Sermons That Exalt Christ

Prayer For All Seasons - Part 3

This sermon on James 5:13-18 reveals prayer's priority and power. It teaches prayer is vital in all circumstances (v.13) and for serious illness due to divine chastening for unrepentant sin (v.14-16a), where elders' prayer, anointing, and genuine repentance can bring healing and forgiveness. The text asserts, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" (v.16b). This "righteous man" is a confessed, repentant believer, not living in unconfessed sin, which hinders divine response. Elijah, an ordinary man, illustrates this power: his earnest prayer initiated a 3.5-year drought (chastening for idolatry); later, after repentance, his prayer brought rain, ending the discipline, demonstrating prayer's power to invoke and end God's chastening. Ultimately, the sermon urges believers to prioritize and schedule prayer daily and corporately, recognizing its spiritual vitality, and trusting God's power and wisdom to accomplish His sovereign purposes through it.

Unlikely Eyewitnesses of the Nativity

Prayer For All Seasons - Part 2

In "Prayer for All Seasons (Part 2)" from James 5:13-18, Pastor Tom Pennington opens with the historical resistance to Ignas Semmelweis's handwashing discovery, drawing a parallel to simple biblical solutions like prayer. He outlines a five-point biblical theology of illness: all sickness stems from the Fall, God is its ultimate cause, He sometimes permits Satan to inflict it, God is always the healer (either directly or through means like medicine and doctors), and illness invariably serves His purposes (e.g., glory, humility, dependence, discipline for sin). Focusing on James 5:14-16, the sermon identifies a specific scenario: a seriously ill believer who suspects their condition is divine discipline for unrepentant sin. The **diagnosis** is this specific type of illness. The **prescription** involves calling church elders to pray over the individual, anointing them with oil (symbolizing consecration to God's service, not medicine). The **prognosis** is an absolute promise of forgiveness and divine healing for a repentant believer, facilitated by the elders' prayer of faith.

Church Government: Monarchy, Anarchy, or Democracy? - Part 3

In his sermon "Systematic Theology Church Government: Monarch, Anarchy or Democracy, Part 3 (Elders)," Pastor Tom Pennington explains that a call to serve as an elder, pastor, or overseer in the church is not self-appointed but divinely ordained and biblically confirmed. He outlines four essential tests to discern this call. First is **Craving**, an internal, strong desire for the *work* of ministry�teaching, shepherding, counseling, and protecting God's people�rather than for the position or its perks. Second is **Character**, encompassing a comprehensive list of objective moral and spiritual qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. These include being male, above reproach, "husband of one wife" (interpreted as fidelity to one spouse, with specific considerations for divorce cases), temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money, not a new convert, having a good reputation, not self-willed, loving what is good, just, and devout. While perfection isn't expected, these qualities must characterize the man.

Prayer For All Seasons - Part 1

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon, "James' Prayer for All Seasons," emphasizes that prayer is as essential to a believer's soul as breathing is to the body, drawing from James 5:13-18. Focusing on the "priority of prayer" in verse 13, the message highlights James's call for believers to engage in prayer across all life's circumstances and emotional states. If one is "suffering" or "in trouble"�encompassing everything from physical illness and financial woes to personal struggles and persecution�they "must pray." This involves both asking God to remove trials and, crucially, seeking divine wisdom to find joy and respond righteously amidst hardship. Conversely, if one is "cheerful," experiencing deep inner joy regardless of external circumstances, the appropriate response is to "sing praises." This act of praise is presented as another vital form of prayer, an overflow of the heart acknowledging God's goodness, as exemplified throughout the Psalms. The pastor explains that James intends for "suffering" and "cheerful" to represent every season and emotion of life. Both adversity and ease can lead to spiritual pitfalls�rebellion or complacency, respectively�yet both should consistently compel us towards God. Our God-given emotions are catalysts, prompting us to turn to Him in prayer or praise.

A Psalm for Thanksgiving