Let There Be Love — Part 2: Breaking Up the Fallow Ground

Description: In Part 2 of Let There Be Love, Pastor Eric continues laying the foundation for a biblical understanding of love by returning to the love of God for us. Before believers can rightly love God, love one another, or love a broken world, they must first understand the depth, security, and transforming power of God’s love in Christ.

Preaching from Ephesians 3, Pastor Eric emphasizes that the love of Christ is not merely something to study intellectually, but something to know personally and experientially. He shows how disordered loves, hardened hearts, hidden sin, and spiritual drift can cloud our vision of God’s love and keep us from walking in joyful fellowship with Him. Even churchgoing believers can become “prodigals in the pew,” outwardly present but inwardly distant.

Using Jeremiah 3, 1 John 4, Psalm 27, and the parable of the Prodigal Son, Pastor Eric calls the church to repentance, renewed affection for Christ, and a fresh experience of the Father’s love. This message is both gospel invitation and pastoral exhortation: come back to the Father, break up the fallow ground, and learn again to behold the beauty of the Lord.

Key Scriptures: Ephesians 3:14–21; Jeremiah 3:12–14; Jeremiah 3:24–25; 1 John 4:17–19; Psalm 27:4–5; Luke 15:11–24; John 10:27–30; Colossians 2:13–15

Highlights:

• Why love for God must begin with a right understanding of God’s love for us

• The danger of disordered loves and counterfeit substitutes for God

• How sin and spiritual drift harden the heart, even in churchgoing Christians

• “The prodigal in the pew”: outwardly present, inwardly far from God

• Why shame and guilt should lead us back to Jesus, not away from Him

• The difference between positional cleansing in Christ and daily relational cleansing

• Breaking up the fallow ground through repentance and renewed sensitivity to God

• Beholding the beauty of the Lord as the path to reordered affection

• The Prodigal Son as a picture of the Father’s pursuing, restoring love

• Ring, robe, and sandals: the Father restores identity before performance

Next Steps: Ask the Lord to show you where your loves have become disordered or divided. Is there a sin, affection, ambition, relationship, or habit that has begun to compete with your love for God? Bring it honestly to the cross. Spend time this week in Ephesians 3 and Luke 15, and ask God to help you know the love of Christ more deeply. If your heart has grown hard, pray for the courage to repent and return. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, come to Him today and receive the cleansing, forgiveness, and new life only He can give.

Sermon Title: Let There Be Love — Part 1: Loving God

Description: In this opening message of the Let There Be Love series, Pastor Eric addresses the growing anger, division, and hostility shaping both the culture and the church. Jesus warned that in the last days “because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” In a world filled with outrage, bitterness, and constant conflict, followers of Christ are called to live differently.

Beginning in Ephesians 3, Pastor Eric explores the truth that every human heart was designed to love God and to be filled by His love. The emptiness many people feel is not accidental—it is the result of a broken relationship with God caused by sin. Because of that void, people often try to fill their lives with substitutes: success, relationships, pleasure, addiction, work, entertainment, or possessions. Yet none of those things can satisfy what only God can give.

The message ultimately leads to the cross, where the holiness of God and the love of God meet. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died for our sins and rose from the grave so that spiritually dead people could be made alive again and restored to a relationship with God.

This sermon calls believers to examine whether their love for God has grown cold and reminds us that true life, joy, and identity are only found in receiving and resting in the immeasurable love of Christ.

Key Scriptures: Matthew 24:9–14 Ephesians 3:14–21 John 3:16 John 10:27–30 Ephesians 2:1

In This Sermon:

• Jesus’ warning that the love of many will grow cold

• Why the early church was known for loving even their enemies

• The spiritual emptiness every person carries apart from God

• The false comforts people turn to instead of God

• The cross as the ultimate expression of God’s love

• How a dead spirit is made alive through faith in Christ

• Why God’s acceptance of His children never changes

Next Steps: Ask yourself honestly where you may be trying to fill the void in your heart apart from God. Bring those things to the Lord and ask Him to restore your love for Him. Spend time reflecting on the cross and the love Christ has shown you. If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, call upon Him today. If you already belong to Him, ask God to help you live rooted and grounded in His love so that your heart does not grow cold in a lawless world.

