NW Valley Times

Chris Brown, senior and teaching pastor at North Coast Church, delivered a sermon at Grand Canyon University Chapel on Monday. He discussed the story of the rich young ruler from the Bible, emphasizing the importance of sacrifice and surrender to God as a path to eternal life.

Brown narrated the story of the rich young ruler, a figure found in multiple books of the Bible, who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. He was described as youthful by Matthew, a ruler by Luke, and wealthy by Mark. Brown challenged the students of GCU to apply this biblical lesson to their own lives, urging them not to exit the university unchanged, like the rich young ruler did from the story.

The pastor illustrated his sermon with quotes from the Bible, including Jesus’ response to the young man: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone.” He stressed that the lesson of sacrifice is crucial to understanding the path to heaven, emphasizing Jesus' guidance to “sell everything you have and give it to the poor… then you will have treasure in heaven.”

A key part of Brown’s message was related to what makes it difficult for the affluent to enter the Kingdom of God. In Jesus' words, “It’s easier for a two-hump camel to go through an eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.” He noted how material wealth can be misleading in the spiritual context.

Drawing from a personal experience in Haiti, Brown spoke about a woman willing to give up her few possessions for her faith. He presented this example to contrast how those with wealth might approach sacrifice differently.

Brown encouraged students to question their relationship with God, asking, “I know you want God to be good to you, GCU, but are you ready for Him to be Lord of you?” His message focused on the use of one’s possessions and wealth, not the possessions themselves, reiterating that spirituality lies not in material guilt but in purposeful giving.

The sermon tied in with ongoing themes at GCU related to the Sermon on the Mount, including a reference to Matthew 7:21: “But only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Chris Brown concluded his sermon by urging students to treat Jesus as more than a mere guardian angel. Instead, he highlighted the significance of living with intention and applying one’s assets toward meaningful contributions.

The next Chapel speaker will be part of the Alumni Worship Chapel on March 24 at the Global Credit Union Arena.

Mark Gonzales, a senior writer from GCU News, authored this report.