Sermons on Fuller:

Keep Driving Until You Can't Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 7, 2008

When faced with adversity, our tendency is to panic, take our hands off the wheel, and just let it happen to us. We see in the example of Paul and Barnabas that God is in control no matter what happens and that as long as you can share the gospel you can

Introduction I took a course on defensive driving some time ago. The instructor said the most important concept to remember is to keep driving until you can’t any more. What he meant is that when faced with a crisis on the road we have a natural tendency to freak out and take our hands off the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:1-28

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Dealing With Disputes Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 14, 2008

Whether your dispute is with another believer or with a whole church, there are vital lessons to handling conflict contained in Acts 15. Learn how to find God’s will, keep your integrity, and still be a family.

Raise your hand if you have ever had a dispute with another Christian. Hopefully we all raised our hands because if we have never had a dispute then we are not really actively plugged into the body life in Jesus. Disputes occur for a number of reasons, some good, some bad. Often disputes come from ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:1-41

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Plan B Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 21, 2008

Do you ever get into a situation where you are trying to follow God’s will but things just don’t seem to work out? If so, you are in good company. Find out how the Lord used a pinball to guide Paul, and you!

We’d love to get an email from God with our day all planned out but it doesn’t work that way. And so we seek God and move forward—only to run into road blocks and rivers and dead ends. So what gives? Does the fact that things don’t work out perfectly mean we don’t hear God or are somehow not ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:1-40

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

How Do You Hear The Word? Part 1 Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 29, 2008

When God’s Word is communicated, the state of your mind can greatly affect how your heart receives what God is saying. We have the first part in a discussion from Acts 17 on the ways the Bible is communicated and received.

Chapter 17 gives us three glimpses at how people process the Word of God. Isn’t contrast great? Medical science uses contrast to find anomalies in the body, and here we use contrast to see the different approaches people take to the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ll look at the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-15

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

How Do You Receive The Word Part 2 Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 5, 2008

The philosophers of Paul’s day are not really that much different from what we see in the world around us in a post-Christian society. How Paul addressed them can help us in dealing with people who collect thoughts like Matchbox cars.

What did you collect as a child? I collected a number of things, pennies, model trains, marbles, and Matchbox® cars. I would wait anxiously until my mother would drive me down to the toy store so I could drool over the latest and greatest tiny little car or truck. I used to show off my more ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Finding Friends In Low Places Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 12, 2008

Do you ever find yourself in a place where nothing is going right? The Apostle Paul came to Corinth in just such a state. Learn how God brought him help and fellowship just when he needed it.

The recent plunges by the world stock markets, bank failures, fortunes lost, even suicides by financial planners—all bring back chilling reminders of the Great Depression. 25% of Americans were unemployed. People couldn’t find work that lasted and many people lost their homes. Discouragement was at ...read more

Scripture: Acts 18:1-28

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Firing On All Cylinders Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 19, 2008

Finally after years of struggle, Paul sees victory after victory, even amidst tough opposition in Ephesus. It is an affirmation of his apostleship. What happens as God begins to work more through you than on you?

Chapter 19 could be called the High Point in Paul’s ministry. In this chapter he goes to the place he may have wanted to go way back at the beginning: Ephesus. God confirms his authority as an apostle by healing, his reputation as an apostle through mention by demons, vindication of his ministry ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-41

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Living Life Upside Down Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jun 2, 2009

One of the hardest things we as Christians have to deal with is people who don’t like us and who do bad things to us. We think we know how to react but Paul turns life upside down as he gives us the real way to overcome our enemies.

Here are a set of principles that many of us live by without knowing it. • Each negative action towards us should be met with an overwhelming opposite reaction so that those that oppose us will be crushed and humiliated. • Be happy when others are happy. Be absent when others are ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:14-21

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Love Your Government Neighbor Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jun 14, 2009

As Christians many believe government is an evil that should be avoided or opposed. Paul encourages us to be a redemptive force for the gospel by actually getting along with governmental authorities.

As we get into chapter 13, let’s sum up where we’ve been. Chapter 12 marks a big change in Romans—going from the theological to the practical—how do we live out what we’ve learned about God and us and God’s plan? Chapter 12 could be summed up like this: “The only reasonable thing to do in response ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:1-14

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Loving Your Rights Or Your Right To Love Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jun 22, 2009

What distractions keep you from being an effective witness for Jesus Christ? One of the chief distractions is focusing on the minor differences between us, instead of building each other up in love. Paul takes this topic head-on in Romans 14.

We’ve been talking about making ourselves available to become like God and be used by God in his Great Story. Have you ever had an important task to do—a paper to write, an assignment at work to complete, a check book that needs to be balanced? As you set yourself to that task, the phone rings, you ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:1-4

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Loving Your Rights Or Your Right To Love Part 2 Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jun 28, 2009

We continue to look at how the Lord desires us to live in the war zone of this age - compliant with government as long as it doesn’t force us to violate God’s Word and loving to others who are not as far along as we in their walk with God.

Living as a believer in this age is like being in a war zone. It’s hostile territory. In chapters 12-15 Paul explains how we can not only exist, but do God’s will and even thrive in enemy lands. We do it by knowing our place and purpose. Our place is as a part of the body of Christ and our purpose ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:5-23

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Be Encouraged! Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jul 5, 2009

Paul’s final theological words to the Romans hold a lot of weight. But in some ways Paul says to ’lighten up!’ when it comes to dealing with people who are different than us in the body of Christ.

We’ve been talking a lot about getting along in a hostile environment. That, to use an old adage, honey attracts more flies than vinegar. To be a compliant citizen of your nation, even when it doesn’t reflect the character of God very well, is a good thing because it allows the spotlight to be on ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-33

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Hope In The Hard Times Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 7, 2007

Do you go through difficult trials that don’t seem to have any way out? So did Naomi, but God showed his love and an alternative she hadn’t thought of, like he does with us.

Ruth was written in perhaps the 2nd half of the 12th century, making it contemporary with Jephthah and Samson of Judges 11 and following. This is important because if you didn’t know that you’d think there’s no way the events could take place concurrently with Judges. Judges is filled with ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Relationships Take Commitment Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 28, 2007

How much risk have you taken in your relationship with God? In the final chapters of Ruth we learn how far and how anxious God is to have a relationship with us and what commitment he makes to us.

Every good relationship takes risk and commitment. Don’t you find that to be the case? If we never risk letting our true selves out there we will never have good relationships and if we don’t commit to those relationships in a meaningful and ongoing way we will not keep them. Certainly, every good ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

The Sideways Attack Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Apr 1, 2007

Satan won’t play dead for long as we grow in our maturity for the Lord. Learn how Joshua and Israel was fooled by a sly enemy, and how not to be fooled by Satan.

There is only so much victory in a Christian’s life that Satan will accept without a fight. Know for certain that the stronger you get, the stronger the response from the enemy will be. We need to know this so we can be prepared for his onslaught. It will be both unexpected and sly. For Joshua, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 9:1-27

Denomination: Calvary Chapel