Sermons
"If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever." - 1 Peter 4:11
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The Ethiopian Worshipper
- Brian Haines
August 2, 2020 AM
Acts 8 tells us of the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch. While this example teaches much about the conversion process, the more remarkable thing is the nature of the convert and his reason for being in Jerusalem. Perhaps an even greater lesson from his story is not about how to be converted, but who can be converted.
Communion Versus Coronavirus
- Brian Haines
July 26, 2020 AM
The New Testament church assembled each first day of the week to observe the Lord's Supper. How do we handle communion in the time of quarantine and restriction? This lesson explains why we worship the way we do at this time, what we have authority to do and not to do, and how we should use this liberty.
A Faith Like Abraham
- Mark Dunagan
July 19, 2020 AM
Romans 4:16-22 describes the faith of Abraham. How much do we trust in God in our lives and actions?
Why So Few People Are Going To Heaven
- Brian Haines
July 12, 2020 AM
Jesus' disciples asked: Why are there few who are saved? The truth is that only people who make heaven their absolute goal are going to get to heaven. The Scriptures teach that not only are only a few people saved, but even of the "saved", only a few will remain faithful to the end. You need to ask: am I going to heaven?
Confess Your Sins to One Another
- Brian Haines
July 5, 2020 AM
James 5:16 commands Christians to confess their sins to one another. This lesson discusses why this command was given, what it is NOT about, why we struggle to do this, and what this confession should look like.
Pray for One Another
- Brian Haines
June 28, 2020 AM
James 5 commands us to pray for one another. Jesus said that we needed to learn how to pray, and the Scriptures teach us how to pray, to whom to pray, and what to pray. They also tell us of what we need to expect to receive from prayer.
Accept One Another
- Brian Haines
June 21, 2020 AM
Racism, prejudice and discrimination are works of the flesh that a disciple of Christ must work to overcome. Yet there is a type of discrimination that we are to have according to Jesus.
Warring Wisdoms
- Brian Haines
June 14, 2020 AM
In 1 Kings 18:19-40 there is the story of one of the most powerful battles in history. It is a war of ideas; the false god Baal verses the God of Truth Jehovah. It was waged by their generals, Elijah for Jehovah and 850 prophets and priests of Baal and Ashtoreth. It was waged on Mount Carmel, and the prize was the hearts and souls of the Kingdom of Israel. Today we war against the philosophies of man such as materialism or evolution. Who will win?
Consider One Another
- Brian Haines
June 7, 2020 AM
The context of Romans 14 pertains to offending others when we need not do so. Specifically, it was about eating meats sacrificed to animals (and what was clean and unclean). All Christians should have understood idols were nothing (1 Cor. 8), but some still felt conscientious about it, while others (unbelievers) lacked knowledge of their meaninglessness. It was possible to cause someone to sin with this act, by either offending or causing them to trespass their conscience. Therefore, Paul was directing Christians to consider not doing something for the sake of others. This is the definition of Christian liberty: the ability to surrender something for the sake of others.
Senseless Idols
- Brian Haines
May 31, 2020 AM
There is a plea to Israel to turn away from Idols in Isaiah 44:12-18. We see that the servant of idols destroys themselves, we see that the servant of the idol just makes the idol of themselves, and we see the senseless nature of creating an idol.
Is Missing the Assembly Forsaking It?
- Brian Haines
March 15, 2020 AM
What are the expectations of membership at the Sunset congregation? First, we expect that members will join in the assembly of the saints that is centered on communion (1 Cor. 11:18-20). Hebrews 10:25-26 make it clear that forsaking that assembly is a willful sin. Second, we ask that members participate in edification, meaning that they join us for studying the word of God. In doing this they are ringing encouragement (1 Thes. 5:11). While the expectation of their presence is less than that of the assembly, it is still sinful to ignore the command to edify and study. Finally, along the same lines, we ask that members participate in personal engagement, which is to say our times when we gather house to house (Acts 2:46).
