Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

This is the chemistry of the cross: that God can work bad situations for our good and His glory.

This verse reiterates the certainty and completeness of this ironclad, rock-ribbed promise of God. He works all things together for His glory and for our good. When we know this, we can appreciate the blessings we would otherwise mistake as burdens.

Adrian Rogers says, “It takes a lot of faith to say it is good for me that I have been afflicted. But it’s then that we begin to look up into the face of God. A sick bed can often teach more than a sermon.”

By the chemistry of the cross, the sweet, the sorrowful, and even the satanic and sinful things work together for good. The same God who rules in the affairs of this world can work the enemy’s attacks for our benefit.

Romans 5:20 says, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more."

Because we are bound to sin, we are bound to suffer. But because of the cross, our suffering is met with God’s grace.

The simple and the smallest things are in God’s master control; He is the cause of it all.

Though this is a beautiful and big promise, it is not for everyone. There is a condition to Romans 8:28, which is, “to them that love God.”

When we accept the condition of Romans 8:28, we can fully understand the consequence of it, found in Romans 8:29: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

The “good” that we receive is our sanctification; we are becoming more like Jesus. God is not finished with us; He will continue to use circumstances to make us look more like our Savior.



Apply it to your life
Are you the one who loves God and believes your circumstances are there to make you look more like Jesus? Spend time in Scripture today, so that you can gain perspective on all things: the sweet, sorrowful, satanic, sinful, simple, and small. He is working them for your good!

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Ephesians 5:18

The Christian life is a blessing, but if we don’t understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it can feel more like a burden. The secret to a blessed Christian life is being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is important to know how to have a spirit-filled life.

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit...”

Having a Spirit-filled life is a command from God to obey, as well as a blessing to enjoy. It is also our obligation as Christians, because on our own, we don’t have the strength to do what the Bible commands us to do.

The only way to truly worship God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Our marriages and work relationships hinge on this as well. We serve our families and colleagues as we should when we first submit to the Holy Spirit.

It is also how we win in this spiritual warfare we face every day. It is our only hope in ever witnessing to others. We are up against the organized, demonic forces of Hell.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Adrian Rogers says, “There has never been a greater day, a greater age, a greater opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus than right now.”

What are the requirements of being filled with the Holy Spirit?

There must first be a complete commitment to Christ. We must continually yield control to Him, consciously claiming our dependence on Him every moment. When we do this, we receive a spirit of adoration for God—a passionate, blazing love for Jesus Christ that doesn’t burn out.

We also receive a spirit of appreciation for our circumstances. Ephesians 5:20 claims Christians are to be, “Giving thanks always for all things…”

Finally, we receive a spirit of accommodation toward others. Every day, every place, we are learning to submit to and serve others.

Apply it to your life

Adrian Rogers says, “We need a generation of Spirit-filled people. As the night grows darker, the saints grow brighter, and the hunger intensifies. And there are people who are looking, waiting, wondering: Is there an answer? The answer is in Christ.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:12-14

As Christians, we have the power not only to overcome temptations but also to use them as a means to grow in our faith. 1 Corinthians 10 shows us how to turn temptations into triumphs.

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).

Being saved does not make us immune to temptation; everyone is subject to temptation.

There are three common sources of temptation.
The World
In this context, “world” means a system or order. This fallen world is entrenched in evil and we are not to fall for its schemes. The world wars against the soul: our minds, emotions and will, our ego, our psyche. We can’t let the world mold us, guide us, or control us.

The Flesh
The flesh is the “old nature,” the person the Christian used to be; it is the inclination to do evil.
Adrian Rogers says, “Sin is an inside job that comes from your flesh.” The flesh wars against the body, tempting us in the areas of appetite, lust, laziness, and violence.

The Devil
The devil wars against the spirit: we know God through our spirits. Our spirits are our vehicles of communication, worship, and spiritual knowledge. The devil wants to cut off that life source.

There are three key ways to subdue temptation.
Against the world: FAITH
Through faith, God is a bright, living reality that eclipses the temptation to squeeze into the world’s mold.

