2026-07-26

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

1 Timothy 4-6

Today, we’ll cover the final three chapters of 1 Timothy. Again, a letter from a mentor to a young man in ministry encouraging him to be faithful to the work. As in the first 3 chapters, Paul continues in his warnings and advice for the church—both then and now.

Today’s focus: “Watch out for the distortion of the Word. Instead, focus on remaining faithful, caring for those in need, leading with integrity, finding contentment in Him, and living a life of faith.”

Chapter 4

1. Watch out for the distortion of the Word

1 Timothy 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ²speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, ³forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; ⁵for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

• Paul uses the phrase “latter times” (hysteros) as a reference to moments we will experience rather than the phrase “last days”(eschatos) used in 2 Timothy. This is a reminder the church will experience these challenges while still present and doing the work of the ministry.
• These challenges are “deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
• Charles Ryrie once said, “The activities of demons in the Bible can be cataloged into three categories: they promote a system of doctrine; they seek to destroy men’s bodies and souls; and they deceive men and nations.”^[i]

2. Instead, focus on remaining faithful

1 Tim. 4:6-16 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. ⁷But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. ⁸For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. ⁹This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. ¹⁰For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. ¹¹These things command and teach. ¹²Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. ¹³Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. ¹⁴Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. ¹⁵Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. ¹⁶Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

• Paul reminds Timothy it is his duty to “instruct” the church in dealing with these things
• Paul does not discourage exercise in verse 8, rather he is reminding them that it is easy to be distracted by the busyness and activities of the day rather than focusing on the work at hand
• In Pilgrim’s Progress, we read “For the lusts, pleasures, and profits of this world; in the enjoyment of which I did then promise myself much delight: but now every one of those things also bite me, and gnaw me like a burning worm.^[ii]
• Verse 12 is a clear indicator that the work of the ministry is not reserved for the “experts/elders” alone

Chapter 5

3. Caring for those in need

1 Tim. 5:1-16 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, ²older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. ³Honor widows who are really widows. ⁴But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. ⁵Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. ⁶But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. ⁷And these things command, that they may be blameless. ⁸But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁹Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, ¹⁰well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. ¹¹But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, ¹²having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. ¹³And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. ¹⁴Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. ¹⁵For some have already turned aside after Satan. ¹⁶If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

• Verses 1 and 2 remind us how we are to interact with those around us. “In purity” is a clear reminder of the dangers of allowing sin to creep into our activities.
• The rest of this section deals with how to deal with those in need AND the requirement to take care of our own families (verse 8)

4. Leading with integrity

1 Tim. 5:17-25 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor,  especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. ¹⁸For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” ¹⁹Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. ²⁰Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. ²¹I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. ²²Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. ²³No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities. ²⁴Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. ²⁵Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.

• Here, Paul gives guidance on dealing with rumors, gossip and conflict. He uses Matthew 18 as the foundation for his encouragement.
• Verse 23 is often confused as encouragement to drink alcohol. Paul is referring to medicinal purposes in this statement.
• Verses 24 & 25 refer to the importance of testimony and long-term faithfulness

Chapter 6

5. Finding contentment in Him

1 Tim. 6:1-10 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. ²And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. ³If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, ⁴he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, ⁵useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. ⁶Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

• Paul encourages hard work and integrity in work in this passage
• He condemns those who fight against the idea of honest work and truth in verses 3-5
• Verses 6-10 are a reminder to avoid greed. While money and “things” are not evil, when they become the focus of one’s life, they are destructive to be sure.
• Spurgeon writes “Selfishness looks first at home, but godliness seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, yet in the long run selfishness is loss, and godliness is great gain^.”[iii]

6. Living a life of faith

1 Tim. 6:11-21 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, ¹⁵which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. ¹⁷Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. ¹⁸Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, ¹⁹storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. ²⁰O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—²¹by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

• Paul ends his letter with a great instruction for the life of the believer
• He lists the values and principles which will lead us to a holy life

^[i] Charles C. Ryrie, Biblical Answers to Tough Questions (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1991), 88.

^[ii] John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress: From This World to That Which Is to Come (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), 53.

^[iii] C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening: Daily Readings (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1896).

2026-07-19

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

1 Timothy 2:1–3:16 (NKJV)

1. Be committed to prayer

Vss 1-7 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ²for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, ⁷for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

• “first of all” gives us a picture of the order of things, it conveys submission and dependence
• Notice the types of prayers encouraged…supplications, prayers, intercessions, giving of thanks
• Prayer for those in authority is not limited to those we like – For this is good and acceptable…
• Our focus as the church is to be prayer warriors, not only for those within, but those outside
• Jerry Bridges said, “It is impossible to practice godliness without a constant, consistent and balanced intake of the Word of God in our lives.”[i]

2. Walk in humility

Vss 8-15 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; ⁹in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, ¹⁰but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. ¹¹Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. ¹²And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. ¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. ¹⁵Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

• Paul then instructs Timothy (and us) to have a sense of order within the church
• Paul was dealing much disorder in the church in his time, so his instructions were to submit in humility
• Warren Wiersbe writes, “Submission is not subjugation. Submission is recognizing God’s order in the home and the church, and joyfully obeying it. When a Christian wife joyfully submits to the Lord and to her own husband, it should bring out the best in her. (For this to happen, the husband must love his wife and use God’s order as a tool to build with, not a weapon to fight with—Eph. 5:18–33.) Submission is the key to spiritual growth and ministry: husbands should be submitted to the Lord, Christians should submit to each other (Eph. 5:21), and wives should be submitted to the Lord and to their husbands.”^[ii]
• This passage is not stating women have no role in the church, just that the role of elder/overseer is reserved for men. He uses God’s order of creation as an instruction and we have the harmony of the Trinity as a model.
• Tony Evans said, “The married couple was to function as an inseparable team, exercising dominion together over God’s creation, with the man exhibiting godly servant leadership. The man’s role as “head” (i.e., governing authority) over the woman (Eph 5:22–23) does not make him superior to her any more than God the Father’s role as “head” makes him superior in essence to God the Son (see 1 Cor 11:3). They are co-equal members of the Trinity, though they have different functions.”^[iii]

3. Long to lead

1 Tim. 3:1-13 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; ³not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; ⁴one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence ⁵(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); ⁶not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. ⁸Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, ⁹holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. ¹⁰But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. ¹¹Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹²Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

• Here we find the qualifications for leadership within the church which is something which is good
• Verses 2-10 give an exhaustive view of the leadership role within the church
• W Tozer once wrote, “It is most important for believers to acknowledge the fact that because Christ Jesus came to the world clothed in humility, He will always be found among those who are clothed with humility. He will be found among the humble people.”[iv]

4. Live in holiness

Vss 14-16 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; ¹⁵but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. ¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

• So that you may know…This is the purpose of Paul’s writing to Timothy
• Paul underscores the importance of the church using pillar and ground of the truth
• As always, he points to the Gospel in verse 16

[i] Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress Publishers, 1996.)

^[ii] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 217.

^[iii] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1281.

[iv] A.W. Tozer, The Quotable Tozer II: More Wise Words with a Prophetic Edge (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread Publishers, 1997.)

