Sermon Notes & Videos
2025-04-18 | II Peter 1:5-7 | Object Lesson: Brotherly Affection
Faith is the foundation of the Christian life and it is a gift from God that came to you by way of His grace. And you must practice your faith if you wish to gain continual access to that grace. To do so, add these things to your faith in this precise sequence. First add virtue. That means to seek the Lord’s voice for what is right in every matter and don’t even attempt to seek new information or take any action before you are confident you’re in alignment with God’s will. Once you are certain about God’s directions, to truly demonstrate wisdom, begin by gathering any missing information before you act. It is only after you have the necessary knowledge to proceed judiciously that you should take any decisive action. It requires excellent self-control to both take wise action and to refrain from acting when God tells you to be still. It is also critical to recognize that challenges and temptations surely await; they will test you, misdirect you, and humble you. Nevertheless, one must stay the course to fulfill God’s desires, and that takes perseverance.
By the way, unless you humbly come to the conclusion that you made an error that must be corrected before you continue, persist until you succeed; a display of permanent self-control is part of the process. However, if you do discover you’ve made an error, it is prudent to retrace your steps to find your mistake. Begin by reconsidering if you’ve misinterpreted God’s original instructions and proceed from there. This entire process is meant to be pursued in every area of life. Doing so is the very essence of godliness. No doubt, your imperfections will be exposed as you progress, but godliness is not characterized by perfection. Godliness, instead, is the authentic grace-empowered pursuit of perfection, not the achievement of perfection. It’s hallmark is a never-ending desire to pursue God’s will in all things, and to make the appropriate corrections along the way. And that is how a disciple of Christ becomes an effective minister of reconciliation—one who readily imparts God’s grace.
His relentless pursuit of godliness has crafted him into a man whose surrendered life is poured out in sacrifice for the priorities of others. He is a beacon of brotherly affection who exudes kindness, a true disciple of Christ recognized by the love he shares. He imitates the character of Christ, and that is the constant meditation of his heart —to look more and more like Christ by how he loves. God is love; so, to become love is to become like Christ. Thus, to imitate God’s love is the only true measure of a perfect man—the full stature of Christ. And that is the goal of discipleship. Therefore, practice diligently if you wish to experience the fullness of God’s precious and exceedingly great promises, the greatest of which is the promise to partake in God’s Divine Nature.
2025-04-12 | Passover Haggadah | The Telling: 2025
Haggadah 2025 | From Anointing to Resurrection | Sermon Video
When your children ask, what will you tell them? What happens when God’s children have separated from their roots, forgotten their heritage, and have no recollection from where they came? Yahweh built reminders into His culture to deter that from happening, but unfortunately it has. Christians have disconnected from the roots of their faith, surrendered to common culture, and adopted the traditions of the world around them. “Do not love the world or the things of the world,” John warned. Are you guilty of committing the same neglect, of which Y’shua accused the religious hypocrites in His day, “making the word of God of no effect through their traditions which they have handed down?”
I fear that too many Christians today could offer no acceptable defense for their traditions! “How can this be true?” you might be thinking. Just look around during the holidays and you will see the majority of Christians flocking to manmade celebrations, steeped in pagan traditions. And if their children ask, “What do these holidays mean?” or, “Has God has allowed us to do this?” they will have no legitimate answer. Instead like religious hypocrites, they have “made the word of God of no effect through their traditions,” which they too are handing down to their children. If Y’shua appeared on the earth today, would He ask a similar question of our religious leaders that He asked two thousand years ago? “Why do you violate the word of God with your traditions?” And would they be angered by Him as they were, or would they change? John warned us about loving the things of the world, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…” May the Body of Christ once again run from such things.
Then, the next time your children ask, “What does this holiday mean?” with confidence you will be able to say, “It’s the Passover; we were slaves and now we are free; may your children tell their children, and their children the next generation. It is a memorial forever.” The frightening alternative is this, “These are our pagan roots; go find your painted eggs and chocolate Easter bunnies. Fill your baskets; this is now how we remember the death, burial and resurrection of our blessed Savior.” Oh, how far we have fallen from the truth! I don’t know about you, but when my children ask, I will say “As for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh!”
