The Path of Life

Are you willing to try new things to eat? I enjoy trying new stuff. I recently was introduced to zucchini pie. A lady at church wanted me to try a piece. Let’s just say that I had low expectations.

It may be my new favorite pie.

I. The Lord is Good! Psalm 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

God is good! If people would respond to the Spirit of God and put their faith in Jesus they would experience the goodness of God. Spending time in the presence of God is wonderful. God can help this life go better.

Blessed can also be understood as happy. We can trust God. He is worthy of our trust. When we trust God, we do not need to worry or be afraid. We can be at peace in the knowledge that God loves us and will look out for us.

II. The Path of Life: Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

God will show us how to live. He gives us direction by His Word and by His Spirit. We should be reading our Bibles and asking God to help us understand it and to apply it to our lives. God’s way is the right way.

We should take time to be in God’s presence. We should pray and thank God for His blessings. We should give God praise, for He is worthy of our praise. We should bring our concerns before Him. We should do all these things, but we should also simply seek to draw near to God, to sit quietly in His presence. In His presence we will find a joy that is not of this world. It is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)

III. Trouble: James 1:2-4

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I would not want to give you the impression that life as a Christian is always easy. That would not be true. God is always good, but life can be hard. In the difficult days we can trust God. He will give us wisdom to know what to do and the strength to do what we should. He will help us. He will not abandon us. The difficult days help our faith and trust to grow.

IV. The End: Proverbs 11:7-8

When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.
⁸ The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.

When the unbeliever dies, their hopes and dreams die with them. Their troubles are not over, they are only beginning.

When the believer dies their reward is waiting for them. Heaven will be beyond our greatest expectations. There will be no more trouble.

We should give God a chance. He is good. He will show us the path of life. When we have problems, He will help us. At the end, we will be with Him forever.

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These are the sermon notes from the message that I preached on 3/17/24. There is additional material in the message. If you would like to listen to it as it was preached you can view it at: https://www.facebook.com/100064322333786/videos/2836052339883475

All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Any ads that appear are placed by WordPress.

The Power of Prayer

In Christianity today there are those who think that prayer is almost meaningless. There are others who think that God cannot act unless we tell Him what to do. (That sounds awful, I know, but I have heard it said. ) In my message today I will address the vital role of prayer.

I. Move Mountains: Matthew 21:18-22

¹⁸ Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. ²⁰ And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” ²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

These verses demonstrate the tremendous power potentially available in prayer. Some people think that prayer is basically doing nothing. However, prayer is a faith-filled person asking God to do something. In case you have forgotten, God can do anything. Moving a mountain is no big deal to God. Whatever it is that you are praying about, God is able to help. Prayer is powerful, because God is powerful.

II. No Doubt! James 1:5-8

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

When we pray, we must believe. God is able to do even more than we ask or even think. We should have complete faith.

So what do we do if we are struggling to have faith?

III. Help! Mark 9:23-24

 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Our prayer time should not be simply bringing a grocery list of things that we want God to do for us. We need to spend time in the presence of God worshipping Him, listening to Him. Time spent in the presence of God will increase our faith.

In fact, faith for miracles is a special gift of the Spirit.

IV. Gift of Faith: I Corinthians 12:7-11

 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

This is a wonderful list of things that the Holy Spirit can manifest in believers. Please note that in verse 9 faith is listed. This is not the saving faith which is necessary for anyone to be a believer, since is is only given to some, rather it is a special gift of faith. This gift of faith is given, as necessary, as the Spirit wills.

So, I have faith, why are some of my prayers not answered?

V. His Will: I John 5:14#

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

The things that we ask for need to be in accordance with His will. What we want is not necessarily His will. Some people think that they know the will of God. I am not so confident. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. (cf. Isaiah 55:8)

So what should we do?

VI. Ask: Philippians 4:6-7#

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

We can pray about anything that concerns us.

We can believe that God is able to do whatever needs to be done.

We must be willing to submit ourselves to His will.

Prayer, faith, and submission leads to peace.

VII. Effective, Fervent: James 5:13-16*

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

For today, I want to focus on the last line. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man, or woman, avails much. Our prayers make a difference. Your prayers make a difference. Because God hears our prayers.

VIII. Give Thanks: I Thessalonians 5:16-18#

Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We can always rejoice because we can rejoice in the Lord if not in our circumstances. We can pray continually and not lose hope. We can give thanks because God is with us. He will help us in one way or another.

