Shepherding My Family, Part 1 Shepherd Bible’s favorite analogy for Godly leadership! The Bible is full of Shepherds. Sheep mentioned, 192x Lambs, 164x. Shepherd is found in the Bible more than 80x. The King was a Shepherd. Fathers are sometimes called Shepherd. (Acts 20:29) A pastor called to “Shep …

    Who they Knew Jesus was: He was a tested RABBI Recognition Jesus referred as Rabbi 47 times in the gospels Called Rabbi by Sanhedrin (Nicodemus), disciples, Pharisees, Priests Comparatively, Jesus was referenced in relation to a carpenter 2 times Both speak of the same event, and one c …

(my expository notes on the text are at the end of the document.)   Background: King Uzziah had a long reign. He was co-regent with his father from the age of 16. He reigned a total of 52 years. All his life, Isaiah had only known one king. It’s like people who grew up during FDR, they only kne …

The Plan Still Works Years ago I saw a news story about a man in England who had found the plans for a Roman Catapult. He took those plans and built it! The news footage then showed the catapult in action, launching (as I recall) thins like old cars, appliances over a cliff. I was struck that these …

Walk Faster – Please Early Christians grew spiritually at a phenomenal speed. After Pentecost, new believers were quickly studying the Word, giving generously and sharing Jesus. At Antioch, we see not only new converts in the first Gentile church, but their sudden growth spiritually. The Gentile’s s …

Aspects of a Spirit Filled Life Illustration: Nov. 9, 1938, Berlin. “Crystal Night.” Jewish youth previous killed a German diplomat. Nazi troops just arising, Nazi sympathizers, took advantage of the sentiments to begin the open destructions of Jewish businesses, schools, libraries, synagogues and t …

Good News Everybody Illustration: Charlotte was a charming, talented, and vivacious young woman, known around Brighton, England, as “Carefree Charlotte.” She was a composer, an artist, a singer, and the life of the party. But when this talented woman was just thirty years of age, she was struck with …

A Startling Resurrection 1. Saul was Dead. Saul approved of the murder of Stephen. Acts 8:1 Saul was a serious persecutor of the early church. The threatened them with prison, and even death. (Acts 9:1) He was headed to Damascus. It is the ancient capitol of Syria. In that city was a small Christian …

Stand Here Does it matter where you stand? (Ephesians 6:10, Ephesians 6:14) Illustration: SAN DIEGO – A teenage California girl searching for a cell phone signal to call her mother in a rural area outside San Diego inadvertently stepped into a nest of rattlesnakes and was bitten six times, but survi …

Making Room for the Holy Spirit Illustration: Years ago my wife and I visited a California mountain town. One small restaurant directed us to park in back. Only, when we drove around back, it was just a lot of trees. People had parked around the trees, but no real effort had been made to make the ar …

Do you want to know God deeply? Experience him fully? Or do you wanted an edited God? Do you want to know the true, daring God, or a tamed God you try to keep on a leash. Do you know a permissive God, or a strong God? Is the God you serve big enough to fear? An unhealthy fear of God drives us from G …

Responding in the Moment to the Holy Spirit God often leads moment by moment. He doesn’t always give us the big picture of what he is doing. Acts 3:1-21 The gate “beautiful”: Josephus gave us some details on this gate. He said it was 75 feet high, made of Corinthian brass. It had huge double doors. …

The Day the Holy Spirit Shook the World Years ago a group of pastor’s were discussing who to ask to come and preach a revival in their city. When one pastor suggested they ask the famed evangelist Dwight L. Moody, another pastor asked, “Why does everyone ask him? Does he have a monopoly on the Holy …

Series: Winter: Doctrine: Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts. Show you something wonderful: How Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit. Do today is let Jesus introduce you to the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:1-10 The Holy Spirit is mentioned 56x in the Book of Acts. Better titled: The Acts of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1: …

The Gift God Wants You to Have (Luke 5:17-26) Christmas years ago, we only had two kids, and they were asking for all kinds of things. We convinced them what they “really” wanted wasn’t more toys (which is what they asked for) but actually a family trip to the mountains. They were impressed. But Reb …

God Has Come to Help His People Luke 7:11-17 Jesus came to show us God. (John 1:18) One year as we took the ornaments on the tree down, Sharon ran around putting them back up. She just didn’t want Christmas to end. The Christmas story continues through the Gospels.   Background:  Luke 7:11-17 i …

When Everything About You Is Wrong Last week we talked about the Jesus being the Son of David. Today I want to narrow that entire big doctrine to a single story that illustrates Jesus restoring the fallen tent of David. Text: Matthew 15:21-28 (ESV) Matthew 15:25, I was “sent.” (John 3:16, God so lov …

The King in the Manger The night Jesus was born: Angels gathered giving praise. The Angels sent Shepherds… somebody go worship! When wisemen came to Jerusalem, their question was: Where is the King? When they found him: They fell down worshipped him. What happened when Jesus was born: A King came …

A Simple Expectation (Luke 17:17-19) Series: Christmas – A Fresh Look at God. The events surrounding the brith of Jesus are amazing. There are angels, kings, even warfare. But don’t stop with he Nativity story. Jesus came to show us God! His life, and ministry in particular, show us God Himself movi …

The Wounded Servant James 5:17-18 1. God used Elijah greatly. Ahab is a servant of Baal. (1 Kings 16:3) Elijah means, “Yahweh is my God.” He was a man of courage. 1 Kings 17:1-7 He was a man of Compassion. 1 Kings 17:8-24 He was a man of Great Faith. 1 Kings 18:1-46 2. After my greatest victories – …

The Lord’s Healing Hand James 5:13. 1. Why is there sickness? Sin. Genesis 3:19 Satanic Attack. Job 2:5, Job 2:8, Luke 22:31-34 Discipline. 1 Corinthains 11:30, Acts 5:1-11 To teach us to rely on God. 2 Cor. 12:9 One of the great promises of Scripture is that we have a God who Heals. Psalm 103:2-3, …

Hope in the Hurts — The Surprising Answer to Our Suffering Do you ever wonder: Why does life hurt so bad? Suffering? See it. Then you experience it. Early Christians knew suffering. James is written, I think, before the extreme Roman persecution. Christians would be crucified, set on fire, fed to l …

Hidden Blessings from a Hard Passage Ever been blessed from an unexpected source? Chastisement? Someone harsh? Illustration: My first job was working for the Hollywood Bowl. Couple came up, happy, giddy excitement. I was joking with them. After they left, my boss came and said a couple things to me …

How To Come Near to God 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.   2 Great truths: 1. God is a BIG God. Infinite. All Powerful. Creator of all. He can send floods. Part sea. Stand earth still in orbit. Raise the dead. 2. God is personal. God is not so big he fails to be personal. He …

