Renew EPC: Sermons

By covenant we are united to God Almighty. Outline: 3 ways the covenant gives us a close relationship with God 1. Through the covenant we live with God 2. Through the covenant we live by God 3. Through the covenant we live for God Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something from the sermon that encouraged you? 2. Share a story from your childhood where you were overwhelmed, confused,...

The God of Scripture is the one who chases you down to bring you good promises because he hears you and sees you. Outline: Why worship the Lord? 1. He chases you down. 2. He has good plans for you. 3. He hears your cries 4. He truly sees you. Questions for Personal Application: 1. What was something from the sermon that encouraged you? 2. What is something that makes you feel cared for or reminds...

The gospel is not “finish what I started” its “It is finished.” Outline: Three traps that produce bad faith: 1) The trap of shame 2) The trap of self-reliance 3) The trap of pride Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something from the sermon that encouraged you? 2. Why do you think we are so prone to find our worth in things like our job, marriage, kids, popularity, success, possessions...

How are we to know we will be saved? God provides great assurance. Outline: Three ways God greatly assures His people 1. By His Covenant (15:7-11) 2. By His Sovereignty (vv. 8-16) 3. By His very Being (vv. 17-21) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. What was something from the sermon that encouraged you? 2. All of us are familiar with the sidelines of faith and life. What are some of the reasons y...

Do we have faith for the long haul? How can we know? Outline: Three gifts we receive from God by faith alone to survive the long haul. 1. By faith alone we have God's presence 2. By faith alone we have God's assurance 3. By faith alone we have God's righteousness Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something from the sermon that encouraged you? 2. What is an area of your life where you...

How can your life look different with the eyes of faith? Three life-changing truths only visible with the eyes of faith: 1. The victory belongs to the Lord (vv. 13-20)  2. The spoils are not the prize (vv. 21-23)  3. The one greater than Abraham has come (v. 18) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. Share a specific “thank you” to God from this last week. 2. What was something from the sermon that...

Are your daily choices moving you closer to God or further from Him? Outline: Why we should live by faith in every part of our lives: 1. The Way of Lot: Living by sight (or how our good decisions can lead us away form God) 2. The Way of Abram: Living by faith (or how every decision we make is about God) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. Think of something that has become significant in your li...

The scandal of God’s faithfulness is that He saves every faithless sinner who calls upon his name. Outline: 1. The scandal that brings us down: our faithlessness ( 12:10 -16) 2. The scandal that brings up up: His faithfulness ( 12:17 -13:4) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. Share a time when you thought you had a good plan, but that in the end it only made things worse. 2. Which of the four fa...

The journey of faith is not about getting to God it is about enjoying the Gift of God. Outline: The Journey of Faith goes by three names: 1. Faith goes by the path of obedience (vv. 4-5) 2. Faith goes by the path of trust (vv. 6-7) 3. Faith goes by the path of worship (vv. 8-9) Personal Reflection Questions: 1. Share something in your life where the effort required was hard, but the outcome was re...

Can we live by God’s promise when it doesn’t match reality? Outline: Why we can trust in God’s promise: 1. It starts with His grace alone (v. 1) 2. It shapes reality (v. 2) 3. It saves the world (v. 3) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon? 2. Read Romans 8:28 . Share an example where you have seen this verse prove true in your own life? 3. Liv...

Is the gospel the furnace of your heart? Outline: Do you believe like Terah, Lot, or Abram? 1.The testimony of Terah: A partial faith comes up short 2. The testimony of Lot: A proximate faith will be exposed 3. The testimony of Abram: A pursuing faith will be blessed Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon? 2. Who is a person you have known perso...

God commands us not to trust in earthly wealth but in Him, to enjoy His gifts with gratitude, and to use those gifts generously. Outline: 1. The Command and the Warning: Where is your TRUST? 2. The Gift and the Giver: How to receive God’s BLESSING 3. The Promise: Why GENEROSITY is worth it Questions for Personal Reflection 1. Paul begins by addressing "the rich." Do you see yourself as rich? Why o...

The experiences of our lives, both the good and the bad, uniquely suit us to serve God. Outline: 1. God uses POSITIVE experiences to reveal his GOODNESS. 2. God uses PAINFUL experiences to refine our CHARACTER. 3. Every experience can become part of your MINISTRY. Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What is one positive experience and one difficult experience that have shaped who you are today?...

