Sermon for March 11, 2012: Sit,Walk, and Stand
March 11, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Sit, Walk, and Stand - Pt. 1 (Ephesians 1:17-23, Ephesians 1:9-14, Romans 3:23-24, Ephesians 2:1-10, Romans 12:2, Genesis 1:24-31, Luke 14:17)
Gary Stiles, March 11, 2012Part of the Sit, Walk, and Stand series, preached at a Sunday service
This sermon is designed for the struggling believer that the first thing we need to do is to sit and stop from trying to attain what has already been freely provided for us in Christ Jesus. It is learning who we are in Christ and what He has for us in heavenly places
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Ephesians 1:17-23
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)
Ephesians 1:9-14
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (ESV)
Romans 3:23-24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (ESV)
Ephesians 2:1-10
2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
Genesis 1:24-31
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)
Luke 14:17
17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ (ESV)
Sermon for March 4, 2012: Getting Reality Part 4: Combatting Conformity and Compromise
March 4, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Getting Reality Part 4: Combatting Conformity and Compromise (Mark 15:6-15, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Peter 1:13-16, Genesis 3:22)
Gary Podosek, March 4, 2012Part of the Getting Reality series, preached at a Sunday service
The final message of the getting reality series. We finally accepted the challenge to choose the will of the Father over our selfish reality.
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Mark 15:6-15
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (ESV)
Romans 12:1-2
12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (ESV)
Genesis 3:22
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” (ESV)
Getting Reality: Part 3
March 2, 2012 by Gary Podosek
Filed under Sermons
Defeating deception is no easy task, but if we truly desire to finally get real in Christ then we will have to defeat deception. Deception plagues the church worldwide and just as Eve was deceived in the garden, so too are we. That same sin of deception is what makes us believe that the sin we struggle with day in and say out is tolerable. The true sin at work is deception. The lies that we have been fed from our parents deceptions to the influences of the worlds deceptions have exponentially increased our level of deception, and the only way to escape it is to start being what Christ tells us to be. We cannot be effective in the Kingdom of God if we don’t even know who we serve. It’s time that we decide to stop being deceived and start seeking God and the reality of Christ to show us what we should be doing. Walking in reality is the only way to defeat deception.
Sermon for February 26, 2012: Getting Reality Part 3: Defeating Deception
February 26, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Getting Reality Part 3: Defeating Deception (Genesis 3:13, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 2 Timothy 4:4, 1 John 1:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-17)
Gary Podosek, February 26, 2012Part of the Getting Reality series, preached at a Sunday service
Third part of the Getting Reality series, learning how to defeat deception. We are all plagued with the original sin of deception, and we need to finally defeat it.
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Genesis 3:13
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (ESV)
2 Corinthians 11:3
3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (ESV)
2 Timothy 4:4
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (ESV)
1 John 1:8
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (ESV)
2 Thessalonians 2:10-17
10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (ESV)
Getting Reality: Part 2
February 24, 2012 by Gary Podosek
Filed under Sermons
Our journey in the reality war has officially begun. We started the battle by unveiling what could be one of the worst cripplers of our walks in the reality of Jesus Christ, Excuses. Excuses keep us from doing the things that we are called to do because it’s easier to excuse our behaviors and continue our walks in a vein reality than it is to change. The reason we choose this over Christ is do to the fear of the unknown outcomes if we do agree to change. We don’t trust God! Instead we use excuses to cover up our foul behaviors and incorporate Christ into our lousy lifestyles when its most convenient. These excuses are one of the four reasons the Church worldwide has been portrayed as hypocrites and has been ineffective in its mission in winning the lost. If we want to get serious about our walk and our call then we need to stop making excuses as to why we can’t change and start changing.
Sermon for February 19, 2012: Getting Reality Part 2: Ending Excuses
February 19, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Getting Reality Part 2: Ending Excuses (Romans 1:20-25, Romans 8:1-4, James 5:12)
Gary Podosek, February 19, 2012Part of the Getting Reality series, preached at a Sunday service
Learning how excuses keep us from being like Christ and how to stay like Christ when making decisions.
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Romans 1:20-25
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (ESV)
Romans 8:1-4
8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (ESV)
James 5:12
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (ESV)
Getting Reality Part 1
February 14, 2012 by Gary Podosek
Filed under Sermons
For the next couple of weeks we will be embarking on a journey to expose the false reality that we as believers create for ourselves. Some call this a comfort zone but this is not really going far enough, because a comfort zone is just where we go to be comfortable when things are rough. Reality speaks of what is considered to be fact or truth. We have no need to retreat to a reality, it just always exists. That is why we are exposing it. Too many Christians today believe, truly, that they are doing fine in their walk but do not change. Why do we struggle with change? All we do is create a reality that accepts the truth of Jesus but allows us to continue living as we did before Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ cannot go on believing this lie. We have just started to expose the false realities by revealing the 4 reasons we are unable to live in the reality that Jesus provides for each and everyone of us. The reasons are excuses, deception, conformity, and compromise. If we can understand that we are required to change our reality from one of darkness to one of light, then we can also understand how darkness cannot be where light is. We need stop living like Isreal did with Moses and start trusting God and the measure of faith He has given to each of us.
Sermon for February 12, 2012: Getting Reality Part 1 : Defining What Reality Is
February 12, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Getting Reality Part 1: Defining What Reality Is (Exodus 19:16-25, Exodus 32:1-16, Romans 5:18-19)
Gary Podosek, February 12, 2012Part of the Getting Reality series, preached at a Sunday service
This is the precursor of a series of messages to help the church get out of a false reality of their walks with Christ, and begin to step out of that reality and believe that the provision of faith that Christ gives us is sufficient for every aspect of our life.
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Exodus 19:16-25
16 On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them. (ESV)
Exodus 32:1-16
32:1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. (ESV)
Romans 5:18-19
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (ESV)
Sermon for February 5,2012: Church Priority Pt. 5
February 5, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Church Priority Pt. 5 (Romans 12:2, Joshua 1:7-9, Philippians 4:8-10, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Galatians 6:1-4)
Gary Stiles, February 5, 2012Part of the Church Priority series, preached at a Sunday service
The purpose of this sermon is to have the believer realize that we are not as close to being Christ-like than we think. For the believer to meet good success they must read, meditate and put into practice the word of God. Yielding is partly the exercise of being Christ-like to reconcile the lost to God but more importantly to each other.
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Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)
Joshua 1:7-9
7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV)
Philippians 4:8-10
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (ESV)
Galatians 6:1-4
6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. (ESV)
Sermon for January 29,2012: Church Priority Pt. 4
January 29, 2012 by Sunday Upload
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Church Priority Pt. 4 (Matthew 11:12, Matthew 16:17-19, Luke 19:13, 2 Corinthians 10:2-6)
Gary Stiles, January 22, 2012Part of the Church Priority series, preached at a Sunday service
The thought behind this message is that as individuals we can win souls, but as the church we can win and occupy cities and lands for the kingdom expansion. The local church can only do so much, but when the church world-wide comes together then the powers of darkness will truly be shaken.
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Matthew 11:12
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. (ESV)
Matthew 16:17-19
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (ESV)
Luke 19:13
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ (ESV)
2 Corinthians 10:2-6
2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (ESV)


