Norris Ferry Community Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Norris Ferry Community Church
Today, we are going to look at Luke 20:27-40 where we see Jesus’s authority is being challenged again but this time his challengers are using their Bible, Moses’ teaching. They quote Moses and ask Jesus what he thinks so it really becomes a message about the clarity of God’s Word. There are many different teachings and denominations and divisions among people who claim to believe the Bible. Does that ever discourage you? Well I hope to encourage you today with the doctrine of the Clarity of God’s Word - God’s Word is clear enough for us to learn everything we need for salvation and godliness. It takes work and training and skill but Everything a willing heart needs for salvation and a life of godliness are very clearly set forth in Scripture able to be understood but it does take some effort.
Today we are going to look at Phil 2:1-7. My goal is encourage you to go “ALL IN” this year as you serve. We are so blessed as a church that ALL of our covenant members serve - 100%. That’s insane! That’s All In! But today we also want to encourage you to serve enthusiastically, wholeheartedly and with joy.
When you submit to God’s authority you are being faithful - that should be your primary aim in life for when you are faithful God makes you a fruitful member of His kingdom. You focus on faithfulness and He will handle the fruitfulness. But, it all hinges on your submission to the authority of God. And that is Luke’s focus again today.
God’s Word wakes up our spirit, thoroughly gives joy, refreshes our soul, helps you raise our kids, equips us for daily life! We shouldn’t be surprised because it is God’s Word after all and it as God’s Word it carries the authority and the power of God. This is the issue at hand in our text today.
As we commission these graduates, our prayer for you is that you would live EPIC lives to the Glory of God.
Over the last couple weeks we’ve been considering various characteristics of genuine disciples. Today we continue along the same lines as we study encounters Jesus has with two men. Through these encounters we will consider three more counter-cultural, counter-intuitive characteristics of genuine disciples.
Culturally, we tend to think that it is all about who we are and what we do that makes us right with God but Jesus is saying that is not the way it works. We may say we are Christians, and say we are disciples of Jesus and say we are righteous but are we? Are you? Clearly Jesus feels the need to clarify what genuine salvation looks like. So that is what we continue to look at today and next week.
And that spirit of self righteousness that we sometimes get can keep us from coming to know Jesus as our savior… but it also can pop back up sometimes even after we know Christ and can keep us from growing IN Christ. . And thats why it is so important for us to remind ourselves and preach to ourselves the gospel over and over again.
And this is the BIG IDEA for today… ONLY THE HUMBLE IN HEART CAN BE MADE RIGHTEOUS.
Today, we will look at Luke 18:1-8. In these verses Jesus continues along the same lines only today He tells a parable designed to help us not lose heart as we await His return. In Luke 18:1 Luke says, [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Luke tells us up front what Jesus is doing. He is telling us a parable to the effect that we ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Today, we study Luke 17:20-37 and it actually fits really well because in this passage we will consider the details of Jesus’ return. Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended to heaven and he will return to earth again.
Do you think much about his return? Seems like some people do and others don’t. I think about it more the older I get. I think all of us would love to know the details: when, how, and where Jesus will return wouldn’t we?! Well, today, that is exactly what we are going to learn. In these verses we see Jesus explaining three key details about his return!
We’ve been studying the book of Luke and last week we considered why Jesus was crucified. Everyone involved in the crucifixion said with their own mouths that Jesus was an innocent man. So, why did they crucify Him? Luke made it clear he was crucified in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
The Old Testament Scriptures prophesied many things about the Messiah - including specifically that the Messiah would be crucified and resurrected. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection fulfilled these Scriptures. But why? We saw why last week. God punished the innocent Messiah so that the guilty - Barabbas could be set free! That’s me! That’s all of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ!
Today is Palm Sunday. What is Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday is the day we remember and celebrate the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king and they honored him by waving palm branches and laying the palm branches along his path. It was a monumental day for Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah (9:9) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Several hundred years after this was written, the long awaited king rode into Jerusalem, humble and mounted on a donkey and the people rejoiced and honored Him with palm branches. We are still rejoicing and honoring Him today!
What do we do when we are confronted? More often than not we try to justify ourselves. When someone points out our sin, why do we self-justify. Today, Jesus warns us against such this as He continues to call us to repentance.
We’ve been studying Luke and we’re in a section where Jesus has been teaching about how his disciples in his kingdom should be much different than the world as it relates to status and influence. He’s been teaching us that we are to use whatever...
