Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:22

Faithfulness is integrity, trustworthiness, and loyalty; it means people can count on us. It is a quality we all admire, and it is what God requires of His children.

1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

Faithfulness is a quality among the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), meaning it is something God produces within us as we abide in Jesus Christ.

A good steward is marked by his faithfulness, first, to his family.

Adrian Rogers says, “The religion that doesn’t begin at home doesn’t begin.” Husbands and wives must be morally faithful to each other. Parents must be emotionally faithful to their children, who remember more than we realize.

We must be faithful with our finances.

Our relationship with money says so much about our character. Money is a test: if we are not faithful with little, we will not be faithful with much. If we can’t be trusted with money, God will not trust us with spiritual power.

We must be faithful with our friends.

True friendships are so important, but they require work. One measure of a faithful person is the health of his friendships.

We must be faithful to the Church.

Scripture is clear that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (See Hebrews 10:25.)

We must also be true to the Word of God.

Some “believers” judge Scripture according to their own standards. We are not to judge God’s Word—rather, God’s Word is to judge us.

God’s faithfulness toward us motivates us to be faithful ourselves. He is faithful to forgive our sins, to keep us close to Himself, and to show new mercy every morning.

How do we become faithful?

We become faithful stewards by first being faithful in the small things, which are what truly count. Our lives are not a handful of big decisions—they are a culmination of day-to-day honesty, kindness, and integrity.

We must also be faithful in the secret things; we are who we are in secret, when no one else notices.

Lastly, we must be faithful in the sacred things. Keeping our hearts warm and right with God is the secret to remaining faithful to the finish.

Apply it to your life

Are you a faithful person? Do you bear the marks of faithfulness? Consider how God has been faithful to you; become faithful in the small, secret, and sacred things.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:22

Galatians 5:22 identifies goodness among the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. People want good in their lives, but what does it mean to live a good life?

Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Real goodness is a moral characteristic—it is to be good and therefore to do good. It won’t make us rich or popular, but it pays to be good.

We cannot deceive ourselves; inward peace and tranquility are reserved for those who are good. A clear conscience grants us tremendous freedom. Living a good life is knowing that if someone else knew us as we did, they would still respect us.

Outwardly, the purpose of goodness correlates with the influence it has on others. Adrian Rogers said, “None of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself. You’re the best Christian, and you’re the worst Christian somebody knows. You’re the only Bible that somebody is reading.”

There is also the joy of knowing there is nothing hindering our relationship with God because we are who He wants us to be.

The problem is we are not good on our own. (See Romans 3:12.) We have a problem of wickedness and sin in our lives. History proves, the Bible teaches, and personal experience reveals that we are inclined toward evil.

There is a pathway to goodness, but it is not through our own doing.

In the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul describes being a saved man, having a new desire and determination to do good. (See Romans 7:22.) Still, Paul said the desire to do good is not enough; Paul came to despair in his sinful nature.

But in Romans 8, he reminds us it is not that we are too weak, but too strong. We still believe we can do it on our own; we are trying rather than trusting.

But it is the Spirit of God that delivers us from the law of sin and death. (See Romans 8:2.)

Because goodness is a quality among the fruit of the Spirit, it is only accomplished if we abide in Jesus, the Vine.

Apply it to your life

Have you been freed from sin, eradicated from your old nature? The pathway to goodness is through Jesus Christ alone; we don’t produce the fruit; we bear it.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:22

Galatians 5:22 lists kindness among the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. To be kind is to be useful, helpful, or suitable; it is goodness and tenderness, sometimes friendliness or generosity. As believers, we are implored to try a little kindness every opportunity we get.

Adrian Rogers says, “All kindness is just simply love in practical and personal ways.”

God saved us through His kindness; in Scripture, Jesus is often referred to as God’s kindness coming into this world.

The world will not see Jesus Christ through us if they don’t see our kindness. It doesn’t matter if someone takes advantage of us if we are acting like Jesus; what matters is that we are kind.

If we want to receive kindness, we must first give it away, because we reap what we sow.

All around us, people are bruised and bleeding—financially, emotionally, and spiritually. We cannot let our busyness distract us from showing kindness.

Our kindness should reveal itself during arguments, conflicts, and quarrels.

