Solid Rock Church Sermons

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the idol of dreams. Like many other things that become idols in our lives, dreams can be good things that become idols when we turn them into ultimate things. When we make our dreams ultimate, we tend to bulldoze over people to get what we want, neglect our most important God-given callings and destroy relationships in the wake of pursuit. The true and sad reality is that even if we attain the goals of our dreams, whether a career, a relationship or an accolade, idols never deliver what they promise. Thankfully, Jesus died and resurrected to set us free from our idols. God has a better dream for our lives than we can ever muster up on our own. Whether or not we achieve our own dreams, God truly satisfies when we make Him our ultimate.

This past Sunday, we looked at Isaiah 44 as we continued our Desires of the Heart series. We discussed the foolishness of idol worship and yet how common it is in each of our lives to create and keep idols. When we unleash our desires and pursue idols, it causes a deep desperation. This desperation leads to compromising our principals in order to possess and protect the idols. Sinful heart attitudes are the metaphorical doorway to the room where we keep our idols. These sinful heart attitude s serve as the defensive strategy we employ when anyone or anything gets too close to our idols. The good news of the Gospel is that God desires to save and redeem us from our idolatry.  What are some of the good things in your life that you are tempted make idols? How does the truth that God created you and He forgives you help you to let go of idols?

This past Sunday, we opened the Desires of the Heart series by looking at how the Bible describes and defines idols. Beyond the idea of statues or figurines, we looked at how anything that God has created “good” can be distorted into something we idolize. When these good things somehow shift in our hearts to become things that we trust in to make us happy, bring us comfort or give us security, they become our idols. Idols are the things that our hearts treasure. While idols can be hard to see in our own lives, Jesus teaches us that our actions and words reflect the idols of our hearts. When we encounter the Holy Spirit of God, He reorients our hearts’ desires away from the idols of this world and towards himself.   Have you ever stopped to take time to truly explore the desires of your heart and ask yourself, “What do I hope to get from fulfilling this desire?” Are you willing to discuss you

In the sermon this past Sunday, we wrapped up the “Acts - The Unstoppable Church” sermon series by recapping the main outline of the story and asking the question, “What happened next? ”Acts is the story of God’s people, empowered by the Holy Spirit, launching the mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As the church advances from Jerusalem to the nations, we see a powerful work of God in and through His church, defying all odds to grow beyond anything the disciples could have ever imagined. However, the ends of the earth are not completely reached in the book of Acts. Fortunately, the story of the church doesn’t end with the book of Acts. The story of God’s unstoppable church is still being written today. As Christians, our stories are the small stories that make up the bigger story of what God is doing on Earth. As God works in and through our lives, the

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the “fuel” behind the explosive movement of the church. What made the church of Jesus so unstoppable, despite the Jewish and Roman governments’ relentless attempts to shut it down? In Paul’s final recorded sermon, he explains the power of God’s unstoppable church. He uses the Old Testament scriptures to validate Jesus as the promised hope of Israel and proclaims that the church is not simply a sect or a movement; it is the fulfillment of God’s plan to bring His Kingdom to earth, opening up a way for His people to be saved from their sins and enter into His eternal Kingdom through faith in Jesus. How does it challenge you to know that, as a Christian, you are a part of an unstoppable movement? Have you truly taken the step of faith to  become part of God’s eternal Kingdom by trusting in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins an

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s life of worship. Although we never see Paul singing songs to God, we know that he lived his life in worship to the Lord. In Acts 27, as Paul sails through a dangerous storm, we see an illustration of what it looks like to live our lives in worship. Through Paul’s example, we see that worship is not based on the circumstances around us but is the posture of our hearts in the midst of our circumstances. In the middle of life’s storms, you can posture your heart in fear or you can posture your heart in trust. A life of worship is the posturing of your heart in gratitude, trust, surrender and affection towards God regardless of your circumstances.   Do you trust God and what He has planned for you? Do you trust God in the midst of uncertainty the same way you trust Him in seasons of bless ing? Have you come to the place where you see all of your life, including the

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Paul shared his story when he appeared before King Agrippa. From his example, we considered how we share our own stories. When we share our testimony it is essential to remember who the main character is. The point of sharing our testimonies is to present Jesus as the hero who has rescued our lives from despair and destruction. Whether we find ourselves in prison, in bondage to addictions or simply living behind the enslaving façade of self-reliance and self-righteousness, our testimony is the story of how Jesus set us free.   Have you ever shared your story with someone who isn’t a Christian? What steps can you take this week to begin sharing your story?

