In Sermons:

How To Handle The Unexpected Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Dec 18, 2018

Mary serves as an example of how to handle life when life doesn't go as expected--a great example. We all experience this sort of thing, and we find out--life doens't go as expected all the time. How would God have us respond?

The Divine Advent(ure) How to Handle the Unexpected Luke 1:26-56 Have you ever noticed how life never seems to going exactly, or sometimes, even close to your plans? One of my favorite quotes is this one, apparently from an unbeliever: “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” And ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-56

Denomination: Bible Church

First Light Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Dec 18, 2018

God predicted the Messiah would come eons before He did, in the darkness that followed the Fall--giving hope to mankind even after everything had gone wrong. It was the "first light" that shown in the darkness, and the light still shines, and the darkness has yet to overcome it.

The Divine Advent(ure) First Light Genesis 3:14—4:1 This morning, we kick off for the Christmas season, believe it or not, a Christmas series, since Jesus Christ is what the Christmas season is all about. I’m calling it The Divine Advent(ure). We’ll have six messages to consider the Greatest ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:14-19, John 3:16, 1 John 3:8

Denomination: Bible Church

The Ultimate Experience: How Not To Miss It! Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Oct 22, 2018

Some people miss the ultimate experience, in fact, any experience of God whatsoever--even those who claim to be born-again Christians. Why? It comes down to one little word that is pivotal, according to Jesus, in our experience of God.

Have you ever experienced God? Sometimes it's an unsettling question, isn't it? As born again Christians, we often bristle when people accuse us of being religious. At least I do. When they say something like that, I'm quick to explain to them that I don't think of myself so much as having a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:44-49, Acts 2:36-38, James 2:14-26, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Denomination: Bible Church

To Be Righteous, You Must Be A Sinner Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Sep 17, 2018

Jesus said the worst among us--the despised and most sinful--who are repentantly trust not on themselves or their goodness will get to heaven and those who trust in their own rightoeusness will not.

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus To Be Righteous, You Must Be a Sinner Luke 18:9-14 Well, I had another chance to share the Gospel this week. As a pastor, it's an occupational hazard! Actually, the opportunity came as a result of a benevolence call. It has become our policy at Risen King that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14, Romans 3:23, 1 Peter 3:18

Denomination: Bible Church

Jesus' Chilling Warning, Part Ii Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Sep 17, 2018

How can we explain that some who even prophesy, cast out demons and do miracles in Jesus name will find out on Judgment Day that they have not done the will of God and are headed to hell?

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus Jesus' Chilling Warning, Part II Matthew 7:13-28 As we attended Dallas Seminary in the 1980s, my brother-in-law was attending dental school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at Oral Roberts University and lived in the student dorms there. So we would often visit them in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-27, 1 Corinthians 12:1-3, 1 John 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:9-10

Denomination: Bible Church

Jesus' Chilling Warning, Part I Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Sep 17, 2018

No more chilling, nightmarish warning can be found anywhere in Scripture than Jesus' in Matthew 7:21-23--that many will come before Him on Judgment Day assured they're going to heave and will find out differently.

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus Jesus’ Chilling Warning Matthew 7:21-23 As paradoxical sayings go, we’ve come to one of the very hardest of all the sayings of Jesus this morning, a saying, which “paradoxically” comes near the very end of what most people regard to be the greatest sermon ever ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-23, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Denomination: Bible Church

Gentle Strength Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Aug 13, 2018

Since when has there ever been a cause/effect relationship between being gentle and inheriting the earth? It has always been the brutal, the powerful, the violent who have ruled the earth in this age. But Jesus promises there will be a grand reversal!

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus Gentle Strength Matthew 5:5 & Selected Passages This morning I've chosen for our Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus series one of the Beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:5: "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." Now, I suspect some ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:24-25

Denomination: Bible Church

Forgivable & Unforgivable Sin? Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Aug 13, 2018

Jesus talked about a sin that was unforgivable, or unpardonable. What is the unpardonable sin? Is it possible that a believer can commit it? Let's do some hard thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew 12:30-32 and what the book of Hebrews says.

