First Pulpit Podcast

The Good News of Christmas

A special Christmas sermon by Pastor Brent SnookAt the heart of Christmas lies a message so profound that even those closest to it can miss its true meaning—just as a newspaper editor focused on brothers coming home rather than their historic flight. Luke chapter 2 reveals that God chose humble shepherds, not political or religious elites, to receive the greatest announcement ever made: the birth of a Savior. TIn his sermon, Pastor Snook unpacks five transformative reasons why the gospel is truly good news. First, it soothes our deepest fears—whether fear of death, disease, loneliness, or the unknown future. Like Simeon, who held baby Jesus and declared he was ready to die in peace, we find that Christ's light overshadows all darkness. Second, the gospel satisfies in ways wealth and fame never can. While millionaires from Rockefeller to Hemingway confessed their misery despite riches, missionaries like C.T. Studd who gave up everything found complete fulfillment, writing 'no reserve, no retreat, no regrets' in his Bible. The remaining three reasons—the gospel's universal scope, its personal application to each individual, and its provision of the perfect Savior—remind us that we don't just need help or education or religion. We need rescue from sin itself, and only Jesus Christ can provide that. This Christmas, we're invited to look beyond the festivities and truly see the One who died for us.

Progressing Toward Heaven

Final sermon of the series The Hope of Heaven:Pastor Snook invites us to consider a profound question: what difference does our knowledge of heaven actually make in how we live today? Drawing from 2 Peter chapter 3, we're challenged to move beyond casual Christianity and 'gird up the loins of our mind'—a military term meaning to prepare for battle without hindrance. The sermon presents a compelling acrostic using the word HEAVEN itself: Heeding to our purity, being Earnest about our purpose, staying Attentive to God's promises, remaining Visionary toward His plan, being Established in our profession, and Nourishing our progress. What strikes deeply is the reminder that God doesn't keep time as we do—His delay in Christ's return isn't negligence but patience, giving more people opportunity to come to salvation. We're called to live with intentionality, understanding that spiritual fitness requires the same discipline as physical fitness. The challenge is clear: our heavenly citizenship should transform everything about our earthly existence, from our daily habits to our eternal priorities.

Perplexing Questions About Heaven

This episode is based on a sermon titled "Perplexing Questions About Heaven," continuing "The Hope of Heaven Series". Join Pastor Brent Snook as he seeks to provide clarity, comfort, and confidence in God's promises regarding eternity.From the tender concern about what happens to infants and children who die prematurely to the surprisingly common worry about whether heaven might be boring, we're invited into an honest conversation about our eternal home. The message draws on powerful scriptures like John 14, where Jesus promises to prepare a place for us, and 2 Samuel 12, where David's confidence about seeing his deceased child again offers profound comfort to grieving parents. We discover that heaven isn't a place of endless monotony but rather the culmination of everything God has created to bring us joy—from our taste buds to our capacity for adventure. The character of God Himself guarantees that heaven will be the most exciting, fulfilling experience imaginable. Perhaps most touching is the discussion about relationships in heaven, particularly marriage, reminding us that while earthly bonds are precious, our heavenly relationships will transcend anything we've known, meeting our deepest needs in ways we can't yet comprehend. This isn't just theological speculation—it's an invitation to shift our focus from earthly concerns to our eternal destiny, living today with heaven firmly in view.

What Precedes Heaven

In today's sermon, Pastor Snook leads us in a study of Revelation 20, a chapter in God's Word that pulls back the curtain on the Millennium—a golden age we've all dreamed about but never experienced. This passage walks us through an astonishing timeline: from the church age we're living in right now, through the coming rapture and tribulation, to Christ's second coming when His feet will literally touch the Mount of Olives. But here's what makes Revelations 20 so gripping: Satan himself will be chained and thrown into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, removing one of our three great enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil) from the equation. This isn't just ancient prophecy; it's a call to examine our own hearts today, to live with anticipation of Christ's return, and to share this hope with a world that desperately needs it.

The Promise of Rewards in Heaven

In this sermon, Pastor Snook turns our attention to one of the most significant yet often misunderstood concepts in biblical theology: The Promise of Rewards in Heaven. Our bible text is the foundational passage of II Corinthians 5:10, which states, 'For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.' We are taught about the  'Judgment Seat of Christ,' known in the Greek as the Bema, and its purpose not as a verdict on salvation—which is settled through faith in Christ—but as an evaluation of the believer’s service, faithfulness, and obedience. Join us as we explore the motivations for such service and detail the Five Crowns promised to those who faithfully labor for the Lord.We explore the reasons that should compel us to serve: the personal motivation to please Jesus 4and the practical duty to persuade the lost5. Finally, we detail the Five Crowns—for victory over the flesh, soul-winning, enduring temptation, and more—that faithful servants will receive6666666666666666666666666. Discover what truly matters!Would you like me to find a YouTube video about the "God Did It Tour" or perhaps search for the exact date and location for one of the cities listed in the image?