2025-04-11 | John 13:17 | Go Prepare the Passover | Preparation Day 2025
Asking questions is one of the most effective ways to engage the mind on a deeper level. Paul and Y’shua used this rabbinic style often and it has continued to stir the imagination of Christians for two thousand years. A quick review of Romans, Paul’s Magnum Opus, and you will discover that time after time he asked a question —each used to stitch together the fabric of the greatest theological treatise ever written—the canvas on which was painted the masterpiece of Christian doctrine. Y’shua was also a skillful artist when asking provocative questions. “Who do men say that I am?” challenged Peter to confess, ”You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And, what might be His most alluring question of all is one that Y’shua left blank—the conclusion is for you to discover. “Who is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his estate, to feed the people at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom, upon his return, the master finds so doing.”
And there is one other variation of this teaching style to consider. At times, Y’shua used incendiary statements to inspire critical prophetic inquiries from His disciples, or from anyone else with ears to hear. “Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left ere upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This disturbing image of the crumbling temple later induced His disciples to ask privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” One such directive prompted a question from His disciples that you too might ask yourself. And coming from a modern-day Christian makes it even more flammable than His disciples’ urgent appeal 2000 years ago! “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” Their expected reaction, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” Now you should ask yourself a similar question… “How will I prepare for the Passover that we may eat?”
2025-03-04 | II Peter 1:5-7 | Object Lesson: Godliness
Faith is the foundation of the Christian life and it is a gift from God that came to you by way of His grace. And you must practice your faith if you wish to gain continual access to that grace. To do so, add these things to your faith in this precise sequence. First add virtue. That means to seek the Lord’s voice for what is right in every matter and don’t even attempt to seek new information or take any action before you are confident you’re in alignment with God’s will.
Once you are certain about God’s directions, to truly demonstrate wisdom, begin by gathering any missing information before you act. It is only after you have the necessary knowledge to proceed judiciously that you should take any decisive action. It requires excellent self-control to both take wise action and to refrain from acting when God tells you to be still. It is also critical to recognize that challenges and temptations surely await; they will test you, misdirect you, and humble you. Nevertheless, one must stay the course to fulfill God’s desires, and that takes perseverance. By the way, unless you humbly come to the conclusion that you made an error that must be corrected before you continue, persist until you succeed; a display of permanent self-control is part of the process. However, if you do discover you’ve made an error, it is prudent to retrace your steps to find your mistake. Begin by reconsidering if you’ve misinterpreted God’s original instructions and proceed from there.
This entire process is meant to be pursued in every area of life. Doing so is the very essence of godliness. No doubt, your imperfections will be exposed as you progress, but godliness is not characterized by perfection. Godliness, instead, is the authentic grace-empowered pursuit of perfection, not the achievement of perfection. It’s hallmark is a never-ending desire to pursue God’s will in all things, and to make the appropriate corrections along the way. And that is how a disciple of Christ becomes an effective minister of reconciliation—one who readily imparts God’s grace. His relentless pursuit of godliness has crafted him into a man whose surrendered life is poured out in sacrifice for the priorities of others. He is a beacon of brotherly affection who exudes kindness, a true disciple of Christ recognized by the love he shares. He imitates the character of Christ, and that is the constant meditation of his heart —to look more and more like Christ by how he loves.
God is love; so, to become love is to become like Christ. Thus, to imitate God’s love is the only true measure of a perfect man—the full stature of Christ. And that is the goal of discipleship. Therefore, practice diligently if you wish to experience the fullness of God’s precious and exceedingly great promises, the greatest of which is the promise to partake in God’s Divine Nature.
2025-03-28 | II Peter 1:5-7 | Object Lesson: Perseverance
Faith is the foundation of the Christian life and it is a gift from God that came to you by way of His grace. And you must practice your faith if you wish to gain continual access to that grace. To do so, add these things to your faith in this precise sequence. First add virtue. That means to seek the Lord’s voice for what is right in every matter and don’t even attempt to seek new information or take any action before you are confident you’re in alignment with God’s will. Once you are certain about God’s directions, to truly demonstrate wisdom, begin by gathering any missing information before you act. It is only after you have the necessary knowledge to proceed judiciously that you should take any decisive action. It requires excellent self-control to both take wise action and to refrain from acting when God tells you to be still.
