Doxa Church Sermons

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead As we prepare our hearts this Christmas...   1. Ponder the promises kept (vv.57-66) Promise #1- the baby born would be a son (Lk 1:13,36)  Promise #2- Elizabeth's reproach taken away (Lk 1:25)  Promise #3- many will rejoice at his birth (Lk 1:14) Promise #4- John will be his name (Lk 1:13)  Promise #5- Zechariah speaks (Lk 1:20)  2. Pause to reflect on God’s mercy...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Christian Calendar Seasons: - Advent (the birth of Christ) - Epiphany (the manifestation of Christ)  - Lent (the temptation and death of Christ)  - Easter (the resurrection) - Pentecost (the Spirit of Christ)   The King is coming- as you prepare your hearts for Christmas... 1) Prepare in wonder (vv.26-37) 2) Prepare in faith (vv.38-45) 3) Prepare in praise (vv.46-56)

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Big Idea: Christmas is a time to prepare your hearts for the coming of Jesus. 1. Christmas is credible (vv.1-4) “All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that’s my job. And I am prepared to say on that basis if anyone things the Gospels are legend or novels, then that person is simply showing his incompetence as a literary critic.” -- C.S. Lewis   ...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead 1. Lead us not into temptation a. Does God lead us into temptation?  James 1:13 -- "'Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and Himself tempts no one.'"  2. Where do temptations come from? a. Internal -- James 1:14  b. External What does this mean for my prayer life?   1. Reminds us we do...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead 1. Forgive our debts a. Our debt before God is (personally) unpayable b. Our God forgives debts God's forgiveness is:  - Infinitely costly - Eternally freeing Romans 8:1 -- "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." So what does this look like for my prayer life?  - Cultivate a pattern of regular confession - Confession i...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Bringing your laundry list of prayer into line with the Lord... 1. Ask for His provision a. We ask for our food as a gift (God’s the source) Psalm 104:14 -- "You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth." b. Our God loves to give Matthew 7:9-11 -- "Or which one of you, if his s...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead “The first step in any spiritual awakening is demolition.” -- Jim Cymbala  1. Your kingdom come - What is the Kingdom? - How does the Kingdom come?  - What does this mean for our prayer life? a. Lord, extend the rule and reign of your Son - Through His mission - Through your submission  b. Lord, your kingdom come is my kingdom done 2. Your will be done - What is God’s...

Preacher: Chris Ritter Big Idea: The goal of your life and your prayers is hallowing God’s name. Our Father - By Adoption though Jesus - Invitation to intimate prayer Romans 8:14-17  3 Reasons We Don’t Address God as Father: 1. Our sin 2. Our doubts 3. Our hang up with “Father” In Heaven - God is transcendent - God reigns Hallowed Be Your Name   - What does it mean to hallow something? - We highly...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead “This prayer is a pattern for all Christians praying; Jesus is teaching that prayer will be acceptable when, and only when, the attitudes, thoughts, and desires expressed fir this pattern. That is to say: Every prayer of ours should be a praying of the Lord’s prayer in some shape or form. We never get beyond this prayer. Not only is it the Lord’s first lesson in prayin...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Matthew 6:1 -- “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”  2 bad habits that need to go:    1. Don’t pray for the show The degeneration of prayer: a. It was ritualistic b. It was rote What's the problem?  a. The posture? b. The public nature? c. The...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Big Idea: Our purpose is to partner in bringing glory to God by glowing in the dark. 1. You are the light of the world- Know it!      2. Our light is meant to be visible- don’t hide it! What’s dimming your light?  a. Fear of man b. Hypocrisy c. Ignorance d. Pride 3. Our light reveals God’s glory- let people see it! Do you have any intentional ways of letting your light...