The Passion of God James is startling passionate. Especially for what we sometimes call, “Wisdom literature.” James boils with passion, frustration that Christian’s in the church are not living out the faith Jesus gave us. A lot of James is this great man calling on, “Come on! Let’s follow. Let’s be …

4 Decisions That Bring Peace to My Relationships Sometimes we think relationships must have been easier. W.C. fields said, “The more I know people, the more I love my dogs.” He was born in 1880. Relationships were tough back then. James wrote his letter is about 62ad. That was 1961 years ago… and kn …

A Unique Generation- Matthew 11:16-24 First Generation in history where most possess a mental health disorder with the highest depression rates leading to the title as the “Depressed Generation” – American Psychological Association 1 out of 3 suffer from a form of anxiety disorder- American Psycholo …

What Makes for a Great Future?  Biblical Holy Days: The Biblical Calendar is set up as a giant pointer toward Jesus. In each of the days, God was pointing to Jesus. Spring Holy Days point to Jesus’ first coming: Passover. (Leviticus. 23:5) Unleavened Bread. (Leviticus 23:6) First Fruits. (Leviticus …

King of the Motor-Mouths Illustration: Car stink. No amount of deodorizer could ever cover that. James 3:1-12 Illustrations: James 3:3, A Horse. James 3:4, A Ship’s rudder. (Illustration, the Bizmark. March 21, 1941, British torpedoes jammed the ships rudder and left it unable to escape.) James 3:5, …

Faith Takes Guts In 1994 Kevin Carter took a picture that shook the world. A starving Sudanese child. Vultures wait for the child to die. Won the Pulitzer Prize. Question was: What about that child? He didn’t know. Spent 20 minutes setting up picture, took it and left. Didn’t want to get that involv …

Style, Status and Charisma James discusses something everyone does, and everyone does. How quickly do you judge others? Text: James 2:1-11 James 1:1-4 define the problem. James 1:5-11 show us what God values James 1:5, why does God value the faith of the poor? I think because it is difficult to main …

The God in Our Storms God often comes in Storms: Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. Job 40:6: Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. Jer 23:19 See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. Nah 1:3: His way is in the …

Big Boy Bible James 1:19-27 Do you remember your first Bible? There’s something special about the Bible. Some of own more copies of the Bible than we could read in four lifetimes. I got a large family Bible from the Bangs side that Miriam called, “the real Bible.” I have my grandfather’s Bible. The …

Bad Breakup James 1:13-18 1. We love our sins. We are in a relationship with our sinful nature. 2. Some Clarity about my Favorite Sin = It’s killing me. (James 1:15) My personality, relationships, strength, mind, heart, Bible reading, relationship, friendship with the Holy Spirit, blessings. 3. Brea …

The Worst Day Background: 1. Who is James? 4 options: James, Son of Zebedee, Acts 12:2. He would be the best “alternate” candidate, because he was an Apostle and leader in the Church. But he was killed too early to have written this letter. James, Son of Alphius, Mk. 15:30 James, Father of Judas, Jo …

The Greatest Prayer What is the greatest prayer ever prayed? I think it was Jesus’ prayer, “Father, take this cup from me, but not my will, your will be done” This single prayer shows us so much! It shows us how much Jesus loves us, it shows us our identity and it shows us where to turn when life is …

Secrets of the Fiery Furnace   I. Nebuchadnezzar’s Bad Behavior: 1. Arrogance. (Daniel 3:1-3) The statue was about 90 feet tall. The great sphinx in Egypt is 66 feet tall, the statue of Zeus is 44feet. It may have been gold plated, not solid gold. In Daniel 2, the king had a dream of a statue. …

Praying For an American Miracle 1 Kings 18 I. In Bible we observe God does miracles 4 stages: Globally. (Genesis 6:9-9:17, Genesis 11:1-9, Joshua 10:13) Personally. Spiritually. Nationally. (Exodus 14-15, 2 Kings 18-19) II. God has done amazing things in American history. Psalm 105:5: Remember the w …

War Boots One Step Deeper, part 2 Prayer is the spot where many get stuck. Boots on prayer: Times we take specific problems to God. We pray hard over them, like troops going into battle. Boots off prayer: Talking to God throughout the day. It is to enjoy his company, talk to Him, receive direction f …

Things I Want My Children to Know About God One Step Deeper, part 1 Text: Matt. 6:9-13 When Jesus taught pray: He opened door who God is.   1. I want my children to know that God wants a personal relationship with them. Matthew 6:9 God is worth knowing! Impress on children the bigness of God. E …

Of identifying American Christians, 60% attend church regularly Of the 40% who do not, they said: 37% said church is not essential for their faith and they practice in other ways 37% said they dislike the congregation *67% of New Testament is committed or written for or about church Church of Ephesu …

Express Your Love When we are saved we enter into a love covenant with God. Jesus would call the cup at the Lord’s Supper, “The cup of the covenant.”   The Lord’s Supper is described in detail 5 places: 1-3. The Synoptic Gospels. Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–38; 4. By Paul in I Co …

Take Your Stand Tangible Faith, part 1 I. Baptism: Is the First place I take my stand for the Gospel GK: “Baptizo” “Wash” “Dip” “Dunk” “Submerge.” Normal world. (Religious today.) Greek used: –Signify dyeing garment. Immerse dye. –Ship sunk battle. / Plato: I am immersed w/ questions.   II. How …

How Jesus Restores Me After I Fail Him • Mark 14:23-31, Jesus said all would fall away on account of him. Though Peter said he would never deny Jesus, Jesus said he would do exactly that three times before the rooster crowed. Peter boastfully said that even if he ha to die with Jesus, he would “neve …

The Lost Art of Gospeling Sharing your faith should come naturally. But sometimes we get frustrated because we don’t’ feel “good” at it. American Christianity has built a culture of “revivalism” which is at times less effective than more ancient methods. While revivalism is helpful in reaching masse …

How to Reignite My Awe For many Christians, a missing element in their walk with he Lord is Awe. The lack of Awe can drain us of spiritual strength. If you do not have awe in your walk with the Lord, you are not running at full spiritual charge. Awe is “Wow / Woe” Awe is a mixture of joy and fear. A …

Can I Be Sure I’m Actually Saved? Jesus lets us look into the spiritual world; he sees things we don’t. One of the things he sees is the work and activity of Satan. Jesus described Satan as a “thief” and a “robber” who came to “steal” “Kill” and “Destroy.” (John 10:1, John 10:8, John 10:10) Have you …

What to do with a Wounded Faith. Matthew 11:1-14 Faith is fragile. It gets bruised. It can be easily wounded by simple things. A kid gets sick, a skipped promotion, a hurt marriage. Sometimes our own bodies aches, hurts and sickness can cause our faith to suffer. When faith is wounded, we are suscep …