IX. All Things: Romans 8:28

 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

It may not feel good in the moment, but we can trust that God will use all things for good. We will not understand everything now, but we can trust that God loves us.

We can pray about everything.

We can trust God in all things.

We can give thanks always.

He knows what He is doing.

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These are the sermon notes from the message that I preached 2/6/22. The # symbol marks past memory verses. The * symbol marks the memory verse for this week. All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version. If you would like to see the message as it was preached at the 8:30 service, you may view it at: https://www.facebook.com/116005455113481/videos/358879209112537

Power and Forgiveness

I have read this particular story many times over the years. This time something new struck me.

Mark 11:12-14 and 20-26:

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. ¹³ And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”And His disciples heard it.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹ And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

²⁵ “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

I. The Power of Prayer

A. Hangry Jesus?: I have often wondered why Jesus was angry at the fig tree. It wasn’t the time for figs. Was this an outburst of anger? Was Jesus just hangry? I don’t think so. Apparently, when the leaves come out a a fig tree the fruit is supposed to appear as well. Since there were leaves, there should have been fruit, even though it wasn’t the right time.

B. Results: The tree withered up by the next day. The power of the words of Jesus was displayed.

C. Power: Jesus informs the disciples that they also have that power.

D. Believe: The key to this power is belief, or faith, if you prefer.

E. Condition: Sometimes believers get a little carried away with this sense of power. There is a condition attached to our prayers. It is found in I John 5:14# “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” It does need to be according to God’s will. There are times when we think we know the will of God, but His ways are not our ways and we might be mistaken. It is good to pray about all the things that concern us. We should believe that God is able to answer our prayers. We should trust Him to do what is best.

II. Forgiveness: Mark 11:25-26*

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

I know that I included these verses in the first reading. I wanted you to see the connection. Now I have repeated them so that you can change your focus from the power of prayer to the need for us to forgive. ‘

A. Prayer: Yes, prayer is powerful. Don’t get so caught up in the power that you have in Christ that you forget the more important aspect of forgiveness.

B. Forgive: We are to forgive those who have wronged us. For some, there has been decades of resentment, hurt and bitterness over wrongs that have been committed. We need to let go of those feelings. This is not easy. It begins with acknowledging that we should forgive those who have wronged us. Then we can exercise our will and choose to forgive. Then, I recommend that you pray for the person who wronged you. Do this any time that the feelings of anger or hurt come to the surface. In time, your feelings will change. Don’t wait for your feelings to change before you forgive! Choose to forgive whether you feel like it or not! We do not live by our feelings, but in obedience to Christ.

C. Or Else: Now, I know that some of your Bibles do not include verse 26. Verse 26 is simply repeating the thought of verse 25, and it is the same thought found in both Matthew 6:15 and Mark 18:35. So, the idea is clearly Biblical. We must forgive those who have wronged us.

III. The Fig Tree

The fig tree did not have fruit and Jesus cursed it.

Jesus was not simply angry. He was making a point. Christians who do not forgive those who have wronged them will be judged. Those who do not forgive, will not be forgiven.

We need to bear the fruit of forgiveness in our lives.

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These are the sermon notes from 3/7/21. The * symbol is the memory verse for this week. The # symbol identifies previous memory verses. All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible. If you would like to view the message as it was preached for the online service, you may view it at: https://www.facebook.com/116005455113481/videos/446495416673973

Is There Room?

It is almost Christmas. I finished my shopping yesterday. I really do enjoy the Christmas season. I enjoy the lights, the decorations, the Christmas treats, the celebrations with family and friends. Really, pretty much all of it.

Did I forget to mention the birth of Christ?

Keeping Christ in our Christmas is important. Keeping Christ in our lives the rest of the year is even more important.

We are a busy society. We have jobs, family, friends and lots and lots of ways to spend our time. We need to be intentional about taking the time to attend (or view, sigh…) church, read our Bibles and spend time in prayer.

Spending time in prayer should be more than grace at meals and a bedtime prayer. It should be more than simply presenting our list of requests. We really should learn to take time to linger in the presence of God. To sit in silence. To meditate on His Word. To listen for His voice.

There was no room for Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the inn. Is there room for Jesus in your life?

Who Do You Serve?

As we think about the future, there is a great deal of uncertainty: the fluctuations in global economy, the rising national debt, the rise of terrorist organizations,  the growing intolerance towards those who practice conservative religion, and the increasing polarization of politics, all contribute to a sense that we may be headed for serious trouble.  I am very glad that the Bible addresses how to live in troubling times.

