Archives: Sermons

Not in the Flesh (Romans 8:7-9)

I'm really excited about the next three months of preaching. We're going to be in Romans chapter 8 for the rest of the year. This chapter is packed full of encouraging truth. I preached on the first 6 verses the third week I was here, so I'd like to just briefly review them. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what…continue reading →

Share Jesus Without Fear (John 14:6)

Although they are often used ineffectively, pre-packaged evangelism methods can be helpful. They can give us a starting point to share about Jesus. And they can give us a structure to make sure we discuss main points of the gospel systematically. The title of this method of evangelism is slightly misleading. It's not saying that we can get to a point where there is absolutely no fear involved in sharing your faith. But it is saying that we don't have to fear failure. As Paul did, we may come with much fear and…continue reading →

Is Our Mission Impossible? (Galatians 6:7-10)

I've been talking these last few weeks about missions. God has called us not only to the Great Commission, but to serve others. It's so easy to get discouraged as we seek to do the work of the church. We start to ask ourselves, “Is our mission impossible?” We try to be be faithful, but we often don't see the outcomes that we desire. But it shouldn't have to be this way. We should be full of joy as we serve! Furthermore, the Bible tells us the kind of results we can expect…continue reading →

The Holy Spirit in Evangelism (Acts 8:26-40)

We've talked about the wisdom of going out in groups of three. But let me tell you a story. It begins with the Holy Spirit prompting this man, let's call him Bill, to visit his neighbor, Eric. Eric opens the door and Bill invites Eric to an upcoming event at his church. They begin to talk and the Holy Spirit gives Bill an opportunity to share the gospel. Bill shares that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death, but that the…continue reading →

Being Missions-Minded (Luke 10:29-37)

Every once in awhile, I hear a story about an unlikely character doing something extraordinarily good. You may have heard about a boy, William Kamkwamba, who made a windmill out of scraps he found around town. Or you may have heard of Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of nearly 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. This morning I'd like to talk about such a case in the Bible of an unlikely character doing good. “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I…continue reading →

Understanding Outsiders (Colossians 4:5)

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Col 4:5-6 NIV) It seems the longer we're Christians, the less we remember what it's like not be a Christian. We hopefully are thinking more like Christ. We're living more like Christ would have us live. It becomes harder to relate to unbelievers, because we don't remember what that was like. How can we be wise in the…continue reading →

Missions and Evangelism: What’s the Difference? (Mark 10:42-45)

I read a story not long ago about a girl who received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Tree. She eventually gave her life to Christ because of the example and generosity of the gift. Years later, she met the person who gave her the shoebox and told her the story of her salvation. Never underestimate the importance of serving. We put a lot of emphasis on evangelism, and rightly so. People cannot be saved unless they know the gospel. But people have very little motivation to accept the gospel unless they see it…continue reading →

Sharing Christ with Our Community, Part 4 (Matthew 10:32-42)

It's amazing how refreshing cold water is on a hot day. Many people say we're supposed to drink 8 glasses of water today, which most of us ignore. But on a hot day, especially if we are outside, we can easily drink way more than 8 glasses. The difference, of course, it the atmosphere we're in. As we visit people in our communities, we are going to enter different atmospheres. Some will turn us away. Some will embrace us, and embrace Christ. “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge…continue reading →

God, how are we to return to You? (Malachi 4:1-6)

“The Potato Creek Chair of Death” is a play which describes a chair with a shotgun attached to it that would fire at a random time. We would rightly call anyone who sat in that chair foolish. Yet many people who wouldn't dream of sitting in that chair live a lifetime gambling that they can get away with sin. The purpose of much of the book of Malachi, like all of the Old Testament, is to reveal our sin to us. But it does not leave us in despair over our sin. It…continue reading →

Sharing Christ with Our Community, Part 3 (Matthew 10:17-31)

There is a massive weight we must be willing to endure if we accept the call of the Great Commission. It's not about time commitments or simply learning the gospel in such a way as to share it. If were one of these kinds of things, I'm sure more believers would be faithful witnesses. It's that we must be willing to be hated. “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors…continue reading →