Fired Up (part 2) Sermon Audio, Video, & Questions

On Sunday, May 4, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on John 14:25-26 and 16:12-15. This message was part 2 of the “Fired Up” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

  1. Pray
  2. Read John 14:25-26, 16:12-15
  3. Have you ever had the chance to interact with the artist or author of a favorite song, book, or work of art?  If not, who would you LIKE to talk to about something they have created?  When you interacted with this person (or if you could interact with them) what did you/would you ask them?  How would you anticipate that interaction increasing your appreciation for the art they produced?
  4. In this morning’s message, we talked about how Jesus highlighted the Holy Spirit’s role in the formation of the New Testament.  What stood out to you most from this study?  Does the Spirit’s role in the formation of the Holy Spirit INCREASE your confidence and appreciation of the New Testament?  Why or why not?
  5. What would you NOT KNOW ABOUT were it not for the New Testament?  Take a moment to thank God for the gift of the New Testament.
  6. What is your plan for reading the Bible over the next 60 days?
  7. We shared a set of prayers mentioned in “The Bible Recap.”  Consider taking a few minutes and praying these prayers before your Bible reading over the next 60 days. These 4 prayers:  (1) God, give me wisdom, knowledge & understanding as I read.  (2) Let any knowledge gained help me love You and others more, not puff me up.  (3) Help me see something new about You that I haven’t seen before.  (4) Direct my steps according to Your Word.
  8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Fired Up #2 5.4.25

 

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Fired Up (part 2) Sermon Preview

About a month ago Shane Bernard and Shane Everett (Shane & Shane) came to Wildwood with their band to lead a Sunday evening time of worship.  It was a great evening, and God was glorified in that time together.

I have listened to Shane & Shane’s music for years, and Wildwood sings many of their songs (or their arrangements of songs) each Sunday.  They are truly a gift to the Church at large for which I am greatly thankful to God.

As the Shanes spent time at Wildwood that evening, I was blessed by their ministry both on and off the stage.  Off the stage, we got to have dinner and interact a bit about life.  On the stage, I got to hear Shane Bernard share his personal wrestling with the lyrics of Psalm 23, and how the Lord was teaching him through this Psalm to not “want” but to rest in the Good Shepherd who satisfies.

It truly is a special moment when you get to spend time with an artist or author and hear “behind the music.”

I was thinking about this today as I reflected on John 14:25-27 and 16:12-15.  Last Sunday we began a new sermon series entitled “Fired Up: The Holy Spirit & the Believer.”  In this series we are seeing what Jesus has taught us about the Helper (the Holy Spirit) that He sent to be with us after He ascended to the Father in Heaven.  In last Sunday’s message we talked about the present (the Holy Spirit) that Jesus has sent for our present (our current experience) to help us in the Christian life.  We ended that message by asking “how does the Holy Spirit help us?”  This Sunday, May 4, we will begin to answer that question by looking at ONE of the ways the Spirit helps us: by guiding us into Truth.

The Scripture is God’s Word.  Though men wrote the words down, these men were carried along by God’s Spirit in what they wrote.  After guiding the writing of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit then remains in a permanent way in the life of the Christian helping them make sense of what was inspired in the biblical text.

To say it another way, it is truly special when we get to LIVE with THE ARTIST and THE AUTHOR of Scripture every day.  We get access to God both “on” and “off” stage and learn more of what is “behind His music.”

Hope you can join us Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 worship services.  See you there … and bring friends!

Greg Hill and I with Shane Everett and Shane Bernard

Fired Up (part 1) Sermon Audio, Video, & Questions

On Sunday, April 27, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on John 14:1-6, 16-20.  This message was part 1 of the “Fired Up” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

  1. Pray
  2. Read John 14:1-6, 16-20
  3. In John 16:7 Jesus told His disciples that it was to their advantage that He go away and send the Holy Spirit to them.  Jesus was saying that it was better to have the Spirit inside of them than to have Jesus beside them.  In what ways do you think this is true?  What questions do you still have about His statement?
  4. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, showed great concern for His disciples’ future in John 14:1-6.  Jesus was making THE TRUE WAY for all who believe in Him to experience everlasting LIFE.  In what ways has Jesus prepared YOU for YOUR eternal future?
  5. Jesus also shows great concern for the disciples’ PRESENT (and for our present as well!)  He sends the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, to strengthen and encourage us in this life.  What did you learn about the Holy Spirit from Jesus’ comments in John 14:16-20?
  6. In John 14, there are many things that point toward the Trinity.  What stands out to you most about the Trinity from our discussion today?  What questions do you still have about the Trinity?
  7. If the Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit is in all believers in Jesus in a permanent way, then we have access to God WHEREVER WE ARE, we are never alone, and our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit today.  Any specific applications come to your mind about these conclusions drawn today?
  8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Fired Up #1 4.27.25

 

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Fired Up (part 1) Sermon Preview

Can you imagine what it would have been like to be one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples during the time of His earthly ministry?

Healed the blind man?  Saw it.

Raised the widow’s son from the dead?  Witnessed it.

