New Life Church Sermons

This week we kick-off a brand new series called I AM as we unpack the 7 I AM statements of Jesus in John’s gospel. You may have noticed that it’s almost impossible to know someone without first knowing their name. Contrary to popular belief in some cultural circles, God is not unknowable. In fact, He has clearly revealed Himself to us by giving us His name. The story begins to unfold in Exodus 3,...

The Drama of a National Destiny - Steve Harris, Guest Preacher, 11.08.20 by New Life of Asheville

Three Paths - Joe Dillon - Guest Preacher, 11.01.20 by New Life of Asheville

What would you tell the people you love most if you knew what you were about to say to them would be the last words they would ever hear from you? Last words have lasting impact. After the resurrection, Jesus had some final instructions for His small, rag-tag band of followers that would change the trajectory of history itself. He gave them a mission and a purpose that was mind-blowing: the whole...

One of our missions partners in Central Asia shares a message with the New Life family this week.

Encounters with Jesus - Mad Man to Missionary - Nathan Byrd, Guest Preacher 10.11.20

As we launch into October, which is mission month at New Life, we’re always reminded of Jesus’ final words to His disciples in Acts 1:8. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the end of the earth. This week, we’ll examine the call to our city, our Jerusalem. In Luke 14, Jesus encounters a religious leader at a party and tells a parable that has huge implications for the mode...

The encounter recorded in John 11 is one of the most moving scenes in the entire Bible. In this scene, Jesus’ earth-shaking power and his gentle care are both on glorious display. Jesus clearly loves this family found in John 11 deeply and is close to Lazurus and his sisters Mary and Martha. Through his interactions with Mary, Martha and Lazarus we learn truths that have the potential to be just a...

The last two weeks we’ve learned through several encounters Jesus had with people that we are designed for healthy vertical and horizontal relationships. We were created for relationships with God and others! This week we’ll look at an encounter Jesus has with Peter and the disciples that has far reaching and exciting implications for us today. This particular encounter in Mathew 16 is the very 1s...

Our encounter for this week is found in the book of Luke where Jesus gets invited to a dinner party by a religious leader who hopes to expose Jesus as a spiritual fraud. Through this intimate setting things get heated quickly and Jesus, as so often is the case, turns the table on his host. Through this story our own heart gets revealed and we realize how desperately we need one another to help exp...

No matter what your worldview is or what you believe spiritually, we all know that something is broken in our world. What’s missing? What can fix what’s broken within each of us? By looking at some of the encounters Jesus had with people in the gospels, we’ll discover that Jesus not only exposes what’s missing within us, but offers a lasting solution that nothing else in this world can. We will di...

This week we wrap-up our study through this incredible little letter from the apostle Peter to suffering Christians almost two millennia ago. Peter has used this letter primarily to encourage believers in their suffering. He closes out his letter by giving us several keys to finishing the race of life strong for the glory of King Jesus. We learn that humbly trusting God through confusing seasons o...

As Peter nears the end of his letter to these suffering believers, he pivots his attention to the leaders in the church. In times of suffering, good leadership is crucial for the wellbeing of any community, and the church is no different. We know from the collective New Testament writings that elders are primarily called to lead, feed and protect the flock as shepherds. Peter is going to charge th...

Hope In Exile - Rest in Troubling Times - Joe Dillon, Guest Pastor 08 16 20 by New Life of Asheville

What if you knew the world would end in precisely 24 hours? How would you live your last day on earth knowing the end is near? In this passage, Peter encourages believers to live in light of the end. Jesus has promised to return, and we are closer now than we’ve ever been. Because we eagerly await the imminent return of our Savior, Peter lays out 4 specific ways followers of Jesus should live thei...

As Peter begins to shift toward the finish line of his letter to these exiled Christians, he reminds them of several key truths. In this life of brokenness and pain, we look to Jesus who also suffered. He is our motivation. He is our model to imitate. We must begin to develop a warrior mindset in preparation for the battle that awaits as followers of the King who also suffered in this world. We do...

This week’s passage is one of the most mysterious and difficult texts in the entire bible, and yet one of the most encouraging scriptures you’ll ever come across. In writing to these suffering Christians in Asia Minor, Peter encourages them in their season of pain and exile by painting three pictures of hope for them. First, he points them to Jesus, the suffering king who walks with His people in...

Last week we learned that Christ followers are called to love one another deeply within the church family as well as bless those who persecute us outside the family of faith. This week Peter will lay out how followers of Jesus can live a hopeful life in a world that is oftentimes hostile towards Jesus and His people. This hopeful life looks like doing good in practical ways, finding blessing by su...

The last few weeks Peter has shown us how followers of Jesus are to interact in different arenas of life even in the midst of suffering. We’ve looked at how Christians are to view and interact with the government, the work place and within marriage. Today, Peter closes out this section of his letter with instructions on how we are to interact with one another in the body of Christ. He gives us 5 c...

As Peter moves through this section of his letter on submission, he gives special attention to the relationship of marriage. Last week, we talked about what godly submission for wives is not and what it actually is. This week, we’ll learn that husbands are also to submit to the Lord Jesus in how they view, treat and interact with their wives. In fact, husbands are commanded to love their wives jus...

In this section of Peter’s letter to suffering Christians in exile, he’s been explaining that God-honoring submission is a key tool in kingdom expansion. The last two weeks, he’s talked about how Christ-followers are to relate to government and to their employers, and now he shifts into the dynamics of a Christian marriage. Peter first pleads with wives to be subject to their husbands, just as the...

Peter continues with another specific example of how followers of Jesus are to live from our new identity as elect exiles, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s own position. Our job description is to proclaim His excellencies, as He has brought us from darkness and into His marvelous light. The first example (last week) was how a Christian responds to government. Now it gets down...

So far in this letter, Peter has given us a beautiful definition of our new identity as followers of Jesus. Elect exiles, beloved sojourners, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, people with a heavenly inheritance and a bulletproof living hope. That is who you are, Christian. Now Peter shifts to how this new identity should be lived out in different areas of our lives. This week, he drills down into...

We finished up last week by looking at our new identity in Christ in 2:9-10. (Go back and read that before moving on.) Once Peter establishes our new identity in Jesus, he spends the rest of chapter 2 and much of chapter 3 challenging us to live out our new identity in several key areas of our lives. He starts by addressing our personal lives and how we are to engage the sin we each deal with on a...

This week we dive into chapter 2 of Peter’s letter to a group of suffering churches. In light of their living hope and coming inheritance through Jesus, Peter challenges them in two key areas: putting away sin and growing in Christ through His Word. He then pivots and reminds them once again of their new identity in Jesus: living stones being built into a spiritual house with Jesus as the cornerst...