Solid Rock Church Sermons

In our opening sermon of the Suffering Saints series, we looked at the suffering of Adam and how all suffering began with him. Genesis 2:15-17 describes how God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and entrusted him with the responsibility of caring for it. God allowed Adam to eat freely from all the trees, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which would lead to death, but Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and disobeyed God’s command by eating the forbidden fruit. Because of their disobedience, God pronounced various ongoing judgements in Genesis 3:16-24 - the serpent would crawl on its belly, there would be pain for women in childbirth, husbands and wives would now turn against one another, and man would have to toil and work hard for sustenance. Adam and Eve were then banished from the Garden of Eden and God placed cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life, ensuring they would no longer have access to it and would live forever in their fallen state. Since the

In our Father’s Day sermon, we looked at how Jesus taught about the Father's love for us through a parable in Luke 15:11-24. In this parable, Jesus introduces us to a kind father who provided well for his family and was generous with his children. One of his sons asks for, and receives, his inheritance early then leaves his father's home. After living recklessly and losing everything the father had given him, the son comes to the end of himself, which is where he actually finds himself. Luke 15:17 says that the son “came to himself.” In this moment, the story turns and the son decides to go home empty handed and ask for his father's forgiveness, hoping the father will let him back into his home as a servant. Instead of hesitantly receiving the son as a servant, the father celebrates his son's return and immediately restores him to full sonship. This parable shows us a beautiful picture of what a loving father looks like and illustrates what every earthly father needs more than anything: an i

In this final sermon of our 2 Peter series, we looked at the Apostle Peter's view of the sacred Scriptures. In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter passionately affirms the credibility and reliability of his message as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ's majesty. He declares that he didn't follow cleverly devised myths but was an eyewitness of Christ's transfiguration, during which he saw the glory of God firsthand. Peter emphasizes the authenticity of the prophetic Word, reminding us that it serves as a light shining in a dark place. He warns against private interpretation of Scripture and highlights the divine origin and authority of God's Word by emphasizing that prophecy wasn't the result of human will but from holy men who spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. In 2 Peter 3:14-18, Peter ends his letter by urging his readers to be on guard against the twisting of Scripture and encourages them to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory now and forever.

In this sermon, we looked at Peter's encouragement to the exiled Christians in Asia Minor to ignore the skeptic false teachers who deliberately overlook the promises of God. Peter tells these suffering Christians to remember that God is not bound by time and, in His patience, God is allowing more people to come to repentance. While God's patience is prolonging the suffering of some, the big promise of the Bible is that Jesus will return to put an end to all His enemies and usher in the New Heaven and the New Earth. Here there will be no more suffering and God will again make His dwelling place with man. Just like the Christians in Asia Minor, this is where we find our encouragement to hold fast to our faith even in the midst of suffering.

In this sermon, we looked into 2 Peter chapter 2 at Peter's warning against false teachers who will infiltrate the church and lead people astray by promising freedom while actually leading them into captivity. Peter says that these false teachers will preach destructive heresies and, ultimately, deny Jesus as Lord. He also warns that these false teachers will take advantage of "unsteady souls," luring them into temporary relief through sensuality that winds up enslaving them. They will teach that God isn't going to bring a future judgement, which leads people to live however they desire. In the end, these false teachers will distort the way to God and lead people into destruction. The good news of the Gospel is that God delivers on His promise to give freedom, and the commands of the Lord lead to life, not destruction. In the final judgement, those who oppose God and refuse to believe the Gospel will be condemned, but those who know Jesus will be saved to eternal life.

In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call for Christians to continue pursuing godliness and spiritual growth even in the midst of persecution and suffering. Drawing from the spiritual reality that Christians are partakers in God's divine glory, Peter calls Christians to add to what we already have in Christ by pursuing and practicing Christ-like qualities. He reminds us that God is restoring us back to the "Imago Dei" (Image of God) of Eden. While this transformation doesn't happen instantly, we are invited to participate in what the Holy Spirit is doing in us by pursuing the Christ-like qualities of virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. When we practice these things, we will experience them in increasing measure, and we are kept from being ineffective and unfruitful for God’s Kingdom.