2026-07-05

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

2 Thessalonians 3:1–18 (NKJV) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, ²and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. ³But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. ⁴And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. ⁵Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. ⁶But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; ⁸nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, ⁹not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. ¹²Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. ¹³But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. ¹⁶Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. ¹⁷The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

2 Thess. 2:15–17 (NKJV) Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

1. He’s already given you what you need

2 Thess. 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, ¹⁷comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

• “everlasting consolation” (paraklēsis means comfort forever)
• The idea given is through God’s overwhelming love He has given us overwhelming comfort; we are not hopeless
• He has equipped us to not only believe what His Word teaches but has equipped us to DO what His Word teaches
• Warren Weirsbe stated, “Paul was concerned about two aspects of their Christian life: their word and their work, their saying and their doing. If our walk contradicts our words, we lose our testimony. Our “walk” and our “talk” must agree; good works and good words must come from the same yielded heart.”^[i]

2 Thess. 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

2. So be strong, and be sure

2 Thess. 3:4-6 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. ⁵Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. ⁶But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.

• Paul encourages the church “DO” what God has commanded in the“love of God and into the patience of Christ”
• The word “disorderly” is an unusual word which is only used in Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church.
• Doug Magnum said, “There are two main groups of interpretations of ataktōs…Some that Paul was confronting a faction of believers in Thessalonica who were refusing to work and, consequently, that English translations of these terms should convey the idea of “laziness.” Others… maintain that the group with whom Paul was concerned were active and working but were “disruptive” or “disorderly” in their behavior.”^[ii]
• Either definition leads us to one conclusion, we are to be active and productive in our ministry within the church

3. And don’t give up and don’t give in

2 Thess. 3:10-15 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. ¹¹For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. ¹²Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. ¹³But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

• This is a very practical application Paul gives to the church. He tells them to be faithful in their work and not be influenced by those who don’t work.
• He teaches that we should all be about the Father’s business without getting entangled in the issues of others.
• It is important not to dismiss the “busybodies” altogether, but to encourage them to change their ways.

A faith that is “built to last” is one which refuses to compromise and refuses to delegate. It is dependent on the faithfulness of Christ.

Questions for us all?

1. Does your life match His Word?
2. Does your work match His command?
3. Does your action match His heart, or are you a busybody?

^[i] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 202–203.

^[ii] Derek R. Brown, 2 Thessalonians, ed. Douglas Mangum, Logos Research Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2026), 2 Th 3:1–18.

2026-06-21

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Last week, we discussed the mission of the believer is LIVING, LOVING, STANDING in the power of the Gospel. Today, we look at the marks of the mission. What should mark us as believers in an unbelieving world. While there are many standards we could discuss in this text, today I’d like to focus on just a few from these two chapters. They are PURITY, PASSION, PERSPECTIVE and PREPARATION.

1. Purity

1 Thess. 4:1-8 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ²for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, ⁵not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. ⁸Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

• “how you ought to walk and to please God” is a clear statement we are to live differently than the world
• Verse 3 clearly states that God’s will for you is be set apart, to be pure. This is not a suggestion, it is a commandment.
• Verse 7 teaches us that unless we live in purity, we are rejecting God in our lives
• Vernon McGee – “A child of God cannot continue in sin. The Prodigal Son may get in the pigpen for a time, but he won’t live in the pigpen.”^[i]

2. Passion

Vss 9-12 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; ¹⁰and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; ¹¹that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹²that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

• The Thessalonian church had figured this out and were truly had love on display for the world to see. This love wasn’t reserved for those within church it was for “all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.”
• Timothy George said, “The result of the transforming, sanctifying ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives is just this: that we are enabled to love one another with the same kind of love that God loves us.”^[ii]
• Leon Morris – “Two things in particular marked off the Christians of New Testament days from contemporary society: the purity of their lives and the love that they practiced so fully…It is to be exercised by the Christian towards all people, irrespective of their merit or the reverse.”^[iii]
• Why? Because God loved us first! (1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

1 Thess. 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

• Thus, a mark of the believer today should be a passion to love others with the Gospel

3. Perspective

Vss 13-18 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. ¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.

• This is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. It is a direct promise from God to each of us that Heaven is ahead and we will see those who’ve gone before!
• The key word for me in these set of verses is the word “them”
• “The reference to “the trumpet call of God” has a rich Old Testament background. At Sinai the trumpets blew and Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God (Exod. 19:17). Similarly at the Parousia (Greek word meaning “coming or presence”) the trumpet will sound and God’s people will go out to meet the Lord.”^[iv] – Walter Elwell
• Paul goes to explain in light of this blessed promise, we must be ready!

4. Preparation

1 Thess. 5:2-6 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

• John MacArthur said, “Being spiritually prepared for the return of Christ does not involve date setting, clock watching, or sign seeking. God has chosen not to reveal the specific time of end-time events so that all believers will live in constant anticipation of them.”^[v]
• This is a call to action and a call to faithfulness. We have never been closer to the sudden taking up of the church than we are right now!

Vss 14-23 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. ¹⁵See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies. ²¹Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil. ²³Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A checklist for the waiting:

• Do good
• Live with joy
• Pray about everything
• Be thankful
• Let the Holy Spirit guide your steps
• Seek truth
• Be holy

Vs 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

^[i] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Thessalonians), electronic ed., vol. 49 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 66.

^[ii] Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 401.

^[iii] Leon Morris, 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 13, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984), 84.

^[iv] David Ewert, “1-2 Thessalonians,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 1081.

^[v] Mark Howell et al., Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2015), 131.

2026-06-07

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Everyone has a perspective of what an ideal church might look like. Most focus on the things the world says are important, God focuses on so much more. And, when we focus on those things, we will have the church we’ve always wanted!

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 (NKJV) Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, ³remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, ⁴knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. ⁵For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. ⁶And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. ⁸For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. ⁹For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1. The reason we’re here

Vs 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father

Vs 3 (NLT) we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• The church you’ve always wanted isn’t a gathering of consumers; it’s a collective of active believers living out their faith.
• Work of faith – taking what we believe, what we know, and what we hear and putting it into practice
• Labor of love – (labor = kopos) meaning “to work hard, to toil, exhausting”
• Patience of hope – never worried about what the day holds because we have a greater future in store
• Vernon McGee said, “In this verse Paul actually gives three graces of the Christian life. The past is the work of faith. The present is a labor of love. The future is the patience of hope. That is the biography of the Christian and the abiding, permanent, and eternal features of the Christian life.”^[i]
• David Ewert said, “Since the trilogy, faith, hope, and love, is found repeatedly in Paul, as well as in other New Testament writers…we must view it as a kind of compendium of the Christian life, the quintessence of the new life in Christ.”^[ii]
• Ellen Gould White said, “Where there is no active labor for others, love wanes, and faith grows dim.”

2. Secured by His everlasting love

Vs 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God

• We are fully aware of who God is and how He feels about us

• Beloved brethren – we are loved before we ever loved Him back
• Your election by God – God knew us before we were even born and He has loved us before we ever knew His name
• Tony Evans said, “You are saved to serve God by choice, not by chance. God found you before you found him. And that choice was for fulfilling a divinely ordained purpose on earth.”^[iii]

• Charles Spurgeon once said, “Election and predestination are but the exercise of God’s sovereignty in the affairs of salvation, and all that we know about them is what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures of Truth.”[iv]

3. Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Vs 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

• A healthy church is built on God’s Word and God’s power
• Full commitment to the inerrant, inspired Word of God

4. Persevering through it all because of Him…in joy

Vs 6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit

• Our faith walk will always include troubles, but God has promised He is greater
• Allowing the Word to guide us in both good times and bad times

2 Cor. 12:9–10 (NKJV) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 John 4:4 (NKJV) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

• L. Moody said, “The only man that ever conquered this world—was complete victor—was Jesus Christ. When He shouted on the cross, “It is finished!” it was the shout of a conqueror.”[v]

5. Being the light of the world

Vs 7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. ⁸For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

• The church doesn’t exist just for us, it exists for all
• “…you became examples to all” (examples = typos) meaning a “copy of, imitation, carbon copy

Summary Statement: The reason we’re here: we are secured by His everlasting love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, persevering through it all because of Him (in joy), and being the light of the world!

