Carlton Landing Community Church Sermons

Testimonies: Paul

Saul of Tarsus was an unlikely candidate to become a Christian. As a persecutor of the church, he was running the opposite way, and God turned him around, forgave him, showed him grace, and sent him on a mission. As the last testimony in our series, this passage shows us that God can save anyone!

Testimonies: Cornelius

The gospel began making its way out into the world and there was a God-fearing Gentile in Caesarea named Cornelius. He confronts us with an important question: Do good people need to convert? Though he was a good person, through he Gospel he became a godly person. 

Testimonies: The Ethiopian Eunuch

On a desert road headed out of Jerusalem, two unlikely characters crossed paths and one was changed forever. The story of the Ethiopian Eunuch is a stunning conversion that reminds us of the power of God's word, the nature of evangelism, and the unlikely people God draws to himself. His story is one of seeking, finding, and rejoicing.

Testimonies: Rahab

Rahab was written off in every way possible. She is one of the least likely converts in the Bible, but she had heard about God. When the opportunity came, she put her trust in him. It's no surprise that she's listed in the great "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11. She shows us what it means to put our faith in God, no matter what we've done or where we find ourselves. She was far off, and by faith, she was brought near. 

Testimonies: Naaman

Naaman was an unlikely convert for an unusual reason: he had no need for God. He was totally successful in everything he tried, except for one thing. He had leprosy. He had searched far and wide for a cure when a slave girl asked if he would be willing to try the prophet in Israel. Naaman was incomplete, he received grace, and was made whole. 

Testimonies: Obed-Edom

All through the Bible, God brings the outsiders and the unlikely into his family. Maybe no one was more unlikely than Obed-Edom, a placeholder for the ark of the covenant whose life was completely transformed by God. What can we learn from his testimony about following Christ? Obed-Edom went from a placeholder to a beholder to a doorholder. We've been called to do the same.

The Secret to Contentment: Phil. 4:10-23

In his final words to the church in Philippi, Paul thanks them for their gifts and encourages them for their generosity. This church was special to him because of their long partnership in the gospel. But then he explains the secret to being content in every circumstance and ends the letter with one of the great lines in Scripture: "And my God will supply all of your needs through his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Do Not Worry: Phil. 4:1-9

Do not worry. Easier said than done. But in the final section of the letter to the Philippians, Paul gives us the secret to peace and the antidote to worry.

Setting an Example: Phil 3:17-21

Our lives are highly influenced by who we follow. Paul calls on all Christians to set their eyes on godly examples who will lead them to Christ. 

Press On: Phil. 3:12-16

Though he seems that way to us, Paul was not perfect. He didn't have it all figured out, but he knew one thing: keep pressing on. The Christian life is lived in motion, moving toward the goal and finishing the race. In this passage, we find tremendous comfort and an inspiring challenge. We press on because Christ has made us his own. That precious truth sustains us through the race.