Christian Sermons from Calvary Chapel Greenmeadow, North Kingstown, RI

Our enemy is prone to slander and false accusations but Christ is in us and he is greater than our enemy. We must resist the enemy in the strength of God, not on our own strength. If we truly know Him and fight in His power, the devil will flee from us.

God only gives grace to the humble. It is a free gift and we can take no pride in having received it. Being prideful means putting yourself above others but being humble means being not far from the ground Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord.

We make decisions daily and hourly such as whom we befriend and to which influences we conform. As believers, we are called to be in this world but not to be a friend of the world's system. Choosing the world makes us enemies of God. God longs for us.

Instead of loving and praying for those with whom we disagree, we are often tempted to draw up battle plans. Selfishness, envy, and strife lead to quarreling. We also fight when we don't get what we want, but many things we want are not God's desire.

Don't be afraid to be a peace maker. In any conflict, be humble--it is probably at least partially your fault. To achieve peace, you must seek purity and work hard to pursue harmony with others.

Join us for an Easter message of life and of hope focusing on the last words of Jesus. We do not know how much time we have so we must be ready to tell people what Jesus has done in our lives. He is coming soon and Jesus will have the last word.

Wisdom from above starts with the fear of the Lord. This kind of wisdom is not natural; if we lack it, we need to pray to receive it. This requires a humble spirit. God's wisdom is pure, peaceful, reasonable, merciful, and sincere.

Do jealousies find fertile ground in your heart? No Christian should envy even the most successful unbeliever. Actively thank God for the blessings He has provided and repent of covetousness. Satan tempts us with these things but they lead to disorder.

Norm brings a collection of wise sayings from contemporary Christians to help us with our daily walk. For example, "Progress beats perfection" and "A day without prayer is like telling God we don't need him that day." This message will give you insight.

The tongue does not act on its own. If we have a problem speaking wrongly, we need to pray for wisdom on how to correct it. No man can tame his own tongue. We need to be yielded to the Holy Spirit so that something good can come from the words speak.

What comes out of the mouth is important. Our hurtful words can be like a fire, causing pain to those we offended. An encouraging word can change the outlook of someone who is having a bad day. Most of all, our tongues should be used to confess Jesus.

When we speak concerning the word of God, we must do it carefully. Teachers of the word will be held to a higher account than others. Before teaching, we need to take it in ourselves and let it transform us. All believers share this responsibility.

Abraham repeatedly demonstrated his faith in deeds. Rahab is another example of showing faith through action but from a very different person. No matter who we are or what our background, God demonstrates that he is with us when we exercise our faith.

Satan wants to distract you from worshiping God. He wants to deceive you into thinking that God does not accept you. He has studied you and knows your weaknesses and wants to destroy you. The good news is that Satan is defeated because Christ rose.

Others can only see your faith by your works and by your fruit. You can know who Jesus is in fact but not know him in spirit. It is a living faith that saves us, not saying a prayer. Let there be enough evidence of your faith to convict you in court.

We are saved by grace through faith but belief alone is not faith. True faith is accompanied by action. If our actions are not right, then maybe our faith is not real. It is not our words, but a life truly surrendered to God that that shows living faith.

Even when we are self-critical we are focusing on ourselves, and this is a form of love. We are called to have that level of awareness, concern, and love for our neighbor. This fundamental commandment includes everyone, not just those we admire.

Whether rich or poor, we are all broken and need Jesus. Therefore, we should not judge people by their outward appearance or status. If we have wealth or beauty, be humble and know these are not the things that god values.

God cares for the poor, the orphans, and the widows. We are to look after them too, and this means more than just giving money. We are to offer our time including to our own families. In order to care for others, we need to not be polluted by the world.

We are saved first and then called to good works. This is the nature of our relationship with God rather than a religion of works. Relationships require listening not just talking. What we say is a reflection of the quality of our relationship with Jesus.

If we look back it should be to question our standing in Christ and see what he has done in our lives. God does not want us to live in the past, he wants us to look forward. We need to seek his will for what we should do with our lives. This is a process.

Jesus is the eternal God and a great teacher. This world is so dark, but Jesus is the light. The world needs a savior and Jesus is the lamb. He was a literal human being, the son of God and the son of man. Let us then receive, believe, follow him!

A mere hearer of the word might be proud, hard-hearted, and self-deceived always talking, but never doing anything. Such a person will hold a distorted, exaggerated view of himself, not seeing his own sin but the mirror of god's word reveals the truth.

There are many things that keep us back from what God wants us to do. We are to put those things to death by turning away from them and toward prayer and the word of God. The word of God reveals to us the things that need to change. It gives us new life.

There are time for righteous anger, but those are usually best left for God. Anger is not good for our health and life is too short to spend it in vexation. Instead we should pray for those who irritate us. This gives room for God to do a work in us.