In this sermon from Luke 1, we looked at the fulfillment of prophecy through the promise of the coming Messiah. Luke writes of the unmerited favor given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and shares her song, in which she praises God for all He has done for her and all those who fear Him. Through Mary’s beautiful song, we are reminded that the promises of God are true and that His unmerited favor is available to all who humble themselves before God and come to Him in faith.

In this first sermon of our 2 Peter series, we looked at Peter's call for persecuted Christians to find their strength in knowing God more deeply. Peter begins by reminding these Christians that God’s grace and peace are multiplied to them through knowing Him. This knowledge is more than knowing a lot about God; the Greek word Peter uses implies a full knowledge of God that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus. Peter goes on to remind them that God gifts His divine power for Godly living through their knowledge of Jesus and trust in His precious promises to them. This is a helpful reminder to us today that God's grace, peace, and power are still given to us through our deepening relationship with Him and our trust in His promises.

With this sermon from 1 Peter 5:12-14, we finished our 1 Peter series by looking at how the Christians in Asia Minor were called to stand firm in the true grace of God in the midst of their suffering. Peter calls those who are weak and suffering to be strong by finding strength in what God is doing in them, not what they can do for themselves. Peter tells them that the strength to stand firm is possible because God is still working in their lives to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish them. This gives us hope today, knowing that even when we are feeling weak and experiencing difficult circumstances, God is still working to strengthen us and give us what we need to stand firm in His grace.

In this sermon from 1 Peter 5:6-11, we were reminded that we are not of this world. We were created for Eden, and God is faithfully redeeming us unto Himself. As we live in the tension of this world, awaiting the new Eden, Peter encourages us to humble ourselves under God's mighty hand and cast our anxiety on Him. This reminder helps us to not focus on the things of this world but on God's sovereign and caring nature. In verses 8-9, we are warned that Satan seeks to devour. We have an active enemy. We are called to resist the devil by standing firm in our faith, knowing that one day Christ will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us with Him forever.

In this sermon, we looked at the heart-attitude and role of leadership in the local church. In 1 Peter 5:1-5, Peter calls the elders of the church to have a specific heart-attitude, that reflects the heart of Jesus, toward their role as church leaders. Peter reminds these leaders that their influence over the church doesn’t come from force or power, but from their own submission to Jesus as the ultimate Shepherd of His people. The church is then called to place themselves under the care of elders, as the elders lead from a place of humility. This is a beautiful picture of God’s design to work through imperfect people to make His presence known and to provide safety and care for His people in the church.

In this sermon, we looked at how Jesus’ closest followers kept their distance as He went to the cross. As Jesus died on the cross and cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” we see just how much Jesus trusted His Father. In contrast, Luke 24 tells us that all of Jesus’ acquaintances, and the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching while He was interrogated, tortured, and crucified. They wanted to see what was happening to Him without putting themselves in danger. They wanted to be close enough to see if what Jesus had told them was right but not so close that they would be let down, disappointed, or humiliated for believing that He was the Son of God. Unlike Jesus, they didn’t ultimately trust God with their lives. The same can be true for us today. We want to be close enough to see what Jesus is up to without giving Him the space to be up to something in our lives. We want to know enough about Jesus to make us feel safe, without ris

In this sermon from Luke 19, we looked at how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey, fulfilling ancient prophesy and signaling to the Jews that their King had arrived to set them free. However, as soon as Jesus arrived, His intentions were misunderstood. The Jews thought Jesus was there to lead a revolt and set them free from the Romans and they were excited that God finally sent the King to bring political and religious freedom. Meanwhile, the Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, thought Jesus was nothing more than a rebellious leader who would arouse the anger of the Roman government and they wanted Him silenced at any cost in order to protect themselves from a punitive response. Despite these misunderstandings, it’s clear in Luke 19:37-48 that Jesus didn’t arrive in Jerusalem to fulfill the desires of man; He was there to fulfill the prophetic desires of His Father. Jesus went to Jerusalem as the King of Kings, to tear down the old religious system (the Old Covenant) and establish a new way of

In this sermon from 1 Peter 4:12-19, we began by looking at God's declaration that those who are in Christ are His "beloved." Peter reminds us that God's love for us doesn't change just because we encounter suffering and hardship. This is important because Peter's encouragement to suffering Christians is to not be surprised or caught off-guard in suffering. Instead, Peter encourages us to rejoice in our suffering, knowing we are experiencing fellowship with Jesus. Peter ends this section on suffering by encouraging Christians to entrust themselves to the faithful Creator. Like these early suffering Christians, we can entrust our souls to the faithful Creator, knowing we are His beloved and He is trustworthy, even in the pain of suffering.