Blessed Are the Merciful

Description: In this message from the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Eric teaches why mercy is both an impossibility in the flesh and a lived reality through Jesus Christ and the daily filling of the Holy Spirit. Mercy doesn’t go to the deserving—by definition it goes to the guilty. And the only way into the Kingdom is through the mercy of God poured out through the cross of Christ. From there, God expects His children to resemble their Father: to forgive, to bless, and to do good even when it’s costly. Pastor Eric explains the difference between vertical forgiveness (releasing vengeance to God) and horizontal forgiveness (restoring relationship when there is repentance), and why mercy given is mercy multiplied—“pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” If you’re carrying deep wounds, this sermon does not minimize the pain. It points to the only place real mercy is found—and the only power that can make it possible.

Key Scriptures:

• Matthew 5:7

• Luke 6:27–38

• Luke 17:1–10

• John 1:1, 14

• 2 Corinthians 5:21

• 1 Peter 2:24

• John 10:27–30

• Romans 12:19

In This Sermon:

• Why the Sermon on the Mount is “Kingdom law” and impossible without Christ

• Mercy as the doorway into the Kingdom: undeserved and unearned

• Salvation explained: what it means to be “saved” and why Jesus is the only Rescuer

• Mercy and love: inseparable, practical, and Christlike

• The call to love enemies and bless those who curse

• “Increase our faith” and Jesus’ answer: you already have faith—exercise it

• Mercy multiplied: the measure you use will be measured back to you, pressed down and overflowing

• Vertical forgiveness vs. horizontal forgiveness

• Repentance, rebuke, restoration, and rebuilding trust over time

Next Step: Ask God to do what you cannot do: fill you with His mercy so you can release vengeance to Him, forgive from a free heart, and be ready to extend mercy when repentance comes.

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart (Practice the Presence of God)

Description: In Matthew 5:8, Jesus promises something staggering: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” In this message, Pastor Eric explains that “pure” means without mixture — an unmixed heart and a single devotion. We look at the difference between positional purity (what God does for us in salvation) and progressive purity (how grace teaches us to live and how confession restores fellowship). Jesus doesn’t call us to perfection of performance, but purity of pursuit — a life where our treasure, attention, and affection are steadily re-centered on Him. As devotion becomes unmixed, vision becomes clear: the pure in heart “see God” at work in daily life.

Key Scriptures:

• Matthew 5:8

• John 15:3–5

• Titus 2:11–14

• Titus 3:4–7

• Romans 3:10, 23

• Matthew 6:19–24

• Colossians 3:1–2

• James 1:5–8

• John 10:27–30

In This Sermon:

• What “pure” means in Scripture: without mixture

• Positional purity vs. progressive purity (relationship vs. fellowship)

• Why salvation is not earned: Christ alone, grace alone

• How mixed devotion clouds discernment and creates instability

• “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”

• The single eye, the unmixed life, and learning to “see God” daily

• A practical call to “Practice the Presence of God” (Brother Lawrence)

Next Step: Ask honestly: What has my heart this week? Then re-aim your treasure toward Christ — because where you invest is where your heart will follow.

Blessed Are — Bruises to Blessings

Description: In this message from the Blessed Are series, Pastor Eric addresses a bruised and grieving moment in our nation and calls the church to see suffering through the lens of Jesus’ words: “Blessed are you…” Drawing from the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount, he explains that blessing is not the absence of pain but the presence of God’s redeeming purpose within it.

Pastor Eric reflects on persecution, reviling, and being maligned for righteousness’ sake, showing how cultural hostility toward biblical convictions is not new—and should not surprise believers. He emphasizes that following Christ means obedience to God over approval from men, even when that obedience leads to suffering, misunderstanding, or loss. The message presses the church to resist fear, self-censorship, and compromise, and instead walk faithfully as ambassadors of Christ.

At the heart of the sermon is Isaiah 52–53, where the first and greatest bruise to blessing is revealed. Jesus Christ was wounded, bruised, rejected, and slain for our transgressions so that peace with God could be offered freely to sinners. Pastor Eric shows that Christ’s suffering was purposeful, voluntary, and victorious—and that all who trust Him receive forgiveness, new life, and eternal hope.

From Acts, 1 Peter, 2 Timothy, 2 Corinthians, and Hebrews 11, the message broadens to include both persecution and everyday hardship. Whether suffering comes through public hostility, personal loss, disability, sickness, or injustice, God redeems it for His glory when we keep an eternal perspective. Bruises do not have the final word—blessings do.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Matthew 5:3–12; Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Acts 5:29–42; 1 Peter 4:12–16; 2 Timothy 3:12; 2 Corinthians 4:16–18; Hebrews 11:35–40.

