Chapel Hill Bible Church - Sermons

Happy 4th of July weekend! As our nation celebrated its declaration of independence, we flipped the script this past Sunday. Diving into Romans 8:1–4, we mapped out the path of a New Exodus—a journey of dependence rooted in our union with Christ, leading us out from under the curse of condemnation and into true life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness. It all flows from the most powerful blessin...

Last Sunday, we concluded our series "The Renewal of All Things" by turning to Revelation 21 and God’s breathtaking promise of a new heaven and a new earth. While our culture offers countless fleeting visions of utopia, Scripture points us to something far greater: a renewed creation centered on the presence of God Himself. Together, we considered the hope of a world entirely free from sin, suffer...

Last Sunday, we continued our series "The Renewal of All Things" with Part 3: "The Ordinary Food that Fills the World." Looking at Genesis 1:27–31 and 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5, we explored what God’s Word has to do with the concrete renewal of our city and our lives. Paul’s swan song to Timothy cuts right to the heart of what a renewing church must be built upon—and it turns out that the most important...

In a world that often prizes individual spirituality and personal platforms, Scripture reminds us that God has chosen something wonderfully ordinary—and extraordinarily powerful—to advance His Kingdom: the local church. Last week, as we continued our "The Renewal of All Things" series in 1 Peter 2:9–12, we explored how God uses faithful, Gospel-centered communities to bear witness to Christ and br...

Last Sunday, we began a new sermon series, "The Renewal of All Things," and we started where every honest account of the world must begin—with the bad news. Drawing from Genesis 3 and John 15, we looked honestly at what it means to live on mission in a world that is not merely broken, but is, in the deepest sense, at enmity with God. Chapel Hill and the Triangle are places of remarkable intelligen...

Last Sunday, we looked at the big picture of Acts as we returned to Acts 2:42–47 to ask a simple but searching question: What does it look like for our church to continue the story of Acts? The early church wasn't complicated—it was committed. They were devoted to learning, fellowship, prayer, and mission. But as we'll see, the gap between knowing what a healthy church looks like and actually want...

Last Sunday, we arrived at the final chapter of our journey through the book of Acts. In Acts 28, we find Paul shipwrecked on the island of Malta, eventually making his way to Rome itself—all the while proclaiming Christ with the same unshakable boldness that has marked his ministry from the beginning. From crushing the head of a viper on a remote island beach to teaching the Kingdom of God under...

Last Sunday, we entered one of the most gripping, surprising, and "Odyssey-like" chapters in all of Acts: Acts 27, the account of Paul’s shipwreck on his voyage to Rome. In a story full of howling winds, desperate sailors, and a prisoner who somehow becomes the most trusted voice on the ship, we will discover that God never wastes a storm. He uses them to purify, prepare, and save. The promise of...

Last Sunday, we continued our journey through Acts by studying Acts 25–26 and Paul’s defense before Festus and Agrippa. In the midst of imprisonment, accusation, delay, and uncertainty, Paul displays an unshakable confidence rooted in one central reality: Jesus Christ is truly risen and truly alive. Together, we considered how a deep-seated belief in the resurrected Christ transforms how we view o...

Paul is on trial for proclaiming and believing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise it holds for His followers. But is it a logical belief? And if so, how does it actually shape and form the life of the believer? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is still on trial today, and we do well to examine it and to live in light of the verdict.

If you have ever been falsely accused, misunderstood, or pressured to keep your faith quiet, this passage is for you. This week we continue our journey through Acts with Paul's dramatic arrest in Jerusalem and his harrowing transfer to Caesarea under Roman guard (21:37-23:35). Beaten by a mob, hauled before the Sanhedrin, and targeted by a conspiracy of forty men sworn to kill him, Paul faces accu...

In Acts 21:1–36, we follow Paul as he walks knowingly toward hardship, refusing to turn aside from the path God has set before him. In a culture that instinctively avoids cost and discomfort, this passage confronts us with a deeper question: what would we do if we clearly knew obedience to Jesus would be difficult? This sermon invites us to see our lives through the lens of the gospel—where suffer...

