Why did Jesus ultimately come to earth? Why did the Christmas story take place? What was God’s plan in all of this? Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” All that God has a purpose. Even in the birth of His Son. God’s best gift to us was His Son. Our best gift to God is to accept His Son as our Savior. Today’s message speaks to that.
Why Mary? - 3 Characteristics of Godliness Illustrated in Mary's Life (Luke 1:28)
Besides the Lord Jesus Christ, Mary is probably the best-known individual from the Christmas story. Mary was a young virgin probably 13-15 at the time and was visited by the angel Gabriel at a time of God’s choosing. Mary was shocked and stunned at the angel’s announcement but, in the end, submissive to and willing to follow God’s plan. Are we like Mary when God speaks to us. Today’s message speaks of three characteristics of Godliness exhibited in Mary’s life that should be a part of our lives.
Why Did Jesus Come to Earth? (Galatians 4:4-5)
If you think about it, we have always been on God’s heart. No where is this more clear than in the Christmas story. Man was eternally separated from God and yet God made a way for man to come to Him through His Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. God, at exactly the right time, sent Jesus to earth to identify and die in our place so that we could live. The Christmas story is about love, hope and an eternal gift that will bless us for all eternity if we receive it.
Light for Dark Days (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)
One thing that can always be counted on is that there will be suffering in life. Everyone goes through hard times at one time or another. We can always figure that we will either be the participant or the witness. The Bible speaks to this very thing in today’s passage. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to grow through the suffering as they trusted God but also to come along side others as they tried to be encouragers to them as well. God gives us a unique platform to share Him with others when things are hard.
What Keeps Men From Christ? (Matthew 8:16-22)
What keeps men from coming to Christ? What encourages men to come to Christ? Interesting questions! The Lord had gained some popularity and people began to follow Him and He recognized that people could become interested without making a commitment. Does the same hold true for us today? Can we be interested and not make a commitment? The passages speaks to that very thing.
Applying the Sermon on the Mount to Real Life (Matthew 8:1-15)
What do you do with the sermons that you hear? Most people judge the sermon based upon whether they stayed awake, were entertained, and didn’t take too much of their time. That is really a shame. Sermons of Messages from God’s Word are really one of the few things that you can take with you into eternity and yet we treat them as if they were unimportant. The Lord had just shared some of the most important things that the people would ever hear. Then, He comes off the mountain and applies the sermon to everyday life in His encounter with the three people that Matthew writes about. How does this apply to us? This message answers that question.
What If I am Really Not Who I Say I Am? (Matthew 7:21-29)
We just read about an individual who placed a Ten Million Dollar bet on the Houston Astros to win the World Series. The Astros won and he walked out having won 75 million dollars. None of us would ever make a bet like that because the potential cost is too great. You might say that you would but would you really? Living my whole life believing I have Jesus when I really don’t is like making that ten-million-dollar bet. I have put all my hope in something that is astronomical. What if I told you that you could know for sure? That is the message that Jesus makes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. The challenge is to be like the “wise” man who built his house on the rock.
Pay Attention to the Voices to the Voices Around You (Matthew 7:15-20)
Everywhere we turn, we hear the shouts and voices of those who are working to gain our attention. We have to be very careful to what or whom we are listening to. Jesus warned the crowd on the hillside to “beware of false prophets”. We need to do the same because the voices around us want to lead us away from the truth. We need to be sure of teachers and their sources before we accept them at their word. Today’s message challenges us to be cautious as to the messages that we are listening to.
Lifting Up Those Who Are Down (2 Thessalonians Overview)
If you look around, you will always find people who are “down”. There are a variety of circumstances that contribute to that from the culture to personal circumstances. The important thing is all this focuses on where they spend their time concentrating. The Apostle Paul was concerned about the Thessalonians because they had been victims of false teaching that told them that Jesus had already come and they thought that they had missed him. He encouraged and affirmed them for their faith and faithfulness. His message then impacts us today.
