Giving is always one of the awkward subjects to preach about. The world thinks that all the church does is ask for money and yet money is one of the most referred topics that the Lord addresses in the Bible. A person’s attitude toward money and its possession is really an indicator of where he or she is spiritually. Do I believe that all that I have is mine or do I believe that what I have is given to me by the Lord to manage? The answer to that question is an indicator of where I am spiritually.
The Sins of Our Age (Part #2) (Matthew 5:21-48)
How do I know that I am really saved? How do I know that I am really going to heaven? The Jews of Jesus’ day looked at how they were living and what they were doing? Their standard of righteousness was based on “good works” and following the Law. Jesus came along and told them that their standing with God was based upon who they were on the inside and not what they did. People do the same thing today. Today’s message focuses on “the sins or our age” and how our lives should be different.
The Sins of Our Age [Part #1] (Matthew 5:21-48)
How do I know that I am really saved? How do I know that I am really going to heaven? The Jews of Jesus’ day looked at how they were living and what they were doing? Their standard of righteousness was based on “good works” and following the Law. Jesus came along and told them that their standing with God was based upon who they were on the inside and not what they did. People do the same thing today. Today’s message focuses on “the sins or our age” and how our lives should be different.
Bringing America Back to God (Judges 1-2)
Happy Independence Day! What exactly does that mean? July 4 is the anniversary of the “Declaration of Independence” which is one of the most important foundational documents in the establishment of the United States. Do we even understand what that means for us today? The United States strangely parallels Israel as they moved away from the God of their fathers. Are you doing the same thing and is there hope for us?
The Word Make All the Difference (Matthew 5:17-20)
How does a person get to heaven? That was the question during Jesus’ day just like it is a question today. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord emphasized that the standards of righteousness that man had adopted were insufficient to open the door to heaven. The door to heaven was opened only through God’s standards which were revealed in Jesus. What that means is, “I can’t get there on my own!” I can only get there when I follow God’s standards and expectations. Those standards are revealed in His Word which is the emphasis of today’s message.
How to be a Man After God's Own Heart
King David has a tendency to be everyone’s favorite when they think of biblical heroes. God obviously loved him and saw great things in him. God chose him when he was a boy to be Israel’s king. One of the most unique things that God said about David was that “he was a man after God’s own heart.” What exactly did that mean and how can we have that as a part of our lives as well. The message today focuses on being a man after God’s own heart.
How to Avoid a Shipwreck (Acts 27)
Everyone is familiar with the Titanic. The R.M.S. Titanic set sail from Liverpool, UK on April 10, 1912 and sank on April 15, 1912 before completing her maiden voyage. History tells us that she struck an iceberg and sank 2 hours and 40 minutes later. The ship could handle 2435 passengers in addition to 892 crew. If the passengers knew she was going to sink, they would have made other arrangements. Every shipwreck starts out as a normal voyage with the goal of completing the voyage like every other ship. Every life that is shipwrecked starts out pretty normal with the goal of finishing well. Shipwrecks come at the most unexpected times whether on board or in real life. Today’s message speaks of a shipwreck that the apostle Paul went through that parallels all of our lives also.
Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16)
Woodrow Wilson told the story of being in a barbershop one time. “I was sitting in a barber chair when I became aware that a powerful personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself to have his hair cut and sat in the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered, though it was not in the least didactic, showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him. And before I got through with what was being done to me I was aware that I had attended an evangelistic service, because Mr. D.L. Moody was in that chair. I purposely lingered in the room after he had left and noted the singular affect that his visit had brought upon the barber shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew something had elevated their thoughts, and I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.” This story sums up Matthew 5:13-16. The focus is on influence. It is God’s desire that we influence our surroundings. This is the one of the major points of the Sermon on the Mount.
"They Still Speak" (Hebrews 11-12)
Today we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day. Memorial Day was established in 1868 as a day to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil Way. But Memorial Day has grown to become a solemn recognition of all of our nation’s war dead and the high price of our freedoms. As believers, we are challenged to remember those that have walked the “walk of faith” before us in a way that honored God. We are to walk that same path in remembrance of their faith and lives and follow that pat as well. Today’s message challenges us to walk God’s walk of faith in our daily lives.
Happy are the Harassed! (Matthew 5:10-12)
What is blessing it is to live in the United States. It is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Those are great words but they are being redefined daily in our modern culture. It appears that whoever has the power in culture is defining what is acceptable and those who disagree are begin silenced. This is the beginning of harassment and persecution no matter how small or tame it seems. The Bible tells us that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus can expect persecution. The Lord emphasized this in our passage today as He was preparing us for what is coming.
