Chris Sheppard

Matthew 7 forbids sinful judgmentalism while calling believers to humble, discerning judgment in matters of sin. The church must remove the log from its own eye, seek the Spirit's wisdom, and pursue correction without becoming harsh or

Worry is exposed as a practical denial of faith in God, and Jesus calls His disciples instead to seek His kingdom and righteousness first, a pursuit that is worked out within the life of the local church.

Jesus confronts His disciples' anxiety over life's basic necessities by showing that life is worth far more than food, drink, and clothing, calling believers to trust the Father's care rather than be consumed with the body.

1 Corinthians 12 teaches that believers are born into the local body of Christ and must live as members who need one another. Life in the church is not optional isolation but Spirit-formed belonging, responsibility, and care.

Church Membership

Working through the church's confession of faith, the message walks through Romans 8's assurances that nothing can separate believers from Christ's love, then closes the way of salvation by explaining glorification as the completion of

Tracing the connection between the new birth and Christ's bodily resurrection, the sermon presses hearers to examine whether the resurrection is merely a cultural Easter tradition to them or their actual, living hope for a new heart and

New Birth

Continuing through the church's confession, the message explains sanctification as the cooperative work in which believers labor while God works in them, then walks through a list of vital signs from Scripture that mark a truly regenerate

Sanctification

Examining Jesus's prophesied entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, the sermon contrasts the crowd's misplaced hope in a militaristic messiah with the humble, suffering Messiah who actually came, and calls hearers to worship like Mary rather

Working from Galatians 2:16, the message defines justification as God's legal declaration of the believer as righteous through faith in Christ alone, distinguishing it from regeneration and summarizing the doctrine in the Reformation's

New Birth

Drawing on Titus 2's instructions for older men, older women, and life in the body, the message lays out the goals of the church's small group ministry: teaching the word, building fellowship, fostering discipleship, and mobilizing members