Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Timothy 6:5-10, 17

It could be said that money is the root of a majority of the problems in our homes. The enemy’s plan is to keep families in financial bondage, but 1 Timothy 6 provides wisdom regarding family finances.

A lack of wealth cannot take away genuine contentment.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain…” (v. 6). Contentment is an inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace in spite of outward circumstances. If we depend on natural and material things for contentment, we will never have it. Our basic needs consist of food and clothing (v. 8); our desire for more than the basics truly makes us unhappy.

Personal value, virtue, and victory are measured not by money, but by godliness. Adrian Rogers says, “We need to add up everything that we own that money cannot buy and death cannot take away, and praise God for that.”

The loss of wealth is inevitable.

“We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (v. 7). We will not take any of our earthly riches with us after death. We must consider what we will leave behind in the hearts and lives of our loved ones after we are gone.

The love of wealth is dangerous.

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (v. 9-10).

If our desire is to be rich, we are headed for serious trouble. Though the Bible teaches productivity and making wise investments and warns against slothfulness, we cannot prioritize riches.

The luxury of wealth brings responsibility.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy…” (v. 17). We are stewards of our wealth, not owners; if we do not see our riches as a loan from God, we will suffer, no matter how much money we have. Our responsibility is to be humble, trustful, joyful, and generous.

Apply it to your life
What are you leaving behind in the hearts and lives of your children? Accept your responsibility as a steward of wealth, and be humble, trustful, joyful, and generous.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Hebrews 11:7

The only way we can raise a family in a way that honors God is by faith. There is an urgent need to get our children on board the good ship of grace, and we do that through a solid, biblical family faith.

Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith, Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

In Genesis, Noah exhibited an active faith, in which he both worked and waited for the Lord. Noah did not wait until it began to rain before he prepared an ark. He was willing to look foolish, to stand alone, and receive ridicule from others.

Adrian Rogers says, “Faith is not sitting around doing nothing; it is belief with legs on it.”

Having been warned of the future calamity, Noah’s fear caused him to obey God.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” The fear of God is recognizing His holiness and His awesome power, and loving Him in reverence.

Because of Noah’s faith, God revealed three marks of calamity to Noah: indifference, immorality, and ignorance. Having the foresight and recognizing these markings, Noah went against the tide and prepared in advance to save his household.

The Bible teaches about the beautiful prosperity of household faith. Though we can’t believe for our children, we can see that our children are presented with every opportunity to believe on their own.

Finally, Hebrews declares Noah’s fortune: “...by faith, which he… became heir of the righteousness…”

Because he obeyed the Lord, he received great fortune; as others bought, sold, traded, and married in vain, Noah put everything he had into the ark. This long-term investment saved his life, his family, and his future. He came out of the ark and inherited the world; yet, the things that truly mattered, he gained by faith.

Apply it to your life
Are you and your family onboard the good ship of grace? Have you given your children every opportunity to have a biblical faith of their own?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Hebrews 11:23-27

It takes a family to raise a child, and it takes faith to make a family. The most powerful and influential people on the earth are mothers and fathers of faith.

Hebrews 11 tells the story of the prophet Moses’ divine appointment, which would not have existed if not for his parents, Amram and Jochebed.

There are four principles to learn from their indispensable faith, as we learn the importance of our family faith.

“By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw that he was a proper child…” (v. 23).

First, faith sees every child as the special handiwork of God.

It is our responsibility to raise our children specifically and individually, by God’s daily guidance.

Second, faith sees every conflict as spiritual.

Amram and Jochebed hid Moses for three months because the King had commanded that baby boys be killed. By faith, they recognized this physical conflict as a spiritual conflict between the gods of Egypt and Almighty God.

In these treacherous days, raising children takes more than wit, wisdom, and good intentions. Raising children is a spiritual battle, and our only hope is a solid faith in Jesus Christ.

Third, faith sees every challenge as solvable.

As Adrian Rogers says, “faith doesn’t throw in the towel,” nor is it “intimidated by the sinister minister of fear.” We have the victory, because, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

When facing challenges, we must do all we can do with a spirit of optimism. If it is God’s will, we can trust that He will move heaven and earth for our children.

Finally, faith sees every choice as significant.

Hebrews 11 notes that because Moses’ values were established in him by his parents, he valued his faith more than all the riches of Egypt.

Moses embraced the virtues of knowing Christ eternally, and rejected the vices of this world, refusing to be called Pharaoh’s son (v. 24).

Because Moses’ parents raised him by faith, he became an example of Psalm 112:2: "…the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”

Apply it to your life
Are you raising your children by faith, recognizing the spiritual conflict? Do you see every challenge as solvable and every choice as significant?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus’s ministry lasted only for three years, and yet His Word and His influence change lives today. Philippians 2:5-11 reveals exactly who Jesus, the God-Man, is.

