Sermon Shorts with Ben Smith

From the sermon The Church’s Worship, Ephesians 5:15-21

In Acts 16, the Bible records that Paul and Silas had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel and casting out a demon from a slave girl. They were ordered to be imprisoned and their feet fastened in the stocks. The next verse gives a simple description:

Acts 16:25 (ESV) — 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

Paul and Silas were doing what Paul teaches in Ephesians 5:15-21. They were being abused by the government. They were in the unsanitary, uncomfortable, and unpleasant confines of a 1st-century jail. They were surrounded by others who did not know Jesus. But what do they do?

They do not complain. They do not scream and cry. They do not even demand justice.

They worship. They prayed and sang hymns to God. They were worshiping with integrity. They were worshiping in faithfulness. And they were worshiping for the glory of God.

From the sermon The Church’s Testimony, Matthew 18:15-20

The worthiness of fighting for something is not from the outcome but the value of what could be lost. It is worth the risk to contend for a brother’s restoration and lose than surrender him to the devil without a fight. Do not give up on your brothers and sisters without a fight. Speak truth into their lives, Contend for their restoration. Honor the testimony of the church.

From the sermon the Church’s Foundation, Matthew 16:18-19

From the sermon The Church’s Foundation, Matthew 16:18-19

From the sermon, Every Life Sacred Job 31:13-25, pastor Ben shares three things you should do in response to the sanctity of life.

From the sermon Gather Together, Hebrews 10:24:25.

Have you ever noticed that when you have unconfessed sin that you also have a greater temptation to skip church? When you gather with other believers, God uses the experience to draw you to faithfulness and expose anything that is keeping you from faithfulness.

From the sermon Gather Together, Hebrews 10:24:25.

For all the advantages and conveniences of technology, some things cannot be done virtually. Sermons can be heard through many technological avenues, but the church can only be who we have been called to be when we gather together.

We need to reform the old phrase “I’m just a sinner saved by grace with a new phrase. “I was a sinner, but now I am saved by grace!”

From the sermon, The Name: Lord Jesus, Matthew 3:1-12

From the sermon, The Name: Immanuel, Matthew 1:21-23