Josh McPherson

In this Christmas sermon from Matthew 1 and Luke 1 Pastor Adam looks at the  experiences and responses of Joseph, Mary, and Elizabeth to the shocking and surprising news of Jesus miraculous birth. This sermon will also equip you to face life's challenges and God's call with greater hope and confidence in the character of God & come alongside others in prayer. Merry Christmas! Download

There is something remarkable, distinct, and powerful about Christian grief. But many of us don’t know how to grieve or how to come alongside those who are suffering. The truth is we can only offer others the comfort that we ourselves have received. If we have not adequately grieved or honestly faced the weight of our own pain and losses with the Lord & others, then when it comes to entering in to the dark hour with a brother or sister, we will not be able to walk very far down the narrow hallway of sorrow & grief before our own discomfort forces us back to the shallow end of life. And the reality is at that point, we’re simply not much help. In this sermon, Pastor Adam equips the church pastorally and practically to both grieve your own pain and losses and to come alongside others who are hurting. Download

Coming alongside hurting people is not for “superstar” or “professional” Christians...it’s a ministry that belongs to the Body of Christ...to the people of God. Being a Spirit-filled, equipped compassionate friend is a powerful responsibility and privilege. Download

The ultimate hope for every Christian is this: It is by living in light of eternity that we are able to endure our present sufferings. Download

One of the most seemingly formidable arguments against the existence of God is the reality of evil and suffering. But what if the existence of suffering actually proves the existence of God? In this sermon, Pastor Josh gives eight lines of reasoning for the atheist to consider before making the confident assertion that evil proves the non-existence of God. Download

One of the biggest questions about our suffering when we boil it all down is this: "Why does God allow my suffering to continue?" His answer is shocking and surprising. In this sermon Pastor Josh unpacks a reality of God's nature and vulnerability, rarely considered but clearly taught throughout the Bible as God's ultimate answer to our suffering. Download

The climactic scene of the Joseph story delivers the narrative punchline: "What man intended for evil, God intended for good." But what does that actually mean? Is God the author & originator of evil? Or does God just respond to evil perfectly, even as he deals with causes outside his control? Do our choices even matter if God is truly sovereign? How can man be held responsible and accountable if God has already ordained everything that happens? How does believing in God's sovereignty comfort us but not breed a fatalistic worldview? In the story of Joseph, three biblical paradox's emerge that answer humanity's most pressing questions on one of the most deeply profound doctrines... The doctrine of God's providence. Download

In life we suffer and are sinned against, and that suffering demands a response. Will we harbor bitterness? Self pity? How could we possibly forgive those who betray us and maliciously hurt us? How can we obey Jesus when he says to return evil with good? How can we be freed from the paralysis of resentment? At the crescendo of the Joseph story, we find one of the greatest statements of God's character and an example in Joseph that shows us a way out of the poison of bitterness and into the freedom of the gospel. Download

External suffering as a result of painful circumstance is obvious to see, but internal suffering that no one sees is often even more painful. Grief from loss, guilt from unconfessed sin, and bitterness from hurt inflicted by others can traumatize and haunt us. What does it look like to walk in the freedom of forgiveness? Download

Pain and adversity enter our life without invitation, interrupting our plans and shaping our worldview. Why does God allow such suffering in the lives of his children? As the story of Joseph unfolds, we see God permitting what he hates to accomplish what he loves, so that even the fires of affliction at the hands of evil men and women are only used by God to prepare Joseph for the greatest moment of his life. Download