Pastor Mitch Freeman

Repentance

Jonah 3
What would you think if one of the many cruel leaders in our world suddenly changed his ways? What if he stopped oppressing the weak, ceased being unjust, and ended his violent aggressions against other nations? This is precisely what happened in ancient Nineveh. When God extended mercy towards the great city of Nineveh, the king and people repented. This chapter of Jonah gives us a picture of what it looks like when God extends mercy rather than judgment.

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Guarding Against a Financial Crisis

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19
“Financial crisis” are two words that have entered the table talk of people everywhere. Our world defines a financial crisis as a time when assets suddenly lose their value. They occur when the stock markets crash or financial bubbles burst. Scripture, however, defines a financial crisis in radically different terms. These passages teach us that a real financial crisis occurs when riches displace God in our lives.

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Persevering in the Good Fight

1 Timothy 6:11-16,20-21
Scripture often teaches us that the Christian life is characterized by perseverance. We see this when Paul charges Timothy to “keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is contrasted to those who “wandered away from the faith.” In this sermon we examine what it means to persevere and how to do it.

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Anatomy of Apostasy

1 Timothy 6:3-10
Apostasy occurs when someone intentionally turns away from Christ. This is what the false teachers did in Ephesus. Throughout First Timothy, Paul devotes a lot of ink to identifying these men, explaining how to deal with them, and how to replace them. In this text, Paul exposes some critical elements in their lives that led to their spiritual demise. All of this sets the stage for what comes when he will exhort Timothy to “fight the good fight” of the faith.

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The Gospel and Slavery

1 Timothy 6:1-2
While slavery in the Roman Empire was different from slavery in Early American history, it was still a problem that the early church was forced to address. The result was that Paul directly addressed slaves more than any other group in his letters. In these two verses, Paul demonstrates that the heart of the church’s response is grounded in the gospel of Christ.

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Recovering Biblical Leadership (Part 2)

1 Timothy 5:17-25
The elders’ primary task is to make the voice of the Chief Shepherd crystal clear to His people, so that they follow Him. As the elders do this, they lead, feed, and protect the church according to the word of Christ. The church’s responsibility is to hold her leaders accountable for following the Word.

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Recovering Biblical Leadership (Part 1)

1 Timothy 5:17-18
The world has many opinions about the church and her leadership. Too often, these ideas have seeped into the church, thereby creating a crisis of leadership. If we will reflect Christ to our world, then it is necessary to recover a biblical model of leadership. In this sermon, we begin a short series that reveals what such leadership looks like.

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The Exalted Son

Ephesians 1
Cultural ideas of Jesus often influence our thoughts of Him. A crucifix, a frail figure in a long robe, etc. Scripture, however, gives us a clear–and very different–picture of Christ after His death and resurrection. He is exalted at the right hand of the Father. In this sermon, we’ll complete our short study of Christ’s death and resurrection.

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