2 Timothy 2:24 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient…”

We must be very careful when arguing with another person, whether or not that person is saved. If he is a brother in the faith, he is part of us. If he isn’t, we could potentially drive him further away from Jesus. Our hope should always be to draw people closer to the Lord. We do this when we express sensitivity in the most unlikely occasions.

In times of grief and sadness, acts of kindness speak louder than the “right” words ever could.

We must also remember to show sensitivity in our homes. So many marriages are saved by a little gentleness, which is a mark of true leadership; our children need our tenderness, not our belittlement.

We must show kindness in church; our greatest opportunity to show the beautiful love of Jesus is among other believers.

Because kindness is a characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit, kindness is part of the life of Jesus within us. If we abide in Him, as a branch abides in a vine, we will bear the fruit He produces.

Apply it to your life

Every day, we have the opportunity to choose kindness. Look for opportunities to be useful, helpful, and friendly. Bear the fruit of Jesus, who is alive in you.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:22

Our society is becoming increasingly impatient every day; we do not deal well with inconveniences.

Patience is a quality among the fruit of the Spirit; when we bear patience, we learn that inconveniences are opportunities for growth.

Patience is not simply grinning and bearing hardship; it is praising God during those hardships with blazing hope. Without patience, also called endurance or long-suffering, we are failures, but we are never failures until we quit.

James 1:3-4 says, “...knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Patience is necessary for maturity.

We become like Jesus as we mature in our faith. But there is no maturity without patience and no patience without trials. God allows us to face trials and tribulations to give us opportunities to grow in our faith.

Patience is necessary for victory.

We are created to be strong warriors for God, not putty in the devil’s hands. Trials make us victors, not victims; trials exercise our spirits and build our endurance.

Patience is necessary for prosperity.

James 5:7 says, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”

Many don’t reap because they do not wait; if we want to prosper, we must follow the law of the harvest: We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.

God knows what is good for His children, and when it is good for His children.

Adrian Rogers says, “With God, timing is far more important than time; just wait on the Lord.”

Patience is necessary for tranquility.

An impatient person is an unhappy person; when we learn to laugh at the appropriate times and things, we’ve learned well.

Finally, patience is necessary for love, because it enables us to see things from another’s point of view; when a person is filled with love, almost nothing can provoke him.

We can only bear patience, a quality among the fruit of the Spirit, if we abide in the Vine, Jesus Christ.

Apply it to your life

If you are having trouble with impatience, have a little joy; find the fun and relax. Pray for wisdom to laugh at inconveniences and strength to endure hardships.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:22

Galatians 5:22 identifies peace as a quality included in the fruit of the Spirit. Peace is not the subtraction of problems from life; it is the addition of power to meet our problems.

Sooner or later, we will find ourselves in a storm. But if we want to keep our peace in the midst of our storms, we must remember what God has promised to us now, in the stillness.

There are five words of encouragement to remember when facing a storm.

Providence: “His purpose brought me here.”

In Matthew 14, Jesus’ disciples were caught up in a treacherous storm at sea. The storm they faced did not take Jesus by surprise; nor were the disciples there by mistake. Every storm we face is allowed by God as a correcting or perfecting storm. When we face unexpected storms, we must remember that we are exactly where God has placed us and His providence is there, too.

Entreaty: “His prayers protect me here.”

Matthew 14:23 reveals that before He appeared to the disciples on the waves, Jesus was alone on the mountain top, praying for them. Jesus sees us and prays for us, especially when we are in the midst of a storm.

Assurance: “His presence comes to me here.”

Matthew 14:26-27 says, “And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’”

Adrian Rogers says, “In your storm, there is a center that is calm; it’s the heart of God. You need to understand that He is there, He is the ‘I Am’ in the midst of your storm.”

Comfort: “His power enables me here.”

Comfort is a compound word that means “with strength.” To be comforted by God means to be sustained by His power. God’s will does not take us where His grace cannot keep us. Anything over our heads is already under His feet.

Expectation: “His promise assures me here.”

God will see us through every perfecting or correcting storm. We do not need to know how, we simply know He will keep His word.

Apply it to your life

Are you in a storm? Remember the promises of God! Take heart; He has overcome the world, and He is walking on the water, headed straight for you.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:22

Happiness depends on external things, but joy is an inside job; it comes from within.