And we come to chapter 15 in Luke and Luke provides for us a greater picture of God’s Heart for His people. A beautiful truth of God’s grace and love for you and me. This morning we are going to see God rejoices over the sinner who repents and God...
As we continue our study in the gospel of Luke we come to Luke 14. In this text one of Jesus’ main points is that His disciples should use their privilege to bless the underprivileged. Since that’s the point of the text then that is the point of my...
This week we are going to see that Jesus is warning the disciples and the crowds of the struggles they will face in this life so that they will not be confused, knocked off course or overwhelmed into unfaithfulness.
Do you ever wonder what it is all about? Do you wonder what you are working for? Why do you do what you do? That is at the heart of what we are looking at today in Luke 12:13-48.
...this calling is too much for us to do on our own - we are just too sinful, too weak and too selfish. So what do we need to do? We must pray. We need to learn to sit at the feet of Jesus and pray. We can’t run around with hyperactivity (like...
“What does it mean to love my neighbor as a follower of Christ?”. That is what we are going to look at today. What does it mean to love our neighbor as a follower of Christ. Let’s work through the parable and at the end we’ll pull out two implications.
Today and over the next twelve weeks leading up to Passion Week, Palm Sunday and Good Friday - when Jesus died on the cross - as we study these verses we need to keep in mind the nearness of the cross. Jesus is on a journey of suffering that will end...
We are going to study the true Christmas story, recorded in Luke 2, and we are going to write down three truths that help us focus on what the Christmas story really focuses on. Three Truths of the Christmas Story. I hope you’ll write them down and...
The Lord wants us to enjoy peace. But the Bible is also clear that we live in a world with endless real threats. In this life we are going to constantly be battling fear in the face of storms. So, though the Lord wants you to enjoy His peace you...
Today we come to Luke 8:1-21 - the parable of the sower or the parable of the soils. This parable is all about being a good listener. In these verses we see that God expects His disciples to be good listeners of His Word. In these few verses Jesus...
Today, Luke is going to confront us with a decision. Luke is going to challenge us to respond to the evidence that points to Jesus being the Messiah.
Now, today, as I said Jesus basically is going to tell us talk is cheap. What does that mean? It means it is easy to say you are going to do something but what is more important is if you actually follow through with your actions. Jesus is teaching...
Today, we look at 6:27-38. In these verses Jesus continues to equip his disciples with his values and lifestyle. In particular Jesus addresses how we should behave toward those people who persecute us because of Jesus. We will look at two things...
Now, today, as we continue our study of Luke we see Jesus establishing his church planting core team if you will. Out of his disciples he calls a leadership team of twelve men and he begins to equip them for their work. My prayer is that the Lord...
Today we are going to try to understand what Jesus means in these parables about cloths and wineskins....I think most of us have a negative opinion of the Pharisees because a lot of times when Jesus is speaking to them in the Bible He is correcting...
This week, we see two accounts of Jesus calling men to follow him - to be his disciples - with two miracles sandwiched in between. I believe Luke is telling us in these verses what it means to be a disciple of Jesus so that’s what we’ll look for in...
Today we are going to look at Luke 4:31-44 and in these verses Luke records several events in Jesus’s life that make it clear that Jesus carries in Himself the very authority of God Almighty. My prayer is that God will use these verses to humble us...
Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth to teach in the synagogue. In reading Isaiah 61, Jesus claims that he is the fulfillment of the old testament prophecy. In their pride, the people of Nazareth reject Jesus. In today's sermon, Kevin...
We are going to look at three temptations and in each one we will look at the nature of the temptation, Jesus’ response to the temptation, and finally the lesson from the temptation.
In these verses we see three more testimonies that Jesus is the Son of God: John the Baptist, God (at the Baptism), and the Genealogy. I want to focus on John’s role to learn what we can about our role as witnesses.
We are only two chapters in and Jesus is only twelve years old and already we are confronted with the evidence that Jesus is great. He is the Son of the Most High and God has given to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the...
How would you describe God?Different things shape our view of God...what we will see in our text today, in particular, is that God is rich in mercy.
Zechariah and Mary have two very different responses to God's Good News.Through Zechariah's unbelief, he became mute, while Mary's belief in Gabriel's message led her to rejoice in song. Jared challenges us to examine our response...
How do you know what to believe? How do you know the Christian message is true? Do we believe the gospel just because we were born in America? Do we believe the Christian message just because our parents or grandparents did? How can we be certain?
