Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA: Recent Episodes

Bethel Mennonite Church

A Conservative Christian Church (and podcast) in Gladys Virginia

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The importance of encouraging and comforting one another

When a pebble is skipped across the water, the ripples go on and on. The ripples go even further than the pebble. This is the power of a skipped pebble and an encouraging word.

The Bible has many examples of the value of encouragement. God encouraged Moses with the words, “My presence will go with you.” Moses encouraged Joshua. Barnabas was the Son of Encouragement.

Why don’t we get encouragement done? Think we don’t know how; too busy; forget that everyone needs it; focus on the problems of people; don’t see any results; think people already know that I love them.

Encourage others. The ripples go on and on.

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Saul started off well but ended up in a terrible place because he lost his vision of his smallness and God’s greatness.

Signs of vision loss can include compromised obedience, not waiting on God, harshness toward others, and behaving as though the mission is our own.

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The Kingdom of Heaven has several notable characteristics: 1) It has a king, and that king is Christ. 2) Like the mustard seed, it starts small but grows into something visible and strong (Matt. 13:31, 32). 3) Like leaven, it starts within and changes all of a person’s life (Matt. 13:33). Like a treasure, it is worth more than anything else (Matt. 13:44-46).

The Kingdom of Heaven has an enemy, Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15). He is a “dictator” who has come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). However, his kingdom will be destroyed in the end.

Entering the Kingdom of Heaven requires 1) the humility of a child (Matt. 18:3), 2) repentance (Mark 1:14, 15 and Matt. 7:21), and 3) new birth (John 3:3-5). All this is part of the “package” of the salvation experience.

Many equate obedience with legalism, but Noah building the ark and Abraham going to Mt. Moriah are examples of strong faith demonstrated by obedience.

Standing firm in the Kingdom requires 1) a soldier mentality (2 Tim. 2:3, 4), a love of the truth (2 Thess. 2:9, 10), and truly knowing Jesus – as we know a spouse, not simply knowing about Him.

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A major underlying issue Paul is addressing in Galatians is his fear that the church might get sidetracked by heresies, especially related to what it means to be a member of the Messiah’s people. Paul was concerned about idol worship; the observance of holy days, months, seasons, and years; and there was always the concern about requiring Gentiles needing to be circumcised and to keep the Law of Moses.

In this chapter Paul also mentions his need to rely on the grace of God because of the difficulty with his eyesight and the accusation that he is a “man pleaser.”

Maintaining the faith is always a challenge. One challenge is to help the next generation understand why we do what we do. Maybe part of the difficulty is that children follow in the footsteps of their parents instead of following what the parents say.

Another challenge is pride. In all of this we need to be committed to loving Jesus, living for Jesus, and doing the things Jesus wants us to do. We need the New Covenant, and the New Covenant is Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

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Emmanuel and an update on Ozark Wilderness Boy’s Camp in Missouri

The most important spiritual reality for us to remember is that God is with us. Most of us have questions about what God’s will is about many things.

When we consider God’s relating to the children of Israel, we see that God did reveal himself to them. But in the midst of his revelations and provisions, they did not want to hear God and refused to do what God said even when they promised to obey.

At camp where they work they have the motto that they do everything with the boys and not to or for them. This is how God in Christ relates to us. Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus was with His disciples. This concept is even contained in the name Emmanuel itself.

Rather than God doing things to us from a distance he sent his Son to do things with us and in us.

How do we do life with God? We either want to do it ourselves or we want God to do it for us. To do life with God we do what God wants with God’s assistance, with God working in us.

This is God’s plan, to live life with us and work in us. This doesn’t mean we will perfect our life, but it does mean God is working with, in, and through us to accomplish his good goal.

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In Matthew 28:18-20 Christ says the mission of the church is to go to all people groups and 1) baptize or submerge the people in relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and 2) teach the people to do the things Jesus wants them to do.

The focus of this sermon is on the responsibility of immersing fellow believers in the presence of fellow believers, especially of believers admonishing one another. The story in Acts 18:24-28 of Aquila and Priscilla taking Apollos aside and explaining “to him the way of God more accurately” is an example of discipling a fellow believer.

According to Romans 15:14, ordinary believers are qualified to admonish. To admonish means to warn based on instruction.

According to Galatians 6:1-5, admonition requires meekness and willingness to bear another’s burden and address “a man overtaken in any trespass.” A trespass is a fault or misstep. A person who is spiritual can restore someone who has committed a trespass.

According to I Thess. 5:14-15, different needs require different kinds of admonition. The unruly (insubordinate, undisciplined) should be warned, the fainthearted (timid) should be encouraged, and the weak should be supported.

Matthew 18:15-22 says that those who do not receive admonition or discipline after being approached three times should be excommunicated. I Cor. 5 and II Cor. 2 also speak about excommunication and restoration.

How can we best approach our responsibility to admonish and receive admonishment?

I have observed that in general people do not like to be admonished, and neither do people like to admonish others, which results in the ordained doing most of the admonishing.

Amidst these challenges it is important to remember that the level of love, humility, and secure belonging and attachment present in our relationships determines to a large extent how we share and receive admonishment.

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Today is Father’s Day and Galatians 3 isn’t the typical passage to use for Father’s Day. John said his relationship with his earthly father was fairly negative, so it probably wasn’t surprising that when he thought about God, he always had a hard time believing he cared about him.

Galatians 3 says both Jews and Gentiles can become children of the Abba Father by faith in Jesus apart from works of the Law. This means that becoming a son of the heavenly Father does not depend on practicing the Law of Moses.

Paul says the purpose of the Law of Moses was to be a school master until Christ came, to keep people out of trouble. It accomplished this task to some extent, but it did not make people holy.

No one is born into the family of God. No one has a priviledge by birth. Rather, believers are adopted.

The Father adopts us because he wants us. The Father qualifies us to belong in the family. Adoption is not something we do for ourselves. It is what the Father does in us.

We belong to Abba Father because the Father wants us and equips us. Our heavenly Father sees our giftings and potential, praises us openly, has time for us, does not enable bad behavior, loves us unto the end, and is focused on Kingdom building.

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In II Timothy 4, Paul charges Timothy to remain faithful to his mission by preaching the Word, regardless of how people react. Each of us has a mission that is our unique obligation.

Finishing well involves viewing one’s life as a “drink offering” – a complete, faithful sacrifice, and looking forward to the appearing of Jesus.

The reality of the mission is that we will face human struggles such as abandonment, sickness, failures, and lack of resources, but these realities do not doom the mission because God remains present to strengthen and preserve us.

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Acts 1:3 says Christ “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs.” I Cor. 15 says Christ was seen by many people after the resurrection, and if Christ had not risen our faith would be in vain.

A major truth in the sermons in Acts is that Christ is risen from the dead (Acts 2:22-24; 3:13-15). Jesus said he is the resurrection and the life (Jn. 11:11ff).

Critics of the resurrection have promoted various theories to discredit the resurrection, but none of these can withstand reason and Scripture.

The future resurrection of believers from the grave will be a physical, bodily resurrection. Believers will not be spirits floating in space.

We need to ponder the meaning of the resurrection for our personal lives. The resurrection is the foundation of our present spiritual life in Christ, the basis of our present victory, the basis for being changed into the image of Christ, and the basis for our present hope without fear that we will experience a bodily resurrection after death.

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The instruction in Scripture to admonish and warn someone is not given so we will admonish people after they have become deeply enmeshed in sin but to admonish people before things get so desperate. The people who warned in the Old Testament were called prophets or watchmen. Even though they spoke the message of God, in general the people did not like them. But the reality is that we have a responsibility to admonish people even when they do not want to hear.

People do not respond well to long rational arguments. Generally the only admonition that is received well is given by a friend in a respectful manner. People need to hear the invitation of Jesus in an inviting manner. But they also need to hear how trusting Jesus can impact their life for good because believers are disciples, followers.

The responsibility we have as believers is to warn people, even our family members, in a spirit of love. We cannot save people ourselves, but we can speak truth in love. That is our responsibility and opportunity.

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Kings 18 is Elijah’s experience of being overwhelmed and exhausted by evil circumstances. God showed up in his space to feed and heal him. God told Elijah to eat, to sleep, to worship, to anoint two kings, to anoint his successor. Elijah’s small obediences were the method God used to heal Elijah.

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The goal is to come to rest instead of being determined to fix our troubles. The better thing is to consider what is one thing I can do to trust God. Jesus has something for us to do because we can’t reason our way out of our troubles. While we are demanding to be fixed we can’t find a single thing to do that God wants. Jesus can take care of us even when we can’t.

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Our troubles weigh on Jesus. Jesus can handle us even if we can’t handle ourselves. The question for each of us in our situation is what small steps of faith can we take in the midst of trouble? Our existence would change if we could believe Jesus is beautiful and is with us in our trouble. Surrender in the midst of trouble isn’t just giving up; it might mean doing something.

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I Timothy 3:13-17 shows us that scripture is important for both salvation (pointing to Jesus) and spiritual development (as “God-breathed”instruction).

A healthy practice involves reading often, prioritizing quality (reading with purpose and a “needy attitude”) over speed, and making an effort to internalize scripture (memorization and meditation/murmuring).

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The value of woman depends on her “created in the image of God” value.

God created man in His image, male and female. The Trinity is three persons but one substance. Man is two persons, male and female, but one substance. Male and female are not two kinds of human, the one more valuable than the other.

This one of three Trinity and one of two human speaks of oneness of purpose amid diversity of roles and contributions. Understanding that women are image-bearers of God can empower them to embrace their identity and purpose. It affirms their significance in both spiritual and societal contexts, promoting equality and mutual respect.

God gave Adam and Eve equal responsibility to be co-creators and co-rulers. No distinction is made between male and female in these responsibilities.

God created male and female with equal value in their mind, heart, choosing, and social capacities, although these capacities function different for male and female. Men have more gray matter for information gathering but women have more white matter that provides connection between different parts of the brain. Women have bigger memory centers than men and better understanding of the big or long view picture. Women are generally more in touch with and expressive about their emotions. Male and female are created with an equal ability to evaluate options and make choices.

The idea that women are dense or less than because they don’t process information like men is disrespectful. This view is the result of thinking “different than men” is inferior.

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Galatians is not about how to get saved. It is about how Jews and Gentiles can become one people of God through the Messiah, apart from the Law of Moses. The Judaizers resisted Paul’s message and wanted to say that he was in conflict with the apostles in Jerusalem.

Paul says when Peter first visited Antioch, he shared the Lord’s Supper with the Jewish and Gentile believers there, but when agitators or Judaizers showed up from Jerusalem requiring the Gentiles to be circumcised, Peter decided not to eat with the Gentile believers because they were not circumcised. Paul says Peter did this out of fear.

The key to the whole book is Gal. 2:20. The believer has been crucified with Christ. The believer’s identity is determined by who Christ is, living in the believer.

Applications:

The danger of peer pressure: we all feel pressure to be and look like the people around us. This can result in sinful attitudes and behavior.

The danger of cliques in the church: people tend to gravitate toward people they are more comfortable with or people who are like themselves. Matthew 5:46-48 warns against loving those who love you. It takes courage and intentionality to engage people who are different.

The meaning of being crucified with Christ: We have died and risen with Christ. Our death with Christ begins with surrender and moves toward self-denial. Our dying with Christ and our life with Christ is rooted in the faithfulness of Christ, not simply in our human effort to do the opposite of what we wish to do. We live not only by faith in Christ but by the faithfulness of Christ.

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What Jesus won us to (to love God and others), He won us by (His love for God and others). Jesus was not a puppet. He surrendered to the Father and the pain of the cross because of His love.

We cannot die for and save ourselves, but we can surrender to Christ. Victory is the result of surrender. God is fully able to accomplish the good end He has in mind, and His goal is always good.

Jesus’ struggle was not to find the Father’s will but to continue in it. Our struggle might be to find the Father’s will, but it might also be to continue in the Father’s will.

If we don’t choose well in the small things we will not choose well in the large things. The unsurrendered will throws a fit.

Jesus discovered the Father’s will in the midst of the circumstances, and this is where we must find the Father’s will too. When a person is surrendered he is free to do what is right.

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The church at Jerusalem, where Christianity began, was composed entirely of Jewish Christians. Peter had preached the Gospel to the Gentile Centurion Cornelius, which opened the Gospel to Gentiles. The question, then, was whether Gentile Christians were required to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. Galatians addresses this issue.

Paul begins his discussion by giving his qualifications. He says he was chosen by God and that his message did not originate with himself. The ordained, even bishops, are not lords of the church. They are dependent on Jesus for their message and hopefully love Jesus and the flock they are called to guide.

Paul says that the view that Gentile Christians must practice circumcision and keep the Law of Moses is heretical.

God calls and has a good plan for each believer, just like he did for Paul. A calling carries with it responsibilities. For Paul it included much study and prayer. He also traveled around the Roman Empire and suffered much persecution.

It is important to cultivate good theology and avoid heresy. The more we know Scripture the more we will be able to recognize false teaching.

It is important to be more concerned about God’s approval than the approval of others. We should be trying to please an audience of One, who is our Master, Jesus Christ.

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There is a finish line ahead, and not everyone who starts the race runs all the way to it. Gideon started well but stumbled. Solomon began with great devotion and drifted into idolatry. Demas walked with Paul and then quietly turned back, having loved this present world more than the world to come. These are sobering reminders, but they are not meant to discourage us. They are meant to make us wise. The race asks us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and to keep eternity in view. Heaven is more beautiful than anything we have imagined, and the suffering of this present life is not even worthy to be compared with the glory that is coming.

Finishing well also means staying connected to the vine. Jesus himself, fully God and fully man, went off alone to pray to the Father again and again. If he needed that connection, we certainly do. We are to abide in Christ, welcome his discipline when we stray, and run the race together in close brotherhood. We are called to look out for one another, to lift up the drooping hands and strengthen the feeble knees, and to reach toward those who are struggling before it is too late. Now is the time to make straight paths. Now is the time to run, and to run all the way to the end.

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We are not meant to run this race alone, and we were never designed to. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and Psalm 23 shows us everything we gain when we follow him closely: rest, guidance, restoration, courage in the darkest valleys, and the overflow of his Spirit. When trouble comes, the call is simple and urgent: do not try to fix yourself first. Run to the Shepherd right away, just as you are, and let him lead you back to the path of righteousness.

But running with Jesus also means running with others. To be alone is not simply to be by yourself. It is to be unknown, and we can be surrounded by people and still be completely unknown to them. God did not design us to run as islands. He placed us in the body of Christ so that we would be truly known, confess our struggles, and carry one another. Discipleship is not optional and neither is vulnerability. Pride and fear will tell us to hide, but God gives grace to the humble. So we humble ourselves, open up to trusted brothers and sisters, and run the race together with Jesus as our shepherd leading the way.

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Running hard is not just for the gifted or the strong. It is for all of us, and we are running a race where every one of us can win. The great enemy of running hard is not failure but apathy, that slow drift where we stop caring, stop feeding on what is good, and eventually become content with going through the motions. What we feed on today becomes our hunger tomorrow. If we fill our eyes and ears with the noise of the world, our hearts will follow. But if we feed on God’s word and dwell on what is true and good and lovely, a passion for the things of God will grow in us naturally, the way a seed becomes something far greater than itself.

Running hard also means staying alert to the danger of lukewarmness, that comfortable middle place where we are not fully cold but not truly burning either. We are to be moved by compassion, grateful for what God has done, and intentional in how we train. The choices we make now are not small. They shape the runners we will become. Like the path that seemed easy at first but leads somewhere unexpected, half-heartedness creeps in quietly. So we fix our diet, guard our hearts, rejoice in the Lord, and press on. There are no civilians in this race.

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There is a weight we were never meant to carry into the race. Hebrews 12 calls us to lay aside both sin and every burden that slows us down, and there is a difference between the two. Sin must be confessed and put to death, not managed or hidden. Walking in the light, with openness before God and honesty before our brothers and sisters, is the path to freedom. The blood of Christ cleanses us as we walk that way, not all at once, but continually, like a stream that never stops running.

Weights are trickier, because they are not always wrong in themselves. They are simply things that fill our hands when God means for them to be open. Digital noise, endless recreation, the pull of bare minimum Christianity, all of these can rob us of the time and energy we need to grow. When we lay them down, we are not losing something good. We are making room for something better, for the spiritual disciplines, for the fruits of the Spirit, for love of God and neighbor. The race is not meant to be run heavy. It is meant to be run free.

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There is a race set before us, and each of us must run it. Like a trail through the woods, it has a clear starting point, marked boundaries, and a finish line we cannot see from where we stand. The great danger is not that we mean to go the wrong way, but that we drift off course without ever noticing. Good intentions, we are reminded, are like a rocking chair: they feel like movement but take us nowhere. Direction, not intention, determines destination. One small degree off course today becomes a vast distance from where we hoped to be tomorrow.

We are, at heart, like sheep, prone to wandering and too easily pulled along by the paths others are walking. But there is hope, because we have a Shepherd, and he is the best one we could ever ask for. To run straight, we must add real direction to our good intentions, pay close attention to where our daily choices are leading, and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, and he will direct your paths. Let us run, and let us run straight.

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The cross is a reality for both Jesus and us. The seven sayings of Jesus on the cross teach us the meaning of the cross. “Father forgive them” speaks of the peace God offers those who trust Jesus. “Today you will be with me” speaks of assurance. “Care for my mother” speaks of concern for others. “Why have you forsaken me” speaks of the darkness Jesus felt during his deepest suffering. “I thirst” speaks of the suffering of Jesus that offers us the water of life. “It is finished” speaks of a work completed. “Into your hands I commend my spirit” speaks of surrender and trust.

The path to life passes through death. The path to victorious living is suffering with Jesus, dying with Jesus to sin.

This is the believer’s cross. The believer’s cross is experiential. No one can crucify himself, but we can repent and God does the work. Our daily cross is to do the Father’s will. Only as we die with Christ can we produce fruit.

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We are living in perilous times. The apostle Paul warns Timothy that the last days bring people who look godly on the outside but are rotten on the inside. They say the right things, lift their hands, and quote scripture, but they deny the power of the Holy Spirit. These are not strangers. They creep into our communities and our homes. We must learn to recognize them and turn away.

Not everything around us is false, though. We have been given true examples to follow. The evidence is in the lives of faithful people who have suffered, endured, and kept going anyway. Scars are not lies. When we look at those who have gone before us and see that God delivered them through hard times, not around them, we find reason to trust the same road ourselves.

Continuing is not a flashy calling. It is not the kind of word that fits on a banner or gets people excited. And yet it is the very thing Paul urges us to do. We grow weary sometimes. We wonder if the gospel is working. We hear voices telling us we are on the wrong path. But the challenge is simply this: keep going in what we have learned and been assured of.

There is a great sadness in those who are still searching. The imposters, the deceivers, the ones chasing something they cannot name, they will not find it outside of Jesus. They are caught in a long, tired loop of wanting and disappointment. God desires better for them. He desires that all people come to the knowledge of the truth.

So we press on together. God is a deliverer, and his power is given to those who say yes to his Spirit. We encourage one another to continue, because none of us should be left to assume the others are fine on their own. Like travelers on a long road through a dark wood, we are each other’s company and each other’s strength, until we are presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

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The believer has a calling to walk worthily that is rooted in the provisions of God, not in human resources and effort. The grand and glorious Gospel message is that the believer is chosen, predestined, adopted, accepted “in Christ the Beloved” and redeemed/forgiven, and this chosen and redeemed person is participating in the grand mystery of all things in heaven and earth being gathered together in Christ coming into the fullness of its created, intended purpose (1:1-23).

We walk worthily when we walk in unity and love in the church. Unity and love require humility, meekness, patience, forbearing with one another in love, living together in the oneness and power of the Holy Spirit, exercising gifts of the Spirit, speaking truth in love.

We walk worthily when we walk in holiness (4:17-5:21). The old man is the old way of living and behaving. The new man is the new behavior produced by the mind renewed by the Spirit. The new man does not grieve the Holy Spirit, walks in the light, and is filled with the Spirit.

Summary: Change from old man behavior to new man behavior requires vision, intention, and means.

Vision: This means that I develop an internal vision of what my life could be if I was indeed different. This is a vision of who I could be if I was consumed by and fully engaged in a Kingdom of God life. This is the vision that I was created to be fully alive with the life of Christ, fully free to be fully alive and engaged in life-giving activities.

Intention: To intend is to decide. You cannot change if you do not decide to change. The intention to change has to be greater than the intention to stay the same. And if we intend to, we decide to. This is not about what we will or should do; this is about what we decide to do.

Means: The means is the actions that provide a framework for the new habits to grow.

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Christ is a gift-giver. Each believer is gifted, and each gift and gifted person is for a purpose. Rather than judge one another’s gifts, we are called to love and respect other people and their gifts. The purpose of gifts is the growth of God’s Kingdom. Since people exercise the same gifts in different ways, exercise of gifts can be the source of much friction. Love is the answer to friction.

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This sermon is taken from Ephesians. The first three chapters tell us the divine blessings that make the worthy walk described in the last three chapters possible.

The believer is chosen, predestined, adopted, accepted in the Beloved, redeemed and forgiven by the shed blood of Christ, participants in the final gathering together of all things in Christ (both Jew and Gentile and heaven and earth), and all of this is experienced “in Christ,” in the heavenlies.

The person who has experienced these blessings “in Christ” is equipped to live a worthy walk.

Eph. 4 calls the believer to walk in unity, in holiness, in love, and in hope and courage. We walk in unity as we walk in humility, meekness, patience, and forbearance in love.

These are the attitudes that make a worthy walk possible.

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Jesus had a reason for instructing his followers to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We know there is something special about this service and that Jesus is present to minister to us in a special way, but exactly how Christ is present is a mystery. We may not fully understand the mystery, but we know that we are in need of something that Jesus offers us in Communion, grace and mercy, the Christ who came and the Christ who is coming again.

Psalm 22 describes David’s deep distress and suffering and foretells the suffering of Christ. The Psalm is the cry of a heart that is feeling lost and abandoned. And this is how both David and Jesus felt, but the heavenly Father had abandoned neither of them. The Father is not far away even though we feel alone. We need to see that while this Psalm begins with a lament – a picture of a suffering Savior – it ends with a song of victory

Jesus came to gain victory over his enemies. His death and resurrection delivers people from captivity to sin, the devil, and death. Christ is risen from the dead and He is able to bring to us the victory he won on the cross and in his resurrection.

Christ suffered greatly for us. We will suffer too. But we are also alive in the midst of suffering because Christ is risen from the dead. In the Lord’s Supper we celebrate the life Christ’s death and resurrection brings to us. The best of Jesus met the worst of humanity and Jesus was the victor. He was surrounded by men acting like animals, He experienced terrible suffering, and in the end, He won the victory. As we take these emblems this morning, let us remember not only Jesus’ suffering and death, but the reasons for it and the resurrection that followed, for there we can find victory.

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I Corinthians 12:31 introduces chapter 13, saying, “and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.” Charity is a requirement to honor Christ and bless others. Chapter 13 presents Christian charity–its importance, description, growth in it, and its permanence. Then chapter 14 begins, “Follow after charity” (KJV).

Jesus was a GREAT LIGHT in a dark world (Matt. 4:13-17). One way people “saw” or sensed this light was through Christ’s love. Jesus went to Heaven, but He had told His followers they were to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16). “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16).

Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17). Love without works is dead (I John 3:17-18). Works without love is dead too (I Cor. 13:1-3).

Paul wrote, “But we urge you, brethren, that you increase {in love} more and more” (I Thess. 4:10 NKJV). Christians who confess and repent, who pray for grace, will grow. Love is essential for our spiritual health and for our mission on earth.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all (I Thess. 3:12 NKJV).

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Two of the most important questions facing people of Jesus’ day and today are, “Who is Jesus?” and “What does He want me to do?” John records seven “I am” statements used by Jesus to reveal who He is.

John 6 records a sign (the feeding of the 5,000), a sermon (in which He states, “I am the bread of life”), and then shows how this teaching was a stumbling stone to many of Jesus’ followers. The many parallels between the feeding of the 5,000 and the manna in the wilderness seem intended to show that Jesus is the source of abundant life in the wilderness of this earthly life.

Jesus calls us to feed on Him by coming to Him in faith, believing that He is able to satisfy our hunger and emptiness. A community of believers who are living by Jesus’ words of life can be a place of abundance even as all of creation longs for the promised land of the new heaven and new earth.

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Approved workers understand that they need to be living out a therefore response to the Gospel (vv 8-10).

Approved workers recognize that the way to life is through union in Christ – a union that dies, lives, and endures with Him (vv 11-13).

Approved workers avoid the teaching, influence, and behavior of unapproved workers like Hymenaeus and Philetus (vv 14-21).

Approved workers have learned the core competencies of flight, pursuit, and joint effort (vs 22).

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Genesis 50 looks back and ahead. A major focus is leaving a legacy. At the end of his life, Joseph was satisfied. He had lived his life in such a way that he had no regrets. It hadn’t been easy and he had suffered much along the way, but he had lived well, and he was satisfied with his life.

After the lengthy period of mourning for Jacob, Joseph’s siblings were afraid Joseph would retaliate against them for their sins against him. They had never asked for forgiveness, so maybe they still felt guilty. But in all of this Joseph maintained a Godly attitude. He had not forgotten, but he had forgiven.

At the end of his life, Joseph requested that his bones be taken to the promised land. He knew that Egypt was just a temporary home and the land of Canaan was where they belonged.

Joseph is known for loving and being loved by his father. He is known for his thirteen years of much suffering from the time of being put into the pit until he became ruler of Egypt. He is known for his capacity to forgive. He is known for having no sin recorded against him.

We can live a good legacy by living well. Living well requires living intentionally rather than in reaction; telling stories that communicate the truth of our lives and God’s work; being a Godly example for people to follow; building relationships; apologizing when we are wrong; focusing on things of eternal value; finishing well.

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I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18

The Holy Spirit is given.

The gospel transcends all cultures. Jesus equips his church by giving the church the necessary gifts: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers.

Jesus is looking for a pure bride so the Holy Spirit exposes sin in the church.

Jesus gives the church the power to persevere. The gospel will not be stopped.

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Psalm 68 – God shares His victory and strength with His people.

Ephesians 4:7-13 – Jesus shares His victory with the church, and gives it grace and gifts to equip the saints.

II Timothy 2:1-7 – We need to lean on Jesus for the strength to be steadfast.

Steadfastness looks like: enduring hardship, staying unentangled, remaining obedient to the Gospel, and working faithfully in hope of harvest.

When we’re feeling weak, we should continue to wait on Jesus for strength. We should also be willing to share our struggles with people in the church; not all of the grace we need comes directly from Jesus to us.

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Jacob’s deathbed prophecies are recorded in Genesis 48-49. The Jews believed deathbed blessings had special powers. These prophecies were prophetic in their own way but didn’t change the future. First Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons, after which he blessed his own sons.

The applications of the story of Jacob’s deathbed prophecies are:

Nothing that happens to us is surprising to God. He gives us choices but knows what we will choose.
Many prophecies are dependent on our choices.
It might be easy for us to be fatalistic about God knowing the future, as if nothing we do will change the future, but our lives are affected by our choices. It is just that God stands outside of time and knows all that was and is and will be.
Things we do affect our children and others, but that doesn’t mean our future is determined by our parents’ past.
There is redemption for past failures. Redemption follows true repentance, which includes change.
We should never trade liberty for comfort.

Our choices and lives matter. We should live thoughtfully and wisely.

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Scripture presents a view of salvation (a soteriological vision) that provides a vision for personal and community life at Bethel.

This is the view
that Jesus Christ shed His blood unto death so that both Jews and Gentiles can be forgiven of their sins,
that by trusting Christ as Savior and Lord a person’s faith is counted for righteousness and the person belongs to Abraham’s worldwide, spiritual family of faith,
that by dying and rising with Christ in each temptation and circumstance through the power of the Holy Spirit the believer can walk in the obedience of faith,
that it is within the discipling activities in the community of faith that each believer is transformed more and more into the character of Christ,
and that the supreme goal of salvation is participation in the work of God’s Kingdom in this life and throughout eternity.

This is not the same soteriological vision as saying our sins are imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us and we will go to heaven when we die no matter how we live.

This vision will influence the spirituality of each believer, the way we worship together, and the way we disciple one another.

This vision calls us to worship God in spirit and truth, to encourage and admonish one another for the purpose of experiencing the grace and mercy of God, spiritual and emotional growth toward maturity, and “obedience of the faith” (Rom. 1:5). All of this requires human effort energized by grace and cooperation with God.

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II Timothy 1 – are we living our lives according to the promise of life in Jesus?

Paul’s Situation: Imprisoned, anticipating death, abandoned by some, yet unwavering in faith.

Timothy’s Situation: Ministry challenges, fears, and discouragement; receives Paul’s letter of encouragement and challenge.

Paul’s Greeting: God called Paul to the ministry because of the promise of life in Christ Jesus—this has been a guiding principle for his life.

Stir up the gift (vv.3-7): Don’t shrink back; use what God has given, because the Spirit wants to equip us and shape us into people who are brave, loving, and self-controlled.

Do Not Be Ashamed (vv. 8-12): Share in suffering for the gospel; Christ has abolished death and given life.

Two Entrustings: God entrusts us with the gospel, gifts, and resources – we need to be faithful stewards. We entrust our lives and sacrifices to God – He is able to keep them until “that Day.”

Encouragement: Like Timothy, we can be encouraged to stand firm, confident in the life that is in Christ Jesus.

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Often people believe that the reason they can’t achieve their goals is that circumstances conspire against them. But the more likely reason might be a failure to count the cost and do the hard work necessary to achieve the goal. Grace is free, but that doesn’t remove the need for human effort.

One reason people fail to achieve worthwhile goals is that their goal is not what they think it is. Our actual goal is what we invest our time and energy and money in.

In response to the rich young ruler who said his goal was to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell all he had, give to the poor, and follow Jesus. Jesus was asking for total commitment, total surrender.

To achieve a goal requires identifying the specific goal, determining if the goal is achievable, breaking the process for achieving the goal into specific, necessary steps, and abandoning things that get in the way of achieving the goal.

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A covenant is more than a contract. Contracts are about “I.” Covenants are about “we.” Covenants are moral commitments sustained by loyalty and fidelity.

The Old Covenant included endless sacrifices that looked forward to the New Covenant and the final sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

At communion we look back at Christ’s suffering and sacrifice and death, his shedding of blood for our forgiveness of sins. But we also look forward to Christ’s resurrection and the life he lives with us today.

In the new covenant Christ places his life and will in our hearts and motivates us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Are we truly seeking first the kingdom of God, or are we caught up with the world’s desire for more security financially? Are we able to sleep, or do we worry about the future? Are we laying up treasure in heaven or earth?

What if Jesus meant every word that he said?

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According to Scripture, whoever believes in Christ has eternal life and will not perish, and the person who does not believe in the Son of God is condemned and under God’s judgment (John 3:15, 18, 36). Becoming a believer starts with the realization that I have sinned and need a Savior.

Becoming a believer in Christ requires believing, repenting, and becoming humble. The first step of faith is believing what God says is true about me and believing that Jesus died as the sacrifice for my sins. The person who trusts Jesus has his/her faith counted for righteousness and sins forgiven.

Repentance refers to the turning of the mind and heart away from sin and independence and turning toward God. Repentance involves (1) a change of mind or purpose, (2) sorrow for sin and sadness or remorse about the effects of one’s sins, and (3) turning away from sin and turning toward God and the attitudes that please God.

The importance of humility is especially evident in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and Publican in Luke 18. Two men went into the temple to pray. One of them trusted in himself that he was righteous “and despised others . . . and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (Luke 18:9-11).

But “the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:12). Jesus said that the Publican “went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

In the Nicodemus story, Jesus did not explain to Nicodemus the mechanics or give him the equation for how to be born again. Rather, Jesus described being born again as “the wind [of the Spirit] blows where it wishes” (John 3:8, NKJV).

No one can save himself. Everyone is in need of Christ. The same faith that regenerates leads to good works and sustains one’s relationship with God.

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If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does he let people suffer and die? When he lived on the earth, he calmed the ocean and raised the dead. If he is present with us now, why doesn’t he do the same things he did back then? Why does it seem that he is sleeping?

Joseph is an example of someone who endured suffering and came to a good end. But maybe that only works if you survive suffering and become the prime minister of one of the greatest countries on earth. But what if you come through the suffering and you simply feel exhausted and angry and a little bitter about what you went through?

While suffering, even onto death, is a Godly thing to do, suffering is not something we should seek, for the sake of suffering. Menno Simons and Pilgrim Marpeck died natural deaths because they actively sought ways to avoid suffering and death. God works to uphold people during times of suffering, but it would be wrong of us not to help people who are suffering.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean we forget what happened. Joseph had forgiven his brothers, but that didn’t keep him from testing his brothers. The only way to come through difficult situations well is to tell ourselves stories that indicate that God is present and working, but that is not the same as saying that God is going to control everyone and make them do what he wants. God does not make people do evil, and suffering is sometimes the result of people’s poor decisions.

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I believe Christ’s mission or commission to the disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 includes His intention that His disciples disciple one another. Christ says go and make disciples who learn to do whatever Christ wants them to do.

Learning to do what Jesus wants us to do is not an easy task. Several hindrances come readily to mind. One hindrance is the common belief that if you trust Jesus as Savior, you don’t need to become a better person. But another hindrance is that it is much harder to change than people think, until they actually try to do it.

In Romans 15:14 Paul says believers are qualified (have the moral character and knowledge) to admonish (encourage, warn, advise [both preaching and personal counsel]) others. Gal. 6:1-5 says believers are responsible to restore other believers who are “overtaken” (snared by the temptation) with a spirit of humility. Matthew 18:15-18 offers a process for engaging fellow believers.

Several examples of believers discipling believers include Aquila and Priscilla admonishing Apollos (Acts 18:34-28), Paul admonishing Peter in Galatians 2, and Paul engaging in conversations in his own rented house (Acts 28:17-31).

Two levels of disciples discipling disciples: Level 1 is one on one or small group “friendship conversation” in which people agree to talk about life and allow other people to offer their reflections. Level 2 is when someone invites or allows a “deeper dive” to unwanted habits or addictions.

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The return of Joseph’s brothers to Egypt to buy more food represents not simply a physical return but a time of repentance. It is obvious that Judah has learned something life-changing since that fateful day when Joseph was sold into Egypt.

Now in these circumstances Joseph is threatening to keep Benjamin in Egypt and send the other brothers home, but Judah realizes that their dear father cannot possibly survive such a catastrophe, so in repentance Judah offers his life in exchange for Benjamin’s life.

In this story we witness Judah demonstrating a completely different attitude toward Joseph and Benjamin than when the brothers stood looking at the well into which they would put their brother Joseph. This new attitude is the result of repentance.

We see this same attitude of repentance in the story of the prodigal son. In the prodigal son’s return to the father we see four stages of repentance: regret, confession, abandonment of former behavior, and resolve. These are the necessary steps of repentance.

What do we need to abandon to find victory?

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This sermon is to encourage Dads to do well and to encourage children to have good relationships with their parents. Proverbs 17:6 shows us three generations, grandparents, parents and grandchildren, a picture of what God would like to see in families.

Even in the beginning of time we see broken relationships between fathers and sons; Adam and Cain, Isaac and Jacob, David and Solomon. God is interested in restoring relationships. God made a way to restore our relationship with Him through his Son, Jesus, and between people.

Some responsibilities of fathers: be a provider, be consistent, love the children’s mother, be unselfish, be a lifegiver instead of a taker, be a good example, be quick to apologize when you have done wrong and many more.

Fathers should be protectors. They should have a vision for their children and help guide them. Create safe boundaries. Have an open relationship with them. Is your heart turned toward your children?

Children also have a responsibility to their parents which is obedience and honor.

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Just as academic tests reveal hidden facts about our knowledge, tests of the heart reveal the often-hidden state of our heart – whether we love God with all our heart.

Three kings gave three tests of the heart. David was faced with conflicting accounts about Mephibosheth, but when he gave half of Mephibosheth’s land to Ziba, Mephibosheth responded in gratitude and devotion to David (II Samuel 9, 16 & 19).

Solomon was faced with two mothers arguing over a baby, but when he proposed cutting the baby in half, the loving heart of the true mother was revealed (I Kings 3:16-28).

Jesus was faced with a rich, young man who wanted eternal life, but when the man was asked to give away his wealth, the true object of his affections became apparent (Matthew 19:16-22). Jesus also told of some who failed a test of the heart in the Parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:15-33).

Three lessons can be taken from these stories:

The state of the heart is not obvious.
A heart devoted to God requires no special skill or ability.
Our response to adversity and prosperity reveals the state of our heart.

May we all pass the test of the heart.

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Ephesians 3 and 4 both contain passages that talk about growing into the “fullness” of God.

Ephesians 4:2,3 names elements that are important for that growth to happen — lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering.

When lowliness is missing, our service becomes contaminated, we treat people roughly, we don’t listen well, and we don’t respond to correction.

When gentleness is missing, we’re too hard on people and assign motives when we shouldn’t.

Long-suffering needs to be loving, not resentful. When long-suffering is missing, we resent people, are quickly offended, and don’t give people time to grow.

All three of these elements are an important part of the endeavor to “keep the unity.”

Jesus is the ultimate example of gentle discipleship, long-suffering, and humility.

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The title for this sermon is taken from Christ’s response to John the Baptist’s disciples who followed Jesus. Jesus asked them, “What do you seek?” and they asked, “Where are you staying?” and they followed Jesus and stayed with him the rest of the day.

In these three accounts of Jesus’ encounters with people (Nicodemus, John the Baptist’s disciples, and the woman at the well), Jesus focused on the actual needs of their hearts and spiritual realities they did not understand. In these encounters, Jesus invites people into a “born again” relationship with Him.

According to Jesus, this is an experience that requires a supernatural work of God. Jesus is always pursuing us and inviting us to respond to his pursuit.

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The New Testament was written to people who lived in the pagan Roman Empire, in which government leaders didn’t care who you worshipped as long as you respected and paid homage to Caesar. The story of Peter going to visit Cornelius demonstrates that Christianity is a worldwide movement that is not bound to any earthly government.

What relationship should believers have with the civil government? According to Phil. 3:20, 21 and Heb. 11:13-26, the believer’s primary citizenship is in heaven. We are ambassadors, which means we are foreigners and represent our home country. Our mission is to win people for the heavenly kingdom. In fact, we have more in common with other ambassadors than with unbelieving citizens around us.

We tend to have a lot of thoughts and opinions about events and decisions that affect us. That probably can’t be avoided, but do we care more about the effect of such things on our pocketbook and freedoms than on our true mission in the world? Our responsibility is to be a witness for Christ and to respect and obey the government unless it violates Scripture.

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The question is, how does the faith counted for righteousness relate to the fruit of faith?

For 500 years, Mennonites have connected faith and its fruit in a way that makes the fruit of faith the foundation of faith, and for 500 years, Protestants have separated faith and its fruit in a way that makes the fruit of faith completely unrelated to faith.

The story of Abraham in Genesis 12-17 and Romans 4 demonstrates that Abraham’s faith was counted for righteousness prior to circumcision, which was the fruit of faith.

According to Paul, Abraham is the spiritual father of all Jews who trust God even though they are circumcised and all Gentiles who trust God without being circumcised (Romans 4:11-18).

While the fruit of faith is not the foundation of faith, the same faith that is counted for righteousness bears fruit. Cooperation with God’s grace (human effort) that is motivated by God’s grace is not opposed to God’s grace.

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Proverbs 3 emphasizes the need to trust God and be faithful to Him. Solomon talks about three areas in which we need to trust God “above” something else: our understanding, our possessions, and our circumstances.

To trust God over our own understanding is to consider who God is and what He may want from us in a given situation. Saul exemplified leaning on his own understanding when he chose not to wait for Samuel; Jonathan exemplified acknowledging God by being willing to attack the Philistine garrison when it was only himself and his armor bearer.

To trust God over our possessions is to be willing to give them in honor of God. True worship always results in giving.

To trust God in our circumstances is to believe in His loving care even in times of testing. If we only trust God in good times, it can mean we trust the times more than God.

“What does God have to offer?” can be a helpful challenge for ourselves. This passage reminds us of what God gives us through Jesus—healing, peace, and eternal life. All the truly good and enduring things come from God.

Hindrances to trusting God as we should are forgetfulness, fear, and pride. We should confess these failures to God and keep trying to trust Him more.

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Good leaders are focused on the welfare of the people they lead, take responsibility for their poor decisions, are under authority, speak truth with love, and lead but don’t push.

In the story of the prodigal son, the father didn’t go after the lost son, didn’t berate him, but instead longed and waited and prayed for him. When the son returned, the father forgave him, but forgiveness did not restore the son’s inheritance.

During Jesus’ discussion with the mother of James and John and afterward with them and the rest of the disciples, Jesus said that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over their subjects, but this is not how it will be among my followers. In Jesus’ Kingdom, those who lead will be servants, and those who desire to be first will be slaves, just as the Son of Man came to serve and not to be served.

Both men and women have the opportunity to show leadership. The question is, how do we serve the people we lead?

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The Corinthian believers were not recognizing the Creator’s design and purpose for their bodies. Paul addresses their problem with sexual immorality by making several points:

You aren’t asking the right questions.
Your bodies are designed for the LORD.
Your members are members of Christ.
The Creator designed marriage.
You must flee sexual immorality.
Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.
You were bought with a price.

THEREFORE, honor God with your bodies.

