Sermons on Discipleship

Time for a Change

Sermon text: Genesis 12:1-4 Change is something we all have to face at times. Abram’s call gives us some clear principles on how to recognize and respond to a legitimate godly directive for change.

Let’s Take the Bible Seriously

Sermon text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul would be dead soon. Timothy was next man up to head the early evangelism efforts of the church. Paul knew it would be a difficult time of transition, but he also knew that God would lead Timothy every step of the way. When the challenges came, Paul knew that Timothy could depend on the teachings of Scripture to carry him through. We are confronted with difficult situations today. Those same teachings are there to…

Follow Jesus on Purpose

Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 The apostle Paul was asked about eating meat offered to pagan idols. A key to his response was to not allow our rights to hurt others. As Paul unpacked this concept, he talked about the Christian life as a race. He explained that every follower of Christ needs to follow Him on purpose. Aimlessness and imprecision will not get the job done. Instead, the follower of Jesus must willingly discipline the flesh in order to…

Stay Safe

Sermon text: Colossians 2:8 The church at Colossae was being ravaged by false teaching. All sorts of aberrant ideas were pulling the people away from the truth of the gospel. The apostle Paul’s letter to them was geared to combat the error threatening the fellowship. Paul explained that they must not let philosophy and vain teachings take them captive. Two thousand years later, the church is again facing a similar threat. We would do well to heed Paul’s instructions and…

Being Social Biblically

Sermon text: Galatians 5:22-23 Maybe you’ve memorized the fruit of the Spirit. Nine words that describe the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. But what do these words really describe? Based on the context in which they reside, they give a picture of servanthood. They provide a portrait of a life in tune with God and others. Ultimately they give a brief depiction of how the follower of Christ should behave and interact with the…

What’s Your Mission?

Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Every follower of Jesus Christ has a mission. Certainly we have the overall mission given to the church, to make disciples. We have a mission as a part of a local church. But we also have a personal, individual mission. This mission will definitely line up with the larger missions of Christianity and our local body of believers. But no one else will have a mission just like you do. Do you know your mission?

Follow

Sermon text: Luke 9:57-62 Following Jesus is not about staying in your comfort zone. It’s not supposed to be convenient. It’s not about just fitting Jesus into your already crowded schedule. Following Jesus means putting His priorities above your own. It means counting the cost and then serving Him with gusto. To truly follow Jesus means doing whatever it takes to bring Him glory.

The Good Kid

Sermon text: 1 Peter 1:13-16 All who call on Christ as their Lord have hope for their future. Scripture has many verses that assure us of this fact. But often that hope can be clouded by the cares and distractions of this world. Early in his first epistle Peter warns his readers to avoid this pitfall. Using the example of an obedient child he tells us to live holy lives. We need to not conform to the world in which…

Think Like Jesus

Sermon text: Philippians 2:5-13 Jesus was the greatest servant who ever walked the earth. In fact, His very mission was to come here to serve the most people. He accomplished that task perfectly, in that He took our sin upon Himself on the cross. The apostle Paul makes it very clear in the focal verse for this sermon that Jesus is the very embodiment of how we should live our lives. But not just in how we act. We should…

Rock Always Wins

Sermon text: Matthew 7:21-27 One of the first songs kids learn in church is “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man.” They discover that building a house on the rock is wise, while a house built on sand will not withstand the storms. This fun song is based the final section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He explains as He completes His sermon that a life built on a relationship with Him will weather the storms of life.