South Union Sermons: Recent Episodes
Chad Thompson
Bottom line: The greatest act of worship is not the song we sing, but the life we surrender.
Bottom line: God doesn’t simply save us from something. He saves us for something. He saves us to know Him, love Him, enjoy Him, and worship Him forever.
Bottom line: Worship is not something we attend. Worship is Someone to whom we surrender. That Someone is Jesus Christ.
If worship only happens while we’re singing on Sunday morning, then we’ve missed what the Bible teaches. The Bible presents worship as a way of life. Worship is the daily response of a heart that has encountered the living God.
The Bottom Line: Reassurance can only be felt as we choose to heed the reassuring words of God.
Will we live by what God said or by what Satan said?
Bottom Line: God said it! That settles it!
Bottom line: A life lived faithfully for Jesus, leaves of legacy faith that speaks loudly to others about Jesus.
Abel’s life challenges us to ask ourselves one simple question: What will still be speaking after I'm gone? Will it be my achievements? My possessions? My hobbies? Or my faith?
The author of Hebrews says Abel still speaks because: He worshiped by faith. He obeyed by faith. He left a legacy of faith.
The challenge is not merely for fathers. It is for all of us. Live in such a way that when your life is over, your faith continues to speak.
Bottom Line: Wise people invest their time in what matters most because time is short, eternity is long, and opportunities do not last forever.
Bottom line: God calls His people to remember His faithfulness so future generations will trust Him too.
Remembrance is important. It’s important to a nation. It’s important to individuals. What we remember is important: those who sacrificed for our freedoms; and God’s faithfulness that has brought us to where we are today.
remembering God’s faithfulness gives us confidence for the future. And remembering God’s faithfulness today will help future generations trust Him in the years to come.
Bottom line: Great faith is not trusting God to do what you want; it’s trusting God to do what is right.
Bottom line: By sharing the gospel message we can still see Jesus turn the world upside down.
In Acts 17, Paul and Silas (second missionary journey – fulfilling the commission that Jesus gave in Mk 16) enter the city of Thessalonica and begin preaching the gospel of Christ, i.e. fulfilling the mission that the Mission Giver gave. In just three weeks, something incredible happens: lives are changed, hearts are stirred, false gods are abandoned, religious people find true freedom, sinners are saved, an entire city impacted.
The unbelieving Jews make this accusation: “These that have turned the world upside down are come here also.” What a statement. But let's be clear. While the Thessalonians were giving the credit for turning the city of Thessalonica upside down, the reality is it was Jesus – the World Changer – who was turning their world right side up.
Bottom line: The One who completed His mission of crucifixion and resurrection has assigned us the mission of His crucifixion and resurrection’s proclamation.
Are we still standing at the tomb…amazed but silent? Or have we stepped into the mission…faithful and going? - Because the same Jesus who walked out of that grave…is the same Jesus who says to you today: “Go.”
There are moments where it feels like a stone has been rolled into place…and everything you hoped for is now sealed behind it. That is exactly what it felt like when Jesus body was laid in the tomb and the stone was rolled into place. All hope was lost. But what nobody realized…is that God was about to roll that stone away and reveal that a dead man had come alive. God is a stone roller, and dead things come alive in the name of Jesus!
Bottom line: The Crucified One took our place so we could take His.
We are guilty of sin. Our sin calls for death. God loves us, but justice cannot be set aside. Therefore, God took the punishment for us. Jesus, the innocent, died for the guilty (us). He took our place on the cross as surely as He took Barabbas’ place on the cross.
Bottom line: Our greatest temptation to sin is not to choose to do wrong but to choose not to do right, to surrender, and to trust God when obedience is hard.
If we're going to follow the example of Jesus in the Garden then we have to surrender to our Heavenly Father.
1) Surrender begins in prayer.
2) Surrender requires trust.
3) Surrender is a daily choice.
Bottom line: We come to the table to receive grace, but we push away from the table to give grace.
Jesus is the great servant. He has given us an example to follow. Because the Christian life is not just about finding a seat at the table. It is about picking up the towel and serving the needs of others.
Bottom line: Only by being truly consecrated to Jesus and His mission can a person ever truly feel fulfillment in life.
Only by admitting he has fallen can a man ever begin to be fixed. Only by confession of sin and Christ as Lord can a sinner be saved. Only be confessing we aren't doing what we were made to do can we ever begin to get back up.
Bottom line: When it comes to doing what you were made to do, you may have fallen but it doesn't mean you can't get back up. There is a fix. His name is Jesus.
Bottom line: The wise choose the path that leads to God’s favor and blessings.
Five keys to following the path God directs: Remember God's Words, Trust God's Plan, Walk God's Path, Steward God's Blessings, and Receive God's Correction.
Bottom line: Guarding our hearts diligently directs us to the right destination wisely.
Proverbs 4:20-27 gives a pretty detailed list to follow if we want to guide our lives to the right destination.
1) Listen To God's Word Attentively
2) Guard Our Hearts Diligently
3) Speak Our Words Carefully
4) Walk Life's Path Wisely
Bottom line: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Wisdom is for everyone: simple, young, old. We never graduate from our need to increase in wisdom. We need to receive it because it is valuable. It's value is seen in that when you follow and apply it, you end up in the right place: right place in life, marriage, school, career, work, relationships, ministry, finances, etc. Wisdom doesn't start with information. It begins with the fear of the Lord (i.e. awe, reverence). Wisdom begins when we stop putting ourselves at the center of our lives and put God there instead.
Bottom line: Our greatest hope is fulfilled in a personal relationship with Jesus.
The promise of hope was the birth of a Savior, a Rescuer. He has come, but has he BECOME your personal Savior.
Bottom line: All who accept the invitation to come and see their hope has come will leave glorifying and praising God.
Hope's promise finds it ultimate fulfillment in the coming Redeemer's birth from the virgin's womb and the empty tomb. Hope's promise is fulfilled in us when we trust Jesus as our Savior.
Bottom line: The Hope of Christmas is the sinner’s hope of rescue from sin and its penalty.
Bottom line: Communion is the expression of our appreciation for God’s work and blessings of salvation.
Bottom Line: All those who choose to look away from the pool and look to Jesus instead, will
be saved from the pool.
Bottom line: You’re not ready for your last day until you trust in the Living God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Bottom line: When we act presumptuously either through self will or demonic devices we provoke God.
1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:17
Bottom line: God seeks us out in mercy at rock bottom to recover and restore us to His use.
Life is filled with Mountain Top and Rock Bottom experiences. God is with us in both. And He will use us and restore us and rejuvenated us if need be. Elijah needed Emotional ventilation, physical rejuvenation, and spiritual restoration. When we find ourselves discouraged and depressed, we will need the same too.
Bottom line: We claim the promise(s) of God in believing prayer.
God is the promise keeper. Some promises are universal. Some are personal. Of those, some are unconditional and some are conditional. We claim the universal and conditional promises are of God in believing prayer. We learn from Elijah how to position ourselves alone in prayer, posture ourselves humbly in prayer, present our claim of the promise in prayer, petition God particularly in prayer, passionately plead in prayer, and persist in prayer.
South Union has told the world about a place (Bethlehem, Calvary, and Heaven), a person (Jesus Christ's virgin birth, victorious life, and vicarious death), a gospel to be preached, and a promise to be believed (Jesus' return, reward, and resting place).
Bottom line: A faith that stands with courage in the fight is a faith that has been trained to fight.
The purpose for training Elijah was so that Elijah would be ready to fight, to be used of God to do the impossible in the minds of the people – prove God is not dead!
Bottom line: God sends us to training camp to increase our faith, trust, obedience, and usefulness for what He calls us to do.
Bottom line: We can patiently trust and seek the help of God in prayer because He is always in control.
Bottom line: We run the race of life with Patience when we consistently choose to live for the better things of God instead of the lesser things of the world.
Bottom line: Persevering patiently across the spectrum of prayer results in restoration and revival by the power of God.
If we're going to stand up under the weight of difficult circumstances, oppression, etc, then we must pray. Prayer is the connection to our source of endurance - God.
Bottom line: There IS hope for reconciliation and peace with God through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
In Christ we have hope for life, freedom, eternity, peace, security, a forever home in heaven, and our deepest longings fulfilled.
Bottom line: A godly man does a very few important things that make a very big difference.
Bottom line: A together life is a better life.
The church is a family. As a family we have relationships and connections that are vitally important. The more deeply we connect, the better life is as we worship together, grow together, serve together, and reach "on mission" together for the glory of God.
Bottom line - Applying and/or following God's marriage principles and practices will result in improving, nurturing, and enjoying your marriage.
God has a blueprint for marriage. When we apply the principles and practices that God lays out in His Word to our marriages, we move our marriage toward health, or we maintain health in our marriages. This message looks at two principles and three practices that when applied lead toward health. And healthy marriages have a natural byproduct - happiness.
Bottom line - Godly familial roots help produce godly spiritual fruit, strength, heritage, and legacy.
Bottom line: Believe Jesus and you will have life eternally. Know Jesus more and more and you will experience life abundantly.
John wrote his gospel to prove that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that by believing we would have eternal life. But if we know Jesus more and more as the Word of God, the Creator, the Light of Life, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the King, we will experience life more abundantly.
Bottom line: The sign of the resurrection proclaims we should believe in and be faithful to Jesus, the Son of God.
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and should be rocket fuel for our faithfulness. After the disciples knew Jesus to be the "Resurrection and the Life," their faith never failed, floundered, or wavered. And their faithfulness to follow Jesus, serve Jesus, and fulfill the commission was a faithfulness unto their own death, if need be.
Bottom line: When I believe in the Resurrection and the Life, I receive resurrection to life.
The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead is a precursor to Jesus' own resurrection and a picture of the resurrection we can experience when we believe and trust in Jesus.
Bottom line: I see the Light as Jesus gives me sight. And Jesus comes into sight when I see the Light.
In John 9, Jesus declares that He is the Light of the World, and then He performs a miracle that demonstrates He is spiritual light. He is not only the source of light; He is the One who gives the ability to receive and see the light.
Bottom line: The experience of storms is not meant to batter us but to better us.
God will use the storms of perfection to test, grow, and stretch our faith. He wants us to believe in WHO He is and trust Him what He will DO. In the storms of perfection we can experience extraordinary moments with Jesus, genuine worship of God, and encouragement from His successes.
Bottom line: Jesus can provide for our every need, and He is the provision for our greatest need.
Every miracle has a message, and the message of the feeding of the 5,000 is that Jesus is the true bread of life. He doesn't just sustain physical life, He provides and gives eternal life. We must feed on him (i.e. believe and trust in him) and appropriate his life and sacrifice to ourselves personally. When we believe on Him through faith, He saves us and gives us eternal life. He is the provision for our greatest need (salvation).
Bottom line: Only God's grace can change us and give us true life.
Every miracle has a message. The message of the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda is that only God's grace can change us and give us life. Jesus healed this man totally by grace. Jesus sought to woo this man to place faith in Him as Savior. Just as this man could do nothing heal himself physically, he could do nothing to heal himself spiritually from sin. He needed Jesus (the true Pool of Grace) to make him whole spiritually just as He had done physically.
Rules, regulations, dos, and don'ts won't make us right with God. Only God's grace poured out on us through the finished work of Jesus can make us right with God. He does it all. We simply receive it as a gift by faith.
Bottom line: Jesus grows our faith to believe in Him beyond the limitation of what we believe about Him.
Jesus grew the Nobleman's faith from believing in something, to believing in something more, to believing in someone (i.e. Himself). He moved his faith from believing in the "do" of Jesus to the "who" of Jesus. This man became a believer in Jesus as Messiah. The thing the Nobleman most wanted corrected (his son's illness) became the means of his greatest correction.
Bottom line: Faithful and fruitful servants will receive eternal and valuable reward.
One day every believer will stand before Jesus, the righteous judge, to have our works revealed and examined. Our sin was forever judged on the cross. Our salvation is 100% because of Jesus' finished work of the cross. However, our works will be judged to determine reward. This judgment is known as the Judgment (bema) Seat of Christ. It is about rewards not punishment.
Bottom line: Share Jesus with the lost because you care. Share the lost with Jesus in prayer.
God works to put believers and non-believers in proximity to one another in the context of life so that the gospel message can be shared and received.
Let's share His story.
Let's share our story.
Let's share what another's story can be.
And let's share others in need with Jesus in prayer.
Bottom line: I serve Jesus because He served me.
Jesus saved us to serve. He motivates us with greatness to serve. And in faithfulness we choose to serve. When we choose to serve we grow. When we choose to serve we do something significant. When we choose to serve, we serve Jesus.
Bottom line: Our faithful listening leads to our fruitfulness increasing.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about a farmer who goes forth sowing seed. The thing that determined if the seed would bear fruit or not was the condition of the soil. He then correlates that spiritually to the seed of God’s Word and our willingness or unwillingness to listen, receive, and act on it. If we’re willing to listen, receive it, and act on it, it will lead to fruitfulness.