God created man to bear His image and to fellowship with Him. God’s presence was with man in the Garden of Eden, in the tabernacle, and in the temple. Man desecrated each of these places and brought separation between him and his Creator. However, through the presence of Jesus on earth and His spirit in us, we can have unhindered fellowship with our Creator.

We can honor our Creator with our bodies in several ways:

Pursue what is helpful rather than simply avoid what is wrong.
Pursue behaviors that promote discipline of the body.
Flee temptation like a pigeon fleeing a falcon.
Live in careful obedience to our Creator.

When we follow His design for our bodies, our bodies portray His image in His creation and allow us to experience unhindered fellowship in His presence.

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What we believe in our minds and what feels true in our hearts determines how we live. Unbiblical beliefs lead to sinful living. This is especially true of beliefs about the relationship between faith and works. Here are five faulty views:

True faith requires perfection in all areas of life: obedience, spiritual desire, applications of Scripture, and submission to the church. This is impossible because we’re not God and can’t have perfection. This view robs people of rest and assurance.

Faith results in Christ’s righteousness being imputed to our account, which becomes a substitute for following Christ as Lord and makes works of faith unnecessary.

No response of faith like repentance or regeneration, can contribute to justification. This view is faulty because God doesn’t justify an unregenerate person.

Works produced by faith are equal to works of the Law. In Scripture, like Romans 3:20 and 28, and Galatians 2, Paul isn’t rejecting works of faith but is opposing the view that believing Gentiles must be circumcised and practice the Law of Moses to be a person of faith and a member of Abraham’s and God’s family of faith.

Church guidelines/applications of Scripture function like works of the law that Paul condemns. The decrees given to the church in Acts 15 are an example of guidelines and applications of Scripture, and the New Testament doesn’t view the decisions in Acts 15 as functioning like works of the Law.

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Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt because of a famine. We know that their “going to Egypt” was part of God’s plan, even though God generally warned his people about assimilating into any of the cultures around them. Perhaps God knew they were better off being in Egypt as a people to themselves than being in Canaan among a people they could not conquer.

God used the circumstances surrounding the drought to accomplish good things for everyone, despite their faults. Jacob refusing to send Benjamin demonstrates that he still valued some of his sons over others, and we see a lack of faith in God. When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, Joseph acted like he did not know them, accused them of being spies, and put them in prison. His intention was to test them, to see if they were as selfish and hateful as in the past. At this point, Joseph’s brothers feared Joseph more than they feared their God. In the midst of Joseph’s interaction about Simeon being kept in prison until they bring Benjamin back, the brothers talked among themselves, thinking they were experiencing divine judgment for their mistreatment of Joseph. This is how guilt about the past tends to work. We can also see that Joseph was a trauma survivor. Time does not resolve guilt, and time does not automatically heal trauma.

Applications for Today

God can work with pessimists. Jacob was a pessimist. He mourned for Joseph and refused to be comforted. God does not require that we are gloriously happy all the time, but we are called to be joyful. People who don’t have a divine perspective tend to fall into an abyss of darkness.
Everything happens according to plan. In this story, God uses even the negative things that happen to accomplish a good end.
Trauma does not resolve on its own. The solution to real trauma is not to forget what you have been through. How long it takes to deal with a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events depends on the person, the events, and how deeply the person experienced those hurts. There are no easy fixes to traumatic events. Healing requires a community of caring people and someone trained in helping people deal with difficult experiences. Becoming a Christian will not automatically deliver a person from the effects of trauma.

Jesus invites us to rest in him. We also need people in our life who understand us and give us a safe place to belong.

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I believe most believers want to experience in their mind and heart what they profess to believe. I also know that many believers struggle to experience what they say they believe.

This sermon will explore the meaning of baptism as expressed in New Testament Scriptures that speak about conversion and baptism, and consider whether this understanding agrees with the view we have inherited in our Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition. Our tradition says baptism is reserved for people who have believed and repented; baptism is testimonial (not regenerational); that in baptism the person experiences the death and resurrection of Christ; that in baptism the person commits to live life in harmony with other believers.

The Scriptures we will examine are John 3:5-6, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 5:25-26, Galatians 3:26-29, Romans 6:3-4, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38-41, Colossians 2:11-13

These Scriptures clearly teach that in conversion and baptism the Holy Spirit cleanses and regenerates the heart, and the person who is baptized or immersed into Christ experiences a death and resurrection in their person that mirrors the death and resurrection of Christ. This is a work the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the heart of the “surrendered to Jesus” heart. Scripture also clearly teaches that this death and resurrection of Christ results in the “putting off the body of the sins of the flesh,” or is the basis of deliverance from the practices of sin. This deliverance from the practices of sin is the result of a lifelong process of repentance and growth.

One reason people do not experience what they say they believe is that they cannot experience what they do not live. This is the challenge we face: to live out what we say baptism means.

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Many people start well but don’t finish well. One reason for this is the habit people have of wanting Jesus to be their Savior but not their Lord, the habit of making choices that have disastrous results, results that make it impossible for their lives to end well.

In the parable of the soil, the kind of fruit depended on the kind of soil the seed fell on. People play a part in the direction of their lives. God works but people make choices.

The direction of our lives is determined by the decisions we make about many large and small things, like the way we respond to temptation, and the way we use our phones, the kind of movies we watch. Social media is not Scripture. All of these kinds of decisions determine the direction of our lives and determine how our lives end.

You can’t be a Christian and you can’t end well if you continue to live your old life. The only way we can end well is if we follow Christ in obedience. If we have to think a long time about what God’s will is, we are on the wrong path. When we walk in the Spirit, we can know the will of God. God has put everything in place for us to live a victorious Christian life and end well.

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Our relationship with God is connected to our relationship to other people. This is obvious in verses that talk about God forgiving us as we forgive others. God considers how we relate to other people. Are we willing to apologize?

When trust grows, relationships grow. When relationships are healthy, husbands love and wives respect; parents love and nurture and children respect and obey; employers treat employees as equals and employees work as if they are working for Jesus.

When relationships don’t work, people are scared, tense, and afraid, and there is sadness and pain. When relationships struggle, there are usually unrealistic expectations. Also, when relationships struggle there is not enough grace to cover the shortfall.

When I am wrong I can ask for forgiveness. When I’m wronged I can forgive. We can’t hold people to a perfect standard. Am I a relationship breaker or am I a peacemaker?

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The impact of Christ’s death on those who experienced it was definitely profound. The words used to describe their response are “affrighted, amazed, afraid, believed not.” These words speak of panic, having a phobia, shock, standing outside oneself. They were confused and hopeless. They definitely had not understood Christ’s words when he said he would die. But neither did they understand his words when he said he would rise from the dead in three days, so they were not only shocked and devastated by his crucifixion, but they struggled to believe that he had risen from the dead.

In light of the confusion and shock of the crucifixion and resurrection, it is amazing that sixty days after the resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, the women and apostles had grasped the meaning of the death and resurrection. This is proven by Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and by the sermons preached and the missionary work carried out throughout the book of Acts.

The meaning of the death and resurrection of Christ is more than popular Christianity since the Reformation has proclaimed. The primary meaning/theme introduced by Luther and developed further until the present time was that Jesus died on the cross to provide a way for God to forgive sins so people can be relieved of their guilt and go to heaven when they die. The means or method Luther offered is that God put all human’s sins on Christ at the cross, punished these sins in Jesus (made Jesus pay the penalty for these sins), and puts all Jesus’ righteousness on the account in heaven of every person who trusts/believes that Jesus paid the penalty for their sins.

A more Biblical view of the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection includes the following ideas:

Jesus offers forgiveness of sin to both Jews and Gentiles, which fulfills God’s promise to Abraham that he would be the spiritual father of both Jews and Gentiles.
Jesus rescues people from their worship of idols and sins and restores to people the ability to worship the God of heaven and earth.
Jesus establishes Christ as the supreme authority, king, and ruler of heaven and earth, the one who can defeat all his enemies “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil. 2:5-11).
Jesus restores to the believer the ability to “exercise dominion” as described in Genesis in the creation story.

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Jesus died at the time of the Passover, not on the day of Atonement. God knew even at creation that the people he created would sin and that would require the suffering and death of His Son. And the Father knew what Adam and Eve’s sin would cost Him. What kind of love did the Father have that he would allow his son to die on a cross to redeem the same people who had rebelled against Him?

God demonstrated His love for humans by dying for them. In John 15:9-17 Jesus says there is no greater love than for a person to lay down his life for another person, and certainly there is no greater example of love than the Father sending His Son. This is the ultimate sacrifice.

Exodus 12:1-30 records the Lord’s instructions to Moses about how to observe the first Passover. A lamb was slain and a bundle of hyssop branches was dipped in the blood and brushed across the top and sides of the doorframes of their homes. The houses with blood applied did not lose a single person, but the oldest son in every house with no blood applied died. In other words, the death angel passed over the homes with blood applied.

Also, Israel was redeemed or delivered at the time of this original Passover. They were freed from bondage. This teaches us that Jesus’ death and resurrection established a new kingdom: a nation of slaves had been rescued and redeemed from bondage to the most powerful nation of the ancient world and now would launch a new kingdom.

As we celebrate Communion, we understand that we are in this new kingdom – not totally perfected as it will be in the new Jerusalem, but as a bit of a foretaste. When Jesus told people that the kingdom was the pearl of great price and that people should be willing to sacrifice everything in order to obtain it, He wasn’t talking about some distant future time, but about a freedom from death and sin and Satan that comes to those who choose to follow Him.

We understand that we are unworthy and do not deserve God’s love, but this is what God chooses to do. Romans 5:6-10 says that God loved us when we were unlovely. That’s when Christ died for us.

Even as God has loved us, we are called to love others. This is our mission, our calling. And just as God’s love is demonstrated to us in the sacrifice of His Son, our love for others is demonstrated in our deeds of love. God’s love for us is based in his nature, in who he is. Those who have been redeemed by Christ possess the nature of God and are freed to love others as they have been loved by God.

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The difficult truth of Psalm 23 is that to experience the goodness of God, we need to accept his authority and shepherding.

Moses struggled to accept God’s call because he focused too much on his own inadequacies and fears.

In spite of having Aaron as a mouthpiece, Moses experienced many setbacks in Egypt because they were actually part of God’s plan.

For us, God’s call can include service opportunities, relationship challenges, confession, seeking help, or remaining faithful in a difficult role.

We should remember the Shepherd sometimes asks us to do difficult things, there is a cost to saying no to God, setbacks are typical of God’s plans, and our focus should be on “who am I with?” rather than “who am I?”

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Two years have passed since the chief butler left the prison. Joseph has been waiting hopefully for a release from prison on the chief butler’s promise that he would remember him to Pharaoh. The butler forgot Joseph until Pharaoh had a dream which could not be interpreted. Then the chief butler remembered and told Pharaoh about Joseph, the man who could interpret dreams.

Joseph, a young man of 30 years, was sent for. He was a humble man; he told Pharaoh that only God can interpret dreams, not me.

Joseph was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, and he was also able to give direction on how to deal with the 7 years of prosperity and then the 7 years of famine. Pharaoh liked Joseph’s plan and gave him a promotion. He went from being an imprisoned servant to being second in command in Egypt under Pharaoh.

We need to remember that God’s timing is perfect. Joseph would have preferred to get out of prison much sooner but God had a timetable for him. Waiting on God is hard because we do not know what his plans are for us.

We must have humility. Any gifts and talents that we have come from God. God hates pride. Joseph was fruitful in Egypt even though he had no plans to ever go there.

If we would have been Joseph while he was in prison, what would we be thinking as we waited on the butler to remember? What do we do with the things that are not working for us? Can we rest in the fact that God is at work even though we can’t see it? Can we trust Him?

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We each have to choose if we want to follow Jesus. We’re not born into God’s kingdom—we must decide for ourselves to become part of His family. Being part of the church is not something we inherit from our parents. It’s a decision we make when we hear God’s call and say yes to Him.

God’s kingdom is not the same as the world around us. We don’t try to control or fix the world by force. Our job is to live as wheat in a field full of tares, showing love, truth, and grace. The church is meant to be separate from the world, a family of people who have chosen to follow Christ. We are called to care about each other, correct each other with love, and help each other stay faithful.

We don’t want to treat our faith like a rule book. Instead, we want to see it as a relationship with our Father—our Abba. When we know we are God’s children, we stop asking, “What can I get away with?” and start asking, “How can I honor my Father?”

Our identity isn’t something we’re stuck with. We get to choose to follow Jesus, to be part of His family, and to live with purpose and joy. We are not just servants—we are heirs of God’s kingdom.

This is part of a series of sermons preached by Nathan Zook around the theme Is your identity determined at birth or a flexible choice?

Gender
Race
Class
Citizenship
Religious Affiliation

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Our true citizenship is not in any country on earth—it’s in the kingdom of God. We may be born in one nation and hold a passport from it, but we are not born into God’s kingdom. That takes a choice. When we follow Jesus, we are choosing a new identity, one that doesn’t depend on politics, race, class, or the flag we pledge to.

We live in a world full of strong opinions and political fights. It’s easy to get caught up in who should be in charge or what laws should be made. But Jesus says His kingdom is not of this world. If it were, His followers would fight—but He calls us to something higher. He calls us to peace, humility, and trust in His leadership.

Sometimes we’re tempted to speak for God, to say what we think He wants politically. But when we act out of impatience, we risk speaking wrongly. Whether it’s from the left or right, trying to force God’s hand through protests or political power doesn’t reflect His heart. We are called to live in a different way, to be people of quiet strength and deep trust.

Our job isn’t to change the world through power, but to reflect God’s love in how we live. We choose His kingdom, and we wait on Him to act in His time.

This is part of a series of sermons preached by Nathan Zook around the theme Is your identity determined at birth or a flexible choice?

Gender
Race
Class
Citizenship
Religious Affiliation

The post Citizenship appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

In God’s kingdom, money, power, and status don’t define who we are. The world may divide people into rich or poor, high or low, but God looks at the heart. Whether we have a lot or a little, each of us is loved and valued the same. God knows what we need and promises to take care of us.

Chasing after wealth can leave us tired, anxious, and empty. True peace comes when we trust God, live simply, and care for others. We don’t need to show off or prove anything—our Father owns everything, and we belong to Him. If we have more than we need, we’re called to bless others and not just store things up for ourselves.

The church can be a place where everyone is treated with love and respect, no matter how much they have. We don’t want to judge based on clothes, income, or background. Instead, we want to be a family that welcomes everyone, shares what we have, and helps those in need. This is how we live out God’s heart in a world that often gets it wrong.

This is part of a series of sermons preached by Nathan Zook around the theme Is your identity determined at birth or a flexible choice?

Gender
Race
Class
Citizenship
Religious Affiliation

The post Class appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

We are all part of one human family. The Bible tells us we come from Adam and Eve, and later from Noah’s sons—but nowhere does it divide people by race. That idea comes from people, not God. Over time, society creates categories like “race” to separate and rank people, but that’s not how God sees us.

The world has used race to justify slavery, unfair treatment, and discrimination—even by people claiming to follow Jesus. But God never curses people by skin color, and He never tells us to treat others as less than human. Instead, we are called to be a blessing to others, no matter where they’re from or what they look like.

We see throughout history—and even today—how unfairness still exists. Some people are treated better simply because of how they look. But in God’s family, we are all equal. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. God invites all people, from every background, into His kingdom.

So we choose to be part of a different kind of community—a church family where we treat each other with love and respect. We don’t ignore our differences, but we don’t let them divide us. God made each of us, and we want to reflect His love to everyone.

This is part of a series of sermons preached by Nathan Zook around the theme Is your identity determined at birth or a flexible choice?

Gender
Race
Class
Citizenship
Religious Affiliation

The post Race appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

We’re reminded that God creates us with purpose, including our gender. He makes us male and female, and both are equally valuable in His eyes. Our world says we can choose our identity, but God calls us to embrace the identity He gave us. Being a man or woman isn’t about liking certain hobbies or wearing certain clothes—it’s about living out the roles God designed with joy and honor.

Even though culture tries to blur the lines between genders, we see in Scripture that God wants there to be a clear difference. Men and women are created to complement each other, not compete. We each have unique roles, but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other. It just means we’re different on purpose.

God calls men to take responsibility, to lead with love, and to protect. He calls women to support, nurture, and manage the home with strength and wisdom. But we all are called to follow Jesus, show love, and live out our calling faithfully.

We want to accept the identity God gave us, not fight against it. He made each of us on purpose, and when we live according to His design, we find peace and joy.

This is part of a series of sermons preached by Nathan Zook around the theme Is your identity determined at birth or a flexible choice?

Gender
Race
Class
Citizenship
Religious Affiliation

The post Gender appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Prayer is critical to any mission, as exemplified by Jesus and the early church.

Jesus’ Prayer Examples in Luke:

Praying at his baptism (Luke 3:21)
Withdrawing from crowds to pray in the wilderness (Luke 5:16)
Spending an entire night in prayer before selecting disciples (Luke 6:12)
Praying before asking disciples about his identity (Luke 9:18)
Praying during the transfiguration (Luke 9:29)
Modeling prayer for his disciples (Luke 11:1)
Praying for Peter before his denial (Luke 22:32)
Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46)

Early Church Prayer Examples in Acts:

Praying while waiting for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1)
Responding to persecution with prayer (Acts 4)
Praying constantly during Peter’s imprisonment (Acts 12)
Praying before commissioning missionaries (Acts 13)

The Common Theme: Mission, Prayer, Power

Prayer was essential to Jesus, the apostles, and the early church.
The success of any mission depends fundamentally on prayer.
Every mission has difficulty, but missions that are low on prayer will experience unnecessary difficulties.

Application Thoughts

Come to prayer meeting when you can.
Arrange or attend more informal/spontaneous prayer gatherings.
Practice on-the-spot prayer when needs arise.
Take dedicated breaks for individual prayer.

Investing in prayer can “cost” us in terms of time and energy, but neglecting prayer carries a much greater cost.

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Joseph is in prison along with the chief cupbearer and chief baker. He has been put in charge of everything that goes on there as well as in charge of the prisoners. When Joseph saw that the cupbearer and baker both looked dejected he asked them why they were sad. They each had dreams that they couldn’t understand. Joseph was able to interpret the dreams. He asked them to please remember him when they are released from prison. Neither one of them remembered and Joseph’s interpretation of their dreams was fulfilled. This encounter with Joseph was not by chance. God had it orchestrated.

God knows our future. We are in exile in a country that is not our home. We are looking forward to our heavenly home. Can we believe in God even if we have a hard path? Impurities come out by tests and trials.

God was in control of the cupbearer, baker, Joseph and Pharaoh. Joseph spent years in prison before he was released. Joseph spoke truth to them. We need to speak the truth even if it is hard.

The cupbearer and baker forgot Joseph but God will never forget us. What is God’s purpose in our circumstances? God is committed to us, He will never leave us or forsake us. God is always working in our waiting. We want to reflect the Father to others around us.

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Brother John continued his series on the Patriarchs with a study from Genesis 37 on the early life of Joseph. He brought out numerous practical lessons for us today, including the harmful effects of favoritism in family life. Joseph’s parents and grandparents were guilty of it, and it affected the family greatly.

In today’s study, Joseph experiences Jacob’s favor, is hated by his brothers for it, and finds himself first imprisoned in a dry well by his brothers. Then, he is bound and sent to Egypt to be sold to the highest bidder.

Meanwhile, back in Canaan, Joseph’s brothers allow their aged father to believe a wild animal has killed Joseph. They bloody the coat Jacob had given him, deepening his sorrow.

There is a lot of hurt in this story… Where is God in the middle of these events? We read Genesis knowing how things end up—Joseph didn’t have that privilege.

Trusting God without seeing the big picture is a faith thing! It’s like putting a puzzle together without having the picture on the box to show you the beauty of the finished picture.

Joseph obviously puts his trust in God! And God is the author of hope! We can see beyond the suffering of today to the bright promise of tomorrow as we put our trust in Him.

He has overcome the world!

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Jesus calls us to wake up, endure, and overcome. He sees our struggles, our strengths, and our weaknesses. He isn’t impossible to please—He just wants us to be fully committed to Him.

The churches in Revelation give us examples of what pleases Jesus and what doesn’t. Sardis looks alive but is actually dying. Jesus tells them to wake up before it’s too late. Philadelphia is small and struggling, but they stay faithful, and Jesus promises to keep them strong. Laodicea thinks they have everything they need, but they don’t realize they are empty without Jesus. He urges them to see their need for Him and open the door when He knocks.

Jesus isn’t looking to push us away—He loves us, even when we fail. He calls us to endure, to stay faithful, and to overcome with Him. He is victorious, and if we hold on to Him, we will be too.

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How can we encourage vision and joy in people, so they don’t need to explore and pursue sinful pleasure?

Do you experience church as trying to keep the wheels from falling off the wagon, or do you experience church as pursuing an energizing vision, as trying to reach an energizing goal? People who do not have a fulfilling task to do that engages their creative energies will often use their energies to pursue earthly, sinful pleasure. The church is responsible for giving people a fulfilling mission and vision.

What vision or mission do Jesus and the apostles hold before the church of Jesus Christ?

In Matt. 28:18-20, Jesus gives us three missions and two reasons.

Go and make disciples, learners of the teacher, Jesus. A disciple is energized by the mission of learning to follow Jesus and helping others follow Jesus.
Immerse followers of Jesus in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both within the corporate life of the church and in personal relationships and conversations.
Teach disciples to observe the things Jesus has commanded. Arrange opportunities for disciples to experience inner transformation and other obedience.

The reason we are energized as we fulfill these three missions is:

Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth.
Jesus is with us until the end of the age.

In addition to these three missions, Jesus and the apostles hold before the church of Jesus Christ the vision that the church is one family of God, composed of both Jew and Gentile, with Abraham as the spiritual father (Eph. 2:12-17; Rom. 4:3, 9-12).

Also, Christ and the apostles envision a church in which imperfect, broken people are growing into the image of Christ.

Finally, Christ and the apostles envision a church in which believers participate with Christ in the rule of his universe, in the expansion and growth and rule of God’s kingdom.

Applications:

All believers belong to this one family, and the mission of every local church is to invite heathen to trust Jesus and enter this one family of God. The mission of every local church is also to offer belonging to people who belong to Christ.
When believers share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people, they are inviting people first of all to join God’s worldwide family of faith, not to join their local church, although hopefully, they will.
When a person trusts Jesus, they are affirming that Jesus is their Savior and Lord, and this commitment results in people coming to “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5; 16:26; Acts 6:7).
Experiencing “obedience of faith” and growing into the image of Christ are a lifetime process. Believers who experience this themselves or assist others in experiencing this are energized by the process, even if it is hard work.
According to Rom. 8 and other Scripture, believers are destined to participate with God in the rule of his new creation, a new heaven and earth world. In this future world, believers will be fully functioning worshipers of God who continue the work God entrusted to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

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The story of Joseph in Potiphar’s house in Egypt is an incredible story of one man’s integrity and obedience to his God.

Joseph was far away from home and alone. What would he do? How did he resist temptation? He knew God was with him. God had been with him even when his brothers threw him into a pit. God was with him in Egypt and had him elevated to a high status in Potiphar’s house.

Joseph gave Potiphar’s wife two reasons why he could not do what she wanted:

He could not betray the trust her husband had in him.
He could not betray God.

Knowing God was with him helped him to resist temptation.

Satan wants us to believe that the sin in our lives is not a big deal, but the fact is that sin has long-term negative results. There is always a consequence for sin.

We need to focus on avoiding and fleeing temptation. We need to be aware of our weaknesses. God does give us the strength to resist temptation and endure trials, but He also gives us the ability to flee temptation.

Joseph avoided Potiphar’s wife as much as possible and fled rather than fall into temptation.

We need to draw near to God and submit to Him. We need to spend time with God and nurture our relationship with Him. We need to resist the devil.

Do not dwell on sinful thoughts. Fill our minds with beneficial things. Repent of evil thoughts and actions. Do not let yesterday’s sins spoil today’s holiness. Focus on the positive things that we should and can do.

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Who was Rahab? We read about her in Joshua 2. She was a harlot or maybe an innkeeper in Jericho. She had heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. She had heard how they had destroyed the Amorites east of Jordan.

She hid the two spies on her rooftop. She said to them, “Your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” Because of her faith, she and her family were the only people saved when Jericho was destroyed. She was raised in an ungodly culture but turned her back on their religion.

A few comparisons between her life and the life of Lot:

Rahab was born in Jericho, but Lot chose to live in Sodom.
Rahab longed for something better; Lot knew about the God of Israel, but his loyalty was divided.
Rahab wanted her family to be saved; Lot hated to leave the city and his friends.
Rahab was a respected person and saved her family, while Lot lost his family and compromised the truth that he knew.

God’s grace is amazing when a heart yearns for Him. He always responds. We have people all around us that are longing for something better. Could we help them in their search?

Real faith for Rahab was putting her life on the line. She had a complete change of allegiance. She trusted the spies and tied the cord in her window. She was willing to leave her wealth and go with God’s people.

God uses unexpected people to get His work done. Every person has problems, but every person also has potential. People around us are “worth seeking,” but are we seeing the worth in others?

Jesus saw potential in the tax collector, in Rahab, and in the thief on the cross. God wants people to love as He loves and see worth in people. God can do amazing things in people’s lives.

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There are several things that are mentioned in this chapter—Jacob’s return to Bethel, a birth, and three funerals. When Jacob was told to go to Bethel, there were three things he wanted his family to do:

Purify themselves.
Change their clothes.
Put away their false gods.

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died during their journey. She was very old by this time and had served the family well. They loved her and took time to mourn for her and bury her under a tree that they called the tree of weeping. The Bible is full of great heroes of faith, but there are also many common people mentioned who loved God and faithfully served Him in whatever way they could. We should not think that some people are more important than others. We all have something we can contribute.

In this chapter, Deborah died, Rachel died in childbirth, and Isaac died. Both Deborah and Isaac were old, and death was expected, but Rachel’s death was unexpected. Rachel had wanted children so badly and had told Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die.” But in the end, she died from having a child. There is often a burden that goes along with something we really desire.

Sometimes we need to get back to basics.

We need to eliminate from our lives the things that are not appropriate.
Sanctification and purification are important.
We need to eliminate false gods and idolatry and replace that with the worship of God.

Preparation for worship is important. We need a place that is not full of distractions. It is easy to carry distractions into church with us when we think of the week just past or the upcoming week.

We need to be willing to be servants, to be Deborahs. We need to be able to serve even if we think what we are doing is not important.

Jacob dealt with a lot of changes in his life. We all have transitions or changes in our lives, but we must remember that God never changes. He uses all things for our good if we love Him.

How well are we passing on our faith to the next generation? Jesus will return. Are we ready to meet Him?

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In Revelation 1, Jesus is revealed as a majestic, divine King, Judge, High Priest, and Overseer of the churches. Jesus intended those who heard His message to recall this vision of Himself.

Ephesus was a church strong in truth and labor but had lost their love; they are called to remember their previous devotion and repent. Ephesus reminds us that doing well in some things doesn’t make up for critical failure.

Smyrna was struggling with persecution and poverty but is praised as being rich. Jesus only calls them to stay faithful. Smyrna reminds us that Jesus is not impossible to please.

Pergamos was faithful under opposition but tolerated false teaching. Pergamos reminds us how important the purity of a church is to Jesus.

Thyatira did well in many things but also allowed major corruption. Thyatira reminds us that Jesus calls all sinners to repentance, and He sees those who are still faithful.

We learn from these evaluations:

Love, purity, endurance, and labor are all important to Jesus.
Jesus understands what we are facing.
Jesus is not impossible to please.
Jesus sees a way forward in each situation.

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The broken body and shed blood of Christ, which we celebrate when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, is God’s solution for sin.

We read of two primary sin problems in the Bible: universal sin that is inherited by all the descendants of Adam, and individual sins. The Bible nowhere says that people are delivered from the condition they inherited from Adam, unless the statement in II Cor. 5:17 that everyone who is in Christ is a new creation is referring to being delivered from this condition. But the Bible is abundantly clear that each person commits sins that Christ bore to the cross in his body.

In fact, according to Isa. 53, Christ bore to the cross in his physical body all the griefs, sorrows, transgressions, iniquities, sins, and sicknesses of every person who ever lived, and shed His blood unto death for the forgiveness of all sins. Our salvation depends on the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim that we have died and risen with Christ, that we have partaken of the divine nature, that we are in union with the broken body and shed blood of Christ. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim that we value the broken body and shed blood of Christ, that our salvation depends on the body and blood of Christ, and we are grateful to Christ that He has given us His body and blood.

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Luke 2:8-14 – Angels gave the shepherds a wonderful message. God didn’t use angels to spread the gospel. For that, God used people. When the shepherds left the stable, “they made widely known” what they had heard and seen. The message of the angels had become the message of the shepherds.

The core of the shepherds’ message was, “The Messiah, Christ the Lord, is born today in Bethlehem. We saw Him. He’s here.” This Messiah is the Great Difference Maker to a fallen world, bringing redemption to souls and broken situations. Godly Old Testament people had been anticipating His coming with great longing.

God’s people spread the message in two ways.

By Words. Truth and testimonies were shared both in speaking and writing. God still uses people and words in conversations with unbelievers or nominal Christians, answering questions, sharing beliefs and experiences. Words express the message.
By Living the Message. More than doing something, believers are something. A Christlike life adds power to a Christian’s words. People were amazed at Jesus because He taught with authority. For one, His life matched His sermon. People saw an extraordinary man. Jesus said He was the Light of the world (John 8:12).

Jesus said we are a light also:

“You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16)

A Christian life portrays the message. Some examples of things people see:

A peace that comes with deliverance from sin and its power, the joy of salvation.
The light of a holy life of good works contrasts with the dark of sinful living. “…but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
Christian relationships: People who love others. Marriages where husbands and wives fill their roles, loving and caring for each other. Homes where parents nurture their children in the Lord and administer loving discipline, and children respect and obey their parents.
Christians face hard circumstances knowing God is with them. We know nothing happens to them without God’s approval, and He works everything for our good if we love Him and are surrendered to Him. Christians can rest in God and His working for our benefit.

Like the shepherds, we have a message. By our words and our lives, we are a light to the world. Regardless of where we are, if the desire and effort are there, God will bless and grow us into Christ’s likeness, to become brighter lights.

He has mercy where we falter. He knows we have this treasure in jars of clay. We grow from where we are.

Can’t run? – Walk.

Can’t walk? – Crawl.

We do what we know is right. We say yes to God. We pray for God’s help. We keep God in the Highest place of love and worship. And we can be effective heralds of Christ to all we meet.

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Jesus as the Son of God:

The Son is what His Father is—He is God.
The Son has always been the Son—He is eternal.
The Son is the only one who knows the Father—He is reliable.

Jesus as the Son of Mary:

The Son of Mary is also the Son of God.
The Son of Mary assumed everything it means to be a man.
The Son of Mary cherished an exceptional mother.

Implications:

Salvation involves everything it means to be human, even the body.
Salvation involves physical matter, flesh and blood.
Salvation ultimately involves the union of man and God.

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John the Baptist played a crucial role in the ministry of Jesus. He was a forerunner, a herald, one who went before and prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus. He fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. He was a messenger, a voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”

John knew he had a purpose, and he was used by God to fulfill that purpose. The prophecy in Isaiah 40 talks about comfort—the comfort that Jesus would bring and the pardon for our sin; that our warfare would be ended because Jesus won the victory.

We too have the opportunity to be heralds and forerunners, to tell people that Jesus is coming back. We do not know when He will return, but we should be living as if it would be tomorrow. What would we do differently if we knew He was coming back tomorrow? Are we excited about His return?

John’s purpose was obvious: to prepare the way for Jesus. Each one of us is also created for a purpose. God had a plan for us even before we were born. Do our plans match up with what God has planned for us? Does our claim that we trust Jesus match up with what we say and do?

We have a message to tell, and that is the message of Christ’s life, ministry, death, and resurrection. We can both speak this message to those around us and also live this message.

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In this sermon we take a look at God’s plan for redemption and how it stretches from the beginning of time through all of history and invites us to find our place in this story. Ricky begins by reflecting on the story of Noah, a man who walks faithfully with God in the midst of a corrupt and violent world. Noah’s obedience to build the ark, even under ridicule, mirrors how faith calls us to trust God’s promises and provision.

Next, we look at Rahab, who risks her life to help Israel’s spies in Jericho, showing her belief in the one true God. Her bold faith, symbolized by a scarlet cord, points to the saving work of Jesus’ blood. Ricky reminds us how God welcomes everyone—regardless of their background—into His family through faith.

Finally, we look at the story of Ruth, who leaves everything behind to follow Naomi and trust in God. Through Ruth’s faith and obedience, God redeems her story, bringing her into the lineage of Jesus.

These lives reveal that God offers redemption and hope to all who trust in Him. Just as Noah, Rahab, and Ruth step out in faith, we too can embrace the safety, restoration, and future God provides through Jesus, our Redeemer.

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What happens when true forgiveness does not happen, and what does true forgiveness look like?

When Jacob and Esau met, Jacob did not bring up his hurtful behavior in the past or apologize for it. Neither did he ask what he could do to make things right. Esau was comfortable with Jacob and wanted him to move near him. Jacob was not comfortable around Esau and had excuses for not doing so. Their relationship was never really healed.

Forgiveness is hard. Do we forgive because God forgave us so much, or do we forgive because we desire to receive God’s forgiveness? God gives us salvation before we have a chance to forgive anyone else, but as we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God to forgive us as we forgive the people around us.

Forgiveness is when you are able to tell the person who wronged you that the pain is real, but grace is stronger than the pain. You need not excuse their offense. We must also realize that the person has value in God’s eyes. You have felt the weight of their offense, but you believe they have value because they are created in God’s image. All of mankind was created in the image of God. If we can see the image of God in the person who has harmed us, it helps us to extend forgiveness.

Suffering and pain are not good, but God is able to bring beauty out of ashes and make bad things work together for good. God extended the great gift of forgiveness to us, which we can never repay.

Forgiveness does not remove punishment and is not the same thing as reconciliation. You can forgive someone and still not feel safe in their presence. Neither does forgiveness heal all the effects of childhood trauma, for example.

If you are the offender and are truly repentant, you will go to the person you have offended. You are not only confessing to God but to an individual. You should confess the wrong you did without excuse. Be truly sorry and offer an apology. Acknowledge the pain you have caused. Tell the person that they are valuable to you and that the way you treated them communicated they were not valuable. Make restitution if possible.

Zacchaeus was a wealthy man. When he realized his greed and found Jesus, he acknowledged his sin and gave half of his money away. He also went to the people from whom he had dishonestly taken money and gave four times that amount back to them. He, who had been rich, became poor! But he was far richer than he had ever been before.

Forgiveness requires giving up holding something against someone in order to gain peace.

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God is the source of true contentment. The verses about contentment in Hebrews 13, Philippians 4, and I Timothy 6 all connect the idea of contentment with what God has to offer.

Luke 10:38-42: Martha was distracted; Mary found contentment with Jesus. A contented person says, One thing is needed.

Psalm 4: David found peace and rest in remembering God’s faithfulness. A contented person says, You alone make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 1: The blessed man pursues what is good and flees what is evil. Appetites are a major player in the area of contentment. A contented person says, This is my delight.

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Steve introduced his sermon with three texts from the KJV that share the same punctuation. All use a colon and parentheses at the end of a phrase… that looks remarkably like a smiley face emoticon!

“We don’t want to be irreverent here, but this brings up a subject I’d like to talk about this morning!”

Punctuation is used to help a reader understand the tone and feeling an author is wanting to convey. Emoticons are existing keyboard symbols that are put together to convey a mood or atmosphere. Emojis are different… they are characters that can be placed in text to make a point.

Why use emoticons and emojis? Some say that they are a shortcut to communication, a lazy way to get a point across. On the other hand, emoticons are a way to communicate emotion that just words struggle to convey.

So we are talking about communication here… hence the sermon title, “Say What??”

A major task for Christians is to communicate God’s word to others—God’s truth! How can we do that effectively and well? People are watching… and we are to be “salt and light.”

Communication matters in relationships; when communication breaks down, there is a problem. In Genesis 11:5, speech was confounded at the Tower of Babel, and folks scattered!

Marriage is a prime example of a place where good communication is needed. Communication involves not just talking but listening and understanding—what is perceived!

Talkative folks and quiet folks alike struggle to communicate well with words. And remember, we communicate nonverbally as well! In fact, we sometimes communicate by the things we don’t say!

A few examples of non-verbal communication are:

The priest and Levite passing by on the other side of the road in the Good Samaritan story.
The nine lepers who did not return to thank Jesus after they were healed.
The sad fact that there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph before Jesus’ birth.
Another example that speaks volumes was the look Jesus gave Peter after his denial and the crowing of the rooster. Not a word was said, but Peter was smitten to the core.

Words and speech are the main means of communication, but let’s remember that listening is also important.

God wants to use our tongues… for His purposes!

So, Say What?? Say this: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

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Forgiveness is not a one-time quick fix for trauma; that is the upfront message that John wanted to convey in this morning’s sermon. Forgiveness takes time and effort.

Trouble between brothers is not a new phenomenon. We have Cain and Abel at odds soon after creation. In modern history, we have Rudolph and Adolph Dassler, shoemaking brothers who fell out and began manufacturing different brands of shoes in bitter competition with each other.

So our story of Jacob and Esau is taken from Genesis 33. Jacob has heard that his estranged brother Esau is coming to meet him after years of separation. Jacob fears the worst—that Esau wants to kill him. He arranges his family groups in order of favorites, with his wife Rachel and favored son Joseph closest to him.

Jacob’s worry about this encounter had been carried for years. What a relief that Esau was actually glad to see him and forgave him!

John shared his personal experience with struggling with forgiveness for his dad. He compared unforgiveness with a weight that you carry—it doesn’t feel overly heavy for a while but becomes heavier with time.

The story of the unforgiving servant who had been forgiven much more than his fellow servant owed him was used. John explained that we often depend on others to meet our needs when we ought to connect to the Vine, as in John 15, to be our source.

Several more observations on forgiveness:

One mistake we make when we are dealing with an offense is minimizing it, to deny that it is a big deal. Forgiveness is not denying the offense but choosing to actively forgive the offender since it doesn’t require his/her participation.
One person can forgive; reconciliation takes both, and is helpful, as well as apologies and restitution.
Forgiveness does not always fix the emotions we feel, especially in the short term. But at the end of the day, forgiveness is the Jesus way…and so much better than carrying the weight of unforgiveness.

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This question was asked often during the presidential campaign. Even when things aren’t going well, Christians know God is in control and orchestrating world events. Christians are also concerned about their own hearts and their trajectory as pilgrims.

Without — events out there — we believe in a bright and perfect future with Christ, but prophecies warn of hard times first. Regardless of what comes, Revelation 13 makes it clear that God is in control–the power of evil is limited. God will not lose track of any of His children (II Timothy 2:19) and He will never, ever forsake them (Hebrews 13:5).

Within — how am I faring in my Christian pilgrimage? We’re to examine ourselves (II Corinthians 13:5). Some things we can check:

Are we ready and watchful? (Matthew 24:36-42) There are two exits from this life: death or Christ’s return. We need to take heed to ourselves (Luke 21:34-36) and be prepared. We shouldn’t be lulled into complacency but stay aware and right with God–saying no to sin and yes to Jesus, surrendered, serving, living right, and trusting in His merciful provisions.
Are we changing? Conversion and being a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17) is only the beginning. Changing from self-centered people to someone who loves God and desires to please Him is a lifelong process. We’re to put off the old selfish ways and put on the new life and fruit of the Spirit (Ephesians 4, Galatians 5). We’re to grow in Christian love toward others (I Thessalonians 3:12).
Are we separated from the world, on guard against outside influences? Our associations and involvements affect us and can shift our course (I Corinthians 15:33). Paul makes a clear contrast in II Corinthians 6:14-18, instructing us to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Psalm 1:1-3 says for us to be fruitful and prosperous, we need to spend time near the water and avoid fraternizing with ungodly and scornful sinners.
Are we praying? Philippians 4:6-7 says don’t be anxious but pray. Luke 11, with the Lord’s prayer, parable on persistence in prayer, and the ask, seek, and knock passage, encourages us to keep praying. We should pray for the needs of our own souls, and then pray for others too. Prayer changes the person praying. Prayer brings God into needs in ways that don’t happen when we don’t pray.

The King’s orders: (II Peter 1:10 NKJV) Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.

The King’s assistance: (Philippians 1:6 NKJV) Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

By God’s grace, let’s live now in such a way that 1000 years from now, we’ll be present with Christ and ever so much better off.

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To believe Jesus depends on knowing who Jesus is, and we learn who Jesus is in the stories of Scripture. According to John 1:7-13, to receive Jesus is to believe in Him. God gives those who believe Him the authority to become children of God. A person becomes a child of God by receiving Jesus. The phrases “God gave” and “born of the will of God” in Jn. 1:12-13 speak of the activity of God in a person’s believing. Jesus and believing and salvation are all a gift, rooted in the grace and action of God toward helpless humanity.

In the stories in John 1 and 2, the disciples came to believe in Jesus through the testimony of John the Baptist and Christ’s miracles. People told other people about Jesus, and the people who were told trusted the testimony of the people who pointed them to Jesus. It is very hard for children to believe the positive words of testimony about Jesus from people who lack integrity, who fail to live a Jesus kind of life. In John 2, Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine revealed Jesus’ glory, and his disciples believed in him.

