Sacred Mission Sermon Audio

There is a common belief in the church that the world is getting darker. While potentially not a false assessment, it shouldn't foster the fear and anxiousness that we see in so many who confess belief in the gospel. We should be a people who walk confidently in this world with courage and strength, because we have been made to be lights that the darkness cannot overcome.

If Paul's writing is true and it has been "granted to us" to suffer and face persecution as citizens of heaven, then what might be the secret to standing strong and persevering through it? How do we come out on the other side reflecting the reality of our citizenship even greater?

An often asked question in Christianity is, "What is the point of living if you will die and go to heaven anyway?". That question only seems probable from a perspective of selfish ambition. The gospel gives us a reason that is beyond our own personal gain.

Advancement takes place when our focus is in the right place. In Philippians 1:12-18, we look at the advancement of the gospel and how our focus on the gospel helps us accomplish the task.

Celebrate Father's Day with us this Sunday! We will work through the story of the Prodigal Son as we are reminded of how God our Father takes deep delight in transforming wayward sinners into beloved children that bear His name.

In the opening lines of his letter to the Philippians, Paul concerned himself with a two-fold vulnerability of the young church: callused hearts, on one hand, and naiveté, on the other. So he penned a prayer that they would grow in gospel-informed, discerning love.

Quite often we believe that we can only have joy when life is going well, but is that true? Can we have joy even when life goes differently than we hoped or planned? The question we must answer is where do we look for joy in our lives? ... We had some technical difficulties while recording this sermon, so you may notice a few portions where the audio skips.

Semper Reformanda is a Latin term the Reformers used meaning "Always Reforming". In essence, since we have a church reformed in the externals of doctrine, worship, and government, let us always be working to ensure that our hearts and lives are being reformed by the Word and Spirit of God.

At the dedication of the wall in Nehemiah 12 it says: "And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.". What was the source of this joy, and how did they discover it?

Jerusalem was reestablished; its walls were reconstructed, God's word reinstituted, and God's people recommitted. But, the city was greatly underpopulated to fulfill all that God had called it to do. In Nehemiah chapter 11 we see the plan of God in filling the city with a people for the purpose of God.

Hannah was a woman who was full of sorrow that was both provoked and absent of pity. In desperation, she made a promise to God that if he would give her a child, she would give it back to Him. A promised child; and a woman who kept hers.

How far does God want us to go in our pursuit of obedience to Him? Is the mere confession of sin enough? What do repentance and obedience look like?

In the valleys of life, we tend to call out to God for help. This is usually fueled by a desire to not have to face the consequences of our decisions and we often fail to reflect and truly learn from the reasons we were in the valley at all.

In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul makes this profound statement "because of the great love with which he loved us... made us alive together with Christ... and raised us up with him". God's love for his people caused him to take us from death to life, from a tomb to resurrection, from hopelessness to eternal joy.

In the days leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus took whip in hand and ‘cleansed the temple’ in Jerusalem. But more than simply driving out animals and profiteers, Jesus was cleansing his Father’s house of false worshippers and filling it with true.

Have you ever thought about what is central to your life? When you really value something it impacts what you believe and how you live. In Nehemiah 8, we not only see how important the Word of God was for Israel but also how they responded to the Word of God.

Nehemiah has finally completed the wall, but the real work has just begun. The work of rebuilding was never going to end at the completion of structures, they were means to a greater end; the completion of a people.

God's purpose always brings opposition. One of the biggest oppositions we will face is the lies of the enemy that try to build fear into our hearts to get us to stop the work at hand. We have to use discernment to navigate through the opposition and see the work completed.

What are the distinct characteristics of a godly leader? What separates a godly leader from an ungodly one? In Nehemiah chapter 5, we see first-hand the example and model of godly leadership that we should be striving to see developed in our own lives.

Working to build up a vision means that eventually, you will face opposition. Whether that opposition is internal or external, it will try to get you to quit and give up on the vision. But we only need to remember these simple words in the face of opposition, "our God fights for us".

In Nehemiah chapter 3 we get introduced to 32 verses of names. These names may seem unimportant at first glance, but each one represents a person or group of people who were committed to getting their hands dirty in the work of redemption. Each name represents people taking responsibility in seeing the glory of God and the good of his people be established in the city they call home.

How does one push through adversity and build a lasting legacy? Facing hostility and hardship, Nehemiah modeled resilience and visionary leadership. In doing so, he points us to the one who overcame all odds to build for us the heavenly Jerusalem.

How does God's work get accomplished? Join us this Sunday as we look at how God accomplishes his work, through the prayer life of Nehemiah. We look forward to exploring how we can be a people who take redemptive action with prayer driven purpose.

Nehemiah is a book about the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem, but more than that, it is a book about a man who relied immensely upon God and bore the responsibility to see righteousness be reestablished among his people.