Ephesians: Amazing Grace

Ephesians 2:4-9 

This was a message born out of much prayer, tears and anguish. It wasn’t merely another Sunday sermon but I felt like the truths in this passage were life to me in helping me to get through a severe trial. God is so good! He always provides what we need. This life can be hard and many are struggling with anxiety and fear during this pandemic. Scripture encourages us amidst the afflictions of life to set our minds on the glory of God and his glorious plan. When we do that it puts everything in perspective and a certain confidence emerges. My prayer for this message is that it would overwhelm hearts with hope! 

Ephesians: Dead in Sin

Ephesians 2:1-3 

In order to appreciate how amazing grace is, we must understand how desperate our condition would be apart from grace. That’s what this message is all about. The first few verses of Ephesians 2 describe who we are apart from grace. It’s not just that we needed a little help or that Jesus made our already good life a little sweeter. The writer of the epistle describes our life apart from grace as spiritually dead. A dead person cannot hear, cannot see, cannot respond. We were hopeless. The Apostle Paul presses us to remember how desperate our condition was in order that the glorious grace of God would be magnified. It is humbling and even painful to consider that apart from Christ we would be enemies of God under His wrath. But the more we understand just how lost we were the more our hearts are moved to gratitude, awe and worship.

Easter 2020

John 20-21

This present pandemic we are in has caused many of God’s people to spiral into sorrow, fear and uncertainty. The resurrection story in John 20-21 couldn’t be more relevant! The followers of Jesus came to a point of deep discouragement. Mary was crying her eyes out; the disciples were hiding in fear; Thomas was reeling with doubts and Peter was swimming in shame. But when the risen Christ showed up, everything changed. He spoke peace to them and their sighing was turned to dancing. The early Christians were marked by inexpressible joy. They experienced tremendous persecution and pressure but the Scriptures say that they broke bread together and ate together with glad hearts. This message is designed to spark joy. It’s a reminder that the risen Christ is with us and He is speaking peace to us. Despite the present circumstances of this dark pandemic cloud, we can fly above the clouds in the blue skies of God’s joy.

Palm Sunday

Luke 19:28-48

The message is from the classic passage in Luke that talks of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a colt. Instead of focusing on that part of the story I really felt impressed to go deep with the next scene: Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and then cleansing the temple. In light of the present pandemic it seems like a lot of people are asking the question, “Is God angry with the planet and punishing them for their sin?” It’s a valid question but the better question perhaps is, “how does God feel and act toward people who provoke him to wrath?” Luke 19 answers this important question perfectly. We see Jesus weeping for, warning with tears, shaking up and teaching those who have sinned against him. What love! The discussion of coming judgment is hard to bear but this message will bring great hope to those who wonder if God has given up on them.

Harvest Time

Matthew 9:35-38

This message is deeply relevant to the present moment we are all experiencing with this pandemic. Things are being shaken. Many people are feeling anxious. The economy is unstable. We know that people are struggling for their very lives in hospital rooms all over the globe. Amidst this global distress people are groaning for solid ground. They are realizing that life is fragile; that no amount of wealth can protect them; that no government can save them; that the health care system is limited. Jesus sees and feels deep compassion during all this, and is calling people to come under the shelter of His presence. He wants to be like a shepherd to us: caring, feeding, protecting, guiding. He wants us to lie down at night with total peace knowing that He is watching over us. I believe this message will be a comfort to anxious hearts. For those listening who may not yet know Christ, this message is an invitation to run into the arms of the Good Shepherd. You don’t need to carry your burden alone. You were not designed to live independently of God. Just like sheep need a shepherd, all living creatures need God. 

