F.A.Q.: “What Happens to Those Who Never Hear the Gospel of Christ?” Romans 1:18-25; 3:9-31; 10:13-15; 15:19-29 A World In Need . . . There are 38 billion people in the world. 2 billion are unreached (42.3%) 02 billion unreached are in the 10/40 window. The Unavoidable Truth . . . God has made Himself known to all people. (Romans 1:18-25) Through the general revelation of His creation. (Psalm 19:1-6) Through the special revelation in His Son, Jesus Christ, and His word. All people are guilty bef...
Jul 17, 2016•43 min
Jul 10, 2016•46 min
Jul 03, 2016•40 min
FAQ: Can I Lose My Salvation? Ephesians 2:8-9; John 10:22-30 What Salvation is NOT . . . Salvation is not determined by my heritage. Salvation is not earned by works or keeping rules. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5) Salvation is not received because of my knowledge about God. Salvation is not dependent upon me. What Salvation IS . . . It is the gracious act of God that has rescued us from sin and reconciled us to Him through the substitutionary death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation is initiat...
Jun 26, 2016•52 min
“F.A.Q.: What Do I Do When God Seems Silent?” Hebrews 1:1-4 What Is Most Important . . . We have to be careful that we don’t become enamored with the means by which God spoke and miss the God who has spoken. “How God spoke in the Old Testament is not the most important factor. That He spoke is the crucial point.” Henry Blackaby God has chosen to speak to us in a more direct and personal In Christ, God has drawn nearer. (Hebrews 1:2) God Speaks . . . In the gospels, God spoke through His Son, Jes...
Jun 19, 2016•37 min
“F.A.Q.—Are The Old Testament Laws Still to Be Followed?” Galatians 3-4:7; 5:1-6:2 What Law? The New Testament uses the word “law” in a couple of ways: The Old Testament (Romans 3:19) The Law of Moses (Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:44) Mosaic Law (Law of Moses) First five books of the Bible Pentateuch Torah Why the Law? To set apart the people of Israel from the world and to God. “You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.” Leviticus...
Jun 12, 2016•44 min
“F.A.Q. (Frequently Avoided Questions): Is It Right to Judge? Matthew 7:1-5; Luke 6:37-42 What Does Scripture Say . . .? Self-righteous judgment Self-righteous judgment is when I look beyond my faults and flaws to expose and criticize your faults and flaws. (Matthew 7:1-4; Luke 18:9-14; John 8:1-11) Harsh Destructive Exaggerated Self-righteous judgment is often an attempt to divert attention from our personal faults and flaws. Godly judgment and discernment Godly judgment and discernment is to l...
Jun 05, 2016•47 min
“Not Home Yet: Grace to the Humble” 1 Peter 5:1-14 Humility in Leadership . . . Strong leadership is always clothed in humility. Leaders within the church should lead willingly without selfish Leaders within the church should lead eagerly with an intense desire. Leaders within the church should lead in a way that exemplifies Humility in Following . . . Submitting to leaders within the church, who are submitting to Christ, is for your edification and God’s glory. “Remember your leaders, those who...
May 22, 2016•50 min
“Not Home Yet: Suffering Well” 1 Peter 4:12-19 4 Truths About Suffering As a Christ-follower . . . Suffering should never be surprising but expected. (v.12; 1 Peter 1:6-7) Suffering happens because you are identified with Christ. (v.13) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for you reward is grea...
May 16, 2016•48 min
May 09, 2016•47 min
1 Peter 2:18-25 For the sake of the Kingdom. In light of the Cross. Overflowing with Grace. Works Cited/For Further Study Faithmapping by Daniel Montgomery & Mike Cosper The ESV Study Bible The NIV Application Commentary: 1 Peter by Scot McKnight “How to Deal with a Bad Boss” by Dan Doriani “Mindful of God While Suffering Unjustly” by Sam Storms Discussion Questions Why is this text in 1 Peter 2:18-25 important to us in our culture today? What does it mean to say that our “Identity” should p...