Paul Eshleman distributes millions of copies of the 1979 movie, “Jesus.” At refugee camp in southeast coast of Africa, he tells how people fell in love with Jesus on the screen. When he did miracles, they adored him. There was clapping and joy. But then the villagers watched as Jesus was arrested, b …

The Story Behind John and His Gospel John is about our God who chases us. I. John important to the New Testament and your faith: John wrote the Gospel of John, three Epistles and the Apocalypse. In terms of sheer volume, Luke wrote most of the New Testament. He is followed by John, and then Paul. We …

The Story Behind Philemon I. The Story Behind the letter to Philemon. This is the only personal letter in the Bible. It’s not written to a church or a group, but to an individual. In Acts 19, Paul was on mission to Ephesus. People came from all over to hear him. It appears that a man named Epaphras …

I. Family: What Jesus’ family like? Mark 6:1-6 1. They were from the house of David. If Jesus was the rightful genealogical king; that means Joseph also deserved the throne of Israel. But the House of David was not in political power when Jesus was born. In fact, the family was very poor. We know th …

The Story Behind a Marriage On Mission The Story Behind the Story, part 3 Aquila and Priscilla Great marriages give themselves to a cause. You were not meant to just look into one another’s eyes, go on carriage rides and visit bed breakfast. We were brought together to give ourselves to a cause bigg …

The story behind the Gospel of Mark I. Mark’s Mother: Acts 12:12 Marks mother was Mary. No father is mentioned. She owned a house in Jerusalem. Many believe this is the house where Jesus had the last supper. Mark 14:51-52 Mark includes the story of a young man fleeing naked from the arrest of Jesus. …

Why I relate to this man and my story He had a foundation of FAITH and TRUTH He was Jewish as he was later found worshiping in the temple (see vs. 14) He was unclean (invalid) so he did not fully experience his faith (see vs. 5) *We understand things through contrast. Without it, we don’t understand …

Questions about Heaven Heaven: The Future Looks Great, part 6 (final) Are you living a life God will reward? What changes do you need to make to do well on that day? While we plan for vacations, careers, children and even a trip to the store, many never take time to make plans for eternity. The goal …

The Altar in Heaven The word “altar” appears in the Old Testament 402 times. (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbeaḥ) A quick list of a few Altar Builders in the Bible: Noah built an altar after flood. (Gen. 8:20-21) Abraham. (Gen. 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:4, Genesis 13:18, Genesis 22:9) Isaac. (Genesis 33:20) In …

Heaven, The Future Looks Great, Part 4 We are looking at: What our relationship with one another will be like in heaven. Heaven as a place of reunion with one another. Every relationship will one day come to an end on earth and for believers pick up again in heaven. Background: My wife Rebecca died …

HEAVEN, the future looks great, part 3 Text: Revelation 21:1-7 1. His healing is powerfully physical. (Revelation 21:4) Joni Erickson Tada broke her back swimming. Spoke of how a wheelchair had taught her to trust God’s mercy, grace and strength. She said she hopes the chair is in heaven. “Lord, you …

The Bible Stutters Heaven: The Future Looks Great, part 2 Jim Brandaw, stuttering Bible salesman. Went door to door, massive sales. How? He would ask, “Would you like to bbbuy a Bible, or would you lllllike me to read it to you?” I said, “Jim, that’s the oldest preacher story in the world.” Jim said …

Your First Glimpse of Heaven The Future Looks Great, Part 1 John 14:1-6 January is a time our church looks at doctrine. This year, we will be talking about heaven. Which is part of “Eschatology,” the doctrine of Last Things. Hebrews 2:15 emphasizes that Jesus died to “free those who for all their li …

The Spirit of Christmas The Holy Spirit plays a major role in the Christmas story. Which is actually, very exciting. Because if you are a follower of Jesus, you have a relationship it the Spirit that is supposed to be very close, intimate and powerful. Often when a relationship is really developing …

Revelation 12:1-12 Revelation 12 gives us a spiritual view of the Nativity. 1. The radiant woman. (Revelation 12:1-2) The woman is Israel. The crown of 1w stars identifies her as being crowned with the 12 tribes. Stars representing the tribes makes sense, God told Abraham his children would be like …

Do you have any friends who decorate a little too early? Some of you don’t even take down the Christmas decorations. That’s not early decorating, that’s just lazy. Rebecca and I started decorating the day after Halloween. I think in an attempt to beat Tony Brown. My friend Jason Dunham begins a Chri …

There are times in a relationship that you slow down and look back at where you have been. What the journey has been like and how you have grown and changed. I’ve been pastor of Palms Baptist Church for 22 years this Sunday. I want to share with the church I have come to love so deeply, how God has …

Bigger Than Life, Part 2 Do you ever think of the unseen blessings in life? We can easily focus on the blessings we see. Even the people in our lives, are blessings we can see (or have seen.) They are visible expressions of God’s love. But there are some blessings that you can’t see at all! Genesis …

Series, “Bigger than Life.” Joseph lived a life that seems bigger than other lives. I think we default toward mediocrity. To just trying to get ahead. In the second half of Genesis we read about a kid who just did what seems impossible. God used him to save two nations, rescue millions of lives, sav …

Your relationship with the Holy Spirit I. David had an intimate relationship with God’s Spirit. 1 Samuel 16:13 says that the Spirit of Yahweh came upon David in “power.” 2 Samuel 11-12 records a season of sinful behavior in David’s life. He took Bathsheba, and murdered her husband Uriah. The Prophet …

Matthew 4:1, Jesus in the desert for forty days. Forty is the number of testing. The flood was forty days. Moses was on the mountain forty days. The Hebrews searched the promise land for forty days. Goliath challenged Israel for forty days. Jonah warned Nineveh there were only forty days left until …

This text is eschatological First, there will be suffering He would not come immediately No one knows the time or hour, but he can see the season (Matthew 24:42-44) Parable of the Fig tree He will come unexpectedly and suddenly We must keep watch and Be prepared (Matthew 24:45-51) This text is about …

Annoying, tell you what to enjoy. We think: Don’t tell me what to enjoy. I’m capable of deciding what will give me joy. But in this parable, Jesus shows us some things we should enjoy. The Parable is called the “Parable of the Rich Fool.” Text: Luke 12:13-24 Luke 12:14, Jesus tells the parable becau …

Quietly Unhealthy Luke 15: Three stories: The lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. Ever lost something you love? A woman lost a ring at a harvest festival here at church, we shut the whole thing down looking for that ring. Charles Dickens called this parable, “The greatest short story ever to …

The Unwelcome Journey Stories to Grow By, part 4. Have you ever gone on a journey you didn’t want to? We were excited to start our journey with Jesus. There was joy, forgiveness, love, acceptance and great peace driven by purpose. But at some point the journey begins to go up hill. Jesus begins to p …

