FBC Benbrook Sermons

What does it really mean to love? We've over-romanticized the word, and we've also cheapened it—so Paul's command to "put on love" deserves a closer look. In this message on Colossians 3:14, Pastor Todd Pylant unpacks the one word Scripture says binds everything together. Why does Paul choose agape over friendship-level love? How can love be both a feeling and a concrete action? And what does it mean that, without love, even the most generous and religious person is—in Paul's words—"no thing"? An invitation to discover the love that finally makes us complete.
Scripture: Colossians 3.14
Date: June 14, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant

Forgiveness is one of those words everyone uses and almost no one can define. So in this message from our ongoing series in Colossians 3, we slow down and work through it together — not preaching down to you but wrestling right alongside you with truths that are clearly taught even when they're hard to embrace.
We build the message around four questions. First, what is forgiveness? The word simply means "to give" — a gift with no view of repayment — yet it reaches all the way down into the heart, where memories and resentment live, which is why Jesus tells us to forgive "from the heart." Second, how has God in Christ forgiven us? He loved us as sinners, sacrificed His Son, cancelled our debt, and reconciled us to Himself. Third, should we forgive those who confess and repent? In Luke 17, Jesus' answer is so demanding the disciples immediately cry, "Increase our faith." And fourth, the question we all secretly skip to: what about those who never repent? Romans 12 calls us to forswear revenge, pursue active kindness, and live at peace as far as it depends on us.
Anchored in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) and Colossians 3:12–14, this is an honest, unhurried look at the gift we've received and the gift we're called to give. Wherever you are on that road, this message will help you take one step forward.
Sermon Text: Colossians 3.12-14
Date: June 7, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant

What if the patience you've been asking God for isn't something He gives you—but something He grows in you through the very wait you're trying to survive?
You've been waiting longer than you expected. The relationship isn't healing. The prayer isn't being answered. The circumstance isn't changing. And somewhere along the way, patience stopped feeling like a virtue and started feeling like defeat.
Colossians 3 tells us to put on patience—but that assumes we know what it actually is. In this message, Todd Pylant makes a case that most of us have been thinking about patience all wrong. It's not biting your tongue. It's not pretending the pain isn't there. And it's definitely not something you can just decide to have more of. Biblical patience—drawn from two Greek words meaning "long fuse" and "strong back"—is active faith in the middle of time, pain, and confusion. It looks less like stoic endurance and more like honest prayer that keeps showing up.
Three anchors help you build it: trust in who God is, confidence in how God works even when you can't see it, and a prayer life raw enough to say how long, O Lord—and stubborn enough to keep saying it.
This is a word for anyone carrying something heavy and wondering if God is still at work.
Scripture: Colossians 3:12–14
Date: May 31, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant

Meekness is not considered a virtue worth pursuing today, but it never really was. When the ancient Greeks wrote about meekness, it was always derogatory, something to be put off, not put on. How does the gospel of Jesus Christ change our understanding of this virtue? Instead of weak, docile, soft, or passive, Christ empowered meekness is the strength to be merciful, gracious, and the secret to the blessed life.
Scripture: Colossians 3.12
Date: May 24, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant

What is the difference between kindness and Christ empowered compassion?
Those who are in Christ are called to put on a compassionate heart, but this is radically different than just being polite. The Parable of the Good Samaritan shows us that Christ empowered compassion is deeply rooted within, is costly and risky, and gets involved in the lives of others. This kind of compassion can only happen through the transforming power of the indwelling Christ.
What do we do if we must confess that we do not have a compassionate heart?
Sermon Text: Colossians 3.12
Sermon Date: May 17, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant

Put to death the sins of the mouth" - Colossians 3:8-10
 
Paul calls believers to put to death the sins of the mouth; slander, obscene talk, and lying.  What do the sins of the mouth mean, how do we check our lives to make sure we are putting them to death, and what happens when it happens to us?  Scripture is full of examples, wisdom, and guidance to help us put to death the sins of the mouth and keep our speech kind, pure, and true.  
 
