one of us could become like Saul if we dare to play the games that fools play.First, we must see Saul’s golden opportunities. 1 Samuel 9 notes his superior manhood, modesty, and magnanimous spirit. He was anointed by God to rule Israel—God’s chosen people—surrounded by men of valor and mentored by God’s chosen prophet, Samuel. Yet, despite being set up for success, he started down the road toward self-destruction and became a fool.His first step toward failure was his self-determination. Saul ran ahead of God’s timing and acted by self-will. He did what seemed good to him rather than obeying God. Those who run ahead of God eventually veer off track.Second, in his wandering, Saul chose to stubbornly disobey rather than to repent. In his reasoning, he wanted to do wrong so that he could then do right.Third, 1 Samuel 16:14 says, “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.” Something terrible happened to this man as God’s Spirit left him and an evil spirit came upon him.Spiritually depraved, Saul engaged in witchcraft and began communicating with evil spirits for guidance on the battlefield. He put himself in company with the devil and opened himself to the occult.Seeing his defeat, Saul died in shame by his own hand, falling on his own sword. He became the finished product of the devil’s art.Saul’s story reminds us that we could have every advantage in the world and still play the fool. Success is temporary, and we have no chance of it without obeying God. If we knowingly disobey Him with our eyes wide open, we put ourselves in danger.Adrian Rogers says, “Sin is horribly powerful; it will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”No one is immune to the power of sin; we must get clean and stay that wa

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Samuel 3:33, 382 Samuel 3 tells of the tragic demise of Abner, a great man of middle age and robust health who died in a foolish manner.Then the king said to his servants, ‘Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel’” (2 Samuel 3:38)?Abner’s story is instructive for those who want to live lives full of wisdom and abundance.First, we see that Abner was in a place of fearful danger; he was in the middle of a battle, fighting on the wrong side against David. Seeing his defeat, he fled and was chased down by the brother of Joab, the king’s commander-in-chief.Abner killed his hunter, and as a result, faced a foolish death, himself. “Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother” (2 Samuel 3:27).Hebron was a city of refuge where Abner would be safe. But he was lured outside of the city gate by Joab, who killed him to avenge his brother’s death. Abner’s foolish death is an illustration of what it is like to die without faith in Jesus Christ.Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus is our city of refuge, and yet many great, discerning men are going to die like fools because they will die just outside the gate of the city of refuge.”Abner, a brilliant man, died like a fool because he was deceived. Likewise, the devil has deceived many into believing he is their ally and God is their enemy. This friendly deceiver lures them outside of Christ our refuge to strike them down.Finally, we see the final determination of David and his tears after the fact: “And the king sang a lament over Abner and said: ‘Should Abner die as a fool dies’” (2 Samuel 3:33)?Abner’s destiny was fixed, and David’s tears could not bring him back. Adrian Rogers says, “David wept after the fact, but Jesus wept before the fact. Oh, may God give me a heart that’s broken over the lost destiny of men.”Apply it to yo

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Kings 2:5-6In 1 Kings 2, David is coming to the end of his reign. Before relinquishing the throne to his son, Solomon, David proclaims judgment on his right-hand man, Joab.By all appearances, Joab was devoutly loyal to his king. He was David’s nephew who believed the right things about him. He knew David was the savior of Israel and a sovereign king. He even believed David was a sufficient leader, risking his life for his king on the battlefield.But in spite of his loyalty, there was still something missing: he never really gave his heart to David.Adrian Rogers says, “Joab was a man who loved the kingdom without loving the king. He loved the power, but he didn’t love the person. He loved the glory, but he did not love the glorious one who was God’s anointed.”There are some Christians who will profess their loyalty to Christ, yet remain lost like Joab, the Judas of the Old Testament.Joab represents those who claim to know and love the Lord, and yet don’t have the mind of Christ. They can’t deal properly with those whom Jesus has forgiven, because they don’t understand it—and they don’t understand it because they haven’t experienced it.Joab did not have the heart of David. David’s son, Absalom, had rebelled against his father, trying to usurp the throne. But David loved his rebel son and instructed Joab to deal gently with him. Instead, Joab killed Absalom the moment he got the chance.Nor did Joab have the will of David; it was David’s will that Solomon be king, but Joab sought out other candidates.There are many like Joab in our churches who will claim to fight in the name of their king, but they don’t have the heart of the king. They don’t deal with other people as Jesus would, or forgive as Jesus forgives.They don’t seek rebels as Jesus seeks rebels, therefore, they don’t share in His sovereign will. Joab’s tragic story shows our loyalty doesn’t matter if we are still lost. We must consider our own hearts, minds, and wills, and

