He Must Increase; I Must DecreaseSermon Series: BelieveIntroduction: If anyone could have fallen into the trap of pride, it would have been John the Baptist. Who else in human history (apart from Jesus Himself) could claim to have been filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15)? No one else in human history had the prophetic role of being the forerunner of Jesus (Luke 1:17, 76). But the greatest compliment that could have caused pride, was that Jesus said that John was the greatest man in human history (Matt. 11:11). Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. All these things could have fed the pride of this young prophet, barely in his thirties. In John 3:22-36, John the Baptist shows us how to be humble and why we need to always remain humble. In his own words, John put it this way, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

Born AgainSermon Series: BelieveIntroduction: Today’s message is about surviving the greatest and most deadly of all falls: Man’s deadly fall into sin. In case you haven’t noticed, everyone around you is seriously flawed by sin... you are deeply flawed too! “The sin nature of man is the only religious doctrine that can be scientifically, empirically verified. All you have to do is observe people." - G.K. Chesterton Everyone has fallen. We are all damaged goods. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Everyone is falling toward certain death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death” In today’s message from John 3, Jesus reveals the perfect catch for the most deadly fall.

Jesus Cleaning House and Raising His TempleSermon Series: BelieveIntroduction: The story of Jesus cleansing the temple is a story filled with bewildering pain followed by incomparable victory. Jesus performed many miracles but the sign that He said would register most convincingly that He is the Christ, the Son of God, is His resurrection. Today in John’s record of Jesus’ amazing life, he recounts the ominous day when Jesus cleared the Temple of the thieves and thugs who profited by turning the worship of God into a travesty. In the process of answering by what authority Jesus had to clean God’s house, He reveals the quintessential miracle of His resurrection.

Jesus is the Power of TransformationSermon Series: BelieveIntroduction: Faith in the face of convincing evidence is not guaranteed. Some people can look at the proof and still hold onto their doubt. Faith is a funny thing. Some people need very little to be convinced, while for others, no matter how much evidence is piled up, they still refuse to believe. Then there are people who say they really believe but it’s only words. What evidence is there that Jesus is the Messiah and Savior of the world? The apostle John anticipated that probing question.

Ordinary Men Receive the Most Extraordinary CallSermon Series: BelieveIntroduction: Today we meet five men who Jesus encountered and called to a life-changing mission. Jesus, the eternal Word of God who became flesh, began His ministry by revealing Himself to regular people who were far from perfect; but whose hearts were open to understand who Jesus is and what He came to do. A couple of these men began as skeptics, another had biases that threatened to keep him locked up in ignorance, still others were searching and ready to listen. Each disciple Jesus called was different but each and every one of them came to know, love and follow Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. God has a habit of choosing ordinary people to be His extraordinary world changers. Their greatest task was and is introducing other people to the Greatest Person in all the universe: Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.

John the Baptist Points to the Lamb of God Sermon Series: BelieveIntroduction: Today we will take a closer look at what I believe is the most important metaphor of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God...Jesus is the Lamb of God!

Jesus: The Word of God Incarnate 

Sermon Series: Believe

Introduction:  We love mystery because underneath it all, we instinctively know that life is a mystery to be solved and a riddle to be uncovered. Albert Einstein said, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.” John, the Apostle, was no stranger to mystery. In his gospel he unlocks the greatest of all mysteries. He begins by going back before time and space, before Creation, outside of time and space to introduce us to a Person he calls The Word.

Jesus: The Word of God before Time 

Sermon Series: Believe

Introduction: There has never been a time when the world is more starved for the truth about Jesus than today.  “We are living in a time when . . . philosophically, you can believe anything, so long as you do not claim it to be true. Morally, you can practice anything, so long as you do not claim that it is a 'better' way. Religiously, you can hold to anything, so long as you do not bring Jesus Christ into it.” -- Ravi Zacharias

The Challenge of Being Faithful to God 

Sermon Series: Courageous Living in a Dangerous World

Introduction: Life is filled with choices. We choose what movies we will watch, we choose our cell phone provider, and we choose what we will eat. We choose our attitude, our friends, and how we will invest our money and time. Choices are a necessary part of life. As we close the book of Joshua we will discover that the best decisions are the ones we make biblically, consciously and deliberately.

Faithful Servant, Victorious Servant: How to Live a Blessed Life

Sermon Series: Courageous Living in a Dangerous World

Introduction: As we get into Joshua 23 & 24 we read the last words of Joshua. In chapter 23 Joshua spoke to the leaders of Israel. In chapter 24 he spoke directly to the people. These are words that come after a lifetime of reflection and because of that, they are filled with wisdom. Years have  passed since chapter 22 and the return of the tribes to their land on the east side of the Jordan. Chapter 23 begins with the words: “A long time afterward...”   It is the end of Joshua’s life and he is passing on the baton to the next generation of leaders. If you were old and knew that your time was short, what would you say to those left behind? Joshua told the leaders of Israel how they could continue to experience the blessing, rather than the judgment, of God.