Growing in Obscurity (Acts 9:19-31)
If you look at the title of this message, you find that it is probably pretty strange. What does it exactly mean to “grow in obscurity? When you look at the life of the Apostle Paul (Still known as Saul during this time), we find that he had to disappear to move him into an advanced period of spiritual growth so that the Lord could use him to shake up the kingdom. You may be going through a period of obscurity right now in your own life. Is God growing you or are you fighting it? Paul serves as a great example for us as we examine his life.
You Must Make a Choice! (Matthew 7:13-14)
Our lives are always filled choices. They begin the moment we open our eyes in the morning... Do I get up or do I hit the snooze. Do I go to work or do I stay home? What will I have for lunch? Do I even want to have lunch? And the list goes on and on. There are no more important decisions that we can make than those that impact our eternal destiny. Will I follow Jesus or the world? What path should I walk on? What gate should I enter into? And that list goes on as well. The Lord addresses choices in today’s passage and challenges each one of us. What path will you walk on?
Start Loving! (Matthew 7:7-12)
We live in a time and a culture where “love” has seemed to go out of style and fall by the wayside. Instead of people loving each other, they react with violence and hatred. The Lord challenged His culture initially and us completely that we are to start loving. God’s relationship and passion gives us everything we need to start loving in the way that God demands us to.
Stop Judging! (Matthew 7:1-6)
Judging is one of the issues that everyone of us struggle with. We have a tendency to become the standard by which we measure everyone else. The problem is that our standard is flawed because Jesus is the only one that we should measure against. The Lord emphasized this in the Sermon on the Mount. Our focus needs to be on Him and His righteousness, not our own.
Overcoming Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
One of the most pressing issues in any person’s life is their tendency to worry about a whole host of issues. It doesn’t matter whether they are a believer or not. Worry has a tendency to consume us. We worry about all sorts of things such as food, money, future, and the list goes on and on. The Lord addresses the whole issue of worry in this part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Where is Your Treasure? (Matthew 6:19-24)
As the Lord continues His sermon, He becomes very practical. He emphasizes that our attitude toward money and it use indicates our relationship to Him. This hits right down where most of us live. Are you the owner of what you have or are you merely the manager? Your answer to that question indicates the uniqueness of your relationship to the Lord as well.
The Disciples' Prayer [Part #2] (Matthew 6:9-15)
Prayer is the great paradox of the Christian life. Praying is one of the easiest and yet hardest things to do in the Christian life. And as important as it is to our spiritual well-being, it is also very easy to pray in a way that doesn’t honor God but honors man. The Lord wanted His listeners to enjoy the privilege of prayer but also understand the dynamics of prayer. This is a continuation of the Lord’s “Sermon on the Mount” remarks regarding prayer.
The Disciples' Prayer [Part #1] (Matthew 6:9-15)
Prayer is the great paradox of the Christian life. Praying is one of the easiest and yet hardest things to do in the Christian life. And as important as it is to our spiritual well-being, it is also very easy to pray in a way that doesn’t honor God but honors man. The Lord wanted His listeners to enjoy the privilege of prayer but also understand the dynamics of prayer. This is a continuation of the Lord’s “Sermon on the Mount” remarks regarding prayer.
God Expects Moral Purity! (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)
A sociologist once said, “One of the most telltale signs of a deteriorating society is its loss of moral integrity.” When this foundational stone begins to crack and erode away, the effect is nothing short of disastrous. Since its beginnings, Christianity has stood against moral decline by upholding personal holiness. Paul challenges the Thessalonians directly and the church today indirectly that it is our responsibility to stand up in the face of the decline of our society.
We Can Face Anything Through Christ (Acts 5:12-42)
Paul said, “Anyone who desires to live a godly life in Christ will face persecution.” The promise is that we will face difficulty and persecution if we take a stand for Christ in our lives. How do we do it? How do we face up to it? How do we handle it? The apostles faced imprisonment and beatings because they stood up for the Lord. Their reaction serves as an example for us in handling the rough times that the world throws at us.
Praying Like You Mean It (Matthew 6:5-8)
Prayer is the great paradox of the Christian life. Praying is one of the easiest and yet hardest things to do in the Christian life. And as important as it is to our spiritual well-being, it is also very easy to pray in a way that doesn’t honor God but honors man. The Lord wanted His listeners to enjoy the privilege of prayer but also understand the dynamics of prayer.