The Sermon on the Mount?  Listened to it. (And in a day before podcasts, and assuming Jesus probably preached this or a similar message many times, you actually had parts of it probably memorized.)

Saw Jesus walk on water?  Joined Him.

I can think of many other examples … but it would have been wild!  Not to mention the joy of simply living life in the presence of the incarnate Son of God!

We can only imagine what this would have been like … but the disciples?  They lived it in real time.  Given the spectacular nature of this experience, just imagine how perplexing this statement from Jesus to the disciples would have been in the hours before He headed to the cross, “I (Jesus) tell you (disciples) the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away.” (John 16:7a)

Wait … what!?!?!  Did Jesus just say what I thought He said?  That it would be advantageous TO THE DISCIPLES if He left?  That somehow OUR SITUATION today (where Jesus ascended to heaven) is advantageous to the situation of the disciples during the era of  Jesus’ earthly public ministry?  C’mon … seriously?

If you want an explanation for why Jesus said this, keep reading … “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send Him to you (John 16:7).”

What Jesus was saying was that it was better to have the Holy Spirit (the Helper) inside of all of us who believe than to have Him beside a group of 12.  This is also why Jesus would tell His disciples in Acts 1:4 to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came before them embarked on the Great Commission together … they needed the Helper for the task God had called them to.  And so do we.

Friends, this Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will begin a new sermon series called “Fired Up: the Holy Spirit and the Believer.”  Over the next 7 Sundays (leading up to the day of Pentecost) we will explore the identity of the Holy Spirit and the implications of His ministry for you and me.  This Sunday we will kick off our study with part 1, looking at a few of Jesus’ statements in His “upper room discourse” about the importance of the Holy Spirit for the Christian.  This may be a topic you want to explore more … it certainly is a topic Jesus wants you to learn more about.  So we will take a look at His revelation on the topic together on Sunday.  See you in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services … and bring friends!

Easter Sunday 2025 Sermon Questions, Audio, & Video

On Sunday, April 20, 2025 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on John 20:1-18.  This message was the Easter Sunday sermon for 2025.  Below you will find questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find the audio and video of the sermon to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

  1. Pray
  2. Read John 20:1-18
  3. Culturally, Easter is associated with “happy things” … bright colors, nice weather, etc.  Does this festive “color” of the season on the outside match how you are feeling on the inside today?  Why or why not?
  4. Imagine you were one of the key people we talked about this morning:  Mary Magdalene, John, or Peter.  With Mary, we talked about how Jesus was a part of her past, but she probably was grieving the loss of Jesus in her present or future.  With John, we talked about the business John had left to follow Jesus, and he may have been wondering if that was worth it.  With Peter, we talked about how he had denied Jesus 3 times, and may have been wondering if it was “over for him” even if the Jesus movement continued.  Can you identify (at this stage of your life, or at a previous stage of your life) with any of the feelings of these people ?
  5. Jesus’ body was dead and buried in John 19.  Are you experiencing any despair or mourning related to serious illness or death today?
  6. The story of Easter is a “first day” story.  Easter is not the end, but the beginning!  Jesus reminded Mary, John, and Peter (AND US) that He was making all things new.  How does Jesus’ interactions with His people in John 20 encourage you as you “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” today?
  7. Have you trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins?
  8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Easter Sunday 4.20.25

 

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Easter Sunday 2025 Preview

Imagine your life as a story … a novel written for the world to read. If you were a book, where in the narrative do you currently find yourself?

Are you in the beginning? Are you still in the foundational chapters where you find out who you are and what struggles you are facing? Or, are you nearing the end? The big battles won or lost, days numbered, and falling action trailing off to the acknowledgements and footnotes of your obituary and memorial service?

Do you see yourself at the beginning or the end of your story? How you answer this question is important. If you see yourself at the beginning, there is time for growth and development – there is hope … but if you see yourself at the end, the concrete has already hardened, the die has been cast, and we are tempted to despair.

In truth, there are many moments in life where we feel like we are at the end: we make a series of bad decisions and we feel like we are at the end of our ministry, our marriage, or our friendships. We are living in a time of significant upheaval and we feel like we are at the end of our job or of the rise of our investment portfolio or at the end of a care-free life without cancer or health concerns. These trials and struggles may have you here today, on Easter weekend, wearing bright colors on the outside, but feeling grey on the inside.

If you find yourself struggling with a feeling of despair believing you are at the end of a story, let me invite you to come and worship the Risen Christ with us Sunday morning at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 services. On Sunday we will look to John 20:1-18 to remind ourselves that because of the resurrection, we live a “new beginning” kind of life! The “new” that Jesus brings restores our hope and is available for all who trust in Him. Let’s remember the hope we have in Him together this Easter Sunday. See you there … and bring friends!

P.S. We also have services at Wildwood on Friday night, April 18 at 6:00 and 7:30PM. These Good Friday services will help prepare our hearts for Easter Sunday. See you Friday AND Sunday!

