Title: Reason For Anxiety: Because We Can't Control the Situation Speaker: Creston Thomas Series: Matthew Date: December 21, 2025 Bible: Matthew 6:25 The sermon centers on the transformative truth that true discipleship requires surrendering control to God, rooted in the reality of Christ's incarnation and unwavering love. It confronts the deep-seated human tendency to seek security through material possessions and self-reliance, tracing this impulse to the fall and the resulting fear that drives anxiety. Drawing from Matthew 6:25, the message emphasizes that worry stems from a divided heart and a failure to trust God's provision, especially when we forget our identity in Christ and His sovereign care. The solution is not self-effort but radical submission to God's perfect control, grounded in the gospel: Christ died for sinners not because they were worthy, but because they were loved. This profound truth frees believers from the burden of anxiety, inviting them to rest in God's faithfulness, knowing they are more valuable than food or clothing, and that His plan is always greater than their fears.

The sermon centers on the call to prioritize heavenly treasures over earthly possessions, grounding this exhortation in Matthew 6:19–24, where Jesus contrasts temporary, corruptible earthly wealth with eternal, incorruptible heavenly rewards. It emphasizes that true discipleship involves a radical reorientation of the heart, rejecting idolatry in all forms—whether wealth, status, or personal achievements—and instead cultivating a life marked by spiritual disciplines like fasting, prayer, and almsgiving that reflect a deeper dependence on God. The preacher underscores that the Christian identity is defined by a unique unity and holiness, not by worldly standards, and warns that serving both God and mammon is impossible, as the heart's allegiance determines one's entire life direction. Ultimately, the message calls believers to examine their priorities, repent of misplaced affections, and live with a singular focus on Christ, whose eternal kingdom is the only true and lasting treasure.

The sermon centers on the transformative power of God's statutes, presenting them not as burdensome rules but as life-giving melodies that guide conduct and shape speech. Drawing from Psalm 119:54, it emphasizes that God's law—particularly the Ten Commandments—serves as a constant, joyful song for the believer navigating a foreign world, offering direction and comfort in trials. The message unfolds through a practical exposition of each commandment, showing how they govern both behavior and communication, revealing humanity's need for grace while pointing to Christ as the perfect fulfillment of the law. As sojourners in a world not our own, believers are called to live distinctively, rooted in divine instruction, which exposes sin yet ultimately leads to redemption through Christ. The sermon concludes with a call to treasure God's statutes above all earthly things, recognizing them as the enduring source of peace, identity, and hope in a broken world.

The sermon centers on Psalm 119:55, emphasizing that true believers are consumed with remembering and keeping God's law, not out of obligation but as a natural expression of their deep affection for Him. It challenges the congregation to recognize that a lack of interest in Scripture is not a memory issue but a heart issue—evidence of spiritual disengagement rather than genuine faith. Through vivid illustrations, the message underscores that consistent meditation on God's word, like habitual practice in any discipline, shapes the mind and character, making obedience a joyful reflex rather than a burden. The preacher calls Christians to cultivate a lifestyle of daily engagement with Scripture, not merely for knowledge but for transformation, highlighting that obedience and remembrance are inseparable marks of a life truly devoted to God. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a radical reorientation of priorities, where God's Word becomes the central obsession of the believer's life, shaping thoughts, actions, and relationships.

This sermon presents fasting as a vital spiritual discipline essential for every disciple, not as a legalistic ritual or a means to earn favor, but as a deliberate act of dependence on God that shapes the believer's heart and character. Rooted in Scripture from both the Old and New Testaments, it emphasizes that biblical fasting is the intentional abstention from food to cultivate spiritual sensitivity, deepen prayer, and confront personal struggles such as anger, lust, or anxiety, rather than serving as a tool for self-improvement, weight loss, or religious performance. The preacher underscores that fasting is not defined by rigid rules or prescribed durations, but by a personal, heartfelt response to life's trials and spiritual needs, preparing believers to trust God in times of desperation and to grow in Christlikeness. By contrasting biblical fasting with its misuse in other religions and in superficial Christian practice, the message calls the church to reclaim this discipline as a means of spiritual renewal, humility, and intimacy with God, ultimately aligning the believer's life with the pattern of Christ's own preparation in the wilderness.

