Much of the holy confusion abounding today has come about from a desire to get holy in a hurry. People would rather have a short lived experience than a long lived obedience. But there is no shortcut to sanctification, it is a lifetime of pursuit and persistence!
The Church is full of people who are sharing their dreams, visions, signs and supernatural encounters. They will not be held accountable to the Word of truth if it disagrees with their experience. We live in an era of Holy Confusion!
Why do you call yourself a Christian? Is it because you think it will help you get through difficult trials in life? Is it because it seems to be the cool thing to do? Or is it because you were a sinner in need of a Savior. Only by throwing yourself upon His grace alone for salvation can you experience the REAL power of God's salvation!
In the first year or two of Church history, Christians are writing positive messages on the walls and walkways in and around their cities due to the religion freedom they were given. But that freedom is about to leave. Persecution will reach the homes and churches of these believers and will test their faith like nothing else before. What will their message be now?
Stephen was called to die for his faith, which made him the first Christian martyr. But we are all martyrs -- even those of us who don't die for our faith. Jesus calls us to carry a cross and put to death our selfish ambitions and pride. So Christian living is all about learning how to die. What does this mean exactly? Luke tells us in Acts 7.
The Apostle Stephen will become the first Christian martyr in Church History. He isn't given time to say goodbye to friends and family; his isn't allowed to get his things in order; he is put to death on the spot. But Stephen was ready. His life had been dominated by the Holy Spirit and in this defining moment he would show the world just how powerful that Spirit was.
In this message Stephen takes us back in time to encounter the first disagreement ever recorded in Church history. Along the way we'll discover the answer to the question Christians have been asking for two thousand years: How should we respond to division in the body?
The Sanhedrin just doesn't get it. They witnessed Christ perform miracle after miracle and still concluded that His power came from the Devil. Now, as Christ's disciples are moving throughout Judea preaching boldly and performing the same miracles, these Jewish leaders are still trying to put an end to it! This is blindness at its finest.
The reputation of your church and of Jesus is whatever your reputation is. Is it one of integrity? Is it clean or is it off-color? Is it humble or is it power hungry and racing for another rung of the ladder? The church of the first century had fakes . . . but God saw to it that they didn't last long!
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.
