Sermons | Local Church in Wabash, Indiana | Bachelor Creek

There are times in Scripture where we’re called to hold two seemingly opposite truths in tension: God’s sovereignty vs. man’s free will, grace vs. truth, shining our light for others to see vs. doing our righteous acts in private. In Matthew 7:1–6, Jesus calls us to avoid judging others on one hand while also using discernment in ministering to others. While on the surface it might seem incompatib...

Many of us are plagued by worry and anxiety.. We worry about finances, relationships, school, parenting, the economy, our health, work, social injustices; it goes on and on. We think that worrying will somehow make things better, but worry doesn’t work. Worry is a pill that actually makes us worse, not better. Fundamentally, worry demonstrates a lack of trust in God. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tell...

Life is a journey of decisions, and often difficult ones at that. However, in Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus simplifies things as He lays out three sets of alternatives that point towards the answer to one crucial question: Where will I place my heart? As we navigate through the choices laid out in this text, we see that Jesus requires nothing short of our undivided allegiance.

One of the greatest temptations we face is doing the right things for the wrong reasons. In Matthew 6:1-8, 16-18, Jesus highlights the danger of doing acts of righteousness to get praise from people. Jesus challenges us to examine ourselves and check our motives. Why do you do what you do? A life transformed in the hidden, secret place helps us live for an audience of One.

Jesus’ call to not resist an evil person and to love your neighbor are two of the most challenging things to hear today. In a world based on justice and retaliation, Jesus calls us to lay aside our own personal wants and desires. We so often are told to 'stand up for yourselves', to 'live the life you want', and to 'take matters into our own hands', but is that really how Jesus envisions Christ fo...

We’re always looking for loopholes, ways to get around what’s required while still fulfilling our obligations. We do it in life, we do it in relationships, and we do it with God. In Matthew 5:27-37, Jesus takes us beyond the letter of the law to the heart. And we find that under it all is a radical call to faithfulness. Faithfulness is the foundation for following God’s will. Jesus calls us to be...

Beginning in Matthew 5:21, Jesus shares six common interpretations of the law, followed by the true meaning of the law. He starts with murder. What we discover is that Jesus looks beyond the physical act and gets to the heart of the matter. Behind evil actions lie angry hearts. By inspecting our intentions and rushing to reconcile fractured relationships we can ensure that our hearts are pure and...

Let’s be real. Some of the commands we read in the Old Testament seem outdated and no longer applicable for Christians today. We say things like, “We have the New Testament, so we don’t need the Old Testament anymore.” In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus shares how He views the Old Testament and how we should relate to it today. And what we discover is that we should embrace the Old Testament as a vital fou...

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus uses two metaphors, salt and light to describe the responsibilities of Christians. Jesus calls us to preserve godly values, enhance the world around us, and illuminate the darkness. When we fail in this responsibility, like unsalty salt and hidden light, we’re good for nothing. But when we live out our calling, a salty church shining bright changes the world.

What if life in the kingdom of God is radically different from what people would expect? Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, a series of eight blessings with correlated promises for those who live according to the values of the kingdom. It’s a way of live that flips our cultural expectations upside down, but as believers who belong to a different kingdom, it’s not just a bett...

It’s considered the greatest sermon ever preached. Christians and non-Christians alike have long admired Jesus’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. The problem is there’s disagreement on what this transformational sermon really means. As we kick off our “Summer on the Mount” series, we look at how this sermon has been misunderstood followed by the right way to read it. The Sermon on the Mount de...

If you get your friends right, the right friends will help set you up for success in every area of life. Proverbs offers a wealth of advice on cultivating great friendships. It's important to assess the kind of friend you are and the types of friends you have. Remember, you are influenced by your five closest friends, so aim to surround yourself with positive influences.

No matter what you may be told, marriage is hard. When two fallen, sinful people enter into a committed relationship with each other, there’s bound to be conflict and struggle. Add to it the pressures to give in to the world’s standards, and you may wonder if there’s any hope for you. The book of Proverbs teaches us how we can glorify God in our marriage and gain the wisdom we desperately need. By...

Today’s parents face unprecedented challenges in raising their kids. Increasing technology, mental health issues, and school violence are just a few issues parents have to navigate. In light of this, how can parents wisely lead their kids to follow Christ into adulthood? Through loving discipline, faithful modeling, and godly training, wise parents set the foundation and direction of their childre...

It seems a lot of people get uncomfortable talking about money, especially in church. But as a church that stands on the authority of the Bible, one of the wisest actions we can take is to listen to what God says about money. At least 101 verses in Proverbs talk about money and possessions. When comparing what the world says about money with what the Bible says about money, we discover that the co...

Proverbs has much to say about the power of words. There are over 120 proverbs that directly address our speech! If we want to be people who pursue wisdom, we have to let the Spirit of God guide our words every day.

Ever since God created humans in the beginning of Genesis, He has invited us to work. In His wisdom, God designed us with unique and specific skills, gifts, and abilities that we use while doing our work. Proverbs gives us wise principles we can apply to our work, regardless of what we find ourselves doing.

Life is hard. We desperately need wisdom if we’re going make good decisions in our friendships, finances, career, marriage, parenting—every area of our life. Thankfully, we’re not left to our own devices. The book of Proverbs teaches us how to obtain and apply wisdom to our lives. When we put God first, when we have a healthy “fear of the Lord” we put ourselves on the path to wisdom.

What comes to mind when you think of hope? Wishful thinking? Naive optimism? True hope isn’t wishful thinking; it’s unshakeable living. It’s the confidence that can and will do something good–in this life, and the life to come. It’s what's offered to every one of us because of the empty tomb. In John 20, Mary discovered that hope has a name and his name is Jesus!

In John 11:1-44, Jesus performs His 7th sign by raising Lazarus from the dead. God shows His love by experiencing the suffering of humanity so that we can live with Him. To believe in Jesus means that death is defeated because He is the resurrection and the life. Do you believe?

Throughout the story of the man born blind, we find four truths of the Gospel as Jesus cures his blindness the first time. After the mans interrogation and excommunication, we see Jesus seek this man out to cure his blindness a second time. Through his healing and presence, Jesus reveals in this story that he is the light of the world, both physically and spiritually.

It’s been said that you’re either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or getting ready to head into a storm. As much as we don’t like them, storms are a part of life. We can relate with the disciples’ fear being in the middle of the lake during a storm. The account of Jesus walking on water in John 6:16-21 shows us that because of Jesus’s power, person, and presence we can keep calm and carry on ev...

In John 6, Jesus takes five small loaves of bread and two small fish and miraculously feeds thousands of people. Jesus shows himself to be the Bread of Life, the only One who can satisfy hungry souls. What’s even more incredible is that God uses us–our whole selves devoted to Him–to accomplish His plans. It’s been said that you may be the only Jesus someone ever sees. The challenge is to bring wha...

In John 5, Jesus encounters a man who has been unable to walk for 38 years. He asks a question that seems like it should have an obvious answer: “Do you want to get well?” Upon closer inspection, perhaps it’s not so obvious. Like the man at the Pool of Bethesda who is paralyzed and unable to walk, we too have limitations–physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. Jesus asks us the same question: “Do...

In John 4:46-54, we find the second sign of Jesus: healing an official’s son. The official begs and pleads Jesus to heal his dying son. Any parent can identify. We would sacrifice anything for our children. Jesus shows generous grace in healing this man’s son. What’s most significant is the journey of faith for this official. He comes to Jesus in a panic, but he moves to a confident faith. True fa...