|

May 12 - “Women of God Moving
from Fear to Faith”– Deacon Paula Smith-Sawyer
Esther 4: 6 – 17
Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
6
So
Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square
of the city in front of the king’s gate.
7 Mordecai told
him everything that had happened to him,
including the exact amount of money Haman had
promised to pay into the royal treasury for the
destruction of the Jews.
8 He also gave him
a copy of the text of the edict for their
annihilation, which had been published in Susa,
to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he
told him to instruct her to go into the king’s
presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for
her people.9 Hathak went back and
reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
10 Then she
instructed him to say to Mordecai,
11 “All the king’s
officials and the people of the royal provinces
know that for any man or woman who approaches
the king in the inner court without being
summoned the king has but one law: that they be
put to death unless the king extends the gold
scepter to them and spares their lives. But
thirty days have passed since I was called to go
to the king.”12 When Esther’s words
were reported to Mordecai,
13 he sent back
this answer: “Do not think that because you are
in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews
will escape. 14
For if you remain silent at this time,
relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise
from another place, but you and your father’s
family will perish. And who knows but that you
have come to your royal position for such a time
as this?”15 Then Esther sent this
reply to Mordecai:
16
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are
in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink
for three days, night or day. I and my
attendants will fast as you do. When this is
done, I will go to the king, even though it is
against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”17
So Mordecai went away and carried out all
of Esther’s instructions.
Sermon Title: “Women of God
Moving from Fear to Faith”
The
book of Esther gives a great example of a woman
who faced fears and uncertainties. Initially
plagued by fear, Esther demonstrates to us how
God can use us where he places us and help us to
move from fear to faith.
Esther teaches us that:
·
You
don’t have to look like or act like where you
have been.
·
You
are loved by God despite your situation.
·
You
have been positioned for God’s purpose and plan.
|
|

May 5 - “Lord, Teach us to Pray”
Luke 11: 1-13 Jesus’ Teaching
on Prayer
11 One day
Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he
finished, one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his
disciples.”
2
He said
to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against
us.
And lead us not into temptation. ’”but deliver
us from the evil one.
5
Then
Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend,
and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend,
lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a
friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and
I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And
suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother
me. The door is already locked, and my children
and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you
anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though
he will not get up and give you the bread
because of friendship, yet because of your
shameless audacity he will surely get
up and give you as much as you need.
9
“So I
say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will
be opened to you. 10 For everyone who
asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to
the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a
fish, will give him a snake instead? 12
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a
scorpion? 13 If you then, though you
are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in
heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask
him!”
Sermon Title: “Lord, Teach us to
Pray”
In Luke we
find a shortened version of the Lord’s Prayer,
many Bible Scholars tell us that this is
probably the most authentic version…..The fuller
and more familiar version provided by Matthew is
thought to be a later expanded version. Jesus
models three things about prayer we all should
remember.
-
Prayer should be real and
brief dealing with the realities of life,
-
Jesus emphasized persistence,
and goes on to tell the story about a man
awakened by his friend’s knock. At first, he
is reluctant to respond but due to the
neighbor’s persistent knock he responded.
-
Jesus teaches to pray
expectantly. We are to expect miracles and
answers, because of the nature of the one to
whom we pray. Prayer with no expectations of
God is void of substance.
The pattern
for prayer Jesus gives here has six separate
ingredients. The way to remember is to think of
the acronym for the author of the prayer. CHRIST…
C
represents concentrate…concentrate on the person
you are praying to and not the prayer.
H
is for
Hallelujah, Jesus says hallowed be thy name,
meaning Holy be thy name. Hallowed defines the
person of God. To this ultimate Holy person we
respond Glory Hallelujah!
R
stands
for ruler. Jesus simply says thy Kingdom come,
God is the ruler of that Kingdom
I
is for
I need and I feed. Jesus said give us this day
our daily bread. We are Praying God give me what
I need, God feed me.
S is for Savior,
when
you pray affirm that God is your Savior in Jesus
Christ. Jesus says in his prayer that God will
forgive us for our sins. We cannot live one
single day without sinning by omission or
commission.
T
is for
triumph over temptation. Lead us not into
temptation, says Jesus.
Distinctions of Christian Prayer
-
Our direct communication with God. Talking
with and listening to God are both important
aspects of prayer.
-
Our belief in the character and nature of
our God. The God we serve is Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. All three aspects of God’s
character have a deep affect on our prayers.
-
Our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Christian prayer must be based on God the
Son. (Hebrews 1:3)
-
Our acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit, also
deeply affects our prayer life.
Understanding the person and work of the
Holy Spirit is vital to our practice of
prayer.
-
Christian prayer is
·
To the Father
·
Through the Son
·
In the power of the
Holy Spirit
St. Theresa’s Prayer
May today there be
peace within. May you trust God that you are
exactly where you are meant to be. May you not
forget the infinite possibilities that are born
of faith. May you use those gifts that you have
received, and pass on the love that has been
given to you….May you be content knowing you are
a child of God….Let this presence settle into
your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to
sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for
each and every one of us.
|
|

