New Life Church Sermons

Mission: Inward and Outward - Rodney Howell, Missions and Outreach Pastor 10.24.21 by New Life of Asheville

This week, we had a guest pastor "Rafiq" from the Middle East. For safety concerns, no video is available, but you may hear the message here!

The Bible is full of enlightening contrasts that help us understand Jesus and His upside-down Kingdom. Think about just a few of these prominent themes in Scripture: praying AND giving, sowing AND reaping, going AND sending. We will be exploring a few of these concepts over the next several weeks. This week, we’ll unpack the scene in Luke 9 where Jesus both models good news AND good works, and als...

As we put a wrap on our Good Design series, we can’t leave without digging into the subject of marriage. Our culture sees marriage as a means to self-fulfilment and satisfaction. The other person is supposed to “complete” us and make us happy. But is that the real purpose of marriage in God’s design? What if marriage was meant to paint a far more important and beautiful picture for the world about...

Who and how to date another person is a major question in a culture seeking answers about sex and relationships. In a world of dating apps, hook-up culture, casual sex, quick divorces and disposable relationships, does the Bible provide a healthier pathway through the maze of dating and marriage? The truth of the matter is that the Bible says nothing about dating, because it’s a concept that only...

Who and how to date another person is a major question in a culture seeking answers about sex and relationships. In a world of dating apps, hook-up culture, casual sex, quick divorces and disposable relationships, does the Bible provide a healthier pathway through the maze of dating and marriage? The truth of the matter is that the Bible says nothing about dating, because it’s a concept that only...

There are two primary narratives about sex in the world. One tells the story of sex as a mere phyiscal apatite along the lines of eating or drinking. The other storyline paints sex as something far deeper, with far reaching implications for the soul of humanity. One narrative leads to destruction, the other to flourishing. Our enemy has been feeding us lies since the garden: You’re missing out. It...

What is love? There’s so much confusion about what love is in our culture. Is love a feeling? Is it merely sexual? Why do I say I love filet mignon & I love my wife? Are those the same things? Closely related to love, I’d argue is our understanding of identity. If we don’t understand who we are & why we exist—it’s really impossible to love fully or receive love in a healthy, life-giving wa...

Sex, love & marriage are sacred gifts from God. In fact, God invented sex (& love & marriage)! God is very much pro-sex and not anti-sex despite what you may have been taught growing up in church. However, like all good things, we tend to (as fallen, sinful human beings) take what is good, and distort, mutilate, mangle what God designed for good and end up with some distorted version t...

As James wraps up this letter that’s been all about a faith that bleeds into action, he ends on an important note: prayer. Prayer appears in every single verse of this passage. The importance of prayer in the Christian life cannot be understated. Spiritual life without prayer is like a vehicle without fuel. James tells us when we should pray, how we should pray and who we should be praying for. He...

James: Living Under Pressure - Joe Dillon, Guest Preacher 08.15.21

James saves some of his strongest words and harshest rebukes for the rich who oppress the poor. As James addresses wealthy, non-Christian landowners who exploit others so that they can live lavish lifestyles, believers get a front row seat to the dangers of wealth. We learn that riches are a poor functional savior. In fact, wrongly acquired and sinfully managed riches will serve as evidence agains...

This week’s passage in James hits on the more subtle sins Christians oftentimes neglect in their own lives. It’s easy to point out what we consider to be “big sins” in others; things like murder, rape, extramarital affairs, homosexuality and the like. But James wants us to tackle sins of omission in our own lives just as voraciously as the more obvious sins of commission. James tackles two particu...

I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel - Guest Pastor - 07.25.21 by New Life of Asheville

In this week’s passage, James uses the common experience of friendship to teach us some important lessons about where we place our allegiances in this life. In fact, James is going to present us with a pressing problem that we all face, and then drive home a spiritual solution that we all desperately need. The problem, as it turns out, is friendship with the world, which he equates with spiritual...

As James continues to give us the marks of authentic faith, he shifts us to two pictures of wisdom. The truth of the matter is that we all live according to some code of wisdom. Whether you get wisdom from Hollywood, friends, Google or a religious system, we’re all on a quest to find wisdom that will lead us to a happier life. James says that there are two types of wisdom: worldly wisdom (3:14-16)...

As James continues to flesh out his premise that authentic faith in Jesus leads to real fruit in our lives, he begins to talk about the power of words. The old saying we all heard as kids “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is one of the biggest lies ever told. Words destroy marriages, cripple children, divide churches, and drive nations into war. But words can also...

This section of James’ letter to scattered and persecuted Christians across the Roman Empire is one of the more controversial passages in the New Testament. James makes a radically bold claim: faith without works is dead! In other words, authentic faith leads to real fruit. He goes on to paint a picture of 3 kinds of faith: dead faith, demonic faith, and living faith. James wants us to know that m...

As we jump into the second chapter of this little power-house of a book, we see James address a super practical outworking of authentic faith. He’s already addressed how followers of Jesus ought to walk through trials, bridle our tongues and care for the marginalized. He now shifts to the subject of favoritism. James unapologetically proclaims that faith and favoritism are incompatible. He then po...

James: Life Through The Word - Ranjit David, Guest Pastor 06.13.21 by New Life of Asheville

The book of James is one of the most hard-hitting, practical and challenging books in all of Scripture. It was very likely penned by the younger half-brother of Jesus who rejected his big bro until after the resurrection. From that point forward, James became a ferocious follower of Jesus and a pillar in the Jerusalem church. He’s writing this letter to believers who have been scattered because of...

Jesus closes this most magnificent prayer by praying for those who would follow Him in generations to come. It is stunning that almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus was praying for you and me! In this prayer, 3 things seem to be specifically on His mind. Unity, closeness and love. Unity with one another, according to Jesus, is how we authenticate the gospel message to a watching world. Closeness with Jes...

As the scene in John 17 opens, Jesus is mere moments away from arrest, torture and eventual execution. Not surprisingly, we find Jesus praying in these crucial moments. This the the longest recorded prayer we have from Jesus, and thus provides a unique window into some of the most important things on His heart at this critical time in His life and ministry. In this chapter, we see Jesus pray for H...

With just hours before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus amps up his preparation of the eleven with encouragement and direction regarding how to carry on and complete the mission in his physical absence. He understands that they will grieve Jesus’ death and the loss of their companion and Guide, but he instructs them that, as with following the pains of child-birth, there is great reward and joy....

As Jesus continues to teach the disciples just moments before His arrest, He makes a shocking claim. It was shocking then and it’s just as stunning today. He tells the disciples that it is better for them if He goes away. Why? Because then the Holy Spirit will come. For the Christian, the Spirit in you is better than Jesus beside you. Shocking! This is because of the powerful work of the Holy Spir...