Escalate Sermon Blog & Connection Point Questions

The story of John 19 has to be considered one of the most gruesome stories in the Bible. It's the story of a horrific and brutal beating and a torturous death. It's a story of a death that many in our generation won't ever really be able to grasp or understand. But what makes this story really extraordinary is that the victim in this story isn't just a man - He's the Ki...

The story of 1 Samuel 17 is one of the most unbelievable stories in the Bible. It's the story of a battle of champions. One of the champions is the most mighty, powerful, and skilled soldiers of an entire nation. The other champion is a young shepherd. And the outcome of the battle is one that no one would expect. But what is the story of 1 Samuel 17 all about? And ho...

The story of Genesis 22 is one of the most gut-wrenching stories in the Bible. The request God makes and the obedience of the one to whom God makes it make us wonder what in the world is going on. So what is the story of Genesis 22 all about? And how does this story really fit into the greater context of the Bible? These are some the questions we'll be exploring in thi...

We conclude our 'Burning Out?' series this week by examining the last section of Paul's second letter to Timothy. ...

In a relay race different runners run different legs of the same race. In order to compete well each runner must give his all to the leg of the race that has been determined for him to run. At the end of his leg each runner wants to be able to say, "I gave my all while running my leg. I didn't hold anything back. I poured myself out completely running the leg of the ra...

While following after Christ and living for the glory of God is the most fulfilling thing we could ever be a part of and what we were created to do, the reality is, it is often a very exhausting and difficult task. Paul had become aware of Timothy's exhaustion and also knew that there were false teachers preying on those who were worn down and might be swayed by the promi...

Too often we buy into the marketing and sales pitches in our culture that tell us that fulfillment, joy, and satisfaction can be found in things. As a result we find ourselves purchasing new and different things to try to find that fulfillment, joy, and satisfaction those products promise. The scary thing is those false promises and clever salesmen aren't isolated to the...

Feeling burnt out in one's faith can be a difficult thing to cope with. It doesn't get any easier when we find ourselves in the midst of trials or difficulties that can sometimes accompany our service for Christ. Add to that the discouragement that can come when we encounter false teachers who make compelling arguments which cause us to doubt the genuineness of our faith...

When we are feeling burnt out in our faith and find ourselves in the midst of the hardships and trials that come as believers in Christ, Satan will often try to deceive us into believing that there is no bright side – that being a follower of Christ is all suffering and misery. But that, like all of Satan’s other whisperings, isn’t the whole truth. S...

When we find ourselves exhausted and worn out in our faith, knowing that we have power to continue and press on would be a great encouragement. And that's exactly what Paul reminds Timothy of in this passage. Paul knew that the proclamation of the gospel wasn't an easy task and that there were difficulties involved. But Paul was also certain of the power that he possess...