Gospel Light Sermon Network: Recent Episodes

Gospel Light Community Church

Sermons delivered at Gospel Light Community Church, Bridgeport, Connecticut Senior Pastor Joshua Miller Visit us online at: www.gospellightcommunitychurch.com/glcc

The Harvest and the Heart 2 Peter 3:3-9 Scoffer Romans 14:11-12 Slow Hebrews 6:19-20 Prize Psalm 2:7-8

Matthew 9: 35-38 Main Passage: Deuteronomy 5: 1-22 WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF YOU AND ME? KEEP HIS COVENANT: John 14:15; Ephesians 2:8 and1 Peter 2:9-10 PRAYER: Matthew 5:22 ; James 4:1-3; James 16:24-26 LOVE: Matthew 22:37 (Luke 10:27); 1 Corinthians 13:1-2; ; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Conclusion: (Deuteronomy 30:19–20) “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days.”

Main Text Revelation 14:14-20 Introduction I. Wheat Harvest (Rev. 14:14-16) Additional Verses: Acts 1:9-11 Daniel 7:13-14 John 5:27-30 Matt. 3:12 John 12:49-50 Mark 13:32 2Peter 3:8-10 II. Grape Harvest (Rev. 14:17-20) Additional Verses: Mt. 13:36-43 Joel 3:13 Isaiah 63:3 Lev. 17:11 Matthew 26:39 Is. 53:5 Conclusion Titus 2:11-14

Title: Seasons There are natural seasons and spiritual ones that have been ordained by God. We might be able to avoid the natural ones but no one can hide from the spiritual seasons. Opening: Ecc 3:1-2, Gen 8:22 Main passage: Exod 23:10-12, 14-17 1. Planting Exod 23:10, Matt 13:3-9 2. Harvesting Exod 23:10, 14-17, Hosea 6:11 Shavuot: 1st harvest. May 16-18 2021. Festival of Firstfruits, also called Pentecost. Sukkot: end of season harvest. Ingathering. Sept 21-27 2021. Feast of Booths to remember Israel’s journey through the wilderness. 3. RestExod 23:11-12, Heb 4:5-11

Title: Power

Long before Halloween, the Devil knew how to play dress up. He has perfected his tactics but we are not powerless against them.

Opening: Gen 3:1, Rev 12:9, 2 Cor 11:14, 1 John 3:8b

Main passages: Mark 16:15-18, Acts 1:8, 1 Cor 2:4-5

Closing: Eph 6:10-12

Calling it to Be

Genesis 2:7

John 4:13-14

Deuteronomy 13:6

Matthew 4:23

God is not done with us 1 King 19:1-9 I- It’s only a time-out V3-5a - 1 Kings 19: 3-5a - Matthieu 11:28 II- It’s only a knock v 5b & 7 . - 1Kings 19:5 & 7 - Daniel 10:9-11 - Acts 12:7 III- It’s only a makeover V8-9 - 1 Kings19: 8-9 - Daniel 1:13-15 https://youtu.be/z_OY54RDEu8

Title: Sword How is the Bible meant to be used? Statista Survey 1. 11% of US adults read the Bible everyday 2. 26% read once a week or more 3. 29% never read it 2 Tim 4:3 2 Tim 3:16-17 Main passages: We will be pivoting between Heb 4:12-13 & Jam 1:21-25 1. Divides Heb 4:12a, Jam 1:21 2. Discerns Heb 4:12b, Jam 1:22 3. Discloses Heb 4:13, Jam 1:23-25

Title: Opposition Main Passage: 4:4-14 1. Power (Prayer) Neh 4:4, 9a, Jer 29:12 2. Progress (Work) Neh 4:6, 1 Cor 15:58 3. Purpose (Fight) Neh 4:9b, 14, Eph 6:11-13

Peace Main passage: Phil 4:5-9 The remedy for anxiety and fear is the peace of God. It’s available today and everyday. 1. Reasonable Phil 4:5, Jam 3:17 2. Prayerful Phil 4:6-7, Psa 145:18, Matt 26:41 3. Good thoughts Phil 4:8-9, Prov 12:25, Col 3:1-2

