Chatham Christian Church: Recent Episodes
Rick Wenneborg
While He would like all to come to repentance, and accept Him as Savior and Lord, not everyone will. Jesus therefore handles different kinds of people differently.
Kingdom work wasn’t going to be easy.It would have its rewards obviously, but it would also have many disappointments and heartaches.Jesus was not only teaching this to His disciples, but to the multitudes who came with their own misconceptions about the kingdom.
But Jesus knew the disciples had reached a point in their training for kingdom leadership where they needed a realistic picture of the successes, and the failures, they would experience in ministry.It was time for Jesus to prepare them for the ups and downs they would have to go through.
The Pharisees did not want to believe what was obviously true, but they're not the only ones who were intentionally blind.
In our text for today we see three approaches to the Sabbath. And I believe we can learn something from the way the disciples, the Pharisees, and the Servant approached the holy day.
A disciple has no need to fear ridicule, no need to fear death, and no need to fear judgment.
We see Jesus instructing the disciples, before sending them out on a short-term mission, but with a long-term commitment.
Jesus chose not to minister all by Himself while He was here, or even after leaving. He chose to share His ministry with others, and with us.
Jesus did these things publicly, for all to see, or at least hear about, so they would know who He was. And some did see, while others chose not to see.
Jesus was making available a joyous, saving relationship with the Son of God, who not only had power over disease, nature, evil, and sin... but death itself.
This morning Matthew gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ power over sin itself.And that power, power to even forgive sin, is verified in an undeniable way.
The event we celebrate this morning took place in a garden, probably less than a hundred feet from where Jesus was crucified.
As we studied Matthew 7:1-6, we discovered that we are, in fact, instructed to judge.Not to pass judgment on someone’s eternal destiny, not to condemn anyone, but to make moral judgments regarding the rightness or wrongness of behavior.Now, to do this correctly, we must use the right standard.
“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”How many times have you had that biblical quote thrown back in your face?It merely introduces Christ’s teaching on judgment... if we read further, we discover that He goes on to make it clear that we are in fact supposed to judge.
You can’t keep your eyes focused on two things at the same time. And you can’t have two masters.Jesus makes this clear when He speaks of two treasures, two visions, and two masters in the Sermon on the Mount.
Prayer is fundamental to a relationship with God... it can be very simple... or it can be very complex.
In the 5th chapter of Matthew, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works.” Then in the 6th chapter, He says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men.”Which is it? Are we to let men see our good works, our righteousness, or not?
Have you ever excused your behavior with the words, “No one’s perfect?” If you have, listen again to the words of Jesus. “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
What would you think of someone who audaciously declared, "You have heard…but I say" ...effectively challenging what you had been taught?
John’s message, and Jesus’ initial message, was the same. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As we move into chapter 5 of Matthew’s gospel, John is in prison, and Jesus is ready to introduce that kingdom to His disciples.
We can almost hear Matthew say, "Then came Jesus..." bringing light, leadership, and love.
Jesus already knew the general direction His ministry would have to take, and He knew where it would have to end.He had known that from the foundation of the world.But now that He was a man, could He do it?Did He have the resolve needed to follow the necessary course?
John’s job would be to get us ready.And he did so by showing how to be pleasing to our heavenly Father through confession, repentance, and baptism.
Matthew’s gospel is the Royal Gospel, written primarily for a Jewish audience, and the events he recorded surrounding Jesus’ birth and childhood make it evident that He was indeed the promised king.
Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, something that was not only unusual, but humanly impossible. And it’s something that is doubted by skeptics, and unbelievers, even today.
To Matthew’s readers this genealogy was very important, and very interesting. And it was vital to Matthew’s presentation of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the King of Kings. This is the royal gospel, written to the Jews, to show them that Jesus is the king they were expecting, the one foretold in Scripture.
Having concluded his main argument in the 12th chapter, our author now tries to get in the last word on just about every aspect of the Christian life.
Jesus is central to the plan of salvation.And now that Jesus, the promised Messiah, has come, a new covenant between God and man is in effect.The old is invalid, so there’s nothing to go back to.
We’re going to look at several victors in faith, and some who weren’t, on the surface anyway, so victorious. And then focus on the One who perfects our faith and brings ultimate victory to all who are faithful.
Obviously not everyone agrees on the value of walls, and sometimes they do what we expect them to do, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they keep us safe and secure, but sometimes walls fail. This morning we’re going to explore three walls, walls that stand, walls that crumble, and walls to build upon.