^[i] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (1 and 2 Thessalonians), electronic ed., vol. 49 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 18.

^[ii] David Ewert, “1-2 Thessalonians,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 1069.

^[iii] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1260.

[iv] Mark Water, The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations (John Hunt Publishers, 2000.)

[v] D.L. Moody, The Overcoming Life and Other Sermons (Ada, MI: Fleming H. Revell Publishers, 1896.)

2026-05-24

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Ephesians 6:10–18 (CSB) Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. ¹³For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ¹⁴Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, ¹⁵and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

1. Know it’s real

Vs 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

• John MacArthur said, “Because the “struggle is not against flesh and blood” (v. 12), the Christian cannot fight it in the power of his own flesh and blood…It is first of all God’s battle and it can be fought only in God’s power and in God’s armor.[i]

2. Know how to be ready

     a. See it for what it is

Vs 10-11 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

• Vast (ischyos=strength and might)
• Strength (kratos=mighty power)
• “so that you can stand” indicates being able to overcome whatever the devil brings your way without running to hide

     b. See God for who He is

Vs 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

• “may be able” – (dynamai is the same Greek word where we get “dynamite”)

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (CSB) For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, ⁴since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments ⁵and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. ⁶And we are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

3. Use the weapons He’s given

Vss 14-18 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, ¹⁵and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. ¹⁸Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints

• All of these elements listed in verses 14-18 are clear indications of EVERYTHING you need to defeat the spiritual warfare unleashed by Satan himself
• Max Anders said, “The reason this spiritual armor is needed is that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. The picture of warfare here implies that we do not face a physical army. We face a spiritual army. Therefore, our weapons must be spiritual.”^[ii]
• Vernon McGee – “You cannot overcome the devil in your own strength and your own power.”ⁱⁱⁱ

4. How to fight back

     • Truth/Talk/Trust/Together

[i] John MacArthur, Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1986.)

^[ii] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 190.

^[ii]i J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (Ephesians), electronic ed., vol. 47 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 176.

2026-05-10

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Question: How do I have a healthy, Godly family when everything in the world is fighting against it?

Big Idea: Love God first, Love each other next. And if God gives children, lead them to do the same.

1. The Starting Line

Ephesians 5:22-25 (CSB) Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, ²³because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.

• What is the starting line? Getting things in the right perspective before it even begins!
• Building the right kind of relationship is not based on Hollywood’s view of love and marriage, it is based on Christ and the church!
• But it is impossible to start right unless both husband and wife are committed to doing their part. One can’t work without the other.
• Douglas Moo said, “Perhaps this pattern reflects the particular susceptibilities of each partner in the relationship: wives may be tempted to chafe under the “headship” of their husbands; and husbands are prone to abuse their leadership role.”^[i]
• Warren Wiersbe said, “Headship is not dictatorship. Each for the other, both for the Lord.”^[ii]

2. The Goal

Eph. 5:26-33 (CSB) to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. ²⁷He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, ³⁰since we are members of his body. ³¹For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. ³²This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

• The goal in every marriage is to build a partnership that mimics a “healthy” church.
• A healthy church does not exist where everyone is out only for their own interests.
• Charles Spurgeon – “Happy is the man who is happy in his wife. Let him love her as he loves himself, and a little better, for she is his better half…When husbands and wives are well yoked, how light their load becomes!”[iii]
• Francis Foulkes said, “Christ ‘enables the church to grow; he knits her into a unity; he nourishes her by caring for each member; he gives her strength to build herself up in love.”^[iv]

3. The Reward

Eph. 6:1-4 (CSB) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. ²Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, ³so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. ⁴Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

• The reward is legacy. A legacy of example which leads to replication.
• Our greatest legacy cannot be described in a will or trust, it is can only be described in an imprint on those who come behind us.
• Timothy George said, “The result of the transforming, sanctifying ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives is just this: that we are enabled to love one another with the same kind of love that God loves us.”^[v]

^[i] Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008), 303.

^[ii] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 50.

[iii] Charles Spurgeon, Through the Eyes of C.H. Spurgeon: Quotes from a Reformed Baptist Preacher, John Ploughman’s Pictures (Brenham, TX: Lucid Books, 2012), 91-92.

^[iv] Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 161.

^[v] Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 401.

2026-04-19

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 18:1–6 (NKJV)I will love You, O Lord, my strength. ²The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. ⁴The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. ⁵The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

⁶In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

Erwin Lutzer said, “Until we have learned to be satisfied with fellowship with God, until he is our rock and our fortress, we will be restless with our place in the world.”[i]

1. Knowing my path in life requires me to know my strength in life

Psalm 18:1–6 (NLT) I love you, Lord; you are my strength. ²The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. ³I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. ⁴The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. ⁵The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. ⁶But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.

• 9 descriptions of who God is in your life.
  • My strength – hezěq – to grow or make strong
  • My rock – sělǎ – the rocks of a cliff
  • My fortress – msûdãh – a mountain stronghold
  • My deliverer – mpalti (plt) – to be free, to bring out
  • My God
  • My strength – sǔr – a boulder, rocky ground
  • My shield – mãğēn – scales of protection
  • My salvation –
  • My stronghold – miśgãb – inaccessible, unattainable , elevated
• Abide in Jesus, the sinless one—which means, give up all of self and its life, and dwell in God’s will and rest in his strength. This is what brings the power that does not commit sin.[ii] – Andrew Murray

2. Knowing my path in life requires me to see the way out

Vss 16–19 (NLT) He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. ¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. ¹⁸They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lordsupported me. ¹⁹He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

• The Christian life is so full of pressures and pains, we often are consumed by the danger of the moment rather than the deliverance which is promised
• To truly navigate life’s challenging moments, we must remember we have never been alone

3. Knowing my path in life requires me to seek the way-maker

Vss 20-29 (NLT) The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. ²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. ²²I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. ²³I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. ²⁴The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. ²⁵To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. ²⁶To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. ²⁷You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. ²⁸You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. ²⁹In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

• This passage clearly indicates David’s reminder that while God is our refuge and strength, it does require a clear decision and intention on our part
• It is not that God will abandon you unless you do what He says but to fully enjoy the power of His presence requires our attention
• Verse 27 echoes James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 and Matthew 23:12:
  • James 4:6 (NKJV) But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
  • Matthew 23:12 (NKJV) And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

4. Knowing my path in life requires me to accept there’s only One who can give my life meaning

Psalm 18:30–32 (NLT) God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. ³¹For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? ³²God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.

• “perfect” (tãmîm) – complete, unscathed, impeccable

The Message paraphrases it: “Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction?”^[iii]

[i] Erwin Lutzer (Quoted by Edythe Draper), Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World, (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992.)

[ii] Andrew Murray (Quoted by Mark Water), The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations (New Alresford, Hampshire, England, 2000.)

^[iii] J. Josh Smith and Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022), 132.

2026-04-05

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Luke 23:39–47 (NKJV) Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” ⁴⁰But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” ⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” ⁴⁴Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. ⁴⁷So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

1. The condition of us all

• Then one…but the other
• All of creation is represented by these two individuals who have been nameless for 2,000 years
• But when we recognize who He really is…Certainly this was a righteous man!
  

