Quail Springs Baptist Church

Quail Springs Baptist Church
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Quail Springs Baptist Church exists to lead people throughout the OKC metro to follow Jesus as Lord. Through gospel-centered worship, community, and service, we aim to gather together, build up in service, and send out with the good news of Christ.

  1. 5d ago

    The Temptation to Return | Galatians Ep 8

    In Galatians 4:8–5:1, Paul continues confronting the false teaching of the Judaizers, who insisted that faith in Jesus must be accompanied by obedience to Jewish customs and religious practices. Their teaching threatened to pull believers away from the freedom Christ had already secured for them. Pastor Connor illustrates this danger through the Emancipation Proclamation and the delay in its enforcement in Texas, where enslaved people remained in bondage despite freedom having already been declared. Similarly, the Judaizers were attempting to keep the Galatian Christians bound to religious requirements when Christ had already set them free. Paul begins by identifying the problem: believers who had come to know God were returning to the weak and worthless practices from which they had been delivered. His concern was deeply personal. The Galatians had once welcomed and cared for him during a time of physical suffering, but now they were beginning to treat him as an enemy for telling them the truth. Meanwhile, the Judaizers were using religious devotion as a means of gaining influence and control rather than genuinely caring for the spiritual well-being of these believers. To explain the difference between law and grace, Paul turns to the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Ishmael was born through human effort when Abraham and Sarah attempted to accomplish God's promise themselves. Isaac, however, was the child of promise, born through God's supernatural provision. The contrast demonstrates that salvation cannot be manufactured through human effort. It is a gift of God's grace, received through faith. Paul concludes his argument with a clear command in Galatians 5:1: Christ has set us free, so we must stand firm and refuse to return to slavery. Pastor Connor then identifies three foolish trades we make whenever we abandon the gospel or attempt to add to it. 1. POWER for WEAKNESS Every believer has received the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit—the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. Whether facing disappointment, suffering, uncertainty, or hardship, Christians are never alone or without God's power. Yet when we rely on our own ability to earn righteousness, we exchange that supernatural strength for the limitations of our flesh. Pastor Connor compares this to attempting to dig a swimming pool with a hand shovel when a backhoe is available. We have been given something far greater than our own strength, yet we often insist on doing the work ourselves. Romans 8:1–2 reminds us that through Christ, the Spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death. 2. WEALTH for POVERTY Through Jesus Christ, believers have received the immeasurable riches of God's grace. These spiritual riches are not something we have earned or deserved; they are ours because Jesus willingly became poor so that we might become rich through Him, as Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 8:9. Using an illustration from Oklahoma's oil and gas industry, Pastor Connor describes someone trading away mineral rights worth billions of dollars in exchange for a little more surface property. While the visible land might appear valuable, the real treasure lies beneath the surface. In the same way, the Judaizers emphasized outward religious practices while overlooking the infinitely greater riches available through Christ. When we prioritize our own religious performance over God's grace, we exchange spiritual wealth for spiritual bankruptcy. 3. LIBERTY for BONDAGE The greatest danger of abandoning or adding to the gospel is surrendering the freedom Christ purchased for us. Paul begins and ends this passage by warning against returning to slavery. Whether through circumcision and Jewish customs in Paul's day or through morality, church attendance, and religious activity today, any attempt to earn God's acceptance through performance places us back under a burden we cannot carry. Pastor Connor illustrates this through Brooks, a character in The Shawshank Redemption who struggles to live as a free man after spending most of his life in prison. Freedom is so unfamiliar that he considers breaking parole to return to the only life he knows. Christians can fall into a similar pattern when they return to the bondage of trying to earn what Christ has already freely given. The message concludes with a remarkable truth: Jesus is the only One who willingly made all three trades, and He made them for us. He traded power for weakness when He was crucified, wealth for poverty when He humbled Himself for our salvation, and liberty for bondage when He took the form of a servant. Through His sacrifice, we have received what we could never obtain on our own. Pastor Connor closes with the picture of someone receiving a brand-new vehicle as a gift, only to ask to exchange it for a broken-down car at the back of the dealership. It would be a foolish trade. Yet that is precisely what we do whenever we abandon or attempt to add to the gospel. Jesus has already given us something of infinite value. Why would we ever exchange it for something we could never accomplish ourselves? CHAPTERSThe Gospel and the Danger of Returning to Slavery (0:00) Trading POWER for WEAKNESS (8:26) Trading WEALTH for POVERTY (approximately 12:30) Trading LIBERTY for BONDAGE (approximately 17:00) Jesus Made the Trade for Us (approximately 21:00) The transcript provides wall-clock timestamps rather than elapsed video times. The later chapter times are estimates based on the recorded markers and should be confirmed before publishing. REFERENCED SCRIPTURESGalatians 4:8–5:1 Romans 8:1–2 2 Corinthians 8:9 2 Corinthians 13:4 Philippians 2:7

