How the Church Is My Forever Family Mark 3:13-35 Introduction: In the foster care and adoption community, we discuss the idea of a “forever family.” The children who go into the system are always looking for security and stability. They become foster children in the hopes of being adopted. This goal is called becoming part of a “forever family.” The idea is that once a child is adopted, they will stay with this family forever. Today, when I looked for the... Read more
Freedom in Christ Mark 2:23-3:12 In order to warn consumers of potential dangers, many products may include warning labels. But efforts to avoid potential liability can sometimes result in ridiculous-sounding warnings. Here are a few examples found on actual products or in the related manual: • Ammoniated window cleaner: Do not spray in eyes. • Electric woodworking drill: This product not intended for use as a dental drill. • Hair coloring: Do not use as an ice cream topping. •... Read more
5 Coping Skills to Help With Trump Derangement Syndrome Trump Derangement Syndrome has infected various people since the most recent presidential election. It has been defined in the following ways by various people. Fareed Zakaria said that it is a “hatred of President Trump so intense that it impairs people’s judgment.” Senator Ted Cruz claimed: “where all they can do is attack the president all day long on the scandal of the day” Even President Trump tweeted about this phenomenon... Read more
7 Sermons on a Christian’s Response to Influence the Culture Below are links to seven sermons on a Christian’s response to influence the culture, in a series on “Counter Culture Christianity.” The sermon series was inspired by the book Counter Culture Christianity, by David Platt. Using a variety of texts from both the Old and New Testaments, the series explores a Christian’s response to a variety of issues. These include culture (Matthew 5:13-16), poverty (Deuteronomy 15a:7-11), children (Proverbs 24:10-12), religious liberty... Read more
A Christian’s Response to Multiculturalism, Race, and Ethnicity Revelation 7:9-17 Jesus loves the little children All the children of the world Red and yellow black and white They are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children of the world What happened to the beautiful vision of that song? We live in a world that is sharply divided. Blue versus Red. Democrat versus Republican. White versus Black or Brown. People easily decide to fall into different camps as if... Read more
A Christian’s Response to Marriage Matthew 19:1-12 Whom, therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” These are the words that end the most common form of marriage service used in Christian churches. But men are “putting asunder,” as are women. The statistics tell us that nearly one in two marriages taking place in the United States today will end in divorce, and the statistics are not much better for Christian marriages. We see the evidence of decay... Read more
A Christian’s Response to Sexual Morality 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 In The Door Mike Yaconelli writes: Author Susan Howatch made a fortune writing blockbuster novels like Penmarric. She had houses in several countries, drove a Porsche, and, after divorcing, had a number of “transient liaisons.” But at age 30, she says, “God seized me by the scruff of the neck and shook me until my teeth rattled.” Now a Christian, she reflects: “I was promiscuous, but finally one morning I woke... Read more
A Christian’s Response to Religious Liberty A Christian’s Response to Religious Liberty is the fourth sermon from Matthew 22:15-22 in the series on Counter Culture Christianity about the importance of religious liberty. Let me share with you two different significant historical figures who shaped the Baptist influence on religious liberty in American history. First, there was Roger Williams: On a wall in Geneva Switzerland, there stands the Reformation Wall. This wall commemorated the people who extended religious liberty and freedom... Read more
A Christian’s Response to Children A Christian’s Response to Children is the third sermon in the sermon series on Counter Culture Christianity from Proverbs 24:10-12 about the five ways that a Christian can respond to children. “If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited. Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,” won’t he who weighs hearts consider it? Won’t he who... Read more
How a Servant Shows Compassion Mark 1:29-45 Compassion should drive how we serve other people. We should not minister out of obligation or compulsion, but out of a caring desire for the person who needs help. We need to help people because we care for them. This is the message we get from this section of Mark. In these verses, we are introduced to the idea that Jesus shows compassion. When He ministers to people, He does it because He... Read more
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