Bottom line: As our family grows in maturity and works the field together, God produces fruit in us, among us, and through us.
Bottom line: Faithful connection to the Body of Christ allows for the participation in and reception of ministry in the church and the expression of the life of Christ through the church.
Bottom line: The more intentional and purposeful we are in our adoration of God, the more faithful we will be in our fellowship with God.
Bottom line: Faithful study of God's Word equips us to live faithfully for God in this world.
If we're going to faithfully study God's Word we have to know the author of the Word, submit to the authority of the Word, feed on a "study" diet of the Word, and apply the truth and principles of the Word.
Bottom line: The greatest story ever told becomes the greatest story ever heard when you ponder, believe, and receive what God has provided for you - the gift of a Savior.
Bottom line: Fulfilled prophecy gives us assurance that prophecies yet fulfilled will be fulfilled.
Daniel 7 records Daniel's vision of strange beasts and a coming King. Daniel sees four world empires (Babylon, Medo Persia, Greece, and Rome) rise onto the scene in succession. And he ultimately sees the coming Kingdom of Jesus and His coronation as King.
Daniel 7 is perhaps the most important chapter in the book. It is what we call a primary reference. That means it contains original prophecy that will be quoted and referenced by others such as Jesus, Paul, and John the Revelator. In this one chapter, God's incredible, unchangeable redemptive plan for human history is laid out.
Bottom line: We will be faithful to God before and after the fire when we have faith that God is in control (even in the fire).
The story of Daniel and the lions' den teaches us some important lessons about how God is in control not only on the "world stage" but in our individual lives. When our faith is under fire...
1) We can be faithful
2) We witness to those who are watching
3) We can trust God is able to deliver
4) We can trust that God will deliver in His time and way
Bottom line: The handwriting is on the wall. The prideful will be abased, and the humble will be exalted.
Belshazzar's story teaches us some very important lessons:
1) God's Word is sure
2) God judges "Belshazzar Syndrome" in nations and individuals
3) God weighs hearts
Bottom line: It is infinitely more important that we humble ourselves and live redeemed, than exalt ourselves and "live the dream."
Nebuchadnezzar had to be taught a second time the truth that God is in control. He thought he was "living the dream" as he ruled over Babylon. He mused about how majestic he was for very building the kingdom. In the very moment he thought he was "living the dream" God made him depart the palace and live like a domesticated farm animal for 7 years until he learned that it is actually God who is in control and had given the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar. Once he "lifted his eyes to heaven" and repented, God restored him to his throne. Nebuchadnezzar not only learned the lesson, he believed the truth that God is sovereignly in control. God rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will.
Bottom line: Premeditated obedience causes us to stand when our faith is under fire.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given a command by Nebuchadnezzar (law of the land) that directly conflicted with God's law. What did they do? The refused to bow down in worship or bend in submission. They stood when their faith was under fire because they had a premeditated obedience to God. However, as a result of their stand, they faced the consequences of defying the law of the land. And they were willing to do so.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered three questions that we all need to answer now so that we are prepared to stand in the moments to come when our faith is under fire.
1) Who are we going to worship?
2) What will be our authority?
3) Are we willing to pay the price of obedience to God?
Bottom line: God is so in control that He can reveal His story before it becomes history.
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that Daniel interpreted for him. Daniel point out that God is totally in control.
1) God writes the story of history.
2) God reveals the story to be written.
3) God rules in the end of the story.
Bottom line: A resolute faith that refuses to compromise will pass through the fire.
Our faith, like that of Daniel, will come under fire. The world system is constantly pushing and seeking to assimilate our faith by challenging our beliefs, changing our values, and giving us new identities. But if we are resolved to trust God and refuse to defile our hearts, then our faith will pass through the fire.
Daniel chapter 1 teaches us the value of a godly heritage, godly training, and godly courage.
Bottom line: When we pray based on what we know about God's person we can know God's presence and power.
What we know about God determines what we pray to God and what we pray for from God. The early church knew God to be all powerful. The prayed and asked God for His power to be upon them so that the could speak the Word of God with boldness. They prayed in unison and unity. They prayed together, and God filled them with His Spirit and power.
Bottom line: A church known for being prospered by God's power is a church that preaches, prays, and praises.
The early church turned the world upside in less than a generation. How? By the power of God. Jesus promised the power before He ascended, and He sent the power in the person of the Holy Spirit. What God said to Zerubbabel He could say to us, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD." Every great thing that happens for the kingdom happens as a result of God's power.
How do we see the power of God practically displayed in and through the church? We preach the Word/Gospel; we pray as a "house of prayer;" and we praise the One who inhabits our praises, for where God's presence resides His power abides.
Bottom line: To fulfill the ministry God has given to us we must be known for preaching the Word.
The early church in Acts 8:1, 4 went every where preaching the Word. The world stands in need of a steady voice consistently speaking truth. Paul would encourage us today in the same we he encouraged Timothy - preach the Word and do it faithfully. As we do this, we fulfill the ministry God has given to us.
Bottom line: Identification with the gospel's purpose brings a demonstration of the gospel's power.
Paul confronted Peter in Galatians 2 because Peter was not living in accordance to the truth of gospel. He wasn't living out his identity with the gospel. When we find our identity in anything other than the gospel, then we lose out on the power available to us through Jesus and His good news. But, when we live out our identity with the gospel, then the life of Jesus is demonstrated through us. This demonstration of Jesus' life is a mighty witness to those who are lost.
Bottom line: People need to know the bad news of sin so that they can fully appreciate the good news of salvation. Therefore, we must strive to be a church that preaches the gospel.
Do we want the good news or bad news first? Spiritually, there is both good news (salvation) and bad news (sin and its effects). No one gets excited about a solution to a problem he doesn't see. Our hearts will not be open to the good news of the gospel until we truly know that bad news of sin and its effects on us.
We are born sinners. We're sinners by nature and choice. The result of our sin is death. The bad news is there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from sin and death. However, the good news is God can save us, and He saves us by grace through faith in Jesus' finished work of the cross. Jesus became our sin satisfying sacrifice. He died in our place. When we put our faith in Him, we are made righteous by grace.
Bottom line: When we pursue God with our whole heart we find Him.
What did Asa do that led the nation to pursue God and find Him? What are the things we may need to do as a church and as individuals to pursue God and find Him?
1) Expel idolatry from our lives. An idol is external, but idolatry is internal. It is a heart issue. Idolatry is putting or placing someone or something at a higher priority than God.
2) Renew the altar of the Lord. As believers we have an altar through whom we meet with and worship God, Jesus (Heb 13:10). Worship is at the heart of pursuing God.
3) Seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, and desire.
Pursuing God with all our hearts and souls means that we let go of and turn away from our idols and sin, renew our place at the altar (who is Jesus), and seek Him with our whole self in worship, prayer, and God's Word.
Bottom line – Dads strive to be the men God wants when they live out a life of prayer, praise, purity, and peace.
In 1 Tim 1:8, Paul says, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." This verse echoes the heart of God. He wants a man who is man of prayer, a man of praise, a man of purity, and a man of peace.
Bottom line: Because of God’s love for His people, He desires His presence to dwell among us. Because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross and the Spirit’s indwelling us, we can dwell in His presence.
God has always desired to dwell among His redeemed people. In Christ, we not only have access to and atonement with God, and can see the glory of God; but we have the very presence of God living in us. God moved into the neighborhood (of humanity), died for us, and said, “I will be your God and you will be my people. You can come into my presence anytime you like and stay as long as you want.”
In Exodus 40 we see three things the children of Israel that foreshadow how we can practice the presence of God: 1) obey God, 2) reverence God, and 3) follow God.
Bottom line: A church that expresses her need of God and her surrender to God will be known for exclaiming her praise for God.
There are several lessons we can learn from David (a man after God's own heart) about worship. David brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem. David knew what the ark represented, i.e. God's presence. David knew that the presence of God is the greatest gift God can give us. As we study a few of the Psalms of David we learn from David to 1) lift up our praise to God in worship, 2) pour out our souls to God in worship, and 3) bow the knee (submit/surrender) to God worship.
Bottom line: God's power and presence are manifest in a praying church.
What do we want our church to be known for by God?
A church that is known for prayer is a church that lives out her identity as a "house of prayer," exercises the priority of prayer, seeks to fulfill the purpose of prayer, and experiences the power of prayer because she is a church that is open on the God-ward side.
When God knows our church as a praying church, we will know God's power and presence among and within us.
Bottom line: A faith that judges God faithful will grow and experience the fulfilment of God's promise in His timing.
Sarah's demonstration of faith teaches us some very important lessons:
1) To live by faith, you must judge God faithful
2) To live by faith, you must overcome your unbelief
3) If you live by faith, you can experience the impossible (i.e. God's possible)
Sarah overcame her own unbelief. When she overheard God say that in one year she would have a child, she laughed. She literally laughed at what God said because she didn't believe. However, she overcame her unbelief as she judged God faithful. At the age of 90 she experienced the impossible. She gave birth to her firstborn son, Isaac. Isaac's name means laughter. She went from laughing at the promise to laughing with joy because the promise was fulfilled.
Bottom line: Parents moved by faith act to "save" their family.
Heb. 11:7 shows us that Noah was a believer (a parent) that was moved by his faith to trust God's message about the future, act on what he believed, build an ark and ultimately save his family from future judgement and death and from the wickedness and spiritual dangers of the culture in which he lived.
We can learn from Noah's example that we too can by faith "save" our family.
Bottom line: Jesus meets our deepest needs because Jesus is all we need.
When we understand who Jesus is (Lord, Savior, Victorious King) and what He has to offer us (salvation, forgiveness, lordship, victory, etc.), then we don't have to look anywhere else to find what we truly need. In Jesus we have all that we need because Jesus is all we need.
Bottom line: Believer's baptism is the means by which we go public with our faith in and saving relationship with Jesus.
Believer's baptism is a public declaration of our association with Jesus. When new believers are baptized,. they declare that they are with Jesus and Jesus is with them. They declare they are associated with Jesus' message, movement, and mandate. Believer's baptism is a public shout of the believer's new identification in Christ; it's a public affirmation of faith in Christ, and it is a public demonstration of the cross of Christ.
It's a week after Easter and Jesus is still here. He is the midst when we gather together in His name.
Bottom line: Jesus is King! But, He is only your saving King if you believe in, trust upon, and yield to Him.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus declared Himself to be King not only of Israel but of all the world. He declared Himself King by fulfilling prophecy, cleansing the temple, performing miracles, and receiving the acclamation of men, women, and children. Jesus declared Himself King, but He was ultimately rejected by the Jewish leaders and crucified on a cross. However, He is now the resurrected King and will gladly be your king, if you will believe, trust, and yield to Him.
Bottom line: The story behind the love story is a story of God's redeeming love for you.
The story behind the love story of Ruth and Boaz was a story of God's better plan. God worked a better plan for Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Even though what happened in their lives was not what they had plan, God worked a better plan. And this is a principle we can apply in our lives. When our life is not going the way we planned, when our love story is not working out the way we had hoped, we need to remember that God is good, kind, merciful, and wise, and in His providential grace is working a better plan. Our choice is to trust Him.
The bigger story behind the love story is the story of God's redeeming love for lost mankind. Ruth is picture of every believer redeemed by Christ. Boaz is picture of Jesus, the One who redeems because He is near kin, able, and willing. Jesus became a man to redeem us through His shed blood. Jesus was not only able to pay the price (i.e. shed blood), He was also willing. He did what He did not simply because He had the legal right or felt an obligation. He did what did in going to the cross because He wanted to redeem us and make us His.
Bottom line: The love story you will tell one day will be shaped by the choices you make today.
Ruth and Boaz both made choices that shaped the love story they would tell one day. The writing out of that love story included God's providence, Boaz' intentional pursuit, the elders' faith-filled prayer, marriage's pledge, and God's presents (the gift of sex and a son).
Bottom line: Our dreams for our love story (marriage) are born out of hope, but they are fulfilled by implementing our plans with "strategic righteousness."
Ruth and Naomi turned to God, and He turned the page on their story. God renewed their hope. Out of that hope a dream was born regarding Ruth and Boaz' love story. Dreams are born out of hope, but they will die without a strategy implemented to achieve the dream. In chapter 3 of Ruth we see that 1) Naomi made a plan to see if Boaz could be the one who would marry and redeem Ruth. 2) Ruth made a proposal. She proposed that Boaz propose to her. Ruth proposed that Boaz ask, "Ruth, will you be mine?" And she guaranteed him a yes in response. And 3) Boaz made a promise. He promised that he would would be her kinsman redeemer...if he could. He loved Ruth and wanted to redeem her but there was another kinsman who had the first right to redeem/refuse. He promised, if at all possible, "Ruth, I will make you mine."
Bottom line: Turning To God leads to God turning the page to a new chapter in our story, e.g. life story, love story, etc.
Because Ruth turned to God, trusted Him, and came under His wings, God turned the page on her love story. God providentially worked to bring about the right man, the right woman, in the right location, at the right time to begin a love story between Ruth and Boaz.
You cannot manufacture your love story, but you can trust God and turn to Him and watch Him providentially work through natural circumstances to fulfill His supernatural plans for your love story.
Bottom line: We may not know what hangs in the balance of our choice to return, but we can trust that it is something good from the One who loves us.
The backstory of Ruth's love story is a story of famine, wrong choices, pain, death, sorrow, running away from problems, returning home, and renewed hope. Love story's backstory is a story of God's providence to take the good, bad, and ugly and work it to the good both cosmically and individually (i.e. for Naomi and Ruth). And God does it for us too. He wants us to be a part of the Love Story He is writing.
Bottom line: Let's prioritize our generosity toward God because God has been generous toward us.
God lays our three principles of generosity when He asks the Jews to bring an offering for the construction of the tabernacle.
1) The principle of how: We are to give generously (willingly) from the heart.
2) The principle of what: We are to give generously to the Lord what He has first generously given to us.
3) The principle of why: We are to give generously so that the purpose(s) of the Lord can be accomplished.
Generosity should mark us as God's children because as God's children we've been marked by God's generosity.
Bottom line: Let's prioritize pushing away from the table and serving like Jesus by serving the needs of others.
Jesus pushed away from the table in the upper room and served a practical need of his men (i.e. washed their feet). In doing so, he demonstrated his humility through the action of serving. After Jesus washed their feet, he plainly tells them to replicate his actions, i.e. serve others by meeting needs. Jesus invites us today to push away from the table and serve for at least two reasons: 1) when we serve, the life of Jesus is expressed in this world; and 2) when we serve, we live a better life. Our sacrifice to serve leads to satisfaction in life.
Bottom line: When we prioritize being together at the table of the King, we experience the betterness of togetherness.
If church were likened unto the family home, the small group setting would be the dining room and living room of the church. It is where our together life happens best.
Many of us as believers idealize what our walk with God should be and how it should be experienced. In reality, we don't realize what we idealize. We realize what we prioritize. When it comes to the small group setting there are several things that we need to set forth as priorities. We must prioritize connecting relationally together, serving together, growing spiritually together, and practicing accountability and care together. If we don't prioritize it, we probably won't realize it, i.e. connect relationally, serve cooperatively, grow spiritually, practice accountability, or care ministerially.
Bottom line: Let's prioritize extending God's invitation to come to his table of grace as sons and daughters.
We see in David's invitation to Mephibosheth to come to his table as a son a wonderful illustration of God's invitation to us to come to His table of grace as sons and daughters of the King. Charles Stanley said God's highest priority for each of us is an intimate relationship with Him. If that is true, then our highest priority should be our own intimate relationship with God and prioritizing extending an invitation to those far from God to come His table.
Bottom Line: Let's prioritize coming to the table with God by welcoming His Word into our hearts consistently and acting on His Word instantly.
God welcomes us to the table He has prepared for us, but do we welcome His invitation to sit down, fellowship, and dine with Him? Charles Stanley said, "You were created for intimacy with God...His highest priority for you is to be involved with Him..." If God's highest priority for us is our intimacy with Him, then our highest priority should be our intimacy with Him too. If we are going to make coming to the table with the King a priority in our lives, then we must welcome His Word consistently and act on His Word instantly.
Our hearts our open to receive God Words when we can say, "God, I welcome your guidance, instruction, encouragement, and your power to do what Your Word is asking me to do." Acting on God's Word means to obey it. Obedience is the agent of change, growth, maturity, and intimacy in our relationship with God.
Bottom line: Show the world the score in 2024 by living out the victory given to us in Christ.
What's in store for God's people in 2024? Victory! We can live out the victory of Jesus in our lives if we will live our lives in obedience to God.
How do we live out the victory?
1) Shout the victory
Proclaim your thanksgiving for what God has done for you through the victory of Jesus. God has given us victory over death because of Christ's victory on the cross, victory over the sting of death which is sin, and victory over the one who held the power of death, Satan.
2) Sense the victory
Respond to the reality of your life by sensing the person, place and permanence of victory. Let's live our lives in close proximity to Jesus.
3) Smell of the victory
Light the incense of your life so that the world may smell the victory of Jesus in your life. Light the incense by transforming your hurts into hallelujahs. Light the incense of your life by letting your persecution be turned into praise. Light the incense of your life by living out the victory of Jesus in your life.
Bottom line: The Christmas choice is the choice of who will or will not be king.
The choice of Christmas is illustrated in the choices made by the wise men, Herod, and the professional religious class. The wise men sought the king, sacrificed to the king, and submitted to the king. Herod saw Christ as an intruder into his own kingdom and totally rejected Christ as King. The professional religious class were actually ambivalent to the news of the birth of the King. If anyone should have been anticipating the birth of the King or attentive the news, it should have been the religious rulers, yet they were completely ambivalent.
We too have a choice regarding the birth of the King: accept His invitation to salvation; accept His invitation to coronation, i.e. choose Jesus as Savior and King. Let's be like the wise men: seek Him, sacrifice to Him, and submit to Him.
Bottom line: Our willingness to do the will of God is key to God assuring us of His will and confirming our faith to accomplish His will.
Gideon is a man who needs assurance that he is doing God's will and reassuring that God will do what God has said He will do. Gideon puts God to the test with his "putting out the fleece." And graciously, God condescends to Gideon and does as Gideon requests. God gives Gideon the assurance he asks for. While Gideon wobbles in his faith, he does have one thing going for him - he is willing. After Gideon has put God to the test, God puts Gideon to the test. He tests Gideon's faith and then confirms that Gideon is the man for the job that God has called him to, i.e. to save Israel from the hand of Midian.
Bottom line: Victory in spiritual warfare is impossible without genuine worship of God.
Following God's calling of Gideon to deliver the nation from Midian's control, Gideon wants to know that he is truly being called and commissioned by God. Before Gideon goes to war, he worships God with a sacrifice. In the text (Judges 6:17-32) we see the topic of worship over and over. Gideon offers an offering (sacrifice) to God. Gideon builds an altar to the Lord and names it Jehovah-Shalom. Gideon destroys the altar of Baal. Gideon builds a new altar to God and sacrifices a bull to God.
In these four movements of worship we see several principles or lessons that we can learn from Gideon:
1) Worshipping God precedes warring with the enemy
2) The peace of God is preparation for the conflict
3) The public battle is preceded by personal victory
4) God proves us to be faithful and proves His own faithfulness to us
Deliverance from the troubles of our own making is impossible until we destroy the altars of false worship that led us to the trouble in the first place.
Bottom line: God unexpectedly calls unlikely leaders to accomplish "unbelievable" things for Him and with Him.
Gideon is an unlikely choice to lead the military into action. When we meet him in the story of Judges, he is hiding in a winepress threshing wheat. He seems anything but courageous. However, God sees something in Gideon that Gideon doesn't even see in himself - a mighty man of valor. Gideon doesn't know it when he meets God, but God will use Gideon to deliver Israel from the oppression of Midian. God will give Gideon his divine authority and divine accompaniment. And with God's power and presence, Gideon will deliver Israel. One of the most important lessons we can learn from Gideon's story is that God can use anyone. And that means God can use us. Let's lean into God's authority and presence and watch Him do great things through us.
Bottom line: When we stand up in faith and act with faithfulness toward God, we can be used of Him to impact our culture with godly influence.
Deborah was a woman of great influence. As a Judge, she had matriarchal influence, religious influence, civil influence, and military influence. She exercised her influence in a godly way because she had confidence in God's Word, God's will, God's way, and showed courage in meeting the enemy (Jabin's army) and partnering with Barak. She impacted her entire nation with her influence. She rallied her general and army to be used of God to deliver the nation from Jabin's oppression.
Bottom line - Godly leaders bring godliness to a godless world.
When the children of Israel departed from God, forgot God, did evil in His sight, and served other (false) gods, God always did His part to win His people back. God would, in love and kindness, send trouble, send a spiritual leader, and send His Spirit to empower the leader to bring godliness to a godless world, to bring deliverance to Israel. God did His part, but someone needed to step up and be useable of God to be the spiritual leader. From the first three judges (Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar) we see the characteristics necessary to be a leader that is used of God to bring godliness to a godless world: 1) godly leaders develop strong convictions, 2) godly leaders display courage, 3) godly leaders draw confidence from God, 4) godly leaders dare to confront the enemy, and 5) godly leaders use what the have to do what they can to follow God's call on their lives.
Bottom line: Even in the midst of our failures and unfaithfulness we have hope because God is faithful and never fails in His covenant promise.
The book of Judges records a dark period in the history of Israel. The author of Judges tells us that in the time period of the Judges there was no king in Israel and that every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges records 7 different "spin cycles of sin," (i.e. departures from God into idolatry and spiritual failure). And the question the book of Judges answers for us is this, "In the midst of the failures of God's people, when they rejected God, departed from Him, and found themselves in a place of despair, was there hope? Was there hope that the people could be forgiven and restored?" And the answer is yes. The book of Judges is more than a book about a people who find themselves repeatedly caught up in the "spin cycle of sin." It is a book about a King who faithfully loves His people even when His people are unfaithful and unloving towards Him.
Bottom line: Overcoming hypocrisy is not achieved accidentally. I must intentionally choose to be real with myself, others, and God.
Jesus encourages us in the Sermon on the Mount to not be like the Pharisees - hypocrites - who do what they do just to be seen of men. The Pharisees couldn't see it in the themselves, but they had gap between what they projected outwardly and what they were inwardly. Jesus said they were whitewashed sepulchers - clean on the outside and yet full of dead men's bones on the inside.
Sometime we do what they did. We wear a mask. We project outwardly to others something different than what we are inwardly. That's hypocrisy. And hypocrisy is a big deal with God because hypocrisy turns people away from God.
When I choose to be real with myself, I can be real with others and God. As long as we wear the mask of hypocrisy, we can't be real.
Bottom line: When we forgive others, we receive freedom.
When we are committed to growing in our willingness to forgive others, God helps us grow in our ability to forgive others. And we should be committed to growing in our willingness to forgive because we have a limited to capacity to carry the hurts, pains, and offenses that others have cause us. Forgiving others allows us to offload the hurt and get unburdened from the pain. We actually find freedom from things like resentment, revenge, and bitterness when we forgive. Because of the benefits of forgiveness we should seek to do it, but it is also God's desire for our lives. Paul said that we should be kind to one another, tenderhearted, and forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. Since we've been forgiven, we should extend forgiveness to others.
Bottom line: I can trust God today with tomorrow's concerns.
Can we trust God? Yes we can. Jesus addressed this issue in the Sermon on the Mount. If God takes care of the birds of the air, then you can trust that He will take care of you too. Can we trust God? Yes. Do we trust God? That's a different question all together. Oftentimes we worry and drag tomorrow's concerns into today, but when we trade our worries for trust, we get peace in return. When we sense worry in our lives, we need to move in a different direction by seeking God's kingdom first (cf. Mt. 6:33). By seeking the kingdom first, we demonstrate our trust in God. Trading our worries for trust in God brings God's peace into our lives.
Bottom line: We light up the darkness when Jesus' life shines through us.
In a culture where the light of the church is dimming, we can turn up the brightness of the light . Peter teaches us five things we can do to light up the darkness in 1 Peter 2:1-12. We can live evangelistically, grow in maturity, serve in ministry, identify peculiarly, and sacrifice worshipfully. As we do these things, we shine the light of Jesus' life into the culture around us.
Bottom line: A good and godly man lives a blessed life.
When we walk in the fear of the Lord and His ways, we can expect God's blessings to flow to us for the purpose of flowing through us to bless those around us (e.g. wife, children, family, church, community, etc.)
Bottom line: Because of our access to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we can make the devil run.
God the Father is our power. We have authority over the devil because our heavenly Father has authority over Satan.
God the Son is our purity. He gives us power over sin.
God the Spirit is our presence against Satan. When the devil comes against us, just know that the Holy Spirit of God is with us. Because He is with us, we have power of Satan. He is our courage and our comfort.
Bottom line: Missions is a partnership between a missionary and a sending church for the "furtherance of the gospel" so that Christ may be made known.
A sending church and missionary partner together in prayer, in faithfulness of defending the gospel, in sacrifice for God's glory, in labor to spread the gospel, in finances to support the gospel's furtherance.
Change happens all the time in our lives. Sometimes its good. Maybe you get a new job or add a baby to your family. Other times though, maybe you have a loss of some kind. Spiritually, we change too. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. The encouragement is that in a world of change, the things that should stay the same, do stay the same.