In the story about Nicodemus in John 3, Nicodemus is trying to make sense of being born again/from above, and Jesus says this spiritual event is not something you can produce through human effort or turn into a mathematical equation. It is not even something you can fully understand, but you can experience the effects of it. A person cannot believe in Jesus (receive Jesus) unless the person surrenders or abandons themselves to Jesus. To receive Jesus requires abandoning/surrendering myself to Jesus, giving up control, allowing Jesus to do something for me that I cannot do for myself.

There is no such thing as perfect believing. We believe as we can, and we renew our believing each moment as we continue believing. Believing/receiving Jesus is not a one-time affair. It goes on moment by moment.

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Jesus states that He works as His Father works, and has come to do the Father’s will, not His own.

Jesus’ sacrificial life shows that He is completely authentic and trustworthy; His life never provided a basis for suspicion that He had a hidden agenda or mixed motives.

The Jesus of the Gospels is who God is; to see one is to see the other. Disciples need to imitate Jesus; we should live our lives with a purpose like His.

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Jacob had a lot of challenges in his life. His first challenge was with Esau, but then he left home and faced a similar challenge with Laban. It seems that God’s intention was to bless Jacob, but since Jacob didn’t seem to know that, he connived and deceived people in an effort to get ahead. In Genesis 32, after Jacob left Laban, we have the story of Jacob getting ready to face Esau. He sent messengers to Esau with gifts. Jacob is remembering how he left Esau many years before. Esau, his messengers told him, was on his way to meet him with 400 men. Jacob was afraid and distressed. He divided the people that were with him into two groups hoping that at least one group would be spared.

Jacob prayed earnestly that night. He needed God’s protection from Esau. He was terrified and did not know what to do. And as he prayed, a stranger came and wrestled with him. We are never told who this stranger is, but Jacob believed he saw God. They wrestled all night long, and Jacob was not winning. At daybreak, when the stranger seemed to be leaving, Jacob begged for a blessing. The stranger touched Jacob’s hip, and Jacob limped from then on. His name was changed from Jacob to Israel, which means contending or wrestling with God.

Some lessons we can learn:

We need to learn to pray like Jacob did and come to God in humility. We need to be honest with God. We should not wait to pray until we’re desperate. We need to learn to wrestle with God in our understanding of God’s will for us and how He wants us to carry it out. We need time to be alone with Him.

We need to be changed by our experience with God. How are we wrestling with God? Are we letting Him change us, or are we resisting His plans for us? God would prefer that we wrestle with Him instead of giving up.

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History of Anabaptist/Mennonite singing: Some early Anabaptist/Mennonites expressed negative views of congregational singing, but by 1900, four-part acapella singing and singing schools were common among Mennonites, except for Old Colony Mennonites, Old Order Mennonites, and Amish.

My early memories of singing and singing at Bethel: My earliest memories of singing are prior to seven years old when we lived near South Boston for five years and attended Ebenezer. I thought the singing was heavenly. During the years 1950 to 1995, there were three people who had the most profound impact on singing at Bethel: Ernest Yoder, Arthur Brunk (10 singing classes in 1959 and 1960, and additional instruction in 1963), and Dave Gingerich. Both Ernest and Dave had similar music tastes: they leaned toward hymns. The first annual hymn sing at Bethel was held in September 1958. It was an outdoor service, and the acoustics were terrible because all the sound dissipated into thin air. The only non-congregational singing was a group from Ebenezer. The weather was warm and the road traffic was distracting, so the next year and ever since, the hymn sing has been held in the sanctuary on the first Sunday in October. I was 10 years old. Today is the 67th hymn sing.

Congregational singing (Eph. 5:15-21): Congregational singing should be worshipful, from the heart, and musical. The kind of songs a congregation sings influences its view of God and its spirituality. Congregational singing can encourage a sense of unity and belonging. It is focused worship.

Our lyrics should reflect the themes found in the songs in Scripture. 1) God is addressed and adored. 2) God’s mighty acts in salvation history are recounted. 3) God’s acts of judgment are rejoiced in. 4) Upright ways of living are encouraged. 5) The great doctrines and themes of Scripture should be sung, God’s attributes and acts and His saving work.

In preaching, one person speaks to all. In congregational singing, everyone speaks to God and instructs each other. Congregational singing is a living illustration of how diversity (of parts/notes/gifts) can produce harmony. Beautiful music and singing can touch and change a person deep in their soul.

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Genesis 31 opens with Jacob hearing Laban’s sons discussing how Jacob was stealing from their father. Jacob’s flocks had become very large, so he must be stealing. And Jacob also notices that Laban is not feeling kindly towards him like he did when he first came. Jacob has a dream, and in this dream, the Lord tells him to return to the land of his fathers. The Lord promises that he will be with him.

Jacob speaks to Leah and Rachel and tells them that their father is not favorable towards him anymore even though he has worked for him for 20 years. Laban has deceived him and changed his wages 10 times. They agreed that whatever God has said to Jacob, he should do it.

So Jacob, on the sly, put his wives on camels and set out with all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained while at Haran. Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household gods.

Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. Laban pursued him and caught up with him after seven days. God told Laban in a dream to be careful how he spoke to Jacob, to speak neither good nor bad. Laban wondered why Jacob had stolen away secretly. He would have liked to have had a party for him.

More than likely, Laban was an angry man. His daughters did not seem to have a relationship with him. Neither did Jacob. Angry men do not know how much people tiptoe around them in order not to upset them.

What about the household gods that Rachel stole and hid in her saddle bags? Did she have a dual allegiance? Do we have dual allegiance? Jesus said we cannot serve two masters. It is very easy for us to try to serve both.

Laban and Jacob met. Laban was angry and had much to say. Then Jacob had much to say. They both aired their grievances. But Laban asked for peace. It was his daughters and grandchildren, his family. They made a heap of stones and made a covenant with each other. The heap of stones would stand to witness the pact the men made. Laban returned to Haran, never seeing Jacob and his family again.

What about the call of God on our lives? He always calls us away from something and to something. Usually, we are not ready to listen to God’s call until we are tired of our current situation. God’s ways are not easy, but they are satisfying.

We need to avoid passivity. It’s easy to avoid difficult conversations. Often things can be settled if we are proactive and don’t let things build over time until they fester. Make peace with other people even if they have offended you in the past.

God will give us the strength to follow the path that He calls us to, and there will be satisfaction at the end.

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I Corinthians 11:24 reads, “This is my body which is broken for you,” but in the Gospels, Jesus’ statement reads something like, “This is my body which is given for you,” and has the idea, “This is my body which is for you.” Hebrews 9 and 10 say that one difference between the Old Testament offerings of bulls and goats and Christ’s offering is that Christ’s body represents Christ’s willing person. A major point in these verses is that Christ willingly offered His body for us—that He willingly gave His body/person as a sacrifice and shed His blood unto death for the forgiveness of sins, for the cleansing of the conscience. Christ’s body is for us in the sense that He gave His body, life, and life blood for our forgiveness of sins.

1 Peter 2:24 teaches that Jesus’ body is for us because He took our sins and human frailty into His body, and all of that died with Christ on the cross. This historical reality becomes a reality for us and in us when we trust in Christ as Savior and Lord. When we partake of the bread, we are acknowledging that we would be hopelessly bearing the guilt of our sins without Christ’s death and resurrection. In our acknowledgment of need, Christ’s redeeming power is present to us and working for us, in our person.

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What kind of person was Jacob? In comparing him with Job, they were both very wealthy. Job was also very invested in his family and in his relationship with God. In comparison, Jacob seems more invested in material gain. He doesn’t seem to be around much with his family. The story as told in Genesis 29-32 tells us more about his wives and their feelings than Jacob.

The story of Leah is one of the saddest in the Bible. She felt very unloved but seemed to have a relationship with God. The names of her sons portray that relationship. Some examples: Reuben – “The Lord has surely looked on my affliction, now therefore, my husband will love me.” Simeon – “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved.” Levi – “Now this time my husband will become attached to me.”

There was tension between Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. There was also tension between Jacob and Laban. Jacob felt he had been cheated by Laban, Leah felt unloved, and Rachel was devastated because she had no children. Jacob worked so hard to get things he wanted, but God was going to bless him anyway.

What can we learn from this? Passive men are problems. Jacob was passive; he was not present in rearing the children. There is a window of time where we have an opportunity to speak into our children’s lives. The opposite of passive men are men who invest themselves in the lives of their families. They are present for all the stages of their children’s lives.

The pursuit of money does not satisfy. It gives no long-term satisfaction. If we treasure the things around us, it will be devastating to us when we lose them. Jacob gained what he did through God’s blessing and not through his personal efforts.

Haggai 1:6: “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

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Psalm 36:7-9 – God wants to satisfy us with the fullness of His house, but we are often interested in a lot less.

In the John 4 story of the healing of the nobleman’s son, Jesus was concerned about the shallow faith of the people of Galilee. The nobleman, however, exhibited the kind of faith that Jesus is looking for.

In the John 5 story about the healing of the lame man, Jesus shows concern that the lame man had only changed outwardly; his healing experience was shallow.

We need to be on guard against our tendency to have a shallow experience with God.

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Jacob was fleeing from his home, traveling to his Uncle Laban’s place in Haran. Officially, he was going to find a wife, but he was also fleeing from his brother’s anger. He stopped for the night under the stars, with a stone for a pillow, and as he slept, he had a dream. In his dream, he saw a ladder with angels going up and down. The Lord spoke to him in the dream, blessing him with many descendants and land. Jacob poured oil over the stone he had used and called that place Bethel.

Jacob made a vow with God, telling Him that he would give God a tenth of whatever he made if God would be with him on his journey to Haran and someday bring him back to his own people. Jacob had met God at Bethel, but when he left Bethel, he also left behind a string of broken relationships.

He reached the land where Laban and his daughters lived. He met Rachel there when she came to water her sheep, and then he met Laban and made a deal with Laban concerning Rachel. He would work seven years for Rachel. But when the time was up, Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah for a wife. Jacob had met a deceiver like himself. Jacob had been tricked by Laban, just as Jacob had tricked his own father.

His experience in PadanAram with Laban’s family wasn’t any better than it was in his home community. It is easy to think that our life may be different and better if we move to a new community or change churches, but we will face the same challenges no matter where we go. We are the same people.

The law of sowing and reaping is still in effect. Jacob sowed deception and reaped deception. God puts people in our paths that we need, not who we want. We can learn from them, and possibly they can learn something from us.

God is the master potter. How long will it take Him to get us molded the way He wants us?

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Life is filled with challenges; what kind of person does well during a crisis? James 1 tells us that those who have faith grow through trials, but those who are double-minded cannot rely on God.

Daniel is an example of James 1 applied—he faced trials and received wisdom and strength. Daniel’s hymn of praise in Daniel 2 shows his personal experience with God—the result of his faith and faithfulness.

Saul, Samson, and Solomon are examples of double-minded men who either became more unwise or did not grow from trials.

We should be inspired to have a faith like Daniel’s—patient, prayerful, and faithful.

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If you knew your life was about to change, would it make a difference?

Matt 24:36-46. We don’t know when Jesus is coming again, but we’re told that normal life will be going on… and then the unexpected happens, and He returns! If we knew when Jesus was coming, would we do anything different?

In James 4:13-15, we see that life is routine and mundane; we make plans for the future, weddings, seeing grandchildren, we expect to grow old with our spouses. We can get complacent about how we live our lives. We don’t plan for accidents, drownings, or hearing the word “cancer”! I don’t want to be morbid or depressing, just remind us that life is uncertain!

If you knew that life was going to change, would you do anything different?

When Michael and Cheryl experienced a health crisis together, they were told in the middle of a dark night that it was likely cancer! It was the unexpected… they thought back over their lives together, their memories… they cried together. Life looks different when we face the unexpected! But Michael said, it might have been the best thing that ever happened to us! Building a business suddenly wasn’t that important… it’s a time to examine the purpose of our lives.

Let’s look at four questions that times of crisis make us ask ourselves.

First, how is our relationship with God? What will it be like to stand before Him? Is our name in the Book of Life? It matters a lot if our name is there! Hallelujah if it is!

Secondly, what is our relationship with those in our families? What are things like at home, with our spouses, with our children? Would I have regrets? Do we have their hearts? Have we made mistakes? Have we made them right?

Thirdly, what about the church? The brotherhood matters. How is my relationship with my brothers and sisters? Are there offenses? Have there been apologies? Do I love our church, do I love Christ’s bride? In light of eternity, church matters!

And fourth, what about my community? Are there people we should talk to? Are there neighbors who are watching how we live our lives and act, in town and at home? If I knew that my life was about to change, would it make a difference in how I relate to my community?

So, life isn’t as much about our experiences and our vacations… it’s about people and relationships, and our own relationship with Christ! We have opportunities on this side—opportunities to heal, to mend, to do the bidding of Jesus. That’s what really matters when we’re faced with crossing over, and life is about to change.

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Why do we do what we do? People around us may think we are weird. Even if the culture around us changes, that does not mean that we need to change. We must never elevate our practices to be equivalent with the Bible, but they can still be beneficial.

Some Biblical mandates for Biblical practices:

A Biblical style of worship which would include personal worship from the heart and focused on the Spirit – not on the body and emotions; it should not be a show.
A community of believers; we need a community around us.
Modesty of dress
Headship veiling
Non-accumulation of goods
A Biblical peace ethic
The Sermon on the Mount

John Waldron: “I am an Anabaptist because I believe the Bible teaches the things we practice. By saying this I am not trying to promote legalism, nor am I saying that we never make mistakes or are better than everyone else.”

We want to express the spirituality Menno Simons spoke of: “True evangelical faith is of such a nature it cannot lie dormant, but spreads itself out in all kinds of righteousness and fruits of love; it dies to flesh and blood; it destroys all lusts and forbidden desires; it seeks, serves, and fears God in its inmost soul; it clothes the naked; it feeds the hungry; it comforts the sorrowful; it shelters the destitute; it aids and consoles the sad; it does good to those who do it harm; it serves those that harm it; it prays for those who persecute it; it teaches, admonishes, and judges us with the Word of the Lord; it seeks those who are lost; it binds up what is wounded; it heals the sick; it saves what is strong (sound); it becomes all things to all people. The persecution, suffering, and anguish that come to it for the sake of the Lord’s truth have become a glorious joy and comfort to it.”

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The book of Nehemiah is the account of the Jews rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem 280 years after the Assyrians had deported the 10 northern tribes and scattered them over the known world. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the king of Persia when he heard about the challenges his people were experiencing in Jerusalem, so he asked the king for permission to return to his homeland to help in the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. The king agreed and gave him letters of endorsement and resources with which to build. In the midst of many challenges and opposition, Nehemiah identified what needed to be done and inspired his people to do the work, and the wall was built in 52 days.

This story is applicable to our personal and church life. We all have experienced personal challenges in which we felt confused and overwhelmed. The same is true for us in church life, especially the last 5-10 years. I am not sure how to describe where we are emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It’s possible that we feel a variety of ways. Some of us are tired, discouraged, and maybe confused. Maybe some of us are frustrated or angry, or maybe feel like no one is listening to our deep concern. Maybe some of us feel hopeless. Here is a call to each of us to evaluate our challenging circumstance, to evaluate what God is calling us to, what God has placed in our hearts, what our options are, and to make a decision and move forward with courage, wisdom, persistence, and hope in God.

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A good question to ask ourselves is: Why do we attend our church? Hopefully, it’s not just because it’s where we grew up, but because we see something worthwhile here.

The emphasis of the Great Commission is discipleship, not just conversion.

Our focus shouldn’t be on what is the bare minimum to get to heaven or only doing the things that make sense to us. Instead, we should ask: What does Jesus want from me today? And will Jesus give me the power to do what He wants?

Dirk Philips listed seven ordinances: Biblical teaching, scriptural use of sacraments, feet washing, separation of sinners, love for one another, keeping the commandments of Christ, and the expectation of persecution and suffering.

Anabaptists are different from other denominations in their beliefs about salvation, eternal security, baptism, view of scripture, and relation to the state.

When Jesus gave the parable of the house built on the rock, the “rock” was following the teachings of Jesus; that needs to be our focus as well.

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How can we, as a church, bless and be an encouragement to each other? Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, commends them for their work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope. He also thanks God for them and prays for them.

It is extremely important that a body of believers should be known for speaking good and not evil of each other. Speaking evil tears down. The devil wrecks havoc in those situations.

Discouragement will come no matter where you live. The Jews, while in captivity, were not able to sing the song of Zion. They sat and wept as they thought of Jerusalem. They did get to move back to their homeland, but there were many discouragements. When Nehemiah got there, he walked around the city to see what should be done. The walls needed to be rebuilt. The people had a mind to work. All the people groups were working together, each in their section. They got along, and the wall sections came together. It took them only 52 days.

Some encouragement for us as a church today: We get to fellowship together and encourage each other. We should be excited about that. We will grow. God purposely gives us everything we need to be the kind of body that we need to be. In working together, big things become small. We need to be prayed up and on fire for the Lord. We need to walk in humility. We cannot do the work of the church alone. It is all about the body of Christ. If we are not in love with the bride/church, then we are in trouble with the bridegroom. (Quote from Stanley Fox)

People are drawn to churches when they feel the excitement of people loving to be together. We need to look out for each other. We depend on others, and they depend on us. We need to listen to the call to build in whatever part we can. Let’s not turn our children off by speaking of only the negative parts of church.

We can make visitors feel at home. Greet them at the door, explain the order of the service, and where Sunday school classes are.

We can build together. We are here, and God is here, and He will build His church.

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Acts 1–5 is a picture of a vibrant, healthy church. These events took place within 4–6 months of Christ’s resurrection. Acts 2 describes the coming of the Holy Spirit “as of a rushing mighty wind” and “divided tongues, as of fire” that sat on each person, and “they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1–4). The Jews “from every nation” who were dwelling in Jerusalem heard them speak in their own language (Acts 2:5–6). Acts 2 also describes Peter’s sermon and the response to his sermon. In Acts 3, a lame man is healed, and Peter preaches another sermon to explain how this man got healed. Acts 4 begins with Peter and John being arrested by Jewish religious leaders because “they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2). There was a trial, and Peter and John were told that they could no longer speak to anyone in Jesus’ name, but Peter and John responded that they had to speak the things they had heard and seen. The authorities released them, and they went to their companions to report (Acts 4:23). After they gave their report of the trial, the people prayed, and “the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

In Acts 1–5, we see seven marks of a vibrant, healthy church:

A healthy church roots its theology, preaching, and beliefs in Scripture, and continues “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42).
A vibrant, healthy church practices the ordinances.
A vibrant, healthy church “continues steadfastly” in worship and prayer.
A vibrant, healthy church fellowships and spends time together.
A vibrant, healthy church disciples one another.
A vibrant, healthy church encourages the use of gifts and engagement in Kingdom work.
A vibrant, healthy church shares Christ and ministers to people’s needs.

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The reason people struggle to stop doing the bad things they say they want to stop is that their choosing capacity is not an independent part of them that lives in a separate room of their house and can just choose the right thing no matter what is going on in other rooms of their house.

What this means is that will alone cannot carry us to change because our will is dependent on what we think and feel and believe in the moment of choice. So before we can choose the right behavior, we have to first choose to think, feel, and believe the right things.

The transformed will is surrendered to Christ and chooses to discover the will of God. After we have discerned what the good will of God is, we can give God permission to work in us the willing and doing for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13).

Every day, in every situation in which you face a decision, ask yourself what your options are. When it becomes clear to you which option would bring God pleasure and fulfill His will most fully, ask yourself if you are willing to choose that option. If you are not willing, ask yourself if you would be willing to give God permission to work in you the willing and doing of God’s good pleasure.

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I John 2:6 – When we read the Gospels, we should ask ourselves if we have any resemblance to Jesus.

John 4 – Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman can challenge us in several ways.

1) First challenge: Do I engage with people the way Jesus did? Jesus did not avoid this potentially awkward conversation. He showed interest and concern and made the conversation meaningful.

2) Second challenge: Am I experiencing the living water that Jesus offered? Do I have something I would like others to experience? We can impede the flow of living water. Where we turn when we are feeling dry can be part of the problem.

3) Third challenge: Am I hungry to do the will of God? Jesus seemed to have lost His appetite in His excitement to do God’s work. We need to see the big picture like Jesus did.

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Steve began his sermon with the story of Robert Reid, who, though afflicted with cerebral palsy, graduated from Abilene Christian University and then, though severely handicapped, traveled to Portugal where he found someone to feed him, someone to wheel him to a park, and spoke to people for hours every day! He learned fluid Portuguese and, over the years, led many folks to the Lord! He chose an attitude of thankfulness instead of wallowing in despair, and the Lord blessed his efforts with over 70 converts over the years. He famously said, “I have everything I need for Joy!”

Our attitude is our way of thinking about life. An adjustment is making a change. We can’t choose many of the things in life that happen, but we can choose our attitudes about them!

We tend to think of an Attitude Adjustment as a negative thing, but it can actually be a positive thing if we are turning towards God! And also positive if we can choose a better attitude towards others!

Does God care about our attitudes? Yes! We tend to excuse our own attitudes sometimes because of pride and selfishness, but if we can take responsibility for them, with God’s help, we can improve!

In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron had a disrespectful attitude towards Moses. It was wrong! They needed to repent!

Jesus cares about our attitude. A true disciple has good attitudes towards his fellow disciples and will align with Jesus’ attitude. We need to put our attitudes on the altar and ask if they will bless others and build His kingdom.

Job humbly aligned himself into surrendering to God’s will. Noah, Zaccheus, fishermen James and John all made major changes in what they were doing. Paul, on the road to Damascus, had a major attitude adjustment!

Paul said later, “Let this mind be in you that was also in Jesus.” Change is the process of yielding to Christ, then the love of Christ compels me to help others! What happens in us affects what can happen through us!

We need to see and hear the people around us. Paying attention is rare in our world! What would happen if we took the time to hear others and would seek to understand before we demand to be understood?

A Christ-like attitude will speak positive words… and mean them!

Steve closed with three suggestions for positive attitude adjustment: fix your thoughts on good things; filter what comes into our minds; feed on what is good.

Our attitude is our choice! Let’s let Jesus sort through our attitudes and show us where adjustment is needed. Phil. 4:9: “…do these things and the God of Peace will be with you!”

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Genesis 27 begins with Isaac who is sure he is dying, although he did live for 50 more years. But he was feeble and blind. Isaac decided that now was the time to give his blessing to his favorite son Esau. He called Esau to him and gave him instructions to bring him savory food. But Rebekah overheard this and wanted Jacob to get the blessing. So Rebekah had a plan and Jacob and her carried it out. Jacob deceived and lied to his father. Rebekah deceived her husband.

Isaac and Rebekah each had a favorite son. There was dishonesty and a lack of communication between them. Isaac did not tell Rebekah his plan. Neither did Rebekah tell Isaac how she felt about his decision.

Communication is very important in a marriage. Communication between couples often involves husbands and wives telling each other what they already planned to do rather than having a discussion so they can plan together. Bad communication is a symptom of a bad relationship – it is not the cause of it. Both husbands and wives also need love and respect from each other. They need to be honest with each other about their concerns and feelings.

Some short term consequences of Jacob’s actions:

His brother Esau hated him
He had to flee his home
He had literally nothing to take with him.
He said goodbye to his mother and never saw her again. Rebekah had told him to go to her brother Laban and stay for a few days until Esau’s fury had lessened. But the few days turned into 20 years and she had died before he moved back to Canaan.

God was planning to bless Jacob and his descendants in a mighty way. Jacob’s deception did not change that fact. Esau’s blessing would have been the same even if he would have received it first. God looked at Jacob and saw the potential there.

God wants repentance for sin. God blessed Jacob in spite of his flaws not because of them. When God looks at us He sees what we can be, not what we are.
Satan loves to drive wedges in families. We need to focus on healing differences and communicating better. We can not stand on the premise that we are right and the people we live with are wrong. God is always faithful, every single time.

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A healthy church is made up of people who are in close communion with God and each other.

I John 1 – Jesus is our basis for this communion.
Communion with God enables us to walk in the light and have fellowship with each other.
In our communion with God we receive incredible resources not available to those who are in darkness; but we still need fellowship with each other (church).
I Corinthians 10 – the Corinthians’ lack of self-restraint was putting their communion with God at risk.
II Corinthians 6 – God wants to fellowship with us, but requires us to leave darkness behind. Paul urges the Corinthians to “cleanse” themselves and “bring holiness to completion” (7:1)
Our communion with God is not something we can afford to neglect or be careless about. We do not need to get everything right, but we must watch out for harmful patterns that can shift our affections.
The song “Open the Wells” is the prayer of someone who is “thirsting for more and deeper communion.” How does someone like this live his life? Such a person would guard against things that can damage this communion, involve himself in things that can feed this thirst, and live out his love for God through faithful obedience.

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Sin blocks/hinders fellowship with God. Repentance clears sin away, opening the way and restoring fellowship with God and joy. Walking in the light of fellowship with Christ is the life of a penitent. In the Light they see their sins. They’re sensitive to sin and repent of it to keep fellowship flourishing. (Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:4-9).

What makes up repentance?

Conviction. The case and realization we have sinned. Reprobates and those with seared consciences may not feel conviction. Not everyone who’s convicted repents. But all penitents feel conviction.
Contrition. The remorse and grief that comes with conviction, knowing we’ve grieved the Spirit, and seeing fellowship affected. Paul wrote of godly sorrow that leads to repentance and worldly sorrow that doesn’t. (2 Cor 7:9-10).
Confession. Agreeing with God regarding our sin and sinfulness. David’s confession after his sin against Uriah, Bathsheba, and God is a classic example. When confronted by the prophet, he said, “I am the man.” No excuses. Psalm 51 is his moving confession, lament, and prayer.
Change of heart. A change of mind and purpose from sin and selfishness to God. After Paul was helped to his feet after his experience on his way to Damascus, he was still headed toward Damascus, but his heart had done a 180-degree turn.
Forsaking old. Leaving sin and carnality. What does that look like?
- Forsaking means following through. Sometimes people delay and put off taking the practical steps. They’ve decided, but haven’t followed through. They may feel relief, elation, and even rest, but they’re not further along. The longer the delay, the more likely their new resolve weakens and withers. (Parable of the soils Matthew 13).
- Forsaking means leaving sin. A break with wrong thoughts, attitudes, behavior.
- Forsaking means not looking back. Israel murmured against Moses and remembered Egypt. (Numbers 11; Hebrews 11:13-16). Those who look longingly back increase their risk of returning to the old life.
- Forsaking means hating sin. 1 John 1.15; Psalm 97.10; Proverbs 8.13. Not an on/off switch for that. Anything that improves our relationship with God and coming to see sin from God’s point of view will help make sin less appealing. It’s possible to feel the appeal and temptation of sin while despising it (Romans 7).
- Forsaking sin means making no provision for the flesh. Don’t make it easy to sin. Christians pray “lead us not into temptation” but sometimes carelessly walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand with sinners, and sit where the scornful gather. They hear the thoughts and stories of the scornful and watch their activities. Those influences are not edifying and weaken the righteous.
Embracing the new. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12.1-3 is repentance in a nutshell. A Christian doesn’t stop sinful behavior and attitudes through brute force and will power without God’s grace for victory. We need the “Holy Spirit and fire” John the Baptist said Jesus would bring. When we experience John 15 and Philippians 1.6 and 2.13, we’re walking in the Light. It’s putting on the new man (Ephesians 4:14 and others).

We have this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor 4.7). As long as we live on earth, we’ll be subject to some degree of the pull of temptation. But how well we forsake the old and embrace the new life in Jesus will affect how strong temptations are. The song says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim . . .” Salvation puts us in a right standing with God. Then begins the work of sanctification, God changing us into people who live righteously, reflecting the character of Christ. The penitent’s journey isn’t always steadily upward. When they stumble and fall, which they surely do (1 John 1.6), they repent, and by God’s mercy and grace, they rise to their feet and continue on the journey with the joy of salvation and fellowship with God.

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Scripture commands believers to turn from sin to righteousness many times. Examples of this are found in Romans 6, Eph. 4:17-32, and Phil. 2:12-13. Romans teaches us that in principle, in God’s reality, a person’s habits of sin die when they are co-crucified with Christ. If a person wants to stop sinning, it is helpful to know and believe that the person you were “in Adam” has died, so you are no longer a slave to sin.

Ephesian 4:23-24 says to “be renewed in the spirit of the mind,” which sounds like the direction or set of the mind needs to change in order to stop sinning. We cannot stop our habits of sin unless we know that who we were “in Adam” prior to conversion, and the “body of sin” (bodily habits of sin) that were part of our life before conversion, have died or been rendered inoperative in our death and resurrection with Christ. In addition, a believer cannot forsake sinful habits without being renewed in the spirit of the mind and being delivered from their blindness of heart.

Philippians 2:12-13 says we should “work out” our “salvation with fear and trembling” because “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Our salvation is “worked out” or brought to completion as we have a healthy respect for God’s commands and cooperate with God as He works in us the willing and doing of His will.

The Bible condemns sinful behavior and commands righteous behavior, but people’s sinful behavior is always produced by deeper sinful attitudes and feelings and thoughts. Sinful acts must be viewed as “surface issues” or fruit that is rooted in deeper sins. It is almost impossible for people to experience long-term deliverance from sinful behavior by treating the behavior (expressions of anger, for example) as the most important or basic sin, or by trying to instruct a person into not committing acts of sin. If this is all you focus on, people will almost always continue in their sin.

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Many of us have often wished we could read a letter from Paul “to the Church at Gladys.” Although that is, unfortunately, impossible, we can learn from the circumstances, struggles, and successes of the Corinthian church and apply it to our own situation here. 1 Corinthians begins with Paul praising God for the many rich blessings the Corinthians have in Christ and serves as a reminder to us that there is always something to be grateful for in the lives of fellow believers.

Paul quickly identifies the chief problem of the Corinthian church: they lack unity. There are a number of reasons given throughout the first four chapters for the church’s division: loyalty to certain teachers over others (1 Cor. 1:10-17), a reliance on man’s wisdom rather than on God’s wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18-31, 2:1-5), their carnality and immaturity (1 Cor. 3:1-4), an emphasis on the work of some men over others apart from the work of God (1 Cor. 5-17), and their boasting of their gifts given to them by God (1 Cor. 3:18-23).

Fortunately, we can learn from Paul’s example. Paul was compelled by the Spirit to tell the Jews that Jesus is the Christ; he was led by the Spirit and not selfish ambition (Acts 18:5). Additionally, throughout his letter to the Corinthians there are several things Paul does to encourage unity among fellow believers: he did not keep score (1 Cor. 1:16), he did not use excellence of speech, persuasive words, or human wisdom in his preaching (1 Cor. 2:1,4), he acknowledged the contribution of others like Apollos (1 Cor. 3:6), he recognized his work in relation to the work of God (1 Cor. 3:7), he recognized Christ as the foundation on which he built (1 Cor. 3:11), he looked to the Lord for his praise rather than to men (1 Cor. 4:4), he was a servant, willing to be foolish, weak, dishonored, hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed, beaten, homeless, laboring. Reviled, persecuted, and defamed for the sake of Christ and the Gospel (1 Cor. 4: 1, 10-13), and he showed no jealousy or envy, but strongly urged Apollos to visit the Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:12).

There are things that we can do to help foster unity in our local church. We should start by examining our relationship with God – Are we abiding in Christ, yielding to the Holy Spirit? What attitudes are evident in my life? Is it envy, jealousy, and self-seeking? Or, am I displaying the wisdom of above that is pure, peaceable, willing to yield, without partiality or hypocrisy? If it is only our common heritage, hobbies, politics, or occupations that unite us with others, our church will not weather much adversity. An abiding, growing relationship with Christ is what will connect us to other believers on a deep, spiritual level.

We can also examine our relationships in the home – Do I love my wife and family as I should? Do I love my siblings as I should? Is there unity in my home? Next, we can examine our relationships within the church – Can I appreciate the successful work of others? Do I often compare myself with others? Do I care more about how I look in my church than how Jesus looks in my church? Do I care more about a building and numbers than about the spiritual condition of my brother or sister? Do I care more about doing church my way than about my brother or sister? Finally, we should examine how we relate to Christians outside of our local congregation – Can I be firm in my convictions, committed to my brotherhood, and yet humble enough to admit that I can learn from others? Can I acknowledge the contribution and success of those whose methods may be different from my own?

The results of church unity identify us as Jesus’ disciples and serve as a witness that Jesus’ was sent by God (John 13:35, John 17:20-21). The church is a welcoming, beautiful temple that radiates the glory of God when we are built on the Lord Jesus Christ, recognize God’s indispensable work, are united in the spirit, and when we love each other enough to serve one another.

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When we face difficulty, we ask why God allows misfortune in my life. A better question would be, how does God want to use adversity in my life? What would He like to accomplish?

Misfortune is the wrong word to use because it is too early to tell. Is God present and active in our difficulties or is he the cause of them? Heb. 11:7; I Pet. 1:7. We tend to think of God in ways: He has a perfect will and He has a permissive will. When we look at life by faith, we see that God is in it, that God has good intentions, that God is refining us, that God’s goal is our sanctification.

How does God refine us? Not just by sermons but also by the people around us and the circumstances of our lives.

John 15:1ff; Heb. 12: We are made perfect through suffering if we yield ourselves and the difficult thing to God. That is when he blesses us. Joseph had favor everywhere he went. Job suffered great losses and his visitors caused him more difficulty than his original losses. Don’t resist what God wants to accomplish. God is not punishing for wrong; He is seeking to grow us. We do not need to prove ourselves. We don’t necessarily cause our difficulties, but we do choose how we respond.

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The ultimate witness to the world is the love believers have for one another in the life of the church. How do we maintain harmony? Most churches do not have brotherhood. They do not pursue brotherhood. Instead, they have either individualism (everyone does what works for them) or they have family first (whatever works for my family matters more than what works for the group). Brotherhood only works when the church is a team. The church must be a team. The effectiveness of the church depends on the spirit with which its work is done. In Acts 6, the apostles asked the body to contribute to the solution. When there is an offense or when no trust between leaders and the body, no life flows. In brotherhood, we both speak and listen. Lack of listening and lack of agreement is a lack of love problem. Nothing is more powerful than love and unity. Too often in church life, people are trying to figure out who is on their side. This is not love and this is not right.

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God wants us to know Him as He truly is, and Jesus is the accurate revelation of God. Believers are the last revelation of God.

If you would experience a great disappointment, would it be distressing to you to know that God knows? I ask this question because there is a strong emphasis among us: you have to strive perfectly to enter in; you have to obey perfectly to enter in. But there is also the truth that God is a merciful God. How does a person’s pursuit of God and God’s mercy intersect? The question is this: Do we do the sanctifying or does God do it? The answer is that Christ is the answer to our every failure and lack and need. Christ is our life. Our confidence is in God, not in ourselves.

We are always drawing near, but at the same time we are always present with Christ, always there. The human heart thinks we have to fix ourselves before we come to God, but this is impossible. God is where I am and can do for me what I cannot do for myself.

What hinders us from drawing near? For some, it is because they have failed and can’t tell God, so they have to suppress it. We know this leads to depression and a bad end. For some, it is the result of their parents and pastors demanding perfection of them before they can belong. The freedom we have to come to our parents and pastors as we are determines how much freedom we have to come to God as we are.

We cannot improve ourselves before we come to God; we come to God to be improved. God receives sincere seekers where they are and then acts like He can’t get His work done without them.

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To be like Christ is the highest attainment of every Christian. To have His image formed in our lives is Christ’s will and requires yielding to Christ.

I John 3:22-24 Answered prayer is the result of doing what pleases Christ and loving one another. You don’t know a person until you have prayed with them. Prayerlessness and faithlessness go together.

Where is God when you pray? Many people believe that they are praying in order to overcome God’s reluctance to do something. God is right here, not far off in heaven. If we belong to God, what we want done He wants done too. Prayer begins in the heart of God and God puts His prayer in our heart. God hears us because we belong to Jesus. We do not have to fix ourselves before we pray. We can be true as we pray. We need to just tell God what is true.

We need to pray out of what will bring glory to God, not what will achieve some selfish goal. We pray out of assurance of faith, and it helps if several people agree on how to pray for something. We need to ask ourselves how Jesus would pray about this. How would Jesus present your need to the Father in prayer?

A broken heart will find audience with God. After we pray, we need to do something about it.

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The theme for Wednesday’s evening sermon was Forgiveness, with Psalm 130:4 being the text. “But there is forgiveness with Thee”. Dale told us that God can heal the hurts and make wrong things right! We believe in forgiveness, but we can believe it better! Forgiveness is a miracle! We need the forgiveness of others…husbands from wives, wives from husbands, children from parents, parents from children, and brothers from each other.

What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is remission, and remit means to send away. God remits our sins, “as far as the east is from the west”! Forgiveness is costly…and risky…but it is more costly to maintain a grudge! Forgiveness is taking the blame and suffering for a situation and freeing others from it. It is helpful to deal with God about forgiving others before we even meet the other person…that makes it easier to forgive whether they ask or not.

If we struggle with forgiveness, we should examine ourselves…we need forgiveness as well…..and sometimes we have a hidden desire to see others suffer for what they did. Unforgiveness interrupts our fellowship with others and disqualifies us for useful service…we can’t really live with unforgiveness.

We need to forgive others as God forgave us! Isaiah 53 says we All like sheep had turned away. In II Cor 2.7, we see we need a tender heart to forgive. The prodigal son story in Matt 18 shows we can’t forgive if we are not humble. Real forgiveness is an attitude towards others and gives them an opportunity for the future!

God wants us to live in forgiveness!

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The greatest evidence that God is holy is His humility. Humility is not self-abasement, or being bashful or the absence of excellence. It does not happen with will power but by surrender. Humility defines the spirit of the Holy One.

God comes in humility: in the garden when he pursued Adam and Eve, in Jesus as a baby, and every time he uses humans to do Kingdom work. God is a humble God.

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Our eternal home will feel like home – John calls it a new earth. It will feel good and familiar. There was nothing wrong with God’s original plan; He is completing it, not throwing it away.

We can look forward to deliverance from fear and evil. Carefree children can remind us that this is the way things were meant to be.

We can look forward to complete healing – physical, emotional, and mental. We will have a physical body, but it will be incorruptible like Jesus’ body.

We can look forward to fulfilling activity: the passage suggests coming and going, kings and nations, worship and service. The concepts of reigning and having dominion also suggest activity.

We can look forward to the full presence of God – even now God is present and attentive, but we often sense it dimly. In our eternal home we will see Him face to face and experience His presence wherever we are. This will be the best part of heaven.

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Genesis 24 begins with Isaac grieving his mother Sarah’s passing and Abraham realizing it was time to seek a wife for him. We see Abraham as a man of faith taking sure steps to make that happen in a Godly way.

The complication was that there were no options locally, among the Canaanites. They were an idolatrous nation and Abraham wanted his son to marry a God-fearing woman. The solution was to send Eliezar, his servant, 400 miles back to Mesopotamia where Abraham had come from, to see if there was a bride to be found for Isaac among their own people.

One question Eliezar had before he left, and he asked Abraham, “If she won’t leave her people and come to Palestine, would Isaac go to her?” Abraham was firm in his reply, no, Isaac must stay in the land of promise that God was giving them. Abraham firmly believed God’s promise of multitudes of descendants and that God would work it out. He had learned from his past mistakes.

Eliezar made the journey and as he neared his destination he struggled with some doubt and anxiety about his mission. But he had seen God’s faithfulness in others and learned from their example. He simply prayed and committed the task to the God of his master Abraham. He prayed that the Lord would reveal His will to him in finding a damsel with a servant’s heart as a wife for Isaac.

The scene played out at the village well, and when Eliezar asked for a drink of water for himself, Rebekah willingly agreed and went the second mile by offering to draw water for his camels, notoriously thirsty animals! Eliezar thanked the Lord for His leading and gave her gifts. After meeting her family, and explaining his mission, the family agreed it was a God thing and Rebekah bravely returned to Palestine to meet Isaac, her new husband who she had never seen, and took her place in the family tree of God’s people.

Our society has seriously devalued marriage in our day. The percentage of married people is down to only 30% of the population from 70% not many years ago. Many folks just live together outside of the commitment of marriage.

The church should demonstrate otherwise, with committed marriages and Godly homes. The church should also make sure that unmarried folks don’t feel like 2nd class citizens! We should encourage them to make the most of singlehood and serve in that important role!

Here are a few suggestions for singles:

Go to other places and spend time with mixed groups; be yourself, don’t try to be the holiest on the volleyball team! There is not a magic age that you need to be married at.
Do voluntary service, get more training, do Kingdom work now! You don’t have to be married to do the Lord’s work!
Do trust God, and don’t press ahead of God….work at becoming the person you need to be.
Let God work servanthood in your life!

And as we look at potential companions here are a few suggestions again:

Don’t emphasize wealth or possessions, don’t overvalue conservatism but value the direction someone is headed.
Value folks who value God and gravitate towards people who want to look like Jesus! Steer clear of those who are unwilling to be instructed, who have poor self-control and addictions, uncontrolled anger, and those who habitually run down others…..you may be perfect in their sight at present…but they will likely get around to you!

John closed with the example of Rosalind Goforth, the wife to be of Jonathan Goforth, who was drawn to him because of his well-worn Bible she happened to look through. Be the person God wants you to be first of all and learn to serve others.

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Our faith in God is built around the expectation that God will be fair. Good things should happen to good people. There are benefits to serving God. But what we know about God and His ways is overwhelmingly dwarfed by what we do not yet know about Him. We stand at the edge of the endless ocean of His eternal being, and all our present knowledge of Him is but a scant impression of the whole. Yet what we do not yet know about God and His ways will not prove inconsistent with what we already know. And what we do know about God gives us great confidence, though life’s shocks cause our faith to tremble.

