When life deals us a painful blow, we're often tempted to strike back, aren't we? It goes against our nature to weather the storms of life silently. But that's exactly what God wants us to do sometimes. Obedience is learned through patience, and patience is only born through trials.
Suppose you discovered a fountain of youth and it had the power to make you youthful and beautiful forever! What would you do? Would you give the water to your friends? Would you share it with the needy and sick? Or would you hide it and keep its power only for yourself? The Gospel is a fountain of living water . . . are we sharing it with others?
Do you think your problems are too small to be noticed by a God who rules over the vast affairs of nations? Do you think your concerns are flying under God's radar? Well this message will cause you to think again!
Greed dominates our world today. From the advertisements of Madison Avenue to the profit-grabbing of Wall Street, the love of money is all around us. But greed isn't new. it's an epidemic as old as humanity itself. There is a cure, however . . . if you're willing to accept it.
There are two lepers in 2 Kings 5 and both teach us something different about God. One teaches us that God is gracious and forgiving when we repent; the other teaches us just how serious God is about integrity. Let's join Stephen in this message as he introduces us to both men.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to survive impossible situations? To hold on to hope when all seems hopeless? Many of us have had days, even weeks, when the way forward seemed bleak and we just weren't sure how to press on. We can take heart from this study of the life of Elisha. He lived what seemed to be an impossible life . . . because with God all things are possible.
Though tough times are by their nature unpleasant, they are designed by God to develop trust. We see in the life of Elisha that those who are willing to trust eventually see God's power revealed. Just because our hands are tied doesn't mean our hearts have to be.
Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets can be summed up in one law: love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Are you obeying the Law of Love?
Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets can be summed up in one law: love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Are you obeying the Law of Love?
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 his sermon on Ecclesiastes 12:1–8, Stephen Davey explains Solomon’s urgent call to “remember your Creator” while young, because ignoring God early in life leads to confusion in youth, misery in old age, and regret at death. Solomon describes aging with vivid imagery—failing eyesight, shaking hands, trembling legs, sleepless nights, fading voices, and diminishing desire—reminding listeners that physical strength inevitably declines. Davey emphasizes that these poetic pictures are not meant to discourage but to motivate believers to build a foundation of trust and obedience long before the hardships of aging arrive. Solomon then depicts death as sudden and certain, when the body returns to dust and the spirit returns to God for judgment. Davey concludes that life is fleeting, but remembering your Creator—walking with Him now—prepares you for every season of life and for the final awakening after death.
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 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.
In Extravagant Grace, Part 4 (Philippians 4:8–9), Stephen Davey explains that a transformed life begins with a transformed mind. He contrasts the believer’s renewed thinking with the unbeliever’s darkened mind and challenges Christians to discipline their thought life through eight biblical filters—whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy. These qualities shape godly attitudes and actions. Davey warns that mental purity requires constant guarding and rejection of worldly influences, especially in a culture saturated with impurity. He urges believers to not only ponder these virtues but to practice them daily, promising that “the God of peace will be with you.” When believers fill their minds with truth and holiness, Christ’s character “shows through” their lives, reflecting His peace and presence to the world.