Bottom line: We honor our moms because God commands us. And the command is doable because moms are honorable.
This message looks at a young mother and the lessons we can learn from her that make moms worthy of our honor.
1) She did all she could to provide for her family.
2) She took advantage of God given opportunities to bless her family.
3) She remained faithful to God and His command.
4) She interceded for her family.
5) She impacted her family positively with her faith.
In many ways our mothers did and blessed their families in the same or similar ways. For that, our moms are honorable, and the command to honor is doable. (cf. Ex. 20:12)
Bottom line: When we incite the wonder of God in children, model our faith's authenticity before them, and partner with others to influence them, we can pass the baton of faith to "our" next generation.
We have to think with the end in mind. We need to be "next generation" thinkers. We need to think about how to pass a genuine "saving" faith and authentic "living" faith to the next generation, ie our own next generation, our children. One hundred years from now only one thing will matter and that is a person's personal relationship with God. If it is the only thing that matters one hundred years from now, it better matter to us today, because it does matter.
This message looks at three things we can do as parents and as a church to help pass the baton of faith to "our" next generation.
1) Incite the wonder of God in the next generation
2) Illuminate the authenticity of your faith to the next generation
3) Influence the next generation with strategic relationships
Bottom line: When we consistently hang out with Jesus and pray, we gain boldness to share the good news.
Our success in sharing the good news (gospel) is not winning someone to Jesus. Our success is in actually sharing the good news. The person you share the gospel with may never put their faith in Jesus, but they can because they heard. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).
There are important lessons to learn from the story of Jesus' healing of the man with a withered hand.
1) It's a good thing to be in the same place as Jesus.
2) It's a good thing to do good on the Lord's day.
3) It's a good thing to "stretch out your hand" for the Lord.
Bottom line: Seek Jesus. Sense Jesus. Be strengthened by Jesus.
The are many things that we need to do, but one thing is necessary - spending time at the feet of Jesus. How do we spend time at His feet? We do it in worship, prayer, fasting, meditating, reflecting, etc. When we seek Jesus, we can sense Jesus and be strengthened by Jesus to do the things He desires we do in service of the kingdom.
Bottom line: The story of the gospel (Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection) is worth telling and believing.
Bottom line: I believe the bad news of my sin and the good news of the gospel. Jesus paid my debt so that I could be forgiven of my sin.
The bad is news is our sin condemns us and separates us from God. The good news is Jesus died to pay for our sin and reconcile us to God.
Bottom line: I am who God says that am. And who He says I am is determined by my faith in the Gospel message.
Paul writing the Corinthians said that if any man be in Christ he is a new creation; the old things pass away and all things become new. One of the new things is a new identity. We are made alive in Christ, become a child of God, set free from the penalty of sin, and receive the mercy of God.
To live out who we are in Christ we need to have faith in what God's Word says about who are in Christ. We need the love of other believers. The Christian experience is to be lived out in community. And we need to have the right confession about who we are in Christ.
Bottom line: The Gospel is the good news of how Jesus wrecks my guilt and shame.
The story of the woman at the well is a story of how Jesus seeks out the lost to wreck the sin, shame, and guilt that she lived with. Jesus is a seeking Savior. He is our sure solution to sin problem. When He saves us he gives us a new identity with which we can make new investments in the lives of others with a new found influence.
Bottom line: Jesus is our Passover Lamb, the Lion who willingly laid His life down so that we might be redeemed from sin.
Just like how God’s judgment passed over every house of the Jews that had the blood of the lamb applied to the door posts and lintel, when we have the blood of Jesus applied to our hearts, the judgment of God passes over us. Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb. We apply his blood to the door posts and lintel of our hearts by putting our faith in Him. Every Jew in Egypt had to put the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintel. If they did not do this as an act of faith, the first born in their home would have died in Egypt. If we don’t apply the blood of Jesus to our hearts we will die in our sin.
The Passover remembers Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage, but it points to a greater redemption – the redemption of sinners from sin. And it is fulfilled by Jesus who is our true Passover Lamb. He is the One whom John said is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
Bottom line: Only God's grace can change us and give us true life.
The central question of the gospel message is, "Do you want to change?" This question is a question of desire not a question of ability. In John 5, Jesus asked the man who laid impotent for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda if he wanted to change. The man answered, "I can't." He answered the question speaking of his inability. Jesus wanted to know his desire.
The whole point of John 5 and the healing of the impotent man is that we cannot by our self effort change ourselves spiritually any more than the impotent man could change himself physically. Seeking to change ourselves spiritually by self effort to make ourselves righteous with God is legalism. We can only be changed and made righteous with God by His grace. That is what the gospel (the good news) is all about. It's not about the "do" of you. It's about the "who" of Jesus. He is the one who makes us whole, well, righteous, and gives us life eternal.
Bottom line: I see the light when Jesus comes into sight. I receive the light of life when I believe in Jesus (the Son of God) as Savior.
The story of the healing of the blind man in John 9 is an illustration of how Jesus is the one who gives the ability to see spiritually and that He is the light of the world. The blind man was given physical sight, but he also gained spiritual sight. His understanding of who Jesus was went from simply being a man named to Jesus to a prophet to a man of God to the Son of God. Once he believed that Jesus was the Son of God, he gained eternal life. The whole point of John's gospel was that his readers might believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that by believing they would have eternal life. Jesus is the Light of the World. We can receive Him as the Light of Life when we trust Him to be the Son of God, our Savior.
Bottom line: We can steward the gospel because we have His promises of His power, of success, and of reward.
Jesus promised us His presence and power through the Holy Spirit. Because we have access to His power to flow in and through us, we should be motivated to be a faithful witness for Jesus. We also have the example of the early church's successes. If they did it, we can do it too. Their successes should motivate us to be faithful witnesses for Jesus. But there is another promise we have been given, and that is the promise of reward. God seeks to positively motivate us with the understanding that witnessing and being engaged in winning the lost to Jesus will be rewarded. Paul mentions the "soul winners" crown or the "crown of rejoicing" as being those who we have a part in winning to Jesus.
Bottom line: How we steward the gospel message that has been entrusted to us can make all the difference in whether those in our world do or do not trust Jesus as Savior.
Paul writes to the Colossians and tells of four things that must be stewarded wisely so that those who are lost may know the penalty of sin, the price of sin, the payment for salvation, and the present of salvation. Those four things are our prayers, our opportunities to share, our lives (i.e. our saltiness and brightness), and our speech.
Bottom line: When I choose Jesus as my savior, I accept the invitation to eternal life. When I choose to serve Jesus by serving others, I accept the invitation to a better life.
What happens when we serve God by serving others? 1) God shows up through our service and others get to see His love, heart, work, and Son's life in us, 2) you shine a light that illuminates Jesus, expels the darkness, and attracts people, 3) you experience a better life lived - joy inwardly, community relationally, significance extraordinarily, and intimacy spiritually.
Do you talk to others about Jesus? When the last time you did? God has called, entrusted, empowered, and enlightened us to tell the world about Jesus, who He is, and what He has done for us by grace. Tell them about His person, power, promises, and provisions.
Bottom line: Growing spiritually is the supernatural work of God changing us as we yield our lives to Him in faith and obedience.
When it comes to spiritual growth, we need to prioritize it in our lives because God has commanded it. We do our part and God will do His to change us for His glory. Our part is to surrender and yield in faith and obedience. We need to apply the equation "Desire + Discipline = Change". We can have all the desire in the world for growth and change and not grow or change one bit. Desire alone will not change us. Desire plus discipline makes the difference. We do our part and God will do in us what we could never do on our own - He changes us from one degree of glory to another. (2 Cor. 3:18)
Bottom line: Connecting with God (vertically) and other believers (horizontally) is fundamental to a believer ultimately growing, serving, and reaching others for the glory of God.
There are four things that we want every believer in our church to be: connecting, growing, serving, and reaching. We use these four words in our discipleship process, which is illustrated with a baseball diamond where first base is connecting, second base is growing, third base is serving, and home plate is reaching.
We will never be effective in growing, serving, and reaching if we are not first connecting with God in relation, adoration, and habitation, and connecting with other believers in the body of Christ in both large group and small group.
Bottom line: Our hidden sin can cause us and others great harm, but there is complete forgiveness and freedom in Jesus that will set us free.
What can we learn from Achan? Our sin doesn't just affect us. It affects others, even those whom we love the most. Our hidden sin doesn't just affect us. Our hidden sin can ruin us, our family, and our church.
Sin will take you farther than you want to go. Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay.
Jesus died to pay for our sin. What one request can we make that only God can fulfill? The request to be forgiven of sin.
Bottom line: Surrender to the King in a moment of time for moments of worship all the time.
What stands before us today (Christmas morning) is what is most important – the birth of our savior, the King. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus in a moment of time so that we can have a King, High Priest, and Warrior Savior all the time. He is worthy of our worship. Surrender to the King in a moment of time for moments of worship all the time. Bring an offering of worship and praise to Jesus. Bring your heart, your life, your surrender, your gold (transfer your power to Him), your prayer, your communion, your sacrifice. Surrender in a moment of time, for moments of worship all the time because what matters most is what stands before you right now!
Bottom line: God still calls ordinary people in extraordinary moments to exercise faith and obedience so that through them He can continue to write His extraordinary story of redemption and restoration.
Christmas is an extraordinary story involving many ordinary characters. Mary and Joseph were just ordinary people that God invited into His extraordinary story. And because Mary believed and surrendered, and because Joseph obeyed immediately, Jesus the Savior was born.
Christmas is the greatest story ever told, but it is at the same time the greatest story yet to fully unfold. God is still writing this extraordinary story of redemption and restoration. Are you, an ordinary person, a part of this extraordinary story? Put your faith in the Savior that was born to die so that you may truly live.
Bottom line: The Christmas harvest is the fruit that comes forth from the death of the seed of the woman.
The Christmas harvest are the souls that are saved because that tiny babe, the seed of the woman, the son of God, went to the cross, died, was buried, and was raised again. And if you are a part of the Christmas harvest, then you have received a harvest of redemption, adoption, regeneration, and an inheritance reserved in heaven for you.
Bottom line: The Christmas harvest is the fruit that comes forth from the death of the seed of the woman.
The Christmas harvest are the souls that are saved because that tiny babe, the seed of the woman, the son of God, went to the cross, died, was buried, and was raised again. And if you are a part of the Christmas harvest, then you have received a harvest of redemption, adoption, regeneration, and an inheritance reserved in heaven for you.
Bottom line: Our commitment to loving Jesus and our neighbor is the greatest factor determining our hindering or harvesting the harvest.
It seems as if many Christians treat Jesus and His cause like the little red hen and her mission to bake bread. Who will help me....? It takes commitment to Jesus and submitment to His mission to participate in His harvest. Let's commit to cast the seed of the gospel, call on the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers, and conclude that we can be the answer to the prayer.
Bottom line - The old covenant points to and is completely fulfilled by Jesus' establishing of the new covenant.
Each covenant of the old testament clarified, restricted, and pointed more specifically to just who would be the Messiah and redeemer (the seed of the woman) that was mentioned by God in Gen. 3:15. Ultimately, Jesus is the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the offspring of David, and the fulfillment of the Law.
Bottom line – When we plant the truth of God’s Word in our minds concerning His salvation and goodness toward us, it will produce the fruit of thanksgiving.
In Ps. 103, David speaks to himself and encourages himself to not forget the goodness of God in his life spiritually. God had forgiven him, redeemed him, healed him, crowned him with lovingkindness, and renewed his soul. Those five things are also truths in the life of every believer. If we will plant these truths in our hearts it will produce a harvest of thanksgiving.
Bottom line: When we pray as Jesus instructed us to pray, we will see the plenteous harvest that Jesus sees.
Seeing the Lord's harvest means that we see the pity of the harvest, the potential of the harvest, the problem of the harvest, and the prayer of the harvest. The challenge of praying for the harvest (per Chase Reynolds) is that everyday for the rest of our days pray, "God, send more." God, send more laborers into YOUR harvest.
Bottom line: Our willingness to receive God's Word determines the prepared condition of the soil of our hearts.
It is our "will" that makes the difference. Just like the preparation soil makes the difference in a literal seed growing and producing fruit in the field, the willingness of the heart makes the difference in the seed (truth) of God's Word producing fruit in our lives.
Bottom line: The bread worth eating will bring a change worth pursuing, i.e. feeding on the resurrection/high priestly ministry of Jesus will produce an abundant life.
Joshua 5:11-12 speak of the Jews eating manna for the last time and then eating of the fruit of the land. Manna is a picture of Jesus' crucifixion ministry. He is the bread of life. The "old corn" of the land is a picture of Jesus' resurrection/high priestly ministry. He is the bread of "abundant" life too. We should partake of the manna of Jesus to be saved and then feed upon the resurrection ministry of Jesus to grow depth in our relationship with Him.
