Iowa Falls Evangelical Free Church Sermon Podcast

Have you ever gotten ripped off? Most of us have at some point. Maybe it was something little or maybe it had devastating effects on you. We are probably more easily deceived than we’d like to admit. It’s easy to get lured in to some kind of false teaching and the ungodly living that flows from it. But 2 Peter 2 will warn the church about this danger and help us to know that the end result is destruction.

Can we really know anything for sure? In any given week, we hear hundreds of voices sharing the “news”, sharing their opinions, sharing their story, sharing their sales pitch. What can we believe? How do we know what’s true? Today, we begin a 3-week trek through the next book in our “Don’t Miss This One” Series. We’ll look at a short and often neglected book near the end of the New Testament called 2 Peter. We’ll notice the theme of “knowing” come up throughout this book and today, as we look at chapter 1, we’ll see 2 things we can and should know for sure.

When the pandemic hit us in March, many of us were expecting things to get better in a matter of weeks. God has been at work throughout all of the changes and challenges of the past months. At times, it feels like we are experiencing His discipline or even judgment. At times we have seen Him bringing about restoration. In it all, He has been with us. And the great hope we have as believers is the sure promise that God will be with us forever. Today, we finish up the book of Joel where we’re reminded that when God’s restoration and judgment come, our great hope is that God will be with us.

Disasters, by definition, have devastating effects. Natural disasters wreak havoc on everything from crops and grain bins to homes and humans. And natural disasters aren't the only type of disaster. In our "Don't Miss This One" sermon series, we have been looking through some of the Bible's shortest books. This week and next week, we'll be walking through the prophetic book in the Old Testament called Joel. Joel paints a prophetic picture of both present and future disaster coupled with commands for God's people to call out to the Lord and return to Him.

Many in our church are preparing to head back to school. Others have recently headed back to work. Many in our church have been coming back to church. As we head back into the world, we hear repeated appeals to do what we can to limit the spread of a virus. Today, we turn to the book of Jude to hear an appeal of eternal importance. In a world where truth is denied and immoral living is the norm, those who are called, beloved, and kept by God through and for the Lord Jesus Christ are called to contend for the faith.

For sermon notes and an application guide, follow this link: https://ifefree.org/resources/sermon-notes-application-guides

Please Note: There was a technical error in the recording of this week's worship service, so only the audio of the sermon is available. We apologize for any inconvenience.

We live in what is presently the most powerful nation in the world. There are other powerful nations, too. But who is really in charge? Today we will cover all three chapters of Nahum, a prophet from Judah who makes it clear that God is the sovereign judge of the nations. We should hear this truth both as a comfort and as a warning.

Big Idea: Those who have been saved are new people who now live in a new way characterized by good works for the sake of the gospel.

When we faithfully follow God’s instructions, we both promote the Gospel and hinder those who oppose it.

Big Idea: Local church leadership is responsible for teaching—by word and

example—that what we believe to be true

will be faithfully demonstrated in our behavior.

Big Idea (of the sermon and the book):

Our faith in and love for Jesus

redefines our relationship with others.