Kill the Contract | The Book of Judges | Pastor John Rogers

Kill the Contract | The Book of Judges | Pastor John Rogers

Faith can slowly turn into a contract without us even realizing it. We start with trust, but somewhere along the way, we begin negotiating. “God, if You get me through this, I’ll finally change.” “If You fix this situation, I’ll start taking You seriously.” “If You bless me, protect me, heal me, or open the door, then I’ll give You more of my life.” It sounds spiritual, but underneath it is often fear. We don’t fully believe grace is enough, so we try to add leverage. In this message, Pastor John Rogers continues our Judges series by looking at the tragic story of Jephthah in Judges 11:29–35. The Spirit of the Lord was already on Jephthah before he ever made his vow. God had already given him what he needed, but Jephthah still felt the need to bargain. He didn’t need to make a deal; he needed to trust the gift. The danger of the bargaining reflex is that it turns relationship into transaction. It makes us believe God has to be convinced, pressured, or paid back before He will move. But God is not moved by our leverage. He is moved by our trust. The cross is proof that grace was never something we earned, negotiated, or secured through a better offer. It was already given. It’s time to kill the contract. Stop trying to bargain for what God has already provided. Trust the gift. Trust His grace. Trust the God who moves not because you made the perfect promise, but because He is already faithful. In This Message: ► Kill the Contract: Identifying the “if You’ll just ___, I’ll ___” mindset that turns faith into a negotiation. ► Jephthah’s Vow: How fear and insecurity led Jephthah to bargain for what God had already given. ► Trust the Gift: Why grace is not something we leverage, earn, or repay—it is something we receive. ► From Bargaining to Trust: Practical ways to stop negotiating with God and start resting in His faithfulness. Next Steps: ► New to New Post? We’d love to connect with you: https://www.newpost.church/contact-10 ► Need Prayer? If you’re ready to tear down an altar today, our team would love to stand with you: https://www.newpost.church/care ► Give: Support the mission of making disciples by visiting: https://www.newpost.church/give ► Join a Group: Don't swing the axe alone. Find a community to walk with: https://www.newpost.church/life-groups Subscribe to stay updated on the latest messages from New Post Church. #Sermon #BibleTeaching #BibleStudy #Jesus #Christianity

Kill the Passivity | The Book of Judges | Pastor John Rogers

The moments that change our lives don’t always announce themselves with flashing lights. Sometimes they look like a conversation we don’t want to have, a step we’ve been delaying, a calling we keep explaining away, or an opportunity that requires more courage than we feel like we have. Most of us don’t miss God because we hate Him; we miss Him because we hesitate. We wait for someone else to go first. We wait until we feel ready. We wait until the risk feels smaller. And while we’re waiting, the moment passes. In this message, Pastor John Rogers continues our Judges series by looking at the story of Deborah in Judges 4. At a time when Israel was oppressed, afraid, and stuck, God raised up Deborah as a judge, prophet, and leader who was willing to step into what others were avoiding. While others hesitated, Deborah obeyed. While others sat back, she stepped forward. And through her courage, God brought breakthrough to His people. Passivity may feel safe, but it often keeps us from the very freedom God is trying to lead us into. The issue isn’t always that God hasn’t spoken; sometimes it’s that we haven’t moved. Breakthrough begins when obedience overcomes hesitation. God often moves through the people willing to step up while everyone else is still making excuses. Don’t miss your moment because of hesitation. Step into what God is already doing. In This Message: ► Kill the Passivity: Identifying the hesitation, excuses, fear, and spiritual sitting back that keep us from obedience. ► Deborah’s Courage: How God used someone willing to step forward when others were standing still. ► Don’t Wait to Feel Ready: Why obedience often begins before confidence arrives. ► Step Into the Moment: Practical ways to recognize where God is calling you to act and respond with faith instead of fear. Next Steps: ► New to New Post? We’d love to connect with you: https://www.newpost.church/contact-10 ► Need Prayer? If you’re ready to tear down an altar today, our team would love to stand with you: https://www.newpost.church/care ► Give: Support the mission of making disciples by visiting: https://www.newpost.church/give ► Join a Group: Don't swing the axe alone. Find a community to walk with: https://www.newpost.church/life-groups Subscribe to stay updated on the latest messages from New Post Church. #Sermon #BibleTeaching #BibleStudy #Jesus #Christianity

