North Boulevard Church of Christ Sermons: Audio

Watch the Coach Rick Insell Interviews at vimeo.com/213445182 and vimeo.com/213445319. Watch the full interview at vimeo.com/214531431.

Did you know that the Bible does not teach that we spend eternity as souls in heaven? The Old and New Testament actually teach that our souls only temporarily live in heaven, and our souls will reunite with our body's and we will all resurrect into the New Earth. Living in light of the resurrection is living to win. The resurrection of the dead is the cornerstone of the Christian hope. Resurrection is not resuscitation, resurrection is not immortality of the soul, and resurrection is not reincarnation. It is a resurrection of the dead, of whom Jesus was the first, to prove who he was and where he came from, and to show us the hope that we have.

The bigger picture of the resurrection: the resurrection is the renewal of paradise. We will return to a new and better Paradise—where there’ll be no more sin, suffering, or sorrow. God Himself will live among us. The name for this is “the renewal of all things,” and it is the bedrock of our hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

(NIV)

Watch Mason Brandon's testimony at vimeo.com/210774351/edc3c65362

If you want to follow Jesus, use your hands. Everyone needs love. Lay on your hands to express love and communion. Lay on your hands to ordain people to specific jobs. Lay on your hands to invoke the power of God.

How do I lay on hands today? When conferring the blessing of love and support, be quick to lay hands. When laying on hands as an act of ordination, be slow to lay hands. When praying over those in need, remember that God has awesome power.

Acts 13:1-3

"Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas,Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

(NIV)

West Campus celebrates 3 years together, and West Campus Minister Glenn Robb encourages the West Campus family with thoughts on baptism.

Watch Katie Boyce's testimony featured in this sermon, originally uploaded as a discipling story during the Net Work series, at vimeo.com/198495805.

Also find North Boulevard's collection of baptism videos at https://vimeo.com/album/3910724.

This third lesson on the fundamentals of the faith focuses on baptism and the many misconceptions on what the Scriptures say about baptism and its importance. What happens in baptism?

In baptism we imitate Christ and fulfill all righteousness. In baptism we are born again. In baptism our sins are washed away. In baptism we receive the Holy Spirit (though He works outside baptism, too). In baptism we are buried with and united with Christ then raised to a new life. In baptism we are clothed with Christ. In baptism we are saved.

Don’t just be baptized; live baptized!

Romans 6:1-11

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

(NIV)

The beginning of a new series on the fundamentals of the faith listed in Hebrews 6: Repentance, Faith, Baptism, Laying on of Hands, Resurrection, Judgement. The first lesson is on both the importance of mastering the fundamentals and on the first fundamental of the faith: Repentance from Dead Works.

Hebrews 6:1-3

"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so."

Psalms 51

"Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise."

(NIV)

Watch Dawn Harrison's testimony featured in the sermon at vimeo.com/207653164

The Providence of God rolls on. God, the Creator of the universe, will provide.

What do I do when I cannot find my song? Understand that doubt is natural. Sin has diseased our minds, too. Remember how far God has brought you already. Raise your own Ebenezer. Rejoice in the evidences of providence you already see. Ask God to remove your doubts, then trust His timing. The Providence of God rolls on: keep on worshipping Him.

Scriptures used in this sermon: Psalm 104, Matthew 11:2-3, 1 Samuel 7:12, Psalm 8:3-4, Mark 9:21-24,

"I know the Lord will find a way for me.

I know the Lord will find a way for me.

If I walk in heaven's light,

Shun the wrong and do the right,

I know the Lord will find a way for me.

Won't it be grand to hear Him say "well done."

Won't it be grand to hear Him say "well done."

If I trust and never doubt,

Pay my tithes and sing and shout,

Won't it be grand to hear Him say "well done."

"I Know The Lord Will Find a Way for Me" by Palmer Esker Wheeler

Guest speaker Sam Hall

Watch the WISH Team Dinner video at vimeo.com/205469122

The Old Testament ends with a message of hope for families."I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6) The Bad News: Without strong families, the land becomes cursed. Americans consistently underestimate the damage done when families fail. This is because families are the building blocks of humanity. The word that best describes today’s adolescents is abandoned. When enough people are wounded, societies collapse. We are America’s Malachi: a Hebrew name meaning my messenger. The Good News: In Christ you can turn your heart to your family. In Christ we receive grace to cultivate life-giving virtues. Do This: Pledge here and now to become Christ to your family. Remember this: You can be Christ to your family no matter what they do.

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Guest speaker Michael Strickland

The final lesson in David's series focusing on discipling ends with all of North Boulevard being called to follow The Great Commission.

It’s no secret: Christianity in America is in trouble. Like Peter, many Christians have simply returned to the ordinary.

-- Since 1968, more than 8,000 Methodist churches have gone out of business.

-- In the last fifteen years, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has lost 30% of its membership. Almost 765,000 members have left the PCUSA since 2000.

-- More than 200,000 have left the Episcopal Church in the last five years; over 300 parishes have closed. In the last ten years, the Episcopal Church lost over 20% of its members.

-- Since the 1960s, the United Church of Christ has lost 44% of its members.

-- The American churches of Christ lose 200 members every week, and every single week a church of Christ closes its doors forever.

-- About 3,000 churches go under in the U.S. every year; that’s one church every three hours.

-- Most churches are either plateaued or in decline, and most Christians will never baptize a single person in their entire life.

People who do not accept Christ are lost, but Churches that do not evangelize are a dishonor to God. It doesn’t have to be this way. Let’s recover the mission of Jesus. North Boulevard has made it clear: our mission is to make disciples. Let’s take the Gospel to the whole world!

John 21:4-8

"Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, 'Friends, haven’t you any fish?'

'No,' they answered.

He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, 'It is the Lord,' he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards."

(NIV)