The Bible confirms that if we have faith in God there is no need to live in fear. And as we discovered when we began our study of faith in the Faith Chapter, faith is best understood by looking at the lives of those who lived by faith.
God blessed Abraham by fulfilling His promises to him through his son, his grandson, and eventually through God’s own Son, who was born of Abraham’s seed.Who knows what God will do through our children, and their children, if we’ll have the faith of Sarah and Abraham.
The Apostle Paul said we walk by faith, not by sight. But most of us would rather walk by sight.
We’re going to look at that definition and the first three examples the author of Hebrews used to illustrate three fundamental elements of faith: a future element, a present element, and a past element.
The author of Hebrews explained in great clarity the value of what they had in Christ. And he warned them what would happen if they insulted His grace and walked away from the gift they had been given.
You’ve been given the opportunity to enter the very presence of God, but have you done so?If not, it’s time to put your faith into action, and our author calls us to action as he continues in Hebrews 10:19-21.
Christianity has been called a slaughterhouse religion. Blood, blood, blood; we’re always talking about blood. Or even worse, singing about it.
No matter how good a sermon might be, if it leaves your hearers asking, “So what?” you’ve failed as a preacher... every sermon should have a point to get. The author of Hebrews was apparently concerned about that as well.
After reprimanding his readers for having become dull of hearing and choosing to stay with the milk of God’s Word instead of going on to the meat, and warning them of the consequences of such, the author of Hebrews now lays before us some very meaty passages.
We’re ready to begin the seventh chapter of Hebrews this morning, but instead, I’m going to do what our author just did. I’m going to take a little side trip.
Do we really have assurance that we’re in a saved relationship with our heavenly Father?
What if all you want is to be a good person, to live a good life, mind your own business, pay your religious dues, and go to heaven when you die? Can’t you just settle for that?Maybe you can. But you should be aware of the danger of not going on to maturity.
If we’re to go on to maturity in Christ and be what He wants us to be in the world, we’ve got to go beyond the ABCs.
We’ll not fail to enter His rest if we’ve diligently examined His word, discovered our deepest need, and come to realize that the only way to find rest is by drawing near and holding fast to Jesus.
If we would enter the eternal home that’s being prepared for us, it’s essential that we hold fast to Jesus, learn from the past, and hold fast today.
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” That’s the question the writer of Hebrews asked us last week.
The author of Hebrews... right in the middle of his teaching on Christ’s superiority to angels, he pauses. And says in effect "Listen to what I am saying; it’s important!"
This morning we draw our study of Paul’s letter to Titus, a pastoral, personal letter to a young preacher, to a close.
We can be uncontentious, and gentle, and considerate of others if we’ll remember how God has been, and continues to be, with us. Pastors and teachers can help us do that, but they’re not the only ones who need to be involved in a ministry of reminding. We all do.
In one verse Paul made it clear that if Titus wanted people to take note of him, as a minister of Jesus Christ, he’d have to speak, exhort, and reprove with all authority.
If every other prophecy of the Messiah was literally fulfilled right down to the smallest detail, then why doubt this one, the prophecy about the resurrection?
Today we’re going to bring both sacred seasons (Christmas and Easter) together by focusing on the reason the grace of God appeared.
Today Paul uses a new phrase, and changes his target audience, but the message stays pretty much the same as last week. He speaks of adorning the doctrine of God.
Our slogan is “Where God’s Word is Taught…and Lived”. And I think that’s a good slogan for Chatham Christian Church.
Christians do still notice impurity in the world and should do their best to avoid it. But when they find themselves caught up in impure thoughts, and even impure actions, they simply acknowledge their weaknesses and repent of their sins.
By its very nature as the purveyor of God’s truth there can be no freedom to teach things in the church that are not true. And those who intentionally do so must be silenced.
What prompted Paul to write this particular letter to Titus?As we read on, we discover the reason was tied to Paul’s leaving Titus in Crete.
This morning we begin a study of Paul’s letter to Titus, one of his last letters, a letter that is one of three referred to as Pastoral Epistles, letters written to young pastors, namely Timothy and Titus.
(There is a brief audio cut out near the beginning of the video)A proper understanding of the second coming of Christ and its bearing on our behavior while awaiting His coming is the driving force behind Paul’s letters to the church in Thessalonica. The young church had some fundamental misunderstandings about the second coming and it was affecting not only their confidence in what they had been taught but their witness in the community.