Bottom line: When change is necessary, embrace it.
If we know God is pointing out necessary change in our lives, families, ministries, etc. and we will repent (change our mind, heart, and actions), then we will experience change in our lives for our good and God's glory.
A message from Gods' Word to encourage us to remember what God has and will accomplish for us through the finished work of Jesus.
Following Jesus is not always easy, but it is always worth it. We follow Peter's development as a Jesus follower to show us what a growing relationship with Jesus looks like.
Bottom line: We reset for a new season of church life and ministry when we requisition the required presence of God.
As we enter into a new season to experience new things with a renewed passion and zeal, we need to understand that it is possible to substitute victory and fruit for God's presence. Moses was aware of his need for God's presence. He was desperate for God's presence, and so are we. We have to acknowledge our desperate situation and act in our desperation to request God's required presence in our lives.
Bottom line: Enjoying victories in the new season requires we fight, trust, and obey.
Israel's conflict with Jericho illustrates three principles of spiritual conflict and victory that can be applied in our new season of church life and ministry.
1) Fight from victory, not just for victory.
2) Overcome by faith.
3) Obeying God and giving Him glory is just as important after the victory as before.
Bottom line: How I live out my faith will impact negatively or positively my offspring's living by faith (i.e. eternally and practically).
How should God's people respond to God raising up a new leader? God moves leaders in, on, among and along. We have to accept what God does and trust Him. No matter who the leader may be, we must understand that the next generation hangs in the balance. If one generation forgets God, the next generation won't know God or His mighty works.
Bottom line: In this new season, let us reset by refocusing our worship on the One who is worthy - God our creator and redeemer.
God is awesome! He created us. God is wonderful! He redeemed us. He is our Creator and Redeemer. If we refocus our worship, then answering the call, relinquishing the will, following Jesus, fishing for men, and feeding sheep will each be more readily fulfilled.
Bottom line: In this new season of ministry, let’s reset the vision to follow Jesus, fish for men, and feed the sheep.
In John 21, before Jesus ascends back to heaven, Jesus calls Peter (and his other disciples and us too) to a new season, one in which Jesus would not be with him physically, but one in which he would need to lean upon faith in Jesus, his commands, and his power. He asks Peter to reset and re-envision the work Jesus had called him to - the work of fishing for men and feeding the sheep. This is still Jesus' admonition to us today: Follow Me. Fish For Men. Feed My Sheep.
Bottom line: In a new season of ministry, the power (ability) of God flows through willing obedience (availability) rooted in faith.
It takes the surrendering our wills to answer the call of God on our lives as we enter into new season. Surrender is word that can conjure up images of waving white flags and laying down arms. It carries the idea of giving up and giving in. Defeat and humiliation go hand in hand with surrender. But when God calls us to surrender, He’s not calling us to wave a white flag or live with a sense of defeat and humiliation. A better metaphor for surrendering to God is a wedding in which we surrender our heart out of love and relationship. A white flag surrender indicates losing. In a wedding you surrender but you don’t lose, you gain. Surrender is about trusting God and His heart for you and entrusting your heart to Him. It’s like the surrender experienced at a wedding ceremony.
In this reprise of our April revival services, we're challenged to love Jesus, follow Him, and feed His sheep.
Bottom line: A new season in life and ministry requires faith to follow God's leading.
This message is the kick off message to the "Reset" Series. God is calling our church into a new season in which we will be challenged to relinquish our wills to help our church fish for men and shepherd God's sheep. In this message we learn from Abraham's calling some principles we can apply in our lives and ministries with regards to God calling us to a new season of ministry.
Bottom line: I am encouraged when I choose to focus on God's presence, believe in God's promises, and trust in his plans for my life.
Discouragement is one of the most potent tools of the enemy in our lives. Satan will use discouragement to beat our faith down, to separate us from truth, and to destroy us and what is important to us. Discouragement can drive us from faith, from God, from God’s people, church, dreams, hopes, etc. Discouragement can be very dangerous. We all need to be encouraged from time to time because we all can get discouraged from time to time.. In Genesis 15 we sense that Abraham is a bit discouraged. God tells him “Do not fear.” Abraham is concerned over the fact that ten years after being promised a son he hasn’t received the promised son yet. He is now 85 years old. Ten years have passed since he left Haran and moved into Canaan. Abraham is in need of some reassurance and encouragement, and God gives him just that. The things that we learn in this passage of Scripture are things we can apply in our lives when we find ourselves in need of encouragement, reassurance, uplifting, etc.
Bottom line: The most important thing in life is knowing God.
How do we know God? 1) Know His Word 2) Know His Will 3) Move Into HIs Work
Bottom line: The hope of the world is reconciliation and peace with God through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the mediator of hope. Our hope is not in a nation, a political party, a president, government leaders, or a country, not even America. Our hope is not simply for this world or lifetime. Our hope is found in Jesus. The means of that hope is our faith in His finished work on the cross of Calvary. And the manifestation of that hope (i.e. its ultimate fulfillment) is yet to come. Like Abraham, our hope lies in promises that will be fulfilled.
Bottom line: A father of faith journeys with God.
God calls a father to journey in faith for salvation, separation, and impartation. A Christian father has been called to be saved by the lamb that taketh away the sin of the world, to be separated from the world and unto God, and to impart blessings to his children and home. We see this reality in the calling of Abraham to answer God's call on his life, a call to journey with God, to be a father, to impart a blessing, etc.
Bottom line: Jesus grows our faith to believe in Him beyond the limitation of what we believe about Him.
Jesus helps the faith of the father (the Nobleman) grow. The father had a limited belief in what Jesus could DO. Jesus helped to grow his faith to believe in WHO Jesus is. The object of the father's faith grew in value and power and by default the faith of the father grew in value and power too. He removed the limitation of the DO of Jesus to believe in the WHO of Jesus.
Bottom line: Applying biblical principles in your marriage will result in improving and nurturing the health of your marriage.
The byproduct of marital health and marital happiness. This message share six things you can do to improve health or maintain good health in your marriage. If you do these six things, you'll be glad you did.
Bottom line: Holy matrimony is two become one.
When we are fulfilling God purpose in marriage our marriage will be fulfilling to us. Treat you marriage with holiness and you will invest directly into the health of your marriage and ultimately the happiness your marriage brings to you. God's purpose in marriage is oneness. To achieve it, we must leave, cleave, and weave into one.
Bottom line: The harvest that is reaped is determined by the seeds that are sown.
What you do now as a family will affect your family's future either soon or eventually. We must think with the end in mind. Sow now for the harvest you want to reap in time.
Bottom line: Our children are set up for "true" success when we model love for and obedience to God in the context of our relationship with them.
Parents, what is your definition of success? Do you have a high standard, or low? Some parents just want their kids to not mess up in life. Or, just graduate high school and college and get a decent job. But isn’t there more for what is counted as true success? When Moses stood before the nation of Israel to give his final speech before he died, he boldly defines success for them: You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, mind, and strength.
Husband, bless your wife with your love, leadership, and leaning into her care and council. Children, bless your mother with your respect for her authority, faith, wisdom, and love. Mothers, hear and believe this message from your kids: Dear Mom, I cannot begin to thank you for the many things you have done for me over the years. I really do appreciate you, even though there are times when I forget to tell you. More than anything, Mom, I want you to know I am glad you are my mom, and I love you!
Bottom line: Think with the end in mind (your child becoming a spiritual leader) and apply godly principle in time (by being a spiritual leader to your child).
Mordecai raised Esther to be a spiritual leader. This message looks at seven principles we can learn from Mordecai to apply in our parenting to influence the next generation to be a generation of spiritual leaders.
Bottom line: Jesus is sufficient to meet our deepest needs.
In Colossians 1:15, Paul begins quoting a hymn of praise which that affirms how the Lord Jesus Christ can meet all of our deepest needs. Nowhere else in all of Paul’s writings do Paul’s thoughts about Christ soar to such heights. Why? Because this passage we will look at today shares how Jesus meets the deepest needs of our lives. Jesus meets our need to know God, to know we're loved, to be forgiven, to be secure, to live with assurance.
Bottom line: The cross will stand for all eternity as a symbol of either your humiliation or celebration.
Jesus is the victorious King, and His cross was victorious in every way. The cry of Heaven and every saved person is the cry of triumph. We celebrate Jesus' victory because it is our victory. In Christ we have been forgiven, raised from the dead, and made complete. The cry of Satan and every demonic foe is the cry of the defeated, capitulated, spoiled, crushed, and humiliated. Those who reject Jesus as savior will view the cross as a symbol of their own humiliation for all eternity just like Satan.
Solomon states that two are better than one, i.e. life is better together. We're to live in relation not isolation. Tuko pamoja is Swahili for "we are together." When we are together in fellowship, community, and unity, life is better. God has designed the Christian life to be lived in community. When we are together we're stronger, warmer, more sufficient, not easily broken and defeated. God wants us to live and do our lives of faith together because a together life is a better life.
Peter gives us a recipe (building plan) to follow that will allow for us to be fruitful. The fruit that is borne is not only spiritual fruit in our lives, as great as that it, but it is also spiritual fruit that comes by way of souls being saved. God wants our church to be fruitful spiritually (in terms of spiritual growth/maturity), and God wants our church to be fruitful numerically (in terms of lost souls being saved and then discipled). God wants it and so should we. Let's follow the recipe.
To defeat your enemy, you have to know him. You have to have knowledge of who he is and what he is like. You have to also know your weapons. In spiritual warfare our enemy is Satan and the demons of darkness. In spiritual warfare our weapons are not carnal but spiritual and mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. Our armor for warfare is none other than Jesus. And when we fight together as a band of brothers and sisters in the church, we fight in the victory of Jesus for victory over our enemy in the spiritual battles of everyday life.
Revival can happen and begins to happen when God opens our eyes to see that He who is with us is greater than they who are against us.
Just as the four lepers did not do well to hold their peace as they feasted because of God's grace, we do not do well to hold our peace concerning the good news of the Gospel. We have been fed by the bread of life that came down from heaven. Why would we ever want to hold our peace concerning Jesus who is the only one that can truly satisfy the hunger of our souls?
Bottom line: We experience God's sending of revival and restoration when we meet God's qualifications for revival and restoration.
The basis for revival is a relational connection with God. Those who are saved can be revived. Those who are lost are in need of a spiritual resurrection (salvation). The burden for experiencing revival is prayer: broken prayer, earnest prayer, holy prayer. And the blessings of revival are seen in the fact that God shows up, God hears and responds to prayer, God forgives sin, and God restores our souls.
Revival happens in and with the church, when we position ourselves for revival by surrendering to the person of God, the Word of God and the church of God. If we're not positioned (surrendered) we may very well miss what God provides.
Bottom line: When we fast for revival, our increased spiritual hunger is satisfied by God.
Prayer is the hand with which we reach out to God. Fasting is the hand with which we let go of the world.
There are at least four reasons why we should want to fast for revival: 1) fasting strengthens our prayers, 2) fasting expresses our repentance and desire to return to God, 3) fasting expresses our concern for God's work in us, among us, and through us to advance God's kingdom, and 4) fasting helps us to overcome temptation and sin in our lives.
The way Jesus spoke in the Mat. 6:16-18 implied that He expects us to fast, i.e. that we would and should fast. But we also have an expectation of God when we fast, i.e. that He will reward us. Isaiah chapter 58:11 gives us five rewards for fasting correctly: 1) God's guidance, 2) soul satisfaction, 3) inward strength, 4) outward fruit, and 5) hidden resources.
Bottom line: A church that genuinely prays together for revival will perceive God's presence and receive God's power.
We pray to God and make requests from God based on what we know about God. The church in Acts 4 knew God's power. They requested that God would grant them power to speak His word with boldness. They prayed in unison. They prayed in unity. They perceived God's presence among them. They received God's power within them. They went forth boldly proclaiming God's Word.
The R-word (repentance) is the first step toward the re-centering of, retuning to, and revival from God.
In 1 Samuel 7 we see where the Jews had drifted from God and even from their faith. After 20 years of the Ark being displaced from the center of Jewish life, the Jews began to lament after God. Samuel told them that if they truly wanted to return to God with all their heart, then they had to repent (change). They had to repent in mind, heart, and action. He told them to put away (forsake) their idols, direct their hearts to God (confession of sin), and serve (worship, love, obey, follow, etc.) God only.
Samuel's remedy was applied, and God brought renewed fellowship among the people and even more He brought deliverance from their oppressors. When we repent and re-center God in our focus, attention, priorities, worship, obedience, etc., then God brings revival and deliverance into our lives.
Bottom line: The "Everyday Challenge" is to ask the Lord of the harvest daily to send more laborers.