Thabiti Anyabwile said, “The Lord speaks only one line in the entire conversation: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43). Put the scenes together: Judgment is coming. God is forgiving. Paradise is offered. But the only ones who receive it are the humble who admit their sins and confess that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to atone for their sins and was raised from the grave three days later. If you…are humble enough to confess your sins and turn away from them, calling on the name of the Lord, God promises he will forgive you of your sin and robe you in his righteousness. And that day paradise will be your home”.^[i]

Luke 24:1–7 (NKJV) Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ²But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. ³Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. ⁵Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

2. The deliverance of us all

• Being that we all fall into one of two categories, we must recognize the deliverance Christ offers
• What we do with that gift makes all the difference in the world

Vs. 5b-7 …“Why do you seek the living among the dead? ⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, ⁷saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

3. The hope for us all

• That deliverance is not simply a guarantee of a future opportunity; it is a call to action for the rest of our days
• We were DEAD, now we have been made alive

Ephesians 2:1–9 (NKJV) And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

²in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, ³among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, lest anyone should boast.

• A. Carson said, “This is the fear of God that recognizes that he is matchlessly holy, righteous, and just—and we are not. God is our judge as well as our only hope. There lies the beginning of wisdom.”[ii]

Our Response:

1. Finally Believe
2. Totally Commit

Ephesians 4:17–24 (NKJV) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the restof the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ¹⁹who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ²⁰But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²²that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

^[i] Thabiti Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018), 347.

[ii] D.A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, (Ada, MI, 2010).

2026-03-22

Charles Billingsley

Matthew 11:25-30

This invitation is a very special one.  Some of the most beloved words our Savior ever spoke. 

It is the invitation to Come and Rest.  

Let’s open it up.  

^{Matthew 11:25} At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Modern technology can do a lot of things…but it cannot quiet your soul.

1. What is this invitation for?  

2. Who is the invitation from? 

3.  When is the invitation for? 

This invitation is both:
Timeless
Timely 

4.  Who is the invitation to? 

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,

It is a call that is both:
Personal
Universal 

5.  What is purpose of the event? 

It’s more of a promise than an event. 

^11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Rest from: 

The burdens of our past – 2 Cor. 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

The worries of our present – 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

The questions about our future – Hebrews 4:9-10 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

6.  What do I need to wear?

7.  What do I need to do to RSVP? 

²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Galatians 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. ²⁶ Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 

One more question:

8.  Where do we go to find this rest? 

^{Joshua 1:9} Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 23:4

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”

What is this invitation for?
Come 

Who is the invitation from?
Jesus – only Jesus

When is the invitation for?
Right now

Who is the invitation to?
All of us – the weak and the weary

What is purpose of the event?
To Find Rest 

What do I need to wear?
Come just as you are

What do I need to do to RSVP?
Let down your burdens and take up His yoke.

Where do we go to find this Rest?
In His presence

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

2026-03-08

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Matthew 9:9–13 (CSB) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. ¹⁰While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

1. Jesus calls you where you are, not where you think you ought to be

vs 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.

• As in Luke 19, Jesus calls a tax collector to follow Him. This seems to be a trend as Jesus will state in vs 13.
• Jesus, of course, knew Matthew as the local Capernaum tax collector. He had seen him many times sitting by the shore collecting customs or taxes from those who arrived. Matthew clearly had a “reputation” in the city. Yet Jesus called him just as he was.
• Donald Hagner said, “That Jesus should call a tax collector to be his disciple must have been in itself scandalous.”[i]

2. Jesus will come to find you

Vs 10 While he was reclining at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with Jesus and his disciples.

• Luke 5 tells us that sometime after Jesus called him, Matthew threw a “grand banquet” for Jesus with all his sinner friends
• The most important takeaway is this: Jesus attended!
• Jesus went where the “sinners” were.
• Ben Witherington III said, “What is nonetheless striking is that Jesus appears to not require repentance in advance of having table fellowship with sinners and tax collectors.”[ii]

3. Jesus wants to find you…and others

Vss 11-13 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²Now when he heard this, he said, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

• As was their normal course of action, the pharisees questioned Jesus’ motives and His methods. They couldn’t believe someone who claimed to be a religious person would dare go near the people known as sinners.
• Jesus corrected them when He heard of their disbelief, the sick are the ones who need the doctor!
• Then He uses a rabbinical statement to the pharisees. He tells them to “go and learn” what the Scriptures say.
• Howard Hendrickson – “It was to save sinners that Christ Jesus came into the world. He did not come to help them save themselves, nor to induce them to save themselves, nor even to enable them to save themselves. He came to save them!”[iii]

Application:

1. Everyone is of value to God, regardless of their past or present

2. His desire is to “go and find” not to “wait and see”

3. You are called to serve in His stead

[i] Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 33, Word Publishers, 1993.

[ii] Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Eerdmans Publishing, 2001.

[iii] John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, Evangelical Press, 2006.

2026-02-22

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Today, we’ll continue our series started last week entitled “Invitations.” And today, we will look at a much-beloved Bible story that many first heard when they were in Sunday School as a child. A story of childlike faith which changed everything. And ultimately, that type of faith is what God desires from all of us. It most certainly is the response God is looking for in His invitation to all of us.

Luke 19:1–10 (CSB) He entered Jericho and was passing through. ²There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. ⁴So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. ⁵When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.” ⁶So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. ⁷All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.” ⁸But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” ⁹“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

1. Anyone can see Jesus

Vss 1-3 He entered Jericho and was passing through. ²There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

• Zacchaeus was mentioned as the “chief tax collector” which means he held the franchise in the area to collect taxes for Rome. There was a certain amount he had to send to his Roman bosses, but he kept the rest for himself. This was not a government job, it was a business.
• He had heard about this man Jesus, maybe from the healing which is recorded in chapter 18. The crowds had gathered to see this man, Jesus, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what it was all about.

2. It might take some action on your part

Vs 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way.

• Zacchaeus, who was a powerful man, humbled himself just to get a glimpse of Jesus.
• Warren Weirsbe stated, “In the East, it is unusual for a man to run, especially a wealthy government official; yet Zaccheus ran down the street like a little boy following a parade. And he even climbed a tree! Curiosity is certainly characteristic of most children, and Zaccheus was motivated by curiosity that day. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God like a little child shall in no way enter therein” (Luke 18:17). Perhaps more than anything else, it is pride that keeps many “successful” people from trusting Jesus Christ.”[i]
• It is important we all recognize we must strip away the pride which keeps us from truly encountering Christ.

3. But Jesus will always see you

Vs 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”

• Jesus didn’t need someone to point out the short man in a tree. Regardless of the large crowd which followed Him, Jesus always sees the one who seeks!

4. And He will always accept you as you are

Vss 6-7 So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. ⁷All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.”

• In chapter 18, we read a story Jesus shared about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Jesus made it clear the path to salvation.
• Luke 18:11–14 (CSB) The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
• God is not looking for those who put on a show of their faith, He is looking for those show their faith through genuine repentance.

5. So, turn to Him today

Vss 8-10 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” ⁹“Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

• While this account doesn’t report the words Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus, but it is clear it was a message of repentance. Jesus told him it was time to turn from his wicked ways and believe in Him.
• Vernon McGee said this, “Zacchaeus showed his faith by his works. He did not talk about his faith; he demonstrated it. The world is not listening for something today; it is looking for something.”[ii]
• He was a changed man because of an invitation from Jesus

“The scene with Zacchaeus provides Luke’s Gospel with its ultimate statement about Jesus. Jesus knew his purpose on earth. His purpose was not to reform the Jewish religion. His purpose was not to prove the Pharisees wrong. His purpose was not to bring in a military, political kingdom. His purpose was to bring salvation to lost people. Jesus dedicated the three years of his earthly ministry to finding people who knew they were lost and showing them God’s way of salvation—the way of repentance and faith.”[iii] – Trent Butler

[i] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 251–252.

