The newest sermons from Fox Lake Community Church on SermonAudio.
PLEASE NOTE: Session 3 starts at about the 1:01:52 mark
Only by looking at the great cost of Christ's death can we understand the value of our salvation. Philippians 2:5-9, Jeremiah 17:9
When trials come, believers can become downcast and disquieted. Yet, even in seasons of deep sorrow, believers are called to fix their trust on the Lord, who is their rock and salvation. True peace is found not in present circumstances, but in actively remembering God's covenant mercy, offering praise through every storm, and letting hope rule in their hearts.
This confession addresses the struggle with discouragement and depression by examining the psalmist's fight against despair in Psalms 42 and 43. It emphasizes that emotions often deceive believers into feeling abandoned by God, necessitating a conscious decision to question one's own spirit rather than succumbing to self-pity. Drawing on Martin Lloyd-Jones, the message outlines three steps for spiritual recovery: questioning the soul, exhorting it to trust in God, and clinging to His faithful promises. The preacher encourages listeners to actively preach truth to themselves using specific scriptures like Romans 8:28 and Psalm 23:4 to combat feelings of hopelessness. Ultimately, the central message is that restoring hope requires intentionally shifting focus from circumstances to God's character and faithfulness.
This sermon explores Jesus' promise to turn the disciples' sorrow into lasting joy through His death and resurrection. The preacher highlights four specific ways Christ comforts believers during times of distress: addressing their confusion, transforming grief into hope, guaranteeing answered prayer, and guiding them by the Holy Spirit.
This confession explores the psalmist's response to overwhelming adversity by advocating for persistent praise and hope rather than despair. Drawing from Psalm 69 and Psalm 71, it highlights how thanking God during difficult times honors Him more than material offerings and revives the hearts of believers. The message encourages listeners to actively increase their worship through practical acts like listening to worship music and recalling past mercies.
The sermon explores the paradox that Jesus' physical departure is advantageous for believers because it enables the sending of the Holy Spirit. It emphasizes that the indwelling presence of the Helper provides greater power, peace, and grace than Jesus' earthly ministry could offer. The Holy Spirit actively convicts the world of three specific sins: unbelief in Christ, the futility of self-righteousness, and the certainty of coming judgment. This divine conviction exposes human sinfulness and drives individuals to repentance and faith in Jesus alone for salvation.
Because God is infinitely holy, every sin—no matter how small it seems to us—is a serious offense against Him. We are quick to dismiss our own faults as trivial while comparing ourselves favorably to others, yet the law of God holds us guilty for the smallest of our sins. As we grow in grace and see His holiness more clearly, our sense of sin deepens, but that very awareness draws us nearer to Him in repentance, strengthens our faith, and advances our sanctification. We must therefore refuse to minimize or excuse sin, and go to our Father in confession, trusting His faithful promise to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The sermon examines Jesus' warning in John 15-16 that His followers will face hatred and persecution from the world because they are no longer part of its sinful system. It contrasts this inevitable opposition with the promise of abundant blessings, emphasizing that believers must expect hostility as a result of reflecting Christ's character. The preacher argues that this hatred is often without cause and serves to expose human guilt, yet it should not intimidate Christians or cause them to fall away from their faith. Instead, the Holy Spirit empowers believers to bear witness to Jesus even in hostile environments, transforming suffering into deeper reliance on God. Ultimately, the message encourages the congregation to find enduring joy and strength in the Lord despite external pressures.
Before Jesus' departure he commanded his disciples to love one another as he had loved them. His love was to be their standard. Additionally, his love would empower the disciples' love for each other. Jesus' love is seen in his laying down his life, enter into friendship with us, revealing God's will to us, and choosing us to bear fruit and have our prayers answered.
The key to bearing fruit is found in abiding in Christ. Our Father is so committed to fruit bearing, that every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. When it comes to pruning or discipline, we understand that God is dealing with sin in our lives, but we need to recognize that he is also removing excess weight from our lives. We are commanded to abide, so that the joy of Jesus may be in us and our joy may be full.
