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Resources on The Church

Resources on The Church

A Well-Ordered Church

1 Peter 5:1-14 1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of…

The House of God

1 Peter 2:4-10 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion,    a chosen and precious cornerstone,and the one who trusts in him    will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those…

The Gospel for Life Itself

To begin our series on how the gospel relates to tangible aspects of our lives, we start in the book of Philippians.  In this passage, we receive a call to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.  To conduct ourselves in such a way as this, regardless of circumstance, communicates the beauty of the gospel and makes Jesus real.  Philippians 1:27-30 (Philippians 1:27-30) 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I…

A Loving People

1 John 4:7-12 Love is the foundation of the two greatest commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Therefore, Scripture is clear: there is not a characteristic more to the heart of being a follower of Jesus than love.  So how ought we to love?  What should love look like in our lives? To view the discussion questions associated with this sermon, please click the button below.

A Praying People

Matthew 6:9-13 The church is a community of prayer. For centuries, many have looked to “The Lord’s Prayer” as fundamental teaching on how to pray (and rightly so!). Mark Caplinger opens the Word to us with a call to pray. To view the discussion questions associated with this sermon, please click the button below.

God’s Holy People

1 Peter 2:9-12 In this text, we learn two things: Who we are and what we are to do.  We are a people chosen by God and saved by His glorious grace.  The relationship we have with God is indeed an incredible privilege, but it isn’t without great responsibility.  Since we have received such a beautiful gospel, we ought to share it with others by living in such a way that when others encounter us, they encounter Christ.  The body…

Unity and Maturity

Ephesians 4:1-16 The church is a place where relationships really matter. We are to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit. This includes being humble, gentle, patient, longsuffering, and loving toward one another. Surprisingly, one area where we struggle with this is our spiritual giftedness. We often view everything through our own grid of spiritual giftedness and then conflict emerges because of differing expectations. God reminds us here to pursue unity amidst the diversity of gifts. When…

Mission

When we look to the Lord’s farewell discourse and prayer of consecration, we learn something of the mission of God. God’s desire is the advancement of His glory through the local church. Jesus prays for our protection, our joy, our unity, and our dedication while we missionally engage with the world. To view the discussion questions associated with this sermon, please click the button below.

A Gospel Community

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 In this passage, we are introduced to a fledgling church afflicted by persecution and difficulty. Surprising to us, God indicates that this church is on very solid ground (the Gospel). As a result of the gospel, the Thessalonian church has become an exemplary faith community and a hub for the advancement of the mission. It would seem that any church that is willing to embrace its God-given calling and status could participate in the joys of being…