Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." We have begun a new series focused on the Five Solas , the core convictions of the Protestant Reformation, associated especially with its founder, Martin Luther. The Five Solas (Latin: quinque solae, “five alones”) are five Latin phrases that summarize the central convictions of the Protestant Reformation: Sola Scriptura = Scripture alone Sola Gratia = Grace alone Sola Fide = Faith alone Solus Christus = Christ alone Soli Deo Gloria = Glory to God alone This week we focus on “ Christ alone ” as we read from the Gospel of John, chapter 14. These verses record Jesus’ final teaching to the eleven remaining disciples in the upper room on the night before His crucifixion. Context. The disciples are in crisis. In the preceding chapter, Jesus has identified Judas as a traitor, predicted Peter’s denial, and announced His own departure. Their world is ab...

John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me." Last week we finished our multi-week study of the GRACED acrostic. We highlighted the Great Commission, where Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations and promises His continuous presence until the end of the age. We also marked the 509th anniversary of Reformation Day. This week we are beginning a new series focused on the Five Solas , the core convictions associated with the founder of the Protestant movement, Martin Luther. The Five Solas (Latin: quinque solae, “five alones”) are five Latin phrases that summarize the central convictions of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Although the list as such was formalized in the 20th century, the convictions themselves were central to Martin Luther and his contemporaries, who challenged the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on authority and salvation. Sola Scriptura = Scripture alone Sola Gratia = Grace alone Sola Fide = Faith alone ...

Romans 1:17 "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." The GRACED acrostic is a plan for your faith walk that will help you whether you are an experienced saint with many years of service or brand new and just starting out! G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. In addition to these six principles, Jesus gave us the Great Commission, where He commands us to make disciples of all nations. He also promises His continuous presence until the end of the world. Yesterday, to mark the 509th anniversary of Reformation Day, we read verse 16 from Romans 1, widely considered the central theme of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans. In it he declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. As an Augustinian monk...

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." You have been GRACED by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. This is our plan for the best faith journey with Jesus. We studied this for many weeks, and this week we reviewed the Great Commission. We always focus on His command to make disciples of all nations. Also in these verses is the promise of His continuous presence until the end of the world. This is not to be taken lightly. Today we turn to the verse widely considered the central theme of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, declaring that he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. The verse emphasizes that this salvatio...

Matthew 28:20 "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Go to God in prayer daily. Read God’s Word daily. Attend worship regularly. Connect in a study group. Engage in service. Dedicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. Do you feel GRACED by our Lord and Savior? In this week’s verses, He has given us the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations and promises His continuous presence until the end of the world. Don’t take this lightly. Key aspects of this verse: The Command to Teach Believers are instructed to teach new disciples to observe “all things whatsoever” Jesus commanded, including moral duties, ordinances such as baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. This emphasizes that discipleship involves active obedience and living out Jesus’ teachings, not merely intellectual knowledge. The Promise of Presence Jesus assures His followers, “I am w...

Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. We are GRACED by our Lord and Savior, who also gives us the Great Commission. In these last verses of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus and the disciples are reunited on a mountaintop. Jesus informs them that He has been granted all authority by God the Father over both heaven (the spiritual realm) and earth (the physical cosmos). Jesus is the ultimate source of power for the church, legitimizing our task to proclaim the Gospel and baptize believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Today’s verse is the central verse of the Great Commission. This directive expands the scope of the Gospel from a focus on Israel to include all people globally, based on Jesus’ newly...