Sermon B-Sides - Coram Deo Church

In Colossians, Paul calls Christ the "firstborn of all creation." To understand what he means, we need to interpret Scripture with Scripture. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss the deity of Christ, how Christ is the second Adam, and how Scripture helps us to understand what Colossians is referring to. We hope you enjoy, and as usual, if you have any questions f...

Why do so many churches lose the gospel? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss how thankful we ought to be when a church truly understands and treasures the gospel. They also discuss how the key to not losing the gospel is to keep your eyes on Christ while avoiding the traps of legalism and antinomianism. We hope you enjoy, and as usual, if you have any questions f...

Ephesus was full of spiritual darkness, and it was a city where the cures were as bad as the ailments. We see this in the syncretistic exorcists and magic books full of spells to cast out demons or heal from sickness. What is magic exactly? Do Christians need to be on guard against spiritual darkness today? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Acts 19 and conside...

In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at the gospel ministry in Ephesus. Ephesus was a strategic location for the gospel. The gospel began to spread in Ephesus through the ministry of Apollos. Then, Paul spent over two years teaching there, resulting in all Asia Minor hearing the gospel.

In the Bible, God uses normal people like Paul and Elijah as instruments in his mission. We may think that Paul and Elijah were invincible, but they struggled with despair and the pressures of their task. But in these moments, we see God graciously comfort and strengthen them. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at the story of Paul in Corinth and Jesus' promise th...

What happens when the Gospel confronts the cultured pagans of Athens? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Paul's address to the Areopagus. In this passage, Paul shares the Gospel with people who are not familiar with the Old Testament. We can learn from Paul's example here; while he sought to make the Gospel understandable, he did not soften the claims of the Go...

As the Gospel spreads throughout the Greek world, the Church experiences more and more conflict. Religious leaders stir up riots. Paul and his team are accused of turning the world upside down. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss Paul's missionary trips to Thessalonica and Berea, and why it's significant that Luke mentions converted women in Acts.

In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss how the sanctity of human life is rooted in the image of God. They also discuss how the fear of God should shape our posture towards this issue—especially with regard to abolishing legal abortion.

It is popular among Christians today to reduce the Gospel to personal "spiritual" application only. We believe that Christ has no plan to make an impact on the wider culture. As a result, we forget that Christ is Lord of all. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Acts 16:16–40 and discuss how, even in the early Church, we see Christ's impact in all aspects of life...

Today, the Church faces constant pressure to redefine loving our neighbors to fit with the world's definition. This tendency can undermine the Gospel. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss how redefining "sin" and "love" robs our neighbors of the truth of the Gospel: that Christ came to save us from our sin. When we do this, we compromise both the Gospel and the d...

What does the Bible teach about angels? Why do the stories of Christ's birth have so many scenes with angels? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten consider how the Bible talks about angels, their relation to the Old and New Covenants, and how they often inspired fear in those who encountered them.

Merry Christmas! At the fullness of time, Christ was born in Bethlehem. The coming of Jesus was the long-awaited fulfillment of the promise given at the beginning of the story in Eden. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten consider how the practices and traditions of Advent teach us to consider Jesus' long-awaited arrival so we can learn to wait in hope for his coming kin...

Merry Christmas! What exactly happened on that first Christmas? Was that baby that in the manger also God? Is Jesus also a human? Did the Old Testament anticipate this at all? In this Advent Episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss the deity of Jesus, the incarnation, and how the Bible anticipates the astounding miracle of the Word made flesh.

To the Jew first, and then to the Gentile—we see that pattern throughout the book of Acts. The mission starts in the synagogues until Peter or Paul get kicked out. Then they preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Acts 14 notice wild swings that Paul would experience in his missions. In this chapter, Paul and Barnabas bring the Gos...

Have you ever noticed how different the sermons preached in the book of Acts are from the sermons you might hear today? Rather than being mere motivational boosts, the sermons in Acts focus on how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and they do so in a punchy, to-the-point way. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten consider these sermons and the way they put tr...

King Herod killed James and continued to persecute Christians because it was politically advantageous. God later strikes him down. Shortly after this, we see the conversion of Sergius Paulus, the Roman governor of Cyprus. Why does Acts emphasize kings and rulers? How is Sergius supposed to rule now that he is a Christian? In this Episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten consider the...

Jew and Gentile. Circumcision, food laws, and the ceremonial law. The Holy Spirit and the conversion of the Gentile centurion Cornelius and his household. Ethnic identity and covenant identity. "Ordinances" and the "elementary principles of the world." Why does the Old Testament have laws that Christians don't observe anymore, while it has other laws that they do? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides...

Soon after meeting Jesus and beginning to preach that he was the Christ, Saul was on a hit-list. In Acts 9 we read of two separate conspiracies to kill Saul. Saul could've avoided this by being silent or by pursuing a life of private piety. But that wasn't an option for Saul. Instead, God used him to stir up holy controversy. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss...

When Saul met Jesus on the Damascus Road, everything changed. The sovereign grace of God met Saul and made a train wreck of his life as it was. He went from persecutor to ardent supporter of the Church; from opposed to mixing with Gentiles to uniting Gentiles and Jews within the Church; from hauling Christians to the magistrate to preaching the Gospel to kings. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, P...

Why is it that God sometimes rescued his people in obvious and miraculous ways, but at other times God had them take part in battles and conflict? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Psalm 44. They consider how God often doesn't deliver us in miraculous ways so he can mature our faith in him. They also consider that, even when God is silent or seems distant, we...

Sometimes, circumstances and conflict reveal that we've founded our hope on something that isn't solid. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Psalms 42 and 43. They discuss how in our trials, conflict, and inner turmoil, we often need to fight for our faith and joy in God rather than fall into a distorted version of lament. These Psalms show us two weapons we have...

In our lives, we will inevitably suffer. What do you do with your suffering? What do you learn from it? In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten consider how Psalm 41 teaches us to bring our sufferings to the Lord and how our sufferings teach us to consider and care for the poor and needy.

Moments of distress and affliction remind us of our need for help and reveal what we are putting our trust in. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Psalm 40 and consider how trusting in God may look like overconfidence to the world, while distrusting God may look like humility to the world.

Everyone's life is shaped by their fears. What you fear will determine how you live, how you speak, and what you love. Every fear outside of the fear of the Lord leads to a self-salvation project that leads to self-destruction and personal dissonance. In this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten look at Psalm 34 and consider how the fear of the Lord delivers us from all other fe...

There is a Psalm to give a voice to every human experience. Some Psalms, known as the imprecatory Psalms, call on God to judge our enemies and evil in the world. Are Christians called to pray or sing these Psalms? Are they inconsistent with Jesus' call to love our enemies? On this episode of Sermon B-Sides, Pastor Jon and Pastor Rusten discuss these questions and why the imprecatory Psalms are so...