[ii] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Gospels (Luke), electronic ed., vol. 37 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 236.

[iii] Trent C. Butler, Luke, vol. 3, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 315.

2026-02-08

Derik Idol

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.’” (Matthew 4:17)

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

1. THERE ARE TWO KINGDOMS: The Kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of the world.

A. The Kingdom of Heaven and the world are at odds.

John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world, My kingdom is of another place”.

B. The Kingdom of Heaven and the world are opposites of one another.

The values are opposite:
Want to be first—be last. (Mark 9:35)
Want to be great—be servant. (Matt. 20:26)
Want to find your life—lose it. (Matt. 16:25)
Want to be exalted—be humbled. (Matt. 23:12)

“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” – Matt. 5:41

2. INSIDE THE KINGDOM OF THE WORLD IS THE KINGDOM OF ME

1 John 2, “the kingdom of the world and its desires WILL pass away.”

“The most miserable people in the world are half committed Christians. You’re just enough into Jesus that you are miserable in the world, and just enough into the world that your miserable in Jesus.” – JD Greear

HOW DO YOU GET ACCESS TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?

John 3:16-17 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

“From that time on Jesus began to Preach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. Matt.4:17

2026-01-25

Dondi Costin

Hebrews 11:24-28 

Even the most skilled pilot can experience spatial disorientation in certain situations if they rely on their subjective feelings rather than the objective facts displayed on instruments in the cockpit. Because gravity is not your friend when you’re flying by the seat of your pants, knowing which way is up and which direction you’re headed is a matter of life and death. Faith in feelings rather than facts can be fatal.

In the same way, even longtime Christians can experience spiritual disorientation if they put their faith in someone or something other than the Lord. Every day offers multiple opportunities to either trust your fickle feelings or trust the facts in faith. In life as in flight, the key element is not so much the strength of your faith but the Object of your faith.

The life of Moses tells both sides of this story, but as we see in Hebrews 11:24-28, his faltering start culminated in a faithful finish. If we follow his example, we can do the same.

1. Leave your comfort zone. (vv. 24-25)

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” (vv. 24-25)

Life is a series of choices you make to either follow God’s way or go your own way. Moses gave up the good life in Egypt, where he could have lived a life of luxury as an heir to the Egyptian throne (Acts 7:20-22), and obeyed God to accomplish a greater mission instead. Why? Because he had faith in God and lived by way of an eternal perspective.

God took Joseph from his family in the wilderness, placed him in the courts of Egypt by way of hardship, and left Joseph to accomplish God’s purposes there (Gen 37-50). But God took Moses from his family, placed him in the courts of Egypt by way of hardship, and then took Moses to the wilderness to begin accomplishing God’s purposes out there. The important question in both cases was whether or not they would have enough faith in God to obey God for His glory and others’ good.

“At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house. When he was placed outside, Pharoah’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:20-22).

After 40 years in the wilderness, God called Moses by way of a burning bush to leave his comfort zone once again, this time to lead God’s people out of slavery into freedom.

“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’” (Acts 7:30-35)

Moses was not an early adopter. Even though he ultimately made the right choice, he tried everything he could think of to convince God that He had picked the wrong guy for this mission (Ex 3-4). He doubted God more than he doubted himself.

–When Moses questioned God’s authority (Ex 3:13), God said “Tell them I AM has sent you” (Ex 3:14).

–When Moses questioned God’s sufficiency (Ex 4:1), God gave him a series of miraculous signs (staff, hand, water-to-blood) to persuade him (Ex 4:2-9).

–When Moses questioned his own ability (Ex 4:10), God asked Moses, “Who gave man his mouth? … Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Ex 4:11-12).

–But when Moses revealed his lack of propensity [“O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Ex 4:13)], “then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses” (Ex 4:14).

Most of us probably think we would do exactly what God wanted if He would only speak to us through a burning bush. But God knows us better than we know ourselves. If Moses back-talked a burning bush he knew for sure was revealing the very voice of God in real time, even having the nerve to say, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Ex 4:13), it’s no wonder that we do the same.

Here’s the bottom line: You can make a difference, or you can make excuses, but you can’t do both at the same time.

“[Christ] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again….Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:15, 17)

What sinful pleasures are you nursing because your love for and dependence on those things is greater than your love for God? Some besetting sin you really don’t want to shake? A lack of confidence in your ability that is really a lack of confidence in God’s ability to use you? An unwillingness to give up something you enjoy even though you know it’s standing between you and God? If God calls you to leave your comfort zone for His glory and others’ good, just do it.

2. Look to your reward. (v.26)

“He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” (v. 26)

This approach provides clear evidence that Moses lived by faith, even if it took him a while to get there.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1)

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb 11:6)

We see in Moses’ example patterns of our own. Henry Blackaby’s landmark book Experiencing God points out 7 Realities that allow us to exercise the kind of faith God wants us to have in Him:

1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
3. God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
5. God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

Moses weighed “disgrace for the sake of Christ” on one side of the scales and “the treasures of Egypt” on the other side and correctly decided that going God’s way wins every time. Following Christ might lead to temporary inconvenience as the world understands it, the treasures of Egypt can’t hold a candle to the eternal reward God has promised to provide.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-36).

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” (Henry Ford)

Which is a lesson the Rich Young Ruler learned the hard way. When Jesus said he had to be willing to forfeit the things of this world and allow Jesus to be Lord of his life, “he went away sad because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’” (Matt 19:22-24).

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…. No one can serve two masters. Either he will  hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matt 6:19-21, 24)

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13-14)

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. … we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. (2 Cor 4:7-9)

What earthly treasures are you holding onto with a death grip because your faith in those things is stronger than your faith in God? Your money? Your job? Your house? Your routine? Your popularity? Your complacency? When God calls you to trade the temporal for the eternal, just do it, because the joy you can have in Him is far superior to the “enjoy” you have in lesser things.

3. Live by faith not by sight. (v. 27)

“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” (v. 27)

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

“…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16-18)

“We live by faith, not by sight….So we make it our goal to please him…for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ….” (2 Corinthians 5:7-10)

Most people won’t believe it until they see it. But God’s people won’t see it until they believe it.

Faith may be expressed in different forms, but the Object of biblical faith is always the same: The God of the Bible. If you trust your feelings in your situation, you will eventually falter. But if you trust by faith in your Sovereign Savior, ultimately you will not fail.

Different expressions of faith in God, always leading to the question of whether or not we truly believe (1) God is who He says He is, and (2) God keeps His promises:

SAVING Faith – trusting God to save you from your sins.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

SANCTIFYING Faith – trusting God to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor 10:13)

“[I am] confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

SUFFERING Faith – trusting God to grow you through every trial.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

Paul said, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [my suffering] away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:8-10)

“…those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Pet 4:19)

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” (1 Pet 5:10)

SERVING Faith – trusting God to empower you for every good work.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:8-10)

SATISFYING Faith – trusting God to satisfy every hope we have in Him.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore … that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” (Phil 3:20 – 4:1)

“God is faithful… For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 1:18, 20-22)

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal 6:9)

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Rev 21:3-5)

We tend to hold fast to the Lord and His promises when it comes to Saving Faith (the beginning) and Satisfying Faith (the end), but there’s plenty of doubt between the two. Yet living by faith requires us to believe just as fervently in the God Who sanctifies us, sustains us through suffering, and calls us to serve as we do the God who saves and will one day satisfy our every longing in eternity.