Asaph (Psalm 73) and Job base their view of God on the same basic premise: God rewards the good and punishes the evil. Both ask the same question but in different ways. Asaph asks, “Why do the wicked prosper?” Job asks, “Why do the righteous suffer?” The answers they discover help today’s believers to not be shaken when what God allows seems to contradict what they believe Him to be.

God will not settle all His accounts this weekend. What seems like a complete contradiction to His promises now will likely look quite different in retrospect. Through His word and life’s experiences, God will teach us that He is dependable, but not predictable; trustworthy, but never coerced. May we be the student and He the teacher as He slowly reveals the depth of His nature and the wisdom of His ways. May we learn to live as Wesley Naylor wrote:

God’s way is best, I will not murmur,
Although the end I may not see;
Where’er He leads I’ll meekly follow,
God’s way is best, is best for me.

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Milton Hostedler’s last sermon was entitled “Time is Running Out” with the emphasis that too many people live as though there’s no end to time.

Hebrews 4:11-13, Romans 14:10-12 – we will all have to give an account someday. Imagine that it’s your turn next; what will you regret? What will you be glad for?

The concept of a final reckoning or judgment was a major component of Jesus’ teaching; 20-25 references in Matthew refer to this event.

II Peter 3:10-17; we should be diligent as we look forward to these things.

I Corinthians 9:24-27; we should get our values right while we’re running the race, not after we cross the finish line. Some things are potholes to avoid, other things are running shoes but not the trophy. We shouldn’t be terrified or frantic, but sober and diligent.

We should ask ourselves, am I doing anything I will regret then? Am I investing in what matters? Am I becoming more like Jesus?

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Creation, the Fall, and God’s response

God’s purposes in creation: God created so Adam and Eve could experience his love; so Adam and Eve could grow to maturity; so Adam and Eve could exercise dominion over His creation.

The Fall: Eve sinned out of her desire to experience more (a God-created desire), the lies of the devil, Eve’s doubts about the goodness of God, and Eve’s failure to trust God and then her failure to surrender to God’s command not to eat of the fruit. Many of the things that are true for Adam and Eve in the Fall are true for us when we sin.

The effects of the Fall: Adam and Eve became alienated within themselves, from God, from each other, and from the rest of creation; failed to exercise dominion; interrupted their process of growth; became separated from the Kingdom of God.

God’s response to the Fall: God pursued them and clothed them and promised a Savior. Through repentance and faith in Christ who died for us, we can enter into the Kingdom of God and exercise dominion as we cooperate with God’s purposes for his world. As we cooperate with God’s work in us, we are freed from the guilt, power, and paralysis of sin and are able to live a Kingdom of God kind of life.

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Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners and need a Savior. All the money in the world will not pay the price of sin.

In the Old Testament, the sacrificial system was practiced. Hebrews 9:22 states, “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” But why was blood necessary? We cannot live without blood. Blood had to be shed for forgiveness. We needed a replacement to die in our stead. He came to take away the sins of the world because there was no other way to deal with sin. Jesus was that perfect, unblemished sacrifice. He gave himself so others could live.

The Jews practiced sacrifices regularly until Herod’s temple was destroyed. These sacrifices had to be repeated year after year since they did not provide purification for sin.

Leviticus 16 speaks about both an animal used as a sacrifice and an animal used as a scapegoat. One goat was sacrificed. Aaron would put his hands on the head of the other goat, called the scapegoat, and confess the sins of the nation on it. A suitable man would then take the scapegoat away and lead it outside of the camp and drive it away. To be a real scapegoat, you have to be innocent.

Jesus embodied all of this sacrifice – He took on Himself the sins of the world and died in our stead. Isa. 53 says that the Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. God placed all our sins and all our brokenness and griefs on Jesus. In this way, Jesus is our scapegoat. We are healed by His wounds.

Jesus is here. He is always here when two or three are gathered in His name, but even more, He has promised to be here especially when we break the bread and drink the juice. We are made alive because of His suffering.

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What is spiritual and emotional heath? A brief answer is that a spiritually and emotionally healthy person possesses a healthy view of self as being created in God’s image and valuable; possesses a healthy view of self as broken and needy; possesses a healthy relationship with God and others.

Every community of people has a culture of change. Every community has beliefs, attitudes, assumptions and actions surrounding how to help people grow. These positions may be helpful or unhelpful, correct or incorrect.

Spiritual transformation and growth is the subject of many passages of Scripture. Rom. 12:1-2 speaks of transformation as a metamorphosis. This change happens as the mind is renewed and results in a person being able to test and approve the will of God and reach the goal for which they were created. According to Luke 9:23-26, the Christian life is rooted in surrender to Jesus Christ and a willingness to suffer in order to do what pleases Christ. II Cor. 3:18 speaks of transformation as beholding the face of Christ in order to be changed into Christ’s likeness.

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Looking back – The whole Bible is a looking back. We look back at the realization that we were slaves to sin and now we are slaves to righteousness. The Old Testament had many laws and commandments. Jesus took the Old Testament commandments and made them stronger. His commandment is to love, and He demonstrated this by going to the cross for us. When God gives us new things, they are better.

There are many things to learn. What did we do in 2023 that improved our relationship with Jesus? Are we closer to Jesus now? How well did we put the fruit of the Spirit into action? What can we do or improve on in 2024? How can we improve the relationships in our families? How can we encourage them? Much of life is about improving the old things.

Everything will be new in heaven, but we can have new things before we get to heaven. God gives us new things. He is not done with us. Our joy should bubble over. God is a master at taking the hard things in our lives and making something beautiful out of it.

God makes something new out of us when we become His children. God doesn’t transform us on the outside, He changes us on the inside. We can be conformed to the world around us or we can be transformed. It is God’s mercy that we can look forward to a new year. God promises to renew us in the likeness of His Son. Looking more and more like Jesus at the end of 2024 is the goal we should have.

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Why was Jesus born at the time and place in history that he was? God had a plan. He has always had a plan. He was born in the fullness of time, according to Galatians 4:4. What does that mean?

God’s timing is perfect. He does not operate on the same timetable that we do. God is outside of time. When God chooses to wait, He waits because of His mercy.

Some reasons for the timing of the birth of Jesus:

When Jesus was born, the Jews were under Roman rule. They had reached a place of desperation. They needed outside assistance.
The whole known world spoke the same language, which was Greek. The Gospel can’t spread if there is no common language.
Lots of people were abandoning their idols. Rome had conquered them, and their idols had done them no good.
The world was much safer. Rome had made travel much easier.
Unlike other kings, Jesus was not only for the Jews but for everyone.
John the Baptist prepared the way. John the Baptist was also a fulfillment of Scripture. He identified and baptized Jesus. He was not afraid. The time was right for the message to be spread throughout the known world.

Mary was available. She was willing to be used, although she had no idea what joy and sorrow it would bring to her. When God calls us, we need to be willing to do what he asks. God is preparing us for the next step. Isaiah 58:7-9 – My thoughts are not your thoughts. Even when we do not understand, we need to trust God for He always walks with us.

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Jesus Christ is present in the Old Testament in at least three ways: preincarnate appearances (the angel of the Lord), prophecies (there are about 350), and types and shadows.

We looked at four areas of prophecy:

The Messiah will be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7). We might not recognize a statement in the Old Testament as a prophecy except that the NT identifies the OT statement.
The Messiah will provide redemption (Isaiah 53). The Messiah bore to the cross everything ruined by the fall and everything we have personally done.
The Messiah will minister to the poor and needy (justice and righteousness). One of Christ’s missions was to minister to the hurting. The church should be the place where people can be transparent about their spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.
The Messiah will come for both Jews and Gentiles. Both Paul and Jesus came into conflict with the Jewish religious leaders whenever they offered the Good News to Gentiles. This is a major theme in the NT that should teach us that the Gospel is intended for all cultures and people groups.

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What we think matters. When asked by a lawyer what the greatest commandment is, quoting from Deuteronomy Jesus says to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. We are to love God with every part of us, and that includes our minds. In that same response to the lawyer Jesus also says to love your neighbor as yourself. We cannot exercise love to our neighbor when we harbor angry or sinful thoughts against them. Our mind is a battleground, and what we think can either guard us against Satan’s attacks or not.

There are different types of thoughts that Scripture warns us about: anxious, worried thoughts (Philippians 4:2-9), angry thoughts and adulterous thoughts (Colossians 3:1-17. However, we are also given instruction in how to overcome these wrong thoughts. We can guard our minds by carefully choosing what we watch and listen to. We can clear our minds of once legitimate thoughts that turn into bitterness or resentment. Finally, we can fill our minds with good things like God’s truth (Psalm 119:9, Colossians 3). We also need the power of the Holy Spirit to work in us to guard and clear our minds of wrong thoughts and fill it with Truth (Romans 8).

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A children’s lesson – Sometimes our parents ask us to do things that we do not want to do, but when we get older we are thankful that they made us do them.

Is gratitude a talent? Paul instructs us to be grateful. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. It is hard to be joyful if you’re not grateful. In the story of the ten lepers, all were grateful but only one returned to express his gratitude and he was a Samaritan.

We should have gratitude in everything even though many times we do not know the reason for our circumstances.

Some obstacles to gratitude: 1- We take things for granted. We are not thankful for the things that we expect and for things that are routine. 2- We don’t understand the greater purpose. The important thing is to rely more and more on Jesus who is working for our growth and for our good. 3- We tend to focus on the negative which give place to unhealthy attitudes. Some unhealthy attitudes are materialism, the accumulation of things; envy, we want what other people have; narcissism, a self focus, people are here to serve me; and cynicism when we look on the negative side of everything. 4- We surround ourselves with grumps. Being around grumpy people all the time can make us grumpy as well.

How can we practice gratitude? 1- we can express it. Say it aloud. Tell others. 2- we can write thank you notes. 3- tell our children thank you when they do things for us, thank God for our children. 4- make sure our negative thoughts are balanced by positive ones. 5- Tell stories about times when God worked in our lives, in our church and in the people we know.

Gratefulness is the vaccine against bitterness and anger. We cannot keep gratefulness in our hearts; it needs to be expressed.

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What drove Paul to serve? His life was one of obedience, but it wasn’t a have-to obedience. He had caught God’s vision & purpose for the world.

Three motivations that drove Paul were:

The fear of God, not the scared kind of fear but one of reverence and awe, worship and respect. He had a glimpse of the heart of God and understood it. He had an intense desire to fulfill God’s will.
The love of God inspired and motivated Paul. It compelled him. The love of God narrows our focus to the things that matter. Three proofs of the love of God are: he died for all on the cross, he rose again so we serve a living God, and he transforms the believer’s life.
The call of God on the road to Damascus transformed his life. Paul was called to help sinful man be reconciled to God.

God has called us to help others be reconciled to Him as well. We need to represent God to the people around us. Paul knew he had been called and knew why he was called – to serve others. Paul lived a life of simple, sincere, steadfast focus.

Are we willing to go beyond what we’re naturally comfortable with to serve? Are we available? Serving is not just for the ordained, everyone is called in some way to serve.

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The church is under constant attack these days, which can be very discouraging. Matthew 16:13-19 states the beginning of the church. It was founded on Peter’s belief that Jesus was the anointed one and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar wanted his astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed and the interpretation. This was not possible. He ordered them to be killed. Daniel was given both the dream and the interpretation by God. Daniel gave glory to God for telling him the interpretation.

The statue of Nebuchadnezzer’s dream depicted the different kingdoms that would rule. The message of Daniel is that empires rise and empires fall, but the church continues. God is over the kingdoms of the world and over times and seasons. Kings do not live forever, but our God does.

Satan has tried to distract us from Christianity through prosperity and persecution. The church spread throughout the known world from the effects of persecution.

In Romans 5:1-5, Paul talks about hope. What does it mean to glory in trials? Through trials, we develop perseverance and character. In the midst of suffering, what brings us hope? The harder the trials, the more the hope will grow in us. God is faithful and will walk with us through them. Our hope is not mythical. Our hope is that God has promised that the church will endure. In Revelation, the churches all had problems, but they were all given hope. The hope of the church depends on God, his goodness, and his mercy. God will make certain that there is a remnant following Him.

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There are qualifications for two groups of people in Scripture: bishops/ministers/shepherds and deacons.

The four primary tasks of the bishop/minister/shepherd/pastor are preaching, pastoring/shepherding, leading/administrating, and working on a team. These tasks require qualified people.

The qualifications for a bishop/minister/pastor (I Tim. 3:1-7): upright character, positive family life, able to suffer for the sake of others, able to maintain healthy relationships, and doctrinal soundness.

We are not looking for perfect people. We are looking for people who are humble, pursuing a relationship with Christ, pursuing spiritual and emotional maturity, and possess leadership gifts.

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The most obvious good news or “Gospel of the Kingdom of God” that Jeus proclaimed and lived is that the Gospel is not only for Jews but extends to Gentiles, outcasts, people sick with all kinds of diseases and torments, and the worst of sinners. In fact, the good news is that Jesus bore to the cross every human condition that needs redemption.

The Bible nowhere gives a one sentence textbook kind of statement of what the Gospel is. The closest thing to that is I Cor. 15:1-4, where Paul says, “the gospel which I preached to you, . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” These verses say the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, but these verses do not expand on the meaning of and how to experience the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross for our remission of sin. We experience forgiveness of sins if we believe, repent, and follow Christ in life.

The same faith and repentance that regenerates necessarily results in justification; in other words, the faith and repentance that regenerates “cannot not” lead to justification in the same way that one cannot open the door without light entering the dark room. While regeneration and justification are not the same thing, the one cannot be true unless the other is true. It is important to view faith, repentance, and regeneration as preceding justification in the same way that when the door is opened to a dark room light floods into the room.

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Abraham was enjoying his life. There had been peace for a while, and he was probably hoping to live out the rest of his days in peace, but then God called him to a hard test. Go sacrifice your only son. Abraham’s faith was being tested. His love was being tested. Who does he love the most, God or his only son? God identified Isaac in 3 ways, your son, your only son, the one you love. There was no question what God was asking of him.

Abraham suffered in silence on his journey to Mt. Moriah. He made the preparations for a 3-day journey. The number 3 in the Bible means new life and completeness. Jonah was 3 days in the fish’s belly, Samuel was called 3 times, Jesus was in the tomb 3 days.
When Isaac asked where the animal was, Abraham said “God will provide”. And God did provide by sending a substitute. God knew for certain who Abraham’s first love was.

We see Jesus in this story, He was the only begotten Son, he carried His cross and made the ultimate sacrifice for us. Jesus allowed himself to be bound even as Isaac allowed himself to be bound.

What are our idols? What things are dear to us and hard to give up? Replacing God with something else is an idol. Idols are things we can control. We can make our children an idol. Does something cause me to disobey God? What would be the hardest thing in my life to lose? What do I talk the most about?
Abraham was faithful and trusted in his heavenly Father to provide. God uses people to supply needs. Have we sacrificed anything that was very hard to give up?

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Reasons for headship order and veiling for women:

This order was established at creation, and the veiling symbolizes this order. The order: God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, man is the head of woman. The covered head implies subjection to some visible authority. The woman’s authority is the visible man. Christ, the man’s head, is not present; therefore, the man should not have his head covered.
A woman should be veiled because of the angels.
A woman should be veiled because of nature.

These verses speak of two coverings for women: the long hair and the veiling that is a symbol and covers the hair.

What does headship look like between the Father and Christ, and what does it look like between man and woman? Christ being under the authority of the Father did not mean mindless, helpless, non-participation in decisions or knowing. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were in perfect harmony and had equal value but different functions. Men and women are equal in value and spirituality, but they have different functions. The woman is under the man’s authority, but she is a co-partner and not a slave. It is sin for a man to tell a woman that she is stupid because her brain and heart, her reasoning and emotions function differently than a man’s.

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The seven areas of vision are worshiping, teaching biblical doctrine, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, providing belonging and fellowship, making disciples, experiencing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and identifying gifts and providing opportunities for ministry.

Worshiping is a primary mission of the church. God is unique, the only one of His kind, in contrast to the many gods of the heathen. Reading, expounding the Word of God, singing, and praying are essential activities of a healthy church.

Teaching biblical doctrine would ideally first happen at home. Teaching all age groups in our church requires wisdom and appropriate methods. We need to find ways to help people know that the presence of Jesus is working in them during temptations and overwhelming circumstances.

Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that all people groups may hear of his redemption is an essential activity of the church.

Providing belonging and fellowship would include hospitality, being friendly to everyone we meet, fellowship evenings when we play together, work evenings when we work together, and youth activities for the youth.

Making disciples takes place over time. It includes both mission activities and activities that help believers grow. Christian maturity is a lifelong process that requires patience and faithfulness week after week.

Experiencing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit – A person does not have to be focused on the Holy Spirit in order for the Holy Spirit to be present ministering to us.

Identifying gifts and providing opportunities for ministry – we need to put forth more effort to hear and understand people’s desires and giftings, things they would like to do if they had the opportunity. Are we fully invested in the mission and activities of our church?

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Lot meets the angels – Two angels came to the city gates of Sodom in the evening and found Lot sitting there at the gates. Lot, apparently, was an important man in the city. Lot invited them to his place for the night, but they said no, they would sleep in the open square. Lot insisted, so they agreed. He prepared a feast for them. He wanted to keep them safe from the wickedness of the city. Lot knew the city was wicked, but he had chosen to move into the city anyway. Maybe he thought he would make a difference in the culture around him, but instead he and his family were influenced by Sodom.

Fleeing Sodom – The angels asked Lot about any family members he had in the city, son-in-laws, sons, daughters, whatever family he had needed to be warned to leave. The city was going to be destroyed. His son-in-laws thought he was joking. Morning came, the angels took the hands of Lot, his wife, and his daughters and led them out of the city. They told them to flee to the mountains and not look back. Lot begged to be allowed to go to the little city of Zoar, which was allowed. His wife did look back and turned into a pillar of salt. Lot was saved because Abraham entreated the Lord.

How can we be in the world and not of it? In the final prayer of Jesus, he prayed that we could be in the world but not of the world. We are called to be lights, we are not called to move. We need to protect our hearts and “not lay up for ourselves treasures on earth.” Our hearts follow our treasure.

Daniel continued to love God even in Babylon. How did he maintain his integrity? 1) He sought out people who had the same beliefs and values that he did. 2) He served God in the small things, even in what he ate. Little things are where we build strength. 3) He set guardrails for himself. 4) He was willing to stand out. He was honest. 5) He remained humble. God is the one who gives talents like the ability to interpret the king’s dreams. 6) He maintained good habits. As was his custom, he prayed three times a day. 7) He spoke openly about his God.

When Abraham gave Lot the choice of where to live, Lot chose the plain. He saw Sodom in the distance and eventually moved into the city. We need to know and plan on how we will interact with the culture that we live in today. We need to stand for truth in a dark culture.

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The Abrahamic Covenant: God reaffirmed his covenant with Abraham at various times over a 25-year span. But what about Ishmael? Abraham loved Ishmael and wanted him to be blessed. God did bless Ishmael with many descendants, but often we may be on the wrong path and are asking God to bless us on the wrong path.

Circumcision: identified the Jews as Jews. They believed if they were circumcised, they were saved, but salvation is the result of having a circumcised heart.

Circumcision in the New Covenant: Some people think New Testament baptism is similar to Old Testament circumcision, so they baptize babies. People tend to think they must understand something before they can do it. When God asks us to do something, we need to step out in faith and do it. Sometimes we want things to change, but they can’t change because we hang onto the old things.

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When we participate in the Lord’s Supper, we are not merely going through a religious ritual. Instead, we are actively engaging in the blood and body of Christ. In Corinthians 10:16, it is stated that the cup we bless is a communion of the blood of Christ, and the bread we break is a communion of the body of Christ. The term “communion” comes from the Greek word “koinonia,” which signifies having in common, partnership, fellowship, and participation. By participating in the Lord’s Supper, we are not only associating ourselves with the sacrifice of Christ but also expressing our personal need and receiving forgiveness and deliverance from our sins. It is a time of remembrance and participation in the reality of Christ’s broken body and shed blood.

Moreover, when we partake in the Lord’s Supper or any spiritual feasting on Christ, our spiritual strength and sustenance are replenished. As mentioned in John 6:51-58, Jesus speaks of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, which may not be a literal consumption but emphasizes deep fellowship and communion with Him. Jesus presents Himself to us daily for this spiritual feasting, and the Lord’s Supper serves as a special occasion to partake in His offering.

Additionally, participating in the Lord’s Supper fosters “koinonia” or partnership and fellowship among believers. In Corinthians 11:20-22, it is revealed that the Lord’s Supper celebrates the selfless sacrifice of Christ’s life for the needs of others. The Corinthians were admonished by Paul because they neglected the true essence of the Lord’s Supper by prioritizing themselves over those who had nothing to bring to the meal. This serves as a reminder that the Lord’s Supper is not just an individual act of communion with Christ but also a communal bond, uniting believers in their common faith and commitment to selfless love.

Finally, it is crucial to remember that Jesus resides in our hearts and is always present with us. The Lord’s Supper is a moment to consciously recognize and acknowledge His constant presence in our lives. As we partake in the Lord’s Supper, let us do so with gratitude, reverence, and a deep understanding of its significance as we commune with Christ, sustain our spiritual nourishment, cultivate fellowship with other believers, and acknowledge His continuous presence.

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When we see people, how do we see them? Sometimes we see categories. Sometimes we see the behavior of others. At times, we hardly notice people at all. How did Jesus see people? When He saw the multitudes, He had compassion (Matt. 9:35-38). Jesus’ compassion for humanity is evident in Eph. 2:1-10. In this, we […]

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The Bible assumes the reality of God and is not occupied with speculation about the nature of God. The Bible is concerned primarily with God’s self-revelation and the appropriate human response. Many verses in Scripture speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’s work in human affairs. There were many significant councils that discussed issues […]

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The name Sarah means “Princess.” She was a mother to many people. In Genesis, Sarah struggled with infertility for years. To solve the problem of having an heir, she decided to give Hagar to Abraham. Now, she is almost 90. God understands the needs of women.

When the three men showed up at Abraham’s tent door, Abraham displayed Middle Eastern hospitality. He provided them with a shady place to sit down and water to wash their feet. A huge meal was prepared for them, with Sarah assisting in the preparation. Sarah was inside the tent and overheard the conversation between the men and Abraham. She heard them say that she and Abraham would have a son. Sarah’s response was laughter, knowing that this was impossible due to her advanced age and inability to bear children.

Hebrews 11:11 & 12 state that by faith, Sarah bore a child. Sarah began to trust. A year later, Isaac was born. The name Isaac means “he will rejoice” or “laugh.” Sarah’s bitter laughter turned into joy-filled laughter because she knew that God had been faithful in her life. The message to us is that God is faithful and will bring us joy in His own way and in His time.

Hannah was another barren mother who fervently prayed for a son. God did grant her a son, and she dedicated him back to God. Mothers are called to trust not in themselves but in God. While mothers tend to worry, God is trustworthy. They need to understand that God will provide fulfillment in their lives. This fulfillment may not always come in the form of children, but He will replace sorrow with joy and sadness with happiness, all in His own time.

We are encouraged to give back to God whatever we have, as He has given us everything we possess. Our responsibility to mothers is to make their lives easier. This can be done by remembering and following their teachings, encouraging them as we observe their efforts in teaching their children, listening non-judgmentally, being cautious with advice, and focusing on support rather than criticism.

A mother’s love for her children is a true example of God’s love for His children.

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This sermon summarizes and contrasts the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Anabaptist positions on five major 16th-century issues: their view of political, social, and economic reality; their view of authority and tradition; their view of what it means to be saved; their view of what the church is; their view of what ethics applies in human relations.

The Catholic and Protestant views of political, social, and economic issues were very similar: church and state were closely intertwined and functioned as one reality, and in general, a person could not move out of their divinely ordered place. Anabaptists said that all people are equal and that political and social structures that build layers in society are wrong, and that believers should obey God rather than man when the demands of political authorities differ from the clear commands of Scriptures.

The Catholic and Protestant views of authority and tradition were similar in that both emphasized that truth and grace are contained in, transmitted by, and “grown in” the believer through the sacraments and clergy. Anabaptists generally tried to return to New Testament Christianity, get rid of human traditions and civil/state involvement in church decisions, and root all in the Word, Spirit, and Christian community.

Roman Catholicism taught that by receiving the sacraments, a person received the grace contained in the Sacraments and experienced spiritual transformation as a result of partaking. Medieval pietism (Theologia Deutsch) emphasized an internal transformation as a result of Gelansenheit (abandonment/self-surrender/faith). Luther at first appreciated the view taught in the Theologia Deutsch but then moved toward “justification by faith alone” (justification apart from human involvement). The general Protestant view of salvation emphasized the imputation of the sinner’s sins to Christ on the cross and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the sinner who believes the historical facts of Christ’s death for them. Anabaptists understood salvation in the Theologia Deutsch tradition and emphasized repentance and faith as prerequisites for baptism/salvation and transformation of heart and life as the necessary fruit of salvation.

Both Roman Catholicism and Protestants taught that the church is present where the sacraments are properly administered. Anabaptists said the church is present wherever those who trust and follow Christ are gathered.

In relation to what ethics apply in human relations, the Orders were expected to live out the love ethic in a different way than the rest of society. Protestants generally viewed the Sermon on the Mount as applying to a future Kingdom. Anabaptists said believers are called to practice the Sermon on the Mount, to follow the example of Christ, and to resist evil without violence or carnal force, and to suffer wrong.

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The sermon focuses on the resurrection of Jesus and how it transformed the disciples from shock and hopelessness to understanding and boldness. The disciples received grace and a sending mandate to bring about the obedience of faith among all nations. The purpose of the resurrection is a radical change inside of us and in how we live. We too can be captivated by the resurrection and transformed by it.

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These are important issues and they do matter and have practical implications.

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Bread in the Old Testament – People have eaten bread for years. Bread is mentioned many times in the OT. Bread was the number one food eaten in the OT. Where there was famine, bread is what was usually mentioned. The Israelites cried to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt for bread. Elijah went to the widow and asked for bread. The Passover feast used unleavened bread. Bread is the symbol of God’s care for his people.

Many OT stories revolve around grain. Manna – the bread of heaven – was sent to the children of Israel. It was not bread but they could grind it and make bread. Manna was a symbol of God’s miraculous care and faithfulness during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

Bread was sometimes used when making a vow. Hannah brought bread when she brought Samuel to the temple. It was a free-will offering demonstrating that they were giving away some of God’s provision for them.

Bread in the New Testament – Jesus is the Bread of Life. He fed the 5000 men, women, and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish. The people followed him. Jesus said they wanted free food, but their focus was wrong. Their focus should have been on the Son of Man who is our heavenly bread. Maybe we haven’t supped on the real living bread.

Jesus was willing to be broken so we can be made whole. In our communion service, we look back 2000 years and see the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Our hearts need to be ready for this. We realize we are not taking communion to get a heart change but God can change our hearts.

We usually throw broken things away. In the Garden of Eden there were broken relationships but God didn’t get rid of them. He sent Jesus. The only way to heal us is to allow Jesus to be broken for us. Jesus uses broken things to further his purposes.

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God has tasked us to help others learn about His love and be good examples of His followers. We should use our individual talents and abilities to work together and help God accomplish what He needs. People have been given different abilities and resources and we should leverage them to do good.

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Jesus came to the world to show us a path to living with love and joy in difficult times. Our lack of faith may limit us from seeing God’s love and miracles. We can make God’s work manifest in our life by helping and loving others.

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Everyone should show love and kindness towards one another like a family. God speaks to us through the Bible, church, and our own hearts. Show love and grace to others in our church family.

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Jesus came to Earth to show us that we can gain a new family if we accept Him. God helps us find our purpose in life. We can thank God for always being with us and showing us love.

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God loves us and has a unique plan for each individual. We can be strong by helping one another and God can use our weaknesses for good

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God wants us to be actively involved in building His church. To become part of His kingdom, we need to follow Jesus and may have to suffer on the journey. Paul was an example of actively striving for a relationship with God and was rewarded with joy for his effort. God wants us to work together, be brave, and try our best to honor Him, even if we make mistakes. God rewards us with joy when we actively participate in building His church.

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Jesus invited everyone to a special wedding celebration, with no limitations on attendance. Some people chose not to attend, despite the invitation. God wants us to help others and put Him first, and be a good example to our children. Accepting Jesus allows us to join the wedding feast and be ready for when the bridegroom comes.We should follow Jesus and take care of others who follow Him as well. In order to be ready for when Jesus returns, so that we can go to a special place made just for us. Today is the day to follow Jesus and get ready for His big wedding party.

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The farm illustrates how we must let go of the old self and live in humility to reap the benefits of the Gospel. God’s Word is sent out like red clover on a farmer’s tractor, to be planted in different people’s hearts. Farmers must plant things in order to harvest, and it is important to show others the good example of the Gospel. Sharing God’s love with neighbors can bring us closer to God and grant us blessings.

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God created a family of people, and taught us to love and care for one another. Believing in Jesus gives us spiritual birth and access to God’s family with eternal life. God loves us and gives us a fresh start through the Holy Spirit. We should show our love to God by living a life of sacrifice and following His example. God wants us to have a loving father, either earthly or Him, and helps us be successful. We are part of Jesus’ family and should help, love, and protect each other. Jesus has won the battle against Satan and will protect us and give us an inheritance. We have an eternal investment in Heaven with Jesus.

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We recently visited some beautiful cathedrals. Bad things, such as earthquakes, can still occur despite God living inside believers. We all help build the Church of Jesus Christ, which is made up of people and is founded on Jesus. We must trust in Jesus and look to the Bible for guidance when making decisions. Choices have consequences that are determined by God. It is important to build a secure foundation, so that the church can be a safe place for all. The pastor was constructing a church, but it must be built on the teachings of Jesus and his followers. Strong teams don’t always win; God wants us to join Him in building a powerful church.

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God created the Church to be a big family that works together and brings light into the world. Everyone has unique skills and qualities that can help the Church be strong and healthy. It is important to take care of both our physical and spiritual health. Show kindness and understanding instead of judgment towards those in need. Come together to support one another, just like a big family. Love one another and follow Christ’s example no matter the situation. The Church works best when everyone contributes their unique skills and qualities. All should have pride in Jesus to make the Church strong and happy.

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Paul encourages us to form a church community that functions like a family. Jesus teaches us that people need to help each other to be strong and unified. The early church was a close-knit community that shared, prayed, and helped each other to live like Jesus. God wants us to be part of a family that shares, prays, and disciplines one another with love. We should help and care for each other, talk about our problems, and be honest in order to fight addictions. We should practice loving one another in the church to become better people. Jesus encourages us to be like a big family and to love and take care of each other.

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Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be enthralled and captured by salvation and the provision of Jesus without giving much thought to ourselves? What does salvation mean?

I am born again and have eternal life because I believe in Jesus who is the source of life. When Jesus talks about eternal life he is not only focusing on our life after death but the quality of life we can have now. Born again means born from above. It is like the wind blowing; we can’t analyze it or control it. It happens because of the Holy Spirit’s work.

I have repented and have been converted. Repentance is a change of mind, sorrow for sin, and the effects of my sin on others, turning towards God and away from sin. It is the result of God’s mysterious work in my heart -” Holy Spirit wind.”

I am forgiven. Forgiveness could not be achieved through the Law of Moses. Forgiveness is connected to the shedding of the blood of Jesus which we have to believe. He bore everyone’s sins to the cross.

I am regenerated. Regeneration literally translated means again born. Regeneration is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit, which results in a changed heart.

I belong to Christ. One of the worst conditions anyone can be in is floating in space and not belonging to anyone or God. Belonging to Christ is a beloved state to be in. Christ has affection for his people. Believers are family members. We have a heart union with Christ and all his character qualities are available to us.

I am being delivered from the devil and sin. I am set free from Satan, the kingdom of darkness, guilt, and the habits of sin. We have been in bondage since the fall and are still in bondage today by so many fleshly things. Deliverance is rooted in Christ’s past and present work today.

I belong to Abraham’s family of faith. Abraham is an example of how we can be justified through faith. God called him a righteous man. Abraham is the father of all who believe, both Jews and Gentiles.

I am justified. Rom. 4 says a person is justified when his faith is counted for righteousness.

I can participate in God’s kingdom. We are not saved so that we can go to heaven but so we can participate in God’s kingdom here on earth.

I am baptized and filled by the Holy Spirit.

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We can choose to grow old happily and God can help us do it through His love. To live a life that honors God and leaves a good legacy for future generations, we must work for it. Put God first, stay healthy, and do good things so that we can grow old happily with God’s help. Instead of chasing things that will soon be gone, seek God’s words for an abundant life. Growing old gracefully means learning more about Jesus and what He teaches us. Be kind, loving, and humble, and learn from the wisdom of those who came before us. If we love God and our neighbor, we can glorify God and become like strong and fruitful palm trees in our old age.

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The early church was a close-knit community that followed Jesus, shared possessions, and welcomed new members. Preaching was used to help people understand God and grow closer to Him. The Great Awakening was a time when churches became very active, and people read and listened to the Bible to learn about God. Reading Scripture helps us to learn about Jesus and how we should live righteously. The Bereans believed in Jesus after checking if what Paul said was true, and were very noble. Read the Bible, think and learn about it, and try to follow its teachings. Invite others to church to learn about God, just like D.L. Moody and the early Christians did. Ask Jesus to help us find people to use our services.

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Modesty is a quality that is important for both men and women to have and involves being polite and respectful to each other.

It helps us to become closer to God and live in a balanced way.

Modesty is about showing good manners and is not about controlling what men think.

God wants us to be modest, respectful, and kind to take care of each other.

We should not let anyone do bad things.

By being modest, we can show the world our special and honorable characters.

Scriptures used: Ruth, 1 Timothy, James, 1 Peter, Revelation

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Are we doing all that we can or should? Are we focused on the kingdom? Are we holding the ropes? Let us pray together that great work may be begun.

Scriptures used: Ruth, Job, Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah, Jonah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, 1 Thessalonians, James

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Scriptures used: Ruth, Ezra, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Galatians, Colossians, James

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This is probably not a message your home pastor would preach. Ministry is work, yes it is a joy and a blessing but ministry is work. Sometimes it can be a heavy load. God gives grace and strength but ministry is often heavy and hard work. The church has a responsibility to know and appreciate […]

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We should be intentional about the things we leave to those who come behind us. We are also following in the paths of those who have gone before us too. What kind of legacy will we leave behind us when we leave this world? What is the difference between a legacy and a way of […]

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Shalom is one of the keywords of the Torah. God is the source of shalom. All of the separation that happened after the fall in the garden of Eden happened because of the breaking of shalom. As much as we are able to we have a responsibility to achieve our brother’s wholeness, completeness, and perfection. […]

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Singing and praying can take the ideas in our minds and take them deeper into our person to impact our hearts and souls. An essential purpose of congregational singing is to worship and praise God. Beautiful singing is lovely. The kind of songs we listen to and sing individually affect our feelings and beliefs. The […]

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God used Ezra and other men for other things, but he used a burdened Nehemiah and directed him to do something about the wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s example of leadership should challenge us, he said “come, let us,” true leadership invites partnership and walking with those under the leadership. Likewise, Jesus works with us, he […]

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We are here this morning to remember Christ and His work for us on the cross. There are lots of scriptures that we can look at this morning. There are man types and shadows that we won’t have time to look at here, but we want to celebrate Christ and what He has done for […]

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This is a “pre communion” sermon and the question that we want to consider is “do we have a clear conscience?” Paul says that he has a clear conscience, and he says some things about why he has a clear conscience. In the first chapter, Paul entreats the people at Corinth to agree with each […]

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The early church met in homes and it wasn’t until the time of Constantine that they started building larger churches. Often if you go to Central America you’ll often find small houses around huge churches. God is too big to build into a house. No matter how big you make a house it’s just not […]

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As we think about a godly old man, what could bring more joy to him than to see his children walking in the faith and raising godly children. Dads are heroes to their children. Dads, are you the kind of man that you want your sons to become? Are you the kind of person you […]

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This morning we’ll be talking about everyday life… the thread of eternity runs through our ordinary lives. There are several common issues that arise during the process of transplanting these little baby strawberry plants. Lend A Hand to the Struggling Despite the snail’s crawling pace, often one of the planters will fall behind in getting […]

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Good solid men in our society are becoming more and more scarce. This morning we’ll be talking about young men. Godly young men are fundamental in establishing and leading out in Christian homes. There is no better time for young men, or anyone, to start remembering their creator than in the days of their youth.

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Acts chapter three is the core of what we want to talk about, but there are some peripheral things that we’ll be looking at here as well. Are we just following teachings we’ve been taught all of our lives? Is the foundation of the gospel something that we can build on?

