[Matthew 10:32, 33]

INTRODUCTION

A. Most - if not all - of us who are Christians would like to believe that we would never deny our Lord, Jesus Christ. We would like to believe that, but in the back of our minds, we might be wondering if we really would be able to keep our word in certain situations. Years ago, during the “Cold War” era, there was… Continue reading

Water that has become stagnant is no longer flowing or moving. Because it is no longer moving, it becomes foul and stale, and scum begins to form on the surface, making the water undesirable and unpleasant to the senses. Stagnant water can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and mosquitoes, which carry malaria and the West Nile Virus - a health hazard, to say the least.

Stagnant Christians are not… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

A. One of the central points of our faith in Jesus Christ is belief that God raised Him from the dead, proof that He was the Son of God as He had claimed. Paul told the Roman brethren “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9)… Continue reading

[1st Timothy 4:7, 8]

INTRODUCTION

A. As we continue our study of the need for Passing the Torch to the next generation and has been said already, it is important that we have in our minds those who are a part of the “next generation” of disciples, and we should be thinking now about the future - their future. As was said in the last lesson, as… Continue reading

For the past few weeks, we have considered the difference between churches whose elders, teachers, and preachers set and worked towards goals for their congregations, and churches who had elders, teachers, and preachers without any goals. As has been shown by these examples, the difference is usually visible and notable, yet many who lead and teach in congregations often fail to see that they can make a definitive difference… Continue reading

[Ephesians 3:1-21]

INTRODUCTION

A. As we continue our look at Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we now come to a portion of the letter in which Paul writes of what he calls here “the mystery” - the once-hidden plan of salvation that has now been revealed to mankind. Within this portion of the letter are some very important teachings about God’s plan for our salvation but, as we… Continue reading

[Genesis 37-50]

INTRODUCTION

A. There are countless numbers of TV and radio preachers who will promise you that if you are following God, He will bless you materially beyond your imagination. Current preachers such as Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, and Creflo Dollar all promote what has come to be called “The Prosperity Gospel” and make statements such as, ” If you develop an image of victory, success, health… Continue reading

For the past couple of weeks, we have considered the difference between churches whose elders and teachers set and worked towards goals for their congregations, and churches who had elders and teachers without any goals. As was illustrated in these examples, the difference is usually visible and notable, yet many who lead and teach in congregations often fail to see that they can make a definitive difference in the… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

A. In today’s world, it is accepted as fact that the world all came about by pure chance and not by special creation, as the Bible teaches us. With a generation now having learned in their school’s science classes that evolution is fact, not theory, and that the claims of “right wing religious nuts” that there was an Intelligent Designer behind it all are without basis and nothing but fairy… Continue reading

Last week, we considered the difference between churches whose elders set and worked towards goals for their congregations, and those who had elders without any goals. The difference is usually visible and notable, yet many who lead congregations often fail to see that they can make a definitive difference in the church and in the lives of those they lead based on whether or not they set and strive for… Continue reading

[Zephaniah 3:1-7]

INTRODUCTION

A. Late in the history of the nation if Israel - years after it had divided into two kingdoms and when only Judah survived - the remaining people were slowly sinking into godlessness and had forgotten all about the God who had brought them out of Egyptian bondage and into this Promised Land. They had just suffered under the rule of Manasseh, a king described… Continue reading

[2nd Timothy 2:15]

INTRODUCTION

A. As we continue our study of the need for Passing the Torch to the next generation and has been said already, it is important that we have in our minds those who are a part of the “next generation” of disciples, and we should be thinking now about the future - their future. As we are thinking about the future - of… Continue reading

In football, when the offense has the ball, they are trying hard to reach the goal line; in basketball, when the offense has the ball, they are trying to put the ball in the goal; in hockey, when the offense has the puck, they are trying to put it in the goal; in soccer, the team with the ball is trying to score a goal by putting it in the… Continue reading