Jeff Shelnutt Sermons

There are certain essential doctrines that lie at the core of Christianity. These beliefs pertain directly to what it means to believe the Gospel. In the second message of this series, we consider the fall of the first man, Adam, and the resultant depravity inherited by every man and woman. With Romans 5:12 in the forefront, we ask and answer three questions: 1) What went wrong? 2) What does it me...

Those who had believed in Ephesus began to publicly confess and disclose practices that displeased God. As a transformed people, they brought out into the light what was formerly kept in the dark. Ephesus was a city steeped in the practice of magic. It was believed that much of the effectiveness of so-called magical powers depended on the secrecy surrounding the magical spells. Those Christians wh...

After departing the synagogue, Paul spends two years teaching in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. Ephesus will prove to be an incredibly fruitful mission field with regional impact. Though God opens the door for the powerful advancement of the Gospel, the Adversary does not easily concede his long-held ground. Attempts by some who do not personally know the Lord Jesus to invoke the name of the Lord J...

Arriving back in Ephesus from the north, Paul encounters twelve disciples of John the Baptist. Something about them is off. Like a wise soul doctor, Paul poses a couple of questions in order to evaluate their spiritual health. Revealing their symptoms by their responses, the twelve help Paul reach a diagnosis. The apostle then proceeds to apply the cure. In their own uninformed way, the disciples...

There are certain doctrines that have always and must always be affirmed by Christians. Of these core beliefs, affirming the truth of the Trinity is essential for relating to God as Creator and as Redeemer. The first part of the message deals with some key passages in the New Testament and Old Testament that address the triune nature of the Godhead. The second part breaks down why the Trinity matt...

As Paul concludes his second missionary journey, he briefly visits the city of Ephesus where he leaves Aquila and Priscilla. The married couple encounter Apollos in the synagogue, a man who spoke accurately about Jesus, but who lacked certain information. Priscilla and Aquila take Apollos aside, instructing him more fully. The result is that Apollos becomes a powerful witness for the Lord Jesus bo...

Paul received the promise while in Corinth that no one would harm him. In this passage we observe a specific incident in which God kept that promise. The decision of the proconsul, Gallio, not only benefited Paul, but also paved the way for the name of Jesus to be more widely proclaimed. Paul then goes on to conclude a vow as a demonstration of his gratitude to God. The way in which you respond to...

Paul receives a vision from the Lord with the promise that no one will harm him during his stay in Corinth. This instructs us in the nature and purpose of visions in the New Testament. In this passage we also discover three things about claiming the promises of God. First, consider the promise in its proper context. Secondly, determine the principle embedded in the promise. Thirdly, after you have...

Jesus confronts a funeral party outside of the small village of Nain. Life confronts death. Jesus has compassion on the bereaved widow who has now lost her only son. The Lord meets you in your despair and sorrow. God must be your ultimate source of comfort and peace. The purity of the Son of God overcomes the defilement of the corpse. Reminiscent of Elijah and Elisha, Jesus raises the dead man bac...

Mary Magdalene is left all alone before the empty tomb. Having not only experienced the loss of her Lord and Teacher, now--to make matters worse--His body is gone. The Second Gardener finds Mary and she recognizes His presence in His voice. Everyone is seeking something; many don't realize that they are actually seeking Someone. The resurrection of Jesus Christ calls for a response. 

Paul arrives alone in the city of Corinth, a city infamous for the arrogance of its citizenry and its glorified sexual promiscuity. The Lord provides friendship to Paul through Aquila and Priscilla. Working the same trade as the married couple, Paul labors alongside of them while ministering the Gospel and testifying of Jesus Christ in the local synagogue. The circumstances that God provides...

In this last psalm of Book Two of the Psalter, Solomon prays for the ability to rule his kingdom justly, righteously and with compassion. The Bible defines justice, revealing how everyone must be held to the same standard. The righteous king will act with compassion. This psalm speaks of a king whose reign will endure and whose borders are boundless. Where Solomon failed to fulfill God expectation...

