One of the biggest complaints that non-christians have about the church is that it's full of hypocrites. And they're right. It is full of hypocrites. Too often in the church today, people are more concerned about impressing others, about appearing to be more godly than they really are. However, instead of doing this, we should simply live out our faith to honor the God who redeemed us. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryAndtheOscarGoesTo

Our children's message focused on new beginnings. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumAug24childrensmessage

I also had the privilege of baptizing two young ladies, Terry and Amanda Flechsig. This can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryFlechsigBaptism

Our lives are often filled with confusion and uncertainties. We also face difficult and painful situations. So we often cry out asking why God has allowed these things to happen to us. We find in Scripture that God is at work even in difficult times, even in painful circumstances, to accomplish his purpose. And we're assured in Scripture that his purpose is our blessing. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryWhyIsThisHappening

As we live in this world, we're all under the control of the laws and forces of nature. We're at their mercy and can do nothing to break them. This often leads us to just accept the way things are and to discount the power of God to help us. But, as we see in Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus has power over the forces of nature. He can do anything he wants to do. So, with God, we always have hope. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryMadetoBeBroken

Our children's message focused on the same theme. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryAugust10childrensmessage

Christians today tend to be very selfish with our money; we give very little back to the Lord. We give very little to church and very little to charity. We should follow the example of the Israelites in Exodus 35-36. They brought their gifts freely, because their hearts compelled them. And they brought an overabundance. They brought so much, in fact, that they had to be told to stop. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryRadicalGenerosity

Today, we're told that we should do what's right for us. We're told that, unless we fulfill ourselves, we'll never be happy or content. However, according to Romans 8, we're obligated not to the sinful nature, but the Lord. As believers, we're called to live for him rather than ourselves. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryYouOweIttoYourself

This week we looked at Mark 1:35-39. Many Christians today are so busy that they don't make any time for the Lord. And, in all reality, we have the time. The Lord just comes low on the priority list. We should instead follow the example of Jesus who, no matter how much he had to do and no matter how many expectations were placed on him, made time for God. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTimeforGod

Last week, while I was on vacation, Michael Flechsig, a man newly approved to the AFLC fellowship roster, filled in for me. He talked about the hope of eternity and the impact it has on our lives. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MichaelFlechsigEternityInYourHeart

In the church of today, most people are only interested in what they can get from their church. They give no thought to what they can do for others; they're unwilling to do anything for others. However, in Romans 1 we see that Paul had a desire to give. And this is a desire that all of us should have. This sermon can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryAHeartofService

This week, we had our service out at a park for our annual Sunday School picnic. Since we didn't have our wonderful sound system to record the message, I recorded one of my trial runs ahead of time. Essentially, you get the very basic, stripped down version. But you'll get the point all the same.

In Genesis 22, God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering. And no matter how much Abraham loved his son, he loved his God even more. He went through with it until, at the last moment, God stopped him. In the same way, we see all throughout Scripture that we're called to lay all that is dear to us upon the altar; we're to love God more than anyone or anything else in this world. This message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryLayItOntheAltar

Yesterday at Grace was confirmation Sunday. Two of our young people publicly professed their faith. You can hear their confession at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryconfirmation2008

Our message was also for this special occasion. We looked at the end of John 6. Many of Jesus' disciples stopped following him because they did not believe. The Twelve, on the other hand, kept on because they knew that Jesus is the Christ and the only way of salvation. If we sincerely believe, then we too will continue to follow Jesus each and every day. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryBecauseYouBelieve

Our children's message for the day was based on the words of Jesus, "I am the vine and you are the branches." Can Molly's stick come back to life? To find out, listen at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumJune22childrensmessage

Yesterday, on Father's Day, we looked at the fact that fathers are helpers of the helpless. They love their children by doing for them what they cannot do for themselves. And the same thing is true of God, our heavenly Father. He too is a helper of the helpless. He helped us in our helplessness by saving us from sin and death. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryHelperoftheHelpless

We live in a culture of indebtedness. We want everything to be fair. If we do something for someone, we think they should do something for us. And this attitude often creeps into our relationship with God. Because we've been good, because we've tried to live for him, we feel entitled to his blessings. However, as we see in Job 41:11, God doesn't owe us anything. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTitforTat

Our children's message, focusing on greed, can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumJune8childrensmessage

In our world today, there are many people who proclaim a different truth, a different gospel, than the one we find in Scripture. Jesus told us to watch out for such people, calling them false prophets. We must look out for them, we must beware, to protect our soul as well as the souls of others. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryBeware

This past Sunday we talked once again about evangelism. Even though we, in the church, know that we've been called by God to proclaim the gospel to all creation, we're too embarrassed to do so. We're ashamed of the gospel. However, we must not be ashamed because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. Thi s message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryAshamedoftheGospel

Our children's message is also available. It focused on laziness. It can be found at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMay25childrensmessage

Where did we come from? This is a question asked by many, and it's highlighted in the creation/evolution debate. In this message, based on Genesis 1, we see that God made all things. We also see that a lot is riding on this truth. It ultimately affects our entire view of mankind and the world around us. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryIntheBeginning

Our children's message about unseen heros can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumMay18childrensmessage

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. Our message focused on the significance of Pentecost as we looked at a promise of Jesus in John 7:37-39. Jesus promised that, when we come to him, when we believe in him, the Holy Spirit would flow from within us. He'll not only live within us, but work through us so that many others can have the opportunity to receive the blessing we were given by God. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryBearersofBlessing

So often in life, we make our decisions, we determine our direction, based on what we want for ourselves. However, this is the wrong approach. We should find joy not in doing what we want, but in what God wants for us. Our lives should be devoted to him that they might be used for him and for his glory. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryWhatHaveYouAccomplished

This week at Grace, we're having our spring revival meetings. Pastor Peter Ward, of Faith Lutheran Church in Ottawa, IL, is with us. He's sharing a series of messages titled, "Discerning the Voice of God."

The first message is based on 1 Samuel 3:1-10 and titled "Speak, for your Servant is Listening." It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/PeterWardSpeakLord_0

The second message of his series, delivered Sunday night was based on Nehemiah 8:4-12. It's titled "God Speaks from the Pulpit". It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/PeterWardGodSpeaksfromthePulpit_0

Monday's message was based on Numbers 22:21-34 and was titled, "Our Hearing Problem." It can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/PeterWardOurHearingProblem

The last message, delivered Tuesday evening, is titled "When God Is Silent". In this message, Pastor Ward takes us through a few examples in Scripture when God seemed to be silent and what they could possibly say about our experience. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/PeterWardWhenGodIsSilent

At Redeemer, I also delivered a message based on 1 Samuel 3:1-10 to whet their appetite. The sound quality isn't great, because I had to record it on a portable recorder, not the wonderful sound system we have over at Grace. But, you can still here it, and I hope it blesses you. It's titled "Hearing the Voice of God" and can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryHearingtheVoiceofGod_0

Yesterday, we brought our series, "The Problem of Pain", to an end. We saw that one other reason why God allows bad things to happen is that he uses them for our good. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheProblemofPain4

Yesterday, we again looked at the problem of pain. A third reason why a loving, all-powerful God allows tragedies to take place is because he uses them as a call to repentance. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheProblemofPain3_0

Yesterday, we heard the second message of our series, "The Problem of Pain." In it, we saw that another reason why God doesn't stop evil from happening is his patience, his desire that all should be saved. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheProblemofPain2