River Oaks Church Sermons

A sermon on Psalm 2 by Dr. Ben Shaw. Application questions: How do we plot against the Lord, even unintentionally? In what ways do we consider the word of the Lord to be bondage? How do we demonstrate in our daily lives that we serve the Lord and subject ourselves to the reign of Christ? Do we pray for the coming of his kingdom, recognizing that that coming includes both blessing and judgment? Ref...

A sermon on the "amor of God" in Ephesians 6:10-24, by Greg Lanier. Application questions: Why does Paul end this letter by discussing spiritual warfare and the “schemes of the devil”?  How often do you think about spiritual warfare? Do you see Satan and power of darkness as a real enemy in your day-to-day?  Read Isa 59:14-20. How is God depicted as a mighty warrior? Where do you see elements of t...

A sermon on Paul's teaching on servants/masters and vocation by David Camera. Application questions: Do people have a generally positive or negative view of work today? What are some unhealthy and even sinful ways we can view work? How are we to serve those in authority over us according to Paul? Look up Leviticus 25:39-46; Deut. 15:12-18 and 1 Timothy 1:10. How is the slavery mentioned here diffe...

A sermon on obedience to parents by David Camera. Application questions: Describe your home-life growing up.   What was most important to your parents?  How did they discipline, or not?  What did you learn from their example, either positively or negatively?  Were you an obedient or rebellious child and how did your parents deal with you?  How do you see the influence of your parents on you today?...

A sermon on biblical submission by Cody Brobst. Application questions: How does the idea of “submission” as a positive thing affect your view of difficult texts in Scripture? Where did the negativity around this come from?  Why does Paul go out of his way in v. 22 to name your “own” husbands?  As Christ humbly yields to the church, so she submits “in everything” to her husband. What does this not ...

A sermon on Paul's exhortations about mature Christian "walking" by Pastor Greg Lanier. Application questions: Where are you most allured by what the world has to offer? How does Paul’s statement, “the days are evil,” correct this temptation to put hope in the world?  Some English translations (rightly) render v16 as “redeem the time.” Why is Paul's word choice interesting? What does it mean that...

A sermon on the Christian walk by David Camera. Application questions: How would you explain your identity to someone? (Who are you?)  What has the Apostle been teaching about since 4:1? To whom are these verses directed?  How is 5:1 connected to 4:32?  How does Paul describe Christians in this section? How should our identity impact our activity?  Why should Christians imitate the character of Go...

A sermon on the new life in Christ by David Camera. Application questions: If someone asked you why we should pursue a holy life, how would you answer?  How does 4:25-32 flow from vs. 4:22-24?  Why do you think there is so much on the use of our words in this section?  List the pairs of vices and virtues Paul commands us to "put off and put on.  Read Psalm 4. What is David's situation? In light of...

A sermon on the defeat of death and the hope of resurrection by Cody Brobst. Trigger warning: The introduction to this sermon discusses the death of an infant. Also, an illustration is used that deals with suicide.   Application questions: Why is facing the reality of death generally difficult for us? Think of personal examples of people in your life whom you have lost and the reasons it was hard....

A sermon on the nature of the resurrection body by Rev. David Camera. Application questions: What analogies does Paul draw to prove the reality of a future resurrection of our bodies? If you had to describe our resurrection bodies from this passage, how would you describe them? Since we will bear the full image of Jesus when we are resurrected, his body is the pattern of our future bodies. Look up...

A sermon on the reign of Christ (with focus on Reformed approaches as part of our Spiritual Formation 3.0 weekend) by David Camera. Application questions: What elements need to be in place if you are to have a kingdom? In Jesus’ first sermon in Mark 1:14-15 he said “repent for the Kingdom of God is near.” What did he mean by the Kingdom of God and its being “near”? How do we become members of his...

A sermon on how Christ's resurrection defeats the enemy of death (past, present, future), by Greg Lanier. Application questions: The resurrection ‘tradition’ cited in 1 Cor 15:3-4 mentions “according to the Scriptures” (twice). What passages does Paul engage in this text? Why is it important to note which sections of the OT they come from? (Hint: Law...Prophets...Writings) Revisit verse 22. Now re...