In this sermon, we looked at Peter's call for us to follow the example of Jesus by living righteously in the midst of persecution. As believers, we are able to reject sin and suffer for righteousness because we have freedom in Jesus and our former life doesn't define us. This shift in the way we live may surprise people but Peter reminds us that we will all give account to God for our actions. What God calls us to is not like our former life; instead of living recklessly, we are called to be self-controlled, to love one another, and to use our gifts for the benefit of those around us. In all of this, our goal is "that in everything God may be glorified through Christ Jesus."

In this sermon, we looked at 1 Peter 3:8-22 where Peter sums up the instructions he has given to the believers exiled in Asia Minor. Peter tells them to have unity of mind in the things of Christ and other virtues that will help them support each other in the suffering they are experiencing in an unbelieving society. He instructs them not to repay evil to those who speak evil of them or insult them but to bless because they are blessed. Peter encourages these Christians by reminding them that God sees their suffering and hears their prayers. He also reminds them that it’s better to suffer for good than evil because Christ also suffered in order to make us alive in Christ. As we are united with Christ in suffering, we are reminded of the hope and life we have in Him.

In this sermon, we looked at the calling for Christians to honor one another in marriage, even in times of suffering and persecution. In 1 Peter 3:1-7, Peter writes to a group of Christians who have been exiled yet calls them to continue working toward a God-honoring marriage. Similar to Paul’s marriage instructions in Ephesians 5, Peter calls wives to submit to their husbands and for husbands to provide care for their wives. In addition to these instructions, Peter calls wives to see their beauty in their inner character rather than their outward appearance. He also calls husbands to live with their wives in an understanding way by paying attention to their needs and protecting them so that their prayer life isn’t hindered. All of this reminds us that, even in the midst of our own suffering or persecution, the love of Jesus compels us to live our lives aimed at glorifying God.

In this sermon, we looked at how 1 Peter 2:13-25 challenges the way we treat those who disagree with us or mistreat us. Peter writes to Christians who are being persecuted by the oppressive Roman government. After reminding them of their identity in Christ, Peter now calls them to submit to this pagan authority and to do good. While believers' citizenship is in heaven, we don’t have license to rebel and disobey our local government; Peter reminds us that human governments are put in place by God to restrain evil and reward good. According to Peter, Christians have been called to do good by honoring everyone, loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, fearing God, and honoring the governing authority of the land. As we applied this message to our lives, we discussed the importance of discerning between our personal convictions and clear Biblical convictions. As Christians, we are called to submit to the mandates and laws of our governing authorities, even when we disagree or are mistreated, until

In this sermon, we looked in 1 Peter 2:1-12 at Peter's calling for believers to put off their old identity, which is rooted in the flesh, in order to live according to their new identity, which is rooted in the Word of God. Peter tells these exiled believers that their suffering is a reflection of the suffering of Christ because He, too, was rejected by men, but chosen and precious to God. He reminds them that despite experiencing rejection by men, they have been born again into a new identity in Christ: a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God's own possession. Peter describes believers as God's beloved sojourners and calls us to pursue a life of good deeds, rooted in our new identity in Christ, and aimed at the glory of God.

In this sermon, we looked at 1 Peter 1:13-25 to see Peter's first commands for the Christians who were suffering persecution in Asia Minor. Building from the opening doxology in verses 3-9, Peter roots his instructions for the Church in what is already true about them: They have been born again into a living hope and an inheritance that is untouched by death, unstained by evil, and unimpaired by time. With this foundational truth in place, Peter first commands these believers to set their hope completely on the grace of Jesus. With their hope set on the grace of Jesus, Peter commands them to live in holiness and reverence to God, seeing Him as a loving Father who can be trusted, even in His judgement. Peter then commands these believers to love one another earnestly, with a pure heart, out of the secure and reverent relationship they have with God. In the same way today, we can be assured of this inheritance we have in Jesus as we set our hope on Him, live in holiness and reverence to God, and love one anothe