Upward & Onward
Power and promises from the Upper Room Discourse
Upward & Onward, Pt. 13
April 9, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 17:20–26
As Jesus concludes his time in intimate prayer with the Father, he directs his focus onto a people who have yet to come to believe in him as Lord and Savior. He turns his attention from his immediate disciples and towards all future disciples who will come to faith through God's word. This is one portion of Scripture in which all future followers of Jesus can rightly say they've made it onto the pages of Holy Scripture!
Upward & Onward, Pt. 12
April 2, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 17:12–19, Psalm 119:105
As Jesus continues as the High Priest of God and prayer intimately to the Father, he prays for the sanctification of all his chosen people, that they would be sanctified through the truth of God's word.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 11
March 26, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 17:6–11
As Jesus continues his High Priestly prayer in John 17, he now turns his attention towards those who have been with him from the beginning of his earthly ministry, praying for their unity over what is most important. In this message, we look at the essentials of the Christian faith over which all the body of Christ should be united, how that unity is manifested in the local church, and some obstacles that we often experience that hinder unity in the church.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 10
March 19, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 17:1–5, Exodus 20:2–5, Philippians 2:8–11, John 13:31–32
As Jesus concludes the Upper Room Discourse in John 16, he turns his attention from his disciples to his Father in a very intimate and powerful prayer. In fact, John 17 records the longest prayer of Jesus in all of Scripture, known as the High Priestly Prayer. In this first part of the prayer, Jesus focuses on the glory of God that he has shared eternally with the Father, which will be returned to him for having accomplished all that the Father gave him to do.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 9
March 12, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 16:16–33, Romans 8:35–37, Mark 10:49
As we come to the end of the Upper Room discourse in John's gospel, Jesus reassures his disciples with the hope that their sorrow will turn into joy. In this message, we'll look at the three sources of godly joy in Christ, all of which will encourage and enable us to be overcomers in the midst of great tribulation.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 8
March 5, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 16:1–15, 1 John 1:8, 1 John 2:22–23, Romans 10:13–15, Hebrews 12:1–2
As Jesus continues to ward his disciples of future persecution and hardships in John 16, he teaches them about the work of the Spirit and what He will do in the world, ultimately to bring glory to Jesus Christ.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 7
February 26, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 15:18–27, Philippians 3:7–11, Matthew 5:10–12, Mark 8:34–35
As Jesus continues to prepare his disciples for what's to come on the other side of the cross of calvary, he makes a dramatic shift from a message of love and joy to a message of stark warnings about how the world is going to treat his true followers. Through this message, we need to be reminded of the true cost of following Jesus Christ.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 6
February 19, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 15:12–17, 1 John 4:7–12
As Jesus continues his important message to his friends in John 15, teaching them to abide in him has a branch abides in the vine and bears much fruit, he zeros in on one of the most important commands yet - to love one another just as he loved them. In this sermon, we learn about the qualities of Jesus' love, how we can express that kind of love to others, and the amazing reality that we're friends of God.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 5
February 12, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 15:1–11, Isaiah 5:1–7, Jeremiah 2:21, John 8:31
When fear and anxiety are at an all time high, and tensions and pains may seem too overwhelming to bear, how will you respond? In John 15:1-11, Jesus confronts the fears and troubled hearts of his disciples with one simple command - to abide. In this message, we'll look at how we can know if we're abiding, and the fruit that will come as a result.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 4
February 5, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente
As we conclude Jesus's talk with his disciples in John 14, Jesus leaves his followers a legacy truly matters - a legacy of peace. In this sermon, we'll look at 5 different characteristics of this peace that Jesus offers which sets it apart from anything else this world can offer.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 3
January 22, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 14:18–24, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 1:25–27, Matthew 5:14–16
In part 3 of our series 'Upward and Onward,' in which we go verse by verse through Jesus' Upper Room Discourse in John's Gospel, we examine one of the most profound spiritual truths of all - that humanity and deity can be intertwined in this personal, intimate love relationship. In this message, we consider 3 promises that Jesus offers to those in whom he will reside.
Upward & Onward, Pt. 1
January 1, 2023 • Pastor Jeremy Dente • John 13:36—14:11
Before the most culmination of all of Jesus' life and ministry, which climaxed at the Cross of Calvary, Jesus spends one last evening with his disciples to prepare them for what what to come. Namely, that he was going to be with the Father and what that meant for the lives of his followers. Throughout this series, we will take the teachings of Jesus and see how they can encourage, prepare, and inspire us to continue upward and onward in 2023!