In this sermon, we looked at the command to love God with all our minds. The Scripture describes the human mind as the central source for our thoughts, wisdom, and moral discernment. It's also the place where we experience inner dialogue and conflict, as well as spiritual battles and transformation. By engaging our intellect to understand God as He…

In this sermon from Mark 12:38-31, we took a deeper look into what it means to be human, and the role of the heart in relationship with God. Even though our hearts are susceptible to sin, God has designed our hearts to give us passion, desire, and emotion. Jesus died not just to remove our sin but also to give us new hearts with renewed passions an…

In this sermon, we examined how we are made in the image of God while also existing as created, finite beings. To be in the image of God does not mean we look like Him physically, but that we were created to reflect who God is. We see this in Genesis 1 and 2 in three ways: We have stewardship over God’s other creation, we have rationality and choic…

In this Easter sermon, we looked at the prophetic words of Isaiah 53 and the significance of Jesus' resurrection. This passage foretells the suffering and resurrection of the coming Messiah and reminds us that Jesus' agony and death were the fulfillment of God’s will and essential for our redemption. Through His resurrection, Jesus conquered sin an…

In this sermon, we looked at the Gospel of Luke's portrayal of Jesus' deliberate path to Jerusalem, culminating in the pivotal events of Holy Week. The narrative, starting in Luke 9:51, highlights Jesus' determination as He set His face toward Jerusalem and walked toward His impending death, burial, and resurrection. This journey ended in Luke 19:4…

In this sermon, we looked at what it's like to be with God. God values relationship, and in Matthew 11:25-30, we see the intimate connection between the Father and the Son. Jesus invites us to share in this relationship by showing us who the Father is. The call to enter this relationship is not through striving, good works, or perfection; we are si…

In this sermon, we looked at what it's like to be close to God by examining Jesus, who embodies "the radiance of the Glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature." In John 11, we see God's compassion for us and how His glory and power to save sinners is revealed through the brokenness of our world. After the death of Lazarus, Jesus' response to…

In this sermon, we looked at Romans 3:19-26 to explore the nature of God's justice. True justice requires upholding laws and consequences consistently and without favoritism. In Romans 3, Paul reminds us that every human has sinned under God's Law and is subject to God's judgment. Paul says that while God is just and always upholds His law, He is a…

In this sermon from 1 John 4:7-10, we looked at how love is embedded in God's nature and how He is the source of all love that is experienced in the world. Love is not merely an attribute of God's personality or something He does in the world; love is part of the very essence of His being. Despite varying definitions of love in the world around us,…

In this sermon, we looked at how Revelation 4 reveals the profound nature of God's character. The vivid imagery of God sitting on His throne magnifies the majesty and holiness of God. The four creatures hovering around God's throne repeatedly declaring God’s holiness further reveals that God is sacred, pure, worthy of awe, and unlike anything else …

In this sermon, we continued our journey to answer the question, "Who is God?" We began by looking at how God reveals Himself in the Bible as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. In the Gospel of John, we saw that the Father, Son, and Spirit have eternally existed in a loving and honoring relationship within themselves. God did not cr…

With this sermon, we started a new series on the Greatest Commandments. In this series, we’ll spend time looking at the commands to love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. This week, we began with the question, “Who is God?” If we are going to love God, we must first know who He is. We looked in Exodus 3:13-15 at the significance of G…

In this sermon, we looked in Matthew 16:13-19 at the pivotal moment when Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" This question was more than a theological pop quiz; Jesus was drilling into the core of the disciples’ personal faith. As Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” we were reminded of how the entire …

In this sermon from 1 Peter 3:15, we looked at how we were created to live our lives on mission to make disciples for Jesus, beginning in our own neighborhoods and reaching toward the ends of the earth. We were also reminded that our mission starts with living our lives with sincere love for God and others, serving as a beacon to draw others toward…

In this sermon, we looked at God’s plan for His Church to grow together in biblical community. We began in Genesis 2 with a reminder that we were created with a need to be in relationship, with God and others, in which we can be fully known and fully loved. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul lays out God's plan for His Church and the essential roles of Chu…

We begin 2024 with our Created sermon series, reminding us why the Church exists and how that connects to what we do at Solid Rock. In this sermon, we looked at how Psalm 95:1-6 calls God's people to worship. The Psalmist reminds us that we are created by God to worship Him for who He is and what He has done. Worship is a reverent acknowledgement o…

In this sermon, we looked in Acts 9 to see the grace of God at work in providing Saul with a fresh start. Saul was one of the early Church's biggest opponents: he watched approvingly as Stephen was stoned for his faith, and he obtained special permission to arrest anyone who followed Jesus. On his way to arrest believers in Damascus, he encountered…

