Tulsa Bible Church: Sermons

Why do we still feel like something is missing, even when we have Jesus?

In a world that constantly tells us we need more success, approval, recognition, and fulfillment, it's easy to forget who we are in Christ. But what happens when we start looking for purpose in all the wrong places?

In this sermon from Colossians 2:6-10, we explore what it means to find our identity in Christ and why Jesus is sufficient for everything we truly need. Discover how to guard against spiritual deception, grow deeper in your faith, and stand firm in the truth of who you are because of what Jesus has accomplished for you.

What if Jesus leaving His disciples was actually better for them?

The ascension of Jesus Christ is often overlooked, but it marks a turning point in God's plan for His people. In Luke 24:44–53, we discover why Jesus' return to the Father was not the end of the story, but the beginning of something extraordinary.

In this sermon, we explore three truths about the ascension of Christ:

1. The Plan of God Is Unfolding
Jesus' death and resurrection were never God's backup plan. All of Scripture points to Christ and His work of redemption, revealing God's plan to save His people and restore His creation.

2. The Promise of God Is Unleashing
Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to empower, guide, comfort, and dwell within His followers. Through the Spirit, believers can experience a deeper intimacy with Christ than they might expect.

3. The Blessing of God Is Transforming
Jesus blesses His disciples as He ascends, and they respond with worship and joy. We don't worship to earn God's blessing. We worship because we have already received His grace through Christ.

Whether you're navigating an uncertain future, struggling with past sins, or trying to understand God's plan for your life, this passage reminds us that God is not off course. His purposes are unfolding, Christ reigns above every power, and His Spirit is at work in those who belong to Him.

📖 Scripture: Luke 24:44–53; Romans 8:10–11

What if the resurrection of Jesus is not simply a story of hope, but a historical event that changes everything?

The resurrection stands at the center of Christianity. If Jesus truly rose from the grave, then death is not the end, sin does not have the final word, and our lives cannot remain the same.

In Luke 24, we see how the empty tomb confronted the expectations of Jesus' followers, confirmed the promises of God, and completely changed the way they lived. Their response wasn't blind faith. They investigated the evidence, wrestled with their doubts, remembered Jesus' promises, and ultimately encountered the reality of the risen Christ.

The resurrection gives us hope instead of fear, grace instead of guilt, and purpose instead of simply passing time.

What happens when you take the resurrection out of Christianity?

In Luke 24, two men walk the road to Emmaus overwhelmed by sorrow, disappointment, and hopelessness. They believed Jesus had died, and with Him, their hope had died too. But they were missing the truth standing right in front of them: Jesus had risen.

The resurrection isn't merely a comforting story or a personal experience. Christianity rests on a historical claim: Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again. And if the resurrection is true, it changes everything.

In this sermon, we explore why the resurrection matters, why humanity struggles with despair without eternal hope, and what happens when our eyes are opened to who Jesus really is.

If Jesus really rose from the grave, what does that mean for your life?

What do you really want from Jesus?

At the cross, two criminals looked at the same suffering Jesus, heard the same words, and faced the same reality. Yet they responded to Him in completely different ways.

One criminal wanted Jesus to fix his immediate situation. The other recognized that he needed something far greater: a Savior for his soul.

In Luke 23:32–43, we see two radically different approaches to Jesus. One treats Jesus like a servant who should meet our needs and work according to our timing. The other recognizes Jesus as the King who offers forgiveness, grace, and salvation.

The question is not simply whether you believe in Jesus. What are you looking for from Him?

This message explores the crucifixion, the substitutionary death of Christ, the forgiveness we receive through the cross, and how experiencing Christ's forgiveness should transform the way we forgive others.

What happens when we want Jesus, but only on our own terms?

In Luke 22, we see the power of darkness at work through the disciples’ self-sufficiency, Judas’s betrayal, and Peter’s self-confidence. But beneath each of these failures is something uncomfortably familiar: our tendency to trust ourselves, pursue our own strength, and follow Jesus only when the cost is manageable.

The disciples slept when Jesus prayed. Judas sold Jesus when following Him stopped being profitable. Peter promised he would never deny Jesus, and then denied Him three times.

Yet the hope of the Gospel is that our salvation does not ultimately rest on our commitment, our resolve, or our ability to remain faithful. It rests on Jesus, the ready servant who stayed faithful when everyone else failed.

This message from Luke 22 challenges us to beware of creating a Jesus on our own terms and instead trust the One who perfectly carried out the Father’s will for us.

What if you could be rejecting God’s authority without even realizing it?

In Luke 20, Jesus confronts religious leaders who appeared to follow God while continually resisting His authority. They evaded the truth, divided their allegiances, and ultimately reduced Jesus to someone who could fit into their own understanding of life.

And the uncomfortable truth is that we can do the same thing.

We may accept God's authority in some areas of our lives while keeping Him out of others. We may avoid difficult truths because they challenge us. We may even reshape Jesus into someone who never challenges our desires, decisions, or way of living.

But Jesus doesn't call us to simply admire Him. He calls us to surrender to Him.

In this message from Luke 20, we’ll look at what it means to become a truth seeker rather than a truth evader, to give God our complete allegiance, and to recognize Jesus as the rightful authority over every part of our lives.

We all have a king.

The question is not whether you will give something or someone authority over your life, the question is who will sit on the throne?

In Luke 19, Jesus enters Jerusalem as the rightful King. But He isn't merely the gentle, sentimental Jesus we sometimes imagine. He is the rightful King, the righteous King, and the resident King, the One who has authority over His house, His people, and ultimately all of creation.

As Jesus begins the final week leading to His crucifixion and resurrection, we see something that changes everything: the King has come, and every person must respond.

Will you crown Him... or will you reject Him?

And what happens when we try to put something else on the throne?

In this message from Luke 19, we look at Jesus as the true King, the fulfillment of God's promises, and the sacrifice who ended the old system of religion by becoming the perfect Lamb of God.

Scripture: Luke 19:28-48

What if the reason you're exhausted isn't because you're carrying too much, but because you're carrying things God never intended you to carry?

In Isaiah 46, God contrasts two completely different ways of living: the way of burnout and the way of rest. The idols of Babylon had to be carried, protected, and transported by their worshipers. But the God of Israel does the opposite. He carries His people.

As a new school year begins, students, parents, and grandparents face pressure, expectations, achievement, relationships, and uncertainty. It's easy to place our identity and security in grades, popularity, success, sports, careers, family, or our plans for the future. But those things were never meant to carry the weight of our lives.

God calls us to something different: to let Him carry what we were never meant to carry, to identify the idols behind our goals, and to trust His purposes when life doesn't go according to our plans.

Because the question isn't whether you'll carry something.
The question is who will carry you.

What does your relationship with money reveal about your relationship with Jesus?

In Luke 18-19, three very different people encounter Jesus: a wealthy young ruler, a blind man, and Zacchaeus. One walks away devastated. Another receives mercy. Another encounters Jesus and becomes radically generous.

Why the difference?

Jesus shows us that money and possessions aren't merely financial issues, they can reveal what we truly treasure, what we trust, and what sits on the throne of our hearts. The rich young ruler had everything, yet couldn't let go. Zacchaeus had lived for himself, yet grace transformed the way he lived.

This message explores the wrong way to approach Jesus, the right way to approach Him, and how grace leads to generosity.