This sermon examines 1 John 4 to provide believers with practical markers for spiritual discernment against false teaching. The preacher outlines three categories of proofs: family, affinity, and following, which distinguish true Christians from the world system. True believers are identified by their perseverance in faith, the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, and their rejection of worldly values. Conversely, false teachers align with the world's desires and attract audiences that prefer comforting lies over biblical truth. The message urges the church to test all teachings against Scripture and remain steadfast in the apostolic doctrine.

Lord's Day 20 Series Heidelberg Catechism 53. What dost thou believe concerning the Holy Spirit? First, that he is true and coeternal God with the Father and the Son; secondly, that he is also given me, to make me by a true faith, partaker of Christ and all his benefits, that he may comfort me and abide with me for ever.

This class makes applications from Paul's teaching in Galatians about the danger of assuming law-keeping to be the way to becoming completed in the Christian life. We show that not only does this apply to OT law which was being promoted by Judaizers, but any other man-made system of works which are supposed to sanctify and perfect Christians. We argue that analyzing the details of one's old life in Adam in order to create a process to rectify various bad outcomes is a fool's mission. We begin new life in Christ by the Spirit and grow in grace by the Holy Spirit working in the lives of those who believe the promises of God. We provide many examples of false approaches that harm those who adopt them. We point to our relationship to God, through Christ by faith which makes everything new. The need to control the outcome using techniques amounts to looking for something akin to being 'bewitched' to use Paul's term. Growth in sanctification is not by works any more than salvation is.

In "The Sons of God, Part 4," Pastor McNutt returns a fourth time to Romans 8:14, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God," asking again how a believer may know he is a child of God. Opening with the memory of a Sunday school teacher who wanted nothing but his good, he presses the far greater truth that God has placed the Holy Spirit Himself in every believer as the One who is in our corner. Drawing on Galatians 5:17 and James 4:5, he shows that the Spirit exerts a strong, jealous influence against the flesh, yearning for our sanctification and final glorification, and that this jealousy is the same holy jealousy God declares of Himself in Exodus 20. He then answers the practical question of what such leading actually looks like: a spiritual outlook that hungers for the Word and the company of the brethren, a citizenship in heaven that loosens our grip on what is seen, a life aimed at God's glory rather than self, a growing desire to know Christ, a deepening awareness and grief over indwelling sin that drives us to confession, a watchfulness against temptation, and the active putting to death of the deeds of the body. God leads, but we must walk; sanctification is cooperation with the Spirit and the Word. The evidence is the singular fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, increasingly manifest in a changed life. God did not save us merely for heaven, or He would have taken us home at once. He saved us to make a difference now, and the Spirit will transform us into the image of the Son.

This sermon explores temperance, the final fruit of the Spirit, defining it not as human willpower but as a spirit-empowered ability to submit desires and actions to God's authority. Using Daniel and Jesus as biblical examples, the message illustrates that true self-control begins with pre-decisions made in advance and is sustained by relying on Scripture rather than fleshly strength. The preacher outlines three practical steps for cultivating this virtue: surrendering personal desires, strengthening spiritual disciplines through daily engagement with God's Word, and submitting daily decisions to divine authority. Emphasizing that willpower is a limited resource while the Holy Spirit provides inexhaustible power, the sermon challenges listeners to move beyond temporary resolutions toward lasting spiritual growth. Ultimately, it calls for a response of faith, urging individuals to surrender fully to Christ to overcome temptation and bear eternal fruit.

In this 43rd sermon on the book of Romans pastor Merson explores the certainty of God's faithfulness to His promises, using Romans 11 to affirm that He has not permanently rejected national Israel. The preacher outlines four proofs—personal, historical, doctrinal, and judicial—to demonstrate that God preserves a remnant chosen by grace rather than works. Emphasizing that human hope must rest on divine election rather than subjective feelings or past experiences, the message warns against false hopes built on self-reliance. It concludes by highlighting the spiritual blindness currently affecting Israel while assuring believers of their secure standing in Christ through the lifting of the veil by the Holy Spirit.

The sermon explores the distinction between human knowledge and divine wisdom through Solomon's reflections in Ecclesiastes. It argues that relying solely on earthly wisdom to understand life leads to vanity and frustration because such pursuits are finite and cannot grasp God's infinite purposes. The preacher contrasts this with the biblical truth that God founded the earth by wisdom, offering true satisfaction only through a relationship with Him. Using examples from Genesis and Ephesians, the text illustrates how God's redemptive plan reveals the depth of His design beyond human comprehension. Ultimately, the message urges believers to trust in the Holy Spirit for spiritual understanding rather than attempting to force conviction or comprehend everything through worldly means.

The sermon interprets Revelation 18 as a historical judgment against apostate Jerusalem, identified symbolically as Babylon for rejecting Christ and persecuting the saints. It warns believers against presuming upon covenant privileges or God's grace based on religious heritage rather than genuine faith in Jesus. The text emphasizes that true security comes solely from the imputed righteousness of Christ, not human performance or church membership. Believers are called to separate from worldly corruption and strive for holy living through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, the message affirms Christ's triumph and urges a life of gratitude, witness, and dependence on His finished work.

This sermon explores the relationship between believers, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit based on John 14. The preacher emphasizes that the Holy Spirit serves as a permanent Helper and Guide for Christians, ensuring they are never left as spiritual orphans. True love for Christ is demonstrated through obedience to His commandments, which deepens the believer's intimacy with God. The text contrasts the world's inability to receive the Spirit of Truth with the believer's indwelling experience of divine presence. Ultimately, the message calls listeners to evaluate their love for Jesus and rely on the Spirit's power for daily living.

The sermon addresses the reality of life's difficulties by categorizing their sources into uncontrollable circumstances, personal choices, and divine purposes for spiritual maturity. Drawing primarily from Nehemiah chapter five, the speaker illustrates how believers must distinguish between external pressures like inflation and internal failures caused by sin. The central message emphasizes that while some problems are inevitable, others result from poor decisions or serve to refine character through discipline and discipleship. Believers are urged to acknowledge God as the ultimate problem solver and rely on His Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit for guidance. Ultimately, the text calls for right choices rooted in trust in Christ to navigate trials and fulfill God's purpose.