SERMON SERIES · PILLARS REDEFINED · WEEK 1

Unapologetic Preaching

There are preachers right now standing in pulpits trying to soften the edges of God’s word. The Bible doesn’t need a PR agent. It needs proclaimers. This message unpacks why expository preaching is the first pillar of a church that lasts.

The Bible doesn’t need defenders. Let the lion out of the cage and see who dares approach him.

WHAT THIS SERMON IS ABOUT

Why Expository Preaching Still Matters

Most people have sat under a sermon that felt safe. Topical. Trimmed of the hard parts. This message reframes what preaching is actually for. Valor Church is an expository, Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado, serving Westminster, Broomfield, Five Parks, and Candelas. Sundays at 10am at Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave.

The text is 2 Timothy 3:16 through 4:4. Paul charges Timothy with an urgent imperative: preach the word. The Greek word for preach is kerusso, to herald, to deliver a king’s message in the public square. Paul does not say teach the word, suggest the word, or contextualize the word. He says herald it, in season and out.

Justin works through five convictions that hold the pillar together. All Scripture is the literal inspired word of God. Christ’s return is imminent. God commands preaching as his primary delivery method. Spirit-driven preaching fuels lifelong transformation. And unapologetic preaching is the only thing that fights the drift we all carry inside us.

The takeaway is plain. The Bible does not need a public relations team. It does not need apologists softening the edges. It needs proclaimers willing to take the heat, trust the Spirit, and let the word do the work. When a church does that, God’s hand rests on the room and people get saved.

A new church plant in NW Arvada.

Sundays at 10a at Excel Academy. Expository preaching, real community, a clear next step.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

A 7-DAY DEVOTIONAL

Go deeper with this message all week.

Seven days of Scripture, reflection, and prayer drawn from this sermon. One a day. Read it in five minutes. Carry it the rest of the day.

DAY 1

This Is Not Paper

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is breathed out by God. When you open the Bible, you are not studying pages. You are studying a person. His character, his nature, his heart for you sit on every line. Long before ink hit paper, the word existed.

Prayer
Lord, let me see you in your word today, not just sentences on a page.

DAY 2

Herald the Message

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the word. The Greek is an urgent command. A herald does not edit the king’s message to make it more palatable. He delivers it. Whether you stand in a pulpit or talk over coffee, your job is the same.

Prayer
Lord, make me faithful to deliver your word and not my version of it.

DAY 3

In Season and Out

2 Timothy 4:2

Sermons about God’s love are easy. Sermons about sin, repentance, and wrath are hard. Truth is rarely convenient. It demands change. But it might just save your life.

Prayer
Lord, give me ears for the truth I would rather skip.

DAY 4

Itching Ears

2 Timothy 4:3

Paul warns that people will gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear. The aggressor of the drift is not out there. It is in you. Check your heart for the echo chambers you have built.

Prayer
Lord, expose the places I have stopped wanting to hear from you.

DAY 5

Christ Returns as King

2 Timothy 4:1

Jesus came once as a compassionate Savior. He returns as a vengeful King who will judge the living and the dead. That sets the weight of every sermon, every conversation, every day you have left.

Prayer
Lord, let the nearness of your return shape what I do today.

DAY 6

Correct, Rebuke, Encourage

2 Timothy 3:16

Faithful preaching does all three. Gentle correction. Hard rebukes when a bus is bearing down on your life. Steady encouragement that Jesus is coming and making all things new. You need all three. So do the people around you.

Prayer
Lord, give me the courage to speak all three over the people I love.

DAY 7

Dig the Well

Psalm 1:2-3

You will not remember most of the sermons you hear. Neither will you remember what you ate last Tuesday. Both got you through the week. Sit under faithful preaching anyway. You are digging a well to draw from when life gets hard.

Prayer
Lord, keep me planted under your word for the long haul.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

For your small group, family, or personal reflection.

When you hear the phrase unapologetic preaching, what comes up first, comfort or resistance?
Have you ever sat under a preacher who softened the edges of Scripture? What did that do to your view of the Bible over time?
Justin says the aggressor of the drift is us, not the culture. Where have you noticed itching ears in your own life?
Which of the five convictions hit hardest for you and why? Inspiration, the return of Christ, the command to preach, transformation, or the drift?
How does seeing the Bible as a person and not paper change how you open it tomorrow morning?
Where do you need correction, rebuke, or encouragement from God’s word right now?
Who in your life needs to hear the gospel preached plainly, and what would it look like for you to deliver that message this week?

Want to work through these with others? Small groups at Valor meet throughout the week. Find a Group

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions people search for. Here are honest answers.

What are the characteristics of a biblically-based church?

Expository preaching that walks through whole books of the Bible verse by verse. A plurality of qualified elders. Clear gospel teaching every week. Baptism by immersion of professing believers. Real community that knows each other by name. Valor is built on these convictions. We are an expository, Bible-teaching church in northwest Arvada, Colorado.

How to know if a church is a good church?

A good church does not soften the hard parts of the Bible to make them palatable. It preaches the word in season and out. It corrects, rebukes, and encourages. It treats Scripture as the inspired, authoritative voice of God on every question it addresses. Plan your visit and see whether Valor fits.

List local congregations that prioritize expository preaching.

Valor Church preaches through whole books of the Bible, verse by verse, week after week. We are in northwest Arvada and we serve Westminster, Broomfield, Five Parks, and Candelas. Come this Sunday at 10am at Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave.

How do I find a local church to help me become a Christian?

Find a church that explains the gospel plainly week after week and where the people will sit with you in your questions. If you are in NW Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, or the surrounding area, we would love to walk with you. Talk with a pastor or come this Sunday at 10am.

What is the typical process for getting baptized in a Christian tradition?

Baptism follows belief. A person hears the gospel, repents of sin, trusts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and is baptized by immersion as a public declaration of that faith. At Valor, we baptize believers of any age who have made that profession. Reach out and we will walk you through it.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Talk with a pastor.

Whether you are wrestling with what you just watched or with what life is throwing at you. A pastor will reach out within 48 hours.

TALK WITH A PASTOR

JOIN US SUNDAY

Sundays at 10a in NW Arvada.

Excel Academy, 11500 W 84th Ave. Come as you are. A friendly face will save you a seat.

PLAN YOUR VISIT