I.  Where is Your Treasure?  Matthew 6:19-21

 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We have limited resources.  There is only so much money, time and energy.  How are we investing our resources?  Of course, most of us have to work a job, or attend classes.  We all have daily tasks that need to be performed, but what do we do with what is left?  Certainly it is possible that we can use up all of our resources on ourselves, but is that what we are supposed to do?  Is that what we have to do?  We should ask God to help us prioritize our lives in such a way that they will be pleasing to Him.  We are not supposed to work ourselves to death, but we are to have the type of priorities that God has for us.  It might be enlightening to make a chart of how we use our resources, and see just what kind of priority is being given to God.  We might be surprised at what we see.

II.  Light or Dark?  Matthew 6:22-23

 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

I love to watch sunrises.  There is something very special about watching the world wake up.  Things look different in the early morning light.

Jesus is the light of the world.  How often during the day do we focus on Him.  Of course it is necessary for us to focus on the task at hand, especially if driving or doing some other task that is potentially dangerous, but Jesus should never be far from our mind or heart.  If we allow His light to shine into our spirits, then our days will be so much better.  Remember, He is with us always, but are we aware of His presence?

III.  Who Do You Serve?  Matthew 6:24

 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The first question would have to be “What is mammon?”.  Certainly, it is not a word that we use in our normal conversations.  Basically, it just means money.  What is comes down to is what is the focus of our lives?  Are we serving God, or just trying to accumulate money?  There is the saying “He who dies with the most toys wins”, but that is not meant to be our focus as the children of God.   We are to serve God first.  He will take care of us.  Only one thing can be most important in our lives.  That should be God.

IV.  God Will Provide  Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

²⁸ “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

³¹ “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

If we seek God first, He will take care of us.  God knows our needs.  He can bless us with employment and can help what we have go further than we would expect if we will but trust in Him.  Jesus was a carpenter, but He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd will guide, provide and protect His sheep.  We can trust that God will take care of us if we put our trust in Him by making our relationship with Him our top priority.

V.  Don’t Worry, Pray!  Philippians 4:6+7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If we find ourselves becoming weighed down with the concerns of this world, remember that we can turn to God in prayer, knowing that He will take care of us.    Pray until the peace comes.  In placing our trust, not in ourselves, but in God, we will find the peace that passes understanding.  We are, most often, still called to act, but God will give us the direction that we need. He will give us wisdom to know what to do, and the strength to do it.

So as we look into an uncertain future, we can trust that God will guide, provide and protect.  We can trust that in the end all things will work out for the good of those who place their trust in God.  (Romans 8:28)

These are the sermon notes from 10/25/15.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

Their Inheritance

What is our most precious possession?  What do we own that is of greatest value?  Are they the same thing?

I.  I Am Their Inheritance: Ezekiel 44:28

 “It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, that I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession.

This passage is speaking of the priests.  Their possession was not land, but God Himself.  Of course, no one can actually possess God.  It is a means of understanding the priority, or nature, of the relationship between each priest and God. That relationship is of more value than any material thing.

II.  We Are a Royal Priesthood:  I Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

As a part of the new covenant that we have with God in Christ, the Levitical priesthood is replaced.  All Christians are a part of the new priesthood.  We are all able to enter into the presence of God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  As a new priesthood, we can lay claim to the promise made to the old priesthood.  We can now consider God to be our ‘possession’.

III.  The Pearl of Great Price:  Mathew 13: 45-46

 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

What could be of more value than God?  Yet how much effort do we put into developing our relationship with God?  How much time do we spend in the Word?  How much time do we spend in prayer?  How much priority do we place on being present in worship in the house of God?

IV.  A Living Sacrifice:  Romans  12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

If we have recognized the value of our relationship with God, it is reasonable to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice.  We should be willing to submit to whatever God’s will is for our lives.  The challenge is to be able to discern what that will of God is for us.  There is that which is acceptable, that which is good, and that which is perfect.  May we be able to discern and follow the perfect will of God.

These are the sermon notes from 9/6/15.  Any advertisements are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

Cast Your Cares

We are called to be different from the world.  Our American culture tells us to be proud, independent, even rebellious. God calls us to a different lifestyle.

