Sermons by Phil Pike

Coming to Grips with the Real You

Date: October 17, 2010

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Be honest. The truth is, most people–even Christians–don’t like what they see. They are haunted by past failures or present weaknesses, and often see themselves as useless in God’s eyes. Moses had such a low view of himself that he almost missed God’s greatest mission for his life, because when we fail to see ourselves as God sees us, we will fail to fulfill the purpose for which we were created. Don’t let a wrong view of yourself cause you to miss God’s mission for you!

Refusing to Conform

Date: October 10, 2010

There was a time in our nation’s history when Christians were respected by the general public, but now Christians are are portrayed either as extremists or as complete idiots by the media, with no real “respect” at all. Is it perhaps because we have lost our Godly influence by conforming to the world’s standards instead of truly standing out and making a difference? God’s Word calls us to transform our culture rather than being conformed by it. Are you a conformer or a transformer?

Don’t Settle Where You Are

Date: October 3, 2010

History tells us that a lot of people who made commitments to become pioneers actually ended up becoming settlers before they ever reached their destination. When the journey got rough, many chose to stop and find a place of comfort instead of pressing on towards their goal. The same will be true of us as followers of Christ unless we are willing to surrender everything that is holding us back. Is there anything in your life keeping you from following God wherever He is calling you to go?

Losing My Religion

Date: September 26, 2010

Jesus reserved His harshest words–not for those who were down and out and lost in their sin–but for those who claimed to be the most religious. Why? Because religion puffs us up and blinds us to our need of a Savior. It causes us to focus on external modification instead of heart transformation. We all have religious rules that we still struggle with which keep our hearts unchanged. What areas might God want you to lay aside in order to live out a fully surrendered relationship with Him?

Seeing Your Future Through God’s Eyes

Date: September 12, 2010

How many of our plans for the future revolve around OUR goals, OUR ambitions, OUR needs, OUR comfort? Why is it that we are so preoccupied with our own agenda when, as followers of Christ, we have clearly been called to live our lives for God’s mission in this world? Could it be that we think our salvation was for our benefit alone, rather than for the sake of others? It is time for God’s people to wake up and realize that Christ didn’t save us just so we could miss hell… He saved us because He has a mission for us to accomplish!

Seeing Your Past Through God’s Eyes

Date: September 5, 2010

Failure to see our past through God’s eyes can be crippling to our future. Sins and hurts from years gone by often continue to haunt us, making us doubt whether God has really forgiven us. But what we must understand is that God sees our past differently than we do because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. It is vitally important that we learn to see our past as God does, or it will keep us from a life of effectiveness for Him.

You Can’t Take it with You

Date: August 29, 2010

What would you do if you discovered the richest hidden treasure in all the world? Would you be willing to trade in all your old junk in exchange for that treasure? In Christ we have discovered life’s greatest treasure, yet so few Christians are willing to invest even a small portion of what they have into His mission. What will we say when we stand before God one day… will we weep tears of regret knowing that we refused to invest in His kingdom work, or will we rejoice knowing that we held nothing back? We must all decide what we value most before it’s too late.

Trusting God in the In-Between Times

Date: August 22, 2010

Nobody likes to see the sign: “Detour Ahead – Expect Delays.” It means we’ll have to take a route we didn’t plan on, and we’ll arrive later than we wanted to. In the Christian life, God often uses delays to make us wait on Him, and detours to take us on a different course of life than we had ever planned. But if we see life through God’s eyes, we will learn to trust the delays and detours, knowing that God’s ways are always best!

Persevering When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

Date: August 15, 2010

How is it that two people can go through a terrible hardship and one will come out the other side bitter, while one comes out better? How is it that the Apostle Paul wrote his most joyful letter while in chains as a prisoner? Are you facing hard times right now? Do you sometimes think that God is being unkind? If so, this series will help you learn to see life through God’s eyes, which makes all the difference in how we respond to life.

No Failure is Final with God

Date: July 18, 2010

It’s easy for discouragement to set in after we have failed the Lord in some way. Peter understood this all too well after denying Jesus, and he was ready to quit and return to his fishing business. But he learned that, despite his sin, Jesus was not finished with him… in fact, Jesus had an important mission for him to help lead the early church. Whatever you may have done to get off track, you need to know one thing: No failure is final with God! He is waiting to restore you right now.

The Price Jesus Paid for Our Freedom

Date: July 4, 2010

As we celebrate our freedom as Americans, we remember those who have paid the price to keep us free. But how often do we celebrate the freedom we have been given through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross when He gave His life for us? He paid the ultimate price to set us free, and we owe Him a lifetime of gratitude and faithful service!

Rising from Your Failures

Date: June 27, 2010

Have you ever felt disappointed in yourself because you let someone down? Even worse, have you ever felt the bitter sting of knowing that you let Jesus down? Peter experienced this when he denied Jesus three times… but thankfully that was not the end of the story. Jesus restored Peter and assured him that no failure is final with God! Whatever failures you have experienced, Jesus is waiting to help you rise from the ashes and find hope in Him once again.