As Teaching Pastor Scot Pollok studied 2 Corinthians for this sermon, the vital link between God’s grace in our lives and our generosity became very clear. We continue our Season of Giving by discussing how the reality of God’s grace flowing into our lives must lead to great generosity flowing out of our lives. God wants our heart. All of us. Without the silly matters of percentages and decimals, the New Testament resoundingly teaches that Christians are generous – sacrificially, faithfully and joyfully.
Giving Your Gifts – 1 Peter 4
Teaching pastor Scot Pollok “bites off more than he can chew” (in his own words) with this sermon. Continuing our series during the Season of Giving, we come to 1 Peter 4, one of the central passages on our spiritual grace-gifts, given to us by God. In just a few verses, the depth and beauty of God’s gift to “each of us” who believe begins to take root in very practical and relevant ways. We can serve others in the name and power of Jesus without compromise. We must. Grace acts because it must.
Giving Yourself – Philippians 2
With this sermon we begin some special talks during our Season of Giving. Today, Adult Pastor Gavin Carrier opens up Philippians 2, that amazing “emptying” passage about Jesus’ attitude towards servanthood and sacrifice. There may be no better way to begin a season in which we each are intentionally focusing on others, on giving, on serving and being Light in a dark and lost world.
Local Missions Sunday – “Provoked”
Our good friend Peter Swan from Aid Sudan delivers a powerful message from Acts 9 on a special Local Missions Sunday. How does a servant for Aid Sudan speak to “local” missions? You’ll have to listen.
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-41 “The Sound of A Promise”
With this sermon our study of Acts brings us to one of the most important single chapters in all of our New Testament. In Acts 2 we see the birth of the church. Jesus had instructed his followers to wait for the promise of the Father, and in this chapter the Father delivers. This promised gift is His Holy Spirit. He comes on this group of over 100 believers with a great noise, visible fire and miraculous languages. A crowd gathers and the church is born and grows. This promise of power fueled the testimony of these followers of Christ, and the Holy Spirit continues to do the same thing with us today.
Acts of the Apostles 1:1-12 – “Mission for the Misplaced”
Today we began our study of the Acts of the Apostles with a look at Acts 1:1-12. This unique and critical book is actually a “part 2″ written by Dr. Luke after he penned the Gospel of Luke. It begins in the same way the Gospel was and picks up where it left off. In this first episode we see Jesus’ instruction to his eleven best friends. While they were preoccupied with some misplaced curiosities about their errant emphasis on timing, Jesus resets their course with a focus on MISSION. Our application puts this all together: mission is the cure for misplaced curiosities.
Acts of the Apostles Tool Kit
For most of 2012 we will be in a marvelous study of the Acts of the Apostles. To aid you in your personal study we have prepared a Tool Kit with the following resources:
- Introduction to Acts
- Background Details
- Authorship
- Date
- Purpose of Book
- Outline of Book
- How to Study Acts
- Helpful Resource
- Discussion Questions
Our Magnificent God – Human Body
The third and final sermon in the Our Magnificent God series is about the human body. King David penned a masterfully raw song in Psalm 139 that many of us recognize. In it we find the core thought of how “awesomely wonderful” we really are as God’s creative masterpiece. Jumping off from this psalm we dive into the beautiful complexity of the human body, studying the outboard motor of a single-cell bacteria, the blood clotting cascade, the human eye, the jaw-dropping wonder of DNA and the protein laminin. The goal of each sermon in the series is the same: dumbfounded amazement at the design of God’s creation. If properly understood this amazement will feed and fire worship of Our Magnificent God.
NOTE: The video of this message is currently unavailable. We are re-editing it for adherence to copyright laws of the images used. We are also preparing it for DVD.
Our Magnificent God – Earth
This week, the second in a three week series, we turn our eyes from the telescope to the binoculars and look around the place we call home, earth. Is it really a “pale blue dot in an enveloping cosmic dark” with no special significance or design? Long ago, the greatest man alive interacted with God over horrific matters he thought to be God’s fault. God’s answer to Job was encased in a tour of Earth. As we study God’s response to Job and take our own tour of Earth, we see beauty, intelligence, design, complexity, protection, perfection and reminders of God’s glory. Journey with us as we explore the home God has created for us.
NOTE: The video of this message is currently unavailable. We are re-editing it for adherence to copyright laws of the images used. We are also preparing it for DVD.
Our Magnificent God – Universe
This series was born almost a year ago out of a deep passion to celebrate God’s glory in the design of His creation. The first week we look through the telescope at God’s magnificent glory in the “heavens” of the universe at large. How big is the universe? How is it fine tuned for life? How do “the heavens declare the glory of God”? We take a look at some brilliant images, some large numbers and a host of factors that scream out the design of our universe by a creative and intelligent God. Come, let us worship our Magnificent God together.
Maintain the Momentum
This week our Associate Student Pastor Ryan Jasper brings us a motivating message from Acts chapter 2 on a special Youth Sunday. What exactly was the first church like? How does the record of the life of the early church challenge and motivate us?
