Saved : Faith Alone

·40 min·4 clips

A pastor recounts how a young volleyball player saved a hopeless play, sparking his sermon on being saved through faith alone.

The episode is a sermon from Citylight Council Bluffs' 'Saved' series, focusing on the doctrine of salvation through faith alone. The pastor, Eric, opens with a personal anecdote about being saved in a beach volleyball game, which he connects to the theological idea of God saving sinners. He references Ephesians 2 to establish that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. The speaker uses the analogy of McAllister's free tea day to illustrate how God's offer of grace is universal but must be received through faith. He then delves into three aspects of faith: simple, stirred, and settled. For 'simple,' he discusses childlike versus childish faith, citing Matthew 18-19 and Romans 4 to show that faith is trusting in God who justifies the ungodly. For 'stirred,' he turns to Hebrews 11, listing biblical figures like Abel, Noah, and Moses whose faith led to action, and shares a modern example from a church volunteer whose faith was stirred during Vacation Bible School. For 'settled,' he emphasizes that faith is rooted in Jesus Christ as the founder and perfecter, per Hebrews 12. The sermon concludes with a call to put faith in Jesus, reinforced by a return to the volleyball analogy, and ends with a prayer inviting listeners to believe in Jesus for salvation. The format is a solo sermon with educational and narrative tones, structured around scriptural exegesis and practical applications.

As heard by us

A beach-volleyball opening frames a clear Romans 4 sermon on faith as trust, not a paycheck earned from God.

A beach-volleyball story gives this sermon an easy way into Romans 4, where salvation through faith alone is set against the logic of earning. The preacher keeps the contrast concrete: a worker receives a paycheck as something owed, while faith does not put God in anyone's debt.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want Romans 4 translated into paycheck language and a direct question about faith?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Citylight Council Bluffs