The Way of Dependence

Text: Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)

Have you ever been burdened to pray for someone or something, but you eventually were distracted or discouraged, and the burden soon became an afterthought? If so, you can relate to this parable of Jesus. In this message, Jesus explains and illustrates what true dependence and desperation look like. In doing so, He calls us to get back to prayer and to truly pray in faith, believing that our Father is good and delights in answering the prayers of His children who fully depend on Him.

Called Out: How We Do It!

Text: Acts 13:1-3 (ESV)

When we measure a church's health by how many great leaders it can gather, we get it exactly backward. Antioch — a church loaded with gifted, diverse leadership — didn't hoard its best people. While worshiping and fasting, the Spirit set apart two of its most eminent leaders, Barnabas and Saul, and the church released them without a single recorded objection. This is what a Gospel-shaped identity produces: not a grip, but an open hand. We were saved by the Gospel and shaped by the Gospel so that we could be sent with the Gospel — and that sending was never meant to be a one-time sacrifice. It's a rhythm, passed from generation to generation: raise up leaders, seek the Lord for who and where, send willingly, and stay partnered with the ones you release. A healthy church isn't the one that keeps its best — it's the one willing to multiply them.

Called Out: Time to Shine

Text: Philippians 2:12-18 (NASB 1995)

Drawing from Philippians 2:12–18, this sermon urges Christians to “shine as lights” by allowing God’s transforming power to become visible through obedience, humility, grace, and joyful service. Believers have the power to shine because God works within them, the place to shine wherever He has positioned them in a broken world, and the privilege of sacrificially serving others for His glory. Rather than manufacturing their own light, disciples are called to depend on Jesus and faithfully reflect Him to their families, neighbors, coworkers, and communities.

Called Out: Sinner or Saint?

Text: Ephesians 1:1-6 (ESV)

When we build our identity on performance, we live as sinners trying harder—never secure, always striving. But Paul opens his letter to the Ephesians by declaring something entirely different: You are a saint, not because of what you've done, but because of what God has done. Before the foundation of the world, God chose you, blessed you, and predestined you for adoption—not because you were great, but because He is. This identity isn't earned by our decisions; it's received as a gift, chosen for us before we ever had the chance to choose Him. When that truth settles in, it doesn't produce pride or passivity—it produces a humble, secure confidence that fuels active faith: Repenting, walking in holiness, and proclaiming the excellencies of the One who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.