By FOUR OAKS CHURCH MIDTOWN
Sermons, teachings, conversations, and more
Jesus teaches us what the kingdom of heaven is like through the parable of the wedding feast. Those who respond to the invitation are met with a hopeful picture of what it means to enter the kingdom of God, as...
As Jesus’ authority is challenged by the Sanhedrin, their hardness of heart is revealed through Jesus’ questions and parables.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, we are prompted to think back to the Garden of Eden and forward to the cross, as imagery of God dwelling with us, the command to be fruitful, and the promised Messiah are on display in...
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, he fulfills Old Testament prophesies, opening the eyes of the blind and revealing himself as the humble King.
Jesus teaches that we are to model our authority & responsibility in the kingdom after his example, which focuses on serving others.
Jesus describes what life in the kingdom is like through the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and reminds us that God is the gracious King.
Jesus challenges a young man to give up everything for the kingdom and challenges us to consider the cost of discipleship and the temptation of greed.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees' questions regarding marriage by describing God’s intention for marriage from the beginning.
Jesus responds to Peter’s question on how often we are to forgive by using the parable of the unforgiving servant to remind us we are to forgive as the Father forgives us.
Jesus addresses the disciples regarding how to treat their brother or sister when they find them in sin.
Do you ever skip reading the opening and closing sections of some of the letters in the New Testament? You know, the parts where we see lists of names, greetings, and other details that seem irrelevant to our lives? That’s...
We often don’t think about the fact that Jesus exercised faith. He’s not just perfect in his divinity, but also his humanity. God created us as dependent creatures. Our dependence upon God manifests as faith or trust. Therefore, Christ the...
Through the parable of the wandering sheep, Jesus reveals the heart of the father and the spiritual reality of how we ought to care for others.
Well-meaning preachers emphasize that the characters in the Old Testament serve not as moral examples, but pointers to Christ. We’re not to see ourselves as David, but rather see David as merely a pointer to Christ. But Hebrews 11 rejects...
Jesus speaks to the disciples about how to correctly consider themselves and those around them.
Outdoor Easter Sunrise sermon on the hope of the resurrection for Christians.
There’s a famous clip of hall of fame NFL coach Bill Parcells telling his players during a game, “This is what you worked all off season for, this is why you lift all them weights.” He’s telling his players not...
Paul reminds the Corinthian church that getting the resurrection right is of great importance as he invites them to ponder and cherish the hope that we have through the resurrection.
Jesus enters into Jerusalem and is welcomed and worshipped by those who were awaiting him.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” These opening lines of the Bible reveal an often overlooked truth: heaven and earth serve as two realms of God’s creation that interlock and mirror one another. Hebrews focuses on...
A few years ago I go to see the Colorado mountain ranges for the first time. It was amazing driving through the reality of what I had only seen in photographs. Photographs may capture the beauty of the mountains in...
Jesus challenges the disciples to humble themselves.
Jesus uses an encounter with the temple tax collectors to teach Peter what it means to follow him.
Few things bring as much pain to our lives as seeing someone we care about “apostatize" or turn away from the faith. Perhaps that person served as a vital member of your local church leading Bible studies or evangelizing to...
As Jesus heals a boy, his responses to the boy's father and to the disciples demonstrates the necessity of faith.
We all face anxieties and fears in life. Those fears and anxieties get amplified in a world of social media which exposes us instantaneously to every horrible event. We feel the pressure of a post-Christian world that sees our faith...
Jesus takes three of his disciples up on a mountain and there, they see him transfigure.
Every single person lives their life in pursuit of something they believe will grant them rest. Rest means more than just the cessation of activity or a temporary respite from work. No, rest means complete fulfillment, when a human being...
As Jesus reveals to the disciples what will happen to him, he presses the point that both he, and his disciples, will be known through how they handle the cross.
When we look into the night sky we feel a sense of insignificance. We’re just a pale blue dot in a sea of darkness speckled with light. This makes us comfortable so we distract ourselves with pleasure, entertainment, and consumption,...
Jesus questions his disciples regarding who the people are saying he is and then, who the disciples say he is.
Let’s do a quick orthodoxy test. What do you think about this statement: “The central doctrine of the gospel is the atonement of Jesus Christ.” Sounds great, right? Well this statement comes from the Church of Latter Day-Saints commonly referred...
Jesus warns the disciples to not be formed by the teaching of the day, but to follow Him.
Jesus shows how the accounts in the Old Testament were a foreshadowing to his coming and his ministry as he is the fulfillment.
As Jesus interacts with a Canaanite women, his merciful response reveals that the kingdom is for all of those who would put their faith in him.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees' question about his disciples by challenging their tradition and exposing their hypocrisy.
Jesus displays his power as he walks on the water in the midst of a storm.
Paul describes how in dying to law he lives to Christ through faithful union with him.
Jesus coming reveals that God is love, shows God is love, and shares the love of God with His people.
In this season of expectations, we are reminded that for those who find their hope in Christ, there is a present and future joy to hold on to.
For those that find themselves in Christ, the offer of Christmas is peace.
Through Old Testament prophecies, we consider the meaning of hope and the tension of present reality and future promise.
As Jesus' ministry and kingship are put in contrast to John the Baptist and Herod, his authority is displayed.
As Jesus uses fishing imagery to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like, he returns to the idea of coming judgement.
As Jesus continues to teach in parables, he uses three illustrations to explain the kingdom of heaven, inviting us to consider the surpassing worth of receiving the gift of being part of this kingdom.
How often do you think about the second coming of Christ? This critical doctrine of our faith either gets sensationalized with respect to current events or passed over for the sake of other more relevant topics like marriage, parenting, or...
Jesus continues to teach through parables and compares the kingdom of God to a farmer’s field, depicting the reality of a fallen world and pointing forward to the future judgement.
The book of Proverbs warns us against people who “like the glaze covering an earthen vessel” possess “fervent lips with an evil heart (Proverbs 6:23).” Rarely do false teachers get on stage and announce boldly, “Believe this heresy!” The seduction...
Jesus teaches the crowds about the Word through the parable of the sower and later explains the meaning of this teaching to his disciples.
In 1981 the movie Clash of the Titans came out which depicted on the big screen the Greek myth of Perseus. It famously featured a claymation Medusa emerging from the shadows with snakes writhing out of her head. We’d probably...