God gave signs to confirm his message. Does God give to his church today gifts to encourage and strengthen them, to help defend his message and make it known to those within and without that the gospel of Jesus is true? The answer is a resounding “yes!” The sermon today is titled "A Gifted People." It is the eighth installment in our " Community " Series. The Scripture reading is from Acts 2:43 (ESV) . Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on June 11, 2023. All lesso...
Jun 12, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 81
The God who created us, who lives in us…is with us today . He’s here in this place. And as we sing, the God who sings listens to our praise. Our praise joins with the praise of all the ages, and all the angels. Sense the awe! The sermon today is titled "A Sense of Awe." It is the seventh installment in our " Community " Series. The Scripture reading is from Acts 2:43 (NASB) . Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on June 4, 2023. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad ...
Jun 05, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 80
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Jun 01, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 79
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Jun 01, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Jun 01, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 77
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
May 31, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
May 31, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 75
Prayer is pervasive in the New Testament . Just as Jesus prays at all the major events of his life, even so the followers of Jesus pray at all the significant turning points in the book of Acts. Just as prayer was habitual and routine in the life of Jesus, the early Christians devoted themselves to prayer. The sermon today is titled "Prayer" It is the sixth installment in our " Community " Series. The Scripture reading is from Acts 2:42 (ESV) . Originally preached at the West Side Church of Chri...
May 30, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 74
We are one body. We show that we are one body when we gather to take the body AS one body. But unlike every civic club brunch or luncheon, we gather as the body of Christ. And we participate in the Lord’s Supper. Can’t you tell? Just look at how we love one another. The sermon today is titled "Breaking Bread." It is the fifth installment in our " Community " Series. The Scripture reading is from Acts 2:42 (ESV) . Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on May 21, 2023....
May 22, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 73
What we experience in Christ, we share with each other . And we only fully participate in the life of Christ if and when we operate as part of the mutually loving body of Christ. This is why Paul wants to tell us to think like Christ in complete and total sacrifice. Yet he begins that section of Philippians 2 by urging us to be like Christ, "if there is any fellowship in the Spirit” (Phil 2:1). Fellowship is to participate in and share life together. This is why “church” means “community,” espec...
May 16, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 72
I hear our Lord gently saying to us as we read Acts 2:42 (“and they were devoted to the Apostles’ teaching”) “go and learn what this means.” These young Christians were barely dry. Not one of them had a New Testament handed to them as they came up out of the water, because it had not been written yet. Paul had not written his majestic letter to the Romans, or to the Corinthians, or to any of the churches for that matter. He wasn’t even a Christian yet! With no New Testament, this early band of b...
May 08, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Dedication takes time. It takes practice. It takes excitement and commitment. When you add love to time, practice, excitement, and commitment, what you get is devotion . What the New Testament calls for is intimate connection through deep commitment within a covenant community. One that blesses those inside, blesses those on the outside, puts the world on notice and causes the world to take notice. A people who inspire because they have been inspired. The sermon today is titled "Devotion." It is...
May 05, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 70
The early church was not made up of the line leaders and kickball captains. We are the community of the have nots. Those picked last. But here is the good news. If you are in Christ, you are picked! You are on the team! You are on the roll. If you are still standing against the fence, fingers clutching the metal rings, hoping against hope that today just maybe you might get picked, I’m here to tell you – you have been added . You’re on the team. You’re on the roll. You’ve been picked. The “less ...
Apr 25, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 69
How do we handle life the week after the party? What do we do when the celebration is over? Especially if, for some reason, we missed it. The power and majesty of Resurrection Sunday does not describe my usual experience. Most days just aren’t like that. If the weight of the world has replaced joyous hope in your life, then trust me: you are not alone. And, in the wake of the happiest event in the history of the world, three followers of Jesus share your story. But it won’t be theirs for long. A...
Apr 18, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 68
I wonder…what would count as the best day ever? I don’t just mean for you. I mean for everyone. Pick a day, and I wager that scripture would agree with your high estimation. What do you think would count as the world’s best day? Creation? Exodus? Covenant? Christmas? Good Friday? The Last Day? All good options. But one day includes and explains all of those days…and more. The sermon today is titled "The Best Day Ever." It is the second installment in our " He Is Risen " Series. The Scripture rea...
