Posts with the category “sermon-blog”

When Jesus encounters Matthew, a despised tax collector, we see a powerful example of how God views us versus how the world labels us. Matthew's story reveals important truths about identity, purpose, and the transformative power of following Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector - one of the most hated professions in Jesus' day. Tax collectors were seen as sellouts who collaborated with the Roman op...  Read More

This week's sermon focuses on Matthew's transformation from a despised tax collector to a valued disciple of Jesus, using his story to illustrate the power of paradigm shifts and identity in Christ. Pastor Bill emphasizes how Jesus saw beyond Matthew's occupation and reputation to recognize him as a 'gift of God,' demonstrating how God can transform lives when we embrace our true identity in Him. ...  Read More

Jesus came down from the mountainside after delivering the Sermon on the Mount, and what followed was a powerful demonstration of putting His teachings into action. The transition from learning about God's kingdom to actually living it out is what transforms our faith from mere knowledge into life-changing power. When Jesus finished teaching the Beatitudes and other principles in His famous sermon...  Read More

This sermon focuses on transitioning from learning about God's kingdom to actively applying its principles in our lives. The pastor uses the story of Jesus healing a leper from Matthew 8:1-4 to illustrate how we should move from being mere hearers of the Word to doers. He emphasizes that God is still willing and able to perform miracles today, and that we need to know God's heart and nature to tru...  Read More

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses one of the most misunderstood concepts in Christianity: judgment. The word "judge" or its variations appears over 700 times in the Bible, indicating its significance in our spiritual journey. But what does Jesus really mean when He says, "Do not judge"? In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus says:"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge o...  Read More

This sermon focuses on the concept of judgment from Matthew 7, particularly examining the difference between righteous and self-righteous judgment. Pastor Bill emphasizes that while the Bible doesn't condemn all judgment, it teaches us to judge with discernment and God's wisdom rather than condemning others self-righteously. He illustrates this through various biblical examples, including Jesus's ...  Read More

God created us as relational beings, calling us to work together to bring His kingdom to Earth. The most foundational relationship in society is marriage, but building lifelong loving relationships isn't easy. It requires wisdom and help from the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul provides key guidance in Ephesians 4:1-3:Live worthy of God's callingBe humble and gentleBe patient and bear with one anoth...  Read More

Pastor Jim Graff from Faith Family Church in Victoria, Texas delivers a message about the importance of gentleness and unity in Christian relationships. He emphasizes that successful relationships require humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love, as outlined in Ephesians 4:1-3. The sermon focuses particularly on gentleness as a key attribute that brings out greatness in...  Read More

In the book of Exodus, we find a powerful story of faith, courage, and maternal love through the account of Moses' mother, Jochebed. Her actions would ultimately shape the destiny of the Israelite nation and provide timeless lessons about trusting God in difficult circumstances. Though her name is only mentioned once in Exodus 6:20, Jochebed's impact on biblical history is profound. As a Levite wo...  Read More

The sermon focuses on the story of Jochebed, Moses' mother, from Exodus 1-2, highlighting the power of maternal influence and faith. Through Jochebed's courage to hide Moses and trust God's plan, we see how one mother's faithfulness helped shape one of the most important figures in biblical history. The message emphasizes how mothers can have world-changing impact through their faith and dedicatio...  Read More

Life often feels like we're running in circles, doing the same things repeatedly without making progress. But God calls us to something greater - to "run with horses" and embrace higher levels of faith, responsibility, and impact. The concept comes from Jeremiah 12:5, where God challenges Jeremiah: "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" Th...  Read More

Pastor Neil delivers a powerful message about moving to the next level in our spiritual journey, using Jeremiah 12:5 as the key text. He challenges believers to stop being content with the status quo and embrace God's call to 'run with horses' - representing a higher level of faith, responsibility, and spiritual maturity. The sermon emphasizes that promotion doesn't always look like promotion, and...  Read More

In Jesus's most famous sermon, He addresses two critical aspects of life that often consume our thoughts - treasure and worry. These teachings remain remarkably relevant today as we navigate our relationship with material possessions and anxiety. Jesus warns against storing up treasures on earth, where they can be destroyed or stolen. Instead, He encourages storing up treasures in heaven. This tea...  Read More