In Acts 20:1–38, we step into one of the most personal and moving moments in Paul’s ministry—a chapter marked by deep friendship, earnest encouragement, and a tearful farewell. As Paul journeys toward Jerusalem, we see how the shared mission of the Gospel knits hearts together across miles, hardships, and even the hardest seasons of goodbye. This past Sunday, we explored how Gospel-shaped friendsh...

HE IS RISEN!!! This Easter Sunday, we will be looking honestly at honest life — crushing debt, fractured marriages, illness, loss, and grief — and asking a question that may surprise you: What does the empty tomb have to do with any of that? Drawing from 2 Corinthians 4:16–18, the message — An Eternal Weight of Glory — takes us to the heart of what the resurrection actually changes for real people...

This Palm Sunday, we will witness one of the most surprising moments in all of Scripture: a dying criminal's cry for mercy and Jesus' stunning response: "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Drawing from Luke 23:32–43, we will trace the biblical story of Paradise given, Paradise lost, and Paradise regained—from the Garden of Eden to the cross of Calvary. Along the way, we'll be confronted with...

This week we look at Acts 19:21-41. One of the exciting parts of this message is we’re going to relate it to the ordination of J.W. Ruff. I love preaching ordination sermons and this is a great text to frame JW‘s pastoral ministry. It will call us and call this soon to be pastor to preaching the gospel in such a way that idols are dethroned and Christ is exalted.

Now that Paul is in Ephesus, he has a battle before him. His primary tool—one in which he believes deeply—is the Word of Christ: the Good News. For two years, he taught, explained, and reasoned with both Jews and Gentiles—people he loved, many of whom were held in bondage by the dark spiritual realities rampant in Ephesus. As Paul proclaims, Jesus moves in. And whenever Jesus moves into occupied e...

What does it look like when God leads you beyond what you currently understand? Acts 18:18-19:7 invites us into that journey. Three stories: We see Paul, faithfully making plans yet surrendering every step to God’s sovereign will. We meet Apollos, a passionate and powerful teacher with incomplete understanding that humbly learns about Jesus. And we encounter a group of disciples who move from seek...

Have you ever been in a job, a volunteer position, a location, or a relationship that felt like it was time to end? Why did you want to call it a day? Was it God-centered or, truth be told, driven by more self-centered reasons? Last Sunday’s passage, Acts 18:1–17, is a beautiful picture of a tried-and-tested pastor, Paul, who learned the secret to contented perseverance—not by his own strength of...

We are back in Acts 17:16–34 this Sunday. This is a well-known passage that shows us how the Apostle Paul engaged the high-minded Greek culture of his time. Before presenting the Gospel, he met the leaders and philosophers of Athens on their own terms; then, Paul pointed them toward the true God and the real logic of the world. While this method is helpful and I pray it informs us, my deeper praye...

Who are the people that God is redeeming unto Himself? What hints and hopes do we see in the Bible and in the world around us that one day all the families of the nations will worship before the Lord?

Andrew Ginsberg serves as the President/CEO of Operation Mobilization, an international missions organization with over 6,000 missionaries working to develop vital communities of Jesus followers worldwide. A graduate of Duke University and Cambridge, Andrew has a deep professional background in executive leadership, previously serving in senior advancement roles for The Navigators, InterVarsity Ch...

What is unique about the God of Psalm 22 (and of the whole Bible) that makes Him worthy of ruling all the nations? And what are the implications of that as we consider God and as we make Him known to others? Join us this Sunday as we look at Psalm 22 and consider the LORD who all families of the nations will one day worship.

Friendship is not sentimental companionship—it is one of God’s primary means of shaping wisdom, character, and faith. Proverbs teaches that friends are never neutral; they either form us toward righteousness or deform us toward folly. This Sunday, we’ll see how friendship was woven into creation, fractured by sin, restored through Christ, and ultimately fulfilled in Him—the truest Friend who stays...

How ironic is it that our passage this Sunday is on the importance of gathering and the fellowship of the local church and it's looking quite possible that we're not gathering due to snow/ice storm?!? God knew! The Greek work for fellowship in the New Testament is "koinonia" which is a legal term meaning two parties are in partnership to the extent that they share in both assets and liabilities. S...