Search and browse every sermon preached at FBC Artesia — by book, speaker, series, or topic.
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 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.
47 minThis 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.
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.
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.
This sermon, "Like Father Like Son," explores Isaac's life in Genesis 26, highlighting his tendency to repeat his father Abraham's mistakes, particularly in deceit and conflict, while also experiencing God's consistent blessing. It emphasizes the importance of following God's promises over worldly problems and finding true peace not through self-preservation or conflict, but through resting in God's covenant, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
36 minThrough the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis 25, this sermon explores the tension between God's sovereign election and human moral responsibility. It contrasts Abraham's legacy of contented faith with Esau's foolish exchange of his eternal birthright for momentary physical gratification. Ultimately, the message calls listeners to resist immediate sinful appetites and choose the everlasting promises of Christ, whose sacrificial death has opened the way back to God's presence.
48 minThis sermon examines Abraham's repeated sin in Genesis 20, where he again puts Sarah's life at risk by claiming she is his sister. It contrasts Abimelech's innocent ignorance and swift repentance with Abraham's calculated self-preservation, highlighting how our 'not knowing' explains but doesn't excuse sin, and our 'not caring' reveals a lack of trust in God. Ultimately, the sermon points to Jesus as the faithful High Priest who intercedes for sinners, offering forgiveness and grace for our repeated failures, and enabling us to repent and trust God with our whole lives.
47 minThis 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.
46 minThis sermon, centered on John 3:1-21, challenges listeners to move beyond mere admiration of Jesus to genuine belief. It emphasizes two core requirements for salvation: being spiritually "born again" through the Holy Spirit and actively placing faith in Jesus as the Son of Man, who was lifted up on the cross like Moses' serpent in the wilderness. The preacher stresses that God's love is demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice, and choosing not to believe results in immediate condemnation, urging all to look to Christ for everlasting life.
23 minThis panel discussion explores the pervasive struggle of pride among pastors and spiritual leaders, emphasizing its elusive nature. Panelists Thomas, Nam, and Robert Scott share practical strategies for cultivating humility, including regular confession to family and accountability partners, radical vulnerability, and strategically declining opportunities that might fuel self-exaltation. They stress the importance of fostering a culture of honest feedback and deep friendships within church leadership to safeguard against pride and promote genuine spiritual growth.
43 minThis sermon uses the life of the Apostle Peter as a framework for pastoral introspection, divided into 'Rock, Paper, Scissor.' It explores Peter's initial prominence, not due to his own merit but Christ's effectual call, then highlights Peter's spiritual pride that led to his three-fold denial of Jesus. Finally, it emphasizes Peter's painful pruning and subsequent restoration by Jesus, concluding that this 'good hurt' is necessary for pastors to confront their self-love, realign their affections for Christ, and serve humbly.
29 minThis sermon emphasizes the crucial importance of preaching Christ crucified as the central message of Christianity, warning against deviations like easy believism and legalism. It outlines five reasons why the cross is often neglected and five reasons why it must remain the basis for salvation, justification, and true spiritual formation. Ultimately, the speaker argues that the crucifixion is the climax of the Gospels and the only lasting motivation for Christian living.
42 minThis sermon on Nehemiah 8:1-12 instructs believers to rightly heed God's Word by gathering, listening, responding, and rejoicing. It highlights how the returning Israelites wept upon hearing the Law, realizing their past disobedience, but were then commanded to celebrate because the day was holy and the joy of the Lord is their strength. The message emphasizes that true rejoicing stems from understanding God's salvific plan, particularly through Jesus Christ, rather than despair over sin.
42 minThis sermon on Nehemiah 8:1-12 emphasizes the importance of properly heeding God's Word: gathering to hear it, listening attentively, and responding with worship. It explains that while recognizing sin might lead to weeping, the ultimate response should be joy, as "the joy of the Lord is your strength," rooted in God's faithfulness and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The sermon encourages believers to understand and rejoice in Christ, who is sufficient for all.
44 minThis sermon explores Jesus's seemingly aggressive actions of cursing a fig tree and cleansing the temple in Mark 11:12-25, revealing them as prophetic acts against a fruitless and hypocritical religious system. It highlights Jesus's teaching on faith and forgiveness, emphasizing that true faith involves both trust in God's power and the willingness to extend forgiveness to others. The message calls believers to examine their own lives for genuine fruitfulness and true worship, beyond mere rituals.
32 minIn this sermon on Mark 4:1-20, the speaker explores the Parable of the Sower, highlighting the different ways people respond to the Word of God. He challenges listeners to evaluate the soil of their hearts, warning against the dangers of shallow faith, worldly anxieties, and the deceitfulness of wealth, while encouraging them to deeply welcome God's Word to bear abundant fruit.