Pastor Cole's Sermons

As we come to the end of another year, Scripture calls us to something deeper than nostalgia, resolutions, or self-evaluation. In Psalm 90—the oldest psalm in the Psalter—Moses leads God’s people in a sober prayer that confronts the realities we often try to avoid: God’s eternality, man’s frailty, the seriousness of sin, and the brevity of life.

This psalm was written in the wilderness, in the shadow of death, by a man who watched an entire generation pass away while waiting on the promises of God. Rather than asking for longer life, easier circumstances, or clearer answers, Moses prays for something far more necessary: wisdom. “So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

In this sermon, we will walk through the entirety of Psalm 90, allowing the text to shape how we think about time, mortality, and faithfulness before a holy God. We will see that our days are not merely short, but numbered under God’s sovereign authority—and that true wisdom is not found in productivity or control, but in fearing the Lord and living rightly before Him.

Ultimately, Psalm 90 leads us beyond ourselves to Christ, the eternal Son who entered our frailty, bore God’s righteous wrath against sin, and redeemed our numbered days. This is a sermon of sober reflection, gospel hope, and prayerful dependence—calling us not to manage time better, but to live wisely before God in the time He has given.

In this sermon, Pastor Cole preaches on one of the most misunderstood and yet most beautiful doctrines in the entire Bible: Irresistible Grace—the sovereign, effectual work of the Holy Spirit in bringing dead sinners to life. Far from the caricature of God dragging people unwillingly into the kingdom, this doctrine shows that salvation is a miracle of inward transformation. The Spirit doesn’t coerce the will—He changes it. He doesn’t force sinners against their desires—He gives them new desires. He doesn’t push sinners toward Christ—He awakens their hearts so that they run to Christ.

Drawing from passages like John 3, John 6, Ezekiel 36, Acts 16, and Titus 3, this sermon explains the difference between natural moral conviction and true Spirit-wrought conviction, showing that only the regenerating work of God can produce repentance, faith, and joyful obedience. When the Spirit opens the heart, replaces the heart of stone, and renews the will, the sinner comes freely and gladly—not reluctantly, but lovingly.

This sermon also shows how irresistible grace produces transformed lives. True believers obey Christ not out of legalism or external pressure, but out of love. Obedience is the fruit of a new nature—a heart captivated by Christ and empowered by grace. When God saves, He not only calls; He changes. He not only forgives; He renews. And not one drop of Christ’s blood is wasted, for all those the Father chose and the Son redeemed, the Spirit will certainly draw.

Irresistible Grace is not a doctrine for debate—it is a doctrine for worship. It is the miracle of a changed heart.

In this message, Pastor Cole unfolds one of the most profound and glorious truths in all of Scripture: God’s sovereign choice to save a people for Himself—not based on their works, their will, their effort, or their foreseen faith, but solely according to His own gracious purpose. Drawing from passages such as Ephesians 1:3–6, Romans 9, John 6, and 2 Timothy 1:9, this sermon shows that election is not a theological complication but a biblical celebration. It is the foundation of our salvation, the anchor of our assurance, and the fountain of our worship.

Pastor Cole explains that unconditional election confronts the pride of man and exalts the mercy of God. We contribute nothing to our salvation—not even the first step. We were dead in sin, enslaved in our wills, blind in our hearts, and hostile in our minds. Yet before the foundation of the world, God set His love on His people, chose them in Christ, and wrote their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Election is not cold doctrine—it is warm, personal, covenantal love. It is the Father giving a bride to His Son. It is the God who saves actually accomplishing salvation from beginning to end.

This sermon also answers common objections, exposing the error of Arminian and semi-Pelagian views that make salvation dependent on human will rather than divine mercy. In the end, this sermon leads us to see that election humbles the believer, fuels evangelism, strengthens assurance, and magnifies the glory of Christ. We love Him because He first loved us. We chose Him because He first chose us. And because salvation begins with God, it will end with God—guaranteed.

In this message, Pastor Cole unpacks the sobering yet essential truth that all humanity is utterly corrupted by sin and completely unable to come to God apart from sovereign grace. From Genesis 6:5 to Ephesians 2:1–5, Scripture reveals that we are not spiritually sick—we are spiritually dead. Our hearts are deceitful, our minds darkened, and our wills enslaved. Yet into that darkness, God speaks life. This doctrine humbles our pride and magnifies His mercy. Until we grasp how far we have fallen, we will never marvel at how far God came to save us. True worship begins when we understand that salvation is not a partnership with God but a miracle of God. Because man is totally depraved, grace must be totally sovereign.

