In this sermon, delivered on graduate recognition Sunday, we explore the hatred of the world for Christians versus faithfulness to the Word among Christians. The Bereans have long been an example to the church of what biblical fidelity looks like, and we go further by examining how we are to be specifically faithful when confronted by so many of the lies of our current culture.

Paul's encounter with the philosophers of Athens and his subsequent sermon on Mars Hill is the centerpiece of the book of Acts. Here we see God going toe-to-toe with the wise debaters of the age as He speaks through Paul to reveal His person, His will for mankind, and the truth of how He will ultimately bring human history to a close. In this first part of a two-part sermon, Pastor Shawn examines the dangers of idolatry and God's solution in Christ.

This sermon covers the second half of Paul's sermon to the Athenians on Mars Hill. Given that there is one true God who made and rules over all creation, and that mankind is desperately 'groping' for the divine, what is the proper response? We must abandon our man-made gods, repent of our self-loving sin, and prepare for the risen judge.

God's Remedy for Discouragement; Acts 18:1-17; May 24, 2026; Shawn Merithew

Salvation Belongs To The Lord; Jonah 1:17 - 2:10; May 31, 2026; Robert Browning

Law and Grace; Psalm 19:7-11; June 7, 2026; Jim Smith

The Apostle Paul had spent about a year and a half in the city of Corinth, but the time had come for him to be back on the move, especially to report back to the church in Jerusalem and the church in Antioch who had commissioned him. In these two paragraphs this morning we follow Paul and we are introduced to Apollos, and through these two men we see exhibited a faithfulness to the church and a faithfulness to biblical practice.

As the Apostle Paul returns to Ephesus on the first leg of his third missionary journey, he encounters 12 disciples of John the Baptist. Through His interaction with them, we learn the real meaning and significance of Christian baptism. As Paul continues his ministry of the gospel in Ephesus, we also learn the importance of godly endurance.

Here is Acts 19, a real spiritual awakening was happening in Ephesus, and make no mistake – When almighty God is moving, Satan and his minions are set back on their heels. What we will see during this time of spiritual awakening is how Christ and His gospel prevailed mightily over the forces of spiritual darkness that were previously concentrated in this city, and likewise, how the Holy Spirit led the new believers there to walk in sincere repentance of their worldliness.

Spiritual change among the inhabitants of Ephesus city had resulted in significant social change. In the previous text the new believers brought the equivalent of 12.5 million dollars in pagan books and items and burned them as an act of repentance. As you might guess, Satan was not happy, and the people who belonged to Him were incensed. As so, like many times before, they formed a mob. But their mob ultimately proved to be powerless, as even the city officials vindicated the Christians. In this sermon, we see that the greed, rage, and schemes of man are nothing compared to the power of God.