I'll Be Honest

If there’s ever been a topic in Christianity that has seemed to cause massive disunity, it’s baptism. And yet when Paul is declaring foundational doctrines of our Christian unity, one of the things he includes is “one baptism”. What is baptism? In addition, Scripture talks about multiples forms of baptism (water, fire, etc.), so what is the “one” baptism referring to?

What are Christians to make of the recent controversy regarding the death of John Allen Chau? Should we look down on him as one guilty of foolish presumption, or commend him as one who it appears trusted God and gave his life for the sake of Christ?

How should we respond to movements that teach false doctrine? Should we stay up to date with the latest resources that explain and expose the movement? Or is there a better way to recognize it and keep ourselves from it?

We are called to be eager to maintain unity. But why is unity so important? And how do we become eager to maintain unity with other Christians? And even if we are eager, how do we actually succeed in maintaining unity in the church?

Sexual sin has been a problem in all generations, but there's no question that our current generation faces it and has access to it far more than any other generation in history. This sin is a horrific sin. It grieves the Holy Spirit, it brings unbearable guilt, it defiles peoples' consciences, it hides the glorious face of God, and it damns the souls of those who are enslaved to it.

A proper and Biblical understanding of repentance is essential when it comes to salvation. We don't want to make repentance less sharp than the Bible does, but we should equally not want to make repentance more severe than the Bible does. What does the Bible teach us about the nature of repentance?

Many children find it convenient to use the failures of their Christian parents as an excuse to not come to Christ. Their failures (not referring to a life of hypocrisy) just means that even Christians still need Christ. Don't use the failures of your parents to justify your own rebellion against God and refusing to repent.

Unity is foundational and essential to Christ's people. This was a main theme in Christ's prayer just before He went to the cross. We must not only understand but also define unity the way Jesus and the Bible does. We must not at all seek to be unified with others who don't believe in the Jesus of the Bible.

The Bible urges us to walk worthy of God's calling; one of the characteristics of a walk worthy of our calling is humility. The Bible also calls members of churches to function properly. One of the necessary ways of functioning properly and building up the whole church is walking in humility.

The Bible urges us to walk worthy of God’s calling; one of the characteristics of a walk worthy of our calling is humility. The Bible also calls members of churches to function properly. One of the necessary ways of functioning properly and building up the whole church is walking in humility.

Satan will often try to shatter the believer's peace of mind by deceiving them into believing the conviction they are experiencing is from the Lord when it is actually from their enemy. If the believer takes this condemnation to be from the Lord, then it can easily drive them into paralyzing doubt.

Can a person be a Christian without being a disciple of Jesus Christ? If we teach that “disciple” and “Christian” are synonymous terms, then are we teaching a works salvation? Can a case be made in the Bible for a distinction between these terms?

We have been given an unspeakably glorious calling as Christians. But with that calling comes the weighty responsibility to make sure that our lives accurately reflect the great worth of that calling. Christian, do you walk worthy of your calling?

Are we honest before God in our areas of needed growth in our lives? In addition, are we determined and resolved by the grace of God to change those areas in our lives that are not worthy of our calling as Christians? We can't expect growth if we are dishonest and unresolved.

What is the difference between faith and assurance? Can a person have one without the other? This is one topic that multitudes struggle with and are plagued by. This is also one of the weightiest subjects in the whole Bible. How can we know if we have a true or false assurance?

The prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3 could be argued as being one of the most glorious prayers in the Bible. But as glorious as it is, Paul doesn’t let us stay there. As wonderful as it is, we have to move on. We cannot stay in the heights all the time; we have to come down and share the glory we’ve seen and experienced in this dark world.

There are quite a few Scriptures that contain the phrase, “But as for me.” These verses are exemplary attitudes and resolves for Christians to have that should distinguish them from others. No matter what others may do, we must always be able to say, “But as for me…”

In the Christian life, we should be making progress that will be visible for others to see and notice. Are you making spiritual progress on your way to heaven?

The Lord is interested in us overcoming, and one of the greatest things we will have to overcome in our Christian life is having our feelings hurt and being offended by someone. And no, I am not talking about little minor infractions and common irritations that everyone experiences; but I'm talking about serious offenses - things that break fellowship - things that hurt and injure - things that dr...

There was once a day when we saw absolutely nothing attractive in Jesus Christ. But now we see everything our soul could ever long for bound up in Him. But how did we come to see Christ as lovely? It's only because His love toward us opened our eyes to see His beauty. Our love toward Him is a result of His love toward us.

Abortion is one of the flagrant atrocities going on in America, and Christians should be involved in taking a stand against it. But how exactly are Christians to be involved in combating against it? Must we all stand in front of an abortion clinic and protest? Are there other ways to be involved? What should we think of Christians who are accusing other Christians and other churches of being in si...

One of the most prominent books to go to for greater light on the love of Christ in the Bible is the Song of Solomon. But is Song of Solomon an allegory or literal? How should we interpret it? Is it an unwarranted stretch to say that it ultimately speaks of Christ and His church?

Why does the apostle Paul pray for Christians to have things that they already have? The answer is that there's more experiential reality to be had in the Christian life. There's a wonderful possibility to know more of Christ in our lives that we haven't known before. Christianity isn't just knowledge of objective information, it's Christ dwelling in the believer.

As a new man in Christ, we are to freely bestow our forgiveness to those who do not deserve it; just as God bestows His forgiveness to those who do not deserve it. Preached on 5/6/2018 Alternative sermon title: The New Man: Kind, Tender, Forgiving

We believe in a Christ who is revealed for us in Scripture, but genuine saving faith is more than just grasping those truths intellectually. The one with true faith has a commitment to Christ and will not ultimately let go even in the hardest of trials.