There were hundreds, if not thousands of lepers living during the days recorded in 2 Kings 5:1-14, but only one of them was healed. Was it due to his uncanny faith? Was it because he lived a more righteous life than the others? Find out in this compelling Old Testament portrait of redemption.
Moses takes center stage in the drama of Exodus, but were it not for the exceptional faith of three brave women, he would have never made it past kindergarten. Stephen brings us their stories in this remarkable look at Exodus chapter 2.
If you have ever rafted down winding, turbulent rapids, you know both the pleasures and terrors of the experience. The ride is dangerous. You never know what's waiting around the bend. In Philippians 1:28-30 the apostle Paul reminds us that the Christian life is also like that. It too is turbulent and full of peril. It too is unpredictable. But that's what makes it so rewarding.
Today, Christian celebrities get all the plaudits. Whether they be mega-church leaders, actors, athletes, musicians, or authors, we tend to hold them in higher regard than others. But in this investigation of Paul's inspired words in Philippians 1:27, Stephen warns us to change the way we think.
The gospel isn't just for intellectuals and professionals. It isn't just for the wealthy and powerful. It pays no heed to race, education, upbringing or social status. It is a simple call, and Paul lays it out for us in Philippians 1:27.
What kept Paul strong in the face of constant beatings, riots and imprisonment? What got him up in the morning and kept him content at night? Stephen brings us the emphatic answer as he continues his study of Philippians.
Paul wasn't just given a vision of Heaven; he was actually taken there firsthand! He saw with his own eyes what God had in store for him after his death. So how was he able to remain content in the face of imprisonment, chains, and beatings? Paul himself tells us in Philippians 1:21-26.
How confident are you in your prayers? I don't mean how confident are you in yourself or in your own ability to pray; I mean how confident are you that God will answer? Stephen shows us what true confidence in God looks like as he takes us back to Paul's remarkable letter to the Philippians.
Did you know that many Christians in the early Church abandoned Paul? They didn't come to his defense. They gossiped about him. Some even considered his suffering a judgment from God! But as surprising as that is, what is more surprising is the way Paul responded to it.
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 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 Father Abraham, Part I (Romans 4:1–3), Stephen Davey introduces Abraham as Paul’s prime example of justification by faith, not works. He explains that Abraham lived 2,000 years before Paul, proving that salvation by faith is not new but has always been God’s plan. Abraham, the forefather of Israel and “friend of God,” was revered for righteousness, yet Scripture reveals his flaws—fear, deceit, and unbelief—showing that his justification came by faith alone. Davey warns against relying on human reasoning or cultural religion, urging believers to ask, “What does the Bible say?” Like Abraham, sinners are declared righteous not by merit but by trusting God’s promise of redemption through Christ. God credited righteousness to Abraham’s account by grace, illustrating the same salvation available to every believer today.
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.
Stephen Davey’s sermon “Reconcilable Differences” (Philippians 4:2–3) explains that real church and family life are messy, which is exactly where extravagant grace must be practiced. Using humorous and honest stories, he shows that grace is more than a doctrine we receive from God—it’s a costly, deliberate way of stooping low in attitude and action toward difficult people. Paul’s appeal to Euodia and Syntyche models gracious confrontation: he names them, refuses to take sides, reminds them of their shared labor in the gospel, and urges them to “live in harmony in the Lord,” enlisting a trusted “true companion” to help them reconcile. Stephen Davey draws out principles that disagreements are inevitable, even mature believers don’t always disagree agreeably, and small conflicts—if unchecked—can damage an entire church. Instead of taking sides, spiritually mature believers should step in to untangle issues and protect the unity of the body, remembering that everyone’s name is written in the book of life. He concludes with the example of a Christian bus driver whose daily, practical kindness creates a community of grace, urging believers to let that same grace characterize their relationships in the church.