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The focus in these verses that we’re going to be looking at this morning is putting off the old self and putting on the new self. The KJV begins verse 5 by talking about putting to death, which does sound like a battle! Two questions. Who is this new self that we are called to […]

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This morning we’re going to talk about what anger is. Is it wrong to become angry? As well as some other things around anger and what God has to say about anger. So, what is anger? It is an emotion or a range of emotions. It can vary from being hopping mad to just being […]

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Parents and pastors and teachers must be mature enough to do what is right for the child and not just what is the easiest. Children need help to learn, boundaries, instruction, etc. Children need an example, they need to see their parents living what they say they believe. The Christian tradition and all that really […]

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Paul says that asceticism and mysticism are a failure to understand and experience the death and resurrection of Christ inside ourselves. Paul talks about a philosophy of men, contrasted with who Christ is and living an ordered life out of this living in Christ. How are we raised with Christ? What is the result of […]

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This is one of the most difficult chapters in the Bible. Some of the verses are hard to understand. We don’t know exactly what all the errors were that Paul was addressing. Paul criticizes four things that we may or may not be guilty of. The philosophy of man is the foundation for the three […]

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We are always called as Christians to be more fervent in our love, for God and for each other. Love must be everywhere that Christians are. God is love, so His children should portray that characteristic as well. The Christian home is the workshop where love is to be first felt, watched, learned, and observed […]

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The purpose of Paul’s struggle for the Colossians church. He wanted to encourage their hearts as they are knit together in love, in close fellowship. The value of this exhorting is in direct proportion to the knitting together in love. Being “knit together” is to be welded together in genuine unity. He also wanted them […]

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Think of a famous event that happened in your lifetime. Often you’ll remember exactly where you were, and what was happening around you. You’ll remember what was going on in your heart, in your life. Our human tendency is to forget. Things that happen in our lifetime are important, and things that happened before we […]

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Jesus interprets the character/purpose of the meal as a covenant-making event. This covenant is one that Jesus is making with every person who is unable to save himself, who is unworthy to sit at the table and partake with Christ, he is not able to make himself good enough or valuable enough to sit at […]

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Man has tried to elevate society to a place where it functions at its best. The reason it has always failed is that the human problem of sin, greed, etc has never been dealt with. When God made man, He didn’t just have the body and its biology in mind. All life originates with God. […]

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We have lots of competing demands on our time. It is very helpful to know helpful to have a top priority that we can filter things through. Matthew 6 – Jesus gave his disciples a number one priority. The Kingdom of God is something that Jesus talked about quite a bit, like a treasure hidden […]

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When we are having communion we are remembering the Lamb of God, His blood applied to our lives. No one enjoys death, not even Jesus. Jesus wrestled with His flesh and won. “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Jesus, walking by the Spirit, showed us how to live. He showed us how to die. […]

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Deliverance – we are rescued from the power of darkness, the domain of darkness. This is in sharp contrast to the life spoken of at the end of verse 12. This rescue includes a change in ownership, we are qualified to be children of light by an act of God in us. Translation – we […]

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David had confidence in facing Goliath because the Lord was his shepherd. The Lord had shown up for him in the past, and David had faith that he would do it again. David could identify with the picture of the man who stole his neighbor’s sheep. It stirred up the exact feelings in David that […]

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Do you know what a standard measurement is? It is a way of measuring things specified by country, or group of countries. Inches, gallons, liters, centimeters, etc. There would be a lot of confusion if there wasn’t a standard to work off of. What is a good way to measure music? If we have a […]

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What is a good method for choosing good music? This morning we are going to look at some music tests that should be helpful for all of us. We all have personal tastes and opinions that form how we look at music. Personal tastes and opinions are not enough for looking at and deciphering what […]

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Music can grab our attention like nothing else. Does the devil know that? Yes, he does… In seconds most of us can get a message from music. Music is communication. Music has a tendency of going right past all the less personal communication zones straight to the intimate zone. Music matters, we need to be […]

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What matters more in a song? The music or the words? A lot of people think that music is amoral, neither right or wrong. Is a single note right or wrong? Is a single letter right or wrong? Music, in and of itself sends a message. Music, or most of it, is not neutral. Can […]

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When a subject is controversial we tend to not want to bring it up. We all have different opinions on music, there is room for differences. Is music important to you? To some people, it is more important to some people than others, but music is very important to most of us and affects us […]

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Paul is talking about how people live. In very practical ways how they move, how they walk humbly and worthily. Paul says this is done as we do four things. Bearing fruit – walking worthy of the Lord Increasing in the knowledge of God – the knowledge of God is a source of truth as […]

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Peter’s message here is for the church. The fact that Jesus is going to return is not something that is new to us, but this morning we want to be reminded about Jesus’ return for the church. There will be (are) scoffers and mockers who deny that Jesus will return. “Where is the promise of […]

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There is a sense in which this morning where we should be taking the shoes off of our feet. We are about to tread on holy ground as we look at this precious prayer. Jesus our Lord was a praying man, He prayed a lot. We only have a few sketches of Jesus praying in […]

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This evening we’d like to look some at the story of Daniel. Daniel chapter 6 is quite a few years after chapter 1. Our convictions in many ways are shaped and formed by our consciences. Our character reveals what our convictions really are. It is the inward conviction to do right to the highest standard […]

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Not only does God’s Word teach us how to live, but it also gives us examples of men and women who actually lived such lives. The faithfulness of the Rechabites had been continuing for generations and generations. If the Lord tarries for another 300 years, may he find our children and our children’s, children standing […]

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The brain is a computer, as well as a chemical factory. Scientists and doctors have a limited understanding of how all the circuits and chemicals of the brain work together. The apostle Paul is reminding the church at Corinth of how he had come to them a number of years earlier. He had determined to […]

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This evening we’ll be looking at three men who desired to follow Jesus. For us to understand properly we need to understand the context that Jesus gives these words in. What was Jesus experiencing? Jesus was on a mission, He was on the way to Jerusalem. The Call to Follow Christ Requires a Commitment This […]

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The Word of God is for all people, wherever we find ourselves, God’s Word is for all of us. It is our desire to better understand scripture and to grow in wisdom, but just because we haven’t discovered it yet doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. 1 Thessalonians 3 – Pray that the Word of […]

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Biblical forgiveness must be conditioned upon repentance. Repentance is a turning and changing, and a recognition of what was being done was a sin. God is perfect and holy and in no way in need of our forgiveness. We may feel angry at God, but he doesn’t need our forgiveness. When horrific evil takes place, […]

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In the fall from fervently following Christ to bitterly opposing Him, there is a state of sluggishness that occurs. The writer Hebrews says this can happen, but he doesn’t want it to happen to the reader. In verse 13 we have an example of Abraham. We have a God who promised, and we have Abraham […]

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You’ve heard the saying “the devil is in the details.” This means that the idea sounds simple, but the success of the plan depends on the little plans of the details. This morning we’ll be looking at how God cares about, arranges, and notices the details. The God Who Cares About Details 2 Kings 6 […]

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Communion symbolizes why Jesus came. Our commemoration of Christs death and remember His life and sacrifice is symbolized and typified in the symbols of communion. In a larger picture, our lives need to be an extension of what communion is all about. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – Paul was not one of Jesus 12 disciples, so […]

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Each verse from 6-10 here in 1st John is written as a condition and if that condition is met there is a result. According to scripture, no one can have peace with God and live in known sin at the same time. The remedy for this condition is to walk in the light and to […]

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The mission of the early church is found in the words of Jesus in Matthew. To grow people into whatever it is that Jesus wants them to do by immersing them in scripture, the presence of other believers, and discipling each other for spiritual and emotional growth. In order to fulfill this mission, a church […]

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In Genesis, we have the story of Joseph. Joseph’s response to his brothers when they came down to Egypt to get food during the famine is an incredible act of kindness. Joseph had the power to do whatever he wanted to his brothers, instead, he chose to forgive them. Joseph believed that God had a […]

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Colossians 1:1-12 – Paul starts out by talking about people, himself, Timothy. Paul refers to himself as an Apostle, called and appointed by God. Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father, Paul viewed him as a “son in the faith.” Colossians is addressed to the “saints.” This is a position then, separated to […]

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Introduction: Theme verses: Fear not, Mary; you have found favor with God and will conceive and bear a Son, for nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:30-31, 37). How does a person capture the awe and wonder and even fear that Mary and Joseph and Zechariah and Elizabeth experienced? How can we enter into the […]

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John 3:14-21 – As we learn to know the love of God, it will change us. There is condemnation talked about here, but Jesus explained to Nicodemus that God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. The primary purpose of Christ coming to earth is to redeem […]

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1 Kings 19 – This is when Elijah realized that his life was in danger and that Jezebel was out to get him. God was present with Elijah and He met his need! John the Baptist is someone that we know a decent amount about. He was a cousin to Jesus, and he paved the […]

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This first verse kind of sums up the first part of this chapter. If we are doing our good works for the sake of others, that’s as much benefit as we’ll receive from it, there is no eternal reward. Jesus gives three examples of areas that we are prone to do our acts of righteousness […]

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We often look at life and wonder how we’re doing. How are your dreams? Are they on track? If your childhood dreams haven’t worked out, let’s take a look and see if we can reevaluate some of these things. Many times the things that we think will bring happiness, money, homes, wives, husbands, etc. indeed […]

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1 Corinthians 11:17-22 – Paul admonishes them about a sin that they were committing when they come together for a “love feast.” The early church celebrated a feast meal prior to communion. They also had the Lord’s Supper at least weekly (if we understand correctly). Paul is correcting them for selfishness and for lack of […]

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1 Corinthians 11, 2 Corinthians 4:7 – God knows what we are made of, He knew how his disciples struggled. Peter, even with the best of intentions denied Jesus. He knows how the weaknesses that we have in our flesh affect us. Mark 11:1-33 – Jesus was coming into Jerusalem riding the donkey, He was […]

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This discipline, this training, it takes work. Because I care, I am willing to sacrifice. In training our children, we need a no pain, no gain attitude. We have only one life to impart a faith that can save our children. God wants us to communicate our story to our children. tell them what God […]

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In the last message we addressed the role of the husband to lead. Now we will look at the role of his help-meet. Women are designed to care for others, and to help; even in the temptation in the garden, Satan appealed to Eve’s desire to help. When we sin, we often try to cover […]

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We see men that are turning away from leading the home, the church, etc. It’s time for us to step up to the plate and lead spiritually. We are supposed to lead. It is God’s design. It is His proper order of headship. We need to take this seriously, to be committed personally to Jesus […]

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Struggle is a theme from Genesis to Revelation. There is a worship that God delights in and there is one that He doesn’t. There is one that He accepts and one that He does not. Truly worship expands beyond what we do on Sundays. How do we prepare to worship? Most of us dressed up […]

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This morning we’ll be looking at two groups of people in the Bible. Both are having a “frustrated religious experience.” The motivation of this sermon is just to remind us of some basic principles. Isaiah 58 & 59 – This group of people was not doing well, but they are described as seeking God daily […]

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God could have made a completely utilitarian creation. He could have made things a lot “uglier” and they would have worked “fine” but that isn’t what He did! He created a world that is wonderful to see and hear and be a part of. God is righteous and good and we are not… yet that […]

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Our hands are very useful things. We can probably all think of someone who is missing arms, or fingers, or legs. For folks in this situation normal things are more difficult, they can usually adapt, but things are more complicated. Why would God want to limit Himself to work through our hands? He is the […]

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The main text for this sermon is Psalm 96. A homework assignment for you. What percentage of singing referred to in the Bible is “group” singing, as opposed to “individual” singing? Singing is useful in teaching and admonishing one another. Singing together provides the music for the worship service. The Bible commands us to sing […]

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Matthew 16:4 – Jesus often used the phrase “follow me” when he was inviting people to be His disciple. If we want to be followers of Jesus we should watch how He lived and take up His cross, the life He has for us, and follow Him. We are all “little” in God’s sight. Jesus […]

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Matthew 6:19-34 – So, what is a treasure? A dictionary would say it is wealth, money, jewels, stored up. Something of great worth and value. For this message we’ll say, a treasure is “that which is valued most, desired most, is most dear to us.” Earthly treasure is temporary. It will perish. There are many […]

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Distractions are everywhere. Have you ever started on something, got half way and then got hung up on some details? The enemy is constantly looking for ways to defeat the work that God is doing in the local church. We must not miss what Christ has for the church because the church itself is in […]

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God has a reason for salvation, and grace needs to be worked out and expressed in the way that we live. A new Christian can sleep well at night, his sins are forgiven, he can be secure in God’s grace. Yes, there are things to do, but he can rest in Christ. We as humans […]

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Philemon 1:1-25 – Onesimus, the slave of Philemon was suddenly gone. He didn’t show up, he had run away. Even before running away Onesimus was already a disappointment, he wasn’t a very good servant. How might Paul and Onesimus connected in Rome? We don’t know. Did things get bad for Onesimus and he hit bottom […]

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2 Timothy 2 – When we talk about God being absolutely faithful we mean it is an absolute truth, it isn’t going to change. There is no circumstance or factor that changes this truth. If we endure, we will also reign with Him. God does have a plan for us, this plan is in the […]

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Grace is what God does… faith, belief, these are the things that are part of our “mustard seed” response to God’s offer. If we respond in faith it results in a “new birth” or the “beginning of the salvation journey.” One thing that is a common thread between the newest most immature babe in Christ, […]

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Romans 8:28 – This is probably one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, right up there with John 3:16. What does it mean for us? Many of us one way or another have experienced hard things in life. Sometimes these hard things are short-lived and then life is back to normal. When those […]

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Whosoever will may come. Whoever desires to, is invited to come to Jesus. These are great invitations, Jesus says that few will respond to his invitation. We’ve sung the song “Just As I Am” many times. Though it is often sung at revival meetings, it seems like it is applicable to all of a Christians […]

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Text: Matthew 28:18-20 Other Scriptures referred to: Habakkuk 2:2; Acts 2, 4; Acts 10, 11; Galatians 2:11; Acts 15; Colossians 2 Characteristics of a New Testament church: It has a mission or purpose (Matthew 28:18-20) It has a shared vision of what God wants to accomplish through this church It has struggled with relational and […]

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Esther was a remarkable lady. She was born with some handicaps but she didn’t let them stop or discourage her, she was a cheerful soul. She was contented, and at peace with how things were. Esther may not have moved gracefully or easily, but she did move. She had limitations, what can a person with […]

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1 Thessalonians 5:11-15 – These are instructions to every member of the church in Thessalonica to comfort one another. Always pursue what is good for both yourselves and for all. Do all of these things in patience. Some churches would say, and would actually have it written in their constitution, that church member problems are […]

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Matthew 28:18-20 – The mission of the church of Jesus Christ is to make disciples of all nations. Disciples who are formed into the character of Christ. We are called to bring people into a yielded heart relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord. Galatians 4:19 – That Christ may be formed in you. Seeing Christ […]

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What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh? There are several ideas, but it seems to be some kind of “bodily ailment.” What does God mean by “weakness?” When God says that His grace is made perfect in weakness He isn’t talking about character flaws. God can do more through weak people. God’s power can do […]

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It isn’t that we’re so strong, it is that we are under God’s control and choose to be gentle no matter what situation we find ourselves in. We often think of cowardly, weakness, etc when talking about meekness, but that isn’t the real definition of meekness. If you care deeply about something you’ll find your […]

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Matthew 6:9-15 – We know that God’s will is not done on earth as it is in heaven… so how does this prayer even begin to be answered? A lack of cooperation is a trait of untrained, unbroken horses. They are big and strong and can be dangerous if they are not under control. To […]

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It starts in Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… God saw it all, and it was good! After Adam and Eve sinned, entropy began. Everything that has order, moves towards chaos. The only way to maintain that order is through an intelligent outside force. Just as a worn-out and wrecked […]

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Our attitude affects us, but it also affects those around us. We do have something to say in our current attitudes. There is a lot of teaching here that applies to everyone in the church, not just Elders. 1 Peter 5:1-4 – Peter first reminds his readers that he is qualified to talk to them […]

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We all know that good relationships make life much more enjoyable. In 1 John 4 we get a clear picture and reminder that our love for each other and our love for God are very much connected. We’ve probably all heard of cure-alls or home remedies that can fix just about anything. When we read […]

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Ephesians is full of lofty ideas. Sometimes they are ideas that dig deep inside. Our focus this morning is on three mysteries that are discussed in Ephesians. The Mystery of God’s Redemption in Christ Ephesians says quite a bit about redemption in Christ. Some of it is simple, and some of it is more complex […]

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Peter talks about a number of things but keeps coming back to the theme of a limited amount of time, there is an end coming. The question then is how should I be using the time I have left? Christians need to keep learning to think like Jesus. People who think like Jesus are a […]

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We are so worried about a works religion that we don’t want to talk about practical things. What are we doing with our stuff? What are we doing with this world? The goal of true religion is perfection and God loves people who are patiently pursuing that goal. Do you have a passion for being […]

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Matthew 5 deals with moral issues, chapter 6 deals with Christian piety and the spiritual aspects of our lives. Matthew 6:16-18 – Jesus assumes that we will fast, He says, “when you fast.” The Jews were really involved in fasting. To the Jews, fasting was a sign of repentance. The senses are heightened during fasting. […]

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Tonight we are talking about resistance against evil, and against those who harm us. Unlimited love was definitely shadowed within the Old Testament. Jesus said that He had come not to destroy lives but to save them. Jesus demonstrated a better way. We are called to a battlefield, we are fighting a real battle, but […]

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The law was intended for our well-being. God mercifully telling His people how to live. God created the universe, He was telling man right upfront how the universe should be worked with. Man needs law, our wills are lazy. We need the reminder that we need to do some things. We are clever at making […]

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Joy is the infallible evidence of God’s grace in life. The beatitudes don’t leave us staring at the heavens but at a scared and messed up humanity. The Lord really wants to perfect us. We empty ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Does the Spirit get all of you when you become a […]

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Jeremiah 10:23 – Right action isn’t intuitive, it doesn’t make sense to forgive, to give your extra money away, to turn the other cheek. Jesus bases His Kingdom on a radically transformed character. Matthew 5 – Did you ever wonder why the sermon on the mount doesn’t start with the new birth? The beatitudes are […]

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God has given us desires, we need to know how to use these desires properly, but the desires themselves are from God. The problem with these desires is that the devil takes these desires and perverts it. God’s righteous rule is just, and kind, and good, and right. The problem is that the gospel is […]

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The issue with a fishhook in the finger is not the fishhook so much as the barb on the end of the fishhook. This little tiny barb makes all the difference in the world! If you have something in your eye, it doesn’t need to be very big at all to potentially do a lot […]

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Ephesians 6:10-20 – We won’t be specifically talking about the armor that is covered here. We read about the spiritual life being a journey sometimes, but it is not just a leisurely stroll, it is often a battle. There is opposition all along the way. Matthew 26 and 27 – We know the story of […]

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This morning we are going to look at John 15:9-17 – What a packed portion of scripture. Looking at God’s love is such a vast and unsearchable depth.

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1 Peter 3:13-17 – Peter asks a rhetorical question here, and the implied answer is “No one.” The whole letter from Peter kind of expects persecution, he is writing to people who are in the middle of suffering. Peter is saying that there is a sense in which no one can harm God’s children. We know […]

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Regardless of when you hear this, the fact is that the present is always a good time to be preparing for the future. 2 Corinthians 4:16 – Even if it is March, there is time to start the things you need to be working on. The top 13 New Years’ resolutions include things like, lose […]

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Matthew 5:13-16 – We know that large crowds were following Jesus as He went around to teach and heal people in different towns. Jesus was seeking out the ones who were outcasts and were despised. Jesus was speaking to people who believed Him and were receptive to Him. Jesus had just started His ministry and […]

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It is an extremely daunting task for a church to figure out how to apply or pursue the vision that they agree upon as their mission. When you try to put this into words and develop a framework in a church it can be quite challenging. We are guilty at times when it comes to […]

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1 Corinthians 11 – Paul was addressing this issue because he felt like it needed attention. We aren’t talking about this morning because we need a major overhaul, but rather to encourage what we’re currently doing. God has a plan for order, when we fit into His order, that is the best place that we […]

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Philippians 3 Pressing Forward and Forgetting the Past We are in the first month of a new year, and I wonder if you have made any new year’s resolutions, or thought about how you want to live this year, or thought about whether the direction of your life and the target you are aiming at […]

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This is a New Years’ message… sort of. Looking back at 2020 a lot of us would say that it was a very challenging year and we’re hoping that 2021 will be a better year. Regardless of what this new year brings we can know that God will be faithful. We all need wisdom, for […]

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James 4:14 – We aren’t here for very long, even for those who live many years it is a short time. Knowing Jesus gives us a bright and very different perspective about brother Wesley’s passing. Because of Jesus, it is possible in grief and loss to have a great and settled hope. John 3:16 – […]

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There were many people who were looking for the Messiah! Simeon and Anna praised and blessed God. The shepherds believed when the angels appeared and told them about Jesus. There was sickness and death and cruelty and injustice in the world when Jesus, the Messiah, came to earth. He provided a hope, and a peace, […]

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This morning we’re going to focus briefly on some of the miracles surrounding God’s supreme gift of His Son. The virgin conceived and the “Word who was in the beginning” came to earth as a baby. In Christ’s birth God is with us. Christ’s self-sacrifice can transform us into humble servants. John 1:1-2 – The […]

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Matthew 5, Luke 6 – Here we have a list of things that Jesus values. He promises to bless us if we have these values. We live in a world that has a very different value list than what Jesus talks about here. The rewards for these kinds of people are all about pleasing ourselves […]

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If you listen to the things around us it is troubling. There are many troubles in the world. Beyond this, we all have our own troubles and burdens. We live in a fallen world, there are physical consequences of the fall that we all experience. What role does faith have in life being what it […]

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There is a phrase that is often used to talk about helping someone through the end of life journey “walking someone home.” This world is not our home. Walking someone home means going as far as we can with someone towards their destination. Brotherhood looks appealing, maybe even inexpensive. The fact is though that good […]

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1 Peter 3:1-22 Let’s take care of each other. Let’s fight evil with good. Let’s stay the course. Let’s be growing in brotherly love towards each other. Christians should have a special love towards each other. One exercise to think about here if you have a sibling that you really love, is there a resemblance […]

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We’re talking together this morning about qualifications for a leader. This is an important part of the life of a church. Our nation just went through an election to choose a leader for our country. The church is not like that! Jesus said that his kingdom is not of this world. It is a holy […]

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When the world is going crazy we need to be doing what we should have been doing all along, going, and looking to Christ. John 15:1-27 – The word of God is all about Jesus. Genesis through Malachi has the theme “He is coming.” The Gospels theme then is “He is here” and the rest […]

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We live in interesting times these days, the issues that our country and the world is facing require a lot of wisdom to get through. Revelation 1:3 – There is a blessing for those who read this book. Regardless of how our week went, God is still on the throne and He is still in […]

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Psalm 116:1-11 – Imagine yourself on a frosty roof for some reason and you slip and fall. As you slide you are grasping and scratching and clawing, but there is no way to stop yourself. This is a very helpless feeling. Sometimes we feel like we are completely helpless. An inner struggle that has gotten […]

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This morning we’ll be looking at a story in the Bible that we have a fair amount of detail about. Sometimes we look at different stories in the Bible and wonder why we hear more about one person in a story than another person in the same story. This morning we are going to be […]

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Children becoming functioning adults doesn’t happen by accident. The opposite is also true, it isn’t an accident when people who have struggles emerge from communities and families. Ezra 8:21 – We are seeking a right way for us. This is what the church of Christ is instructed and authorized to do. The digital revolution has […]

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With all the “stuff” that information technology offers us, are we really coming out on top? We are constantly wired into things that can give us constant anxiety. When we are too thickly immersed in information technology there are certain skills that we fail to develop. It’s not as simple as just counting on the […]

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When we talk about technology we can say that we are living through a revolution. Technology has made huge changes in all aspects of our lives. Revolutions are unsettling, disruptive times. Most Americans now spend a fair amount of time working in front of a screen. A lot of us have a smart phone in […]

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1 Peter 3:1-8 – This sermon is from the same passage we looked at a few weeks ago when we talked about adornment. However we’re looking at it from a different angle this morning. Characteristics of an Excellent Wife An excellent wife needs to be submissive – Peter suggests that the holy women have understood […]

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This morning we’re talking about progressive sanctification. This is a subject that can take hours and hours of a class, so we won’t be able to chase down all details. What do we mean by progressive sanctification? Progressively separated from sin and more dedicated to righteousness with the result being that the Christian becomes progressively […]

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Hebrews 6:1-20 – Paul was an enemy of Christ. We know how he despised the way, and the followers of the way. He persecuted the church in many ways before he was converted… but he was converted! 2 Peter 2:20-22 – There is no question that the person talked about here is at a very […]

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Our goal this morning is to stir up our hearts and minds to understand the true meaning in life. There are many things that can be distractions in our lives. Church problems, health problems, personal problems, etc. John 14:1-7 – Jesus tells us that He is the way, the truth and the life. This morning […]

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Is there a Biblical basis for “looking different” and not “adorning ourselves” with makeup, jewelry, etc. Philippians 2:3-9 – Jesus came to us as a simple, humble, unselfish, man. He was a poor carpenter without a lot of “trappings.” Keep that in mind as we continue on. Peter and Paul on Internal and External Adornment […]

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1 Peter 3:16-17 – We know that Nero was the emperor at this point, he wasn’t kind to many people under him, Christians and non-christians. Peter is talking about the Roman government and he tells us a number of things here. Obey the government. Identify them as God ordained even if they are not Christ-honoring. […]

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We’ve read the Bible, the New Testament and the epistles and the greetings and closing farewell blessings many of them have. They are encouraging to read, but we often buzz over them like they are filler and polite expressions. If we read them thoughtfully though, there is power to be found in those words. Romans […]

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1 Peter 5:5-6 – God is in charge of what happens in our lives and we want to strive for patience as we encounter life’s issues. Isaac doesn’t get a lot of “press” in the Bible. His life only takes up several pages in the Bible, but even a lot of that has to do […]

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Texts used – Luke 14:25-33, Psalm 34:8, Luke 9:23-26, John 15:14, John 16:7, I Peter 4:17, Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus put the cost of discipleship front and center. He did not hide the cost of following Him. He was not very “seeker-sensitive”! Seeing Jesus’ bluntness– why did the crowds stumble over themselves to find Him? He […]

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This is a father’s day sermon, but there are things here for all of us. Ephesians 5:23, Ephesians 6:1-4 – The responsibility is placed on the father for his family.

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Acts 24:14-16 – Paul says that he goes to great lengths to keep a clear conscience before God and his brothers and sisters. Romans 2:14 – The conscience is a gift from God! Paul says that the law is written in our hearts. Even with the infection of sin in the garden, man still has […]

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1 Peter 2:11-25 – This morning we’ll be talking about honorable conduct and how our conduct affects the world around us. We see two possible effects that our conduct can have on the lost around us. First off, they could respond by joining us, this is the outcome we hope for the most! Secondly, they […]

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One thing that isn’t in the book of Daniel is much about his life before he came to Babylon. We don’t know anything about his parents or his siblings. Scripture indicates that he was probably from a royal family. The name Daniel means, “God is my judge.” This was a constant reminder to Daniel that […]

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Are we making the efforts that God expects from serious believers? Are we doing the things that He thinks are important? When things fall apart, what are we left with? What is real when the nonessentials are stripped away? Life is a story. We are writing part of our story today! We have trouble, and […]

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Psalm 24 – The world that we live in is in turmoil. The changes that have happened since the beginning of the year even is incredible. The Bible tells us that there is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God. We want to think about worshiping our King of Glory this […]

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Texts: Matthew 8; Matthew 9:1-8 Other Texts: Matthew 7:28; Matthew 28; Romans 8:31-39; 2 Peter 1:3 What is authority? A definition might be ‘the power to command obedience or the right to control something or someone’. Without authority, it is hard to command anyone to do anything. What gave Jesus His authority? Jesus knew what […]

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Matthew 10:28 – The Bible tells us that we should fear the Lord. Fear is “person specific” you might be scared of snakes, but your siblings might not be scared of snakes. Fear is real. The fact that you think someones fear is a little thing doesn’t mean that their fears aren’t real. Fear is […]

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Zechariah 8 – Speak the truth to one another, execute justice with truth for peace. Perjury is lying after promising to tell the truth. God cares about truth and he expects people to tell the truth. These days we can google things and find anyone’s opinion about what is true. They don’t all agree, so […]

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Mercy and compassion are tied very closely together. Compassion has more the idea of something being done on a physical level, while mercy tends to be on another level, forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it or things like that. Mark 10:46-52 – Bartamaus was a beggar who sat along the road begging. In Jesus time […]

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Hannah was in a marriage that had a second wife. There were many sore spots between the two women. Samuel was born to Hannah, a result of the promise of God. 2 Timothy 1 – Before there was a Timothy, there was a godly mother and grandmother. We don’t know much at all about Timothy’s […]

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1 Peter 1:22-2:12 – Peter is pointing out the huge role that the Word of God has in the life of a Christian. It leads to the new birth. It leads to purification. It gives Christians something to stake their lives on. In verse 22 we see the command to love one another fervently. With […]

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Matthew 5 – Looking at the Lord’s prayer there are a ton of things that could be preached about here. Praying this prayer with sincerity requires us to believe that God is who He is says He is and believe in His Kingdom. We also need to agree with and submit to Him. Our Father […]

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Humility Shares Philippians 2:1-4 – One thing that Paul wanted to see the Philippian church grow in was in their unselfishness and their care for each other. The message here for us is to look out for the good of others, even though it will be difficult. We’ve all been given good things, testimony about […]

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This morning we’ll begin with a brief summary of the resurrection story. The disciples were so sure that Jesus was the Messiah. They had followed Jesus, they saw the lame walk, the blind have their sight restored, they saw Jesus living a perfect and holy life. Peter said emphatically, “You are the Christ, the Son […]

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1 Peter 1:1-21 – The pilgrims we usually think about when we think of the word “pilgrim” journeyed across the ocean right at 400 years ago. They were on a journey, far from home. Peter says that we are pilgrims. We are on a journey, our home is in heaven, not here on earth. Peter […]

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Philippians 3:12-14, Acts 9:15-16 – When Paul was called it was with a bright light and a loud voice. That isn’t usually how it works for us today. Clearly God’s call of Paul was away from his old life to a new and very different one. Ephesians 4:1 – God’s call to us today is […]

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We can have such a wonderful opportunity to come to the Father. Jesus taught us about the good shepherd who knows his sheep, and the sheep know his voice. God wants that for each of us. What does God want to do with His people during this time? Is there something that we need to […]

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Luke 15:20-24 – We are continuing with this story of the prodigal son. How far away from home was this young man? We don’t know for sure, we are told that he went to a far country. Do you suppose that his steps got a bit slower as he got nearer home? We don’t know. […]

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We are servants of the Lord Who is in control of all of this. We don’t have to be troubled and perplexed. Luke 21:25-26, 1 Peter 5:7-11 – Let us not let the things around us in the world shake us too much. Let us instead cast all of our anxiety on the Father! Last […]

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We are so blessed that God is in control. What would happen if our country would become as concerned about our spiritual needs as we are about the Coronavirus. May God remove from us any spirit of distraction and let us turn our face towards Him to hear what He has for us tonight. May […]

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Kintsugi is repair work that mends the breakage with lacquer and then dusted with a powdering of gold or silver or platinum. A piece of pottery that is repaired properly with Kintsugi is of more value than the original, unbroken piece of pottery. God has a process of repairing and mending that is so beautiful. […]

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Whoever you are, God has a particular and unique journey for you. Your life is not by accident it is ordered and directed by the Lord. A closet is a good place to hide when playing hide and seek, but a closet is not a good place to live. It is tight, and stuffy and […]

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We need sensitive spiritual ears. Spiritual ears are imperative to spiritual understanding. There are a number of different ear impairments that sometimes affect our ability to hear with our physical ears. Matthew 11 – Jesus told his disciples that they had had missed at least part of the message that John the Baptist had been […]

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In our fellowship and communion here, may we be drawn to God. In drawing near to God may we also be drawn to each other as well. We need to be careful to not put our roots down too deeply here. As Christians we are strangers and pilgrims here on this earth. Let us be […]

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Colossians 4:2 – “Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.” Prayer is an expression of our heart to God. It is done in faith that God is, and that God is hearing our words. We express to God our longings and our worship. […]

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How to Find Refuge & Comfort in God Psalm 62:1-12 – When you talk with someone who has first hand experience with something it is worth listening to it! David when through many difficult things so when he says that we can trust God to be our refuge, we can believe him! The Difficulty David […]

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Luke 10:38-42 – Distraction is something that we all face, distraction something that prevents us from giving attention to something that is more important. This passage is the story of Mary and Martha. Mary sat and listened, she continued to focus on Jesus and hear His words. Martha was distracted, or troubled with much serving. […]

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We all face decisions every single day. What will I eat for breakfast. Should I read a book? What book should I read? Should I go to college? A lot of times we can wonder if we are making the right decisions. As Christians we are concerned about what God thinks of our decisions and […]

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When we face problems in life we tend to try to fix them on our own. Living the way God wants us to may not be popular or comfortable or easy… but it is the best way. As we look at the world around us we see that having a non resistant position isn’t a […]

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Psalm 61:1-8 – Have you ever felt overwhelmed in life? We all want to feel strong and independent and like we can accomplish things in our lives. We tend to be stubborn and struggle alone for a long time before we get to a point where we admit that we need some help. God has […]

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Matthew 16 – What does “cross bearing mean” it means bearing ones cross and death to self. Facing one direction and not being able to turn around. A man on a cross cannot turn around and look at what is behind him. The man going to the cross does not say “Peter, I’ll see you […]

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Text: 2 Chronicles 14, 15, 16 Other references: Matthew 9:22,23; 9:28-30; Matthew 15:22-28; Matthew 14:22-33; Acts 11:18 Asa sought the Lord in great distress— but did not in smaller things. His life shows a troubling trend of lessening dependence on God. I believe that it’s possible for us maturing Christians to begin to trust in […]

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Texts: Matthew 10:24-39; Matthew 16:21-27; Luke 14:25-33 Companies have their own set of values; People have their own set values. Jesus gave us a unique set of values. These are the values we are to learn in discipleship. Do we live them? Disciples of Jesus value being right with God over being right with men. […]

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Texts used – Matthew 25:4, Ephesians 1:4, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Psalm 23 God knows our frailties. God has provided gracious provisions for us. So that we can respond correctly and grow in character. Only an all knowing God could orchestrate move and work in these kinds of ways. 2 Chronicles 16:9 – […]

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It is a good thing for us to be introspective at this time of the year. It is very important where our hearts are so it is a good thing for us to spend some time considering and thinking about. John 15:1-17 – Vines and fruit. The Passover is at full moon. There’s a good […]

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The first Christmas broke the silence that had been in place for some 400 years. What the people on earth couldn’t see was “the other side.” Heaven was mounting a full scale rescue operation. God was sending forth a living word, in flesh, breaking the silence. Luke 1 – Zechariah was chosen to go in […]

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John 18 – Pilate in the trial of Jesus asked the age old question, “what is truth?” Truth originates with God, it is the self expression of God. It is consistent with who God is. God is who we measure truth by. Today there is so much information that truth can get somewhat muddy. John […]

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Luke 10:25-37 – There are roles in this story that we can identify with at different times in our lives. Parables are interesting. We like stories. Jesus told stories that a lot of people could relate to. His parables should be taken to make a simple point. At times we can try to pull too […]

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We live in a world of many religions and there is a constant call to be more tolerant of other peoples beliefs and views. You have your god and I have mine. Some people would say that it is wrong to claim that “my way is the only way.” This morning we want to look […]

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1 Corinthians 11 – Where Jesus instituted the communion service. We certainly want to remember and think often of what Jesus has done for us, and that is part of why we are here this morning. As we remember Jesus and what he has done, if we really remember him as we should, it brings […]

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There are about 3200 tigers in the wild. There are close to 5000 in captivity, the majority of them are owned by private owners, not zoos. James 3:1-18 – We all make mistakes. Those who are instructing others are in a place that gives them increased opportunity to make mistakes. How We View the Tongue […]

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Text: Revelation 19:1-10; 17, 18 Understanding prophecy is not that you understand how everything will happen but that God will win. We can’t sit back and wait for God to do all the pulling! We must understand that there is a glorious end. When we lose sight of that we get discouraged. He will defeat […]

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Text – Matthew My unofficial title this weekend, is why do church? Church attendance and membership has declined in the west. Large inner city church buildings are being sold. They are being converted into office buildings and gyms. It is a sign of what is happening spiritually, under the surface. There are two factors here: […]

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Text: Ephesians 4:1-16 What are some of the out workings, how we do Church? We might do church in different ways, but each church needs to have certain things. There are some components that are necessary. Key components of the church: Repentance – reorientation of life Separation – a different kingdom Mission – proclaiming the […]

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Text: Colossians 3:1-4; 5-11; 12-17 Other references: Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:1,2; Philippians 3:7; Romans 13:14 You have died an earthly death; And you now have a heavenly life hidden in Christ. As we have put our faith in Jesus, we die and are raised with Him. You are now reconciled with God… It […]

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Galen Yoder – Time & Opportunities Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 4:5, Psalm 90:12, Psalm 39 – A few things for us to think about. Wise people understand the significance of time passing. It is an ordinary event, but it is an important thing to realize. Wise people understand these consequences before they become irreversible. Running out […]

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Matthew 6:9-15 – As Christians we should not be obsessed with the devil. We shouldn’t be constantly fearful or wrapped up in things of the devil and what he is doing now, today. When we hear of evil, or are tempted with evil, we need to remember that he is our enemy, he has clever […]

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John 3:1-21 – Nicodemus doesn’t seem to be like at least some of the other Pharisees. Nicodemus was a man in darkness and he was seeking the light. It is entirely possible that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night just to try to get some answers and he knew that fewer people would be around […]

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Text: Philippians 1:6 (1:1-30) Other References: Ephesians 2:9,10; Romans 8:28,29; Philippians 3:12; Jesus is making a masterpiece of you and me. I pray that you can stop and think on the journey of all the grace that God is pouring out on us. God has a plan for each person— He wants to work His […]

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Matthew 11:11 – Jesus said that John the Baptist was one of the best. This morning we’re going to look at Johns life and some lessons we can learn from his life. There is something inspiring and intriguing about young people who are so on fire for God and that are “consumed” at a young […]

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Isaiah 38 & 39 Have you ever been in really bad shape and thought you might die? Or perhaps you were bad enough off that you kind of wished you could die? Have you been in overwhelming trouble and great distress? What did you do? Have you ever made a poor decision because you were […]

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2 Corinthians 6:11-18 – God is inviting us into a covenant relationship with himself. We should be willing to give up anything that hinders that relationship. God’s desire for a covenant people is present in the Old and New Testaments.

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Philippians 4:1-23 – In Philippians 2 Paul is saying that it is time to get our minds in sync with the mind of Jesus. God created us to live in community and to live with other Christians. In chapter 4, Paul says that the church had a problem. Something was amiss between a number of […]

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Text: John 9: 1-12 – Other references: Matthew 7:25; I Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 6:2; Romans 8:28; II Timothy 1:7; John 16:33; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 8:17 Suffering is something that is all around us, physical suffering, emotional suffering, and suffering that involves both. It a difficult subject. Part of the discussion of suffering is the question […]

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Galatians 5:16-26 – We see here what can happen when the Holy Spirit is working in cooperation with a converted heart and a renewed mind. We see two masters in this passage, the Spirit and the flesh. We also see that these two masters produce vastly different results in the lives of those who follow […]

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This morning we are going to talk about heaven. We want to go there, but we also have heaven here with us now. As we get a little older and feel more aches and pains, as people go on before us we often think about heaven and how wonderful going home will be. The world […]

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What does the New Testament teach about our obligation to the local brotherhood? We are going to look at nine different obligations this morning. They are directed to the body as a whole, not a particular individual. The goal of this message is to remind us of our obligations to each other and to the […]

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Numbers 13 and 14 – This is the story of Israel in the wilderness. The story of the spying out of the land of Canaan by the 12 spies. It is the negative report of the 10 spies and the good report of the 2 spies. The spies went and they returned after 40 days […]

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Jesus always had a connection with people. He always saw their needs and impacted them in some way. How can we be like Jesus? Jesus’ actions came from who he was. He wasn’t trying to “act” a certain way, he wasn’t trying to impress people. Who we are results in actions, either doing the right […]

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Rest is stopping work in order to regain strength and to be refreshed. Our human tendency is to wait to rest until our bodies force us to rest. Galatians 6:9 – Paul wasn’t dump, he knew that people get tired, he got tired to. Rest when you need to but continue doing good even when […]

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Colossians 1, Colossians 3 We are praying in this song (Break Though the Bread of Life) that God would speak to us beyond just the words on the page. The Word is Spirit and life, Christ is life. Colosse was a small town. It had once been a pretty large town, but by this time […]

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Doors that God Opened At times we may wonder if things have gotten out of God’s control. Does He know what I am going through? Is He involved? The goal of this message is to make sure we realize that God is in control. If there are doors in our lives that should be opened, […]

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The world has a way of continually sneaking up on us, so it is always good to be reminded that we need to “put the world behind us.” Mark 10:17-31 – Five things we can learn about following Jesus from the story of the rich young ruler. Three Questions About This Passage Was the rich […]

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Text: Matthew 25:14-30 Parables are simple stories that illustrate spiritual truths. Our job as Christians is to study them to find those truths, while being careful not to over-interpret them and make them say things they don’t say. Who is the man traveling? I believe it is Jesus. (John 14:3) The far country? Heaven. Who […]

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Text: Hebrews 11:1-16 Other References: Hebrews 11:27; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 12:2; Luke 18:7,8 Characteristics of Faith: 1) Faith is led by something beyond the immediately visible (v.15) Christians are strangers and pilgrims, seeking a city God has prepared for us. Above all the other differences, a foreigner is particularly different from those around him in […]

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Luke 18 – How do you think about people who have disabilities, or who aren’t able to do things the way that you do? Exodus 22 and 23, Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 12 and 24 – What do you think God thinks about abortion and the things that are being said by people today about children? […]

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A second evening talk from our neighbor to the north. Freeman Miller talking about child training. Here is a link to the first.

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Jeremiah 17:9 – We are good at hiding our motives— even from ourselves. Isaiah 64:6 – It’s easy to look back at ancient Israel and say that about them… But what about us? So often our motives are not good either. Psalms 139:1,2 – God knows our hearts. I would like to first discuss some […]

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Text: Ephesians 3 and 4 Are you experiencing all the blessings that God has to offer you in brotherhood? What makes the difference between a mediocre Church and an outstanding Church? It seems disrespectful almost to rate a church like we would food or other products. But what determines the success of a Church? What […]

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Numbers 14:21 – But truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Habakkuk 2:14 – For all the earth will be filled wit the knowledge of the Lord, as the water covers the sea. Genesis 6:11 – It didn’t take long for the beautiful earth that God […]

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The Old Testament anticipates Christ; The New Testament reveals Him. The Bible has 66 books; Writers were from very different times; and thier was a gap of hundreds of years between the Testaments— And yet it is entirely unified. Key to this is the focus on Christ, in every book. In Genesis, Jesus is present […]

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Theme verse: 2 Timothy 3:16 We believe that almighty God decided to write His Word for us to read. He gave us the gift of His Word through men moved by the Holy Spirit. He has given us ALL that we needed. Jesus is central to God’s plan. He told us before He left that […]

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“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness… for they will be filled!” Psalm 84 – This is one of several Psalms written by the sons of Korah. The writer of this Psalm is crying out for God. He is even jealous of the birds that get to be there at all times! Christians […]

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Wayne spent the first hour of the service Sunday morning telling stories to the children. This is that session…

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Romans 14:1-23 My prayer is that the things I share from Romans will give you a hunger to search for the deep things of God. The principles Paul gives are timeless and firmly anchored in divine revelation. Beginning in verse one, Paul exhorts us to accept the one who is weak in the faith. We […]

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Text: Romans 13:1-14 Last night we talked about our relationship with the body of Christ, but tonight our focus is on our relationship with those without. These include our non-Christian friends and neighbors and the government. Beginning in verse 14 of Romans 12 Paul begins to focus beyond the sphere of the Church. It seems […]

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The Body of Christ is mentioned a number of times here in the first part of chapter 12. To begin with Paul covers the relationship of the church to the World. Then he talks about the individual Christian finding his place in the Body of Christ. It is obvious from the title of the sermon […]

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Romans 11:33-36, Romans 12:2, Psalm 4:1, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 5:25 The unsearchable riches of God should not be left unexplored; Part of man’s uniqueness is being created in the image of God. This allows us to think and contemplate the “depths of the riches of God.” “Inexhaustible fullness” of God’s wisdom. 3 Questions – Romans […]

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Romans 9 Israels rejection of Christ and the Gospel raised profound questions, wherever Paul went across the Roman Empire. Since we don’t have Jewish roots we probably will have a bit of a hard time understanding the depth of some of these questions. At first glance Romans 9 contains some theological concepts that we have […]

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John 17:1-26 – This is Christ’s prayer immediately before his trial and death. Hopefully we can be drawn into God’s intentions for and toward us as we look at this this morning. There are many thoughts in these verses. Verses 1-5 Christ says “Glorify your Son” – this speaks of the relationship that the Father […]

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The Spirit that is big enough to hover over the whole world at the creation is also small enough to nestle in each one of us. Most of what I have to say about the Spirit could also be the other members of the Trinity. But we should remember that the Trinity is made up […]

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Matthew 20:29-34 – Jesus and His 12 disciples were traveling, along with them was a multitude following Jesus and being interested in what he was doing. This is just before the triumphal entry and towards the end of Jesus ministry. The characters of this story are two blind men. Jesus mentions that he was sent […]

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How we feel is not determined by our circumstances, but by what we focus on. Internal attitudes are more important that external circumstances. This means that we tend to see what we’re looking for. Including in other people. I think there are two kinds of people— complainers and worshippers. They may have the same circumstances, […]

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Ephesians 6:10-13 Often we express our identity by what we “stand”. If we don’t know our identity, the easier a target we are for Satan. If we know our Christian identity we have freedom to live it. HOW SATAN STEALS OUR IDENTITY 1) He gets us caught up in the routine of life Satan wants […]

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I want to talk about being authentic Christinas. Sometimes we get caught up in the pretense of being real. How real are you? Joshua 24:9-15 I think because of our background we learn really well how to pretend. I’m afraid that sometimes we as young people grow up faking it. That’s not an authentic life. […]

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A very very long time ago I went to Maranatha Bible School. In the second term, the choir director asked me to have a speaking part during a song. About two days before the program, we had a little get together, with some singing. We sang the song, and I’m wondering should I do my […]

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All of us have some growing to do… My theme this weekend is Purpose. The subjects I’m going to talk about are Appetite, Identity and attitude. I want to talk about your spiritual appetites first. I want to tell you a story. There once was a young man who walked on the farm with his […]

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Text: Colossians 1:15-23 Other Scriptures: Philippians 2:6, John 10: 30, 38, John 12:44-45, John 14:6-11, John 1:18 Who is Jesus? The person of Christ… His humanity and divinity, His relationship to the Father, His relationship to creation, and His relation to us. There are a lot of bad things in life; there are bad things […]

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Scriptures: Romans 8:9; Genesis 1, 2; I Samuel 10; II Samuel 23; Ezekiel 2:36-?; Isaiah 11, 42, 61; A genuine Christian has the Spirit indwelling Him. And He does this for all believers around the whole world at once! I’m afraid we are prone to take the Spirit for granted. At creation, the Godhead worked […]

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Text: John 17:1-5 Other references: Romans 8:26; John 12:23-29; Romans 11:33-36; Hebrews 7:25 No one understands us like Jesus. When we join Him in prayer we can experience love and acceptance. We can never wrap our minds around the depth of His love. Jesus is still praying for us. he invites us to pray with […]

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Text: 2 Timothy 2:16,17 I would like to present some evidence for the truthfulness of Scripture. I will mostly focus on archaeology and fulfilled prophecy. Science provides evidence for the creation. The world is filled with highly developed organisms. There is the scientific thoughts in Scripture that were far ahead of their time. Archaeology… If […]

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Text: Colossians 1:1-14 Other References: I john 3:12 This letter was written after Paul had a visitor from Colossae. Paul was dealing with some heresy present in the Colossian church. Two heresies addresses: 1) a belief that a Christian must follow the Old Testament ceremonial law, and 2) that salvation is primarily a matter of […]

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Have You Ever Been Afraid? Matthew 10 – Fear is something that all of us have experienced. The disciples here were probably experiencing some fear as well! If we are true disciples of Jesus we will also be asked to face some times and situations in our lives that will cause us some fear. Jesus […]

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Meekness is closely related to humility. They cannot really be separated, but they are not the same thing. Humility is how we see ourselves compared to other people, pride would be the opposite of what humility is. Meekness is a response to others, to circumstances, and to God. There must be humility along with meekness, […]

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An evening talk from our neighbor to the north. Freeman Miller talking about child training.