In this sermon, part of a series on the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Bill focuses on Jesus's teachings about treasure and worry from Matthew 6. The message emphasizes three key aspects of treasure: where we store it, how we view it, and whether we serve it. Jesus teaches that we should store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, and that we cannot serve both God and money. The sermon also ad...  Read More

Easter represents far more than chocolate bunnies and family gatherings - it marks the moment when everything changed through Christ's resurrection. This transformative event continues to offer hope, healing, and purpose to people today. The evidence for Jesus being more than just a moral teacher is compelling:Over 300 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus' life39 non-Biblical sources c...  Read More

This Easter sermon emphasizes moving beyond religious tradition to experiencing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Pastor Bill stresses that Easter represents more than just cultural celebrations - it commemorates Jesus' death and resurrection as historical events that enable people today to know God personally, receive healing, and find purpose. He uses both scriptural evidence and contem...  Read More

When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, it was a powerful statement about the type of king and leader He came to be. This seemingly simple choice carried deep prophetic and symbolic meaning that continues to teach us important lessons today. The choice of a donkey over a war horse was intentional and meaningful:A king riding a stallion signified coming for war and conquestRiding a donkey ...  Read More

This week Pastor Lisa discusses Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, focusing on his choice to ride a donkey rather than a war horse - symbolizing his humility and peaceful intentions. The sermon emphasizes how God often chooses humble, ordinary vessels (like the donkey) to carry out His purposes, drawing parallels to how Christians today are called to carry Christ's presence int...  Read More

Jesus calls us to be both salt and light in the world - distinctive influences that preserve goodness and illuminate darkness while maintaining our unique Christian identity. This powerful teaching from the Sermon on the Mount challenges us to live differently than the culture around us. Salt in biblical times served as both a preservative and symbol of covenant relationships. As Christians, we ar...  Read More

"How to Change Your World" This week's sermon focuses on Jesus's teaching from the Sermon on the Mount where He calls His followers to be 'salt and light' in the world. Pastor Bill emphasizes that Christians are called to be in the world but not of it - maintaining their distinct identity while positively influencing those around them. Through various examples including Dwight L. Moody, Billy Grah...  Read More

The Sermon on the Mount contains Jesus' first public discourse and is considered the most well-known sermon of all time. These teachings, known as the Beatitudes, provide insights into living a blessed and abundant life - one without shame or guilt, walking in partnership with God. The Beatitudes (from Latin meaning "beautiful attitudes" or "be happy attitudes") are found in Matthew 5:1-12. They o...  Read More

This week's sermon focuses on the Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Dr. Shuler explains how these teachings provide insights into living a blessed and abundant life, describing them as 'beautiful attitudes' or 'be happy attitudes.' He emphasizes that true happiness comes from God and is deeper than temporary pleasures, contrasting with declining happiness rates in modern soc...  Read More

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego provides powerful lessons about standing firm in faith during times of pressure and persecution. These three young Jewish men faced an impossible choice - bow to a pagan idol or face death in a fiery furnace. Their response demonstrates unwavering faith and trust in God regardless of the outcome. These events took place during the Babylonian exile, when...  Read More

The sermon focuses on Daniel chapter 3, specifically the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing the fiery furnace. Pastor Julie draws parallels between their experience as exiles in Babylon and modern Christians navigating challenging circumstances while maintaining their our. She emphasizes how these men refused to compromise their beliefs even when faced with death, choosing to trust Go...  Read More

When Jesus encountered fishermen washing their nets after a fruitless night of work, He turned their ordinary day into an extraordinary demonstration of His power and purpose. This powerful story teaches us about faith, obedience, and God's ability to work in seemingly hopeless situations. The fishermen were washing their nets - a clear sign they had released all expectation of catching anything t...  Read More

This week's sermon discusses the biblical story of Jesus calling Peter and other fishermen to be his disciples, found in Luke 5:1-11. Pastor Bill uses this narrative to encourage believers not to give up on their spiritual aspirations and dreams, even when they feel they've exhausted all possibilities. He emphasizes how Jesus met the fishermen in their everyday work environment and transformed the...  Read More

Life often presents unexpected challenges that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and questioning God's presence. Through the story of Elisha and a widow facing dire circumstances, we discover powerful truths about how God works in our lives. The story begins with a widow whose husband, a faithful servant of God, had died. She faced losing her sons to slavery due to debt. Despite her family's faithf...  Read More