A key point of discipleship is that I was chosen to serve God. Several times Jesus told his disciples that greatness in God’s sight lay in serving. When the mother of James and John asked Jesus that they sit on Jesus right and left, Jesus made it clear that the rulers of the world love power and aut …

Eyewitness to the Afterlife A few years ago transportation officials in Texas had a problem with their digital road signs being hacked. One sign in Austin was hacked to read, “Zombies ahead.” A problem in Christianity is that the message is sometimes changed to something close to the Gospel; but not …

Your Most Important Breakthrough Text: Luke 8:4-8 A breakthrough moment is a moment when: God moves me forward in a new way. How do I get the breakthrough I need? Break through moments happen when I hear God speak. Always. You never have a God-lead breakthrough with without hearing from God first. E …

Hesed is theologically one of the most important words in the Bible. Means: Love, covenant, compassion, grace faithfulness, kindness, mercy, loyalty. Heed defines the book of Ruth. (Ruth 1:8, 2:20, 3:10). It appears more than 250 times in the Old Testament. All of the Patriarchs refer to Hesed. Raha …

Accepting A Fresh Start Typology is when something in the Old Testament that is a picture of Jesus. Things like, Noah’s Ark is a type of Christ; Jonah is a type of Christ Resurrection; Melchizedek is a type of Christ eternal nature. In Ruth, the widow’s Kinsman Redeemer, Boaz, is a type of Christ. 1 …

He Restores My Soul, part 2 Ruth is a ray of sunshine in Naomi’s dark world. The Hebrew Bible is arranged so that Ruth comes after proverbs. So that the woman described in Proverbs 31 comes right before Ruth. And Ruth in every way embodies the Proverbs 31 woman. I. A God of Abundance. Look at some o …

A Path For The Brokenhearted Preaching path: We are going through the portion of Joshua, Judges and Ruth. We did Joshua last Summer, and just finished Judges. I was surprised how hard Ruth turned out to be. It emotionally leveled me because it so close to home in this season of life. Ever see someon …

  Preaching path: We are going through the portion of Joshua, Judges and Ruth. We did Joshua last Summer, and just finished Judges. I was surprised how hard Ruth turned out to be. It emotionally leveled me because it so close to home in this season of life. Ever see someone become bitter, cold …

I. The Blessings of Samson: 1. Blessed with great parents. (Judges 13) 2. Blessed with Promise. (Judges. 13:5) 3. Blessed with the Presence of the Holy Spirit. (Judges 13:25, Judges. 14:6) 4. Blessed with Unusual Power. (Judges 14:5-9, Judges 14:19-20, Judges 16:1-3) 5. Later…. II. Samson’s Biggest …

A while back, the associated press ran an article about American Airlines company wide emphasis on better customer relations. They pressed their people to give extra diligence with every interaction, to smile and go the extra mile. A baggage handler was taking air kennels off the plane when he spott …

The Reckless Hero The Samson Wars, Part 2 Important to the Samson narrative is the Holy Spirit’s work in his life. A very real question for every believer will be, how will I treat the Holy Spirit who lives in me? How serious do I take the Holy Spirit’s presence, leading, boundaries, Word and prompt …

The Samson Wars, Part 1 I. Great God. Judges 13:2, Manoah has the root “Noah” which means “comfort” or “rest” or “resting place.” What we should want a home to be, a place free from anger, abuse and fear. Gives give’s life. (Judges 13:3-4) Notice that the mother was to behave like a Nazirite so as n …

Jephthah : Healing Old Wounds Profiles in Judges, part 7 Text: Judges 11 How do we treat Jephthah? A decision needs to be made on the outset with him; is he a model of behavior, or an example of what not to do? Did he make a hasty vow and then murder his daughter, or did he make a righteous plea to …

Jesus Gives us a Great Identity with Great RESPONSIBILITY and a Great WARNING IDENTITY: Salt/We are PRECIOUS In the 1st century, salt was a precious and valuable commodity Roman soldiers were often paid in salt giving rise to the saying “worth his salt” – 1 Corinthians 6:20 Religious context – Rabbi …

Thank You, Church This is my first week back in the pulpit since my wife Rebecca died. Grief is enormously painful. I’m so thankful for the Resurrection of Jesus, for the hope we have in the Gospel. Yet, even with hope, we grieve together because the loss on this side of death’s curtain is severe. O …

The Beautiful King Profiles in Judges, part 6 I. Earths Rulers Make Us Hungry for Something Better: Judges 9:1-56 expository notes This is the longest passage in Judges. There’s no “Judge” in Judges 9. The divine name, Yahweh, is not cited. Instead, the Lord is called by the more general name, “Eloh …

The Sword of Gideon Profiles in Judges, part 5 (Gideon) There are three ways that Judges 7 has been historically interpreted and applied: The Theological interpretation. The text shows us God is omnipotent, all powerful and unafraid. The Personal interpretation. This is the most common approach to t …

Gideon: How To Know the Presence of God Judges 6: In Judges 6, Israel again falls into evil. The Lord sells them into the hands of Midian for 7 years. Midian was the son of Abraham through his wife Keturah. (He married her after Sarah’s death.) Judges 6:5 says they were like “locusts.” Interesting a …

Deborah: Motherhood with Attitude Judges 4-5 The account of Deborah is recounted in Judges 4 historically, and Judges 5 musically or poetically. The “Song of Deborah” has been called by commentators, “one of the great literary achievements of the ancient world.” Deborah describes situation in her so …

Ehud: One Man Who Will Stand Judges 3:12-30 Judges 3 is all about the Lord: 1. The Lord’s Eyes. (Judges 3:12) heb: ayin, eye. Their behavior was not grievous to the sight of Baal (because he didn’t have eyes… he didn’t exist!) 2. The Lord’s Discipline. (Judges 3:12) Eglon is the king of Moab. The pe …

Othniel: The Path of the Lion 1. Judges has been called “The worst book of the Bible.” 2. The latter part of Joshua centers on the distribution of land. Joshua lead the nation to take strategic strongholds, and then it was up to each tribe to take hold of the land they’d been given. Judges is suppos …

Jesus was the most dangerous man who ever lived. He was so dangerous that when he was 33, the religious establishment decided he needed to be removed from this earth; he needed to die. He was a radical, going around acting like he was God. And they hated him because he did God things. He fed multitu …

The Midnight Cry Exodus 11-12 Passover is prophetic of Jesus’ Second Coming: Warning. (Exodus 11:3) Sudden Appearing. (Exodus 11:4-6) God will overpower evil. (Exodus 11:7-8) A Great Salvation. (Ex. 12:1-12) The importance of blood. Everything will change. The Son of God will appear physically. 1 Th …

The Oddities: Setting: They are on a journey of Eager Longing (Vs. 13) Emmaus means: an eager longing They are leaving the place where Jesus led them Characters: Disciples who had a history with Jesus, but did not believe the resurrection (Vs. 18) Mary, the wife of Cleopas/Clopas was at the foot of …

