I'll Be Honest

Brethren, do you realize that Jesus Christ saved us to beautify us? Yes. That's the picture of how Christ loved the church and the washing with this water. And he's taking out all the wrinkles and all the defects. He's beautifying us. That's what this is meant... That's what his word is for.

(Excerpt taken from: 26 Ways We Talk Ourselves Out of Obeying God’s Word)

James 1:26 – If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

0:00 – Has Anyone Not Spoken a Word Today?

1:04 – What Kind of Conversations Have You Had?

15:43 – The Only Religion That Is Not Worthless

24:03 – This Gives Us a Firm Warning

31:51 – Who Are the Most Problematic People in the Church?

34:06 – What Bad Speech Must We Put Off?

39:58 – What Good Can We Do with Our Speech?

57:06 – Conclusion

James 1:22-25 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

0:00 Introduction and Overview

3:20 What Is the "Perfect Law of Liberty"?

11:06 We Don't Glance but We Look at God's Word

18:51 Blessed Are Those Who Hear and Obey

21:33 Let Us Look in God's Word at the Weighty Matters

35:41 What Pleases God?

37:01 What Is Justice According to God's Perfect Law?

39:58 Christianity Is Not Primarily About What You Do Not Do

46:26 How Do We Implement This Into Our Lives?

50:04 You Are Called to Do What You Can Do

55:18 Where Is Grace in All of This?

1:02:00 Closing Prayer

In this sermon, Tim Conway exposes 26 mental gymnastics we perform, 26 excuses we make after the sermon, and 26 ways we talk ourselves out of obeying God's Word, even when convicted by its truth. Drawing from James 1:21-22, he'll reveal the gap between hearing and doing, challenging us to move beyond mere conviction and into active obedience.

0:00 Introduction and Reading Text

2:30 Where We Will Go Next Time: What is the Perfect Law of Liberty?

3:38 Have an Anger Problem or a Problem with Rampant Wickedness?

12:35 Be Hearers of the Word, Not Hearers Only

14:54 How Many Did Not Look in a Mirror Today?

24:49 The Mindset Behind Why People Hear and Don't Do

26:11 1 - The Casual Listener

27:39 2 - Listening on Behalf of Someone Else

29:23 3 - Create a Category Where the Text Does Not Apply to Us

33:16 4 - We Wait for God to Do Something

34:12 5 - We Imagine Someone Else Is Going to Do It

36:06 6 - I Am Praying About It

37:16 7 - The Wretched Man Complex

38:17 8 - Always Looking for the Next Mentor or Counselor

39:52 9 - The Person Easily Offended and They Reason Themselves Out of Obeying

42:00 10 - Living on Past Obedience

43:41 11 - Living on Future Obedience

45:18 12 - Living on Someone Else's Obedience

46:14 13 - The Imputed Righteousness Excuse

48:09 14 - It Is Just the Preacher Saying It, He Didn't Prove It from the Bible

49:11 15 - Because of Exceptions to the Rule You Dismiss the Entire Obligation

51:23 16 - I Can't Understand It, So I Don't Need to Worry About It

52:21 17 - You Lie to Yourself About You Doing What You Are Not Truly Doing

53:28 18 - Others Do Not Obey So I Don't Need To

53:58 19 - I Am Partially Obeying So It Is OK...

55:10 22 - Doctrine Instead of Obedience

55:39 23 - Discouraged by Past Failures

57:07 24 - Disobeying God by Obeying Man-Made Legalistic Commandments

57:36 25 - Or the Scriptures Are So Broad in an Area That You Miss Applying It

58:48 26 - I Am in a Trial So God Cannot Expect Me to Obey in That Area

1:00:20 Where Can I Run Faster for Christ?

1:03:08 27 - Our Mindset of American Christianity Makes Us Not Think Like the Bible Does

1:07:29 Closing Prayer

In this sermon on Mark 3, we explore the context of Jesus' teachings on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, distinguishing it from other sins that can be forgiven. The discussion includes the meaning of blasphemy, Jesus' warnings, and the relevance of these teachings today, offering hope and clarity to those with sensitive consciences.

00:00 - When You Exposit a Book, You Cannot Overlook Any Text.

03:24 - Opening Prayer.

04:26 - The Context in Which Jesus Says What He Says.

11:38 - Beelzebulb?

16:10 - The Strong Man Is Now Like a Dog on a Leash.

18:59 - What Is Jesus NOT Claiming?

20:39 - Who Is Jesus Primarily Warning?

25:42 - What Constitutes Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit?

29:36 - What Does Blasphemy Mean?

32:44 - What Distinction Is Jesus Making?

34:27 - Who Here Has Never Had a Blasphemous Thought?

