Woodbury Community Church Sermons

We’ve all been there. There are times in our life where it feels like the world has turned against us and we are all alone. Sometimes it even feels like God has abandoned us. Job knew the feeling. In Job 19, Job describes the desperation that comes when it feels like prayers are no longer answered, Divine guidance has been taken away, your good reputation has been stripped away, hope is gone, and the positive relationships that you had with friends, family and God are no longer present. In Job’s lament we find hints as to how we can respond when we feel all alone. (Job 19)

Human history demonstrates our desire to displace God, even becoming God himself.  The story of the Tower of Babel illustrates the emptiness of our attempts to “make a name for ourselves”.  This text, more than a message on remaining humble, moves us to increased trust in God, his presence and his provision. (Genesis 11:1-9)

Good news always has and always will be worth sharing. The angels shared the greatest news the world had ever received with some shepherds outside of Bethlehem. They were an unusual group to share such news with and that they heard should give us hope! (Luke 2:8-20)

Six hundred years before Jesus was born the prophet Isaiah said that He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. The angels declared Jesus to be Savior of the world. Jesus is all of that and so much more! (Isaiah 9:6-7)

She is revered in the Catholic Church. She is upheld in Scripture as the woman who was blessed among women. What was it about Mary that made her so special? Why did God choose this young woman to be the mother of Jesus? What does Mary teach us about hope? (Luke 1:26-56)

Why do bad things happen to good people? It’s a question as old as time. King Herod was threatened by the birth of Christ, for as Messiah, Jesus will one day rule over the nations. In one of history’s most barbaric acts, King Herod oversaw the genocide of Bethlehem’s baby boys and somehow through the pain hope was born. Very few knew it at the time, but God’s eternal plan was at work despite the evil all around. We too are surrounded by evil, tragedy, the effects of the fall, but God the Father, through Jesus, His Son and the power of the Holy Spirit is working for our eternal good despite all that the devil throws our way. (Matthew 2:1-18)

Scripture is absolutely accurate as it speaks about things to come. As early as Genesis 3, the Old Testament spoke about a coming Messiah who would rescue His people from their sin. Every Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah was fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. All of the prophecies about the future will be fulfilled as well. When we understand the purpose of biblical prophecy we can find great hope for the present as well as the future.

Has science ultimately proved the Bible to be irrelevant? How does what Scripture teaches about science reveal God’s truth? Doesn’t evolution disprove the Genesis account of creation? What about dinosaurs? Were dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? If so, were there dinosaurs in the ark? This sermon will answer some of the most common questions about how Scripture and science relate to one another. (Genesis 1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; Psalm 19:1-4; Hebrews 11:1; Romans 1:20; Proverbs 21:24; 1 Peter 3:15; Job 41:1; Psalm 74:13; Job 40:15-24; Isaiah 14:29; Genesis 6:15; Psalm 53:1)

This sermon will take a look at some of the most common questions about prayer and fasting. How does prayer work? Why does God want us to pray? If God already knows the future, why should we pray? Does prayer change God’s mind? What about fasting . . . is it even relevant for today? Is fasting dangerous? Why would God want His children to fast? Are there different types of fasting and prayer? (Matthew 6:16-18; Various)

There is perhaps no subject in the Bible that creates as many questions among Christians as the topic of heaven. What will heaven be like? What will I do when I get there? How can there be no sadness in heaven if some I love won’t be there? Do I go to heaven immediately after I die or is there some sort of purgatory I have to go through first? What do I have to do to get to heaven? Is it true that once a person is saved they are always saved? This sermon will take a look at some of the most common questions about heaven and give a biblical response to those questions. (Revelation 21:1-8; John 14:1-4; Eccesiastes 3:11; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:43-44; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 7:15; Revelation 19:9; Matthew 8:11; John 3:16-18)

Tim and Chris Gilmore, WCC Sponsored Missionaries to Tanzania share what God is doing through the ministry God has called them to with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Tanzania.

In a beautiful and fitting end to his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed those who had gathered to hear Him teach how a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven lives. As He descended from the mountain, He met a man with leprosy, and healed him in the most unusual way. The man’s story is a beautiful picture of what all of us need Christ to bring to us. Pastor Brian preached this message in one-person dramatic monologue form. (Matthew 8:1-3)

There are many people who have grown up in church, served God in ministry, taken on vows of poverty and done all sorts of good things in the name of being a Christian that will spend eternity separated from God. Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-29 challenge all of us to take a serious look at our lives and how we are living them. Religious lip service and lifestyle are not enough. We need to examine our hearts and compare them to the standards that Jesus set down. A true disciple is devoted to God, devoted to His people and devoted to His mission. (Matthew 7:21-29)

Jesus continues His conclusion to The Sermon on the Mount with instruction to guard our hearts and our minds from false teaching. It’s never been popular to teach the hard truth of walking the narrow way, but God is much more concerned with our holiness than He is our happiness. The sermon will look at the characteristics of false teachers and what to look for in the places or people from whom you receive spiritual instruction. (Matthew 7:15-20)

Jesus began his stirring conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount by presenting His listeners with the eternal choice . . . walk the wide road that looks easy, but in the end leads to destruction, or walk the narrow road which begins with recognizing our spiritual poverty and need of the Savior and experience earthly trials on the road to everlasting reward. Everyone on planet earth chooses a road. Choose wisely. (Matthew 7:13, 14)

Wouldn’t it be great to be known as someone who is like Christ? Wouldn’t it be great if His character, His desires, His passions, His morals, His ethics, His love was what was seen in you? Matthew 7:7-11 is one of the most abused passages in Scripture. In it Jesus teaches us to be people who pray with persistence and confidence for the spiritual qualities that we lack in our lives. (Matthew 7:7-12)

One of the most common characteristics of human beings is a critical spirit. It is so natural for us to see the worst in others, while ignoring our own issues. In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus gives us the cure for a critical spirit, teaching us how to handle our relationships with humility, gentleness, carefulness, patience and sympathy. (Matthew 7:1-6)

We live in a world that is full of stressed out, worried people. Wouldn't it be great if we could live lives that were immune to worry? In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus reminds us that worry is the inability to see God for who He really is. This message will examine Jesus' three powerful illustrations that teach us the solution to worry. (Matthew 6:25-34)

The Day of Pentecost changed the history of the world. When it gets down to it, we need to understand the meat of our faith. (Acts 2:1-13)

Everything we do today, matters for eternity. God is passionate about his people living for him, and he desperately wants to reward those who follow his commands. This message will take a look at the biblical principle of storing up treasure in heavens. We’ll look at the economy of the Kingdom of Heaven and what we can do to store up a treasure that will never fade away. (Matthew 6:19-24)