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4A blood covenant is a biblical principle that permanently unites two people together in marriage, business or friendship. It is made when the blood of two individuals is mingled together, and the two parties adopt a lovingkindness toward each other, meaning their love surpasses all differences.Jonathan and David’s blood covenant in 1 Samuel 18-19 is a picture of the blood covenant God made with us, through Jesus.After David came into power, the former King Saul’s descendants were scared that he would kill them, especially his grandson, Mephibosheth. But because of the covenant David made with Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan, he was shown lovingkindness.2 Samuel 9:7 says, “And David said unto him, ‘Fear not; fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness, for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and I will restore unto thee all the land of Saul, thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.’”Mephibosheth changed his mind and ratified the covenant first made by his father. King David, who was once his enemy, became his friend. Once he ratified the covenant, a transformation took place. Mephibosheth, deformed, dethroned, deceived, and good as dead, was now a son of the King. He shared the King’s possessions, protections, and personhood.In the same way, when we change our minds, we take a new King into our lives: Jesus Christ.The blood covenant is not just a biblical principle… it is the subject of the Bible; Jesus entered into a blood covenant with God the Father on our behalf. On the cross, the blood of God and the blood of man mingled.As a result, we now live by the steadfast promise and the saving power of the blood covenant. We have received the King’s forgiveness, His fellowship, and His fortune.Adrian Rogers says, “Because of the blood covenant, the meek shall inherit the earth. We’re heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.”Thank God that God sought us, just as David sought Mephibosheth. We

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Samuel 18:1-4A true friend is of great value and worth the find. The Bible places a great emphasis upon friends, but it also encourages us not to have too many of them. Rather, we are to consider friendships as an investment. We invest time, energy, prayers, and emotions into people. We cannot fully invest in more than we can maintain.Jesus loved many people in his time on Earth. He made good acquaintances, but he regularly invested himself in his twelve disciples. In his humanity, Jesus needed a friend, and He showed us the virtues of a true friend.1 Samuel 18 provides a vignette of David and Jonathan, and the fortune and formula of their beautiful friendship. “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1).David and Jonathan’s friendship was selfless. Jonathan was the king’s son, and the heir to the throne; yet there’s not one speck of jealousy of David, the one who would become king. Rather, the Bible says that Jonathan loved David as he loved his own soul.Their friendship was steadfast, as 1 Samuel 18:3 continues: “Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.” By entering a blood covenant, their steadfast friendship was unconditional.Their friendship was also sacrificial: “And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt” (1 Samuel 18:4). Jonathan, who lived a life of royalty, shared all he had with David, who lived a life of a shepherd.Finally, their friendship was sanctifying. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”Adrian Rogers says, “The best thing that could happen to you is to have a friend that so loves God and so loves you that you’re always a better person when you leave his presence.”Apply it to your lifeDo you have a friend who loves, strengthens,

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Samuel 17:45-54Because King David lived by purpose, progression, and power, he saw many victories. But victory can be dangerous if we don’t know how to receive it. It is entirely possible to be defeated by our victories.In 1 Samuel 17-18, David demonstrates how to live in our victories.First, we see David’s partnership with Jonathan: “...the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” After David defeated Goliath, King Saul brought David to his home, where he met Saul’s son, Jonathan. They became close friends, and would eventually enter a blood covenant together. Jonathan rejoiced with David as he watched God bless him with many victories.As the Body of Christ, we are in blood covenant with one another. When one member rejoices, every member should rejoice. When one member suffers, every member should suffer.Second, we see the problem of the women’s praise: “So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7).The women praised David, but David knew it wasn’t his victory, it was God’s. We must be quick to pass the praise on to Jesus.Adrian Rogers says, “The way to lose the next victory is to fail to give God the proper praise for the last victory.”The third response to victory was the pride of Saul, who felt David’s gain was somehow his loss. The marks of his pride were his anger, jealousy, and fear.Adrian Rogers says, “No one is a complete failure until he starts disliking the man who succeeds.”Finally, we see the prudence of David, in his reaction to victory: “And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.” (1 Samuel 18:14)When we receive praise, it does something to us, either good or bad, according to our own estimation of ourselves. David knew each battle he faced was the Lord’s, which is why God could bless him and use him.When we receive blessings from God, we should seek wisdom as David did

