Bible Insights For Making Life Work
Hi, I’m Brian Jones- author, Bible teacher, and founding pastor of Christ’s Church of the Valley near Philadelphia. I’m the author of four books, and for 36 years, I’ve helped people meet Jesus, grow spiritually, and live lives that matter. Subscribe to my twice-monthly newsletter at pastorbrianjones.substack.com and get my free eBook Why Some People Will Never Be Happy.
Everything Jesus endured in the final hours before his death – the torture, the mocking, and ultimately his crucifixion – demonstrates how great God’s love is for us. We walk through the specifics - the how and the why - in the final week of our sermon series, “Via Crucis” (The Way of the Cross).
Since the beginning of recorded history, whenever one country would conquer another, the new king would parade his army through the streets of the capital city in an awe-inspiring spectacle of power to announce “there’s a new king in charge now!” Jesus entered Jerusalem in his final week to shouts of “Hosanna! God save us!” But his mission was far greater than what anyone expected it to be.
In his book The Cost of Discipleship , Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” At CCV we’ve been following Jesus’ journey in the Gospel of Matthew from Galilee to Golgotha. We’re calling this series “Via Crucis,” which is Latin for “The way of the cross.” In this week’s message we turn to Matthew chapter 16, the turning point in Jesus’ story. To get away from the crowds Jesus took his disciples to a pagan area called Caesarea Philippi, a long day’s walk no...
The events that would lead to Jesus’ death started when the religious leaders of the day learned of his teachings about the Sabbath. Hear why this controversy was such a big deal to them, and what Jesus’ perspective on “following God’s laws” means to us today in week one of our series leading up to Easter, Via Crucis (Latin for “The Way of the Cross”).
God calls each of us to go on a hero’s journey. In week one of At The Movies, we look at the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and why listening to God’s call is one of the most important decisions we’ll ever make.
The Parable of the Bags of Gold is one of the most well-known illustrations ever used by Jesus. There are two kids of disciples - ones that on judgment day Jesus will call, “wicked, lazy and worthless…” and ones that will hear the words, “well done, good and faithful servant.” Which one would you rather be?
This Sunday I talked about how sharing our faith can be challenging. There are some very real barriers that we face when we finally gain enough courage to share our story with someone. I look forward to seeing how God uses your story to create a GAME CHANGING moment in someone else’s life!
What a privilege it was to welcome Mary and Wallace Kamau (from Missions of Hope International) for Justice Day 2019. How incredible, that the school they started with 50 kids in 2000 has grown into a ministry that now serves over 18,000 children in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Well worth watching.
For most people, church is a building, or an event that you go to – “I’m going to church today.” In week two of our series Made For More, I lay out the case for church to be WAY more than either of those, and why this is crucial to becoming a better follower of Jesus.
This Sunday I talked about our new mission statement here at CCV, which is really YOUR personal mission statement for 2019 and beyond. I can’t wait to see how God is going to use you in this upcoming year!
Here’s my message from our 2018 Christmas service.
All of us face difficult times. How we react to those difficulties ultimately shapes who we are. In week three of our series “Best Christmas Ever,” I explore three ways to combat depression, and how God can use our suffering for good.
Do you want this year’s Christmas to be the best one your family’s ever had? In week one of this series, I talk about the small changes your family can make to bring about huge transformation, and how following the wisdom found in Scripture is the secret to “success.” If the past few Christmases have fallen short of your expectations, this year can truly be the Best Christmas Ever.
Believe it or not, there's a passage in Scripture where Jesus gives real and solid investment advice. We dig into that and more in the third and final week of our series, "Classic."
Where does Jesus rank on your list of priorities? It’s easy to say he’s first. But how do we know that, and more importantly, show that? I talk about one of the most obvious ways to measure this in week two of our series, “Classic.”
There’s no magic formula or new fad that helps us deal with the REAL reason why so many of us are drowning in debt. I talk about the core issue when it comes to debt, and how Jesus shows us the way out, in week one of our series, “Classic.”
For centuries, people have debated back and forth whether women are allowed to teach and lead in the church. Here’s what the Bible does and DOES NOT really say in week two of, “Straight Outta Context.”
Does God ever give us more than we can handle? The answer found in Scripture may surprise you.
Here’s my message, the fourth and final installment from our series, “Right Sizing.” We can (and need to) allow God to right-size our schedules, commitments, and relationships. But if we don’t fix THIS and allow God to change this area of our lives too, we’re still missing the point.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, listen to how Jesus explains the solution to this problem, as we kick off of our teaching series, “Right Sizing.”
One of the main goals of parenting is to teach our children to take responsibility for their own lives. Thankfully, no matter how young or old your kids are, it’s never too late to start.
When’s the last time you prayed for protection from the evil one? Most of us don’t realize what we’re missing by neglecting this, or why it’s such a HUGE deal. In this message, I talk about how often you ought to pray these types of prayers, ways you can protect yourself from the devil’s schemes, and the true hierarchy in the battle of good vs. evil. Get ready for a fight.
In this week’s message I talk about dealing with irrational fears and the one thing all of us should actually be terrified of. If you’ve recently felt under attack, this message is specifically for you.
If I only had one opportunity to speak to every single person on the planet, here’s what I’d share…
Anyone will tell you that family comes first. But according to Jesus, those who put family before him actually jeopardize their family altogether. Here’s my sermon “Rejecting The Shadow Calling of Family.”
When nonbelievers hate their jobs it’s perfectly understandable. But when Christians hate their jobs it’s a sign that something’s seriously off spiritually. I talk about this and more in my message, “Rejecting The Shadow Calling Of Work.”
I believe our CCV family will look back twenty years from now and look at this series of messages and say, “This was the turning point. Both personally and as a church.” Here’s my message, “Welcome to the Revolution.” Be forewarned: I don’t pull any punches.
Here’s my message, “Overcoming Our Need To Control People."
Here's my message about the powerful role Fathers play in our lives.
