A few preaching excerpts and the teaching curriculum of north clackamas Bible community (ncBc):
Preaching God’s Word
Audio excerpts from sermons delivered to the ncBc community: seven by Mike Sperou, Senior Pastor; one from Kevin Mitchell, Associate Pastor.
- Faith, Ephesians 1.15-16
- Spirit of Wisdom, Ephesians 1.17
- Forgiving, Ephesians 4.32–5.2
- Lord of the Church, Colossians 1.17-18a
- Preeminence of Christ, Colossians 1.18b
- Jesus as Lord, Colossians 2.6-7
- A General Warning, Colossians 2.8
- Strength, Habakkuk 2.4; 3.19
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Faith
Mike reminds the ncBc community that faith and love, along with hope, constitute the true measure of a church and that faith, in particular, always operates in the sphere of Christ’s body: a church in which he is truly Lord.
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers …
Spirit of Wisdom
Mike reminds the ncBc community that we must have a spirit of wisdom, for we must learn how to walk this life — it is a life we do not know how to live if we are not growing in an understanding of God’s Word and living in his church.
… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Forgiving
Mike reminds our community that God’s salvation work in Christ is to serve as the paradigm for how we treat one another: we forgive one another — out of grateful, forgiven hearts — so that each one is freed up to flourish.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Lord of the Church
Mike explains how ‘our church life is a more fundamental reality, a more foundational reality, than our life in culture.’
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church.
Preeminence of Christ
Mike emphasizes that ‘in the church, Christ, who is the Lord of the Church, is to have first place in everything.’
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Jesus as Lord
Mike explains that ‘receiving Christ Jesus the Lord’ is not just a confession; ‘Jesus as Lord’ has very practical implications; it is the foundation upon which Christ’s church is built.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
A General Warning
Mike explains that the warning of Paul is against being taken captive by teaching that is ‘according to the tradition of men’ — that reaffirms and reinforces worldly values, rather than the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Strength
Kevin reminds us that real strength — the kind of faith and noble character that comes from relating to God — enables us to move freely in dangerous, but strategic conditions.
Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith.
… The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places.
Teaching that Equips Teachers
Our formal church teaching curriculum, built around well-known scholastic disciplines, also serves as the primary taxonomy for categorizing the BcResources.
- Foundations
- Hermeneutics and Exegesis
- Biblical Languages
- Einleitungswissenschaft
- Biblical Theology
- Biblical Studies
- Old Testament
- Intertestamental Period
- New Testament
- Theology
- Historical Theology
- Systematic Theology
- Humanities
- History
- Literature
- Philosophy
Representing each of these disciplines, hundreds of free, quality resources are available at BcResources.net.
Preaching and Teaching | END