Today, Paul’s words will challenge us to consider how we respond to affliction. What do we do when we feel the burden is too much to bear? My prayer is that we are encouraged this morning to turn to the Lord, the God of all comfort.
Today we come to our final message in 1 Corinthians as we look at 16:13-24. If you remember, Paul started the church in Corinth then he headed out to Ephesus but while ministering in Ephesus he received what I would call a complaint letter detailing...
In these verses we will see three ways the gospel moves believers to help each other. Three ways the gospel moves believers to love on another.
Happy Resurrection Sunday! We are so glad you have joined us for worship this joyful morning where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
There are a lot of things that we don’t really understand but we accept it anyway. Then why do we oftentimes have a hard time accepting Spiritual realities that we don’t fully understand.
Can you imagine how different your life would be if God were dead. If there is no resurrection of Jesus and there is no life after death for us, how different would life be?
Paul begins with the contrasting conjunction - the word “But” 1Cor. 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. This “but” puts everything he says in the following verses in contrast to...
Welcome to Church! Today we will look at how to live by "Faith and Not Fear". For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Belief in the bodily resurrection is a foundational pillar of our christian beliefs. Without that, there are consequences that affect our eternity with Christ.
The gospel is the good news about Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The significance of that is without equal and should affect our every day lives.
When we gather as a group, we are supposed to do so with peace, respect, and humility so that God may be able to use it for our good.
Two main spiritual gifts prevailed in the Corinthian church, but Paul says that prophecy is much better than speaking in tongues. That is because prophecy is used for edification of the body rather than self.
Love is the one thing that lasts above all else. Even after faith, hope, prophecies and knowledge have been fulfilled, love will remain.
Spiritual gifts are the manifestation of God through us and as such are not meant to be a means to divide the body of Christ but instead show us how each of us is special and needed.
The Lord's supper is more than just something we do every couple months. It is a reminder of what Christ gave up for us and it is meant to be unifying time of our community.
We have traditions that are steeped in theology just as the old church did. Though some of them may seem strange or foreign, there is a deeper meaning behind why they are done. In keeping with those traditions, we are supposed to make sure that we...
We have incredible freedoms in Christ but we are not meant to selfishly fulfill any desire we have thanks to those freedoms. There are others that we have to take into account when we exercise those freedoms.
Our community can impact our lives strongly and as such, we are called to belong to a community of believers. If we continue to live and long for a community of unbelievers, then we need a reevaluation of our heart.
Even great Apostles like Paul were discounted by some in their time. However, Paul refutes the claims of hi apostleship and outlines exactly why he is one.
We know that Jesus is the light of the world and as that He brings more than just the light. He also brings with in Him hope, joy and peace.
Lottie Moon is more than just the name of an offering that is taken up once a year. She was a woman that is an inspiration for us to follow the great commission and take the good news of Jesus to the ends of the Earth.
Everyone is at a different time in their understanding of the truths and freedoms that are afforded to us by God. Because of that, we are to be loving and careful when explaining and living out those truths.
Paul wishes that everyone could stay singles and fully devote themselves to God like he does. Though that lifestyle is not for everyone, God does give that spiritual gift to some and Paul shows us the greatness that can come from that.
God knows where you are and where you were when He called you to Himself. He wants to stay in that place and be light to those around you where you can show His love to others.
There are many different aspects of marriage that are talked about throughout the Bible but Paul focuses on the bonding side of marriage in this passage. Sex is an integral part of marriage and Paul describes the benefits of being healthy in that area.
Greatness in God's eyes does not mean that we are supposed put ourselves in a position where we can be seen and praised. Instead it is that we treat the least of us, children as examples, with the utmost respect and care. For when we care for...
As uncomfortable it can be to talk about, sexual immorality is a major point brought out by Paul. We can use the knowledge that we have of our resurrection through Christ, our union with Christ and the fact that we were bought with a high price by...
Within the body, we are supposed to handle any grievances we have differently than those outside of God's will. Paul even goes so far as to say that we should be willing to take the wrongdoing without reprisal, as hard as that may seem.
Someone living in sin is living outside of the will of God and it is the church's responsibility to try to help them repent and turn from that sin. Though not a fun topic, church discipline is a needed and vital part of our body.
The way that Paul lived his life is an example of how we are to be living ours as Christians. There are characteristics that defined Paul's life and he lays them out for us to be able to follow in his footsteps.
