How to GIVE Matthew 6:19-24 Richard Foster, stated in his book Money, Sex and Power: When we give money, we are releasing a little more of our egocentric selves and a little more of our false security. Giving frees us to care. It produces an air of expectancy as we anticipate what God will lead us to give. It makes life with God an adventure of discovery. We are being used to help make a difference in the world, and… Read more
March 4, 2019
How to BUDGET
March 4, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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How to BUDGET Luke 14:28-33 I learned long ago about planning with the following phrase: Prior proper planning prevents pitiful poor performance. That rule is illustrated with this story about money. This is the story of a man who did not budget properly. In this mini-parable, Jesus teaches us about budgeting. In the immediate context, this is about how a man spends his money. In the larger context, this idea of budgeting affects how I live as a follower of… Read more
February 25, 2019
I Love My Community
February 25, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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I Love My Community Luke 4:16-19 In his book Concentric Circles of Concern, Dr. Oscar Thompson wrote that “the gospel moves on contiguous lines – on lines of relationship.”1 The key to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ he said is relationships. What were the relationships that Jesus developed, in order to spread His message? Jesus’ personal people group: the marginalized in His community “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach… Read more
February 11, 2019
I Love My Church
February 11, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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I Love My Church John 13:34-35 Dennis, from Katy, Texas, needed some same-day dry cleaning before he left on a trip. He remembered a store with a huge sign, “One-Hour Dry Cleaners,” on the other side of town, so he drove there to drop off a suit. After filling out the tag, he told the clerk, “I need this in an hour.” She said, “I can’t get this back to you until Thursday.” “I thought you did dry cleaning in… Read more
January 27, 2019
How My Church Can Help Me
January 27, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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How My Church Can Help Me Hebrews 10:19-25 Jesus has opened up a new and living way for me that helps me for eternity. Yet, Jesus didn’t save me in isolation. Jesus built a support system to help me to follow Him. There are two times that the “since is used. The word “since describes that Jesus did a certain work in the past that allows me to live as a Christian today. First, the writer of Hebrews says that… Read more
January 23, 2019
How to Encourage Positive Church Community
January 23, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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How to Encourage Positive Church Community Hebrews 3:7-19 In his autobiography Alias Jungle Doctor, Dr. Paul White concludes his chapter “Doctor at Work” on his medical career: “I found that friendship, fellowship and encouragement lifted a person’s morale. Encouragement, be it physical or spiritual, is the most powerful and useful tonic in any pharmacopoeia.”1 I think that one of the themes in the book of Hebrews is the power of positive church community. Some people believe that Hebrews 10 speaks… Read more
January 15, 2019
Reaching Out to the Digital Generation for Jesus Christ
January 15, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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Reaching Out to the Digital Generation for Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 Let me share with you an important shift that I believe has happened in the culture. We have moved from modern society to a postmodern society. I think this is similar to the differences between the Jews and Gentiles that Paul speaks in this passage. The modern society has a knowledge of God and Jesus. They are familiar with the church. The church was part of the culture and… Read more
January 10, 2019
Resume My Journey God Has For Me
January 10, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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Resume My Journey God Has For Me Deuteronomy 1:6-8 God has spoken to me. I have stayed at this mountain long enough. I need to resume my journey and go forward to my neighbors. See, God has set a mission before me. Enter and take possession of that mission. (Deuteronomy 1:6-8) – Personal Bible Verse for 2019 A vision without a task is but a dream; a task without a vision is drudgery; a vision and a task is the… Read more
January 8, 2019
The Wisdom of Spiritual Reflection
January 8, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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The Wisdom of Spiritual Reflection Proverbs 9:1-18 We come to the end of the year. You may notice people reflecting on the past year. We reflect on the past events, and on people who have left us in death. Many take this time to reflect on the year and see what has happened in their lives. This is a great time to gain wisdom through spiritual reflection. As a Christian, we should take stock of our lives at times like… Read more
January 7, 2019
How Christmas Points to Jesus
January 7, 2019 By Jim Erwin
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How Christmas Points to Jesus Hebrews 1:1-3 Look at the Christmas tree. I want to use this image to remind us how God uses Christmas to point me to Jesus during the Christmas season. Keep the image of the Christmas tree in your mind. The challenge during Christmas is to remind ourselves of Jesus. Because Christmas is loaded. It is loaded with symbols, traditions, and ideas. Many of which don’t point to Jesus. Christmas should communicate Christ. I want to… Read more
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