Individual sermon texts can be viewed in a new window by clicking on the date of the sermon. Sermon texts will be posted by the Sunday following the Friday they are preached.
It is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. Many people who know very little about the Bible still recognize and know Psalm 23. In this series of five messages, Pastor Cam takes a “sit and soak” approach as he leads us in a series of meditations on these well-loved words.
May 9 Click to hear this sermon: MP3
This is the last sermon Pastor Cam preached before departing for 3 months of home leave in the U.S. In the message, he talks especially to those who will be leaving ECC during the summer and not returning. He challenges them to consider what kind of obedience and loyalty they will offer God in the next phases of their lives. As a parting gift he gives a motto to live by: Remember the Recabites! If that motto doesn’t ring with meaning for you, then you need to read/listen to this sermon.
May 2 Click to hear this sermon: MP3
In this final message on Psalm 23, the image changes from sheep and shepherd in the Judean hills to a lavish banquet table. What do we learn from this new metaphor and how does it add to our security and our understanding of our relationship with God? We also find the third ringing statement of personal confidence: I Will Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever!
April 25 Click to hear this sermon: MP3
Psalm 23 is frequently read in hospital rooms and at funeral services to bring great comfort to many people. The line that resonates so powerfully during those times is the one we examine in this sermon: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I Will Fear No Evil for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. In this sermon, Pastor Cam explains that the promise of the Shepherd’s presence is applicable in all the dark, gloomy valleys of life as we learn to trust in our Shepherd as our Protector.
April 18 Click to hear this sermon: MP3
Life gets very complicated sometimes. We are faced with myriads of choices. A multitude of voices call out to us. How can we choose the right path? Down through the years of history, the comforting words come: “He Leadeth Me…” In this message, Pastor Cam examines the role of the shepherd as path-finder and guide and relates it to life. How does the Shepherd lead us, why does he lead us and what is at stake?
April 11 Click to hear this sermon:
I Shall Not Want. This second phrase of the 23rd Psalm is the first of three confident, personal assertions found in the psalm. It relates to the Shepherd and his role as the provider for the sheep. In this sermon we look at what this phrase means, and then explore the beautiful image of sheep lying in green pastures and resting beside the water. As we do so we find that God is concerned about more than just our physical needs.
April 4 Click to hear this sermon:
The Lord is my shepherd. Those words have comforted and reassured countless believers over thousands of years. This is the opening message in a series of five messages on Psalm 23. With a text that is identical to his sermon title, Pastor Cam begins to explore the cultural nuances and beautiful truths contained in this wonderful opening phrase.
March 28 Click to hear this sermon:
We apologize that the sermon text and voice file for March 28 will not be available on line. Instead, we are posting the sermon from the Easter Sunrise Service on March 23 entitled: It Feels Like Easter!
In Acts 10:34-43, Peter preached a clear, concise and complete Gospel sermon to the household of Cornelius. In his sermon, the events of Good Friday and Easter are clearly highlighted. In this message entitled Good News of Peace we see that the Gospel is a historical message, a theological message and finally a personal message.
These are significant days at ECC. We have just moved into Phase 1 of our brand new church building. As we get used to a new building, we are undertaking a 5 part study on the Church of Jesus Christ. What is it? What is it made of? How does Jesus feel about the church? How do we find our role in the church and what is the church’s role in the world?
Why Are We Here? In this last sermon in this series on the church, we look at the church’s role in the world. Why are we here, on earth, in Abu Dhabi? From Matthew 28:18-20 we find the answer to that question and we discover there are two facets to our task.
In this message, we continue to explore the horizontal dimension of life in the church. Building on the metaphor of the church as the Body of Christ in Romans 12:1-8, (We are one and we are different) we find that God has equipped every believer to serve effectively in the church. But how can we find our place of service? After looking at a traditional approach to this question, we take a look at the “Nike philosophy of Christian service.” Find out what that is in this message entitled Equipped to Serve.
