[2 Peter 3:17-18]

INTRODUCTION

1. Tonight we are going to look at a summary of the book of 2nd Peter by examining the last two verses.

SINCE YOU KNOW …

1. THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING (3:10-14)
   1. We look for new heavens and a new earth. We have a unique perspective about the importance of this life, knowing that everything will eventually be destroyed by intense fire. “But the day

[Philippians]

INTRODUCTION

1. The letters of Paul to various churches are almost always a mixture of lovingkindness and sharp rebuke.
2. This morning we are going to consider one of Paul’s letters that contained no words of criticism or rebuke. Instead this letter was one filled with joy and gladness, allowing Paul to focus on the positive aspects of the gospel and their good character before God.
3. The church: Philippi
4. Let’s take a

As Jesus explained to some disciples why He spoke in parables, and chastised the religious leaders for failing to truly see and hear the truth (Matt. 13:14, 15), He then spoke directly to the disciples and said, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

1. According to Jonathan Fields, people want:
   1. a better economy, but nobody’s willing to share in the financial hit it’ll take to get us back on track.
   2. better schools, but nobody wants to rock the system, the unions, the teachers, the role of parents.
   3. lower health care costs, but nobody wants to endure the changes to medicine, law and bureaucracy it’ll take to get it.
   4. lower insurance, but nobody wants to adopt the changes in

As a disciple who might still be called ‘young’ by some [‘old' by many others], it is perturbing to hear of my fellow disciples, who are older than I am, explain to someone that the reason they are not actively involved in the Lord’s work currently is because, as they say, “I’ve already done my part and it’s someone else’s turn now.” A disciple who says this should be strongly… Continue reading

[1 Timothy 6:17-19]

Verse 17

1. “COMMAND”
   1. This is not an option, it’s an order. “Instruct” (NASB) “Charge” (KJV / ESV) — This is not the language of suggestion or personal choice, this is a matter of salvation!
   2. The same Greek word used when Jesus commanded the unclean spirit out of a man. “For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man…” (Luke 8:29).  A word used

[1 Thessalonians 4:10]

INTRODUCTION

1. One of Jesus’ disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray …” (Luke 11:1). Why would he ask this? Didn’t they know how to pray from the examples of those in the Old Testament? The disciples wanted to be better! They recognized the great power that Jesus had and wanted to know how He addressed God in prayer.
2. Every disciple can pray, a privilege open to

Part of every disciple’s daily effort to be pleasing to the Lord is learning what the Lord wants; I would imagine we all spend a good portion of our Bible study time in doing just that. If we do, though, we are only learning half of what we need to learn; we also need to learn what God does not want. For example, we know that God wants us to… Continue reading

INTRODUCTION

A. More and more nowadays, there are those who will try very hard to deny the existence of God, and are becoming more vocal in their claims and denials. As had always been the case, though, the number of men who accept that God is, and that he is the only true and living God is small, in comparison to the whole population of mankind. We are… Continue reading

[Luke 22:54-62]

INTRODUCTION

A. It seems that many young people today like to ‘play with fire,’ as we say. Many teenagers love riding skateboards without any helmet or pads, thinking they won’t get hurt; they assume that the 25-50,000 injuries that happen to children aged 5-14 each year will be someone else. But the disposition to ‘play with fire’ is not reserved for young folks; despite the evidence… Continue reading

This word comes from an archaic French term which, in turn, derives from a Latin word, aspirare, which means “to breathe upon, to breathe.” The idea is one of “panting with desire” and one with aspirations is one who strongly desires something, usually something great or of a high value, something better or higher than what is now enjoyed, or something better than what has already been experienced. If someone… Continue reading

[Philippians 1]

INTRODUCTION

A. Within the book of Philippians, we find the apostle Paul writing to his fellow believers with a great joy even as he wrote from prison because of his work for the Lord. Fifteen times within this letter, he wrote of his joy and the need to rejoice, even as he suffered for the sake of Christ. And he wrote of the joy that he… Continue reading

[1st Thessalonians 3:12; 4:1; 4:9, 10]

INTRODUCTION

A. I am sure that most - if not all - of us, appreciate excellence. We may not even recognize it in many things we see, hear, or do because the manner in which some things are done - because they are done with excellence - are simply enjoyed and appreciated without thinking about why we enjoy it so much. If… Continue reading

Today, I am putting forth a challenge to everyone who reads this. [Of course, if you don't read this, you will miss out on the challenge.] In the 17+ years I have been working full time as an evangelist, I have written almost 900 articles that were intended to teach, edify, rebuke, admonish, exhort, and/or encourage all who read them, and I hope they have challenged every reader to be… Continue reading