Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 10:11-17

It is not by fame, feelings, fortune, friends, or fate, but by our faith that we measure our accomplishments.

Our belief is our greatest spiritual asset and richest currency. On the contrary, unbelief is our greatest stumbling block. This is why there is an immediate urgency to grow in a solid and exciting faith in God.

Romans 10 reveals the intricacies of biblical faith, what it is, and how to have it.

"For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame'” (Romans 10:11).

First, faith must be placed in the right object to be real.
When we rely on the wrong things, it can be dangerous to our spiritual health.

Adrian Rogers says, “Weak faith in the right object is better than misplaced faith in the wrong object.” We do not rely on positive thinking, or even in faith itself. True biblical faith is placed in Jesus Christ, alone.

Once we understand the reality of biblical faith, we can see the root of it, which is the Word of God.
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14). In order to spiritually grow, we must hear from God; we cannot know the will of God by guessing at it. It cannot be generated; it is given, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

When God speaks to us through His Word and Jesus Christ, we will see the result of our faith, which is the will of God.
Adrian Rogers says, “The will of God is not something that you must do; it is something you get to do.” The purpose of faith is to get God’s will done on Earth. He is sovereign; He remains in control at all times. What He says He will do, He will accomplish. We have the beautiful opportunity to take part in His will, through faith.



Apply it to your life
How are you going to release your faith today? True faith does more than merely believe; it translates into action. When you pray and ask God what to do, and how to accomplish His will for your life today, trust and obey Him.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 12
When we are born again and become children of God, we receive spiritual gifts. Discovering, developing, and putting to work our spiritual gifts is how we find joy and fulfillment in the Christian life.

1 Corinthians 12 explains how children of God can unwrap their spiritual gifts.
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant…” (1 Corinthians 12:1).

Our spiritual gifts are supernatural, graciously given to us by the Holy Spirit when we are born again. There is no room for pride or selfishness; we’ve received our spiritual gifts to serve each other. The Holy Spirit chooses our gifts; our responsibility is to discover what He has sovereignly imparted in us.

Adrian Rogers says, “These spiritual gifts are not for evidence, they are equipment. They are not for your enjoyment, they are for your employment.”

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

Some of the diverse gifts listed in Scripture are:

-Wisdom
-Knowledge
-Faith
-Healing
-Miracles: physical, mental, and spiritual
-Prophecy: for edification, exhortation, and comfort
-Discernment of the spirits
-Speaking in tongues, or speaking in a language you have never learned
-Interpreting tongues, or translating tongues so others can understand
-Ministry, or serving within the church
-Teaching
-Exhortation, or leading others in worship
-Giving
-Ruling, or the ability to administrate
-Mercy, or showing the love of Jesus Christ

It is our joy and responsibility to discover our gifts. We must first present ourselves to God’s lordship. Secondly, we must become good stewards of our gifts with renewed minds and good faith.

Finally, we must stay in fellowship with other believers. We were meant to serve one another well, to operate as one fully-functioning body. Our spiritual gifts will be confirmed as we begin serving each other however we can.

Apply it to your life
If you haven’t discovered your spiritual gifts, ask yourself: Have I presented myself to the Lord? Have I decided to be a good steward of whatever the Holy Spirit has confirmed in me? Am I serving faithfully in my church?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 6:12

The Bible is not a book of rules, but a book of principles. Rules can be manipulated and laws have loopholes, but principles are timeless and unchanging. Therefore, the Bible is a trusted source to cite when making daily decisions.

There are six positive principles to live by, and questions to ask ourselves for a proper daily practice of the Christian faith.

Expediency: Does this bring me to my appointed goal or does it hinder me?
"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful...” (1 Corinthians 6:12). We ought to have God-given goals for our lives and a holy ambition to accomplish them. Our decisions should honor the direction we are going.

Enslavement: Am I brought under the power of anything other than Jesus Christ?
“...all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Jesus came to set us free from our addictions, vices, and bad habits. Under His sovereignty alone can we experience true freedom.

Example: Even if this doesn’t hurt me, will it hurt somebody else?
Even if we do not struggle with certain vices, our endorsement of it could lead others to stumble.

Adrian Rogers says, “Don’t let your head run away with your heart; we are here to operate by love. Knowledge puffs you up, but love builds up.”

Edification: Does this build me up or tear me down?
"...all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify" (1 Corinthians 10:23). Everything we do will either build us up or tear us down; we should value friendships, conversations, and entertainment that refresh, renew and restore.

Exaltation: Is God glorified by what I’m doing?
Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” Every decision we make either honors or dishonors the Lord. We should strive to exalt God in everything we do.

Evangelism: Is there anything that keeps me from bringing anybody else to Jesus Christ?
When you study God’s Word, are you looking for rules to follow or for principles to live by? Consider the principles above; ask yourself the questions presented.

Apply it to your life
When you study God’s Word, are you looking for rules to follow or principles to live by? Consider the principles above and ask yourself the questions presented.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Acts 9:1-6

Acts 9 tells the story of Saul’s conversion to becoming Paul. While on his way to persecute Christians, Saul came face-to-face with Jesus. And Saul’s first question to Jesus was:

“Lord, what wilt thou have me to do” (Acts 9:6)?