Highlights:

• Why Jesus calls the persecuted blessed, not defeated.

• Biblical conviction vs. political labeling: living as a biblicist.

• Christ’s bruising as the ultimate path to blessing (Isaiah 53).

• Peace with God purchased through the suffering of Jesus.

• Obeying God rather than men when faith is costly.

• Persecution in many forms: slander, exclusion, loss, hardship.

• Keeping an eternal perspective when life wounds deeply.

• The call to leave a legacy of faithfulness, not fear.

Next Steps: Ask God to help you see your current bruises through an eternal lens. Thank Him for the suffering of Christ that secured your salvation. Pray for courage to live faithfully without compromise, and for grace to respond to opposition with truth, love, and endurance. Choose this week to rejoice—not in the pain—but in the promise that God is turning bruises into blessings for His glory.

Blessed Are — Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit (The Blessing of Humility)

Description: In this message from the Blessed Are series, Pastor Eric backs up to the foundation of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He explains that “poor” is not material poverty, but spiritual neediness—an honest recognition of our emptiness, our sin, and our inability to rescue ourselves. This poverty of spirit is not humiliation for humiliation’s sake; it is the doorway to salvation and the beginning of a life shaped by humility.

Pastor Eric contrasts true humility with self-righteousness through Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18). The Pharisee “prays with himself,” measuring goodness against others and reinforcing his own pride. The tax collector, crushed by the weight of sin, pleads for mercy—and Jesus says that man goes home justified. The message presses home a simple reality: no one becomes right with God by comparison, effort, religion, or image-management. The only standard is Jesus Christ, and the only way into the kingdom is through Him.

From there, Pastor Eric shows how humility doesn’t end at conversion—it continues as the posture of the Christian life. Believers move from desperate need for salvation to a desperate hunger and thirst for righteousness: not to prove worth, but to live from grace. Pride cuts us off from grace; humility keeps us connected to the throne where mercy restores and grace enables. The call is both to the unbeliever (come to Christ and receive the water of life) and to the believer (stay humble, stay hungry, keep coming back to Jesus when you fall).

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Matthew 5:3; Luke 18:9–14; Romans 3:10, 23; John 14:6; Matthew 7:13–14; Ephesians 2:1; Matthew 5:6; James 4:6; Hebrews 4:16; Isaiah 55:1–2; Romans 8:1.

Highlights:

• What “poor in spirit” actually means: spiritual neediness, not material lack.

• Why humility is the foundation of every other Beatitude.

• The Pharisee vs. the tax collector: self-righteousness vs. justification.

• The true standard of goodness is Jesus, not the person beside you.

• Salvation is received, not earned—Jesus is the door, and the way is narrow.

• The difference between self-righteousness (proving) and true righteousness (hungering).

• Mercy restores when we fall; grace empowers us to walk in righteousness.

• Pride cuts off grace; humility keeps us connected to the throne of grace.

Next Steps: Ask yourself two questions:

1. Have I truly come to Jesus in poverty of spirit—owning my sin and receiving Him as my only Savior?

2. As a believer, am I trying to prove righteousness, or am I staying humble and staying hungry for Christ to fill me again?

Bring your sin, your shame, and your need to Jesus—then keep coming back for mercy and enabling grace to live like Him.

Blessed Are — Part 1: Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Description: In Part 1 of Blessed Are, Pastor Eric opens the series with one of Jesus’ most challenging and misunderstood declarations: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” In a culture marked by outrage, division, and unrestrained anger—even within the church—this message calls believers back to the heart of Christ and the ministry of reconciliation.

Pastor Eric carefully distinguishes between righteous anger and destructive wrath, showing how uncontrolled anger numbs wisdom, damages witness, and distorts the gospel. Drawing from James, Romans, Isaiah, Colossians, and the teachings of Jesus Himself, he explains that peacemaking does not mean avoiding truth, suppressing conflict, or capitulating to evil. True peacemaking begins vertically—by receiving peace with God through Jesus Christ—and then flows outward as Spirit-led engagement with a broken world.

At the center of this message is the gospel itself: humanity as enemies of God, Christ as the Prince of Peace, and the cross as the place where justice and mercy meet. Pastor Eric emphasizes that God does not negotiate peace with sinners—He secures it through the blood of His Son—and that all who trust in Christ are reconciled, forgiven, and adopted into God’s family.

