Pride on SermonAudio

A verse-by-verse study through the book of James. How is your prayer life? What are your motives in prayer? Are you praying in the will of God? Or are you asking according to the flesh? Pastor Brian gives a convicting message on the topic of prayer from James Chapter 4.

BREAK UP THE HARD GROUND. [WHEN REVIVAL REACHES THE HEART] HOSEA 10:12; JOEL 2:12–13; Galatians 6:7-8 KJV God's command through Hosea is direct: "Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD." Fallow ground is ground capable of producing a harvest but left uncultivated until it becomes hard and unproductive. The same can happen spiritually when pride, bitterness, complacency, hidden sin, or repeated resistance hardens a believer's heart.Hosea contrasts sowing righteousness and reaping mercy with plowing wickedness and reaping iniquity. The message closes with Hebrews 3:15: "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." The revival prayer is: "Lord, break up the hard ground in me. Let Your plow go deep, and when the ground is ready—send the rain."

The Cost of Grace Jesus did not redeem us so we could keep our old lives—His grace rescues us, owns us, establishes us, and teaches us to live under His rule. The message centers on the truth that the gospel does not merely add Jesus to our lives—it brings us under His light, His rule, and His grace. Drawing from Balaam's prophecy in Numbers 24, Jesus is presented as both the Star who gives light and the Scepter who rules. The enemy could not curse what God had blessed, but Balaam showed how God's people could harm themselves by compromising with what God had forbidden. This warns believers that grace is never permission to live however we choose; grace teaches, corrects, cleanses, and brings our lives under the Lordship of Jesus. From 1 Thessalonians 2 and 2 Corinthians 5, the message emphasizes that believers have been entrusted with the gospel and must proclaim it faithfully rather than reshape it to please people. The cross is offensive to human pride because it declares that sinners cannot save, reconcile, or make themselves righteous. Yet the good news is that Jesus took our place, died for us, rose again, and gives life to those who trust Him. His love now constrains and compels us, so that those who live through Him should no longer live for themselves but for the One who died and rose again. The message also stresses that while salvation cannot be earned and is freely received by grace, grace was not cheap. Jesus purchased His people with His own life, and therefore redemption changes ownership. We do not surrender ourselves to earn salvation; we surrender because we have been bought by Christ. A Savior who never interrupts, corrects, or redirects our lives i

The sermon explores Esther chapter five to illustrate the theological truth that believers are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, which exceeds the moral standards of the scribes and Pharisees. It contrasts the human inability to achieve this righteousness with the gracious exchange where Jesus bears sin and imputes His own to the believer. The text highlights Esther's courageous intercession as a type of Christ's ongoing advocacy before the Father, emphasizing that God's sovereignty orchestrates events through human responsibility. The preacher encourages the audience to live as royalty in Christ, putting on the new self characterized by humility and love, rather than relying on their own efforts or succumbing to the pride exemplified by Haman. Ultimately, the sermon points to the assurance of salvation and the hope of sanctification found in the finished work of Jesus.

This exposition of Psalm 33 highlights the sovereignty of God over all creation and the futility of human pride and power. The sermon contrasts the inability of kings, armies, and human strength to provide salvation with the divine ability to judge the wicked and preserve the righteous. It emphasizes God's omniscience, noting that He sees all the works and hearts of men, which should inspire awe and accountability. Central to the message is the assurance that God's eye is upon those who fear Him, offering deliverance from death and sustenance in times of famine. The sermon concludes with an encouragement for believers to wait on the Lord, trusting in His mercy and holy name as their ultimate help and shield.

This sermon examines the profound humility and ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ as depicted in Philippians 2, emphasizing that His preeminence is demonstrated through His voluntary self-emptying for the redemption of humanity. The message highlights the theological reality that Christ, though equal with God, took on the form of a servant and became obedient unto death to secure salvation by grace, contrasting this with other world religions that rely on human effort. The preacher urges believers to adopt the mindset of Christ, rejecting pride and recognizing their total dependence on His finished work. This call to humility extends to practical applications in evangelism, service, and daily living, where believers are to reflect the same selfless devotion that characterized Jesus' earthly ministry. Ultimately, the sermon points to the future exaltation of Christ, where every knee will bow, encouraging the church to live in bold confidence and worship in response to His sovereign authority and mercy.

This sermon examines the theological and practical dangers of a hardened heart, using the life of Pharaoh in Exodus as a primary illustration. It addresses the common question of divine hardening by arguing that God revealed the pre-existing rebellion in Pharaoh's heart rather than removing his free will, emphasizing that humans consistently choose to reject revealed truth and rationalize away God's work. The message identifies key indicators of spiritual hardness, such as an inability to accept correction and a tendency to take half measures with God, which ultimately disrupts one's ability to hear the Holy Spirit. The preacher urges believers to guard against this condition by responding quickly to conviction, receiving correction with humility, and remembering God's past faithfulness to maintain a tender, responsive heart.

This sermon addresses the human tendency to either despair under the weight of sin or rely on self-righteousness, using Ezekiel 33 to demonstrate that God's justice demands repentance rather than excuse. The central message emphasizes that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but urgently calls them to turn from their evil ways, a call grounded in His sovereign oath and covenant faithfulness. The text distinguishes true repentance from mere regret, defining it as a concrete directional change that involves acknowledging sin, seeking restoration, and trusting in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ rather than one's own religious record. By confronting the lie that God's way is unjust, the sermon invites listeners to abandon both despair and pride, pointing instead to the cross where justice is satisfied and mercy is extended to those who turn to Him.

This sermon explores the metaphor of believers as the salt of the earth, identifying three primary functions: preserving moral truth, enhancing the quality of life through excellence, and adding spiritual value to society. The message emphasizes that this influence is only effective when believers are active in the world rather than isolated within the church, drawing on the example of Lot to warn against allowing sinful environments to erode one's distinctiveness. It addresses the danger of losing spiritual savor through pride, sin, or a lack of unity, citing Mark 9 and Luke 14 to show that useless salt is discarded. I urge listeners to examine their personal effectiveness and to seek renewal through Christ. The sermon concludes with a call to immediate obedience, encouraging listeners to address personal sins and restore fellowship to remain effective agents of change in a decaying world.