The Ministry of Suffering Colossians 1:24-2:5 Suffering is a part of life. We always want a thing to be great and happy. But sometimes, things are not so great and happy in life. How is a Christian supposed to react to the pain and suffering of this world? Paul teaches us here in his letter to the Colossian church a lesson that we all need to learn. The act of suffering can be a ministry. It is something that God... Read more
How Faith Helps Me Overcome My Fears Mark 4:35-41 In 1951 comedian Red Skelton and a party of friends flew to Europe, where Skelton was to appear at the London Palladium. As they were flying over the Swiss Alps, three of the airplane’s engines failed. The situation looked very grave and the passengers began to pray. Skelton went into one of his best comic routines to distract them from the emergency as the plane lost height, coming closer and closer... Read more
How to Pray with Purpose Colossians 1:3-14 Have you ever written a “thank you” note to someone? On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon every Friday, he has a segment where he writes his “thank you” notes. These are notes of humor he introduces at the beginning of the show. Here, Paul introduces his letter with a special “thank you” note. I want you to take a “thank you” note and as you listen to the sermon, think of someone... Read more
The Super-Powered Gospel Colossians 1:1-2 Superpowers. We read about different people who have special powers which they use to accomplish what they need to save other people. Spiderman uses spider senses and webbing. Batman uses his wealth. Superman uses his special powers that came from the planet Krypton. The Flash uses super speed. Tony Stark uses his technology to engineer special “Iron Man” suits which are powered by his arc reactor. Captain America uses the super serum that was given... Read more
How God’s Love Helps Me Lead a Life of Joy John 16:16-33 How God’s Love Helps Me Lead a Life of Joy is the final sermon in the series on How God’s Love Helps Me With My Emotions. A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. “As soon as I solve one problem,” she said, “another one comes up. I’m tired of struggling.” Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen where he filled... Read more
How God’s Love Helps Me With My Grief Matthew 26:26-31 When his dog dies, Johnny, five, bursts out crying. His dog has been his constant companion; it slept at the foot of his bed. Now the dog is gone, and little Johnny is a basket case. Johnny’s dad stammers a bit and says, “Uh, don’t feel bad, Johnny, we’ll get you a new dog.” It is lesson one in society’s grief management program: Bury your feelings; replace your losses. Once... Read more
How God’s Love Helps Me With My Anger John 2:13-25 There are many terms and phrases that are associated with the word anger: Anger, Hatred, Vengeance. When we think of anger, we think of “blowing our top,” and that our anger is associated with all things negative. Yes, this is true for many people. One gets angry and hurt can come as a result. It is often said that Jesus was angry when he cleared the temple. But anger is... Read more
How God’s Love Helps Me With My Fears Matthew 10:26-31 Jesus encourages us here with these words. He tells us THREE times to not be afraid. The word fear comes from the Greek word “phobia.” You have probably seen this word used when describing medical terms that describe people’s fears. There are many different fears. Here are some examples: Arachnophobia – fear of spiders Hemophobia – fear of blood Globophobia – fear of balloons Paraskevidekatriaphobia – fear of Friday the... Read more
God’s Family Is Always Growing Mark 4:21-34 God’s family is always growing. That is the truth that these three parables teach. First, let’s address the idea of parables. The parable is a short story, not an allegory, and as such, it is told to convey one basic point. The parable is a story to be heard; it is not a manuscript to be studied, and hearing it we discern the punch line of the story more readily. Jesus’ stories were... Read more
How God’s Love Can Help Me With My Emotions John 11:28-44 God’s love is designed to help us with our emotions. The reason is that emotions reveal and amplify the character of a Christian. Most psychologists agree that there are four major emotions: fear, grief, anger, and joy. These four basic emotions may express themselves in different ways, forms, and varieties. This is the reason why some psychologists will say that there are eight, or sixteen emotions. They are just expressions... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In