In this third message in our series on the church, we begin to explore the horizontal dimension of church life by examining the “one another” commands in the New Testament. In Romans 12:5, Paul tells us that “each member belongs to all the others.” What does that look like? As we learn to “love each other” we will need to learn to avoid some “love busters” while also practicing some “love builders.”
Pastor Cam was away but Pastor Joe continued this series on the church by exploring the vertical dimension of the church’s identity and relationship with Christ and the immense privilege and responsibility that goes with it.
In the first sermon in this series on the church, we ask the question: Where is God getting THE RAW MATERIAL to build his church? From Ephesians 2:1-10, we find out that God is using very unlikely material to construct his temple, his dwelling place on earth.
February 8
On Friday, February 8, we held our first worship services in the new building. The day was bright and sunny but cool (an unusual combination in Abu Dhabi), The building was beautiful. The operative word for the day was “Wow!” In the sovereign timing of God, He provided Dr. Stuart Briscoe, a well known international Bible teacher, to be our special guest and featured speaker on the day. We do not have a text of this message.
Have you ever felt disappointed with God? Naomi did! This woman (whose story is told in the Old Testament book of Ruth) had a name which meant pleasant. But as she tells her friends, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara (bitter) for the Lord’s hand has gone out against me.” Maybe you’ve felt the same way. In this message (Call Me Bitter) we examine Naomi’s story, how she responded and how God worked to restore her to the place of blessing.
Do you have a sin problem? If you answer “No!” to that question, then you have an even bigger problem than the average person! Even as Christians, we all have a sin problem and that sin problem has a significant impact on our fellowship with God. In this message, “If We Say…” taken from I John 1:5-2:2, we look at three wrong responses to our sin problem and then examine two right responses which will lead us back to true fellowship with God.
In September, Pastor Cam started a new series of messages on Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. The church at Philippi was one of Paul’s favorites. This comes out in the warm and personal tone of the letter and the very obvious mutual love and affection that they shared. A number of themes keep recurring in the letter: joy, the Gospel, fellowship, thinking, and of course Jesus Christ himself. We explored all of them as we worked our way through this letter and tried to identify Paul’s primary theme and his purpose in writing this wonderful little letter.
In this concluding sermon on the book of Philippians, we look again at possible suggestions for the letter’s theme. Joy, the gospel, thinking, Jesus Christ. Pastor Cam shares his reasons for settling on a fifth possibility. Find out what those reasons are and what his conclusion is in this message entitled A Shared Journey.
Every week in most Christian worship services the offering plate/bag/basket is passed. A tax? Payment of dues? A necessary duty to pay the church’s bills? It is much more than that! Our response and participation at “offering time” may be one of the most significant acts of worship we engage in each week. The Bible actually refers to it as a privilege! Find out why in this message from Philippians 4:14-23, entitled: An Acceptable Sacrifice.
This is the first worship service of 2008. In this message, taken from Philippians 4:10-13, we examine both a precious gift, and a secret (or key) that will open the treasure and enable us to enjoy the gift in the New Year. Entitled, I Have Learned the Secret, we take a new look at an often misquoted (and misapplied) verse of Scripture.
In the closing verses of Philippians 4:1-9, Paul continues to address the twin problems of conflict and anxiety, and instruct us on principles that will provide both prevention and cure to these issues. In this message, entitled The Power of Right Thinking, we take a close look at these principles.
Do you ever have trouble “getting into the Christmas spirit?” We all have our unique recipe of ingredients that we like to have in place to enable us to “feel Christmas.” But what happens when some of the vital ingredients are missing? Wrong weather, no family around, working on Christmas day? Paul tells us that Thinking Christmas precedes feeling Christmas. In this message we examine Paul’s theology of Christmas. If we understand the significance of the event we are celebrating, we can celebrate Christmas anywhere!
Pastor Joseph Page preached from Matthew 1 highlighting how God shows us His Sovereign Splendor and His Majestic Meekness in this Christmas passage.
Philippians 4:1-7 starts with a reference to two women who are locked in a conflict which threatens the unity of the church. It concludes with a reference to the peace of God standing watch over our hearts and minds. What is the link? In this message we look at three commands which represent both prevention and cure to the problem of interpersonal conflict and will lead us to The Peace That Passes Understanding.
