Death on SermonAudio

This sermon interprets Psalm 16 through a Christological lens, arguing that the psalm primarily describes Christ's fulfillment of the covenant that Adam failed to keep. The preacher outlines how Christ, as the God-man, pledges exclusive loyalty to the Father, rejects false worship, and maintains a secure relationship with God even in the face of death. The text highlights the parallel between Christ's unshaken confidence and the believer's hope, emphasizing that Christ's bodily resurrection ensures that believers will also dwell securely in God's presence. The central theme is the permanence of God as a refuge, where the fullness of joy and the pleasures of eternity are found in the presence of the Father, a hope secured by Christ's victory over corruption.

When Jesus talked people listened. These men said, never a man spake like this man. When Jesus spoke, his words carried inherent authority that caused immediate physical and spiritual changes, ranging from calming nature to raising the dead. Jesus' voice was stronger than death, demonstrating that his words did not merely inform but actively enacted reality, as seen when he raised Lazarus and the son of Nain by simply commanding them to arise.

This sermon concludes a series tracing the biblical narrative of redemption by examining the book of Revelation as the ultimate unveiling of Jesus Christ's glory and authority. It emphasizes that the central focus of Revelation is not merely future events, but the person of the King who reigns over history and holds the keys to death. The message highlights the church's call to faithfulness amidst persecution, the certainty of Christ's victory over Satan and sin, and the final restoration of all things in a new heaven and earth. By contrasting the curse of Genesis with the hope of Revelation, the sermon offers a comforting assurance that God will wipe away all tears and dwell eternally with His people. The tone is both convicting and encouraging, urging believers to worship the Lamb who was slain and to live with the confident expectation of His soon return.

Bible Questions and Answers: Common Grace and Elders - What is Common Grace (Matthew 5:44–45)? -- What is grace? Grace is the favor of God which empowers His Creatures to find joy in living in His world. -- What is the background to grace? The fall of mankind into sin which deserves immediate separation from God forever. -- How can God give grace to sinners? Common grace flows indirectly from Christ's death as He endured God's wrath so that it may be delayed for the unbeliever to have life. -- What are the expressions of God's common grace? Common grace is found in daily life, provision of food and clothing, enjoyment of the beautiful world, intellectual abilities, and restraint of sin. -- Conclusion: God loves the world (John 3:16), giving undeserving sinners abundant grace because He is good. As believers, we should be thankful. - Does the Bible require a plurality of elders (1 Timothy 5:17)? -- What is a "plurality of elders"? -- What is the difference between "elder rule" and "elder led"? -- What is the perceived benefit of a plurality of elders? -- Conclusion: What is like God is godly.

This sermon explores the profound assurance found in 2 Timothy 1:12, where Paul declares his confidence in God's ability to preserve his soul despite suffering and persecution. The central message emphasizes that this confidence is not unique to apostles but is available to all believers who know whom they have believed. The exposition highlights the power of the gospel to overcome shame in a hostile world and the security of being in the hands of an almighty, loving Father. It encourages listeners not to struggle against but to trust in God's sovereignty, affirming that the union between Christ and His people is unbreakable and extends beyond death into eternal glory.

In Chapter 1 of The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded, John Owen argues that all human beings exist in one of two mutually exclusive spiritual states—being "carnally minded," which leads to spiritual and eternal death, or being "spiritually minded," which results in life and peace. Grounding his exposition on Romans 8:6, Owen explains that true spiritual mindedness is not merely a passive or intellectual assent to religious concepts, but the active, continuous engagement of a Holy Spirit-renewed mind whose deepest affections, thoughts, and delights are habitually set on heavenly realities. He warns that while genuine believers may struggle with competing worldly attachments, settling for a low or complacent level of spirituality to accommodate earthly pursuits jeopardizes true peace of conscience and may indicate that a person remains under the ruling power of the flesh.

In this chapter I will show that N.T.Wright distorts God's judgment, and then uses that distortion to forge what I call his chain. As I noted earlier, I am not speaking of a literal chain, but the argument Wright uses radically to change the biblical doctrine of Christ‟s ministry, his death, and the life of believers in this present age. But I will do more than show how Wright does this – my purpose is to use Scripture to break Wright‟s chain. Before I begin, I would like – as a general cautionary note – to quote some wise words from N.T.Wright, himself. I used some of this in the epigraph, but here is a fuller extract: Isolated verses mean what they mean in context; if you take verses out of their context, you can make them stand on their heads and dance to your tunes and do all sorts of things... Of course, there are many verses in the Old Testament which you can take out of context and they will still speak to you. The Psalms and Proverbs are full of such lines, which jump across the ages and still speak to us. But the broad sweep of Scripture means what it means as it presents itself as.

The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded, Chapter 2, in a modernized version. "In Chapter 2 of The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded, John Owen establishes that a person's default, voluntary thoughts—those the mind freely gravitates toward when free from pressing duties or immediate crises—serve as the truest window into the underlying condition of the heart. Using the analogy of spring blossoms on a fruit tree, he explains that while many transient thoughts vanish without producing fruit, every actual action originates in a thought. He contends that every heart possesses a prevailing "treasury" (either good or evil) that continually pours itself out through the stream of the mind's thoughts. For thoughts of heavenly things to prove true spiritual-mindedness rather than a unrenewed nature, Owen argues that they must arise naturally from an internal spring of regenerating grace within the soul, rather than being temporarily forced by external pressure (such as acute guilt, affliction, or fear of death) or briefly triggered by external religious means without a true change of heart."

Do you find it hard to read the Bible? When you do read the scriptures, do you find it hard to understand what you are reading? Well, many people do not spend time reading the Bible because they would answer yes to both of those questions. This passage says the Bible has the power to set you on the right path of life, but you must continue to read it. Don't worry about not understanding all that you read -just read and let the Word of God do its work inside of you. Reaching all the way to the deepest level of who you really are to give you an understanding of what you are reading. God's word inside of you will produce an unbelievable joy. So get busy and Read.

What does the Bible say about love, is love a feeling or a choice, and what does it mean to practice biblical love in an unloving world? In this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast, host Josh Philpot and Pastor Richard Caldwell examine 1 John 4:7-8 and 4:10, Romans 12, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-6 to show that believers must evaluate love by the standard of Scripture rather than the distortions of culture or merely horizontal, natural affection. Through salvation, God reconciles sinners to Himself by His Son's death and pours His holy, sacrificial love into our hearts through the Spirit, producing love as the fruit of the Spirit as we walk in submission to God and His word in marriage, parenting, friendships, and the church. Looking at John 14:15 ("If you love me, you will keep my commandments"), 1 John, and Psalm 1, Pastor Caldwell explains that Christian love is first a devotional choice to obey God above every rival, a choice that also warms our brotherly affections, never rejoices in wrongdoing or affirms someone on a path to destruction, and speaks the truth with compassion and humility as ambassadors of Christ.