Tear It Down | The Book of Judges | Pastor Brandon Woodard

The messiest parts of our lives aren’t always the things we’ve done; sometimes, they are the things we’ve inherited. We like to think we’re self-made, but the truth is, most of us are carrying a "backpack" we didn’t choose. We inherited patterns of conflict, reflexes with money, and ways of seeing the world that were installed long before we could vote on them. You swore you wouldn’t parent like your dad, but you hear his voice coming out of your mouth. You swore you wouldn’t be as anxious as your mom, but your body is vibrating with the same stress. In this message, Pastor Brandon Woodard starts our Judges series by looking at the life of Gideon. Before God sent Gideon to lead an army against the Midianites on the battlefield, He gave him a much more personal assignment: He told him to go into his own backyard and tear down his father’s altar to Baal. The enemy isn't always "out there." Sometimes the thing keeping you in a cycle of defeat is an inherited idol you’ve been quietly tending for generations. God doesn't just want to give you a victory; He wants to give you a new legacy. But before He sends you to the battle out there, He’ll send you to the altar in here. It’s time to stop maintaining what’s destroying you and start swinging the axe. In This Message: ► The Family Box: Identifying the "inherited idols" in your backpack—from achievement and anxiety to performance-based Christianity. ► Obeying Scared: Why courage isn't the absence of fear, but obedience while your hands are still shaking. ► Redeeming the Wood: How God takes the "Asherah pole" that was destroying your family and turns it into the fuel for your worship. ► Swing the Axe: Practical steps to identify and demolish the altars in your life through confession, removal, and radical honesty. Next Steps: ► New to New Post? We’d love to connect with you: https://www.newpost.church/contact-10 ► Need Prayer? If you’re ready to tear down an altar today, our team would love to stand with you: https://www.newpost.church/care ► Give: Support the mission of making disciples by visiting: https://www.newpost.church/give ► Join a Group: Don't swing the axe alone. Find a community to walk with: https://www.newpost.church/life-groups Subscribe to stay updated on the latest messages from New Post Church. #Sermon #BibleTeaching #BibleStudy #Jesus #Christianity

The Hall of Faith | Moses | Pastor Brandon

We’ve all done it. We’ve all had that moment where we talked ourselves out of a move we knew God was asking us to make. We run through the mental list: I’m not the right person, I don’t have the skill set, I don’t have enough money, my background is too messy. We treat God’s call like a job interview where we’re trying to prove we’re qualified, but we keep coming up short. In this message, Pastor Brandon Woodard continues our Hall of Faith series by diving into the life of Moses. At 80 years old, tending someone else's sheep on the backside of nowhere, Moses thought his story was over. But God showed up in a burning bush with a call that would change history. What follows is the most honest conversation in the Bible—a man with five massive excuses and a God with one definitive answer. Your limitations aren't a surprise to God; they are the canvas He uses to show His power. Stop asking "Who am I?" and start asking "Who is with me?" Discover why God isn’t looking for your resume—He’s looking for your availability. It’s time to stop arguing with the "bush" and start walking in your calling. In This Message: The Five Excuses: A breakdown of the relatable reasons we give God to avoid our calling—from "I’m not enough" to "I just don't want to." What’s In Your Hand? Why God wants to use the ordinary tools of your "forgotten" years to perform extraordinary miracles. The Sacred Name: Understanding the power of YHWH (I AM WHO I AM) and how God’s identity covers your insecurity. Help vs. Substitute: Why God will send you an "Aaron" to help you, but He won't send a substitute to replace you. Next Steps: New to New Post? We’d love to connect with you: https://www.newpost.church/contact-10 Ready for Baptism? Our next Baptism Sunday is coming up! Sign up here: https://newpost.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3612749 Summer at New Post: NTS Camp and Youth Group are starting soon! Get all the details on our events page. Need Prayer? Our team is ready to stand with you: https://www.newpost.church/care Give: Support the mission of making disciples by visiting: https://www.newpost.church/give Subscribe to stay updated on the latest messages from New Post Church. #ChristianSermon #Sermon #BibleTeaching #BibleStudy #Jesus #Christianity

Hall of Faith | Joseph | Pastor Brandon Woodard

What do you do when life isn't going the way it's supposed to — when you did the right thing and got punished for it, when you trusted God and got silence? Most of us start making decisions based on what we feel instead of what we believe. The bitterness creeps back in. The prayers get shorter. The tithe quietly stops. In this message, Pastor Brandon walks through the life of Joseph — the pit, the prison, the palace — and the one phrase that keeps showing up over and over: the Lord was with him. "True faith acts like God is with you." In this message you'll discover... The difference between intellectual faith and active faith Why Joseph kept showing up even when nothing in his circumstances confirmed God was there How thirteen years of unseen faithfulness set up one of the most powerful statements in all of Scripture A simple question that will change the way you live this week If you're stuck in your own pit or prison right now, this one's for you. Watch, share with someone who needs it, and subscribe so you never miss a message. We'd love for you to join us in person or online at newpostchurch.com. NEXT STEPS New to New Post? We'd love to connect with you: https://www.newpost.church/contact-10 Need Prayer or Pastoral Care? Our team would love to pray with you: https://www.newpost.church/care Give: Support the mission of making disciples: https://www.newpost.church/give Subscribe to stay updated on the latest messages from New Post Church. #NewPostChurch #HallOfFaith #Joseph #Faith #GodIsWithYou #Sermon #Discipleship #Fredericksburg #Church #ChristianLiving #TrustGod #SundaySermon #ChristianSermon #Sermon #BibleTeaching #BibleStudy #Jesus #Christianity