May 01, 2016•39 min
“Beyond the Grave: The Truth About Heaven” 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10 Romans 8:18-25 2 Peter 3:1-14 Revelation 21:9-22:7 Longing for Something More . . . We do not lose confident hope in what’s to come because God is faithful to His promise. “He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 5:5 “And this is the promise that He made to us—eternal life.” 1 John 2:25 “But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth...
Apr 24, 2016•48 min
Defining “Heaven” . . . The apostle Paul makes mention of 3 levels of heaven: (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) The first heaven was considered to be the sky or firmament. (Gen. 1:6-8) The second heaven was the place of the stars, planets, and celestial (Genesis 1:14-18) The third heaven was a place Paul referred to as “paradise,” and heard things which wasbeyond what he could say or fully comprehend. (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) Heaven Now . . . Every spirit/soul of every person who dies in Christ immediately e...
Apr 17, 2016•48 min
“Beyond the Grave: The Destiny of Hell” 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Defining “Hell” . . . Sheol/Hades “Sheol” and “Hades” are the Hebrew and Greek words, respectively, that refer to the realm of the dead or departed soul/spirit. (Gen. 37:35; Job 14:13; Ps. 6:5; Ps. 16:10; Ps. 88:3; Isaiah 38:10; Ps. 9:7; Ps. 31:17; Ps. 49:14) Tartarus —Greek word that refers to the place reserved for fallen angels and demonic (2 Peter 2:4) Also points to the abyss or bottomless pit. (Revelation 20:1-4; Revelation 9:1...
Apr 10, 2016•47 min
“Beyond the Grave: The Afterlife” Three Truths About the Afterlife . . . Although it is destined for all to die physically, it is by God’s design that all will live forever “The tree of life was in the midst of the garden (Eden), and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:9 “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:24 “I write these things to you wh...
Apr 03, 2016•44 min
“Beyond the Grave” Acts 2:22-36 Hope Beyond the Grave . . . Jesus has defeated the enemy you could never defeat. Death is a reality that we would like to ignore, but we cannot escape. “ . . . and so death spread to all men because all sinned . . .” Romans 5:12 You cannot defeat death, but you can surrender to the One who has. “But God released Him (Jesus) from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip.” Acts 2:24 (New Living Translation) “This Jes...
Mar 27, 2016•42 min
Pilate asked the all-important question, "Why?" 1st Group: Caiaphas Group (John 11:45-53) Fear: If I surrender/abandon my life to Jesus, I will lose control. 2nd Group: Judas Group (Mark 14:10-11) Fear: Jesus may not follow MY Plans Pilate have asked Jesus, "Why? Why should I crucify you?" (John 10:18) Reason #1: The Purpose Reason #2: The Plan Reason #3: The Promise
Mar 20, 2016•32 min
“Uncommon—Surrendering To and Pursuing An Uncommon Savior” Colossians 3; 1 Peter 2:21-25 If you are going to have an uncommon marriage it will take an uncommon man and an uncommon woman surrendering to and pursuing an uncommon Savior. Surrendering . . . Your journey to becoming an uncommon man and an uncommon woman begins with surrendering to an uncommon Savior. Pursuing . . . By grace, God has pursued us. For His glory and our good we pursue His Son. To pursue Christ is to seek (Colossians 3:1-...
Mar 13, 2016•40 min
Uncommon—An Uncommon Man” 1 Peter 3:7; Ephesians 5:25-33 An Uncommon Man . . . An uncommon man is a man who seeks to understand his wife. “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way . . .” 1 Peter 3:7 Know your wife. An uncommon man is a man who honors his wife as priceless and highly valued. “ . . . showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel . . .” 1 Peter 3:7 “Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:10 Honor your wife by loving and caring for her. “Husbands, l...
