TFRC Sermons

Mark 9:33:-37 The disciples were arguing about which of them would be the greatest in what they assumed was a top-down hierarchy in heaven. But Jesus turns this upside down and says the greatest is the one at the bottom. In the same culture, children were at the bottom of the social ladder; they were not considered “great”. However, Jesus identifies with them, saying "if you welcome this child, yo...

Matthew 16:24-27 Jesus tells his disciples to not focus on worldly gain since it is temporary. The path to life is not fulfilling our desires, but being willing to give them up. Even if we gained everything the world had to offer, that would still not be worth the sacrifice of our souls.

Mark 10:17-22 When the rich man asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, he was hoping that his conduct alone would get him there. But Jesus revealed that the true path to eternal life was not based around good behavior, but instead surrender and sacrifice. We have to be willing to surrender our pride, our security and our life.

Matthew 9:1-8 While healing a paralyzed man, Jesus also forgives the man’s sins, displaying His authority over sin. The Pharisees did not think Jesus was allowed to speak forgiveness into that man’s life, so their thoughts were evil because they did not recognize Jesus’ authority. How do we refuse Jesus’ authority in our lives?

John 6:61-69 There are some things in the Christian faith that are just a “bridge too far” for us. What are some of those things? Are we still willing to follow?

Mark 4:35-41 In this story, the disciples have plenty to be afraid of - they are traveling in a boat at night; a storm comes and water is coming into the boat to the point it is nearly swamped; and Jesus is asleep in the back of the boat. There are lots of things we are understandably afraid of. However, Jesus expects us to not despair because He will address that which causes us to fear.

Daniel 6:10-13,16-17,19-23 Faithful living often gets us in trouble in our world. It can get us fired, create tensions in friendships, and even confront us with our mortality. When we live faithfully to God we will experience persecution, whether great or small, but how does God call us to live in the face of it? We are still called to put our trust in the Lord even in the chaos of the lion’s dens...

Daniel 5:22-31 Knowing the story of his father humbling himself before God, King Belshazzar still chooses to pridefully set himself up against God. He chose not to honor God with his living and paid the price with death. We have to choose to die to our pride, or we will die from it. Last week we talked about the hope of restoration when we submit to God, this week we see the consequences of contin...

Daniel 4:28-37 Daniel 4 revolves around King Nebechudnezzar; a character study that highlights what happens to our humanity when we embrace the sin in our lives and the restoration that is possible when we live the way God designed us to live. We live in a world that can easily bring us to act like animals, giving into our carnal desires, but we can experience restoration when we choose to submit...

Daniel 3:16-27 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to betray their God by worshipping the gods set up by Nebuchadnezzar. Even under immense pressure, they refused to yield. Their faithfulness does not come with an expectation of God’s deliverance, but they will not betray their God regardless of what happens to them. That is the kind of loyalty that God values and displays.

Daniel 2:19-29 While we are in the world but not of the world, we sometimes forget how temporary life is. God is the God of history as He changes times and seasons, raises up and deposes kings, and knows what lies in the darkness. It is easy to get caught up in the latest trend the world has to offer, but everything the world offers is simply a mist: here today and gone tomorrow. We remain faithfu...

Daniel 1:8-16 Daniel exemplifies what it looks like for us to courageously stand up for our faith and convictions in foreign land, or a land that goes against Christian values. Daniel blends conviction with wisdom and tact; he doesn’t compromise truth, but he communicates it humbly, respectfully, and creatively. Courageous standing up for our faith doesn’t need to be combative. Godly conviction sh...

2 Kings 20:1-11 God doesn’t always answer our prayers like we want. However, there are many times He does. In Hezekiah’s life, God comes through for him in big ways. When God comes through for us, we experience a deep sense of gratefulness, feel like we matter to God, and feel closer to God. When we don’t feel this way, it is likely we are taking God’s goodness for granted.

John 13:34-35 Exploring the teachings of Jesus on relationships that transcend cultural expectations of servanthood, forgiveness, and peacemaking.

Luke 2:13-16 Christmas is a season of anticipation, but in our excitement, we often move too fast to try and get there. We move at a fast pace trying to get all the shopping done, attend all the parties, watch as many Christmas movies as possible, and prepare the house for all the family coming over. In our anticipation we can easily miss the christmas message of the heavenly hosts - “Peace on ear...

Luke 2:8-12 On a night just like any other, the shepherds found themselves confronted with a message of good news in the middle of the ordinary; the middle of the mundane. They would be presented with the good news of the messiah’s arrival; news that should elicit a heart of joy and celebration! They were told he would be wrapped in cloth waiting for them in the mundane of a manger in a stable. Je...

Luke 2:1-7 A census is declared; Joseph has to make the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. By the way, he is engaged. By the way, his fiancé is pregnant. By the way, there is no room for them in the guest room. Jesus’ birth forced Joseph to stop. How can we find a time to stop this Advent season?

1 Corinthians 15:1-6 If God is all powerful and good, then why do bad things happen? This is the classic question of the problem of evil. There are two ways to approach this question: from the head and from the heart. From the head the answer is God allows evil to either prevent a greater evil or bring about a greater good. However, that will not make anyone feel better. The heart issue is that wh...

Luke 15:17-24 The prodigal son realizes that home had everything he was looking for and made the decision to go back. But before he even made it home, his father saw him and ran to him. The son repents and the father responds by celebrating with a feast because his son went from being dead to alive. Similarly when someone professes Jesus as their Lord and Savior, there is reason to celebrate becau...

Revelation 5:11-14 While we strive to be contemporary in our music, worship is not about the songs. It is not about whether I like a song. Worship is not about a particular emotional experience. Worship is about acknowledging God’s worth. We do that corporately on Sunday mornings when we sing, listen, give, and pray. We are called to live our whole lives as one act of worship.

Exodus 9:13-16 God was going to use Pharaoh to proclaim His name in all the earth. That was God’s plan, and nothing was going to stop it. Pharaoh however got to decide how he would be a part of God’s plan. He could humble himself before the Lord and declare to the world that “The Lord is God”. Or he could defy the Lord God in which God’s acts of judgment would become Pharaoh’s testimony. God’s pur...

Jeremiah 31:31-34 The prophet Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant that was to come; one where the law will be written on hearts and minds rather than stone. This new covenant would ultimately be fulfilled through Christ.

Acts 15:1-6 When it comes to leading the community of faith, God does not entrust it to one individual. Rather, God raises up a community of leaders in the form of pastors, elders, and deacons. It is not about a charismatic leader, but collective wisdom.

Galatians 1:6-8, Romans 5:8 Pastor Greg Alderman, Executive Director of the Alliance of Reformed Churches, joins TFRC to highlight the importance of holding the true Gospel by keeping ourselves rooted in the inspired Word of God.

Acts 22:17-21 God wants us to share our story. True, some people won’t listen to your story, but God will send you to people who will because no matter how exciting or mundane our story is, there are people who need to hear it.