Carlton Landing Community Church Sermons

The gospel is the greatest story ever told. God sent his son to seek and save the lost, turning children of wrath into sons and daughters of God, and making sinful rebels into trophies of his grace. In this passage, Paul describes the spiritual death outside of Christ and the new life for everyone who trusts in him. 

The blessings of chapter one are so numerous and powerful that Paul prays for God's help to fathom them all. He asks that God would open the eyes of our hearts to see the hope in our calling, the inheritance we've been given, and the immeasurable power of God at work in us. As Christians, we can learn to see by looking to God. The more we know him, the more clearly we see everything else. 

Paul begins the letter to the Ephesians with a cascade of blessings found in Christ. In him, we have been blessed with holiness, predestined to be adopted as God's children, redeemed, forgiven, and sealed with the Holy Spirit. The only possible result of understanding our blessings in Christ is to praise the glorious grace of God.

God is revealing his eternal plan, hidden for the ages, in Jesus Christ. All things are united in him, summed up in his life, death, and resurrection, and recapitulated under his leadership. In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes a summary of God's plan in the world. Reflecting on the beginning of the church and Paul's work there, we get a picture of what it looks like when Christ sums up eve...

It wasn't too long before problems arose in the early church. By Acts 6, threats to the basic fellowship of the church emerged, and the disciples called the whole body together to solve the problem. They needed more leaders, people of godly character who could keep the church on mission, care for the congregation, and point people to Christ. The same pattern exists in the church today. We appoint...

After the day of Pentecost, three thousand people were added to the church. They worshipped God, met in homes, shared what they had, and united in purpose. This church is the community we all long for, and it can be ours in Jesus Christ. How can we be a church like this? By devoting ourselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer.

On the day of Pentecost, the Church was born. People from all over the world saw the Spirit fall upon the disciples and heard the good news in their own languages. Many of the likely thought of the Tower of Babel, the leadership of Moses, and the valley of dry bones. God was fulfilling his promises for his people.

What does it mean to be forgiven? How does repentance fuel holiness and transformation? In Psalm 32, David models the kind of repentance and confession that leads to a life of freedom. As we follow Christ, we confess to grow closer to him and to be restored in our relationship with our heavenly Father.

We were made to worship God - not just for what he's done but for who he is. This psalm reveals a life of praise, rooted in God's character and nature, and celebrating all that he has done for us. 

God is our refuge and strength, especially in times of trouble. This psalm from the sons of Korah contrasts earthly cities with the heavenly city, God's city. They remind us that our only hope in trouble is to have God in the center of our lives. 

"The Lord is my shepherd" is one of the most famous lines in the Bible, but what does it mean? In this psalm, David describes what it's like to have the Lord as our shepherd, in the green pastures and in the valley, with his rod and his staff, and nourishing us from his table in the presence of our enemies. He will provide everything we need for the transformation he designs.

In Psalm 126, one of the Songs of Ascent, the author sings of deliverance. The relief was so sweet it was almost like being in a dream. Then he faces another trial but his mind turns to prayer and to the promises of God. Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy! We too have been called to live by this promise, to share the Word of God and our testimonies so that we can take part in the...

One thing that made David so unique among God's people was his ability to see God working in every season of his life. When he was suffering he saw God deliver. When he triumphed he found God to be his deepest joy. When he waited he saw God working something through him for the future. In every season, David had a testimony of God's faithfulness and he shared it with others. 

Every Christian will go through a season of doubt, disappointment, or discouragement. Even John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets and the forerunner of Christ, found himself wondering if God would really come through on his promises. In Matthew 11:1-15, Jesus responds to John and shows us how to turn to God in seasons of doubt.

Elijah was God's prophet to a generation in Israel limping between Yahweh and other gods. They worshipped God in principle but worshipped Baal in practice. They looked to God as a people but to Baal for their needs. In this sermon, Pastor Cole looks at the temptation to compromise and trust in things other than God today. In the end, Elijah is a witness to us that God is the one true God and the o...

By the world's standards, Jeremiah was an unsuccessful prophet. For 40 years he spoke God's word to the people of Judah but they did not listen. In the eyes of God, though, Jeremiah's ministry was a triumph. He lived out his calling, trusted God, and spoke of the day when God would fulfill his promises and make a new covenant. Today, we get to see what Jeremiah spoke about, and like him, we are en...

Caleb is only mentioned in a few passages, but he is a hero of the faith. When the Israelites sent spies into the promised land, Caleb believed God would fulfill his promise and give them the land. After 45 years, he was still hoping to be a part of God's plan. Caleb is a model for anyone who wants to live wholeheartedly for God.

What do you do when you don't know what to do? Hezekiah found himself in a no-win situation. Jerusalem was under siege and he had a choice: listen to God or listen to the most powerful king in the world. We're often stuck between competing voices and opposing promises, and we have to choose who to go to. Hezekiah reminds us of the importance of listening for God's voice and trusting in his promise...

Daniel's story ends being saved from the lion's den, but how did it start? For almost all of his life, Daniel served God in a foreign land. He was never in the majority, but with God, he was never forsaken. What did he do to keep himself from compromising? The story of Daniel and the lion's den shows us how to live a godly life and to commit ourselves to God's ways, God's plans, and to prayer. 

When things weren't going right in Hannah's life, she turned to God. In the midst of her disappointment and discouragement, she poured her heart out to him. Even when God gave her the deepest desire of her heart, she continued to praise and serve him. Hannah is a hero of the faith and a model for us of going to God in our troubles and triumphs. 

We're often asked questions that linger with us and shape us spiritually. Jesus asked over three hundred questions in the New Testament. But the first question God asks in the Bible is one we all have to answer; "Where are you?" When God asked Adam and Eve where they were, he wasn't just talking about their location, he was talking about their hearts. Today, we still need to answer this question....

He is risen! Now, what do we do? The announcement of the resurrection comes with a mission. We have been called to go make disciples of all the nations, but as we see at the end of John it can be hard to know where to start. Jesus gathers the disciples, presents the mission, prepares his people, and provides for the journey. We're on the same mission today and Jesus is still with us and empowering...

You were created for abundant life; perfect love, joy, and peace with God. But when Adam and Eve sinned, they lost sight of the glory of God and redirected it to themselves. Ever since then, we've been longing for the abundant life that comes through God. The message of Easter is that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to bring us back into perfect love, joy, and peace with God. He gave all...

On Thursday night, Jesus gathered with his disciples for the Last Supper. The meal began familiarly, they had all been celebrating Passover for their whole lives. But this night, Jesus did something different. He made a new covenant and offered his life to the disciples. When we take communion now, we have the same offer; "My life for yours?"

Jesus rode into town for the Passover to people shouting, "Hosanna! Save us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." But just a week later, he was crucified. What happened in between? What did they miss about the kind of king Jesus came to be?