41:31 - Was This Text Just Reserved for Jesus' Day and Does Not Apply Now?

43:41 - Hebrews 6:4

51:03 - 1 John - A Sin Unto Death.

54:44 - A Word to Those With a Sensitive Conscience.

56:08 - Do You See What Jesus Is Saying? All Sin Will Be Forgiven!

1:00:41 - How Does This Fit in the Context of Mark 3?

1:02:16 - Closing Prayer.

What does it mean for God to bring us forth "by the word of truth"?

Why is it essential to be "quick to hear" and "slow to speak" according to James?

How does anger hinder the righteousness of God, as James describes?

How can we effectively receive God's Word with meekness?

James 1:18 - Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

0:00 James 1.19-20

5:37 Let Us Consider the Context

9:35 Quick to Hear What?

11:40 History of the Ministry of the Word at GCC

16:02 Scripture in the Life of the Christian

30:44 What Does He Mean by "Know This"?

36:38 Receiving the Word Is Not Automatic

43:04 Do You Read Your Bible Every Day?

45:00 What Does James Mean by "Be Slow to Speak"?

50:19 Controlling Proud Thoughts and Opinions

53:00 What Does "Slow to Anger" Mean?

57:26 A Closing Thought - God Is Speaking

59:22 Do You Leave Prayer Meeting Early?

1:03:16 Closing Prayer

This sermon delves into what the Bible teaches about demonic oppression and possession, providing scriptural insights and practical observations to help understand this matter.

0:00 Sermon Opening

5:22 Is It Demonic Oppression or Possession?

11:30 Demonic Possession Is Obviously Dark, It Is Not Subtle

13:15 Demonic Oppression Is Rare

14:04 Jesus' Compassion and Power Are Drawn to Help These People

15:54 How Can You Tell That Someone Is Demonically Oppressed?

18:51 Sign of Demonic Oppression: Self-Destructive Behavior

20:37 The Devil "Made Me Do It"?

21:40 Mark 5: They Can Possess Supernatural Powers

24:05 Prayer for Help in the Sermon

24:37 Mark 6: They Respond Strongly to the Presence of Christ

29:00 How Should We Apply This Teaching?

29:17 Keep a Broad View of Spiritual Warfare in Your Mind

35:47 How Do We Get Ready to Help the Demonically Oppressed?

36:51 Be Full of Faith!

39:15 Be a People of Prayer and Fasting

41:01 Have an Appreciation for Specific Spiritual Gifts

47:21 Closing Prayer

The reason most cultures have categories for "the supernatural and spirit possession" is not because they are backwards or pre-modern, but because they are more in touch with Biblical reality than we are. We often talk about not letting our culture trump the Bible. We don't want to be "woke" like the culture; we want to be biblical. Yet this issue runs so deep that we don't even notice it. Any focus on one thing for a prolonged amount of time is viewed as a dangerous potential for imbalance, rather than recognizing that the boat may indeed need rocking.

0:00 Preview

0:46 Introduction and Text

2:39 Opening Prayer

3:57 A Kentucky Man Who Deeply Cared for People

5:57 Cultural Baggage Can Hinder Us from Walking Out the Faith

7:03 As a Westerner, What Is Your Perspective on Demons?

13:23 Does Your Culture Have a Category for the Supernatural?

21:27 Demons Are Fallen Angels

23:57 Satan Leads Legions of Demons

25:45 What Do Demons Do?

26:56 First, the Devil Works Through Lies

29:36 Second, the Devil Works Through Destroying

31:36 Third, the Devil Works Through Temptation

33:28 Fourth, the Devil Accuses You

37:08 Fifth, the Devil Is a Cosmic Warrior

40:13 In Closing

41:20 One of My Favorite Verses

45:54 Closing Prayer

This topic is really sensitive, and what I'm about to say might make some of you uncomfortable. Someone wrote in, "I want to talk about a significant struggle—a place of battle, struggle, falls, and failures. About 3 to 4 years ago, God saved me, and since then, I've changed in many ways. However, one particular sin has barely changed: the sin of masturbation. I've been heavily addicted since I was 12, and now, at 23, I've had some small victories but keep falling back. Honestly, I still feel like a slave to that sin. Does this mean that the Son has not set me free yet? Or even worse, that I'm not saved?"

"The very point of her anguish consisted in this,—namely, that she believed Christ to be a full and free Savior, and yet could find no evidence in her heart that she trusted in Him. The promises were precious things in her heart’s estimation, but they seemed to her to be precious things which she did not embrace. She distrusted herself, but not God. She was afraid to believe that she was a believer. She was so tremblingly afraid of getting wrong, that she dared not think she could possibly be right."

"She was in darkness, not because she had no faith, but because she did not believe she had any. She had a title to heaven, without having eyes to read it."