As Christians, joy is one of our most attractive qualities. It is proof that what we have is real and satisfying. We’re implored to serve with gladness because joy lifts our burdens.

Romans 5 reveals four ingredients to having joy.

The first ingredient of joy is a cleansed life.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:1).

Faith brings justification, justification brings peace, and peace brings joy. To say we are justified by faith means that the righteousness of God is imputed to us. Because cleansing brings joy, sin is what takes the joy out of our lives. Nothing else in this life can take the joy out of our hearts.

Joy is the understanding that there is nothing between us and God. Our sin is the only thing that can break that fellowship. Sinning does not make us lose our salvation, only the joy of our salvation.

The second ingredient of joy is confidence.

“...through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2).

Hope means confidence based on the Word of God. A Christian knows that no matter what happens to him, God is working all things together for good and for God’s glory (see Romans 8:28). If we are confident in this, we can rejoice in this hope. That is why joy is steadfast in sorrow and triumphant in tribulation; it lasts in the losses.

Joy also comes from a commitment to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

This commitment is the secret to cleansing and staying clean; every part of us must be dedicated to Him.

Finally, joy comes from communion with our Lord.

Adrian Rogers says, “Joy is not found in circumstances; it’s found in a person.”

Joy is a characteristic in the fruit of the Spirit, which means it comes supernaturally as we abide in Jesus, the Vine. We do not produce joy, the Lord Jesus Christ does; we simply bear it.

Apply it to your life

To rejoice is a choice; it’s not automatic. Do you have the joy that is steadfast in sorrow, triumphant in tribulation, and lasting in losses?

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 5:19-23

Love isn’t a feeling or an emotion, and it doesn’t just happen. Love involves choice and conduct; we choose to love. The Bible reveals to us how to love and how to be loved.

Galatians 5:19-23 describes the fruits of the Spirit—the attributes of a true Believer—the first one being love.

1 Corinthians 13 describes this godly, agape love:

-Steadfast: Love enables us to be patient and long-suffering.

-Serving: Love urges us to be kind, and kindness is serving one another.

-Sincere: Love does not consider someone else’s gain its own loss; it rejoices in other’s blessings.

-Self-effacing: Love teaches us to be humble; it is not proud or puffed up. Adrian Rogers says, “Pride and love do not dwell in the same heart. You cannot be big-headed and big-hearted at the same time.”

-Self-restraining: Love is not rude; instead, it is courteous of others and puts them first.

-Self-denying: Love does not seek its own rights or privileges; instead, it seeks the welfare of Jesus, His glory, and the welfare of others.

-Serene: Love is not easily provoked or quick-tempered. An explosive response is a sure sign that the love of Jesus is not operating.

-Sacrificial: Love does not keep a record of faults or a collection of grudges. It forgives and forgets, even at its own cost.

-Sympathetic: Love hurts over others' failures rather than gossip about them.

-Suffering: Love “...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

We cannot love without suffering; there are burdens to bear and risks to take when we love. Love will break our hearts, but we must choose it anyway, because God chose to love us first.

The development of this love is a supernatural experience. We don’t produce it; we simply bear it. The vine (Jesus) is within us; if we abide in Him, we’ll bear the fruit.

This fruit is meant to be desired and consumed. The world needs this love that the Lord wants to produce through us. We must abide in Him in order to offer His love to the world.

Apply it to your life

Do you abide in Jesus and bear the fruit of His character? Spend time in God’s Word today and pray that the Lord will work through you and develop the love this world needs.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Galatians 1:6-12

Man has three great enemies: sin, sorrow, and death. There is no answer to these problems apart from Jesus Christ.

In Galatians 1:6, Paul questions why the Galatian church has deserted the Gospel of grace and followed a “different” Gospel.

This specific, social gospel these believers bought into had to do with self-effort and good works. But the true Gospel reminds us it is the grace of God alone that saves us from our sins.

To understand the Gospel of grace, we must see the satanic opposition.

Satan fought against grace. Satan has no raw materials; he perverts the good that already exists. If he can convince us to accept a synthetic gospel, we’ll never see our need for the real Gospel.

Second, we see the settled origin of the Gospel: God taught it.

Galatians 1:11-12 says, “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel is not man’s invention; it comes by divine revelation.”

