In justification, God has declared guilty sinners to be righteous through faith in the finished work of Christ and has done so “by his grace as a gift” (Romans 3:24). Thus, those who are freely saved through the gospel are also called, empowered, and motivated to live a life that reflects God and pleases him. Compelled by grace, believers grow in the knowledge of God, obey Christ’s commands, walk by the Spirit, mortify sin, and pursue God’s priorities and purposes (Mark 12:30-31; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 John 5:2-3). This results in godliness, progressively increasing in the believer’s life. As we study this text together, God will train us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

On life’s journey we are all going somewhere. The ultimate question is knowing where we are going. Peter tells us of the virtues we must find in ourselves if we are to walk the road that leads to the Kingdom of God and encourages us to persevere and grow in these virtues, becoming increasingly free from the world’s influence on us, thus developing our salvation and glorifying God. Note: Emerson Soares, our guest speaker today, is the lead pastor at Igreja Graça Soberana de Rio Grande in Brazil, and is currently attending the SGC Pastors College.

Our text this week is a familiar Christmas favorite: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. This is a familiar passage, but coming back to it in faith we can always find fresh grace and glory.

Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. But what's the point? Why is this important? In this week's sermon, we'll study the significance of the virgin birth of Christ.

The topics of singleness and celibacy have led to much confusion in our day. What is the purpose of singleness? Who should remain single? After speaking of the high calling of marriage, Jesus both upholds marriage as the norm while validating those disciples called by God to live a celibate life for the sake of the kingdom.

The fracturing of our culture and our churches can be traced back to, in part, a culture of easy divorce. A divorce is easy to obtain in our day, and it surprises many to learn it was the same in Jesus' day as well. In this message on Matthew 19:39, we will look at Jesus' teaching on the damage and danger of divorce. Rightly understanding the seriousness of divorce warns us away from it even as it encourages us to honor marriage (Heb. 13:4).

Matthew 19:3-6 - Marriage is one of God's original blessings. But sadly, we live in a world where God's design for marriage is distorted or denied. As Christians, we are called to take a countercultural stand. To speak the truth, live by faith, and pursue God-honoring marriages that shine like bright lights. In this week's sermon, we'll look at Jesus' teaching on marriage.

Ingratitude marks this world, but hearts overflowing with gratitude marks the forgiven. This week, we will look back to the grace we have received and the call to give thanks to God in and for all circumstances.

Our culture insists that human freedom, happiness, and fulfillment come from expressing ourselves and following our own desires, especially our sexual desires. In this message, we will examine Jesus' authoritative word on this topic. That the One who created us not only has the authority to set the parameters for us but also has the wisdom to know what is best for us.

Forgiveness is central to our experience as Christians. It is at the heart of our relationship with God and our relationship with others. Not surprisingly, Jesus talks about forgiveness a lot. And in this week's passage, Jesus teaches us that God’s forgiveness of us shows us why and how we're to forgive others.