April 28 - “I Quit”
John 8:21-32 The Dispute Over
Who Jesus Is
21
Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away,
and you will look for me, and you will die in
your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” 22
This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill
himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you
cannot come’?”
23
But he continued, “You are from below; I am from
above. You are of this world; I am not of this
world. 24 I told you that you would
die in your sins; if you do not believe that I
am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
25
“Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have
been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus
replied. 26 “I have much to say in
judgment of you. But he who sent me is
trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I
tell the world.”
27
They did not understand that he was telling them
about his Father. 28 So Jesus said,
“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then
you will know that I am he and that I do nothing
on my own but speak just what the Father has
taught me. 29 The one who sent me is
with me; he has not left me alone, for I always
do what pleases him.” 30 Even as he
spoke, many believed in him.31
To the
Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you
hold to my teaching, you are really my
disciples. 32 Then you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Sermon Title: “I Quit”
In this passage of scripture Jesus makes it
clear the terms of discipleship for those who
believed Him. He does not seek short-term
followers, easy starters who will fall by the
wayside. We must
abide in His word if we are going to be a part
of His Family.
Disciples of Jesus must not only hear what he
teaches, but abide in His Word, be at home in
it! This means not
only hearing, but obeying Him, sitting at His
feet, living under His Authority.
What is the Truth?
The Gospel of John
builds on the
ot
understanding that God is true or real (John
3:33; 7:28). Christ reveals God and thus reveals
truth (John 8:26, 40; 18:37). Since Christ
shares in God’s truth, he is himself full of
grace and truth (John 1:14, 17). Indeed, he is
‘the way, and the truth, and the life’ (John
14:6); he is the true light and the true vine
(John 1:9; 15:1). Christ sends the Counselor,
the Spirit of truth (John 15:26). Thus, the
ot
understanding of God as truth extends to Christ
and the Holy Spirit. The believer is guided into
truth (John 16:13), to worship God in spirit and
truth (John 4:23-24). Doing Christ’s word
enables one to know the truth and so be free
(John 8:32). This Christian freedom is not due
to possession of correct knowledge but rather
comes from relationship to that which is truly
real, namely, God. J.D.
J.D. Joanna Dewey, Ph.D.;
Associate Professor of New Testament and
Christianity and; Culture; Graduate
Seminary; Phillips University; Enid,
Oklahoma
|
|

April 21 -
“Jesus encounters a nagging
Woman”
Matthew 15:21-28 The Faith of a Canaanite
Woman
21
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region
of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite
woman from that vicinity came to him, crying
out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My
daughter is demon-possessed and suffering
terribly.”
23
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples
came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for
she keeps crying out after us.”
24
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep
of Israel.”
25
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help
me!” she said.
26
He replied, “It is not right to take the
children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat
the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great
faith! Your request is granted.” And her
daughter was healed at that moment.
Sermon
Title: “Jesus encounters a nagging Woman”
In this text
Jesus journeyed west toward the region of Tyre
and Sidon. Although a region not originally
included in his ministry, He went there to
provide opportunity for persons to hear and
respond.
In verse 22
we read that a Gentile woman, a woman of Canaan
came to meet Him as she cried out for help for
her daughter. She addressed Jesus as Lord, and
as the Son of David but Jesus ignored her. As we
follow the story notice four interacting scenes:
1)
The woman’s request
2)
The rejection from
Jesus
3)
The woman’s reaction
4)
The response of
Jesus
Jesus
expressed the common Jewish attitude toward
Gentiles, saying “it is not good to throw the
children’s bread to the little dogs.” She
responded by saying in essence, “Yes, Master,
what you say is true, but the little dogs still
eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s
table.”
Jesus responded “O woman, great is your faith;
Let it be to you as you desire.” |
|

