TELL ME THE OLD, OLD STORY! Matthew 2:1-23 INTRODUCTION: Luke began his gospel with: Luke 1:5. Recall another story that started with “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” Both of those phrases began stories not equal in terms of value or importance; but stories nevertheless. We all use stories, just as […]
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT! Galatians 5:16-18 INTRODUCTION: Believers today are commanded by God’s Word to “walk in the Spirit!” No one in the Old Testament was ever commanded to walk in the Spirit. This was brand new and initially taught by the Apostle Paul. Jesus had hinted at the need to walk in the Spirit: […]
THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH! Psalm 84:1-7 INTRODUCTION: Attending church regularly is very important, but people can come up with all kinds of excuses why they just don’t make it a priority in their lives. The person who finds their strength in the Lord is described in the Bible as a “blessed person” and it […]
THE TRIAL OF TIME! Psalm 130:1-8 INTRODUCTION: The 100-meter dash is the oldest athletic competition in the world. It was first run in 776 B.C. and todays competition looks almost identical to the first one held 2,799 years ago. The record holder can lay claim to being the fastest person on earth. Jamaican, Usain Bolt […]
STRESS! Matthew 11:28-30 INTRODUCTION: Does life seem far more stressful today to you then it did twenty or thirty years ago? Stress contributes to high-blood-pressure, heart disease, and addictive disorders. It often leads to headaches and backaches. Stress has been traced to stomach and breathing disorders. People under stress often lose their energy and struggle […]
THE WORD OF GOD AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH Romans 8:1-17 INTRODUCTION: Our world is moving away from God and from faith in His Word. It is important for us to understand that in our changing world, we serve a God who does not change: Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8. Also the Word of God claims that […]
STRENGTHENING YOURSELF IN THE LORD! 1 Samuel 30:1-6 INTRODUCTION: As we go through our lives, we can become infected by certain unhealthy attitude, infectious sins, and inflamed by unhealthy attitudes. We can easily succumb to anger, anxiety, depression and discouragement. It is wonderful when friends can encourage us but one of the most important lessons […]
TRUMPING TEMPTATIONS POWER! 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 INTRODUCTION: An old country western song asked the question when I was young: “How can anything that seems so right be so wrong?” We always seem to be tempted by things that seem so right. Those things that tempt us are always to beautiful, interesting, wonderful things that attract […]
GENDER CONFUSION! Genesis 1:26-31 INTRODUCTION: We learned two weeks ago that God is the designer of gender: Genesis 1:27. God created man in the image of God. God created man male and female. Our God founded the foundation of the family. God created males and females different than one another. Our God is the inventor […]
GODLY FAITH TURNS STRESS TO PRAISE! John 14:15-31 INTRODUCTION: Godly faith will turn our stress into praise! We live in a world full of stress. Our Lord Jesus promised peace in a world torn by turmoil and stress: John 14:26-27. Jesus didn’t promise us our peace; He said it would be His peace in our […]