Faith Troy Sermons

Sometimes a party can change the way we see people. John 2:1-11 "They have no more wine." When we look for joy in the temporary, it always runs out. Sometimes it takes a party to demonstrate that God cares about people who party. When Jesus shows up at the party: Joy doesn't run out. Shame doesn't win. Dignity takes a backseat. Jesus cares more about the needs of others than His own dignity. What would have happened if Mary wasn't at the party.

If you want to know just how special you are to God, treat yourself to a slow read of Psalm 139. Psalm 139 assures us that whatever is happening in your life, there is an unshakeable foundation to have hope. You are never alone. We learned that in all our struggles, we can experience the power of His calming presence. "I am with you always." Matthew 28:20 Psalm 139 empowers us to see ourselves as our Lord sees us... as holy and created for a purpose. 1 Peter 2:9 Zechariah 2:8 Zephaniah 3:17 "We are God's handiwork..." Ephesians 2:10 Psalm 139 assures us that our cry for help is heard.

What's undeniable is that we have these four books. If these four books are reliable, then what we believe as followers of Jesus is grounded in history, which is very different than every other religion. Tacitus refers to Christianity as a "mischievous superstition..." not a mischievous teaching or philosophy. A superstition is a belief that something which is strange or odd actually happened. Tacitus is recognizing that the thing which was holding Christians together as a group after Jesus was crucified was His resurrection. Acts 1:1-5 Christianity would've never gotten past the first generation of disciples if there had not been evidence to substantiate Jesus' message. The thing that gave Jesus a following before and after his death wasn't simply His insight or teachings... it was the miracles that proved who He claimed to be. Our faith is grounded in history, in testimony, in witnesses that have been substantiated over and over again. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and tha

Guest Speaker, Dr. Gary Habermas discusses the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.

If Jesus isn't different, why in the world are we here? As followers of Jesus, what we believe isn't simply based on a teaching or a philosophy, but rather on history. These are not four parts of a single book; these are four different books. Whenever you're dealing with history, the question is not "what is the proof?" the question is "what is the evidence?" In determining what conclusion the evidence points to, the question we ask is, "what is the most probable explanation?" Luke 1:1-4 The fact that we have some apparent contradictions is actually evidence that there wasn't any kind of collusion as they wrote their accounts of Jesus' life. There's other evidence about these men that we should take into consideration... These men never became rich or famous for what they wrote. These men did not die for what they believed, they died for what it is that they saw.

The story of Easter is not a religious story. The basis for what we believe as followers of Jesus is history. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are reliable records of actual events that happened in history 2,000 years ago. Two things we must keep in mind as we begin to weigh the evidence in this series: First, we cannot use what we commonly think of as science, or the scientific method, to try to prove history. Second, when looking at evidence, the question you ask is what is the most probable explanation, not what is a possible explanation. What is most probable based on the evidence you have? Matthew 28:8-20 How do you determine whether or not an ancient manuscript is trustworthy? How is it that we have four very detailed accounts of the life of a poor Jewish carpenter. It's very easy for us to be biased against the super-natural. That's not a problem with these books, that's a problem with our understanding.

Easter Sunday Faith vs Every Sunday Faith Unbelief and doubt are a natural part of human existence. Faith is a personal thing: "Experience it for myself" John 20 Doubt is a very real part of the process of faith. As Christians, we don't need to be afraid to ask difficult questions, to inquire and reflect. God is not afraid of our questions. Doubt is a drive that propels us into a deeper relationship with God. "I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief." Mark 9:24

The story of Easter is not a religious story. Religion grows in the gap between the unexplainable and the undeniable. Religion attempts to answer the unanswerable. The disciple's message didn't center on the teaching of Jesus, it didn't center on the moral example of Jesus, it didn't even center on the miracles of Jesus. The reason you know about this today is not because of what Jesus taught, it's because of what Jesus did three days after He was crucified... He rose from the dead. Acts 3 "God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this." We don't simply believe something... we saw something. If Easter was just about Jesus being raised in some spiritual sense, it's only about me. But if Easter is about Jesus being raised physically, it's good news for the entire world. If you're a follower of Jesus, your hope is not in vain. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 No one has been able to predict their own death an

Sometimes the way you expect things to be and the way things turn out are very different. Matthew 21:1-11 Jesus' triumphal entry looks more like failure instead of victory. Donkeys instead of stallions. Sacrifice instead of slaughter. Zechariah 9:8-10 The kingdom, not a nation. "Hosanna" Whose kingdom do you want to build? Who is God sending you to? Winning looks like losing in the Kingdom of God.

Paul leads us in the last week of our lent sermon series, Broken Hearted with a message on Pride.

"It's not fair!" God is just, but is God fair? Matthew 20:1-16 "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Proverbs 14:30 "Are you envious because I am generous?" God isn't fair, but we don't really want fairness. God showed how just Hew was by punishing sin with the perfect sacrifice: Jesus. Envy cause s us to find faults in our life. Good thing God doesn't focus in our flaws. What's the cure to envy? Focusing on our blessings.

Lying is always a heart issue. Lying about who you are is a heart issue, but even deeper, it's an identity issue. Genesis 27:18-24 When we are insecure, we lie in order to pretend we know who we are. We make excuses for what we're guilty of. We hide what we're ashamed of. We run from what we're afraid of. Genesis 32:26-29 God does HIs best work when we're honest about who we are. Jesus responds to lies with truth. When lies try to take what wasn't meant for you, Jesus gives what you couldn't get for you.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well-spring of life." Proverbs 4:23 Ephesians 4:26-32 v.26 "In your anger, do not sin." The command is not about what you feel. The command is what you do with what you feel. v.26 "And do not give the devil a foothold." We can think about anger in the context of a debt/debtor relationship. Anger tells us that you owe me. Not only does anger open a door, but it's like an open account. We think we're letting them off the hook. v.32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you." To forgive is simply to cancel a debt.

One of my first memories of behavior modification. We develop a filter for our words and behavior so that we can function in life. It's not really enough to try and monitor our behavior because our problem isn't really a behavior problem. Matthew 15:1-20 "Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the well-spring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Paul leads us into lent with an Ash Wednesday sermon.

A phase is a timeframe in a kid's life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. Psalm 78:1-7 They won't know if someone doesn't tell them. They won't trust someone they don't know. They won't follow someone they don't trust.

A phase is a timeframe in a kid's life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 We believe that two combined influences are better than just two influences. What would you give to have someone else who could say the same things to your kids? We don't have more time, but we can refocus the time we already have. The Rhythms: Morning Time, Dinner Time, Drive Time, Bed Time The heart of all this is that all generations would love God with their heart, soul, and mind. The best thing you can do for your kids is not convince them you're good, but to show them that God loves you even when you sin.

We are stewards of God's resources in service to Him through the generosity to people in this world. "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's grace." -1 Peter 4:10 "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." 1 Corinthians 4:1 Giving back to God a portion of what HE has given to us is really a practice of our faith that helps us experience God's activity in our lives more. Matthew 5 Don't see them as the "BE attitudes." When applied to giving, giving moves from legalistic to a joyful habit. Pray and ask God to purify your heart and lead you to be a generous giver.