[Joshua 24:15]

INTRODUCTION

A. In a passage probably familiar to us all, Joshua spoke to the Israelites just before his own death, and gave to them his final admonition. Like most people will do if given a chance to impart some final words to others, Joshua leaves a challenge to them: to choose whom they would serve. It was going to be either the gods of… Continue reading

[Eph. 6:10-20]

INTRODUCTION

A.  The concept of our faith being militaristic is increasingly unwelcome to many in the modern society. The fact that some religious groups teach that every follower of God can and should employ fleshly means to win spiritual battles no doubt plays a part in the great turn-off to militaristic terms, but the fact remains that God used such terminology and we should… Continue reading

The past week has been a busy one, newswise, and some stories give us something worth thinking about. Bear with me as we look at just a few of these stories and make some spiritual applications.

Celebrity Deaths. Johnny Carson’s famous sidekick, Ed McMahon, 1970s television star Farrah Fawcett, and pop music star Michael Jackson all died this past week. Their deaths made the news [some more than others, of… Continue reading

[1st Corinthians 13:1-13]

INTRODUCTION

A. As we have seen in previous lessons from the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul has had to address the spiritual immaturity of the brethren at Corinth, which is the cause of many troubles among them. In our last study, we saw that this spiritual immaturity had even affected how they viewed their own brethren in regards to the spiritual… Continue reading

[Acts 18:24-28; Rom. 16:3-5]

INTRODUCTION

A. As we continue this series of studies on Investing In Character, today we will look at a couple of the lesser-known people of the Bible by which we can learn a lesson about the kind of people we need to be as disciples of Jesus. Let us remember that one thing we will be doing in these lessons is looking… Continue reading

I am sure we have all experienced the frustration of not being heard. As a parent, I wonder sometimes if I am talking to the walls because things I say seem to not be heard by anyone but myself and I have to repeat some things numerous times before the words are actually heard by the intended audience. Maybe you have experienced this or other occasions where no one… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

A. Every once in awhile when dramatic and terrifying events occur, we tend to wonder about who, if anyone, is in control of it all. In these situations, some who never considered the existence of God begin to indict God for the crimes of men and ask aloud, “If God is such a powerful God, why does he allow these things to happen?” Not knowing… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

This morning we are going to talk about something that we don’t normally spend much time talking about - MURDER.
Murder is something that God has explicitly said that He hates - PROV 6:16-19
Those who are murderers have a place reserved for them in the lake that burns with fire - REV 21:8

MURDER IN THE OLD LAW

The First Murder

Who committed the first… Continue reading

Jesus told the apostles, not long before He was to be taken away to be tried and crucified, that they would all be made to stumble that night because of Him; Peter, in his impetuousness, told Jesus, “Though they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” It was then that Jesus told Peter, in particular, that he would deny Him three times before the… Continue reading

[Prov. 24:21]

INTRODUCTION

A. The wise writer tells [warns] us to be wary of those who are “given to change.” The admonition is one we should well heed. Change is something we can all understand, too. Change can be good, but it can also be destructive.

B. As examples:

1. Weather. If it’s too cold, warm is good; if it’s too hot, a cool breeze might… Continue reading

[1st Samuel 1-2]

INTRODUCTION

A. As we continue this series of studies on Investing In Character, today we will look at another one of the lesser-known people of the Bible by which we can learn a lesson about the kind of people we need to be as disciples of Jesus. Let us remember that one thing we will be doing in these lessons is looking at… Continue reading

Early in the ministry of Jesus, the multitudes were “pressing in on Him to hear the word of God” to the point He had to get into one of the boats and teach the crowds from the water (Luke 5:1-3). It must have been a pleasure to see such a number of people with a great desire to hear God’s word, but I am sure He knew it would… Continue reading