Jonah 6 – “Cellulose Compassion”
We wrap up our Jonah study with a look at chapter 4:5-11. This intense scene of shelter, vines, winds and worms is often difficult to place and understand within the broader context and purpose of the book. But we will see the beautifully simple lesson that God had in mind for Jonah…and for us. Jonah was pro-compassion, just like God. But as this section asks us to compare God and Jonah, they remain very different. The best way for us to get out of a self-imposed, self-righteous, self-deluded prison is to join God in HIS MISSION. It is the most beautiful place we can be.
Jonah 5 – “I Told You So”
In this sermon, Scot looks at Jonah’s violent reaction to God’s compassion in Jonah 4:1-4. Is it okay for us to be angry with God? Is it right for us to voice our anger to God? In a difficult text, we actually see Jonah take a beautiful statement of God’s compassionate character and transform it into an indictment. He accuses God of wrong! The outcome is our chief application: right-wrestling with God is a miserable place to be.
Jonah 4 – “God in Truth”
In this fourth sermon in our series we come to Jonah 3:1-10. We see great meaning right off the bat when we realize that God’s call comes to Jonah a second time. God wants us to be involved in His mission and although we can reject His calling, we can never fully miss it. Since His compassion for His people is ever-available, His calling for His people has no expiration date.
Jonah 3 – “Soggy Grace”
In this sermon we come to Jonah 1:17-2:10 and a song of thanksgiving. Our study of the text takes us on a departure from traditional Jonah sermons. We look at the specific language of Jonah’s prayer/song, what he says, what he doesn’t say and the beautifully gracious actions of God. We see that when God wants to show His mercy and grace to us, the undeserving are His only options. In the greater context of the book of Jonah, this chapter shines a marvelous light on the free grace of God, which is the very heart of the book.
Jonah 2 – “Running Down”
In this second sermon we come to the meat of Jonah chapter 1, studying 1:3-1:17. In it we see Jonah’s journey “down.” We learn that when we run from God, our only option is “down.” Jonah seems to bear the weight of his decision to flee from the LORD and its accompanying emptiness and depression. However, the safest and most joyful place for us to be is in the will of God. God pursues Jonah, and us, to this end.
Jonah 1 “God’s Unexpected Call”
With this sermon we begin a new series in the well-known book of Jonah. We cover only two verses (Jonah 1:1-2) because the hidden and assumed background of these verses is absolutely critical to properly understanding this very misunderstood book. The saga of Jonah is much more than a fish story. It unveils the gorgeous heart of God in an unexpected way. In this sermon Scot explains how no heart can hold the weight of God’s love. And no matter what His calling, God’s mission always begins in my heart.
Vision Sunday – “A New Kind of Eyes”
Teaching Pastor Scot Pollok opens up Jesus’ words in Matthew 10 as a window into the God-sized vision given to the Faith Bible Church family. Jesus transformed students into missionaries – disciples into apostles – and then sent them out. But the sending was “as sheep in the midst of wolves.” It was designed to be impossible apart from the grace, power and presence of the Great Shepherd. Our mission in this world is accomplished by God’s power, unleashed by our obedience to His calling.
Living in God’s Presence
Faith Bible Church Executive Pastor, Dr. Bill Yarger teaches us that the Presence of God Changes Everything about Everything. Join him and our church family for a beautiful study of perhaps the most meaningful truth in the Christian life.
Hear the Call
In this stand-alone sermon, our Adult Pastor, Gavin Carrier, challenges and inspires us with Jesus’ words in Luke 5: “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Although these words were originally spoken to Simon, a professional fisherman having a very bad day, they remain extremely relevant to the church today.
The Intersection of Faith and Faithfulness
On of our own members, Matt Koppelman, former pastor, current deacon and all around super-dad, opens up for us the tucked-away story of Naaman, captain of the Aramean army in 2 Kings 5. That’s right, 2 Kings 5. It’s a story and a sermon worth listening to.
1 Timothy 6:17-21 “The Rich Life of Grace”
In the difficult situation in ancient Ephesus, Timothy dealt with myriad problems. It would seem that the lure of riches and wealth were among the most devastating. Of all the things Paul could close this letter with, he choose the subject of money. In this exposition of the rich life of grace, Paul says that true life is not the privilege of being human, but consists of living in Christ.
1 Timothy 6:11-16 “Mountain Top Commands”
This is the high point of the letter. Paul seems to save his most passionate pleas and commands to the very end. Looking at the three great enemies we have as believers in Christ, Paul speaks directly to our fight. We flee and fight only until the Father sends the Finisher. It doesn’t get anymore real than this.
1 Timothy 6:3-10 “The Troublemaker Antidote”
This marvelous text describe the downward spiral of the philosophical and theological ramblings of men acting apart from the Spirit of God. They are troublemakers par excellence. On the other hand, contentment is the antidote; the deep sigh of comfort in God’s sufficiency. This kind of contentment starves many of the troubles of this world.
1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 “Enduring Leadership”
Finishing this section Paul again includes difficult passages with deep meaning to church family members and leaders alike. Leaders are to be honored because they work hard and are the target of special attacks. Timothy must learn how to navigate these difficult waters if he is to persevere in ministry. All are to heed to warning of judgment. Our secret sins cannot be hidden forever.