April 14 -
“No Longer on my Own”
Acts 6: 1-7 The Choosing of
the Seven
6 In those days when the number of disciples was
increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them
complained against the Hebraic Jews because
their widows were being overlooked in the daily
distribution of food.
2
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples
together and said, “It would not be right for us
to neglect the ministry of the word of God in
order to wait on tables.
3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven
men from among you who are known to be full of
the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
responsibility over to them 4 and
will give our attention to prayer and the
ministry of the word.”
5
This proposal pleased the whole group. They
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the
Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor,
Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a
convert to Judaism. 6 They presented
these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid
their hands on them.
7
So the word of God spread. The number of
disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a
large number of priests became obedient to the
faith.
Sermon
Title: “No Longer on my Own”
Three major challenges faced the early church
which led to the seven being chosen as servants.
-
The surfacing of Discrimination
-
The Temptation of Professionalism
-
The Challenge of Prioritization
The origin of Deacon —
Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos,
meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For
a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had
existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper,
who spoke the sacred language of Palestine, and
the “Hellenists,” or Jews of the Grecian speech,
who had adopted the Grecian language, and read
the Septuagint version of the Bible instead of
the Hebrew.
This jealousy early appeared in the Christian
community. It was alleged by the Hellenists that
their widows were overlooked in the daily
distribution of alms. This spirit must be
checked. The apostles accordingly advised the
disciples to look out for seven men of good
report, full of the Holy Ghost, and men of
practical wisdom, who should take entire charge
of this distribution, leaving them free to
devote themselves entirely to the spiritual
functions of their office (Acts 6:1–6). This was
accordingly done. Seven men were chosen, who
appear from their names to have been Hellenists.
The name “deacon” is nowhere applied to them in
the New Testament; they are simply called “the
seven” (21:8). Their office was at first
secular, but it afterwards became also
spiritual; for among other qualifications they
must also be “apt to teach” (1 Tim. 3:8–12).
Both Philip and Stephen, who were of “the
seven,” preached; they did “the work of
evangelists.”
|
|

April 7 -
“Clothed with Power from on High”
Old Testament: Psalm 150
1
Praise
the Lord.
Praise God in
his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3
Praise him with the sounding of the
trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe, 5
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals. 6
Let everything that has breath praise the
Lord.
Praise the
Lord.
New Testament: Luke 24:36-49
36
While they were still talking about this, Jesus
himself stood among them and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”37 They were
startled and frightened, thinking they saw a
ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are
you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your
minds? 39 Look at my hands and my
feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost
does not have flesh and bones, as you see I
have.” 40 When he had said this, he
showed them his hands and feet. 41
And while they still did not believe it because
of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you
have anything here to eat?” 42 They
gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43
and he took it and ate it in their presence.44
He said to them, “This is what I told you
while I was still with you: Everything must be
fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of
Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”45
Then he opened their minds so they could
understand the Scriptures. 46 He told
them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will
suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47 and repentance for the forgiveness
of sins will be preached in his name to all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48
You are witnesses of these things. 49
I am going to send you what my Father has
promised; but stay in the city until you have
been clothed with power from on high.”
Sermon Title: “Clothed with Power
from on High”
LUKE TELLS A STORY
THAT HAS THREE MAJOR MOVEMENTS,
Ø
THE PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION,
Ø
JESUS' COMMISSION TO THE DISCIPLES (THIS IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO)
Ø
JESUS GIVES A PARTING BLESSING
1)
JESUS SPOKE UNTO
THEM SAYING THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH I SPOKE
UNTO YOU, WHILE I WAS YET WITH YOU, THAT ALL
THINGS MUST BE FULFILLED, WHICH WERE WRITTEN IN
THE LAW OF MOSES, AND IN THE PROPHETS, AND IN
THE PSALMS,
2)
SECONDLY, JESUS
OPENED THEIR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES,
OUR MINDS MUST ALWAYS BE EXPECTANT AND IN TOUCH
WITH THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS,
3)
THIRDLY, JESUS
SAID THE REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS
SHOULD BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME, TO ALL NATIONS
BEGINNING IN JERUSALEM,
4)
ON A FINAL NOTE,
JESUS DELIVERS A MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH AS HE
DEFINES THE WORK OF THE CHURCH.
JESUS SAID YOU ARE NOW MY WITNESSES; SEE TO
IT THAT YOU DO WORK.
|
|

