SERIES: II Corinthians

SERMON FROM MARCH 10, 2019

None of us is affliction free. But the problem in our modern age, that Paul address in 2 Corinthians, is that we think too highly of ourselves. We have limits. But God is limitless.

In this series in the book of 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton examines how God cares for us intensely through our afflictions so that we may comfort others.

Sermon From March 17, 2019

What was Paul sparing the church at Corinth when he wrote to tell them he was not coming again to them? Is there a danger in trusting leadership too much?

In this second message in a series, Pastor Dan Brenton examines conscience. Our consciences are not infallible. All of our consciences are skewed by the inner man. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: Is our judgment shaped by preconceived ideas or by the word of God?

Sermon from March 31, 2019

The enemy has a strategy of making friends into enemies. But Jesus used his mission on the cross to change that.

In this message continuing a series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at Paul's way of dealing with hurt from within the church and how he lovingly applies discipline. Being in a community of believers is the best place to go through and deal with hurt. It's a message we all need.

SERMON FROM APRIL 7, 2019

We all fear failure. We all want guarantees in this life. But what God gives us are principles to live by, principles that demand disciplined obedience.

Continuing his series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at how Paul set aside what would look like a sure bet in this world, to take a risk for God and his purposes.

Sermon From April 14, 2019

We are a culture that expects certain standards. We expect credibility. The Apostle Paul faced that when dealing with the church at Corinth.

In this message in a continuing series on 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at this attitude. Does how we live match with what we say we are? Are we adequate or confidant in our accomplishments? Rather, what we find is that our adequacy comes only from God.

Only through God's power in our lives can anyone serve and accomplish what he wants them to accomplish. God doesn't pass out job descriptions without the ability to do them. God has made us adequate to steward His message to the world.

SERMON FROM APRIL 28, 2019

In 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, God tells us (through Paul) that the new covenant is better than the old covenant. Why? One reason is that we have a tendency to want to live by rules, to have someone tell us what to do.

Continuing his series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton tells us that God has something far better than a set of rules that we can't keep on our own. Instead, he offers us a loving, empowering grace through Jesus Christ.

Sermon from May 12, 2019

The story of man is that man doubts God's grace. Because of the Holy Spirit and His indwelling presence in our hearts, we never need to doubt God's grace. But why?

In his continuing series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at Paul's exhortation to the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. We learn that, through the saving work of Jesus, the veil in our hearts can be lifted.

We learn that God is not bound by our deficiencies to be able to save us through Jesus.

Sermon from May 19, 2019

It has been said that the very idea of the concept of "sin" has vanished from American consciousness. But it has not disappeared from the sight of God.

Continuing in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at Paul's message to the church at Corinth — and to us — that Satan is working to blind us to the truth of the Gospel. That truth is the greatest truth that man has ever known and will ever know: that Jesus died to pay the price of our sins.

Sermon from May 26, 2019

How does God use our bad things for His good purposes? We are subject to illness. We are subject to weakness. We are subject to fatigue. Yet God is not reluctant to all His Holy Spirit to dwell in our weak vessels.

Join Pastor Dan Brenton as he continues teaching through 2 Corinthians, this time in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18. See how the power we have doesn't come from the broken vessels that we are, but in the God who dwells in those vessels.

Sermon From June 2, 2019

God asks us to look at what we can't see when he tells us to "walk by faith." But how do we do that in real life?

As we continue looking at 2 Corinthians, this time chapter 5, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches how God trains us to look and live eternally rather than temporal things.

SERMON FROM JUNE 16, 2019

What are we building our lives on? What does it matter for our future? As we continue in our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at what the Bible says about our deeds and our future in eternity.

Sermon from June 23, 2019

All of us are quick to judge on externals — how we dress, how we talk, how we look. When we judge from our limited perspectives, we cause division. But Jesus, who sees into our hearts, transforms people from selfishness to selflessness.

Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 5 as we continue our series in 2 Corinthians. We see that Christ's death on the cross made reconciliation between God and man possible. It also makes reconciliation between people possible. Only Christ can do that.

Sermon from June 30, 2019

How prevalent is procrastination? Why do we do it? We are notorious for putting things off. But what keeps us from doing what needs to get done?

Continuing in the series from 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from chapter 6, looking at the first 10 verses. The very thing that keeps us from doing what God is calling us to do is the same thing God wants to use to help us do what He wants us to do. God pushes us to be than we could ever be on our own.

The time is now for us to engage.

Sermon from July 7, 2019

Pastor Dan Brenton continues in a series from 2 Corinthians as he teaches from Chapter 6 and verses 11-18. What do we do when we run into troubles as a church? How do we handle conflict?

Left to ourselves, we will have conflicts. But only through the cross will we be able to have reconciliation and a right relationship with God and each other.

SERMON FROM JULY 14, 2019

Sometimes sorrow is the very best thing we can experience. Why is that? Sometimes the deepest lessons we learn are through sorrow.

As we continue our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at the passage from 2 Corinthians 7:1-12. Here we see that we have two choices when it comes to sorrow: repentance that leads to life or continual grief and guilt that only leads to frustration and to death.

Sermon From July 21, 2019

Sorrow is the God-given emotion that tells us we've sinned. And that's a good thing because that sorrow causes us to not want to hurt our relationship with God and others again.

Pastor Dan Brenton continues our series in 2 Corinthians by looking at the 2 Corinthians 7:13-16. We see there that Paul is comforted by the positive response of the Corinthians to the hard things he has had to tell them. This attitude helps them receive the important lessons Paul later gives them.

Learning from the Corinthians, are we teachable? Do we let sorrow over sin transform us?

