FCC Grayson Sermons

Guilt is one of the heaviest bags we carry. It whispers that we’re not enough and reminds us of our failures. But through Christ’s forgiveness, we can leave guilt behind and walk in the freedom of grace and restoration.

We all know what it’s like to carry baggage. We may not see it physically, but we feel it. The weight of shame from past mistakes, the burden of unresolved conflicts, the pressure of unrealistic expectations — these things weigh down our hearts and keep us from walking in the freedom that God desires for us.

But Psalm 34:4 gives us a powerful promise:

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

God doesn’t want us to carry this baggage. He wants us to release it and experience the freedom that comes from living under His grace.

God created his world good and everything worked right, including our physical relationships. But sin broke our relationship with God and with each other, so nothing right now works as it was designed.

One of the most frequent questions/takeaways from this Sunday's message has been regarding the difference between words of encouragement, and words of flattery.

This, short, devotional video digs deeper into this topic.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never harm me…” Such a catchy, quippy and totally untrue saying. Proverbs tells us repeatedly about the weight of our words; particularly when our words are dishonest.

In this passage, Solomon gives us the definition, the cause, the consequences and ultimately, how to overcome this ever-present, ever-dangerous area of temptation in our lives.

One of the primary tactics of our enemy is to keep us distracted. He will often provide opportunities for us to take our eyes off of Jesus. He does so with various tactics.

Facing tough times is one of the main ways he works to shift our gaze from our Savior. It isn’t the only way, however. Desires of this world is also something that tends to pull us away from our relationship with Jesus. 

The purpose of Proverbs 4:20-27 is to call the reader to walk in wisdom. In this passage, Solomon describes how that is accomplished through four actions: guarding the heart, governing the mouth, fixing the eyes, and considering his choices.

Wisdom—Jesus—is the treasure that is superior to all that we can set our hearts on. Solomon will tell us in Proverbs 3:13-35 to seek Wisdom first, above all else. When Solomon wrote these words he was encouraging his son to commit to study this book—Proverbs. But in the fullness of time, the Spirit has revealed to us that Wisdom is a person—Jesus Christ. We are to seek him—the pearl of great price—above all else, and all these other things will be provided for us (Matt 6:33). If we set our supreme desire on things—even good things—it will prove disappointing. It may even wreck our lives. But when we set our supreme desire on Jesus, we are able to enjoy these other things as gifts that cause our hearts to praise Jesus for providing them.

In life we are bombarded with all kinds of voices and messages. These are human voices. They might be a parent, a teacher, a coach, a coworker, a friend, or a commercial, but these human voices have spiritual voices and messages that stand behind them. There are godly messages, and there are evil messages. These messages instruct us, exhort us, warn us, and make promises to us. The questions we must ask are, Whose voice will I listen to? What message will I trust as good and helpful? What message will I reject as bad and harmful?

Introduction: Hellfire and brimstone preaching can be harsh, and there are definitely wrong ways to do it. Many people can use the threat of hell as a way to manipulate people into making decisions. But many people preach with this kind of passion—like our group leader—because they really do love people and do not want them to perish. We can debate the most effective methods of evangelism and the best ways to go about it, but what we can’t debate is that there is an urgent need to plead with those headed toward destruction to repent and believe the gospel.

Shockingly, in Proverbs 1:20-33 Wisdom is presented as a “turn or burn” street preacher who appeals to “the inexperienced” to turn and not perish. Wisdom warns that we are heading for disaster because of our foolishness and brokenness. Wisdom pleads with us to repent. This passage is essential to rightly understanding the book of Proverbs and the biblical concept of wisdom. Ultimately, wisdom is not a set of ideas; wisdom is a person—Jesus Christ. You need to begin a personal relationship with him by faith. If you do, he will forgive your sin and give you his Spirit. This will lead you to wisdom for abundant life here and eternal life hereafter. But rejecting Wisdom—Jesus—will wreck your life here and condemn you eternally hereafter. Whether or not you have a relationship with Jesus determines if you walk in wisdom or in a way that seems right to you.

Key Takeaway: Part of living an abundant life in Christ is learning His wisdom now instead of learning about it later.

Main Points:

Wisdoms Plea v20-23

Wisdoms Warning v24-31

Wisdoms Summary v32-33

Memory Verse: “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 

2 Corinthians 6:2b

Proverbs in Your Life: Today is not only the day of salvation, but it is the day to learn wisdom from God. Who will you be like: the proud and foolish, or the humble and willing?