Growing Faith Church Sermons

Why We Don't Evangelize: Acts 1:6-11

Series: Operation Liberty: Gospel Mission
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
August 3, 2025
1. We Focus on the Problem Instead of Our Part (vv. 6-8)
2. We Forget to Charge Up (v. 8)
3. We Would Rather Stare at Jesus (vv. 9-11)
4. We Don't Feel the Urgency (v. 11)
Jesus gave His followers one clear mission: to be His witnesses throughout the world, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Many Christians avoid this responsibility for several reasons: focusing on global problems rather than starting where they are, forgetting to rely on the Holy Spirit's power, treating Christianity as therapeutic rather than missional, and lacking urgency about Jesus' return. Effective witnessing involves sharing your personal testimony in three parts: life before Christ, how you met Christ, and how He transformed your life. The mission begins in our immediate circles—with family, neighbors, and coworkers—before expanding outward.

Here I Am: Isaiah 6:1-13

Guest Preacher: Pastor Jonathan Taylor
Series: Operation Liberty: Gospel Mission
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty NC
July 27, 2025
1. The Confrontation (vv. 1-5)
2. The Cleansing (vv. 6-7)
3. The Commissioning (vv. 8-13)
Pastor Jonathan Taylor is a church planter who, along with his wife Brittany, is planting First Love Fellowship in Tarboro, NC.  Their expected launch date is September 21, 2025.  For more information on First Love Fellowship, visit their webpage at firstlovetarboro.com
God calls every believer beyond church attendance to live as a missionary, not just a member. Isaiah 6 reveals this calling process: first, we're confronted with God's overwhelming holiness, which exposes our sinfulness. Then, God graciously cleanses us, transforming our unclean lips into vessels for His message. Finally, He commissions us to go, even when the mission is difficult. Like Isaiah, we must move beyond comfort and embrace our calling by remembering our cleansing, supporting missions, and going ourselves to advance God's kingdom.

Into the Deep Life: Luke 5:1-11

Series: Operation Liberty: Gospel Mission
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
July 20, 2025
1. Obey the Simple Next Instruction (vv. 1-3)
2. Obey When You Doubt it Will Matter (vv. 4-7)
3. Obey the Blesser, Not the Blessing (vv. 8-10a)
4. Obey with All You Are Because of All He's Done (vv. 10b-11)
Jesus transformed Peter's life mission through progressive steps of obedience. Starting with a simple request to push the boat out, Jesus led Peter to a miraculous catch of fish that revealed His divine power. When confronted with Jesus' holiness, Peter recognized his own sinfulness. This encounter completely reoriented Peter's priorities, leading him to abandon his successful catch to follow Jesus and become a 'fisher of people.' Like Peter, we discover our true mission through simple steps of obedience that lead us deeper into God's purpose, focusing on Jesus rather than temporary blessings.

Ambassadors of Reconciliation: 2 Cor. 5:16-21

Series: "Operation Liberty: Gospel Mission"
Preached at Growing Faith Church in Liberty, NC
July 6, 2025
Our next sermon in this series on invitation and evangelism explores how God restores broken relationships through Christ's sacrifice. When humanity sinned, our relationship with God was broken beyond our ability to repair. God paid the cost by treating Jesus as if He had committed all our sins, so we could be counted as righteous. As reconciled believers, we become Christ's ambassadors with the ministry of reconciliation—seeing others through God's eyes of potential and sharing how peace with God is possible. This reconciliation isn't just forgiveness but a complete restoration that welcomes us into close relationship with God.
1. The Gospel of Reconciliation (v. 21)
2. The Ministry of Reconciliation (v. 18-20)
3. The Potential for Reconciliation (v. 16-17)
 

Keys to Our Successful Mission: Acts 18:1-11

Series: "Operation Liberty: Gospel Mission"
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
June 29, 2025
In Acts 18, Paul's journey in Corinth reveals five essential keys to successful ministry that apply to our mission today. These include accepting that ministry is challenging, making God-ordained connections, preparing for emotional highs and lows, advancing ministry outside church walls, and staying focused on the objective. Paul's experience teaches us that we don't need to rely on our own strength but on the gospel's power. Jesus has people in our communities who already belong to Him, and our role is simply to make the introductions by sharing our faith and extending invitations.
1. Accept that the Mission is Hard. (v. 1)
2. Make God-ordained Connections (vv. 2-4)
3. Be Prepared for Highs and Lows (vv. 5-6)
4. Advance Outside the Church (vv. 7-8)
5. Keep Focused on the Objective (vv. 9-11)
 