Jesus’ earthly family: Joseph a carpenter. Jesus also followed in that trade. Mary was his mother. Both Joseph and Mary traced their line back to King David. They were poor. (Offered the poor persons sacrifice when dedicating Jesus) They had at least seven children. (Jesus, James, Moses, Judas, Simo …

March 16 was Purim, when we usually read the book of Esther. The name of God does not appear in Esther, but his handwriting is all over it. Esther is not a romance, it’s about a beautiful marriage; it’s about what to do in a difficult marriage – possibly what seems like an impossible situation. 1. E …

A Peak Into Hosea’s Marriage: 1. Unfaithfulness. (Hosea 1) Hosea marred a promiscuous woman. (Harlot/whore = Heb: zə·nū·nîm) Gomer means “completion” is a male or female name in Hebrew. Prophets acted out their assignments. Isaiah saw the throne room, Ezekiel preached to dry bones, Jonah saw thousan …

  Job may be the oldest book in the Bible in terms of composition. Job himself acts as priest for his family. It appears the book predates a formal priestly system. No mention of nations. IT seems city states were primary political institutions. There is no reference to Hebrew Culture. No refer …

Adam and Eve, A typical pattern in marriage: 1. Bliss. Things start off great.(Genesis 2:18-23) 2. Hurt. Genesis 3:1-13 Film star and child actor Mickey Rooney played in classics susch as The Black Stallion and Pete’s Dragon. He was married eight times. He said, “Love wears off to quickly.” I think …

The song, “Amazing Grace” was written by a former slave trader named John Newton. His life was changed when his ship was caught in a storm off the coast of Ireland. About to sink, Newton prayed. The cargo miraculously shifted and filled the hole in the ships hull. The vessel drifted to safety and Ne …

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 –v.31 is a quote from Jeremiah 9:24 I. Qualifications. The Qualifications for God’s Hall of fame are found in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 God’s hall of fame is not about fame, but faith. It’s not about ability, but availability. Not about scholarship, but relationship. It’s no …

This Is The Way John 14:1-11 God wants to be known. Jesu sis the self revelation of God. A great misunderstanding is that Christianity is not about getting to heaven and having a mansion, walking golden streets or communing with the dead. It is about knowing God. Jesus makes God known. Lee Strobel, …

Garrison Keillor of Minnesota Public Radio (1974-2016) tells of being a freshman at Minnesota University. He had a job reading news for the campus radio, WMMR. At the end of the year, the students discovered the transmitter had been switched off for the entire school year. Keillor is most famous for …

1 John 5:13 says: We can know that we have eternal life. Without this confidence, Christains live with deep spiritual anxiety. Jesus said that the Devil is a robber, a thief and a murderer. His intent is to steal what rightfully belongs to a believer in Jesus. Doubt can be spiritually crippling. A F …

Text: John 3:1-18 Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. It is possible he comes out of fear, or wanting privacy. Often in John night is a symbol of darkness of the heart. It may be reflecting the fact that what he wants is extended time with Jesus. Have you ever talked to someone into the deep hours of …

This past year has been a year of chaos, instability and frustration. Let me show you something that will bless you if you hold on to it. John’s world was a time of great instability, persecution and pain for Christians. In Revelation, as John was imprisoned on the Island of Patmos, Jesus appeared t …

This coming year God is going to do many things. Some people will be a part of what God is doing, while others will not. Some will see God’s moving, and others will miss it. This coming year, there will be answered prayers; some people will be healed; some will be saved, and others blessed. We have …

The 12 Miracles of Christmas, Previous: Miracle #1: The miracle of Precise Timing. Miracle #2: The miracle of Zechariah’s silence. Miracle #3: The miracle of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Miracle #4: The miracle of Zechariah’s restoration. Six months after the angel appeared to Zechariah, the same angel (G …

Christmas Miracles The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was a Christmas Carol published in 1780. Better than the twelve days of Christmas is the twelve miracles of Christmas. The Bible is a book of miracles. Famous miracles and less than famous miracles. Surrounding the birth of Jesus is an inte …

Hanukkah is about spiritual Compromise. It’s the story of a miracles that happened between the Old and New Testament. There will be times you are tempted to compromise what you value right now. A time when you want to cave in, even if you know it’s wrong. Background: When Alexander the Great died, h …

I. God is working my situation to show me His Glory. Glory = Exodus 14:4, Exodus 14:17, Exodus 14:18 God’s “Glory” is not just shiny light; it’s His Person. God’s person can be manifest in light (God is light) as a physical property. Ultimately God’s glory is more than light, it is the inner being ( …

In Exodus 14, God parted the sea and brought His people to the other side on dry ground. On the shores of the Red Sea, the Hebrews broke into total thanksgiving. Today we are going to join their praise. Give Thanks For: 1. For the Changes He Made in Me. Exodus 15:1, one moment they were complaining …

Text: Philippians 4:1-9 Philippians 4:2: Two women don’t get along. Both were saved, both loved Jesus, both loved Paul. The only problem is they didn’t love one another. They may have been founding members of the church. When Paul went to Philippi he found only women worshipping at the river. Philip …

When you were born again, you were filled with God’s Spirit, who brought you His joy and his passion. Every follower of Jesus should want to know and experience Jesus more deeply. –Listen words from Paul: –I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection -I consider everything a loss compare …

Philippians 2:12: God saved us. It does not say work for your salvation. But work out what God has put in. God has put salvation in the believer. Philippians 2:13: God works in us, and that inner working transforms who we are. Philippians 2:14: The command to do everything without complaining seems …

Our world has become very angry. (The Afghanistan pullout, McDonalds, the number of items people take through the quick lane, Politics, race, schools, masks, vaccines, shutdowns) June 14, 2015 in Lake Eland, South Africa a cyclist spotted huge dead Python. Cut open the python open and found inside i …

We are starting our fall discipleship series. It seems like at least once a year you should have a real conversation with your pastor and church about what it means to follow Jesus. The Epistles are the original discipleship manuals. First Peter was a letter written to disciple the early church. Jam …

Joshua began his work by leading the nation across the Jordan to Gilagal, where they made covenant with God. They “consecrated” themselves before God and prepared for war. Jsohua sent two witnesses into Jericho, where they met a prostitute named Rahab. She was rescued by a scarlet cord. She’s the sc …

As Joshua neared the end of his life, he held two gatherings to share his core convictions. The first gathering was at the nations spiritual center, Shiloh, where he addressed Israel’s leaders. The second gathering was at Shechem where he spoke to the entire nation. At the end of Joshua, he is calle …

In the book of Joshua, the word “heard” is an important transition word for each major battle. That is, the enemy will “hear” of Joshua and his exploits, and then after hearing come out and attack him. For instance, Rahab said that everyone had “heard” what happened at the Red sea. In Joshua 5:11, w …

Joshua 11-21 The generation that rises up with Joshua to take the promised land were a rugged, fearless group who remind me of mountain men. In fact, throughout the middle portion of Joshua, Mountains are very important. In particular, the hill country of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Hebron are all import …

Luke 10:1-24 Luke 10:1 Jesus sends the 70 (some manuscripts say 72) ahead of him to prepare the way for his coming ministry. Luke 10:18: Jesus says he saw Satan fall like lightening. That could refer to the fall of Satan, or that while the 70 were out ministering, Jesus saw the spirit realm and Sata …

Joshua starts with a series of homeruns. The nations looks like they can’t be defeated. As they enter the land, the sea stops in the presence of the ark to allow them to enter. At Gilgal, they make covenant with God, and then at Jericho the miracles just pile on. God Himself came down and took comma …

Jericho: 1. The lowest cities in the world. (800 ft below sea level!) 2. One of the Oldest cities in the world. (Oldest continuously inhabited cities on planet.) 3. One of the most excavated sites in Israel. Sometimes in middle bronze age, a wall constructed around city. Became most famous wall in w …

  Joshua 3-4 Joshua 3:1: The chapter starts at a one week mark since Joshua took command of the nation. (There’s been 1 week between chapter 1-3) The nation spent 3 days at Shittim preparing to leave. They were three days at the Jordan. The Jordan is Israel’s boundary. Israel is called the “lan …

Contra Mundum is Latin for “Against the World.” How the church father Athanasius described his situation, “Athanasius contra mundum” I. Jericho was a city with disaster looming. As Israel entered Canaan, the nations were terrified. The Hebrews appeared unbeatable. Numbers 21, Moses asked the king of …

Introduction: Joshua is a historical book. It answers todays headlines. Who does the land belong to? It is about warfare. The New Testament companion book to Joshua is Ephesians. Which is about being armed and at war with our spiritual enemies. It is a picture of the Christian life. We go through th …

Joshua: A Warriors Spiritual Journey Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim. Born a slave in Egypt. He would have seen: Slavery in Egypt, the forty years in the wilderness and the Conquest of Canaan. During the Exodus, Joshua served as Moses “aide.” He was named “Hoshua” by his parents. Moses gave him …

1. Revelation is a book of last things. The last trumpet, the last horseman, the last battle, the last judgment, the last death. 2. The Message of Revelation is that there is a great King who stands above all human activity and His rule is what we can trust. Revelation 22: Revelation 22:1: There is …

3 Graces Every Believer Needs 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.” Acts 13:4-5 13 From Paphos, Pau …

The City At The Center of Forever Revelation 21 There is a City in heaven right now. Hebrews 11:16, Hebrews 13:14, Hebrews 11:10, Hebrews 12:22. 1. A new creation. Revelation 21:1 2 Peter 3:11-13 Romans 8:19-21 Adam was the first priest. The language used of the Garden is similar language used when …

Rogers Cadenhead is a domain hoarder. He registers domains he thinks might become valuable in hopes of selling them in the future. In 2005, he registered the name, “benedictxvi.com.” When asked what he would sell the domain name for, Cadenhead asked for “one of those hats, a free stay at the Vatican …

rJohn 2:1-11 John 2:2: A wedding in the first century was a community event. The entire village would have shown up. Weddings sometimes lasted up to seven days. Jesus at a wedding is significant, as marriage is the highest form of “common grace.” (Special grace are gifts God only gives to those who …

Intro: When we think of God’s glory, we tend to think of radiant light. That’s because God’s person is best represented to us in the physical property of light. If I was to preach on God’s glory, I’d usually take a text like Isaiah 6, where Isaiah sees God high and lifted up and his glory fills heav …

Text: Acts 1:1-11 Jesus appeared over a period of 40 days. F.F. Bruce writes, “FF BRUCE: “We should not imagine that the intervals between His Resurrection appearances during the forty days were spent by him in some intermediate, earth-bound state. The resurrection appearances, in where he condescen …

Jesus is the hope of the world. As a church, we share in the responsibility of reaching the world for Jesus. We work with ten thousand other churches to send missionaries, currently engaged in over 1,200 Urban centers. The International Mission Board has 3,667 missionaries on the field in 2021. Ask …

The purpose of today’s message is to see Jesus more clearly. It’s not about leadership, it’s not a lesson on how to walk on water. Today, we just want to fall more deeply in love with Jesus. Mark 6:45-51 The NIV in Mark 6:48 says, “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was aga …

Jesus surprised people all the time. Mary was surprised to be chosen to be his mother. Joseph was surprised God came through a virgin. John the Baptist was surprised that Jesus needed to be baptized. I think the biggest surprise was the Resurrection of Jesus. The day Jesus rose from the dead was the …

2 Samuel 24 2 Samuel 24:1 says that Yahweh’s anger was kindled against Israel. However, 1 Chronicles 21:1 says Satan rose up. In order to lay a hand on Israel or her king, Satan would have to get permission from Yahweh. (See Job 1.) Like in Job, David here is going to be tested. Ultimately God’s pla …

Your Biggest Fight Your biggest fight is the internal struggle to release anger and bitterness in order to walk in the image of Christ. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger.” Ephesians 4:31 “See to it that … no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15 “Don’t call …

We spill things all the time. Coffee, tea, coke. Ever spill something valuable? A computer, a phone… a kid? The biggest oil spill in history was the 2010 BP Deep Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A natural gas line blasted the cement well cap. The oil platform blew up, and 11 workers were kil …

2 Samuel 9:1-12 2 Samuel 9:1: David remembers his covenant with Jonathan. 2 Samuel 9:2: The house of Saul is the rival house for the throne. 2 Samuel 9:4: Lo-Debar means “nothing.” It is a barren place with no crops. The House of Saul was condemned. 1. Enemy. Rival house. 2. Lame: Spiritually fallen …

1 Samuel 7 is one of the most important passages in the Bible. In this portion of Scripture God makes covenant with David and the House of David. This is called the “Davidic Covenant.” It is the promise that the Son of David will triumph and the throne of David will last forever. 1 Samuel 7:1-16 Bib …

Story: Courtship: Song of Solomon 1. Wedding: Song of Solomon 2 Dream: She dreams she loses him, searches the city. Wedding Night: Song of Solomon 4. Argument: Song of Solomon 5. Garden. She finds him in a garden, love is renewed. Notice in Song of Solon 6:11-12, she goes to a nut orchard. While wal …

3 Secrets of the Ark Exodus 25:10-22 give the early directions about the Ark. It was a chest of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It was built to carry the ten commandments as well as Aaron’s staff that budded and a gold jar of manna. It was called the “Ark of Yahweh” the “Divine Ark” the “Ark of the …

