Preaching the Word

2009-07-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Many times we think that, as we grow in faith, the struggles we face will get less and less. However, the true measure of Christian maturity is not a lack of struggles, but whether we can be content with the grace of God no matter what we're facing. This message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryAllWeNeed

2009-06-29T06:03:00.000-07:00

We all experience suffering in life. But what happens to our faith when we suffer? For so many of us, our faith goes only so far. But Jesus calls us to only believe. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryOnlyBelieve

2009-06-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Paul gives the church 5 encouragements. And these encouragements are needed today as well. In the church today, men have largely abandoned the calling God has placed on them; they've abdicated their responsibility. So the call in this message is, "Be a man!" This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryBeaMan

Our children's message can also be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromJune21childrensmessage

2009-06-14T13:46:00.001-07:00

As the church, we know the calling God has given us, to make disciples of all nations. But most of us are unwilling to live it out. We're afraid of the world; we're afraid of how people might react. Like Paul, we must focus on the eternal instead of that which is temporary. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryWhatReallyMatters

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was supposed to be our church picnic, but we got rained out. So we ended up at the church, but we still had a great lunch!

Most people in our society today think they'll go to heaven when they die. They think they'll go there because they believe they've lived a pretty good life. But according to Jesus, the only way we'll see the kingdom of God is if we're born again. We must get a life that can only be given by God himself. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryGetaLife

2009-06-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

Many people in the church today no longer expect God to act; they don't expect him to work in our lives or through the ministry he's entrusted to us. However, just as God worked mightily in and through the early church, so will he today. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryExpectingGod

Our children's message for the day can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMay31childrensmessage

2009-05-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

People today will not tolerate conviction. And because of this, many church have come to believe that, if they're to grow, they must only preach and teach "positive" messages; they must not say anything to make people feel guilty. However, accorting to 2 Timothy 4:1-5, right preaching does mean convicting people. God uses his Word to strengthen us in faith, and to equip us for his service. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryRightPreaching

Our children's message for the day can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMay24childrensmessage

2009-05-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

In 2 Kings 22 we read how the Word of God had been lost to the people of Judah. In the same way, it's been lost today. And unless we, once again, discover the Word, we're doomed to destruction. We must, like Josiah, hear the Word and believe. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryDiscoveringtheWord

2009-05-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day, so we heard what it means to truly honor our moms. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryHonoringMom

Our children's message is also available. This is a continuation of Molly's message from a couple weeks ago about finding expressions of faith in our daily lives. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMay10childrenssermon

2009-05-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

In much of the evangelical church today, we emphasize the truth of God's Word. We also look down upon those who deny it. But what we fail to realize is that, just as they deny it with the words of their mouth, we often deny God's Word by our actions. We claim to have faith in Jesus, we claim to love the Lord, but we fail to love our brother. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryWherestheLove

2009-04-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we kicked off the Love and Respect Conference at Grace. Pastor Steve Heilmann from Grace Lutheran Church in Morris, IL was with us and, for the message, gave us an overview of this series. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/SteveHeilmannAGodPleasingMarriage

I shared on the passage of Scripture that ties in with the conference at Redeemer and preached a message titled "Love and Respect." I had to use a portable recorder, so the sound quality isn't great, but it can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryLoveandRespect

Our children's message for the day, looking at expressions of faith we find in our daily lives, can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumApril26childrensmessage

2009-04-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was gone as my family attended my nephew's confirmation. Pastor David Skordahl filled in for me. His message showed us that we can be certain where we'll end up after we die and that we should share this with others. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/DavidSkordahlLeavingOurForwardingAddress_0

The children's message for the day can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumApril19childrensmessage

2009-04-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

For Easter Sunday, we looked at a passage of Scripture in John 2. Jesus tells the people that his resurrection will prove his divine authority. His resurrection proves that he's none other than God himself, so this shows us that he has authority over all creation, including us and our lives. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryDivineAuthority_0

Our children's message for the day, based on the legend of the Easter egg, can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumApril12childrensmessage

2009-04-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we finished our other Lenten series, on the Lord's Prayer. We looked at the last two petitions of the Prayer: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." We saw that, in this prayer, we seek the protection of God. It can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperrySeekingGodsProtection

2009-04-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, Pastor Randy Nelson of Lisbon Bethlehem Lutheran Church brought our Lenten series to a close. He preached a message by the same name as the series, "Not I, But Christ." It can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/RandyNelsonNotIButChrist

2009-03-30T05:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we looked at the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." We see that we must seek the mercy of God, but also that this is a very dangerous prayer. If we withhold forgiveness from others then, in this prayer, we're asking God to withhold his forgiveness from us. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperrySeekingGodsForgiveness

The children's sermon for today can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMarch29childrenssermon

2009-03-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Last night, Pastor Steven Heilmann from Grace Lutheran Church in Morris, IL was with us. He continued our series, "Not I, But Christ", with a message titled "Not I, But Christ and His Grace." It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/SteveHeilmannChristandHisGrace

2009-03-23T05:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we heard about the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer. In it, Jesus instructs us to seek God's provision for our daily needs. As easy as this sounds, most of us fail to do so. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperrySeekingGodsProvision_0

2009-03-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we continued our Wednesday night Lenten series with Pastor David Skordahl of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Morris, IL. He continued our series, "Not I, But Christ" with a message titled, "Not I, But Christ and His Life." It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/DavidSkordahlChristandHisLife

2009-03-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we heard our third message in our Lent series on the Lord's Prayer. We considered the second and third petitions of the prayer: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We learned that, when we offer these prayers, we're asking that God would be our Savior and Lord. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryOurSaviorandLord

Our children's message, based on the children's book "The Parable of the Lily" can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMarch15childrenssermon

2009-03-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

Last night, Patrick Lohse, the intern pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Morris brought the message. He continued our series, "Not I, But Christ" with a message titled, "Not I, But Christ and His Faith." It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/PatrickLohseChristandHisFaith

2009-03-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we heard the second message of our series on the Lord's Prayer. In it, we focused on the first petition of the prayer, "Hallowed be your name." We saw that we're to pray that God's name might be made holy among us. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperrySanctifyingGodsName_0

2009-03-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

Last night, the second message of our Lenten series, "Not I, But Christ," was brought by Pastor Chuck Sampson of Newark Lutheran Church in Newark, IL. He spoke of the great love God has for us. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/ChuckSampsonChristandHisLove

2009-03-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I began a new series of messages that will carry us through the Sundays of Lent. The series focuses on the Lord's Prayer.

Yesterday we heard specifically about the address of the Prayer, and learned that our prayers must be rightly directed. We can't just pray to anyone or to any god. Our prayers must be directed to our Father in heaven, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheDirectionofPrayer

2009-02-26T05:13:00.000-08:00

Last night, we started our Lent series. Several pastors of the Illinois District of the AFLC are participating in a "round robin." Each week, one of us brings the next part of the series. The series is titled "Not I, But Christ".

In the first message, we heard that, as Christians, we've died with Christ. Our old life, our life of sin, has come to an end. If we truly believe in Jesus, we cannot continue to live in sin; we cannot continue to live for the old nature. We must instead embrace death and receive the new life that God has provided for us. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryChristandHisDeath