The Lord is My Shepherd
The Lord Is My ShepherdPsalm 23:1-6 Psalm 23 is undoubtedly one of the best-known passages in all the Bible. Most of us learned it as children and it continues to be a comfort to those who are dying, or those who have lost loved ones. Maybe it’s so well-loved...
The Believers: Inspired by the Cross
“THE BELIEVERS: INSPIRED BY THE CROSS”The Impact of the Cross - Part 6Luke 24:13-35 A teenage boy was about to turn 16, and he said to his father, “Dad, I want to get my drivers license on my 16th birthday.” His father said, “Well, I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you...
The Bystanders: Transformed by the Cross
There is an impressive prison in Brazil (Humaita Prison) where the inmates are being dramatically transformed by the cross. Prison Fellowship reported that nearly 40 years ago in the city of San Jose Das Campos a prison was turned over to two Christian layman who...
The Thief: Saved by the Cross
According to Charisma magazine, Sherri Felts responded to the invitation at the close of a church service the last Sunday morning in January. The following Friday night, Sheri Felts, age 55, a very popular high school teacher, died in her sleep with no apparent...
The Enemies: Delighted by the Cross
The town of Edmond, Oklahoma, has an obvious hole in its city seal. There used to be a cross in that spot reflecting their religious heritage. But after losing a religious establishment lawsuit, costing the city nearly half a million dollars to defend, that aspect...
The Disciples: Distressed By the Cross
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn contributed more to the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union then perhaps any other individual. Since his views were considered subversive, he was arrested and suffered for years in a communist concentration camp. He had to struggle with...
The Soldiers: Unmoved By the Cross
Two sailors had spent the night indulging in every sinful pleasure of the city where they had a layover. In the morning, as they made their way back to the ship, the one challenged the other, “I’ll bet you $100 you don’t have enough guts to go into that cathedral and...
Be Diligent Until He Returns
In early May 1980, Mount St. Helens was belching grey steam hundreds of feet into the blue Oregon sky. Geologists watched their seismographs in growing wonder as the earth rumbled beneath their feet. I read an article recently that described how the park rangers and...
Loving the Bride
It had been a big wedding, and the reception was well attended. Then came the honeymoon. The couple went to their hotel room and after they unpacked their bags the groom took his bride by the hand, sat her on the bed, and said, "Honey, I hope you won’t mind, but now...
Be Encouraged By His Return
"God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food." Have you ever heard a child pray that simple prayer? At first it sounds a little bit redundant. Isn't that about the same thing—God is great and God is good? Well not exactly. When we think about the...
Be Alert for the Antichrist
Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden with the express purpose of deceiving her. He whispered, "Has God said you're not to eat of any tree of the garden? If you eat of that tree you will not die, the way God says. If you eat of that tree you will really live!...
Be Informed About His Return
Relevant magazine, around Christmas time, ran a story entitled, "Waiting for the Messiah: The New Clash Over the Bible's Millennial Prophecies." The article read: "For many Christians the comforting images of the Christmas season are inexorably linked to another more...
Ready for His Return
A telemarketer called a home in order to try and sell a product. He was greeted by a younger boy who, whispered, "Hello." The telemarketer said, "Is your mom home?" Still whispering, he said, "Yes, but she's busy." "Well, is your dad home?" "Yes, but he's busy, too."...
Prepare
180: Time for a TurnaroundWe are starting the New Year with a two-week series called “180: Time for a Turnaround.” There’s just something about the beginning of a year where we think in those terms of: “What needs to change?” and “How should we be living different in...
Repair
180: Time for a TurnaroundAs we begin a new year, our focus is on the future. We’re thinking about the upcoming year, not the past year. But just for a minute I want you to think about 2020. You can go back even further if you want. But what would you say as you...
You Should Just Give Up
The Lies We Believe and the Truth that Sets Us Free “You Should Just Give Up” Series: Flip the Script – Part 5 Job 19:25-27Here’s the thing about what we believe. What we believe doesn’t have to be true to have the power of truth over us. We just have to believe...
You Will Never Change
Flip the Script: The Lies We Believe and the Truth That Sets Us FreeWell, we are continuing in our series called “Flip the Script.” And the idea is that we have an enemy and every day the enemy gives us a certain script to read. And this script is full of lies about...
You Deserve to Be Happy
“You Deserve to Be Happy” Series: Flip the Script – Part 3The Lies We Believe and the Truth that Sets Us Free 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18Well, the details are often different, but the stories sound the same—at least familiar. One woman writes and says, “I have been...
You Can Fix This Yourself
“You Can Fix This Yourself” Series: Flip the Script – Part 2 The Lies We Believe and the Truth that Sets Us Free Hebrews 4:14-16 I was watching a popular TV preacher as I was eating breakfast one morning recently, and he was preaching on this idea that God has come so...
COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING MEAL IS STILL A GO
Community Thanksgiving Meal adjusts for COVID The Annual Community Thanksgiving Meal has been an expected and well-received event in the community for over 20 years. For the last several years between 220–250 meals have been served each year at this event. In 2019 the...
You Don’t Have What It Takes
Series: Flip the Script - Part 1 The Lies We Believe and the Truth that Sets Us Free Philippians 4:13 We are beginning a new series this weekend where we’re going to be talking about some of the lies that...
Living as a Masterpiece
“Dress the part.” That’s the advice often given to young professional salesmen who are just starting out. They don’t yet have the sales record. They often lack confidence and as a result feel stuck. So, they are told, “Success begins by putting on the reality of who...
Praisers or Appraisers?
It’s been said, “A critic is someone who is quick on the flaw,” and our world is full of people like that. Unfortunately, so is the church. In his excellent book, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit, Chuck Swindoll wrote, “People in ministry are like lightning rods....
Rescue the Fallen
Rescue the Fallen James: A Faith That Works – Part 14 James 5:19-20 What do you do when a Christian friend is drifting away from God? Let’s say you become aware that a fellow believer has developed a drinking problem. People are whispering and you can see the damage...
Learn to Pray With Power
Learn to Pray with Power James: A Faith That Works – Part 13 James 5:13-18 I read about a small Tennessee town that had two churches and one whiskey distillery. Members of both churches complained that the distillery gave the community a bad image. To make matters...
Learn to Be Patient
Without a doubt, the American people and people around the world have gone through some very difficult times these past several months and even more may be on the way. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that over 70,000 new cases of children beingdiagnosed...
Handle Your Wealth Wisely
Handle Your Wealth Wisely James: A Faith That Works – Part 11 James 5:1-6 Last week James 4 described for us people who planned as if there was no God. This week James 5 describes people who spent their money as if there was no God. Now most people don’t get real...
Even Rats Have Hope
Can you remember a time of greater global hopelessness than what we’re seeing right now? I can’t and I’ve witnessed a lot in my lifetime: The Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Watts riots of 1965, the shooting of...
Planning Ahead Wisely
Just how should a Christian plan for such a precarious future? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow. God will take care of you,” He said. But Jesus didn’t mean that we should make no plans for tomorrow, or never save any money, or never make goals, because He himself planned for the future. He made advance provisions for a meal in an upper room. He provided for His mother prior to His death. He informed His disciples that He was going to be crucified and told them where He was to meet them after the resurrection. Then He told them to go to Jerusalem and wait and they would be empowered with the Holy Spirit in the future.
Master Your Ambitions
MASTER YOUR AMBITIONS James: A Faith That Works – Part 8 James 4:1-10 There was an article in USA Today recently entitled: “Pizza Competitors Try to Top Each Other.” The manager of a Domino’s Pizza in Terre Haute, Indiana, took out an ad in the local paper offering...
Tame Your Tongue
TAME YOUR TONGUE James: A Faith That Works – Part 6 James 3:1-12 “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” I think of all the limericks we learned as children that has to be one of the dumbest. We usually chanted that to other kids who...
Can’t Live Life in a Bubble
Can't Live Life in a Bubble Earlier this month NBA players finally arrived in Orlando to hopefully restart the NBA season. They are doing it in Orlando, at Disney World, in a BUBBLE. Well not a literal bubble, but one they’ve attempted to build around the players and...
Produce Good Works
PRODUCE GOOD WORKS James: A Faith That Works – Part 5 James 2:14-26 Faith is a key doctrine within the Christian life. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8, tells us that the sinner is saved “by faith.” Second Corinthians 5:7 says the believer must “walk by faith.” ...
Be Free of Prejudice
BE FREE OF PREJUDICE James: A Faith That Works – Part 4 James 2:1-13 Mike Breaux, teaching pastor at Eastside Christian Church in Anaheim, California, tells the story of being invited to preach at one of the churches in our brotherhood a couple of years ago. Mike had...
Control Your Temper
Part 3: CONTROL YOUR TEMPER James 1:19-27 I played in a golf tournament several years back with about 40 other men and their friends from the church where I was serving at that time. I was grouped with three other men for this scramble, two of whom I didn’t know. ...
