Revelation 14:6-12 Messages of Hope All around us today, there seems to be no hope. We are in the midst of a war with terror – more specifically a spiritual battle. We are engaged in a war with Islamic fundamentalists. These men are bent on destroying America and Israel. But Revelation is not just a book of gloom and doom. It is meant to spur Christians to action. It is a book of hope. There are messages of hope in... Read more
Mark 10:1-12 How to Defend Biblical Marriage in a Secular Society Two questions come before the Supreme Court this year, which have broad consequences for our faith. First, can an individual state define who gets married? This is the question of Proposition 8 which was passed in California, then struck down. Prop 8 said that marriage was between a man and a woman only. The Federal District Court in Perry v Schwarzeneggar struck down this law because it violated... Read more
Hebrews 13:4-6 Strengthening Love In a chapter of conclusion, the writer of Hebrews gives a set of relationships we should honor. HONORING OUR RELATIONSHIPS Christians Strangers (13:1-2) Outcast (13:3) Marriage partner (13:4-6) Christian leaders (13:7-17) Christian Friends (13:18-19) Respect your marriage. RESULT: Accountability THREE REASONS TO RESPECT MARRIAGE Respect marriage because it teaches me accountability to my partner (marital accountability) (13:4a) Respect marriage as God designed it, because it teaches me to be accountable to Him (personal accountability) (13:4b) Respect... Read more
1 Chronicles 11:10-19 Remembering Our Heroes We have all heard of military heroes. We have heard of heroes who made great sacrifices so that others could continue. The one characteristic of great heroes is bravery in the form of self-sacrifice. These men who followed David had heard of David’s bravery as a young man earlier in his history when he went up against Goliath. They knew that David would be willing to make any sacrifice for the sake of the... Read more
Isaiah 49:14-16 Seeing God Through the Life of Mothers Mother: “Every time you’re naughty I get another gray hair.” Son: “Gee, Mom, you must have been a terror when you were young … just look at Grandma.” Today, we honor mothers. Today we will spend time sharing how mothers are a picture of the way we see God. We will discover that every mother has the privilege to point their children to God’s love. We will see God through the life of... Read more
Selfish Leadership ““Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock?” (Ezekiel 34:2, HCSB) God warns against a common trend today in church leadership. He warns against leaders who are more interested in taking care of their own personal interests, than in taking care of the people whom... Read more
2 Peter 1:5-11 Graduating From the School of Christ Some of us here are graduating from school. We have spent years learning certain skills, which we hope to be able to apply in our lives. Perhaps some will learn more precise skills for a job as an apprentice. Perhaps others will go to college to learn “higher education.” (As if going twelve years was not high enough.) I would submit that in 2 Peter we can look at spiritual growth... Read more
Why Does the Resurrection Matter? There are three important questions about the Resurrection: What is the resurrection of Christ? What is the evidence that this resurrection occurred? Why does the Resurrection important? We can understand the nature of Christ’s resurrection by comparing it to the raising of Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). These two men were physically dead; Jesus brought them back to life. They did not live forever in the body... Read more
Acts 17:16-31 Following Christ in a Pluralistic Society Five Words to Follow Christ in a Pluralistic Society Jesus and the Resurrection (the Gospel) are a foreign language 17:18 Boldness (Acts 16-17) Will lead to pushback by people who are offended by the Bible’s claims. Some will believe and others reject. Don’t let hostility stop the Gospel Brokenness (17:16) He saw the idols and it broke his heart about the lostness condition of the people. Rejection of biblical truth should... Read more
Romans 6:3-5 Identifying with Christ “Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also... Read more
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