Lexington Baptist Temple

In the first sermon of our series on Spiritual Warfare, Pastor Chris Rieber looks at the importance of understanding that the spiritual realm is very real, and there is an enemy opposed to Christ and all who follow Him. Ephesians 6 invites us to be serious about this truth and know our enemy and his tactics well, but to also stand courageously, knowing our victory in Christ is already secured.

In the final message of The Summer In The Psalms Series, Pastor Derek Holmes looks at the refreshing ministry of the Word of God

In part 2 of a message from Psalm 27, Pastor Derek Holmes continues to look at the nature of God which inspires awe in our hearts. We've seen His awesome salvation and been made aware at His continual awesome presence in our lives. Now, let's consider the awesome beauty and goodness.

The Sermon Archive for Living Hope Fellowship in Lexington, KY

Our annual Youth-Led Worship Service where our students give report about their experience at Laurel Lake Baptist Camp in Corbin, Kentucky.

Repentance is a concept we don't always think about, but should on a regular basis. No one likes to admit they're wrong, but for the child of God, the opportunity to repent is a call to agree with God about our sin and fall upon His grace and forgiveness to restore our relationship with Him. In Part 1 of this series, Pastor Derek Holmes looks at how restoration and blessing cannot flow unless repentance is present.

In part 3 of a three part look at walking in the fear of the Lord, Pastor Chris looks at the importance of walking in the fear of God rather than in the fear of the wicked. The fear of the Lord drives out the fear of the wicked and puts us in the proper mindset for dealing with those opposed to the Lord.

In part 2 of a three-part series entitled, Walking In The Fear of the Lord, Pastor Chris Rieber looks at 5 positive results of having a healthy fear of God. It is a fear which results in an awareness of God's goodness to offer grace instead of condemnation, forgiveness instead of judgment and love instead of rejection. This should lead to a joyful desire to obey God, walk with Him daily, love Him more and worship Him continually.

In this message, Pastor Chris Rieber begins a three part series looking at the concept of The Fear of the Lord. Scripture speaks much about this alongside the understanding of God as a loving, compassionate, merciful Father. How do we reckon the two natures of God together? In this first sermon from Psalm 34, Pastor Chris explores how understanding the awesome holiness, power and perfection of God puts us in a better place to revere Him for His love and grace.

Using Psalm 23, Pastor Derek looks at the Lord as our Great Shepherd who provides rest to His sheep—sheep who, whether they realize it or not, are desperate for the care and nurture of the Shepherd for every single facet of their existence. Key Truths from the Message: We are created for communion with God. Our souls were literally designed to be in relationship with Him. We default toward cheap substitutes. When we get tired, we tend to chase things that cannot actually satisfy us. Substitutes can never restore us. A substitute cannot restore you because it didn't create you in the first place. Jesus alone restores. As our Great Shepherd, He is the only one who can truly restore our souls. Rest is not inactivity. True rest is found directly in the living presence of Jesus. Looking further at Matthew 11:28-30 and Hebrews 4:9-11, we see that the Lord lovingly calls us to a place of continual rest in Him, regardless of what season we may currently be walking through—whether it is busy, str

Who is the call to mission work meant for? When we think of missions, we often think of a missionary who leaves home to go to another place to preach the Gospel. This is an accurate definition, but it is actually incomplete. It is only one aspect of a much larger realm of the heart of God. The call to mission work is actually for every believer. The Great Commission for all of us to take part in God's plan to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth so that all may hear the good news of salvation. In this message, special guest, Ian Corpuz looks at three verses from Acts 9 where the disciples helped Paul to escape the plot to arrest him by hiding him in a basked and lowering him down with ropes outside a window in the city walls. These disciples had a part in the mission work of Paul by being willing to "hold the ropes" so the gospel could continue to go forth through Paul's mission journeys. Pastor Ian, a missionary himself in his native land of the Philippines, looks at three truths regarding how all of

Every great love story relies on a thrilling conclusion, but the story of Ruth and Boaz gives us something much greater than a Hollywood ending—it reveals a cosmic promise. In this final installment of our four-part series, Pastor Derek Holmes walks us through the triumphant conclusion of Ruth chapter 4. Against all odds, and through the quiet, sovereign providence of God, Boaz and Ruth overcome every legal and cultural obstacle standing in their way to finally be united in marriage. But the story doesn't end at the wedding altar. God blesses them with a son named Obed, setting off a divine chain reaction. Obed would become the grandfather of King David, placing this remarkable couple directly into the earthly lineage of Jesus Christ. Join us as we discover how Boaz’s fierce, protective love for Ruth isn't just ancient history—it is a vivid mirror showing us just how relentless, complete, and life-altering Christ’s redeeming love is for each of us today. No matter how broken you