Resist Temptation
Because there are times in the Christian life when our heart desires things that are not in the best interest of our family, our church, or ourselves. And if we can learn to say no, even though it’s difficult at the moment, then ultimately that discipline will have positive results.
Keep Calm Under Pressure
James - Part 1 James 1:1-12 I read an article some time back entitled “Congregations Have to Realize Pastors’ Stress.” It related that aside from maternity benefits, the greatest portion of the 84 million dollars paid in medical claims in one year by the Annuity...
The Presence of the Holy Spirit
The Presence of the Holy Spirit Wind and Fire – Part 4 John 14:18; 16:7 On the night Jesus was arrested to be crucified, He met with His closest followers. He knows what kind of fear they’re going to face. He knows they’re going to be overwhelmed with uncertainty, so...
The Power of the Holy Spirit
The Power of the Holy Spirit Wind and Fire – Part 3 Luke 24:49 Throughout the course of my high school and college years one of my passions was acting. During those years I played roles in a couple of dozen different plays and musicals. In one of my favorite roles I...
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
The Promise of the Holy Spirit Wind and Fire – Part 2 Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 37-38 We are in week two of a series on the Holy Spirit called “Wind and Fire.” Last week we said the Old Testament word for spirit is ruach and the New Testament word for spirit is pneuma, and...
Wind & Fire: The Person of the Holy Spirit
The Person of the Holy Spirit Wind and Fire – Part 1 John 14:16-17 Several years ago, when our kids were still teenagers living at home, a big storm came through Sioux Falls, where we were living at the time, and knocked out the electricity in our house. In fact, the...
God Chose a Father for His Son
Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-15; 2:19-23 Well, let me begin today by saying “Happy Father’s Day” to all of our Dads. One little boy, when asked to explain about Father’s Day, said, “It’s just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the present.” That’s a joke, of...
Don’t Settle for Substitutes
When we were kids we rarely if ever had major brand products in our home. For example, we didn’t have Coke products. We drank a substitute: Shasta Cola. We were told it was just like Coca Cola. It wasn’t. We never had Dr. Pepper in our home. We had Mr. Pibb instead....
Empty Your Worry Wagon
Empty Your Worry Wagon Matthew 6:24-34 You all probably know that Howard Hughes was one of the richest men who ever lived. Over the course of his lifetime, he accumulated billions of dollars. And you would think that someone with that kind of money would live a life...
Don’t Waste a Crisis
Politicians are famous for saying, “Never waste a crisis.” Usually referring to a short window of opportunity to quickly and effectively raise money for their campaigns or get their political agendas pushed through because people are consumed with something else. John...
Modern Motherhood
MODERN MOTHERHOOD (Mother’s Day 2020) Luke 1:26-38 Most of you are familiar with the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. Well, on one Mother’s Day, Calvin is pictured making his mother a Mother’s Day card… “Dear Mom. How do I love you? Let me count the ways: One … Number...
Trusting God in the Tough Times
Habakkuk: When God Seems Unfair – Part 3 Habakkuk 3:1-19 This morning, we conclude our study of the book of Habakkuk. In just a little bit, we’ll be in chapter 3. But first, let me just briefly review where we’ve been for the past couple of weeks. Habakkuk was one of...
Living by Faith
Habakkuk: When God Seems Unfair – Part 2 Habakkuk 2:1-20 This morning, we continue in our study of the book of Habakkuk. I would encourage you to grab your Bible or your electronic device and make your way to Habakkuk chapter 2. Last week, I told you that Habakkuk...
Where are you God?
Habakkuk: When God Seems Unfair – Part 1 Habakkuk 1:1-17 This morning, we begin a new study that will take us through the next couple of weeks. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Habakkuk. This may be a book that you aren’t very familiar...
When the Storm Comes
Several years ago I shared a two-part series on the storms of life. The first message was called, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? The second was, Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People? (Go back and read that again.) I think most people...
The Empty Tomb: A Place of Victory
From the Upper Room to the Empty Tomb – Part 7 Matthew 28:1-10 Through the ages there have been many important victories won. But today we celebrate absolutely the most important victory in all of history—the triumph of Jesus Christ over the grave. It is the most...
The Grave: A Place of Despair
From the Upper Room to the Empty Tomb – Part 6 Matthew 27:57-66 The disciples were absolutely devastated. They had really believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. They had seen Him perform incredible miracles. They had been captivated by His irresistible...