Our Sermons
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10
Matthew 25:21 NKJV “You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.”
In Scripture, to be faithful means to be steady, stable, dependable, and consistent. One of the key indicators of serving God acceptably is faithfulness. In our Christian work, faithfulness is what God rewards. “A faithful man will abound with blessings” (Proverbs 28:20 NKJV). Talent may open the door and get you the job, but character and faithfulness will keep you there. When it comes to faithfulness, God will test you in two ways. (1) Your faithfulness in someone else’s vision. “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16:12 NKJV). If you are critical, complaining, competitive, or constantly comparing yourself with others, you will be disqualified for what God has in mind for you. Faithfulness calls for serving with love and humility. (2) Your faithfulness in small things. “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things…For to everyone who has, more will be given…but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away’” (Matthew 25:23, 29 NKJV). God wants to know He can trust you. You prove that by your faithfulness in serving others and by your faithfulness in small things. These are proven biblical principles that work not only in spiritual matters, but in everyday life. So today, take a few moments to prayerfully ask yourself the question, “Am I faithful?” If you are, God will bless you!
Colossians 2:6 “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”
The Lord Jesus Christ came to deliver us from complications that Satan could potentially bring into our lives (Colossians 1:13). You are delivered from the power of darkness. You are made free from the yoke (oppression) of bondage (Galatians 5:1). You are delivered from a complicated life into a simplified life in Christ Jesus (John 10:10). The key to maintain this simplified lifestyle is to “walk in him”; in order words continue to live your life in him. Over and over the scriptures instruct us to walk (conduct our lifestyle) as new creations in Christ Jesus. We are instructed to walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8) so we do not stumble; to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2) so we are failure proof (1 Corinthians 13:8); to walk in wisdom (Colossians 4:5) so we do not act foolishly; to walk in the truth (3 John 1:3), so we are not deceived by the devil; to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), so we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. God wants us to walk worthy of the Lord, so we can be fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:10). The ultimate is for us to walk in the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus, whom we have received as Lord. If we stop walking in Him, then we will start sinking into sin, carnality, and sadly become subject again to the power of darkness. God forbid!
Romans 12:10-13 NKJV “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”
We are living in a world filled with challenges, but God expects us to respond to the challenges with Christian-like attitude. When bad news comes, when challenges arise, when people do you evil, when agitating and angry people come your way, what is your response? Is it in anger, is it in retaliation, or is it in love? Do you have self-control, or do you lose control and give in to your emotions? You can get to a place where no matter what is going on around you or how people are treating you, you can respond in faith, love, and compassion. To get to that place, you need to build faith on the inside of you and develop walking in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When you first start out working on how you respond to situations in faith, love, and compassion, you may get frustrated at how many times you mess up. But do not give up! One day, something that normally would have triggered your emotion will not even bother you. Instead, you will have a supernatural response of peace, joy, love, and faith. Then you can rejoice that you are growing and maturing spiritually!
Hebrews 3:12 NLT “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God”
There are very impressive imitations and look-alikes everywhere in the world we live today. Fake news and products abound everywhere. In the same way, we have people in the church today just like that. They look like Christians. They talk like Christians. We assume they are Christians. But in reality, they are clever imitations of Christians. They are fake. The Bible tells us that in the last days, we will see more and more people like this (2 Timothy 3:1-5). The church is the pillar and the ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). However, the church can be a dangerous place if the gospel truth is heard but not heeded by the hearers. People hearing the truth but not living the truth can make the church a dangerous place. But if you go to church for the right reasons, it is a safe place. If you come to worship God, hear the Word of God, and have a desire to walk in the Word, then church is like a safe haven where you can be refreshed, replenished, and rebuilt. But if you go to church to play a religious game and just go through the motions, then church becomes a dangerous place. That is because every time you hear the gospel and do not determine to heed it, your heart can become hardened and a breeding ground for evil. The best stab against the gospel is the gospel heard but not heeded. Bottom line: be a doer of the Word.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV “He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.”
God has brought us into this new year peacefully. The year is new, fresh, and full of potential. But It is also full of uncertainty. In the midst of uncertainty, our faith can struggle, our walk with God becomes labored, and our heart heavy. There is something about the unknown which seems to weaken us. It drains our patience and blurs our focus. Yet, in the middle of everything stands a faithful God. A God who is not manipulated by the struggle and is not moved by the winds of chaos and adversity. A God who remains faithful even when our faith is fragile. It seems more difficult nowadays than ever to not worry about tomorrow, yet that is exactly what God has asked us to do (Matthew 6:34). For when we cast our burdens on Him (1 Perter 5:7), the troubles of the moment begin to fade. When we trust the plans He has for us, our fear begins to diminish. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), our focus becomes consumed by clarity. Trusting God is the only way. We can trust in His plan and in His eternally capable hands to uphold us. Yes, we may be in the midst of uncertainty, but we can be certain of one thing: God is faithful, and that is more than enough for our tomorrow. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
We all will experience storms at some points in our lives. That is why, when we hear the Word of God, we need to listen as though our lives depend on it because they do. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in one of His teachings said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24–25 NKJV). In contrast to the wise man who builds his house on the rock, Jesus made this statement about the man who does not build his house on the rock: “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:26–27 NKJV). We are in a spiritual battle, and we fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. So, when the Devil comes with a temptation, we need to respond with the sword of the Spirit. Or when the Devil whispers in your ear any word or idea contrary to the will of God for your life, you need to respond with the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). Memorize the Word of God. Use the Word of God. It will help you in times of temptation and in times of trial. As the psalmist wrote, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV). Know the Word of God and use it to protect yourself against the storms of life!