Against the Flesh: FIGHT
We must avoid situations that will tempt us to sin in the flesh.
Against the devil: FIGHT
The devil won’t leave us alone until we resist him. We fight by bringing the Word of God against him.

Satan does not want us to understand the power we have to overcome temptation. We must be strong in the Lord. We must resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
Apply it to your life
When temptation comes, remember: you are not on defense; you can be on offense. Flee from fornication, feed on Jesus to avoid worldliness, and resist the devil.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 51

King David, though a man after God’s own heart, was a great sinner. He committed adultery and, in covering it up, he committed murder. But David was also a great repenter, and Psalm 51 shows us how to come back when we’re down.

Getting saved does not mean we lose our capacity to sin or minimize its gravity. The eternal security of salvation is not a license to sin without suffering. In fact, we will suffer all the more, because the Holy Spirit convicts believers of their sins until they confess them. Guilt is a dirty wound; it festers, and it will never heal until it is cleansed.

This passage reveals the weighty consequences of sin. Sin soils the soul, saturates the mind, and stings the conscience. It saddens the heart and sickens the body, sours the spirit, and seals the lips.

Adrian Rogers says, “The most miserable man on earth is not a lost man; It is a saved man out of fellowship with God.”

When we find ourselves down in our sins, how do we come back?

First, we must be confident that God still loves us.
Psalm 51:1 says, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” Even when he sinned, David had confidence in God’s lovingkindness. In spite of the enemy’s attempt to discredit God’s faithfulness, we must remember there is nothing we can do that will make God stop loving us.

Second, we must confess our sins without any excuses or alibis.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Finally, God cleanses and forgives.
He removes the penalty, blots it out, and buries it in the sea of His forgetfulness. He removes the pollution of sin, cleaning us whiter than snow. He removes the power of sin: God purges us so that we are clean on the inside.

We don’t have to carry around our own condemnation anymore; we can be clean.

Apply it to your life
Do you have any unconfessed sin weighing on you today? Ask God to search your heart and reveal your sin to you. Confess it and be cleansed by God’s forgiveness.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 10:27

It is good for our spiritual health and productivity as Christians to know we are eternally secure. This is why we must have a Scriptural defense for our eternal security. Following are four passages to reflect on regarding eternal security.

1. 2 Peter 2:21: "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”
Adrian Rogers says, “Reformation without transformation leads to greater degradation and final condemnation.” Reformation doesn't give us a new nature. Our sinful desires only hibernate and wake up stronger. Salvation, on the other hand, gives us a new nature and a desire to follow Jesus.

2. Matthew 24:11-13: "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Endurance is the mark of reality in the life of a human soul. We must endure in times of trial, so that our faith will not fail.

3. John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Those who abide in Him bear the fruit. Those who do not bear fruit, are not abiding in Him.

4. Hebrews 6:4-6: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
This passage refers to those who know the truth and turn from it, eyes wide open, having never repented to begin with. But we, who have accepted salvation and repented of our sins, are eternally secure.

Adrian Rogers says, “Eternal security is like a strong rubber band that God puts around you when you get saved. You may stray away, but He keeps drawing you back.”



Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “Those who live by truth get more and more freedom. Those who live by lies experience more and more bondage.” Consider this Scriptural Defense for your eternal security.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 10:27

When we, as Christians, are sure of our future, we can concentrate on the present. This is why John 10 is fundamental to the eternal security of the believer.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand” (John 10:27-29).
This passage reveals eight reasons we can be sure we are eternally secure.

1. Promise
God has promised us eternal security through His Word. Romans 8 claims that nothing can separate us from His love. (See Romans 8:38-39.)
2. Perseverance
God, who first began a good work in us, will complete what He has begun. The Holy Spirit of God is the Convictor, the Convertor, and the Completor. Adrian Rogers says, “The Holy Spirit has never started anything He’s not able to finish.”

3. Predestination
God has predetermined our destiny. Adrian Rogers says, “Your salvation did not begin with you. Your salvation began before this world was swung into space.” If you are called to a new birth in Christ, it is absolutely settled.