If a church is a praying church, it can handle whatever might come. Especially if it’s praying for others, and it’s praying for strength and direction.
When a good church, one that’s growing in faith and love, comes under persecution, it doesn’t make sense. Especially when the attacks come from people who claim to know and love God and from the community in which the church is seeking to minister.
The young church in Thessalonica was a good church. One for which the Apostle Paul could be thankful, one of which he could speak proudly, and one for which he could confidently pray. It was not, however, a perfect church.
This morning we begin a study of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians and find out how they were doing.
It's been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus left this world and promised to return... So where is He?
We are coming to the close of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. At first glance it looks like he is simply closing with a series of unrelated admonitions and instructions for the church in Thessalonica.
If you drove home for Christmas with your kids, you probably heard, “Are we there yet?” And if their phones died, you no doubt heard an anguished, “How much further?” That might give you some idea how Paul must have felt when the Thessalonians started quizzing him about the second coming.
Paul touches on some of the basic concerns the Thessalonians had about those who sleep in Jesus. He doesn’t answer all possible questions about those who have gone on before us, but he does tell us what we need to know and explains it in a way that can help us understand.
The love of God was shown to us through the sending of His Son and we celebrate that expression of His love every Christmas. But the world doesn’t fully comprehend God’s love until it sees it expressed between brothers. That’s why we’ve been commanded to love each other and why we need to fully understand brotherly love.
Matthew begins his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus, and after seventeen verses that most of us pretty much skip over, he jumps right into the birth of Jesus. But he’s the only one who tells us something very important about Joseph...
Paul told the Thessalonians how he felt about them, and we need to do the same to those we love and care about.
Some of the Thessalonians were so sure that God was speaking through Paul that they accepted what he had to say. They received his word as the very word of God.
No one wants their witness for Christ to be in vain... I don’t, you don’t, and the Apostle Paul didn’t.
The hope of Christ’s return should be the primary motivator in every Christian’s life. And if it were we too would be known for our work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope.
Make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don’t leave anyone out.
All that remains is for John to bring the Revelation to a close, and he does so by affirming the truthfulness and the relevance of all we’ve seen.
Last week we were given a glimpse of the holy city, as John shared with us his vision of the new heaven and earth. Today that city comes clearly into view.
I don’t think we’re remiss in thinking of heaven, our eternal home, as a restoration of the original home God created for us.
How do you picture the final judgment? Does your picture frighten you?...the final judgment doesn’t have to be a frightening picture at all. At least not for those of us who are in Christ.
This morning we come to the most controversial passage in the most controversial book of the Bible. We come to Revelation twenty and the millennium.
Don’t let the wedding feast begin before you’re ready for it. Don’t make the king cast you into outer darkness because you failed to dress for the wedding.
We’ve all heard of Beauty and the Beast... Well guess what, we’ve got a beauty and beast story in the book of Revelation as well.
They were already facing such monstrous forces of evil in the form of the Roman government. But to have their foes painted so vividly before their eyes must have been unsettling even for them.So what did they need to hear in the fourteenth chapter? How about the assurance of victory?
God is loving and merciful and gracious combined with infinite power. That's the Holy Spirit living inside of us.
God wants you to enjoy His supernatural peace made possible by the Holy Spirit while we are representative of Him on earth for this short period of time.
Satan's second ally, as revealed in Revelation 13, is the beast from the earth, and we want to focus our attention on this second beast this morning.
In the twelfth chapter of Revelation we’re given a behind-the-scenes look at what was going on in the spiritual realms at the time. And there we find visions of a dragon’s failed attack on baby Jesus, and his subsequent attack on the church.
I know you’ve seen the effects of sin in nature, in lives, and in society. You’ve heard from God’s word, and the church, the eternal consequences of sin, and the offer of forgiveness. How have you responded to the trumpets of God?
The key to understanding the trumpets we’re about hear won’t be given until the end of chapter nine... so we’re going to have to cover both chapters eight and nine this morning if we’re to make sense of the trumpets of warning.
DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, THIS RECORDING HAS VERY POOR AUDIO QUALITY (Sorry.)And then, after given a horrifying picture of the end of the world, when men from kings to slaves will cry out for the mountains and rocks to fall on them in the hopes that they might escape the wrath of the Lamb, we were left with a question: “Who is able to stand?”