Happy are the Peacemakers! (Matthew 5:9)
“Miss Congeniality” is a move about an FBI Agent posing as a beauty queen contestant to catch a criminal. During the contestant question period, each of the finalists was asked the question, “If you win, what do you want to promote during your year of being queen?” All the contestants eventually answered, “World peace!” to which the audience applauded and cheered. It seems that everyone wants peace and yet, most people have no idea how to achieve it. The Lord said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” The Lord knows how to find peace and if we want it, we need to seek it as the Lord provides for it.
Mothers make lasting impacts. Godly mothers make godly impacts! (2 Timothy 1:1-7)
Mothers make Lasting Impacts. God Mothers make Godly Impacts! (2 Timothy 1:1-7)
Happy Mother’s Day! One of the most influential people in anyone’s life is usually their mother. She impacts her children from the cradle to the grave. Her voice is the first one the child here’s and the reaction is always the same, a great big smile. Godly mothers have the unique opportunity to influence their children for all eternity. Paul challenged Timothy to always remember the impact that his mother and grandmother had in his life. Today’s message reflects Paul’s challenge Timothy for Mother’s Day.
Happy are the Holy! (Matthew 5:8)
Back in my youth ministry days, we often sang the lyrics, “Holiness, holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness is what I long for...” Today, we struggle to even have a concept of what “holiness” looks like within the Christian life. The Beatitudes are mile markers in the Christian life to share where we are and where we should be going in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s message talks about “holiness” being a part of our daily lives.
Happy Are the Merciful (Matthew 5:7)
If you are fan of the “Karate Kid” movies, you will remember the scene at the end of the first movie where Mr. Miyagi faces off with the sensei of the Cobra Kai. He drops the sensei to his knees and repeats the mantra of the Cobra Kai, “Mercy is for the weak” and then “tweaks” his nose and pushes him over. “Mercy is for the weak” is often the mantra of our culture. The Lord told us the opposite when He said, “Blessed are the merciful...”. Today’s message explains how mercy is to be a part of the believer’s culture and personality.
The Empty Promises of Easter (Philippians 2:5-9)
Happy Easter! Easter Sunday always becomes a focal point for any church because Easter focuses on the empty tomb. We serve a living Savior not a dead one. Our Savior died, was buried, and three days later rose from the grave. Today that tomb is empty. Today’s message focuses on the “emptiness” of Easter and how that affects everyone of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.
Happy are the Hungry (Matthew 5:6)
The Lord said, “Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be filled.” Have you ever been hungry or thirsty? In our culture, we struggle to understand hunger or thirst. But, in the Lord’s culture, hunger and thirst could be a normal condition for people. The Lord took the normal physical aspect of hunger and thirst and applied it spiritually. Every one of us should have a hunger and thirst for the Lord that cannot be satisfied. Do you? Today’s message focuses on why it is important for each one of us to hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Happy are the Meek (Matthew 5:5)
The Lord said, “Happy are the meek, they will inherit the earth.” From the world’s point of view, “meekness” is a characteristic that is not very desirable. From the world’s point of view, “meekness” is the same as weakness. But the Bible defines “meekness” as power under control. Today’s message reveals how we can live and walk against the flow of the world and have a life that is pleasing to God.
Happy are the Sad (Matthew 5:4)
Being happy and sad at the same time just doesn’t make sense. How can I struggle with sadness and find that I am happy as a result? The Lord addressed this paradox in Matthew 5:4 which is a part of the “Sermon on the Mount”. When I am truly sad over the condition of my life and the conditions of the people around me, I can truly approach a sense of happiness that the world doesn’t have and doesn’t provide. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Happy are the Humble (Matthew 5:3)
In following and serving Christ, paradoxes are a common part of the process. For instance, the world tells us to be the best, go for the most, and get all that we can out of it. There are a lot of people on that path. Solomon, the wisest and richest man in the world, had it all. Yet, at the end of his life, he wrote Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. He started that book which was a summary of his life by stating that everything was vain and empty. He had everything and felt that life was missing something. Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” You want it all? You have to do it God’s way. The Lord made that emphasis in the Sermon on the Mount.
How Do I Serve God Without Fear? (Joshua 1:1-9)
I had just finished college when the church we attended asked me to come on the board as the assistant Sunday School Superintendent. The primary function of the position was to assist the Superintendent in whatever duties he needed help in. A secondary function was to lead the Sunday School opening. I had to start each morning by leading a hymn. I was scared to death. I had never done that and, thankfully, the congregation was pretty forgiving because I was pretty nervous and not very good at it. We are all called to move out our comfort zones when God begins to move in our lives. How do we serve the Lord without fear? Today’s message addresses the challenges that Joshua faced as he replaced Moses.