March 31 -
Easter -
“On the Third Day”
Old Testament Isaiah
25:6-9
6
On this mountain the
Lord
Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for
all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of
meats and the finest of wines. 7 On
this mountain he will destroy the shroud that
enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all
nations; 8 he will swallow up death
forever. The Sovereign
Lord
will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will
remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
The Lord
has spoken.
9
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our
God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is
the Lord,
we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in
his salvation.”
New Testament 1
Corinthians 15: 1-4
15 Now, brothers
and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel
I preached to you, which you received and on
which you have taken your stand. 2 By
this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to
the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have
believed in vain. 3 For what I
received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, 4 that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures.
Sermon
Title: “On the Third Day”
There are
three things we must do to experience the real
resurrection power of Easter: We must:
A)
Acknowledge the Good News of the Gospel (the
content)
B) Believe
the Message of the Gospel (absorb it)
C) Celebrate
the Power and Victory (the deliverance power)
There are 3
important points to remember…
1)
Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures
2)
Christ was buried
according to the Scriptures
3)
Christ rose on the
third day according to the Scriptures
Resurrection is
a rising to life from death, Synonyms for
Resurrection are
revival,
reanimation, rebirth, renaissance, renascence,
resurgence, resuscitation, revivification,
reviviscence.
The concept
of resurrection is derived from Jewish
apocalyptic literature. In earlier
ot
writings there is no belief in life after death
as noted in (Psalm 115:17.) 16The
highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the
earth he has given to man. 17 It is
not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go
down to silence;
When
eventually this belief developed it was in the
form of the resurrection of the dead, rather
than of the immortality of the soul (Isa. 26:19;
Dan. 12:2).
Resurrection
is to be distinguished from resuscitation or
reanimation of the physical body. It denotes a
complete transformation of the human being in
his or her psychosomatic totality (1 Cor.
15:53-55).
|
|

March 17:
"Seeing
Beyond the Natural"
Old Testament 2 Kings
4:16-37
16
“About
this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will
hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord!” she
objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead
your servant!”
17
But the
woman became pregnant, and the next year about
that same time she gave birth to a son, just as
Elisha had told her.
18
The
child grew, and one day he went out to his
father, who was with the reapers. 19
He said to his father, “My head! My head!”
His father told a
servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20
After the servant had lifted him up and
carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her
lap until noon, and then he died. 21
She went up and laid him on the bed of the man
of God, then shut the door and went out.
22
She
called her husband and said, “Please send me one
of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the
man of God quickly and return.”
23
“Why go
to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon
or the Sabbath.”
“That’s all right,”
she said.
24
She
saddled the donkey and said to her servant,
“Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell
you.” 25 So she set out and came to
the man of God at Mount Carmel.
When he saw her in
the distance, the man of God said to his servant
Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26
Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all
right? Is your husband all right? Is your child
all right?’”
“Everything is all
right,” she said.
27
When
she reached the man of God at the mountain, she
took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push
her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her
alone! She is in bitter distress, but the
Lord
has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28
“Did I
ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I
tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29
Elisha
said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt,
take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet
anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do
not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30
But the
child’s mother said, “As surely as the
Lord
lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So
he got up and followed her.
31
Gehazi
went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s
face, but there was no sound or response. So
Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him,
“The boy has not awakened.”
32
When
Elisha reached the house, there was the boy
lying dead on his couch. 33 He went
in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed
to the
Lord. 34 Then he got on the
bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to
eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself
out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35
Elisha turned away and walked back and
forth in the room and then got on the bed and
stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed
seven times and opened his eyes.
36
Elisha
summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.”
And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your
son.” 37 She came in, fell at his
feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her
son and went out.
New Testament 2
Corinthians 4:11-18
11
For we
who are alive are always being given over to
death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also
be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So
then, death is at work in us, but life is at
work in you.
13
It is
written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”
Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also
believe and therefore speak, 14
because we know that the one who raised the Lord
Jesus from the dead will also raise us with
Jesus and present us with you to himself.
15 All this is for your benefit, so that
the grace that is reaching more and more people
may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory
of God.
16
Therefore we
do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are
wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed
day by day. 17 For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen, since what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Sermon Title: Seeing Beyond the
Natural
Ø
God rewards those who are faithful and willing
to walk in Faith…
Ø
The Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and
his ears are open to their cry (Psalm 34:15)…
Ø
A rod in the hand of a weak bearer cannot work
miracles, we must believe…
Ø
Faith opens the door for miracles to occur in
our lives and others around us…
|
|