History, and life itself, make it very clear that Christians are not exempt from hardships. In fact, Christians often have to face additional hardships because they are Christians.
The picture of a glorious, all-powerful God on His throne can be the most comforting picture imaginable... or it can be the most frightening.
On Easter Sunday morning the Apostle John outran Peter to the tomb.... some sixty years later the Risen Lord appeared again to John.
Surely if God intended the Revelation to be understood He would have given us the basics we need to understand it... and this He has done...
John's third letter is addressed to the beloved Gaius, and in it we will be challenged to prosper in the truth, support the truth, submit to the truth, and witness to the truth.
John wraps up his letter in the last four verses with three more assurances, actually certainties, and a final warning.
Paul's made it absolutely clear that if we’ve received the gospel and are holding fast to it, we’re saved.Saved from the consequences of our sin.Do you believe that?
After all, Nikes make you a winner, or at least they make you look like one. And as a result they have become the most recognizable shoe in the world and a household name.
God is love and the ultimate expression of God’s love was made 2,000 years ago when He sent His only begotten Son. That fact has changed our lives. However by itself that fact doesn’t change many lives.
God defines love. And if we define love as expressed in God and revealed the Bible, love can be the guiding principle of life.
John reminds us that even though the spirit of the antichrist is prominent, the spirit of truth will win.
A Christian must be a believer... a Christian is also called to be an unbeliever. The same Scriptures that encourage us to believe also encourage us not to believe.
John has made it very clear that we can be assured of our standing before God... Not only can we have assurance, we can actually have confidence before God.
This morning we continue our study of the two most powerful forces in the world: love and hate.
John has already drawn our attention to light and darkness, life and death, truth and error, God and the devil. And this morning we come to love and hate, the two most powerful forces on earth.
Ignatius, one of the early church fathers who was a disciple of the Apostle John, said ingratitude was the cause, the beginning, and the origin, of all evils and sins. And that understanding didn’t come just from John.
If we are abiding in Him there will be no need for shame. In fact, as John points out, we can even be confident when He appears.
You’ve no doubt heard that the current war in Israel may very well be the beginning of that battle... I don’t accept that line of thinking. Let me simply say that I believe the battle pictured in Revelation is spiritual in nature.
It’s impossible to be driven by the lusts of the world and the love of God at the same time.
Immature Christians may be standing in the light, but they are not walking in the light. They are going nowhere, suffering from arrested spiritual development.
The Apostle John speaks of something that is both old and new that when carried into a marriage not only blesses it, but guarantees its success. In fact, it’s something that needs to be carried into every relationship of life including our relationship with God.
Our faith must be built on the witness of those who actually beheld and handled Jesus while on earth. And on our shared experience of listening to Christ and seeing Him at work in our lives and in the lives of others.
The story of Joseph and his family was necessary to set the stage of history for the coming of the Messiah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Instead of wasting or being unproductive with time, how can you better manage your wait?
The ten men who planned to kill Joseph are not nearly as dangerous as the one woman who tries to seduce him.
The Lord God Almighty is many wonderful, beautiful things and one of those beautiful realities is that He is sovereign over everything.
Why is it we always want to know what we don't really need to know? Why are we so interested in everybody else's business?
After Thomas declared that Jesus was his Lord and God, the next thing we hear from the mouth of a disciple is, “I am going fishing.”
The traditional time for all of us to meet together is Sunday morning, but that may not have been the case for the early Christians... they actually met on what we would consider to be Saturday night.
Try to picture yourself going to a cemetery to put flowers on the grave of a loved one, a couple days after the burial, and finding the grave has been opened... the body is gone.
Had God made provision for the proper burial of His Son by a rich man hundreds of years before His death? Was Jesus’ funeral pre-arranged by His Father?
That’s why it is imperative that we know for certain that Jesus died on that cross 2,000 years ago. And that’s why, even though they didn’t issue death certificates in 33 A.D., John goes to such detail to show Jesus certified as dead.
We should never get so caught up in the big issues of life that we ignore the simple domestic responsibilities we’ve been given. Our Lord didn’t.
There are many explicit prophecies in the Bible that you’d have to be intentionally blind to miss. And we come to one of them in our text for today, one that was unknowingly fulfilled by the soldiers at the cross.
Most of us would not want to witness an execution. We wouldn’t want that image etched into our memories. There is, however, one execution that we must keep fresh in our minds.