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 8:28-31Salvation, from start to finish, is of the Lord. It is only by the grace of God that we can be sure of our salvation.Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”There are five foundational facts on which our faith rests.The first fact is God’s foreknowledge of our salvation. God knew we were going to be saved before we did. When God foreknows something, it is not an educational guess; He sees the beginning, middle, and end of everything, all at once.Second, we can be sure of our predestination to be like Jesus. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn’t predestine some people to go to Hell, and God doesn’t predestine some people to go to Heaven. God predestines every child of God, everyone who is born again, to be like Jesus.” God wants everyone to be saved, but in order for love to be love, it cannot be forced. So God gave us free will; whether we want to be saved or not is up to us.Third, we are sure that God foreknew we would be saved: “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called…” (Romans 8:30). Whenever the Gospel is preached, God is calling people to salvation. Through His Word and His Spirit, God can make the spiritually blind see things they’ve never seen before.Fourth and fifth, we can be sure of our settled justification, and finally, our eternal glorification.“...whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:30).The basis of our justification is the blood of Jesus Christ; it becomes effective when we trust in Him. As a result, God no longer deals with us as sinners, but as servants. As servants, God already sees us in Heaven, in His heart and mind, settled and glorified. And what has been settled in Heaven cann

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 8:26-28As Christians, prayer is our greatest privilege and service, yet it can be our greatest failure. Too often, we don’t have the desire to pray, nor do we know what to pray for. Other times, the enemy interferes to keep us from praying.Adrian Rogers says, “The devil laughs at our organization and mocks our schemes. He ridicules our good intentions, but he fears our prayers.”Knowing this, God has given us an ally, an asset, and Great Helper: the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” These are some of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us pray:-The Spirit activates our will to pray. Our flesh resists prayer, but the Holy Spirit in us recognizes God for who He is and reignites our will to pray.-The Spirit animates our bodies to pray. When our minds wander and grow weary, we must yield to the Holy Spirit and receive His energy and power.-The Spirit adapts our requests. Sometimes we’re not sure how to pray but, glory to God, the Holy Spirit is the ultimate transformer. Simply pray with a clean heart, and He will adapt our prayers.-The Spirit administrates our access to God. God has given us the royal invitation to pray, and the Holy Spirit is our guide into the throne room.-The Spirit articulates our words. The Holy Spirit understands our groans and wordless heartache. Even when we don’t have the vocabulary to express our thoughts, God knows our hearts. And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. (See Romans 8:28.) His plans are for our holiness, not our happiness.-The Spirit amplifies our victory. When we pray in the flesh, we are no match for Satan; but when w

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 6:1-2The grace of God enables us to live godly lives in Christ Jesus and empowers us to live in victory. Romans 6 reveals how to live in victory.First, we must know our identification with Jesus, who gave Himself for us.“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Romans 6:5-6).Jesus has acted on our behalf; when He died for us, we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried with Him. And now, we have that same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, in us.Adrian Rogers explains, “When Jesus came out of the grave, we came out with Him and we’ve been raised to walk in a new life.”Second, we must reckon our appropriation of Jesus: “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11). Reckoning is acting by faith, on what we know to be true, which is that we are dead to our sins and alive in Christ.Third, we must yield our emancipation to Christ. The victorious life is God’s work in us; we cannot do it without Him, and He will not do it without us. Yielding begins when we dethrone sin. We must choose against our old master. No longer will our eyes be a tool for sin, nor our ears be sin’s instruments, nor will our hands do its bidding.We must also enthrone the Savior: “...but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). We must make Jesus Lord of our lives, enslaving ourselves to Him, as Romans 6:18 explains: “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”When we become slaves of Christ, we receive new freedom, faithfulness, and fruitfulness. God will begin to live His life in us, claiming victory every step of the way

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Romans 5:6-9This modern world is trying to obliterate the word “sin” from our language. Everything is excused by psychology, evolution, human studies, and behavioral science, yet the real root of the problem is sin.If we don’t understand the bad news of sin, we’re not ready for the Good News of the Gospel—that there is so much more that we’ve gained through Jesus Christ.Romans 5:6 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”Presently, there are two kingdoms: one is of death and destruction and the other is of love and life. Adam is the head of that old kingdom, and Jesus is the head of that new kingdom.Adam is the head of the old kingdom. Being the first man created by God, Adam was given dominion over the Earth. But when Adam sinned, he forfeited his dominion to sin. And because we are his offspring, we are identified with Adam in this slavery to sin.Romans 5:8-9 explains, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”When we join the kingdom of light, we gain so much more through Jesus than we ever lost through Adam. Through Adam, we received weakness rather than power, and we gained ungodliness rather than godliness. We also received wrath rather than approval, war instead of peace.We inherited our ability to sin from Adam: not only when we do as we shouldn’t, but also in failing to do as we should.Yet in Jesus Christ, we receive much more in His redeeming blood. Because of His sacrifice, we are justified and reconciled with the Father. We have the fellowship with God that was severed when Adam sinned.In Christ, we are also renewed and made righteous to reign with Him in the kingdom of life.Finally, we receive His restoring grace, as Romans 5:20 says, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, gr

