Creekside Sermons

We're all tempted to seek meaningful connection with God through the false paths of legalism, mysticism and asceticism, but Colossians 2:16-23 shows us that true, meaningful connection to God is only found through the path of abiding.

Our world is full of voices promising us the key to a life of joy, hope, and purpose. We could spend our lives listening to various teachers and chasing different experiences, hoping that the next one will unlock the life we're looking for. But the book of Colossians tells us that everything we need is found at the Cross of Christ. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus offers us a new life of...

If we boldly tell people about Jesus, we will face pushback, opposition, and struggle. So why is proclaiming Jesus worth the struggle it brings into our lives? The apostle Paul tells us that we can rejoice, even in the face of suffering, because proclaiming Jesus is an unimaginably great privilege. We get to tell people about God's perfect plan to offer them eternal life and to restore them to all...

The book of Colossians urges us to make Jesus first place in our lives. Why is He worthy of that position, though? He is worthy because He is our rescuer, our ruler, and our reconciler. The only question for us to answer is whether or not we will give Jesus the first and the best of our affections, our time, our money, and our energy.

Every person must eventually ask themselves, “How can I find a life of lasting joy, purpose, and hope?” The world presents us with many answers to that question. Advertisers tell us that their products will complete our lives. Religious gurus and life coaches say that we can become better people if we'll just follow their advice. But in the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul...

Persistent spiritual immaturity poses a problem to each one of us and to any church. How do we respond to it appropriately? How do different theological persuasions handle such a problem?

Time is our most precious resource, because it is the substance of our lives. Wasting our time is tragic misuse of the gift of life that God has given us. All of our time belongs to Him. As a result, we're called to use our time to glorify God. How can we use our time to honor and represent Him in the coming year?

God will inevitably call us into new and hard things this New Year. So why, when he calls, should we say yes? Isaiah's story of calling shows us what we must all see, feel, and hear from God if we are to answer with Isaiah's same, enthusiastic, “here I am, send me!”

In this world filled with crises and trouble, we long to know that God understands what we're going through, and cares enough to save us. The good news of Christmas proves that He does. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, entered into our world in order to save us from our enemies once and for all. Will we trust in Him every day as we face the trials and tribulations of our lives?

The world is bent and broken because of sin. Relational conflict, pain, shame, fear, and death are just a few of the devastating consequences of humanity's rebellion against God. We cannot fix the world. From the time that Adam and Eve fell into sin, however, God has promised that He will repair our world once and for all. He has sent us His Son, Jesus our Savior, who will one day destroy the devi...

The holidays are meant to be a time of gratitude and joy, when we thank God for all He's given us and celebrate with those we love. But what if we feel distant from God and spiritually dry? How do we praise Him when our hearts don't feel particularly joyful? King David wrestled with that same dilemma, and in Psalm 63 he provides us with a model for how to recover our joy when it's hard to find. In...

What does it take to be an effective disciple-maker? First, we must pray persistently, since making disciples is the work of the Holy Spirit. Second, we must work diligently, because disciple-making requires time, energy, and perseverance. Third, we must plan wisely, aiming to meet the needs of those we're investing our lives into.

f we want to help other people follow Jesus, we need to understand what a follower of Jesus should be like. What does a faithful disciple of Jesus think, say, and do? This week, we will examine how to assess spiritual maturity so that we can help other people move closer to that goal.

Life changing discipleship beings with a wise invitation. While individually we can't disciple everyone, we are called to disciple someone, so let's be wise in who we invite. Join us as we explore a few practical ideas to help us make a wise decision as we look to live in step with the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations.

Jesus commanded us to make disciples. But what does that mean? And why should we bother? It turns out that making disciples is the most significant way we can invest our lives. When we help people find and follow Jesus, we can leave a legacy that lasts into eternity.

For Christians, missions isn't a side project. It's at the center of who we are and what we are called to do. Jesus has commanded us to participate in global missions, because God is building a kingdom of worshipers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. The task is great, but God has given us the power we need to do the job.

The church is like a flock of sheep, in need of Christ-like shepherds to lead us. For that reason, God has provided elders, men who are called to provide spiritual nourishment to God's people and to protect us from danger. They are called to lead eagerly, selflessly, and gently. The congregation is commanded to follow our elders submissively. All of us are expected to behave toward one another wit...

Jesus loves the Church perfectly and lavishly. His love is sacrificial, special, transformative, and enduring. Because He loves us so much, He calls us to love one another in the same way. The Church is meant to be a place where Christ's love is freely given and freely received.

God's church is like a human body, in many ways. There are a great multitude of members, each bearing great significance, individuality, and diversity. At the same time, each member is deficient on their own. Belonging to Christ's body makes us a part of something incredibly significant, diverse, and unified.

The church is a temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. God wants His temple to be a place of peace, worship, and focus. When we divide up and argue about issues that are not of first importance, we risk destroying the temple. We reveal how foolish we really are and we reject the authority of Christ over the church itself. For those reasons, God hates divisiveness within the church and He judges it....

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “priest”? Would it surprise you to know that the Bible says that if you know Jesus, you are a priest? Priests are people who have been set apart by God to worship Him, obey Him, and show other people what He's really like. We don't offer animal sacrifices, but instead our lives are sacrifice to God. Peter tells us that the church i...

Because God has adopted us as His children, we are now members of His family! We have confidence that He loves us permanently and perfectly. As a result, we can extend His love to our fellow Christians and we can represent God's love to a world that needs to hear the good news of Jesus.

What does it look like to faithfully follow Jesus while living in dark and evil times? In Ephesians 5:15-21, Paul tells us that we can live well by making the most of our time, diligently seeking God's will, and being filled by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. This year, let's commit to making our walk with Jesus the number one priority of our lives, as we seek to honor Him in these dark times.

In order to be effective, a church must understand its mission and its core values. At Grace Bible Church, our mission is to help people find and follow Jesus. That mission is supported by our key values, or “pillars,” that support everything we do. We value God's Grace, God's Word, Next-Generation Ministry, and World Missions.

Do you feel hopeful about the future? If so, where do you find your hope? Just like the people of Israel, we find ourselves in a world filled with darkness and sin. There is external opposition to God's kingdom, and there is opposition within our own hearts. We need a king who will defeat God's enemies and bring us hope and peace with Him. Psalm 2 gives us a picture of the power and goodness of th...