Growing Faith Church Sermons

What Child is This? Jesus: Matt. 1:18-25

Series: Radical Kingdom: The Birth of the King
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
December 21, 2025
1. Joseph's Righteousness Was Not Enough to Save Him (vv. 18-20)
2. God Wants to Save You From Your Sins (vv. 20-23)
3. Jesus Will Save His People From Their Sins (v. 21)
4. We are Saved in Jesus by Grace Through Faith (vv. 24-25)
The name Jesus means 'he will save his people from their sins,' revealing God's mission to rescue humanity. Even good people like Joseph needed salvation because our righteousness isn't enough to reach God. Unlike other religions that tell us what to do to reach God, Christianity is about God coming down to reach us. Jesus didn't come to make life easier or teach better morals—He came to save us from our sins through His death and resurrection. Salvation comes by grace through faith, requiring us to admit our need, believe in Christ, and surrender our lives to Him. This Christmas, we must ask ourselves: Have we truly received the gift of salvation, or just appreciated the story?

What Child is This? Immanuel: Matt. 1:18-25

Series: Radical Kingdom: The Birth of the King (Matthew, Part One)
preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
December 14, 2025
1. Immanuel Means That We Know God
2. Immanuel Means that God Knows Us
3. Immanuel Means Communion with God
Application One: Enjoy God's Presence
Application Two: Share God's Presence
Despite living in the most connected era in history, loneliness has become a public health crisis. The root cause isn't just busy schedules or social media, but our fear that being truly known will lead to rejection. We hide behind masks instead of experiencing authentic love. God solved this problem through Emmanuel - God with us. Jesus came to bridge the gap between humanity and God, showing us who God really is while experiencing our human struggles firsthand. Through Christ, we can know God personally and be fully known without fear of rejection. The cure for loneliness is recognizing God's constant presence and sharing that presence with others who are hurting.

What Child is This? Son of Abraham, Son of David: Matt. 1:1-17

Series: Radical Kingdom: The Birth of the King
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
December 7, 2025
1. Jesus is Abraham's Promised Blessing to All Nations (Gen. 12:3)
2. Jesus is David's Promised Eternal King (2 Sam. 7:4-17)
3. Faith in Jesus Unlocks Our Role in His Story (Matt. 28:19; Rev. 5:9-10)
Christmas didn't begin with Jesus' birth in Bethlehem—it started thousands of years earlier with God's promises to Abraham and David. Matthew's genealogy reveals that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's ancient covenant to bless all nations through Abraham and establish an eternal kingdom through David. Abraham was called to leave his comfort zone and trust God's plan to make him a blessing to all families on earth. David wanted to build God a house, but God promised to build David an eternal dynasty instead. Jesus fulfills both promises as the son of Abraham who brings blessing to all nations and the son of David who reigns as eternal king. God calls us to step from being spectators to participants in His story through faith.

What Child is This? Christ Matt: 1:1

Series: Radical Kingdom: The Birth of a King
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
November 30, 2025
1. Jesus Fulfills the Promise of the Coming Anointed Savior (Gen. 3:15)
2. Jesus is the Preeminent Anointed Prophet: Listen to Him (Deut. 18:15)
3. Jesus is the Preeminent Anointed Priest: Trust in Him (Heb. 7:23-28; 10:11-22)
4. Jesus is the Preeminent Anointed King: Bow Before Him (Isaiah 9:6-7)
The Christmas season confronts us with a crucial question: who is this child in the manger? Jesus Christ is not just a baby to celebrate, but the long-awaited Messiah who fulfills three essential roles. As the perfect Prophet, He speaks God's word with ultimate authority and we must listen to His teachings. As the perfect Priest, He offered Himself as the final sacrifice for our sins, providing complete salvation that we must trust in rather than trying to earn. As the perfect King, He rules with eternal authority and demands our submission and obedience. True salvation requires accepting Jesus in all three roles, not just picking the comfortable aspects of His identity.
 

The Danger of a New Building: Gen. 11

Series: Made for More: Identity, Purpose, and Grace in the Beginning
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
November 23, 2025
1. The Church's Purpose is Not to Settle Down Inside a Building. (vv. 1-4, 8)
2. The Church Must Not Seek to Create a Name for Itself. (vv. 1-5)
3. God Will Judge the Church That Gets Purpose and Identity Wrong. (vv. 6-9)
4. God Will Use the Church to Accomplish His Purposes. (11:10-12:3)
The Tower of Babel reveals humanity's tendency to create identity and purpose apart from God's design. The builders wanted to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered, directly rebelling against God's command to fill the earth. God confused their language and scattered them, preventing coordinated rebellion while fulfilling His original plan. This ancient story warns against spiritual complacency and pride in our own lives. Just as the tower builders sought their own glory, we often try to build our significance through careers, achievements, or comfort zones. God's redemptive plan ultimately triumphs, transforming the division of Babel into the unity found in Christ and His church.