Mar 06, 2016•49 min
“Uncommon: An Uncommon Woman” 1 Peter 3:1-6 If you are going to have an uncommon marriage it will take an uncommon man and an uncommon woman surrendering to and pursuing an uncommon Savior. Living As A Sojourner . . . Regardless if your sojourning is enjoyable or difficult, in all things it is to be purposeful in pointing people to Christ. Even in marriage we find ourselves as exiles and sojourners who are not home yet. For His glory (exaltation) For our good (sanctification) An Uncommon Wife . ...
Feb 28, 2016•49 min
"Uncommon” Genesis 2:4-3:16; 1 Peter 3:1-7 “There has never been a generation whose general view of marriage is high enough. The chasm between the biblical vision of marriage and the common human vision is now, and has always been, gargantuan . . . Some cultures . . . like our own, have such low, casual, take-it-or-leave-it attitudes toward marriage as to make the biblical vision seem ludicrous to most people.” John Piper, This Momentary Marriage Two Significant Questions . . . What does an unco...
Feb 21, 2016•52 min
“Not Home Yet: Living Under Authority” 1 Peter 2:13-17 Doing Good and Glorifying God . . . Submit to those in authority. (v. 13-14) It is by God’s sovereign To resist is to resist what God has appointed. (Romans 13:1-7) It is for God’s ultimate glory. (v.12, 13) The Exception . . . When the demands of men contradict the commands of God. 3 Biblical examples: Daniel 3 (Shadrah, Meshach, Abednego) Daniel 6 (Daniel) Acts 4 and 5 (Peter and John) Live as people who are free. (v. 15-16) We are not exe...
Feb 07, 2016•56 min
“Not Home Yet: Sojourners and A Sovereign God” 1 Peter 2:4-12 As You Come to Him . . . When you taste the goodness of God by drinking deeply from His word, He is transforming you by His power to be a temple of His presence. (v.4-5) The Spirit of God is doing the work in you so that you might offer to God spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to Him through Christ. Instead of malice, you offer a sacrifice of unconditional love Instead of deceit, you offer a sacrifice of truth Instead of envy, yo...
Jan 31, 2016•50 min
“Not Home Yet: Tasting God’s Goodness” 1 Peter 2:1-3 “So” What? Because you have been born again, love one another continually from a pure heart. Just as God demonstrated His love for us while we were sinners, as followers of Christ, we are to love others. Take Out The Trash . . . Because you have been born again, live differently than the world. (Colossians 3:1-11) Put away all malice. Put away all deceit. Put away hypocrisy. Put away envy. Put away all slander. Crave the Word, Taste God’s Good...
Jan 24, 2016•45 min
“Not Home Yet: Pursuing Holiness” 1 Peter 1:13-25 Setting Your Hope Fully On His Grace . . . Guard your mind with the truth aggressively. Don’t align yourself with the pattern of the world’s thinking. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 Understand the truth clearly. Distorted thinking leads to disobedient (Ephesians 4:17-24) Be aware of th...
Jan 17, 2016•42 min
“Not Home Yet: Living Hope” 1 Peter 1:3-12 Biblical Truths that Should Shape Our Present Reality . . . I am chosen by God. By the sovereign grace and mercy of God I have been chosen by God to be one who is set apart by His Spirit , to live in obedience to Christ displaying a life that has been rescued by God’s great salvation. God initiates a relationship because of His mercy. (v. 3) “ . . . according to the foreknowledge of God the Father . . .” “ . . . He has caused us to be born again . . .” ...
Jan 10, 2016•42 min
Join us as Pastor Shawn begins a new series on 1st Peter, "Not Home Yet".
Jan 03, 2016•37 min
Dec 27, 2015•50 min
“This Is Christmas: It’s About the Gospel” Matthew 1:1-25 Family Tree, Broken Limbs . . . Matthew wants his audience, including you, to understand the hopeful message of the gospel is the reason why Jesus came. The reality of humanity is that sin separates us from the one true holy God, but the hope of the gospel is that Jesus has put on the flesh of humanity to reconcile us to holy God. “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of...
Dec 20, 2015•44 min
Dec 13, 2015•36 min