In this passage Paul explains how Christ eliminates the problem of boasting in the church. But how do we deal with prideful boasting? What is the root cause of such unity destroying, humanistic, prideful boasting? That is what Paul is going to show...
We must know that we are merely the laborers in the work of God, and that Jesus is our foundation. No other system will work and nothing can be added to our foundation because ours is the most solid it could be.
Even after accepting the Spirit of God, there is a maturing process that must take place. If it doesn't, then we will be, as Paul says, infants in Christ which is not where God designed for us to stay.
The wisdom of God is not only a gift given to us when we receive the Spirit of God, but it also a determining factor of separating the spiritual from the natural person. Those without the Spirit will not be able to comprehend everything that He...
The message of the cross is not something that is supposed to make sense to non-believers. It does sound crazy! Through the calling and preaching of God's word, though hearts are changed and people can come to know God.
In Corinth, Paul is met with a body that is split in their thinking and following of God. However, he writes that there should be no divisions among God's people just as there are no divisions within Christ.
God's grace has saved us, it enriches us, and it sustains us. It is amazing just how powerful God's grace can be for us and how humble it should make us feel.
Children are very important to God and it is vitally important that they be introduced to worship early so that can become their foundation. By integrating them into worship young, they are able to grow into the men and women of God that He has...
Malachi wraps up with 4 more truths about who God is and what we are supposed to remember as His chosen ones.
The Lord of all has chosen us to receive His full love and grace! We must remember that means we should also we willing to give our best to Him instead of lame worship.
Our glorious God gives unmerited mercy and keeps His promises to His people. God's mercy is not something that can be earned through works but is instead something that he freely gives to His people.
Haggai makes us take a hard look at ourselves to see if God really is the number one priority in our life and if not, then what it looks like for us to reconcile that.
Habakkuk tells that we must have faith that God hears our prayers, that he will establish justice and that he will have mercy on His children.
God calls us to love our neighbors and that expands out to anyone that we come into contact with that we see and can meet a need for.
God has been merciful to His people over and over again, and His mercies will continue on forever for those who are His.
Micah reminds us that God is the standard and perfect example of justice. Not only is he that standard, he always acts justly and will restore justice to our world when he returns.
There's more to the story than a man being swallowed by a big fish! Through a reluctant Jonah, just as many of us can be, God shows how salvation can come to anyone.
Obadiah shows us what the justice of the Lord will look like and what that also means for those who are his disciples.
Joel tells us what the day of the Lord will be like and that it will be a day of destruction that is near but that will also bring about salvation for all those who believe.
The call to be a follower of Christ is not always an easy one and requires us to fully surrender multiple areas of our life to Him.
Acts shows us what church leadership is supposed to look like and how the people chosen for that responsibility are meant to shepherd God's people.
The minor prophets work together to provide us with a picture of Jesus. They are there to also reiterate to us that we must not forget that He is who are blessings are from.
Genesis comes to a close with a look back to how the book began and what all events to place to lead it to its end.
God came down as man and sacrificed Himself for us. Through His resurrection, we are forever saved and have eternal hope!
On his deathbed, Jacob blesses his son Judah and states that the one true King will come from his line and gives us a glimpse at what His final return will be like.
Joseph is finally brought face to face with his brothers and shows God's love through his forgiveness of their sins against him.
Through Joseph's journey, God has brought him to this point where he is able to save his family despite all the evil done to him.
Joseph stays faithful to God through many different situations that would have pushed many of us to our limits. By staying faithful, God was able to fully bless him and fulfill His promise to him.
Even in situations where it seems like nothing but evil and wrongdoing is happening, God will use it to His glory.
God's providence remains as Joseph's dream does not come about the way that he thought it would.
God is faithful to fulfill his promises always, so do not be discouraged and do not let go of those promises.
Jacob's life continues to move on after receiving his blessing through four main scenes. In each of those, God's providence is shown as His plan is lived out through Jacob.
We get to see God's promise to Abraham continue it path through his grandsons. Though neither seems truly worthy, God's plan is fulfilled just as it was supposed to be.
God's divine providence is on full display as Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac.
Faith is a very powerful thing. We see how Abraham's faith in God is rewarded as God provides in one of his most trying times.
God uses imperfect people to reach out to all the nations of the world. We are called to make his name known and through that calling, people from every nation, tribe and tongue will come to know God.