While preachers and politicians argue over who’s right, the search for truth in the Middle East continues. I do believe, however, that we can find the needed truth if we’ll look again at what took place in a courtroom in the Middle East nearly 2,000 ago.
The greatest injustice of all time is not something you hear about in the current news cycle because it occurred 2,000 years ago.
In the final part of His prayer Jesus prayed specifically for us, for the church. He prayed for those who would become His followers through the word of the apostles. Those who would hear it directly from them, and those who would read it as the word of God down through the ages.
He prayed first for Himself, that He would accomplish what He had come to do. And then His focus turned to His apostles.
The Great Commission calls us to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ to all nations, even the ones that make us uncomfortable, even the people that make you a little nervous.
When the world compares a wealthy, powerful, living man to a lowly, poor, dying one, it's no contest. But the world doesn't see everything, does it? It doesn’t have the right perspective.
James answers questions like: How should Christians handle trials? Should we throw in the towel when adversity comes our way? Should we blame God and go back to our old ways?
He told them an hour was coming when He would speak plainly of the Father... the riddles and figurative language would be over.
Jesus had told them He wouldn’t leave them as orphans. He told them that the Father would give them another Helper and that He would be with them forever.
Jesus is the vine. God is the vinedresser. We are the branches and it is essential for the branches to abide in the vine.
We don’t merely celebrate something that happened 2,000 years ago when we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate the coming of the Son of God, who made it possible for the Spirit of God to indwell us today.
That is more than a statement concerning the time of day. That is a description of the condition of Judas’ heart.
We generally assume it would be far easier to believe in Jesus if we had actually seen Him... But surprisingly, the vast majority remained spiritually blind, even in the presence of light.
He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to suffer. He would have liked to have avoided the cross.
Sometimes, it is hard to decide on something when you have two good options before you. Note: Some issues during recording may impact the quality of the audio you experience.
The Passover the last year Jesus attended was no doubt the largest religious gathering of the day. It was to this gathering that Jesus was heading when He arrived in Bethany, six days before the Passover.
In the raising of Lazarus, some saw a demonstration of the glory of God and others never saw it.
We sometimes get the idea that, if Jesus is present, nothing bad will happen. The sisters of Lazarus certainly believed it.
Today we come to the final, and most spectacular, miracle of Jesus’ ministry: the resurrection of Lazarus.
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would open the eyes of the blind. And while Old Testament prophets did on occasion perform miracles---even miracles of healing---none of them caused the blind to see. Restoring sight to the blind, however, was our Lord’s most frequent miracle.
We must remember whose we are, what that means in an insane world, and the glorious future that awaits us.
Unless you believe, you cannot come. You are of this world and you shall die in your sins. That summed up the consequences of unbelief in Jesus’ day. And the same is true today.
If there is a thirst in your soul, ask the Lord to fill your cup. Lift it up to Him, and accept His offer to so fill you with Himself that rivers of living water will flow from your innermost being.
One of the most beautiful promises to believers is found in John 14:1-3... That promise, however, is not addressed to everyone.
“Judge not that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1 is without a doubt the most popular verse on judging. Most who quote it, however, miss the point Jesus was making.
Do you ever try to tell Jesus what to do? Do you ever try to get Jesus to do what you want Him to do?
Both the reason for war and the solution to war was revealed to us by James, the half-brother of Jesus, in a little letter nearly 2,000 years ago.
Paul has made it clear that we are of both the Spirit and the flesh, and that our spiritual and fleshly natures are constantly struggling.
If you read your Bible, pray, tithe, worship, and witness in order to be saved, you have a problem.
If it was discovered that the Apostle Paul used an Old Testament story allegorically, should he also be branded as a liberal?
Examining the behavior of a few people in Scripture which gives us insight into making our time together an awesome church experience
If I were to offer you a choice between an exquisitely wrapped package, tied up with a beautifully crafted bow, and a similar sized package wrapped in brown paper and Scotch tape, which would you choose?
It’s hard to believe that God wants to give us the gift of eternal life, and all He expects in return is a relationship built on love and gratitude.
During times of unrest and uncertainty we look for the promise of peace -from someone who can actually deliver it.
How does King Tut tomb compare with the tomb of the King of Kings? We apologize for the audio issues in this week's recording.
Mark’s account of the crucifixion is unique because of its brevity, but it offers multiple perspectives and responses to the cross.