From there, the call is clear: those who have received peace are now commissioned to make peace. As ambassadors for Christ, believers are entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation—bringing truth with humility, courage with compassion, and confrontation with the goal of restoration. This message challenges listeners to examine how they handle conflict, how they represent Jesus in a divided world, and whether their lives reflect the Prince of Peace they proclaim.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Matthew 5:9; James 4:1–5; Romans 5:6–11; Colossians 1:19–23; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:21–23; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; Romans 12:18.

Highlights:

• Why peacemaking is often despised—and why Jesus elevates it.

• The difference between righteous anger and sinful wrath.

• Humanity’s true problem: enmity with God, not merely social conflict.

• Jesus as the original Peacemaker who secured peace through the cross.

• Salvation as reconciliation, not self-improvement or religion.

• The ministry of reconciliation entrusted to every believer.

• Why peacemaking requires truth, courage, discernment, and humility.

• When confrontation is necessary—and when wisdom calls for withdrawal.

• Representing Christ in conflict without compromising the gospel.

Next Steps: Ask God to examine your heart and reveal where anger, pride, or fear may be hindering your witness. Thank Him for making peace with you through Christ. Then pray for wisdom to know when to speak, when to confront, and when to step back—always with the goal of reconciliation. This week, intentionally represent Jesus as a peacemaker in one difficult conversation, workplace interaction, or family relationship.

Blessed Are — Part 1: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Description: In Part 1 of Blessed Are, Pastor Eric opens the Beatitudes by slowing down on one of Jesus’ most counterintuitive promises: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). This message clarifies that mourning isn’t only about grief after loss—though Jesus absolutely meets us there. It is also, and most importantly, about mourning over sin: seeing our fallenness clearly, becoming broken before God, and running to the only Savior who can forgive, cleanse, and comfort.

From James 4, John 6, John 10, Psalm 42, and Lamentations, Eric shows that the path to comfort is not denial, self-justification, or religious performance. Comfort comes through surrender—submitting to God, resisting the devil, drawing near to the Lord, and letting repentance become honest sorrow rather than shallow regret. Eric also addresses why sin is tempting “for a season,” why it always damages the soul, and why God’s heart toward the repentant is not condemnation but restoration.

The message then widens to the other “layers” of mourning: death, broken relationships, dashed dreams, wounds no one sees, and the long ache of grief that can feel like waves and billows rolling over the soul. In those places, believers are called to expect Jesus in their grief—to lament, to hope, to wait quietly, and to receive God’s lovingkindness that holds steady in the dark.

Finally, Eric calls the church to live as Christ’s body: God comforts by His Spirit, and He comforts through His people. We are meant to carry comfort to one another—praying, showing up, and becoming tangible reminders that mourners are not alone.

Key Scriptures (NKJV): Matthew 5:4; James 4:7–10; Hebrews 11:24–27; John 6:35–40; Matthew 11:28–30; John 10:27–30; Psalm 42:1–7; Lamentations 3:22–26; 2 Corinthians 1:3–4; Romans 10:13.

Highlights:

• “Blessed are those who mourn” has layers, but it begins with mourning over sin.

• Repentance isn’t humiliation—it’s the doorway to comfort, cleansing, and freedom.

• Sin is pleasurable “for a season,” but it always wounds the soul and harms others.

• God does not discipline to demean; He draws sinners in to restore them.

• Jesus’ comfort is not an empty offer—He keeps His promises: “I will by no means cast out.”

• Salvation is receiving a gift, not earning a reward—religion says “perform,” Christ says “receive.”

• Assurance for believers: Jesus holds His sheep, and no one can pluck them from His hand.

• Grief is real and biblical: Psalm 42 gives language for sorrow, tears, questions, and hope.

• Lament is not unbelief—it is faith speaking honestly in pain.

• God’s mercies are new every morning; the call is to get up again and hope in Him.

• The church is called to comfort one another with the comfort we’ve received from God.

Next Steps: Ask God to show you which kind of mourning you need right now—and respond with one concrete act of faith.

• If you’re mourning over sin: confess it plainly, turn from it, and come to Jesus for cleansing.

• If you’re mourning loss: lament honestly, bring your questions to God, and ask Him to meet you in the waves.

• If you’re stuck in cycles: thank God you got up again, then take one next step toward freedom.

• If someone near you is mourning: obey the nudge—pray, reach out, and offer comfort in Jesus’ name.