Sermons from The Lighthouse Church (NJ): Recent Episodes
Lighthouse Church (C&MA)
Where are we in this story of the Good Samaritan? Will we allow prejudice and pride to stop us from being the hands and feet of Jesus?
Haman's security in his people, his place and his performance and others' perception of him is the very thing that fuels his insecurity. God comes along to reset your security to be found only in the fact that you have a relationship with Him. The one King who will not betray you! The one King you can totally believe in!
Do you know your true spiritual identity? If you are one of God's people, your identity is not achieved, it is received. You are loved, you are forgive and you are cared for. You don't have to impress anyone. Just be His and you will do fine.
As a believer, it is our responsibility to not shy away from who God made us to be,especially when it comes to making a stand in the dark so the light shines bright.
We are seeing the process of God making progress as we study Esther. Esther has an opportunity for progress. Where have you been passive and need to get active? What opportunities is God giving you for progress?
"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress...Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men..."
Our lives are marked by three things: sin, mistakes, and tragedies. These complicate our life to the point of discouragement or despair. When we invite THE LORD to have full access to us, God can and will: Redeem our wrecks, Reconcile our wrongs and Resurrect our resumes!
Esther and Mordecai are living a double life...How many of us are like that? Sort of Christian...sort of non-Christian...transformation can happen...we have to get real! You must bring the holy God the real you!
Respect can not be dictated, it must be earned. Esther chapter one teaches us much about men and women.
Xerxes wanted to be King. There's something in all of us that wants to be king. There's something in all of us that wants all the glory. It's amazing to see how what we see externally reveals what is going on internally.
Here and Now! Do you want salvation to come to your heart and your house today? The invite Jesus to come and live in you! It is never too early-it is never too late-God's favorite word is TODAY!
If you say you believe like you do, why do you behave like you don't? How do we face trials patiently? Make firm your hearts! Strengthen what will remain long after this earth passes away.
James confronts the sin: "You glory in your extravagance." Christianity is a faith rooted in making a positive and practical difference in the world we live in. There is no such thing as a casual Christian.
Attitude Alignments: 1. You can foolishly ignore God's will 2. Never forget life is fragile 3. You try to sell God as if you were God. 4. You have no excuse to not be a believer
Christianity without Transformation is just informational. Jesus must be your LORD, not just your teacher.
Are we praying for each other or preying upon each other? James says that if you tear down your fellow believer without just cause-without having the whole truth-without first confronting your family member face to face-you are out of line!
James is challenging his flock to no longer be driven by pride, but to fall on upon their knees and humble themselves and give God access to their entire lives.
Are you going to begin a love affair with the things of this world or are you going to fall in love with Jesus? Submission is a call to faith! The benefits of grace are poured out freely but only when we choose God!
Choose your friendships wisely. The Bible is very clear and direct when it comes to warning those who choose to be enemies of God!
Let's examine the difference between earthly and heavenly wisdom. James is laying out a series of tests by which a person can verify the genuineness of his or her faith. Spiritual conversion is manifest in their wisdom. Wisdom is evidence of what kind of person you are. Wisdom is not defined by what I know, but depends upon how I choose to live...You can't have wisdom without a relationship with God!
Gold, frankincense and myrrh. A gift for a King; a gift for a Priest; and a gift of death.
What does "incarnation" really mean? He Came as one of us-He came to be with us!He was supremely God Who became fully man. God desires for all of us this Christmas to do what Jesus did that first Christmas-to discover the power to breathe and move and live and have out being in God!
In Israel, they loved genealogies. "Ask me who I am, I'll tell you about my people." Matthew tells us the genealogy of Jesus to prove He was the Messiah...The Redeemer...the friend of sinners! There is a scarlet cord that runs through the Old Testament and Jesus becomes the scarlet cord for all of us when He died upon the Tree for you and me...That cord should strike a chord in all of us believers!
Mary chooses to magnify the Lord! She chooses to praise, glorify and rejoice in God. When people look at you are they also seeing a BIG GOD?
God has laid a straight path that leads to faith. The manger to the cross to the empty tomb. Let's show others that path this Christmas. The word for this December is mission.
Jesus did and said a multitude of things no zealot leader would ever say or do. The Jesus of the New Testament is clearly not a zealot revolutionary aiming at a military forced overthrow.
"The tongue has the power of life and death" Proverbs 18:21 "Oh, God, would you please be in my words that pass out of my mouth?"
