Eric Ludy Sermon Podcast: Church at Ellerslie

Ever since the Tower of Babel, humans have demonstrated their love for building things on their own, apart from God. But when we look at our lives, our marriages, our families, and our ministries, we find that we do not have what we need to build them strong. This message reminds us that God is the Master Builder and it is through dependence upon the Spirit that every arena of our lives is establi...

Do you ever find yourself shying away from impossible situations? Our natural inclination is to choose the path of least resistance, but God has called us as believers to choose the impossible! We can have absolute confidence that as we choose the narrow way, God will come through and glorify Himself in the most challenging circumstances. May this message stir you to greater confidence to walk in...

We aren't typically attracted to the life of a soldier, but as Christians, every one of us is enlisted! The moment we enter into Christ, we are brought into a military unit under the command of the Lord of battles. The heavenly soldier is a cheerful sufferer and loves his job. He can imagine no greater privilege than to live for the glory of his King. May we obey God’s commands without hesit...

Our finite minds have such difficulty grasping the depths of the love of God—it’s so far beyond all that we can imagine! And yet this deluge of love from the Father is the daily reality of the children of God. What keeps us from knowing it more fully? This message reminds us of God’s immense love for His people and how the Gospel is driven by this motive of love.

This is a unique and deeply personal peek into the heart of a pastor. Eric Ludy approached this message very differently than a typical sermon, bringing a warmth, familiarity, and vulnerability to it that lent an endearing and unforgettable luster to this particular Sunday morning. It’s impossible to listen to this message without being impacted.

What would it look like for the Church to fight on the offensive, rather than the defensive? We often have a passive stance in bringing the Gospel to the world, but effective evangelism happens when we use wisdom and creativity. Just as the Salvation Army brought the Gospel to the East End of London with an unexpected (and very effective!) tactic, this message inspires us to ask God for how we can...

“Bramwell, these are our people—the people I want you to live for.” William Booth made this statement to his young son as God was leading their family to minister in the East End, the worst part of London. In the same way, we have been given a commission to pour our lives out for the lowest and the neediest. This message reminds us of God’s desire to spend His people for th...

If Jesus was not the Son of God, would it change much about what we believe? The truth is, it would change everything. The divinity of Christ is under major attack in the emergent movement and often treated as an inconsequential detail. However, the entire Gospel unravels if we compromise on this point. This message reminds us of the significance of Christ being God and the power that it gives the...

Have you ever noticed that the closer you grow to Christ, the more challenging life seems to get? One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that the grand and glorious Cross is both a place of life and of death, a place of victory and of suffering. This message declares the Cross of Christ to be the epicenter of all of history and exhorts us to keep it at the center of our lives. May we never lose t...

How important is the doctrine of Hell? For as little as we teach on or think about Hell, it is an essential component of the Gospel. Without a real Hell, the Cross and Resurrection lose their triumphant power. This message given on Resurrection Sunday reminds us of the Hell we have been saved from and the power of being resurrected with Christ. Let us not be afraid to look full in the face of deat...

How does a place like Ellerslie get started? Some dreams are realized rather quickly, and others take two decades to come to fruition! This message chronicles the story of the founding of Ellerslie and with humility and richness, captures the heart of what takes place in the training programs. Unlike other messages, “The History of Ellerslie” is given in the format of teaching as oppos...

Is your relationship with God an intimate love of the heart or an acknowledgment of the mind? Most of us long for intimacy with God while not know how to begin to cultivate it. This message explains the inner workings of intimacy, the vast treasure of a loving relationship with Christ, and how to access the depths of all of it. If we want to draw out the sweetest waters of salvation, we must be wi...

In John's gospel, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees one day and declared that all Scripture testifies of Him. The fulfillment of prophecies assure us of the canonicity of the Old Testament, but what provides us confidence in the canonicity of the New Testament? This message delves into the book of Revelation and reveals the heavenly witness to the validity of the Word of God in the New Testament. What...

Throughout Scripture we see that there is a pattern passed down through righteous men that they are expected to build and live according to. But what is the pattern, and does it have anything to do with us? This message is about becoming eyewitnesses of the pattern—the righteousness of Christ—and living in accordance with what we have seen. Let us be faithful to build our lives in ligh...

Do you ever wonder what living by faith is supposed to look like practically? In our zeal to trust God in all things, we can sometimes assume it means never working a job or never going to the doctor because "God will come through." But does God ever use humble means to supply for His children, even if it doesn't look very supernatural? This message attempts to answer that question and lead us onw...

Have you ever read Acts and felt like you needed more power in your spiritual life? But if we're honest, we're not quite sure we know what that would look like or if we'd be comfortable with it. This message presses us to cry out for more of the Spirit of God, while also reminding us of the process of growing up to be ready for walking in the full power of the Spirit. May we not be quick to ask fo...

Have you ever noticed a laxness in your soul after gaining victory... a slowness to turn from sin and a tolerance of small compromises? It is in those moments that we are in desperate need for an “egkrateian” growl: a fierce determination to “let not sin therefore reign.” This message is about kicking out sin and keeping it out, giving no space for the flesh to take territo...

"Yes, Sir. Right away, Sir. Whatever you say, Sir." These are the words of a yes-man—the sort of man we typically deem weak and brainless. But is there a right way to be a yes-man? This message examines the principle of control and authority, shining light upon who really holds the voice of power in our souls. As Christians, are we submitted to the voice of God alone, saying, "Yes, Lord, wha...

How many of us have given thought to the fact that one day we will reign alongside of Christ? Most of us have no clue how to rule a nation! And yet in the book of Proverbs we have been given access to the wisdom of the King of all kings in order to govern our every affair with excellence. This message highlights the purpose and value of the proverbs and how we can begin right now to access and app...

In the protestant reformation the men of God declared 'Five Solae' or "Only's" which the Church must stand upon. Indeed the Church in every generation needs to be often reminded what it is that we're standing for. We must stand for the solae of the gospel. Which is ultimately, standing for Jesus Christ alone.

If we were to imagine what a true man looks like, a ruddy shepherd boy would not be our first pick. That is, unless we understood what it truly meant to be a ruddy shepherd boy. After all, it was a ruddy shepherd boy who destroyed the giant, Goliath. This message is a call for authentic, faith- filled Christianity that is willing to be built in the way that God chooses, for He delights to use humb...

Like its unusual title, this message packs a unique punch in the arena of appetite. Cultural trends encourage us to overindulge in the food we eat instead of enjoying it with self-control and gratitude. Like many sins, the real core of gluttony is an attitude of self-entitlement, demanding that we have what we want when we want it. Allow the Spirit of God to reveal the remnants of entitlement in y...

The idea of faith is at the cornerstone of Christianity. But the fact that God is unchanging and eternal is at the cornerstone of faith. Simply put, God is always the same. And whereas this may not seem like that big of a deal at first, it's a game-changer to the soul when you actually stop and begin to really ponder it.

For thousands of years, Jews have trembled to speak the name of God. Because of Christ, Christians have not only the privilege of speaking His name, but bearing His name as their own. Looking in depth at the meaning of Yahweh, this message unveils the power and beauty of the unspeakable name which has been given to us in Christ Jesus. May we walk in a manner worthy of this glorious name.

"...in the name of Jesus, amen!" Have you used the word "amen" at the end of a prayer, unsure of what you were actually saying? This short Biblical word is traditionally used as a declaration of an agreement in prayer, or as a period placed on the end of a prayer to indicate that it was finished. Although these are proper uses of the word, we see throughout the pages of Scripture that "Amen" is ac...