Date: May 10, 2026
Preacher: Blake Theiss

Is anger a dangerous poison to avoided at all costs or the kick we need to cause us to act in the face of injustice?
The biblical witness demonstrates that anger is universal to all humans but is also very dangerous. This emotion not only has the capacity to lead us into sinful behaviors but also to give the devil an opportunity to corrupt our soul even more. This is why we are commanded to put anger and wrath and malice to death.
Anger is another place where those who are in Christ are called to seek the fullness of the indwelling Christ to transform us into His image. Instead of being quick to get angry, we should be slow to anger like the Father. Instead of giving full vent to our anger, we should be merciful. Instead of staying angry too long, we should be quick to forgive. And the only way this kind of life is possible is through the transforming grace of Jesus.
Discover how anger leads us to the cross.
Sermon Text: Colossians 3.8
Date: May 3, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant

Are you caught in the "bottomless pit" of endless effort, chasing a satisfaction that always seems just out of reach? The Scriptures teach that we often live in a state of constant dissatisfaction, fueled by a world that stirs up discontentment at every turn. We instinctively think this is someone else’s problem, yet we find our souls struggling to be content with what we have today.
This look into Colossians 3 invites you to confront "evil desire" and covetousness—not merely as a character flaw, but as idolatry. When we place our highest love, hope, trust, and obedience in money or possessions, we are mounting a direct assault against the worthiness of the Most High God. We are essentially telling our Good Shepherd that He is not enough to take care of us.
However, the Word of God offers more than a list of prohibitions; it provides a shockingly transformative key to unlock the prison of discontentment. By practicing spiritual disciplines like tithing, generosity, and thanksgiving, we can loosen the heart's grip on "stuff" and find true liberation.
Join us as we explore how to put to death what is earthly and instead find fulfillment in the new reality of Christ. Discover the good news that you don't have to be held in bondage to the pursuit of "more"—because Christ is enough.
Sermon Text: Colossians 3.5
Date: April 26, 2026
Preacher: Todd Pylant
 

Discover why the ancient, radical call to "flee sexual immorality" is not just an old-fashioned rule, but a life-giving invitation to find our true identity and victory in Christ.
Have you ever felt that the Christian sexual ethic is wildly out of step with our modern culture? In this message, we dive deep into Colossians 3 to explore a conversation that is as controversial today as it was in the first century Greco-Roman world.
If the Apostle Paul were presenting his letter to a publisher today, an editor might advise him to start with "easier" topics like love or singing. Instead, Paul addresses the most challenging areas of our lives first: sexual immorality, impurity, and passion. We invite you to join us as we move past the surface-level definitions of our culture and look honestly at the biblical call to "put to death" what is earthly within us.
Through the lens of 1 Corinthians 6, we remind ourselves that our bodies are not our own; they are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price. Whether you are wrestling with the "hookup culture," navigating the lies of the enemy, or simply seeking to walk more closely with God, this is an invitation to be rooted and built up in Christ.
We aren’t just trying to "be good"—we are learning how to starve the flesh and feed the Spirit. Come and discover how resurrection power allows us to no longer be slaves to passion, but to find a design for humanity that is far better than anything the world offers.
Sermon Date: April 19, 2026
Sermon Text: Colossians 3.5
Preacher: Todd Pylant

Discover how God has taken the record of your debt and nailed it to the cross, leading a victory parade over the spiritual forces of darkness so that you can walk in resurrection power.
We are on a journey as a church, trying to comprehend the beauty of this mystery: that we are in Christ. Because we are in Him, the fullness of God is poured into us. We are no longer enslaved to sin; we can be victorious over darkness and become new creations.
In this fifth and final introduction to Colossians 3, we explore two powerful metaphors that help us understand the immeasurable glory of our salvation. First, the Certificate of Debt: discover how God the Father took the handwritten record of your IOU, which stood against you with its legal demands, and canceled it by nailing it to the cross. Your debt has been paid in full.
Second, the Victory Parade: see how God disarmed the rulers and authorities, stripping the spiritual forces of darkness of their power and putting them to open shame. Through the cross, Christ has led a victory parade to publicly humiliate every defeated enemy.
As we prepare to put to death what is earthly—sexual immorality, impurity, and evil desires—set your mind on these truths. If the Son who hung on the cross is advocating for you even now, how can you not be victorious?
Sermon Date: April 12, 2026
Text: Colossians 2.13-15
Preacher: Todd Pylant