Stand Strong in the Gospel: Eph. 6:10-24

Series: "New Life, New Church, New Purpose"
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
June 22, 2025
1. Stand Strong Against the Real Enemy. (vv. 10-12)
2. Stand Strong in God's Gospel Armor. (vv. 13-17)
3. Stand Strong in Prayer. (vv. 18-24)
The armor of God equips believers for spiritual warfare against demonic forces, not human enemies. This armor includes the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. When Christians put on this armor, they're covering themselves in Jesus and embracing their identity in Him. Prayer serves as our most powerful weapon, especially when focused on God's mission rather than self-centered requests. Christians are called to fight from victory, not for victory, remembering that our battle is against spiritual forces of evil, not people.

Relationships that Change the World: Eph. 6:1-9

Series: "New Life, New Church, New Purpose"
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
June 15, 2025
1. The Gospel Transforms All Servant/Superior Relationships (v. 1, v. 5)
2. Servants Submit to the Lord to Gain a Future Reward (vv. 1-3; vv. 5-8)
3. Superiors Lead as Christ's Representatives in Submission to Him (v. 4, v. 9)
4. God Uses Christ-centered Relationships to Change the World (vv. 4-5, v. 9)
The gospel has the power to transform all our relationships, especially those involving authority. When we understand our identity in Christ, both leaders and followers are changed - leaders become humble servants, while those under authority serve with dignity and purpose. Parents are called to represent Christ to their children through loving discipline, while children honor their parents as unto the Lord. Similarly, in workplace relationships, supervisors should lead with respect, remembering everyone answers to God, while employees work wholeheartedly as serving Christ himself. These transformed relationships can ultimately change the world.
 

God's Design for Marriage: Eph. 5:22-33

Series: "New Life, New Church, New Purpose"Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NCJune 8, 2025
1. The Spirit Proclaims the Gospel to Empower Submission (vv. 18-21)
2. Wives Proclaim the Gospel by Submitting to Their Husbands. (vv. 22-24)
3. Husbands Proclaim the Gospel by Sacrificing for Their Wives. (vv. 25-30)
4. Marriage Proclaims the Gospel by Expressing Unity in Christ. (vv. 31-33)
Marriage is designed to proclaim the gospel through mutual submission empowered by the Holy Spirit. Wives demonstrate the gospel by respectfully deferring to their husbands' leadership, while husbands reflect Christ's love through sacrificial, santifying, and satisfying love toward their wives. This complementary design isn't about inequality but about different roles that together illustrate Christ's relationship with the church. When spouses fulfill these roles unconditionally, not dependent on the other's response, they create a powerful picture of the gospel for the world to see.

Eph. 5:15-21: Carpe Diem for the Christian

Series: "New Life, New Church, New Purpose" 
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
June 1, 2025
Christians are called to seize each day for God's mission rather than self-fulfillment. Based on Ephesians 5:15-21, believers can live wisely in an unwise world by living strategically with purpose, practicing Christian mindfulness filled with God's truth, surrendering to the Holy Spirit's control rather than worldly influences, and allowing the Spirit to empower them to encourage others, worship authentically, give thanks in all circumstances, and submit to one another. Our lives gain eternal significance when we participate in God's mission to unite all things under Christ.
1. Live Strategically (vv. 15-16)
2. Live with Mindfulness (v. 17)
3. Live Under God's Control (v. 18)
4. Live Powered by the Spirit (vv. 19-21)
 

Light in a Dark World: Eph. 5:3-14

Series: "New Life, New Purpose, New Church"
Preached at Growing Faith Church, Liberty, NC
May 25, 2025
How much sin are you comfortable with in your life? When believers get comfortable with sin, we misrepresent God to the world. In Ephesians 5:3-14, Paul reminds us of our true identity as children of light who should have no hint of unrepented sin. Pastor Brian reminds us that rather than trying to keep one foot in God's kingdom and one in the world, we must remember that light and darkness cannot coexist, and our behavior should match our identity in Christ.
1. Don't Compromise with Sin - It Distorts Your Identity (vv. 3-7)
2. Strive to Please the Lord - Sin is Fruitless (vv. 8-11)
3. Walk in Light - Sin Destroys Your Witness (vv. 11-14)