Judging Others On Their Fears
- Brian Haines
March 15, 2020 PM
Is fear a proper motivator? Should we be willing to face death without fear? As we are in the midst of a crisis we are seeing different congregations make choices to limit or altogether cancel the assembly times. As we have discussed, there are times that one simply cannot be present in the assembly, and this is not forsaking the assembly. If the decency and order of an assembly cannot be maintained, then it is not appropriate to assemble.
Jesus' Hard Sayings: Stumbling Blocks
- Brian Haines
March 8, 2020 AM
In Matthew 18 Jesus pulled aside a child and began teaching his disciples on stumbling blocks. This leads into the next chapter as Jesus spoke about the things that make being a disciple of Jesus hard. He would declare that we must choose Him over associations (church discipline), over marriage (MDR), and over our possessions (the rich young ruler). All of this things begin in His teaching on stumbling blocks.
Jesus' Hard Sayings: Church Discipline
- Brian Haines
March 1, 2020 AM
Matthew 18 begins with Jesus proclaiming that a childlike mindset is necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. He declares that we must be willing to part with whatever is necessary to enter that kingdom. Finally, He describes for us the discipline of the church. Matthew 18:15-17 is Jesus' law on the discipline of the church.
Forgive One Another
- Brian Haines
March 1, 2020 PM
What is found in the command to forgive one another? In these passages we see the following: How do we handle "withdrawal"? The passages tell us the following: (1) Be kind to one another, (2) Be tender-hearted to one another, (3) Forgiving each other, and (4) Bearing with one another. In each case it needs to be applied that this is done "Just as God in Christ also has forgiven you".
Jesus' Hard Sayings: Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage
- Brian Haines
February 23, 2020 AM
One of the most difficult teachings in the Gospels is found in Matthew 19:9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." It is a part of Jesus? teaching on His law of Marriage, when He was challenged by the Pharisees on the Mosaic Law on divorce.
Are You Serveable?
- Brian Haines
February 16, 2020 PM
Jesus? Lesson on Serving in John 13:1-17 was simple: disciples serve one another. When Jesus came to Peter, Peter at first refused to permit Jesus to serve Him. Jesus told him that if he did not permit this, he could not be part of His work. Peter then consented. Jesus? example is not just about serving, it is also about being servable. Are you servable?
Jesus' Hard Sayings: The Danger of Riches
- Brian Haines
February 9, 2020 AM
There seems to be a contradiction in the call of Christ. On the one hand, Jesus promised an easy yoke "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:30). But He also said there would be hard sacrifices, perhaps no harder than this: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). Is this a contradiction?
Three Examples of New Testament Servants
- Brian Haines
February 9, 2020 PM
In John 13 Jesus has an important lesson on serving one another. This lesson demonstrated three important ideas: first, Jesus expects His disciples to serve (and to be known because they serve each other). Second, that no one is above serving anyone else. Finally, that no job is beneath us to serve another person. A commandment to serve is clear. What is not so clear is the execution of that commandment. For this understanding we can turn to the Scriptures and see some important examples of servants.
Getting the Most From Singing
- Brian Haines
February 2, 2020 AM
When we study the Psalms of worship, we find that these are the things that they describe: Singing, Praying, The Passover/feasts, coming to Jerusalem, and offering sacrifices. While we know that Old Testament worship is no longer acceptable (John 4:21-23), we are also told that Old Testament worship pointed to the New Testament worship (1 Corinthians 10:11). The very themes of the Psalms are used to promote the worship of Christ now. We are spiritually both Priests AND Levites, since we are both offering worship as well as offering spiritual service (Romans 12:1). Worship is a community activity; not everything is worship. Our assembly together is our time of worship (1 Cor. 11-14). Singing is a fundamental part of worshipping God. So how do we get the most from our singing in worship? First we need to understand the spiritual nature of song, and second we need to understand the songs we sing.
