What if the very trial you’re begging God to take away is the very trial He’s using to build greater character and hope in your spiritual walk? That’s actually what the Bible teaches—“we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). In God’s hands, tribulation is never wasted; it’s His workshop of “hope [that] does not disappoint” (v. 5a). How is this so? “because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (v. 5b). So let’s learn how to glory in our tribulations—because they’re designed, through God’s love and His enabling Sprit, to produce hope. 

Sermon:https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/659b903f04193b12ea375cbb

When it comes to our salvation, it’s easy to glory in how God saved us and forget that faith without works is dead. As Christians, we must go from believing to doing—to put our faith into practice. This is Paul’s message in Romans. After explaining the rich doctrine of salvation (chap. 1-11), he then shows believers how to live (chap. 12-16).  

And what should our renewed lives look like? Love without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be diligent and patient in tribulation. Continue steadfastly in prayer. Give to others in need and be hospitable (Rom. 12:9-13). These are just a few of the fruits of the Gospel, which show overflow its banks, transforming the culture of our lives and our local church life. 

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/6899879cd1e0ca448c28064e

In today’s world, dishonoring authorities is the normal thing. Mockery is entertainment. Wherever you look, authority is questioned and rejected, without shame. But God calls His people to create a culture of honor, even when parents, pastors, and civil authorities—whom we’re called to honor—are dishonorable. This doesn’t mean ignoring their sin or enabling abuse. But it does mean that we recognize their position, even when they fall short.  

How do we wisely navigate this challenge? Honor the position, not the behavior. Don’t gossip. Establish guardrails when you spend time with dishonorable parents, so you don’t put your family in harm’s way. Choose forgiveness over bitterness. Express care, even when it’s undeserved. Learn how to live successfully under authorities who act dishonorably, and the blessings will flow, for God promises blessings when we honor them. 

What do you have right now, as a Christian, that’s not dependent on your feelings or day-to-day life? You have peace with God because you’ve been justified by faith. This peace is not some kind of emotional high or spiritual calm that you experience. It’s solid and unchangeable. It’s an objective and unshakable peace—secured by Christ—that can’t be swept away, “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” (Rom. 5:1). God has pronounced you righteous, and “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in” Him (Rom. 8:1). No matter how you “feel” on any given day, you have an unmovable peace with God that will never end. 

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/659255a9db5b660593ffe4f6

There’s a kind of woman who foils the plans of the Devil. This kind of woman doesn’t need a stage, applause, or a social media platform. But when she rises in the morning, hell trembles because she knows who she is. She is, as Solomon said, “Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, [and] awesome as an army with banners” (Song of Sol. 6:10). She is hope at sunrise, bringing light to the darkness with a radiant, visible character that burns bright and warm. She wages war fiercely but quietly, carrying the banners of Christ as a devoted nurturer. She doesn’t need to fight like men—she fights by raising children, honoring her husband, teaching younger women, and reflecting Jesus Christ in everything she does. Let’s raise a generation of women like this—women who radiate beauty and terrify the darkness. 

Parents—your home is not a democracy. It’s God’s appointed training ground for you to teach your children how to honor their father and mother, “the first commandment with [a] promise” (Eph. 6:2). So, examine your home life. Is it marked by children who reject authority, whine, roll their eyes, and ignore your wishes? Are they slow to obey, which is disobedience? It really matters what you do—how you speak to your children, what you tolerate, and how quickly and effectively you deal with outbursts of dishonor. Here’s the bottom line: It’s your duty to transition your children out of being governed by their emotions to be governed by the Word of God. So, help your children understand parental authority, and make it clear to them the promises they will experience when they truly honor you.  

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/68749dd2438c838139e5b3c1

We live in a child-centered culture where emotions are enthroned, and parents are expected to seek approval from their children instead of leading them with their God-given authority. This isn't compassion—it's confusion—and it is hurting our homes and harming the rising generation. The key to turning this around is for parents to disrupt the idolatry of self in the family and uphold the Fifth Commandment, “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise” (Eph. 6:2). So, parents—stop listening to Freudian psychobabblers and raise your children after God’s Word. Show them what honor looks like, and rebuild the walls of your home with the mortar of authority and truth. 

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/686b6318fa360db97f9d7637

Dishonor makes people nomadic – in churches, marriages, friendships, jobs. It makes them keep looking for a better deal. However, Biblical honor is the missing ingredient in broken relationships. But, we live in a dishonorable age where people say and post whatever they want, children talk back to their parents, leave churches, job hop. This flies in the face of God’s direct command that we “give preference to one another” with “honor” (Rom. 12:10). Yet true honor toward others doesn’t happen. It’s the fruit of salvation and a transformed heart. It flows from honoring Christ as we present ourselves as living sacrifices to Him. So, are you cultivating a spirit of honor in your heart toward God and those around you? Or, are you going to keep moving on from one relationship to another?

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/68622894415d2d77bb98b1a1  

The most terrifying thing the Devil sees is not a woman in the boardroom, on a political stage, or behind a podcast mic. It’s a woman in the home raising her children in the fear of God, loving her husband, and building the next generation by faith. This is exactly what feminism hates. Instead of enhancing femininity, feminism obliterates it. So, here's the question, sisters: Has the boa constrictor started nibbling at your feet? Are there areas where feminism has crept in to your wardrobe, your schedule, your ambitions, your theology? If so, take aim with the word of God in one hand, and your calling in the other. Stand your ground—raise your children, help your husband, build your home, be a homemaker, be holy. Become the woman God created you to be. 

Every church has an aroma about it. So, what your church’s: Is it a lingering scent of bitterness or indifference—or the aroma of love? In Romans 12:10, Paul gives us a blueprint on how to cultivate the latter, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love.” This reveals that the church is not to function like a social club or a business meeting, but like a family where there’s genuine laughter, forgiveness, warmth, and even tears. Such a culture can’t be achieved through clever programs or simply “being busy,” but through showing quiet genuineness and personal love toward each another. So rather than lose affection for, and keep our distance from, those in our congregation, let’s be a church that’s “kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love” (Rom. 12:10). 

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/684fb3af544d5fe98a8cdd8b