Victory Church Providence

Embracing Failure

John 21: 1-19

Easter is The Answer. So What’s The Question?

A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

The question Easter answers in our lives.

1. How do we deal with our past?
2. How do we face the future?
3. How do we handle the present?

 

I Peter 1:3-5

A Heavenly Inheritance

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Power of the Cross

A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

The reality of what Jesus did on the cross for you and me.

1. It was violent
2. It was voluntary
3. It was vicarious
4. It was valuable
5. It was victorious

 

I Corinthians 2:1-5

Christ Crucified

 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Experiencing Bitter Waters

A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

1. A complaining spirit greatly limits our ability to become victorious in the circumstances of life.
2. Actions of faith get the response of the Father
3. Faith comes by hearing but it works by doing.
4. The devil tempts you to destroy you, God tests you to develop you.
5. Bitter waters are in God’s plan.
6. Complaining about a problem without offering a solution is called whining.
7. Its not so important that we get out of our difficulties as much as it is what we get out of them.

 

Exodus   15:22-25 NKJV

“Bitter Waters Made Sweet

²² So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³ Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. ²⁴ And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” ²⁵ So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them,”

Letters From Liberia

A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church and Pastor Lisa Sfameni, Co-Pastor and Worship Director at Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

Pastors Richard and Lisa recap their trip to Libera with testimonies from the Judah conference attendees.

 

Philippians  1:3-6 NKJV

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Discipleship: Reproduction

A Sermon by Pastor Mike O'Brien, Associate Pastor and Director of Student Ministries and Communications at Victory Church in Providence, RI.     

1. The difference between production and reproduction
2. Criticalness of reproduction
3. Benefits of reproduction

 

John 15:1-9 ESV   

I Am the True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love

Discipleship: Supervision

A Sermon by Pastor Pasquale Granata, Elder at Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

 

Jesus embodied supervision

 

Mark 8:14-21 NKJV

¹⁴ Now ^[a]the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵ Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the ^[b]leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

¹⁶ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”

¹⁷ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart ^[c]still hardened? ¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹ When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

They said to Him, “Twelve.”

²⁰ “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

And they said, “Seven.”

²¹ So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

Discipleship: Delegation

A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

We have the delegated authority of God.

1. He sent them with peace
2. He sent them with His program
3. He sent them with His power

 

John 20:19-23 NKJV

The Apostles Commissioned

¹⁹ Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Discipleship: Demonstrtion

A Sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Providence, RI.  

 

John 13:1-38

 Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

13 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

² And ^[a]supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, ³ Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, ⁴ rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵ After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶ Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”

⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

⁸ Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” ¹¹ For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

¹² So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you ^[b]know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Jesus Identifies His Betrayer

¹⁸ “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats ^[c]bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ ¹⁹ Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. ²⁰ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

²¹ When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” ²² Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.

²³ Now there was ^[d]leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. ²⁴ Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

²⁵ Then, leaning ^[e]back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷ Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. ²⁹ For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

³⁰ Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

The New Commandment

³¹ So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. ³² If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. ³³ Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³⁶ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”

Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”

³⁷ Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”

³⁸ Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.

Altared

A sermon by Pat Schatzline, international Christian Evangelist and Author who, with his wife Karen, founded Remnant Ministries International in 1997. Pat has traveled the globe ministering at churches, conferences, camps, retreats, and universities. He is known for his unique ability to communicate God’s Word through passion and humor, with a deep desire to see the generations experience God’s amazing love and power. He is the author of three books, Why Is God So Mad At Me, I am Remnant and Unqualified and co-author with his wife Karen, of two additional books, Rebuilding the Altar and Restore the Roar.

 

When humanity meets divinity, it’s called an altar call.

 

Luke 15:20 NIV

²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 

• Tie name to the altar
• We must become frustrated
• Rebuild the place of encounter
• To remove the altar is to banish Jesus
• He outran the village

 

The whole Bible is an altar call