Spirits on SermonAudio

Christians have been forgiven and transformed through faith in Jesus Christ, but they have not yet been perfected. Temptation, weakness, and remaining sin continue to affect believers throughout the Christian life. In this episode, Dave Jenkins explains how Christ has broken sin's dominion, why the flesh continues to oppose the Holy Spirit, and why the believer's struggle against sin does not mean salvation has failed. Christians can fight sin with confidence because sanctification is underway, God's grace is sufficient, and glorification is coming. For more from Contending for the Word Q&A, please visit: https://servantsofgrace.org/contending-for-the-word-qa/

Kept From My Iniquity The Mercy and Truth of God: Learning to Be Led by Him Rather Than Our Flesh Primary Scriptures: Psalm 18, Psalm 32, Psalm 51, Psalm 99, Psalm 106, and Numbers 20 Central Truth: God's mercy meets us in our failures, His truth guides us in our decisions, and His Spirit leads us away from the iniquity that seeks to rule within us. We do not have to finish what our flesh starts when we are willing to trust Him, acknowledge Him, and walk in His ways. Introduction: It's Okay to Admit I'm Not Okay, but It's Not Okay to Stay There Amen and amen. What a gift it is to know that I don't have to have everything figured out. I don't have to pretend I've got everything together. I don't have to put on some kind of facade and convince everybody around me that everything is wonderful when, in reality, I'm struggling. I can acknowledge that I don't have all the answers, but I know the One who does. I can acknowledge that I don't have the strength, but I know where to find it. I can recognize that there's something wrong with me, something going on in my heart, something troubling my thoughts, something pulling at my affections, and I can go to the Lord with it. That's what we've been seeing over and over again as we've walked through the Psalms, haven't we? David would cry out, "I'm poor and needy." He recognized his condition. He understood his weaknesses. He knew there were things going on in him that he couldn't straighten out on his own. And here's the wonderful thing about it: David knew where to go! It's okay to admit, "Lord, I ain't okay. I need You. I need Your wisdom. I need Your mercy. I need Your guidance. I need You to do something in me that I

This sermon examines the theological foundation of Christian assurance by analyzing the three witnesses described in 1 John 5: the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit. The speaker argues against interpreting the water and blood as church sacraments or merely the physical fluids from the crucifixion, instead presenting them as historical evidences of Jesus' baptism and atoning death. The message emphasizes that while these historical facts provide the objective basis for faith, it is the internal witness of the Holy Spirit that confirms salvation to the believer's soul. The preacher distinguishes between the objective testimony available to all and the subjective assurance reserved for those who believe, warning that rejecting this divine record renders a person a liar. The tone is instructional and pastoral, urging believers to deepen their understanding of Scripture to experience the Spirit's confirmation of their eternal life.

This message centers on the theological necessity of the new birth, using the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3 to illustrate that spiritual transformation is a supernatural act of God rather than a result of human effort or religious status. The sermon connects this biblical truth to the practical work of the Hoosier Hills Recovery Ministry, highlighting how faith-based recovery restores broken lives through a renewed vertical relationship with God. Testimonies from participants demonstrate that true change involves moving from despair to hope, replacing bad habits with a foundation of grace, and finding identity in Christ rather than in past mistakes. The speaker emphasizes that while religion and self-improvement have limits, only the Spirit of God can give new life, making the new birth essential for entering the kingdom and securing one's name in the book of life. The tone is both instructional and deeply pastoral, urging the audience to accept the free gift of salvation and to walk in the newness of life that Christ provides.

This sermon explores the command in Galatians 6 to bear one another's burdens, specifically focusing on the spiritual discipline of restoring a brother or sister who has been overtaken by sin. The central message emphasizes that this restoration is not merely about correcting behavior but about guiding the individual back to the pathway of holiness, characterized by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, and peace. The preacher argues that this work requires a disposition of meekness, where believers examine their own hearts to avoid pride and self-protection, recognizing that they too are dependent on God's grace. By using the metaphor of mending nets, the sermon illustrates that restoration is a process of repairing what has been torn so that the believer can function as designed for God's glory. Ultimately, the text calls for a rejection of comparative religion and self-reliance, urging believers to trust in Christ as the ultimate burden-bearer and restorer who grants repentance and sustains the community through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus' death and resurrection were not the only aspects of his work promised in the Old Testament Scriptures. The Scriptures also promise the global spread of his gospel by his Spirit and through his people. This is a profound truth that gives the church confidence today to go and send and risk much for the sake of God's name among the nations. In Luke 24:47 we continue our multi-week trek through Jesus' third and final resurrection encounter in which he anchors his disciples in the Scriptures to strengthen them for their mission.

Applying a robust trinitarianism to prayer can transform how we pray and deepen our reliance on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This sermon examines the final words of Jesus to His disciples in the upper room, focusing on three key themes: the abounding glory of God, the new commandment to love one another, and the danger of misplaced loyalty. The message explains that Jesus' glorification through the cross reveals the Father's holiness, justice, and mercy, establishing a pattern where humility leads to exaltation. It emphasizes that the commandment to love is new in its example, extent, and enablement through the Holy Spirit, serving as the distinguishing mark of true discipleship. Finally, the sermon uses Peter's response as a cautionary example of how pride and self-will can lead to failure, urging believers to surrender their own agendas and faithfully follow God's specific instructions.

The sermon examines the dual nature of Jesus' authority as presented in the Gospel of Mark, focusing on the call of the first disciples and the exorcism in the synagogue. It argues that Jesus' command to 'follow me' establishes him as the supreme loyalty of a believer's life, requiring the renunciation of self-governance and the submission of career, family, and wealth to his lordship. Simultaneously, the encounter with the unclean spirit reveals Jesus' divine power to defeat the kingdom of darkness, demonstrating that his presence is both a source of grace for the willing and a terrifying judgment for the demonic. The central message is that true discipleship involves a personal, living encounter with the incarnate Son of God, who is both the desirable King to be followed and the Holy One whose presence exposes sin and defeats evil.

The Israelites stand at the base of Mt. Sinai as God continues to arrest their attention with shocking sights and sounds. There is thunder and lighting. There is fire and smoke. There are many sounds of loud trumpet blasts. The mountain is quaking...and the people are quaking too. In that intimidating and impressive environment, God articulates His righteous ten commandments. These commandments outline what relating rightly to Him and others looks like. With great fear and trembling, the people receive the commandments and begin reckoning with God's standards and their accountability for them. This passage provides another brilliant foreshadowing of the Gospel as it begins to outline the Law through which God's people will be both governed--according to the enforcement of it--and exposed as in need of deliverance--since they will all be in violation of it, in one way or another. They need a substitute, one who can keep the Law, not just the letter of it, but the spirit of it. They also need one who can absorb their penalty for failing to keep it. They need an "Exodus," a "Way Out," and that way out is Jesus. As Galatians 4:4-5 says, "When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law." Jesus is the fulfiller of the Law and the one who sets us free from its demand and curse. He is the one we can trust as we endeavor to love God and others and yet fall short over and over again. He is the Commandment Keeper.