Do we get caught up in getting others to embrace our spiritual formulas rather than surrendering their hearts to fall in love and follow Jesus? Becoming a Christian might look more like a Romeo and Juliet romance than a Cooking show about how to make Christmas cookies.
Partiality is inconsistent with God's way of doing things. Partiality ignores the logic of what Christianity is all about; and partiality keeps us from preaching MERCY as our main message.
Mirror-Master-Makeover-Masterpiece
"Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what is says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do." James 1:23-25
Temptation plays no favorites. It ignores all human obstacles. It cares nothing about the time of day or night. It camouflages itself in any situation. It is prepared to pounce at any moment.
Our study of the book of James continues with a message entitled YOUR LOOT OR YOUR LORD? Pastor Rudy challenges us to check our hearts because God wants that most of all!
"A good definition of Godly wisdom, therefore, would be: hearing and doing God's Word. God's Word is a divine prescription for how to live a life that never loses its joy no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in..." John Piper
"SUFFERING CERTAINTY" just comes with living life! Being a Christian should make the difference in how we deal with PRESSURE POINTS!
There is a battle going on! "Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."Ephesians 6:13
The Biblical meaning of "Christian" is 'the adherent of Christ.' In "ian" at the end is a Latin term to designate the slaves of the one with whose name it was compounded. Thus, the ending 'ian' when put to the name Christ simply means "I belong to Christ." Are you wearing His name humbly? Do you know His glory? Change your ways or change your name!
Exiles resonate with the feeling of being stuck between two worlds. Exiles are called not to retreat, but to redeem the culture they live in. Exiles are not looking for comfort, but looking to crash the party so the devil doesn't get what he does not deserve.
God gives us the bad news to emphasize the positive! What will we see? Daniel had shaken by the dark side of his vision, but he was not stirred in his faith!
Disciples can't be mass produced! Disciples are formed one relationship at a time. Jesus doesn't rule like man does. God doesn't' use power to get us to love Him. Our will to love Him results in our allegiance and appreciation of His power and His potency in our lives. "If the Son sets you free~you will be free indeed." John 8:36
Jesus was drawing huge crowds because He came into the towns and villages with a message of hope. He had something to offer that they were looking for. He was stirring their hearts with His message of hope and salvation.
Faith that escapes suffering and faith that endures have a common factor: Believing that God Himself is better than what life can give to you now and better than what death can take from you later.
Please, for your own spiritual life and reality and power, don't compromise the need to pray! Will yo say with Daniel: "You will have to take my life before you take my prayer"?
Examine the three stages of King Nebuchadnezzar's life and the parallel to our selves and our nation.
Risk taking for God should be the normal behavior for the believer! The Bible is filled with examples of those who put their lives on the line so they could experience a heavenly happening!What about us?
You may know the right things to do, but do you do the right things you know? Faith removes our pride and replaces it with our praise for God!Do you want to have your life filled with words of praise for God? Start believing what He says to you!
Cheating is when you mislead, deceive, or act dishonestly on purpose. Daniel passed the test without compromising his convictions. Your reputation is who other people think you are...Your integrity is who God knows that you really are!
Are you a fruitful branch? Take the fruit test. Find out what a fruitful branch looks like! Allow His way to become your way!
How far is it between where you are now and where God wants you to be? Remaining and abiding in Him, in the Vine, produces fruit which is His way to display His wonder through the original you!
Do You want your life to be about being connected to God-totally and fully abandoned to Him, willing to be whimsical and totally engaged in loving as Jesus loves?
Everybody has a story. Every story is looking for an ending. Let Jesus glory story change your story!
"Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
Are we ready to answer Christ's call to go and make disciples? Are we ready to say "yes" to a radical counterculture lifestyle?
What is the Church of Jesus Christ supposed to look like? We need to see that church is not somewhere we go, instead it is something we are!
Jesus is calling us to be sheep among wolves. The Church is always at its best when it goes into the world humbly like a sheep among wolves.
Do you want to be passionate about Jesus? You need to offer all to Him...Body, mind, strength, heart...
Community can't exist with unforgivenss within the Body. Are you ready to make a bold move? Will you forgive?
If God could move one mountain in your life today, what would it be? Will you pray BOLD PRAYERS?
Let's make BOLD MOVES for God! Biblical justice is that you should never treat a human being as if they had less worth than they have.