  2. Oct 6

    Slaves to Sons | Galatians Ep 7

    Why would someone who has been set free choose to return to slavery? Dr. Anthony Jordan begins with the story of Annie, an orphan who is welcomed into the home of Daddy Warbucks and given an entirely new life. It would be foolish for her to receive everything that comes with becoming his daughter and then ask to return to the old clothes, hard bed, and work of the orphanage because she didn't feel worthy of what she had been given. Paul makes a similar argument in Galatians: why return to living under the law when, through Christ, you have been made a child of God? First, the law imprisons us and reveals our need for a Savior. The law shows us God's standard and exposes the reality that we have fallen short of it. It was never intended to provide a way for sinners to earn entrance into God's family. Instead, it reveals our guilt and leaves us like prisoners who have already been convicted and cannot escape on their own. Trying harder, doing more good deeds, or attempting to keep God's commands cannot erase the fact that we have broken His law.  But faith sets us free in Christ and unites us together as sons and daughters of God. Jesus steps into the courtroom as our advocate, having already paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. Those who place their faith in Him are forgiven and no longer stand condemned. But God does even more than clear our record and release us from imprisonment—He welcomes us into His family. Through faith in Christ, we become His children and receive the privileges that belong to sons and daughters of the King. That new identity is pictured through baptism. Baptism doesn't make someone a Christian; salvation comes through faith in Jesus. Instead, baptism publicly portrays what Christ has already done: the old life is gone, we have been made new, and we now stand clothed in the righteousness of Christ. It becomes an open testimony that we are no longer living under the condemnation of sin but have been set free through Jesus. Life in God's family also creates a new kind of unity. Paul isn't saying our differences disappear, but that those distinctions no longer determine our standing before God. Different races, backgrounds, economic circumstances, and experiences all meet on level ground at the foot of the cross. Every believer belongs and has a place in the body of Christ. Dr. Jordan challenges Quail Springs to reflect that reality by reaching people from every background in our community—because whether someone appears outwardly moral or is visibly trapped in sin, everyone needs the same Savior. Paul then changes the picture from imprisonment to slavery. The law enslaves us and leaves us in need of redemption. Human effort becomes an endless cycle of trying harder and repeatedly falling short. The law can identify our condition, but it cannot free us from it. We need someone outside ourselves to pay the price necessary to redeem us. And that is exactly what God did. God redeems us and adopts us as sons and heirs. At precisely the right moment—the “fullness of time”—God sent His Son, born of a woman and born under the law, to redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption. Jesus lived under the law perfectly and then gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice, paying the redemption price through His blood.  Dr. Jordan makes this truth deeply personal through the story of adopting his own two children. Adoption doesn't merely mean rescuing someone from a former situation; it means giving them a new family, a new identity, and a full inheritance. In the same way, God doesn't simply purchase slaves and set them free. He makes those He redeems His sons and daughters and gives them the inheritance of His family. His Spirit now lives within His children, allowing us to know Him intimately as Father. The invitation, then, is to stop trying to earn what God has already provided through Christ. For those who have never trusted Jesus, freedom and adoption are offered through faith in Him. And for Christians still exhausting themselves trying to make God love or accept them, the message is equally freeing: you don't have to impress your Father. You can live for Him out of the joy of already being His child. CHAPTERSThe Law Imprisons Us and Reveals Our Need for a Savior (0:00–18:09) Faith Sets Us Free in Christ and Unites Us as Sons of God (18:09–24:00) The Law Enslaves Us and Leaves Us in Need of Redemption (24:00–27:31) God Redeems Us and Adopts Us as Sons and Heirs (27:31–End) REFERENCED SCRIPTURESGalatians 3:23–4:7Romans 3:20Romans 3:23Romans 8:11 Corinthians 12John 5:39