Apr 10, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 67
[NOTE: audio corrects at 12:47] Do you see him hanging there, with his back against the grain? Hear him crying in pain, as he pushes off his nail-pierced feet to breathe, rubbing his wounded back against the grain. See the early Christians, staring down the Roman Empire, facing brutality armed only with sacrificial love, going against the grain. And cast your eyes to the wheat field, to the stalks swaying in the wind. Will they simply waver through the summer til the autumn of their lives? Or wi...
Apr 03, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Apr 03, 2023•27 min•Season 2Ep. 65
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Mar 31, 2023•29 min•Season 2Ep. 64
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Mar 31, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Mar 28, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Mar 28, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 61
Read the Bible with Gospel Lenses. When God says he will bless the entire world through one man. When all cry out for deliverance from Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon…and God comes to their rescue. When outsiders beg for mercy, and dare to touch the face of God, and they find overwhelming grace and acceptance. The gospel was preached to Abraham. Every section of Scripture—Law, Prophets, Psalms, Gospels, Letters, and Apocalypse—tells of God’s relentless rescue mission, reconciling the world in and ...
Mar 28, 2023•28 min•Season 2Ep. 60
My identity is not what I think apart from the wisdom of God. My identity is not what I feel apart from the reordering of God. My identity is not what I do over and above the person of God. Challenging every thought, desire, and religious duty—taking them captive, and surrendering to Christ alone. My true, intended, and chosen identity The sermon today is titled "Christ Alone." It is the sixth and final installment in our " Identity " Series. The Scripture reading is from Philippians 3:7-9 . Ori...
Mar 22, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Imagine if that terrible moment—that mistake you relive over and over again in your mind—was erased from your record. Imagine if, like in some fantastic dream, you were loved without limit and forgiven forever. Imagine if you were accepted. Loved by the God who made you. Forgiven by the God who bought you. Declared innocent by the God who died for you. Imagine if there were no stones to throw, only grace to bestow. The sermon today is titled "Accepted." It is the fifth installment in our " Ident...
Mar 12, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Think of all the things we give power to define us. Our last name. The accidents of our birth. The community to which we choose to belong. What we do for a living. The Christian story says that, in Christ, and through the gospel, God is calling you to a new identity. It comes with a new name. A new birth. A new community. And a new vocation. This is who you are called to be. This is who you really are. The sermon today is titled "Calling." It is the fourth installment in our " Identity " Series....
Mar 06, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 57
“Aging is what happens if we’re lucky; it means that I’m alive.” —Cindy Crawford. Young and old, we are unhappy with our bodies. Sometimes they don’t work. Sometimes they don’t make sense. But I want to tell you that your body has meaning, purpose, and a future. And to prove it…our Lord has one too. The sermon today is titled "Body." It is the third installment in our " Identity " Series. The Scripture reading is from Genesis 2:25 & Philippians 3:21 . Originally preached at the West Side Chu...
Feb 28, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Listen to the music. “Satisfy My Soul.” “Heart and Soul.” “Soul Survivor.” We know we are more than flesh and bones. We thirst for something deeper. Something richer. Something more. God put that in you. You were made for something more. It’s your true identity. That longing you sense deep down? That's your soul thirsting for God (Psalm 42). The sermon today is titled "Soul." It is the second installment in our " Identity " Series. The Scripture reading is from Genesis 2:7 & Psalm 42:1 . Ori...
Feb 20, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 55
When we sense no purpose, we create purpose. We have to. It’s how we are wired. Without purpose, without meaning, without a sense that we are wanted and our contribution is meaningful, we die. But we know all to well that self-created purpose lasts as long as we find interest in it, and it is only as solid as your imagination allows. What we long for, what we sense deep in our bones, what we want to be true even when nothing on earth tells us its true, is that there is something for which we wer...
Feb 13, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 54
God is the perfect parent . All the traits we find most helpful in mothers and fathers are found first--and fullest--in God. As image-bearers, we learn how to parent from the God who parents us. And we rejoice in sharing a blessing on all children and parents, as we dedicate our children to the Lord. The sermon today is titled "Parenting In The Image of God." It is a stand-alone sermon for a Baby Dedication service. The Scripture reading is from Genesis 1:26-28 & Ephesians 6:4 . Originally p...
Feb 09, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Where does the gospel lead? What does the gospel create? What develops as a result of the gospel? Can you imagine an advertisement to be “free from weight loss” where the before and after picture looked the same? In the New Testament, the gospel that frees, the gospel that saves, the gospel that redeems leads to freed, saved, redeemed people living free, saved, redeemed lives. It means recognizing not just what we were saved from , but also what we were saved for . The sermon today is titled "Th...
Feb 08, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 52
