Sermon from January 3rd

Live by Faith, Not by Sight

2 Corinthians 5: 1 - 10

1. The body we live in is only a tent.
2. We don't move into our permanent home until this tent is destroyed.
3. We experience pain and suffering in this body, but it is only temporary.
4. We already have the Holy Spirit living within us, guaranteeing we will live for eternity in our new bodies.
5. So we obey God even if it doesn't make sense. We trust God even when we don't understand what he is doing.
6. Even though our true home is in heaven, we must answer for our actions in this body.

Sermon from December 27th

Go On to Maturity in 2010

Hebrews 5: 11 - 6: 12

1. Once we understand the elementary teachings of the faith, we move on into more mature doctrine.
2. The elementary teachings include:
a. repentance from sin
b. faith in God
c. instruction about baptism
d. laying on of hands
e. belief in heaven and hell
3. Salvation is "once for all", so move on to maturity. Hebrews 10: 10 - 14
4. Jesus died once, so you can only be saved once.
5. Maturity will include helping others, sticking to your beliefs and walking by faith.

This is a wonderful passage that shows that we are saved once and only once. The churches that teach you can lose your salvation all teach that you can repent and receive it again, but this passage clearly shows you would have to put Jesus back on the cross to be saved again. If you could lose your salvation, you could never get it back again. The writer of Hebrews goes on to show that you can't lose your salvation (Hebrews 10:14), because Jesus made us "perfect" - in other words, He paid for our sins and made us clean before God - at the point of our salvation. The writer is speaking to Jewish Christians who were used to a priest having to atone for sins over and over. With Jesus, there is a one-time atonement that makes us right with God for all time.

Sermon from December 20th

Advent 09 - Week Four: Peace

Ephesians 2: 11 - 22

1. The gift of Christmas is peace.
2. Jesus breaks down barriers and brings us together as one. He provides peace with each other.
3. Jesus also gave mankind the gift of peace with God. Romans 5:10
4. The result of these two gifts is peace with ourselves. We can live knowing our lives have purpose and that everything is going to work out okay. Romans 8:28
5. Our faith is built on the foundation of the Old Testament and the apostles. Jesus is the most important stone in the house.
6. The church is not a building, it is a body.

Sermon from December 13th

Advent 09 - Week Three: Joy

Luke 2: 1 - 20

1. Joy came to Mary after the pains of childbirth.
2. Often, the pain we feel today is preparing us for blessings tomorrow.
3. Joy came to Joseph after he showed tremendous faith.
4. It is impossible to receive God’s full blessings if we do not trust and obey Him.
5. Joy came to the shepherds after they were terribly afraid.
6. We are often frightened when God intervenes in our lives. But God was bringing good news of great joy.
7. Joy came to the town of Bethlehem only because the shepherds shared the good news.

Sermon from December 6th

Advent 09 - Week Two: Love

John 15: 9 - 17

1. As Christians, we live in an endless circle of love. God the Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us, we love each other, and we love God.
2. May this circle never be broken. God loves us through each other.
3. Jesus said we remain in his love by obeying his commands.
4. His command is to love each other.
5. We know what love is by following Jesus' example.
6. True love is sacrificial.
7. True love brings complete joy.

Sermon from November 29th

Advent 09 - Week One: Hope

Isaiah 9: 1 - 7

1. Israel's northern territory was humbled by attacks by the Assyrians. But the Messiah would come from that very area.
2. Light brings warmth, blessing, hope and the truth.
3. Messiah would come as a child. He would be one of us and would fully sympathize with what we go through. Hebrews 4:15
4. A Wonderful Counselor is someone who gives us guidance and comfort.
5. Mighty God tells us that the Messiah is God in the flesh and that He is a powerful warrior.
6. An Everlasting Father is one who never lets us down. It describes a King who keeps his people safe for eternity.
7. A Prince of Peace will reign in a just and peaceful Kingdom where we have peace with God and will never be harmed or treated unfairly.

Sermon from November 22nd

The Parable of the Great Feast

Luke 14: 15 - 24

1. The best gift we will ever receive is being allowed to enjoy eternal fellowship with God in heaven.
2. Jesus warns that everyone has been invited, but we have to accept his invitation and go to the feast.
3. It was customary to send two invitations. The first announced the event well in advance. The second meant it was time to go to the feast.
4. The first group simply did not have time to go. This represents people who don't see Jesus as the most important thing in their lives.
5. God has plenty of room at his table. He has invited everyone to his banquet. Sinners, poor people, and even Gentiles are invited into God's fellowship.
6. Only those who accept Jesus' invitation will enjoy his wedding feast. Revelation 19: 9