After walking through Isaiah 9:6 over the last month, we ended our Advent series by looking at the final title given to the baby who was to be born in a manger: Prince of Peace. Our need for God's peace began in the Garden of Eden. After being banished, Adam and Eve no longer had peace on earth; they were left with a longing for the peace and bless…

In this sermon from Isaiah 9:6, we focused on how "Everlasting Father," one of the prophetic titles ascribed to Jesus, foretells His birth and the profound impact it would have on humanity's relationship with God. This title emphasizes Jesus' role in revealing the fatherly nature of God and His eternal authority and care for us. The arrival of Jesu…

In the second sermon of our Advent series, we looked at how Jesus fulfilled the Isaiah 9:6 prophesy to come to earth as a Mighty God. The nation of Israel would have understood this prophetic title of the coming Messiah as a "God who is mighty in battle." In 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, the apostle Paul explains that, through His resurrection, Jesus ove…

With this sermon, we launched our Advent series by looking at Isaiah 9:6 to see what God promised to the world through the birth of His Son. This week, we focused on God's promise that His Son would come to us as a Wonderful Counselor. John 14:15-26 tells us that Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit to those who follow Him. The Holy Spirit, descr…

In this sermon, we looked at the Apostle Paul's account of how he was set apart and called into the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul testifies that he was saved by God's grace as the Gospel was revealed to him through Jesus Christ. Paul also shares how he had previously persecuted the Church and how God used his story to display the truth of the Gospel…

In this sermon, we looked at John chapter 4 to see how Jesus shared the hope of His coming with a Samaritan woman. Jesus is at the center of the Gospel message, and He is also the best example of what it means to share the Good News with others. While it would have been taboo in first century society for Jesus to converse with this Samaritan woman,…

In this sermon, we looked at Romans 10:13-17, where Paul reminds us that salvation is available to everyone who calls on Jesus. He then uses a series of rhetorical questions to highlight God's call for every Christian be an evangelist by sharing the good news of the Gospel. Paul says that no one can call on the Lord if they don't believe, and they …

In this sermon, we closed our What is the Gospel? series by addressing the final question: "What is my role in my spiritual growth?" As human beings, it's our natural inclination to step away from the good news of the Gospel and toward lesser hopes. As we studied Scripture, we found that even the Apostle Paul had a list of things in which he could …

In this sermon, we looked at Acts 2:36-41 in which Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, declares to the people of Jerusalem that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah. Peter urges the people to believe the truth of Jesus' divinity and to see His redemptive work on the cross as a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies. When the people listening are "cut…

In this sermon, we looked at God’s great love for us and how it was always God's plan to offer His Son, Jesus, who has always existed as part of the Trinity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Out of love, Jesus willingly came to rescue us from condemnation and the consequences of sin. The Bible says that He did this by dying on the cross then ris…

In this sermon, we looked at Romans 3:9-24, in which the Apostle Paul addresses the universal nature of sin. Paul begins by affirming that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power and judgment of sin. Referring to several Old Testament passages, Paul makes the point that no one is righteous or seeks God on his or her own, and that the sinfulness …

In this sermon, we looked at Isaiah 6:1-7 where the prophet Isaiah shares his transformative vision of the holiness and majesty of God, revealing the immense chasm between God’s holiness and our sinfulness. In this vision, God was seated on a throne as seraphim worshipped Him, declaring, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is fu…

In this sermon, we looked at how Ephesians 2:1-10 unveils God's transformative kindness toward us in the Gospel. The good news of the Gospel is that, while all people are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins, we are graciously offered a new and eternal life through Christ. The Gospel reminds us that God is our Holy Creator and we are accou…

In this sermon, we looked at the kindness of God seen in Malachi 3:1-5 and 4:1-6, as He speaks through the prophet Malachi to give His people a vision of a future transformation when He will change their hearts. Malachi 3:15 points to the first Advent of Jesus, when His arrival will follow a divine messenger who will prepare the way for Him. The ne…

In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 3:6-12 and saw how God confronted Israel's unfaithfulness in tithing. God begins by reminding Israel of His unchanging character and nature then confronts them about robbing Him through their neglect of tithes and offerings. God challenges them to bring the full tithe into the storehouse so there may be provisio…

In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 2:17, where Malachi addresses the Israelites' questioning of God’s justice. Israel was in a time of rebellion against God and was experiencing the consequences of God withholding His blessing. In response, they questioned why God seemed to favor the evildoers. Instead of asking God to reveal to them their sin an…

