Gospel Life Sermons

On our final Sunday of 2020 and last week of our study in James, we see our need for Christ once again. Whether we are in need of healing or we are dead in our sin, we have a God to run to. James reminds us to ask for prayer when we are sick and listen carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. We also see our responsibility as disciple-makers to purse people and help "Sin...

We're living in an unprecedented time in the history of the world and this reality brings with it uncertainty, anxiety, and for many hopelessness and fear. Thankfully we worship a God who speaks plainly and precisely and is willing to meet people in the chaos by generously providing a sure and steadfast hope. The Book of James boldly reveals an unshakable God who freely gives and graciously provid...

Advent and the celebration of Christmas is a glorious reminder that our past, present, and future hope does not rest on our willingness, but on the willingness of the ONE from whom the angels sing, the shepherds worshiped, and the kings searched for on that first Christmas morning. Christmas is a declaration of the willingness of Jesus!

The promised Messiah, the Savior of the world, was born on Christmas day to save sinners and destroy death forevermore. This is what we celebrate during the season of advent! The one lawgiver and judge, Jesus Christ, is the only one who can save sinners and destroy death, and He did this through his perfect life, substitutionary death, and triumphant, bodily resurrection! Jesus is the only Judge w...

We celebrate God's calling, provision, and grace of sending off our first church plant, Sufficient Grace Church. SGC will be located on the South Hill of Puyallup and will be led by elders, Noah and Jeremy, and elder candidate, Andrew. Gospel Life will be sending off a little over 100 people from our body to start the new work. God is good! It's all about Jesus!

James presents this section for anyone who’s ever been in a fight before and is given to us as a way of helping us understand what’s really going on when you and I begin to experience conflict. Wars among us are caused by wars within us. Conflict in my life is caused by conflict in my heart. The flesh carries out what the heart wants.

Godly wisdom cannot be attained from intellectual effort or practical experience, but instead, it's received from time spent with God and walking closely with Him by faith. Godly wisdom, unlike worldly wisdom, sees things from an eternal perspective. Godly wisdom’s foundation is faith in the eternal promises of God. Therefore, the source of God’s wisdom is God himself, so to receive it, we must be...

James continues his examination of the relationship between faith and works by exposing the tongue, which represents our speech and communication. He paints a detailed picture of the wicked potential that we can expect from our tongue. This description allows us to see that our tongues are a window to our fallen hearts that need saving and renewing. When our hearts are redeemed by Jesus, our tongu...

Real, saving faith by grace through faith in Jesus always produces the good fruit of mercy! Authentic faith is visible, expressive, and active. The people of God show loving care and concern for others.

Our world is polluted because of the sin of partiality – it’s everywhere and in everything. Therefore, every Christian and every church must consistently examine their personal lives and corporate practices, so they can remain free of this devastating sin that destroys lives, uses people, and leads to idolatry. When they do, they’ll remain to be SALT and LIGHT in their community as God intends.

In this section of Chapter 1, James is NOT writing to tell us what to do to be saved. Instead, he is telling us what saved people do. We are deceived, at some level, if we think we love Jesus and the Gospel without telling others about the One we love. You can have perfect doctrine in your head but worthless religion in your heart.

God is winning and working in our world by advancing His Kingdom. God’s people are re-created by God’s grace, and therefore, empowered to participate in His work of making disciples and planting churches through their doing.

During the trials of life, we are most vulnerable to temptation – each temptation becomes a test of our faith, to either trust God, follow Jesus, and grow in maturity OR to be deceived to take matters into our own hands, give way to sin, and experience death.

Riches have a way of insulating and protecting us from needing and relying upon God. They have a unique way of keeping you from finding your hope and security in God’s promises alone. Money doesn’t make good on its promises, but God ALWAYS makes good on his promises!

Trials in the Christian life are not times when we’re supposed to know exactly what to do. This is why James assumes two things: we will need wisdom when we meet trails of various kinds, yet we lack wisdom. That’s why he’s telling these believers and us today to ask God for it. In our asking, we’re not letting God down, actually it’s the exact opposite. In our asking, we’re reaching out to Him and...

Trials and suffering are both inevitable in this world, BUT GOD intends to use both to deepen the faith of His people, make them more like Jesus, and prepare them for eternal glory.

In the final section of the letter, Paul addresses some poor behavior by some in the Thessalonian church. He teaches that a church is a family. As a family, we must take ownership for one another to encourage and correct.

When the people of God shift their sight line down to lesser things and move their eyes off of JESUS, their God and King, the One who is in complete control, the One who is winning and working even in and amongst what is fallen and broken, they will become like everyone else living in the fallen, broken world. They will be overwhelmed with the chaos, consumed with the fear of uncertainty, fighting...

Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians that what they believe about what God has done, what He is doing, and how he is doing it will dictate their response during times of uncertainty. The Gospel says because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, God will give me the truth, faith, and response to stand firm. Stand firm because God is VICTORY.

Paul continues discussing the end times with the Thessalonian Christians. He explains what will take place before the Day of the LORD, including a rebellion and the coming of the Man of Lawlessness. This man has great power from Satan. Paul reminds us, however, that Jesus destroys this man with just his breath.

Paul addresses suffering, justice, and judgement. Jesus uses suffering to sanctify us. God is a God of justice. There is a judgment coming. We can have Jesus take the weight of God’s judgment or we can take the weight of it ourselves.

Paul begins his second letter to the Thessalonians with a general greeting. He commends them and praises their increasing faith in God and love for one another. We see that as their faith grows so does their love for each other.

When the disillusioned and confused meet Jesus, He illuminates their minds to see Him as the fulfillment of the inspired Word of God and opens up their hearts to receive His substitutional suffering and subsequent glory that provides true satisfaction for the soul, purpose for living, and the only hope for everlasting life!

Humans have no power outside what an omnipotent, all powerful God measures out to them. We can continue to argue, divide, fret, and fight over impotent governments and leaders, or we can place our hope and trust in a powerful, ALMIGHTY GOD, whose theocracy includes the bride of Christ – the Church. When the political meet Jesus, they are silenced, because they’ve encountered true power and authori...

A man named Zacchaeus encounters Christ. Zacchaeus is a wealthy and important man but hated by his own people. Jesus sees Zacchaeus and calls him by name to enter into a relationship that proves to be life changing for Zacchaeus.