Contentment doesn't come easy. Even the apostle Paul had to learn (presumably over a period of time) the secret to being content in any and every circumstance. The secret is that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Since the LORD is our shepherd we lack nothing. He will meet all our needs from the cradle to the grave and on into eternity, and comfort us with his presence as we go through life's trials.
This sermon explores Hebrews 4:1-11, emphasizing the urgent call for believers to enter God's rest through persevering faith. The preacher distinguishes between a godly fear that leads to salvation and a dread that drives one away from God, warning against the danger of unbelief. Key theological themes include the continuity of the gospel in the Old Testament, the insufficiency of external religious rituals without faith, and the typological significance of Joshua leading Israel into Canaan as a shadow of Christ's redemptive work. The passage is interpreted to highlight that true rest is found not in physical land or legal observance, but in the completed work of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, the message urges listeners to strive for this spiritual and eternal rest by holding fast to hope and avoiding the hardening of hearts.
In light of God's profound mercy revealed in Christ—justification by grace, liberation from sin, and the promise of resurrection—Paul calls believers to respond with wholehearted devotion, presenting their bodies as living sacrifices. This commitment is the logical and rational expression of worship. To live as such a sacrifice requires rejecting conformity to the values and priorities of the present age and instead embracing a radical renewal of the mind. This transformation, unfolds through disciplined meditation on Scripture and the internalization of divine truth, which must ultimately penetrate the heart to produce genuine change.
Psalm 22 presents a profound messianic prophecy in which Jesus Himself speaks from the cross, expressing His deep anguish and abandonment, yet progressively turning from lament to faith by recalling God's unwavering faithfulness throughout history and in His own life. The first half of the psalm vividly foretells the physical and spiritual suffering of Christ—His forsakenness, mockery, piercing, and crucifixion—fulfilled in precise detail, while the second half shifts to triumphant prophecy, declaring His resurrection, the spread of the gospel to all nations, and the ultimate worship of every family on earth.
Spiritual worship involves a continual, daily commitment to God, likened to a living sacrifice presented on the altar, requiring repeated renewal when one strays. God promises to strengthen those who are blameless toward him.
The disciples are troubled by the thought of being separated from Jesus, so he comforts them by letting them know that 1) they know God and have seen him; 2) they will do great works than Jesus did; 3) he will answer their prayers.
Jesus commands his disciples not to be troubled due to his departure, calling them to trust in God and in Himself. Jesus assures them that his departure is not abandonment but preparation: He is going to his Father's house to make room for them, ensuring a permanent, eternal dwelling where they will dwell with him forever. He promises a future reunion, not merely at the end of time, but at the moment of death. Most decisively, Jesus declares himself to be the exclusive way, truth, and life—revealing that salvation is found in no other, through no other means, but solely in his person and work, which culminated in his sacrificial death and resurrection, making reconciliation with God possible.
Jesus clarifies that the Sixth Commandment, 'You shall not murder,' extends far beyond physical homicide to include unjustified anger, insulting language, and character defamation. He also states that true obedience involves actively pursuing reconciliation and restoration.
Moral falls don't "just happen." As with Peter's fall, there are numerous warning signs along the way that are conveniently ignored. Peter's fall is recorded so we can learn from his example, and his rise and restoration is written for our encouragement.
Luke 18:15-17 Mark 10: 13-16 We can still "bring" our children to Jesus in the arms of prayer.
The sermon confronts the destructive nature of self-pity and despair in the face of suffering, using Job and Elijah as cautionary examples of how trials can lead to bitterness when one loses sight of God's sovereignty and unseen purposes. It contrasts their lament with the biblical call to joy and trust. The message emphasizes that joy is not denial of pain but a deliberate choice to worship and trust God amid trials, rooted in the promise that He never leaves or forsakes His people. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to glorify God in both suffering and prosperity, recognizing that every circumstance, however difficult, serves a divine purpose in shaping character and reflecting His glory.
Before Jesus' departure into heaven he gives his disciples a new command: to love another as he loved them. Loving others is not new, but loving "as Jesus loved them" raises the standard of love. And this love will be the ultimate testimony to the world that we are genuine disciples of Christ.
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