187 results found

The Welcoming Church

October 16, 2022 | Romans 14:1-12 | exposition

What are you looking for in a church? Do you want to be part of a church that looks like you, talks like you, thinks like you? Same color and race, same political party, same favorite basketball team and BBQ style? Or are you willing to welcome and receive others who have different personalities and preferences, but want to love and follow Jesus? God calls us to unity, but not uniformity. And in order to be a welcoming church, we must know the difference.

In Romans chapter 14, the apostle Paul told the believers in Rome, who came from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, that God had called them to be a welcoming church, not a judgmental and quarreling church.

The Law of Love

October 9, 2022 | Romans 13:8-14 | exposition

What is your mental operating system? What kind of gravity tugs and pulls at your thinking? Do you struggle with anger, with depression, with a poor self-image, with unforgiveness, with temptation, with addiction, with hatred…? What controls your thoughts and attitudes and therefore your actions? Is it love?

In Romans chapter 13, the apostle Paul instructed the believers in Rome that they were to let God’s law of love govern their attitudes and actions. As believers, we are to let God’s law of love govern our attitudes and actions.

Dual Citizenship

October 2, 2022 | Romans 13:1-7 | exposition

In this passage, Paul describes how Christians should relate to their government. In other words, how those whose citizenship is in heaven are to relate to their worldly government. And the instruction he gives from the Lord is this: we are to submit to the governing authorities.

With all the political division in our country and with the approaching midterms in November, don’t you want to know what God’s Word says about how we as believers are to relate to our government? In Romans chapter 13, the apostle Paul instructed the believers in Rome that God wanted them to live in subjection to the governing authorities. As Christians, God calls us to live in subjection to the governing authorities.

The Triumph of the Coming King

April 10, 2022 | Zechariah 14 | exposition, Second Coming

Do you believe this promise of Christ’s return? Do you have this hope that He will soon return to triumph over evil and establish His kingdom on earth? Or have you fallen into despair and doubt over the terrible condition of this old world?

In the final chapter of Zechariah, chapter 14, the prophet recorded God’s promise that a Day was coming when the Messiah would triumph over evil and establish His Kingdom over all the earth. We can look with hope for Christ’s triumphal return as King.

On That Day

April 3, 2022 | Zechariah 12-13 | exposition

Are you ready for Christ’s return? We’ve learned how to get ready for other things. We had to learn how to get ready for school…how to get ready for work…how to get ready for a long trip… how to get ready to buy our first house. Everything has prerequisites and requirements. You can’t just show up at the bank and hope they’ll give you a loan. You can’t just walk into a college classroom and call yourself a student. You have to get ready.

But how do you get ready for the coming of King Jesus? How do you get ready to face Judgment Day and eternity? Well, that’s the question that today’s message from Zechariah answers. It was written to prepare God’s people for Christ’s second coming. In Zechariah 12-13, the prophet received a second oracle from the LORD revealing the promises that Jesus the Messiah would fulfill for Israel in the last days at His second coming. Jesus has already made these promises available to us today.

Following the True Shepherd

March 27, 2022 | Zechariah 10-11 | exposition

When the Bible talks about where we’re going and whom we’re following, it often uses the imagery of the shepherd and his flock. That’s what we’ll see in Zechariah today. For he warned Israel about following the wrong shepherds or leaders. Who you follow reveals a lot about who you are and what you believe. And who you follow has a lot to do with where you end up.

That’s what the prophet Zechariah wanted to address with the people of God. He wanted them to see how the leader, the shepherd you choose to follow will determine your destiny. In Zechariah 10-11, the prophet continued proclaiming the oracle of the Word of the LORD that began in chapter 9 concerning the coming Messiah. In this part of the oracle, he proclaimed the importance of God’s people following the coming Messiah as their true Shepherd. We can understand the importance of following Jesus as our only true Shepherd.

The King is Coming

March 20, 2022 | Zechariah 9 | exposition

Are you the kind of person that prepares for things? Here in Eastern NC, you quickly learn the importance of being prepared during hurricane season. People are encouraged to have adequate water, food, batteries, flash lights, candles, and other necessities on hand before a storm comes, because the coming of a hurricane often means no power nor water service for a time. If you wait until the storm comes, it’s too late.
Are you prepared for the second coming of King Jesus? For the Bible says, He is coming again. That’s what today’s Scripture is about. It’s about being prepared for the coming King.

In Zechariah 9, the prophet received an oracle of God to prepare His people for the coming of their Messiah, King Jesus. We can be prepared for the coming of King Jesus.

Transformation Over Tradition

March 13, 2022 | Zechariah 7-8 | exposition

God cares more about heart transformation than He does our traditions. If our religious traditions come from hearts that have been transformed by the love of Jesus, then they are pleasing to Him. But if we’re just going through the motions and doing what we’ve always done without any heart change, then they do not please Him. God is looking for transformed hearts.

In Zechariah 7-8, the Lord turned the Jewish exiles’ question about their tradition of fasting into an examination of the real spiritual issue, namely, that their religious traditions were worthless without transformation of the heart. What God was really looking for was heart change. God is still looking for people who will humble themselves in repentance and submit their hearts to His transforming power.

God’s Righteous Response to Sin

March 6, 2022 | Zechariah 5:1-6:15 | exposition

Do you think things in the world have gotten better or worse over time? How about in our nation? Do you feel that we are becoming more godly and pleasing to God or are we straying further and further from God? Does it seem to you that God doesn’t really seem to care about the growing lack of shame and open immorality we see in our world today? The truth is, God does care about sin. And He is already responding to it and has a plan to overcome it.

In Zechariah Chapter 5 and 6, we encounter the last three of Zechariah’s eight night visions. In these last three visions, Zechariah saw God’s righteous response to humanity’s sin. We can understand God’s righteous response to our sin.

Relying On God’s Spirit

February 27, 2022 | Zechariah 4:1-14 | exposition

Who among you here today would admit that you’re discouraged and grieving over a loss? You’re overwhelmed about an obstacle that you don’t know how to overcome? You’re feeling small and inadequate about situation you’re in? Maybe, you’re even a little angry at God about something today? Zechariah and the Israelites probably were feeling these same feelings. They had returned from 70 years of Babylonian captivity and had begun rebuilding the Temple, but now a decade without any work. They were small, overwhelmed, and discouraged. But…

In Zechariah chapter four, the prophet saw his 5th night vision. Similar to chapter three, which was a vision of a contemporary of Zechariah’s, the high priest Joshua, this vision was of another contemporary, namely the governor of Judea, Zerubbabel. Both visions seemed primarily aimed at encouraging both Joshua and Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple and reinstate worship. Both visions also have strong Messianic messages for the people of God. In this 5th vision, God told Zechariah to tell Zerubbabel that he would have to rely on God’s Spirit and not his own strength to accomplish his God-given calling.