Jesus is confronted with a religious challenge, a political challenge, and a scientific challenge. How do we respond to these authorities in our lives?
Why would anyone deny themselves, take up a cross, and follow a man who said he was going to suffer and die?
In place of our church's regular Sunday morning service today, the elders of Chatham Christian Church met to discuss and to pray for our church and our community during a time of uncertainty and illness. Opening Scripture Reading: Psalm 34.
Paul urges us to become a living sacrifice---giving us both the motive and method of doing so.
The gospel has been sent, has been heard, and has been understood. If you don't accept it, it's not God's fault, it's yours!
It is simple enough for those outside of Christ to understand while deep enough for the theologians to ponder for hours.
And it doesn’t matter how religious you are if, in the end, you come up short of salvation.
We can be comforted when we have the promise of eternal life. But there is no comfort thinking a loved one will be eternally separated from Christ, because they refused to accept the gift of God’s grace.
We have no need to fear opposition, deprivation, condemnation, tribulation, or separation.
Christian hope is rooted in reality: in tribulation, in justification, and in reconciliation.
The most revered man in history, throughout the world, is without a doubt Abraham... what was it about Abraham that made him so special?
God wants to give you the perfect gift: something you don't have, something you need, and something you can't get for yourself.
Before anyone's life can be changed, they have to be convinced their life needs changing.
Serving on the Lord's side, like obedient soldiers, disciplined athletes, and hard-working farmers.
Because God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline...
How do you determine whether a ministry is successful or not? How do you know if a church is doing what God wants it to do?
Both men and women should feel very important---and equally valuable---to the Lord---and to the church.
Preaching and teaching leads to real love. (Note: This sermon was re-uploaded to improve audio quality).
Because of Christ's victory over sin and the grave, we, who had been useless because of sin, became useful to God.
Practice moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
We are the people of God. A software glitch during recording lost about one minute in the middle of the sermon. After about 7 minutes, there will be a small bit of silence before the recording resumes.
When Mary was unexpectedly found to be with child---Joseph had an expected human reaction.
Paul pictures believers as soldiers---servants---and saints And leaves us with a prime directive to let all that we do---be done in love.
Paul has given us some excellent principles that should guide all giving in the church.
The resurrection is required to cancel the curse of death---to bring us back to God---and to motivate us in life.
What if death is the end and there’s nothing beyond the grave? What must result if there is no resurrection?
The word translated “good news” is also the word we translate “gospel.” but the good news didn’t become the gospel until the babe born in Bethlehem became the man who died on Calvary.
When you became a Christian you were given several gifts: Eternal Life, the Holy Spirit, and a spiritual gift.
Which is worse---an immoral, idolatrous, covetous, swindler who is not a Christian---or one who is?
Introducing others to a personal friend---and sharing with them the plan of salvation---so they too could become a friend of God.
Our giving shouldn’t be thought of as payment for what we receive on a Sunday morning---but an expression of gratitude for God’s blessing---and confidence in His provision.
A big concern for parents is “What’s going to happen to my kids when I’m gone?”
Paul had the same concern about his spiritual children---especially the Ephesians
• Reliving common experiences with someone is a sign of friendship---because it’s our shared experiences that bind us together. • It was shared experiences that made such strong bonds between Paul and the churches he established.
Holidays can be hectic. While intended as times of celebration and refreshment---they often end up exhausting more than refreshing.
When the light shines the brightest---the forces of darkness come out of the shadows---and do everything they can to quench the light.
Do not get lost in worldly things but focus on all of the riches that are ours in Christ.
Vsions to motivate you to what ever is necessary to afirm your faith in Christ and His chruch.
A church faithull to Christ and willing to take advantage of the opportunities HE sets before them.
The key to successful spiritual investing is trusting in the goodness and provision of God.
What to do with the man Jesus? Do away with him, yeild to public opinion, play with him, or make Him Lord of your live.
The disciples could have been better prepared to resist the temptation of denial had they prepared themselves through prayer.
Jesus prayed , yielded and agonized of his decision but accepted the will of God. We too must yield the will of God.
Let us come to the communion table with gratitude for what Christ has done for us. And with a commitment to live holy lives--in the grace that has been made available to us under the new coventant.
When we surrender to Jesus ---His plan for us will give us the means to resist the devil.
If our life - and even our offerings - are to be accelptable to God - We must first give Him our heart.