You’ve Already Won the Race, Just Finish It! Main Text: Philippians 3:1-21 Read Key Verse: v. 14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Attitude: Persevere until the end no matter what obstacles come in our way. I. Perfect Relationship (Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:9-12; John 1:12) II. Perfect Progress (Phil. 3:4-14; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:62; Hebrews 12:1-2) III. Completely Perfect (Phil. 3:20-21; 1John 3:2)

What success is and how it’s measured by God is often very different from how we measure it. Paul points out how important Humility is in this process and how we can obtain it. Main passage: Phil 2:1-11 1. Check your motives Phil 2:3a, Prov 16:2 2. Consider others first Phil 2:3b-4, Rom 15:1 3. Christ-mindedness Phil 2:5-8, 1 Cor 2:16

Title: Advance As Christians our Attitude is so important but it can be easily effected by things we go through. This month we will be taking a walk through the book of Philippians and learning powerful lessons from Paul about “Attitude”. Main Passage: Philippians 1:12-26 1. The Gospel turns “setbacks into comebacks”. Phil 1:12-18, Rom 1:16, Psa 34:5 2. If you believe the Gospel then someone is counting on you. Phil 1:19-26, Rom 10:14-15

Subject: Grace or Truth, which side are you on? Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Points of Discussions: 1- Leading by grace John 4:4-8 James 1:19 2- Leading by truth Matthew 16:21-25 Psalm 25:4-5

Topic: Is your G.P.S set Psalms 119:105 Psalms 119:105 Eph4: 31-32 Galatians 2:20 Job 17:9 Mark 4:36-38 Exodus 14:10-12 Exodus 14:23 Proverbs 3:16

Title: Doubtin’ Thomas *insert quote below Christian author Philip Yancey stated “doubt is something almost every person experiences at some point, yet something that the church does not always handle well. I am an advocate of doubt, because that’s why I became a Christian in the first place.” Main passage: John 20:24-29 Here are 4 lessons we can learn from Jesus when we experience a “tough talk” with a person who has doubts about Christianity. 1. Create a Place for doubters/unbelievers John 20:24-26 2. Bring Peace to anxious minds John 20:26b, john 14:27, Matt 5:9 3. Power of Personal touch John 20:27 4. Point of decision “we cannot doubt something without simultaneously trusting in something else. Eve began to doubt God—more importantly her relationship with God—at the same moment she began to trust the serpent.” John 20:27b, 29, Heb 11:1,6

Title: Can’t Please Everyone 1 Cor 1:18 1 Peter 2:7-8 It can seem like so many things now a days can cause offense. The Gospel itself is offensive but we don’t have to go out of our way as christians to be. Main Passage: 1 Cor 10:31-33, 1 Cor 11:1 God is glorified when: 1. We are looking for ways to love and not offend 1 Cor 10:31, 1 Cor 9:19-22 2. Our rights and comfort are laid down for others 1 Cor 10:32, 1 Cor 10:24 3. Our goal is to lead people to Jesus not winning arguments 1 Cor 10:33, Luke 19:10 4. We look like Jesus 1 Cor 11:1, Matt 11:28-29, Luke 7:34

Title: It’s Getting Late We will be diving into tough conversations Jesus had and what we can learn in order to be better communicators of the Gospel. Main Passage: John 3:1-21 Today we will take a look at 5 communication tips during a late night tough talk between Jesus and Nicodemus. 1. Availability v1-2 2. Approachability v1-2 3. Alternate between natural and spiritual v3-12 4. Answer the question v13-14 5. Aim for the Truth v16-21

Title: On the Spot Scopophobia: the fear of being stared at or being the center of attention. It can be a “tough talk” when we get put on the spot regarding a sensitive issue or controversial subject. The happened to Jesus on different occasions but he had a way of handling these situations that we can learn from. Main passage: John 8:1-11 1. Slow to engage John 8:6, James 1:19 2. Don’t avoid tough talks John 8:7a 3. Change perspectives John 8:7b 4. Mercy over judgement John 8:10-11a, James 2:13 5. Share truth in love John 8:11b, Eph 4:15