Are you holding so tightly to what you can see that you’re holding too loosely to the God of heaven you can’t yet see with your physical eyes? God has called you to persevere regardless of your circumstances, so do it because one day your faith will become sight.

4. Let God be the Hero of your story. (v. 28)

“By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.”  (v. 28)

“This is how you are to eat [the Passover lamb]: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.” (Ex 12:11)

“Remove the evil from among you, so that you can stay pure. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us feast upon him and grow strong in the Christian life, leaving our old ways behind.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

Moses kept the Passover by faith. He followed God’s plan, not his own, simply because (1) it was God’s plan and (2) He had already seen what God could do.

Trevin Wax recently reframed a series of questions posed by Christopher Wright in the second edition of Wright’s book, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative. The gist of Wright’s book is that God “is the originator of the story, the teller of the story, the prime actor in the story, the planner and guide of the story’s plot, the meaning of the story and its ultimate completion. He is its beginning, end, and center.” Or, as I once heard a preacher say: God is sum and substance of the Bible. He is its theme and text, its center and circumference.

In other words, this is God’s world, and we’re just living in it. There is a God, and we’re not Him. But if we’re not careful, we put ourselves at the center and give God a bit part in our story.

Reflecting on this all-too-common reality, Trevin Wax reframed Christopher Wright’s questions like this:

We often ask: Where does God fit into the story of my life?
Better to ask: Where does my little life fit into the great story of God’s mission?

We often ask: What is God’s purpose for my life?
Better to ask: What purpose does my life have within God’s purpose for all life, wrapped up in his mission for the whole of creation?

We often ask: How can I apply the Bible to my life?
Better to ask: How can I apply my life to the Bible?

We often ask: How can we make the gospel relevant to the world?
Better to ask: How does God intend to transform the world to fit the shape of the gospel?

We often ask: What activities and priorities make up the mission God expects from his church?
Better to ask: What kind of church does God desire for his mission?

We often ask: What kind of mission does God have for me?
Better to ask: What kind of me does God want for his mission?

When all is said and done, the answers we get are a function of the questions we ask. If you want to walk with God in the life of faith, ask the right questions. The answers you receive will lead you straight to the God of the Bible.

One of the most powerful sermons I’ve ever heard was preached by a college campus pastor named Jon Davis two days before surgery to remove a massive tumor from his brain. Not long after praying over his Christian brain surgeon who made a point to attend that service on that day for that purpose, my friend Pastor Jon preached a message from Mark 9 about the faith of a father concerned about the healing of his demon-possessed son. Jon landed on these words in verses 21-24:

“Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for him who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘Lord, I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”

There’s something special about that semi-colon, which separates our belief from our unbelief. As we fight the good fight of faith, may God allow us to spend more time on the left side of that semi-colon (“Lord, I believe”) than the right side, knowing all the while that He knows our tendency to straddle the semi-colon as we walk with God. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Pastor Jon was in town last week dropping off his youngest son for his first semester at Liberty. After 4 years of fighting this fight, I thank God he’s still praying that prayer.

Every second of our lives presents an opportunity to choose God’s plan by faith or choose our own plan by foolishness. To which plan are you committed in this season of your life? God has called you to faith in Himself and His plan, so do it God’s way rather than your own. Then you will truly walk with God.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:1-3)

2025-01-11

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Last week, we talked about the importance of living with faith. We found the Hebrews 11 describes faith as the “foundation” of our lives. It is vital in our desire to follow Christ. Today, let’s discuss how faith impacts in a practical way through specific moments in life.

1. Trusting no matter the circumstances

Hebrews 11:5 (CSB) By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God.

• Enoch walked in faith regardless of his daily situation
• Enoch was clearly a man who loved and served God
• Enoch is mentioned in five verses in four books of the Bible (Genesis 5, Luke 3, Hebrews 11 and Jude)
• Key thought is that Enoch “walked with God” in the good days and the bad

Genesis 5:24 (CSB) Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.

2. Trusting when it makes no sense

Hebrews 11:7 (CSB) By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

• Noah was told by God to build an ark, so at 500 years old, he did so and he took him about 100 years to complete it
• God told him in Gen. 6 He was going to destroy the world
• Noah didn’t question God, He simply obeyed. Why? Noah trusted God no matter what.
• Key thought is there are times God tells you to do what doesn’t make sense and others make criticize you, do it anyway

3. Trusting when you’re stepping into the unknown

Hebrews 11:8 (CSB) By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.

• Abraham had traveled from Ur to Haran and in Gen. 12, God told him to go to Canaan
• These were not short journeys. About 500 miles from Ur to Haran and another 400+ from Haran to Canaan
• Yet Abraham did exactly as God told him, without questioning
• Key thought is that God at times will call you to go where you may not have planned, and maybe where you don’t desire, go anyway

4. Trusting when you feel there’s no hope

Hebrews 11:11-12 (CSB) By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful.¹²Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.

• As God promised before, God gave Abraham and Sarah a child
• This was clearly an impossible feat in their eyes. They were too old, it was too late, it couldn’t be done; yet God delivered.
• Key thought is never stop seeking God’s deliverance even when it seems to be too late, because nothing is too hard for Him

Genesis 17:15–19 (CSB) God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name. ¹⁶I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” ¹⁷Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” ¹⁸So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to you!” ¹⁹But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.

Genesis 18:9–15 (CSB) “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he answered. ¹⁰TheLord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. ¹¹Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. ¹²So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?” ¹³But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ ¹⁴Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” ¹⁵Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid. But he replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Key Thoughts:

1. Always trust God on the mountain tops and in the valleys
2. Always trust God even when everyone around you tells you not to
3. Always trust God’s calling and obey immediately
4. Always trust God’s ability to do the impossible

2025-12-28

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Hebrews 10:19–25 (NLT)

We are ready for whatever tomorrow holds. Why? Because of Christ in us!

As we approach a brand-new year, let’s be reminded of what Christ has done for us and what Christ expects from us.

1. Our position

Vs 19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus

• Vernon McGee said, “You and I have the privilege of worshiping God, not because of the life of Jesus, but because of His death for us upon the Cross.”^[1]

2. Our access

Vs 20-22a By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. ²¹And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, ²²let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him…

3. Our redemption

Vs 22b For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water

• “Because Jesus already has ascended into heaven and entered into God’s rest, believers can be confident that they, too, will have a share in God’s rest.”^[2] – John Barry

4. Our commitment

• Our commitment is based on His invitation
  • Warren Weirsbe put it this way, “This threefold invitation hinges on our boldness to enter into the holiest (verse 19).”^[3]
• We must be fully devoted followers of Christ

Vs 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise

• John Robert Stevens said, “It is the stabilizer that will hold you steady and keep you from wavering and swerving. Hold fast to your hope without wavering, because that is your stabilizer.”[4]

• We must be fully committed to working together

Vs 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works

• We must be fully together

Vs 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

• An unprecedented 15,000 churches are expected to shut their doors this year, far more than the few thousand expected to open, according to denominational reports and church consultants.[5]

• In essence, here is our commitment for 2026:
  • We will go deeper in following Christ
    • Bible Study
    • Prayer
    • Fasting
  • We will focus our efforts on building strong relationships rather than avoiding them
  • We will be active members of the local church

^[1] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (Hebrews 8-13), electronic ed., vol. 52 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 56.