What we think and how we think is important! One of the themes that comes up repeatedly in Philippians is that of thinking accurately. Following up on last week’s message on Paul’s life purpose, we now examine the process or journey toward the goal. In this message, called Thinking About the Journey we will learn to think like an athlete, and apprentice and an alien as we prepare for the journey ahead.
What are you living for? In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul spells out his own life purpose in five power-packed phrases. What are they? What do they mean? And how does your life purpose compare to Paul’s. Find out in this message entitled, That I May Know Christ!
November 16
Pastor Neil O'Boyle preached On Stephen in Acts 6 & 7. Neither text or sound file are available for this sermon.
On November 9, many of the church members were away at the annual Family Retreat, so Pastor Cam took a break from the series on Philippians to preach a message on the life of Barnabas, entitled Encourage One Another. Find out in this message how this man exemplified and lived out the nickname given to him by the apostles, and at the same time learn what real Christian encouragement is and how it differs from what the world calls “encouragement.”
Pastor Joe Page challenged us to view life and ministry through the perspective of Peter and how he put Jesus first. Intriguing thoughts to motivate us to the life God intends. This sermon titled Christ Alone is based on a variety of scriptures.
The scene is the waiting room between life and eternity. Your life on earth is over. You are being asked a simple question: Why should you be allowed to enter heaven? How would you answer that question? In Philippians 3:1-9, we explore two kinds of answers to that question. Both are supplied by the life of the Apostle Paul in a kind of “Before” and “After” portrait. Pastor Cam explains these two answers by comparing them to two chairs, in this message entitled, Which Chair Are You Sitting On?
Reading Philippians 2:19-30 is like reading someone else’s mail. As Paul talks about his plans and his reasons for making various decisions, we may find ourselves asking why this passage was included in Scripture. But as we look beneath the surface, we quickly find out why it’s here. The men mentioned in this passage actually serve as wonderful role models of the truths that Paul has been expounding in the first half of the letter. We have many lessons to learn from these men, and we are also admonished to Hold Such Men in High Regard.
October 12
Our speaker this Friday was L.T. Jeyachandran, Executive Director of RZIM in Singapore. He spoke on the Final Apologetic from John 13:1-17. We do not have the text of this message.
In this sermon, Shining Like The Stars, we take a fresh look at Philippians 2:12-18. How does this passage on “working out our salvation” and “shining like lights” related to the earlier paragraphs on humility and unity? Find out in this message.
There were problems in the church at Philippi. Philippians 2 begins with an impassioned plea for unity from the Apostle Paul. But he doesn’t stop with a plea. He continues by describing the path to unity, and then paints a picture to drive the truth home. Philippians 2:1-11 truly contains radical truth which will cause every one of us to squirm. Find out why in this message: Let This Mind Be in You!
Are Christians called to a life of conflict or a life of unity? In Philippians 1:27-30, we find that they are actually called to both! In this message, entitled Striving Together, we try to reconcile this paradox. We also discuss why we sometimes have a tendency to get our allies and our enemies confused!
As Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, his life was full of complications and mired in controversy. Yet he wrote with an easy mind and a joyful heart. He was able to do this because he knew the answers to two basic questions: What is life for? What comes after? If we have the answers to those questions firmly in view, everything else comes into focus. Find out how Paul answered those questions in this message entitled Keeping Life Simple, taken from Philippians 1:12-26.
This is the opening message in our new sermon series on Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. In the opening paragraph of the letter (Philippians 1:1-11) Paul expresses deep joy and gratitude to the Philippian church for their “partnership in the Gospel.” This word partnership is often translated “fellowship”. In this message, entitled I Have You in My Heart, we explore the nature of true Biblical fellowship. It’s a lot more than coffee and tea in the “fellowship hall” after church!
We are standing on the threshold of a new church and ministry year. The tasks and challenges facing us this year are many. What will it take to face them successfully? In I Thessalonians 2:1, Paul looks back at his time in Thessalonica and says, “Our visit to you was not a failure.” In this message, entitled With the Help of Our God, we will search Paul’s description of his ministry to the Thessalonians. What were the ingredients of his ministry that led to his being able to make this statement? What can we learn from him so that we will be able to say the same thing at the end of this year?
