First Christian Union - Sermons

What we decide to do with Jesus is a test of our sanity. We can pretend that we are following him, dismiss him completely, delay the decision of accepting him, or receive him as Savior and Lord. The very first verse of the New Testament book of John opens with the claim that Jesus is God in the flesh. John the Baptizer testified that Jesus was the Son of God. The disciples who followed Christ proc...

The life of a shepherd is not an easy one, but it is vital for the life of the sheep. Without the shepherd, the sheep have little hope for survival. They will wander aimlessly searching for water but likely will not find it. They will be harassed and killed by wild beasts. Sheep need a shepherd. In our study through the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus calls Himself the “Good Shepherd” and that...

Why do we lock pour doors at night? Or during the day? Why are we guardians of our homes? We do this for two reasons: 1) to keep bad people out and 2) to allow those certain people in… family and friends. And while we are all sinners saved by grace, Jesus is the good shepherd that protects his flock. In the John chapter 10, Jesus continues to reveal his character and nature as the God man. As the...

Identity has a tremendous impact on what we do and why we do it. As we continue our series I Am, Christ in His Own Words , we will be taking a look at John 8:48-59, and perhaps the clearest and most profound statement from Christ concerning His identity and the implications it carries with it for you and I today.

People thought they knew who Jesus was when He was venturing out around the Sea of Galilee and down into the area surrounding Jerusalem. “We know who He is! He’s the carpenter’s son from Nazareth. He’s the boy that grew up in our synagogue and community.” However, they were sadly mistaken. He was no more the carpenter’s son than I am a child of George Washington. In our message today from John’s G...

In our text today, we’ll explore the story of Jesus after He fed the 5,000 and how they went in search for Him the next day. They believed Him to be the Messiah and were hoping that his miraculous feeding was their clue that He was ushering in the Day of the Lord, and they wanted more of the manna from heaven which He could share. But the bread which He would give was more than they could swallow...

Jesus, though He spent much of His time around the Sea of Galilee and would often be found sailing in a vessel across the waters, also had a keen understanding of who He was. And true to Himself, He becomes our hero, not only for the moment or the day, but for eternity. Beginning todday, we are going to travel through the Gospel of John and allow Jesus to tell us in His own words who He really is....

In our final message on 2 Peter, we’ll discover that the end is near, and judgment is coming. How we will stand before the judgment seat is impacted on how we live in the present. Don’t buy into the lies that are being told around the world that “You’ve got all the time you need. So, live it up, and satisfy your desires, there’s plenty of time before Christ comes again, if He’s really coming.” Ins...

We live in a world where counterfeit preachers and teachers run rampant. Some are on your televisions in the morning, some are on the radio in your car, many have popular books on the bestseller list, and many creep their way into the church. In the second chapter of 2 Peter, the Apostle reminds the ancient church (and the modern church) to be on guard against these teachers. They are deceptive an...

In our text in 2 Peter chapter 1, we will discover that the Word of God isn’t just some fairytale to believe. It isn’t a myth filled with mystery and intrigue. Rather, the Word of God is actually that, the very Word of God. It has a way of changing lives and redeeming souls that no other book or study can. Peter writes not simply from life’s experiences, instead, he writes from inspiration from th...

As we open the second letter of Peter today, we’ll discover that we must intentionally make every effort to grow in our faith. Christians must always be striving against the currents in this life. The tide of the temptations and deceptions in this world can sweep us away. In this first chapter of II Peter are several actions that we all need to take to strengthen us to be able to stand against the...

In our walk with Christ, we are challenged to finish strong in our faith, even in the midst of chaos and persecution. Peter wants us to know that it is through the wonderful Grace of Jesus that enables us to overcome and finish strong. Today, we will be wrapping up our study through the book of 1 Peter. You’ve made it this far, let’s finish strong together.

Ever since Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the garden, our world has been stained by the affects of sin. What started out as paradise in the presence of God has turned into a struggle. From our first breath until our last, we will struggle to create a life free from the pains of suffering. In fact, everything in our being fights against any type of suffering, discomfort and pain.  But what if we...

The person who comes to know Christ Jesus as Lord is changed from their former sinful self to reflect more the image of Christ in the manner in which they live. As Peter continues his challenge to his readers to prepare themselves for persecution because of their faith, he wants them to understand an important reason why: they no longer look or act like the world. Today, we’ll be examini...

Today we’ll discover in 1 Peter chapter 3 that while we may suffer indignities in this world because of our faith, the greatest suffering that ever took place was when Christ suffered and died not for His own sins, for He was without sin, but for our sins that even in our unrighteousness we might experience grace because of His endurance through it all.

This week Peter will continue to expound on the Lord’s call to submission by looking at the role of gender, and specifically how husbands and wives can best reflect Christ in the way they relate to one another, and how they can best influence an unbelieving spouse to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What would Jesus do? Do you remember those bracelets that became really popular in Christian youth groups in hopes of helping young people live like Christ? Yet, before all of this began, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, was asking the same question to his readers, hoping they would also follow “in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21) by living their lives faithful to Jesus even through the persecution tha...

Sunday we begin our study in 1 Peter chapter 2, we’ll discover how Jesus is using us to build a Spiritual House that is more magnificent than any architectural structure ever conceived.

All too often, many of us try to tone down God's demands and reduce the glare of His holiness so we can live more comfortably. But the truth is, He wants us to shine brightly with the radiance of His holiness in a world covered in darkness. And in doing so, we should be prepared that it will also raise the indignation of those around us who don’t like the Light of Christ shining in the darkness of...

Today we begin a new sermon series that will take us through the summer months. An in-depth look at the two letters written by the apostle Peter to the church encouraging us to see victory as we face the struggles and trials of living the life of faith in Christ. Would it sustain your joy and preserve your faith to know that after the trials of this life when you see Jesus there will be a surprisi...

Time is extremely important to us. We have clocks and watches everywhere we go. We like being able to understand what time it is down the very millisecond. In our sporting events, time is the holder of world records, in our working environments the time clock represents $$$$, and in our religious life we are looking forward to the end of time in which we can be with Jesus. Today, we will be discus...

In this message, we’re going to examine the apostle Paul’s challenge for Christians in One Thing to Do – Press On to the finish line of your faith. We can’t look back, we must focus on what lies ahead.

addressed in the arts as death. Rather it’s the loss of a faithful companion in Old Yeller , William Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet asking the question, “To be, or not to be”, or Tolstoy’s powerful reminder that we can simply not avoid dealing with the inevitability of death and our own mortality in The Death of Ivan Ilyich, death has and will always play a central theme, as art imitates life, and li...

One more turn around the table, one more draw from the stack of cards, one more opportunity to play my hand and I would have won. Unfortunately, life is sometimes like a game of cards and it seems the deck is stacked against you and someone else is going to win. If we were playing partners, you would at least have someone else to blame, but life isn’t that way. We’re on our own in the game of life...

Who hasn’t overlooked a thing or two in life, or let an opportunity of a lifetime slip through your fingers…all because you lacked one little bit of information that would have tied the bow, closed the deal or connected the dots on that relationship?  That can all be behind you.