Sermons That Exalt Christ

The preaching of God’s Word is central to the life of the church. Tom's pulpit ministry is dedicated to providing clear, biblical teaching to equip believers, strengthen faith, and exalt Christ.

Black and white close-up of a person writing in a notebook with an open book beside them.
A man giving a speech at a podium.

Explore messages organized to help you grow in Christ.

Search and filter sermons for quick access.

2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
An Aerial View of the New Testament
An Aerial View of the Old Testament
Anchored Section 1
Anchored Section 2
Anchored Section 3
Baptism Services
Bible Study for Every Christian
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Christmas Concert Messages
Christmas Sermons
Committing to Christian Relationships
Daniel
Deadly Dangers
Embracing Our Church's Distinctives
Ephesians
Five Hallmarks of a Biblical Church
Hold Fast
Hook, Line and Sinker
Just by Faith Alone
Lies Christians Believe
Look in the Mirror!
Lord, Teach Us To Pray
Mark - The Memoirs of Peter
Marriage & Family by God's Design
Missions Sunday
No Whining Allowed
Ordination Services
Passion Week Sermons
Power Over Temptation
Preserving the Unity of the Church
Psalm 23
Q&A
Recovering a Lost Legacy
Revelation
Riches to Rags
Romans
Ruth
Sanctification
Six Steps to Spiritual Stability
Sunday Evening Online
Systematic Theology
Thanksgiving Sermons
The Distinctives of Countryside Bible Church
The First Testament of Jesus Christ
The Memoirs of Peter
The Reason We Live
The Sermon on the Mount
Trending vs. Truth
United in Christ!
Watch Your Mouth!
We Were Made to Worship
When Life's Not Fair
Your Faith, Dead or Alive?
1 Corinthians
1 John
1 Peter
1 Samuel
1 Timothy
2 Corinthians
2 Thessalonians
2 Timothy
Acts
Colossians
Daniel
Deuteronomy
Ecclesiastes
Ephesians
Exodus
Galatians
Genesis
Hebrews
Isaiah
James
John
Lamentations
Luke
Malachi
Mark
Matthew
Numbers
Philippians
Proverbs
Psalms
Revelation
Romans
Ruth
Titus
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
2009-10-18

Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death - Part 2

The sermon on Mark 5:21-43 vividly portrays Jesus as the "Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death," showcasing His unparalleled sovereignty over disease and death. The narrative focuses on two "hopeless cases" that find radical hope in Him. The first involves Jairus, a synagogue official, whose twelve-year-old daughter is at death's door. As Jesus responds to his plea, a woman, suffering from a debilitating hemorrhage for twelve years, approaches Him. Having exhausted all other options, she discreetly touches Jesus' cloak, believing it will heal her. Instantly cured, she is called out by Jesus, who affirms her genuine faith, calling her "Daughter," and declaring she is "saved" (sozo), signifying both her physical healing and spiritual salvation. This highlights the personal and comprehensive nature of faith in Christ. While this interaction occurs, Jairus receives tragic news: his daughter has died. Jesus immediately strengthens him with the command, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." Arriving at Jairus's house, filled with professional mourners, Jesus calmly states the child is "asleep," indicating death's temporary state under His authority. He then takes the girl's hand and commands, "Talitha kum!" (Little girl, get up!), and she is instantly resurrected.

Tom Pennington
Access Now
|
Mark - The Memoirs of Peter
2009
2009-09-27

Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death - Part 1

This sermon on Mark 5:21-43, "Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death," begins by noting humanity's shared fate of death and the desperate need for a Savior. It introduces two individuals facing seemingly hopeless circumstances: Jairus, a prominent synagogue official whose 12-year-old daughter is at death's door, and an anonymous woman who has suffered a chronic, incurable hemorrhage for twelve years, rendering her an outcast and financially ruined. Their interwoven stories demonstrate Jesus's ultimate authority. The delay in Jesus's journey to Jairus's home, caused by the woman's faith-filled touch and subsequent healing, allows Jairus's daughter to die. This allows Jesus to perform a resurrection, proving His power over death itself, not just disease. This narrative directly counters critics who questioned His identity. The text draws several spiritual lessons: God shows no partiality, ministering equally to the influential Jairus and the anonymous, ritually unclean woman. It illustrates how God prepares hearts for faith through various paths�sudden intervention, crisis revealing existing knowledge, or prolonged suffering leading to utter desperation. Ultimately, both individuals display saving faith: rooted in personal need, expressed through self-denial and a willingness to risk everything, and placing complete, exclusive confidence in Christ alone.