Lord, I Have Another Problem! In this second sermon from the life of Hezekiah (taken from Isaiah 38-39) we find Hezekiah facing another problem. As we ponder Hezekiah’s prayer and the outcome, we come away with five principles to meditate on, including even the “perils of answered prayer.”
LORD, I HAVE A PROBLEM! That is the title of this sermon. We all have problems, don’t we? Life is full of them. They come in all shapes and sizes. In this story, we examine Isaiah 36-37. In this text, King Hezekiah faced a giant problem. What did he do about his problem and what can we learn that will help us face the problems in our lives, whether they be large or small?
During the summer months we explored Jesus’ Parables in our Friday messages. Jesus was a master story teller. His stories capture our attention. If we are truly listening, they will also change our hearts. (This series began on June 15 and continued through August 10, with an interruption during the month of July while Pastor Cam was away.)
DEATH PLUS ONE DAY. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells a story of two men who die and experience “death plus one day” in starkly contrasted ways. Why did Jesus tell this story and what can we learn from it?
August 3
Starting in Matthew 24:3-14 Kevin Penman paints a picture of recent examples of difficult times for Christians from around the world. In Romans 8: 31-39 he shows us the love of God that has been poured out in practical ways and how we can Stand in the Love of God! The text for this message is not available.
July 27
Kevin Penman of Al Ain shared with us from 2 Peter 3:10-14 and his testimony with cancer in light of our eventually standing before Jesus in The Day of the Lord. Are we ready for that day so that we are not caught off guard? How do we live our lives today? The text for this message is not available.
July 20
Raul Santos of the C.E.C. brought this message on The Believer's Freedom from 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. The text for this message is not available.
Pastor Benjie Masiglat of the Filipino Congregation brought a message from Acts 17:1-9, challenging us to be World Changers.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15, is one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables. But it has really been misnamed. The prodigal son is not the main character in the story. Jesus began the parable with the words, There Was A Man Who Had Two Sons. It is this man, the father, who is the true main character, and his actions in the story reveal to us the heart of God. In this sermon, we explore the heart of God as it is revealed in the actions of this father toward his two sons.
How would you feel if God called you a “fool”? That is exactly what God did in one of Jesus’ parables. Why? What tragic miscalculations did this man make? In this message, Foolish or Shrewd?, we compare two of Jesus’ parables (Luke 12:13-21 and Luke 16:1-9), contrasting the rich fool and the shrewd manager. Why was the one man called a fool and the second man commended for his shrewdness? And are the choices we make foolish or shrewd?
A Reluctant Friend, a Sinful Father, an Unrighteous Judge: What do these three unlikely characters have in common and what can they teach us about prayer? Find out in this message, taken from Luke 11:5-13 and Luke 18:1-8.
Who Is My Neighbor? In this sermon on Luke 10:25-37 and the parable of the Good Samaritan, we look at the fascinating exchange between Jesus and an “expert in the law”? We will find how Jesus used the man’s own expertise and opinions to expose his prejudices and his need of a Savior. As the ancient story gets through our own defenses, we find ourselves asking a different and far more convicting question: to whom am I a neighbor?
The people of Judah were great boasters. In Jeremiah 9:23-24, the prophet Jeremiah takes them to task. Only he doesn’t rebuke them for boasting, but rather for boasting about the wrong things. In this message, entitled Something Worth Shouting About, we find that the list of things the Jews took pride in is amazingly contemporary. What are the things the world finds to shout about? And what is the one thing in life that is truly worth shouting about? Find out in this message.
On this date (June 1) the church recognized and expressed its appreciation to all the volunteers who have served so faithfully during the year. In his message, Tips on Improving Your Serve, Pastor Cam mixes metaphors and uses the components of a good golf swing and 1 Peter 4:7-11 to draw lessons for effective Christian service.
Sermons prior to this can be found on the Past Sermons page.