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What Hope? Everlasting Life!
God "...has planted eternity in the human heart." (Eccles. 3:11) Created in God's image, we are uniquely capable of yearning, longing, hoping and anticipating a place where we have never been. Yet in Christ, it is the home we have always wanted. It is that place where longing is exchanged for belonging.
Ascended!
Many sermons and lessons have been given about the importance of believing in his bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. But what about his ascension? Somehow the importance of this equally historic event, witnessed by eleven of the apostles, is overlooked as merely an incidental transition from earth to heaven. Look again! There is more here than meets the eye.
Is Jesus Lord?
Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin and death, that we might have eternal life. Ok... Then what? Where did he go after that? What is He doing now? After trusting Him to save me, is there more? YES! An ongoing, vibrant, real, trusting, dependent, obedient, lifelong relationship with Christ requires submission to His Lordship, beyond mere acceptance of His salvation. "Christ in me the hope of glory," is an continuously transforming and daily relationship.
The Lord's Supper
Tangible signs signifying an inward grace, the bread and wine of communion are Christ's gifts to us. They remind us of the cross and point us to the day when we will feast at the Table of the Lamb. Utterly strange and bizarre to unbelievers, but precious and dear to the household of faith.
God’s Word: Read It and Do It!
Wherefore I would advise you all that come to the reading or hearing of this book, which is the word of God, the most precious jewel and most holy relic that remaineth on earth; that ye bring with you the fear of God, and that ye do it with all due reverence, and use your knowledge thereof, not to vain glory of frivolous disputation, but to the honor of God, increase of virtue, and edification both of yourselves and others. (Thomas Cranmer)
What Is Prayer?
Prayer is not a text to recite, a formula to repeat, or a sure fire set of words guaranteed to get results. It is the overflow of an intimate relationship with God the Father, mediated through Jesus Christ and enabled by His Holy Spirit. "Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving.
The Helper
How can we love one another? We need Help! How can we obey Christ's commands? We need help! How can we understand the Bible? We need help! How can we confess our sins and receive forgiveness? We need help! How can we know how to pray? We need help! How can we resist temptation and grow in grace? We need help! That's why Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts! He's the all powerful, all sufficient Helper we need to live the Christian life!
The Holy Spirit: Who Is He?
We have no problem understanding that God is our Heavenly Father, and that Jesus is the Son of God, but we sometimes have a hard time grasping how the Holy Spirit is totally equal and fully God along with the Father and the Son. He is our Helper! His personality and intimacy with believers are written all over the New Testament, and we cannot ignore his vital role in helping us to live the Christian life on a daily basis.
Church Membership
You will not find a Bible verse that says, "Thou shalt join a local church!" But neither can you read the descriptions of the church in the Bible as a family, a body, or a temple, without concluding that believers belong in churches. Teaching in the epistles about sacraments, eldership, discipline, and body life further reinforce the critical importance of church membership for healthy congregations.
Resurrection Matters
According to the laws of nature, dead bodies do not come back to life. Period - end of investigation! But the disciples were faced with overwhelming evidence that clearly flew in the face of established scientific dogma? They saw Jesus alive! What could they do? They believed, and never wavered from that belief through all manner of persecution, torture and even martyr's deaths. Jesus said to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed." (John 20:29) "Alleluia, He is risen indeed!"
Dress Rehearsal
Malachi prophesied, "And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight." (Mal. 3:1) Was he talking about the Triumphal Entry when Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem before his crucifixion? Or was he referring to the day when Jesus will return triumphantly at the end of the age as Lord of Lords and King of Kings? Perhaps it was both!
Christian, What Do You Believe?
Jude points us to a body of belief, a summary of "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints," that was established early on in the life of the early church . Where can we find this summary today? Here it is, The Apostles Creed:
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Faith in Jesus Christ -What is it?
Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in his Word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.
His Light Reveals Truth, Cleanses and Forgives
Our Guest Speaker for the 2024 Mission conference at FCARP: Rev. Stuart Mills
Stuart and Meg Mills have served with Peru Mission since 2010 where he served as associate pastor in Iglesia Presbiteriana Cristo Restaurador and was director of the Areópago Cristiano with Peru Mission. Stuart received an MDIV from RTS-Jackson and was ordained in Southern Louisiana Presbytery of the PCA. They and their four children returned from Peru in February of 2023 and are currently living in Brandon, MS. Stuart is studying the MAC program at RTS in Jackson. Meg is working at UMMC in a postdoctoral fellowship in the physiology department. Stuart is still raising support through PM while studying at RTS.
Lost in Adam - Saved in Christ
If the entire human race is condemned because of Adam's sin, why then would not the entire human race be saved through Jesus Christ? If God loves us all, why would he send anybody to Hell? The answer lies in the Cross of Christ, the free offer of the gospel, and the necessity of repentance and faith.
God Still Loves His World
Adam's sin brought death to all of God's creation, both physical and spiritual; and even though God has placed his particular redeeming love on those whom he has set apart for redemption, this does not mean that he has abandoned the rest of his creation to the chaos of evil and wickedness. His common grace sustains life across the planet and enables great works of beauty, culture, engineering and technology for his own glory even among those who reject his Lordship and redemption. In the end, God will reconcile all things to himself by the blood of the cross.
His Life For Our Sin: The Great Exchange
It was the most unthinkably grand and majestic act of mercy that took place on the cross when Jesus became sin for us, and bore the weight of our guilt and shame. By grace we are reconciled with God, our sins are covered 100%, and His righteousness becomes ours. Therefore in Christ, and in Him alone we may now live as a new creation. Now there's something worth singing about!
Comfort In Suffering
Guest Preacher David Dennis brings God's Word to bear on our experience of suffering. None of it is wasted in God's redeeming purpose for our life.
Why Did He Have To Die?
The darkness of our sinful hearts is far worse than we can even imagine; the beauty and perfection of God's holiness is far greater than we can conceive. Only a perfect and blameless sacrifice could bridge the chasm between sinful man and holy God, and reconcile miserable sinners to a merciful God. All glory be to God and to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Jesus: Truly Human, Truly God
What sort of Redeemer is needed to bring us back to God? One who is truly human and also truly God. Jesus understands who we are and what we experience, because he lived a fully human life like us, yet without sin. By his perfect obedience, he is qualified to take our place as the fully adequate sacrifice for our sin. Because he is also fully divine, Jesus was able to love us to the very end, die for us, and rise again on the third day. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Looking for more sermons?
While we hope to one day have all of our sermons from sermon.net available here - that’s still a work in process. For now, anything prior to January, 2022 is still available, but through our older channels.