San Jose Baptist Church Sermon Podcast

Part Seven: So We Can Share in God's Life (Romans 6:1-12) Thousands of evangelistic conversations have started with the question, “If you were to die tonight, do you know for certain you would go to heaven?” While this question has been effective for many, for others it has made the Gospel sound less like good news and more like a life insurance plan. Jesus said He came to give life and give it abundantly. While we all need life insurance, we want abundant life. Join us for the final message in 30 Words where we explore the difference between a Gospel that only promises heaven when we die versus a Gospel that promises that we can share in God's life here, now, and forever.

In this message, we focus on a simple but powerful truth: elders are set apart to equip the set apart. As we affirm and ordain a new elder in our church, we're reminded that the calling of an elder is not about position, but about equipping every believer to grow into the role God has given them. This is a picture of a healthy church where leaders serve, and every follower of Jesus is equipped for and engaged in the work of God.

– Part Six: Come to Shut Down Religion (John 2) At its best, religion is our attempt to get to God. At its worst, it is an effort to hide from God while attempting to manipulate and control others. Jesus did not come to give us a new religious system. He came to end religion by offering us a relationship with God that is not dependent on temples, priests, or sacrifices, but on God's abundant grace and our faith in Him. Join us for part six of 30 Words, where Pastor Marcus explores this most radical and unexpected gift of the Gospel.

Part Five: Come to Set Up God's Kingdom (Matthew 13) For some, the Gospel message is primarily about going to heaven when we die. While that is good news, it is not the best news. Jesus came to do much more than take us to heaven when we die; He came to set up God's kingdom here and now. Join us for part five of 30 Words where we will learn about God's Kingdom and how it gives us hope now and forever.

May 3 – Part Four: Come to Save Us from Sin (Romans 3, Ephesians 2) We don't like the word “sin.” It sounds way too judgmental. It makes us think of legalistic people, hypocrisy, and everything we don't like about religion and church. While most people don't claim to be perfect, few are willing to embrace the title of “sinner.” We may be willing to admit a “mistake,” but we are reluctant to say that we have “sinned.” The problem with the word “mistake” is that it is insufficient to describe our problem. You make a mistake on a math test. Mistakes are easy to fix, but what do we do about the problem of sin? Join us for part four of 30 Words where we will learn the good news that Jesus came to save us from sin.

Part Three: Come to Show Us God's Love (1 John 1:9-19) • God is love. There are very few people who would disagree with that statement, and even fewer who wouldn't at least say they hope that is the case. But how do we know for sure? In part three of 30 Words, we will consider what it means that God is love and how Jesus came to prove it to us once and for all.

Part Two: Jesus Is God with Us (Colossians 1:15-20) • You cannot understand the Gospel as “good news” until you understand who Jesus is. And once you truly understand who Jesus is, there is no way you will ever understand the Gospel as anything other than good news! Jesus is not just a great teacher who established a world religion. He is God with skin on – God with us – God for us, not against us. Join us for part two of 30 Words where Pastor Marcus will share three reasons why the Gospel must begin with Jesus.

The Gospel is so simple a child can understand it, yet so immense that people have dedicated their lives in pursuit of it. This simple message radically changed the world until the world gradually changed the message. Throughout the years, the Gospel has been faithfully shared, preserved, complicated, weaponized and even ignored. You may call yourself a Christian and still be asking, “What is the Gospel, and how do I explain it to other people?” Join us for a new sermon series in which we will learn, live and share the Gospel message in 30 Words. Focal passage: 1 Peter 3:13-18

The resurrection of Jesus is one of the most celebrated events in history-- but what does it actually mean for you? Beyond the traditions and the once-a-year celebration, the risen Christ offers something that reaches into everyday life. 1 Peter 1:3-9 invites us to see why the resurrection still changes everything. Join us as we explore what the resurrection means for each of us.

Some Christians have been accused of being so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good. Others seem to deny the reality of heaven and live as if this world is all there is. The Gospel is a guardrail preventing us from making either mistake. In the final sermon in our Essentials series, we will learn how our beliefs about the future shape our lives today. Passage: Revelation 21:1-6 & 22:1-5

The Church is always a work in progress. From the missteps and mistakes of Jesus' desciples to the latest church scandal, humans have continuously brought our brokennesess into the church. Yet, despite our failures, Jesus said He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. In part 8 of Essentials, we will learn how the church is God's plan and the front line of Heaven's invasion of Earth. Passage: John 2:13-22

Focal passage Ephesians 2:1-10. We use the word "saved" to refer to everything from someone recovered in a heroic operation to the money we save through a discount code. But when the Bible talkes about being "saved," what exactly does that mean? What are we saved from? Who saves us, and how do they do it? In part 7 of Essentials, we will learn how salvation is not about what we do but what Jesus has done.