^[2] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Heb 4:14.

^[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 315.

[4] John Robert Stevens, This Week, Volume XI (1980), (North Hollywood, CA: The Living Word, 2007).

[5] https://www.axios.com/2025/12/26/great-unchurching-america-religiously-unaffiliated

2025-12-21

Scott Bullman

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Joseph was of the house and lineage of David

Luke 2:4 – ⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David

This gives Jesus legal claim to the Davidic throne, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah being a descendant of King David.

Joseph probably had family still living in Bethlehem

 Luke 2:7 – “She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (NKJV)

 “kataluma” = a room in a house.

The NIV more accurately translates this. “…there was no guest room available for them.”

Joseph was a Carpenter

Mark 13:55 – “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary?” (NKJV)

The Greek word translated carpenter is “tekton”.

tekton = a skilled craftsman / masterful artisan who possessed the abilities to envision what others could not see and then create with their hands a fabulous final product.

Joseph and Mary were Betrothed

In those days, marriages were arranged

Marriage was more of a transaction. The woman was considered property and it was considered an exchange of goods.” Thus the “purchasing family” would pay a dowry.

Two forms of “dowries” provided to the woman and her family:

“mohar” – paid by Joseph’s father to Mary’s father

“mattan” – given by Joseph and intended for Mary.

After the dowries were confirmed and paid, an official document called the “ketubah” would be signed. It was a “marriage contract” detailing the groom’s obligations and the wife’s dowry, making the union official.

Mary is found to be pregnant

 ¹⁸ After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”

Joseph has a decision to make

 He basically had 3 options:

1. Expose her publicly
2. Privately divorce her
3. Marry her

¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

 ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

God’s intervention always comes at the right time

God spoke to Joseph on 4 separate occasions by way of a dream.

1. Fear not, take Mary as your wife
2. Warning that Herod is trying to kill him
3. Herod is dead…you can go back home
4. Go back to Nazareth so that prophesy could be fulfilled.

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Joseph was obedient

Were it not for Joseph’s obedience, we wouldn’t have Christmas as we know it. He knew the voice of the Spirit and was quick to obey.

1. He married Mary…as the Angel commanded
2. He left Bethlehem for Egypt…as the Angel commanded
3. He returned to Israel…as the Angel commanded
4. He returned to Nazareth…as the Angel commanded, fulfilling the OT prophecy that the Messiah would be called “a Nazarene”

Obedience to God is seldom easy. Often the right thing is the hard thing.

“Joseph was more than just a father… he was a mentor and an example of how to live a life of faith, work and humility.  His actions spoke louder than words shaping not only Jesus’ childhood but also the foundations of his future mission. He was a father who through the quiet strength of his actions helped mold the character of the one who would change the course of humanity.

 Joseph never sought glory or recognition. Instead, he invites us to embrace a life of service and faithfulness where impact is felt through small acts of love and obedience.

Joseph’s quiet demeanor was a powerful reminder that true greatness lies not in titles or status but in a life of service and obedience to God…not in being seen, but in making a difference.

With his calloused hands and generous heart, he reminds us that holiness is not reserved for extraordinary figures.  For even in silence there is greatness. Joseph shows us that a true legacy doesn’t come from applause but from daily faithfulness to God’s call!”

                                                                           adapted from Scripture Journey

2025-12-07

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV) Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” ¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

This heavenly appearance occurred to the most unlikely of characters. Shepherds were not considered leaders or respected members of the community. They were looked down upon. Yet, it was to this group God first revealed His greatest gift.

Luke 1:52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.

1. The power of fear

Verse 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

• In this moment, the shepherds were mostly likely more fearful than they had ever been
• As a result, their fear kept them from running and made them stop in the moment
• The “glory of the Lord” is a representation of the presence of God in this place

2. The power of listening

Verses 10-12 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

• Now stopped, they listened to the words of the angel…and what a message they heard
• What started as fear quickly turned into the greatest moment of their lives
• “Good tidings” – euangelizō = good news, Gospel
• This was a declaration of the beginning of the Messianic age foretold in the O.T.
• “In a manger” was a directional sign to the Shepherds
• Vernon McGee – “He did not lay aside His deity; He laid aside His glory.”^[1]

3. The power in a promise

Verses 13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

• Just as quickly as their fear subsided, they got a little glimpse of heaven as the angels appeared in the greatest night of worship the world had ever seen

Verse 14 (NASB95) “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

• This peace referred to is the gift of salvation. The only peace to be had in this broken world is through salvation.

• John Walvoord – “peace” speaks both of their standing with God and their experience of divine peace.”^[2]

4. The power of obedience

Verses 15-17 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

• Through that moment of worship, the only thing they could decide to do was run to see this Child
• They didn’t ask for a sign or proof, they simply believed and obeyed
• “This thing” – rhẽma = a word, a statement
• They “came with haste” and found Him just as the angels had promised
• They couldn’t help but tell others what they had experienced

5. The power of our story

Verses 18-20 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

• The message shared by the “lowly” shepherds was one which changed the lives of everyone who heard it
• Mary “pondered” these things because she was still trying to understand all that had happened to her
• This story started the life of worship in every one of these shepherds. Their story was now the guiding light for the rest of their lives

Takeaway for us all:

^[1] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Gospels (Luke), electronic ed., vol. 37 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 41.

^[2] John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 928.

2025-11-23

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Galatians 5:22–25 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Today, we are going to discuss faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the last three words used to describe the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. Each of these nine attributes, or graces, are evidence of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in one’s life. When walking in the Spirit, these attributes will naturally be on display. Not because of our goodness, but because of His work.

Vs 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

David Guzik said, “The flesh battles against God because it does not want to be crucified and surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not want to live out Galatians 5:24.”[1]

1. Faithfulness

Pistis – the state of being someone in whom complete confidence can be placed; trustworthiness, dependability

• 1 Sam. 12:24 (NKJV) Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth (faithfully) with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
• No matter the circumstances, the Holy Spirit’s work in us produces a person who is faithful in thought, belief, and action
• “Every thought we think, in every hour we live, must be, not necessarily about Christ, but it must be the thought Christ would think were he placed in our circumstances and subject to our condition…Only our disobedience and distraction can keep us from experiencing the Spirit’s work within us.”[2] – Hannah Whitall Smith
• Faithfulness takes intention

2. Gentleness

Prautēs – gentleness of one’s attitude and behavior, in contrast with harshness in one’s dealings with others

• 3:12 (NKJV) Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness (gentleness), longsuffering
• Gentleness (or meekness) is not weakness, it is Christlikeness
• Gentleness is strength under control
• “Meekness is power under control. Biblical meekness, or gentleness, is power under the control of God.”[3] – John MacArthur

3. Self-Control

Enkrateia – to exercise complete control over one’s desires and actions, especially sinful desires and temptation

• Proverbs 25:28 (NLT) A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.
• We all struggle with various temptations, the Holy Spirit’s work within us gives us what we need to overcome temptation
• “Nothing is more powerful to overcome temptation than the fear of God.”[4] – John Calvin
• Again, only our disobedience and distraction can keep us from experiencing the Spirit’s work within us

Action Points:

1. Let your words and actions define you…reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit

2. When anger or disappointment are possible, slow down and let His Spirit take over

3. You will be tempted in sin in the coming days, stand firm against giving in to what the flesh desires

[1] Guzik, David (2002). Romans Commentary. Enduring Word Media.