Have you submitted your personality to the Lordship of Christ? Outline 1. Knowing our personality helps us own our strengths (2 Sam 1-6) 2. Knowing our personality helps us address our besetting sins (v. 5a) 3. Knowing our personality helps us expose our dark side (vv. 7-13) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon? 2. What is your experience with...

Do you ever struggle with a sense of purposelessness or uselessness? In the Kingdom of God you have great purpose and much to offer! Outline: How our abilities reveal our Kingdom purpose: 1. Our abilities reveal we are equipped to serve God’s Kingdom (14-15) 2. Our abilities reveal we are expected to serve God’s Kingdom (16-18) 3. Our abilities reveal we will be evaluated for how we served God’s K...

Is your real-life authority what God says or what your heart says? Three markers of health of an in-SHAPE Heart: 1. I. An in-SHAPE heart is turned to God (vv. 1-2) II. An in-SHAPE heart is ruled by God (vv. 3-11)  III. An in-SHAPE heart rejoices in God (vv. 16-18) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon? 2. Finish the following statement: At the...

Spiritual Gifts are an essential component for the church to glorify God and display the gospel.  Outline: 3 Truths to Anchor our understanding of Spiritual Gifts 1. Spiritual Gifts Center on the Lordship of Christ “no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit” 2. Spiritual Gifts are given to all believers for the benefit of others. “To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the...

God has uniquely designed and prepared each of us to serve His Kingdom. Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. Re-read Psalm 139:13-15. What is your initial reaction to these verses? 2. Where are you most tempted to “wear Saul’s armor” - leaning on your own (or someone else’s) ideas about how God designed you? 3. Before we get into the details of SHAPE during this series, what are some abilities, p...

We share the gospel with divine power. 1. We share the gospel with the power of divine authority 2. We share the gospel with the power of divine assurance 3. We share the gospel with the power of divine assistance Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouraging to you from the sermon? 2. How have you experienced intimidation for being a Christian? 3. Read Matthew 28:18 . Where...

Courage doesn’t come from education, training, position, power, or experience. It comes from being with Jesus. Outline: How do we find courage in the gospel? 1. Reliance upon the Holy Spirit (vv. 8-11) Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them 2. Resolve in the necessity of the Gospel (v. 12) There is salvation in no one else 3. Relationship with Jesus (vv. 13-14) they recognized they had b...

Repentance is not defeat; it's what prevents it. Outline: Why we must turn to Jesus 1. To realize the wrongness of our way ( 3:11 -17) 2. To receive perfect forgiveness ( 3:18 -21) 3. To recognize Jesus is Lord ( 3:22 -26) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. Why do you think so many have a negative picture of repentance? 2. Think back to conversations from your previous week. Describe one where...

When we use what we have in the gospel we can face any problem. What do we have in the gospel? We have the eyes of Jesus (3:1-5) We have the abundance of Jesus (v. 6) We have the life of Jesus (v. 7-10) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouraging you received from the sermon? 2. Read Matthew 6:26 , what are times where you struggle to believe God sees you as very valuable?...

Are you Spirit-filled or Self-filled? Three traits of the Spirit-filled church: 1. Love of the Lord (Acts 2:42 ) 2. Love for one another ( 2:44 -46) 3. Love for the lost ( 2:43 , 47) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. What was something encouraging you received from the sermon? 2. What are some ways you have seen a self-filled spirit in the church today? What have been some of its fruit? 3. The...

What happens when we believe in Christ for salvation? Seven realities that mark conversion to Christ: 1. You have been convicted of sin 2. You have repented of your rebellion 3. You have committed to Christ 4. You have forgiveness of your sins 5. You have the Holy Spirit 6. You have been called by God 7. You are saved from judgment Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. What was something encouragi...

In our world, is there anything we can be certain about? What about faith? Can we know for certain Jesus is Lord?  Three convincing evidences that Jesus is Lord: 1. The evidence of historical verification (vv. 2:22 -24, 32) 2. The evidence of prophetic fulfillment (vv. 23-31) 3. The evidence of the Holy Spirit (vv. 33-36) Questions for Personal Reflection: 1. Where are you encountering uncertainty...