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul’s desperate situation in Acts 23, as he was under constant threat of being killed by the angry Jewish mob. As his nephew informed him of the assassination plot against him, Paul told the centurion to take his nephew to see the tribune. Despite that fact that Paul’s life seemed to be completely in the hands of others, his trust in God never wavered.   What if the centurion was part of the assassination plot? What if the tribune didn’t believe his nephew?  Ultimately, Paul was resting in the presence of Jesus and standing firm on the promise that Jesus had made to lead Paul to Rome. In those moments in prison, Paul had to decide whom he trusted in more: Jesus or his circumstances.

In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at Paul’s final address to the Jews bound in chains in Jerusalem. As Paul addressed the angry mob, he compared the Jewish leaders to white washed walls. This was a metaphor that Jesus used to expose hypocrisy among religious leaders who looked good on the outside but had corrupt hearts. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, they were, in fact, the ones who were guilty of breaking the law and deserved punishment since it was unlawful to arrest and beat a Roman Citizen without due process. Paul’s main point was that despite their hypocrisy and cruel treatment of him, he stood before God with a good conscience because he had faithfully and boldly lived out the mission of Jesus before them. Even while in chains and standing before an angry mob, Paul faithfully preached the Gospel of hope and the Resurrection.  What does it mean to stand before God with a good conscience?  How is God challenging y

In the sermon this past Sunday, we continued to look at the work of God through Paul’s life. Paul had arrived into Jerusalem and faced rising opposition against the message of the Gospel. After his suffering and arrest, revealed through the work of the Holy Spirit, Paul stands before his accusers and proclaims his defense by sharing the grace of God that changed his life. Even in the midst of great hostility, Paul courageously and authentically tells his story of redemption: God saved him by grace through faith in Jesus.Whose story are you telling? Is it all your own or is it a new story written by the Sovereign God who loves you and has a purpose for you?

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the tension surrounding the ministry of Paul and the message of the Gospel in Acts 21. Even with the false rumors and the violent crowd coming against him, Paul demonstrates that he is willing to suffer for the Gospel. His main purpose is not personal comfort, political correctness, or public affirmation; it is to preach salvation by grace alone. Paul kept his focus on the“things above” (see Colossians 3), resting in the sufficiency ofGod and the power of the Gospel, even when facing intense suffering. Have you truly heard the message of the Gospel? How has the Gospel impacted your life on a daily basis? Do you tend to run from or avoid suffering in your life, or do you allow it drive you to the person of Jesus Christ?

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how Paul and the other believers responded as the Holy Spirit revealed that Paul’s life was headed towards imprisonment and death. As we looked at how the early church took their concerns toGod in prayer, we also looked at what prayer is and the role it should play in our lives. Often times we think of prayer as simply talking to God or asking for things. While these are aspects of biblical prayer, we learned from Paul’s example that prayer includes elements of thanksgiving, worship and submission. Paul’s life served as an example of what it looks like to pray to God in trust and submission as he ultimately put his life in the Father’s hands and continued to live out the mission that God had set before him even when the journey became hard and dangerous. What things do you typically include in your prayers to God? Do you believe you have freedom to approach God in prayer anytime and any place? How is God ch

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the faithfulness of Paul and all that God did through him to spread the Gospel and expand the church. As he addressed the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20, Paul used his own life as an example of where true faithfulness comes from. Paul had encountered the grace of God in such a way that he lived in constant awareness of the many sins from which he had been forgiven and how much he was loved by God. This awareness compelled Paul to see his life as something of little value compared with knowing Christ and living the mission so he faithfully submitted his life to the Word of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. What does God want to do in your life today? Have you received this life-changing grace from God?  What is something you can do this week to continue growing deeper in your relationship with God, that you may faithfully submit your life to Him?

