Grace Baptist Church - Wilmington, NC

The sermon centers on the biblical call to sacrificial generosity, rooted in the understanding that all possessions ultimately belong to God and are entrusted to believers as stewards. Drawing from 1 Chronicles 29, it emphasizes that true giving is not coerced but arises from a heart that consecrates itself to God, as exemplified by David's voluntary offering and the joyful, willing contributions of the people. The message underscores that generosity is not merely financial but a spiritual discipline that reorients the heart toward God, fosters dependence on His provision, meets the needs of the poor, sustains gospel ministry, and reflects humble obedience. The preacher contrasts cultural notions of wealth with biblical principles, rejecting the idea of a mandatory tithe in the New Testament while affirming that sacrificial giving remains a vital expression of faith, calling believers to give not from abundance but from a posture of surrender, recognizing that their lives and resources are not their own but belong to the Lord.

This sermon presents a holistic vision of stewardship rooted in the biblical principle that all resources—time, treasure, talent, and truth—belong to God and are entrusted to believers for faithful management. Centered on 1 Chronicles 29, it emphasizes that true stewardship begins with recognizing God as the ultimate owner, which shapes how individuals wisely plan spending, avoid reckless debt, save for emergencies, invest for the future, and resist common financial traps like impulse buying, brand loyalty, and subscription overuse. The preacher calls the congregation to examine their financial habits not out of guilt, but out of a desire to honor God with integrity, using practical wisdom from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Pauline teachings to cultivate responsible, joyful, and sustainable practices. The tone is pastoral and instructive, balancing conviction with grace, urging believers to seek counsel when needed and to steward all they have as a response to God's provision and trustworthiness.

The sermon centers on the biblical principle of stewardship, emphasizing that all resources—time, treasure, talent, and truth—ultimately belong to God, who entrusts them to humanity for faithful management. It confronts the pervasive cultural illusion of financial security, illustrated by a high-income couple who, despite their means, live paycheck to paycheck due to untracked spending and a lack of financial discipline, highlighting that poverty of stewardship is not always about income but about mismanagement and covetousness. Drawing from David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29, the message affirms that true contentment comes not from accumulating wealth or satisfying desires, but from recognizing God as the source of all provision and choosing to trust His wise and fatherly disposition in every circumstance. The sermon warns against the destructive nature of covetousness—rooted in idolatry, which leads to discontent, envy, and destructive behaviors such as gambling—especially as it is exploited by modern sports betting industries that prey on human longing for instant gratification. Ultimately, it calls believers to reject the pursuit of worldly satisfaction, embrace contentment in Christ alone, and live as trustworthy stewards who honor God with their resources, knowing that eternal treasure is found only in Him.

This sermon, rooted in Ephesians 4:28 and expanded through Proverbs and Pauline theology, presents a comprehensive biblical vision of work as a sacred vocation, not merely a means of livelihood. It emphasizes that work is inherently good, a divine gift, and a calling to diligent, honest labor that honors God and serves others, countering both laziness and idolatry of career. The preacher underscores that while work is strenuous and often monotonous, it is to be approached with excellence, consistency, and selfless generosity, reflecting Christ's own service. Central to the message is the distinction between earthly labor and the finished work of Christ on the cross—salvation is not earned by works but received by faith, making the Lord's Supper a profound reminder of grace. The sermon calls believers to steward their time, talents, and treasure with purpose, seeking God's glory above personal gain, and to live out their faith in every vocation as an act of worship.

The sermon centers on the biblical call to steward time wisely, drawing from Ephesians 5:15–17 to challenge believers to live with intentional purpose in a culture marked by distraction, busyness, and complacency. It reframes time not as something to be managed, but as a sacred gift to be redeemed—invested in ways that honor God, reflect Christ's love, and advance His kingdom. The three marks of faithful stewardship are identified as walking wisely by living in obedience and light, redeeming each day by seizing God-given opportunities, and discerning God's will through Scripture rather than seeking mystical guidance, thereby aligning life with His clear, redemptive purposes. The message calls for self-examination, urging believers to evaluate how time is spent, reject distractions, and redirect energy toward eternal priorities, all while trusting in God's faithful provision and guidance.