I. God greatly blessed David. (READ: 2 Samuel 5) 1. Release 2. Power 2 Sam. 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. 3. Increase 2 Sam. 5:1: Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. 2 In tim …

The Wise Woman and the Fool Unfamiliar Stories of David, part 3 1 Samuel 25 1 Samuel 25:1, The loss of Samuel was tragic in David’s life. He lost a spiritual pillar at the very moment he was in danger of drifting away from God. Why should Nabal help? David asked for Nabal’s help. On the surface, Dav …

Know God’s Face Unfamiliar Stories of David part 2 After the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States and Soviet Union established a Moscow Washington Hotline. Symbolized in movies as a red phone. Idea was, if things get really bad, superpowers should be able to talk. Many people treat prayer li …

The Fortress You Need Unfamiliar Stories of David part 1 David is the most mentioned man in Old Testament (600 times). He is referenced in the New Testament another 60 times. David is on the first page of the New Testament. Jesus is called in Matthew a “son of David.” David is on the last page of th …

Decision #1: I will Pursue Him. Decision #2: I will Worship Him. Decision #3: I will Trust Him Who are the Magi? (Matthew 2:1-7) There’s a lot of myths about the Magi. In the middle ages, they were given the names Casper, Balthazar, Melchior. They are said to come from the three sons of Noah A 12th …

“Blessed are the Pure in heart, for they will see God” – Matthew 5:8 Fallacies We Believe about Purity: We need a pure Appearance Matthew 23:5-7 Matthew 23:25-28 We need pure Circumstances Mark 7:14-16 We need pure Associations Luke 7:36-39 What can I do to become Pure in Heart? ANSWER: You do Nothi …

Some notes on angels: 1. Angels are called: “Sons of God,” “Holy ones,” “Spirits,” “Watchers.” See also titles in Colossians 1:16. 2. Angels are created spiritual beings: Nehemiah: God created the heavens and all their hosts. Prior to creation of earth. (Job 38:7: Angels sang creation) Came into bei …

1 Peter 2:21-25 John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 1. His birth = Shadowed by the cross Myrrh is anointing oil. I wonder if the Magi didn’t just hand Mary and Joseph the gifts in little boxes, but perhaps anointed the child themselves, symbolizi …

Text: 1 Peter 5 Promise #1: God will reward hard work. * My responsibility: Serve because I love Jesus.   Promise #2: God will exalt the humble. * My responsibility: Resist my pride. Promise #3: God cares for you * My responsibility: CAST Promise #4: Defeat the Devil * My responsibility: Live i …

The Ten Commandments of the Second Coming The Bible does not give a lot of charts or notes on how Christ will come. It is light on specifics and heavy on commands. 1 Peter 4:7-19 1. Be self controlled. (1 peter 4:7) 2. Be spiritually alert. (1 Peter 4:7) 3. Work at love. (1 Peter 4:8) 4. Show hospit …

Jesus Wins 1 Peter Chapter 3:18-22 1 Peter 3:18: Doctrinally, this is called Substitutionary Atonement. The righteous son of God took our place on the cross. He suffered for us in the body and spiritually. The result is, he brought us to God when we could not have come on our own. 1 Peter 3:18-20: A …

Give Away Your Hope 1 Peter 3:15 Tool #1: My Loving Church 1 Peter 3:8. (Phileo, brotherly love) Tool #2: My Kindness 1 Peter 3:9: How we respond to difficult people determines if others will listen to our Gospel message. If you have a mouth full of garbage, hate, cursing; no one is interested in th …

Daughters of God Pulled Up by Hope, part 5 1 Peter 3:1-3: 1 Peter chapter 2 concludes with a discussion of Christ sacrifice; Peter then discusses marriage and submission. Marriage gives us a deeper understanding of what Christ did for us. If I never submit to another person’s needs, I cannot truly u …

How to Visit Planet Earth Text: 1 Peter 2:11 Sojourners, exiles, strangers, aliens, temporary residents… What if we feel out of place because we are. What if we don’t feel like we belong because we don’t. What if we were never meant to fit in. This world is not my home I’m just a passing through M …

  1 Peter 2:1-10 This passage is about who and whose you are. It’s about your spiritual identity. 1 Peter 2:6, Peter is citing: Isaiah 28:16 1 Peter 2:7, citing Psalm 118:22. Jesus is a stumbling stone, a rock of offense. 1 Peter 2:9, citing Exodus 19. 1. I am rescued. = Called out of darkness. …

You Need Good News Pulled Up by Hope (1 Peter) part 2 1 Peter 1:10-25 1. The Bible is Good News About Jesus. And Jesus is good news.   –Story life of Jesus’ life is called “Gospel” or “Good news.” –The angels said to the Shepherds, “I bring your Good News of great joy” –1 Peter 1:10 Peter say …

  1 Peter written Apostle Peter toward the end of his life. He wrote from Rome (which he called “Babylon.” The letter was probably penned around A.D. 63, as Roman persecution against the church intensified. I. Hope to start over. (1 Peter 1:2)   II. Hope that is alive. (1 Peter 1:3)   …

  Text: Matthew 17:1-9 (Luke 9:28-36) (Mark 9:2-8) 1. Encouraged by The Glory of Jesus (Matt. 17:2-8) John 1:14: “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father” Moses spoke to God and his face became radiant. This not like that. Moses didn’t glow, he was in the …

  God builds a church by changing lives Text: Acts 16 On a visit to First Church of Philippi, if you showed up on a testimony night, you might hear a testimony from the women’s leader, the youth leader and the chairman of deacons.   How God builds a church: 1. He brings the God fearing Act …

Text: Acts 12:1-16. What I like about this text: Church praying. Peter sleeping. Rhoda Rejoicing. Why don’t we see Miracles today? 1. Sometimes = Failure to pray. (John 16:24) 2. Often = Failure to see People say, “I want to be a person of prayer.” That doesn’t just happen. It’s a decision that requ …

The Church of Jesus is the most diverse group that ever existed. The church speaks more languages than united nations. The church has many nationalities, but one bloodline, blood Jesus. The Gentile Story: 1. Jerusalem. 2. Samaria. Acts 8:4-15 3. Caesarea. Acts 10:11-17 Why Peter? Matt 16:19   4 …

1 Samuel 17:1-11 1. David believed God’s Work was a big deal. 1 Sam. 17:20-24 Satan (Goliath) challenged the Kingdom of God. Saul and the Israelites were unwilling to defend the treasure of God’s kingdom. Saul was no coward, he was just uncommitted to the Kingdom of God. David was offended by Saul a …

Text: Acts 9:1-17 I. What kind of reception did Saul get? = Cancelled What Ananias saw: Saul’s Past. (Acts 9:13) A Threat. (Acts 9:14) II. How did Jesus see Saul? Forgiven. (Acts 9:17-19) Valuable. (Acts 9:15) Acts 9:15: for he is a chosen instrument of mine 1 Cor 1:26-30: Not many of you were wise …

