Light in the Darkness

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / April 20, 2025 – EASTER SUNDAY

Text: Job 19:25-27

Life fell apart for Job. He lost it all. How does a person survive that?

Read Job 19:25-27

I. REASSURANCE

“For I know” (vs.25)

Acts 1:13 –

“To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”

Several areas of proof

The empty tomb
Peter
Disciples
500 brethren at once saw Jesus (1 Corinthians 15)
James
Thomas

Job could face his darkness in life because of his reassurance

II. REDEEMER

Every life is empty and hopeless without Jesus

Read Romans 3:23 “… the wages of sin is death…”

Read Ezekiel 18:20 “… the soul that sins will surely die … “

The good news? Good Friday preceded Easter.

III. RESURRECTION

Read Job 19:25 – “For I know that my redeemer liveth”

The central event of God’s redemptive work is … the resurrection

Read 1 Corinthians 15:13

Job could go on in life because of his Redeemer’s resurrection

IV. RESCUE

Jesus – He is our personal resurrected Redeemer

Standing Tall to the End

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / April 13, 2025

Series: Standing Tall

Text: 2 Kings 2

Every story has an end – and every person has an ending.

I. THE PATHWAY OF TESTING

Read 2 Kings 2:1-8

Places Elijah took Elisha

The first place: GILGAL – where God removed the reproach of Egypt from Israel
The second place: BETHEL – where Jacob met with God
The third place: JERICHO – a place of battle and of miracles
The fourth place: JORDAN – a place of a double portion

What price are you willing to pay for a double portion of God’s anointing in your life?

II. THE PASSING OF THE TORCH

Read 2 Kings 2:9-10

Elijah was putting Elisha through the tests

III. THE PARTING OF THE TEACHER

Read 2 Kings 2:11-12

“Elijah had been one of the strongest instruments of God’s power. Just like the chariot was the mightiest weapon of military strength of Israel.” – Charles Ryrie

“For most of my life I thought I would be alive when Jesus comes at the rapture. I think most Christians hope for this. Even so, I am prepared now to die, and I want to die well.” – R.T. Kendall

“I’m not looking for a hole in the ground but in the sky. But now as I have gotten older, realize the hole in the ground may very well be a reality.” – Harold Sightler

Our citizenship is in Heaven

Read Philippians 3:20

IV. THE PROOF OF THE TRANSFER

Read 2 Kings 2:13-14

A Man Continuing to Stand Tall

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / April 6, 2025

Sermon Series: Standing Tall

Text: 2 Kings 1:1-18

Elijah: an old prophet – a man continuing to stand tall

I. THE EVIL OF AHAZIAH

Read 2 Kings 1:2

Where do you go for wisdom?

Prayer
God’s Word (Proverbs)
Godly mentors
Parents

Proverbs 2 – seek wisdom like we would seek gold

Read 2 Kings 1:3

Evil gets God’s attention

Read 2 Kings 1:4

God sought for a man who knew how to stand tall

Read 2 Kings 1:5-6

“Thus saith the LORD” – the safest type of message to deliver

This rebuke to Ahaziah is twofold:

The Reason – he sought false gods in obedience
The Result – death

II. THE EGO OF AHAZIAH

Read 2 Kings 1:7-8

Ahaziah heard about Elijah from his wicked parents – Ahab & Jezebel

Read 2 Kings 1:9-10

Had Ahaziah forgotten that Elijah was the Prophet of Fire?

Read 2 Kings 1:11-12

God’s judgment is called down once again

Read Prov 15:21

Read 2 Kings 1:13-14

God gives clear instructions (2 Kings 1:15)

Read Prov 24:16

“Get up – and let God use you again”

III. THE ELIMINATION OF AHAZIAH

Read 2 Kings 1:16-17

Costly decision can bring decades of misery

IV. THE EXAMINATION OF AHAZIAH

The crucial lessons to learn from this story:

A. How God seeks us

Read Luke 9:54, Luke 9:55-56

“God does different things in different times for different people for different reasons.”

B. How God saves us

“The infinite Son of God suffered the infinite penalty for the infinite sin of the world.”

