Central Oaks Sermons

The Thessalonians “despised” prophecy. As a result of this, they were quenching the Holy Spirit from working among them like He sought to. Some Christians are at arms length from prophecy. Pastor Jacob makes the case here that prophecy is still a gift of the Spirit today and should be “earnestly desired.” May God bless you as you hear His Word preached.

In this series on church life, Pastor Jacob preaches about three things God wants us to do all the time. They are difficult things to do—impossible really. But there is a key phrase at the end of verse 18 that helps us realize these verses are verses of hope instead of drudgery.

This short series from the end of 1 Thessalonians 5 is about church life. This message is from verses 13b-15 and focus on responsibilities we have for one another in local churches. May God bless you as you hear His Word preached.

It matters how things are made. It matters how Scripture came. How Scripture came will either build or erode confidence in it. May God bless the preaching of His Word.

How does the Bible describe itself? What does it claim it does to us? Hebrews 4:12 gives the answer. May God bless the preaching of His Word.

God’s Word is compared to the rain and snow in Isaiah 55. The rain and snow are always effective to make something grow. So is God’s Word always effective for what God sends it out to do. Do we trust God’s Word to do the work of God?

God’s Word endures forever. People don’t. What does this say about which one we should pay attention to the most? May God bless you as you listen to His Word preached.

The Bible might be true, but is it enough? Is it all we truly need for following Jesus?

James and John heard Jesus say He was going to Jerusalem to die. In fact, they heard it three times. But they couldn’t quite see it. They only saw Jesus as a glorious King and not a suffering servant. But there was one person who could see who Jesus was in this account. It leaves us asking the question: “Who are we most like: James and John or Bartimaeus?”

When it comes to the Old Testament, some think it's not as important as the New Testament. But Jesus had a different view of the Old Testament. This sermon explains that view and gives implications for it as well.

Just a few final words from Paul before the book ends. May God bless you as you hear His Word preached today.

Paul wanted the believers in Thessalonica to know that they could be ready for the return of Christ. He even wanted them to know that God would make them ready. What confidence!

For some the return of the Lord can evoke fear. "Am I really ready?" This passage is for those who are ready but don't realize it. It seeks to encourage real Christians who are unnecessarily afraid of the return of Jesus. God bless you as you listen to this sermon.

Losing a fellow Christian to death is difficult. The Thessalonians had lost some fellow Christians, and they were grieving like someone who had no hope. But they could have hope. How? Paul explains in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

The Christians in Thessalonica were mainly praised by Paul, but they did need to grow in their love for one another--particularly in the area of work. It seems some weren't working and were relying on the wealth of other Christians, becoming a burden to them and sticking their nose places where it didn't belong. Love doesn't take, but gives. They needed to grow in that area, and so do many Christians today.

In this sermon, Pastor Jacob explains the message of 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Paul wanted his readers to be ready for the return of Jesus. This involved them being holy. So, he asked God to do two things for them so they would become holy and ready for Jesus' return.

Paul tried his dead-level best to show the Thessalonians that just because his boy was absent from them that didn't mean his heart was.

Sometimes living for Jesus can feel like being in a fist fight with a 10-year-old as a 7-year-old. Sometimes we need some motivation to keep going. God's Word gives us two good reasons to have courage as we keep up the fight.

There's a key difference between someone who accepts the good news of Jesus as a good idea and someone who accepts it as God's Word. That difference is the point of this sermon.