Doxa Church: Sermons

What makes glory the believer’s home? In this first message of the series The Believer’s Triumph in Glory , we open Revelation 21 to see the wondrous work of God, a creation made new, a restless sea stilled, and a bride prepared for her Bridegroom, along with the glorious Word from the throne announcing that God Himself will dwell with His people. Here is a hope that carries every weary pilgrim th...

When providence frowns, what will you believe about God? In James 1:16–18, James calls us not to be deceived, and then shows that our confidence rests on the unchanging character of God and His unmatched work in us. He is a gracious Giver and an unwavering Father, who of His own will brought us forth by the word of truth as the firstfruits of His new creation.

In The Believer’s Danger in Trial , James 1:13–15 warns us that the very circumstances God uses to strengthen our faith can also become occasions for temptation. James identifies the true source of temptation, not in God, but in our own sinful desires, and exposes the deadly progression of sin. Believers must recognize this danger and guard against the sin that leads to death.

In James 1:12, God declares the believer who remains steadfast under trial blessed, even when present circumstances seem to contradict that declaration. The believer's steadfastness demonstrates the genuineness of his faith and his love for God, even when God's providence is painful and difficult to understand. The suffering is temporary, but the promised life is eternal.

What is the believer’s need in trial? Trials not only test our faith and produce steadfastness; they also expose our insufficiency and our need for wisdom. In James 1:5–8, James directs the believer to ask the generously giving God for the wisdom needed to live faithfully in trial and to ask in faith with a settled, undivided reliance upon Him.

What is the believer’s duty in trial? From James 1:4, we see that believers are called to submit to God’s process by letting steadfastness do its work and to trust God’s purpose even when His ways are difficult to understand. The testing of faith produces steadfastness, and God uses that steadfastness to mature His people so that they may be “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Having considered the theology of sanctification in Philippians 2:12–13, we now enter one of its classrooms: the believer's life in trial. In James 1:2–4, James teaches us the attitude required in trial and the knowledge essential in trial—we count differently because we know differently, knowing that the testing of our faith proves its character and produces steadfastness.

In Philippians 2:13, Paul takes us behind the believer’s work in sanctification to reveal the gracious work of God within us. In The Work Behind the Work , we see that God works personally, powerfully, inwardly, thoroughly, and purposefully—working in both our willing and our working for His good pleasure.

Writing to a church facing real challenges within its fellowship, Paul reminds the Philippians that sanctification is God’s gracious work in His people, yet the Christian is not passive in that work. In Philippians 2:12, we see the believer’s real responsibility to work out the salvation we already possess through obedience that is rooted in Christ, persevering, active, and reverent before God.

In Luke 9:28–36, Peter, James, and John awaken on the mountain to behold the glory of Jesus Christ. As Moses and Elijah speak with Jesus about His coming departure, the Father declares the unique identity of His Son and commands, “Listen to Him.” Jesus is the glorious Son of God; therefore, we must wake up, see His glory, and listen to Him.

In Romans 1:28–32, Paul brings us into the heavenly courtroom, where God’s sentence against rebellious humanity is revealed as He gives sinners over to a debased mind and the moral disorder that follows. As we look through the window at the world and into the mirror of our own hearts, we are ultimately called to look to Christ—the only hope for guilty sinners.

In Romans 1:26–27, the sentence against humanity continues as God gives rebellious sinners over to dishonorable passions that reject His created design and lead to sin’s destructive consequences. Paul exposes the terrible slavery of sin while reminding us why the gospel is such good news: Jesus Christ alone can set sinners free and give eternal life.

In this exposition of Romans 1:24–25, we examine one of the most terrifying statements in all of Scripture: "Therefore God gave them up." Paul reveals that God's judgment is sometimes displayed by handing sinners over to the sinful desires they have chosen, exposing our desperate need for the gospel, which alone gives sinners a new heart through Jesus Christ.

Genesis 2:24–3:13 reveals humanity's first response to sin—and God's first pursuit of sinners with redeeming grace. Our sin causes us to hide and live in shame, but God pursues us in grace. Through Christ, He covers our shame and calls us to hide ourselves in Him.

Paul’s appeal for Philemon to receive the runaway Onesimus as a beloved brother demonstrates how the gospel transforms identities, relationships, forgiveness, and reconciliation. At the center of the letter stands a vivid picture of Christ, who receives the guilty, pays their debt, and brings those who were running from God home by grace.

Continuing Paul's case against humanity in Romans 1, this exposition examines the evidence of man's pride and the culmination of that pride in idolatry. By exchanging the glory of the immortal God for created things, humanity stands guilty before a holy God, exposing the universal problem of false worship. Yet only when we understand the tragedy of this exchange do we fully appreciate th...

In Romans 1:21–22, the Apostle Paul answers one of humanity’s oldest questions: What is wrong with people? He exposes the root of mankind’s problem—not merely sinful behavior, but the rejection of God that corrupts the mind, darkens the heart, and leaves humanity in desperate need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

In Romans 1:19–20, Paul begins presenting God’s case against humanity, demonstrating that God has clearly revealed Himself through the witness of creation. As the evidence is presented and the verdict becomes unavoidable, we are ultimately driven to the only hope for guilty sinners—Jesus Christ, who bore the condemnation we deserved.

In this sermon from Romans 1:18, we begin a new section of Paul’s letter by considering The Sobering Beginning . As Paul unveils the reality of God’s wrath against ungodliness and unrighteousness, he exposes mankind’s true condition and shows why the gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary.

In Romans 1:17, Paul teaches that those who have been made righteous by faith live by faith. In this sermon, we examine how faith characterizes the life of the believer—producing continual dependence upon God’s Word and confidence in God’s promises, even when God’s providence is difficult to understand. Drawing from Habakkuk, we see that the righteous do not live by sight, but by faith.

The church in Rome learned from the Apostle Paul why he was unashamed and eager to preach the gospel. Romans 1:17 reveals the reason: in the gospel, God unveils the glory of His righteousness, displaying how the righteous God has acted righteously to save unrighteous sinners through Jesus Christ, a righteousness received by faith from beginning to end.

For our Family Worship Gathering, we walked through the book of Jonah under the theme, “The God Who Saves.” As God Sends Jonah, Pursues Jonah, Shows Mercy, and Teaches Jonah About Mercy, we discover that the hero of the story is not Jonah but God Himself. The message of Jonah culminates in the glorious truth that salvation belongs to the Lord and points us to Jesus Christ, the greater Jonah who ca...

In Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul explains why he was eager to preach the gospel even in the heart of the Roman Empire: he was not ashamed of it, because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. This exposition explores how the gospel produces believers marked by courage, conviction, and confidence in Christ. As Paul’s heart is opened before us, we are reminded that the gospel still emboldens...

In Romans 1:13–15, the Apostle Paul opens the window even wider into the heart of a gospel minister. Though hindered in his plans, Paul remained constrained by the gospel — pursuing spiritual fruit, living under a divine obligation to proclaim Christ to all people, and maintaining an eager readiness to preach the gospel even to the church in Rome. This exposition considers the difference between t...

In Romans 1:11–12, the apostle Paul opens a window into his heart and reveals what genuine gospel-shaped love for the church looks like. Tested through suffering, delay, and ministry hardship, Paul’s love longed for God’s people, labored for their spiritual strengthening, and lived through mutual encouragement in the faith. This exposition presses us to consider what truly emerges from our hearts...