Sermon Series Resources

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): June 15

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Study Resource: Glory in Scripture: An 8-Session Study - Randy Gariss, professor of Ministry at Ozark Christian College, will walk you through the biblical history of the glory of God, God’s holiness, and how you can recognize His glory in your daily life.

Study Resource: Glory of God in the Bible: A Q & A Article - What is the glory of God in the Bible, and why does it matter to learn about? Far from being a peripheral concept, God’s glory is actually central to the gospel—to the good news about King Jesus—and central to understanding God’s agenda for our lives.

Podcast Resource: Beholding the Glory of Christ: by Timothy Keller - In John 17, Jesus is specifically praying for his current and future disciples, and in these verses, we see Jesus’s desire for the world to know that God sent him to save us. In these verses, we’ll see 1) What we most need; 2) How to get it; and 3) What the outcome will be.

Video Resource: Jesus Reveals His Glory: by John Piper - This is a sermon message by well known theologian, John Piper.

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): June 8

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Study Resource: The Basis for Church Unity: An Article - In the New Testament, the favorite word used to describe the people of God is the word church. It is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, which literally means “those called out.”

Study Resource: Genuine Community in a Tech-Driven World -  We live in the technology age. We have access to information at the touch of a finger. Our culture says, “I know.” Yet, despite all our knowledge, we struggle to find and experience real, lasting community. Let’s take a look at community in the early church as a model.

Video Resource: Focus on the Gospel Message: A 5-Session Study - One of the reason so many of us don't read our Bibles regularly comes from a misunderstanding of what the Scriptures are. We see the Bible as an ancient rule book with a whole bunch of disconnected information about God, rather than a whole grand story that showcases who God is.

Video Resource: Mission & Purpose Driven: A Study with Tony Dungy -  Every game has rules. To win, you’ve got to know your goal, your responsibilities on the team, and how to succeed while obeying the rules. The same is true for the game of life. When we know the Word of God, his mission for us, and how to achieve that mission, we can live with a powerful impact. James Brown and Tony Dungy explore how we can live for God and serve him well. God has a purpose for you…

Study Resource: God’s Love Is… - This is an article titled God’s Love Is…Better Than What We Typically Want: Some people think that God’s love is a green light to do and be whatever they deeply feel they should do and be. Yet is that what God’s love is according to the Bible? Although people often want God to love them by affirming and even ignoring their decisions, the love of God in the Bible is highly invested in how we turn out.

Video Resource: Children's Resource: God's Love - With Theo, learning about God and who He's called us to be is easy and fun. Each lesson focuses on a spiritual topic that both entertains and teaches children about key aspects in the Christian faith.

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): June 1

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Study Resource: In the world, but not of this world: An Article - The world is broken because the first humans, and every human since, rebelled against their Maker. By seizing autonomy from God, we have upset the intended order of things and brought evil into the world and death upon ourselves. But in this broken world, we are given a great and good hope: God’s plan for our redemption.

Study Resource: Called to Love, Yet Not the World: An Article - People created in the image of God and desperately loved by Him are not our enemy. There are only three enemies that the Christian stands against: the flesh, the devil, and the world. It’s important to understand what we mean by “the world”, so that we don’t confuse it with the people who live under its influence.

Study Resource: Evil Does Exist: An Article - Evil’s reality is actually one of the premises that the Christian gospel of Jesus is built on. As the angel foretold, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew. 1:21).

Study Resource: The Evil One: A Word Study - The term "Evil One" is a designation used in the Bible to refer to Satan, the adversary of God and humanity. This title emphasizes his nature and role as the embodiment of evil and opposition to God's purposes.

Study Resource: Sanctification is Possible: An Article - We have been saved (justification), just as we are being saved (sanctification). And, we will one day be saved (glorification). That is one day when we see Jesus face-to-face we will be transformed, glorified perfectly after his image.

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): May 25

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Study Resource: Biblical Joy: An Article - On page one of the Bible, God says that this world is “very good.” However, human history isn’t just a joy-fest. The biblical story shows how we live in a world that’s been corrupted by our own selfishness. Joy is an attitude God’s people adopt, not because of happy circumstances but because of their hope in God’s love and promise.