In a world full of transactional relationships, what does true, redeeming love actually look like? In this episode, Pastor Derek Holmes delivers the third installment of our four-part series through the book of Ruth. Moving into one of the most pivotal moments of the story, we dive deep into the profound encounter between Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor—a moment that is so much more than a ancient romance. Pastor Derek investigates how Boaz and Ruth’s unfolding love story serves as a breathtaking metaphorical depiction of the Gospel. Through Boaz’s fierce protection, intentional provision, and sacrificial love for Ruth, we get a tangible, beautiful picture of how Christ cares for us and desires to save and redeem us from our brokenness. But redemption isn't just about the Redeemer; it's also about our response. We look at Ruth’s bold, willing request to be taken under Boaz’s wing, uncovering what it teaches us about the posture of our own hearts. To experience the fu

In part two of Ruth: Redeemed By Love, Pastor Derek Holmes walks through Ruth 2 and the unforgettable moment Ruth meets Boaz — a “meet-cute” that is far more than a charming love-story scene. What looks like a chance encounter in a barley field is actually the sovereign hand of God at work, weaving together grace, provision, protection, and redemption. Ruth enters the field as a poor Moabite widow with no security, no status, and no guarantee of survival. But Boaz sees her, welcomes her, protects her, provides for her, and points us toward the greater Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Through this story, we are reminded that God is never absent, even in ordinary circumstances; Jesus welcomes us in spite of our brokenness; and when we meet the Redeemer, everything changes. This message invites us to consider where God may be working through what we often call coincidence, and it calls every listener to find refuge, hope, and salvation under the wings of Christ.

In this message, Pastor Derek Holmes begins a series through the book of Ruth, one of the Bible's greatest love stories. More than a love story, Ruth is a living metaphor for the continuing gracious love of God for humanity, redeeming us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In chapter 1, we are introduced to Naomi and Ruth, two widows in desperate need for hope. Through this chapter, we see some explicit gospel truths that (1) Sin has a devastating power, but (2) The redeeming power of God is much stronger!

This week at Living Hope Fellowship, we continued our series through the Sermon on the Mount with a message from Matthew 5. In this passage, Jesus challenges His followers to live with a transformed heart—one that reflects His character in both attitude and action. Rather than focusing on outward appearance, Christ calls us to a deeper righteousness rooted in humility, obedience, and a genuine pursuit of God. This message encourages us to examine our lives and consider whether we are truly living out the teachings of Jesus in our everyday walk.

This week at Living Hope Fellowship, we continued our series through the Sermon on the Mount with a message from Matthew 5. In this passage, Jesus calls His followers to a deeper, heart-level righteousness that goes beyond outward actions. He challenges us to live in a way that reflects His character—marked by humility, obedience, and a genuine pursuit of God. This message encourages us to not only hear the words of Jesus, but to live them out in our daily lives as we grow in faith and reflect Christ to those around us.

This week at Living Hope Fellowship, we began a new series through the Sermon on the Mount with a message from Matthew 5. In this passage, Jesus teaches what it truly means to live as a citizen of God’s kingdom. Rather than focusing only on outward actions, He calls His followers to a transformed heart—marked by humility, righteousness, mercy, and dependence on God. This message challenges us to examine our lives and consider how we are reflecting Christ in our daily attitudes, choices, and relationships.

This week at Living Hope Fellowship, we celebrated Easter with a powerful message titled “Resurrection: The Consummation of the Gospel” from 1 Corinthians 15. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith and the fulfillment of the gospel story. Because Christ rose from the dead, our hope is secure, our faith is not in vain, and we are given the promise of new life. This message reminds us that the resurrection is not just something we celebrate once a year—it transforms how we live every day. Through Christ’s victory over death, we are invited to walk in hope, purpose, and the power of the gospel.

This week at Living Hope Fellowship, Pastor Derek continued the series in Colossians with “Is He Worthy? Part Two” from Colossians 1:24–2:3. Building on last week’s message, we are reminded that Christ’s supremacy calls us to lives of sacrifice, perseverance, and devotion. Through Paul’s example, we see that following Jesus often involves hardship, but it is always worth it because of who Christ is and what He has done. This sermon challenges us to examine our lives and consider whether we are truly living in a way that reflects the worth of Christ. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, we are called to ask an important question: Is He worthy?