Fear
The longer I live, the more I realize the huge role fear plays in our lives as Christians. Do you ever worry? About your health, your kids, your future? Most of us do, and worry is just another word for fear. Why do we fudge the truth? Probably because we’re scared of what’ll happen if we don’t. Why do we sometimes fail to say what needs to be said? Because we’re afraid of confrontation, or the effects of confrontation, or…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on March 21, 2018
Sermon Title: One Sinner Who Repents Text: Luke 15:1-10 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) It’s not very PC anymore to talk about “sin.” We talk about diseases and disorders, but not disobedience. In a world that thinks less of God, it’s no surprise that many think hardly anything about some higher objective moral code to which a sovereign God will hold us accountable.…
Consecration Ceremonies
The idea of formally setting apart certain things, people, days, and times was an important part of Old Testament worship. Take a look at Exodus chapter 29 where we see a detailed process by which priests were to be consecrated so that they could serve. It involved a special anointing oil, ceremonially laying hands on the animal to be sacrificed, sprinkling the animal’s blood, and a number of other steps. Similar processes were followed for consecrating the temple’s contents. Among…
People like you
Sometimes it’s easy to see the good stuff that God is doing in other people’s lives. Maybe that preacher or writer or godly stalwart of the faith at church—we can see what God is doing there. But in us? In me? We’re all-too-conscious of the ugly things we’ve shoved into one of our closets to think that God might be doing something significant in us. But listen to Paul: And I am sure of this, that he who began a…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on March 14, 2018
Sermon Title: Obey: Because We Love Him Text: John 14:15-31 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) In this sermon , e explored another facet of our 2018 theme (Love God. Love People. Change the World). It’s easy enough to say that we ought to love God—we all agree with that—but what does that mean? What does that look like practically? In some circles—probably because…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on March 7, 2018
Sermon Title: “Learning to Be Happy” Text: Psalm 126:2-3 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) Our world is broken, and sometimes we allow things going on around us to cause us to be anxious, sad, and depressed. Young people (and probably Americans of all ages) in our culture spend an incredible amount of time looking at screens (TV, phones, tablets, computers, etc.), and…
Kids are Funny
It’s funny to watch kids. A two-year-old typically thinks it’s all about him. If there’s a toy in the room, it’s his toy. If you have something he wants, you should give it to him, and right now would be nice. Put two toddlers in a room with only one toy, and it’ll get ugly really soon. A kid’s world is very small—just big enough for him and the people who are there to get him what he wants. I’d…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 28, 2018
Sermon Title: “Learning to trust God: He is ‘for us’” Text: Romans 8:31-39 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) In the sermon from a week and a half ago we studied the importance of trusting God: it changes everything about us, from the way we face tragedies to the way we handle successes to the consistency with which we obey. All of us want…
Who’s Winning?
Sometimes I look at the world and get a little discouraged. I see inexplicable violence, blatant perversion, rampant materialism, and I worry about the future. I know they’re not, but sometimes like it looks like the bad guys are winning. The composers of the Psalms had the same thought, apparently, because thoughts like these are all over the place. Why are you letting them win, God? What are we supposed to do? Where are you? Why aren’t you doing something?…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 21, 2018
Sermon Title: Trust Changes Everything Text: 2 Kings 18:1-18 Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s complete study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) This idea permeates Scripture: the basis of our relationship with God—at least on our part—is learning to trust him completely and unreservedly. Most of us struggle at times with doubt, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty: anxiety over a health problem, struggles with relationships, difficulties in child-rearing, doubts about the future…
Too busy
Mary and Martha were like a lot of siblings—they loved each other like crazy, and sometimes they just drove each other crazy. Can you relate? This story about them always makes me laugh—Martha asks the Son of God to help her settle a little sisterly spat. Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet…
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