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In Session 3 of our study through Acts, we pick up following the incredible events of Pentecost. Peter has preached the Gospel, the Holy Spirit has been poured out, and approximately 3,000 people receive the Word and are added to the believers. The study then takes us back to Exodus 32 and the golden calf, where Israel became impatient while Moses was on Mount Sinai. Rather than trusting God's timing, they decided to take matters into their own hands. The comparison produces one of the strongest observations of the session: When the law came, 3,000 people died. When the Holy Spirit came, 3,000 people were saved. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… Back in Acts, we see what happened next. The early believers devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, worship, generosity, and life together. They were willing to sacrifice for the Kingdom because they understood that material possessions are temporary, while what we invest in God's Kingdom and in people has eternal value. 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… Acts 3 then takes Peter and John to the temple, where they encounter a man who had been lame from birth. The man was looking for money. God had something greater for him. Peter tells him, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you,” and in the name of Jesus Christ tells him to rise and walk. The man is healed and enters the temple walking, leaping, and praising God. When the crowd turns its attention toward Peter and John, they refuse the glory. Peter makes it clear that this miracle did not happen through their own power or godliness. Jesus gets the credit. The pastor summarizes the principle beautifully: We don't have great men and women of God. We have a great God who uses common men and women. 20261001 - LWWC - Acts - Sessio… Peter then uses the miracle to point people beyond physical healing to their greatest spiritual need: forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. “Repent therefore and be converted” isn't a message of condemnation. It's an invitation to freedom because repentance brings refreshing. Whatever we've done and wherever we've failed, through Christ we have access to God. We can confess our sins, receive forgiveness, and be cleansed

What does it look like to truly follow Jesus when doing so becomes difficult? In Session 3 of our study through 1 Peter, we continue in chapter 2 and discover that the Christian life is not simply about escaping hardship. Peter was writing to believers who were scattered and suffering, yet rather than telling them to run from difficulty, he reminded them who they were: a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God's own special people. Their lives were to proclaim the One who had called them out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  This study challenges the way we often define victory. Hebrews 11 describes some believers who conquered kingdoms, escaped the sword, and witnessed miraculous deliverance. But it also describes faithful people who suffered, were imprisoned, persecuted, and even killed. Both groups were victorious. Why? Because God's power was never in question—His purpose was what mattered. Stephen demonstrates this kind of surrendered life. Even while being stoned, he asked God not to hold the sin against those killing him. How could someone respond that way? The message points us toward a challenging answer: Stephen had already died to himself. He had surrendered his life completely to Christ

When many of Jesus’ followers turned away because His teaching became difficult, Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” Peter responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” That confession becomes the heart of this message. There comes a point in every believer’s journey when Christianity moves beyond simply knowing about Jesus. We come to understand that there truly is nowhere else to go. Our strength, accomplishments, plans, religion, and the things of this world cannot give us what only Christ can provide. Beginning in John 6, Pastor Matthew Robbins examines Jesus as the Bread of Life and the difference between seeing life only through the natural and learning to understand spiritual truth. When some disciples refuse to go further with Jesus, Peter chooses to remain. Mature faith learns to endure even when following Christ becomes difficult. 20251005 - Sunday Morning Servi… The message then moves to John 11 and the death of Lazarus. Martha believed in a future resurrection, but Jesus brought her to something greater: “I am the resurrection and the life.” The resurrection is not merely an event or doctrine—it is inseparably connected to the person of Jesus Christ. That leads to the central claim of the sermon: Jesus is not simply another good or wise religious teacher. He declared Himself to be the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the only way to the Father. He predicted His death and resurrection, gave His life for our sin, and rose from the grave. 20251005 - Sunday Morning Servi… Finally, Philippians 3 brings the message home. Paul counted everything else as loss compared with knowing Christ. Our earthly assignments and seasons will change, but the Christian’s lifelong calling remains: To know Him. This message challenges us to stop keeping part of ourselves in reserve, press forward in Christ, and reach the place Peter reached: “Lord, where else can we go?”       Jesus is the only way, Jesus Christ sermon, John 14:6, nowhere else to go, where else can we go, John 6 Bible study, Bread of Life, words of eternal life, resurrection of Jesus, Jesus resurrection sermon, Lazarus resurrection, John 11 sermon, I am the resurrection and the life, Philippians 3, that I may know Him, power of His resurrection, eternal life, Christian sermon, Sunday morning sermon, Gospel message, salvation through Jesus, knowing Christ, Pastor Matthew Robbins, Living Water

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is inside of you. What does that mean?  The power that brought Christ out of the grave is not merely something Christians admire historically. That Spirit now dwells in the believer. “If we ever get the full revelation of that, Satan's in trouble.”