We cannot bring human ingenuity, wit, or wisdom against the Gospel. It does not matter how we feel; what God says is the only thing that counts. We do not need a “new, modern” gospel for the new, modern age; the Gospel of grace is settled.

Third, we see the sacrificial obtainment of the Gospel: Jesus bought it.

The Gospel of grace was purchased by the blood of Jesus The true Gospel is centered on Christ alone—His death, burial, and resurrection. He is the only way to salvation.

Fourth, we notice the saving operation of the Gospel: Grace wrought it.

Grace is what caused God to love us while we were sinners. It is a seeking, saving, and securing grace. This grace is sufficient and surviving; it will never run out or fade away.

Finally, we see the singular obsession with the Gospel: Paul taught it.

In a world obsessed with what others think of us, we should become like the Apostle Paul, who was solely interested in pleasing Jesus.

Apply it to your life

Do you believe in the Gospel of grace? Remember, the only true Gospel is the one centered on Jesus Christ. Do not spend your time concerned with pleasing men; focus on pleasing God.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Acts 15:13-18

In Acts 10, the Gospel was made available to Gentiles for the first time. Up until Acts 15, many in the church believed Christianity was exclusively for the Jews. Concerned, they met in Jerusalem to discuss God’s plan for the Jews.

Acts 15:18 reads, “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” God has a plan for this world, the church, for the Jew and the Gentile. And as we hear rumors of a new world order in these last days, we know the reasons why the world is out of sorts to begin with.

The church is out of her rightful place.

The church, which is the bride of Christ, belongs with the groom. Through the Holy Spirit, He is with us, but we are not by His side. Ephesians 1:13-14 explains that the Holy Spirit is “the earnest of our inheritance,” meaning He is a token of God’s love to His Bride while we wait to join His side.

Second, there will never be world order until Israel is restored and there is peace in Jerusalem.

God is not finished with the Jewish nation; they are still the chosen people. God gave the land of Israel to Abraham’s descendants in an everlasting covenant, yet, the Jews have been scattered across the earth. As God prophesied Israel's disobedience, dispersion, and disgrace, He also prophesied their resolve and return.

Third, Satan is out of place, because the criminal belongs in prison.

There will never be order as long as Satan’s spirit is working. The world stumbles in darkness orchestrated by Him. But Satan will not always have the run of this world. There’s coming a time when he will be cast into the prison of his own making: hell.

Finally, there will be no world order until the King is on the throne.

Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords; soon, His Will will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Adrian Rogers says, “I cannot wait for the time our Lord comes and we have a new world order; when the church and Israel and Satan and Jesus are in their rightful place. It has a good ending, and we’re on the winning side.”

Apply it to your life

As the days grow gloriously dark, pray for the nation of Israel, and for those who may not know the Lord.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Genesis 1:26

What’s wrong with animal rights? In simplest terms, the belief behind the Animal Rights Movement is that there is no difference between man and animal. But Scripture says otherwise.

According to the Book of Genesis, both man and animal were created by God separately; neither evolved from the other. Though there are similarities, there is a stark contrast between man and animal as well.

For one, man has a longing in his heart to know God.

Man is created in God’s likeness —not in His physical image, but in His moral and spiritual image. When God created animals, in his mercy, He gave them instincts. But when God made man in His image, He gave them spirits.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Holy Spirit is to man what instinct is to the animals. Now, if you were to take the instinct out of the beehive, what would happen? It'd be very much like our world today—men without the Holy Spirit.”

Man has a capability for dominion, but he also has a capacity for depravity… one that animals don't have.

Animals can't sin because animals don't have any choice. The reason they don't have any choice is they don't have any moral basis; but man does!

Man also has a concern for his destiny that animals do not have.

Man is the only creature who knows he's going to die, while animals never think about death. But the Bible says that God has put eternity in the hearts of men.

Animals have a body and a soul (a soul being made up of a mind, emotions, and a will). But only man has a spirit. And the Holy Spirit molds us into what we're meant to be.

Adrian Rogers also adds, “With your body you know the world beneath you. With your soul you know the world around you. But with your spirit, you know the world above you! And God made man with a spiritual capacity to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him.”

Apply it to your life

What did God make you to do? God created you to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. The Bible says, "It is in him that we live, and move, and have our being." Do you know Him, love Him and serve Him with the spirit He gave you?