Abundant Life Sermons

Do you wonder if God has a plan for mankind despite sin? In Hebrews 2, the author draws people’s attention to why God created humans. God’s plan for man is to reflect His image. God doesn’t make broken things. He designed us to be crowned with glory, beauty, and splendor. However, that image is broken because of sin. The Bible doesn’t waste any time in telling us why we are in the predicament we’r...

Hebrews 2 begins with a warning for those who are drifting from God. These ancient Hebrews had heard the good news that Jesus died for their sins and rose again. They hadn’t entirely rejected the gospel but hadn’t yet responded to it. They were drifting from God and in danger of drifting past their opportunity for salvation.     The currents of the world will carry you away from God if you are not...

Title: How Do You Know You Are a Christian? | Clayton King How do you know you are a Christian? The world would look at your actions and possessions to determine your status as a Christian. According to the world’s standards, you know you are a Christian when you fit criteria like… Being a good person. Being raised in a Christian family. Loving everyone. Being baptized. Going to church.  According...

Angels worship Jesus because they are mere servants while He is Sovereign. They are messengers and ministers, but Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is better than angels because while they live to serve, Jesus lives to save! 3 reasons why Jesus is better than the angels: 1.) Jesus is better because of His excellent name. Christ’s name deserves better acclaim because He died for our sins, rose again, and...

The theme of Hebrews is the complete sufficiency and the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ. It was written to strengthen the Hebrews’ wavering faith and prove that Jesus is the One! Jesus is the perfect sacrifice because He was completely sinless. He became a Man to become our sacrificial lamb. The Son of God became flesh for three reasons: 1.) To express God’s Word. God said it. The prophets wro...

People claim that Jesus’ resurrection didn’t happen, that maybe Jesus didn’t die, and that He couldn’t be fully man and God. However, an eyewitness account of Jesus’ crucifixion is recorded in the gospels, proving the validity of His death and resurrection. This eyewitness of Jesus’ crucifixion is from the perspective of a Roman centurion who presided over the crucifixion. This man had crucified c...

The Bible goes to great lengths to expose our need for a Savior. We are sentenced to spiritual death, but Jesus took our place when He died on the cross. We see our need for a Savior illustrated through Barabbas. Three steps to recognize our need for a Savior: 1. We need a substitute. Barabbas is a picture of all of us spiritually. We are dead in our sin apart from Christ. 2. Jesus is the substitu...

Love is not something we merely say; it’s something we must do! Learning how to love like Jesus requires humility and selflessness as we imitate the example He set for us. The 3 characteristics that teach us how to love like Jesus: 1.) Christ’s love was unselfish. The Creator of the Universe got down on his knees and did the work of the “lowliest” of servants—washing the feet of His disciples. 2.)...

We were created to worship our Creator, and our worship does not find its fulfillment in anything other than Jesus. Acts of worship can be costly. They can cost us time, money, and other resources, but these sacrifices fulfill the definition of worship: to give all of yourself for all of Jesus. 3 examples of acts of worship: 1.) Serving Jesus is an act of worship. 2.) Sitting with Jesus is an act...

Apart from Christ, we are born spiritually stone dead. It’s Christ who makes us spiritually alive—living stones! 1 Peter 2:5, “…you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” As living stones, we can worship God in 2 ways: 1.) We put His love on display through giving generously. 2.) We...

Why should Christians be involved in government? Godly people engaged in government influence godly outcomes. Examples of Christians in government abound, including Joseph, Daniel, and Nehemiah, who brought godly outcomes even in ungodly governing systems.   In Matthew 5:13, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth. Because the Church is no longer “salty,” our society is decaying morally and spi...

Matt Carter is the vice president of mobilization for Send Network, a partnership of people planting churches everywhere for everyone. Before joining Send Network, Matt founded The Austin Stone Community Church, which sent over 300 full-time missionaries to unreached people groups around the world during his time there.     The Great Commission is a call for all believers. Send Network exists to h...

Leadership Principle: The call of every leader is to prepare and pass the mantle of leadership to the next generation. In 1 Kings chapter 2, David sets the example of leaving a legacy for the people behind him. To pass the mantle of leadership to the next generation, we must give them 3 things: 1.) Spiritual tenacity. Spiritual tenacity demands a warrior’s mentality – the opposite of spiritual apa...