What defines your value? Do you find value in your roles and responsibilities in your family or job? The human condition is tied to the value God has placed on us and the value we see in Jesus' death on a cross. This death communicates to us the reality that we are infinitely valuable and devastatingly broken. The value you place on Jesus' death affects the value you place on yourself and others around you. This is why it is fundamental to Christian belief. Passages: Genesis 4, Romans 5

According to numerous studies, the single greatest predictor of spiritual transformation is the time a person spends reading their Bible. Still, a recent Lifeway Research study revealed that only 32% of Christians read their Bible daily. In part 5 of Essentials, we will learn the secret to readindg the Bible for spiritual transformation. Bible passages: Mt 4:4, 5:17, 6:9-10, 2Pe 1:21, Heb 1:1-2, Jn 1:1-2>3,14, 5:38-39-47, 5:45-47, Lk 24:25>27,

Focal passages: Genesus 2, Eekiel 37, John 20

Focal passages: Hebrews 1:3, Col 1:15, Jn 1:1-5, 1-14, 4:9-10, 3:16-17, 10:10, Ro 5:8, Lk 17:20-21, Mt 6:10

Focal passages: Romans 1:19-20, Hebrews 1:1-3

Complexity demands simplicity. God is infinitely great, beyond our ability to fully understand, yet when the God of the universe wanted to reveal Himself to His creation, He did so by taking on flesh and becoming a humble servant. We often complicate the message of Jesus with important but non-essential ideas. Instead of focusing on the good news, we argue over secondary issues and leave a lost world confused — or worse, uninterested. Join us each Sunday in February and March for Essentials, a sermon series focused on what is essential, what isn't, and why the difference matters.

Focal passages: Matthew 23:23-24

Message passages: Genesis 12, Gal 3:12, 1Ki 8, Isa 56, Mk 11, Rev 7:9-10

Focal passages: 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Php 2:17, Heb 12:1,Isa 40-31, Col 2:7

Focal passages: Exodus 3:17, 13:20-22, 14: 11-12, 40:36-38, Ge 12:7, Jn 16:7

Focal passages: Isaiah 43:14-

Focal passage: Mathew 14:22-34, Psalm 23:3-4

Bible passages: Isaiah 9:2, John 1:1>14, 3:3

Message passages: Zec 9:9-17,Hab2:2-3, Rev 19:15, 21:3-4, Ro 8:18, 1Co 4:17, 15:54-57, 1Pe 5:10, Isa 25:8, Php 3:20-21

Focal passages: Isaiah 7:14 8:10-22, 9:1-7, Mt 10:28, Ps 46:1, 2Ki 17:6-8, Dt 28:15, 36, 64

Selected passage: Philippians 1:3-6

Focal passages: Matthew 4:18-22, Jn 12:26, Ge 12:1, Heb 11:8, Ex 13:21, Nu 9:17, Ac 8:26, Mk 1:18

Focal passages: 1 Peter 3:15, Ac 21:40-22:4, 26:1-27, Jas 2:19

Focal Passages: Daniel 3:3-28, Ex 20:4-6, Jn 14:15, Jas 1:2-4, 12 Heb 11:1, 13:8, Ps 37:5

Focal passages: Hebrews: 4:14-16, 5:7-9, 12-14, 6:1-3, 7:27, 8:6-8, 10:10, 22-26, 11:33>40, 12:1>4, 28, 13:12>14, 1 Co 6:12, Php 2:5>12

Focal passages: Ro 8:31>39,15:13, Jn 10:10, Jos 1:1>9, Mt 28:19-20, 1Co 10:31, Jer 9:11, Php 1:6, 1Jn 5:3>5

Focal passages: Eph 6:10-20, 18-20, Mt 6:8, 9:35-38, Php 4:6

Focal passages: Eph 6:10-20 6:17, Col 4:4-6, 1Pe 3:15, Mt 5:14-16, 1Th4:11-12, 2Ch 20:1-30

Focal passages: Ephesians 6:17, 10-20, 1Jn1:9, Heb4:15-16, Ro8:35-37, Jn16:33, 1Pe1:6-7 13-15

Focal passages: Ephesians 6:16, 6:10-20, Heb 11:1, 1Pe 5:8-9, 1Jn 5:4, Php 1:27, Isa 41:10

Focal passages: Eph 6:10-17 1:4-6, Col3:11, 1Co 3:3-9, 2Co2:10, Mt 28:16-28

Focal passages: Ephesians 6:14, Lk 4:1-12, 2Co 5:17-21, 1 Co 2:14, Ro16:13, Dt 8:3, 1Ti 1, Gal 4

Focal passages Eph 6:14a, 4:26-29, Jn 3:16, 8:44, 17:13-17, 1Pe 5:8, Ge 1:26-27, Ps 139:13-17, 2Co 10:3-6, Lk 12:4-7, 11:11-13, 12:22-34, Ph 4:6-7

Focal passage: Ephesians 6:10-20

Focal passages: Luke 2:41-52, 4:16 5:16, 10, Acts 9:23-25, Col 2:16-17, 2Co 5:21, Gal 1:13:18, 4:4, Mk 1:35-39, John 11:38-44, Ne 2:5

Focal passages: Mk 2:23-28, 3:1-5, 1 Sam 21:1-6, Isa 58:13-14

Focal passages: Psalm 95:1-2, Ex 17:3-7, Heb 3:19, 4:1-13, Mt 11:28, Ro 9:3, Ge 15:6

Focal passages: Mt 11:28-30, Ps 23,127:2 Ro 3:23, Col 2:16-17, Gal 3:24-25, Ge 2:1-3, 2:15

Focal passage: 1 Kings 19:1-18. Isaiah 41:10

Focal passages: 1 Kings 18:17-39, Acts 12:23

Focal passages: 1 Kings 17:1-24, seeking God: Psalms 23, 46, 139

Focal pasages: Gen 22:1-18

Focal passages: John 18:15-18, Lk 10:42, 14:11, 22:54, 22:61, Mk 14:54, Jn5:44,13:37, 21:15-19, Mt26:33, 1Pe 5:5-8

Focal Passages: Php 4:21-23, Ac 2:44-47, 2Co 4:16