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Text: Matthew 19:16-22 Other references: Romans 3:19,20; Romans 3:21-24, 26; Romans 8:29; Matthew 10:25 Each of us must be perfected to enter into the presence of God. Every one of us has a time appointed when we will experience Him, in His absolute perfection and holiness. Are we ready? Jesus is the standard by which […]

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Hebrews 10:35-39 – Nebuchadnezzar had men picked out from among the captives to serve the kingdom. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three such young men. Daniel 3 – Nebuchadnezzar built an image. Likely an image of himself. He wanted to see all people bow down and worship this image. These three young men were “caught” […]

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Matthew 14:13-21 – One thing that John mentions that Matthew didn’t is that the source of the loaves and fishes was a young boy. This miracle was a powerful statement about who Jesus was. John 14:10-18 – Jesus said that those who believe in him will do the same kinds of things that he did… […]

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Texts: Psalms 45:1-8; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 12:2; Luke 2:28-32 Are you ready for Christmas? Some of the ways that people celebrate Christmas… How does God view Christmas? The incarnation was God’s plan, not ours. Our text gives us Heaven’s perspective. How does the incarnation affect me personally? Christmas is about God mending something that has […]

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Text: Romans 12:1,2; 3-8, 9-21 Other Scriptures: Romans 11:33-36; I Samuel 1; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20; Ephesians 2:12; Hebrews 2:3; Philippians 2; John 12:37; Luke 13:34; Ephesians 5:26; Ephesians 4:11-14; Proverbs 15:17; Matthew 6:12 Four questions: (Verses 1-3) Give our lives as a sacrifice What should we do? Why should we do it? How should we […]

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God is on the throne and He is alive in the world through the Holy Spirit! Jesus taught a lot by telling stories, but he also taught by asking questions. Jesus was a master question asker. Even at age 12 this attribute showed up when he asked questions of the elders in the temple. John […]

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-28 Where God Wants Us to Be V23-24 – Paul is confident that the Thessalonians will be completely sanctified. This is where God wants to get us as well, complete sanctification and blamelessness. Paul is asking God to continue to change the people in the Thessalonian church. Paul is also asking that God […]

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Text: Luke 22:14-20 Other references: Hebrews 10:1-4, 11, Jeremiah 13, Galatians 4:4, Matthew 27:39-42; Luke 23:36-42, Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:12-14; Hebrews 8:12; Hebrews 10:17, Hebrews 2:14,15, Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:1-22, I Timothy 1:15, II Corinthians 9:15, Galatians 6:14 In Eden, Adam and Eve lived in perfect bliss in the presence of God. After the fall, […]

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We’re talking about creating culture, not reacting to it. Continuing on from where we stopped in session 3. Values lead to …Passion. Passionate people are the people with impact. Passionate salesmen sell things. You cannot manufacture passion. It must come from core values. First, we must be saved. Then we are to build on that […]

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You cannot preach vision into people. There must be something behind it. Even if vision is present, to actually move it to reality does require some parts and bits and pieces. Behind VISION is VALUES. Culture-driven values Principle-driven values Hero-driven values (“You want to change the values of people? Change their heroes.”) Visions of the […]

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21st century Christianity became so focused on personal salvation that the details of Christian culture was neglected. Billy Graham understood this himself and tried to emphasize the importance of discipleship. The story of Penicillin… Four words: Pathogen: A real problem… Sterilize or Inoculate (Matthew 13:1-9) What part of this story do we have the most […]

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The Kingdom of God and Creating a Culture We need to stop reacting to culture, and start creating one. We come to an understanding of truth in the brotherhood and community. We need to put issues out and address them. Doctrine and Practice Hebrews 5:11-6, I Corinthians 3:9 It matters a great deal how we build […]

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I Cor. 11:27-29 Before communion we need to examine ourselves. What questions should be included in this examination? Are we at peace with 1) God and 2) our fellow man? Matthew 5:23,24 Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:15 Have I been seeking the good of each other? Or have we been repaying evil for evil. What are […]

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Prayer is not a gift that we are born with. Rather it is a habit that is developed and learned. Prayer is a way to humble ourselves before God, and demonstrate our faith in Him. Mistakes in prayer: Not praying at all or using empty words without meaning Not praying according to God’s Law Not […]

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1 Thessalonians 5 – Paul talks about some pretty important things starting at verse 12. How the ordained relate to the non ordained. How the church deals with needs and weaknesses within the church. These areas are important indicators of the health of our congregational life. The non ordained need to respect and esteem the […]

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This morning we’ll be looking at and thinking about what God’s power looks like in our lives. A few introductory passages – Numbers 21:1-9, John 3:1-21 Look to Jesus and live. God’s power in our lives is meant to extend beyond just salvation. Steps in faith and obedience. 1 Kings 19 – Elisha answered the […]

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Creation: The story of creation is an astounding demonstration of the power of God. It does matter what we believe about origins. If we doubt the account of creation in Scripture we cast a shadow of doubt on the rest. Colossians 1:16 – God demonstrates His power by interrupting the natural order. Care for His […]

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I Samuel 1:1-18 – It seems that Hannah’s defining characteristic was her inability to bear children. Surely this was a great grief for her. Elkanah loved her, and gave her a double portion. He saw that she was hurting. Yet he seemed to be insensitive, asking her if he was not better to her than […]

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Matthew 22:35-40 – Jesus was focusing on relationships here. He is saying that there are two types of relationships that are vitally important. Our relationship with God and our relationship with other people. What are relationships? – Two beings interacting. Contact. Communication. There are many levels of relationships as well. Any person that we have […]

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James 5:11 – James refers here to Job as being a “patient man.” When we think of Jobs patience and our own patience, where do we feel like we stack up? Have you heard of the patience of {insert your name here}? “Exercise patience, kindness and forbearance…” This is part of the marriage vows. These […]

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This is not going to be a normal kind of sermon. They are more historical reflections. We’ve had two sessions already where we contrasted the Catholic, Protestant and Anabaptist views of a number of issues. First I’ll review the areas we talked about to give a few more reflections on each. One’s conclusion about some […]

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What Happens to Christians Who Die Before Christ Returns? 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 – Grief is a lot sharper when we don’t have answers for questions like this. Paul doesn’t tell the church here to stop grieving. He says that they can have hope! God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians […]

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Life has many twists and turns. We will face many difficult things. How can we be prepared? God has a plan, a reason for what is happening. This morning we will be looking at some of the tools that Daniel used when he faced difficulty. He was there to stay: Daniel 1:21 “And Daniel continued […]

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Text: Philippians 4:6,7 A few weeks ago we looked at Mark 11 and found some lessons about believing prayer. If we pray in faith God will help us. Sometimes when we pray the answers come immediately. But sometimes they don’t… This morning we want to think about peace in unanswered prayer. We need to pray […]

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Point 4 What does it mean to be saved? Catholic view: receive the sacraments Medieval Pietism/mysticism: Focus on reproduction of Christ’s death and resurrection in the soul rather than at Mass; Focus on yielding the self to God in Gelassenheit Luther’s view: early view was medieval pietism; Later view was imputed righteousness General Protestant view: […]

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Having an identity is important. When there is no history there is no identity. When there is no identity there is a tendency towards “redefining” an identity. Deuteronomy – Moses reviews the history of the Children of Israel. He is calling them to remember who they are, and who God. Joshua 24 – Remember your […]

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This evening’s service is kind of “jumping in with both feet” not a lot of background but going straight into things that make the Anabaptist position distinctive. Religions Options in 1525-1535 Roman Catholic & Eastern Orthodox Lutheran: Luther, Melanchthon Reformed Zurich – Zwingli; Leo Jud; Bullinger Geneva – Calvin; Beza Strasburg – Capital; Bucer Scotland […]

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Proverbs 11 – Since we cannot go back in time, we need to say, “God, this is where I am, but I’m willing to lay the past down and start from here.” When we give that which isn’t ours to keep, God will bless. Ecclesiastes 11, Genesis 22 – “The Lord will provide.” Abraham had […]

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Are we open to listening to the Holy Spirit this morning? Are we willing to be tapped on the shoulder and then to obey? This is vitally important whenever we sit under the preaching of the word. To edify means: to build up, to make some progress towards a goal. Have we been growing? Are […]

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What “Mountains” do we face? God offers His wisdom and power through prayer. He will only give us good things, and will change us as take our needs to Him. Is it possible that we have not, because we ask not? We can be confident in the working of God. Text: Mark 11:12 – 14, […]

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God cares a great deal about holiness— if we want to please Him we must be holy. We need to remember that holiness is a process. Paul expects the Thessalonians to do better— he has hope for them. God is merciful. But it is not an excuse to not strive, as God can help us […]

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Jeremiah 17:7-10 – The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? The human heart is in a desperate and helpless condition. This heart hides from itself. It’s owner sometimes doesn’t even know his own heart, and can believe that he is doing better than he really is. The Lord […]

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I Thessalonians 2:13-20; 3:1-11 We continue our study through the book of First Thessalonians. Today’s passage focuses on the perseverance of this church and Paul’s love for them— his “hope”, “joy”, and “crown” (v.19). Paul cared about discipling the Churches that he started. He was aware of the needs they had, and did what it […]

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Malachi 4:6 God’s desire is that our hearts would be turned to Him as our Heavenly Father, and our human fathers. If there is going to be a heart change, Jesus is the only one who can do that. The presence of the father in the home and the lives of their children is of […]

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We’ll be looking at Judges 6 this morning. The people of God were hiding, they were hopeless against the Midianites who were oppressing them. God had a message for Gideon and he shares it with him. It is a message of God’s presence. God’s Presence Gideon really needed some assurance that God was present with […]

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Paul writes to Timothy and says, that he serves God with a “pure conscience.” Paul probably wasn’t perfect all the time, but he knew how he needed to live and he lived that way. Three basic verb tenses. Past. Present. Future. There are more, but we’ll keep it fairly simple here. Past tense: Jack jumped […]

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I Thessalonians 2:1-12 Paul reminds the believers at Thessalonica of his conduct among them. His coming had not been in vain— because they were bold in the gospel through God’s power. Paul had been tested by God, and had been “approved”. He did not flaunt his authority among them or ask them for material support. […]

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Text: John 12:1-8 | Other references: Romans 12:1,6-8; Hebrews 13:15; Revelation 3:20 Worship is our response to the love and goodness of God. Everything good comes from Him. We honor Him with extravagant love and extreme submission. True worship is mindful and comes from a heart of love and gratefulness. Using Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, […]

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Its hard to know what to say about mothers. Here are some quotes about mothers. The most important thing a father can do for his children is love their mother. All I am. I owe to my mother. A school teacher said, tell mothers to train their children so that I don’t have to do […]

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Free From the Law of Sin and Death Romans 7, it is built around three rhetorical questions. Know ye not that the law has dominion over man as long as he lives? Is the law sin? Was that which is good made death unto me? We are freed by the dominion of sin by Gods […]

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Romans 6:1-23 Jesus offering himself on the cross was something that he did for us. His suffering, death and shedding of blood was effective in allowing us to have a changed relationship with God. As justified and sanctified believes we can stand in the hope that comes from God. We no longer have to come […]

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In tonight’s session we explore Paul’s teaching on justification. Already in the Old Testament justification was based on faith. Justification is our being brought into a right relationship with God– it changes everything. We are actually made holy before God. The Doctrine of Justification The doctrine of justification by faith in the old testament The […]

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Romans 3:21-31 The things that we’ve been looking at this week are nothing new, but they are fundamental to our understanding of faith and salvation. There is no appeal, no plea bargain, no defense to be made in reality. The only right response is to see how “vile” we are, as Job did in the […]

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While our judgement is often untrustworthy, God’s judgement is always reliable. “To believe in the fact of divine judgement points to the intrinsic value of human existence. For if God regards what we do important enough to judge, He must regard us important enough to matter.” (Stuart Briscoe) Paul also examines the presumptuous piety of […]

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Text – Romans 1:18-32 In the opening chapters of Romans, Paul brings all men into the courtroom of Heaven, and he indites them all as sinners before a holy God. He explores how sin corrupts the experience of man; Sin and disobedience are a slippery slope that leads to a degenerate life. Properly understanding sin […]

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The spiritual truths found in this scripture (and many scriptures!) are incredibly deep. No matter the amount of times that we look at these scriptures we will usually find something new here. Romans 1:1-17 – This seems to basically a prologue to the book of Romans. It is an overview of what the author is […]

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Texts: I Thessalonians 1; Also Acts 17:1-10, James 1:23,24 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16) The gospel– the power of God– is vital, not only at […]

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Referenced texts: Psalm 130, 6, 22, 38; Lamentations 1, 2, 3; Habakkuk; Job 3, 6, etc.; Isaiah 53, 57, 58; Matthew 4:23, 8:14-17 Summary: Many people experience times of darkness and despair- a ‘midnight of the soul’. This is a consequence of living in a world broken and thrown into chaos by the tyranny of […]

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Throughout history, God’s people have found themselves in bleak circumstances and despair… and yet God provided great deliverance for them. We know that God wins. God is able to work through weakness and seemingly impossible situations to bring glory to Himself. Some examples from Scripture: Joseph Moses The People of Israel/Ai Paul Jesus Christ Christians […]

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Romans 15:4 and 1 Kings 19:1-18 We have faith in a living, risen Christ! This gives us a hope for the future as well as today and this week. Elijah on the run ‎Elijah under the tree ‎Elijah in the cave What are you doing here? God has a purpose for each of us! Elijah […]

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Four qualities of the resurrected life: Purpose – 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Eph. 2:10 Hope – 1 Peter 1:3-5 Joy – John 20:19-20 Power – Eph. 1:15-20; Romans 6:4, 5

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Text: Hebrews 11 There are many things we can put our faith in Our faith is not in God, not ourselves Five Essential Elements of our Faith Solid Foundations – 1 Peter 2:4-7, Luke 6:48, Psalm 71:3 – We find this in God, in His word, and in prayer A Sure Hope in the Father […]

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This message is part of the 2018 Youth Rally. Here are links to each of the sermons. Called To Serve The King A Vessel Prepared Whats In Your Vessel My Father’s Business The Day of Reckoning Texts: Revelation 22:12 and Luke 19:12 – 27; Other references: Matthew 10:32, Romans 8:17, Luke 12:42 – 46 Our […]

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This message is part of the 2018 Youth Rally. Here are links to each of the sermons. Called To Serve The King A Vessel Prepared Whats In Your Vessel My Father’s Business The Day of Reckoning Texts: Luke 2; Ephesians 1:4,12,23,24; II Corinthians 9:12; Numbers 14:21; Habakkuk 2:14 Ephesians 4:15,16 Who are we and what […]

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This message is part of the 2018 Youth Rally. Here are links to each of the sermons. Called To Serve The King A Vessel Prepared Whats In Your Vessel My Father’s Business The Day of Reckoning It matters what’s in our vessels. Serving God is a Spiritual exercise. What was the dif between Cane and […]

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This message is part of the 2018 Youth Rally. Here are links to each of the sermons. Called To Serve The King A Vessel Prepared Whats In Your Vessel My Father’s Business The Day of Reckoning John 12:26 God’s goal is to change us to his image. Life is not meant to entertain. It is […]

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This message is part of the 2018 Youth Rally. Here are links to each of the sermons. Called To Serve The King A Vessel Prepared Whats In Your Vessel My Father’s Business The Day of Reckoning John 12:26 We can choose who we will follow and serve. The biggest obstruction between me and God is […]

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This morning we are talking about Easter. Moses was called upon to go into Egypt and take the Israelites out. Then there were then plagues. The last and most important one was the last where God killed all of the firstborns Luke 22:7 the Communion, life giving blood from Jesus They were ready for the […]

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John 3:1-16 What does it mean to be born again? We all know what it means to be born? At least we know the basics… the key word in our text this morning is the word right after born – “again.” This birth comes by the power of God. We can’t be born by our […]

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In the Old Testament we read about the Children of Israel being led out of Egypt by Moses. It was a great crowd of people. After much time they arrived at Mount Sinai. Text: Exodus 31 and 32 It is one thing write the law of God on stone, to preserve it, to hold it, […]

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Text: Matthew 20:20-25 4 Lessons: Those that suffer greatly for Christ will be rewarded greatly Committed followers of Christ eventually grow up Pursuing “greatness” leads to division and hinders the gospel God rewards lowly service 4 Ways We Might Quietly Seek “Greatness”: Being stingy with our praise for piers Focusing on Flaws Keeping quiet about […]

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Psalm 15 and 1 Samuel 4 – Israel was defeated before the Philistines. Why did this happen? They recognized it was from the Lord. Then they decided to take the ark out to the battle. We serve God, God doesn’t serve us The Philistines had to deal with God God demonstrated that He is greater […]

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Genesis 1:1-2 – There was perfect fellowship between God and man. Then came the fall. We know the story, it is a tragic story. From a clear understanding of the greatness and goodness of God to a sinful choice… a choice that brought a number of circumstances with it. What happened in the Garden? What […]

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Acts 16:6 – This is a message about a great God among ordinary people. We as Christians have a constant “Macedonian call.” Often what we dream and what reality ends up being are very different. We plan our lives one way and then the unplanned comes along and changes things. This lady named Lydia was […]

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Luke 8:1-15 – Mark 4 What is God’s purpose for every seed that is sowed? That it would grow and be fruitful! Some of the seed did this, while some of the seed did not produce seed. Be carful how you listen. Pay close attention. Other places Jesus talks about loosing what we have. In […]

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1 John 5:1-21 – There are a few questions in this passage that we will try to wrestle with a little this morning. What are the water and the blood? How do they testify? Why are verses 7 and 8 so different in different versions? What is a sin that leads to death? Is the […]

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Isaiah prophesied about Jesus coming to the Earth many years before he was actually born. God did not leave us alone. He created man in a beautiful situation, but man messed it up right away. Ever since there was a separation between man and God. What we want to focus on this morning is that […]

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Just as there were Herod’s and Pharisees and scoffers and doubters in the days of Jesus and following… so we too have many things fighting for our attention today. We need an unfaltering focus on our Savior. Nehemiah 6 – The walls are up, the gates are about ready to go in and there seems […]

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Luke 2 – When any of us where born there were people who were excited! Our lives, as insignificant as they might be can become significant. This is the greatest birth announcement ever known. The Great Announcement Revealed What are some of the great things about this announcement? Great light Great fear Great announcement Great […]

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John 14, Romans 5 – these are the main two passages behind this message. Jesus is telling his disciples not to be troubled, that they need to “Believe in me instead.” If they believe in him Jesus promises them peace. What kind of peace is this? This is not the world’s versions of peace. It […]

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John 3 – Nicodemus had a lot of questions, questions that we would likely have had in the same situation. Romans 12 – We come to Christ as a “living” sacrifice. What am I doing to convert the blessings that are in my life into fruit for the Kingdom? How can I be a partaker […]

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Matthew 27, 1 Corinthians 10:16 – A cup for our salvation, for the saving of our souls. Scripture speaks of a number of other cups that we are far more deserving of. Think about the great things that Jesus has done for us. Great mercy. Great forgiveness. We can begin to take for granted the […]

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Evaluating the influence of digital technology in our hearts and lives. Is this an area with some shadiness in our lives? Are we living under the influence of our digital technology?

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Breaking the bread of life is a sobering responsibility. Let us pray that we can hear the call this evening to pursue a life of godliness and holiness. Jesus is soon returning for His bride, His church. The Church is made of people just like me and people just like you. If the Church is […]

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Ephesians 4:11-16 – This is the prayer that we need to have for ourselves. This is a beautiful picture. Christ is the head of the church. There are those put in different places within the body of Christ to further grow and nurture the group of believers. This is how an army of disciples of […]

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Peace is a beautiful thing that cannot be bought with money. Peace also doesn’t come in the same package as the Devils schemes. When we follow the truth of God’s word, God grants us a peace that is hard to explain. Hebrews 3:12-14 – Deception is one of the most worn tools in Satan’s toolbox. […]

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1 Corinthians – We have so much at our disposal spiritually but too often we choose poverty as it relates to spiritual prosperity. The Bible has very little positive to say about wealth. Most of scripture speaks of the power of wealth to cause us to forget God and trust in ourselves. What are the […]

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1 Corinthians 3 – What is my purpose in life? What should be my priorities? In my business am I doing what God has placed me to do? The world may forget what we do while we are here. God will never forget what we’ve done while here on earth in the cause of the […]

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Luke 6:35-38 – When Jesus was teaching the Lord’s prayer to his disciples, immediately after he taught them about forgiveness. Forgive and be forgiven Jesus taught. This is a sobering truth. Why does God consider forgiveness so important? Why is he so concerned that his children should forgive and be forgiven? Our father which art […]

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1 John 5 God’s commandments are not burdensome. Christians are over-comers. Our source of victory is our faith.

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As we go through life we tend to use examples from our daily lives to explain thoughts/concepts that we have to someone else. David often used sheep/shepherds to talk about his relationship with God. Paul used a soldiers armor to talk about spiritual warfare. He also used the human body to talk about the body […]

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Nehemiah 5:1-19 In the first verse we see that “There was a great cry!” There was an outcry. Nehemiah’s response was very direct, he set up an assembly. He appeals to the nobles to restore and repair. Help bring them back up, they are your people and your brothers. Usary. Justice. Compassion/Mercy Let’s Talk About […]

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1 John 1 – Koinonia is a greek word used to talk about the church and the relationships within churches. How much does this matter to me? How much am I willing to invest into a Koinonia? Fellowship with the Saints 2 Corinthians 6:14 – If you’re not walking in the light you cannot have […]

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Continuing on in a series about the doctrine of God. John 9 – We’ve looked at God’s attributes and His character, but what about his work? God’s work defines Him we get a better idea of who God is when we look at the things that God does. God’s Plan for Us Ephesians 1:3-14 – […]

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John 7, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 – Jesus speaks of those who believe in him and how, out of them will flow rivers of living water. A living testimony flowing outward. This morning we’ll look at some practical examples of how this living water can and should flow out of us. Demands for what we own. […]

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Genesis 1 – 3 This is a review for us. First of all about who we are as a people in God’s sight because of what happened in the garden shortly after creation and then how we can be restored to a good relationship with our God. Man was made in God’s image. Male and […]

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1 John 4 – God could not have done a better job of proving that he loved us. He sent his son so that we might live through him. This is an ongoing relationship that produces life in us. The poorest person on earth who has Christ is far better off than the richest person […]

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Sermon text Joshua 3, 4 More important than what your last name is, is whether or not your name is in the book of life. The title of this sermon is a question that was meant to be asked by the generations following the ones that are written about in our text. What did they […]

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Experience and wisdom, what we can get from years and years of doing something, is what can make the difference between success and failure. Would you rather have a pilot who has been flying for 2 years or 20 years in the case of an engine failure? It isn’t always easy to comprehend God’s nature. […]

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Nehemiah 3 and 4 – If you’ve ever done clean up work, you know that it isn’t the most fun kind of work. It is dirty. There is sweat. In chapter 4 we see more of the “how” of the rebuilding of the wall. Some questions we can ask here. Can evil be stopped? Can […]

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Would you say that you are a steward? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – we are all stewards. Stewards of everything. When we think of a steward the main thing that we are concerned with is whether or not they are a trustworthy and faithful steward. Genesis 15 – Abraham had a serious situation. He needed to […]

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Several weeks ago we talked about the seven attributes of effective seekers. We all face disappointments. Maybe we are failing, or maybe we don’t find God doing the things that we wanted him to. Malachi was a contemporary of Nehemiah. Malachi is a good book for studying the topic of cynicism. 5 Marks of Spiritual […]

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Once again I don’t have notes from this service. I apologize for that… but the text is taken from Nehemiah 2.

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Ministers Ministers are called by God. Ministers are charged when they are ordained. Ministers are human. They need God’s grace, just like everyone else. Ministers are brothers. Although they have a different role in the church, they are not to be regarded as “lords” with a different status. – Colossians 1, Hebrews. Let all of […]

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2 Chronicles 11 – Those who had set their hearts to follow the God of Israel followed the levites as they left. What does it mean to set your heart to seek God? King Asa and Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles 14 – Asa did what was right and took away foreign alters. He called the people […]

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There are no notes available for this sermon. Some of the scriptures used are 2 Samuel 2, 1 Chronicles 21, 1 Kings 2.

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Ephesians 1:19 – A christian has a connection to God’s power. It isn’t just important for an airplane to take off, but it also needs to have sufficient power to climb and fly. For the Christian, we need the power of the Spirit to lift and rise against the pull of the world around us. […]

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Psalm 127 and 128 – Psalms of Ascents. Fathers, in everything we are dependent, fully dependent on the grace of God. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build the house. We do our part, but the increase is God’s. It is so easy to be pulled in to the trap […]

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Psalm 127:1-5 – If God isn’t with you in the things that you do, they will turn out to be a waste of time and energy. 1 Kings 11:28-43 – The story of Jeroboam. He had a lot going for him, but he got scared. Jeroboam received a great promise from God. If you walk […]

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Hebrews 11 – Faith, “the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is one of, if not the, most important things we need for pleasing God. What does it mean to “believe that God is?” How does faith make it possible to please God? What does it take to […]

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Romans 12:1-8 – A living sacrifice. Not to think highly, but to think soberly. Nehemiah 1:1-11 – Nehemiah felt and accepted the responsibility for his people and responded with prayer and fasting. In his prayers Nehemiah went back to the promises of God. The more one grows in grace, the meaner he is in his […]

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Is God a big part of your life? What is he to you? Deuteronomy 6:1-15 Can I Know God? Isaiah 55 – God is incomprehensible, this is one of his characteristics and attributes. We are finite, this limits in our ability to understand and infinite God. Psalm 50 – God has chosen to reveal himself. […]

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Hebrews 10:19-25 – The blood is the basis for the new covenant. Jesus told his disciples that his blood was the new covenant. Less than a day after Jesus told his disciples this, Jesus blood was poured out and he died. We have confidence this morning since we have the blood of Jesus. We also […]

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We have an enemy whose purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. He is an enemy with limitations and boundaries that he isn’t able to cross. Our enemy knows our weak points and he tries to capitalize on those. Paul tells us that we can’t give any ground to Satan, when we do we give […]

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This death has rocked us to the core. Young person, old person, all of us in between. If you’re gambling with the decision of whether to accept Christ as your Savior, you’re making a huge mistake. John 11 – Lazerus died and his sisters said, “Lord if you had been here our brother wouldn’t have […]

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Luke 24:13-49 – They were just two of “the rest” of the disciples. They were going home. They had had a couple of really bad days, and they were walking home. Disciples of the Lord, pouring out their hearts to each other. This is the picture that we get here of these two disciples. They […]

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God is accessible, we can reach out to him and experience what he offers us through Christ. Salvation and a holy life that is useful in the kingdom. Acts 17:22-34 – Paul is in Athens, waiting for Silas and Timothy. He had just been pushed out of Thessalonica and Berea and ended up in Athens. […]

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John 11 – When Lazarus died Jesus came to the community. He cared. He cried. The Jews noticed… they said, “see how he loved Lazarus!” God gives comfort and healing over time, but life will never be quite the same. What has happened cannot be avoided or ignored, it is previous… We must hold to […]

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Ephesians 6:10-18 God has called us to wrestle spiritually in such a way that the result will expand the borders of the Kingdom of God. We need to love truth more than we love ourselves. If we don’t love truth we are going to, by default, choose to love ourselves. The first purpose of the […]

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Part 1 God wants to change the world through Christian influence. We can’t hold people at gunpoint, but we may, should and are be influencing others. How does ketchup come out of a bottle? It is through the “squeezing” action. Christian influence is God being able to release the treasure of the Holy Spirit through […]

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This is the message that was preached at the funeral of Ernest Yoder on the 1st of April 2017. I don’t have any notes from the service, but the speaker is none other than Calvin Yoder who was here for a week of meetings.

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A couple of the texts used in this sermon. Romans 6: 1-13 Colossians 3:1-13 Matthew 27 Some of the points that are covered Self admiration Self indulgence Self defense Self righteousness Self preservation

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What is the super glue that will hold a church together? How much wind does it take to blow the house over? God has a purpose for the church – and we are to align ourselves to the purpose of the church. Acts 4:31-35 What are the things that the Holy Spirit birthed when he […]

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We all want to be relevant in our churches. Something more important than being relevant to being relative in the culture – it’s being relevant in the Kingdom of God. And when we are relevant in the Kingdom of God we are relevant in the culture. If we are going to be Christians of influence, […]

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John 7:37-38 – Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 2 Timothy 1:1 – We are not born with a spiritual life that is vibrant, […]

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Ephesians 5, Matthew 7:24-27 In a marriage a man and woman leave their parents and come together as one flesh. If you have a treasure you cherish it. You take care of it. It takes value over all things. This is the way a spouse is supposed to be treated, as a treasure, a cherished […]

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We’ve been to the mountain. Now what? Jesus doesn’t just call us to the mountain. He then tells us to go, to go forth and put the things that we’ve learned to good use. Matthew 28 – These last recorded words of Christ in Matthew are ones that we should listen to. Wheel look at […]

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We need to be prepared if we are going to be climbing mountains. Some things you’ll need as you climb – each of these have spiritual parallels as well. A good set of hiking shoes Plenty of water A map of the area you’ll be visiting Not only will you need to be prepared with […]

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Olivet – God’s Protection 2 Kings 6 – This mountain is not named. This is a story of Elisha. Often we don’t see things as they actually are, instead we tend to see things as they “seem to be.” In this story Elisha and his people were completely surrounded by the enemy. Elisha could see […]

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As you read the scriptures mountains seem to have some sort of significance in numerous places. Jesus spent a fair amount of time with his disciples on mountains. …and he will teach us His ways. — Isaiah Have you asked yourself, “where is God?” God showed himself to other people and he showed up in […]

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” Why climb mount Everest? Because it is there.” – George Mallory Isaiah 2:3 – There are spiritual mountains to climb. Our desire this weekend is to go to the mountain, meet God and allow Him to teach us and then to walk in His paths. Matthew 28:16-20 – This is the great commission. We […]

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2 Timothy 3:14-17 Doctrine isn’t something that we can just tailor to fit what we like. Doctrine is foundational, it is the basis for our view of scripture and our view of God. Doctrine is a word that means “teaching.” The Bible refers to the teachings or doctrine of men, demons, and God. Doctrine is […]

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Matthew 7:1-29 God is the one who divides asunder the soul and spirit discerning the very thoughts of everyone. Very often we don’t know all of the details about situations and we need to be careful before we jump to too many conclusions. When we are able to get the whole picture often times it […]

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1 John 3:11-24 – There are three lessons we want to think about from this passage. Our Fruit Should Be a Reassurance There are times when it is hard to know whether our heart is telling us the truth or not. There are people who feel like they are fine and are not fine with […]

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It is a great comfort to know that Jesus loves us. Whether we are young or whether we are older folks. Just as children are an important part of our church, so older folks are also a very important part of our churches and families. Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 – Solomon is here describing an older person […]

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Numbers 24:10-14, Revelation 2, Peter 2:15 We are being affected today. We are witnessing an unprecedented acceptance of God’s word to turn around and negate his message. Genesis 3:1 – The devil brings a question into the mind of Eve, “hath God said?” This isn’t something new that has come into existence recently, this is […]

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1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Most of us know at least some of the story of the Titanic. A huge boat that sank in the early 1900’s. Something in the neighborhood of 1500 people lost their lives. It is easier to learn from others mistakes than our own. It can also save us a lot of heart […]

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Ephesians 4:1-16 Salvation is a gift from God. None of us are worthy in and of ourselves. It is only through Christ that we can live a changed life walking as Jesus would have us to. At Christmas time there is often a pile of gifts, different shapes, different sizes, different things. The church is […]

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1 John 2:29-3:10 A few things that we want to look at today. Being God’s Children How do we, as God’s Children, behave? How is this passage useful today? Being God’s Children You cannot find a righteous person who is not a child of God. People born of God live righteous lives. This is the […]

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Luke 1:6 – Zechariah and Elizabeth Luke 1:38 – Mary Matthew 1, 2 – Joseph – every time God spoke Joseph obeyed swiftly Luke 2 – Simeon & Anna – servants at heart Luke – Shepherds – Wisemen Sermon Text: Psalm 100 – God wants us to be faithful servants but he also wants us […]

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Texts: John 3:16, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:11, Luke 2, John 1:14 In the joy of Christmas let us not lose sight of the incredible cost of Christ coming to earth, living among the people, and dieing as a sacrifice that allows us to be sons and daughters of the King!

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Sermon Text: Philippians 4:1-23 What is contentment? What is the secret of contentment? How can we learn contentment? What is Contentment? Dictionary definition of contentment is – Contentment is the state of happiness and satisfaction. Is the secret of contentment having the right stuff? If we were to believe all of the advertisements we come […]

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Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Ruth 1:16 – Ruth had married into this family and she was committed to this family in a way that is really incredible. Ruth would not leave her mother in law because of her faith in God and his direction. The head covering is a symbol of obedience to the […]

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Text: Luke 4:1-13

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Faith and the Cloud of Witnesses Hebrews 12 – This is a familiar passage. It follows the chapter of faith, a chapter telling us what faith is. The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. We see people who believed the promises of God and looked beyond the things of this […]

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1 John 2 Those who are trying to deceive you Anti-Christs aim to deceive. It isn’t that they are accidentally spreading false teaching, they teach with the motive of deception. Anti-Christs remind us that we are in the “last era.” The next thing on the horizon is the return of Christ. Anti-Christs are not “of […]

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A Participation A Proclamation A Remembrance A Feast A Call to Accountability

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Matthew 8:5-13 – The attitude of this centurion towards authority is impressive. Jesus was impressed by it, and when we see Jesus being impressed we should sit up and take notice. This centurion was humble. He knew that his bloodline didn’t make him part of “the people of God.” We also see that he had […]

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Luke 10:38-42, John 5:24 – Are you thrilled to be a Christian today? We have passed from death to life because of Christ. There was an important visitor coming to Martha’s house. The place was buzzing with excitement! Jesus was coming to visit Martha, Mary and Lazarus. John 10:5 – Jesus loved this family very […]

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Hebrews 11:8-19 – People of faith experience a lot of things. At times it can seem like God isn’t taking action and that things aren’t really going anywhere. The call this morning is to keep on. To have persevering faith. We can do this because of the promises of a faithful God. Abraham seemed to […]

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James 3:1-18, Proverbs 25:11, Colossians 4:6 There are lots of “taste receptors” on our tongues that pick up the intricacies in the flavor of things. The tongue is there for many things having to do with eating. It is also there of course for speech. It would be very difficult to speak and enunciate clearly […]

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Encouragement For Each Maturity Level 1 John 2:12-14 – This is a passage that has puzzled a lot of people over the years. There is some repetition here, but enough differences that you notice them. John is talking about different levels of maturity in faith. Those who are young in the faith – new believers. […]

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1 John 2 – This passage is full of indicators or “barometers” of how we are doing spiritually. Those who know God will have this pattern of obedience in their lives. There are lots of people who know a lot about God but who don’t do well at obeying God. This isn’t a “head knowledge” about […]

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Isaiah 40:1-31 Isaiah is addressing this letter to the people of Israel. Before they were even in captivity. He gives strength to the weary, and gives power to the week. He gently leads those who have young. There is no possibility of us as humans holding the moon and stars and heavenly bodies in their […]

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2 Timothy 3:1-4 – A somewhat depressing description of our times. Of mankind, unregenerate. It is important for children to learn to share and get along with others. We expect to see this be a struggle with children, we don’t expect adults to be this way. Unfortunately though, being selfish is something that we as […]

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Which is the greatest institution of God? The home or the church? The same things that make marriage work, makes the church work. It takes commitment to make a marriage work and to make a church work. Adoption is a wonderful thing, a family reaching out and saying, “we want you to be a part […]

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Romans 5:1-5 – We see the word “hope” in this passage a number of times. We know that it has a range of meanings. “I hope we have nice weather.” “The hope of the glory of God.” The opposite of hope is a miserable place. It is an awful thing. Despair. Darkness. Gloom. No encouragement. […]

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1 John 2:2 – He himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world! Let’s look at this verse and try to understand it. There are basically two ways to think of this… Jesus provided a potential for forgiveness for everyone. Unlimited Atonement. Jesus […]

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Romans 9 Abraham was called out of the land where he was living. Israel was the apple of God’s eye. She was miraculously led out of Egypt by a pillar of cloud and fire. Christ is over all. As his children we need to know this and let others now about it. John 3:16 – […]

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We are all changing. There is no such thing as “staying the same” or “being static.” The choices we make today, the things we are doing today become habits. Whatever this is it takes as long to change the thing as it did to grow it. People are not math problems. The things that affect […]

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Hebrews 8:1-13 A covenant is: An agreement between two people or groups that involves a promise on the part of each to the other. (Nelson’s Bible Dictionary) A covenant is however more than just a contract. It is setting up a relationship. There were other covenants in scripture. Why would God set up a covenant […]

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Let me warn you first… the audio for this particular podcast episode is pretty horrible. I apologize… totally my fault. 1 John 1:1-2:2 Although he doesn’t specifically say it, it seems that this letter is written by John. John obviously had no idea how big things would get. He started his career as a lowly […]

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Ephesians 5:1-21 We are often struck with a thought of “where did the time go?” We all find ourselves in “times” or “seasons” of life. Regardless of where we are in life we are called to live and take advantage of the moments that we find ourselves living in. Often times it is the mundane […]

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Luke 4:1-13 Luke wrote both the book of Luke and the book of Acts to this “Theophilus” guy. In Luke 4 we will be taking a look at Jesus and his temptation in the desert. He was tempted for 40 days! A lot of times we struggle because of past sins. We are tempted partially […]

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Hebrews 3,4, Numbers 13:27 Rest is faith in action, it can happen when we know that we belong to God, that we are his. Joshua and Caleb saw an opportunity for God’s power to take care of the Children of Israel. The other spies saw themselves in front of the giants, just small flesh against […]

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1 Timothy 6 If we take a look at what we have and compare it to many in the world we are very rich. We have worked hard, we’ve (generally) earned what we have. Regardless of what we have or what we’ve accumulated we should not be proud of it. Ultimately all that we have […]

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Hebrews 11:8-16 – They were seeking something beyond this life here. A better and a heavenly place. As strangers and pilgrims here on earth. Abraham considered his life a pilgrimage. A pilgrim is one who is traveling through a foreign land. Or a devotee traveling to a shrine or a holy place. For us as […]

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Mark 9:42-50 – There is a central message here that we need to be sure not to miss. Sin is serious. As we go in to this we need to be sure to remember that we will never be sin free people. We will always be in need of the grace and cleansing of Christ. […]

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This is a message directed to fathers. It doesn’t come from a place of having attained perfection as a father, but out of a call to deeper commitment to leading as God calls fathers to lead. Genesis – We see Adam in the garden as a groundskeeper. For Adam there wasn’t a helper found. So […]

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Isaiah 50:4-7, Psalms 19:12-14 God knows our words even before we speak. God will judge our words. We should all be concerned that all our words are acceptable to God. Words come from the heart…the heart is the real person. Words carry messages. Words are like trucks. Some are empty, some carry explosives, some carry treasures. […]

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Matthew 5:48 – Jesus told his disciples that they need to be perfect. As we get older it is easier to become more skeptical. More problems come up. More disappointment. Fewer answers. A measure of insecurity can come into our lives as we realize that we often fail. One of the main answers to this […]

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Deuteronomy 6:4-5 – It was often easier for the Children of Israel to recognize and fear the Lord than it was for them to remember to love him. Matthew 22:35 – This command of love for God and others will never be demoted. This first commandment is still the first. It supersedes doctrinal differences. It […]

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Hebrews 3:1-19 Let us focus in on Christ this morning in a worshipful way. It is often difficult to push away the things of life and this world and really focus on Christ, but our prayer this morning is to do this. Hebrews was written to show the supremacy of Christ. The writer seems to […]

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Mark 9:33-37 – Matthew 18:1-6 Before we look at what Jesus has to say about greatness, lets take a look at this argument the disciples had just had. Jesus had just warned his disciples again that he would die and rise again. The disciples knew that they were going to Jerusalem, and although they didn’t […]

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Genesis 2:18-25, 1 Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 6:4, Titus, 1 Peter – Leaders and help meets are never born with all of the qualifications they need. They are however able to grow. There is no doubt that the mother speaks a lot of influence into the future of a child. Holy Behavior 1 Peter 3:3 – […]

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Luke 3:1-22 John the Baptist was an incredible man. Jesus and others throughout the New Testament spoke highly of him. John lived in the same as some very important people, Caesar, Herod and some others. Yet we are told in the New Testament that John the Baptist “eclipsed them all.” John the Baptist was stern […]

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3 John 4, Isaiah 61:3, Job 7, Romans 8:28, Job – Life is serious and short. You can live a life of pleasure committed to sinful things or you can live a life dedicated to Christ and to the church. When we are born we all have a specific number of days assigned us. For […]

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Too often we have a vision for how to grow our business but lack having a vision for the future of the church. Comparison is the biggest robber of joy, be content with what God is asking you to do. Once a culture is developed and engrained, it is difficult to change the culture. Church […]

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Isaiah 45, Romans 9:20 – Are you satisfied with the way God made you? Surrendering to the will of God is often not easy. There are times when we won’t know why, but it is the only place to be. All of us want to be part of the cool group don’t we? The pharisees […]

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Revelation 5:9 – Every tribe, every nation, every kind of people… not just our kind of people! My race, my clan, your race, your clan… all are recipients of God’s grace. We have a tremendous responsibility to share the things that God has done for us, and that he wants to do for those around […]

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Genesis 22:1-14 – To take a biblical position in your child training when the world has gone far off course is difficult. Yet it is vitally important. Parenting wasn’t for cowards in the olden days, it is still definitely not for the faint of heart. There are a lot of things that are not said […]

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Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:7-9 – What are we thinking about as we go about our days? Do we constantly reflect on Biblical truth and its principles? Many Christian people are in a rut, there is no or little joy in their Christian journey. Could it be that we are “doing it wrong” and have been […]

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What is a saint? Are you and I saints? Isaiah 6:1-7 – Even our greatest efforts fall far short of God’s Holy and perfect standard. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 – A summary of God’s will and desire for his people. God expects the same of us today. At times it seems as if those who call themselves […]

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Everyone needs a little hope. Ecclesiastes 5:4 – Vows are to be taken seriously. Don’t promise something that you don’t intend to keep. Genesis 6:9 – Noah was righteous, he was blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God. James 1:27 – A picture of pure religion. Colossians 2:20-23 – We can […]

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Mark 9:14-29, Matthew 12 In whatever struggle we are facing, the key to victory is faith. Satan’s forces are at war with us Satan doesn’t let go easily, this demon in this boy was difficult to cast out. It was constantly trying to torment him, and even kill him. Satan is prowling around, looking for […]

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For a number of reasons the sermon this morning does not have any notes attached to it… We apologize for this, and will try our best to return to doing things in a consistent manner going forward. John 16 – A Clear Advantage for You

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The scripture is precious to us, or it should be. We should look at scripture differently than we do any other works of literature. The Bible has a consistent message throughout, although there are many authors. The Bible has a larger circulation than any other book and can be found in almost every corner of […]

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Ephesians 6:1-9 – All of these things need to be done with a common central theme. That theme is Jesus, and bringing glory to God. In the New Testament the strict jews would fast twice each week. Jesus spoke against this attitude and this kind of fasting, instead he brought the focus back to God. […]

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Philippians 2:5-11 – Jesus became obedient, even to death on the cross. At some point in your life you will become aware that the only relationship that really matters is the one that we can have with Jesus. The Easter story is one of love, humility, obedience, scorn, blood, death, spiritual life, and many other […]

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God is Holy If there was a single word to describe God, this is it. God is holy. Psalms, Isaiah, 1 Peter, Revelation It is only right that we, as the children of God would live in a pure and holy way. If God’s holiness is his main and defining characteristic, it should be evident […]

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Revelation 3:21 – This verse speaks of a very special time, a day when we can leave behind the struggles that we face in this life and can sit down with Christ on the throne of victory. Purity Matthew 5:8 – Pure in heart, free from iniquity, free from the corruption of the world around […]

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Honesty Matthew 5:37 – Any time that your yes or no means more than yes or more than no… Jesus says that is unnecessary, indeed it is evil. Ephesians 4:25 – Put away lying. It is an “old man” behavior. Colossians 3, Revelation 21:8 – Honesty is a principle that should govern the life of […]

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What is a rule? “A rule or belief governing one’s personal behavior.” A rule is external, but a principle is a personal, deep conviction that is core to who you are. Everything that you do will be governed by this principle. A speed limit is a rule, not a principle. Living with purpose has to […]

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Even if you don’t know why you are here this morning, God knows why you are here. Titus 2:11-14 – John 3 – Numbers – Jesus tells us that we need to be saved, and that we need to be born again. He also refers back to a place in Numbers, where the people of […]

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What is Lent? Lent is a 40 day period prior to Easter, it begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent usually skips Sundays, although there are some different ways of approaching that.