I Peter 5:5-11

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us[d] to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen

I.  Submissive

This is not a quality that we like to emphasize as Americans,  It goes against our stubborn individualism.  Yet, learning to be submissive to those in authority can generally be a good idea.  As children we should submit to our parents.  As students we should submit to our teachers.  As workers we should submit to our bosses.  This should not mean a blind obedience, but a willing recognition of who is in charge.  As I told my boys when they got their first jobs “As long as it isn’t illegal or immoral, you do what your boss tells you to do.”  With a son now working in construction, I might add “or breaks the safety rules.”.

In the verses above, we are told to submit to one another.  It does not always have to be our way.  We need to be willing to think of others.  It should not be a matter of jostling for superiority, but rather  we should be considerate of each other.

Most of all we should be submissive to God.  Even as Jesus prayed, so we too should pray “not my will, but yours be done.

II.  Humilty

Pride is a dangerous trait for Christians.  Pride is a sin itself, and can lead to all kinds of other sins.  It can create dissatisfaction and strife when we think that we are better than others, or that we deserve more than we are receiving.  We must guard against pride.

This does not mean that we should think that we are worthless.  We are, after all, made in God’s image.  We are the “children of the king”.  We should seek a balance in understanding who we are in Christ.

III.  Cast Your Cares

It is a wonderful thing to be able to bring our concerns to God and leave them in His care.  God loves us and is able to help us in our time of need.  We need to place our trust in Him.  This also applies to our concerns for our children, or grandchildren.  Those situations are sometimes even more concerning, because we have less control.  We can bring our needs, and the needs of others to God in prayer, knowing that He loves us, our families and our friends.  We can indeed cast our cares upon Him, for He does care for us.

IV.  Resist

We need to be watchful for the attacks of the devil.  He will try to destroy us if he can by leading us astray.  It will be a little here, a little there, until one day we find that we have strayed far from the path that God intends for us.  We must be watchful, stand firm, endure suffering if necessary for the time being, knowing that God rewards those who faithfully serve Him.

V. Completion

Our tests and struggles will one day come to an end.  We will be able to say with Paul, that we have ‘finished the race’.  It is God who is working in us, and He finishes what He starts.  (Philippians 1:6)

VI.  To the Glory of God

Our lives are completed, not for our glory, but for the glory of God.  If it were not for the grace of God we would remain in our sins.  All that is accomplished in us or through us is by the grace of God and for the glory of God.

As Christians were are to have a different mind-set than the people in the world.  We are to recognize submissiveness and humility as desirable traits.  We are to place our confidence in God, rather than ourselves or others.  We are to resist the attacks of the Devil and allow God to complete His work in us.  All for the glory of God

These are the sermon notes from 6/14/15.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

Thanks Be to God

Recently, my mother was very ill.  It was serious enough that all four of her children gathered together from different states to be with her as she went into surgery.  With the help of a lot of prayer, she came through and has since recovered enough to return to her own apartment in a senior center.

I Corinthians 15:54-58

 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

I.  Victory Over Death

As we talked with my mother about the surgery she said more than once “If the good Lord wills, I’ll come through this.”  There were two things that were important in that statement.  First, her life was in God’s hands.  She placed her trust, not in the doctors, but in God.  Second, although unsaid, it was understood that if she didn’t make it through the surgery, it was all right.  She was ready to go.  Her trust in God allowed her to face a surgery that she might not survive because death had lost its’ sting.

My mother lived out her faith in a difficult situation.  Each one of us who are believers should be able to place our trust in God who has overcome death and who holds our lives in His hands.

Thanks be to God.

II.  Victory in Life

We recognize that God has given us the victory in life as well as in death.  Our lives have purpose and meaning, even if we do not always see or understand. All good gifts ultimately come from God.  There are many  simple pleasures in this life.  Most important is the love of God, family and friends.

Thanks be to God.

III.  Be Steadfast

Since we believe that we can have victory either in life or in death, it is easier to remain steadfast.  We do not quit.  We do not give up.  We continue to carry out the purpose that God has for our life.  We know that our labor for God is not in vain.

Thanks be to God.

These are the sermon notes from 11/23/14.  Any advertisement is placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them.

Back to Basics

There are three primary ingredients for continuing Christian growth.

I.  Prayer:  Psalms 55:17

Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.

Prayer is spending time communicating with God.  There are a number of different components of prayer.

Praise:  We should spend some time each day expressing our praise to God.

Thanksgiving:  We should thank God for what He has done, is doing, and is going to do.

Confession:  We should regularly confess our sins, as God brings them to our attention.