Jesus worked hard to show up and serve the needs of others. He was moved with compassion, and He challenged his followers to pray and ask that God would send more laborers into the fields holding a plenteous harvest.
Bottom line: When I dig ditches (prepare) by faith, I can receive the blessings that only God can send.
Sometimes our ability to receive the blessing that God sends is directly tied to the space we create to contain it. God told the Jews to fill the valley with ditches to catch the water that He would send. Is it possible that we may very well miss out on enjoying the blessing of God simply because we're not prepared to receive it?
We are dependent on God, but we must be diligent in doing what He has commanded. When we are, we not only see the display of His power, but we enjoy the delights of it.
Bottom line: When I trust God to give away the "more than I need," then I can be used by God to bless others that are in need.
In Luke 12, Jesus addresses the issue of what to do (how to think about) our "more than we need." He warns us to not look on our finances as absolutely necessary to life, i.e. don't equate your stuff with your life. When you do that you believe that every thing that comes your way is for you now or for you in the future. It squelches our generosity, our opportunities to be a blessing and to be blessed by God.
Generosity changes us. It allows us to look more like God. Generosity helps us to invest in what matters most, the eternal not simply the temporal. And Generosity frees our hearts. One of the best ways to combat greediness in our lives is to give generously to others' needs.
Bottom line: Saved people serve people, so serve somewhere by serving someone.
The story of the Good Samaritan offers us some great insight into how we can serve people. The Samaritan served the man that had beaten, robbed, and left for dead. His example shows us that we can serve others spiritually, physically, and financially. We will appropriately serve when we see the way Jesus sees and heed the way the Jesus leads.
Bottom line: God wants His children to do justly, show mercy, and to walk humbly with Him.
Many Christians get so focused on what is the will of God for their life and tend to stress out because they think that there is a Christian golden brick road. Jesus told the disciples to follow Him. He didn't say figure it our for yourself or its all on you now. He said simply to follow Him. In this message we will here from Micah when he remind that children of Israel what God requires of them...Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly before God.
Bottom line: Life together is life better.
Being plugged into a small group can help us transform church from being a religious event to a relational experience.
A small group can connect people relationally, enable people to serve, provide an environment for spiritual growth, and create a network of care and accountability.
Bottom line: Found people find people.
Phillip's example teaches us much about how we are to accomplish the Great Commission. Philip, who had been found by Jesus, went forth and found Nathanael and then invited him to come and see Jesus. This is what "found" people do. Found people find people and invite them to come and see Jesus. We invite people to come and see Jesus in our church. Come and see Jesus in the Scriptures. And come and see Jesus in my life.
Bottom line: Welcome God's Word into your heart but don't fail to do your part. Feed yourself by hearing consistently and acting instantly.
As we begin a new year, let's evaluate how we are doing with regards to our expectations that we be self-feeders of God's Word. Ask the questions: 1) Do I welcome God's Word into my heart? Is that my attitude? God, You're Word is welcome here. You know it is welcome when you down with God putting His finger on a spot in your life and saying, "That's it. That's the spot that needs to change." 2) Do act instantly on what God's Word reveals that you need to do? How are you doing in the area of obedience to God's convicting Spirit?
Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." We need spiritual food. We need it consistently. Let's evaluate how we are doing as self-feeders. Little babies can't feed themselves. Lazy children won't feed themselves. But we all know that the normal and right thing to do as we grow is to feed ourselves. The same is true spiritually. As we grow in the Lord, let's take on the responsibility to feed ourselves.
Bottom line: It's the day after Christmas. What will you do with Jesus?
Sometimes we treat Jesus like a Christmas ornament or a nativity prop. Christmas is over, and we put Him away. But Jesus is certainly not an ornament or a prop. When the Shepherds came to Bethlehem, what did they find in the manger? The found the "Lamb of God" wrapped in swaddling clothes. The found the "Bread of Life" lying in a feeding trough. They found the "Water of Life" lying in a watering trough. And a as a result of what they found they made proclamation, wondered and pondered, and gave glory and praise to God. Their example is a good one to follow. What will you do with Jesus? Trust Him as Savior? Deeply think of what He has done for you? Praise God with a grateful heart because He is the Savior?
Bottom line: Because of Jesus, there is always peace.
In this message we will look at the book of Micah and find that the PEACE that Jesus Christ gives is ABOVE CIRCUMSTANCES, it's BEYOND UNDERSTANDING, & It is ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
Bottom Line: Because of Jesus, there is always hope.
In this message we look at the Hebrew children and the utter hopelessness they found themselves in after they had been attacked and taken as exiles because of their constant disobedience to God. God sent the prophet Jerimiah to give them hope and remind them of the Messiah that is going to come through them.
Bottom line: David dreamed of building a dwelling place for God out of timbers and stones. God dreamed of building a dwelling place for Himself out of redeemed humanity.
David dreamed of building God a house, a temple, fit for housing the ark of God and His shekinah glory. God redirected David's dream into something bigger and better for both God and David. For David, God would building a dynasty that would see his seed (the Messiah) reign on his throne forever. For God, David's seed (the Messiah) would build God a household of redeemed sinners to dwell with for all eternity in New Jerusalem.
Bottom line: God invites us to His table of grace as sons and daughters to enjoy His provision for us because of His love for His Son, Jesus.
When it comes to our “movin’ on up” in God’s Kingdom, it’s not the result of self effort, energy, hard work, etc. It’s because of God’s grace. And the most poignant example of a “movin’ on up” story of grace in the OT is found in King David’s outpouring of grace to an unknown, crippled kid of Jonathan named Mephibosheth. The story of Mephibosheth’s “movin’ on up” from a place of barrenness and desolation to the King’s palace and provision is a story of grace. It illustrates the reality of salvation in the life of every believer.
Bottom line: When there's a cleanup on aisle 9 (my life), there's a revival in my soul.
David sought to cover up his sin, but in doing so he only made the mess even larger affecting not only his life but the lives of others. What David needed was a cleanup not a coverup. And only God could supply the cleansing and forgiveness of sin that David truly needed. When David was seeking to cover up his sin, he should actually have been calling for "a cleanup on aisle 9" (i.e. a cleanup of sin in his heart and life).
Bottom line: A spring fling with sin results in our being flung to a great fall.
David was no rebellious, wild, sinful, sexual pervert, so how did it happen? How did David, a man after God's own heart, end up having a "spring fling" with Bathsheba driving his life over the cliff of temptation and sin? He did it one small step at a time over time. We can learn from David how to avoid what David experienced, i.e. his crash and burn. That's why God recorded this episode of David's life in His Word.
Bottom line: If a king can "dance" in the presence of the KING, and the KING can dance with a king, then surely we can do what David did and experience what David experienced.
David followed and obeyed the precepts of God. In doing so he experienced freedom, joy, celebration, and worship. He worshipped God like an uninhibited child before his father. When we obey God's precepts and apply His principles to our lives, we experience freedom to enjoy, celebrate, and worship our Heavenly Father.
Bottom line: God keeps His word.
When a new sheriff comes to town, when life is in transition, when it looks like everything is in flux, on the move, and changing, God is still the same. God keeps His word.
From chapter 31 of 1 Samuel through the conclusion of chapter 5 in 2 Samuel, we see a new sheriff (king) come to town (kingdom). As David ascends to the throne and Saul is removed, the theme that God is in charge, does not change, and keeps His promises is clearly in view.
Bottom line: We are being true disciples of Christ when we are busy glorifying God and loving others.
Bottom line: True and lasting satisfaction (peace, safety, etc.) is not found in enemy territory. It is found in God’s blessing.
The big D of discouragement can drive us from God, but God can also use it to drive us to Him in a place of repentance and dependence. When you’re in "Big D,” encourage yourself in the Lord. Cry out to God. Turn to God. "Lord, I need you. Help me. Direct me."
Bottom line: We overcome our own worst enemy (self) when we release our perceived enemy instead of taking revenge.
David's greatest victory wasn't won on a battlefield. David's greatest victory wasn't defeating Goliath, or, for that matter, any victory David ever won over someone else. His greatest victory was won over himself not on a battlefield but in a cave. David overcame his flesh nature's desire for revenge and instead released Saul and trusted God to avenge him.
Bottom line: No giant can stand against you when you come at the giant in the name of the LORD.
David slew the giant with a sling, but there was something preceding the stone and the sling that was even more important than the weapon he chose. David saw something about Goliath that no one else saw. And what he saw allowed him to realize that the battle wouldn't be won because of a particular weapon but because of God. David recognized that Goliath was outside of a covenant relationship with God. David told Goliath that God would deliver him (the giant) into David's hand because the battle belongs to the LORD. We have to see that in connection to every giant we face, there is a spiritual component. We don't defeat giants in our own strength. God defeats our giants as we stand in faith and fight our giant in the name of the LORD.
Bottom line: Being faithful in the small things proves us to be faithful and prepares us to be entrusted with the large things.
Let's be faithful with whatever we've been entrusted to steward, our station in life, our current assignment no matter how small. And then let's work on increasing in our lives the priorities God is looking for: spiritual sensitivity, a servant's humility, and a soulish integrity. These are the things God saw in David as a shepherd boy that caused God to "king" him.
Bottom line: To deal with sin, you must get to the root.
You must deal with the root problem of the issue not simply the symptoms of the problem. If you will deal with the root, you can produce good fruit.
Bottom line: If need be, get back to it because church offers what matters.
Church offers me a family to be a part of, fuel from God's Word to power me, focus on the my most important priorities, flight in worship to the very presence of God, and a free gift of introduction to Jesus who saves from sin.
Bottom line: Church matters! If need be, get back to it.
Does church matter to you? If not, can it? If it does, do you need to get back to it? Church matters to Jesus. He purchased the church, purposed the church, and promised it His glory. Because church matters to Jesus, it should matter to us. And it does matters in a practical sense when we receive from the church what it provides: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism.
When it comes to planning and decision making, we need to be careful that we don’t plan our futures in such a way that we presume on God’s will. When we plan for the future we need to seek God’s will and trust God to guide our lives. We play God when we presumptuously plan our lives according to our will and ignore God and His will.
Two questions to answer honestly in light of the Great Commandment and Great Commission: How are your doing? How is church?
Bottom line: Not everything is what it seems, so whether doubts or no, check it out with God before you go.
No matter our decisions, dreams, doubts, determinations or what we believe is our directive from God, we need to take to time to check it out with God, inquire of His will.
Bottom line: In response to the need and promise of God’s provision, let’s do something!
We have no idea sometimes what hangs in the balance of the decisions we make, i.e. no idea how God will use us through our decision making to join Him in participating in His extraordinary or to experience His extraordinary in our lives.
Bottom line: The story reveals our need of salvation as a prodigal. The “more” to the story reveals what our attitude should be toward a prodigal.
There is more to the story of the prodigal son than just the prodigal. There are two more main characters - the father and older son/brother. How the father and older son/brother respond to the prodigal reveals two different mindsets and attitudes that we as individuals or churches can or should exhibit. How do you treat prodigals? How should you treat a prodigal? Like a loving father treats his son.
Bottom line: Soul satisfaction is found in the living, life giving, fountain of Jesus Christ.
So many people run after things that may scratch an itch, but they can never satisfy our deepest need. Only Jesus can satisfy. Everything else we try as a substitute will ultimately fail. There is no substitute for salvation of your soul, peace, joy, love, security, etc. Only Jesus can truly satisfy.
Bottom line: When we are stirred to remembrance, reverence, repentance, and return, we will experience the stirring of revival in our hearts.
As we look around our nation and witness so much that seems to be going wrong, perhaps the best thing we could do is focus on ourselves as the followers of Jesus and pray that God would stir us up....to revival. God's people stirred to revival could do much to help a nation that seems in so many ways to be a stirred up hornets' nest.
Bottom line: In due time Jesus will come again. We have God’s Word on it. In the mean time Jesus’ light will transform us. We have God’s Word for it.
Peter gave firsthand eyewitness testimony of his seeing the coming glory of Jesus in his kingdom when Peter saw Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration. He then tells his readers that we have an even more sure word than his eyewitness testimony. We have God's Word on it. We have a "more sure word of prophecy." It is "for sure" Jesus is coming again. And we are "more sure" because God has given us His Word on it. In the mean time, we need to keep our eyes on the Daystar (Jesus) and let Him transform us in heart, mind, and soul.
Bottom line: Leading your family in light of perilous times starts with the “but yous.”
Paul told Timothy several times, "But you, Timothy..." He instructed Timothy (and it's good instruction for us) to 1) Steer clear of the false, 2) Stick close to the model of the faithful, and 3) Stay committed to the Word.
If we are to establish or grow churches, if we are to make an impact on our communities, if we are to change eternity, it will be one person at a time, one life at a time. It is people that are near and dear to the heart of God.
What does it mean that Jesus received sinners and he ate with them?