What is holding your life together? In Session 2 of our study through 1 Peter, we continue into chapter 2, where Peter describes Jesus Christ as the Living Stone—the Chief Cornerstone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious. Peter then tells believers that we, too, are “living stones” being built together into a spiritual house and a holy priesthood. This study explores the biblical imagery of the cornerstone and capstone, Jesus' teaching about the stone the builders rejected, God's mercy and redemptive purpose, and what it means for Christ to be the foundation and head of everything we build. Along the way, we examine Matthew 21, Isaiah 19, and Ephesians 2 and consider why Jesus used the imagery of the Chief Cornerstone.

I AM THE RESURRECTION — John 11 Mary and Martha believed Jesus could heal Lazarus while he was sick. But what happens when the situation moves beyond what we believe is possible? Jesus intentionally waited until Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days before arriving in Bethany. What appeared to everyone else to be the end became the setting for one of Jesus' greatest declarations: “I am the resurrection and the life.” In this message from John 11, we examine why God sometimes allows us to walk through trials instead of immediately removing them, how those experiences can strengthen our faith, and why seemingly impossible circumstances are never evidence of a lack of power in God. It is never a question of His power. It is always one of His purpose. We also look at the resurrection of Jesus, the conviction of the early disciples who carried their testimony even through persecution, and what the reality of the resurrection means for the way Christians should live today. Your life is not your own. You have been bought with a price and placed in your circle of influence for a purpose. Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, death does not have the final word.

Peter was an ordinary man who experienced extraordinary things with Jesus. He was tested, he failed, he denied Christ—and he was restored. In this opening session of our study through 1 Peter, we discover why Peter's own journey makes his words to struggling Christians so powerful. First Peter chapter 1 reminds us that we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and have an inheritance that cannot be corrupted or taken away. Peter also teaches that our faith is more precious than gold. Trials aren't pleasant, but God can use them to produce perseverance, character, hope, and a stronger faith. We examine what biblical faith really means, why faith requires action, how God measures success through obedience rather than visible results, and why Christians must “gird up the loins” of their minds in a world filled with distractions. Most importantly, we are reminded why Jesus deserves our best: we were not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Faith isn't merely something we say we believe. Faith is something we walk out.

The greatest battle you face may not be around you—it may be taking place in your mind. In this message from Romans 8, we look at the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit and discover why our thoughts are so important to living victoriously in Christ. Paul's struggle in Romans 7 doesn't end in defeat. It leads directly into the victory of Romans 8: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. The Holy Spirit lives within the believer, but we must guard what we allow to influence our minds. Fear, doubt, unbelief, anger, unforgiveness, temptation, culture, and the constant flood of information around us all compete for our attention. God's Word calls us instead to set our minds on things above and learn to be led by the Spirit. You may get knocked down. You may have to return to God again and again for strength. But don't quit. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. You are not a slave to fear. You are a child of God. The battle is real—but through Christ, we can overcome.

Acts begins with the risen Jesus commissioning His followers to stop living merely for the present world, wait for the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, become His witnesses everywhere they go, and live expectantly for the return of the same Jesus who ascended into heaven.   This first Acts session really introduces three major themes that will likely govern the entire study: Jesus is alive. Acts begins with the risen Christ and undeniable testimony to His resurrection. The Holy Spirit empowers believers. The Church cannot fulfill Christ's mission through human strength alone. Jesus is coming again. The Church therefore has a mission to accomplish and a reason to live ready.

Pray for wisdom as you go into the world because wherever you go, you are a light and a witness for Jesus. And the final prayer asks God not to allow the spirit of Laodicea into our lives, but instead to make us increasingly like Christ: An effective Christian lives prayerfully and thankfully, grows continually in faith, redeems every opportunity, shares Christ within their unique sphere of influence, guards their witness, follows the Holy Spirit, finishes their God-given assignment, and refuses to settle for a lukewarm relationship with Jesus.

