Explore every episode of the podcast The Sermons Of Melvin Purvis

In this sermon, Mel Purvis calls believers to a life of faithful, others-centered love, measured not by public ministry or visible success, but by how they care for the specific people God has entrusted to them. Beginning with the love that drew people into his church and the quiet, lifelong faithfulness of an old saint who prayed him into the kingdom, he moves into a deep call to guard the tongue, encourage others while they are still alive, and live as "people of the Book" guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit. He closes with sobering reflections on Paul, Demas, and the crown promised to those who finish their course without compromise, insisting that in the end it will all be worth it if we have been faithful to love and serve others for Jesus' sake.

In this Sunday School message, Mel Purvis teaches the practical, relational, and spiritual realities of living out the new creation life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). He intertwines themes of faith, divine love, servanthood, holiness, and spiritual warfare, while emphasizing that the Christian walk is impossible without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. According to Purvis, believers must learn to rely on God in helplessness, walk in the love of Christ, remain in fellowship with God, exercise faith above reason, and reject hatred, envy, and darkness. The message is deeply pastoral—rich with stories, testimonies, illustrations, and warnings—and offers a sweeping vision of what it means to live daily in the Spirit's light.

In this sermon, Mel Purvis teaches directly from Acts 2:1–4, emphasizing that most Christians understand only half of the baptism in the Holy Spirit — the wind (power for ministry) — but very few understand the second half: the fire (holiness). He argues that the modern church celebrates supernatural signs but neglects the purifying, sanctifying fire that Jesus promised in Matthew 3:11. Through biblical exposition, prophetic voices, personal testimony, and warnings against counterfeit holiness, Purvis urges believers to embrace the fire of God that produces inward purity, personal brokenness, unity within the church, and a life carried by the Holy Spirit moment by moment.

This sermon is an expository teaching on Acts 1:15–26, where the disciples replace Judas with Matthias. Purvis uses the passage to explore the early church's small beginnings, the nature of Holy Spirit–empowered leadership, the spiritual condition of Judas, and the dangers of covetousness, rebellion, and compromise. He contrasts the heart of Peter—restored and humbled—with the heart of Judas, whose slow drift into sin ultimately destroyed him. The message becomes a sober call to holiness, vigilance, and love for Christ, reminding believers that spiritual gifts and even ministerial usefulness do not guarantee salvation.

In this sermon, Mel Purvis teaches the nature, weight, and power of intercessory prayer, which he calls the highest form of prayer. He contrasts the spiritual tragedy of a prayerless society with the biblical pattern of men and women who stood "between God and the need," turning aside wrath, shaping history, and bringing deliverance. Purvis uses Scripture, history, testimonies, and pastoral counsel to show that intercession requires a sober view of sin, a burden from God, persistence in faith, willingness to suffer personal change, and a readiness to put practical action behind prayer. Above all, he urges the church to seek the spirit of prayer, for God moves in response to those who cry out with the heart of Moses, Paul, and Jesus Himself.

In this sermon, Mel Purvis teaches that true Christian faith is rooted in learning to live before God rather than before people. Using Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 as the foundation, he explains that authentic faith expresses itself in giving, praying, and acting in ways seen only by the Father — trusting Him for honor, reward, promotion, provision, victory, and transformation. Through vivid stories, biblical exposition, and personal testimony, Purvis urges believers to build their entire life on a "faith stance": a settled spiritual posture in which God alone is the source of identity, advancement, holiness, and answered prayer. Anything done to impress others loses its reward; but everything done in secret before God enters the "heavenly bank," where the Father promises to reward openly. Throughout the message, Purvis outlines six marks of a Pharisee, illustrating each with Scripture, church history, personal experiences, and pastoral insights. He concludes with a powerful challenge: believers must depend entirely on grace, seek personal revelation from God, pursue sanctification through the Holy Spirit, and live a life laid down for others — which is the only antidote to religion and spiritual hypocrisy.

In this sermon, Mel Purvis continues his multi-part teaching on "the leaven of the Pharisees," warning believers that the most dangerous enemy of the Christian life is not immorality, worldliness, or hostility from sinners — but religion without the Holy Spirit. He contrasts true Christianity, based entirely on God's grace and the righteousness of Christ, with the false righteousness of Phariseeism, which corrupts hearts through legalism, hypocrisy, self-exaltation, and opposition to spiritual revival. He emphasizes that Jesus reserved His harshest words — "You are of your father the devil" — not for public sinners but for religious people who trusted their own goodness rather than God.

Throughout the message, Purvis outlines six marks of a Pharisee, illustrating each with Scripture, church history, personal experiences, and pastoral insights. He concludes with a powerful challenge: believers must depend entirely on grace, seek personal revelation from God, pursue sanctification through the Holy Spirit, and live a life laid down for others — which is the only antidote to religion and spiritual hypocrisy.

This sermon teaches that the key to Christian joy, spiritual stability, and emotional freedom is learning to live for others, not for oneself. Through testimony, stories, Scripture, and pastoral exhortation, Mel Purvis shows that Christlike love is defined not by feelings but by costly action. Whether in marriage, ministry, or daily interactions, the believer finds joy by serving others the way Jesus did—especially the love He displayed on the cross when He cared for His mother and for the thief beside Him. Many struggles and fears in the Christian life are healed as believers shift their focus away from self and toward helping others.

Hymns sung by Judy Purvis: Moment by Moment, And Can It Be, and Marching On.