Monday, January 26, 2009

We have so many priorities in life that our interests become divided. And, as a result, the Lord is pushed aside in the interest of other things. But, as we see in 1 Corinthians 7, we're to have an undivided devotion to the Lord. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryKeepingtheRightFocus

Our children's message for the day can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryJan25childrenssermon

Sunday, January 18, 2009

In our society today, not all life is seen as valuable. But according to Scripture, human life is valuable because we were made in the image of God. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheImageofGod

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Our actions flow from what's in our heart; our faith will be displayed in the things we do. But so often today, people profess a faith that's not expressed in their actions. This reveals a need to repent and to surrender ourselves to the Lord. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryDoYouBelieve

Our chidren's message is also based on this theme and can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryJan11childrenssermon

Monday, January 05, 2009

Many people like to make New Year's resolutions. They promise themselves that they'll change a bad habit or normal practice in their life. This is good. But the problem with resolutions is that they require self-discipline. Because we're so undisciplined, we indulge our every desire, failing to do what we know is best for us. The same thing is true of our life of faith. Even though we know the calling God's placed on us, even though we know unrepentance leads to judgment, we continue to refuse God. As believers, we must discipline ourselves to fulfill the calling God's placed on our life. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryFightingYourself

Monday, December 29, 2008

Man thinks pretty highly of himself, putting himself in the place of God. We do this in many ways. But, as we see in Psalm 9, we need to remember our place. We need to remember that we are but men. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryANeededReminder

On Christmas, we finished our series, "The Message of Christmas." One more reason we have to celebrate the birth of Christ is because, through him, we've been given peace with God. This message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryPeacewithGod

Monday, December 22, 2008

This is the fourth message of our series: "The Message of Christmas." In it we hear that, through Jesus, we become the children of God. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryChildrenofGod

Monday, December 15, 2008

This week we had the third message of our Advent seried, "The Message of Christmas." In it we heard that the blessing of God, found in Jesus, is for all people. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryABlessingforAll

Our children's message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromDec14childrensmessage

Monday, December 08, 2008

Yesterday, we continued our Advent series, "The Message of Christmas." The message focused on this week is salvation from sin. Jesus was born into this world that he might be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperrySalvationfromSin

Monday, December 01, 2008

Yesterday, I started an Advent series titled "The Message of Christmas." The first message of the series reflects on the fact that, in Jesus, God became flesh. He came and lived among us to make it possible for us to live with him forever. It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryGodBecameFlesh

Our children's message for yesterday can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumNov30childrensmessage

Also, I have our Thanksgiving service. We heard a series of four short messages by myself and three men of the church. We each focused on a different area of God's provision for our lives. The other three messages were brought by Mark Fagerstrom, Shawn Blobaum, and Gilbert Sebenste. I put it in one download at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryGivingThanks

Monday, November 24, 2008

We anticipate all kinds of things in life. But one thing that most believers are not anticipating is the end of this age. They don't look forward to it because they're scared of what will happen before the end comes. However, like John at the end of Revelation, we should be looking forward to it. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryEagerAnticipation

Our children's message for the day can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromNov23childrensmessage

Monday, November 17, 2008

Yesterday, we looked at 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. Scripture tells us that one day the Lord will return. When he does, he'll judge the living and the dead. Because we know this, his coming should be no real surprise. Even though we don't know the day of his return, we should be prepared. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryNoRealSurprise

Our children's sermon for the day can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromNov16childrensmessage

Last week, I took some vacation time. One of our members at Grace, Gilbert Sebenste, filled the pulpit for me in Ashton. He preached a message on 1 Corinthians 2:2. His point is that, as the church, Jesus Christ and him crucified should be the focus of our ministry and our message. His message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/GilbertSebensteTheMostImportantThing

Pastor Dick Ewing filled the pulpit at Grace. He delivered a message on Jesus' parable of the Ten Virgins. It can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/DickEwingTenVirgins

Monday, November 03, 2008

This week, we're having a series of Revival messages. They're being brought by Pastor Tim Johnson of Ebenezer Free Lutheran Church in Northwood, North Dakota. The series is titled, "Experiencing God in Difficult Times."

The first message was delivered Sunday morning and is titled "The Beauty of Storms." It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/TimJohnsonTheBeautyofStorms

The second message was delivered Sunday night and is titled "The Why of Storms." It can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/TimJohnsonTheWhyofStorms

The third message was given Monday night and is titled, "The Effects of Storms." You can find it at http://www.archive.org/details/TimJohnsonTheEffectsofStorms

The final message is titled "Meeting God in Storms" and can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/TimJohnsonMeetingGodinStorms

Monday, October 27, 2008

One of the main truths Martin Luther tried to communicate to the people of his day was that we cannot be saved by what we do, but only by the grace of God received through faith in Jesus. We need to get back to this principle today. Most people, even in the church, think they'll be saved because they're good people. But, as we see in Philippians 3, our background and our actions can do nothing to save us. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryRubbish

Our children's message, focusing on Christian symbols that can be used to make a jack-o-lantern, can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MollyBlobaumOct26childrensmessage

Monday, October 20, 2008

Some people go through a mid-life crisis. They begin to look back at their life to see if they've accomplished anything, if they've made any difference in the world. They often begin to feel that their life is meaningless; they feel like it's all been in vain. The same thing happens in the church. We often feel as if what we're doing for the Lord amounts to nothing. But our service of God is never in vain. What we're doing is impacting not only the world in which we live, but also eternity. This message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryAMeaningfulWork


Our children's message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromOct19childrensmessage

Monday, October 13, 2008

Yesterday was the last message of our series, "Acts of Devotion." In this message we see that the early church was devoted to prayer. We look at why prayer was so important to them and why we should share this devotion. This message can be heard and downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryPrayer

Monday, October 06, 2008

Yesterday, we continued our look at Acts 2:42 and saw the third thing to which the early church was devoted: the breaking of bread. This phrase is referring to the Lord's Supper. And, in this day and age where it's taken so lightly, we need to get back to this devotion. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheBreakingofBread

Monday, September 29, 2008

Yesterday we heard the second message of our series, "Acts of Devotion." The second thing the people of the early church were devoted to was fellowship. They were constantly together and thought of themselves as one body. Unfortunately, however, this is not a big priority for many Christians today. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryFellowship

Our children's message can also be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/MarkFagerstromSept28childrensmessage

Monday, September 22, 2008

In Acts 2:42 we read that the first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Over the next four weeks, we'll be taking a look at these acts of devotion, why they were so important to the early church, and why they should be important to us as well. Yesterday we reflected on the apostles' teaching. This message can be heard at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheApostlesTeaching

Monday, September 15, 2008

I've often heard that, in marriage or with your children, you must pick your battles. And I've found this to be true. If you fight about every little issue, you'll never have peace. The same thing is true in the church. There is a place for judgment and fighting, but we often bicker about the smallest things. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryPickingOurBattles

Monday, September 08, 2008

In 2 Kings 1, we hear how Ahaziah, King of Israel, consulted Baal-Zebub, a god worshipped in a town of the Philistines called Ekron. He did this because he was not a worshipper of the Lord, but of this false god. Quite often, people today do the same thing; they will do this even if they profess faith in Christ. Rather than seeking answers, rather than seeking truth, from the Lord, we seek it from another source. And by doing so, we're guilty of idolatry, of worshipping a false god. This is not a sin that God takes lightly. Ahaziah was told that he would die because of his sin. And, unless we repent and trust in Jesus, we're promised the same thing. We'll suffer the wrath of God. This message can be heard or downloaded at http://www.archive.org/details/KentSperryTheSearchforTruth