Jesus Christ is coming again, and the proper response is not fear or endless date-setting, but to stay grounded in Scripture, watch and pray, help others find redemption, remain faithful, and live every day ready to meet Him.   This sermon is a strong call to live ready for the return of Jesus Christ. The pastor connects Jesus’ teaching in Luke 21 with the biblical feasts, especially the Feast of Trumpets, and with Paul’s teaching on the resurrection and rapture. The message is not simply, “Can we figure out when Jesus is coming?” It is much more practical: Jesus is coming back. Are you ready, and is that truth changing the way you live today? The sermon opens by saying that the Bible revolves around two great themes: Jesus came the first time to die for us, and Jesus is coming again for His people and ultimately to establish His kingdom.

You cannot defeat the flesh simply by building more rules around yourself. Real transformation comes as you recognize that you belong to Christ, renew your mind with God's truth, separate from what feeds the old nature, and intentionally put on the character of Jesus. Set your mind on things above, separate yourself from what feeds the old life, remember that you belong to Christ, and allow God's Word to continually transform you into the person He has called you to become.

The sermon’s central challenge is that every believer has a God-given race that no one else can run for them. The goal is not perfection, popularity, recognition, or even earthly success. The goal is to stay consistent, keep Jesus first, remove whatever slows us down, and finish the course God has placed before us. The pastor makes the point very personally: No one who has ever lived has had your feet and your path. Our careers, possessions, accomplishments, and opportunities may be blessings, but they are not the primary reason we are here. We were created first to serve God and run the race He has assigned us. You Cannot Run the Race With a Divided Heart The examples of Esther, Mary, Paul, and others demonstrate people willing to surrender their comfort, reputation, safety, and even their lives to obey God. Faith becomes more than believing God exists. Faith says: “Whatever following Him costs me, He is still worth it.” The cross itself becomes the symbol of discipleship because a cross represents death to self. One-Sentence Sermon Summary God has given each believer a unique race to run, and we finish it by laying aside whatever hinders us, keeping Jesus first, refusing to let people or hardship discourage us, and consistently following Christ until the course is complete.

Waiting isn't doing nothing. Waiting on the Lord is staying faithful, obedient, hopeful, and fixed on God's Word until He accomplishes what He has promised. This sermon centers on one of the best-known promises in Isaiah: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles…” — Isaiah 40:31 But the message makes an important distinction: waiting on God does not mean doing nothing. Biblical waiting is an active faith that trusts God, obeys God, stays fixed on His Word, and refuses to abandon its position simply because the answer has not arrived yet. The sermon begins with Israel in Babylonian captivity. Psalm 137 describes a discouraged people who had “hung their harps upon the willows.” Their circumstances had stolen their song. The message applies this personally: sin, disobedience, discouragement, and difficult circumstances can cause believers to lose their joy and stop singing. Yet those are often the very moments when praise is needed most. Isaiah 40 then changes the tone. God speaks comfort to His people. Their captivity is not the end of their story. God has not abandoned them, and deliverance is coming. That becomes the foundation of the message: God is still faithful—even while you're waiting.

What do you do when everything seems to fall apart at once? In this final study through 1 Samuel 28–31, David returns to Ziklag to discover the city burned, his family taken captive, and his own men so devastated that they begin talking about stoning him. David had every reason to panic. Instead, Scripture gives us one of the greatest statements about his life: “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” Before chasing the enemy, making a plan, or reacting emotionally, David sought God's direction. God told him to pursue—and David ultimately recovered all that had been taken. At the same time, Saul's story reaches its tragic conclusion. The contrast between these two men reveals one of the greatest lessons in 1 Samuel: both David and Saul failed, but David repeatedly returned to God while Saul continued resisting Him. This Bible study explores: How to strengthen yourself in the Lord What to do when life becomes overwhelming Why David sought God before acting David's recovery of everything lost at Ziklag The power of repentance and restoration Why failure doesn't make you a second-class Christian David and Peter as examples of God's restoration Giving God the credit for victory Why spiritual warfare continues after salvation The tragic ending of King Saul The importance of finishing well Why Saul's real problem wasn't David Jonathan's willingness to choose God's will above his own future Salvation gives us the great victory—but that doesn't mean the enemy stops fighting. The question is: when the next battle comes, where will you run? David teaches us the answer: Run to God. Strengthen yourself in Him. Ask Him what to do next. 📖 Primary Scripture: 1 Samuel 28–31