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 f

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18When we live for Jesus Christ, believing in the Gospel, we will be looked upon as fools by this world. What God calls wisdom, the world calls foolishness. And what the world calls wisdom, God calls foolishness.Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel is so radically different: it starts at a different source, follows a different course, and ends at a different conclusion. We don’t need to make it compatible with this world.”The cross of Jesus Christ is the measurement of a man’s foolishness or wisdom. It is how we can know if we are wise or otherwise.God speaks, demonstrates His power, saves us, and sanctifies us through the cross.God speaks through the cross. God reveals Himself in many ways, but we will never know His heart and mind until we understand the cross. Fools look for signs and wonders and often overlook Jesus as the Messiah because He died upon the cross.God demonstrates His power and wisdom through the cross. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”God also saves us through the cross; it is how He provided salvation for our souls. While others may take offense to it, we believe that the cross is God’s only way of salvation.Finally, God sanctifies us by the cross; not only have we been saved, but we are also being saved. God is in the process of making us more like Jesus. Salvation is in three tenses:We have been saved from the penalty of sin.Presently, we are being saved daily from the power of sin -- it is an ongoing process.We will be saved from the presence of sin when the rapture occurs.The Christian life isn’t hard…it is impossible. It commences with a miracle, which is the new birth, and concludes with a miracle, which is the resurrection. But it also continues with a miracle.If we wish to be wise, we must learn to live the principle of the cross; to die to ourselves every day so that the Holy

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 i

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Psalm 119:89In order to have spiritual power, we need to be molded, motivated, and managed by the Word of God. Yet for many, the Bible remains a closed book. There’s no magical way to understand the Bible. It takes work—joyful, thrilling work—to understand the Word of God.Psalm 119 shows us how to make the Bible come alive.First, we must appreciate its virtues: “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). The Bible is a timeless book, ultimate and indestructible; it is full of God-breathed truth. If we don’t treasure it, we won’t have any desire to understand it.Next, we must assimilate the Word of God; we begin by praying that our eyes will be opened, our hearts stirred, and our minds enlightened. Then, with a pen in hand, we read and ponder it, ready to write down whatever the Lord reveals through it. When reading the Bible, we should use our sanctified common sense. We need a plan. Try not to jump into the middle of a chapter, the middle of a book somewhere, with no plan, no rhyme, no reason.Third, we must preserve it and practice it, as Psalm 119:16-17 says, “I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.” If we want to learn more of the Word of God, we should obey the parts of it we do know.Next, we must proclaim it: “My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172).Finally, we must appropriate the values of the Word of God. It’s a source of victory, growth, joy, power, and guidance.Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible addresses one problem, and that problem is sin. The Bible has one villain, and that villain is the devil. The Bible has one hero, and His name is Jesus. The Bible has one purpose, and that is the glory of God."Apply it to your lifeAs you read Scripture today, dwell on these six questions:-Is there a promise to claim?-Is there a lesson to learn?-Is there a ble

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Luke 10:21Luke 10:21 says that God has "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…” (Psalm 19:1). The heavens also declare God’s greatness. The vastness of the Universe, along with its small intricacies, demonstrates 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 reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:2). 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 value of the Scriptures is precious, “more desirable than fine gold” (Psalm 19:10).They are protective, for "by them Your servant is warned" (Psalm 19:11).They are profitable, for "in keeping them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:11).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 contro

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 that he heard the Word of God, and then that he believed 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 mirac

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 John 3:1-3Adrian Rogers says, “A rich man is poor without Jesus, a strong man is weak without Jesus, and an educated man is ignorant until he comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ.”Without Jesus, man is ignorant of his past and afraid of his future; he lives somewhere in between mystery and misery. But when we know the Lord Jesus Christ, we experience the sweetest fellowship on Earth and can anticipate joy beyond comprehension when we all get to Heaven.1 John 3:1 says: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”First, this passage identifies what we are; it describes our Christian dignity.We are children of God; He loves us as He loves Jesus, and nothing we do can make Him love us any less. Because of this love, we have our Father’s care; we can rest assured that we are provided for. We have His correction as well; He will lovingly chastise us that we may be sanctified and holy in His sight. We have our Father’s compassion; His heart is broken when ours is broken. We have his companionship, and we will never be alone ever again.This passage also reveals what we will be, it outlines our Christian destiny.“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Christ is going to appear; He is coming back to this Earth, and we will see Him as He is, in all of His glory. And this verse confirms that we are going to be like Him.Finally, this passage confirms what we should be; it challenges us to our Christian duty: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). The biblical definition of “hope” is absolute certainty mingled with anticipation. We should live with the hope of His return, looking and longing for His coming. And we should be living for His coming, striving for purity and holiness as we wa

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 1 John 2:18-19As children of God, we cannot afford to be ignorant of the dynamic days in which we’re living.The sands of time are running low for this generation, and history as we know it is headed for a climax. 1 John 2 gives clear instruction for those living in the last days.First, we need to be awake. 1 John 2:18 says, “Little children, it is the last hour…”We’re not just moving toward the last days, we’re living on the edge of them. We are not waiting for any sign, no event must take place—the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is imminent.Adrian Rogers says, “All of the Bible teaches that we’re on the very edge, on the very brink, and therefore we should be yearning and not yawning.”Second, the antichrist is coming and we need to be aware: “...and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18).The time is ripe for the appearance of a person the Bible calls the antichrist. He’s the beast of a man lurking in the shadows of history, ready to step from the wings to center stage. The antichrist is devilish and divisive; he is the diabolical substitute who opposes God and exalts himself. He is deceptive and, as a result, he is destructive. Being a master liar, he constantly attacks our understanding of who Jesus is.Finally, this passage reminds us of our triumph: our Lord is on His way and we need to be abiding.“Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.” (1 John 2:24-25)If we are not anchored in Scripture, we will be blown away. And if we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the Lord Jesus Christ will be revealed in our lives.Apply it to your lifeBecause we are living in the last days, we must:Be awake: the antichrist is coming.Be aware: our Lord is on His

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Colossians 3:1-5, 11As Christians, we don’t just receive knowledge of Jesus Christ; our life is knowing Jesus Christ.Adrian Rogers says, “You can get to know Jesus better, but you can never know anything better than Jesus. You can go deeper into Jesus, but you can never go beyond Jesus.”Colossians 3:11 says, “...where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”There are three things that will happen when Christ is all, when He is everything to us, when He consumes our entire life.First, Jesus captivates our ambitions.Colossians 3:1 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.”When Christ is our all, our ambition is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.But when our ambition is to seek righteousness, we must beware of the world’s reasonings. The world will try to distract us with ritual, religion, and regulations so that we will remain captive to those things. We must remember, these are shadows of the substance we have in Christ; Christ is the priority.Adrian Rogers says, “You’re not going to be any more like Jesus with a list of dos and don’ts. They’re not going to make you one speck like Jesus. It may look good, it may have a show of wisdom and humility; but if you let all of the air out of it, it is will-worship and not God worship.”Second, Jesus dominates our attention.Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”There are many things pulling at our minds, at any given moment. But we are instructed to set our minds on Jesus. As our ambitions come to a burning focus, we’ll find that Jesus takes the center stage of our affections.Finally, when Christ is all, Jesus regulates our actions.Colossians 3:5 says, “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desi

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Proverbs 23:23In this day, it is not values that we desperately need, but virtue. We must be able to differentiate truth and fact: we acquire facts, but learn truth. Facts deal with knowledge, and knowledge can double, but truth never changes and is settled for eternity. We must make a habit of treasuring truth.Proverbs 23:23 says, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”We must prize the truth, for it is indispensable, absolute, and attainable through the Word of God. It is not enough just to know it; knowledge without transformation avails nothing. We must see the transforming power behind it, through the Holy Spirit.We must also purchase the truth. Adrian Rogers says, “Salvation is free, but truth is costly; you pay a price to have truth.”John 8:31-32 says, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'”Believing in Jesus is the first step in attaining truth; we must also abide in His Word through discipleship. Discipleship is costly—it costs time, discipline, and obedience; but ignorance is far more costly. We must study the Bible for enlightenment. If we know in knowledge but not in grace, we will be dangerous to ourselves and to others.Adrian Rogers says, “Truth is to your spirit what good is to your body, what light is to your eyes, what melody is to your ears.”We also study Scripture for our enjoyment; reading the Bible should not be perceived as a punishment but as a privilege. We read for our personal enrichment, to sharpen our minds and strengthen our wills. We read Scripture for our enablement, to grow in our faith and fellowship with others.Finally, we must preserve the truth; guarding it against those who will deny, distort, dilute and defile the Bible.We do this by proclaiming the Gospel truth: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten S

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 to 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 is speaking 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 Ephesians 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,