Past Sermons

In this message, Andrew looks at Jesus’ surprising words in John 14 and 16. Jesus tells His disciples that it is better for them if He goes away, because He will send another Advocate—the Holy Spirit. This lesson explores the Spirit’s role in convicting us of our need for Jesus and how God continues His work powerfully through the Holy Spirit today.

In this message from the series on the Holy Spirit, John contrasts the ineffective approach of legalism—knowledge plus effort equaling transformation—with the true, life-changing power of the Spirit. Drawing from Romans 7 and other Pauline letters, he shows that God desires not merely right behavior enforced by willpower, but right people who naturally look and act like Jesus. Through personal stories and clear teaching, John invites us to stop striving in the flesh and yield to the Holy Spirit’s progressive work that forms us into Christ’s image.

In this sermon from Black Hills Church of Christ, John explores the true freedom Christians experience through the Holy Spirit.

Drawing from 2 Corinthians 3, he contrasts the old covenant (the Law written on stone tablets), which brings condemnation and has a fading glory, with the new covenant. The new covenant is written by the Spirit on human hearts, brings righteousness and lasting life, and offers unfading glory through a transforming relationship with God rather than rule-keeping.

Key emphasis: The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom—not license to do whatever we want, but liberation from legalism, condemnation, and self-effort as we focus on Christ with unveiled faces. Transformation comes from beholding Him, not just studying rules.

A powerful reminder that our competence and change come from God through the Holy Spirit. Perfect for reflection on living in the freedom of the new covenant!

In the sermon "Gifts for Others Strength," Andrew from Black Hills Church of Christ teaches from 1 Corinthians 12 on spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. Addressing the divided, competitive Corinthian church—where believers vied for prominence and formed factions—Paul emphasizes that diverse gifts (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, tongues, etc.) come from the same Spirit, Lord, and God, distributed to each believer specifically for the common good, not personal glory or status. Andrew uses the powerful body analogy, highlighting how even "lesser" parts like the pinky finger provide essential grip strength, to show that every gift and role is vital in God's design for unity and strength in the church. The message calls believers to humbly use their gifts to serve others and build up the body of Christ, rather than seeking showiness or superiority.

In this encouraging message, John explores how God continues to reveal Himself to ordinary believers today through the Holy Spirit. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 2 (and insights from John 16), the sermon highlights that Jesus is the true head of the church, actively working in each believer’s life. John shares his ministry philosophy of fostering full dependence on the Spirit rather than human leaders, addresses common concerns in Church of Christ circles about the Spirit’s ongoing role, and clarifies that this is personal, ongoing revelation—not new scripture—tailored to each believer’s readiness. He contrasts the world’s “operating system” of interpreting reality apart from God with the Spirit-enabled perspective available to Christians. Perfect for anyone desiring a deeper, Spirit-led walk with Christ. #HolyGhost

"We're in this Together" – A message from Andrew exploring how God partners with people in His work, especially through the inspiration of Scripture. Rather than overriding human authors, the Holy Spirit breathes through them—carrying them along while honoring their voices, minds, and contexts.

Drawing from 2 Peter 1 and the story of the early church, this sermon highlights how the same Spirit who inspired the Bible still invites believers today into active participation, shared discernment, and collaborative wisdom. It's an encouraging look at divine-human partnership that deepens our trust in Scripture and our role in God's ongoing work.

Andrew traces the vital connection between God’s presence and true life, starting in the Garden of Eden where Adam’s access to the tree of life and God’s presence meant full, vibrant living—while separation brought a form of death long before physical dying. Andrew then moves to the powerful vision in Ezekiel 37, where God commands the prophet to speak to a valley of dry bones. Only when the ruach (Spirit/breath/wind) enters them do the reassembled bodies truly come to life, forming a vast army.

The message powerfully shows that we can look “alive” on the outside yet remain spiritually dead without the Holy Spirit. True restoration, hope, and resurrection life come only through God’s indwelling Spirit.

John contrasts two ways of approaching God’s Law: the “morality maintenance model” (relying on intellect and willpower to decipher and obey a massive rulebook) versus the “Spirit-driven transformation model.” Through Jesus’ death and our new birth (John 3), the Holy Spirit indwells us, fulfilling the Law from the inside out—not by abolishing it, but by empowering genuine obedience that flows naturally from a transformed heart (Romans 7–8). John emphasizes that the Spirit makes living a life that honors God not just possible, but the expected reality for those born again, turning duty into delight and external effort into organic fruit.

Andrew explores how the Bible uses rich, diverse metaphors—wind/breath (ruach), living water, and fire—to help us grasp the ungraspable nature of the Holy Spirit. These images reveal the Spirit as life-giving and sustaining (like breath in Genesis 2 and Ezekiel 37), refreshing and flowing from within (John 7), and powerfully purifying/transforming (Acts 2 and Isaiah).

Andrew challenges us to expand our limited mental pictures of the Spirit, recognizing how single analogies can constrain our understanding of His vast power and activity in our lives. The message encourages embracing the full, dynamic reality of the Spirit rather than minimizing it.

In "Adam 2.0," John from Black Hills Church of Christ continues their series on the Holy Spirit. He presents Jesus as the ultimate prototype of humanity—fully God who emptied Himself (Philippians 2, John 1) to become fully human like us (Hebrews 2 & 4), experiencing the same limitations we face. Jesus lived perfectly pleasing to God not through hidden superpowers, but through total dependence on the Father and being saturated by the Holy Spirit—making what seems supernatural to us the intended normal for “Adam 1.0.”