Truth on SermonAudio

This sermon explores the concept of spiritual stability by examining Peter's urgent desire to remind believers of foundational truths before his death. The central message presents the list of virtues in 2 Peter 1:5-8 as a divine recipe for consistent spiritual growth, countering the common experience of emotional highs and lows in the Christian life. The speaker emphasizes that 'adding' virtue to faith is not a passive act but a deliberate, daily decision to glorify God in all aspects of life, similar to how muscle memory becomes natural through repetition. Through personal anecdotes and the analogy of an orchestra, the message illustrates how this foundational commitment to virtue allows other spiritual fruits to flow naturally, resulting in a life that is fruitful rather than barren. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, inviting the congregation to make a fresh commitment to this process of growth.

This sovereign truth comes from John 17 -- God the Father has given some to God the Son Jesus Christ and He will give eternal life to all that the Father has given Him.

His career as a preacher began in 1544 where he first preached in Ross, and then in Dundee, where, with great admiration of all that heard him he expounded Paul's epistle to the Romans. At the instigation of the Cardinal, a certain man named Robert Mill tried to stop his preaching. He said to Wishart, in a public place, that he should not trouble their town any longer, that he would not suffer it to continue. Wishart thought about this for a little with his eyes raised up to heaven, and then looking sorrowfully upon the speaker and people, he said – God is my witness that I never intended your trouble, but your comfort; your trouble is more dolorous to me than it is to yourselves; but I am assured that, to refuse God's word, and to chase me from you, his messenger, shall not preserve you from trouble, but shall bring you into it: for God shall send you ministers that shall neither fear burning or banishment. I have offered you the word of salvation; with the hazard of my life I have remained among you: now ye yourselves refuse me, and I must leave my innocency to be declared by my God. If it be long prosperous with you, then I am not led by the spirit of truth; but if unlooked for trouble comes upon you, acknowledge the cause, and turn to God, who is gracious and merciful; but if you turn not at the first warning, he will visit you with fire and sword."

The preacher warns that Christians must not let the world "find its place in their hearts," using C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters as illustration. Believers belong to the Father, not the world, and must be sanctified by the truth — "Your word is truth." The sermon stresses the necessity of Christian community, rejecting the idea of a "Lone Ranger Christian," and calls believers to fill their hearts with the knowledge of God so they may be rooted in His love and preserved to the end. The sermon concludes with Paul's prayer from Ephesians 3, urging believers to know the love of Christ deeply and to trust God's care as He safely delivers His people home.

In this Haggai 1 expository sermon, Pastor Richard Caldwell urges us to Consider Your Ways. Discover how to align your priorities with God. When God speaks His truth, it imparts an immediate responsibility to those who hear it. It is impossible to receive the Word of God irreverently and expect to experience His blessing. True spiritual correction must begin at the heart level before it results in outward obedience. The Lord assessed His people in Haggai's day and exposed their misguided priorities. They had focused on building their own houses while the house of the Lord lay in ruins. This covenant disobedience brought material leanness, demonstrating the loving reproof of a sovereign God. Turning back to the Lord requires humble self-evaluation and a proper heart posture. The ultimate motive for our obedience must never be mere material relief or personal gain. True repentance is driven by a deep desire to please the Lord and seek His glory above all else. Key Biblical Takeaways: - Truth received is a responsibility received, requiring an obedient and reverent response. - Spiritual correction demands humble, penitent self-evaluation at the heart level. - The true motive for biblical repentance is to please and glorify God, not personal relief. - God lovingly uses our circumstances as reproof to draw our hearts back to covenant faithfulness.

1. Remember our Identity 2. Recognize the danger. 3. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Relying in the Holy Spirit: (Part 2) Eph 6:17-18  "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" Weapon of Offence. The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. With Prayer. Gal 3:5  "therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? " Hearing the Gospel! 2Th 2:13  "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: " Heb 13:5-6 " Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Acts 23:5 & Isaiah 41:10..., etc listen to the sermon!