Pastor Mitch Freeman

Equip the Saints

Ephesians 4:11-16
Jesus declared “I will build my church.” We can see in this text that Jesus’ plan for building his church is the ministry of His word. The church is built up as the members minister the word of God to one another. Speaking the truth in love to one another is a vital aspect of spiritual maturity. Both gospel proclamation and gospel conversation work in unison to deepen the roots of believers in the church.

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I Love Those Who Love Me

Proverbs 8:1-9:19
The father appeals to his son to get wisdom. As he does so, wisdom is personified as a woman, Lady Wisdom. In this passage, the father presents Lady Wisdom to his son as a woman he should pursue and love. Last week, he commended wisdom to his son largely in terms of negative consequences. Here, however, he makes his strongest case for why his son should choose wisdom.

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Wisdom Cries Aloud in the Streets

Proverbs 1:20-33
Every day is full of choices that we must make. Some are simple and easy, while others may be difficult. The larger the decision is, the more the consequences will be. The text gives us a picture of Wisdom making an impassioned appeal to be heard. If we heed her warnings and follow her counsel, then the consequences will be good. If we ignore her counsel, then we will eat the fruit of our way.

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“How Will This Be…?”

Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:31-35
If Jesus is the legal son of Joseph, then he is the birth son of the virgin Mary. We all echo Mary’s response to this news, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”. Drawing upon a few texts, we’ll seek to answer two large questions about the birth of Christ: how can a virgin give birth? and can God become a man?

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Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham

Matthew 1:1-17
A survey of the Gospels reveal a Messianic expectation among the Jewish people. For example, Luke tells us that “the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ…” (Lk.3:15). The most important question among the Jewish people was, When would the Messiah come? Using this strategic genealogy, Matthew answers two questions about the Messiah: who was he? and what did he come to do?

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Watch Yourselves (Part 1)

2 John
There is a clear and present danger for the church in every age. John says, “many deceivers have gone out into the world.” This is a message which Jesus himself taught. The church must be on guard against “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” What are these deceivers like? How can we recognize them?

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Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols

1 John 5:21
John’s teaching method in this letter has been described as cyclical. He introduces a topic and then leaves it momentarily, only to return later. John uses this method to explain three evidences of true faith: truth, love, and obedience. In chapter five, he shows how each of them are rooted in the work of God’s indwelling Spirit. If the Spirit is present, then the evidences will be the fruit of his work. He closes his letter with a short, but not disconnected statement: “keep yourselves from idols.” Idolatry is a key concept in the Bible. In this sermon, we’ll see how it relates to the work of the Spirit.

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Love is From God

1 John 4:7-5:1
Love is something common to everyone. We all love someone or something, yet love is often love is hard to define or describe. John traces the experience of love (“love one another”) back to its theological source (‘God is love”). By understanding that love originates in God, we can navigate the many questions (and problems) that arise from the need for love.

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Test the Spirits

1 John 4:1-6
Why does truth matter and can anyone claim to know the truth? In this passage, John agrees with the rest of Scripture by telling us that there are many voices who make religious claims. The task of the church is to discern the truth from error. He commands, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” How are we to make this discernment? John gives us at least one important test.

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