Is God just in his judgment of sin? The answer may surprise many of you even if you think you already know it.
In these verses God renews his covenant promises with Abram. Though both Abram and Sarah laugh when God says he is going to do great things through them at their old age, God brings Abraham to a place of obedience.
Today we find Sarai afflicted during the long wait and she only brings more affliction upon herself and her household as she persuades Abram to marry Hagar so that they may have this promised Son.
Though not the classic Christmas story passage, this passage in Genesis describes a long a difficult wait for the gift that was promised in God's Covenant with Abraham.
We learn what the four essentials for spiritual leadership are and how they play a part in becoming the leaders that God wants us to be.
We learn about the life and person of Lottie Moon to truly understand the importance of the offering set in her name.
Abram rescues his nephew Lot from Babylonian captivity and we will consider three attributes of Abram - God’s faithful missionary. God’s faithful Ambassador.
We see Abram continuing to live on mission with God as his life takes an unexpected turn.
Being called to go in Christ is not always an easy thing to follow through with. There may be many hardships that come our way, but we have the assurance in Christ that there will always be a family for us no matter where we go or what happens to us.
Abram is just a man living a “boring life” in southern Babylon when God calls him to a massive leap of faith saying “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you...and in you all the families of the...
What kind of success did Noah's children have after the flood? Japhethm, Ham and Shem were told to go forth and multiply and we see one of the lines of Shem head to the creation of Babylon. How successful was this endeavor and what does God teach...
You know the time after a flood is a time of rebuilding life. It is an overwhelming time as the survivor of the storm surveys all the damage and all the debris and as they see that they are going to have to rebuild everything - everything!
In the genealogy we see that God is the loving father renewing and ensuring his blessings to each subsequent generation of sons through the promised line of the seed of the woman, seed of Abraham, the lion of the tribe of Judah. All the blessings in...
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
God is the One who knows what is good and can be trusted as providing what is truly good for his people. God sees it is not good for man to be alone so he creates a spouse for him. From the context we see that together they are to be worship...
God’s purpose for our lives is that we spread His glory throughout the earth as we enjoy a trusting, obedient relationship with Him. In this message we will examine God’s purpose for our lives and we will consider His goodness and trustworthiness.
On days 5-7 God fills the land with life - animal life and human life which is his crowning creation - then God rests. We (humans) are God’s crowning creation. All of life stems from God and human life is uniquely made in the likeness of God. This...
(2)The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.(3) And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (4) And God saw that the light was...
[15] For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
7:1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies;7:7 In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel...
3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Memory Verse:"Go there and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of...
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
How can I really understand the Bible?"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3
What if I told you I had a book written by our country’s founding fathers and in that book they go into great detail about their will for our country. They explain why they set up the constitution the way they did. They explain their desires for our...
In verses 42-44 Jesus describes His coming as being like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3). The point of this parable is clear, if you know a thief is coming to your house, then you stay awake and keep watch...
We have seen in Matthew 24 that we are to trust in the authority of Christ and persevere in the power of Christ as we experience tribulation, deception, temptation, and persecution. Now, in the remainder of Matthew 24 we see we should long for the...
In Matthew 24 Jesus foretells the future and talks about the end of the word. In this chapter there is a danger that we will miss truths that affect our eternity because we are caught up in trying to discern details that may or may not be answered in...
So far in Matthew 19 and 20 we have seen a story of children who in their humility could see Jesus and a rich man who in his riches could not see Jesus. We’ve also observed disciples who in their pride were struggling to see the love of Christ. These...
The question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” was raised and answered in 18:1-4 and in the portrayal of the “little ones” which followed in ch. 18. We see the same idea raised in the discussion of rewards in between the disciples and...
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour...
19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
This week we study Matthew 19:1-12 and discuss Marriage and Singleness. A few questions we consider: Why is it crucial to begin our discussion on marriage with God’s design in Genesis (19:4-6;Genesis 2:24)? What wrong messages about Christ and His...
18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your...
As we look at Jesus’ five discourses in Matthew, we see Matthew and the other disciples “at the feet of Jesus.” These teachings are in the context of Jesus’ calling and equipping the twelve apostles to go and make disciples of all nations. In our nine...
On Sunday Pastor Tracy looked at three resurrection encounters found in the Matthew’s gospelchapter 28. The first is the two Mary’s with the angel of the Lord at the empty tomb (v.1-7). Thesecond is their encounter with the resurrected Jesus as...