It is also critical to recognize that challenges and temptations surely await; they will test you, misdirect you, and humble you. Nevertheless, one must stay the course to fulfill God’s desires, and that takes perseverance. By the way, unless you humbly come to the conclusion that you made an error that must be corrected before you continue, persist until you succeed; a display of permanent self-control is part of the process. However, if you do discover you’ve made an error, it is prudent to retrace your steps to find your mistake. Begin by reconsidering if you’ve misinterpreted God’s original instructions and proceed from there.
This entire process is meant to be pursued in every area of life. Doing so is the very essence of godliness. No doubt, your imperfections will be exposed as you progress, but godliness is not characterized by perfection. Godliness, instead, is the authentic grace-empowered pursuit of perfection, not the achievement of perfection. It’s hallmark is a never-ending desire to pursue God’s will in all things, and to make the appropriate corrections along the way. And that is how a disciple of Christ becomes an effective minister of reconciliation—one who readily imparts God’s grace. His relentless pursuit of godliness has crafted him into a man whose surrendered life is poured out in sacrifice for the priorities of others. He is a beacon of brotherly affection who exudes kindness, a true disciple of Christ recognized by the love he shares. He imitates the character of Christ, and that is the constant meditation of his heart —to look more and more like Christ by how he loves.
God is love; so, to become love is to become like Christ. Thus, to imitate God’s love is the only true measure of a perfect man—the full stature of Christ. And that is the goal of discipleship. Therefore, practice diligently if you wish to experience the fullness of God’s precious and exceedingly great promises, the greatest of which is the promise to partake in God’s Divine Nature.
2025-03-21 | II Peter 1:5-7 | Object Lesson: Self-Control
Faith is the foundation of the Christian life and it is a gift from God that came to you by way of His grace. And you must practice your faith if you wish to gain continual access to that grace. To do so, add these things to your faith in this precise sequence. First add virtue. That means to seek the Lord’s voice for what is right in every matter and don’t even attempt to seek new information or take any action before you are confident you’re in alignment with God’s will. Once you are certain about God’s directions, to truly demonstrate wisdom, begin by gathering any missing information before you act. It is only after you have the necessary knowledge to proceed judiciously that you should take any decisive action. It requires excellent self-control to both take wise action and to refrain from acting when God tells you to be still. It is also critical to recognize that challenges and temptations surely await; they will test you, misdirect you, and humble you. Nevertheless, one must stay the course to fulfill God’s desires, and that takes perseverance. By the way, unless you humbly come to the conclusion that you made an error that must be corrected before you continue, persist until you succeed; a display of permanent self-control is part of the process. However, if you do discover you’ve made an error, it is prudent to retrace your steps to find your mistake. Begin by reconsidering if you’ve misinterpreted God’s original instructions and proceed from there.
This entire process is meant to be pursued in every area of life. Doing so is the very essence of godliness. No doubt, your imperfections will be exposed as you progress, but godliness is not characterized by perfection. Godliness, instead, is the authentic grace-empowered pursuit of perfection, not the achievement of perfection. It’s hallmark is a never-ending desire to pursue God’s will in all things, and to make the appropriate corrections along the way. And that is how a disciple of Christ becomes an effective minister of reconciliation—one who readily imparts God’s grace. His relentless pursuit of godliness has crafted him into a man whose surrendered life is poured out in sacrifice for the priorities of others. He is a beacon of brotherly affection who exudes kindness, a true disciple of Christ recognized by the love he shares. He imitates the character of Christ, and that is the constant meditation of his heart—to look more and more like Christ by how he loves.
God is love; so, to become love is to become like Christ. Thus, to imitate God’s love is the only true measure of a perfect man—the full stature of Christ. And that is the goal of discipleship. Therefore, practice diligently if you wish to experience the fullness of God’s precious and exceedingly great promises, the greatest of which is the promise to partake in God’s Divine Nature.