First Free Rockford Sermons

This Sunday, we’re tackling one of the most countercultural passages in the Bible—1 Peter 3:1–7. God’s design for marriage isn’t outdated or oppressive; it’s powerful, redemptive, and rooted in the gospel. When husbands and wives live God’s way, their homes become living pictures of Christ’s love and grace in a confused world.

This Sunday at First Free, we’ll see how Peter calls us to a surprising kind of strength: submission. In a world hungry for control, God’s people are called to live wise as serpents, innocent as doves—enduring injustice, honoring authority, and standing for truth with eyes fixed on Christ, our Shepherd and Overseer.

Peter urges believers to desire the pure milk of the word so that by it we may grow up into our salvation. This Sunday, we explore the meaning of desire and urges us to ask “What am I craving?” If we are to live like Jesus, we must learn to crave and desire the spirit of God so that we may grow up into the fullness of life with Jesus.

It’s easy to claim new life in Christ—but what proves it’s real? This Sunday, we’re asking a bold question: What should your life look like if you’ve really been born again? Peter gives us the answer—and it’s both beautiful and costly.

This Sunday we launch our new series in 1 Peter: Standing Firm in a Changing World. In a culture where faith feels more like exile than advantage, discover the Five Marks of an Unshakeable Life that anchor us in Christ and keep us grounded in hope.

David’s final recorded words form the basis for the last message in this series. As the king looks back at his life, he realizes that none of his victories and strengths were about him. They all pointed to his descendant and Savior. That’s a good way for us to view our own legacies.

A heartbreaking chapter in David’s life reveals the devastating impact of generational brokenness, sin and silence. Yet even in the wreckage, God’s grace invites us to surrender, repent and begin building a new legacy.

God loves us too much to ignore our sin—even if we do. A prophet's confrontation with King David shows us the painful but life-giving path to restoration and forgiveness.

The story of David and Bathsheba warns us about how sin starts, progresses, flourishes in darkness and eventually destroys people—even innocent bystanders. This week’s challenging message offers a better path—one that leads to restoration and wholeness.

King Saul sees God’s blessing on the young upstart David, and he is enraged. It’s a case study on how jealousy can turn to anger, bitterness and fear. Today, we’re just as susceptible. How do we deal with our desires in healthy, God-honoring ways?

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most widely known in the Bible, and maybe one of the most misapplied. A closer look shows us the importance of what happened in David’s life long before that battlefield encounter. What exactly is faithful fighting and how exactly is the armor of God involved?

God’s prophet, Samuel, anoints a future king. But David looks nothing like what anyone expected, and there’s a long and difficult road ahead before he takes the throne. Those plot twists can be instructive for us all when it comes to God’s calling.

The final chapter of John’s gospel provides vivid examples of Jesus’ love and restoration, no matter how badly we have messed up. This final week in our sermon series speaks to Jesus’ mercy, his care for you and his calling on your life—a calling that looks different from anyone else’s.

Jesus’ resurrection is the turning point for the whole world – past, present and future. The empty tomb changes everything, for everyone.

Jesus’ final words on the cross tell us much about who he is, what he did and how our lives and relationships changed forever as a result.

In John 18, Jesus walks into betrayal and denial—not as a victim, but as the sovereign Savior. Even in our failure, he remains in control, offering grace, restoration and hope.

Jesus is about to leave his disciples. This was unthinkable for them. But in the culmination of the conversation in that Upper Room, he explains how everything that’s about to happen is for their benefit—and ours.

A fruitful life starts with a faithful connection. This week, we dive further into Jesus’ words to his disciples in that upper room. He calls them, and us, to remain in him and bear lasting fruit. What does this look like?