FBC Benbrook Sermons

Hope For Broken People in a Broken World

The Scriptures remind us that even in the darkest and most broken stories, God is weaving redemption through Christ—the Redeemer who turns broken people into new creations.
The Scriptures declare that all of God’s Word is breathed out by Him and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness so that His people may be equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Even the difficult stories—like the account of Lot and his daughters in Genesis 19—are given for our instruction. That dark passage shows the brokenness of people doing what is right in their own eyes, a pattern repeated throughout the book of Judges and throughout history. Yet the Scriptures also trace God’s redemptive hand through such brokenness. From Lot’s family line came the Moabites, and from Moab came Ruth, who by God’s providence became the great-grandmother of King David and part of the lineage of Christ Himself.
The genealogy of Jesus even highlights women like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba—women whose stories were marked by sin, scandal, or suffering, but who became instruments in God’s redeeming work. In this, the Scriptures show us that our hope is not found in human effort or in broken means, but in the Redeemer who came to make all things new.
The gospel proclaims that in Christ we are no longer broken people trying to establish justice in our own way; we are redeemed people called to live out righteousness and justice in the way of the cross. God’s kingdom advances not through power, greed, or violence, but through sacrificial love, service, and the transforming work of Christ.
Sermon Text: Genesis 19.30-38
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: September 14, 2025

Preaching Sodom Like Jesus

In this message, we turn to one of the most sobering stories in Scripture: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. Far more than an ancient account of judgment, Jesus and the apostles preached this story as a living parable of the coming day of the Lord. Just as in the days of Lot, people will be eating, drinking, buying, and selling when the Son of Man is revealed—and the judgment will come suddenly and unexpectedly.
This sermon, Preaching Sodom Like Jesus, explores four key truths. First, Sodom stands as an example of the coming wrath of God. The judgment of fire from heaven foreshadows the final judgment when Christ returns. Second, when confronted with this truth, some will laugh, dismissing the idea of God’s judgment as unbelievable. Third, others will prefer Sodom, clinging to the darkness rather than running to the light, just as Lot’s wife looked back and lost her life. But finally, we see that God knows how to save those who believe. Lot was not spared because of his goodness—his failures are plain—but because God remembered His covenant and extended mercy.
This is the heart of the gospel: salvation is not based on our worthiness, but on Christ’s righteousness applied to us by grace through faith. Whether from deep sin, hard questions, or love of the world, God knows how to rescue those who turn to Him. The question for us is simple: Have you said yes to His call to escape the wrath to come through Christ?
Sermon text: Genesis 19.1-29
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: September 7, 2025
 

Confronting the Judge of All the Earth

What happens when the Judge of all the earth invites us into the tension between His justice and His mercy—and calls us to pray for both?
Scripture presents a powerful tension between God’s justice and His mercy, a theme woven throughout Genesis 18 and Psalm 94. As Abraham pleads for Sodom, the Bible invites us into the same struggle: How long will the wicked prosper? How long will the righteous suffer?
In Genesis 18, the Judge of all the earth reveals His plan to bring judgment on Sodom. Yet before acting, God draws Abraham into intercession—into praying for both justice and mercy. Abraham boldly appeals: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” He asks God to spare the city for the sake of even ten righteous people, showing the heart of a God who listens before He acts.
Throughout Scripture, righteousness and justice define God’s character and His call upon His people. Yet our longing for justice is complicated—we want judgment for evil, but mercy for ourselves. This tension finds its ultimate resolution at the cross, where God’s righteous wrath against sin and His deep love for sinners meet perfectly in Christ.
The sermon calls believers to join Abraham’s legacy of intercession. When we see injustice—whether personal pain or global crises like human trafficking—we cry out to the One who is both holy and merciful. Our prayers matter. God hears. And though final justice awaits Christ’s return, Scripture urges us to keep praying, keep interceding, and keep trusting the Judge of all the earth.
Sermon Text: Genesis 18.16-33
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Sermon Date: August 31, 2025
 

Technically, No But...

Is anything too hard for the Lord? God challenged Abraham with this question, but this question challenges every believer trapped in time, mortal matter, and space. Why does living in the tension bring blessing and life and frustration? (Genesis 18.14) August 24, 2025

How Does Circumcision Point to Christ?

The Scriptures show that true circumcision is not of the flesh but of the heart, where Christ cuts away our sin and makes us alive in Him.
The Scriptures remind us that long ago God spoke through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us through His Son (Hebrews 1:1–2). In Genesis 17, God appeared to Abram at ninety-nine years old and gave him a new name—Abraham, the father of many nations. God established His covenant with Abraham and gave a sign: circumcision. Though unusual to our modern ears, the Scriptures make clear that this physical sign was never the end in itself. From the very beginning, it pointed forward to something greater—the circumcision of the heart.
Moses spoke of this when he urged Israel to “circumcise your hearts and do not be stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10:16), and promised that one day God Himself would circumcise their hearts so they could love Him fully (Deuteronomy 30:6). The prophets and apostles echo this truth: what we need most is not a ritual done by human hands, but a work of God’s Spirit within us.
Paul writes in Colossians 2 that through Christ we experience a “circumcision made without hands”—our sin is cut away, nailed to the cross, and we are raised with Him to new life. This means we are no longer dead in our sins but alive in Christ. We are no longer under condemnation but reconciled to God. We are no longer trapped in the kingdom of darkness but transferred into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
This is the beauty of the gospel: God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.
Sermon Text: Genesis 17
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: August 17, 2025