Sermon From July 28, 2019

As we continue our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at a portion of Paul's message to the church at Corinth in the longest passage in the New Testament on the subject of money and giving. We see that Jesus's followers should be exemplified by the same spirit of giving as he had when he gave up everything for the sake of dying on the cross on our behalf.

Sermon From August 11, 2019

God is not afraid of placing us in wilderness situations. Why? Because it forces us to trust Him. And because of that, it is a gift to us. It helps wean us off things that are worthless to worship.

Pastor Dan Brenton continues in a series on 2 Corinthians as he teaches from 2 Corinthians 8:8-15. We learn that God is interested in our needs. God provides for each day. And because we can trust God to provide, we are free to give generously. The provision comes from God, not us.

Sermon From August 18, 2019

Blessing always comes on the other side of giving, and God loves a "hilarious" giving. But what does that mean, exactly?

Continuing in our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton digs further in Paul's letter to the church at Corinth as he teaches from 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. In it, we see that the kind of person God wants is someone who looks to God as the source of his generosity, not himself. That is because we are just the vessel, God is the source.

Will you be a hilarious giver?

Sermon From August 25, 2019

When God intercedes with your needs, it's perfect. God gives to meet needs, not wants.

Pastor Dan Brenton continues in our series in 2 Corinthians, this time teaching from 2 Corinthians 9:12-15. Looking again at giving and the Christian, Pastor Dan explains the benefits of giving.

Sermon From September 1, 2019

Jesus, in the course of 15 verses in Matthew gives a picture of what the life of a Christian looks like. There is a way that seems convenient and easy but doomed or a harder road that leads to life.

As we continue in our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton gives an overview of chapters 10-13 in what he calls a survival guide for the church. We see that Paul is passionate to wake up the believers to realize that they are in a battle. That battle for us to see the deception that will draw us from looking to God and his truth for our satisfaction.

Sermon from September 8, 2019

How do we think biblically but not culturally? How do we not just learn new truth from God but also unlearn wrong thinking from our culture?

As we continue our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 and we see Paul exhorts the church at Corinth to purposefully wage war against spiritual darkness. We, too, must diligent as we not only learn truth but unlearn cultural habits that will weigh us down.

Sermon From September 15, 2019

What's the problem with judging? Are we supposed to judge one another? Is it ever right to judge?

As we continue through our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 10:7-11. There we see how Paul dealt with judgment and boasting and how it fits in the life of a believer and the church.

Sermon From September 22, 2019

What in life are you loyal to? Is it a vice? Do our vices have control over us?

As we continue our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 10:12-18. There we see Paul addressing false teaching and false teachers who are exposed as loyal to their vices.

In this message, we examine five principles to see if we are living as true disciples rather than as those influenced by their vices.

SERMON FROM SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

Why should we listen to what Paul had to say to the church of Corinth in 2 Corinthians? What important message for today's church does Paul have in that book?

As we continue our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 11:1-6. We see Paul make his case for why he should be listened to. We see in his message that God tells us to tell the truth. What we are not to be is developers of opinion. Truth matters.

SERMON FROM OCTOBER 6, 2019

How does a servant of Christ distinguish himself from one who isn't? What are signs that someone is dealing false teaching or is a false teacher?

Pastor Dan Brenton continues our series in 2 Corinthians, this time teaching from 2 Corinthians 11:7-11. In this passage, we see Paul give three reasons he is not like the false teachers in the church. We see from this that it is best to serve humbly those around us so that they may be discipled and grow.

Sermon From October 13, 2019

Pastor Dan Brenton continues our series from 2 Corinthians, this time looking at the passage from chapter 11 verses 12 through 15.

Here, we see how Satan works to disguise himself and his motives through false teachers and false teaching. Paul exposes these people and their message in this passage.

The charge for us as believers is that we hold fast to God's truth in a culture that is offended by exclusive truth.

SERMON FROM OCTOBER 20, 2019

We live in an age where Christian teachers have fallen from the faith but are still teaching an empty, unstructured Christianity. How does Paul's letter to the church at Corinth relate our current age?

As we continue through our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at 2 Corinthians 11:16-29. There we see Paul recount his resume as a suffering servant for Christ. Why? To point out the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is sufficient for Paul, then Jesus is sufficient for all our needs.

Sermon from October 27, 2019

Self-sufficiency is the lie of our age and every age. What we have is from God alone.

As we continue in our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 11:30-33. There we see Paul boast about his weakness and recount a humiliating episode in his life. Why? To show that God is bigger than his failings.

Whatever pit we find ourselves in, Jesus is sufficient. God created us with needs only He can supply.

Sermon From November 3, 2019

Pastor Dan Brenton continues a series in 2 Corinthians, this time teaching from 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. In it, we see Paul addressing the church at Corinth and giving a vision of paradise in mysterious terms. What's going on? Why is Paul sharing this?

What we learn is that we don't follow experiences. We follow the teaching of God, which is not restricted to the exclusive experiences of a few but is freely given in his Word, the Bible. We also learn that God's grace is sufficient to help humble people.

Sermon From November 17, 2019

We have a problem. We have exchanged the truth of God for lies. Why? We want what we want more than what God wants. It's not a new problem. It's been one faced by people for thousands of years.

Continuing in our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton looks at 2 Corinthians 12:11-21. We see the danger of false teaching and how it leads to improper behavior, undisciplined lives and, ultimately, eternal loss.

Sermon From December 1, 2019

In the latest installment in our series in 2 Corinthians, Pastor Dan Brenton teaches from 2 Corinthians 13.

There we see Paul giving a final exhortation to the church in Corinth, asking them to test themselves to see that they are of the faith (verse 5). After warning them about the dangers of false teaching, he is adamant that they cling to the teaching he gave them and to the God who saves. The world needs truth because without it there is nothing to hold sin at bay.