Pastor Jonathan White

Introduction: Have you ever walked into a house and immediately smelled something cooking? You haven't even seen what is in the oven, but that smell captures your attention and starts drawing you toward the kitchen. There's something about a good smell that draws us in. The smell of turkey, stuffing,…

Introduction: What makes you angry? What gets your feathers ruffled? What is it that makes you ready to pounce? I'm sure that if we take some time and examine our hearts, we will think of a couple of things that really seem to set us off. Most of us are pretty good at identifying what makes us upset…

Introduction: There are two places in which wisdom can originate. There is the wisdom from above and the wisdom from below. Specifically, there is wisdom that is heavenly wisdom that comes from God, or there is earthly wisdom which comes from man. The wisdom of the world tells us to put ourselves first.…

Introduction: What comes to your mind when you hear the following statements? Did you hear that she… Did you know that he said… Can you believe that they… I probably shouldn't tell you this, but… Obviously, these are often the beginning sentences that will end with gossip. There is something within most…

Introduction: The verses we are going to hit today are among some of the most debated Scripture in the Bible. It was so difficult for Martin Luther to reconcile this section of James with Paul’s letters that he fought to make it a secondary epistle! He called it a ‘gospel of straw’ because it lacked…

Introduction: It is Sunday morning and the attenders of the city’s largest church begin to fill the seats of the sanctuary. The greeters are at the door saying hello to many of the familiar faces that they see week after week. The service is a few minutes away when a man pulls into the parking lot driving…

Introduction: The late Adlai Stevenson, a politician and Princeton graduate, spoke to a group of students at Princeton and once said: “I understand I am here to speak and you are here to listen. Let’s hope we both finish at the same time.” Adlai Stevenson I love this tongue-in-cheek remark about the…

Introduction: If you have been with us for the past three weeks, we have seen James really expound upon what a true and mature believer looks like. In fact, that will be the theme of his book. He is going to compare and contrast the mature believer with the immature believer. He will continue to call…

Introduction: Listen to some of these paradoxical statements… I need to have experience to get a job, but I need a job to get experience. The only constant is change. You must spend money to save money. Nobody goes to that restaurant anymore because it is so crowded. Less is more. Giving is receiving.…

Introduction: James started off his letter with encouraging the dispersed Jewish believers to see trials as a blessing from the Lord. He admonished them to seek joy even in the midst of trials. And now, he is going to urge them to seek wisdom in the midst of these trials. In order to face the difficult…

Introduction: Did you grow up with a sibling that seemed to never get in trouble? They seemed to always obey and make good decisions, yet you seemed to always make the wrong one? I am pretty sure that is how James felt growing up. James was the biological son of Joseph and Mary and the half-brother of…

Introduction: Physical fatigue is a difficult thing to fight through. I’m sure there are some here who could amen that even this morning! However, spiritual fatigue can be even more difficult. The late William Carey - referred to as the ‘father of modern missions’ - spent some 40 years serving India…

Introduction: We live in a nation that prides itself in independence. My family recently went to Washington DC as well as Williamsburg, VA for an educational vacation to learn about our nation’s history. It was amazing to see the monuments, old buildings, the original Declaration of Independence and…

Introduction: When an unbeliever looks at what goes on within the confines of the church today, what do they see? Do they see godly living within the church? Do they see humility, kindness, love, graciousness, purity, and contentment? Recent estimates are showing that around 4,000 churches close their…

Introduction: The author of Hebrews has been building up to this moment throughout this entire book. We have reached the peak of the mountain so to speak. He has been contrasting the Old and New Covenants time and time again - reminding us about the wonderful work of Jesus on the cross and how His sacrificial…

Introduction: Art Carey described his experience of hitting the wall as he went on to complete the Boston Marathon in the Philadelphia Inquirer years ago… Now the real battle begins. Up the first of many long inclines I start to climb—one-two, one-two, one-two, right-left, right-left, right-left. I keep…

Introduction: There was an area that was known for incredible amounts of snow. A traveler hired a local trail guide to lead him safely through the area. The trail guide continued reminding the traveler that he was to only step in the footprints that he had made throughout the journey. He knew the trail…

Introduction: As we come to our Scripture today, I imagine walking down a hallway of paintings of the saints of old. Looking to our right and left, we see figures like Noah, Moses, Gideon, Samson, and David - countless Old Testament believers down this Hall of Faith that we just discussed as we went…

Introduction: This is our final sermon in our four part series through the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 . This entire chapter has been challenging for us as we have seen the amazing faith of the saints that have gone before us. We have seen them leave their homeland like Abraham, walk through a sea with…

Introduction: Each of us has likely found ourselves at a crossroads at one point or another. Though we know the truth, we start to experience some pushback to it from those around us. The culture around us stands in stark contrast when compared to the values we know to be true through the Word of God.…

Introduction: They say it isn’t about how you start, but instead it’s about how you finish. That could be said about each of our examples in the Hall of Faith we are covering today. We will be covering the Patriarchs of the faith including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Each of these men (minus possibly…

Introduction: How do you define faith? This is a difficult word to define. It is a lot like trying to define love. There are many definitions out there for both, but they all seem to fall short of explaining the entirety of the words. Today, however, we come to one of the most beautiful definitions of…

Introduction: We are in the middle of the 2026 Winter Olympics and one thing that comes to mind when we think of Olympians is endurance. These athletes have prepared countless hours to compete in the Olympics. While many of us are relaxing on the couch, going out to eat, or even enjoying a nice, pleasant…

Introduction: Today’s message marks a turning point in the book of Hebrews. We are going to see a lot of imperatives in the remainder of this great book. An imperative is something that we are commanded to do. It is something of vital importance and crucial to be done. These aren’t optional statements.…

Pastor Jonathan gives a quick overview of the book of Deuteronomy.