A sermon on Paul's teaching about the necessity of the resurrection by Pastor David Camera. Application questions: Is living forever in a resurrected body appealing to you? Why or why not?  What were some of the Corinthian Christians claiming about the resurrection? Why would that be something they argued for?  Let’s follow Paul’s logic here. Some of the Corinthians claimed there is no resurrectio...

Easter service sermon on the apostolic testimony to the bodily resurrection of Jesus in 1 Cor 15:1-11, by Dr. Greg Lanier. Application questions Why is the resurrection important to Christianity? Name 5 reasons (from this passage or from others). Discuss the biggest objections to the resurrection of Jesus that you’ve heard (e.g., “the disciples stole the body,” “the disciples all just saw a ghost”...

A homily by Pastor David Camera on John 19:28 ("I thirst") as part of our Good Friday service.

A sermon on putting off the old and putting on the new in Ephesians 4:17-24, by David Camera. Application questions: How would you describe the life of a non-Christian?  How does Paul describe the life of a non-Christian in verses 17-19?  How is a person brought out of the futility, darkness and hardness of a life apart from Christ? (vs. 20-21)  According to verses 22-24, what steps must a Christi...

A sermon on Christ's gifts to his church to build one another up (Eph 4:7-16), by David Camera. Application questions: How does a Christian grow to maturity in Christ?  Why does Paul place this instruction at this point in the letter? How does it flow from chapters 1-3?  Summarize how Paul describes a life that is worthy of our calling as Christians?  What do all the offices mentioned in vs. 11 ha...

A sermon on Ephesians 4:1-6 by pastoral intern David Oh. Application questions: Read Eph 1:3-14, noticing the plural nature of God's salvific blessings. How does the text's emphasis on the church's communal nature convict or challenge you?   Where have you experienced God blessing you through the gifting of another brother or sister in Christ?   How do you normally react when you meet another Chri...

A sermon on Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 by David Camera. Application questions: Make a list with your group of your top 5 prayer requests.  Why does Paul pray? (I.e., What is the reason he speaks of in v. 1 and v. 14?)  To whom, for what, and to what end does Paul pray?  What does the phrase "…filled with all the fullness of God" mean? (cr. 4:13)  How can Paul’s prayer inform our own prayer life?...

A sermon on the wisdom and power of God by Rev. Cody Brobst.  Application questions: What is meant by ”the mystery of the Gospel”? Are there hints around what this means throughout the book of Ephesians (start with verse 6)?   What is Paul’s goal with the Gentiles? What message is he trying to send about the nature of the church this side of Christ's death on the cross?  How does this inform “who...

A sermon on Ephesians 3:1-6 by Dr. Ben Shaw. Sermon application questions: How is the term "mystery" used in Scripture? How is Paul using it here? What is the "mystery" of Christ? How does the OT reveal the gospel? Why is the inclusion of Gentiles so important to the biblical gospel, both OT and NT?

A sermon on Christ's work demolishing the dividing wall of hostility and building the church, by Rev. Greg Lanier. What are some examples in both OT and NT of the “dividing wall of hostility” between Gentiles and Jews/Israel? Why is motivating Paul to address this?  Why is it important to think through the corporate (“we”) aspect of Christ’s work and not limit it to the individual (“I”)?  Revisit...

A sermon on God's grace of saving us from spiritual death in Ephesians 2, by David Camera. How does Paul describe the condition of humanity in 2:1-3? List out the words/phrases.  What does Paul say is the reason God saves us? (v. 4)  When did God love us? Where is the first mention of God's love in Ephesians?  Contrast our former predicament with our present status in Christ.  Where have we seen t...

A sermon on Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23 by Pastor David Camera. How does a person's self-perception impact the way they approach life?  Paul begins in verse 15, with "…for this reason." What reason/s?  Do you ever thank God in your prayers when you see good things in others?  In verses 17-19 Paul reports the content of his prayer. For what does Paul pray?  In verse 17, Paul teaches that the...

A sermon on Paul's introductory praise of the Triune God by Rev. David Camera. Application questions: What comes to your mind when you think of a blessing?  Look at verses 3-14, list all the “blessings” God has made available.  What words or phrases are repeated?   Why do you think Paul repeats himself?   What has God the Father done, what has God the Son done, what has God the Spirit done?  How a...