Search and browse every sermon preached at FBC Artesia — by book, speaker, series, or topic.
In this sermon on Matthew 6:25-34, the speaker addresses the root of worry and anxiety by directing our gaze toward the character of God. Through Jesus' instructions to consider the birds and observe the lilies, believers are encouraged to trust in their heavenly Father's meticulous control and deep love, finding peace not in a perfect life but in a perfect God.
This sermon addresses the connection between our hearts and our finances, emphasizing that how we steward our money is a direct reflection of our devotion to Christ. Grounded in Matthew 6 and other New Testament passages, it calls believers to give regularly, sacrificially, and joyfully to support pastoral ministry, local church functions, and global missions.
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 outlines the biblical imperative for church discipline, explaining that it serves two primary purposes: to protect Christ's reputation and to facilitate the sinner's restoration. It details the process of church discipline as taught in Matthew 18, emphasizing that it should be carried out with love, humility, and a clear understanding of the gospel's power to transform and forgive repentant sinners.
This sermon explores the biblical basis and practical importance of church membership through the lens of Christ's kingly authority in Matthew 16. It explains that church membership is a formal recognition of Kingdom citizenship and an explicit covenant to take responsibility for one another's discipleship.
This sermon explores the essential nature of the Gospel, framing it as the "material principle" of Christian life and the church. It highlights how the Gospel saves individuals from sin, creates new spiritual life and the church community through practices like baptism, protects the integrity of the church through the proper administration of the Lord's Supper, and ultimately cultivates humility and empowered service in believers. The message emphasizes that true faith rooted in Christ's work leads to transformed lives and active participation in God's redemptive plan.
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.
41 minThis sermon explores Psalm 23, highlighting God as the perfect Shepherd, Companion, and Host. It emphasizes that in Christ, believers find ultimate satisfaction and security, having all they need even in the darkest valleys, because God's presence, protection, and gracious provision are constant. The sermon calls listeners to trust in the Gospel for peace and rest, knowing that God's goodness and mercy relentlessly pursue His children.
47 minThis sermon unpacks Jacob's transformation from a scheming, self-reliant individual to 'Israel,' one who struggles with and depends on God. Through his panicked efforts to appease Esau, his wrestling match with God that leaves him with a permanent limp, and an unexpected reconciliation with his brother, Jacob learns that true security and salvation come not from his own efforts but from God's grace. The sermon applies these lessons to the Christian life, emphasizing reliance on God, radical forgiveness, faithful obedience, and a secure identity in Christ.
47 minThis sermon, based on Proverbs 4, urges listeners to "get on and stay on the path of wisdom" as it leads to eternal life. It highlights the generational responsibility of parents and the church to teach God's wisdom, contrasting the bright path of the righteous with the dark path of the wicked. The sermon emphasizes guarding one's heart, avoiding temptation, and receiving wisdom from others, ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ as the embodiment of divine wisdom and the only way to true life.
52 minDoug Axe discusses the distinction between human personhood and artificial intelligence, arguing that humans are uniquely created in the image of God with an immaterial soul and mind, whereas AI is merely a machine executing probabilistic algorithms. He warns against the real danger of "personhood atrophy," where humans abdicate their relational and spiritual duties to unthinking technology.
43 minIn this sermon, Gordon Broadbent demystifies the history, technology, and inner workings of artificial intelligence, comparing its cultural disruption to the electrical revolution of the early 20th century. He encourages believers to exercise critical thinking when using these probabilistic systems while maintaining an eternal perspective, resting in the absolute sovereignty of God who remains on His throne.
51 minThe sermon dissects the dysfunctional family dynamics in Genesis 26-28, highlighting the failures of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau, each blinded by their own desires, control, deception, and bitterness. Despite their pervasive sin, the preacher emphasizes God's sovereign hand working providentially to fulfill His purposes through the mess, ultimately pointing to Christ as the only perfect one who offers grace and mercy. The message warns listeners not to emulate the characters' flaws but to seek God's grace.
47 minThis sermon addresses how believers can remain steadfast and faithful while waiting for the Second Coming of Christ. It outlines three ways to wait: patiently, recognizing Christ's certain and near return; readily, by preserving church unity and actively serving; and blessedly, by finding ultimate joy in God despite present sufferings, drawing examples from the prophets and Job. The message encourages repentance for unbelievers and a continuous, active love for Christ and His church for believers.
39 minThis sermon explores Genesis 18:1-15, contrasting Abraham's eager hospitality and faith with Sarah's cynical laughter and unbelief regarding God's promise of a son. The preacher uses this narrative to highlight God's omnipotence and his loving confrontation of sin, ultimately inviting listeners to abandon self-preservation and embrace God's grace found in Jesus Christ, fostering a spirit of joyful service.
42 minThis sermon on 1 Peter 5:5-7 explores two essential dimensions of humility in the Christian life: humility towards one another and humility towards God. It emphasizes submitting to elders, serving fellow believers, and casting all anxieties on God, knowing that He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble and cares deeply for His people. The message encourages believers to embrace gospel-driven humility, trust in God's timing and plan, and actively fight against pride in all aspects of life.
45 minThis sermon explores Genesis 17, focusing on God's covenant with Abraham, the sign of circumcision, and the promise of Isaac as the covenant son. It emphasizes that physical circumcision was a sign of being set apart for God, but ultimately pointed to a deeper circumcision of the heart and the New Covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through Christ's sacrifice, believers are spiritually 'cut off' from sin and raised to new life, signified by baptism.
38 minThis sermon delves into Genesis 16, using Sarai's impatient and sinful pursuit of a child through Hagar to illustrate the futility of human plans in the face of suffering. It contrasts this with God's faithful promises to Hagar and ultimately to humanity through Jesus, Emmanuel, the true 'God Who Sees' and 'God With Us,' who saves us from our deepest problem of sin. The message encourages listeners to abandon self-reliant efforts and find their true hope in Christ, who hears and redeems.
45 minAbram, 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.
47 minThis 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.