Human beings were made to worship. The object of that worship will either be the one true and living God ... or it will be an idol. A "god" is whatever we choose to serve, rely on, find refuge in, and love. And the more we worship that false "god", the more we come to resemble it. Here, Pastor Davey expounds upon the Apostle John's warning for believers to guard themselves from idols. Jesus Christ is the only God both worthy of worshipping and worth becoming more like. Anything else is a shallow, temporary substitute.
Do you ever doubt your heavenly assurance, worried that you might transgress one too many times for the Lord to accept you into His forever Kingdom? In this teaching on 1 John, Pastor Davey clarifies what the Apostle wants all of us to know with absolute certainty: we are forgiven and saved once and for always through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thankfully, our security is not dependent upon how firmly we grasp Christ. It is found in His grip on us. And God will never lose His grip.
Have you ever prayed hard for a prodigal friend or family member and it seemed like your prayers weren't getting past the ceiling. Well here's the Apostle John's advice for you today: keep praying!
Often, our problem as Christians isn't that we don't have faith; it's that we don't have assurance. It's not that we don't have hope; it's that we don't have confidence. But the Apostle John delivers a message that could change all that.
The book of Romans has been considered by many scholars and theologians throughout the ages to be the magnum opus of all Paul's letters--as well as the pillar of Christian doctrine and practice. So in this message Stephen reveals to us why this book is not only essential for Christians . . . it is essential for Christianity.
When Paul says in Romans 1:16 that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, did you know that the Greek word he uses for 'power' in that passage is translated 'dynamite' in English?! Paul is saying that the Gospel isn't just power . . . its explosive power! And he watched it explode in the lives of thousands of men and women throughout his ministry. So if you're feeling weak or ineffective today in your own outreach, this is a message you don't want to miss.
Have you ever witnessed a riot in the parking lot of your church or been threatened by an angry mob of civilians? For us, that would be extreme persecution. For Hudson Taylor, that was just another day at the office!
Hudson Taylor was a 19th century Protestant Christian missionary who is known for his work in China. He was born in England in 1832 and grew up in a devout Christian household. After a conversion experience at the age of 17, he felt called to serve as a missionary and spent much of his life working to spread the Gospel in China.
Taylor was the founder of the China Inland Mission, an organization that focused on sharing the Gospel with people in China. He faced numerous challenges and setbacks throughout his ministry, including persecution, illness, and financial difficulties, but he remained dedicated to his work and deeply loved by those he served.
Taylor is perhaps best known for his innovative approach to missionary work, which included living among the Chinese people, wearing traditional Chinese clothing, and learning the Chinese language and culture. He believed that by adopting these practices, he could more effectively share the Gospel with the Chinese people and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them.
Throughout his life, Taylor remained deeply committed to his faith and his calling to serve others. He is remembered as a courageous and selfless missionary who dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel and serving others. His legacy lives on through the many lives he touched and the ongoing work of missionaries in China and around the world.
The relationship between faith and works has proved a confusing issue for centuries. But it didn't just begin in the protestant reformation under Martin Luther. No. It began during the time of the Apostles. So let's listen in now as Stephen takes us back to Romans 1:5 to discover not only why True Faith Works . . . but how it works.
