City Light Church Sermons

About City Light Church Sermons

This is the full collection of sermons preached at City Light Church in Vicksburg, MS. For more information on the church and its ministries, please visit citylightvicksburg.org

Publisher

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Apr 2017

Latest episode

11 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

873 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Oct 2026

   The Gospel of Luke: The Night Before the Test - Audio

   And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”Luke: 22: 39-53 What fuels you before a hard test? Jesus prays and prays and prays before testing. From the phrase "as was his custom," we know that Jesus had a regular pattern of prayer. Jesus didn’t cram before the test: he was regularly on the Mount of Olives at night. And even before being in Jerusalem Jesus would withdraw to desolate places to pray. Even in the midst of times when Jesus was being sought after for his healings and sermons, he was going to empty desolate places where he could focus and pray. How often do you go away for solitude and prayer? Your answer is directly correlated to how you are going to be ready when testing comes in your own life. Jesus’s testing is for all who follow him! The disciples are told to pray “so you may not enter into temptation.” We are to pray in preparation for our trials. We cannot withstand temptation with our own strength. We need prayer. When we do not pray, we are saying that we don’t need God to protect us from temptation. If Jesus is strengthened through the gift of prayer, how much less should we depend on our own ability to stand against temptation, and how much more should we depend on God through our habit of prayer?! Prayer is an act of submission. Jesus kneels in this moment. Three times, he prays to the Father to take this path and his pain away from Him. And God answers, “No.” God is not only glorified in His “yes’s” but He is glorified in His “no’s” as well. We haven’t learned to honor God until we’ve learned to honor Him in His refusals. We should also pray with great exertion. In this text we see two groups of people who are emotionally and spiritually weary: both Jesus and the disciples. The disciples were sleeping “for sorrow.” They were grieving, and they had become tired. Contrary to how it is sometimes portrayed, the disciples are not just goofing off in this moment. They are tired in the soul. Theirs is one of two possible responses to grief - 1) Like the disciples, one can sleep on it (i.e. check out or seek escape.) Or 2) one can press in, which was the path chosen by Jesus. Being in agony, Jesus prayed more earnestly. Preparation does not come without obstruction, because we have an enemy who is interested in not just our body, but our soul. In the last few verses, we see who’s actually prepared. In this moment, Jesus knows He’s going to be betrayed, and he meets this moment without running. He’s prepared. There’s no ducking this moment. Judas betrays Him, not only in a sacred place, but with a sacred gesture. It is a heinous act, and Jesus meets it without anger. Retaliation would be totally understandable. But Jesus has been praying for this moment. The disciples on the other hand are ready to fight. They do what you expect them to do, because they haven’t been preparing. They ask “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” and they don’t even wait for an answer before attacking. Had their preparation been sound, this scene might have been different. Your fruit is a product of the soil you are growing yourself in. But Jesus says, in this moment, “No more of this.” He heals the guard. We are supposed to respond to hate with love. A prayerful church fights our battles with grace, love, healing and truth. And Jesus tells them the truth while meeting them with grace.

2. 

