Church Blog (Page 15)

Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 14, 2018

Sermon Title: Atonement: Covered by the Cross Text: 1 John 1:7-2:2 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 was the last sermon in a four-part series on biblical words/themes that help us understand the overall Story of Scripture. The first three were Glory, Holiness, and Covenant, and Sunday’s sermon was on Atonement. “Atonement” is based on a Hebrew word group that has “cover” as…

Can’t Wait

Jesus might come back today . . . does that thought scare you? It frightened me when I was a kid. I’d hear a loud clap of thunder and think briefly that this might be it. Am I ready? Am I going to heaven? What if I’m not? The Bible has a much different emphasis, though, at least for believers. Notice the thread that runs through these verses: And be like men who are waiting for their master to come…

Resources for Discussion Class Hour on February 7, 2018

Sermon Title: Love God. Love People. But How? Text: 1 John 4:7-21 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?) As you know, our theme for 2018 is Love God. Love People. Change the World. That’s easy enough to say, and it’s so obviously taught in Scripture that none of us would argue against its importance. But still, this question remains: we want to do it,…

What matters

I’m not sure why, but we don’t talk a lot about Jesus’ second coming anymore. It might be because it’s often associated with some radical versions of Christianity—long-haired, unkempt men on street corners holding big “Turn or Burn!” signs. Or it could be because we’re pretty comfortable with life the way it is, and comfortable people don’t really long for this world to end. But there’s a reason it’s mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament . . .…

January 2018 Philippines Mission Work Newsletter

The time is soon approaching when Bill Rayburn will be traveling to ACU along with a team of three ladies who will be working with the ladies in Pangasinan to equip them to better teach their children. Bill will be teaching a course on the Book of Revelation for students at ACU. The ladies will conduct a two-day “teach the teachers” workshop for teachers of children’s Bible classes throughout the region. Following the workshop on Monday and Tuesday, the ladies…

Resources for Discussion Class Hour on January 31, 2018

Sermon Title: God’s Covenant with You Text: Genesis 15:1-21 and Luke 22:14-23 (Please read) 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?) At the end of 2017 Chuck preached two sermons on key concepts that help us see the Bible’s storyline more clearly. The first focused on holiness and the second on glory. In this sermon we studied a third idea: covenant. In one sense, a…

I hate your sin

We don’t hate sin enough, or at least most of us don’t. Well, we do hate some sin, and we hate it with a passion. It makes our blood boil. Like pedophilia, and other kinds of sexual misconduct . . . especially when the weak and vulnerable are involved. We hate that, and we should. It’s been all over the news lately, and I’m glad to see the moral outrage. Maybe America still has a conscience. We hate other sins…

Resources for Discussion Class Hour on January 24, 2018

Sermon Title: How to Grow a Loving Church Text: Romans 12:9-16 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?): A study of 39 churches was done once to determine why some churches grow and some don’t. The conclusion? Growing churches have an attitude of love toward one another and toward those outside the church. Dale’s question in this sermon was: How do we grow a loving…

Resources for Discussion Class Hour on January 17, 2018

Sermon Title: Love God. Love People. Change the World. Text: Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” 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?): Every organization…