Brooklyn Tabernacle - Audio Sermons Feed

Christmas isn’t about material presents. Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born in a smelly manger so that we could receive the real gift—eternal life. Yet many of us go about the Christmas season embracing traditions and rejecting the Gift. We look everywhere but to God for happiness. This year let’s accept God’s great gift.

We all love presents at Christmas time! This tradition comes from the Magi who gave baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But let’s stop and think about that—those respected grown men bowed down and gave gifts to a toddler. Why? Because they knew who He was. May we remember who Jesus is this Christmas.

Why would the perfect Son of God be born in a dirty manger to a poor couple? Because the world lacks peace. Jesus came to change that! We can have confidence that we are going to heaven because of God’s gift of salvation—and that assurance will bring peace to our hearts. Let’s allow Jesus to be our peace today.

Is there anything happening in your life right now that reminds you of a sweeter time you had in your life with Jesus? God used a star to guide the Magi to Jesus. He can use anything to call us to Himself. Follow that longing you have today. Let it bring you back to Jesus.

We hear the word “Emmanuel” often during the Christmas season. But do we know what it means? “Emmanual” means “God with us.” Calling Jesus by this name reveals to us a unique opportunity to study God. Any questions we have about God are answered by looking at Jesus—His life, His movements, His words. God is with us, this Christmas and every day!

God has the power to fulfill every single promise He’s made, like when He kept His promise to send us a Savior. And He wants us to celebrate that power. We’re already celebrating during this Christmas season, right? So let’s give God a gift. Yes—we can give the Almighty a present! When we trust Him and pour out our hearts to Him, God is so pleased. Let’s try that today.

Your story might include pain—but it can bless someone else! In our prayer meeting tonight, Dan Smither shared how God used an injury from college to help him reach the Zulu people in South Africa. With him, the Key of Hope Children’s Choir, directed by Dan's wife, Rachel, belts out a joyful message of hope and faith in God. Let’s stop hiding our scars and start sharing our proof of God’s goodness...

Most of us associate Christmas with presents. We give and get them all season long. But in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we often forget about the real gift: Jesus Christ. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who saved us from an eternity without God, should be center stage. Let us praise Him for His amazing gift!

We often want to call out people who wrong us. Think about how Joseph must have felt when he found out his fiancée, Mary, was pregnant! He could have ruined her reputation, but he cared for her. Together they raised the Son of God. Love cares for and protects others. Let’s practice that this Christmas season.

While Jesus is the most famous person ever to live on this earth, there must be more clarity about who He is. Our family, friends, and world deserve to know that no one can change a life like Jesus Christ.

Did you know that we will get rewards in heaven? That’s not to say that we have to earn our salvation or buy our way out of purgatory. Rather, knowing that we will be rewarded is an incentive for us to bless others. Let’s reflect Jesus’s love today.

We like neutrality—a fence to sit on or a line to toe. But Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” In other words, either we are all in for Jesus, or we are totally out. There is no neutrality with God. Let’s be all in for Him!

Our world is so divided. But you know what else is divided? The church. The Bible talks about something called a party spirit, and it is detrimental to the body of Christ. A party spirit is all about division—cliques, groups, teams. We need to be kingdom-minded churches. We should root for all Christians everywhere, not just those who think like we do.

We can get so caught up in our circumstances that we begin to look for help anywhere but God. Every day we must be in Jesus’ presence. When we return to Him, everything falls into place, and we receive what we need. The Christian faith is not about fixing ourselves—it's about coming to the Lord. Today let’s listen to the conviction He’s placing on our hearts. Let’s return to Jesus.

We are saved by faith, not by works. Yet we are still called by God to do good deeds. Jesus set us an example by welcoming little children. He taught His disciples that there are heavenly rewards for those who do good to others. How can you bless someone today?

Remember when we were children, and our biggest concern was who we’d play with at recess? Now we’ve seen and heard so much that we overcomplicate things as simple as trusting God. We need childlike faith today. Let’s just love and trust our Jesus.

Many Christians today shy away from the Holy Spirit, often because of excesses they have seen in the Spirit's name. But we need the Holy Spirit! The Bible describes Him in many ways—the Spirit of God's Son (Galatians 4:6), the "Spirit of counsel and strength" (Isaiah 11:2), and a Spirit of love (2 Timothy 1:7). Let's open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. We'll find that He provides the best help we...

Who is greater, the person ordering food or the waiter? Well, in God’s eyes, whoever is serving is greater than who’s being served. In other words, God doesn’t have favorites—He just wants us to help others. Jesus was the ultimate example of a leader who served. In His name, let’s be servants of God today.

We can’t always see what the Lord is doing, and that scares us. We want to know the who, where, and when. But that’s not how God works! The more we move away from the simplicity of childlike faith, the farther away we move from the power and blessings of God. Let’s step out in faith today and trust the Lord’s plan.

Sometimes we go through hardships and wonder if our faith is decreasing. But every trial and tribulation is actually an opportunity to grow our faith. We must take time with God in prayer and Bible study—sometimes even fasting—and cultivate the level of faith we need for each day. God will provide it.

Does God care about the little problems in our lives? Well, He cared when a man in the Bible lost a borrowed ax-head. When the ax-head sank, the Lord used the prophet Elisha to make it float. God had a plan for that man, and he has a plan for us and our needs too! Let’s trust in His providence today.

Our society likes to teach mantras and affirmations. Many have faith in the supernatural—but what we need is supernatural faith. There is a true, all-encompassing faith, and it comes straight from God. Let’s ask the Lord to help our unbelief and increase our faith today.

We’re stressed out way too often. We worry about things like finances, health, and relationships—and don’t forget about politics! But when all this stress fills our lives, how much faith do we have? See, the power of God is released by faith. Everything is possible if we believe in God and His power.

Every one of us has felt fear. We live in a world burdened with anxiety. The Bible tells us not to be afraid, but sometimes we all wonder, How do we do that? The best and only way to deal with anxiety is to look to perfect Love: Jesus. The Lord loves us and cares for us. We can have peace if we look to Him today!

When Peter, James, and John were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they wanted to stay there. But alas, we can’t stay on the mountain. We’ve got to come back to the valley, where there are problems galore. We need rich time with Jesus, but we also need to work for Him. Let’s ask God for balance so that we can be effective in our service for Him.