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus: Forgivable & Unforgivable Sin? Matthew 12:30-32 This morning we consider another of Jesus' paradoxical statements: "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 Whoever speaks ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:30-32, Hebrews 6:1-7, Hebrews 3:12-15

Denomination: Bible Church

The Paradoxical Sayings Of Jesus: Lose Your Life To Save It Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Jul 30, 2018

Perhaps Jesus' most challenging saying of all is that to save your lives we must be willing to lose it for His sake and the Gospels. We explore what this really means practically, and whether Jesus meant for it to be literally true.

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus Lose Your Life to Save It Mark 8:31-39 We continue in our summer series on the paradoxical sayings of Jesus. Jesus said a number of things which violate common sense, and seem to be impossible with regard to all the realities we face in this world, and would not ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:31-38

Denomination: Bible Church

The Paradoxical Sayings Of Jesus: Give . . . And It Shall Be Given You Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Jul 30, 2018

Giving generously, beyond a tithe, is promoted by Jesus. In fact, He absolutely promises that if we give generously we will receive abundantly, even beyond measure.

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus "Give . . . & It Shall Be Given You" Luke 6:38 In 1968 a Harvard college student by the name of Kent M. Keith wrote a booklet for student leaders entitled: The Paradoxical Commandments: Finding Meaning in a Crazy World. The booklet turned out to be quite a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, Proverbs 3:9-10

Denomination: Bible Church

The Paradoxical Saying Of Jesus: To Be Great, Be The Least Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Jul 27, 2018

Jesus said many counter-intuitive, counter-cultural and against-common sense statements which emphasize the difference between worldly values and Kingdom priorities. This series examines how these very challenging statements applies to our lives

The Paradoxical Sayings of Jesus To Be Great, Be the Least Selected Passages To be truly great in life, seek to be the least! This has to be one of the most incredible, unbelievable, counter-intuitive, counter-cultural statements of all time. Essentially it is a statement that the way up in life ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-5, Luke 22:24-27, Mark 9:33-37, Luke 9:46-48

Denomination: Bible Church

Precursor To The Great: Faithfulness In The Small Series

Contributed by James Wallace on May 17, 2018

Joseph was faithful in small things during very difficult times. He who is faithful with a little will be entrusted with much. It was after years of faithfulness in smaller things in very difficult circumstances that God entrusted Him with great things.

Fixing Family Feuds Precursor to the Great: Faithfulness in the Small Genesis 40 As we have studied the life of Joseph, a fair question we might ask is there are any modern-day examples of lives that have been blessed like godly Joseph's ultimately was. This week the Christian world has mourned ...read more

Denomination: Bible Church

How To Experience God's Protection Series

Contributed by James Wallace on May 17, 2018

The Blessed Assurance that no evil shall befall us regardless of the circumstances should cause us to rest contentedly in the fact the Most High, Almighty Jesus, will protect us and deliver us from any and every threat.

Connecting with God How to Experience God's Protection Psalm 91 As I studied Psalm 91 this week, I was reminded of my experiences with 2 different young men whom I met when I worked in Yellowstone National Park back in the summer of 1971. Two young men whom I never saw again, but strangely whose ...read more

Denomination: Bible Church

Forsaking Foibles That Fracture Families Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 1, 2018

How to avoid creating the environment that produces sibling rivalries, bitter jealousy and self ambition in families.

Fixing Family Feuds Forsaking Foibles that Fracture Families Genesis 37:1-11 This morning we begin a new series on the life of Joseph, which I've entitled, Fixing Family Feuds. The Title is actually inadequate—yes a family feud was fixed, but an incredibly gracious God and an incredibly faithful ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-11

Denomination: Bible Church

Three Great Skeptics . . . Who Believed Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Apr 19, 2017

The very people we only think of as being great believers in Jesus in the first century were actually absolutely skeptical about Jesus' promise that He would be resurrected. The 3 resisted belief despite multiple supernatural evidences.

Three Great Skeptics . . . Who Believed Selected Scripture The TV Progam Sixty Minutes was recently did a feature on Sesame Street, the pre-school educational program that involves the Muppets. After explaining that it was originally an experiment to see if under-privileged pre-school children ...read more

Denomination: Bible Church