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Think for a minute about the food pyramid that the FDA has created. It gives us divisions or groups to put the food that we eat into. The power of Christ’s Influence in our lives is something that we should look at, it is integral to our very Christian life. The disciples had seen the miracle of loaves and fishes. Their boat had been suddenly transported from one side of the lake to the other.

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What was Jesus doing here by referring to himself as “the son of man” instead of the “son of God?” Jesus is emphasizing his humanity, and is actually referencing a prophecy in Daniel 7:13. Peter recognized Jesus as being not only the Christ, but also the son of God. Jesus praises Peter for his answer and blesses him. When we recognize Jesus as the son of God, we will be blessed as well. The disciples here are still thinking that Jesus has come to set up an early kingdom. They know that he has God’s power...

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Why don’t you “come and see.” This is one of the simplest ways to talk to people about Jesus. We can argue all day about Jesus, but often it is best to simply say, “come and see.” Jesus called 12 disciples. He calls us as well. We are his disciples, we his work must do. Jesus knew Nathanial. He saw him under the fig tree, before Philip called him. Jesus knows everything about everyone. Which would be scary, except that Jesus loves all of us. Do we recognize Jesus? Jesus knows and recognizes us, but can...

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What are the spiritual “things” that happen, or are happening when a person enters the kingdom? Who is qualified to enter the kingdom? What is the promise of God to Abraham, that all people throughout history would be his children, and they are all qualified to enter (there is some qualification). Jesus words here focus on the necessity of believing that Jesus is the son of God. He is the source of life, he is the one who can deliver us from condemnation and death. It is only those who fear and believe that...

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Babies are cute. They are sweet. They are helpless. Perhaps God made them that way so that we would take care of them even though at times they are a bit of a chore to take care of. While it is incredibly amazing to watch a child develop and grow. It is very painful for a parent to watch their child grow and realize that they are not growing and developing as they should. Time does not bring maturity automatically in the Christian life. Are you still as you were when you became a Christian...

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“When they knew God.” In that chapter there is a progression downward of ungodly people. When they knew God, they didn’t follow him or worship him, they grabbed at their own wisdom instead of God’s wisdom. They worshiped idols. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you.” God is offering you abundance. The isn’t just a wish or wishful thinking on the part of Peter, rather it is the desire of a loving heavenly Father. We need to have a foundation. A place to start from. Peter begins by...

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Jesus is the image of an invisible God. Here in Mark we get a good glimpse at this image. Jesus isn’t a teacher who stands apart and teaches, refusing to intermingle with the people. Jesus was very involved with the people. Jesus is compassionate for the people. He wasn’t just combining ingredients, he was creating fish out of nothing. This is the third time that Jesus creates fish out of nothing. The religious leaders of the day often had a lot of differences between themselves, but they...

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There is potential to get “Christmas fatigue.” However we should never get tired of the true Christmas story. Numbers 24:17 - A prophet, Balaam, from the Old Testament foretells the star. Balaam was a wicked prophet who continually tried to bring a curse against the people of Israel. His goal was to earn some money… Mathew 2:1-23 - The story of the Magi following a star to find Jesus. The Magi were the first gentiles to come to see the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jesus.

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Jacob in his dream saw a ladder/stairway, on the ladder where angels going up and down. God was at the top of the ladder and he spoke a blessing and encouragement on Jacob. Spiritual progress for us here on earth is usually in “steps” as well. The angels on the ladder didn’t make great leaps from earth to heaven. Instead they made a bunch of smaller steps… steps that led them up and down the ladder. “When they knew God.” Everyone of us has a start...

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This morning we are going to talk some about the shepherds. We are reading somewhat between the lines, but it appears that they were people who were in touch with God. The life of a shepherd does look attractive at times. There is a lot that we don’t know about these “faithful few” who surround the Christmas story. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to realize that they must have had a relationship with God before He put them in as a part of the...

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How do we process all that is going on around this time of year? We are part of the kingdom of Christ, but do we loose focus because of the events in the news and the times we find ourselves living in? How do we relate to all this? It is good for us to know that living our lives in a way that reflects Christ does make a difference. Even though we aren’t always aware of the differences we are making in the lives of those around us. If you were to set up a king...

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We must be abiding, living, remaining in Jesus to be fruitful Christians. Abiding involves all the Christian's life. We are to be fruitful in every area of our life. A critical part of abiding in Christ is devotional time. One good measure of our spiritual health is our devotional life. Let's be idealistic and think about a perfect devotions: Regulatory - a pattern of planned events. Prepare - putting away distractions. Prayer - asking God to speak to us from his word...

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Lets eat, grandma. vs Lets eat grandma. There is only one difference between these two statements. The comma changes everything. We are talking about gossip and lies. The tongue is a very small and common thing. It’s like the comma in these two sentences, it changes everything. Gossip is like dandelion seeds. Once they are turned loose there is no bringing them back. They are “in the wind” its impossible to tell where they will go...

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God is good. Even when we don't understand. Colossians 1:12 - God rules over the powers of darkness today, just as he did at the time that these words were written. All of God's creation is sustained by his power. All of creation, the milky way, the stars, the oceans, all of it is under the control and is sustained by God. Isaiah 40:12-20 - How big is God. He weighed out the mountains and the valleys. We can come together and worship Christ...

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Marriage is for life. Divorce is not God's plan. These are things we believe, but that we don't talk about too much. The permanence of marriage is an inconvenient truth for many different groups of people. Many conservative christian people are "up at arms" about homosexuality, it is a sin. That remarriage after divorce is a sin as well is something that is also true. How grounded are you in the teaching of the scripture on the topic...

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We don't know exactly what Mary new at this point and what she didn't know. Did she know that Jesus was going to die? Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims who had come from all over to celebrate the Passover. They didn't know that they were about to witness the "real" Passover lamb's sacrifice. There was a large crowd of people following Jesus. The religious leaders of the day didn't appreciate this fact. They were scheming that...

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The people of Jericho knew that there was a people coming who were formidable beyond anything that they had seen before. These people had crossed the read sea. They had went up against numerous nations along their journey towards the Canaan. When the son of man appears it will be incredibly clear. It is incredibly easy to become depressed when we see the terrible things that go on around us. It is an encouragement to know...

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Our attention must be on Jesus Christ and the Word. By recognizing Jesus and his death and resurrection our old life is dead and buried… we are raised with Christ. We are told to live out our faith within our homes, to grow up to maturity. When we are at home we tend to let down our guard and drop the pretenses that we may have… even there we are called to live out the Christ life.

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Let’s take another look at the cross of Christ and think about what it really means for each of us. The blood of Jesus is something that we understand as Christians. The blood is only part of the cross experience. By faith we also die with Christ on that cross. Every day as we take up the cross anew we experience death again. The disgrace that Hebrews talks about here is the cross, the symbol of disgrace and death.

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Thomas was a loyal disciple of Jesus. He wanted to know the truth. He didn’t trust the other disciples when it came to whether Jesus had actually been raised from the dead. Thomas wasn’t going to be mislead by his friends. When Jesus talked to Thomas he said, “look at my hands and my side…” He didn’t say, “Thomas, here I am, believe it.” What would the other disciples have said if they were in Thomas’s place? Have we settled who God is?

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We see in verses from both the old and the new covenant - truth is very important to God. Even Christians within the body of Christ struggle with telling the truth. Maybe we complement people when we don’t really feel it. You might say you’re glad to see someone when you’re not. You may say you’re fine when you’re not. Lying is a bad thing for the body… silence is also not a good thing for the body of Christ. As Christians we...

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If we are going to reap fruit we do need to plant. Paul says here that we will plant… we need to make sure we are planting good seed, that we are making a good investment. A farmer invests in good seed and good fertilizers he puts in the work. He trusts that if he puts in the work, effort and investment he can reap some kind of benefit at some point in the future. It takes an ongoing will and determination on our part if we...

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The heart is very important. It is the seat of our thoughts and attentions and attitudes. Above all things, guard your heart. The heart of a man (or a woman) is very important. Our heart makes us who we really are. God knows our hearts. He knows our hearts completely. What God sees in our hearts should matter to us. What kind of heart pleases God? David was described as a “man after God’s own heart."

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The Holy Spirit is associated with the power to live differently than we would live without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Sprit was within Jesus “without measure.” The Holy Spirit will also be given to us in sufficient abundance that it will pour out. The Holy Spirit is available for you and me “without measure.” We are the only ones who can hinder the amount that we have in our lives. Be filled with the Spirit. The context tells us...

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God is big enough to bring healing in any situation. How do you sense when someone has a problem with you? How do we deal with it once we realize that a brother or sister has a problem with you. We need to ask ourselves, is this person intentionally trying to hurt me or are we just being too sensitive. Both Jacob and Esau had a responsibility here in their reconciliation and forgiveness.

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If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive our sins. Our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west, not as far as the north and the south. We needed forgiveness and God has given us forgiveness. Not only at the point of our conversion, but also on an ongoing basis. This is a reality of life, we all need forgiveness. Jesus is willing to forgive us. When we look at the cross and we see what Jesus did...

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Our society has more access to information than at any time in history. We are also more educated than ever… yet we seem to be somewhat more ignorant than we’ve ever been. Paul is talking about a change of behavior to match the change what has changed on the inside. The new self isn’t something that we just come up with on our own. It is created. This process is only possible for those who have been born again. We aren’t just...

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With Christ as the cornerstone the church will be built. The gates of hell won’t be able to overcome the church. The children of Israel were one of the first referred to as a “congregation.” We see here the beginning of the “congregation of Israel.” Abraham was called and he went. "Abraham was our father. We are part of his bloodline, that's what is important.” It was for Abraham's faith that God chose him as the father of Israel.

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Abel's blood was speaking so loudly that it was heard in heaven. The blood of Jesus, which was shed on the cross is speaking better things than the blood of Abel. Blood is very important. If you lose too much blood you lose life. Blood is important because life is important. What is it that Abel’s and Jesus’ blood is speaking to us? Abel’s blood in the ground was really bad news for Cain. Jesus blood for us is very good news!

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The sovereignty of God is well established in scriptures. God is over all, all-powerful, all-knowing and all-wise. Just as nothing was created without him, nothing is beyond his reach or beyond his rule. When God decrees something, it will happen. Man can choose to rule his own life. God holds man accountable for the choices that he makes. Whether we are a christian or a sinner, to hear that God is sovereign will make us feel differently.

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What we really need, and the only way to grow in Christ, is to have a life giving and life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul makes it clear that he and Epaphras were not competing. They were in fact working together. The gospel was being preached, people were accepting it and lives were being changed. How can we be planters and waterers and proclaimers and encouragers? It seems like Paul was praying constantly.

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If the Holy Spirit lives in you, you are a gifted person. Maybe you don't feel like you have something special to offer all the time... but you do. What Jesus has given you is valuable, Jesus is not a stingy giver. He knows you better than anyone and has created you for a special purpose. If the price of these gifts that we have received was Jesus coming to earth and dying on the cross... that is a very expensive gift. We need to show...

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There are a lot of things that change, but Jesus never changes. He is rock solid. This doesn't mean that he doesn't move. Jesus is always at work and moving among and within those who are his. We will all face death. Death is a huge change. If we know Jesus it is a great change. If we do not know Jesus it is a really bad change. Niagara falls is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the world.

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The last enemy to be destroyed is death. We shouldn't be preoccupied with dead, but it is very good for us to take a look every once in awhile at the issue of death. It is a very important subject for us to think about and come to terms with. God did not plan for death but He knew it would happen. God did not say that if Adam and Eve ate of the tree they weren't supposed to that he would kill them.

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Our bodies need water. Water is a solvent, which means that it dissolves other things, in our body this means that water carries all kinds of things to all parts of our body. A healthy body needs to have a correct balance of water inside and outside of each cell. Our bodies are largely water... we can live without food for a long time, but we can't live without water.

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Jesus wants the living seed that he has given us to grow deep and change the way that we interact with those around us, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. After Jacob had died and was buried. The brothers of Joseph began to wonder what Joseph would do to them. Would he punish them for how they had treated him years ago?

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Some opportunities are fun and exciting. Other times we wish that opportunities that come our way would go on past us. What would happen if instead of trying to find excuses and reasons for not taking part in some opportunities we would instead look at them as opportunities to "occupy our mountain." Ephraim and Manasseh were asking that...

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It is much easier to begin planting and watering when children are younger. Teaching our children is something that begins at a very early age. Every home has to deal with difficult things. How parents respond and how they deal with that can be a real testimony to their children. There is a spiritual battle going on. Each of us are being attacked.

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Jesus calls people to submit to him as Lord, but Jesus always claims that submitting to him as Lord will be in our best interest. Submitting to him will be a restful place, a place in which you will not be harassed, and Jesus will have your best interest in mind. He will care for you. Is this still the gospel of the kingdom today? Do we live today as if...

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Today when we talk about having “a situation,” we are often saying that we have a dilemma. We will face dilemmas in our lives, situations that require us to make a decision. Is your faith going to factor into the decision that you make? Will you look inward? Will you look back at situations you’ve had in the past? Will you look at other people...

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The times we live in can be confusing. It is important to stop and analyze life and to choose to trust God. This is the point that all of us need to come to. God is the only one who is truly trustworthy. Life can get very confusing and we might not know what’s going on… God can seem distant at times. It is in those times that we need to come to the place where we can say...

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We don’t know whether Bartimaeus was born blind or if it was something that happened to him later in life. Regardless, he faced a sever handicap that affected how he faced each and every day. Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus. When a crowd passed by and Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was coming by he cried out to Jesus… and kept calling earnestly.

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We are here to remember. We are here to remember while we take of the bread and drink of the cup. We remember Him, who he is, what he did and what he is like. Who is Jesus? He is the lamb of God who came and made provision so that the sin of the world could be taken away. The Jewish people were expecting a warrior, instead they got a “lamb of God.”

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The husband wife relationship is a relationship. We are all in relationships, whether or not we are married. Have we been awake to our responsibilities and relationships? We need to be attentive to the needs of those that are around us. All of us need to be “awaken” at times to see the needs of the ones we relate to...

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When Christ talked people listened. Jesus taught as one having authority. We need to keep in mind that our kingdom is not of this world. Our king commands, based on this truth, that we not fight. Instead of fighting authority we are told that we should obey authority and respect those in authority and pray for them. There will be times when...

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When we stop hearing and we stop doing - we stop walking with him. The time is here and the time is now. If we don’t act on what we hear the urgency goes away. Here we are and if “it” still isn’t done, the best time to do it is today. If God has been showing you something, take care of it now. Today is the best day to do it. As believers we have something...

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Sometimes the initial beginnings of a church are easier than “the long haul.” Maintaining purpose and maintaining unity requires ongoing maintenance. It is easy at times to become disillusioned with our churches and believe that other churches “have it figured out.” Rest assured that there is no “perfect” church. How is Christian brotherhood...

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Wherever God’s spirit is working he is working to build a local body that functions as a reflection of the New Testament practice. There is a lot of definition here - either of us or not of us. The requirement to be "of us" is to continue with us and among us. How would we apply this thing of submitting to our brothers and sisters...

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1 Kings 20:1-12 - Can you imagine the position that king Ahab was in here? Ahab surrendered to the wishes of the king outside. Have we surrendered our lives to Jesus? What kind of relationship are we going to have with Jesus? A mediocre Christian life isn’t really worth it. Jesus work on Calvary was a very expensive transaction...

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When we come from the outside to the inside of the kingdom of God that is only the beginning. The world around us, the temptations, the struggles, they are all still very much a part of our lives. Even people who are in the kingdom of God struggle. There is some debate around holiness and how “free from sin” God...

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God knows those who are his own. He will never make a mistake. We don't know about some of the people we see around us at times, but God never makes those kinds of mistakes. This is a comfort to the children of God while at the same time being something that should be terrifying to those who don't know...

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Can you imagine a place where God’s character is the law? Can you imagine the perfection… perfect love, nothing out of place, selfishness is so unheard of that every action is motivated by selfless concern for another, perfect holiness, a sin free place. A place where God’s spirit is the atmosphere. This place of course fits the definition of heaven perfectly.

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Any time a relationship happens between man and God it only happens because of God’s initiative. Jesus is the only hope we have to know God. We are faced with the choice to open the door and have a relationship with the creator of the universe. Or to not open the door when he calls us. How can a man walk with God? Man, even in his wisest...

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God is a lot smaller and impersonal to people today than he should be. God is neither small nor impersonal. God told Moses in Exodus 3, that “I am that I am.” God is eternal, the self existing one. When we look at the names of God we start to get an idea of who he is. God is all powerful. God needs nothing outside of himself.

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Our spiritual lives are somewhat like a house. When we become Christians, God makes a bunch of really great changes in our lives, but there is still work that needs to be done. James 1:19-27 - Using a mirror is a good place to start if we have something on our face. However just looking into a mirror doesn’t make the food on our face go away.

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Every two year old has two questions that they are grappling with. If they can’t get these two questions answered in the right manner, they will find that they have a “tough row to hoe.” Can I do what I want to? Do I really have to obey authority? If we as parents have children who are growing up without getting the answers...

The post A Rebellious Heart Is A Serious Thing appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

The news cycle today is pretty short. The resurrection of Jesus is never old news. Acts, Romans - The disciples continually were preaching about Jesus being raised from the dead. The fact of the resurrection is told in Scripture, it is believable to those who are open to it. Jesus resurrection was prophesied in the Old Testament.

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If we go home today in a mindset of refection of what Christ has done for us, then we will have gotten what Christ has for us today.The history of the Passover makes the Passover very important to the Jewish people in years past and today. There is much more importance for us as Christians. From a kingly point of view the donkey wouldn't have...

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It is a blessing of each of us to be able to give. Giving is an act of faith. Jesus didn’t say that we would necessarily receive a return in the same kind of currency. Jesus makes it clear that the return is only valid in the Kingdom of God. Jesus isn’t just talking about money of course. He is also talking about time, energy and things like that.

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Let’s look at God’s ownership of our bodies. In the beginning Satan lied to Adam and Even by telling them that God was with-holding good things from them. It is the same lie that Satan uses on us today as well. In what sense does “God own us?” He created us! God also gave us a free will. God didn’t make us to be a robot. God made us in...

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God gave Solomon an extra dose of wisdom. He didn’t need a DNA test to tell which of the two ladies was the actual mother of the baby. The motive for the one lady being willing to give the baby to the other woman was love for her baby. This is the same motive that will have a large part to play in our eternal judgement as well. Today everything...

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Many fallacies in doctrine stem from a false understanding of who God is, but a lot of them also come from a false understanding of who we are. If we look at creation we can see how each part of creation, apart from humans, operates on instinct. God could have made humans who did the same thing… but he didn’t. A clarity and understanding...

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God is a social God… He loves to interact and he created us in his image so that he could interact with us. God said that it is “not good that man should be alone.” God was planning a time of fellowship way back then, he was planning for fellowship when he made you. To bring glory to God is man’s “purpose,” but to “become known” and to “have a relationship...

The post The Chief End of Man appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

In the small country of Cameroon, there is a lake. This lake is known to be “the deadliest lake in the world.” This lake is an extinct volcano with the lake in the center of it. The lake is around 700ft deep. There is a small village there on the mountainside. On August 22nd, 1986 there was a man who was riding a bike towards the small village...

The post The Danger of Anger appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This may bring to mind the Old Testament story of Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh. As we look at this story of Moses let's think of how it correlates to the season of Easter. This is a time of year that should be leading up to a really special and deep experience for the Christian. What do you think of when you think of Easter? Do you think of lent?

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We sometimes take so much credit for ourselves that we forget where everything comes from. Everything is a product of God’s grace in our lives. God’s grace comes down to us and is showered freely upon us. We are to pass this grace that we have received on to those around us. God’s grace is not for us to keep, but rather to pass on to others.

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If you want to be where God wants you to be and you want to serve him the best you know how... he will be faithful. Romans 10:14 - Paul tells us that we need some preachers. Some people need to be in a leadership opportunity, but we do all need to be teachers. God could get his message out in a lot of different ways, but he uses men and women to get the...

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Romans 15:5-6 - One mind and one mouth glorifying God. 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Philippians 1:27-30 - The church is to stand together, with one heart, one mind and one voice. United. We need to have one goal in mind as we move forward, to find leadership going forward, leadership that can lead us as God would have us go. How do we find...

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We don't always understand everything and we don't always know what God wants. There are times when we need to trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are influenced by those people and things around us that we place importance on and value. Those are the things that have an impact on us. If we value the Holy Spirit and his impact on us, we will...

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When we stop and think about the volume of truth that is available as well as the amount of untruth that is available it is truly incredible. We have a responsibility to lead our children into truth, helping them to discern the differences between truth and the untruth. As parents we are specifically called to that role. 1 Samuel 2:1-21 - This is Hannah's prayer...

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Tim Croft shares his life story with us. Simply put his life has had a lot of twists and turns that most of us have never had to experience. Throughout the entire evening he puts an emphasis on the wonderful grace and mercy of God that is the only reason any of us can have hope. "This is a work that God himself has done!" "Each one of us can give a testimony of a salvation that is great."

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There are two ways that our relationship with others can be disturbed. We can be offended. We can offend someone else. As God’s people, who are concerned about pleasing God, we want to follow peace with all men. Whether we have been offended or whether we have offended someone else, we have an obligation. If we have been wronged we are...

The post Relationships & I’m Sorry appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

We should praise the Lord because God hears us when we pray. God doesn’t always answer prayer the way that we want him to, but he does hear our prayers. David was experiencing great fear that the people of Gath would kill him. So he did something very strange… he pretended to be insane. God is near to those who have a broken and crushed spirit.

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The Jews were a very patriotic bunch of people. Many people came to rely on the Jewish religious structure. A lot of Jews traded their heavenly inheritance for an earthly religiosity. The day the casket lid closes… that isn’t the end of the tree. That tree continues to grow and becomes more and more beautiful. A person without Christ’s leavening can only...

The post The Rise and Fall appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

We, as Christians are to “have the mind of Christ." Jesus is the perfect model of humility. There is another model of “humility." Ever since the fall of man, we have known about both models of humility. Both pride and humility. True humility begins with a bowing before God and acknowledging him. Humility abounds in a heart that has crucified...

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It’s the end of the year. For a lot of people it is a time that we do inventory, looking at the year that has passed and thinking about the year to come. Because Bible stories are true stories, we can definitely learn from Bible stories. The Lord was with Joseph, time and time again throughout this story we are told...

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If we want to make something, or fix something, there is generally a lot of effort involved. Jesus spoke and created the world, the stars, the sun, the moon, the universe… Not only did God make the stars, he also put them in the exact perfect place.

The detail in the world...

The post A Reminder of Who Jesus Is appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Jesus was led into the wilderness. He was alone… except for God the father and the Satan was there. This was a time of deep communion with God.

Besides fasting and communion in the wilderness, Jesus was tempted as well. After 40 days Jesus was understandably hungry.

The post Not By Bread Alone appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

We all are all co-creators and rulers with God. There is a place for us in God’s kingdom to participate in whatever it is that He is trying to do in this world. This is true regardless of whether we are single or married.

The kingdom of God is wherever God is working and moving. When we make choices that bring righteousness...

The post Fitting Into the Kingdom – Single or Married appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

What is Jesus talking about? He is talking about people.

The goal is to have a life that is fruit bearing. It is important for us and for those around us that we live a life that bears fruit.

It’s quick and easy to cut the tree down. For us it is much easier...

The post Digging and Dunging for Our Lord and Redeemer appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Death is not something we are accustomed to dealing with. Especially not something we plan into our daily lives. It isn’t something we wake up and think about every morning.

Life can end so quickly. Suddenly. In the blink of an eye.

Each one of us has an appointment with death. It isn’t something that we have set...

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It is good to step back and remember what all God has done for us.

This week during our thanksgiving celebration we are remembering the goodness of God to us. As Christians we have a lot of extra things that we are and can be thankful for. Above all we have Jesus and all that he has done for us. Moses here is leading the children of Israel...

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Previously we looked some of the prerequisites to where we are.

God’s plan is in place
We are God’s workmanship
We are created to do good
We are God’s - Psalm 100
We are eternally dead without Christ. However, through grace we can be saved, the gift of God, through Christ. Ephesians 2:8

The post Unreasonable Grace #2 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

The crucifixion may be one of the darkest moments in the history of Man. A lot of the story happened in the dark.

Jesus said that evil men like darkness more than they like light because they are evil. Jesus was hauled through the dark, the people who led him were bent on destroying him. Pilate was in the dark. Void of understanding yet asking Jesus questions. Jesus offered the truth...

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There is no way that we can give a true presentation of God’s unreasonable grace, other than to get a glimpse through scripture and experience it ourselves.

God created us and gave us the ability to choose. God has a divine purpose - man has a choice whether to fit into that divine purpose or not. In our natural state and due to our “sin issue,” in a spiritual sense we are born dead.

The post Unreasonable Grace #1 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This is a prayer prayed with “plural” language. David is praying not only for himself but also for all of God’s people. A lot of the prophets of old prayed in this manner… we should probably be praying in a similar manner as well.

God is building a spiritual kingdom. God is building his church. We do know that God is building this kingdom from every tribe and every nation.

The post The Holy Kiss appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This morning I want to talk about how to respond to “the gloom and doom,” that exists in this world.

There will always be a remnant of those who reach out and embrace the grace that is offered to us.

Elijah here seems to be a man that is quite discouraged. In simple terms he was “wore out.”

The post The Remnant appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

We live in a world that is full of hurting people. People who have deep hurts and emotional baggage. We have the blessed opportunity of giving the good news of the Bible to those who are hurting.

David did what he knew he wasn’t supposed to. Joab even tried to tell him that he shouldn’t count the people. The law said that the king...

The post Healing Reconciliation and Restoration appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

There is peace. Perfect peace in knowing God.

We have a God who answers our prayers. No other God is like our God. No other God can do what our God does… No other God has made the promise that if we ask we will receive.

God will get as serious with us as we get with Him. Those who fully trust God will find a much deeper relationship with Him.

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There are no notes for this message. I was gone, my backup was gone and unfortunately we are only “two deep” in the line for note taking.

I do apologize for the lack of notes but the audio is here…!

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We’ve all sung praises. We’ve sung songs expressing our thankfulness already this morning.

God calls us to be holy as he is holy, to be merciful as he is merciful, to be kind and to be patient… We don’t read “be ye thankful as God is thankful.” God isn’t thankful in the same way that we are to be thankful.

The post Psalm 100 – A Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

There are no notes for this message. I was gone, my backup was gone and unfortunately we are only "two deep" in the line for note taking.

I do apologize for the lack of notes but the audio is here...!

The post Pillars of Wisdom appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

He who was “sent from God” is a special person. Moses was called. The disciples were called. Paul was called. These were all people who were more than just people. They were “sent from God.”

Anyone who accepts the call from God is sent from God. Not everyone who accepts God’s call and is sent fulfills his mission. Some get distracted. Some shirk their duty and their calling.

The post Sent By God appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Let us first consider who Jesus is speaking to in this account. The disciples were his audience and they were eager and sincere followers of Jesus. There were also pharisees there. He may be speaking to the pharisees, but likely he was speaking to the disciples as well.

Jesus begins with a stern warning to those who would offend or hinder others in their faith. The pharisees were concerned...

The post Slaves of the Master appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Mary must have been very surprised to see her teacher after everything that had happened in the days preceding. She very likely didn’t know what part she was playing in the most incredible narrative and story that the world will ever know.

There were people who sought to rob the power of the Gospel in that day as well as there are today. The gospel however can’t be corralled and “managed” by man.

The post The Power of the Resurrection appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Why did you become a Christian? What were you looking for or hoping for? What kind of experience were you looking for?

For many people what God has in mind for them as a believer is way beyond anything they have imagined.

What if God is up to something really grand in the world?

The post Finding My Place in the Kingdom appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Five words can communicate so much if they are in a language that we can understand.

Jesus said...

I will build my church.
Ye must be born again.
Seek ye first the kingdom.
Ask and you shall receive.
I am with you always.

The post Speak Five Good Words appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Selfishness is like the force of gravity. Everything is pulled in towards me, towards myself. To counteract this inherit selfishness that is part of our human nature, we need the help of God. In order to counteract this tendency towards selfishness we must reach up to God. It is only when we are able to reach up towards God that we can reach out in compassion to others...

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1 Peter 2:1-10 There is something about stone. It is long lasting, you can rely on it. When the Bible talks about us being “living stones” in the building of Christ, that is a pretty special thing. Keep this in your mind as we go through the message. Take a building that is functional and […]

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There are two kinds of givers. One feels like he has a good reason (excuse) not to give. He is a grudging giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, 2 Chronicles 17:1-19 – an example of grudging givers. The second type of giver is glad for the opportunity. Giving for him is a joy. There were two chests […]

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Temptation Mathew 4:1-11 Temptation and trial kind of run together. It is difficult to articulate the difference between the two. We often read about trial and temptation in the same or similar context. The devil promises earthly pleasure in order in order to rob us of heavenly reward. Genesis 3:1-24 The devil uses bits of […]

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Love at home… This song is a song of ideals. Love at home is a beautiful thing. Some people are even a bit annoyed at the words of this song because they are so “idealistic.” This song does make a very important point. If there is love at home, that home is a much better […]

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Hope – An Anchor for the Soul Hope is an anchor for the soul. Let’s think this morning about how our anchor is doing. Hebrews 6:11-20 There are three things that are necessary for happiness. – Someone to love – Something to do – Something to look forward to The third part of this, having […]

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Luke 15 These stories were told to the publicans and the tax collectors. Tax collectors worked form the Roman government. They were considered traitors, collaborating with the “enemy.” Tax collectors were shunned by the jews. The sinners mentioned here were those who had been “out cast” by the jews. The tax collectors and sinners were […]

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Without me you can do nothing… John 15 –sorry no notes from this sermon.

The post Jesus the True Vine appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Abraham – A Great Example of Faith Romans 4:16-25 Hinderances to Faith Unbelief Considering the problem too much Matthew 14 Peter, even when he was sinking new where his hope came from. 1 Samuel 17 Example of David, who focused on God – not the problem. People of Faith believe in a God that can […]

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A sermon by Jerrill Schrock Sorry… no notes for this sermon.

The post The Memorial Stones appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

A sermon by Leon Yoder Sorry, there were no notes taken…

The post A Way of Escape appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

The Attributes of a godly Woman The Lord loves his people. We delight in our children and the Lord takes delight in His children. God could have chosen a different way to bring salvation to the earth. He didn’t though, God chose to use Mary, a mother… to bring the savior into the World. 1 […]

The post A Mothers Day Message appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Romans 6 The true church is made up of those who have been baptized into the death of Christ. Do we want the symbolic cross, instead of the real thing?

The post They Will Live Glorious appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Leon Yoder Let’s look up. Remember that Jesus is coming again. Let’s not be tied to the earth. Passages used; Acts 1:6 Mark 13 Luke 14:16 Luke 12 1 Thessalonians 5:6

The post A Life of Watchfulness appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Easter morning sermon at Bethel. …no notes… Sorry!