We are clever creatures who have lost our way and must relearn how we can know the will of God.

First, remember that God has promised to guide.
Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye."
God has a moral plan for each of our lives. God’s will is sovereign; it is always done. There is no changing the fixed standard of right and wrong He has established.

Though God’s will is particular for each of us, there are six universal truths about His plan:

It is not a roadmap; it is a relationship.
It is not the end of our joy, but the beginning.
God does not speak only to certain people; He has a plan for everyone.
Learning God’s will is not always a dramatic experience; oftentimes, it is spoken softly.
God is not finished with us, whether we’re 9 or 99.
God does not hide His will from us. He wants us to know it even more than we do.
God’s guidance hinges on our willingness, meekness, and openness.
He is willing to guide when we yield to His control. Sometimes, God will give visions, miracles, or dreams to reveal His plans, but many times, He speaks practically. He guides through Scripture, His people, and the Holy Spirit within us. We must be sensitive enough to hear and know His voice.

God also leads with sheer wisdom, through the renewing of our minds.
God opens and closes doors, and guides the meek through it all. Many times, we don’t even know it was the providence of God until afterward.

We don’t have to be afraid of the will of God. Adrian Rogers says, “The will of God will not take you where the power of God cannot keep you.”

Apply it to your life
Are you trying to find the will of God for your life? How much time are you spending alone with God? If we want to understand God’s particular will for our lives, we must begin to obey the Scriptures we understand.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 2:14

It’s important to know where we are in our spiritual maturity, in order to grow into what we could be. The Bible places men and women in three different categories: natural, spiritual, or carnal. As Christians, we want to be spiritual men and women, but in order to get there, we must begin to see the Bible as a roadmap to maturity.

1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him: nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned."

The natural man is born into the natural world, just like anybody else. But because he has not been born again through faith, he can’t appreciate or understand spiritual things; he is bound to the material world.

Adrian Rogers says, “The natural man does what comes naturally; the spiritual man does what comes supernaturally.”

The spiritual man has been born again, through salvation in Jesus Christ. He now lives by the Spirit, who inhabits his humanity. A Christian is not a natural person who decides to do better; he is someone who has been radically, dramatically, supernaturally changed. The spiritual things he once could not understand become apparent to Him. Now liberated through the Spirit, he sees with the mind of Christ, discerns everything with wisdom.

Finally, the Bible warns us about becoming a carnal man. He is one who has been saved, yet he is defeated and dependent on others to decipher Scripture. He is spiritually immature because there has not been any growth. He cannot walk, war, or work spiritually. The carnal man is also very divisive. He likes to stir up debates, provoke fights, can’t get along with anyone. They are saved, but no one would ever know it.

Unfortunately, the carnal Christian is a lot more common than we want to believe. In order for us to grow in truth and maturity, we must take an honest inventory of where we are, so that we may grow in Christ, and follow the roadmap of maturity.

Apply it to your life
Take time today to prayerfully figure out where you are in your relationship with Christ. Do you have the markings of a natural man, a spiritual man, or a carnal man? Live by the Spirit, learn, and be liberated by Him.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Acts 8:35-39

There are two common misconceptions people have about baptism: that it is either necessary for our salvation, or that it is not important at all.

In order to grow as Christians, we cannot minimize what the Bible has emphasized: starting right with believer’s baptism.

In Acts 8, God gave his servant, Philip, the specific assignment to witness to a eunuch of great authority.

“Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:35-39).

The word, “baptizo” means, “to immerse.” The biblical method of baptism is by immersion: placing a person under water and bringing him out.

Adrian Rogers says, “The method and the meaning are inextricably interwoven; you cannot change the method without destroying the meaning.”

Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, as well as our death, burial, and resurrection with Him. There are three reasons to be baptized:

It proclaims our commitment to Jesus.
It portrays our conversion; it is our way of testifying.
It is a command from God that we must obey.
While baptism is not necessary for our salvation, it is necessary for our obedience. It shows that we belong to Jesus Christ.

Apply it to your life
Baptism is not a suggestion; it is a command from Scripture. Have you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Have you been baptized?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

This is the chemistry of the cross: that God can work bad situations for our good and His glory.

This verse reiterates the certainty and completeness of this ironclad, rock-ribbed promise of God. He works all things together for His glory and for our good. When we know this, we can appreciate the blessings we would otherwise mistake as burdens.

Adrian Rogers says, “It takes a lot of faith to say it is good for me that I have been afflicted. But it’s then that we begin to look up into the face of God. A sick bed can often teach more than a sermon.”

By the chemistry of the cross, the sweet, the sorrowful, and even the satanic and sinful things work together for good. The same God who rules in the affairs of this world can work the enemy’s attacks for our benefit.

Romans 5:20 says, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more."

Because we are bound to sin, we are bound to suffer. But because of the cross, our suffering is met with God’s grace.

The simple and the smallest things are in God’s master control; He is the cause of it all.

Though this is a beautiful and big promise, it is not for everyone. There is a condition to Romans 8:28, which is, “to them that love God.”