Redemptive Shakings

This was not an easy message to preach. At the start of the week, amidst a flood of news regarding the pandemic, I starting praying, “Lord, what are you saying about all this?” It seemed like a simple enough question but I’m not sure I was ready for the answer. I spent most of the week steeping in the Book of Isaiah chapters 24-39 and the Lord began to unveil to me the purpose behind His shakings. Nothing in this world happens randomly. The Lord Almighty is sovereign over all things and this present pandemic is being permitted by Him for a purpose. Not just Isaiah, but all the prophets, interpreted unpleasant happenings from a heavenly perspective and showed that God was at work. Often, the judgments of the Lord are aimed at His own beloved people in order to humble them and cause them to return. When the common grace of God, the kindness of God and the clear message of the prophets is not enough to turn people around, God resorts to terrifying shakings. As I began to study these chapters it was easy to make parallels to the present moment, as the state of the Church has become sick and lame in this generation. Especially in America, the state of things is deplorable. Most people who aren’t Christian are hardened against the message of the Gospel. Those identifying as Christian are collectively guilty of pride, breaking of marriage covenants, pornography, idolatry, stinginess, disregard of the poor (orphans and widows), neglect of prayer, slander, bitterness and much more. It can surely be said of this generation, “there is no fear of God before their eyes”. This message, taken from Isaiah, is a reminder that God is calling His people to humble themselves and turn from sin. It’s a reminder to us to get low and plead for mercy. Judgment begins in the House of God (1Peter 5). I realize this message isn’t easy to listen to. It is birthed out of much love and tears and many days of prayer and fasting. I believe that those who receive the message will be transformed by it. Those who reject it, sadly, will become even more hardened against the Truth. I’m praying it would bear fruit in every heart! -Scott 

Be Still and Know

Psalm 46 

In this season, we are in a series on the book of Ephesians and through the first chapter. However, in light of the present global pandemic (Coronavirus) I decided to pause on the Ephesians series to begin a new series to address the current strange moment. The new series is called “When the Earth Gives Way” which is taken from Psalm 46. Besides explaining our recent decision to suspend Sunday services the message is a simple exposition of this very relevant psalm. In times of uncertainty we do not need to be afraid. God is with us and He is working all things together for good. When it feels like the earth is giving way under us, the admonition from above is—“be still and know that I am God”. This message is aimed at helping anyone who is feeling anxious.

Ephesians: Pray Big

Ephesians 1:15-23

This message explores the big prayer of the Apostle Paul for those who are God’s own. The great problem Christians are up against, despite having the Spirit within them, is dullness. Even though we might have had a wonderful encounter with Jesus a few days ago, the things of eternity may not seem real today. This dullness is a constant struggle for the believer. Paul’s prayer strikes at the very root of this problem. He prays that the Spirit would open the eyes of the heart and reveal the knowledge of God. He prays, specifically, that we would know the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance and the immeasurable greatness of His power. This prayer of Paul not only gives us inspiration to pray big but it also gives us permission. 

Ephesians: Intercessory Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-16

Paul said that he did not cease to pray for the believers in Ephesus. This practice of earnest continual prayer marked the early Christians and especially the prophets before them. Many examples from history are given to paint a picture of what intercessory prayer is all about. Scott explains that it’s a different sort of prayer. It’s not the prayer of rest. It’s not merely coffee, contemplation and communion. It’s war. It’s a toil not of human effort but of supernatural power. Paul talked of “struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works within him”. This message is a strong call to be devoted to the serious practice of laboring in prayer for others. It’s a call to return to what the old saints called “travail” and the “burden of the Lord”. It’s this kind of praying alone that has paved the way for mighty moves of God throughout the world. 

Ephesians: Assurance

Ephesians 1:14 

In America, most people believe that heaven awaits them after death. This includes not only Christians and Catholics but Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and all sorts of other religious folks. Even people who don’t hold to a specific religion have a loose idea that there is a God and that they will be welcomed into heaven after death. Jesus, however, warned that many will be surprised and shocked on judgment day when they find the door is closed. They will hear the words, “I never knew you”. Jesus is famous for his statement in John 3 that “unless we are born again we cannot enter the kingdom of God”. So how do we know we are truly saved? One of the crowning promises in the Bible is that the Christian will receive assurance that after death he or she will forever be with Christ in glory. What are the distinguishing marks of this assurance? How do we know that our assurance is genuine and not mere wishful thinking? This message explores these important questions and offers guidance to those who are uncertain about their standing before God.