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Jesus was not afraid of people’s sin.
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Jesus knew the sins of people, and He was not afraid to be touched by them.
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He did not care about popular opinion or reputation.
Bottom Line: To a fan the things of God are optional, but to a follower they are how we live so that we may preach the gospel to the world.
Do we talk a good game when it comes to our commitment to Jesus or do we truly follow? As Tony Evans says, "[Jesus] calls you to be his follower right now, where you are, with whatever you have - not later, somewhere else, with a little bit more."
Bottom line: Apply wisdom to your timing so that you can make the most of the time you spend before it comes to an end.
Life has neither a pause button nor a rewind button, so make the most of the time that God has allotted to you. Time is your most valuable asset. It is infinitely more valuable than money. Don’t waste it, lose it, or abuse it. And when it comes to time you cannot make it or save it. You can only spend it and invest it; walk wisely in this world making the most of your time.
Bottom line: Honestly answering the question, “What is the wise choice?”, leads to better results.
When we make better decisions, we live with fewer regrets. And when we make wise choices, we live with better results. We all want better results in life, marriage, finances, careers, etc., so let's commit to asking, answering, and honestly doing the answer to the question: What is the wise thing to do? And while we're asking, let's evaluate the source of our wisdom. Is it from above or from below? The source of our wisdom will determine whether it is actually wise in God's eyes or not.
Bottom line: You and I were created for the purpose of pointing others to Christ.
Purpose isn't out there waiting for you. God already gave it to you. Purpose is less about what we do professionally and more about stepping into the person God created us to be. No job can ever truly fulfill our deep desires to make a difference in the world or to find meaning in our days. Only Jesus can fulfill that.
Moms are awesome and influential. But here is one thing we must know: our mom’s faith is not a surrogate or a substitute for our own faith. She may be influential in us trusting Jesus for ourselves personally, but her faith can’t be our faith.
Why can we trust and believe in Jesus? Because we have historical reasons, scriptural reasons, spiritual reasons, and testimonial reasons. Since we have ample reason to believe and trust, let's trust Him as Savior and live out that faith in such a way that we extend the "baton of faith" to the next generation.
Bottom line: We overcome or avoid spiritual complacency when we do it again, i.e. seek God with our whole heart.
In the story of King Asa, we see his complacency when he seeks what God can give him, e.g. peace, healing, etc., instead of seeking God. This is the zone the spiritually complacent live in - seeking the things and blessings that God can give instead of seeking the God who can give the blessings. To overcome or avoid spiritual complacency we must submit to, draw near to, and humble ourselves before God. When we do that He lifts us out of the rut of spiritual complacency.
Bottom line: When we seek God with our whole heart we find Him.
Is it possible that our testimony could be “Once lost, now found” (i.e. found by God) but somehow now in our lives we feel like we have lost God, i.e. we’re not as close as we once were, we go through the motions, but the sense that God is near, close, at hand, intimate, etc. just isn’t there?
Finding God in revival, closeness, intimacy, etc. means that we let go of and turn away from our idols and sin, renew our place at the altar (who is Jesus), and seek Him with our whole self in worship, prayer, and His Word.
Bottom line: If you humble yourself and come home, you and Jesus will rejoice in the thrill of the find.
Jesus searches and looks for lost people because He loves them. And when He finds them, He rejoices in the thrill of the find (i.e. salvation, adoption, redemption, reconciliation, forgiveness, etc.)
Bottom line: We must control our tongues or they will control us, because they have the power to direct, to destroy, and to delight.
Bottom line: Why is Easter a big deal? Because Jesus is a big deal.
Who is Jesus? To the unbeliever, the answer to this question is paramount. How you answer this question will determine whether you trust Him or not for salvation. To the believer, the answer to the question is also of the utmost importance. How you answer this question will determine whether you crown Him as King of your life.
Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God, the crucified One, The risen Savior, and the coming King.
Bottom line: When you choose to live your calling, you choose to live a better life.
In 1 Peter 1:13-21 Peter shares with us what our calling is and incentives to answer it. As Charles Swindoll says, "There is a better life to be lived than what the world offers, our flesh longs for, or what Satan tempts us toward." The better life that holiness offers us is in the area of all the intangibles: relationships (God, spouse, family, friends), living life in line with God’s will, character, integrity, honor, etc.
Bottom line: Sometimes we must come full circle so someone else can do a one-eighty.
In the conversion story of Saul of Tarsus we learn the Jesus can save anyone, change anyone, and use anyone. Because these things are true, we never give up on anyone. Saul of Tarsus made a 180 degree change in his life by the grace of God. The persecutor of Jesus became the follower of Jesus. The one who sought to stamp the church out of existence became the greatest church planting missionary of all time.
We learn from Ananias in Acts 9 that we must come full circle and remember who we were before we met Jesus. If we will remember where we came from before we met Jesus, we won't be afraid to go and tell others about their need of Jesus. God used Ananias to touch Saul, and He used Saul (Paul) to touch the world.
Bottom line: The result of our willing choice to believe, trust, and follow Jesus is to live a balanced life of work, worship, and witness.
Every individual must decide what to do with Jesus. Deny Him? Or, submit to Him? The final result of your choice will ultimately be willfully unbelieving and rejecting Jesus, or willingly believing and following Jesus which can lead us to a balanced life of work (service), worship, and witness.
Bottom line: The condition of our heart’s soil is determined by our willingness to receive God’s Word and pursue its understanding.
Just like the soil makes the difference in literal seed producing fruit in the field, the willingness of the heart makes the difference in seed (truth) of God’s Word producing fruit in our lives.
Bottom line: A guardrail in my life provides for God's protection and direction in my life.
Just like we need guardrails to help keep us safe when driving, we need spiritual guardrails to help keep us safe from compromising with temptation and worldliness. A spiritual guardrail is a mindset that is fixed and determined concerning our behavior, biblical beliefs, or biblical values; it becomes a matter of conscience to protect us from compromise with temptation and/or worldliness.
In Daniel chapter one, we see Daniel use a guardrail to provide protection and direction in his life, and we can learn from his example.
Bottom line: God re-fires the quitter (i.e. discouraged) with His presence, power, person, and plan.
Elijah's story in chapter 19 reveals to us how God doesn't want us to stay in a place of discouragement. He is always pursuing us in a continuous love relationship, and He is always inviting us to join Him in His work.
When Elijah was discouraged, God pursued him, revealed His presence, power, person, and plan to him. God will do the same for us. Let's spend time in His presence and focus on His person. He has a plan for us to fulfill.
Bottom line: Persevering patiently across the spectrum of prayer results in restoration and revival by the power of God.
James uses the illustration of Elijah to encourage us to persevere and be patient in prayer. He addresses those who are suffering, the weak in faith, the elders (pastors) of the church, and the entire congregation. He says that we need to pray, pray, and continue to pray. Pray in all circumstance at all times whether suffering or rejoicing. Ask others stronger in faith to pray with you and for you.
The story of Elijah is a perfect illustration for revival and restoration. What did Israel need? Showers of blessing. What do the spiritually weak need? Showers of blessing. Rains of revival and restoration.
Bottom line: Operating on the basis of our own strength eventually leads to our defeat. Admitting to our weaknesses leads to our victory by God’s grace.
Samson had a separation problem, a self problem, and a sin problem. Sin enticed him, controlled him, and betrayed him. Samson lived on a collision course with sin and destruction. He lost his ministry, judgeship, character, integrity, legacy, potential family, etc. Samson wound up on rock bottom blinded and imprisoned. However, even at rock bottom, it was not too late for Samson to repent and exercise faith so that God could use him to do what God had called him to do - begin to deliver the Jews from Philistine oppression.
Bottom line: Faith overcomes our fear of "giants" that cause us to unnecessarily come up short of enjoying God's blessings.
The children of Israel came up short of entering the promised land because they got their eyes focused on the giants instead of trusting in God who had promised them, was faithful to them, generous to them, and more powerful than any giant. We must keep our eyes focused on God. Let's look to his promises, faithfulness, generosity, and power.
Bottom line: The Law fits between redemption and restoration. It reveals the glory of God, the need of salvation, and the promise of the Spirit’s power.
Where does "this" fit (i.e. the Law) in terms of God's story of redemption and restoration? Theologically, this is so important to understand: the Law was given to people whom God had already redeemed. Redemption precedes Law. The Law was never a ladder for unsaved people to climb in order to reach God. The Law is a pattern of life for people saved by the Lamb of God.
Bottom line: We win the greater blessings of God by losing to God.
Jacob persevered and won the blessing of God by losing to God in a wrestling match. God honored his perseverance. Jacob's refusal to let go was has his admission of submission: "God, without you and your help, I can't move forward. I have a need, and you are the only one who can help. I won't let go. If I don't have you, I have nothing. God, You are my blessing."
Bottom line: Live for the better by not trading what you want most for what you want in the moment.
Esau's life is an example of living for the lesser things of this world. The writer of Hebrews uses Esau's example to encourage us to live for the better, i.e. don't live for worldly pursuits, don't trade what you want most for what you want in the moment, don't fail to to draw upon your spiritual inheritance now.
Bottom line: A together life is a better life.
God created man for togetherness with Him and with other people. After sin broke "togetherness" on both the vertical and horizontal planes relationally, God sought to reconcile man for "togetherness" with Him and other believers through the finished work of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
Bottom line: The Christmas Star's message was seek Jesus, surrender to Jesus, and submit to and be saved by Jesus.
The Christmas story is explicitly seen in Revelation. John writes in Rev. 12 of signs (wonders) that take place among the stars of heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, her feet upon the moon, and crowned with 12 stars gives birth to a child. The symbols represent Israel giving rise to the Messiah and more specifically, Mary giving birth to Jesus. These verses give us great insight with regards to the star of Bethlehem that led the wise men from the east to the west to find and worship the newborn King of Israel. What was this star? What did it do? How does it fit with Rev. 12? And who does it represent symbolically?
Bottom line: Jesus' final words are His promise to fulfill our most hope-filled prayer.
His final words - Surely, I come quickly. Our hope-filled prayer is that of John - Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22:6-21 gives us a series of last sayings: the final words of Jesus in Revelation, the final invitations in Revelation, and the final warning in Revelation.
Bottom line: Every believer will be a victor who lives in home sweet home.
Our new home will be in the New Jerusalem. It will be home sweet home in the new heaven and new earth. It will come with new experiences that we will enjoy to the full like no sorrow, our purpose fulfilled, an ultimate intimacy with God, and the purity and security of New Jerusalem - home sweet home.
Bottom line: How we experience life in the present is determined by our hope for the future based on our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
We are hope shaped creatures. What we hope for in the future makes all the difference in the NOW! Our NOW experience is controlled by our belief about the future. Our hope is that one day we will live with God in a new heaven and new earth. Knowing this is our future we can make it through any trouble and adversity in our present.
Bottom line: Final judgment isn't the decision regarding entrance into heaven of hell. It is the decision regarding the eternal sentence of the unbelieving rebel in hell.
In the concluding verses of Rev. 20 we see a series of three different finalities: a final deception, a final beat down, and a final judgment. These finals determine who the losers are once and for all and for all eternity - Satan and every rejecter of God's grace and mercy.
Bottom line: Our deepest longings and desires (for this world and in this world) will be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The King's Kingdom is coming. It will be a kingdom of peace, justice, joy, security, no sickness, no curse, etc. It will fulfill our deepest longings and desires of our hearts. At Christ's return His enemies will destroyed (Babylon), defeated (Antichrist, False Prophet, and enemy armies), or detained (Satan in the bottomless pit), and He will establish His kingdom rule upon this earth for 1000 years. The kingdom must come in order to fulfill God's purpose and plan, fulfill 1800 prophecies concerning the kingdom, and fulfill the covenants God has made (Abrahamic, Davidic, and New Covenants).
Bottom line: Jesus' victory determines your victory or defeat.
Chapter 19 documents the second return of Jesus to this earth to fight the battle of Armageddon and to establish His millennial reign. It is the climax of the book and of all history. Jesus' second return will be a triumphal entry, and His entry alone will announce - The King! Every eye will see Him on that day as He comes in clouds of glory.
Bottom line: The marriage supper of the Lamb is the great celebration of life and victory for Jesus and His followers.
One day and for all eternity the followers of Christ will experience the oneness we have with Him. Our relationship with Jesus will grow deeper and go deeper eternally. The purpose of the Marriage of the Lamb is the experiential fulfillment through eternity of the positional oneness we now have in Christ.
Bottom line: Greed for temporary valuables can lead you to lose what has eternal value.
Babylon the Great in Chapter 18 is a symbol for both a system and a city. It is symbolic of the political, economic, and financial system of the Antichrist's empire the will be seated in a capital city ("that great city"). Babylon is filled with sin and will ultimately be judged by God. Her judgment is likened unto a stone being cast into the sea and sinking never to be seen again.
