Audio Messages

The thief on the cross beats the thief death by the scandalous love of Jesus on the cross. Come listen and see how much you are loved by the one who created the stars and humbled himself to die in your place.

It’s been said that, “God loves you enough to accept you as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you as you are.” That’s the gospel – God loves and accepts; and then God loves and transforms. God's goal in transformation is maturity, and the book of James is a great "Manual for Maturity." In this kick-off sermon for the summer series, Pastor John overviews the book of James and 5 marks for maturity.

Problems are a required course in the school of life. They are unavoidable. In this message, Pastor John explores what James says are the purpose of problems, and how we can experience positive transformation when we "meet trials of various kinds."

The wisdom of God is a serious gift that He offers to us -- and we need it! Life is a steady stream of choices, and small streams cut huge canyons. So, we all need wisdom. In this message, Pastor John shares how God says we can receive wisdom to help us know and do His will.

Our wants create fear and stress in our lives. Our good shepherd wants to lead us to peace and restoration in this life and the next.

Pastor Travis of FBC Columbia Illinois shares with us the wonder and majesty of God through David's psalm 8.

Temptation to sin is something you will never outgrow or be done with. But too many people think they cannot withstand temptation, so they give in to it. James says, when it comes to temptation, “Be realistic.” And then he says, “This is how temptation works.” And then, lastly, he tells us, “This is how you win over temptation.

The Bible is a book of blessing. It promises comfort, strength, hope, wisdom, joy, encouragement, power, and purpose. In this message, Pastor John shares how the blessing of God's word comes to us.

We say we value fairness and equality in our society, but do we value it in the church? In this message, Pastor John teaches from James 2 on how to treat people right.

James is well known for his claim that "a person is justified by works and not by faith alone," in seeming conflict with Paul's declaration, "We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." In this message, Pastor John looks closely at what Scripture says to untie the knot on God's great work of justification, and what is the character of real faith.