City Light Bible Church Sermons

This week we looked at the power of prayer, especially prayer for other Christians. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 illustrates how we should pray for other Christians: with a spirit of thankfulness, for their spiritual maturity and growth in love, and with the goal of preparing them for Christ's return. Listen as Pastor Chris provides practical tips for developing a consistent prayer life and emphasizes that asking God to act through prayer is the greatest task a person can accomplish.

On our second anniversary, this Sunday we reflected on the love shared in our community over the past two years. 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:8 explores how Christian love for the church should remain undeterred by distance, death, detriment, and difficulty just as Christ’s love for us remains steadfast. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us to keep Christ at the center of our love for the church and for one another as we embark on year three and beyond.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

There are only two types of people in the world: those who accept God's Word and those who reject it. Those who accept God’s Word acknowledge its authority and transformative power in their lives. Those who reject God’s Word reject Jesus and His followers and ultimately incur the wrath of God. Listen as Pastor Chris reminds us that there is no middle ground, we must choose to receive God’s Word into our hearts and listen as God speaks through it or face the eternal consequences.

Discipleship involves both receiving and giving spiritual care. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12, the apostle Paul uses the analogy of parental love to describe the deep affection and sacrificial commitment involved in discipling others. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages the congregation to not only consider what they can gain from joining a small group, but also what they can contribute by sharing the Gospel, their lives, and biblical instruction with one another.

As we gear up for the beginning of a new ministry year, Pastor Chris examined common pitfalls in church ministry by outlining five ways people often approach ministry incorrectly. In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6, the apostle Paul highlights the importance of having pure motives and focusing on pleasing God rather than seeking personal gain or recognition in ministry. Listen as Pastor Chris encourages us to approach church involvement with a God-centered perspective, reminding us that true ministry is focused on God, not ourselves.

This week Pastor Chris discussed what it means to be a model Christian, drawing inspiration from the early church in Thessalonica. In our passage we saw four key aspects of exemplary faith: imitating godly examples, boldly proclaiming God's Word, turning away from idols, and eagerly awaiting Christ's return. Listen as Pastor Chris challenges us to consider our own spiritual influence and strive to be positive role models by developing a faith worthy of imitation.

This week we kicked off our new sermon series on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. These two letters were written by the apostle Paul to the church plant in Thessalonica and are filled with specific instructions that are crucial for a young church’s survival and growth. Paul’s first lesson highlights the importance of understanding our own salvation. Listen as Pastor Chris explains how salvation is displayed through faith, hope, and love and how being saved means being loved, changed, and chosen by God.

Hear the extraordinary missionary work of David and Channing Chow.

As we concluded our series on global missions we explored 3 John 5-8, emphasizing two key ways for Christians to participate in fulfilling the Great Commission: showing hospitality to visiting missionaries and providing financial support for those preaching the Gospel abroad. Listen as elder Elliot Kang challenges us to see ourselves as the 'home front' for missions by making sacrifices and reorienting our lives to support those on the front lines of Gospel ministry.

Hear the extraordinary missionary work of William Carey.