Sermons on Spiritual Growth (Page 16)
How is Our Culture Affecting Us? “That We May Be Like All the Nations”
We’re about to send six high school graduates off as they begin the next phase of life. Their lives will change significantly as they experience the world without being watched as closely by their parents. So I planned this sermon with them in mind. As the sermon developed, though, I became more convicted that it is a message that everyone in our congregation needs to hear. The temptation that affected Israel in Samuel’s day–to allow the spirit of the age…
What Was Right in Their Eyes
To be frank, the book of Judges is one of the most discouraging books in the Bible. If you’re caught up with our Bible reading plan, you’ll finish Judges this Saturday, and you’ll probably be relieved in some ways. There’s a lot of evil in this book. If you didn’t know how things were going to go, you probably began this book with a bit of hopefulness. After years of waiting, God’s people had finally entered the land of Canaan…
The Walls Came Tumbling Down
After hundreds and hundreds of years and in spite of recent disappointments, the moment has come for God to lead Israel into Canaan, the land that he’d promised generations earlier to Abraham. Jericho stood before them, though, fully intent on resisting Israel’s attempts to take the city. Will it work? Will Israel succeed, or will they doubt God as their parents had done a few decades earlier? This is a story that has fascinated people for thousands of years. It’s…
But as for You . . .
Timothy was probably discouraged by the demands of his ministry and needed a pick-me-up from his mentor, Paul. The apostle wanted him to do effective work, of course, so he wrote him a short letter to lift his spirits. It’s pretty amazing how much of this letter is good advice for all of us. Near the end of the letter, Paul gives some quick hitters. It’s almost like Timothy needed his older mentor to sum it all up for him.…