C. How God secures us

Read 2 Kings 1:16

The God of the Bible demands our highest allegiance, our total adoration and our unconditional obedience

Sermon: God’s Good Plan for You / by Pastor Tim Block

March 30, 2025

Scripture: John 17

God’s good plan is for you to be saved, sanctified, and sent out.

CHARACTER & CONSISTENCY of the person praying determines the value of the prayer.

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.

John 17 gives us a glimpse into what Jesus is praying for right now…

His heart for you.
What He wants to see take place in your life
How He wants the best for you

BIG IDEA: God’s good plan is for you to be saved, sanctified, and sent out.

Saved (v. 3)

READ John 17:3 – “know you” – personal relationship

– “whom You have sent” — Jesus was sent from heaven to us – because we couldn’t get to Him on our own.

John 17:8 – “they believed that You sent me”

READ Romans 10:9-10 – That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Sanctified (v. 17)

That our relationship with God would continually deepen, changing us from the inside out

READ John 17:17

Sanctify = to set apart for a purpose

Newer Christians –
- Be patient with yourself
- Be consistent and faithful
Older Christians –
- stay humble and keep growing
- be patient with others

Sent Out (v. 18)

A sense of purpose and mission

READ John 17:8

James 4:17 — Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

If God is calling you, follow Him, even if it doesn’t fully make sense.

If God commands you, OBEY, even if it’s not comfortable, or popular.

Take risks for the glory of God.

If God has a good plan for you, and Jesus’ prayer for you reveals what that plan looks like in your life

“A Man Standing Tall Against Evil”

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / March 23, 2025

Text: I Kings 21

Proverbs 29:1 – “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.”

Hardening his neck = to hear and not respond

Three Biblical Examples

1. Sodom and Gomorrah

2. Herod Agrippa

3. The Nation of Judah

There are four main characters in our story

1. Ahab – the wicked king

2. Jezebel – the vile wife of the king

3. Elijah – the prophet of God – a man standing tall against evil

4. Naboth – the devout humble farmer of Israel

I. THE PAIN OF NABOTH

Read I Kings 21:1-2

II. THE POUTING OF AHAB

Read I Kings 21:4,7

“Wicked people always have wicked plans”

III. THE PLOT OF JEZEBEL

Read I Kings 21:8-10

Read I Kings 21:15-18

IV. THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF ELIJAH

Read I Kings 21:19-25

Read II Kings 9:35

“And they went to bury her but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands”

There is always an end to God’s patience

V. THE PRINCIPLES FOR US

Four Principles to Remember

A. THE VIRTUE OF COURAGE

B. THE VANITY OF COVETOUSNESS

C. THE VALUE OF COMPASSION

D. THE VALIDITY OF CONDEMNATION

Standing Tall in the Face of Depression

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / March 16, 2025

Series: Standing Tall

Text: 1 Kings 19

Some of the greatest men experienced bouts of depression:

Luther
John Knox
Moses
Jeremiah
Jonah
Paul
Spurgeon

“For more than a week I was close to the gates of death and Hell. I trembled in all my members. Christ was wholly lost. I was shaken by the desperation of God.” – Luther

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and put an end to this miserable life.” – Knox

“My soul is cast down within me. I feel as if I would rather die than live. All that God hath done by me seems to be forgotten, my spirit flags and my courage breaks down. I need your prayers.” – Spurgeon

I THE REALITY OF ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION

A. Victory of Elijah

B. Vulnerability of Elijah

Read 1 Kings 19:1-2

II. THE REASONS OF ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION

A. Fear

“Fear is a thief. It erodes our faith, plunders our hope, steals our freedom and takes away our joy of living the abundant life of Christ.” – Neil Anderson

B. Failure

C. Fatigue

“Fatigue makes cowards out of all of us.”