Bottom Line: Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly before God and leave the consequences to Him.
These days are wild and crazy. From Covid-19 to this wild and crazy presidential race we are finding our selves in chaos and calamity. Our world is changing and it is out of control. So what are we as believers supposed to do? We find the answer in the book of Micah.
Bottom line: When we take our eyes off Jesus, we can be duped by the deception of false religion.
Babylon the Harlot is a symbol for false religion. False religion has been made drunk with the blood of prophets and saints for 1000's of years and she will continue to be into the Tribulation. She serves a very intoxicating drink. Her desire is to dupe people into rejecting the promises of God, rebelling against the commands of God, and refusing the grace God.
Bottom line - Because I know what is coming, I can prepare for it.
In chapter 14 verses 6-20 we find a series of vignettes that play out like movie trailers advertising coming attractions. We see a trio of angels foretelling of coming judgment. We hear a voice from heaven speak of a coming rest for tribulation martyrs. And then we see the second coming of Jesus and judgment of the Battle of Armageddon.
Bottom line: For those who will sing a new song one day, the time to live faithfully for Jesus is today.
What the tribulation saints will be in the future is what we as believers should be in the now: faithful witnesses, spiritually pure, faithful to Jesus, obedient to follow the Lamb wherever He leads.
Bottom line: When you choose to love your God-called life, you experience the good life.
Living the good life begins with the right attitude, translates into the right reactions, is based upon the right standards, and is motivated by the right incentive.
Bottom line: To be full of the Spirit, you can't be full of self.
Any Christian can be and every Christian is commanded to be filled with the Spirit. The filling of the Spirit and the indwelling of the Spirit are not the same thing. Every believer is immediately and permanently indwelt by the Spirit at the moment of salvation. To be filled with the Spirit means to obey the Spirit's will fully.
Stephen was introduced in the Scriptures by Luke as a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost. There is much to be learned from Stephen about the privilege of, the practicalities of, and the principle for being full of the Holy Spirit.
Bottom line: Persecution and suffering are not strange to the Christian's life.
When it comes to suffering in the life of a believer we must: 1) Expect the expected, i.e. suffering. 2) Rejoice in the suffering (because of what it can bring - reward and rest). 3) Distinguish the differences between suffering for good or evil or for suffering temporarily or eternally. 4) Bank on God, trust Him to be faithful even in the midst of our suffering.
Bottom line: The promise of persecution calls for our preparation and perseverance.
Jesus promised that persecution would come because the world hates Christians. He shared how to prepare for it so that we might persevere in the face of it.
Bottom-line – Submitting to God requires that we submit to governing authorities until submitting to governing authorities requires that you no longer submit to and obey God.
Bottom line - Persecution in the life of the church was then, now, and to come.
Persecution is woven into the fabric of the history of the church. It is also a current reality in both physical and spiritual forms. As believers we need to prepare for persecution by walking in the fear of the Lord and His comfort. If we do, then we can react by submitting to the sovereignty of God, being filled with the Spirit of God, being obedient at all cost to God, being thankful for the privilege of suffering for and with Christ, and being bold in the face of persecution.
Bottom line - The worst of times is the best of times to do the best things.
Even when times look their worst, it is still the best time to do the best things. Peter shares with us in chapter 2 five of the best things we can do: 1) Live evangelistically, 2) Eat properly and grow in maturity, 3) Serve in ministry, 4) Identify yourself peculiarly, and 5) Sacrifice worshipfully.
Bottom line: When we wake up, clean up, dress up, and eat up, we actually grow up to be like Jesus.
Paul writes to Christians in Rome and tells them it is high time to wake up from a sleepy Christianity. Two reasons to wake up are because Jesus is coming again and we will stand in judgement before Him. We will give an account of the stewardship of our lives. A sleepy Christianity won't cut it on judgment day. Paul says to wake up, clean up (cast off the works of darkness), dress up (put on the armor of light), eat up (don't feed the flesh but rather the inner man). When we do these things we "put on the Lord Jesus Christ," i.e. we look like Him.
Bottom line: Render honor to whom honor is due, and the blessing of God will return to you.
Honor means to hold that something or someone has value and worth. We honor others when we let them know we see valuable they really are. The level of honor we pay is determined by value we perceive. Honor is to flow in every direction from our lives in terms of authority: up, sideways, down. Honor is rewarded by God, when we honor God and His authority structure.
Bottom line: When God’s people follow God’s process, God’s promises of healing the land are fulfilled.
Bottom line: When you love like Jesus, as a disciple you will be known and Jesus will be shown.
Bottom line: Even in my suffering, I can trust God no matter what.
God's plans are bigger than our dreams. God's purposes are greater than our pain. God's faithfulness is more trustworthy than our circumstances. God transforms our sorrows into joy.
Bottom lie: When our hope is in Christ as Lord of our life, we will be blessed even when this life brings suffering.
This message looks at 5 responses to suffering in the life of a believer. These 5 responses will make a difference in our thinking and lives in the midst of suffering.
1) Realize the blessing of suffering 2) Refuse to worry or panic 3) Acknowledge Christ as Lord 4) Be ready to give a defense 5) Keep a pure conscience
Bottom line: God tests our faith to show us and grow us. He shows us where we are spiritually and prepares us for where He wants us to go.
Trials are adverse circumstances that God introduces or allows in order to identify where we are spiritually and to prepare us for where He wants us to go. Abraham’s trial was a test. God wanted to know just where Abraham’s heart and faith actually stood. It’s not how we act in church that reveals the genuineness of our faith, but how we act in a crisis that reveals our faith
Bro. Josh wants to remind us that TIME IS RUNNING OUT. We all understand that time is passing quickly. When you and I were born our time put up on the play clock of life and from the moment you took that first breathe that clock started running. With every day that passes you and I are getting closer and closer to hearing the final buzzer.
Paul challenged the believers in Ephesus with that reality in Ephesians chapter five.
In this message we will see that Paul reminds the believers in Ephesus and us of four things:
1.) We need to be looking. V.15 2.) We need to make the most of our time. V.16 3.) We need to make sure we don't like a fool and act thoughtlessly. V17a 4.) We must understand God's will for our life. V.17b
Bottom line – Faith grows as it responds in trust to an increasing revelation of God.
When my content (what I know of God) of faith grows and the context (who I know God to be to me) in which I exercise my faith grows, then the faith that I exercise in the crises of life can grow too.
Bottom line: When the world around me seems like it is spinning out of control, I can pray and seek the help of God who is always in control.
Acts 12 teaches us two big truths: God is always in control. Because God is always in control, we should pray and seek His help and power.
Bottom line: The proof that Jesus is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do is the resurrection.
Disbelief in Jesus is never an intellectual problem. It is a will problem. People refuse to accept and believe in Jesus because they do not want to. Belief does not come as a result of “seeing” proof. Faith responds to truth as it is revealed by God. The resurrection of Jesus proves who Jesus is, the Son of God. The resurrection of Jesus proves our sin debt was paid in full by Jesus on the cross. We must choose by faith to trust Jesus as Savior.
Bottom line: The story of Jesus’ resurrection is worth telling and believing.
It’s a story too good not to tell. It's a truth too good not to share. It's contains a promise too good not to believe. Jesus is a Savior too good not to receive.
Bottom line: Pressing on in prayer through the circumstances or situations or temptations that press in on us leads to our prevailing and accomplishing our Father’s will.
Jesus was pressed under the weight of all that the cross entailed while in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed and gained victory over the temptation to avoid of the cross. We can learn much from Jesus about prevailing prayer in the midst of the pressing. Pressing on in prayer under the pressing weight of what weighs us down can be lonely, must be humble, based on our relationship with God as Father, must be persevering and surrendered.
Bottom line: God's precious promises belong to God's precious people.
God promises His love for us, His presence with us, His provision to us, His grace in us, and His heavenly home awaits us.
Bottom line: Trust the One who makes the plan to fulfill the plan.
Let's trust God. He makes the plan. He fulfills the plan. He does it for His glory and our good. In the face difficulty let's remember that 1) we don't understand it all, 2) we must hold on to our faith, 3) we must not go our own way, and 4) God will get us through.
Bottom line: Real faith is a fruitful faith, i.e. genuine faith produces works that validate and verify its authenticity.
James poses the question, "What good is it to have a faith that produces no works?" Can that kind of faith, a fruitless faith, really save? James will go on to say, "Show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."
The point is simply this: a real, true, saving faith will by proven by the works we do. It is faith alone that saves, but a faith that saves is never alone. As James says, "Faith without works is dead being alone."
Bottom line: These are faithful sayings: suffering leads to reigning; spiritual exercising leads to godliness; trusting Jesus saves sinners.
The Apostle Paul in writing to Timothy shared with him some statements of truth that he called "faithful sayings," i.e. "Timothy, you can trust what I am saying is true." We might say it this way today: "Timothy, you can count on it; you can take it to the bank."
Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He paid the sinner's penalty and provided for the saint's victory. Exercising spiritually leads to godliness in us and has benefit in the this life and the life to come. Suffering for the cause of Christ and/or the plan of Christ will lead to reigning with Christ. Suffering has a promise reigning. It's a paradox, but it is true.
Bottom line: Being faithful to my identity in Christ provides for my empowerment and enablement to live my life for Christ.
The key to me being identified with Jesus is my crucifixion with Jesus. Paul said that as a believer, we are crucified with Jesus the moment we believe, and we are then to die to self daily, i.e. live out our identification in a living relationship with Jesus as we experience our crucifixion with Jesus daily in dying to self. When we depend on Jesus, we gain His strength and power for victory and fruitfulness.
Bottom line: Faithful and fruitful servants will receive eternal and valuable rewards.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a judgment of the believer for the purpose of doling out punishment. It is a judgment of the believer's works for the purpose of awarding reward. The believer's sins were forever judged and paid for by the cross of Jesus. Our eternity in heaven is based on Jesus finished work. We are saved by grace through faith. Our rewards, however, are based on the works we do. Our works will be revealed and tested by the judgment of Jesus. Based on His righteous judgment, reward will be won or lost.
Bottom line: As we grow and work on the family farm, God produces fruit in and through us.
The church is a family that must grow in maturity. Are you growing? The church is made up of farmhands who labor in dependency on God. Are you laboring? Are you doing your part? The church is a field, farmland, that is to be worked in order to produce fruit in quantity and quality. Are you being fruitful? Are you helping the church to be fruitful?
God doesn't want our faith to remain at the foundational level of trusting Jesus as Savior. He wants us to give all diligence to add to (exercise) our faith to virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If we do this we will be fruitful in our walk, secure in our ministry, and welcomed one day into heaven with an abundant entrance. We are the stewards of the message of life, and we are the stewards of the message of a better life. Jesus not only makes our life better, He makes us better at life as our faith grows in maturity.
Bottom line: God's power and presence are manifest in a praying church.
Prayer is a vital sign of the church. It is like spiritual breath. Are we breathing spiritually as a church? Prayer should be the atmosphere of the church. Prayer is a pleasing aroma to God. When God takes in a deep breath, does He smell a pleasing aroma? Prayer brings the power of God to a church. His presence is manifest in the midst of a praying church. The Holy Spirit descended and empowered the early church in and during a prayer meeting. Prayer is treasured by God so much that He bottles it up. He wants prayer from us. He treasures it. He motivates us to pray by treasuring what we pray.
The early church was "open on the God-ward side." Let us be the same and we will see the the power and presence of God in and among the church.
Bottom line: Believe Jesus and you will have life eternally. Know Jesus more and more and you will experience life abundantly.
John wrote his gospel to convince his readers that Jesus was the Son of God and that by believing, they would have eternal life. If we believe, we are saved. And if saved, we need to get to know the One that saved us. He is the Word, the Creator, the Light of Life, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, and the Messiah. The more you know Him, the more abundant your life will be. We are the stewards of the message of life. We are the stewards of the message of a better life. The more you know Jesus, the better (sweeter experience) life is.
Bottom line: Repetition brings clearer vision.
The disciples' spiritual blindness gradually gave way to effective sight only after repetition of lessons. As they remained in the presence of Jesus they began to understand more and more. The began to see more clearly. They began to see Jesus for who He is more clearly. The began to see the vision to be accomplished more and more clearly.
Bottom line: Forgiven people are forgiving people.
We should forgive because of the forgiveness we've received, the fallout we experience when we don't, and the freedom we can experience when we do. Forgiveness is a choice in time to release a person from an obligation that resulted from an offense. Forgiveness is a process over time that works a change in us.
Bottom line: When we see God, we see the vision to be faithfully accomplished.
Our vision statement: Connecting hearts with the love of God to grow, serve, and reach others. A vision statement sees what God wants accomplished, but vision sees God. This is a message about vision for 2020. Let's see God in His Word, in His people, and in prayer.