[2] Bunn, I. D. (2006). 444 Surprising Quotes about Jesus: A Treasury of Inspiring Thoughts and Classic Quotations. Bethany House Publishers.

[3] MacArthur, J. F. (2015). Ephesians: Our Immeasurable Blessings in Christ. Harper Christian Resources.

[4] Blanchard, John (2024). The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians. Reformation Heritage Books.

2025-11-09

Charles Billingsley

^{Galatians 5:16-17 (NLT)}

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 

Galatians 5:22-25 NKJV

^5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

So what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?   

The key to bearing any fruit in your life is to walk in the Spirit . 

How do we walk in the Spirit?

Let me give you another picture of this before we get to our 2 key words for the day in this list of virtues that we call the fruit of the Spirit.   

Observations on Fruit

– Fruit is always visible.

– Fruit is always consistent with the plant from which it was produced.

–  Fruit does not exist for itself.   

– Fruit eventually dies once it is detached from the vine.  

– Fruit doesn’t try to be anything that it is not. 

John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything 

Me + Everything = Nothing 

1. Peace

You will never know the Peace of God until you have Peace with God

A. Peace with God 

Do you have peace with God? 

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 2:14-18  For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

A beautiful illustration of this is the cross itself. 

The only way you can have peace with God – is through His son Jesus.  Have you accepted the grace and the love of Jesus in your life?  

B. The Peace of God

The peace of God will: 

Quiet your Spirit 

Calm your Soul

^{Philippians 4:6-7} Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

It is in His perfect presence that we find perfect peace which allows us to rest in His perfect plan.  

^{John 14:27} Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

Guard your Heart 

^{Phillipians 4:7} and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 4:8 paints the picture of this peace: 

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”

2. Patience 

^{Galatians 5:13-15} For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

When we walk in the spirit this kind of Patience or longsuffering will do several things. 

A.  Patience will help us see others through God’s eyes – rather than judging them through our own.  

Romans 2:1-4   You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. ² And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. ³ Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? ⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Judge less.  Love more.  

B.  Patience allows us to love others the way God wants us to love them.  

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NLT)

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

C.  Patience will bring you Peace with other people 

^{Colossians 3:12-15  (NLT)}

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

2025-10-26

Matt Willmington

• Acts 1-7 – “The Birth of the Church” (A.D. 30-33, Jerusalem)
• Acts 8-12 – “The Growth of the Church” (A.D. 34-44, Judea-Samaria)
• Acts 13-28 – “The Spread of the Church” (A.D. 45-62, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Rome)

Ch.12 is the book “hinge”. The story shifts = Jerusalem to Antioch, 12 apostles to Paul, Jerusalem/Judea/Samaria to whole earth

Acts 1:8 = The POWER of the Spirit, the unstoppable gospel message.

1.  Herod Persecutes the Apostles (AD 44)

12 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. ² Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. ³ And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

• Why persecution? Popular with Jews
• Why James? The “Big Three”
• Why Peter – same as Jesus – Passover

2.  God Delivers Peter to a Praying Church

⁵ Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. ⁶ And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. ⁷ Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. ⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” ⁹ So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. ¹¹ And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

• “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.” – Thomas Watson, Puritan preacher
• Here the 5^th 6^th angels in Acts (7^th in ch.23)
• These angels physically deliver / destroy
• 2^nd of 3 jail breaks in Acts (apostles ch.5, Paul ch.16)

¹² So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. ¹³ And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. ¹⁵ But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶ Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place. ¹⁸ Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

• Mary’s house = John Mark’s mom, Barnabas’ aunt
• Finish line Prayers!
• Pastor James – FIRST mention
• Next to LAST mention of Peter

3.  God Judges Prideful Herod

²⁰ Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. ²¹ So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. ²² And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

• Josephus records this

²⁴ But the word of God grew and multiplied. ²⁵ And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

• God’s Word grows – Luke’s 4^th of 6 “growth” reports

Lessons

1. James – How YOUR chapter ends is not how the STORY ends.
2. Peter – When Herod threatens and the night is dark, heaven will help and God will deliver!
3. Rhoda – Don’t let us squelch your joy! Testify Gods truth.
4. Mary’s house – Enjoy God’s surprise, but don’t doubt His answer. Faith opens the front door.
5. Herod– Power down or face GOD’S power.

TIMELINE:

30 Jesus’ Ascension (ch.1)

30 Pentecost (ch.2)

30 Peter and John heal in the Temple (ch.3)

31 Ananias and Sapphira (ch.5)

31 Deacons, Stephen (ch.6-7)

34 Philip in Samaria, Ethiopian official (ch.8)

35 Saul’s Conversion (ch.9)

37 Peter and Cornelius (ch.10-11)

44 Herod Agrippa I persecutes church (ch.12)

46-48 Paul’s 1^st mission trip (ch.13-14)

49 Jerusalem Council (ch.15)

50-52 Paul’s 2^nd mission trip (ch.15-18)

53-58 Paul’s 3^rd mission trip (ch.18-21)

59 Paul arrested in Jerusalem (ch.21-23)

59 Paul’s Caesarean imprisonment (ch.24-26)

60-62 Paul’s journey to Rome (ch.27-28)

2025-10-12

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Acts 9

1. The Conversion of Saul

Acts 9:1–9 (NKJV) Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. ⁴Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” ⁵And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” ⁶So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” ⁷And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. ⁸Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

• Saul’s mission to destroy the church continued and even grew
• During Saul’s travel to Damascus, Jesus speaks directly to him
• Kent Hughes said, “… Saul now knew he was not merely attacking those belonging to the Way—he was persecuting Christ.”[1]
• Tony Evans said, “Jesus so identifies with his people that to persecute them is to persecute him.”^[2]
• The elements of his conversion:
  • Awareness
  • Recognition
  • Submission
  • Repentance

2. The Obedience of Ananias

Acts 9:10-17 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. ¹²And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” ¹³Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” ¹⁷And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

• God uses Ananias to help Saul during this confusing season
• The ministry of encouragement was vital in helping bring Saul to the Lord
• Saul’s ministry began with a promise of trouble
• Vernon McGee – “What a change! He is still Saul of Tarsus, but now he is Brother Saul. He is not the enemy. He is a brother. Any person who loves the Lord Jesus Christ is a brother to any other believer.”^[3]

3. The Urgency of Saul

Acts 9:18-Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. ¹⁹So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. ²¹Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” ²²But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. ²³Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. ²⁴But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. ²⁵Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

• Saul didn’t wait to get involved in the work
• He was not ashamed of the Gospel, even though he had spent significant time attempting to stop it

4. The Partnership of the Believers

Acts 26-31 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. ²⁹And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. ³⁰When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus. ³¹Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

• People shied away from Saul out of fear of his past, yet Barnabas believed in this new brother
• After those in Jerusalem heard of the impact of the Gospel on Saul, they welcomed him into the fold
• Because of this partnership, the region began to be blessed with the power of the ministry
• Augustine said, “The martyrs were bound, imprisoned, scourged, racked, burnt, rent, butchered—and they multiplied.”^[4]

Lessons for us all:

1. No one is too far outside the reach of the Gospel
2. God has called us all to the ministry of reconciliation
3. From the moment of salvation, God has a job for us to do
4. We can get more done together than apart

[1] Hughes, R. Kent. Acts: The Church Afire. Preaching the Word, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2014.)

^[2] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1084.

^[3] J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: Church History (Acts 1-14), electronic ed., vol. 40 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 110.

^[4] Martin Manser, ed., Christian Quotations (Martin Manser, 2016).