D. Frustration

Read 1 Kings 19:9-10

III. THE RESULT OF ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION

A. Ran

Read 1 Kings 19:3a

B. Retreat

Read 1 Kings 19:3b-4

The first things we tend to do is the worst thing we can do: get alone

C. Request

Read 1 Kings 19:4

IV. THE RECOVERY OF ELIJAH’S DEPRESSION

A. Provision

Read 1 Kings 19:5-7

Sometimes we don’t need a sermon – but rather a sandwich

Read 1 Kings 19:8, 19:9, 19:10

B. Power

Read 1 Kings 19:12b-13

God doesn’t always speak through the big things – but rather, sometimes it is through the simple things of life

C. Purpose

God is not finished with you. There is still much to do.

D. People

Read 1 Kings 19:18-21

If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.

There are three times when the tendency if to get low

When things happen that you don’t think should happen
When things you’re convinced will happen don’t
You expect things to happen now – but they don’t happen for a long time

Standing Tall in Prayer

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / March 9, 2025

Series: Standing Tall

Text: 1 Kings 18:41-46

Prayer – an intimate communication with God

Read Deuteronomy 11:13-14, 16-17

I. PASSION FOR PRAYER

Read 1 Kings 18:41

Why could Elijah hear the rain and Ahab could not?

If Elijah could hear the rain, why did he need to pray?

John Wesley –“God does nothing but an answer to prayer.”

II. PLACE OF PRAYER

Read 1 Kings 18:42

We must have a place where we can separate ourselves from the distractions of daily life

III. POSITION OF PRAYER

Read 1 Kings 18:42b

R.A. Torrey – “How easily most of us take our praying. How little we put into it. How little it takes out of us and how little it counts for God.”

The best attitude in prayer is the attitude of humility

IV. PERSISTENT PRAYER

Read 1 Kings 18:43

God’s word speaks so much about persistence in prayer

Adrian Rogers – “A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.”

V. PRESUMPTION OF PRAYER

Read 1 Kings 18:44

Life is full of opportunities to see God’s hand in the small things to grow our faith to see bigger things

VI. PROSPERITY OF PRAYER

Read 1 Kings 18:45-46

God’s power was evident in 2 ways:

It was evident in his speed
It was evident in his speed

Read Isaiah 40:31

Read James 5:17

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / March 2, 2025

Series: Standing Tall

Text: 1 Kings 18:17-39

Is God your source of fulfillment or is He just a point of reference that you go to occasionally?

I. CONFRONTATION

Read 1 Kings 18:1 and 1 Kings 18:17-18

II. CHALLENGE

Read 1 Kings 18:19-20

III. CHOICE

Read 1 Kings 18:21

IV. CONTEST

Read 1 Kings 18:23-37

A. His plan (1 Kings 18:22-24)

B. His prodding (1 Kings 18:25-29)

C. His preparation (1 Kings 18:30-35)

Repairing the altar
The 12 stones
“In the name of the Lord”

D. His prayer (1 Kings 18:36-37)

V. CONCLUSION

Read 1 Kings 18:38-39

Sermon by Pastor Brent Snook / Feb 23, 2025

Series: Standing Tall

Text: 1 Kings 17:17-24

I. THE TRAGEDY CONFLICTING WITH FAITH

Read 1 Kings 17:17

The deep trials of life can cause you to feel things in a way you have never felt before

Read Psalm 6:6, 69:1-3

II. THE TURMOIL CONFUSING TO FAITH

Read 1 Kings 17:18

All relationships go through three phases (Gerald Coates):

Veneer – when you think you have met the greatest person in the world
Disillusionment – when you feel let down/betrayed by the person
Reality – when you have an objective perception about the person

Be careful to not let your belief system be centered around your circumstances or your feelings

III. THE TRUTH COOPERATING WITH FAITH

Read 1 Kings 17:19-21

A. Bearing others’ burdens (vs 19)

B. Praying for others’ pain (vs 20-21)

Elijah’s two prayers:

The first prayer: a question
The second prayer: a request

Read 1 Kings 17:20

It’s ok to raise tough questions with God as long as you do it with humility and faith

IV. THE TRIUMPH COMPLETING FAITH

Read 1 Kings 17:23-24

A. Conversion of the son (1 Kings 17:23)

B. Celebration of the Savior (1 Kings 17:24)

Guest Speaker: Pastor Brian Boyles

No sermon outline is available. Please use the space below for your notes. Thank you!