Leadership principle: Kingdom leaders are consecrated to their cause because their confidence is in God. God’s calling is for us to build an altar with our lives. He wants us to consecrate our lives to Him. You’re consecrated to that which you’re willing to give your life for. God’s calling is for us to live a life of sacrifice. There is no such thing as a cheap sacrifice. A faith that costs nothi...

Leadership Principle: The most effective leaders lead with a “limp.” The strongest leaders have learned they’re too weak to lean on themselves. They have learned they must rely on God. Developing the character of a leader often requires a time of character refinement and growth in difficult situations. God grew David’s character in a cave so he could handle the pressures of the crown. How does God...

Leadership Principle: The Law of the “Inner Circle” says those closest to the leader define the success of the leader. Choose your inner circle of friends prayerfully, carefully, and wisely! 3 questions to answer as you choose your inner circle of friends: 1.) Do they have a heart for God? Jonathan’s heart connected to David’s heart because they were both men after “God’s own heart.” 2.) Do they h...

Leadership Principle: As a leader, your courage doesn’t come from a lack of fear but a lack of self! A giant represents anything that comes against what God is trying to do in and through your life. The giants you let remain in your life will try to rule. How to Defeat the Giants in Your Life: 1.) Recognize your enemy. 2.) Remember who fights for you. 3.) Respond by faith. Jesus came to set the ca...

Leadership Principle: Your character, not your accomplishment, is the most important part of your leadership. God rejected Saul’s leadership as king because he cared more about his fame than God’s name. Studying lessons on leadership from the Bible, we see that God cares most about our hearts because our hearts define our inner character (See 1 Samuel 13:13-14). Your identity inwardly defines your...

Isaiah introduces us to the Lord of hosts, who helps us fight our battles. “Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.”—Isaiah 47:4. When we feel defeated, we must remember that God and His angel army surround us and protect us from Satan’s attacks. 3 Things to Do When You Feel Surrounded: 1.) Recognize the battle. 2.) Reject the lies. 3.) Rely on the Lord of Hosts. 4 Str...

God is very specific with the names that He reveals Himself with. The name Jesus means “Savior.” Jesus came to save us from our sins. Romans 3:23 tells us that all of us have sinned, so we are all under the penalty of sin. We cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior. As our Savior, Jesus offers us 2 gifts… 1. Jesus offers redemption. God’s law demands perfection. Without salvation through our Savio...

In Isaiah 9:6-7, we find 4 names of God describing who Jesus is. Only as you know who Jesus is can you know who you are! The 4 names in Isaiah each have a personal meaning for believers. 1. Wonderful Counselor - Jesus has the wise counsel we need for every situation. 2. Mighty God - Jesus is a warrior. He is completely unstoppable and all-powerful! 3. Everlasting Father - Jesus is more than a “dis...

Immanuel, meaning “God with us,” is one of God’s most significant names. Immanuel is with us in everything we do, which informs how we live and who we are. In Matthew 1:22-23, Matthew says that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promised victory from Isaiah: “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with chi...

Psalm 103 reveals our God as Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer. God promises to heal us physically eventually. But most important is when He heals us spiritually. God will one day heal our bodies, but Jesus came first to heal our hearts through salvation. Salvation comes in 3 stages: 1. Justification 2. Sanctification 3. Glorification Some of us will experience healing on earth, while others will...

Psalm 23, one of the most famous and well-known passages of Scripture, reveals God’s name, “Yahweh Rohi,” meaning the Lord my Shepherd. David likely wrote this psalm during personal darkness while running for his life. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…”—Psalm 23:1 3 ways that Jesus is the Lord our Shepherd: 1. Jesus is our Peace. 2. Jesus is our Protection. 3. Jesus is our Provision. In...

In Genesis 22:14, we are introduced to Jehovah Jireh, meaning “God Provides.” The story is a picture of God’s provision for our salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection. When God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham fully trusted God would resurrect his son from the dead. He didn’t understand why God was testing him or how God would resurrect Isaac, but he trusted in His provision...