The Apostle Paul concludes his message to the intellectual elite of Athens. Focusing on God as the source of all life, Paul connects the truth of God's Word to His audience by way of general revelation. Idolatry in every form minimizes God, reducing Him in our eyes to something He is not. Having concluded building his case for the offense of idolatry, Paul declares that God is calling all people e...

Paul begins his address on the Areopagus by making known to his audience the "unknown God." The Apostle focuses on three truths in describing God. First, He is the Creator. Secondly, God is the Sustainer. Both of these truths are evident through the witness of the creation. Both of these truths also tell us that God is personal and relatable. Thirdly, Paul points out that God is a seeking God. The...

Paul is provoked by the sea of idolatry in which the residents of Athens swim. While conversing about Jesus and the resurrection, he is summoned to the Aeropagus to give an account of his teaching. Though Athenians were religious, they were blinded by the false spirituality they pursued. There is a universal problem of idolatry. Everyone has a tendency to make a god out of everything except God. T...

God shows His people favor so that they might make His ways known to the ends of the earth. It is faith working through love in practical ways that will impact others. God desires that all the peoples praise Him. In the universal quest for happiness, this psalm tells us that joy is grounded in God's justice and guidance. The curse upon the present creation will be lifted. In the meantime, how the...

Having to flee in the night from Thessalonica, Paul, Silas and Timothy arrive in Berea to find a receptive audience in the local synagogue. The Bereans examined the Scriptures with great eagerness. They tested what Paul said about Jesus of Nazareth against the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Everything must be examined in light of Scripture. This includes different interpretations that...

The unbelieving Jews in Thessalonica stir up animosity toward the young church. Not finding Paul and his missionary companions, the mob drags Jason and other believers before the city authorities. The unbelieving Jews not only pursued the wrong means, they also pursued the wrong end, denying that Jesus is King. The Christian has a better King than Caesar--a King that is coming again.  

Paul boldly presses on to the city of Thessalonica in spite of the persecution he and Silas received in Philippi. In the local synagogue, Paul uses a combination of Scripture and logic to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah. Paul works with his hands to support his ministry. Through different approaches--preaching, conversing, and witnessing by setting an example--the missionary t...

The psalmist remembers what God has done in the history of Israel. He recognizes what God is doing through his present hardships. And he anticipates what God will do in the future. The deliverance at the Red Sea was a pattern for every future deliverance. The Red Sea experience of every Christian is their conversion story. Prayer is anticipating what God will do in the future, anchored in what God...

After Paul and Silas expound the Gospel to the Philippian jailer, his joyful response is to first cleanse their wounds. He and his household are then baptized, and they share a fellowship meal with the missionaries. When the city magistrates attempt to send Paul and Silas away quietly, they are alarmed to learn that they have beaten and imprisoned two Roman citizens. Paul is not concerned for his...

Paul and Silas are asked a simple question by the jailer in Philippi: "What must I do to be saved?" Their answer, "Believe in the Lord Jesus," is both simple and profound, with significant implications for this life and for the life to come. While taking the time to unpack the meaning of salvation, the problem of sin, the person and work of Jesus, and the authority of His Lordship, this message wi...

Paul and Silas were beaten and placed in stocks in the inner cell of the prison in Philippi. Their obedience to God's call brought them intense physical and emotional pain. Yet they chose to pray and praise in response. When suffering strikes, there are three responses to it that we discover in this passage: singing in the suffering, expecting God to move in the suffering, and testifying to others...

Paul and his team continue to proclaim the Gospel in Philippi. Being repeatedly followed by a very vocal slave-girl who is possessed by an evil spirit, Paul commands the spirit to depart from her. Though the girl is set free, Paul and Silas are apprehended, beaten and placed in prison. This passage reveals a supernatural worldview, push back from the supernatural realm, and a willingness to sacrif...

King David flees from Absalom, his son, who has stolen the throne and the hearts of the people. In the wilderness, David is sustained by seeking God, seeing God, and remembering God. Only a vision of the surpassing lovingkindness of God in Jesus Christ will produce lasting change.