Solomon said the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Interesting to me that at the beginning of the church, God reminded them to fear him — right at the start! The fear of the Lord is a major theme that runs from Genesis to Revelation. An unhealthy fear of God drives us away from God. It ca …

  We can get so distracted trying to be innovative that we lose sight of the ordinary Christian Life. That “ordinary” church life was full of power among the first generation of Christians. Church can lose it’s authentic devotion to Jesus and become a plastic version of the culture. Our desire …

  Sometimes, to fix a struggling computer, we reset the computer to a date in the past when it worked (a system restore point.) The church has gotten full of viruses, bugs, spyware and is cluttered with unnecessary files. We need to do a system restore, all the way back to Jesus. The Church is …

Scripture: Mark 16:1-8 The Resurrection: The Main Event of the Gospel: Mark 1:4 the stone was rolled away not to release Jesus, but to reveal the empty tomb. Mark 1:5 the angel is a “young man.” Angels are always presented in the Bible as male. He sits on the right side, the place of honor. Mark 1:5 …

All four Gospels tell the story of Jesus from different perspectives. The account of Jesus is too good to leave to just one person. Garrison Keillor hosted the radio show, A Prairie Home Companon from 1974 to 2016. He tells the story of his Uncle Alvin. He said that when they would go home for famil …

Jesus told us to expect Him to Come Again Mark 13:24-26 What do angels do at the Second Coming? They are with Christ at the second coming. 1 Thess. 4:16 They gather the elect. Mark 13:27 Separate believers from unbelievers. Matt. 13:49 They throw unbelievers into the fiery furnace. Matthew 13:42 The …

Question for reflection: What gets you mad? Know what gets God mad? When people who claim to know him give Him the “silent treatment.” When we choose not to pray. It turns out, prayer is a big deal to God. Some pastoral questions: 1. What time have you devoted to be your prayer time? 2. Does your fa …

Mark 10:35-45 Signs Your Sidelined Lack of Investment is God’s Work Indifference or Frustration in your Faith Prayer is a Chore God seems Silent or Unfaithful Quick to criticize leadership, fellow believers, or the conduct of ministries/church Worship has become about the personal “experience” and n …

Jesus Stresses Me This I Know It seems contradictory to admit that following Jesus can actually create stress. After all, doesn’t Jesus relieve us of our worries, call us to come to him and cast our burdens his way and invite us to deep and lasting peace? How could Jesus be the source of my stress? …

Text: Mark 5:21-43 The number 12 is important to the story. The child was 12 years old, the woman was sick for 12 years. Three Pastoral Observations: 1. God is moved by a parent’s prayer. (Mark 5:23-35)   2. God is personal. Why did Jesus insist the woman come forward and look at him? Protectio …

Text: Mark 4:3-9 The parable of the soils is illustrated by the kinds of people Jesus and his disciples just encountered in the previous chapter. The good soil is Jesus. Notice some other soil: Religious leaders represent the Hard Soil (Mark 3:1-6, Mark 3:28-29) Notice the Greek Word for the withere …

Gritty Gospel Re-Engage With Jesus, Part 2 The Gospel challenge: 1. Study on your time 2 chapters of Mark a week. Why only 2 chapters a week? It gives time to digest the words of the text. 2. Include someone else. Family, children, a buddy. 3. Each week, I will preach a sermon from a portion of the …

The Gospel challenge: 1. Study on your time 2 chapters of Mark a week. Why only 2 chapters a week? It gives time to digest the words of the text. 2. Include someone else. Family, children, a buddy. 3. Each week, I will preach a sermon from a portion of the upcoming Bible reading. (8 week journey thr …

-We can Love someone deeply but not effectively communicate that affection -We can Love someone, but not necessarily love them well   Christ had a name for those who loved Him well: Disciple    Christ expresses His “Love Languages” in Luke 14:25-35   We love Jesus Well… 1.  By Makin …

On A Hill Not Far Away Names of God part 5: Yahweh Jireh   Genesis 22:1-18 Jehovah-Jireh. YHWH-Jireh from verb To See = could translated: Yahweh will see to it.) Theologically we call this kind of account a “TYPE.” It comes from the Greek term, Tupo, This word is used 16 times in the New Testam …

  A few times God did not reveal his name: Genesis 32:29 , Judges 13:18, Revelation 19:12 Peli’y = Wonderful Judges 13:1-25   Wonderful Miracle Wonderful Plans Wonderful Direction Simply Wonderful Exodus 3:20 (paw-la, another form of wonderful) Exodus 15:11 Psalm 139:6 Psalm 9:1 Isaiah 9:6 …

The Name: = Adonai means “Lord.” (450x) Adon: “lord” in the sense of an owner, master, or superior. Adoni = is the plural of Adon and refers to God. Examples of Adonai: Psalm 8:9: O YHWH, our Adoni, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!   Psalm 54:4:“Adonay (the Lord) is the provider for …

How to See Above Your Circumstances Name of God we are studying: “El Roi” Genesis 16 Hagar was a blessed woman whose attitude got her into trouble What God did for her was humble her How do I see above my circumstances? I must get low / humble myself Humility is: 1. Choosing to accept where God send …

God’s name is like a staircase, beginning with Genesis 1:1, that lifts us into the heavens, each name a step bringing us closer to the Almighty. There is a name of Jesus that will not be revealed to us until we get to heaven. (Revelation 19:12) Elshaddai means: God Almighty.   1. Abraham was fi …

Revelation 1:17-18 John knew Jesus had raised from the dead. But in an hour of crisis, Jesus chose to appear and show him again. He needed to be reminded of what he already knew. For many people, they know the truth of Easter for so long and so deeply, it no longer has the initial impact it had when …

Four Miracles of the Cross Matthew 27:45-54 The Crown of thorns is a picture of what Jesus did for us. Adam’s sin resulted in the curse of thorns on the earth. Jesus took our curse upon his head. Miracle #1: (Darkness) Jesus took my judgment Matthew 27:45 Three times the Bible describes darkness: On …

Nebuchadnezzar’s Bad Behavior: Arrogance. Idol Worship. Attempted murder.   Secret of the fire #1: God’s not afraid of fire. Who was with them? — He is called “a son of the gods” Daniel 3:25 —Similar wording as Genesis 1:1 —Centurion at Jesus’ cross: Matthew 27:54 —This was a Theophany. A physi …

  Matt 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. A Few Worldwide Miracles:There are some moments the entire world was affected at once  Tower of Babel. The Sun stood still. Day Christ died, darkness on earth. The Resurrection of Jesus The flood of Noah’ …

Hosea 2:1-9 Hosea 3:1-3   A Peak Into Hosea’s Marriage: Point Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Point Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Point Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Point Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa The beautiful message: God Point Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee . . . God expects me Point F …