The most important question in the world is the question of how people get saved. The question of exactly how it is that sinful humans can become right with a holy God. On this question hangs the eternal destiny of every person. In this passage in Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul lays out some of the most foundational truths of the gospel message that set Christianity apart from every other religion and belief system in the world. In every other religion and every false gospel man is saved by something that is in himself, but the true gospel is different. The true gospel is a gospel of salvation by grace through faith, which, "is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

The beautiful outcome of the true gospel message, which once again sets it apart from everything else, is that God has orchestrated in such a way that "no one may boast." That is, instead of salvation that is accomplished through human effort and and human merit, and that would result in the praise of humanity, the true Gospel brings a salvation that is entirely by the grace of God and so completely abounds for His glory. True salvation is accomplished by the grace of God alone and for the glory of God alone!

This message was originally preached by Jackson Hankey at River City Church on Thursday, 6/5/2025.

In Ephesians 2:1-3, the Apostle lays out the hopeless plight of fallen humanity. He says that fallen humanity is dead in trespasses and sins, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air (Satan). He says that by nature we are children of wrath and that our lives were once dominated by the passions of our flesh (a reference to the destructive desires of our sinful nature). But then in v. 4 we find some of the greatest words in the Bible... "But God..." Just like the stars that shine the brightest on the darkest night, in this verse we see that gospel shines brightest against the black backdrop of human depravity. Right on the heels of this bleak description Paul says that God, "being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ..."

Our hope in this episode is similar to the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:18-19, that you "May have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

This sermon was originally preached by James Kaczor at River City Church on Thursday, 5/5/2025.

Many Christians today tend to have very low views of the Church. In fact, many people treat the Church like a pesky side effect of coming to Jesus. They want all the benefits that Jesus provides, without all the mess of belonging to the Church. But the Bible shows us a much different picture of the Church than we often hear. The Bible often makes reference to the Church as the Bride of Christ, and Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ "loved the church, and gave himself up for her." It also the Church which Christ said that he would build and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. No other institution has shares in either the promises or the presence of Christ like the Church.

And here in this passage we see even more how essential the Church is to the life of a Christian. Paul uses this idea of the "body of Christ" as a metaphor for the church, and in that we see that to Christ and his Church are inseparably united. In other words, we can't have one without the other. We can't be united to Christ without also being united to his Church.

This sermon was preached by Jackson Hankey at River City Church in Fargo, ND, on 4/24/2025.

In Acts 11:19-30, we see the founding of the Church at Antioch. This Church, which seems to be the first Church to bring in many Gentiles, is a church that plays a major role in the book of Acts and throughout Church History. As we look at this passage we find some interesting developments of the church in Acts and also many things that are applicable for the life of the church today. Tune into this episode to learn more.

This sermon was first preached by Jackson Hankey at River City Church in Fargo, ND, on 5/18/2025.

Throughout the Old Testament we find many promises of a great Messianic King who would bring about a great and everlasting kingdom. For example, in the book of Genesis we see in God’s promises to Abraham that there would be a king that comes from him. In Genesis 49:10 we see that this king would come from the tribe of Judah and that the scepter would never depart from him… 

Elsewhere, in Isaiah Ch. 9, we read of a coming "Prince of Peace," and Isaiah says that "the government (the kingdom) shall be upon his shoulder," and that "of the increase of government and of peace there will be no end." That he will "rule on the throne of David and over his kingdom."

Even further, we read in Daniel 7, in a vision of the coming Son of Man, that "to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples and nations and languages would serve him: his dominion would be an everlasting dominion and his kingdom would be one that shall not be destroyed."  

But who is this great King? In Ephesians 1:20-21, the Apostle Paul sees the risen Christ as the fulfillment of many Old Testament passages about the Messianic King and specifically as the fulfillment of Psalm 110. He says that the risen Christ has now been "seated" (enthroned) at the right of God in the heavenly places, where he is "far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named." The risen Christ has inaugurated the kingdom of God that was spoken of in the Old Testament and he has been granted "all authority in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18). Tune in to this episode to learn more!

This message was originally preached by Jackson Hankey at River City's Thursday morning Bible study on 4/17/2025.

When Jesus looks at the world he sees only two types of people. There are people who are blessed by God (see verses 20-23) and there are people who are cursed by God (see verses 24-26). Those who embrace Jesus by repentance and faith are the blessed recipients of God's favor, while those who do not are the cursed recipients of his righteous judgment.

In this sermon by Jesus in Luke 6:20-26, he teaches us what these two different types of people look like and he points us to what their final outcome will be, both of which comprise quite a surprising reversal.

As you listen, let me encourage you to consider which of these two descriptions that Jesus gives best fits your life. Are you the one to whom Jesus is saying "Blessed are you who..." or are you the one to whom Jesus is saying "Woe to you who...?" If, after listening, you find that you are in that second category, then my prayer to you is that this sermon would lead to you to the type of godly sorrow over sin that Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 7:10 - "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret."

This episode is a sermon that was originally given by Jackson Hankey at Bethel Baptist Church in Park River, ND, on April 13th, 2025.

With Easter Sunday quickly approaching it is an appropriate time to discuss the all-important doctrine of resurrection. In this episode, which is originally a message given during River City Church's Thursday morning Bible Study by Jackson Hankey, he explores the remarkable teaching of the Apostle Paul that believers have become partakers of the same resurrection power that was at work in the resurrection of Christ.

Because of our union with Him, we share in the same resurrection reality. As Paul says in Romans 6:5, "For if we have been united with him (Christ) in a death like his we will also be united with him in a resurrection like his." And what's more, this resurrection power is not only a future reality that we will experience on the final day, but it is also a present reality at work in believers in the present. Even in this life, every believer experiences a glorious foretaste of the resurrection power of God that will be brought to it's fullness on the final day. Tune in to learn more!

This episode is a sermon on Ephesians 1:13-14 given by Jackson Hankey at River City Church on March 20th, 2025. The text that this sermon covers is listed below with the main phrases I focus on in BOLD:

"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory" - Ephesians 1:13-14 ESV

In this sermon I discuss the means which the Spirit uses to bring about faith and salvation in the world, namely, the preaching of the gospel, as well as the necessity of hearing and believing it.

I also discuss what it means that we have been sealed with the Spirit as a guarantee (or down payment) of our inheritance of future glory. Enjoy!

In the church today there is much debate and confusion about the Holy Spirit, and while this short message on Ephesians 1:13 isn't intended to answer all of the questions we may have, it does make one very important point about the Spirit clear. That is that a person cannot be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. We see here in these verses that the sealing of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual blessing from God the Father to all those who are "In him," that is, in Christ. So whoever is "in him" is someone who has received the promised Holy Spirit.

This point is made even more clear in other Scriptures as well:

In John 3:5, Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God"

In Romans 8:9, Paul says, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him"

In a time of much confusion about the Spirit and in a place where everyone believes they're a Christian, this point becomes all the more important to proclaim. Tune in to this episode to hear more!

This episode is a sermon on Ephesians 1:13 given by Jackson Hankey at River City Church on Thursday, March 13th, 2025.

This is episode is a message that was given by James Kaczor during River City Church's Thursday morning Bible Study on 2/20/2025. The passage that James covers is Ephesians 1:7-8, which is listed below:

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight..." - Ephesians 1:7-8 ESV