Supplication:  It is appropriate to bring our concerns and needs before God.  He is able to help.

Intercession:  We should pray for the needs of others.

Listening:  Communication is a two-way street.  We should spend some time in silence, allowing God the opportunity to speak to us in our hearts.

II.  Scripture:  I Peter 2:1-3

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Read:  We should regularly read the Word of God.  Both the Old and New Testaments should be read.

Study:  It is appropriate to spend some time in in-depth study.  There are many study-aids available including various versions, commentaries, Bible dictionaries and so on.

Memorize:  It is a good discipline to commit scripture verses to memory.

Meditate:  Christian meditation focuses on the Word of God, or the presence of God.  It can be incorporated into our times of prayer.

III.  Fellowship: Hebrews 10:24-25

 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Fellowship does benefit us.  We are not meant to live in isolation, but as part of a community of believers.  This community can be called the body of Christ, or the family of God.  It is important to gather together.  Sometimes we are in need of encouragement and support, and other times we give encouragement and support.

At our church we have Sunday morning worship, Sunday School and Wednesday night Bible study.  Each of these opportunities are there for believers to promote Christian growth and fellowship.

It is also good for believers to gather together outside of church.  There are many different ways that Christians can gather for fellowship.  We are not meant to be alone.  We should reach out to each other for encouragement and support.

These three things are basic components necessary for Christian growth.  In the same way that football teams need to properly execute the fundamentals of blocking, tackling and ball control; so Christians must continue to regularly spend time in prayer, scripture and fellowship.

These are the sermon notes from January 26.  Any advertisement that accompanies this blog are placed there by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any financial benefit from them.

 

 

 

Obey, Pray, and Act

Here are the sermon notes from 2/24/13.

Introduction:  I have been reading in Daniel. When most people think of Daniel the first thing that comes to mind is Daniel in the lions’ den.  The second thing that most people would think of is Daniel’s friends and the fiery furnace.  Today’s message is about neither of those, although the first point does come from the story of the lions’ den.

I.  Obedience to God: Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

The king had been convinced to proclaim a law that no one was to petition any man or god, besides himself for thirty days.  The law could not be revoked and the penalty for breaking this law would be to be cast into the den of lions.

Daniel was fully aware of this new law and still prayed in front of an open window three times that day.

Martin Luther, and others have talked about our dual citizenship.  We are members of a kingdom here on earth, and we are members of the kingdom of heaven.  We are to obey the laws of our earthly kingdom.  Even Jesus said that we are to “render to Caesar, the things that are Caesar’s”.

However, if there is a conflict between the laws of the worldly kingdom, and the laws of the heavenly kingdom, we are to obey the laws of God.

II.  Prayer and Trust: Daniel 9:19

 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

This verse comes at the beginning of a marvelous messianic prophecy.  I love the basic outline of prayer that it gives to us.

O Lord, hear!  God hears our prayers.  We do not have to wake Him up.  We do not have to gain His attention.  He is always listening.  This beginning reminds us of the truth that God does indeed hear our prayers.

O Lord, forgive!  If we think about our country as a whole, there is a lot of sin that needs to be forgiven.  If we think about the Christian church as a whole, there is a lot of sin to be forgiven.  If we are honest, we will recognize that none of us have yet reached perfection.  We fall short in word or deed, or thought;  by what we have done, and by what we have failed to do.  We all need forgiveness,

O Lord, act!  Our God is able to take action in our lives.  He is able to intervene in the activities of this life for our sakes.  He does not simply stand off and watch, He is able to act in the affairs of this world.

III.  Take Action:  Daniel 11:32-33a

Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. ³³ And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame;

This verse comes before a prophecy regarding the end times.

The people who know God refers to all of us who are living our lives in a relationship with God.  We can know Him.  It is exciting to know that we can know Him better.  We do not have to remain stagnant in our relationship with God.

We can be strong in the Lord.  Whatever difficulties may come our way, we are able to stand in the day of adversity because we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

We will be a people who act.  We are not merely spectators.  We take part in the ongoing work of God in this world.  Even seemingly small things can be great when they are done according to the will of God.

Those who understand will instruct many.  When the day comes, many people will be open to hear the things of God.  Those who know God, and understand will be able to share that faith with many.

Since I was a young boy, I have heard people speak as if the end is near.  Still today, many believe that the closing days of earth’s history are at hand.  They could be right.  Even if they are not, it is important for the people of God to follow the laws of God, to pray and trust, and to take action in times of trouble.