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.
There are two instances in Scripture where mankind attempts to hide from God. The first is at the beginning of time when Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, and the second is at the end of time when God comes back to judge the world. The thunder of God's footsteps echo upon the earth, and those who remain are faced with a terrible realization: you can't hide from Omniscience.
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.