4. Perfection
Hebrews 10:14 says, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Being a Christian isn’t making monthly deposits to pay God back for His salvation. Jesus paid it all, therefore, we are made perfect forever in God’s sight. It is not a fresh start; it is a new nature.
5. Position
Adrian Rogers says, “Security is not a place; it is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ.” We are positioned with the Lord Jesus Christ, part of His body, sealed with the Holy Spirit.
6. Possession
If we are saved, we already have eternal life. Adrian Rogers says, “Everlasting life is not something you get when you die. Everlasting life is something you get when you believe.”
7. Prayer
Jesus is praying for us, not that we would escape tribulation, but that we will be kept from evil.

8. Power
Finally, we are kept by the power of God. This alone is enough proof that we are eternally secure.
Apply it to your life
Are you sure you are eternally secure? The same God who saved us will keep us if we believe in Him.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: 1 John 5:11

Every Christian ought to have the privilege of knowing, beyond any shadow of doubt, that he or she is saved. But having doubts doesn’t necessarily mean we are not saved.

Adrian Rogers says, “Doubt is to your spirit what pain is to your body; it doesn't mean you're dead, it means something's wrong.”

1 John 5 reveals how to be saved and know it, without hesitation.

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:11-13).

When doubts arise, we must remember, first, how we are saved: by grace, through faith (see Ephesians 2:8).

Adrian Rogers says, “Grace is the unmerited favor and love that God shows to us. It's what made God love us when we were unlovely. God doesn't love us because we're valuable… we're valuable because He loves us.”

Faith is not intellectual belief; it is trust and commitment to God. Think of grace as the hand of God reaching down to us, and faith is our hand reaching up to Him.

Understanding this, we can find our assurance through three basic tests:

Lordship Test

Is Jesus Christ the Lord of my life?

If we claim to love God, we will keep His commandments.

Fellowship Test

Do I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I in fellowship with other believers?

Fellowship is the nature of both the Christian and the Church.

Relationship Test

Do I have a vital relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?

The assurance of our salvation is ongoing; it is not a past event, stamped by a time and date, and place. It is a present decision to trust in Jesus, right now. We can trust in Him, for He alone is the assurance of our salvation.

Apply it to your life

Do you have doubts about your faith? Consider the lordship, fellowship, and relationship tests. If you don’t know whether your doubt is the Holy Spirit’s conviction or the devil’s tactic, believe in Jesus.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Revelation 22

There is an ongoing war over the Word of God. There are those who despise, dissect, and disregard it. But perhaps the greatest enemy of the Word of God is the one who believes in it but doesn’t know it.

We will never be settled until we are settled about the Word of God. Our salvation and sanctification depend on it.

Revelation 22:18 says, “For I testify unto every man who heareth the words of the prophecy of this book…”

There are several reasons to consider in becoming certain that the Bible is the Word of God.

First, consider the Bible’s scientific accuracy.

There have been many instances in which scientific theories have gone against the Word of God, but those theories have crumbled over time. Science changes direction, improves, and builds upon itself. But the Word of God remains unchanged and unmovable.

Second, consider the Bible’s historical accuracy.

Though it’s not primarily a history book, the Bible records many notable events verified by historians.

We also believe in the Bible because of its wonderful unity.

It is penned by people from all kinds of backgrounds: shepherds, kings, soldiers, princes, priests, and fishermen. Yet, from Genesis to Revelation, it reads as one book because of its divine inspiration.

Another reason we believe in the Bible is its fulfilled prophecy.

The Old Testament contains more than 300 prophecies that deal with Jesus Christ that He fulfilled in the New Testament.

We believe in the Bible because of its ever-living qualities. The Bible has faced much opposition, yet it has survived, and it still applies today. Adrian Rogers says, “The Bible is not the book of the month; it is the book of the ages.”

Ultimately, we believe in this book because of its life-changing power.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Gospel of Christ is the dynamite of God that saves.”

It saves the sinners, sanctifies the saints, sustains the suffering, and satisfies the scholar.

The Bible, in all its wonder and majesty, is summed up in this: “Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so!”

Apply it to your life

Are you certain that the Bible is the Word of God? Consider these reasons, and come to a faithful understanding of Scripture… knowing that once you begin studying it, you are never finished with it!