Every year in November we celebrate the beloved holiday of Thanksgiving. Christians need to realize that thanksgiving is not a day of the year, but an indispensable virtue of the faith in which we are called to walk – “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians …
Continue reading Sermon: The Transformative Power of ThanksgivingSermons
As Joseph approached his brothers who hated him, they mocked him saying, “Look, this dreamer is coming!” (Genesis 37:19) (“Lit. master of dreams,” NKJV fn) As the account progresses, it becomes apparent that Joseph only ever revealed what God had revealed to him. Yet, despite his honest actions he was rejected and assaulted. Those who reveal the truth …
Continue reading Sermon: Master of Dreams“The Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20), or “the table of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:21, NASB) is the memorial observed on a weekly basis by the Lord’s church according to His command. The memorial is rich with significance for the individual child of God, and for the collective body. Ppt: Outline: To download, right-click on the title in …
Continue reading Sermon: The Table of the LordJews in Thessalonica resisted the gospel and became violently opposed to Paul and Silas. Not finding them, they dragged their host, Jason, to the city rulers and stated, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them” (Acts 17:6-7). That Paul and Silas were disruptive is not altogether untrue. However, the …
Continue reading Sermon: Turning the World Upside DownIn the first chapter of Colossians, Paul establishes the preeminence of Christ – “so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:18, NASB) What does it mean that Jesus has first place in everything? What does this look like in the daily life of discipleship? Ppt: Outline: To download, right-click on the …
Continue reading Sermon: He Has First Place in Everything – The Comprehensive Nature of DiscipleshipOn two occasions, Jesus responded to the Pharasaic oppostions He faced by quoting Hosea 6:6. On one occasion He instructed them to “go and learn what this means”(Matthew 9:13). After this, He exposed their negligence, saying, “if you had known what this means…you would not have condemned the guiltless” (Matthew 12:7). “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the …
Continue reading Sermon: Go and Learn What This Means – “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”Amos 7 begins a series of five visions given to the prophet by Yahweh concering the northern kingdom. The first two were of destruction, yet the Lord’s hand was stayed by the prophet’s intercession. The third described the finality of God’s decision to punish the nation due to their persistence in unfaithfulness to the covenant. …
Continue reading Sermon: A Plumb Line in the Midst of God’s PeopleJesus alluded to the “queen of the South” to bring shame upon the Jewish rulers who resisted His will, and the evidence supporting His claims (cf. Matthew 12:42). The queen Jesus considered was of Sheba, who made a long journey to hear Solomon’s wisdom straight from the source (cf. 1 Kings 10:1-13). Her eagerness and diligence in seeking the …
Continue reading Sermon: Judgment from the Queen of the SouthIn her bitter trial of barrenness and persecution, Hannah poured her heart out to the Lord in faith. When God blessed her with a son, whom she called Samuel, noting that God had heard her, she turned to God in fervent praise. Her prayer-song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 is filled with wonderful reflections on God and His …
Continue reading Sermon: The Prayer of Hannah – The Lord is a Rock Like No OtherFollowing his exhortation for the Philippians to work out their salvation, Paul noted the Divine activity adjoining their efforts – “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) How does God work in us? What does it mean that He works in us to will? …
Continue reading Sermon: God Works in You to Will and to Do