March 10:
"HELP YOURSELF!!" – Robert
Knowles
Matthew 8:5-10
5
And
when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there
came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at
home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will
come and heal him. 8 The centurion
answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that
thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the
word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having
soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go,
and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he
cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth
it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he
marvelled, and said to them that followed,
Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great
faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew 8:19-20
19
And a
certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master,
I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The
foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have
nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay
his head.
Matthew 8:23-26
23
And
when he was entered into a ship, his disciples
followed him. 24 And, behold, there
arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that
the ship was covered with the waves: but he was
asleep. 25 And his disciples came to
him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we
perish. 26 And he saith unto them,
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then
he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and
there was a great calm.
Matthew 9:2-6
2
And,
behold, they brought to him a man sick of the
palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their
faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be
of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said
within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said,
Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5
For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be
forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6 But that ye may know that the Son of man
hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith
he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy
bed, and go unto thine house.
1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6
Now
concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would
not have you ignorant.
4
Now
there are diversities of gifts, but the same
Spirit. 5 And there are differences
of administrations, but the same Lord. 6
And there are diversities of operations,
but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
Matthew 14:14-21
14
And
Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and
was moved with compassion toward them, and he
healed their sick. 15 And when it
was evening, his disciples came to him, saying,
This is a desert place, and the time is now
past; send the multitude away, that they may go
into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They
need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17
And they say unto him, We have here but
five loaves, and two fishes. 18 He
said, Bring them hither to me. 19
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on
the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two
fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed,
and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples,
and the disciples to the multitude. 20
And they did all eat, and were filled: and
they took up of the fragments that remained
twelve baskets full. 21 And they
that had eaten were about five thousand men,
beside women and children.
Sermon
Title - "HELP YOURSELF!!" – Robert Knowles
1. We must know our authority and the authority
we represent.
2. We must not be ignorant of Spiritual gifts
and their value to the Body of Christ.
3. We are to be
the miracle workers for God on earth today.
|
|