  3. Sep 29

    Logical & Christological | Galatians Ep 6

    In Galatians 3, Paul is in the middle of an argument with enormous implications for the gospel. The Judaizers were teaching that faith in Christ was not enough—that certain practices from the Old Testament law still needed to be observed. While their particular argument centered on circumcision, their deeper error was attempting to add human obedience to the grace God had already provided through Christ. And while we may be nearly 2,000 years removed from their controversy, the temptation remains: we can still find ourselves more comfortable trying to measure up than simply trusting what Jesus has done for us. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … Paul begins with a logical argument about God’s promise and the law. Using the example of a legal covenant, he explains that if even a human agreement cannot simply be rewritten after it has been ratified, God's covenant certainly cannot. God made His promise to Abraham centuries before the law was given through Moses, so the law could not come later and cancel or rewrite that promise. The Abrahamic covenant centered on what God promised to do; the Mosaic law emphasized the obedience required of God's people. The law was legitimate, but God's promise remained paramount. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … But Paul's argument isn't merely logical—it is Christological. He draws attention to God's promise concerning Abraham's “offspring” and identifies that offspring as Christ. The promise was always moving history toward Jesus. From humanity's fall into sin to God's covenant with Abraham and the giving of the law through Moses, the story ultimately points to the One who would accomplish what sinful humanity could never accomplish for itself. Jesus' death and resurrection fulfilled the promise and defeated the enemy in a way the law never could. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … That naturally raises the question: If God's promise is paramount, why did He give the law? Paul explains that the law was added because of transgressions. It establishes God's boundaries and exposes the reality of our rebellion. Like a road sign clearly marking the speed limit, the law removes our ability to claim ignorance. It reveals what is right while simultaneously showing us just how far short we fall. The law is not the means of salvation; it reveals our need for salvation and drives us toward Christ. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … That remains important for Christians today. We can become comfortable with our own sin, comparing ourselves with others and convincing ourselves that our failures aren't particularly serious. Instead of allowing God's truth and the conviction of the Holy Spirit to expose us, we can become skilled at explaining, minimizing, or defending our behavior. The proper response isn't to ignore God's boundaries, but neither is it to believe keeping those boundaries can make us righteous. The law reveals the problem; only Jesus provides the solution. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … Paul finally asks whether the law and God's promise are somehow opposed to one another. His answer is emphatic: absolutely not. The law is good and has a legitimate purpose, but it is limited. It can reveal sin, but it cannot give life. It can show us God's standard, but it cannot make sinners righteous. Scripture places everyone under the reality of sin so that the promise of salvation might be received through faith in Jesus Christ. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … That's the freedom at the heart of the gospel: you don't have to measure up because Jesus measured up for you. The danger of legalism is that it turns our attention backward toward our own performance instead of toward Christ's finished work. But there's an opposite danger as well—claiming faith in Christ while becoming casual about the life He calls us to live. On this side of the cross, believers are called neither to legalism nor fickle faith, but to rest in God's grace and faithfully follow Jesus. 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … 9-27 Sermon Video Timestamps & … CHAPTERSIntroduction: The Argument in Galatians (0:00–6:56) Understanding the Judaizers and Paul’s Argument (6:56–12:00) God’s Promise Comes Before the Law (12:00–18:58) Why Did God Give the Law? (18:58–26:32) The Law Reveals Our Sin and Need for Christ (26:32–35:01) The Law Cannot Give Life (35:01–39:30) Living on the Other Side of the Cross (39:30–End) REFERENCED SCRIPTURESGalatians 3:15–22Genesis 3:15Genesis 12Romans 5:20Matthew 23James 1Acts 7:53Hebrews 2:2Deuteronomy 33:2

