This lesson from Titus 1:7 focuses on the qualifications for church leaders, emphasizing spiritual integrity over worldly measures like wealth or influence. It highlights traits leaders must avoid, such as arrogance, anger, and greed, stressing their role as stewards of God's household. Paul teaches that an elder's character, both private and public, must model faithfulness and humility. The message challenges leaders and believers to prioritize Christ-like behavior and stewardship in all aspects of life.
Many pastors today are more worried about writing the next bestseller or adding numbers to their congregation than truly shepherding the flock of God. In this portion of the series 'The Shepherd's Mantle,' Stephen reminds us that more than teaching and leading, a pastor's greatest responsibility is to be a good steward.
Jesus Christ set the bar for leadership forever. And it wasn't the kind of leadership that lords itself over people or demands obedience and honor but the kind that gets on its knees to wash a sinner's feet.
Jesus Christ set the bar for leadership forever. And it wasn't the kind of leadership that lords itself over people or demands obedience and honor but the kind that gets on its knees to wash a sinner's feet.
Far too often we treat the Church like a corporation rather than a body of believers owned and led by Christ. Pastors have started adopting secular business strategies and models of leadership rather than biblical models. In this message Stephen challenges us to stop conforming to culture and start transforming it.
Far too often we treat the Church like a corporation rather than a body of believers owned and led by Christ. Pastors have started adopting secular business strategies and models of leadership rather than biblical models. In this message Stephen challenges us to stop conforming to culture and start transforming it.
As Paul begins his letter to Titus, a young pastor on this island, you discover several passions about Paul, the slave of God.
We could call them slave traits - characteristics of someone who is all or nothing for the glory of Christ.
In the opening lines of his letter to Titus, Paul says without any reservation, "God is my master and I am His messenger boy."
For Paul, Christianity was wide open...it was indeed all, or nothing.
As Paul begins his letter to Titus, a young pastor on this island, you discover several passions about Paul, the slave of God.
We could call them slave traits - characteristics of someone who is all or nothing for the glory of Christ.
In the opening lines of his letter to Titus, Paul says without any reservation, "God is my master and I am His messenger boy."
For Paul, Christianity was wide open...it was indeed all, or nothing.
When Paul arrived at Athens, he commented on how religious the city was -there were statues of gods and goddesses everywhere. In fact, they were so afraid that they might have missed a god, they built an altar to the god they didn’t know about.
And Paul introduced to them the God of the ages - the Creator God whose Son came to earth to redeem mankind, not only from rioting and riotous living, but empty religion.
When one of the young protégés of the Apostle Paul began his ministry on the island of Crete - he was surrounded by religion and religious mythologies; he was submerged into a relativistic culture where lying and deceiving was part of the game.
There were no virtues to win and vices didn't slow anybody down; it was every man for himself.
And the answer certainly wasn't another religion.
The answer was a spiritual reformation, bound up in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That's why as Paul introduces himself to the churches in Crete -through his letter to Titus - which is where I invite your attention to return - he informs both Titus and the churches that he is a very passionate man.
In fact, he will describe himself with the kind of passions that will change a person's life - and his relationships - and his work ethic - and his perspective -and his life, in general.
If the Christian ever hopes to impact his world - these passions must become our passions.
More than ever before the church is in need of going back to the biblical drawing board and answering the question - what exactly does it mean to be a Christian; to live and act like a Christian?
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 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 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.
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 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.
