LifePoint Church

When you think of the word authority, what comes to mind? You might think of someone who used their authority to control or manipulate you. If that’s the case, the word authority may cause a negative reaction. But as Jesus used the authority given to him by God the Father, he completely flips our ideas about authority upside down. This week, we’ll discover the life-giving authority of Jesus Christ.

Support the show

If we grudgingly view Christ’s lordship in our lives as a threat to our freedom, we don’t understand the real freedom we’ve been given through Him. Jesus has come to make us new, literally! Through the new birth, we’ve been given a new nature and the cord to sin and death has been severed. Right standing with God should motivate us to right living. The best way to live life is as one who surrenders continually to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Support the show

The glory of God can seem like a confusing idea. The Bible makes a big deal of it, even making it a matter of life and death. But we tend not to think about it very much. What exactly is God’s glory? What if understanding and seeking God’s glory dramatically change our lives? How would our lives look if we were living for His glory? God wants to show us that His glory is for our good. In this message, we’ll explore the idea of the glory of God, and we’ll see how submitting to His authority brings Him glory and brings us great joy.

Support the show

No one makes Christ Lord; He is Lord. So, it goes without saying that His lordship extends over the life of every person. Whether or not we acknowledge His lordship is another matter altogether. The price paid for the sins of all was a high price indeed—the death of Christ. To be bought by Christ is both a reminder of His great love and His invitation to live a life fully surrendered to Him.

Support the show

Every person in every church and every pastor should never forget a singular, irreplaceable truth: Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus is first in everything. Get that priority confused and you invite the disintegration of what’s most important usually replaced by a pull toward self-importance. As the head of the church, Jesus has promised to build His church. And He invites us to invest our lives together in a cause much bigger than our individual obsessions.

Support the show

No other event is more central to our finding and following Jesus than His resurrection. Without it, the Christian faith is just wishful thinking. But if Christ is raised from the dead, that changes everything. Because Jesus lives so can you! You can be raised to a new life while you’re still alive. And you can expectantly await your literal resurrection in the life to come.

Support the show

God is gracious and that is a very good thing, and, normally, we consider it a good thing. But what happens when God shows His grace to those who have hurt us or others? All of a sudden we’re not so certain anymore. When God gives grace to the undeserving it raises hard questions in our minds and hard feelings in our hearts. This is exactly where we find Jonah in the final chapter of his story. Jonah’s encounter with God is an invitation for us to ask these same questions and to reconsider the vastness of God’s love and grace.

Support the show

We tend to get frustrated when things don’t go our way. And if we’re honest, sometimes our frustration is tied to our stubbornness. But what if God uses tough circumstances to get our attention for a reason? What if He wants to give us a second chance to overcome our stubbornness and follow Him? In this message, we’ll see how God always accomplishes His purposes, even when we resist, and even when we don’t understand.

Support the show

Jonah is in an unbelievable situation, living three days and three nights in the belly of a giant fish. After Jonah disobeyed and ran away from God, it’s almost equally unbelievable that God would still pursue, rescue, and protect Jonah. The story of Jonah is a powerful reminder that God continues to show steadfast love, even towards His enemies. Today, we continue to take comfort knowing we don’t depend on ourselves for salvation because, as Jonah proclaims, salvation belongs to the Lord!

Support the show

You may not be a prophet like Jonah, but there are times when God wants you to do something you should not ignore. You can respond in obedience. Or you can run. Running from God is never a very good option. You may not get swallowed by a giant fish, but you will be exposed to the intense pressure of the loving discipline of God. To run from God is to head down a path that leads to pain and regret. Better to listen the first time than to spend your life on the run.

Support the show