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.

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2 Corinthians
An Aerial View of the New Testament
An Aerial View of the Old Testament
Anchored Section 1
Anchored Section 2
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Bridge Over Troubled Water
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Deadly Dangers
Embracing Our Church's Distinctives
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Five Hallmarks of a Biblical Church
Hold Fast
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Just by Faith Alone
Lies Christians Believe
Look in the Mirror!
Lord, Teach Us To Pray
Mark - The Memoirs of Peter
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No Whining Allowed
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Riches to Rags
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Six Steps to Spiritual Stability
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The Deadly Sin of Anger
The Distinctives of Countryside Bible Church
The First Testament of Jesus Christ
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The Reason We Live
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Trending vs. Truth
United in Christ!
Watch Your Mouth!
We Were Made to Worship
When Life's Not Fair
Your Faith, Dead or Alive?
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2017-06-25

Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 7

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Romans 6:1-14 highlights this passage as foundational for understanding the daily battle with sin. He uses Martyn Lloyd-Jones' illustration of being transferred from Satan's domain to grace's realm at salvation, underscoring that believers are no longer slaves to sin. Paul emphatically rejects the idea that increased grace permits continued sin, explaining that regeneration signifies a spiritual "death to sin's rule" and union with Christ's death and resurrection. Pennington presents nine propositions about sanctification: it's doctrine-driven, Christ-enabled, God's complete work, yet demands maximum human effort (a synergistic process). It's a lifelong battle, completed only at death or Christ's return, and must be pursued from motives of gratitude and God's glory, not personal comfort. Ultimately, sanctification is guaranteed by God's purpose to conform us to Christ. The sermon focuses on Romans 6:12, "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts." While sin's *reign* is broken, its *presence* remains, with the "mortal body" and unredeemed brain serving as a base for sinful cravings (lusts). Therefore, Christians must constantly choose not to submit to these desires.

Tom Pennington
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Romans
2017
2017-06-18

Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 6

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Romans 6:1-14 highlights that believers are no longer slaves to sin, a fundamental change wrought by Christ's death and resurrection. Paul refutes the idea that grace allows continued sin, stressing that Christians have "died to sin," signifying the permanent breaking of sin's dominion in their lives. The central command in Romans 6:11 is to "consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." This isn't about pretending or wishful thinking, but about factually acknowledging what God has *already done* through regeneration. The Greek word "consider" (logizomai), often used in accounting, means to evaluate and accept as true based on careful calculation. Believers are to firmly post this reality in their minds: their "old self" died with Christ, and they are now alive to God, experiencing peace, grace, and eternal life through their union with Jesus. Practicing this involves diligent study of Romans 6:1-10, believing God's word despite personal feelings, and consistently reminding oneself of this new identity, particularly during temptation.

Tom Pennington
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Romans
2017
2017-06-11

A Virtual Tour of the Reformation

This "Virtual Tour of the Reformation," delivered on its 500th anniversary, highlights the movement as a recovery of biblical truth from the "darkness" of medieval Roman Catholicism, symbolized by the motto "post tenebras lux" (after darkness, light). Pastor Tom Pennington identifies the Reformation's core as the Five Solas: Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, and Soli Deo Gloria, which answered fundamental questions about church authority and salvation. The ultimate hero, he asserts, is Jesus Christ building His church. The sermon traces the Reformation's foundations through pre-Reformers like Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, and Jan Hus, who championed Scripture's accessibility and authority. It then explores the main streams: Martin Luther in Germany, John Calvin in Geneva, and Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland. Luther's personal struggle led to his understanding of justification by faith, the posting of the 95 Theses, his excommunication, and his pivotal German Bible translation, which influenced William Tyndale's English Bible. Calvin, a second-generation Reformer, wrote the *Institutes* and directed the creation of the influential Geneva Bible. Zwingli, a contemporary of Luther, independently advocated for reform in Zurich through verse-by-verse biblical preaching.

Tom Pennington
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2017
2017-06-11

Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 5

In "Romans Sin Is Not Your Master (Part 5)," Tom Pennington critiques non-biblical approaches to sin like monasticism and asceticism, arguing these man-made efforts, such as living as hermits or on columns, are futile and "of no value against fleshly indulgence," as sin resides within. Instead, the sermon grounds the solution in Romans 6, asserting that Christians have received a spiritual "Emancipation Proclamation" from sin's mastery. Through union with Christ at salvation, believers have died to sin's reign, dominion, and slavery. The "old self" was crucified with Christ, rendering the body of sin ineffective. Just as Christ was permanently raised from the dead, believers are spiritually raised to walk in a new, permanent life *now*. This radical heart change means that an ongoing, unrepentant pattern of sin is incompatible with true Christianity. Christ died to sin once for all and now lives to God; similarly, believers have permanently died to the realm of sin and death and now "live forever to God," with sin dethroned from its kingly power.

Tom Pennington
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Romans
2017
2017-06-04

Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 4

Pastor Tom Pennington critiques the common, flawed view of salvation as a human decision leading to moral self-reliance, arguing it contradicts Scripture. He emphasizes that true salvation requires regeneration�a miraculous, divine act of God imparting new spiritual life. This "spiritual heart transplant" (Ezekiel 36) or "new birth" (John 3) is a radical, instantaneous transformation, not mere reformation. At regeneration, the "old self" (enslaved to sin) is crucified with Christ, dying and being replaced by an entirely new person in Christ. This means believers are no longer slaves to sin, though they still contend with "the flesh"�their unredeemed humanness. This struggle is a "mop-up operation" against a defeated enemy, not a war between two equal natures. Understanding this radical change is crucial: it provides the best evidence of true salvation and forms the foundation for all Christian growth and holiness. Like slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, Christians must grasp their spiritual emancipation from sin's mastery to live in its freedom.

Tom Pennington
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Romans
2017
2017-05-14

Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 3

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Romans 6:1-14 emphasizes that believers are no longer slaves to sin, refuting the idea of continuing in sin. He clarifies that "dying to sin" means dying to its *reign* at salvation, a radical change in our relationship with sin. Pennington argues this "death" to sin occurs through the **baptism of the Holy Spirit**, not water baptism. He debunks the idea of water baptism as salvific or merely a sign in this context, citing scriptural reasons. Instead, the Spirit's baptism immerses us into Christ's body, creating an unbreakable union. This union means we were "baptized into His death" and "buried with Him," signifying the finality of our old self. Crucially, we were also "raised with Him to walk in newness of life," becoming a "new creation" in Christ. Key lessons: foundational knowledge of these truths is paramount for overcoming sin. True Christians cannot perpetually live in unrepentant sin; God will discipline them or even take their lives. Sustained unrepentant sin, if unchecked, signals one was never truly saved. Union with Christ provides security, ensuring grace reigns and leads to increasing righteousness, transforming us into new creations.

Tom Pennington
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Romans
2017

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