  4. Sep 22

    A Foolish Trade | Galatians Ep 5

    As Paul continues confronting the false teaching spreading through the Galatian churches, his tone becomes intensely personal. The Galatians had received the gospel of grace, but now they were being persuaded to add works of the law to what Christ had already accomplished. Paul essentially looks them in the eye and asks, “What happened to you?” Why would anyone trade faith in Jesus and His finished work for a system that depends upon their own effort? Paul first makes his case personally. Rather than beginning with an abstract theological argument, he asks the Galatians to remember their own experience with Christ. How did they receive the Holy Spirit? Who began the work of salvation in them? Who continues that work? What about the suffering they had endured because of their faith or the ways they had seen God work in their lives? Every question points toward the same answer: their relationship with God began through faith and the work of the Holy Spirit, not through their ability to keep the law. If the Spirit began the work, it makes no sense to believe human effort must now sustain it. That personal argument also forces an important question: Do you have your own experience with Jesus? Faith cannot be inherited from parents or grandparents. Paul is asking the Galatians to remember what happened to them, because every person must personally place his or her faith in Christ. Like an attorney questioning an eyewitness, Paul isn't asking what they have heard about someone else's experience; he's asking them to testify to what God has done in their own lives.  Paul then makes his case biblically. Personal experience matters, but it isn't the final authority. Paul turns to the Old Testament—the very Scriptures the Judaizers would have valued—to demonstrate that justification has always been by faith. Abraham believed God and was counted righteous. The Law and the Prophets agree that “the righteous shall live by faith.” The law cannot rescue sinners from its curse because no sinner can perfectly fulfill its demands. Instead, Christ redeems us by taking that curse upon Himself. From Genesis and Abraham to Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Habakkuk, Paul builds his case from multiple biblical angles. Pastor Connor compares it to instant replay in football: one camera angle may tell part of the story, but multiple angles establish what was true all along. Paul looks first at the Galatians' personal experience and then at the testimony of Scripture, and both point to the same conclusion—right standing with God comes through faith, not works.  At the center of that faith is Jesus. We aren't declared righteous because we're good people, come from good families, or hope our good deeds outweigh our bad ones. We can be declared righteous because Jesus was perfect where we have failed. On the cross, He took what our sin deserved so that those who believe in Him could receive what they could never earn for themselves. The question, then, isn't whether we've done enough. The question is whether we have placed our faith in Christ. Every angle has been examined. The personal evidence and the biblical evidence lead to the same verdict: sinners are declared righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. So the question Paul ultimately places before each of us is deeply personal: What do you believe, and to whom do you belong? CHAPTERSIntroduction: A Foolish Trade (0:00–8:34) Paul Makes His Case Personally (8:34–19:53) Paul Makes His Case Biblically (19:53–End) REFERENCED SCRIPTURESGalatians 3:1–14Genesis 15:6Genesis 12:3Deuteronomy 27:26Habakkuk 2:4Leviticus 18:5Deuteronomy 21:23John 3:16