Study Resource: Where Does Joy Come From: Children’s Resource - Phil Vischer, Founder of Jellyfish Labs and co-creator of the acclaimed VeggieTales, dives into the book of Philippians to answer the question, "Where does joy come from?" With the help of some animated friends, Phil unpacks what it means to live with joy both in times of happiness and in times of sadness.

Study Resource: How to Experience Joy: Video & Article - Bono once said, “Joy is an act of defiance.” I like the way he put it. A joy-filled disposition by a disciple of Jesus is an act of defiance against Satan, sin, disappointment, and especially death.

Study Resource: God’s Wisdom Leads to Joy: Video & Article - Jesus is the embodiment of wisdom; those who find Jesus find abundant life.

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): May 18

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Video Resource: Believe God’s Promises: They Are Reliable - This is a brief article and video regarding promises from our Creator.

Study Resource: Jesus’ Goodbye and Promised Return: An Essay - This is a 1-page essay about Jesus' promised return.

Study Resource: Jesus’ Power: An Article & Study Resources - Often when we think of Jesus’ power, we automatically think about his miracles. That’s really not a bad place to start; after all, he did some pretty impressive stuff! However, this will need a bit of clarification. Miracles are not told merely to impress people with Jesus’ uncanny power. Rather, they proclaim His kingdom.

Study Resource: Shema - Obedience to the Lord: An Article - Those who love…obey. It was true for the Israelites in the Old Testament. They were called to love the Lord and to obey all His commands. The same applies to Christians today. If we truly love Jesus, we will keep His commandments. Let us continually pray and live out the Shema—the call to listen to and love the Lord.

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): May 11

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Video Resource: Mothers of the Messiah: A 7-Series Study - Beth DeFazio, Biblical Communication and Speech professor at Ozark Christian College, explores the stories of the women mentioned in Jesus’ genealogical account found in Matthew chapter one. This series will help you understand the messy family line that Jesus came from and assist you in finding your place in God’s family.

Study Resource: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know: An Article - If God loves me, then I can love me. Many times, we will struggle with loving ourselves. Maybe we need to keep singing the song we sang as children, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Study Resource: Agape: Love the Lord, Love Others, Love Yourself - The word “love” is one of the most misused words in our language, as it primarily refers to a feeling that happens to a person. But in the New Testament, “love,” or “agape,” refers to a way of treating people that was defined and exemplified by Jesus himself.

Video Resource: Prayer: Developing a Relationship with Jesus - In this series, Michael DeFazio (professor of New Testament theology at Ozark Christian College) will walk you through the sacred spiritual discipline of prayer. He will explore how to pray, what to pray, answer questions about prayer, and engage in many other topics surrounding prayer, in order to expand one’s knowledge of communicating with our Father.

Sermon Study Guide (pdf): May 4

Study Resource: John Chapter 17: Scripture & Commentary

Video Resource: Jesus’ Farewell Message: A 6-Part Study - Do you know Jesus? It’s one thing to know facts about him, but to experience his love, wisdom, and guidance in your life is what it means to follow him. In this 6-part series, Francis Chan dives into John chapters 13–17, passages that are rich in promises, commands, and eternal truths. We aren’t called to a part-time faith—we were made to know, walk with, and commune with God.

Study Resource: Jesus’ Prayer for Unity: Video & Article - In John 17, Jesus prays for His disciples to be one in the same way as He and the Father are one. He goes on to pray that His followers down throughout history would be one in this same way. This, Jesus says, will be key to the rest of the world knowing that Jesus is from God.

Study Resource: Even Nicodemus: An Article - Nicodemus was an esteemed rabbi who had a favorable view of Jesus, but who kept his admiration of Jesus a secret. We meet him three times in the Gospel of John, most prominently in a dialogue with Jesus (which provides the context for the famed John 3:16 verse). Nicodemus’s powerful profile in his nation ironically kept him a tepid, tiny follower of Jesus at best.

Video Resource: Nicodemus and Jesus: A Video - Check out this 10-minute video from The Chosen series capturing the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus about what Jesus wants for us, as recorded by the apostle John in chapter 3:1-21.