Sermons | Local Church in Wabash, Indiana | Bachelor Creek

How do we remain faithful when internal and external pressures start to build? The churches in Smyrna and Pergamum received letters from John addressing the pressures they were facing. Through John’s Revelation, Jesus spoke words of encouragement and challenge to these struggling churches, but His words can continue to spur us forward in our faithfulness today.

The church at Ephesus possessed many positive qualities that Jesus praised. Unfortunately, though, they had forsaken their first love. How did that happen to them and how does that happen to us today? Jesus graciously directs us to remember, repent, and return to the things we did at first. In essence, he’s inviting us to define ourselves by love: Christ’s love for us and our love for Jesus and others.

The Apostle John, an old man exiled on the island of Patmos because of his faith in Christ, writes down what he hears and sees from Jesus in the book of Revelation. More than any future descriptions Revelation may provide, this letter is foremost about a person, Jesus, who stands above the future. The seven churches John wrote to faced all kinds problems, many of the same problems we face today. What we learn from Revelation 1 is that when we measure our problems against the size of our God, fear is diminished and life is supersized. It starts with a full view of the majesty of Jesus. #SevenWords

Faithfulness is one of the supreme attributes, whether it’s in marriage, friendship, or business. Daniel was consistently faithful, both publicly and privately. His exceptional qualities set him apart from his peers and his reputation withstood harsh scrutiny. When his life was on the line, Daniel refused to compromise!

The opposite of humility is pride, and Daniel 4 reveals it in a dramatic way. Nebuchadnezzar will learn (and then tell) about the greatest lesson God showed him in his long reign—that He is able to humble those who walk in pride. So why not learn it the easy way? Listen carefully and apply these truths diligently. Be humble so you don’t stumble!

Everyone worships something. And we are faced daily with the temptation to go along with the crowd and fit in with the world around us. Do we have the faith and trust to worship God alone, especially when the heat is on? In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego find themselves under intense pressure to cave, but by knowing who God is, they stay strong. In the midst of the fire, they discover that God is with them.

As a young man, Daniel found himself far from home, exiled to Babylon. It was a culture with very different values and beliefs than his own. In the midst of the chaos and hostility around him, Daniel teaches us what it takes to live as followers of Christ in our world today. Like Daniel, we need to be people of deep conviction who draw a line in the sand on where we stand.

God created us for community. There are things that can happen in circles that can’t happen any other way. You can’t grow spiritually unless you’re connected relationally. When you make the commitment to get out of a row and into a circle, it will have a preventative impact in your life. You have no idea what all is being prevented, but someone else can see what you can’t see, and you can see what someone else can’t see. That’s why we need each other and why small groups are so important at Bachelor Creek.

At some point in time we’ll have questions and doubts in our faith. They will come. Thankfully, God is not afraid of your questions. He wants you to honestly deal with your doubts. In Scripture, Thomas doubted, but ultimately overcame his doubts and believed fully in Jesus. His story teaches us how we, too, can overcome our doubts, and have a growing faith.

We try to avoid thinking about death at all costs. Yet anytime we attend a funeral or someone close to us dies, we wonder, “What is the afterlife going to be like?” Someone has said that the purpose of this life is to prepare for the next. So maybe one of the most helpful things we can do is look into what happens when we die. Jesus shares an interesting story in Luke 16 that gives us a lot of answers about death, life, eternity, heaven, and hell.