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the true work that God was doing in the book of Acts: saving, forgiving and redeeming lives. In the early church, much like the church of today, the primary work that God was doing was sometimes dismissed or sidelined by the miracles He performed. However, God works through supernatural miracles to validate His primary work, not for them to become His primary work. Through God’s unstoppable church, the Spirit of God works alongside the Word of God in and through His people to establish His Kingdom on earth.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Paul ’ s response to the idol worship going on in Athens. Upon entering the city, Paul w as very disturbed by what he saw. Instead of seeing a beautiful city that was full of knowledge and culture, he saw a city that was steeped in idolatry and evil. The people of At hens had manufactured an entire religious system that allowed them to control and manipulate the gods in order to feed their desires for pleasure. Dissatisfied with thei r religious system and their manmade gods, the Greeks took it one step further by creating an addit ional altar: the altar “ To The Unknown God. ” In a similar way, modern American culture has become skept ical of absolute truth and we see a shift away from Truth-driven living and toward pleasure- driven living. Our culture is recirculating the Greek philosophy, “ If it feels good, it must be right. ” Even in Christianity, there is a shift away from a Bible-based vi ew of God to a modified version of God t

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the role that the Scriptures play in declaring that Jesus is the Christ and what it means to claim to believe in Him. In Acts 17, Paul continues his missionary work in Thessalonica and Berea. In every interaction, we see the same pattern in the unstoppable mission of Jesus: the Gospel is preached from the Scriptures; some people believe in Jesus and join the Church while some reject Jesus and join the angry mob. It’s critical that today’s Church see its purpose and efforts as a continuation of the same work. As God’s people use the Scriptures to show that Jesus is the Christ, some will hear this message and believe and others will reject it. Those who put their faith in Christ receive Him as King and their decisions are to be driven by submission to God through the counsel of His Word.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the role of women in the church through the example of Lydia, the first recorded Christian in Philippi. In Acts 16 we read that God opened Lydia’s heart to hear and believe the Gospel. As a woman in first-century Roman culture, it was very risky for Lydia to choose her own religion. It was also dangerous for her to live out that new religion among her family, let alone in public. Through Lydia’s courageous example, we see how God calls women to salvation and also calls them to lead their families and communities to Christ. God establishes the first church in Macedonia (Eastern Europe) in Lydia’s home and the unstoppable church continues to advance.

In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at a major dispute that divided Paul and Barnabas on their second missionary journey. We used this as an opportunity to talk about Christian disputes, where they arise from and how to pursue reconciliation. In Acts 15, Luke tells us a story of what happened and not necessarily what should havehappened. Through the counsel of scripture, we see a consistent and reoccurring theme of the Biblical mandate for Christians to pursue reconciliation in the midst of offense and division. Because Christ died to put our sins to death, there is now no justification for Christian division. We don’t have to agree on personal preferences or even personalconvictions, but unity in our Biblical convictions and our love for one another should always supersede our differences and draw us toward reconciliation and unity.

In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at the significance and power of the resurrection of Jesus. In Acts 13, the Apostle Paul preaches the Gospel to the Jews by showing them how Jesus is the descendent of David who was expected from the Old Testament prophesies. Everything about Jesus’s life, death and resurrection was a fulfillment of God’s plan, which He revealed ahead of time through the Old Testament prophets. Even though Jesus was ultimately killed as an innocent man, he died willingly as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all people so that anyone who believes in him would be set free from the corruption of sin and death.

In the sermon this past Sunday we continued the Acts series by looking at the spiritual battle that the devil has waged against the souls of mankind. In Acts 13, we find the narrative of Paul and Barnabas leading a key Roman official to Jesus. In this account of evangelism, we see that behind the scenes of every salvation is a spiritual battle between the will of God and the will of Satan. As the Holy Spirit continues to move through the obedience of the early Christians, we see once again that the church of God is truly unstoppable.