The poor and vulnerable are often easy to overlook, but Scripture teaches that true religion consists in caring for them. Though we may not receive earthly notoriety or gain, the Lord has commanded his people to care for those most in need, including widows and orphans. In this message from James 1:27, David Platt urges us to obey Scripture’s commands concerning a faith that is “true and undefiled,” and we do this not merely because we feel obligated but more importantly because we want to reflect the mercy of the God who calls himself the father of the fatherless and the protector of widows. This message was given at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, during their Stand for Life emphasis. 

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Many people in our culture cringe when they hear words like leadership, authority, and submission. The same is true for some Christians, particularly those who have experienced harsh, self-serving, or abusive leadership in the church. However, our response to bad leadership as followers of Christ should not be to reject all forms of leadership. Our response should be to embrace good, biblical leadership. In this message from Hebrews 13:17, David Platt points us to the Bible’s teaching on biblical leadership in the church. God has given leaders as a gift to the church, not to serve for their own interests but to serve for the glory of God and the good of others. Submission to this kind of leadership is good for our souls.

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There is no better news than to hear that God’s pleasure in you is not based on your performance for him. And yet, it’s all too easy for us to slip back into thinking that we can somehow secure our standing before God by our efforts and our works. In this message from Galatians 2, David Platt points us to Scripture’s teaching about how we are justified, or declared righteous, before God. God’s free and undeserved grace comes to us by faith alone based on what Christ has done on our behalf.

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We usually attach a lot of weight to someone’s first and last words. In Matthew’s Gospel, the first and last words of Jesus have to do with fishing for men and making disciples of all nations. The question for followers of Jesus is, Do we see these words as weighty? How does it affect our lives to know that Jesus has given his people a mission, a mission that starts right where we live but doesn’t stop there—it extends to the ends of the earth. In this message from Matthew 28:18–20, David Platt reminds us why we need biblical mission. We were made to glorify God and to make him known among all nations. This message is in a series covering biblical traits that should be a part of every church.

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Most people feel uneasy when they think about discipline and accountability. They want to be independent and call their own shots. But for those who belong to Christ, discipline and accountability should be seen as spiritual safeguards. And God has provided these things through the local church. In this message from Hebrews 12:3–11, David Platt helps us see why accountability and church discipline are evidence of God’s love and concern for his people. The various steps for church discipline laid out by Jesus in Matthew 18 are intended to preserve the church’s holiness and restore those who are walking in sin. This message is the next in a series identifying twelve traits of a biblical church.

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In one way or another, all of us are tempted to try and earn God’s favor. The idea that God would save us freely out of his own grace, prior to any good works on our part, just doesn’t seem right. As a result, we fall into the trap of legalism. Even as Christians, we can make the mistake of relating to God as if we can please him by working in our own power and according to our own rules. In this message from Galatians 1, David Platt reminds us that our efforts inevitably fall short of God’s righteousness. This is precisely why the gospel is such good news: those who are in Christ have been forgiven and made righteous solely by the grace of God. Christ’s death on the cross is a sufficient sacrifice for sinners.

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It may shock many people in our culture to find out that the love of money is dangerous. Even among Christians, it’s easy to fall for the lie that our finances can provide true satisfaction and security. However, Jesus invites us to something more satisfying than money—Himself. In this message from 1 Timothy 6:6–19, David Platt points us to the apostle Paul’s instructions to those who have wealth. Though we may not always feel it, compared to most of the world, and to most people in history, many in the US and in the West are wealthy. Therefore we need to hear the Scripture’s warnings to the wealthy. We also need to hear of the eternal riches that belong to those who treasure Jesus Christ. This sermon on giving is in a series that identifies 12 traits of a biblical church.

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In this message from Matthew 4:18–22, David Platt unpacks the significance of what Jesus means when he says to people, “Follow me.”

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The book of Acts tells the story of how God turned the world upside down through the earliest Christians and churches as they proclaimed God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. These followers of Jesus not only served one another—they served the world. In this message from the book of Acts, David Platt reminds us that, with the gospel as our foundation and motivation, followers of Christ today should live to make disciples and multiply churches to the glory of God. Just as it was for the early disciples, the cost will be great. But the reward is more than worth it.

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As followers of Christ, we know we’re supposed to pray when the church gathers, but it’s all too easy for prayer to become a thoughtless routine in which we don’t even stop to think about Who we’re praying to. We rarely have a sense of desperation for God’s help; we lack zeal for his beauty; our confession, if there is any, often misses the seriousness of our sin; our prayer and praise tend to be lukewarm. In this message, David Platt uses Psalm 27:4 and other passages to point us to the kind of prayer that ought to characterize God’s people. The church should come to God humbly, expectantly, and zealously, calling out for his grace and strength as we seek to enjoy and proclaim his glory.

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