Prayer matters because evil is in the world and we cannot outthink it or overcome it by the force of our personal will—we need a power greater than ourselves! Thankfully, Scripture gives us blueprints for prayer: Jesus prayed to His Father, so we do as well; and the demons tremble at the name of Jesus, so we pray in His name. When we fail to pray we leave the doors of God’s possibilities closed. But when we commit ourselves to daily, workmanlike prayer, the outcome can benefit all of us. So, “Let’s pray!”
Let's Pray - Prayer 201
Prayer is a powerful response to life’s challenges. It opens doorways of God’s possibilities because God hears and responds to the prayers of His people. Prayer is an invitation to each of us to cooperate with His purposes, even when we’re not sure of the outcome. When we interact with the people in our lives by saying “Let’s pray,” we interject invitations to walk with God in a non-threatening way. Pastor Allen reminds us that the same power in the prayers of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament disciples is available to us today.
Let's Pray - Improving Vision
Spiritual things are as real as the physical world in which we live; Genesis 1 says that God’s Spirit brought order to the chaos present on earth. Adults are often more comfortable in the rational, physical world, but Jesus said to His followers, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus used the example of a child—with a child’s desire to learn and change—as the doorway to significance in His Kingdom. Just as a child wants to learn, we should want to learn how to align ourselves with His purposes.
America - The Prodigal Returns
October 17, 2021
Governments don’t keep us free, only God does. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses the spiritual awakenings that changed the course of our nation’s history. As today’s Church repents and returns to God, God will begin to awaken us and will move on our behalf. Pastor Allen discusses several American heroes whose faith had a profound impact on the people and circumstances around them. He encourages us to live with a similar commitment to godly character and purpose. The only thing that holds evil at bay is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we’ve been entrusted with taking this good news to our generation. What will our response be?
America - Lest We Forget
October 16, 2021
When men forget God, terrible things unfold. Pastor Allen Jackson discusses the biblical foundations that built America and emphasizes the importance of standing for our faith today, so God is not forgotten. The Ten Commandments outline God’s standards of holiness, and Pastor Allen summarizes what they say and provides insight on how they apply to our lives. It doesn't take long to lose an idea. If we don't fear the Lord and walk uprightly in holiness and righteousness, teaching our children to do the same, that wisdom will be lost to us, as a people.
America - A Choice to Make
October 10, 2021
God has placed an open door before us—a window of opportunity to be salt and light in this unique time. What will our response be? Pastor Allen Jackson discusses leaders in the Bible who stood for God and His Truth in difficult circumstances. God used their lives to change the course of nations, and He is looking for people who will follow Him in the same way, today. Pastor Allen also discusses the book of Job and the tremendous hope, strength, and spiritual growth God offers as a result of enduring hardship.
America - Return to God
October 13, 2021
We’re not the first generation to wander away from God. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses several times in the Bible where God extended mercy and grace to His wayward people, once they decided to return to Him with their whole hearts. What would it look like for us to begin to return to the Lord, as individuals and as a nation? How do we begin? Pastor Allen offers insight, highlighting specific character traits and attitudes we can begin to cultivate to draw closer to the Lord and extend God’s hope, truth, and peace, to those around us.
America - Blessings or Curses
October 9, 2021
In the midst of the troubles facing our nation, God has provided a season for His people to respond. What will we do? In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson reminds us that God is intimately aware of our circumstances, and apart from His mercy and our willingness to yield to Him, we will not live in freedom. Citing scripture from the end of the book of Job, Pastor Allen discusses aspects of God’s character and His sovereignty, and how these truths can inform our lives today. Pastor Allen also suggests several ways we can equip ourselves to follow God’s leading as we move forward.
Let's Please God - We Have a Choice
When we decide to honor God with our lives, it brings a significance to them that extends beyond time. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson offers fundamental principles that can help us understand how to please the Lord. It begins with cultivating a respect and a reverence for God, along with a heart that’s reluctant to do anything that displeases Him. Pastor Allen provides a simple framework to help us evaluate whether our actions, behaviors, attitudes, and intents are pleasing to God—or not. It takes faith to please God, and it also requires being willing to accept His course correction and discipline.
Let's Please God - Character Counts
If we don’t know the character of God, it’s impossible to know how to please Him. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses how, if we intend to please God, we need to recognize what actions bring Him pleasure and those that invite His wrath. We find examples of people pleasing God in every book of the Bible, and Pastor Allen offers insight on what this looks like in Daniel’s life and the parable of the talents. These stories show a variety of behaviors that led to God’s trust and reward, and those that caused His displeasure. We cannot continue to make decisions that go against God's Word and expect Him to continue to extend His blessings. But when we live our lives from a posture of wanting to please Him with our time, energy, and resources, He promises His grace and protection.
Let's Please God — Lead a Life of Significance
God is still recruiting men and women who will give themselves to His purposes. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson talks about the importance of choosing to please God, saying “yes” when He recruits us for assignments. Pastor Allen shows how several heroes in the Bible responded when God asked them to do something difficult. Their initial responses were much like ours: "I’m not ready; I’m not capable; I’m too busy; There are other people more qualified to do that, God.” When God calls us to do something new, it generally comes with challenges. But if we determine to pray, please God, and do difficult things, He will use our lives to accomplish mighty things in His Kingdom.
The End of this Age - Stand Firm
We must change the way we think about the spiritual forces at work around us, Pastor Allen Jackson says. Ignoring them is a naïve and unhelpful response and does not remove us from their influence. Satan rules a kingdom that flourishes in the midst of deception, lies, and partial truths. Jesus won the battle on the cross, and the victory is ours; but Satan has not been banished from this realm yet, so we are still on assignment to be salt and light in the conflict with the unseen forces of evil. Our response is not passive—hiding in our homes and church buildings. We are called to intentionally engage and resist the evil in our world. When we stand firm in our faith and make a difference for God’s Kingdom, we declare the victory that is ours through the redemptive work of Jesus.
Let's Please God
Let's please God. Making that statement the focus of our lives will cause the troubles of this world to dim as we engage in the specific assignments God has for us each day. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson talks about the freedom that comes from choosing to please the Lord in each decision we make. Our tendency is to please men or fit in with the culture. This is nothing new; we see examples of this behavior throughout the Bible. The truth is that our choices either please the Lord—or they don’t. There is no middle ground. Let’s be a generation that’s defined by our willingness to please God.
Let's Please God - Money Matters
Here’s a clear action plan that will help us navigate what’s ahead: Let’s please God. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson talks about some of the difficulties we’re facing as a nation, then offers a pathway toward contentment and peace: making consistent choices that please God. If we allow it, God will use our daily lives to influence, encourage, bless, and bring truth to the people around us—changing hearts, lives, and ultimately our nation. To know how to please God, we need to be familiar with His character and His Word. Pastor Allen offers biblical insight on what pleasing God looks like when it comes to money. When we focus on pleasing God, it opens our lives to His power, every place we go.
America - Restored or Rebuked
God is dealing with His people in our nation, and we can't afford to ignore it. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses issues the United States currently faces including lawlessness, illegal immigration, censorship, and division, and the role of God’s people in the face of this adversity. Our primary allegiance must always be to God’s eternal Kingdom, not an earthly nation, yet God has called us to stand in this time, in this place, for His purposes. Pastor Allen discusses the value of work, the paralyzing effects of fear, and the importance of living out our faith, exactly where God placed us.