The strongest walls are not build of stone or metal but by offense. The one weapon strong enough to destroy every wall of offense is LOVE. Prov 18:19 Prov 10:12

Main Text: Luke 17:3-4 (ESV) I. Offenses Happen (Lk. 17:1; Rom. 3:23) II. Don’t Hide the Offense (Lk. 17:3; Hebrews 12:15; 2Sam. 12:13) III. Repentance Leads to Forgiveness (Lk. 17:3; Mark 11:25; Luke 23:34; 1Cor. 13:4-5) IV. God Fulfills His Will Through Forgiveness (Lk. 17:4; Isaiah 43:25; Matt. 5:44)

Being offended has become a virtue in our society. What does the Bible have to say about personal offense? Key verse: Prov 19:11 1. Slow down Psa 86:15, James 1:19, Eph 4:26 2. Let it roll off your back Gal 5:22-23

Title: You’re not the boss of me!

There is something inside us that doesn’t like being told what to do and wants to rebel against authority. How does this effect our level of teachability?

Quiz (scale of 1-5)

When someone tells me I did something wrong, I feel the need to defend myself relentlessly.
I’ve had a problem with substance abuse
My friends tell me I have very bad road rage
The term ‘constructive criticism’ makes no sense to me.
I microwave popcorn for lunch at work on purpose, just so it will stink up the kitchen for everyone else who has to use it.
I desperately need to win every argument – whether it’s with my spouse or my boss.
I’m no stranger to a bar brawl; those jerks were asking for trouble.
It doesn’t take much to make me angry. Small things can set me off.
I’ve been sanctioned by human resources for violating company policies.
When someone double-crosses me, revenge is the only answer.
I feel like no one likes me.
Office rules are unfair and oppressive
My spouse and I argue
I’ve been cited for disorderly conduct by the police
I can’t stand authority figures. Fight the power!
Anger is the emotion I identify with most.
I’ve been fired before for being physically and/or verbally aggressive with coworkers.
I leave my socks on the floor on purpose, just because I know it gets under my roommate’s or family members’ skin.

Today we will take a brief look at 3 main authority structures

Civil: Rom 13:1-2, Col 3:22-23Practice: “All” authority comes from God, respect the position.
Home: Col 3:18-21 Practice: Love & Respect in the home always.
Church: Heb 13:17-18, 1 Peter 5:5-6Practice: Humility and teachability when receiving instruction/council.

Closing The Trinity demonstrates an authority structure:God: Gen 1:1Jesus: John 5:19 Holy Spirit: John 14:26

Lessons Learned as a Father

Introduction:

Proverbs 1:5

Learn from Your Mistakes (Prov. 26:11-12; 1 Cor. 10:11-12; 2Peter 2:20-22)
It's OK to ask for Help (Psalms 121:1-2; Gal. 6:2; 2 Chronicles 10:6-11)
Be Open to Learn New Ideas (Proverbs 1:5; Prov. 9:9; Luke 2:52)

Conclusion: (I would like this poem shared on the screen)

Strength of a Mountain

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it ... Dad

Author Unknown

Title: Pride

The biggest roadblock to “Becoming Teachable” is Pride. We will look at 7 signs of Pride found in Proverbs.

Opening: James 4:6

Hates correction: Prov 12:1
Ignores instruction: Prov 13:18
Claims to be wise: Prov 26:12
Pats their own back: Prov 27:2
Won’t admit when wrong : Prov 28:13
Stubborness: Prov 29:1
Blind to their own issues: Prov 30:12-13

Title: Discipleship 101

Being teachable is the very essence of discipleship. Christ being formed in us is the very essence of discipleship.