Getting the Most From Prayer
- Brian Haines
January 26, 2020 AM
What is Prayer? In Genesis 20:3-17 we read about how King Abimelech was deceived by Abraham and nearly committed adultery. God came to him in a dream and told him to ask Abraham to pray for him. This is the first reference to prayer directly in the Bible. It teaches us that prayer is not simply a conversation with God, since Abimelech was speaking to God. God said that he needed Abraham to pray to God for him. If we look at this passage, we see that prayer is a process of "official" petition. It can be about praise and thanks, or request and pleading. These are terms similar to those found in legal court proceedings. At the end of a court pleading is a portion called the "prayer", which is the petition to the court. A court will only receive the petition of someone it its jurisdiction; in a like manner God only hears the prayers of His people (although, as we see with Abimelech and Cornelius, He may listen/speak to others on occasion).
Getting the Most From Communion
- Brian Haines
January 19, 2020 AM
Communion is not a supernatural meal meant to transform our lives spiritually by being consumed. Instead, its value (just like baptism) is in our understanding. Let us be clear not to believe that we must be thinking of a particular thing as though that is the ?magic? means of properly performing communion; instead we need to understand why we are doing what we are doing.
Love: The New Commandment
- Brian Haines
January 19, 2020 PM
In John 13:34 Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another". Is love a new commandment? Jesus said in Mark 11 that all of the law of Moses was based on love; to love God (Deut. 6:5) and to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). Perhaps it was not just a new command, but an entirely new basis of law that Jesus spoke of. In Romans 8:2 we are told that the law of Christ replaced the law of Moses. Moses law was one of penalty (Rom. 1:27-32) and without mercy (Heb. 10:28). The law of Christ is repeatedly described as one based on the concept of love itself (Rom. 13:8-10, Gal. 5:14, Jam. 2:8).
Getting The Most From The Assembly
- Brian Haines
January 12, 2020 AM
Sometimes we refer to our assembly as a type of Spiritual Gym. Consider these words from the Apostle Paul: ?Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come? (1 Timothy 4:7-8). This is a gym whose membership is both paid in full by the owner as well as paid by our participation. In a sense, we pay for this membership in the Gym with that most important and universal of currency, our time.
Love One Another
- Brian Haines
January 12, 2020 PM
What is love? Here are a couple of definitions that the world creates for love: - "An intangible connection between two people that feels exceptionally good" - "Love is a force of nature... we cannot command, demand, or take away love" - "Love is acceptance" Yet none of these definitions actually fit with what the Bible calls love.
Dealing With Change
- Brian Haines
January 5, 2020 AM
In the last year we have seen many changes in our congregation. We have seen the departure of an elder and a deacon, teachers and members of the church. We lost a few people to the world, and lost two members to death (yet she gained her victory). We also gained some members, a teacher and an elder. In congregations around us there were a number of changes; some lost their elderships and preachers, others saw changes in their meeting places and membership too. Indeed, all around us there were changes in society. In the end, was all of this change a good thing or a bad thing?
Congregational Goals in 2020
- Brian Haines
January 5, 2020 PM
Every year we try to begin the year making a commitment to improvement of ourselves or of our congregation. Many congregations make an effort to this by selecting themes or visions or mottos for the year. We need to remind ourselves that the purposes given to the church are limited to certain things: Evangelism, Worship, Edification, Organization, Benevolence, and Purity. We are not permitted to add to these purposes nor to neglect any of them. But what about when the need arises to make a particular purpose an area of focus?
Accountability for the Year
- Brian Haines
December 29, 2019 AM
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Psalm 148: Choreographed Praise
- Brian Haines
December 29, 2019 PM
Psalm 148 is one of the most popular Psalms to have been turned into a song. The nature of the songs are a symphony of the many things that praise God. Some see the Psalm of a choir director who is calling the heavens to praise God, calling the earth to praise God, and leading things to praise God. In total, there are 30 things that praise God. It seems that his point is that since all things are under His authority, all things should praise Him. Kings, princes and judges are under His authority (Romans 13). All of the stars, moon, sun, and the earth are subject to His laws (Genesis 1).
