[Acts 4:1-21]

INTRODUCTION

A. Who do you see when you look in the mirror? That easy: Yourself! If we didn’t see our own reflection in the mirror, we would be worried, right? What do others see when they look at you, though? At first, we might answer what might seem to be obvious: “They would see me, of course!” But let’s dig a little deeper… Continue reading

Last Friday, Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner announced his retirement from the NFL. I have to say that, while I understood his reasons and could not argue with his decision, I am disappointed and I am not looking forward to next season as much as I would have if he had decided to stay one more year. Kurt Warner was a humble, truly kind person, and a man… Continue reading

[1st Samuel 30]

INTRODUCTION

A. During the period when King Saul was pursuing David, David was frustrated with his constant running and finally went to Achish, king of Gath, in the land of the Philistines (1st Sam. 27:1, 2). It was then that David asked Achish to be given a city in which he could dwell as he fled from Saul and then that Achish… Continue reading

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

INTRODUCTION

A. As we saw in our first lesson in this series, leadership is something that must exist within each local church and in our lives if we are to be spiritually productive disciples and servants. As was noted in the letter to the Ephesians, Christ established within the church to be the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to… Continue reading

You may have seen a sticker in the back window of a minivan or some other vehicle that spelled out “NOTW” and wondered what it meant; maybe you didn’t even see that it spelled out “NOTW” because the graphics looked like an artistic “N” and “W” with a halo and a cross in between. Maybe you figured that out, but were still wondering what it means. It… Continue reading

[2nd Corinthians 2:12-4:6]

INTRODUCTION

A. As Paul continues his to address the brethren at Corinth, he now seems to take a turn toward defending himself and the message he has preached, in response to some apparent resistance he was getting from some who may have questioned both his authority and the message he had preached or the letters he had written. Some may have even… Continue reading

[1 Cor 16:13]

INTRODUCTION

Nearing the end of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he chose to exhort them with a few choice phrases that we might overlook in our casual reading.
1 Cor 16:13 - Watch, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong.
While this verse is very short, it is also very powerful.  These words of exhortation speak volumes about what Paul wanted the… Continue reading

In every way, Jesus set the example for His disciples to follow as He kept the will of the Father perfectly when He walked this earth. Disciples then and disciples now can look at His life - His words and His deeds - and follow them with the assurance that doing so will lead them to heaven by following in His steps. But today, I would like… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

A. It would be a terrible feeling to know that when we called on the Lord, He would not hear. One of the great assurances we have, as the children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ is that God will hear us when we call on Him (1st John 5:14, 15). A little child learns to trust that his or her father will… Continue reading

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

INTRODUCTION

A. As we saw in our first lesson in this series, leadership is something that must exist within each local church and in our lives if we are to be spiritually productive disciples and servants. As was noted in the letter tot he Ephesians, Christ established within the church to be the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to… Continue reading

For those of you who were raised on a farm, you may understand what a goad, or prod, is. A goad is a sharpened stick that is used to poke livestock to keep them moving in a particular direction, often because they balk or are simply too stubborn to move forward. A prod serves the same purpose [electrified in recent years], but isn’t always sharpened on the… Continue reading

[Acts 3:17   1st Cor. 2:8   Luke 23:34]

INTRODUCTION

A. “Ignorance is bliss”, someone has said. But is that true? Are we really better off not knowing those things that we believe to be harmful, unpleasant, or just unwanted? Is it better to be ignorant than to know and be responsible?

B.            Ignorance is not always good! Examples:

1.          Of danger.

2.          Of law.

3.          Of rewards.

4.          Simple knowledge.

Within all… Continue reading

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

INTRODUCTION

A. The church that Christ established - the one for which He died and which bears His name — was meant to have one head only: Christ. Paul reminds us, “He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent” (Col. 1:18). And to the Ephesians, Paul… Continue reading

Even as the Israelites were going into captivity because of their unfaithfulness, they stubbornly and foolishly clung to their false gods for deliverance. And in their foolishness, God challenged them: “Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. Tell us… Continue reading