As followers of Christ we are commissioned by Jesus to bring the Gospel whenever we are planted. That may be in a far away land where people have never heard about Jesus, or it may be at work, in our school or our neighborhood. In order to be effective in this mission we must be filled with the Spirit. And in order to be filled we must make room for the Holy Spirit. Special guest Jeremy Ugumba, a campus missionary at Brown University with Inter Varsity, expounds these important ideas with passion, clarity and with inspiring stories. Jeremy lays out several practical ways we can make space for God at the end of his message.
Standalone Sermons: Moving Forward
In Philippians 3, Paul sets forth a lofty standard of how we ought prioritize Jesus above all else. He also recognizes that he has not obtained it or arrived at this standard. Undaunted by his past, he presses on toward the goal. In this sermon, we look at some of the roadblocks in growing in our life with Christ. How should we deal with our sin (as well as our success) in order to “move forward”?
Standalone Sermons: Waiting
This is a message taken from Acts chapters 1-2 addressing the great need of the Church to receive spiritual power in order to be effective witnesses. Jesus told his disciples not to rush out and try to reach the world until first waiting for the promise of Holy Spirit power to come upon them. The disciples already had a measure of the Spirit’s power to pray, to believe, to love one another, to joyfully worship, and so on. But Jesus revealed that there was a greater power needed that would only come to them as they waited in prayerful anticipation for it. About 120 disciples spent 10 days hungering and thirsting for God’s Spirit to be poured out. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind and with tongues of fire! This was the birth of the Church and the beginning of turning the world upside down. 3000 people were added to the Church. Pastor Scott exhorts at the end to continue pressing into prayer during this season for the power of God to fall upon the church in such an extraordinary way that the city would be transformed.
Standalone Sermons: Kingdom Reality
How do we live in the tension between the brokenness we see, feel, and touch, and the reality that Jesus is the King? We must identify what’s broken, identify the King, and live into His Kingdom. This sermon was given by one of our REN missionaries who serves with the Campus Ministry of Cru, which is mobilizing students and faculty to reach the world with the love of Jesus.
Standalone Sermons: Fuel
This is a message aimed to motivate from Hebrews 12. The call is to run the race with endurance. The simple metaphor encourages us to live the Christian life with a similar intensity a runner in a race would have. The problem we often have is that we find ourselves fatigued, discouraged, confused about God, not motivated, and so on. Where will the drive come from to press forward with passion? Hebrews 12 contains several rich truths that can motivate us to run the race with fierce determination.
Idols
Someone once said, “the heart is a factory of idols”. An idol is something we look to for security, for identity or for satisfaction. It’s something that competes with God. Idols are often good things that simply occupy too much of our hearts. This is the very last sermon in the 1John series and Scott expounds mainly on the exhortation mic drop at the end of the book “keep yourselves from idols”. The message is an explanation of what idolatry is, what modern idols look like, how to identify them and how to deal with them. The greatest remedy for idolatry is to develop a burning vision of the beauty, majesty and glory of Jesus Christ.
Staying Strong
According to the Apostle John, “the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” In this message, we take a look at some of what the “world” or common culture encourages that is contrary to what Scripture states. How do followers of Christ live without fear and stay strong in the midst of these pressures? The answers are found in knowing our identity as children of God, knowing that Jesus protects us from the evil one and knowing we need the church.
Praying for Others
In this generation it is quite common for Christians to struggle intensely with sin. Many are losing the battle in their private lives or in their marriages. For those who are healthy and strong it’s hard not to notice the struggles of brothers and sisters in Christ. What can be done? In this message out of 1 John 5:16-17 Pastor Scott sets forth a clear call to earnest intercession. The promise from God is that if we pray for our struggling brothers God will release life to them! Prayer works! There’s also some side discussion in this message about the very difficult phrase found in the text “sin leading to death”. Toward the end there are some specific takeaways for struggling believers, for those persisting in sin and for those who are strong and want to make a difference in the lives of others.
Confidence in Prayer
Prayer is a great struggle for many Christians in this generation. Some are so discouraged about prayer that they have drifted into almost complete prayerlessness. In light of what God promises for those who pray, it is shocking that Christians pray so little. 1 John 5:14-15 tell us that whatever we pray for in God’s will will be done. God answers the prayers of his children! If prayer really works, and the promises to those who pray are so abundant, then why do so few Christians have a strong, vibrant, effective prayer life? This message addresses some of the underlying reasons that prayer has become so lame for many.
Our Story is His
While good doctrine and apologetics are vital in our walk with Christ, we must not underestimate the great power of sharing our personal testimonies or “stories” of how God has rescued us from sin and death. In this message we look at how and why we share our stories — to remind us to be thankful, to build our faith, and to offer those who do not believe in the gospel of Jesus a tangible example and reason to believe. Ultimately, the heart of this passage is focused on something better. While our stories may be good and compelling, they are all founded upon the greatest story: God the Father’s testimony about the Son.