5 Reasons Why the Resurrection Is Essential to the Christian Faith April 13, 2017 Year A The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact of history. It is also an essential reason for the Christian faith. Without it, the Christian faith fails. I want to share with you five reasons why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is necessary for the Christian faith. FIVE POSITIVE REASONS WHY THE RESURRECTION IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 1. The fact is that Christ... Read more
Matthew 21:1-11 My Commitment to God 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. This passage addresses a pathway of relationships. First, I have my relationship with Christ. Then I have my relationship with my crowd. Then, I have my relationship with my community. One sees this relationship on social media.... Read more
5 Circles of Commitment to God April 7, 2017 Year A Matthew 21:1-11 As Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem, we see five different decreasing levels of commitment to God. 1. Christ “When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, telling them, “Go into the village ahead of you. At once you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me.” (Matthew... Read more
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 Dollars and Sense CNN recently covered a story about a man with stomach pain. The report said, “French doctors were taken aback when they discovered the reason for the patient’s sore and swollen belly: He had swallowed around 350 coins: $650 worth.” The sixty-two-year-old man came to the emergency room of Cholet General Hospital in western France, having a history of psychiatric illness. His family warned doctors that he sometimes swallowed coins, and a few had been removed... Read more
Romans 8:6-11 The Right Christian Mindset Romans 8:6-11 The Right Christian Mindset In the 1990s, a group of Washington children participated in an eight-year antismoking-campaign program. The results were not impressive. Of the group that went through the program, 25.4 percent now smoke regularly. And of the control group—those who did not participate in the study—25.7 percent now smoke regularly. The education campaign hardly made any difference at all. Our society believes education is the answer to our culture’s problems.... Read more
With a Little Help From My God April 4, 2017 Year A Psalm 143:1-12 The Beatles had a hit song entitled “With a Little Help From My Friends.” The song is about the fact that when things go wrong, one can depend on friends for help. In this psalm, David is asking for help from God. David was considered a friend of God. During his time of struggles, he called upon God for help. We all need a little help... Read more
A Preacher’s Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series A Preacher’s Guide to Lectionary Sermon Series by Jessica Miller Kelly is a compilation of thematic plans for Years A, B, and C of the lectionary. The premise of the book is simple. Take the Scriptures that are used for sermons for each Sunday and group them into thematic units that can help a pastor preach sermons in a series. The genius of this approach is that simplifies the sermon preparation process for... Read more
4 Requests to Ask When Praying for Someone’s Spiritual Growth March 28, 2017 Year A Colossians 1:9-14 Christians sometimes pray for spiritual growth for themselves. But there are times when it is important to pray for others, and especially that they will grow spiritually. Christians who are immature, don’t grow. If they don’t grow, they don’t live consistent Christians lives that produce good works and please God. Maybe you know a Christian who is immature, who needs to grow... Read more
1 Samuel 16:1-13 My Heart We see from the outside. God sees from the inside. The difference is when God leads my heart. In the first thirteen verses, we see Samuel’s heart. We see what he really is as a man of God from the way he feels, he reacts, and how he acts according to circumstances. One can see in the example of Samuel here that God is leading his heart. We see seven examples of how my heart... Read more
The Danger of Listening to People More Than to God March 23, 2017 Year A 1 Samuel 15:10-21 Have you ever tried to listen to God and actually knew for sure what He wanted you to do? How can you tell if you are being obedient to God’s desire? How do you know if you have done wrong or right by God? The first responsibility for church leadership is to listen to God and not the people. Ignoring this responsibility... Read more
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