Trial to Triumph (part 5) Sermon Audio, Video, & Questions

On Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on John 19:1-16a.  This message was part 5 of the “Trial to Triumph” Easter sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

  1. Pray
  2. Read John 19:1-16a
  3. For 2,000 years now humanity has surveyed the wondrous cross of Christ.  When you think of the cross, what comes to your mind?  How do you think God wants you to respond to the cross of Christ?
  4. More than just moving us to tears or pity, God desires that we understand the significance of the cross.  Read again the verses covered this morning from Romans 3:22-25.  According to these verses, what is the significance of the cross, and how does God desire that you and respond to it?
  5. The Jewish religious leaders had A LOT of information and religion … but it did not make a significant difference in their lives.  Do you know of any current examples of movements or people who have a lot of information and religion but fail to trust in Jesus for salvation?  Take some time for the “veil to be lifted” (2 Corinthians 3:15-16) and people to come to faith in Christ.
  6. Pilate was afraid of Jesus, but he was even more afraid of the crowd and his potential loss in power.  What do you fear MORE?  Other people, circumstances, or God.  If you revered God most, how would that impact your daily life decisions?
  7. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Trial tomb Triumph #5 4.13.25

 

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Trial to Triumph (part 5) Sermon Preview

“When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died … See from His head, His hands, His feet sorrow and love flow mingled down … Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” – Isaac Watts (1707)

For 2,000 years people have surveyed the cross where Jesus died. In fact, 700 years before Jesus’ death, Isaiah the Prophet “saw” Jesus “pierced for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities … and with His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

So, for 2,700 years people have surveyed the cross … or has it been longer?

Even all the way back in Genesis 3:15, in humanity’s first days, the LORD God promised that the Seed of the woman (Jesus) would have His heal “bruised” for our deliverance. As B.B. Warfield said, Old Testament passages like this are “richly furnished but dimly lit.” In other words, the Gospel is there, but not fully understood or appreciated until Jesus ultimately arrives at Calvary thousands of years later.

Make no mistake, people have been surveying the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died for as long as there have been people. So, this Easter season, as we look to the cross, how do we make sense of it? What should our response be?

Does God want us to be moved to tears, seeing Jesus as a sympathetic figure wrongly accused and brutally beaten? Does God want to see us merely codify the events of the cross as merely religious remembrance on a Holy Day? Does God want us to fear the coming judgment and seek “fire insurance” protecting from eternal torment?

Well, only the coldest of hearts are not moved (at least some) by the brutality of the cross, so our tears are appropriate. And, Jesus instituted a religious practice (communion) to remember His crucifixion, directed His disciples to spend a disproportionate amount of the Gospel accounts detailing the events of the cross to be recorded in a Holy Book that would be read in religious institutions, and even DIED on a day that reframed a religious holiday – SO religious remembrance is also appropriate. And Jesus really did conquer death and make a way for us to escape the judgment to come if we trust in Him, so there is assurance of eternal life in Jesus.

BUT, the appropriate response to the cross is not just sympathy or religion or fear … because in John 19:1-16 we see these responses by Pilate and the Jewish religious leaders (people who certainly are not held up as examples for us to follow). No, there is a deeper response that is required by you and me than simply tears or religion or fears. That deeper response is to see the Christ of the cross for who He really is, and to follow Him as our King all the days of our lives.

As Warren Wiersbe has said, “We must not confuse sentimentality with true spiritual emotion. It is one thing to shed tears during a church service and quite something else to sacrifice, suffer, and serve after the meeting has ended. We do not simply contemplate the cross; we carry it.”

This Sunday morning, April 13 at Wildwood Community Church we will be gathering for Palm Sunday services at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00. Hope you can join us for part 5 of our “Trial to Triumph” series as we explore John 19:1-16 together.

See you there, and bring friends!

Trial to Triumph (part 4) Sermon Audio, Video, & Questions

On Sunday, April 6, 2025, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on John 18:28-40.  This message was part 4 of the “Trial to Triumph” Easter sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

  1. Pray
  2. Read John 18:28-40
  3. Today’s verses involve looking at Pontius Pilate’s and the Jewish leaders’ responses to Jesus.  Before today’s message, what did you know about Pontius Pilate, and the reasons for the Jewish leadership’s rejection of Jesus?
  4. The Jewish leaders wanted Pilate’s help in executing Jesus in order to kill Jesus in a way that would publicly humiliate Him, and hopefully squash the Jesus movement as a result.  They assumed that hanging Jesus from a tree would reveal that He was cursed before God.  However, Jesus took the curse of sin in order to free us from the curse our sin required!  God used the sinful and selfish decisions of men to work together His perfect plan of salvation.  How has this study helped you understand the purpose of the cross?
  5. How would you describe your response to Jesus?  Like His disciples have you received Him (John 1:12), or like the Jewish leaders have you rejected Him (John 1:11)?
  6. In what ways (if any) are you tempted to have your religious practice take priority over your relationship with God?
  7. Jesus, the innocent, died in the place of us, the guilty.  Take a moment and thank God for this saving exchange!
  8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format click here.

 

To listen to message offline, click the link:

Trial tomb Triumph #4 4.6.25

 

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