The Blessing and the Curse: Gen. 9:18-10:32

Series: Made for More: Identity, Purpose, and Grace in the Beginning
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
November 16, 2025
1. The Curse of Sin is Still Present (vv. 18-21)
2. Our Response to Sin Should be Compassion, Not Condemnation (vv. 22-23)
3. Sin Results in a Curse (vv. 24-29)
4. God Blesses Us to Be a Blessing to Others (10:1-32)
 

God's Grace Towards Us: Gen. 8:1-9:17

Series: Made for More: Identity, Purpose, and Grace in the Beginning
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
November 9, 2025
1. God's Grace is Seen in His Timing (8:1-8:19)
2. God's Grace is Seen in His Response to Worship (8:20-22)
3. God's Grace is Seen in His Commands (9:1-17)
4. God's Grace is Seen in His Covenants (9:8-17)
The flood story in Genesis reveals God's incredible grace, not just His judgment. While humanity's sin had become so corrupt that divine intervention was necessary, God chose to save Noah's family rather than start over completely. Throughout their year-long journey on the ark, God demonstrated His grace through perfect timing, faithful provision, unbreakable promises, and patient love. The rainbow serves as an eternal reminder that God's grace has been present from the beginning, showing us that the God of the Old Testament is the same gracious God we see in Jesus.
 

Taking God Seriously: Gen. 6 and 7

Series: Made for More: Identity, Purpose, and Grace in the Beginning
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
November 2, 2025
1. We Must Take God's Wrath Against Sin Seriously (6:11-13; 7:21-24)
2. We Must Take God's Sovereignty Seriously (7:6-24)
3. We Must Take Our Walk with God Seriously (6:17-18, 22, 7:1, 5, 9, 16, 23)
4. We Must Take God's Grace Seriously (7:17-24)
The story of Noah's flood reveals profound truths about God's character and our relationship with Him. God's wrath against sin isn't an emotional outburst but the natural response of perfect holiness encountering evil. While we like to think we're in control of our lives, God remains sovereign over all creation. Many people practice casual faith, but Noah demonstrates what serious commitment to God looks like through complete obedience. Of all the people living during the flood, only eight were saved, reminding us that the gate to life is narrow. We must examine our hearts to ensure we're truly saved by grace through faith, not just assuming we're safe based on church attendance or family background.
 

Marks of a Godly Family: Gen. 4:17-5:32

Series: Made for More: Identity, Purpose, and Grace in the Beginning
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
October 19, 2025
1. Godly Families Worship the Lord (4:17-26)
2. Godly Families Walk with God (4:19-24; 5:21-24)
3. Godly Families Hope for the Future (4:17-24; 5:28-31)
The first biblical genealogy reveals two contrasting family lines that teach us how to build a godly legacy. Cain's descendants represent self-worship, walking away from God, and living only for today, while Seth's line demonstrates worship of the Lord, walking with God, and hoping for the future. These ancient families faced the same challenge we do: building a God-honoring family in a fallen world. The difference between these paths doesn't just affect us but impacts generations that follow. No matter your family history, God offers a new beginning to break generational patterns and set a trajectory that will outlive you.

Attitude Check: Gen. 4:1-16

Series: Made for More: Identity, Purpose, and Grace in the Beginning
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
October 12, 2025
1. Do You Have a Mechanical Attitude Toward Worship? (vv. 1-5a)
2. Do You Have a Defiant Attitude Toward Repentance? (vv. 5b-7)
3. Do You Have an Indifferent Attitude Toward Others? (vv. 8-10)
4. Do You Have an Ungrateful Attitude Regarding God's Grace? (vv. 11-16)
The story of Cain and Abel reveals four critical spiritual attitude checks we need to avoid sin's destructive path. First, we must guard against mechanical worship by engaging our hearts, not just going through religious motions. Second, when God convicts us of sin, we should respond with humble repentance rather than defensive anger like Cain did. Third, we must reject indifference toward others and actively love our neighbors instead of harboring jealousy or resentment. Finally, we should cultivate deep gratitude for God's grace rather than taking His mercy for granted. Just as pilots regularly check their attitude to stay level, we need consistent spiritual attitude checks to master sin before it masters us.