The Line That Divides the World

Only one thing makes you right with God—and it’s not you.
There is a single sentence in Scripture that splits the world in two: “Abram believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). This verse draws the dividing line between faith and works, between grace and effort, between those who trust in themselves and those who trust in the finished work of Christ. It is the core of the gospel.
The Scriptures teach that we are not made right with God by what we do, but by believing in what God has done through Jesus. Romans 3 and 4 explain that justification—being declared righteous in God's sight—is not earned by keeping laws or doing good, but given as a gift through faith. Paul uses Abraham as the model: he simply believed, and God credited that faith as righteousness.
This truth is not just theological—it is personal. It defines how we approach God, how we find peace, and how we live daily. Even our prayers rest on this foundation. Psalm 34 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears.” We dare to pray boldly not because we are righteous in ourselves, but because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
This is the line that divides the world—and eternity. Are you standing on your works or on the righteousness of Christ?
Sermon Text: Genesis 15.6
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: August 3, 2025

The Gospel in the Valley of Kings

What if the most important part of Abram’s story isn’t the battle he won—but the mysterious priest who shows up with bread, wine, and a glimpse of Jesus?
In Genesis 14, Abram steps forward in bold faith to rescue his nephew Lot, defeats enemy kings with just 318 men, and refuses to profit from the king of Sodom—declaring that only God, not man, will get credit for his blessing. But right in the middle of this heroic tale, a strange figure suddenly appears: Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High.
Though mentioned in just three verses, Melchizedek disrupts the story like a spotlight on the gospel. He offers bread and wine, blesses Abram, and receives a tithe—actions rich with meaning that echo all the way to Psalm 110 and the book of Hebrews. There, we learn that Melchizedek is more than a historical footnote; he is a prophetic preview of Jesus Christ.
This sermon invites us to zoom out from the battle and fix our eyes on the deeper revelation: Jesus is our true and better Melchizedek—the perfect High Priest and eternal King. He mediates for us, sacrifices for us, reigns over us, and welcomes us to live under the refuge of His blessing.
Whether your faith is developing like Abram’s or you’re exploring what it means to follow Jesus, this story reminds us that God still steps into our lives with bread, wine, and an invitation to know Him more deeply.
Sermon Text: Genesis 14
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Sermon Date: July 27, 2025

Don't Settle for a Lot When God Has Promised More

You can’t hold onto God’s plan with one hand and your backup plan with the other.
The Scripture tells the story of Abraham’s journey in Genesis 13, revealing the ongoing process of learning to trust God’s command, promise, and calling. God called Abraham to leave his homeland and kindred, yet Abraham brought Lot along—a small act of disobedience that reveals a bigger struggle: trusting God fully when the promise doesn’t seem possible.
The passage shows Abraham returning to Bethel, retracing his steps after a failure in Egypt—a spiritual reset. Scripture shows that as Abraham separates from Lot, his faith deepens. Lot chooses what looks good to the eyes—the well-watered Jordan Valley—despite it being outside the land of promise and near Sodom. Abraham, in contrast, chooses to trust the Lord, growing in confidence that God will bless him wherever he goes.
Scripture reveals this is not just a story of land and livestock. Galatians 3 interprets the promise to Abraham’s offspring as pointing to Christ. Those who put their faith in Jesus become Abraham’s children and part of the “dust of the earth”—the fulfillment of God's promise reaching even to us.
The Word warns against partial obedience and relying on plan B when God calls for full surrender. It also challenges believers not to make decisions based only on what looks good, but to filter choices through God’s command, calling, and promise.
Through Abraham’s story, Scripture teaches that spiritual growth comes step by step, with setbacks and restarts, but always under the patient hand of a faithful God.
Sermon Text: Genesis 13
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: July 20, 2025

So That It May Go Well With Me

The Scriptures declare that even the faithful can falter, yet God remains steadfast. Genesis 12:10–20 recounts how Abram, the man of faith, failed in his first trial after receiving God’s great promises. Faced with famine, Abram left the land God had shown him and went to Egypt. Fearing for his life, he deceived Pharaoh by claiming Sarai was his sister. Though his plan succeeded on worldly terms, it exposed a deep lack of trust in God’s promises.
Yet the Lord, true to His word, intervened. He afflicted Pharaoh’s house with plagues and protected Sarai, preserving the promise of offspring. God’s faithfulness endured even when Abram's faith crumbled. This episode echoes the gospel’s core: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5). Just as God remained faithful to Abram, He is faithful to us even in our weakness.
The Scriptures teach that our calling and God’s promises are not in conflict with our good—they are our good. We often attempt to control outcomes, crafting plans that bypass reliance on God. But true life is found in clinging to His Word, trusting His timing, and walking in His calling. Psalm 34 reminds us: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Let the Word be louder than our fears. Let the promises of God guide us through our trials. And let us live each day not for “that it may go well with me,” but for the glory of the One who is always faithful.
Scripture: Genesis 12.10-20
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: July 13, 2025
 

Abraham: Man of Faith

Since the Sunday morning sermon was not recorded due to a lightning strike to the church steeple during the worship service which damaged almost everything electronic, Pastor Todd shares an overview of the sermon as we begin this new sermon series on the life of Abraham. As we read the life of Abraham through the lens of Galatians 3.7-9, we begin to discover what it means to walk in faith.
Scripture: Genesis 11.27-12.10
Preacher: Todd Pylant
Date: July 6, 2025