Revival is the natural result of an encounter with God. Whenever God's Word exposes us for who we truly are and we respond by confessing our sins to Him, our heart finds peace and restoration. As Stephen reminds us in this message, repentance is the road to reformation . . . and there is no alternate route.
The Church in America is losing her courage to communicate the message of Jesus. Many believers today are just as materialistic and promiscuous as unbelievers. At the moment when our generation is asking life's most important questions, Christians aren't standing up to give the answer. We, like the people in Nehemiah's day, need a revival.
A listing of names can often be a wearisome portion of scripture to wade through, but it is actually one of the most beautiful aspects of the Bible. Every time you come to a list of names, it is a reminder that God is keeping tabs. He doesn't overlook any of the details. He sees all and He will reward those who serve Him faithfully.
In the Garden of Eden Satan whispered a cunning lie to Eve that incited one of the most tragic events in human history. He didn't stop there, however. He is still whispering lies in our ears today, so we must learn how to tune him out.
The reason the Church often fails to reach the world is because the world has infiltrated the Church. Secular ideologies and marketing strategies inspire Church activities. Self-promotion and commerce inspires fellowship. There is only one cure for this selfishness, and it's found in Nehemiah's inspired memoirs.
The devil is relentless. He won't bring his attacks to an end until you're all the way to the tape. So learn from this setback in Nehemiah's ministry the importance of endurance . . . especially when you're only halfway there!
Words not only have the power to hurt us; they also have the power to cripple us. So how do we get to the point in our Christian lives where we aren't crippled by the verbal abuse of others? Stephen gives us a powerful answer from the life of Nehemiah.
Being a Christian is more than singing songs about the cross or wearing a cross around your neck. It's carrying a cross on a daily basis. Nehemiah gives us a powerful Old Testament example of what that looks like practically.
Some Christians today have the misconception that complete surrender to Christ is a command for pastors and missionaries . . . not for everyone. Nehemiah's testimony teaches us the exact opposite.
In his sermon on Romans 5:9–11, Stephen Davey explains that assurance is a perfect gift from God, giving believers safety, certainty, and enjoyment in their salvation. Paul teaches that Christians are saved from God’s wrath, saved by Christ’s death and resurrection, and saved for joyful worship and fellowship with God. Davey emphasizes that salvation is secure because it rests not on human effort but on Christ’s finished work and His ongoing intercession. Just as Christ’s death reconciled believers while they were enemies, His living presence guarantees their future salvation. Davey concludes that true assurance fuels joyful praise, confident obedience, and grateful living before the God who has redeemed and preserved His people.
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 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 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.