  5. Sep 15

    Jesus + Anything = Nothing | Galatians Ep 4

    As Paul continues defending the Gospel of grace, he recounts a difficult confrontation with Peter. Although Peter knew the truth of the Gospel, fear of what others might think caused him to withdraw from Gentile believers. His actions became a public failure with personal consequences, even leading Barnabas astray. Pastor Connor challenges us to consider how fear can compromise our own witness and reminds us that people are watching the way our faith shapes our lives. Paul then moves to the heart of his argument: justification by faith. Sin leaves every person unrighteous, and no amount of obedience or works of the law can change that standing before God. We are declared righteous only through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is God's gift of grace, received through faith—not something we can earn for ourselves. Finally, Galatians 2:20 shows the freedom that comes from the Gospel. For the Christian, the "old me" has been crucified with Christ, and the "new me" now lives with Christ in me. The power to live differently doesn't come from ourselves; it comes entirely from Jesus, who loved us and gave Himself for us. Sermon OutlineGalatians 2:11–21 There is FEAR that compromised Peter — Galatians 2:11–14Peter knew the Gospel, but his fear of the circumcision party caused him to change his behavior and separate himself from the Gentile believers. This was a PUBLIC failure — Both Jews and Gentiles were watching Peter's actions. One group was left feeling entitled while the other was left feeling defeated.This had PERSONAL implications — Peter's hypocrisy influenced others, even leading Barnabas astray.Our witness is both public and personal. Sometimes its impact is wide, and other times it runs deep. There is FAITH that justifies sinners — Galatians 2:15–19, 21Paul makes the theological case for justification by faith. To be justified means to be "declared righteous." Because sin makes us unrighteous, we need something outside ourselves to change our standing before God. We are not justified by works of the law.We are justified through faith in Jesus Christ.Our faith is a belief in God's grace to save.If righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.Ephesians 2:8–9 reinforces the same truth: salvation is by grace through faith and is not the result of our works. There is FREEDOM that defines Paul — Galatians 2:20Paul describes how the truth of the Gospel changes everyday life. As a Christian, the "old me" died with Jesus.As a Christian, the "new me" is Christ "in me."The life Paul now lives is by faith in Jesus. His ability to live rightly comes entirely from Jesus, through Jesus, and because of Jesus. Christ took our wickedness and gave us His righteousness because He loved us and gave Himself for us. Practical TakeawaysHas FEAR compromised me in any way?Is my FAITH certain because the object of it is Jesus?Do I live with FREEDOM because the "old me" died with Jesus so the "new me" can live for Him?Referenced ScripturesGalatians 2:11–21Ephesians 2:8–9

