POPLC Sermons

Our hope is not in the performance of our perishing earthly bodies, but in an eternal life. God uses every person—regardless of shape or size—for his glory. Reading: 1 Timothy 4:1–10

David wants to build a temple for God, but for many reasons, God stops him from doing that and does some building himself. Reject your own plans to honor God and instead seek to be a part of His work in the world. Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a

John's story tells the disciples what they will be facing in their preaching and shows the reason to face it all. Do not fear those who can kill the body, but trust in the one who resurrects you. Reading: Mark 6:1-13

Freedom Sunday Readings: Genesis 1:15-17 1 Corinthians 9:19 Galatians 5:13

David mourns the loss of Saul. David's prayer is a lamentation which is an interesting thing to offer for someone who has repeatedly tried to kill you. Perhaps the way of truly does call us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you...

Jesus's calming of the storm actually creates more fear in His disciples, not knowing what He will do to them. Rightly fear God's work in your heart and trust that whatever comes, He will take care of you. Reading: Mark 4:35-41

God rejects Saul and chooses David with seemingly no respect for human categories. Trust that God has chosen you and follow His guidance. Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Jesus's family thinks he is crazy, and they miss the fact that He is seeking to add more members to His family: those who do the will of God.

Through the work of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are adopted as sons and daughters of the Father. Let us rest in our adopted identity and trust in Christ through the power of the Spirit that we have a Dad (Abba) who is for us. ...

In the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples along with every nation, tribe and tongue are united in the mission of Jesus. As we engage His mission, let us trust the Holy Spirit and speak the Word that the Lord has given to us. Reading: Acts...

The first Church proclaimed that the unknown God had become known through Jesus. All truth is God's truth; there are many things in this world which can encourage your faith and lead unbelievers to Jesus. Reading: Acts 17:22-34

The first Church proclaimed that salvation came through faith alone. When you face great failure, remember all you need to do to be saved is to trust in Jesus. Acts 16:25-34

The first Church proclaimed that salvation is by grace alone. Reading: Acts 15:1-21

The first Church proclaimed that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus fulfills our deepest yearnings and hope for life. Reading: Acts 13:16-42

The first Church proclaimed a new way to God. Ask yourself, “What rules and regulations guide my interaction with others whom I see as ‘unclean'?” Reading: Acts 10:34-43

The resurrection of Jesus changed everything. Join as we hear seven different sermons from the book of Acts. Through these messages, we will discover the consistent and timeless message of sin, grace, and salvation in the name of Jesus. For He is...

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Luke 23:13-35

Tetelestai "It has been accomplished." Reading: John 18-19

(Palm Sunday) Many times, lament has the same refrain, “Lord have mercy.” On that first Palm Sunday, the crowds celebrated the “One who comes in the name of the Lord,” but their primary cry was “Hosanna” which means Lord have mercy. ...

Jesus exorcises a demon, even as He reprimands the disciples for their failure to trust the one to whom their prayers ought to have been offered. Prayer demonstrates a relationship of practical trust in Jesus’s power to accomplish more than we...

Lament is more than praying through pain, confessing sin, and bringing our complaints. Lament also leads us to boldly ask God to intervene. Reading: Psalm 22

When Jesus walks on water and invites Peter to do the same, he again proclaims that He is the Son of God and, in so doing, strengthens the faith of His disciples. Practicing our faith in ways that are new and potentially uncomfortable forces us to...

There will be times when we reap what we’ve sown. When our sin has proven costly, we can turn to lament which expresses deep regret. Lament helps us know what to say to God about our sin while reaffirming hope for forgiveness and future...

Jesus’ power to resurrect the ruler’s daughter announces God’s limitless power over life and death. When we believe that God possesses power over life and death, we are free to put our hope for the future in His hands. Reading: Matthew...

Your Heavenly Father loves you so much and desires a relationship with you to the extent that He has given words with which you can chew Him out. Reading: Psalm 13

When Jesus declares the paralyzed man’s sins forgiven, Jesus declares His own authority equal to His Father’s. The forgiveness of sins wrought by Jesus on the cross confers on us a responsibility to extend it to others as we give witness to...

