New City Fellowship - Chattanooga

Gospel Freedom Breaking Down Walls

Gospel Freedom Breaking Down Walls Series: Miscellaneous Preacher: Billy McKillop, Executive Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 24th May 2026 ------------------- The Gospel message stands in stark contrast to the world's performance-based system of earning acceptance. In Galatians 2:1-10, Paul demonstrates this radical difference by bringing Titus, an uncircumcised Greek, to Jerusalem as living proof of grace. When the influential apostles Peter, James, and John meet Titus, they recognize God's work and add no requirements to Paul's Gospel message. Paul's repeated reference to these leaders as those who seemed influential makes a crucial theological point: human status, spiritual pedigree, and religious effort contribute nothing to our standing before God, who shows no partiality. This freedom from works-based religion transforms our daily lives in profound ways. We no longer need to compare ourselves to others or compete for righteousness through rule-following. Gospel security changes how we handle disagreements, whether political, social, or cultural, because we don't need to elevate ourselves through self-righteous arguments. Instead of defending our record or proving our worth through performance, we can extend grace to others from a place of security in Christ. The danger lies in adding human requirements to the cross, which poisons the entire Gospel message. Jesus fulfilled the impossible standard of perfect righteousness that we could never meet, serving as our substitute and absorbing the penalty for every failure. This transforms our relationship with God from exhausting religious performance to delightful rest in His completed work, producing genuine humility and Spirit-empowered self-forgetfulness that others can recognize.

Divine Witness Protection #2

Divine Witness Protection #2 Series: The Jesus We Need to Know Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 17th May 2026 Passage: John 17:9-13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A9-13&version=ESV] ------------------- In John 17:9-13, Jesus prays specifically for His disciples, revealing important truths about divine protection and Christian identity. Jesus makes a clear distinction between His followers and the world, not out of superiority but because of belonging and purpose. As believers, we are called to be different from the world while living under God's protection through His name and character. The passage teaches that we don't need to blend in or seek our own glory because Christ has already given us worth and identity as children of God. When facing difficulties, we should run to God as our strong tower rather than relying on worldly solutions.

If Momma Ain't Happy

If Momma Ain't Happy Series: Seasonal Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 10th May 2026 Passage: Genesis 16:1-6 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+16%3A1-6&version=ESV] ------------------- Despite having more opportunities and freedoms than previous generations, studies show that women's happiness in America continues to decline. This paradox raises important questions about what kind of happiness we're pursuing and how we're going about it. The popular saying "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" might seem empowering, but it actually positions women as demanding tyrants whose moods control everyone else's well-being, placing the burden of happiness on external circumstances. The story of Sarai in Genesis 16 provides a powerful example of what happens when we pursue happiness through cultural solutions rather than trusting God's timing. After ten years of childlessness, Sarai felt hopeless and forgotten. Though her theology was sound—she correctly understood that God had sovereignty over the womb—her response revealed a heart that had moved from faith to blame. She devised a culturally acceptable plan to give her servant Hagar to Abraham as a surrogate, attempting to improve on God's plan using worldly wisdom. Sarai's plan initially seemed successful when Hagar conceived immediately, but it brought new problems including household tension and contempt from her servant. Rather than taking responsibility, Sarai blamed Abraham for the consequences. This pattern is common today—when God doesn't move according to our timeline, we often turn to secular solutions that prioritize our happiness above God's glory. True happiness comes from finding Jesus as our greatest treasure. When He becomes our primary source of joy, everything else becomes secondary—good gifts to enjoy but not ultimate sources of meaning.

Divine Witness Protection

Divine Witness Protection Series: The Jesus We Need to Know Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Date: 3rd May 2026 Passage: John 17:6-12 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A6-12&version=ESV] ------------------- God has established a divine protection plan that never fails, unlike earthly witness protection programs. This protection is available to those who belong to God - believers who were chosen before the foundation of the world and given to Jesus as a love gift from the Father. Those under God's protection are marked by their careful obedience to His Word and their allegiance to His kingdom rather than the world's system. Jesus specifically intercedes for His people, not for the world, showing the special relationship between Christ and believers. While this doesn't guarantee freedom from physical harm, it ensures that nothing happens outside of God's sovereign, loving control.

Return to Glory Part 4

Return to Glory Part 4 Series: The Jesus We Need to Know Preacher: Kevin Smith, Senior Pastor Sunday Morning Date: 26th April 2026 Passage: John 17:1-5 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A1-5&version=ESV] ------------------- In John 17:1-5, Jesus prays to the Father, revealing His deepest desire for glory - both the Father's glory and His own. Glory is the outshining of God's holiness, the display of His divine attributes. Jesus glorifies the Father by giving eternal life, which is defined as knowing God intimately through Christ. As we behold Christ's glory through Scripture, we are progressively transformed into His image. However, pursuing lesser glories like wealth, fame, or approval can blind us to His true glory. The key is actively seeking Christ in God's Word and allowing His character to shape ours, including our ability to forgive others as He has forgiven us.