The sermon, rooted in Jesus' Parable of the Sower from Luke 8, emphasizes that the effectiveness of the Gospel is not determined by the message itself but by the condition of the heart to which it is delivered. It distinguishes between four types of spiritual soil—hardened, shallow, distracted, and receptive—highlighting that true faith is marked not by emotional experiences or superficial commitments, but by enduring fruit produced in an honest and good heart. The preacher calls the church to faithfully proclaim the whole counsel of God without compromise, rejecting cultural trends that dilute truth, while urging individuals to examine their own hearts for areas of hardness, distraction, or unrepentant sin that hinder spiritual growth. Ultimately, the message affirms the security of salvation through Christ's sustaining grace, while challenging believers to cultivate a life of persistent faith, obedience, and fruitfulness in response to God's Word.

Jesus presents a challenging parable in Luke 16 about a dishonest manager whose shrewdness, though morally wrong, highlights a critical spiritual truth: believers must be equally strategic, creative, and intentional in investing their time, talent, and treasure into God's eternal kingdom. The passage confronts the church with the sobering reality that the world often outworks Christians in pursuing temporal goals, not because of greater morality, but due to greater commitment and resourcefulness. Far from endorsing dishonesty, Jesus uses the manager's cunning to contrast the spiritual lethargy of believers with the relentless pursuit of ungodly ends, calling followers to be faithful stewards of all God has entrusted—recognizing that true wealth is measured not by accumulation, but by eternal impact. The sermon emphasizes that stewardship is not about the amount given, but the heart behind it, urging believers to prioritize kingdom advancement with the same diligence the world applies to its own ambitions, ultimately pointing to the Lord's Supper as a sacred reminder of Christ's sacrifice and the believer's eternal responsibility.

When human corroboration is fueled by sinful desires and motives, very dangerous results happen. In this sermon we look at this text in two sections, the unified effort and the problem. This was a prideful pursuit of sinful ambition to define God on their terms.

How are you at working with people? One of the interesting dynamics of our age is the church. It is incredible to see so many people from different backgrounds come together to minister. So what is your role in the ministry of the church? Have you invested personally in the institution that God has chosen to help spread the Gospel?

As Noah steps out of the ark questions about what is out there, what is left, , questions of what's next seem to linger. By God's grace the flood didn't eliminate all the hope from the world. God had a plan and instructions for Noah as he started fresh.

What does it mean to remember? In the Ark account remember means that God is acting on a promise that he had made with man. As we read through this account we learn about God and we learn about ourselves. The Ark account teaches us that God always remembers.

Why is it our culture is so desperate to disprove that there is a God. It is simply that they do not want to obey God and live by God's created order. Join us as Pastor Jay walks us through creation day 6, the day that God created his most personal creation, humanity bearing the His image.

A special Christmas Eve message from Pastor Jay.

If you could only choose one Christmas decoration what would it be? One that stands out in particular is the lights. The lights are not merely not meant to illuminate a tree they are meant to teach us that Jesus is the light of the world.

Why is it our culture is so desperate to disprove that there is a God. It is simply that they do not want to obey God and live by God's created order. Join us as Pastor Jay walks us through creation day 6, the day that God created his most personal creation, humanity bearing the His image.

The account of Christmas is filled with layers of people and each one teaches us something. Even the most mysterious group we find in the account might be the group we call the Magi teaches us something immensely important.

Guest speaker Steve Pettit shares God's word with us.

With the 2024 election just a few days away we pause to remind ourselves of 5 important truths from God's word about how Christians are to respond to the culture around us.

Genealogies are an often overlooked part of the Bible, and yet they still there for a purpose. As we look at the genealogy of Enoch we are invited to pull back the curtain and see how God uses specific people at specific times for his specific purposes.

Is religion really bad for society? Genesis Chapter 4 shows us what a society looks like a part from God.

We are all worshipers, we are created to worship something, so the question is what are we going to worship-- In this sermon Pastor Jay walks us through the familiar account of the first murder. A sin that came as result of wrong worship.