In this opening message of our six-week study, The Doctrines of Grace: God Saves Sinners, Pastor Cole traces the historical and biblical development of the doctrines of grace — from the early church to the Reformation and the Synod of Dort.

This lesson asks one central question: Who saves—God or man? Scripture’s answer has never changed: “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). From Augustine’s defense against Pelagius to Luther’s rediscovery of justification by faith, from Calvin’s clarity on divine sovereignty to Dort’s stand against Arminianism, every generation of the church has been called to contend for this same gospel — the gospel of sovereign grace.

The doctrines of grace are not a theological novelty; they are the heartbeat of Scripture. They remind us that man is not morally neutral but spiritually dead, that grace is not an offer but a miracle, and that salvation is not a partnership between God and man but the sovereign work of God alone.

This sermon calls the church to return to the God-centered gospel of Scripture — a gospel that humbles man, exalts Christ, and fuels worship. As we begin this series, we stand with the Reformers and with every faithful generation that has confessed: from Him and through Him and to Him are all things; to Him be glory forever.

Join us for this foundational message as we rediscover the doctrines that preserved the Reformation and continue to preserve the gospel today.

1. Prayer Is the Response for Every Season of Life

James 5:13 — “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.”

James teaches that every season of life—whether sorrowful or joyful—is an invitation to turn our attention to God. In hardship, we are to pray; in times of joy, we are to praise. Both prayer and praise are acts of dependence and trust.

This simple command keeps us grounded. Suffering should not lead to isolation or self-pity but to communion with God. Likewise, joy should not produce pride or forgetfulness but gratitude and worship.

When the rhythm of prayer and praise defines the Christian’s response to life’s highs and lows, it nurtures maturity and intimacy with God. This verse forms a framework for everyday discipleship.

2. The Prayer of Faith Brings Healing and Forgiveness

James 5:14–15 — “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders… the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…”

When physical sickness afflicts a believer, James encourages them to seek the spiritual care of the elders. The act of anointing with oil symbolizes consecration, while the prayer of faith appeals to God’s will for healing and restoration.

This is not a guarantee of physical healing, but a confident entrusting of the matter to God. James includes both physical and spiritual restoration, linking sickness with potential sin—though not all sickness is the result of sin (cf. John 9:1–3).

Faithful, humble prayer by church leaders is a means God often uses to encourage the afflicted, realign hearts, and display His compassion. The “raising up” is ultimately God’s work.

3. Confess Sins to One Another and Pray for One Another

James 5:16 — “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

James now moves from elder-led care to mutual care among all believers. Christians are called to confess their sins to one another—this is not a public airing of every thought, but appropriate, sincere confession aimed at reconciliation and healing.

This passage speaks to both physical and spiritual healing, and the context suggests that some suffering might be connected to unconfessed sin. Confession clears the conscience and restores fellowship.

In a culture of grace, confession and intercessory prayer create unity, humility, and dependence on God. A confessing church is a healthy church, and healing flows where repentance is practiced.

4. The Prayer of a Righteous Person Is Powerful and Effective

James 5:16b–18 — “The prayer of a righteous person has great power… Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…”

To motivate believers to pray, James points to Elijah—one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. Elijah was a faithful man, but James reminds us he had a “nature like ours.” He prayed earnestly, and God moved mightily.

This encourages every believer that God is not looking for spiritual superheroes—He responds to the humble, obedient, and faithful. Elijah’s prayers brought drought and later rain, showing both judgment and mercy.

Prayer works not because we are great, but because God is great. The “righteous” are those walking with God, trusting His Word, and seeking His will—not perfect, but sincere.

5. Restore the Wandering With Love and Truth

James 5:19–20 — “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back… will save his soul from death…”

James ends his letter not with benediction, but with a pastoral burden. If someone in the church strays from the truth—whether doctrinally or morally—it is the responsibility of fellow believers to pursue them in love and bring them back.

This is not harsh judgment, but gospel mercy. Restoration is not about shaming—it’s about saving. To turn someone back is to “save a soul from death” and “cover a multitude of sins” (cf. Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8).

Every church should be committed to gracious accountability. James calls us not to ignore the wandering, but to lovingly and truthfully restore them, just as Christ restores us.