March 3:
With Jesus, Satisfaction is
Guaranteed!
Isaiah 55:1-6
Invitation to the Thirsty
“Come, all
you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you
who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy
wine and milk without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not
bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and
you will delight in the richest of fare.3
Give ear and come to me; listen, that you
may live. I will make an everlasting covenant
with you, my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to
the peoples, a ruler and commander of the
peoples. 5 Surely you will summon
nations you know not, and nations you do not
know will come running to you, because of the
Lord
your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has
endowed you with splendor.” 6 Seek
the Lord
while he may be found; call on him while he is
near.
Matthew 14: 13-21
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13
When Jesus
heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat
privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this,
the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large
crowd, he had compassion on them and healed
their sick.
15
As evening
approached, the disciples came to him and said,
“This is a remote place, and it’s already
getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can
go to the villages and buy themselves some
food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not
need to go away. You give them something to
eat.” 17 “We have here only five
loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18
“Bring them
here to me,” he said. 19 And he
directed the people to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and
looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke
the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples,
and the disciples gave them to the people.
20 They all ate and were satisfied, and
the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of
broken pieces that were left over. 21
The number of those who ate was about five
thousand men, besides women and children.
Sermon Title: With Jesus,
Satisfaction is Guaranteed!
The purpose of Matthew’s Gospel is to present
Jesus as King (King of Israel, King of Kings,
King of all creation).
In chapter 14, we see the retreat of the King as
Jesus pulls away from the crowds to share
essential principles with His disciples. Jesus
had need of solitude, but when He saw the crowd,
Matthew writes He was “moved with compassion,
and he healed their sick.”
Ø
Jesus took limited resources (five loaves and
two fish) blessed them, gave them out and fed
five thousand. In the Lord’s hand, a little goes
a long way if you will let Him bless you and
break you.
Ø
Before the Lord can use a person greatly, He
must allow them to be broken deeply. There is no
other way, pride must go, Self-sufficiency must
die to make way for tenderness and compassion
that comes only through the breaking process.
Ø
Jesus gave a charge to the disciples, “You give
them something to eat.” The source of the
feeding is God, but the resources are human.
|
|

February 24:
“Life Will Make You Cry”
Old Testament Exodus 14:
13-18
13
Moses
answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand
firm and you will see the deliverance the
Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you
will never see again. 14 The
Lord
will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
15
Then the
Lord
said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the Israelites to move on. 16
Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over
the sea to divide the water so that the
Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.
17 I will harden the hearts of the
Egyptians so that they will go in after them.
And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all
his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
18 The Egyptians will know that I am
the Lord
when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots
and his horsemen.”
New Testament Matthew
14:22-29
22
Immediately
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and
go on ahead of him to the other side, while he
dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had
dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by
himself to pray. Later that night, he was there
alone, 24 and the boat was already a
considerable distance from land, buffeted by the
waves because the wind was against it.25
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to
them, walking on the lake. 26 When
the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they
were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and
cried out in fear.
27
But Jesus
immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is
I. Don’t be afraid.”
28
“Lord, if
it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to
you on the water.”29 “Come,” he said.
Sermon Title: “Life Will Make
You Cry”
In chapter 14 there are two major themes that
mark the stories of the wandering in the
wilderness; namely, Israel’s complaints against
Moses and the Lord,
and
the Lord’s miraculous care.
The Book of Exodus
covers a crucial period in Israel's history, The
Bible’s entire message of redemption grows out
of the covenant relationship between God and the
people described in this book. The Exodus is
one of the great miracles of the Old Testament,
it is a story with two major themes, one being
redemption (in the Old Testament redemption
means deliverance, or release from some type of
bondage).
The Exodus is an
illustration of God’s personal power and God’s
ability to save and protect his people.
The lessons we
learn from this text:
1.
We must
follow GOD'S
INSTRUCTIONS - GOD ALWAYS GOES BEFORE US,
GOD IS NEVER LATE,
2.
We must
avoid living in a
state of FEAR because Fear produces an
unstable mind.
3.
We must
remember God’s
perfect record of fighting and winning in
battle.
4.
We must
remember God expects
us to participate in our deliverance.
|
|

February 17: “Set Free” –
Rev. Julie Bell
Old Testament: Isaiah 58: 13-14 (NIV)
13
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day, if
you call the Sabbath a delight and the
Lord’s
holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not
going your own way and not doing as you please
or speaking idle words, 14 then you
will find your joy in the
Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the
heights of the land and to feast on the
inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth
of the
Lord
has spoken.
New Testament: Luke 13: 10-17
(NIV)
10
On a
Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the
synagogues,
11 and a woman was
there who had been crippled by a spirit for
eighteen years. She was bent over and could not
straighten up at all.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her
forward and said to her,
“Woman, you are set free from
your infirmity.”
13 Then he put his hands on her, and
immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14
Indignant because Jesus had healed on the
Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the
people, “There are six days for work. So come
and be healed on those days, not on the
Sabbath.”
15
The
Lord answered him,
“You
hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath
untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead
it out to give it water?
16 Then should not
this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan
has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set
free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17
When he
said this, all his opponents were humiliated,
but the people were delighted with all the
wonderful things he was doing.
Sermon
Title: “Set Free” – Rev. Julie Bell
Free: Not under the control of some other
person or power.
-
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will
give you the desires of your heart.
-
God will deliver in his time.
-
God is always watching us.
-
Some people will be jealous when God
delivers you.
-
You should Praise God when He delivers you.
|
|

