Construction sites and cafeterias are not glamorous places to work, but they are God-ordained and God-honoring places where the work is never done in vain. In fact, the results will last forever. Why? Because we are not in the business of building buildings . . . we are in the business of building people. And people last forever!
Actions speak louder than words . . . and they also affirm the words. So being a Christian is more than just putting a Jesus bumper sticker on your car or wearing a W.W.J.D bracelet. It's carrying a cross . . . no matter what the cost.
Do you want to be a "Real McCoy" spiritually? Then follow the example of Nehemiah and allow yourself to be the instrument in the hands of God. Nehemiah watched God accomplish great things through Him but never sought to take the credit for himself. Stephen challenges us to do the same.
Nehemiah is known for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. But the walls weren't built just with stones and mortar. They were built with constant prayers. What Stephen reminds us in this message, as he takes us through this study of Nehemiah's life and ministry, is that prayer provides the building blocks for faith. If you want to take a stand for God . . . you have to stay on your knees!
Has your heart ever been broken over something and you knew the sorrow came directly from God? Maybe you saw kids starving in Africa and you wept because of what little they had. Maybe you watched a friend lose his or her life to drugs and alcohol and your heart broke from their emptiness. Well in Nehemiah chapter 1, Nehemiah's heart is broken as he witnesses how broken his people are. God, however, is about to put both Nehemiah's heart and His people back together.
What the Church needs today are ordinary people who are highly motivated to advance Christ's gospel in a world that desperately needs to hear it. In other words . . . we need more Nehemiahs.
Stephen and Scott discuss questions phoned in by listeners. Please note that there is NO transcript available for this program. Due to production issues, this program is a repeat of QA19 which aired in May of 2016.
The Tribulation is known for being a time of great fear and destruction. Men and women will be forced to receive the mark of the beast and anyone who refuses will be killed. But out of that tribulation the Gospel will spread and people will accept the mark of the cross instead. The blood of the martrys has always been and always will be the seed of the Church.
Who are the 144,000 men and women we find in Revelation 7:1-8? Is the number significant? Stephen give us insight into this mystery as he continues his study of John's Revelation.
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.
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.
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.
