Porter Podcast

Series:  Scattered Suffering and Submission  1 Peter 2:14-25   Suffering and submission are valuable in God’s kingdom.  He uses them to accomplish His plan and develop His people.       Submission is difficult for us because rebellion is a part of our makeup.   What about bad rulers?  Peter was writing to people who were living under a tyrannical governmental system.   Is civil disobedience?  The...

Series:  Scattered Growing as a Disciple 1 Peter 1:22-2:10     28 We know that all things work together for the good  of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.  29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed  to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn  among many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:28-29     God uses every season of our lives to devel...

Series:  Scattered Christianity on Display 1 Peter 2:9-17       Wherever you are, whatever you are going through, you are representing Christ.       people are watching           Remember who youare--you have a unique identity.           Remember why you arehere--you have potential influence!   •     Be consistent in your private life. The internal “war” imagery reveals...  o  the reality of progr...

Series: Scattered Honoring God in a Strange New Land I Peter 1:13-21     types of “strangers”   ·      Immigrants:  People pursuing a dream of making a home in a foreign land     ·      Tourists: People who visit a foreign land, but don’t desire to permanently live there.     ·      Exiles: People living in a foreign land, but long to go home.    ·      Ambassadors: People serving their home count...

Series: Scattered Hope in Adversity I Peter 1:1-9   the author        Simon Peter:  a discipleof Jesus, a leader of the early church   the audience      Believers facing growing persecution      the message      Wherever they are and whatever they are going through, Christians have hopethat directs them.      CHRISTIAN HOPE      Christian hope is rooted in our identity--we are God’s People.  (1-2)...

Free from Despair Lamentations 3 Review ·     Hope in Christovercomes fear. ·     God is going to use this to spread the gospel ·     God is going to use this to develop us ·     Christians can overcome despair Despair is the overwhelming sense that life is going nowhere.  Lamentations ·     Laments of the prophet Jeremiah ·     The book of lamentations is a Hebrew work of Art.   It consists of 5...

EASTER  2020 MOST IMPORTANT! I Corinthians 15:1-10     The death and resurrection of Jesus is the most important belief of Christianity.   Christians believe the resurrection is a historical, verifiable event because...  ... the Old Testamentpoints to the death and resurrection of Jesus.     ... the empty graveis a proof of Jesus’ resurrection.    ... early witnesses testifiedof the resurrection....

James 1:1-12 March 29, 2020 Nick Sandefur, Sr. Pastor James 1:2-4 2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Context: ➢ the brother of Jesus ➢ the main leader in the Jerusalem church➢ his name means &qu...

Don’t Waste Your Crisis   2 Corinthians 4:1-17     We are not immunefrom crisis.         Crisis moments are hard, but they give us the opportunity to share our faith.         Throughout history, God has allowed hardshipto further the spread of the gospel.         2 Corinthians 4         1. God is in control of our lives.     2. Trialscome even to godlypeople.         3. Our job is the same regardl...

March 15, 2020 Nick Sandefur, Senior PastorIn the Bible, fear is presented as both healthy and harmful. What Do We Fear? ➢ Insignificance ➢ Death ➢ Helplessness ➢ Loneliness ➢ An Unknown Future“Fear not” is the most repeated command in all of the Bi- ble. People have a tendency to vacillate between faith and fear.“ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but ofpower and of love and of a sound m...

Series: New Horizons Conversion Acts 9:1-31 Some conversions are dramatic, and some are almost imperceptible.    Every saved person has a life-changing moment.                 Acts 9 details the second-most influential dayin the history of Christianity.     context      After Stephen’s death, persecutionbreaks out against the church.   Believers scatter throughout the Roman empire, but this has a...

Series: New Horizons How the Gospel Spreads Acts 8     1.  The church was convinced that evangelism is everyone’s job.        Acts 8:1-4                     Jesus included involvement in the Great Commission        into His initial call to follow Him.                             Why is this so important? § the multiplicationfactor § the networkfactor § the gospelfactor     2. People shared the gos...

Series: Bold Stephen Acts 6-8    1 out of 8Christians are affected by the threat of physical persecution worldwide.                              www.opendooruse.org   Christians face persecution in more than 60 countries.   US State Department    Most of us will never be asked, “Will you die for your faith?,” but we are all asked “Will you live for your faith?”     Stephen’s ministry             ...

Series: BOLD Barnabas/Ananias & Sapphira Acts 4:32-Acts 5:11     The most effective opposition to the church comes from the inside.   a picture of grace          Acts 4:32-37   ·      Barnabas was a giver. ·      Barnabas saw potentialin people. ·     He was a good cheerleader. ·     He was willing totake a back seat. ·     He was a restorer.      the pretenders        Acts 5:1-14   God detest...

Series: BOLD Peter and John Acts 3 & 4   When we come to Chapters 3 and 4 in Acts, opposition to the gospelis growing.    As enemies of the gospel arise, the early church faces them with boldness.      a miracle                  Acts 3:1-10            God uses the miraculous to draw attention to the message of Jesus.   a sermon                Acts 3:11-26                     The veracity of th...

Series: First Things First  The First Church  Acts 2:42-47     The Bible describes new Christians as “babies in Christ,” and the church is responsible for their well-beingas they become maturebelievers.       the early church’s development strategy   They provided clear next stepsfor early believers.                                           Acts 2:42        Repentance                           Ba...

Series: First Things First Launch Acts 2:1-41 Why did the early church take off?           A movement of the Holy Spirit occurred   o  The coming of the Holy Spirit – When the Holy Spirit came to earth to reside continuously in the hearts of believers.   o  The Baptism of the Holy Spirit – The moment the Holy Spirit comes to live in an individual believer.    o  Filling of the Holy Spirit – The pr...

series : First Things First    the movement begins Acts 1:1-11   No church has ever faced a more uphill challengethan the First church, yet they grew rapidly.   They grew because they fully embraced the gospelof Jesus.        Acts 1:1-11   The First church was filled with people who had apowerful, personal experiencewith the gospel of Jesus.                                                         ...

series : First Things First    the movement begins Acts 1:1-11   No church has ever faced a more uphill challengethan the First church, yet they grew rapidly.   They grew because they fully embraced the gospelof Jesus.        Acts 1:1-11   The First church was filled with people who had apowerful, personal experiencewith the gospel of Jesus.                                                         ...

Series:  Christmas Carols Good Christian Men, Rejoice! Luke 2:8-14   The attempt to find joy is a part of Christmas for almost everyone.   However, Christmas joy is often a thin veneerlike wrapping paper.  For joy to last, the source of joyhas to be sufficient.  good Christian men, rejoice   Christian joy is not circumstantial; it is rooted in our relationship with Christ.    Rejoice in the Lord a...

Series: Christmas Carols Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Luke 1:26-37; Philippians 2:5-11     Most people have an opinion about who Jesus is.     veiled in flesh, the Godhead see   Christians believe that Jesus is God Incarnate.                                                           John 1:14   Christians believe that Jesus is both GodandMan.      It is easy to emphasizeone nature and neglectthe o...

Series: Christmas Carols O Come, O Come Emmanuel Proverbs 13:12; Isaiah 9    O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. The human experience fluctuates between moments of sadnessand joy, darknessand light. Lonely Exile The sadness the world experiences is the result of...

Series: AD: AfterDeath What Happens HERE After You Die  Proverbs 20:7; Luke 16   my wish list for my family   I want final decisionsabout my life to be easy on my loved ones.  I want my family to be financially secure.                  Proverbs 13:22     I want my relationships to end in good standing.   I want my girls to find good husbands.   guarantees after you die   ·      Your loved ones wil...