   11 Oct 2026

   The Gospel of Luke: The Night Before the Test - Video

   And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”Luke: 22: 39-53 What fuels you before a hard test? Jesus prays and prays and prays before testing. From the phrase "as was his custom," we know that Jesus had a regular pattern of prayer. Jesus didn’t cram before the test: he was regularly on the Mount of Olives at night. And even before being in Jerusalem Jesus would withdraw to desolate places to pray. Even in the midst of times when Jesus was being sought after for his healings and sermons, he was going to empty desolate places where he could focus and pray. How often do you go away for solitude and prayer? Your answer is directly correlated to how you are going to be ready when testing comes in your own life. Jesus’s testing is for all who follow him! The disciples are told to pray “so you may not enter into temptation.” We are to pray in preparation for our trials. We cannot withstand temptation with our own strength. We need prayer. When we do not pray, we are saying that we don’t need God to protect us from temptation. If Jesus is strengthened through the gift of prayer, how much less should we depend on our own ability to stand against temptation, and how much more should we depend on God through our habit of prayer?! Prayer is an act of submission. Jesus kneels in this moment. Three times, he prays to the Father to take this path and his pain away from Him. And God answers, “No.” God is not only glorified in His “yes’s” but He is glorified in His “no’s” as well. We haven’t learned to honor God until we’ve learned to honor Him in His refusals. We should also pray with great exertion. In this text we see two groups of people who are emotionally and spiritually weary: both Jesus and the disciples. The disciples were sleeping “for sorrow.” They were grieving, and they had become tired. Contrary to how it is sometimes portrayed, the disciples are not just goofing off in this moment. They are tired in the soul. Theirs is one of two possible responses to grief - 1) Like the disciples, one can sleep on it (i.e. check out or seek escape.) Or 2) one can press in, which was the path chosen by Jesus. Being in agony, Jesus prayed more earnestly. Preparation does not come without obstruction, because we have an enemy who is interested in not just our body, but our soul. In the last few verses, we see who’s actually prepared. In this moment, Jesus knows He’s going to be betrayed, and he meets this moment without running. He’s prepared. There’s no ducking this moment. Judas betrays Him, not only in a sacred place, but with a sacred gesture. It is a heinous act, and Jesus meets it without anger. Retaliation would be totally understandable. But Jesus has been praying for this moment. The disciples on the other hand are ready to fight. They do what you expect them to do, because they haven’t been preparing. They ask “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” and they don’t even wait for an answer before attacking. Had their preparation been sound, this scene might have been different. Your fruit is a product of the soil you are growing yourself in. But Jesus says, in this moment, “No more of this.” He heals the guard. We are supposed to respond to hate with love. A prayerful church fights our battles with grace, love, healing and truth. And Jesus tells them the truth while meeting them with grace.

3. 

   4 Oct 2026

   The Gospel of Luke: The Enemy Against Us And The God For Us - Audio

   “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” Luke 22:31-38 At the time of our text, Jesus had just called out a betrayer in their midst. And here Jesus points out that none of us are safe. Just because Satan overcomes one of us doesn’t mean he’s going to stop. We should always be focused on defending against the attacks of the enemy. Our enemy does not rest, so neither should we. Our enemy loves the destruction of our faith. He often prefers the torture of your soul over simply the torture of your body. Satan can even hide your blessings. He is watching out for us to drop our guard. We take courage and remember that God is sovereign. Satan has to ask God for permission for everything he does. God, in his sovereignty, allows Satan to test us. But take heart - if you are God’s, you cannot be Satan’s. You may stumble and may falter, but Satan cannot have your faith or your soul. Deep down among Peter’s denials is a scared man that loves his Lord. Jesus prayed for Peter, but Jesus also is praying for you. We hear throughout the Bible that Jesus is making intercession for us. You can be certain of your faith, because you have the God of the universe praying for you! There is always a pathway back to God because of the cross. Note that God keeps us so that we may keep one another. God tells Peter “when you return, strengthen your brothers.” In this way, God demonstrates His sovereignty throughout the household of faith. Peter’s failure and his restoration is not just for his benefit. He is to strengthen the other brothers and be an example for those who are weak or faltering. Also, note that while Peter may be called out for his denial, ALL the disciples scatter! Peter is called out because he is the de facto leader of the group. So his restoration is impactful to others! In the same way, God does not keep you for yourself. God restores and keeps and sustains you, so you might be a sustainer for those around you! Who has God placed around you, so you might keep them moving forward and focused on God? As you run the race to your finish line, who has the lord put in your path that you may support them as they run? Despite our delusions, we cannot live out this faith on our own. Peter tells Jesus, “I’m ready to die for you!” And Jesus corrects Him. In Peter’s bravado, Jesus exposes Peter’s own weaknesses. We need all the help we can get! Our pride and the illusion of our inner strength are prime targets for Satan. And in our American context, we are raised to believe we can handle things on our own. But we are not as strong as we believe we are. So we should pray like we are capable of falling. We should live like we are always capable of falling. And if we live like we are capable of falling, we will always remember our dependence on God. We cannot do this alone. Do not resist the opportunity to lean on God, and live faithfully among the community of believers. And remember, the world will become more adversarial to Jesus and Jesus’ followers. But when we go and we encounter difficulty, we go with the prayers of our Lord. The disciples think they are going to fight a physical battle - looking for swords. But Jesus is speaking metaphorically, as we see in a few verses when Jesus chastises Peter for attacking a man with a sword. The sword is not what keeps us. God does! We will be kept because God is in control. We will be kept because Jesus is praying for us, in heaven, making intercession. And when we fall, He has paid the price on the cross.

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