Jesus shifts from talking about the eventual worldwide impact of the kingdom to talking about the parables of the Treasure and the Pearl. The story of the man who finds a treasure in a field may sound strange to us, but we must remember that Jesus is...
Here in Matthew 13, Jesus’ teaching largely takes the form of parables. These parables tell of a kingdom that, despite being unrecognized and rejected by some, is already accomplishing its purpose in the world, and it will one day be gloriously...
We come to verse 34 and Jesus shows His disciples the very purpose of His coming is "not peace but a sword," because the message of God is one which always has and always will lead to a violent response from those who are threatened by it.
As we are betrayed, hated, and persecuted, Jesus says that fear will tempt us. This is where Jesus’ words in verses 26-33 are so comforting. Three times in these eight verses Jesus says not to be afraid (vs. 26, 28, 31). Fear is a real temptation...
In theses verses, Jesus' followers are warned that they not only go to great need, but they go to great danger. In verse 16, Jesus says, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves..."
In Matthew 9:35-10:15 the disciples see a glimpse into Jesus's heart and are given a commission to pray and go.
As the final words of Sermon on the Mount, Jesus confronts us with himself. He sets before us the radical choice between obedience and disobedience and calls us to an unconditional commitment of mind, will, and life to his teaching. In these...
We come to Matthew 7:13-20 and we see that the main body of Jesus’ Sermon is now over, and we come to verse 13 and the application or conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon begins. He begins verse 13 with an emphasis on the necessity of choice, “Enter by the...
Today we are studying 7:7-12, and we will see Jesus is saying something similar about how God wants us to be with him in prayer. In these verses Jesus is exhorting his disciples to persist in passionate prayer that explores the extent of God’s...
Look at Matthew 7:1-5. Jesus in verse one warns us, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Jesus is not saying here that we never judge, that we never point out sin in other Christians lives, or that we never receive correction from others. John Stott...
We’ve been jumping around in the sermon on the mount over the last month with the holidays so let me review where the Lord’s prayer is in the sermon on the mount. It comes in Matthew 6 right after Jesus said this. Matt. 6:5 “And when you pray, you...
Today we are going to look at Matthew 7:28-29. At the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, recorded by Matthew, Matthew tells us what impacted the crowds the most. He says, “And when Jesus finished these sayings [his sermon on the mount], the...
Ordination Service for Jared Clary at Norris Ferry Community Church on December 17, 2017, 10:30am Service
Jesus told a story about a hidden treasure that, once discovered, brought life-changing joy. In the video seriesThe Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn unearths a simple yet profound principle that will radically change your concept of stewardship...
In these verses Jesus uses the eye as a metaphor and his point is that in order for the whole body or whole person to be healthy the person must have a healthy eye. He explains that the eye is like a lamp in a room. If the lamp is healthy, or good...
A couple of weeks ago we looked at Matthew chapter 6 we saw Jesus teaching that his disciples will be like Jesus in that they will be authentic in giving, praying and fasting. While others may give, pray and fast in order to be seen and rewarded by...
19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Jesus continues in Matthew 6 on his teaching of righteousness. Matthew 6:1 begins, “Beware of doing your righteousness before others.” He is talking abut the same righteousness as he was in chapter 5 but the emphasis has shifted. In chapter 5...
Disciples of Jesus, members of the kingdom of heaven are filled with the Spirit of God and therefore mournful over sin, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, and are peacemakers. They are much different than those who...
We have come to the two final antitheses in the Sermon on the Mount. In the next two weeks we will examine Matthew 5:38-42 and Matthew 5:43-48. These last two statements from Jesus are considered by some to be the highest point in Jesus's...
Today we will study Matthew 5:33-37. Jesus is teaching his disciples what it means to be his counter cultural disciples and he says, “33 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the...
Today we continue in vv31-32 along the same topic of marriage. Last week Jesus addressed adultery in marriage and this week he addresses divorce.
What does Jesus mean when he says to gouge out our eyes and cut off our hand if they cause us to sin? In Matthew 18 Jesus says the same things about eyes and hands but he also mentions feet. Jesus is referring to the sources of temptation to sin...
In these verses, Jesus’ standard of righteousness not only makes us aware of our unrighteousness but His standard also becomes the calling and the vision for our lives. This is God’s will for us. This is how God wants us to live. And upon trusting...