In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 2:10-16 and how God spoke through Malachi to address the Israelites' negligence in maintaining their covenant with God and their covenants with one another. He rebukes the Israelite men because they were divorcing their Israelite wives and marrying wives who worshipped other gods. This violated their marriage co…

In this sermon, we looked at Malachi 1:6-14, in which God rebukes the people of Israel for their insincere worship. As God addresses Israel, He confronts the priests for offering defiled sacrifices and treating His name with contempt. God declares that He deserves better than their half-hearted offerings and threatens to close the temple doors to s…

In this sermon, we looked at how Malachi 1:1-5 reveals the amazing love of God, expressed through His sovereign choice of Jacob over Esau. Despite Israel's disobedience and shift to pagan worship, God's deep affection for His chosen people remained unwavering. Through His deliberate choice to love Israel before they even existed, God establishes a …

In this sermon, we looked in Isaiah 61:1-4 at God's promise to send a Messiah who would bring good news to the oppressed, brokenhearted, and captive. In this passage, God promises to send a Messiah to comfort those in sorrow, liberate those who are imprisoned, and provide hope and healing to those who are suffering. Here we see a beautiful and kind…

In this sermon, we looked at the suffering of Jesus through the lens of Isaiah 53. Our Suffering Saints series began by looking at Adam and the fall, when sin and death came into the world. Sin and death had to be dealt with, overcome, and undone. Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus defeated sin and death once and for all. Jesus, …

In this sermon, we looked at 2 Corinthians 1:3-9 in which the apostle Paul praises God as the ultimate source of comfort and compassion in times of affliction. Paul reminds us that God doesn't promise to fix our afflictions this side of heaven, but He has promised the abundant comfort of His presence. God's presence and grace are sufficient to give…

In this sermon, we looked at Acts 6:1-8:4 and saw how Stephen was persecuted for his faith in Jesus and how God used his suffering to bless others. Stephen was one of the chosen men appointed to oversee the distribution of food among the widows in Acts 6. Despite faithfully serving the community, some of the religious leaders falsely accused him an…

In this sermon, we looked in Job 2:1-13 at the suffering of Job and the comfort we can have from knowing that God is always in control, even when we don't understand the reason for our suffering. Because God is sovereign, we can know that our suffering is never meaningless and is always "preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all compar…

In this sermon, we looked at the suffering Joseph endured at the hands of those around him. Joseph's own brothers sought to harm him, other people lied about him, and there were still others who forgot about him over the course of his difficult trials. Through all of this, God was with Joseph. In each instance, God preserved Joseph's life, blessed …

In this sermon, we looked at the how the prophet Daniel suffered under ungodly leadership. From the time he was born through his time in exile, the kings who ruled over him were most often in opposition to God's will. However, when confronted with the expectation to disobey God, Daniel stood firm in his convictions. In Daniel 1:8-16, God mercifully…

In our opening sermon of the Suffering Saints series, we looked at the suffering of Adam and how all suffering began with him. Genesis 2:15-17 describes how God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and entrusted him with the responsibility of caring for it. God allowed Adam to eat freely from all the trees, except the tree of the knowledge of good and…

In our Father’s Day sermon, we looked at how Jesus taught about the Father's love for us through a parable in Luke 15:11-24. In this parable, Jesus introduces us to a kind father who provided well for his family and was generous with his children. One of his sons asks for, and receives, his inheritance early then leaves his father's home. After liv…

In this final sermon of our 2 Peter series, we looked at the Apostle Peter's view of the sacred Scriptures. In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter passionately affirms the credibility and reliability of his message as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ's majesty. He declares that he didn't follow cleverly devised myths but was an eyewitness of Christ's transfigurati…

In this sermon, we looked at Peter's encouragement to the exiled Christians in Asia Minor to ignore the skeptic false teachers who deliberately overlook the promises of God. Peter tells these suffering Christians to remember that God is not bound by time and, in His patience, God is allowing more people to come to repentance. While God's patience i…

In this sermon, we looked into 2 Peter chapter 2 at Peter's warning against false teachers who will infiltrate the church and lead people astray by promising freedom while actually leading them into captivity. Peter says that these false teachers will preach destructive heresies and, ultimately, deny Jesus as Lord. He also warns that these false te…

In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call for Christians to continue pursuing godliness and spiritual growth even in the midst of persecution and suffering. Drawing from the spiritual reality that Christians are partakers in God's divine glory, Peter calls Christians to add to what we already have in Christ by pursuing and practicing Christ-like qu…

In this sermon from Luke 1, we looked at the fulfillment of prophecy through the promise of the coming Messiah. Luke writes of the unmerited favor given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and shares her song, in which she praises God for all He has done for her and all those who fear Him. Through Mary’s beautiful song, we are reminded that the promises …