Because Jesus only called 12 disciples to be His closest followers, the identities of these men become especially important for our study. Did Jesus only call me who would be good witnesses as hardworking men of integrity? Far from it! Today, join us in the book of Luke as we discover perhaps the most unusual calls to ministry that Jesus delivers in the Bible.
For the first time in Jesus' earthly ministry, He is not only going to heal someone from a physical illness, but He is going to announce His divine power to forgive sins--a power only reserved for God Himself. As Jesus displays his spiritual healing through an example of spiritual healing, we will see that while healing for our bodies is a blessing, healing for our souls will last throughout eternity.
Jesus knew all about leprosy. He knew that this incurable disease caused unfathomable suffering, as it ate away at the body of the diseased. But more importantly, He knew the way the religious leaders taught the people about leprosy--that only God Himself could heal a leper. And so when a leper boldly approaches Jesus, asking for help, join Stephen Davey in exploring another way Jesus declared Himself to be God, this time through His healing power.
When Jesus began to call his disciples, He first tested them, and challenged them, to step out in faith. As we take a look at the first recorded moments between Jesus and Simon Peter, we will explore the mindset of Peter as he is challenged by God, tested by God, and ultimately, takes a leap of faith. At the end of this journey, Stephen Davey will show us that our calling is higher than anything we can understand, and He wants to use us in ways that we cannot imagine.
Jesus did not just come to earth to say good words, perform some miracles and gain a following. He came to fulfill a prophecy thousands of years earlier when God promised Adam and Eve that one of their descendants would crush the head of the serpent Satan. Join Stephen today and discover the scene when Jesus first came face-to-face with one of Satan's demonic followers.
As Jesus prepares to give His first sermon in His hometown, He was likely excited to reveal himself to his family, friends, and hometown. But the reaction to Jesus' sermon might surprise you! Join Stephen today as he explores the lessons we can learn from rejection.
Do you ever think that it must have been easy for Jesus to live a perfect life? After all, he was fully God the whole time! But here in Luke 4, we get a glimpse of the struggle and difficulty Jesus endured at the hand of Satan, who constantly tempted Him. Through this passage, we find an understanding of our own temptations, and are given a blueprint on how to resist the devil at every turn.
In this message, Stephen takes us to a future and final payday where God will render to every man according to his works. It will be a day of rejoicing for some . . . and a day of mourning for others.
Freedom. What does that word mean to you? For some it means the ability to work where you want to work and marry whom you want to marry and vote for whomever you want to vote. For others it means not having to answer to anyone. But while freedom means different things to different people, there's one thing it can never mean: the absence of authority. In this message Stephen reveals to us that we all serve some master. The question is . . . whose slave are you?
As you reflect on the complex relationship between holiness and Christian liberty — between biblical guidelines and man-made rules — are you making room in your reasoning for grace? In this message, Stephen challenges us to put grace in the driver’s seat and leave everything else on the road.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 3 (Philippians 4:6–7), Stephen Davey teaches believers how to conquer anxiety through prayer and trust in God. He compares worry to a deadly anaconda that strangles faith, urging Christians to “be anxious for nothing.” Instead of allowing fear to consume them, they are to replace worry with prayer—bringing every concern to God with gratitude. Davey explains that worry pulls believers apart, while thankful prayer realigns their hearts toward God’s power and presence. The result is a supernatural peace that “guards hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” a peace flowing directly from God’s own character. This peace doesn’t come from understanding circumstances but from trusting the God who controls them all. Through continual, thankful prayer, believers display the extravagant grace of God by living free from fear and full of peace.
In his sermon on Ecclesiastes 12:1–8, Stephen Davey explains Solomon’s urgent call to “remember your Creator” while young, because ignoring God early in life leads to confusion in youth, misery in old age, and regret at death. Solomon describes aging with vivid imagery—failing eyesight, shaking hands, trembling legs, sleepless nights, fading voices, and diminishing desire—reminding listeners that physical strength inevitably declines. Davey emphasizes that these poetic pictures are not meant to discourage but to motivate believers to build a foundation of trust and obedience long before the hardships of aging arrive. Solomon then depicts death as sudden and certain, when the body returns to dust and the spirit returns to God for judgment. Davey concludes that life is fleeting, but remembering your Creator—walking with Him now—prepares you for every season of life and for the final awakening after death.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 2 (Philippians 4:4–5), Stephen Davey teaches that believers are called to display grace in a disappointed and self-centered world through two qualities—a resolution to be joyful and a reputation for gentleness. Joy, he explains, is not dependent on circumstances but flows from the Holy Spirit, the gospel, and trust in God’s sovereignty—even in suffering. Gentleness, often misunderstood as weakness, is strength under control—a willingness to yield, be courteous, and respond to hostility with grace. Using vivid examples from history, culture, and personal experience, Davey challenges believers to demonstrate joy and gentleness as living testimonies of Christ’s presence. Because “the Lord is near,” Christians can embody supernatural calm and kindness, showing a frustrated world the reality of God’s transforming grace.
In his sermon on Ecclesiastes 7:1–14, Stephen Davey explains how Solomon shifts from raising life’s troubling questions to offering God-given wisdom for living well. Davey highlights four truths Solomon teaches: contemplate your mortality, because facing death cultivates serious thinking and a life of purpose rather than pretense; choose wise companions, since the rebuke of the godly is far more valuable than the shallow laughter of fools; cultivate godly character, resisting the pull of anger, corruption, impatience, and nostalgic fantasies about “the good old days”; and consider your Creator with humility, recognizing that God ordains both prosperity and adversity, the straight paths and the crooked ones, to deepen trust in Him. Davey concludes that Solomon’s inspired counsel urges believers to live with sober perspective, intentional relationships, steadfast integrity, and humble dependence on the God who shapes every season of life.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 4 (Philippians 4:8–9), Stephen Davey explains that a transformed life begins with a transformed mind. He contrasts the believer’s renewed thinking with the unbeliever’s darkened mind and challenges Christians to discipline their thought life through eight biblical filters—whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. These qualities shape godly attitudes and actions. Davey warns that mental purity requires constant guarding and rejection of worldly influences, especially in a culture saturated with impurity. He urges believers to not only ponder these virtues but to practice them daily, promising that “the God of peace will be with you.” When believers fill their minds with truth and holiness, Christ’s character “shows through” their lives, reflecting His peace and presence to the world.