In these verses Jesus first establishes himself as the supreme authority over everything - even over the Law, the Prophets, and the Law and Prophets (Scriptures) as the one who fulfills the Scriptures. Having established that authority Jesus moves...
In these verses Jesus uses two metaphors (salt and light) to teach his disciples that we must be men and women of God as described in the beatitudes so that we can fulfill our purpose as God’s holy preservatives (salt) who stop the spread of moral...
This week we will look at characteristics of how Jesus’ disciples relate to other people. In these verses the contrast between Jesus’ disciples and the world becomes even more stark than ever. Jesus’ description of his true disciples provides us...
In our second study of Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the Mount’ we continue to look at what is commonly called the beatitudes in which Jesus describes the characteristics of his truly blessed disciples.
In this introductory message we will introduce the entire series of our study of Jesus’ five discourses in Matthew as a study of sitting with Matthew and the other disciples “at the feet of Jesus” to be equipped as disciplemakers. The point we want...
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved...
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has...
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not...
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all...
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,Romans 5:1
6 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his...
Made Alive in Christ2 And you [a]were dead [b]in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the [c]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of...
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is [a]born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 By this the love of God was manifested [b]in us, that God has sent His...
This morning I want to share with you about God's goodness. We will see that God is good. He is the standard of good, the source of good, and that should impact our lives today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives until we meet Him face to...
We all must choose, each and every day, whom we will serveToday we come to the conclusion of the book of Joshua in chapter 24 and the heart of this chapter is found in v15, “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.” So we are confronted...
Joshua is at the end of his life, probably 110 years old, and he clearly had been contemplating his death and Israel’s future in the land after Joshua’s death and it moves him to call everyone together for his final words.
The eastern tribes depart from Shiloh (vs. 9) and build a giant altar. When the western tribes hear of the altar they assemble at Shiloh (vs. 12-20) and decide to send a delegation under the direction of Phinehas to inquire into the matter before they...
Joshua 20 & 21 gives us a closer look at life in the land for Israel in two areas, criminal justice and worship, based on what Moses had said they should do when they entered the land. At first glance, as with other parts of Joshua, it may appear...
Jesus’ authority over the wind and the sea demonstrate His identity as God and as the One we can trust. Mark 4:35-41 is marked by careful accuracy and detail. No doubt we have the reminiscences of Peter, the eyewitness authority behind Mark’s Gospel...
In these verses we are going to see all twelve tribes gathered for worship in Shiloh when Joshua calls the seven tribes out for being slackers. In v3 Joshua says, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the...
These chapters describe the tribal allotment of “the sons of Joseph” (Josh. 16:1, 4), Ephraim and Manasseh. Again, this is not merely another careful land survey. At the start of chapter 16 you may notice a peculiarity, Joshua 16:4 reads, “The people...
Today we are going to consider two simple points from Paul in 1 Cor 15 before we partake of the Lord’s Supper: The Priority of the Gospel and the Blessings of the Gospel.
Today we are going to do three things:First, we will do a quick overview of the entire chapter so you know what is going on.Second we will look at how these verses relate to salvation.Third, we will look at how these verses relate to sanctification.
Chapter 14 is part of unit spanning chapters 13-19 - the allocation of the land that has been conquered in the first 12 chapters. Chapter 13 dealt with the allocation of the land east of the Jordan river to 2.5 tribes and chapters 14-19 deals with...
We have come to a major transition here in chapters 13-21. Probably even the most determined reader of Joshua begins to crumble and nod as he enters these chapters. Dale Ralph Davis says, “watching war movies always tends to be more exciting than...
Eleven brings conquest narratives to conclusion with victory over northern coalition. Twelve summarizes all the kings and territories Joshua/Israel/God conquered to date. In these concluding summary verses we see the narrative focuses on Joshua’s...
You ever feel like everyone is ganging up against you? I know you have. Maybe you feel your friends, or co-workers, or family members, or church family has turn against you. Maybe you are battling your emotions, or thoughts, or struggles. Maybe...
In our verses today we see God faithfully bringing about His plans and promises to bless the nations through His people despite the fact that His people fail to seek His will and carelessly enter into an ill-advised covenant with the Gibeonites. My...
Today, in chapters 7&8, we discover that things were not as good inwardly as they appeared outwardly for Israel was harboring secret sin within them and it proves to be quite destructive for the people of God. Today, in chapters 7&8, we are...