This week's sermon focuses on the story of Elisha and the widow's oil from 2 Kings 4. Through this narrative, Pastor Bill emphasizes how God uses what we already have to create miracles in our lives, rather than requiring something new. The message highlights the importance of not limiting God's blessings and being obedient to His calling, while also addressing how God can use our past experiences...  Read More

In a world seeking solid foundations, understanding how to live counter-culturally as Christians has never been more important. The concept of operating in the "opposite spirit" provides powerful insights into how we can reflect Christ's character and transform challenging situations. Operating in the opposite spirit means responding to negative situations or treatment with an intentionally contra...  Read More

This week's sermon discusses the concept of 'ministering in the opposite spirit' - responding to negative situations with positive, counterintuitive responses that reflect God's character. Using the example of Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and their acquisition of the Pacific Empress Hotel through generosity, Dave Buehring illustrates how operating in the opposite spirit can transform situations and...  Read More

Living a life of faith requires understanding what truly motivates us and how God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Our motivations shape our actions, priorities, and ultimately our relationship with God. Horizontal Motivators (worldly):Fear of lossGuiltPrideHope of physical gainReputationPrestigePleasureVertical Motivators (spiritual):Having no other options but GodReverential fear of the Lor...  Read More

This week's sermon focuses on spiritual motivation and rewards in our Christian faith. Pastor Bill discusses both horizontal (earthly) and vertical (divine) motivators, emphasizing that true spiritual passion comes from a genuine relationship with God rather than external performance. He explores various enemies of spiritual passion, such as complacency and erosion of spiritual disciplines, while ...  Read More

In today's challenging world, encouragement is more vital than ever. While we often receive encouragement as children from our parents, that steady stream of support can diminish as we enter adulthood. However, both receiving and giving encouragement remains crucial for our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Life inevitably brings moments of self-doubt, anxiety, and discouragement. During these ti...  Read More

This week's sermon focuses on the importance of encouragement in today's world and our dual role as both recipients and givers of encouragement. Pastor Bill emphasizes that while we all face moments of discouragement and self-doubt, our hope should be placed in God rather than worldly things. He uses various biblical examples and historical references to illustrate how encouragement can transform ...  Read More

Most people spend 60% of their lives working, yet many feel their jobs are too small for their spirit. There's a deeper truth we must understand - before we're called to do something, we're called to someone. Your calling isn't defined by your job title or description. These may be tools to fulfill your calling, but your true calling is eternal. As stated in Jeremiah 29:11, God has specific plans ...  Read More

This week's sermon focuses on discovering and living out God's calling in our lives. Before we're called to do something, we're first called to someone - God. Using the story from 2 Kings 6:1-7 about a lost axe head that miraculously floated, Pastor Bill draws parallels between losing one's 'cutting edge' in faith and the importance of reclaiming our effectiveness for God's kingdom. The message en...  Read More

Pastor Bill began this week emphasizing the power of faith and community in times of tragedy and loss. He briefly recounted the story of a family in our church who experienced the loss of their unborn child and how their faith and the support of their community helped them through this difficult time. This week's sermon highlighted the importance of serving others and using our unique gifts and ex...  Read More

In today's fast-paced world, particularly in busy metropolitan areas, isolation has become increasingly common. Yet, experts agree that our greatest need as humans is to love and be loved - to share life together in meaningful ways. The Bible makes it clear that isolation is unwise and that we're created for community. Proverbs 18:1 warns that whoever isolates themselves "seeks their own desire" a...  Read More

This week Pastor Bill emphasized the importance of community and relationships within the church, highlighting that we are 'better together.' He draws on biblical examples of meaningful relationships, such as Ruth and Naomi, Jonathan and David, and Paul and Barnabas, to illustrate how God uses connections to fulfill His purposes. The message encourages believers to be intentional about forming dee...  Read More

Being filled with faith means more than just believing - it requires intentional action and commitment to living like Jesus in every aspect of life. True discipleship goes beyond casual church attendance to becoming fully immersed in God's Word and ways. A disciple is more than just a follower - it means being a worshiper and servant of Jesus Christ. The word appears 269 times in Scripture, emphas...  Read More