  6. Sep 9

    Why Your Christian Life Feels Off

    God’s Presence — The Christian Life Is Designed to Live in the Presence of God It’s possible to look the part of a Christian while living far from the place God designed us to be. Dylan Bone illustrates this by imagining himself dressed head-to-toe in OU gear but driving past Norman and ending up at a Texas game in Austin. He might look like he belongs at an OU game, but he’s in the wrong place to experience its purpose, satisfaction, or enjoyment. In the same way, we can know the language of faith and wear the “church clothes” while neglecting our true home base: the presence of God. In Haggai 1, God's people had returned to Jerusalem after exile, but the temple—the place associated with God's presence among Israel—remained in ruins while they devoted themselves to building their own homes. Their priorities revealed an indifference toward God. Dylan reminds us that our opinions, schedules, and excuses don't supersede God's purposes for our lives. Our highest purpose isn't ultimately to be the best parent, spouse, employee, or anything else. Our purpose comes from God, and our first priority is to dwell in His presence. Through Christ, believers don't have to travel to a temple to encounter God; His Spirit dwells within His people, and He invites us to commune with Him.  Our satisfaction is also found in God. Haggai tells the people to “consider your ways.” They were sowing but harvesting little, eating without being filled, drinking without having their thirst quenched, and earning money only to put it into a bag with holes. They were constantly pursuing more but never finding enough. The same pattern can define our lives when we chase promotions, status, approval, appearance, success, or anything else in creation to satisfy what can ultimately be satisfied only by the Creator. Dylan challenges us to take an honest inventory of what we're pursuing and recognize that a life centered on anything other than God's presence will leave our souls hungry.  But God doesn't simply expose their dissatisfaction; He calls His people back to Himself. He tells them to rebuild His house so that He might take pleasure in it and be glorified. God takes pleasure in meeting with His people. Because of what Jesus has accomplished, we have access to the Father and can seek His presence through Scripture, prayer, and worship wherever we are. The God who alone can satisfy our souls actually desires fellowship with us. Finally, our flourishing flows through God. The Israelites had busied themselves with their own lives while neglecting God's presence, and their spiritual condition reflected it. Dylan connects their experience to the “dry seasons” Christians sometimes describe. Often, what we experience as distance from God accompanies our own neglect of time with Him. Busyness can quietly reorder our priorities until everything else receives our attention while communion with God receives whatever is left. This flourishing isn't a promise of material prosperity, nor is it something we manufacture through greater effort. It's the spiritual fruit that grows from a life rooted in God's presence. Like a tree bears fruit because its roots are nourished, believers bear spiritual fruit as God nourishes their souls. We were designed to live with Him, and when we dwell in His presence, He forms us into people who increasingly display the fruit of His Spirit through every circumstance of life. The challenge of Haggai remains deeply personal: consider your ways. What are you pursuing? What are you asking to satisfy you? For believers, the invitation is to return to the design God has given us—to find our purpose in Him, our satisfaction in Him, and our flourishing through Him. And as individual believers make God's presence the priority of their lives, Dylan challenges us to imagine what God might do collectively through a church increasingly marked by people who dwell with Him. CHAPTERSIntroduction: Designed for God’s Presence (0:00–4:54) Your Purpose Comes from God (4:54–15:05) Your Satisfaction Is Found in God (15:05–26:05) Your Flourishing Flows Through God (26:05–End) REFERENCED SCRIPTURESHaggai 1:1–11Revelation 3:15–16Romans 10:91 Corinthians 6:19

    Why Your Christian Life Feels Off

  7. Aug 31

    Unyielding | Galatians Ep 3

    What does it look like for the Church to stand firmly on the gospel when its truth is challenged? In Galatians 2, Paul recounts a meeting with Peter, James, and John in Jerusalem where they affirmed that the gospel Paul preached among the Gentiles was the same gospel they proclaimed among the Jews. Titus, a Gentile believer who was not required to adopt Jewish practices such as circumcision, became living evidence that salvation comes through faith in Christ rather than religious works. Paul first reminds us that gospel ministry will face opposition. Surprisingly, the threat he describes doesn't come from outside the Church but from “false brothers” who had slipped in and were attempting to add religious requirements to the freedom believers have in Christ. Pastor Connor compares this kind of internal threat to termites inside the walls of a house or an autoimmune disease in which the body begins attacking itself. Adding human traditions or works to the finished work of Jesus doesn't improve the gospel; it replaces freedom with spiritual bondage. Because the gospel will face opposition, gospel ministry will demand courage. Paul says he refused to yield to the false teachers “even for a moment” because the truth of the gospel was worth preserving. That same conviction is required of believers today. We must be willing to stand up against teachings that distort the gospel while also standing firmly on what the gospel actually says: God created us, sin fractured His good creation, Jesus came to rescue sinners through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection, and everyone who trusts in Him receives forgiveness and eternal life. The gospel itself may be offensive to the world, but Christians do not have to be offensive in the way we communicate it. Finally, gospel ministry will create partnerships. Paul, Barnabas, Peter, James, and John were called to reach different people, but the same Holy Spirit empowered their work and the same gospel united them. Pastor Connor reminds us that gospel ministry isn't competition; it's cooperation. Bible-believing, Christ-exalting churches are not competing to see who can reach the most people. With so many people who still need Jesus, we should celebrate and partner with others faithfully proclaiming Christ. That partnership also becomes especially powerful when believers share a passion for serving people the world often overlooks. Peter, James, and John encouraged Paul to remember the poor—something Paul was already eager to do. When God's people unite around proclaiming the gospel and serving others in Jesus' name, fellowship grows stronger and God receives the glory. The Church must therefore be prepared to face opposition with courage while embracing the partnerships the gospel creates. We stand firm because the gospel of grace is worth defending: Jesus has accomplished everything necessary for sinners to be saved, and nothing needs to be added to His finished work. CHAPTERS Introduction: Standing Firm on the Gospel (0:00–7:50) Gospel Ministry Will Face Opposition — “Foes” (7:50–15:05) Gospel Ministry Will Demand Courage — “Fortitude” (15:05–16:29) Standing Up Against Heresy (16:29–17:59) Standing on the Truth of the Gospel (17:59–24:41) Gospel Ministry Will Create Partnerships — “Fellowship” (24:41–27:33) Gospel Ministry Isn't Competition, It's Cooperation (27:33–28:40) Serving Together for the Glory of God (28:40–End) REFERENCED SCRIPTURES Galatians 2:1–10 Galatians 1:10 Genesis 1–3 Romans 6:23