If we are going to understand how to lament, and if we are going to discover the grace in it, we must learn how to complain the right way. Reading: Psalm 10

By healing the centurion’s servant, Jesus establishes his power over the material world, but it’s the spiritual reality of faith to which Jesus draws our attention. We give witness to Jesus’ authority in our lives by our obedience to his...

Lament asks two honest questions, “God where are you, and If you love me why are these things happening?” Reading: Psalm 77

The request that God not remember our sins simply asks that God would not treat us as our sins deserve. Lament appeals for God’s mercy and grace. When our sin is the cause of our lament, it’s good to know that we can still ask God for mercy. ...

The central focus of this story is the proper view of God the Father, not just the actions we perform in response to Him. A correct understanding of God’s inexhaustible love will help us not fall into one of two extremes: law or licentiousness. ...

Focus: The elder son reminds us that when we desire the good things from God more than we desire Him, we are blinded to the grace of God/ Not only our clearly sinful activities but even our seemingly good deeds can have impure motives. Reading: Luke...

The prodigal son reminds us that God’s grace is inexhaustible: we can never out-sin His forgiveness. When we feel buried in shame because of sin, we can still turn toward our Heavenly Father, knowing that He will not reject us.

Esther is an amazing story of a young woman who wisely took advantage of her new normal and, with God’s guidance, used it to save Jewish people. We can be brave and wise in our new normal, following the leading of God and taking time to make smart...

When God ask us to go, we need to be faithfully obedient. A new normal could be a new task, lifestyle, or place God has called us to. As followers of Jesus, we should prepare for that and then step forward in obedient faith. Reading: Acts 8:26-39

Focus: God remembers us and will be our provider and sustainer. We can find hope for our future by trusting that God remembers us and will be our provider and sustainer. Reading: Zechariah 8:4–13

God calls us to keep Him as our highest priority. Sudden life changes offer us a chance to realign our value system to better reflect God's ways. Reading: Haggai 2:1-9

Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Christmas Eve Service

(Kid’s Christmas Program & Sing-Along) In this passage, we will see how Christ’s arrival uniquely included people from places that we normally may not think of. This aspect of Jesus’ arrival should fuel our mission to love our neighbors and...

Youth Ministry will lead this worship service! The breaking between B.C. and A.D. wasn’t just about a birth so we could have a new holiday; it was about a new way of life. We should not have a “Christmas faith,” but a transformed life that...

The first arrival of Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of hope. In the same way that people were able to have hope that could cause them to submit every part of life to God’s will, we are to have the same hope and action. Reading: Luke 1:26-38

In an ancient world where a person’s worth was based on their family wealth or political status, Jesus changed the entire course of history by coming for all people – equally. The value of a person is now based on the price that God paid for...

The longing for Christ’s second coming comes with the realization that it also is cause for us to consider how much we live a life that hopes only in this world, or if we’ve been freed to serve others because of our future hope. Our lives should...

Before Christ came into the world, we were captives to sin and deserved God’s punishment. Now that Jesus has come, and paid the price for our sin, we can be free from our guilt and know God personally. Reading: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Anticipating the second coming of Christ points us to a life of holiness as we look toward a new dwelling place with God. In light of our future hope, we are able to now have hope and serve others because of it. Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-15

Unlike Adam and Eve, we must trust God’s authority in our lives rather than looking to take his place. You’re not God, when you try to take control of your life, you’re really losing it. Genesis 3:1-7

In a culture where many are focused on what they don’t have, God calls us to focus on His spiritual provision. Don’t lust after wealth, instead be content with what God has given you. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Paul says in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” What if we could also say of the Church, “There is neither Democrat or Republican, for we are all one in...

We and the country we temporarily call home are under God. So, how do we live out our dual citizenship? Reading: Mark 12:13-17

You are not normal! That’s right, you are a peculiar people. You have been set apart, “to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.” Remember, your true citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). ...