--Supernatural: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who… made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men...” (v.5, 7) Jesus was made in the likeness of men, but He was not conceived like any other child. He was born of a virgin, exempt from the curse of man, for God’s Holy blood flowed through His veins.
--Sinless: Though tempted at all points like us, Jesus remained completely sinless.
--Sovereign: “...being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…” (v. 6) Jesus is the Son of God; He is also God the Son.
--Sacrificial: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient.” (v. 8) Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus’s death was not incidental or accidental. He did not die as a victim or a martyr. He died in obedience to the Father, that you and I might be saved by His death on the cross.”
--Surviving: C.S. Lewis said, “He has forced open a door that had been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten back the king of death. Everything is different because He has done so.”
--Soon-Coming: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (v. 9-11) Jesus will return; and when He does, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
--Saving: Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus is not a good way to Heaven or the best way to Heaven. Jesus is the only way to Heaven.”

Apply it to your life
Jesus is what the world needs today. Tell someone about the Son of God who left Heaven, came to this Earth, suffered, bled, and died, and walked out of that grave a living, risen Savior.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 20:24-29

In the Nativity story, the star pointed the wise men to the baby Jesus. But we cannot have the stars of Christmas without the scars of Christmas. We must remember: Jesus was born to die for our sins.

We worship a God with scars; they are not incidental, but so fundamental that Jesus carried those scars with Him to Heaven.

There are three things these scars tell us about God in human flesh.

First, the scars tell us that as a man, Jesus suffered. In John 20:27, Jesus invited his doubting disciple, Thomas, to examine His scars, which He received when He was crucified. These scars testify that He suffered for us, and still suffers with us, whether in grief, in persecution, or when the church is unfaithful.

The scars also show us that Jesus sympathizes; they remind us that God has been with us, He has felt what we feel and He understands our pain. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." Pain has a protecting purpose; it warns us to pivot away from the things that harm us. Pain also has a unifying purpose. As the physical human body comes to the aid of a suffering member, pain draws people together.

Finally, these scars reveal to us that Jesus saves. He did not have to suffer. Yet, He moved into our suffering, took it on Himself, so that we could be saved from our sins. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed."

Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus came to this earth that we might go to heaven. Jesus became the Son of man that we might become the sons and the daughters of God. Jesus died that we might live.”

Apply it to your life
Today, think not only of the stars but the scars of Christmas. Jesus had some scars, and if we follow Him, so will we. Let your pain point people to the Gospel; testify of how God healed you. And if you are suffering today, bring your wounds to Jesus; use your scars for His glory.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 3:1-7

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

In John 3, Jesus explains three miracle births that tell the story of our salvation.

First, this passage recognizes the deficiency of our natural birth. Despite any status or ranking that we may have, we have been born into this sinful world and are bound to a sinful nature.

Second, Jesus reveals the efficiency of the Virgin Birth. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Jesus is the only way we can know God and be saved. By being born of a virgin, He was omitted from the curse of the Fall (Genesis 3), and remained sinless. But He had to be a man to pay the sin debt, for, without bloodshed, there is no remission of sin. Therefore, He had to be the God-man.

Adrian Rogers says, “He came as He did, to be what He was, to do what He did, that we might be what we are, sons and daughters of God. He was born of a virgin that we might be born again.”

Finally, John 3 helps us understand the sufficiency of the new birth.

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the “parents” of our new birth. As a result, our new character mimics that of our spiritual parents. We love the Lord Jesus Christ and have the witness of the Spirit. We have a desire for holiness, and to share Jesus with others. Just like there is a finality in our natural birth, once we are saved by the new birth, we are always saved; we receive a fresh start and begin to grow with the certainty of our miraculous rebirth.

Apply it to your life
Do you have the characteristics of someone reborn? Do you love Jesus and share Him with others? Do you desire holiness and have the witness of the Spirit?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Samuel 18:3

A blood covenant is a biblical principle that permanently unites two people together in marriage, business, or friendship. It is made when the blood of one individual mingles with the blood of another, and the two parties adopt a lovingkindness toward each other, meaning their love surpasses all differences.

Jonathan and David’s blood covenant in 1 Samuel 18-19 is a picture of the blood covenant God made with us, through Jesus.

After David came into power, the descendants of the former king, Saul, were scared that David would kill them, especially Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth. But because of the covenant David made with Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan, Mephibosheth was shown lovingkindness.

2 Samuel 9:7 says, “And David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.'"

Mephibosheth then ratified the covenant first made by his father. King David, who was once Mephibosheth’s enemy, became his friend. Once he ratified the covenant, a transformation took place. Mephibosheth—deformed, dethroned, deceived, and good as dead—was now a son of the King.

In the same way, when we change our minds, we take a new King into our lives: Jesus Christ. The blood covenant is not just a biblical principle, it is the subject of the Bible; it is the secret of blessing and the source of boldness.

Jesus entered into a blood covenant with God the Father on our behalf. On the cross, the blood of God and the blood of man mingled. As a result, no longer do we live under the tyranny of our emotions, bound to our feelings. We live by the steadfast promise and the saving power of the blood covenant.

Adrian Rogers says, “Because of the blood covenant, the meek shall inherit the earth. We’re heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thank God that God sought us, just as David sought Mephibosheth. We are in the King’s family; whether we feel it or not, our “sonship” is a matter of the blood covenant.

Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus came to Earth to make a blood covenant so that we might enjoy what we have with our Lord. Share the wealth of His possessions. And rest in the shadow of His protection.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:6

The word “blessed” means to be satisfied. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed the secret of satisfaction. Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Many of us think of righteousness as something to do. But in the Bible, righteousness is wrapped up in a person, and His name is Jesus. When we hunger and thirst after righteousness, we are actually hungering and thirsting after Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Our Spiritual Sustenance
In the material realm, food and water are necessities, not luxuries; if we don’t eat or drink, we will die. And so it is in the spiritual realm: Jesus Christ is not some luxury; He is a necessity. Without Him, our spirits will die.

We should desire Jesus preeminently, above all other things. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Jesus will not work in second place. A lack of joy, peace, or fulfillment is a symptom of unrighteousness. When we hunger and thirst after Jesus, we are blessed, but it is crucial to remember that the blessings are just a by-product. Jesus is the cure; not the joy, peace, and fulfillment that comes with Him.

Adrian Rogers says, “You’ll never go beyond Jesus: you may only go deeper and deeper into Jesus.” We should seek Jesus passionately—with a huge appetite. A hungry man is interested in one thing: food. If he is hungry enough, he will go anywhere, do almost anything, and pay any price. Likewise, our quest for Jesus Christ should be marked by deliberation, determination, and desperation.

Jesus Satisfies the Strongest Appetite
Finally, we should enjoy Jesus perpetually. Adrian Rogers says, “I don’t know how much of God you have, but you have all you want. Shallow thirst equals shallow satisfaction; small hunger equals small satisfaction.”

Contrary to popular belief, we don’t lose the good things of life when we come to Jesus. In fact, we enjoy things more in the context of righteousness. In Jesus, we are completely, continually, and certainly satisfied.

Apply it to your life
A person who is hungry and thirsty for righteousness is on a deliberate, determined, desperate quest for Jesus Christ. Do you seek Jesus Christ as a starving man would seek food?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:5

Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed that it is not the mighty men who are blessed--it is the mighty meek.

Meekness is not weakness. Jesus was meek, yet He was a strong man. To be meek means to be yielded, to have a compliant spirit. Meekness is strength under control. When we were created, God put certain drives, instincts, and ambitions into our very natures. These are not evil in themselves, but they must yield to the Holy Spirit so that we may bring Him glory and honor.

While some believe releasing or restraining our strength will lead to control, true meekness comes after we see ourselves as poor in spirit. Once we are broken over our condition, we can develop strength under control.

Step One: Submit to the Son of God.
Matthew 11:28-30 says:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Jesus offers our wild spirits rest and invites us to submit to His lordship and learn true strength from Him.

Step Two: Receive the Word of God.
We cannot snatch pieces of the Bible to feed our pride or our opinions.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not meant to be interesting; it’s meant to be disturbing.”

We must welcome the Word into our lives with humility, reaching out to Jesus Christ with both hands, letting Scripture be our bridle and bit.

Step Three: Be Filled with the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit of God produces meekness in us; we simply bear the fruit of it.

When we are meek, we will receive our inheritance. This dynamic is explained in 2 Corinthians 6:10, which says, “...as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”

Apply it to your life
Have you yielded to the Holy Spirit and developed a meek spirit? Take these steps today: submit to God, receive His Word, and be filled with His Spirit.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Matthew 5:4

The world tells us that a life without tears, sorrow, and heartache is a blessed life; but this is not true. In fact, in Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

We do all we can to avoid pain. We call on psychologists, self-help coaches, and entertainment to change our conditions. In reality, condition does not dictate character.

Jesus, Himself, was a Man of sorrows. He teaches us how to turn our tears into telescopes. He teaches us to bring our sorrows and heartaches into focus in such a way that we can see beyond the present and into the future. Our tears today can become telescopes to make the future all the brighter and all the more meaningful.

Turning tears into telescopes is a two-step process. We must identify the convicting guilt that causes us to mourn, and we must recognize the grace that comforts us.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives insight into the deceptive power of sin. Man looks on the outward appearance and sees outward sin. But God looks on the heart and at our inner intentions that led to our sin.

Our hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9) Our hearts are subject to sin’s defilement, which perverts the beautiful things we see and touch.

If we are truly convicted by our guilt, it should lead to consuming grief and sorrow.

There are two kinds of sorrow: godly and worldly. Godly sorrow leads us to repentance, but the sorrow of the world leaves us with remorse.

Adrian Rogers explains, “Remorse without repentance can be a dangerous thing. A person filled with remorse is one who loves his sin and hates himself at the same time. A person who has repented is a person who hates his sin because he loves his Savior. Remorse looks at the sin and its consequences. Repentance looks beyond the sin to Calvary.”

Looking at Calvary, we recognize the grace that comforts us. Mourning is the only way to know the comfort of our dear Lord. The word comfort is not a word filled with sympathy. The word “comfort” translates to mean with strength. When we receive God’s comforting grace, we are receiving His Spirit, which is our strength and our advocate.

Apply it to your life
Have you experienced guilt for your sins? Have you experienced the consuming grief of an unrepentant life? Have you experienced the comfort of God’s grace?