Tom Pennington
Access Now
|
Mark - The Memoirs of Peter
2009
2009-09-27

How to Pursue Sexual Purity - Part 1

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on pursuing sexual purity, based on Ephesians 5, begins by illustrating humanity's pre-Christ bondage to sin with the story of Raynald, a man imprisoned by his own appetites. In Christ, believers are freed and called to "walk as children of Light," adopting God's absolute standard for purity: "not even a hint" of sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness (lust), filthy talk, silly talk, or coarse jesting. This zero-tolerance approach is critical, as sexual sin, like a drug or cancer, escalates and metastasizes if any room is given. Christ's purity is the ultimate standard to pursue. The sermon then debunks common, ineffective human strategies for achieving purity. These "wrong means" include compromising with temptation, practicing legalism through man-made rules (which only awaken the flesh), seeking isolation (as sin originates from within), hoping for sudden miraculous deliverance (sanctification is a lifelong war), believing marriage eradicates all lust, focusing solely on one sin rather than holistic spiritual maturity, and shifting blame for one's actions. These approaches are ultimately useless. Instead, a crucial biblical means introduced is "giving of thanks.

Tom Pennington
Access Now
|
Ephesians
2009
2009-09-20

God's Standard of Sexual Purity

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Ephesians 5:3-4 urges Christians to adopt God's standard of sexual purity, a topic often culturally avoided but directly addressed in Scripture. He argues that "walking as children of Light" (Ephesians 5:8) necessitates a life of moral and sexual purity, a lifelong battle made possible by God's grace and instruction. The first crucial strategy is embracing God's explicit standard against six sins, categorized into actions, thoughts, and speech. Sexual sins of action include "immorality" (Greek *porneia*, encompassing all illicit sexual intercourse like premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality) and "impurity" (uncleanness, covering other perversions and misuses of sexuality). Sexual sins of thought, or "covetousness," refer to any sexual desire for someone other than one's spouse, including lustful looking, pornography, and craving relationships outside marriage. Finally, sexual sins of speech comprise "filthiness" (obscene talk), "silly talk" (crude sexual humor), and "coarse jesting" (witty sexual innuendo). These are forbidden because speech both reveals and directs the heart toward sin, and Paul insists there should "not even be a hint" of these among believers. Acknowledging our inability to perfectly meet this high standard, the sermon concludes by emphasizing the importance of justification.

Tom Pennington
Access Now
|
Ephesians
2009
2009-09-20

No Chains He Cannot Break!

This sermon, "Peter No Chains He Cannot Break," based on Mark 5:1-20, asserts Jesus' power to free anyone from the deepest slavery to sin and Satan, even the most seemingly hopeless cases. The text describes Jesus' encounter with the demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes, a Gentile area. This man epitomized spiritual enslavement: dwelling among tombs, naked, self-harming, violent, and controlled by a "Legion" of demons. The demons, recognizing Jesus as the "Son of the Most High God," plead not to be tormented. Jesus casts them into a herd of 2,000 pigs, which then drown in the sea, demonstrating His supreme authority over evil. The miraculous deliverance elicits contrasting responses: the townspeople, fearing Jesus and lamenting their financial loss, demand He leave. However, the newly freed man, now sane and clothed, desires to follow Jesus. Instead, Jesus commissions him to return home and proclaim "what great things the Lord has done for you," transforming him into an evangelist for the Decapolis region. The sermon concludes by stressing the infinite value of human life, the international reach of the Gospel, and the priority of personal evangelism.

Tom Pennington
Access Now
|
Mark - The Memoirs of Peter
2009
2009-09-13

The Wind & Waves Still Obey Him

Pastor Tom Pennington introduces the biblical account of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41) by reflecting on personal experiences with natural disasters, which instilled in him an awe of God's power. He recounts how Jesus intentionally led His disciples, experienced fishermen, into a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. While the disciples feared for their lives, Jesus slept peacefully. Upon waking Him, they questioned His care, to which Jesus responded by rebuking the wind and sea, instantly bringing perfect calm. This left the disciples more terrified by Jesus' power than by the storm itself, prompting them to wonder, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" Pennington extracts five key principles from this narrative: all storms in life are part of Jesus' divine design; though we may doubt His care, Jesus is always present; He can calm any storm with a word, acting in His own time; storms test our faith; and we should fear (revere) Christ more than our circumstances. The story highlights Jesus' unique personhood as both fully human and divine, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over all creation.

Tom Pennington
Access Now
|
Mark - The Memoirs of Peter
2009

No Results Found.

We couldn’t find anything matching your search.

Now Playing -
Now Playing
00:00
-00:00