The sermon centers on the biblical call for believers to cultivate a righteous indignation against sin, rooted in the Holy Spirit's work to align the heart with God's holiness. Drawing from Psalm 119, it emphasizes that true faith produces a deep aversion to sin and a passionate hatred for the rejection of God's law, reflecting the divine nature of God Himself. The preacher argues that this holy anger is not merely emotional but a spiritual warfare response to the world's normalization of sin, urging believers to reject cultural compromise and stand firm in truth, even at the cost of relationships. It warns against the danger of nominal Christianity that tolerates unrepentant sin while affirming that genuine faith results in a transformed affection—loving what God loves and hating what God hates. Ultimately, the message calls the church to prioritize eternal spiritual kinship over worldly ties, affirming that true family is found in Christ alone, and that enduring faithfulness to God's Word, though costly, is the only path to eternal life.

The sermon centers on the transformative power of agape love as the essential foundation of Christian faith and practice, drawing from 1 Corinthians 13:1–8 to distinguish between hollow religious performance and genuine, selfless love. It contrasts false expressions of spiritual gifts—such as eloquence, prophecy, faith, and sacrifice—when devoid of love, likening them to lifeless noise, while affirming that true love is patient, kind, unselfish, and enduring. The message unpacks four biblical forms of love—eros, storge, philia, and agape—highlighting agape as the divine, unconditional love exemplified in God's sacrifice through Christ, which reconciles humanity to God. Through vivid illustrations and theological reflection, the sermon underscores that love is not merely an emotion but a moral and spiritual force that defines authentic discipleship, calling believers to reflect God's love in their relationships and actions. Ultimately, it presents love as the eternal, unifying principle that fulfills the law, reveals Christ, and triumphs over sin and death.

This sermon centers on the indispensable nature of forgiveness in the life of a believer, drawing from Matthew 6:14–15 to emphasize that genuine forgiveness is not merely a moral suggestion but a non-negotiable mark of authentic faith. The preacher underscores that Jesus repeats the teaching on forgiveness not out of redundancy, but because it is a profound spiritual struggle rooted in pride, the desire for control, and the idolatry of bitterness, which hinder both personal holiness and the church's witness to the world. Far from teaching that forgiveness earns salvation, the passage is presented as a reflection of the believer's identity: just as God forgave us in Christ while we were still sinners, so we must forgive others freely and fully, releasing them from debt and restoring relationship. The sermon warns against the hypocrisy of claiming faith while harboring unforgiveness, equating such hardness of heart with spiritual unregeneracy, and calls the church to embody Christ's radical grace by forgiving without condition, thereby becoming a living testimony of God's redemptive love in a broken world.

Title: The Lord's Prayer: The Last 3 Petitions Speaker: Creston Thomas Series: Matthew Date: November 16, 2025 Bible: Matthew 6:9-13 The sermon centers on the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 as a transformative model for Christian discipleship, emphasizing that authentic prayer is not a ritualistic recitation but a posture of dependence, gratitude, and alignment with God's eternal purposes. It unpacks the prayer's structure—particularly the final three petitions—as a call to prioritize God's glory, seek His provision, confess dependence on forgiveness, and resist temptation through continual reliance on His faithfulness. The preacher argues that true prayer cultivates contentment in God's provision, which in turn fosters forgiveness, unity, and a life that reflects heaven's reality on earth. By grounding prayer in the supremacy of God, the sermon challenges believers to move beyond self-centered petitions and instead pray in ways that advance God's kingdom, where His will is done, His name is honored, and His people live in peace and mutual restoration.

Title: God's Judgements Comforts Our Soul Speaker: Creston Thomas Series: Psalm 119 Date: November 2, 2025 Bible: Psalm 119:52 The sermon centers on the profound comfort found in remembering God's ancient judgments, not as mere punishment but as expressions of His holiness, faithfulness, and redemptive purpose throughout Scripture. Drawing from Psalm 119:52, it argues that believers are called to recall God's past faithfulness—seen in moments like Adam and Eve's covering, Noah's deliverance, and Daniel's deliverance from the lion's den—as a source of present hope and spiritual strength. The message highlights how human forgetfulness leads to despair and misplaced trust in worldly pursuits, while intentional remembrance of God's judgments renews faith and brings deep soul-comfort. Ultimately, it calls the believer to anchor their identity and peace not in fleeting circumstances, but in the unchanging character and covenant faithfulness of God revealed in His Word.