When we accept the condition of Romans 8:28, we can fully understand the consequence of it, found in Romans 8:29: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

The “good” that we receive is our sanctification; we are becoming more like Jesus. God is not finished with us; He will continue to use circumstances to make us look more like our Savior.



Apply it to your life
Are you the one who loves God and believes your circumstances are there to make you look more like Jesus? Spend time in Scripture today, so that you can gain perspective on all things: the sweet, sorrowful, satanic, sinful, simple, and small. He is working them for your good!

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Ephesians 5:18

The Christian life is a blessing, but if we don’t understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it can feel more like a burden. The secret to a blessed Christian life is being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is important to know how to have a spirit-filled life.

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...”

Having a Spirit-filled life is a command from God to obey, as well as a blessing to enjoy. It is also our obligation as Christians, because on our own, we don’t have the strength to do what the Bible commands us to do.

The only way to truly worship God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Our marriages and work relationships hinge on this as well. We serve our families and colleagues as we should when we first submit to the Holy Spirit.

It is also how we win in this spiritual warfare we face every day. It is our only hope in ever witnessing to others. We are up against the organized, demonic forces of Hell.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Adrian Rogers says, “There has never been a greater day, a greater age, a greater opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus than right now.”

What are the requirements of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

There must first be a complete commitment to Christ. We must continually yield control to Him, consciously claiming our dependence on Him every moment. When we do this, we receive a spirit of adoration for God—a passionate, blazing love for Jesus Christ that doesn’t burn out.
We also receive a spirit of appreciation for our circumstances. Ephesians 5:20 claims Christians are to be, “Giving thanks always for all things…”

Finally, we receive a spirit of accommodation toward others. Every day, every place, we are learning to submit to and serve others.


Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “We need a generation of Spirit-filled people. As the night grows darker, the saints grow brighter, and the hunger intensifies. And there are people who are looking, waiting, wondering: Is there an answer? The answer is in Christ.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:12-14

As Christians, we have the power not only to overcome temptations but also to use them as a means to grow in our faith. 1 Corinthians 10 shows us how to turn temptations into triumphs.

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

Being saved does not make us immune to temptation; everyone is subject to temptation.

There are three common sources of temptation.
The World
In this context, “world” means a system or order. This fallen world is entrenched in evil and we are not to fall for its schemes. The world wars against the soul: our minds, emotions and will, our ego, our psyche. We can’t let the world mold us, guide us, or control us.

The Flesh
The flesh is the “old nature,” the person the Christian used to be; it is the inclination to do evil.
Adrian Rogers says, “Sin is an inside job that comes from your flesh.” The flesh wars against the body, tempting us in the areas of appetite, lust, laziness, and violence.

The Devil
The devil wars against the spirit: we know God through our spirits. Our spirits are our vehicles of communication, worship, and spiritual knowledge. The devil wants to cut off that life source.

There are three key ways to subdue temptation.
Against the world: FAITH
Through faith, God is a bright, living reality that eclipses the temptation to squeeze into the world’s mold.

Against the Flesh: FIGHT
We must avoid situations that will tempt us to sin in the flesh.
Against the devil: FIGHT
The devil won’t leave us alone until we resist him. We fight by bringing the Word of God against him.

Satan does not want us to understand the power we have to overcome temptation. We must be strong in the Lord. We must resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
Apply it to your life
When temptation comes, remember: you are not on defense; you can be on offense. Flee from fornication, feed on Jesus to avoid worldliness, and resist the devil.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 51

King David, though a man after God’s own heart, was a great sinner. He committed adultery and, in covering it up, he committed murder. But David was also a great repenter, and Psalm 51 shows us how to come back when we’re down.

Getting saved does not mean we lose our capacity to sin or minimize its gravity. The eternal security of salvation is not a license to sin without suffering. In fact, we will suffer all the more, because the Holy Spirit convicts believers of their sins until they confess them. Guilt is a dirty wound; it festers, and it will never heal until it is cleansed.

This passage reveals the weighty consequences of sin. Sin soils the soul, saturates the mind, and stings the conscience. It saddens the heart and sickens the body, sours the spirit, and seals the lips.

Adrian Rogers says, “The most miserable man on earth is not a lost man; It is a saved man out of fellowship with God.”

When we find ourselves down in our sins, how do we come back?

First, we must be confident that God still loves us.
Psalm 51:1 says, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” Even when he sinned, David had confidence in God’s lovingkindness. In spite of the enemy’s attempt to discredit God’s faithfulness, we must remember there is nothing we can do that will make God stop loving us.

Second, we must confess our sins without any excuses or alibis.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Finally, God cleanses and forgives.
He removes the penalty, blots it out, and buries it in the sea of His forgetfulness. He removes the pollution of sin, cleaning us whiter than snow. He removes the power of sin: God purges us so that we are clean on the inside.

We don’t have to carry around our own condemnation anymore; we can be clean.

Apply it to your life
Do you have any unconfessed sin weighing on you today? Ask God to search your heart and reveal your sin to you. Confess it and be cleansed by God’s forgiveness.