LFSTL

What does it mean to be “in Christ” ? In this message, Pastor Blade teaches from 1 Corinthians 15:22 and Romans 8:8–9 that without a new identity in Christ, no one can please God. All humanity is either in Adam (unrighteous) or in Christ (righteousness). Being “in Christ” is a complete change of identity from unrighteousness to righteousness before God. This is seen in three major components of sa...

Guest Speaker: Pastor Hunter Sbisa Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.  For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

In this episode, we walk through the sobering reality of what it means to be “in Adam” a biblical identity marked by unrighteousness, condemnation, and separation from God. From Genesis to Romans, Scripture shows that Adam’s fall didn’t just affect him it defined all of humanity by nature. Through one man, sin entered the world, and death passed upon all. In this message, we unpack three major dim...

In this message, the focus is the cost and calling of true discipleship as seen through four areas of the Christian life: worship, the Word of God, the work of ministry, and world missions. The central emphasis is the mission of God and how it shapes every part of a believer’s life. True discipleship is not partial or compartmentalized—it touches everything. Drawing from passages like John 3:16–17...

This teaching walks through the reality that biblical ministry is not casual or accidental; It requires intentionality, sacrifice, and a clear understanding of what we are being called to accomplish for the Lord. Each movement of the WORK of the ministry comes with a cost that must be counted faithfully as we follow Christ. 1. Equipping ourselves in the word of God for the work   Key Point 1: Bibl...

What does it really mean to follow Jesus as a disciple? It means more than belief. It means counting the cost of walking in the wisdom of God found in the Word of God. In this sermon we explore the connection between wisdom and Scripture, and why true disciples must be rooted in the Word like a tree planted by rivers of water. Jesus said that abiding in Him includes letting His Word abide in us, a...

In this sermon, we continue our series on discipleship by looking at the first aspect of counting the cost: worship. Worship is more than music, it is recognizing and responding to the worth of God above all else. From Luke 14, David’s sacrifice, and Mary’s offering in Bethany, we see that true worship always involves cost, surrender, and priority. Jesus teaches that following Him means placing Hi...

In this episode we continue our discipleship series with a message titled The Cost of Discipleship, focusing on what God requires in the formation and multiplication of mature believers. Discipleship is not presented as a secondary ministry of the church but as the central mission of making followers of Christ who are grounded in truth and equipped to reproduce spiritual life in others. This messa...

This message begins a new series on discipleship by focusing on “The Cost of Discipleship.” Discipleship is not simply one ministry of the church, but the central mission of the church. While the gospel call includes seeing people saved and born again, it does not end there. True discipleship is the ongoing work of forming believers into the image of Christ and equipping them to disciple others. T...

In this message we explore Philippians 4:5 and the call to let your moderation be known unto all men. In a culture marked by extremes, outrage, and constant noise, Scripture calls believers to a different spirit, the power of gentleness. Using Paul’s imagery of the Christian life as a race, we examine how spiritual maturity requires temperance, patience, meekness, and gentleness. Moderation is not...

Ezra 10 brings the book to a sobering conclusion as the restored community confronts renewed sin among the people who have returned from captivity. Though the temple has been rebuilt and worship restored, Ezra discovers that Israel has once again compromised by intermarrying with surrounding nations, directly violating God’s command for a holy and separated people. The passage moves through three...

n Ezra 9, the tone of the book shifts from restoration to repentance as Ezra arrives in Jerusalem and discovers that the people, including priests and leaders, have not separated themselves from the surrounding nations but have instead returned to patterns of compromise and spiritual unfaithfulness. This moment reveals that external restoration of the temple did not automatically produce internal...

In Ezra 8, the repeated theme of the “hand” of God comes into full focus as Israel continues its return from captivity and the work of restoration moves forward. From Cyrus to Artaxerxes, and throughout the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that every step is directed not by human strength but by the sovereign hand of God. This passage draws attention to that reality and cal...

In Ezra 7, Ezra leads a second return from Babylon to Jerusalem and reveals what faithful leadership shaped by God’s word looks like. As a ready scribe, he is not only skilled in the law of Moses but deeply formed by it, showing that spiritual heritage is not something to inherit passively but to embrace personally and faithfully. The chapter highlights how the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra as he...

In Ezra 6, the long delayed work on the temple is finally completed after years of opposition and spiritual drift. What began with foundation laying and immediate resistance eventually gave way to distraction, as God’s people turned to building their own lives while the house of God remained unfinished. Yet through the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, the people are stirred again, and the temple...

Ezra 5–6 records the restart of a work that had been abandoned for over 16 years after opposition halted the rebuilding of God’s house. What begins as spiritual neglect is interrupted when the word of the Lord comes again through Haggai and Zechariah. Their message confronts misplaced priorities and calls the people to “consider your ways” (Haggai 1), exposing how they had focused on their own com...

In Ezra 4, as the rebuilding of God’s house continues, the focus shifts from unity to opposition. The adversaries of Judah initially approach with friendly language, offering to build alongside the people of God. Yet beneath their words is deception, and the leaders discern that not all who speak in religious terms share God’s purposes. What begins as subtle influence turns into open resistance—di...

This message from Ezra 3 centers on the call to “not divide what God bled to unite,” emphasizing the pursuit of unity among God’s people. As Israel returns to rebuild, Ezra 3:1–13 reveals that unity is not automatic, it must be intentionally maintained. The passage highlights three anchors for preserving unity. First, the worship of God (Ezra 3:1–5), where the people gathered “as one man,” offered...

This message examines the virtue of volition through Ezra 1–2, emphasizing the significance of a willing heart before God. In Ezra 1:5, we see that “everyone whose spirit God had raised” rose up to go and build—highlighting that their obedience began internally, with a stirred and willing spirit. This theme continues in Ezra 1:6, where others gave freely to support the work, demonstrating that gen...

In this message from Living Faith St. Louis, Pastor Blade opens the book of Ezra by drawing attention to Ezra 1:5 and the phrase “to build the house.” What begins as Israel’s return from exile to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem is used as a framework for understanding the New Testament calling of the Church. This sermon traces the continuity of God’s work across Scripture: while Ezra points to a p...