playnext.fm

Spring Meadow Baptist Church

4/12/26 WE An Example In Faith (Part1) !

·30 min·3 clips
Why did a preacher quote Gandhi to question when Christians will crown Jesus through their actions?
Pastor Stephen Schwanke opens the sermon by quoting Gandhi, who questioned when Christians would crown Jesus through deeds rather than words. He transitions to prayer, asking God to help listeners live their faith. The pastor then moves to Hebrews 11, noting that faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. He explains that biblical faith involves both mental persuasion and active trust, not just intellectual assent. Schwanke references Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary definition of faith as ascent of the mind to truth. He discusses Martin Luther's distinction between believing facts about God versus betting one's life on God. The sermon shifts to Paul's letters to Timothy, where faith is mentioned 27 times, highlighting warnings about people departing from the faith in latter times. Schwanke cites contemporary examples like churches ordaining women and homosexuals as signs of departure. He then walks through New Testament exhortations on faith: standing fast in 1 Corinthians 16:13, taking the shield of faith in Ephesians 6:16, striving together for the faith in Philippians 1:27, continuing in the faith in Colossians 1:23, fighting the good fight of faith in 1 Timothy 6:12, and earnestly contending for the faith in Jude 3. The pastor emphasizes that faith has been under attack since Jesus' time and is essential to pleasing God. He concludes with prayer, asking God to help listeners be examples in faith.

As heard by us

A scripture-centered sermon on faith made visible through conduct, trust, and resistance to false teaching.

Faith is framed here as something that has to be seen, not merely stated. The sermon begins with the call to be an example of believers, then brings in Gandhi's challenge about proclaiming Jesus Christ through deeds to sharpen the central concern: whether belief is visible in…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a sermon that asks whether your faith can be seen in the life around you.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on
Apple PodcastsSpotify
Play clips from this episodeMore from Spring Meadow Baptist Church