Paul didn't walk into Athens with a picket sign. He didn't walk from statue to statue proclaiming the idolatries of the Greek pantheon. He didn't hide behind a corner and drop tracts into the purses of onrushing tourists. He simply started discussions and reasoned with anyone who would listen. Truly, Acts 17 provides a timeless model of evangelism that we, today, need to follow.
Nowadays, virtue is described as accepting all forms of religion, sexuality, and political philosophies as equal and tearing down the dividing walls of right and wrong so as not to alienate anyone. But in Acts 17, true virtue is described as obedience to God and His Word.
The Jews wanted a victorious messiah: one who could give them health, wealth, and power. Many churched people today are still searching for the same thing. But the apostle Paul reminds us why the cross is the only way to the crown.
For the Christian, our life here on this earth is but a temporary stay on our way to eternal happiness in our eternal home. We may call where we live now our "home," but we won't find our true home until we die. In this lesson, Solomon looks forward, far into the future. Stephen Davey concludes this series with a special lesson from Ecclesiastes, and a bit of Revelation too!
Go to your local mall, and you will see dozens of people chasing after things they think will satisfy. But when they get it, they are still unsatisfied, with what they truly desire seeming just out of reach. How can we find satisfaction that truly lasts? Stephen again opens Solomon's journal to find out.
Winning a sprint in the Olympics may feel like the very height of human achievement. What can be better than running a successful race? Well, Solomon tells us that if you run the wrong race, even if you win, you still lose. Then what is the right race? Stephen explores that question in today's lesson.
In this practical lesson, Stephen continues to find fiscal lessons for us from the journal of Solomon. How does our handling of money impact our faith? Do we view our money selfishly, or as stewards of God's money?
What keeps you up at night? Unpaid bills, martial strife, a personal fear? Even King Solomon, the wisest man in human history, experienced many sleepless night. But he also has insight to help us control our worries, overcome our troubles, and rest comfortably in God's will.
Have you ever caught yourself in church singing words without paying attention to what they mean? Maybe you've said a prayer with some words that you often hear other people use, without really thinking about it. Is that true worship? Today, Stephen explains that worship is not just what we do. How we worship is just as vital.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey recounts how Katharina Luther’s courageous escape from a convent and marriage to Martin Luther helped reshape the church’s view of marriage during the Reformation. Transformed by the truth of justification by faith alone in Romans 1:17, she entered a union that modeled commitment over compatibility, humility over self-interest, and ministry partnership over isolation. Despite public slander, hardship, and relentless labor, Katharina managed their home, finances, hospitality, and farm, enabling Luther’s preaching and teaching ministry to flourish. Their marriage demonstrated that the home could serve as a living testimony of the gospel and an extension of ministry. Davey concludes that Katharina’s quiet perseverance and sacrificial faithfulness became a revolutionary legacy of light for generations to follow.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey recounts how God sustained William Cowper through lifelong battles with severe depression and despair while using him to leave a lasting legacy of gospel truth. Though Cowper repeatedly wrestled with feelings of abandonment and even attempted suicide, God anchored his soul in the doctrine of Christ’s propitiation, especially through Romans 3:24–25. Davey explains that Cowper’s suffering did not signal God’s rejection but became the soil from which some of the church’s richest hymns of grace were written. Through faithful friends, Scripture, service, and God’s providence, Cowper continued to testify of salvation by grace alone. Davey concludes that powerful faith does not eliminate suffering, but it carries believers safely through it, proving that God’s mercy shines brightest in the darkest valleys.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey traces how God used Amy Carmichael’s strong will, suffering, and obedience to build a lasting legacy of eternal impact. From childhood determination to missionary service in India, Amy chose costly sacrifice over comfort, guided by her life verse about building with gold, silver, and precious stones. God redirected her ministry to rescue children trapped in temple prostitution, leading her to found the Dohnavur Fellowship, where hundreds of children found physical safety and spiritual life. Though misunderstood, criticized, and bedridden for her final twenty years, Amy continued to serve through writing and prayer. Davey concludes that God values the quality of faithful obedience over public success, and a life surrendered to Christ will shine long after it ends.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey traces how God used Hudson Taylor’s deep trust in the finished work of Christ to shape a life of radical faith, humility, and endurance. Converted as a teenager through meditating on Jesus’ words “It is finished,” Taylor learned early to rely on God alone for provision, direction, and strength. Davey highlights Taylor’s willingness to suffer loss, poverty, misunderstanding, and criticism in order to reach China’s interior with the gospel. By identifying with Chinese culture and trusting God through relentless trials, Taylor helped establish hundreds of mission stations and the China Inland Mission, which transformed an entire nation for Christ. Davey concludes that Taylor’s enduring legacy was not strategy or success, but childlike faith in an illustrious Master who accomplishes His work through willing, surrendered servants.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey traces how God used Oswald Chambers’ surrendered life to leave a lasting spiritual legacy far beyond his brief lifetime. Converted as a teenager, Chambers pursued ministry marked by humility, doctrinal depth, joyful faith, and an unwavering dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than methods or popularity. Serving as a YMCA chaplain during World War I, his Bible teaching and prayer ministry brought revival among soldiers facing death and despair. Though Chambers died at just forty-three, God multiplied his influence through the faithful work of his wife, Biddy, whose preservation of his sermons led to writings that continue to shape millions of believers worldwide. Davey concludes that a life fully surrendered to God may appear obscure for a time, but faithfulness empowered by the Spirit produces eternal fruit beyond imagination.