  8. Aug 25

    When Grace Rewrites Your Story | Galatians Ep 2

    What does a life transformed by grace actually look like? As Paul continues his letter to the Galatians, he points to his own story as undeniable evidence that the gospel is not something manufactured by people. The man who once persecuted Christians became the man preaching the faith he had tried to destroy. His life became a dramatic before-and-after picture of what only the grace of God can do. Paul begins with who he was before Jesus. He was deeply religious, accomplished, and zealous for his beliefs—and yet he was still lost. Pastor Connor describes two forms that lostness can take: rebellion that openly runs from God and religion that mistakenly believes good behavior, church involvement, or spiritual accomplishments can make us right with Him. Whether our past is marked by religion or rebellion, every Christian has a before-and-after story because everyone needs the saving grace of Jesus. But Paul didn't rescue himself. He was called by Jesus. Like a lost hiker who is found by rescuers, salvation begins with God moving toward us in grace and our responding to Him in faith. And God's work doesn't stop when He saves us. Jesus is revealed not only to us, but in us, so His grace can work through our lives for the sake of others. From there comes a lifetime of maturing in Jesus. Paul explains that his spiritual growth, like his salvation, was ultimately the work of God. Pastor Connor reminds us that every time we open God's Word with a heart ready to hear from Him, we have an opportunity to meet with the God who gave it to us and allow Him to continue shaping our lives. Transformation also produces evidence of Jesus that other people can see. The churches heard that the man who once persecuted believers was now preaching Christ. That raises a personal question for every follower of Jesus: spiritually speaking, what do people say about us? Genuine grace produces change that reaches beyond what happens inside a church building and becomes visible to our families, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and others we encounter. Ultimately, however, the glory belongs to God. Pastor Connor compares God's transforming grace to an artist redeeming an old, unwanted tattoo—not simply erasing what was there, but incorporating it into something new and beautiful. Grace doesn't pretend our past never happened; God redeems it and writes a story that points beyond us to its true Hero. When grace rewrites our story, the credit at the end belongs to Jesus. CHAPTERS Introduction: The Transforming Work of Grace (0:00–6:28) Me Before Jesus: Lost in Religion or Rebellion (6:28–12:57) Called by Jesus (12:57–17:10) Maturing in Jesus (17:10–21:39) The Evidence of Jesus in a Changed Life (21:39–25:47) The Glory Belongs to God (25:47–End) REFERENCED SCRIPTURES Galatians 1:11–24 Acts 22:3–4 Philippians 3:4–6 Luke 15 John 11 Matthew 7

See All (39)

About

Quail Springs Baptist Church exists to lead people throughout the OKC metro to follow Jesus as Lord. Through gospel-centered worship, community, and service, we aim to gather together, build up in service, and send out with the good news of Christ.

Information

You Might Also Like