The post The Lamb Thread appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Three Gardens The story of God working with mankind can be brought together into three gardens. In each case, God meets with man and provides. And in each case man has a choice. The Garden of Eden Eden – pleasure / paradise The region of Adam’s home. Genesis 2:7-10, 15 A perfect place to live. […]

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You and Your Brotherhood Sermon Text Romans 12:1-17 1 Corinthians 3:9 Whenever we don’t appreciate the church we begin to back away from the church…and when we back away from the church we can often say “I don’t like what I see.” We are to share our brotherly love. If you don’t have love, don’t […]

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Keep Thyself Pure 1 Timothy 5:21-25 There’s an all out attack on personal purity. It isn’t just what we see. The devil is at work trying to destroy spirit, soul, and body. He enjoys taking away our power to live in victory. God’s desire for us is that we live for his glory – and […]

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As We Surrender to God, He will bring restoration. Our homes – our families – our backgrounds are very different. Five important ingredients for good relationships Forgiveness – we need to learn to forgive – in a the small things and in the big things. Mathew 6:14, 15 Mathew 18:21,22 Patience – are we patient […]

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Ye MUST Be Born Again John 3:7-21 “Ye Must Be Born Again” We do not, automatically, through our parents inherit new life. Doing good will not bring you to a new birth. Ezekiel 36:24-28 What does it mean to be born again? You must believe – believing in the work that Christ has done for […]

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Revival at Any Cost How badly do you want revival? How seriously are you seeking after revival. How much time and effort are you willing to commit. Any cost is at “any cost” – no price to high. Psalm 138 The psalmist says here that he “praised God with his whole heart”. There is a […]

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We need to always be growing We all know that we need to continue to grow in our spiritual walk. This sermon takes a look at the difference between being “child like” and “childishness.” I apologize for the lack of content in the post here… We are working through a few changes in our “recording […]

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What is Jesus saying? Are we obeying? One morning Jesus was with his disciples. He was spending some personal time in prayer. Maybe all night. The crowds started coming and they grew and grew throughout the day. People were being trampled the crowd was so large. The crowd was made up of many different people. […]

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A Servant Heart The Example of Dorcas Acts 9:36 Admit – acknowledge Believe – believe Confess – confess in Christ the Lord. Hebrews 12:28 Serve God Acceptable Jesus Christ came to serve Service should be a way of life. We reject man’s approaches and ways to living. By love serve one another. It can be […]

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Failing Successfully Sometimes our mistakes are able to be overcome. Learning from the mistakes of others Romans 15:4 1 Corinthians 10:6-11 Avoid evil desires Do not be idolaters Don’t be overly confident Genesis 4:4 Cain and Able Joshua 7:1 The Mistake of Akin Sometimes we mistakenly assume things. Exodus 2:11 The Mistake of Moses – […]

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Choosing a Life Long Companion Jesus says that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Proverbs 18:22 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18 Principles for Choosing We want to please God in all that we do. We definitely want to have God’s blessing on it. Purity is a principle for choosing. Many in the world live together […]

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Encouraging Church Loyalty We are a lot of odd people. That is a good thing. More important than being in a Church physically is being in a church spiritually. The church is one body, many members working together as a unit. Jesus placed supreme value on the church. He purchased it with his own blood. […]

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Ten Lessons from my Youth Each of us walks a unique path. No matter where we come from, each of us is cared for by our savior. 1 Peter – He careth for you. In the Greek it would mean, “It matters to Him.” Sometimes we learn from experience and other times we learn from […]

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This sermon – Our Place of Worship – was originally preached 2014.03.09 by Sam Troyer. Hebrews 12:18-29 How do you view worship? To many of us worship is a Sunday morning in church. We come together and sing songs and pray together. To some of us we worship when we are listening to music. For […]

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This sermon – Will He Find Faith When He Returns? – was originally preached 2014.03.02 by Jake Troyer. The faith that Jesus will be looking for will be faith in our hearts. What is faith? – Faith is believing in something that we can’t see. Hebrews 11 Why do we close our eyes when we […]

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This sermon – Perilous Living – Our Response – was originally preached 2014.02.23 by Jerrill Schrock. We live in perilous times. Whether we are two hundred years, two years or two weeks from the end, the times we live in are perilous. There will be more deception, there will be more pressure, but we have someone far […]

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This sermon – The Revelation from Jesus Christ – was originally preached 2014.02.16 by Leon Yoder. Revelation 1:1-20 We know that this book was written by John. John was on the small island of Patmos off the coast of Greece. He was there because he was a banished criminal. It was there that he had visions […]

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This sermon – The Good Shepherd – was originally preached 2014.02.09 by Jerrill Schrock. Isaiah 40:1-11 We want to look at Jesus as the good shepherd. John 10:1-18 Sheep learn to know their shepherds voice. When another shepherd tries to call the sheep of another shepherd, they won’t come out. When a sheep recognizes the voice […]

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This sermon – Praise and Thanksgiving – was originally preached 2014.02.02 by Leon Yoder. Psalm 67:1-7 Do I praise the Lord in a way that he would be pleased with my praise? We understand that the world around us doesn’t praise God. Too often though, the people of God don’t praise the Lord either. How often […]

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This sermon – Joseph Foreshadowing Jesus – was originally preached 2014.01.26 by Dan Freed. Joseph Foreshadowing Jesus A shadow is not “the real thing” it is rather an appearance, something that mirrors the real thing. Colossians 2:16-19 It is fascinating to look for Jesus as we read the Old Testament. The greatest class ever taught about […]

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This sermon – Peace in the Local Church – was originally preached 2014.01.19 by Sonny Yoder. Philippians 4:1-23 This last part of Philippians has much to say about church life. Paul had a deep love for the church at Philippi. Love goes a long way in a church. It is essential among believers. Paul says […]

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This sermon – The Beauty of Chastisement – was originally preached 2014.01.12 by Jerrill Schrock. The Beauty of Chastisement Hebrews 12:6-29 God chastens us because he loves us. We are part of his household and he wants to have the best sons and daughters that he can. Because of his desires for our good, he chastens us. […]

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This sermon – Living By Faith – Forming Convictions – was originally preached 2014.01.05 by Leon Yoder. The Just Shall Live by Faith Hebrews 10:38-39 The world is full of deceptions, darkness and untruth that will deceive man. Man has a tendency to go towards the things that he wants, an unsaved man tends to go towards […]

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This sermon – Our Savior Has Come – was originally preached 2013.12.22 by Leon Yoder. Our Savior Has Come Luke 1:67-80 Man is lost and needs to be rescued. He needs a savior. Mankind is facing an awful enemy and awful circumstances if he is left unsaved. But there is an opportunity by which we can be […]

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This sermon – Sitting at the Feet of Jesus – was originally preached 2013.12.15 by Jerrill Schrock. Sitting at the Feet of Jesus Luke 8:26-39 Mathew 12:16-21 How has Jesus healed you? What can he do for you? What should our response to him be? It was a good day for the people here, the Gadarenes. But […]

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This recording of a baptismal service at Bethel includes the sermon – All Wet For Jesus – originally preached 2013.12.01 by Sam Troyer. Mathew 3:1-12 The first Baptist that we know of was John. John the Baptist. John was a prophet, a reformer, a person you would not soon forget. People came from miles around to hear […]

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This was a special Thanksgiving service that was held at BMC. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button above and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you can subscribe to the podcast feed via email using […]

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This sermon – Preserving the New Song – was originally preached 2013.11.24.03 by John D Martin. This message is part of a series preached at BMC in the fall of 2013 by John D Martin. Here is a list of all the messages in this series. Why We Must Sing the New Song Profile of the New […]

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This sermon – Lead the New Song – was originally preached 2013.11.24.02 by John D Martin. This message is part of a series preached at BMC in the fall of 2013 by John D Martin. Here is a list of all the messages in this series. Why We Must Sing the New Song Profile of the New […]

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This sermon – Profile of the New Song – was originally preached 2013.11.24.01 by John D Martin. The Profile of the New Song This message is part of a series preached at BMC in the fall of 2013 by John D Martin. Here is a list of all the messages in this series. Why We Must Sing […]

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This sermon – Why We Must Sing the New Song – was originally preached 2013.11.24 by John D Martin. This message is part of a series preached at BMC in the fall of 2013 by John D Martin. Here is a list of all the messages in this series. Why We Must Sing the New Song Profile […]

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This sermon – Called to Be Saints – was originally preached 2013.11.10 by Jerrill Schrock. 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 Corinth was a city of commerce that was a connection between two seas. The Christians in Corinth were very likely common Christians. In a lot of ways their situation would be more along the lines of our situation in […]

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This sermon – Expressing Deep Gratitude to Jesus for His Life Giving Blood – was originally preached 2013.11.03 by Rich Bowman. How do we express our gratitude to Jesus? The early church was steadfast Acts 2:42. We want to be reminded this morning of Jesus precious blood and what it has provided us with. Colossians 1:1-22 Paul […]

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This sermon – Life Lessons – was originally preached 2013.10.27 by Leon Yoder. Scriptures used: Mathew 16:24, Mark 12:41, Romans 12. Life Lessons Lesson 1 – Cross bearing The way this expression is often used we see it as having a burden or responsibility to carry alone. It is heavy and cannot be easily changed. There are […]

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This sermon – Men of Courage – was originally preached 2013.10.20 by Sam Troyer. Scriptures used: Ezekiel 22:30, 1 Corinthians 11:2-3, Ephesians 5:22, Romans 5:17-19, Deuteronomy, Romans 1:28, Timothy, Hebrews 13:7, James 5:16. Men of Courage, Never Give Up God is looking for “a few good men,” men who will, “man up.” There are not a whole […]

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Men of Courage: God’s Call to Move Beyond the Silence of Adam

This sermon – Teach Us To Pray – was originally preached 2013.10.13 by Leon Yoder. Scriptures used: Luke 11, Luke 3, Psalm, Isaiah, Hebrews 12, John 17, 1 Peter 5, James 5. Today’s message is a reminder. It is a review. If we were in school it might be going over the alphabet again, or counting to […]

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Esther Yoder After talking to some of the Esther Yoder family this recording is now available here on the Bethel Mennonite Church website. You may either listen to it here or download it to listen to it later. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button above and […]

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This sermon – To Raise A Child – was originally preached 2013.10.06 by Jerrill Schrock. Scriptures used: Ephesians 6:1-4, Mark 9, Mark 10. A Couple of Questions and Points Considered in this Message What Does Jesus Think About Children? How Does Herod (the Devil) View Children? What are our responsibilities as Parents? How do we as Parents Fulfill […]

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This sermon – Kingdom People and Eternal Destiny – was originally preached 2013.09.29 by Ivan Weaver. Scriptures used: Mathew 7:13-29, Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah 21:8, Psalms 37:38, Proverbs 11:19, Mathew 24:12, 2 Peter 2:2, 1 John 4:1, Ephesians, John 12:24-25, Revelation, Mathew 6, Mathew 25, Mathew 8:12, 1 Corinthians 11, John, Revelation 22:6, Mathew 8. The victory at the end […]

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This sermon – Kingdom People and Interpersonal Relations – was originally preached 2013.09.29 by Ivan Weaver. Scriptures used: Mathew 7:1-12, Mathew 5, Romans 2:1, Romans 14:4, James 4:12, Romans 13, Romans 2:11, Hebrews, 1 Peter 3:7. Jesus is again dealing with attitudes. As we know attitudes sooner or later turn into actions. It is important to have the […]

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This sermon – Kingdom People and Trust – was originally preached 2013.09.28 by Ivan Weaver. Saturday Evening – Ivan Weaver Kingdom People & Trust Matthew 6:24-34 Anxiety is an enemy of trust. Anxiety About The Future Jesus says to observe the birds. They do not reap or gather into barns -but the Heavenly Father feeds them. They […]

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This sermon – Kingdom People and Their Treasures – was originally preached 2013.09.27 by Ivan Weaver. Friday Evening – Ivan Weaver Mathew 6:19-24 Our attitude towards material things is important. Earthly treasures do effect our attitude. A NEGATIVE WARNING A clear command “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” Material possessions have a tendency to […]

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This sermon – Kingdom People and Higher Righteousness – was originally preached 2013.09.25 by Ivan Weaver. Scriptures used: Mathew 5:20-48, 1 John 3:15, Ephesians 4:26, Proverbs 4, Mathew 19:7-8. We have a responsibility to move beyond the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees. In fact we are told that we will not be able to […]

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This sermon – Kingdom People and Personal Piety – was originally preached 2013.09.26 by Ivan Weaver. Scriptures used: Mathew 6:1-18, Romans 8:26, Mathew 23:14, Deuteronomy 16:19. Preface: The Sermon on the Mount is our Magna Carta (magnificent letter) – its our constitution Message Theme: Considering the need for private and personal devotional experiences (focus not on formal worship but on […]

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This sermon – The Influence of Kingdom People – was originally preached 2013.09.24 by Ivan Weaver. Scriptures used: Mathew 5:13-19, 2 Corinthians 4:7, Revelation 3:16, Ephesians 5:8, Philippians 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 1 Peter 2:9, Proverbs 4:18-19, John 8:12, 1 Timothy 6:18, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:12, Mathew 24:35, Deuteronomy 4:2, Revelation 22:18, 19. Never underestimate the […]

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This sermon – The Character of Kingdom People – was originally preached 2013.09.23 by Ivan Weaver. Scriptures used: Mathew 5:1-12, 2 Corinthians 1, 2 Timothy 2:24, Psalm 119:31, Proverbs 11:17, 1 Timothy 5:22. Jesus saw the multitude. Jesus was moved by the people. He had compassion for them. This message seems to be for the disciples but not […]

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This sermon – Am I My Brother’s Keeper? Or My Brother’s Brother? – was originally preached 2013.09.22 by Steve Yoder. Scriptures used: Genesis 4, John 15, Galatians 6, Psalm 121:3-5, Romans 8:35, 1 John 3, Jude. Cain asked God a question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God didn’t answer Cain directly here, but as we look through […]

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This sermon – What is Faith? – was originally preached 2013.09.15 by Sam Troyer. Scriptures used: Hebrews 11:1-6, Hebrews 10:36-39, 1 John 5:4, Romans 1:18, Hebrews 6:13, Hebrews 10:12, Isaiah. What is Faith? Will there be faith on the earth when Jesus returns? What is faith? Faith is playing the notes that we may never hear. […]

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This sermon – The Beauty of the Moment – was originally preached 2013.09.08 by Jerrill Schrock. Scriptures used: Mathew 6:24-34, Luke 22:44, Malachi 1:9, 2 Peter 2:22. The Beauty of the Moment Jesus wasn’t just rambling and telling stories. He was speaking with divine power and wisdom. What does he mean here? Jesus it speaking here […]

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This sermon – Finishing Well – was originally preached 2013.09.01 by Sam Troyer. Scriptures used: Hebrews 12:12-17, Philippians, Romans 12, 1 Peter 2, Mathew 5:9, Acts 13:42, James 4. Finishing Well We are running a race. We are on the track. We have been asked to run with perseverance. The race that we are asked to run […]

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This sermon – What Is A New Testament Church? – was originally preached 2013.08.18 by Rich Bowman. Scriptures used: 2 Corinthians 6, Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:17, Revelation 2, 1 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 2, Galatians 6:16, Philippians 3, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Acts 16, Acts 26:8. What Is a New Testament Church? A couple thoughts that […]

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The post Abounding In The Works Of The Lord – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The Danger of Drifting – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The Planted Man – Jerrill Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The Perseverance of the Saints – Raising Awareness and Encouraging appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Conduct Worthy of Christ – Jerrill Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Asking of God – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post A Clear Conscience Before God and Man – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The Father Has Provided – Sonny Yoder – 2013.05.26 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Filled With Light – Rich Bowman – 2013.05.19 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The Perspectives of the Grasshopper and the Eagle – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Meaning for Life – Merle Burkholder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Why God Created Families – Merle Burkholder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Standing Before God – Rich Bowman – 2013.04.28 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Pilates Bane – Jerrill Schrock – 2013.04.21 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The Problem of Man – Leon Yoder – 2013.04.14 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Does God Have Your Ear – Sam Troyer – 2013.04.07 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Along The Emmaus Road – Sonny Yoder – 2013.03.31- Easter appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Discerning Truth – Leon Yoder – 2013.03.24 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post That You May Know You Have Eternal Life – Dan Freed – 2013.03.17 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post The One Who is in You – Dan Freed – 2013.03.17 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post God’s Love and Our Love – Dan Freed – 2013.03.16 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Jesus Our Lawyer – Dan Freed – 2013.03.16 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Jesus the Light – Dan Freed – 2013.03.16 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

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The post Come and Rest – Sonny Yoder – 2013.03.10 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – The Call To Repentance – was originally preached 2013.03.03 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Mathew 3:1-12, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Ezekiel, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Hebrews 11, Romans 13, Ephesians 4:24. Quotable Quotes A lot of people came to hear John and Jesus talk, there was a deep desire in their hearts for something that would fill […]

The post The Call To Repentance – Leon Yoder – 2013.03.03 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Finding Rest for Our Souls – was originally preached 2013.02.24 by Rich Bowman. Passages used: Mathew 11:28-30, 1 Peter 2:21-25, Acts 7:54-60, Genesis 42:19-22, Genesis 45, Luke 19:8-10, Luke 12, Luke 15, Hebrews 4:9. Quotable Quotes How does a person go about finding rest for their soul? Is it something I do? Is […]

The post Finding Rest For Our Souls – Rich Bowman – 2013.02.24 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Isolation VS Brotherhood – was originally preached 2013.02.17 by Steve Yoder. Passages used: 1 John 1, Genesis 2, 2 Corinthians 6, Hebrews 10, 1 John 3, 1 John 4, Mathew 18:5, Philippians 2:4, Ephesians 4:32, 1 Corinthians 12, Galatians 6, John 13, 1 Corinthians 13, John 15, Romans 12, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 […]

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This sermon – What Does the Blood Say to Us Today – was originally preached 2013.02.10 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Hebrews 9, Mathew 26:27, 1 Peter 1, Mathew 20:28, Isaiah 1, 1 John 1:7, Revelation 7:13. Quotable Quotes There is no atonement with out the blood of Jesus – nothing can take its place – nothing. […]

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This sermon – Paul’s Appeal – was originally preached 2013.02.03 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Romans 7:7-25, Romans 3, Romans 2, Romans 6, Romans 8. Quotable Quotes Paul really loved the Jews. He even says that he would be willing to be eternally damned if it would save the Jewish people. A whole lot was invested […]

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This sermon – Laying Up Treasure – was originally preached 2013.01.27 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Mathew 6:19-end, 1 Peter 1, Luke 12, 1 Timothy 6, 1 John. Quotable Quotes What a man loves most – that is his god, that is his treasure. How tragic it would be if we worked and got all the […]

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This sermon – Psalm 33 – was originally preached 2013.01.20 by Dan Freed. Passages used: Psalm 33, Luke 24:27, Psalm 145, Psalm 106, Psalm 94, 1 John. Quotable Quotes The purpose that God has for me is the same that God has for everyone – to lead a life that brings praise and glory to God. […]

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This sermon – Hearken To The Voice of God – was originally preached 2013.01.13 by Rich Bowman. Passages used: Deuteronomy 28, Mathew 7:7-12, Jeremiah 29:10-11, John 10, Genesis 3, Mathew 5, 1 Peter 2:23, 1 Peter 4:12-16, Joshua, Deuteronomy 30:10-20. Quotable Quotes What might look bad to us in this new year, may be something that […]

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This topic – A Walk Through The Graveyard – Bethel – was originally given 2013.01.06 by Delvin Yoder. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you can subscribe to the […]

The post A Walk Through The Graveyard – Bethel – Delvin Yoder – 2013.01.06 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – You Are The Light Of The World – was originally preached 2013.01.06 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Mathew 5:16, Genesis 1, 1 John 1:1-4, John 8:12, Psalm 103, Mathew 4:16, Ephesians 2:5. Quotable Quotes If we have a light this morning it is not something we have created. Without the sun there is […]

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This sermon – The Greatest Gift – was originally preached 2012.12.23 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: 2 Corinthians 9:15, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Romans 8:32. Quotable Quotes We are celebrating the greatest gift – Jesus. The measure of love is always its willingness to give. If we want to measure God’s love we need to […]

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This sermon – Our Offering To God – was originally preached 2012.12.23 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Romans 12:1-3, Psalm 145:8, Malachi 1:7,8, Mathew 5,6, Romans 6. Quotable Quotes God is very aware of our humanity, that we are but dust. We all come to God in the same situation. God asks for our all… God […]

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This sermon – The Glory of God’s Presence – was originally preached 2012.12.16 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Exodus 25:10-22, Psalm 99, Acts 7, Hebrews, Isaiah 43. Quotable Quotes God’s presence. Is it a part of your life. Can you feel it here this morning? The Ark of the covenant was the center of the worship of […]

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This sermon – But As For You – Man of God – was originally preached 2012.12.09 by Sonny Yoder. Passages used: 2 Timothy 3. Quotable Quotes In these last days there will be difficult times, because people are sinful. We as Christians need to live very differently than the prevailing culture that we live in. God is […]

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This sermon – The Wonder Working Power of God – was originally preached 2012.12.02 by Rich Bowman. Passages used: Romans 1:1-17, Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 John 1:7, Romans 6:1-18, Revelation 12:11, 2 Corinthians 10, Luke 9:23, Mathew 10:22. Quotable Quotes This letter was written to the believers at Rome. If we can understand them a […]

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This sermon – Faith Is – was originally preached 2012.11.25 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Hebrews 11, Mark 9, Mathew 17, Romans 10, Psalm 78. Quotable Quotes With their faith they pleased God. To approach God and to be pleasing to Him we must believe that He exists and that He rewards sincere seekers. The list […]

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This sermon – Repentance – was originally preached 2012.11.18 by Jeff Yoder. Passages used: Luke 15:11-32, Romans. Quotable Quotes That We Have Sinned… A lot of times we tell God that we want to go another way, that we want to set out on our own. The Father loved his son enough that he allowed him […]

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This sermon – Our Attitude Towards People – was originally preached 2012.11.11 by Michael Yoder. Passages used: Luke 6:40, Romans 8:29, Mathew 9:35-36, Mathew 20:30-34, Mark 5, Mark 6:30-56, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 19, John 4:4, John 8, Luke 22:50-51, Luke 23:32-34. Quotable Quotes For every child of God, God has a plan and purpose – […]

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This sermon – Pride – A Problem – was originally preached 2012.11.04 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Micah 6:6-8, James, Judges, Galatians 6:4, Romans 12:3, John 15, Mathew 11:28-30. Quotable Quotes Am I ahead of the rest? Do I stand out? One may feel like he doesn’t measure up. He may feel like he is a […]

The post Pride – A Problem – Leon Yoder – 2012.11.04 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Syria Learns About God – was originally preached 2012.10.28 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: 1 John 4::1-8, 2 Kings 5:1-3, 10-…, 2 Kings 6:8-…, 2 Kings 7:6. Quotable Quotes God is gracious. He wants to work with people and He wants to see them grow. God’s power cannot be measured. Natural strengths can […]

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This sermon – Communion With God – was originally preached 2012.10.21 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Job 22:21-23, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 11:24-27, Romans 6:1-11. Quotable Quotes Are you acquainted with God? Do you know Him? Identifying with Jesus is part of the communion experience. We don’t naturally know God. We aren’t born with that […]

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This sermon – Fear the Lord – was originally preached 2012.10.14 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Psalm 34, Leviticus 19:3, Exodus, Jonah, Malachi 3:16, Hebrews 12:18-29, Hebrews 10:26-27, Philippians 2:9-13, Acts 5, Ephesians 5:21, Hebrews 11, Romans 3, 2 Chronicles 19:7, 2 Corinthians, 2 Peter 3:3-14, Romans 8, 1 John 4, Revelation 6, Isaiah 66:5, Acts 9:31. Quotable Quotes There […]

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This sermon – Carry The Glow – was originally preached 2012.10.07 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Luke 2:8-20, Hebrews 10:19-26, Deuteronomy 4:29, Mathew 7:7-8, Revelation 3:20. Quotable Quotes Everything about God is Good! If we are in communion with God we will have a countenance that reflects that relationship. Let us stir one another up – […]

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This sermon – Fight the Good Fight of Faith – was originally preached 2012.09.30 by Mark Yoder. This message is the last in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. Passages used: 1 Timothy 6:12-16, Acts. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is […]

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This sermon – The Witness of Jesus Christ – was originally preached 2012.09.30 by Mark Yoder. This message is the eighth in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How I […]

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This sermon – Youth and Choices – was originally preached 2012.09.29 by Mark Yoder. (The opening to this message is from Sanford Yoder – Mark’s father.) This message is the seventh in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only […]

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This sermon – How I Fit In – Youth – was originally preached 2012.09.29 by Mark Yoder. This message is the sixth in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How […]

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This sermon – God is Light (With Children’s Class) – was originally preached 2012.09.28 by Mark Yoder. This message is the fifth in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How […]

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This sermon – Who Only Hath Immortality – was originally preached 2012.09.27 by Mark Yoder. This message is the fourth in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How I Fit […]

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This sermon – Only Potentate – was originally preached 2012.09.26 by Mark Yoder. This message is the third in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How I Fit In – […]

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This sermon – Who is the Blessed – was originally preached 2012.09.25 by Mark Yoder. This message is the Second in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How I Fit […]

The post Who is the Blessed – Mark Yoder – 2012.09.25 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – God The Creator – was originally preached 2012.09.24 by Mark Yoder. This message is the first in a series that Mark preached during our fall revival meetings. God the Creator Who is the Blessed Only Potentate (With Children’s Class) Who Only Hath Immortality God is Light (With Children’s Class) How I Fit In […]

The post God the Creator – Mark Yoder – 2012.09.24 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Eternal Life in Jesus – was originally preached 2012.09.23 by Dan Freed. Passages used: 1 John 1:1-10, John 1, 2 Corinthians 9:8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and […]

The post Eternal Life in Jesus – Dan Freed – 2012.09.23 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Be Strong in the Lord – was originally preached 2012.09.16 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Ephesians 6:10, 1 Timothy 4, Mathew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2,3, 2 Peter, Romans 13, Ephesians 3. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to […]

The post Be Strong in the Lord – Leon Yoder – 2012.09.16 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Who am I Who is God – was originally preached 2012.09.09 by Sonny Yoder. Passages used: Genesis 1:1-2, 26-28, 31, 2:15-17, 3:4-6, 8-15. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and […]

The post Who am I Who is God – Sonny Yoder – 2012.09.09 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – My Heart is Steadfast – was originally preached 2012.08.19 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Psalm 57:1-11, Luke 9:57-62, 1 Samuel 22, Judges 6:25, Isaiah 6:42, Psalm 8:1-4, Psalm 46:1-3. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you […]

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This sermon – A Path to God’s Presence – was originally preached 2012.08.12 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Exodus 30:17-21, 1 Peter 2, Ephesians 1:17-23, John 13:1-10, 1 John 1, Psalm 24, Acts 8, Ephesians 5, Hebrews 4, Psalm 119, Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Corinthians 6:17. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this […]

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This sermon – The Church – was originally preached 2012.08.05 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Mathew 16:13-18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Ephesians 2:18-22, Romans 10:9, Mathew 28, 1 John 5. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to […]

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This sermon – Deliver Us From The Evil One – was originally preached 2012.07.29 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Mathew 6:9-13, Revelation, 1 Timothy, Ephesians 6, Hebrews 2:14, Colossians 2:15, 1 Kings 22, Galatians 5, Ephesians 2, Ephesians 4:5, Luke, Thessalonians, Titus, 1 John 5:4-5, 11-21. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, […]

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This sermon – Dealing With Doubt – was originally preached 2012.07.22 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Luke 24, John 20:24-29, Luke 11:9, John 14:26. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click […]

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This sermon – Hang In There – was originally preached 2012.07.15 by Eli Yoder. Passages used: Hebrews 12:1-3, Hebrews 11, Romans, 2 Corinthians 4. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also […]

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This sermon – Danger Of Contentment – was originally preached 2012.07.07 by Jeff Yoder. Passages used: Luke 6:20-24, Luke 18:9-14, Revelation 3:14-22, Revelation 2:8-11, James, Philippians 3:8-14. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and […]

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This sermon – Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing – was originally preached 2012.06.24 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: John 15:1-5, Deuteronomy 8, Jeremiah 17, Philippians 4, 2 Corinthians 3:4,5, 2 Chronicles 14, Psalm 127, 1 Corinthians 3, Mathew 13, Mark 4:20, Luke 8:15. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the […]

The post Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing – Leon Yoder – 2012.06.24 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Fathers Take Your Stand – was originally preached 2012.06.17 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: John 2:13-17, Ephesians 5, Malachi 3. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also […]

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This sermon – They Didn’t Have a King – was originally preached 2012.06.10 by Sonny Yoder. Passages used: Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25, Judges 17-21, Judges 2:1-23, Judges 17:7-13, 18-21. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to […]

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This sermon – By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them – was originally preached 2012.06.03 by Rich Bowman. Passages used: Mathew 7:13-29, James 2:14-20, Galatians 1:6-9, Revelation 1-3. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save […]

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This sermon – Our Kinsmen Redeemer – was originally preached 2012.05.27 by Dan Freed. Passages used: Ruth 1, 2, 4. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you can subscribe […]

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This sermon – Love The Brethren – was originally preached 2012.05.20 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9-10, 1 John 3:14, Romans 16, 1 John 5:1, 1 John 3:23, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 2:9, Romans 12:9:10, 1 Peter 1:22, James 2:8,9, Romans 2:11, John 13:35. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this […]

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This sermon – 9 Attributes of a Godly Woman – was originally preached 2012.05.13 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Psalm 139:4, 1 Peter 3:1, Titus 2:1-9, 1 Timothy. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file […]

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This sermon – Communion Lost Communion Restored – was originally preached 2012.05.06 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Luke 22:14-23, John 3:16, Genesis 1-4, Leviticus 16, Hebrews 10:1-11, Mathew 27:40-44, Psalm 103:10-12, Hebrews 8:12, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 5:4, Romans 8:1-4, Titus 3:4-7, Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 2:1-8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right […]

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This sermon – The Kingdom Wrestler – was originally preached 2012.04.29 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Ephesians 6:10-20, Romans 10:8, Philippians 4:7. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you can subscribe to […]

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This sermon – The Right To Die – was originally preached 2012.04.22 by Dr. Nolan Byler. Passages used: Philippians 1:20-26, Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 9:6, 1 Corinthians 3:16,17, Romans 14:7,8, Colossians 3:23, 1 Chronicles 10, Mathew 27:3-5, Genesis 49:33, Luke 2:25, Acts 7. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download […]

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This sermon – Dangers of Alternative Medicine – was originally preached 2012.04.22 by Dr. Nolan Byler. Passages used: 1 Thessalonians 5:21-24, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 10:21, 2 Corinthians 6:15, Ephesians 5:11, Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Revelation 21:8, Mathew 24:24, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, 1 John 4:1-3, 1 John 1:9, James 4:7, Acts 19. Note: To download the mp3 file directly […]

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This sermon – The Floating Ax head – was originally preached 2012.04.15 by Steve Yoder. Passages used: 2 Kings 6:1-7, Isaiah 61:62, John 4:35. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also […]

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This sermon – Peter and the Resurrection – was originally preached 2012.04.08 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Unsure… Listen and find out! 🙂 Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. […]

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This sermon – The Fool and His Folly – was originally preached 2012.04.01 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Mathew 7,5, Psalm 53, Proverbs 10, 15, 14, 17, 26, Luke 15:11, 1 Corinthians 3, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, James 4, Jeremiah 17, Luke 12:16-22. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, […]

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This sermon – Wisdom From Above – was originally preached 2012.03.25 by Leon Yoder Passages used: James 1:3,4, Jude, 2 Corinthians 2, Ephesians 2:23, Mathew 28. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and […]

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This sermon – The Ministry of Encouragement – was originally preached 2012.03.11 by Leon Yoder Passages used: Deuteronomy 3, Acts 12, 13, Colossians 4, 2 Timothy 4, 2 Corinthians 2, 1 Thessalonians 3, 5, Hebrews 10, 11, 12, Ephesians 4, 2 Corinthians 1, Mark 11, Mathew 5, Romans 16. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from […]

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This sermon – Staggering Not – was originally preached 2012.03.04 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Romans 4, Romans 8, John 15, Genesis 37, Job, 2 Corinthians. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and […]

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This sermon – The Essentials For The Journey – was originally preached 2012.02.26 by Eli Yoder. Passages used: Revelation, Mathew 10, Romans 10, Hebrews 12, Mathew 5, 1 Corinthians 6. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to […]

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This sermon – Jesus Will Return – was originally preached 2012.02.19 by Dan Freed. Passages used: Mathew 24, 25, Thessalonians, Mark, 2 Peter 3, Revelation 22. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file […]

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This sermon – The Good Shepherd and The Hireling – was originally preached 2012.02.12 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: John 9, 10, 11, Ephesians 2:18, Luke 19:46, Colossians 2:9, 1 Corinthians 12, 13. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you […]

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This sermon – A Great Truth and a Great Question – was originally preached 2012.02.05 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: 1 John 4, John 3:16, Ephesians 3:14-19, Romans 8, John 14, John, 15, 1 John 5. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… […]

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This sermon – Feelings That Bind Us Apart – was originally preached 2012.01.29 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Psalm 7:11, 1 John, Mathew 22, James 3, James 1, Psalm 25. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to […]

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This sermon – The Hardest Commandment – was originally preached 2012.01.22 by Jerill Schrock. Passages used: Romans 12, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Revelation 21:8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also […]

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This sermon – The Great Admonition – The Call To Persevere – was originally preached 2012.01.15 by Sonny Yoder. Passages used: Hebrews 10:19-39. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. […]

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This sermon – Found Faithful or Found Wanting – was originally preached 2012.01.08 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Mathew 25:13-33, Hebrews 11, Hebrews 9:27, 1 Peter 4:17-20, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ecclesiastes 7:2, John 3:16-20. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where […]

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This sermon – The Dragon and The Child – was originally preached 2011.12.25 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Revelation 12:1-6, Luke 4. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you […]

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This sermon – My Fathers House – was originally preached 2011.12.18 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: John 13:36 – 14:6, Revelation 6:9-10, Hebrews 12, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelation 20, Romans 8:18-25. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse […]

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This sermon – The Remembrance – was originally preached 2011.12.11 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: 1 Corinthians 11:23-35, John 1, John 15:19, Revelation 5:9-11, James, Mathew 11:20-30, Luke 17:1-5, Mathew 22. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the […]

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This sermon – I Was Glad To Go To The House Of The Lord – was originally preached 2011.12.04 by Rich Bowman. Passages used: Psalm 122, Hebrews 10:19-25, Hebrews 13:8, Acts 12:1-19, Acts 20. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you […]

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This sermon – Life Giving Stream – was originally preached 2011.11.27 by Sonny Yoder. Passages used: Ezekiel 47 Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you can subscribe to the podcast […]

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This sermon – Needed – Not Loved – was originally preached 2011.11.20 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Mathew 5:10-16, Ephesians 6:12, 2 Peter 1:1-8, Colossians 3:23-24, Daniel 2:1-49, Genesis, Mathew 16:23-26, 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to […]

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This sermon – Guardrails – was originally preached 2011.11.13 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Ephesians 5:15-17, Proverbs 27:12, Proverbs 13:20, (1?) 2 Corinthians 6:18-20, Daniel 1:8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and […]

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This sermon – Preparing For Revival – was originally preached 2011.10.30 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Ephesians 3:20-21, Exodus 12:5, Deuteronomy 13:18, 1 Corinthians 14:20, Hebrews 5:13, Hebrews 6:1, Mathew 5, Ephesians 4:11-15, Mathew 4:21, Galatians 6:1, Luke 11:9-13, John 15:7-14, 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians 6. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right […]

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This sermon – The Heart of a Servant – was originally preached 2011.10.23 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Mathew 5, Mark 10:45, Isaiah 42, Mathew 23, Mark 10. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the […]

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This sermon – Seek The Face of God – was originally preached 2011.10.16 by Gabriel Yoder. Passages used: Hebrews 11:6, Psalm 34:9-10, Deuteronomy 4:29-31, Luke 11:9-13, Mathew 13:44-46, 1 Chronicles 16:10-11, Psalm 37:7-8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you […]

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:::Let Me Begin With An Apology::: We have missed two sermons recently. The issues were various but suffice to say one Sunday no one was there to record and the other Sunday we experienced a number of technical difficulties. So I’m sorry if this has caused you any kind of grief. We will try to do better […]

The post The Mourning Christian – A Sermon by Leon Yoder – 2011.10.09 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Live In Peace – was originally preached 2011.09.18 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: 2 Cor. 13:11, Mark 4:35-41, John 1:1-2, John 16:31-33, Is 57:19-21, Is.9:8, James 4:1-4, Col. 3:12-23, Matt.5:5-10, 1Tim. 2:1-4, Phil. 4:7-8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link […]

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This sermon – Be Ye Doers of The Word – was originally preached 2011.09.11 by Sonny Yoder. Passages used: James 1:16-27. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Also you can […]

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This sermon – Who am I, Who is God, By God’s Grace – was originally preached 2011.09.04 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Romans 3:1-31, Romans 2:29, James 4:1-3, 1 Peter 1:23-25, Isaiah 64:6, 1 Corinthians 13:3, Psalm 8:3-9, Mathew 10:29-31, John 14:6, Psalm 103:10-19. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right […]

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This sermon – God Knows – was originally preached 2011.08.28 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Joshua 22:22, Hebrews 4:13, Psalm 103, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Kings 8:3, Psalm 139, 69, John 8, 1 Timothy 5, Mathew 25:4, Ephesians, 1 Peter 1:19,20, Romans 8:28, 2 Chronicles 4:9, 1 Corinthians 13. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from […]

The post God Knows – A Sermon by Leon Yoder – 2011.08.28 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Faith That Pleases God – was originally preached 2011.08.21 by Dan Freed. Passages used: Hebrews 11:6, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8, Genesis 4:6, Genesis 5:21-24. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file […]

The post Faith That Pleases God – A Sermon by Dan Freed – 2011.08.21 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Steps to Forgiveness – was originally preached 2011.08.14 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Luke 6:35, Mathew 5:1,2, 1 Corinthians 13, James 2:12. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click […]

The post Steps to Forgiveness – A Sermon by Leon Yoder – 2011.08.14 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – The Path of Absalom – was originally preached 2011.08.07 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Jude 3-18, 2 Samuel 13 – 18. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. […]

The post The Path of Absalom – A Sermon by Jerrill Schrock – 2011.08.07 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – It Was Borrowed – was originally preached 2011.07.31 by Dan Freed. Passages used: 1 Kings 6:1-7, 2 Peter 1:3, 1 Corinthians 4, Luke 1:37. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the […]

The post It Was Borrowed – A Sermon by Dan Freed – 2011.07.31 appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This sermon – Devoted to Jesus – was originally preached 2011.07.24 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: John 20:1-18, Luke, 2 Corinthians 3, Hebrews 10, Mathew 7, Mark 5. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save […]

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This sermon – Knowing God – was originally preached 2011.07.17 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: 2 Peter 1:1-11, Romans 9, 10, Hosea 6:6, John 17:3, John 15:4, 1 John 5:20, Jude 20,21. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where […]

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This sermon – First Corinthians 13 For the Family – was originally preached 2011.07.10 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: 1 Corinthians 12:27-1 Corinthians 13, Proverbs 22:6, Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 23:12-16, Proverbs 29:15-18, Psalm 127:3-5. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse […]

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This sermon – Our Great High Priest – was originally preached 2011.07.03 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Hebrews 4:13 – 5:10, Genesis 14, Hebrews 5, Exodus 20:12, Philippians 2, 1 John, Hebrews 7, Hebrews 10, Job 16:19, 1 John 2. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button […]

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This sermon – Life Without Meaning – Life With Meaning – was originally preached 2011.06.26 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, Mathew 6:6-13, Luke 17:21, Jesus washes feet, James 1:27, Ephesians 4:28, Philippians 2:4-5, Genesis 1:1-3, Psalm 75:3, John 1:4, Colossians 4:17, Revelation 20:19, Mathew 20. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from […]

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This sermon – Signs and Results of Apostasy – was originally preached 2011.06.12 by Jerrill Schrock. Passages used: Mathew 24:1-13, Revelation 3:14-16, Hebrews 3:12-14, and 1 Corinthians 10:12. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save […]

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This sermon – Self Control – was originally preached 2011.06.05 by Leon Yoder. Passages used: Galatians 5:16-26, Titus 2:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:1-2, 1 Peter 7:4, James 3:1-5, Proverbs 25:25, 2 Timothy 2:1-4, 1 Corinthians 9:24, Hebrews 5:14. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save […]

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This sermon, This Same Jesus – He is Coming Again – was originally preached 2011.05.22 by Jay Rohrer. Passages used: Acts 1:6-11, Mathew 27:62-28:6, Acts 1:1-4, John 20:30, John 21, Hebrews 11:6, Luke 24:13-32, Isaiah 43:1-4, Ephesians 3:20,21, Acts 17:27, Galatians 6:1,2, Mathew 24:3-13, 2 Timothy 4, Mark 9, Revelation, 2 Peter 3:1-7, 1 John […]

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Good evening folks… I apologize for taking so long to post this message. Hopefully you can find it within yourself to forgive me. This sermon was originally preached 2011.05.15 by Sam Troyer. Passages used: Psalm 32, Romans 3:19, Romans 8:23, Revelation 12. I’m fairly sure I missed some references, I guess you’ll have to listen to it […]

The post Guilt – Breaking Free – A Sermon by Sam Troyer appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 5.8.2011 By Leon Yoder. Passages used: Mathew 5:5, Galatians 5:22-25, 2 Corinthians 10, Mathew 11, 1 Peter 4, James 1:19-25, Hebrews 12:6, 7, 11, James 3:13, Ephesians 4:2, Titus 3:2, Galatians 6, Zephaniah 2:3, Psalm 22:6, Psalm 25:9, Psalm 147:6, Psalm 149:6, Isaiah 11:4, Mathew 21:5. Note: To download the mp3 file directly […]

The post Blessed Are The Meek – A Sermon by Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 5.1.2011 By Jerrill Schrock. Text: I Samuel 17 David vs. Goliath Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

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Originally preached 4.17.11 By Rich Bowman. Some passages used in this message… John 1:21-29, Mathew 9:1-6, John 19:7-11, John 10:14-18, Revelation 5:9-12, John 11:33-39, Mathew 9:36-39, John 3:16, 1 Peter 1:13-21, Hebrews 9:11-14, Revelation 12:10,11, Luke 22:19,20. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link […]

The post Blessed is the Lamb of God Who Takes Away my Sin – Rich Bowman appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 4.10.11 By Jerrill Schrock. Some passages used in this message… Mathew 6:9, Romans 8:15, Mark 14:32-36, and Luke 15:1-10. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

The post Loving Shepherd of Sheep Gone Astray – Jerrill Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 4.3.11 By Leon Yoder. Some passages used in this message… Hebrews 4:11-16, Ephesians 6:5-8. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

The post Doing the Will of God From the Heart – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 3.27.11 By Sonny Yoder. Some passages used in this message, Philippians 4, Romans 12:1,2, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians 4, and Colossians 3. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

The post Frame of Mind and Pattern of Thinking – Sonny Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This is a collection of the messages from the Bethel Mennonite Church Youth Rally this year. Ronnie Miller came from Ohio to speak to us about Bible reading and the importance of the Word of God. Originally preached the weekend of March 19 and 20, 2011 by Ronnie Miller . Ronnie Miller Session 1 Ronnie Miller Session […]

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A group of messages on family and raising children. Originally preached the weekend of March 12,13, 2011 by Eli Yoder Note: To download the mp3 files directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save. Eli Preached a […]

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Originally preached 3.6.11 By Sonny Yoder. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

The post We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes – Sonny Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 2.27.11 by Jerrill Schrock. Some of the passages referenced in this message included, Mathew 5 and 6 as well as 1 Kings 17 and 18. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file […]

The post Mathew 6:1-8 – Jerrill Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 2.20.11 By Leon Yoder. Some of the passages referenced in this message include, Philippians 2:1-18, Mathew 5:13-16, Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 4:15-16, Acts 9, and the book of Revelation. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want […]

The post Shining Forth Like Stars – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Originally preached 2.13.11 by Sonny Yoder Some of the passages referenced in this message included, 2 Thessalonians 1, 1 Thessalonians 3, Hebrews, Job, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and 1 John 3:2. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want […]

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A message on the spiritual rest that we as Christians can experience. Originally preached 2.6.11 by Sam Troyer. Some of the passages referenced in this message included, Hebrews 4:1-11, Mathew 11:28-30, Romans 12:2-3, and Philippians 2. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link […]

The post Finding Rest In Jesus – Sam Troyer appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Psalm 103 – How brief and how quickly our lives pass in the overall picture of things here on earth. A person is born, a person lives and a person passes into eternity. Job 7:7, Psalm 102:3, 1 Peter 1:24 – Life is like smoke, like a vapor, it is here briefly and then it […]

The post A Life With A Purpose appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

A message challenging us to look back at what God has done for us, into the Bible at his promises to us, and then anticipate God to be faithful in this new year. Originally preached 1.23.11 by Rich Bowman. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and […]

The post Anticipating God’s Faithfulness in 2011- Rich Bowman appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

A message from Romans 2. Originally preached January 16, 2011 by Jerrill Schrock. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

The post The Beam and The Speck – Jerrill Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

A Message on the things that we can learn in the Sanctuary… Originally preached by Leon Yoder January 9, 2011. Note: To download the mp3 file directly from this page, right click the download button and choose Save Link As… Browse to where you want to save the file and click save.

The post Learning In The Sanctuary – Leon Yoder appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Welcoming in the New Year with a message entitled “A Happy New Year.” Original message preached January 2nd 2010.

The post A Happy New Year – Jerril Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

This message was preached by Jerrill Schrock 12.19.10…

The post The Babe In The Manger – Jerrill Schrock appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.