Our words come from our heart and we will be held accountable for all that we say. We must then think before blurting something out. Sometimes we just like to hear our own voice or show how much we know, bur we need God's help to restrain our speech.

We have to do more than just hear the words; we need to listen. That means understanding the speaker's perspective even if we disagree. Hearing comes from the word of God. He speaks in a still, small voice so we need to listen carefully.

In order to receive the new birth, we must first trust God's character and his will. His character is revealed through his creation and his word while his will is that people be born again. Believers must then bear fruit. Do not harden your heart.

Does God withhold good things from his people? No, but the enemy seeks to deceive us into believing this. In fact, all good gifts come from God. He only keeps back those things that would hurt us. Do not be misled about God's nature.

We cannot begin to deal with temptation until we realize that it comes from the world, the flesh, and the devil. Temptation is not sin, but sin separates us from god. It is better to not sin than to sin and be forgiven. God will provide a way out.

What does it mean to be blessed? It is not what the world thinks but it is having your strength and trust in God, being disciplined by him, fearing him, keeping his commands, seeking him with all your heart, being steadfast in trials, and more.

God looks at our hearts not our material status. Those who have faith have higher standing in God's economy than those with riches. We cannot Judge someone's godly condition by their earthly prestige. In Christ, there is no gap between rich and poor.

Is your panic button bigger than your prayer button? We must trust in Jesus, knowing that he is who he says he is. The Bible does not call us to doubt, but to faith and trust. If we doubt, we will have no stability in times of trouble.

God must be the first place we go for answers. When we ask for wisdom, we are pleading for an essential need. Practical wisdom is what guides us through our daily lives. God provides it through his word and other mature believers.

Perseverance is actively waiting and not giving up. Perseverance is necessary for us to develop into full grown Christians. Persevering through trials develops character and leads to hope. How can anyone who doesn't know God get through this life?

Chances are you are either in a trial or in between trials. We will face many on our way to the kingdom of God. Whether internal or external, trials are used to prove our faith and character and to build perseverance. We can be joyful in their midst.

James life was changed by an encounter with Jesus Christ and it must be that way for all of us. We are all his servants. If we recognize him as Lord of our lives then Jesus will work through us to bring the aroma of life to those we meet.

The first thing we must do is put our faith in the almighty God. We then can have a confident expectation of all God has promised us--a hope that sustains us through the darkest times of life. Faith and hope will not be needed in heaven, but love will.

There are times when Christians feel hopeless. The devil is the god of this world and he uses media to entice us. We need to be careful what we take in. Reading the Bible, memorizing scripture, and singing are some ways we can fight against hopelessness.

God is faithful to his word, but this is not a guarantee of prosperity and health. Some saints were martyred and some were spared but for all, the ultimate reward is in eternity. Faith helps us get through anything we face in this life.

We must not confuse the foundational prophets with other prophets. A true prophet either foretells God's truth or tells the truth forth. The original prophets foretold the gospel. We must be willing to listen, testing everything against the scripture.

We are built for eternity and are heirs of God. Our abundance in this life must not distract us from our eternal destiny. Our purpose on this earth is to make the most of whatever crosses our path for the glory of God.

God wants to speak to us and he wants us to listen. Are we too preoccupied, too busy, or too tired to carry out his will? We need to keep praying even through distractions and fatigue. Strive for complete faithfulness to serve the Lord all of your life.

Who do you look to for protection? David understood that God provides shelter in life's most dangerous moments. No matter what enemies we face, God will bring his work in us to completion. It is therefore natural to sing songs of his goodness.

No matter where you come from, bringing God into your daily circumstances through repentance is what leads to change. God holds us to the vows we make to him, but he does not need our help to accomplish his purposes.

Our enemies are persistent and their attacks are relentless, therefore we must not rest after a victory, but stay vigilant. Any strength that we have to resist comes from the lord. If we rely on our own strength, we may not notice that God has left us.

Through the life of Barak, we learn several things about faith. Faith calls to the Lord to be restored, follows through on what is true, tackles conflict until it is licked, is faithful amidst unfaithfulness, and is courageous for the Lord.

When we sow bad seed, we should expect bad plants. That is our problem, not the other guy's. Even our little ideas can get us into trouble when they are not from the Lord. Remember that his ways are higher than ours and do not fear; he is able!

Rahab's faith was shown by her actions because the God of heaven affected her life on earth. She was concerned for her family, which reminds us that we need to pray for our unsaved loved ones. The scarlet thread of redemption leads to Jesus.

Are you ready to surrender to Jesus? We are to submit ALL things to the Lord. This includes the things we think are good. We are to role up all aspects of our lives and give them to him. Trust, commit, serve and be still with compassion and persistence.

When we turn our backs on God, we not only dishonor him, but we miss out on his blessings. Choose to hold fast unto the Lord. We need to be good examples by making the commitment to follow the Lord. Challenge yourself to give your whole life to him.