Rejected or Accepted?
John 1:9-13
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who [...]
You Know Better Than That
Romans 1:28-32
Last week we took a look at an aspect of God’s wrath that most of us were totally unfamiliar with. As I mentioned last week, when we hear about God’s wrath we automatically think about images of an apocalyptic nature–hailstones as large as trucks falling from the heavens, scorpions as big as horses, and the [...]
You Don’t Really Want What You Think You Want
Romans 1:24-28
We are strange creatures. We think that we know everything when in fact we don’t know much of anything. We think we know the right path when in reality we so easily mislead ourselves. We think that God is trying to rob us of life, of really living it up, when in reality we rob [...]
Can I Get a Witness?
John 1:6-8
In light of all that we have learned about Jesus, so far in our study of John’s Gospel, it is mind boggling that God has chosen to use broken vessels to carry His message of mercy, forgiveness, grace, redemption, and salvation to the world. Stop and think about it with me just for a moment. [...]
Empty Thoughts and Darkened Hearts
Romans 1:21-23
As we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome today we have to remember where we have been so far in our study. If you will remember, our last few studies have focused on our current situation, we are living life under the wrath of God. The wrath of God is [...]
No Excuses!
Romans 1:18-21
We actually began the study of this section of Scripture last week by taking a look at the wrath of God. If you will remember God’s anger, or His wrath, is not like our anger. Our anger is oftentimes impulsive and explosive. God’s wrath is purposeful. God’s wrath is an expression of His love. God’s [...]
The Life and The Light of Humanity
John 1:3-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all [...]
God of Wrath? God of Love?
Romans 1:18
God is love. Yes He is. Those three little words, “God is love,” have come to mean something in our day that is far, far from the biblical understanding of God’s love. In our day “God’s love” has come to mean that God turns a blind eye to our sin, He pats us on the [...]
The Cross and The Crown
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
This morning there are followers of Jesus all over the world who are gathering to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christians have been doing this since the first Easter morning, but there is one place on the planet where they’ve been doing it the longest—the place that we know as The Church [...]
The Power of God
Romans 1:16-17
When we began our study of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome I told you that this letter has been used by God to transform countless lives and spark revivals across the globe. One of the revivals, or maybe I should say, “reformations,” that came about because of the letter to the Romans is [...]
“In The Beginning…”
John 1:1-2
I was taught, somewhere along the way in English class, that when you write a paper or give a speech you should “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.” I found out much later that it wasn’t my English teacher who dreamed up [...]
I’m Not Ashamed
Romans 1:16
I have a declaration to make this morning. A statement that I just can’t keep to myself. I have been pondering the possible repercussions my announcement could bring about. I have been considering the potential consequences of my disclosure. I’ve weighed the benefits of keeping it to myself against the cost of letting the cat [...]
The Good News of John
“So That You May Believe…”
If God was going to pick someone to tell His story, John wouldn’t have been a likely candidate. He wasn’t a theologian. He was a fisherman. He wasn’t even-tempered, kind, and loving. He was temperamental, harsh, and difficult to reason with at times. He didn’t meet Jesus at a church picnic. He met Jesus while [...]
We Have An Obligation To Fulfill
Romans 1:8-15
Paul had the heart of a missionary. He had a love for people that he did not know, he had a desire to go to places where he had never visited, and all of this was rooted in a deep sense of obligation that he felt towards all people. When we think of the word, [...]
Spiritual Warfare: Going on the Offensive
Ephesians 6:17-18
Last week we began studying the last section of Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus. Throughout Paul’s letter he has been encouraging the brothers and sisters in Ephesus by teaching them about the many, many, blessings that God has showered upon His people. Paul taught them that they have been blessed with every spiritual [...]
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Romans 1:1-7
This week, in our study of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, we are going to take a look at Romans 1:1-7. These seven verses, in large part, summarize the entire message that Paul wanted to communicate to the brothers and sisters in Rome. It is the “gospel of God,” the good news of [...]
The War Continues!
Ephesians 6:10-18
I am a soldier, a prayer warrior, in the army of my God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, Prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare. I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested [...]
Paul’s Letter To The Church in Rome
Today we are beginning a study of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. There are 66 books in the Bible and yet I would say that more revivals of the soul can be traced to the book of Romans than to any other single book in God’s Word. Throughout history people like St. Augustine, [...]
Spirit Filled Work
Ephesians 6:5-9
Several weeks ago we began to take a look at a section of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus that began back in Ephesians 5:18 where Paul encouraged the folks to be filled with the Spirit instead of being filled with wine. We learned that being filled with the Spirit of God leads to [...]
Draw Near
James 4:8
Our understanding of things oftentimes is based upon our relation to the event taking place, the information being shared, and our own perspective. We can watch the first quarter of a Thunder game and be thoroughly convinced who the winner will be, only to be proven wrong if we walk away before the final buzzer [...]
Spirit Filled Homes: Parents and Children
Ephesians 6:1-4
How are families to function? Most people never really give it a thought. We get married, eventually have children, and do our best to make things work. In Paul’s day there were well established “household codes” that served to provide structure, a chain of command, and guidance for the family unit. When thinking about “household [...]
Spirit-Filled Homes
Ephesians 5:21-6:9
In our Scripture for today we have an incredible opportunity to learn about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit upon the relationships we share in our household. Paul talks about the relationships of husbands and wives, parents and children, and “slaves and masters,” or in our day, we could say, “employers and employees.” Dr. [...]
You Can’t Hide a Grateful Heart
Luke 7:36-50
It’s a brand New Year! I’m sure you have grown weary of getting emails from me over the past few weeks urging you to take some time to pray and seek some God-inspired goals that you can pursue this year. I know that most of us don’t make “New Year’s Resolutions” any longer because we’ve [...]
Immanuel: God is With Us!
Matthew 2
It’s Christmas Eve. The night in which little kids are filled with anticipation, waiting, wondering, expecting that things are going to turn out and Christmas morning will be filled with everything they’ve hoped for. It’s Christmas Eve. The night in which moms and dads are filled with excitement about seeing the looks on the faces [...]