Sermons on Discernment
Sowing and Reaping: Another Look
Sermon text: Galatians 6:7-9 We’re told to not grow weary in doing good. Why? We are promised to reap a harvest if we don’t get frustrated and give up. The thing is, sometimes the pathway to the harvest can get rough. Setbacks come and we can begin to question the strategy. This can cause us to try to take things into our own hands. And that’s when the whole sowing and reaping dynamic can get muddied.
Time for a Change
Sermon text: Genesis 12:1-4 Change is something we all have to face at times. Abram’s call gives us some clear principles on how to recognize and respond to a legitimate godly directive for change.
Stay Safe
Sermon text: Colossians 2:8 The church at Colossae was being ravaged by false teaching. All sorts of aberrant ideas were pulling the people away from the truth of the gospel. The apostle Paul’s letter to them was geared to combat the error threatening the fellowship. Paul explained that they must not let philosophy and vain teachings take them captive. Two thousand years later, the church is again facing a similar threat. We would do well to heed Paul’s instructions and…
Things We (Should) Know
Sermon text: 1 John 5:18-20 At the very end of his first epistle, the aged apostle John lists some basic truths. He prefaces each with the phrase “we know.” These facts relate to how sin affects believers, the difference between those how follow Christ and those who don’t, and how we have been given spiritual understanding. Internalizing these can help us to better deal with the world around us and put our reliance on Jesus.
Rock Always Wins
Sermon text: Matthew 7:21-27 One of the first songs kids learn in church is “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man.” They discover that building a house on the rock is wise, while a house built on sand will not withstand the storms. This fun song is based the final section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. He explains as He completes His sermon that a life built on a relationship with Him will weather the storms of life.
Portrait of an Encourager
Sermon text: Acts 4:36, Acts 9:27, Acts 11:22-30, Acts 15:36-41 Barnabas played a major role in the first years of the Christian church. He was respected and trusted by the apostles. They were the ones who gave him the name Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” The life and ministry of this man can teach us a lot about what it means to be an encourager.
More Effective Sowing
Sermon text: Galatians 6:7-9 The law of sowing and reaping is universal and God ordained. But it’s easy to miss the finer points of this important principle. First, if you plan to have a worthwhile harvest you need to sow with intention. A willy-nilly approach to sowing won’t yield very much of worth. Second, we must be careful to not limit our sowing opportunities. There are many occasions in our everyday life when we can sow seeds which honor God.
We Can Help
Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:17 In the midst of a fractured world, Christians have an opportunity to bring people together. We have the message of hope that so many need to hear. But the church must separate itself from the rampant shrillness that marks so much of modern discourse. Instead we must value people the way that God does. We must love our fellow Christians. We must fear God and get in line with His plan. And we must give…
Overcoming Temptation
Sermon text: Luke 4:1-13 Every believer faces temptation. Jesus did, and we should expect to as well. We can learn a lot about how to deal with temptation from how Jesus handled it. The core of His success was the filling of the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s Word.
The Need for Clarity
Sermon text: Colossians 1:28-29 Our culture today is anything but clear. So much of what is said is muddy at best. Competing agendas and philosophies are even complicating straightforward concepts like gender and marriage. It’s reasonable to assume that confusion is running rampant. This is why there is such a need for clarity from the Christian community. Our message about Jesus must be clear. We cannot cloud it with wrong motives or unimportant information. People’s eternal souls are at stake.
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