ARCC Sermons

"The sower sows." In the parable of the soils we certainly get a bleak picture of those who are not a part of the Kingdom of God, but at the end we see Jesus speaking of what is in store for those who are a part of the Kingdom. If you are a child of God, then there is much to look forward to, much to strive for, much to glory in!

Additional Scripture References:

Colossians 1:5-6; Colossians 1:13; Jeremiah 2:11

In Jesus' life we would often see him in the midst of bread or wine, sometimes even using them to convey a message. But what Jesus tells his disciples to remember when they take bread and wine is one thing: his sacrifice on the cross.

Additional Scripture References:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 22:17-19

There have been and always will be consequences to our sin. These are never pleasant experiences to say the least. What if these consequences weren't God's wrath, but rather, His grace and mercy in bringing us back to Himself? What if His wrath was allowing our consequences to be the inability to recognize the sin in our own lives? We would be ever hearing, but never understanding; ever seeing, but never perceiving. What a dark place to be!

Additional Scripture References:

1 John 2:12; Isaiah 5 and 6; Romans 11:13-15; Romans 11:25-26; 2 Chronicles 7:14 2 Timothy 3

One more time Jesus is inviting us to delve into His heart (the heart of His will) which usually means much conviction and change on our part...typically nothing to be proud of comes from this. However, great joy and communion with God typically does result. Do you trust Him? His "family" would.

Additional Scripture References:

Romans 3:10-18; John 8:42-44; Ephesians 1;6; Hebrews 12:1 Romans 12:1-2; Hebrews 13:16; Ephesians 5:2

The ironic thing about this passage is that the greater message here is about the FORGIVENESS of God. What we see in Christ's discourse on the "eternal sin" is a severe warning (gracious in nature) about the consequences of "un-forgiveness". The scary part of this is that Jesus (the evangelist) was preaching this message to those who would confidently assert their right-standing with God.

Additional Scripture References:

Matthew 12:27-30, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, Ezekiel 18:23, Psalm 103:12, Mark 1:4, Mark 1:15, John 16:8, Hosea 4:17, Psalm 81:12, 2 Peter 1:8-10, Romans 8:13, Col. 3:5, Matt. 12:33-37

We begin to see Jesus draw the line between admirers and actual followers/disciples. What we see in this passage is a look to the "languages of salvation" that scripture uses. What we find when we take an honest look at what scripture defines as "salvation" is far more than just fire insurance. We must be willing to see if our assurances line up with what scripture says.

Additional Scripture References:

John 17:6, Romans 8:29, Eph. 1:4-5, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 139:16, Job 14:5, Isaiah 40:13, Acts 7:49-50, Romans 8:30, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Cor. 1:9, 2 Thess. 2:14, John 6:44, Gal 1:15-16, Eph 2:4-5, Titus 3:4-5, 1 Cor 12:3, Acts 20:21, Heb 6:1, Rom. 6:11, Rom 3:26-28, Rom 8:1, John 6:37, John 10:28-29, Rom 8:38-39, 2 Cor 5:17, Phil 1:6, Phil 2:13, John 14:3, John 15:4-7, Isaiah 66:1

The struggle for the human flesh is to accept the fact that our righteousness before God is based solely on His grace and nothing else. We see that there is a connection among true grace, servanthood, and true rest. Sabbath was meant for man. God's design was to give us a "rest" leading to a life pleasing to Him.

Additional Scripture References:

Exodus 31:12-18, 1 Samuel 21:1-9, Matthew 11:28

Today we celebrate the life and hope that we have because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have a loving, intimate relationship with the God of the universe because Christ made peace for us by the blood of His cross. Why would a king do such a thing?

Additional Scripture References:

Hebrews 1:3; Romans 8:7; Ephesians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 15:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:33; Philippians 2:13; Philippians 1:11; John 3:16; Romans 6:8

The struggle for the human flesh is to accept the fact that our righteousness before God is based solely on His grace and nothing else. What Jesus was teaching the people was that because of such grace we now have the freedom to obey His commands that were meant for our joy and enjoyment of Him.

Additional Scripture References:

Exodus 31:12-18

The "reality of true compassion" is that we see the depth of our need...of our destitute...that it goes so much deeper than our physical issues. Praise God that Jesus loved us enough and had enough compassion to see much deeper than our physical need. Now we have an eternity, not just a lifetime!

Additional Scripture References:

Hebrews 1:3, Romans 10:14-15, Romans 8:18-25, Matthew 24:13