First Free Rockford Sermons

Jesus speaks of his return, then tells a parable about 10 virgins and 10 lamps. It’s about living alertly in the certain hope of his return. What does this look like for us today?

In this short parable, Jesus challenges his listeners about true obedience: We can talk a good game, but do our actions match those words and intentions?

Is God fair? Nope (and that's a good thing). Jesus’ parable about a vineyard owner hiring day workers illustrates this vividly. The story also points us to better questions: Is God just? Can we trust him? And what’s so amazing about grace?

There is incredible power in forgiving someone. There also is incredible, negative power in not forgiving that person. In this challenging message, we’ll look at what forgiveness means, and doesn’t mean. We’ll look at how that process works, the freedom it offers us … and why Jesus’ teachings about it separate Christianity from any other religion.

What is the true value of the kingdom of heaven? Do we recognize it? And how exactly does this influence the way we live, work and interact with others? Jesus’ short parable sounds simple at first. But let’s take a closer look.

In God’s upside-down kingdom, small is the strategy. How can the gospel ever reach every nation, tribe, people and language? How can it reach your family, your neighborhood, our community? One conversation and one invitation at time.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus uses familiar imagery to help his listeners understand why people respond to him in different ways. This message offers a good chance to check the condition of our own hearts (the soil), and to better understand what good soil looks like. The growth this enables can transform our lives and community.

Jesus’ parables aren’t always easy to understand. As we begin this new sermon series, we look at a challenging story about money—how we can use it for greater things and how it can also get in the way.

As we conclude our series from Exodus, the people of Israel are faced with a big, external attack from the Amalekites. It stopped their internal grumbling and focused them on the real battle. The story offers guidance for us today, too.