Main passage: Matt 28:19-20

God uses imperfect people to perfect us
Matt 28:19, Phil 3:12, 2 Cor 12:9
Remain teachable until you observe “all” Jesus commanded
Matt 28:20, Prov 9:9

Title: Turn To Your Neighbor

How we see and treat wounded people matters

Main passage: Luke 10:30-37

Mercy looks like investment

*Prov 11:25

A. Time: Luke 10:31-33

B. Resources: Luke 10:34a

C. Comfort: Luke 10:34b

D. Money: Luke 10:35

Closing: Micah 6:8

-Often they limp through life because they harbor unforgiveness and struggle with anger. THIS IS

NOT GOD’S WILL.

-Chuck Swindoll: “Life is ten percent what happens to us and ninety percent how we respond to it.”

-John 8:36 – “If the Son set’s you free, you are free indeed!”

-Ephesians 1:3 – “ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in

the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

-Through this story, we are going to look at how we can be healed and how we can offer healing to

others.

HOW DO WE MOVE FROM WOUNDEDNESS TO BLESSING? HOW DO WE

EXPERIENCE THE MARVELOUS GRACE OF GOD?

KNOW THAT GOD’S HEART IS TO EXTEND GRACE! – Verses 1-8

-Romans 5:17 – “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one

man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the

gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

-Romans 8:32 – He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he

not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

-The grace that David wanted to extend flowed out of a covenant relationship with

Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father.

-Apart from God’s grace, we also live in a pace of spiritual barrenness—no hope, no joy, no

peace—

-Romans 8:5 – “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear

again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him

we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”

-God’s heart is always for restoration.

-John 10:10 -The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them

a rich and satisfying life.

ACCEPT GOD’S GRACE FOR YOUR SPECIFIC NEED – Verses 9-13

-God’s will is not to simply survive – He wants us to thrive!

-Ephesians 2:3-7 – “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging

the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the

rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even

when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you

have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the

heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing

riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Conclusion:

-David’s grace to Mephibosheth is a wonderful picture of God’s grace to us. We are Mephibosheth:

-David’s grace to Mephibosheth is also a pattern for us in serving and ministering to others. We are David.

“Destroying the Tower of Lies in our Lives.”

Romans 12:1-2,

Ephesians 4:22-24,

Romans 6:1-4,

Revelation 12:11,

Good morning,

As you will see the area around the booth is in disarray. Bare with us, the end result will be worth it.

Our wounds can either define us refine us.

Main passage: Ruth 1:8-21

Wounds can block healthy relationships

Ruth 1:8-16,19-20, Psa 107:20

Hey Sigmund article: Stopping old wounds from stealing relationships

There are a few ways to tell that an old wound is at play:

The conflict is constant, and always feels the same.

Your emotional reaction to something within the relationship is intense and out of proportion to whatever seemed to cause it.

Your reaction is difficult to shift.

Wounds can make us bitter

Ruth 1:13,20b, Eph 4:31

Wounds cause us to blame

Ruth 1:13b, 20b-21, Gen 3:12-13, Num 21:5

Closing: Ruth 4:13-17

Good News

When we go to the doctors with a condition we don’t always receive good news. However the gospel is good news for every condition of the heart and soul.

Main passage: Isa 61:1

There is healing

Jer 30:17, Psa 147:3

There is freedom

John 8:32, john 8:36

Title: Fear Not

Main passage: Isa 43:1-7

Suffering causes fear. Gods promises can be louder than our fears.

Isa 43:1

Fear is optional
I am redeemed
I am His

Isa 43:2

God is with me
I won’t drown
I won’t be consumed

Isa 43:3

I have a savior
I am chosen

Isa 43:4

I am precious
I am honored
I am loved

Isa 44:5-6

I am not alone
I am part of a great nation

Isa 44:7

I am called by God
I am created to glorify God

Title: Greatness

God uses the things we hate to make us great!

Main passage: Psa 71:20-21

Key point: In Christ what goes down will come up

Supplementing verses: James 1:2-4, Psa 118:17, Phil 1:6