Preacher: Chris Ritter Ephesians 4 V. 1-16:  God’s definition of a good church 1. Good churches are united about Jesus as Lord (v. 3-7, 13) 2. Good churches are driven by the Gospel (v. 1-3) 3. Good churches see everyone involved in ministry (v. 11-12) 4. Good churches speak the truth in love (v. 15) V. 17-32:  A portrait of growing disciples in healthy church relationships 1. Growing disciples pu...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead What made their fellowship so compelling?    1. They were devoted a. To Biblical preaching b. To loving partnership  c. To hospitable community  d. To persistent prayer 2. They were connected  - Observations:  a. The sharing was occasional b. The sharing was by need c. The sharing was voluntary, not enforced  d. The sharing didn’t do away with private property  4. They...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Where does Biblical community start? Big Idea: True Biblical community starts with grasping your relationship with God 1. Union with Christ John 15:4-5 -- "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in yo...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead A Gospel-centered life... 1. Boasts not in any human effort before God (vv.12-13) 3 reasons this boasting appeals to us: a. Show off how spiritual you are b. Avoid persecution c. Divert the attention from your own sin  Melbourne daily paper after a Billy Graham crusade -- “...I am heartily sick of the type of religion that insists my soul and everyone else’s needs savi...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead You reap what you sow:   - To reap you must sow - The harvest corresponds to what is planted  - You will reap what you sow How can we expect to reap the fruit of the Spirit if we don’t sow faithfully in the field of the Spirit? So let’s sow to please the Spirit, which requires..    1. Sharing from the blessings of God’s word (v.6) a. Responsibility of the teacher b. Re...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Big Idea: The Spirit’s work ought to be seen in our humble burden bearing 1. A word to the restorer Observations: a. Notice it assumes there will be sin in the body b. It’s a Spirit-led loving endeavor to restore the wayward c. The warning isn’t to the one who’s sinned but to the restorer 3 descriptions of the restorer:  a. Spiritual  b. Gentle c. Careful 2. Bear other...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead 1. Life in the flesh (vv.19-21) Observations:  a. This list covers the religious and irreligious.   b. These traits aren't necessarily all manifest in every person, nor to the same degree.  c. Paul’s list is not exhaustive.  - Sex - Religion - Relationships - Indulgences  2. Life in the Spirit (vv.22-23) Observations:  a. ‘Works’ to ‘Fruit’ b. Fruit not Fruits  c....

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead What is freedom? 1. Christian freedom is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin 2. Christian freedom is freedom for service, not freedom for selfishness 3. Christian freedom is freedom to obey, not freedom to disobey Romans 8:3-4 -- ... By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requiremen...

Preacher: Chris Ritter 1. How does a wandering church return to freedom? "For all of you who get riled up when I mention God and you want to know which God I am talking about, I'm talking about the same one you're talking about.  The Alpha and the Omega, the omniscient, omnipresent, ultimate consciousness, source, force, the all of everything there is, the one and only G-O-D."...

Preacher: Zak Graves Big Idea: Do NOT live like a slave. STAND FIRM in freedom. What are we free from? 1. The Power of Sin - You don’t have to sin 2. The Law & God’s Wrath - You don’t have to earn - You don’t have to fear Circumcision Represents: Anything that you think is essential to your salvation or  status with God (Aside from Christ). Legalism: The enemy of freedom - Being trapped in leg...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead - Freedom is trusting God for what He said He will do, the way He said He will do it. Where can you find spiritual freedom? 1. Freedom is found through promise, not human effort (vv.22-23)   2. Freedom is found through God’s righteousness, not self-righteousness (vv.24-27) 3. Freedom is found by the Spirit, not the flesh (vv.28-31)

Preacher: Seth Kleeberger Big Idea: The real hope that sustains me in the wilderness, tells me that God is there doing some of his most powerful work.  1. I can embrace the wilderness because... My deepest longing is revealed 2. I can embrace the wilderness because... My greatest purpose is remembered  3. I can embrace the wilderness because... My wavering confidence is restored  Living What We Le...

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead Big Idea: The heart of the pastor and the heart of the people should be bent towards one goal: Christ formed in you. 1. Move from the slavery of idolatry back to freedom of intimacy with God (vv.8-12a)  2. Move from the preference of ear tickling back to the truth (vv.12b-17) 3. Move from the focus on self-formation back to Christ-formation (vv.18-20)

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead How does God’s adoption of us change our identity?  1. Who I am in Christ (3:25-29) - You are a son of God-- (redefines your vertical relationship) 4 implications of putting on Christ: a. Classification b. Closeness c. Character d. Covering - You are one in Jesus-- (redefines your horizontal relationships) 3 barriers are broken down:  a. Cultural barriers b. Class barr...