The Armor of God

White Stone Church

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The Armor of God

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January 29, 2024 • Colby Dorcely • Ephesians 6:10–17

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Living in a modern, fast-paced culture can make it easy to forget that we are in the midst of a battle. And Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter six that it is not a battle against people who believe differently than we do, or people who persecute us for our faith, or even against unbelievers. It is a spiritual battle against the dark forces of the world, our own sinful natures, and the devil himself.

To fight in this spiritual battle requires preparation: being equipped for what is rising against us. In Ephesians six, Paul gives an incredible roadmap of what it takes to navigate the spiritual warfare that we each must face if we intend to follow Jesus, culminating with our one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit.

The Breath of Life

March 25, 2024 • Colby Dorcely • Ezekiel 37:1–14

Holy week seems to always come around when there are all sorts of painful things happening. The image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem challenges our hopelessness, our belief that God has forgotten us and has left us in our despair. In Ezekiel's incredible vision of the valley of dry bones, God asks him an almost ridiculous question: "Can these bones live?" Can God bring resurrection when these bodies have been dead for so long? Is resurrection even possible in this circumstance? Or is the situation too far gone? In this Sermon given on Palm Sunday, Colby finishes up our series on the Holy Spirit by showing us the Holy Spirit's role in resurrection— how God restores the muscles and skin of the dry bones while Ezekiel prophesies, but they aren't truly alive until the breath of the Spirit fills them—the Breath of Life.

The Witness

March 18, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • Acts 5:17–32, Romans 8:12–17, Hebrews 10:15–17

Imagine that you are a defendant in a courtroom, and you are called to the stand to give your side of the story. No matter who you are or how well spoken you are, it would be foolish for the jury to just take you at your word without anyone else corroborating your story. That is why witnesses are so important in a courtroom. In Acts 5, Peter invokes the Holy Spirit himself as a third witness to all that Jesus had done. In that text, as well as several others, the Holy Spirit is described as a "witness." And as we find out by digging into the scriptures, the Holy Spirit's role as a perfect witness to the gospel and to what is true is extremely vital to us and our faith, especially considering how untrustworthy our own emotions and thoughts can be.

Fruit, Not Fruits

March 11, 2024 • Cody Zimmerman • Galatians 5:16–24

We are all living in the middle of a great battle—a battle that rages inside each and every one of us; the battle between the Holy Spirit and our flesh—the natural desires that are in all of our hearts, running counter to God's will for our lives and for human flourishing. And it is into that battle that Paul gives the command to the church, "Walk in step with the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." As it turns out, walking in step with the Spirit is not about modifying our own behavior from our own strength, but instead comes from our identity, and where we are planted. And it is after he gives that command that Paul gives his famous contrast between the "works of the flesh" and the "fruit of the spirit." But instead of contrasting all of the behaviors in those lists, what can we learn by contrasting the names of the lists themselves? What is the difference between "works" and "fruit?"