Search and browse every sermon preached at FBC Artesia — by book, speaker, series, or topic.
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25 sermons found
This sermon explores the biblical nature of true worship, warning against the dual errors of emotionalism and intellectual rationalism. Drawing from Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4, the speaker argues that authentic worship requires both spirit and truth—where sound doctrine and heartfelt delight work in harmony to glorify God.
This sermon, "Pastors Matter," explores 1 Timothy 3:1-7 to emphasize that a pastor's character and godliness are more crucial than their actions or charisma. It meticulously details twelve qualifications for overseers, from their desire for noble work to their reputation among outsiders, portraying a holistic image of a Christ-like leader. The sermon also outlines the core responsibilities of pastors—modeling godliness, preaching, praying, and discipling—and guides the congregation on their vital role in recognizing, supporting, and holding their leaders accountable, ultimately exalting Christ as the perfect Chief Shepherd.
This sermon explains the vital importance of congregationalism, asserting that individual church members hold significant God-given authority and responsibility. The speaker outlines four key areas where the congregation exercises this authority: church membership, leadership (affirming or removing pastors and deacons), governing documents, and the church budget. It emphasizes that while pastors lead, the congregation has the ultimate 'emergency brake' to safeguard the purity of the gospel and the integrity of the church, fostering a robust and trustworthy community.
This sermon initiates a series on the nature and function of the church, emphasizing that God's Word is the authoritative blueprint for all church life. The speaker argues that the Word not only creates salvation and the church itself but also commands its principles, practices, and priorities, providing the essential foundation to prevent division and foster genuine Christian community. Ultimately, relying on the Word cultivates humility, grace, and patience, recognizing that it is God who works through His inspired text, not human effort or preferences.
This sermon contrasts the lives of Jacob and Esau from Genesis 35-36, highlighting the paradox of living by faith in a fallen world. It explores Jacob's struggles and God's renewed promises amidst personal losses, juxtaposed with Esau's worldly success that ultimately leads to oblivion. The message calls believers to prioritize God's eternal promises through Christ over temporary earthly comforts, finding true hope and redemption in Jesus' victory over sin and death.
This sermon examines God's judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, highlighting Abraham's persistent intercession and Lot's compromised life, which weakened his witness. It underscores the universal human condition of sinfulness, arguing that no one is truly righteous, including Israel. Ultimately, the message points to Jesus Christ as the only righteous one, whose atoning sacrifice allows God to justly extend mercy and salvation to all who repent and place their faith in him.
Abram, the father of faith, falters in trust when facing a famine in Canaan, resorting to a deceitful plan involving his wife, Sarai, to secure his own safety and worldly gain in Egypt. Despite Abram's grave compromise and sin, God intervenes to protect his covenant promises, judging Pharaoh and illustrating that true salvation and security rest not on human faithfulness or cunning, but on God's unwavering providence and the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who perfectly resisted temptation and bore the wrath for our failures.
This sermon explores God's call to Abram in Genesis 12, focusing on His promises of a place, a people, and power. It traces how these promises find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ and extend to all believers through the Gospel. The speaker emphasizes that following God's call requires both believing His promises and obeying His commands, warning against partial obedience and highlighting worship as a foundational response to God's faithfulness.
John the Baptist, in response to his disciples' concerns about Jesus's growing ministry, redirects their focus to Jesus, emphasizing that Jesus is the ultimate authority and the focal point of all existence. The sermon stresses Jesus's divine nature as the Son of God, who speaks God's words with the Spirit without measure, presenting belief in Him as the path to eternal life and rejection as remaining under God's wrath. It concludes by highlighting that true life and joy are found not in self-exaltation, but in humbly receiving Christ, who provides unending grace and goodness.
This panel discussion explores the vital role of prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit in preaching, particularly amidst life's busyness and personal suffering, which deepens a pastor's reliance on God. The panelists also address how to balance expository preaching with cultural relevance, emphasizing the importance of discipling congregations to maturity while wisely engaging with contemporary issues impacting the church. Ultimately, the conversation highlights that effective, powerful preaching stems from faithfulness to God's Word and dependence on the Spirit, rather than celebrity status or congregation size.
Jesus's first sign, turning water into wine at Cana, is revealed as a foreshadowing of his ultimate sacrifice—his blood, the "finest wine" of the new covenant. This miracle, performed on the seventh day (Sabbath), signifies not just salvation from God's wrath, but also the joyous, complete deliverance and union with God, culminating in the celebratory wedding feast of eternity.
This sermon explores the meaning of life and humanity's purpose as revealed in Genesis 2, focusing on three aspects of God's interaction with man: creation, command, and compliment. It delves into the intentionality of human design, the necessity of choice for true obedience, and the divine institution of marriage as a complementary union. Ultimately, the sermon explains that earthly marriage is a symbol pointing to the greater spiritual union between Christ and His church, offering hope and purification from sin through Jesus' sacrifice.
This sermon, '1 Timothy in a Nutshell,' summarizes the Apostle Paul's pastoral letter to Timothy, a discouraged pastor facing false teaching and opposition in Ephesus. It exhorts believers to 'fight the good fight of the faith' by embracing four key actions: praying, preaching the Word, practicing personal and corporate godliness, and persevering in their faith until Christ's return, emphasizing that Jesus is always worth the effort and is the foundation for all Christian living.
This sermon, focusing on 1 Timothy 3:14-16, unpacks the "mystery of godliness" as the person of Jesus Christ, revealed through a series of paradoxes demonstrating God's grace to sinners. It then explains the church's vital role as the "pillar and foundation of the truth," tasked with preserving and proclaiming this mystery rather than creating new doctrines. Finally, the sermon emphasizes that the conduct of individual believers and the church as an institution must reflect and protect the Gospel's truth to a watching world.
This sermon unpacks the qualifications for church overseers (pastors/elders) from 1 Timothy 3:1-7, emphasizing godliness over productivity or charisma. It details twelve specific characteristics, from desiring the noble work to having a good reputation among outsiders, highlighting that these standards reflect Christ's character. The message challenges the congregation to expect these qualities in their leaders, encourage those who embody them, address those who do not, embody these qualities themselves, and ultimately exalt Christ as the ultimate Good Shepherd.
Jamie Dunlop addresses how local churches can cultivate genuine unity amidst deep cultural, political, and personal differences by centering entirely on Christ alone. Drawing from several passages in Romans, he illustrates how loving those who are hard to love displays the supernatural power of the gospel and brings greater glory to God than uniformity ever could.
Jamie Dunlop argues that a church budget is fundamentally a spiritual document reflecting a congregation's values rather than just a set of administrative numbers. Through the lens of the Parable of the Talents, he shows how budgeting should be an act of risk-taking obedience in God's promises rather than a tool for risk mitigation. Dunlop unpacks how this perspective reshapes staff pay, programs, administrative trade-offs, and pastoral leadership over church finances.
In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10-17, Pastor Steve emphasizes that the primary call of the passage is to be strong in the Lord rather than focusing solely on the armor itself. He explains that believers must actively put on God's strength and resources to stand firm against spiritual forces and the schemes of the devil. By relying on God's truth, righteousness, and Word, the church can resist evil and hold onto spiritual ground.
At the 2024 LA Ministers' Conference, Mark Dever discusses the value of looking to Puritan sermon models to find faithfulness and clarity in preaching. He examines how Puritans structured their introductions, sermons, and applications to keep the Bible central, and participates in a panel discussion about the practical struggles and joys of weekly sermon preparation.