Psalms of Ascent
- Brian Haines
December 15, 2019 PM
Beginning at Psalm 120 and ending at Psalm 134 are a series of Psalms that are called the Psalms of Ascent. They are thought to be the songs of the Israelites when they made pilgrimages to Jerusalem every year. They tend to be short and have various authors. The themes often are about looking towards Zion, Jerusalem or the Temple of God.
Psalm 119: Love and the Law of God
- Brian Haines
December 8, 2019 PM
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Wisely Choosing Your Spouse
- Brian Haines
December 1, 2019 AM
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Psalm 103: Why Is God So Good?
- Brian Haines
December 1, 2019 PM
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Making Wise Choices With a Career
- Brian Haines
November 24, 2019 AM
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Making Wise Choices With Education
- Brian Haines
November 17, 2019 AM
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Psalm 101: Hating The Wicked
- Brian Haines
November 17, 2019 PM
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Psalm 95: The Dangers of Rebellion
- Brian Haines
November 10, 2019 PM
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Psalm 91: Does God Keep Us From Harm?
- Brian Haines
November 3, 2019 PM
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An Approved Church Seeks Purity
- Brian Haines
October 27, 2019 AM
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An Approved Church Ministers to the Saints
- Brian Haines
October 20, 2019 AM
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Psalm 90: A Prayer of Moses
- Brian Haines
October 20, 2019 PM
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An Approved Church Seeks Organization
- Brian Haines
October 13, 2019 AM
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An Approved Church Edifies Itself
- Brian Haines
October 6, 2019 AM
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An Approved Church Has True Spiritual Worship
- Brian Haines
September 8, 2019 AM
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Psalm 56: When I am Afraid
- Brian Haines
September 8, 2019 PM
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An Approved Church is Evangelical
- Brian Haines
September 1, 2019 AM
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Psalm 52: The Boastful Evil Man
- Brian Haines
September 1, 2019 PM
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An Approved Church Has Divine Purposes
- Brian Haines
August 25, 2019 AM
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An Approved Church is Friendly
- Brian Haines
August 18, 2019 AM
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The Regretful Life of a Worldly Christian
- Brian Haines
August 11, 2019 AM
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Things The Unbeliever Does Not Have
- Brian Haines
August 4, 2019 AM
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The Effectiveness of YOUR Baptism
- Brian Haines
July 28, 2019 AM
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The Great Debate About Baptism
- Brian Haines
July 21, 2019 AM
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Psalm 45: All Hail the King
- Brian Haines
July 21, 2019 PM
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Psalm 41: Remember the Poor
- Brian Haines
July 14, 2019 PM
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Accurately Handling the Word of Truth
- Brian Haines
July 7, 2019 AM
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Psalm 40: Interpreting Prophecy
- Brian Haines
July 7, 2019 PM
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PSalm 39: Guard Your Tongue
- Brian Haines
June 30, 2019 PM
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Psalm 37: God's Benevolence
- Brian Haines
June 16, 2019 AM
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Psalm 27: I Would Have Despaired
- Brian Haines
June 8, 2019 PM
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The Spirit, The Temple and Sin
- Brian Haines
May 26, 2019 AM
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Psalm 24: The Earth is Jehovah's
- Brian Haines
May 12, 2019 AM
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Into Your Hands the Gospel is Given
- Brian Haines
May 5, 2019 AM
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The Story of Church Buildings
- Brian Haines
April 21, 2019 AM
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Psalm 22: The Suffering Messiah
- Brian Haines
April 21, 2019 PM
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Psalm 19: The Law of the Lord
- Brian Haines
April 14, 2019 PM
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Psalm 18: Thank You For Saving Me
- Brian Haines
April 7, 2019 PM
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Double Minded Men and Jeremiah
- Brian Haines
March 30, 2019 AM
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Turning Away From Self-Destructive Behavior
- Brian Haines
March 23, 2019 AM
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Saul and Self-Destructive People
- Brian Haines
March 17, 2019 AM
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Psalm 15: Who May Dwell In God's Tent?
- Brian Haines
March 17, 2019 PM
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