Today we look at Joshua 6 and we see what total devotion looks like. Chapter six and the battle of Jericho is the Lord’s answer to Joshua’s question. The Lord tells Joshua exactly what to do to Jericho so these verses give us a picture of what total...
Today, in Joshua chapter 5, we see God has faithfully delivered Israel across the Jordan River as Israel carefully obeyed God’s every word. Now God’s people are camped just outside of Jericho. There Israel sits, their past is behind them and their...
Why do we make worship a weekly priority? - Ex. 31:13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD...
Today we look at Chapter 3 where we find Joshua leading Israel in their scary first steps of obediece into the deep waters of the flooding Jordan river.
Today we will study Joshua 2 and in this chapter see that apparently Joshua still needed a little more assurance that God was with them so Joshua sent two spies in to check out the land. When the spies returned they were convinced the Lord had given...
In our passages today we see God telling Joshua how to find the courage to fulfill his calling. We see God telling Joshua how to be successful. Has God called you to do something that strikes fear in your heart? Do you know how to be successful in...
The story of the Bible is the story of God faithfully delivering on His promise to redeem His people and restore them to the place of glorious rest in His presence - heaven. As Christians we look forward to spending eternity in heaven as God has...
We come to our final passage in 1 John 5:13-21. In these verses John gives us three assurances we have as believer in Christ. John wants authentic believers to have strong assurance about Jesus - today we will look at three assurances we have in Christ.
What does John mean when he says authentic believers have faith. That is what we will look at today and in this passage we are going to see that the authentic faith is all about having faith in the testimony of God concerning Jesus Christ.
In our passage today, 1 John 5:1-5, John again tells us that we, as born again believers, are both obligated to love and forgive like this and we are able to love and forgive like this.
In our passage John begins and ends with an exhortation for believers to love one another. In 4:7, Beloved, let us love one another. Again in v21, 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also...
After an orphan becomes a member of your family, legally, he still must come to the point where he feels like a member of the family. God causes this to happen to us in his family by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts..
Deut. 13: 1-5, Moses warns, “If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods,” which you have not known...
Is your heart condemning you? Maybe it is because you’ve heard the signs of authentic salvation and it has caused you to doubt. Maybe it is because you are participating in secret sin and your heart is condemning you. Maybe it is because your...
Today John does something similar on the subject of love as he contrasts Cain with Christ. So in this passage we will see the hatred of Cain is evidence of spiritual death and love of Christ is evidence of spiritual life. In particular view here is...
Today, John wants to make it perfectly clear that the authentic Christian practices righteousness and no authentic Christian will practice sin. If you want to know which team you are on - Jesus’ or the Devil’s - look at your practice. You’ve heard...
Do you live in expectation of the return of Christ?So let me ask you this - do you really believe that Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth and that it could happen at any moment? The Bible is very clear that Jesus is coming again.
John has been explaining what authentic faith is by providing the Church (children) with contrasts. John has used the contrast of light and dark as a clear picture of God’s perfect righteousness and sin’s complete sinfulness. Next he made clear the...
I want to ask you a series of questions about your life this last week. Don’t answer me aloud but really try to honestly answer these questions about yourself as you look back on last week. What motivated you to get out of bed or why did you find it...
God is invisible and almost everyone claims to believe in God. How do you know if you really know God? Have you ever had someone describe their spiritual experience and when you heard it you began to question your own?
With all this talk about grace covering our sin, one might be afraid that John’s teaching would lead to more sin. I mean as soon as a person hears that God’s grace in Jesus covers all their sin won’t they sin all the more. Answer: No, in fact in 2:1...
This week, in verses 5-10, we are told that truly knowing that Christ has been manifested in flesh is accompanied by a life of devotion and obedience. It is a fact that He has come, that He is the Son of God, that He is the savior, the light of the...
On a scale of 1-10, ten being the highest, how confident are you in the gospel message concerning Jesus? Do you know what the gospel is? Do you know how we got the gospel? Do you why we proclaim the gospel? On a scale of 1-10, where are you? The...
To gain confidence that your salvation is authenticyou must know what to look for. It is not as simple as knowing thedate you prayed a prayer, or having a baptism certificate, or a churchmembership covenant or certificate on file. To have...
In first Thessalonians, the Thessalonian believers are commended by Paul for their faith. Paul shares how their faith has become an “example to all believers” in the area (1:7) But in Acts 17 we see that was not always the case. Before Acts 17 they...