February 10:
“The Redeeming Power of Love”
Old Testament
Hosea 3:1-5
3
The
Lord
said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife
again, though she is loved by another man and is
an adulteress. Love her as the
Lord
loves the Israelites, though they turn to other
gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
2
So I
bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and
about a homer and a lethek of barley.
3 Then I told her,
“You are to live with me many days; you must not
be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and
I will behave the same way toward you.”
4
For the
Israelites will live many days without king or
prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones,
without ephod or household gods.
5 Afterward the
Israelites will return and seek the
Lord
their God and David their king. They will come
trembling to the
Lord
and to his blessings in the last days.
New Testament: 1
Corinthians 13:1-13
13
If I speak in
the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have
love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging
cymbal.
2 If I have the
gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries
and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that
can move mountains, but do not have love, I am
nothing. 3
If I give all I possess to the poor and give
over my body to hardship that I may boast, but
do not have love, I gain nothing.
4
Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does
not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not
dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of
wrongs. 6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with
the truth. 7
It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres.
8
Love
never fails. But where there are prophecies,
they will cease; where there are tongues, they
will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it
will pass away.
9 For we know in
part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when
completeness comes, what is in part disappears.
11 When I was a
child, I talked like a child, I thought like a
child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a
man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
12 For now we see
only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall
see face to face. Now I know in part; then I
shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and
love. But the greatest of these is love.
Sermon Title: “The Redeeming
Power of Love”
In God’s
eyes, we are His children and He loves us as we
love our own children. A love connection with
God should be our primary focus in life and
chief end. If we are made in the image of God,
it only makes sense to conclude that we are
capable of responding to God’s love. Research
reveals that not only does man have the
potential for responding to the love of God but,
in fact, man is not fully content until he has
made a love connection with God.
Saint
Augustine reminded us that man never truly finds
ultimate meaning until he responds to the love
of God.
In the Hosea
text the prophet receives one profound command
to go and reconcile with his wife who is in an
adulterous relationship. He is told to act, not
react. He is to love Gomer rather than take
revenge.
Hosea’s
marriage to Gomer was a living example to the
nation of Israel of its infidelity toward God.
Whenever we stray away God wants us to return to
Him because he loves us. While we were still
sinners, God sent His Son Jesus, who gave His
life for us (Romans 5:8).
|
|

February 3:
“Jesus stirs things up, again!”
Old
Testament: Jeremiah 1: 4-10
4
The
word of the
Lord
came to me, saying,
5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew
you, before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6
“Alas, Sovereign
Lord,”
I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too
young.”
7
But the
Lord
said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You
must go to everyone I send you to and say
whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid
of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,”
declares the
Lord.
9
Then
the
Lord
reached out his hand and touched my mouth and
said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I
appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot
and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to
build and to plant.”
New Testament:
Luke 4: 21-30
21
He began by saying to them,
“Today this
scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22
All
spoke well of him and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t
this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23
Jesus
said to them,
“Surely you
will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal
yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in
your hometown what we have heard that you did in
Capernaum.’”
24
“Truly
I tell you,”
he continued,
“no prophet
is accepted in his hometown.
25 I assure you
that there were many widows in Israel in
Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three
and a half years and there was a severe famine
throughout the land.
26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of
them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region
of Sidon. 27
And there were many in Israel with leprosy in
the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of
them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
28
All the
people in the synagogue were furious when they
heard this.
29 They got up,
drove him out of the town, and took him to the
brow of the hill on which the town was built, in
order to throw him off the cliff.
30 But he walked
right through the crowd and went on his way.
Sermon Title: “Jesus stirs things
up, again!”
Luke shares with us that Jesus returned to his
home town of Nazareth and went into the
synagogue on the Sabbath day. When Jesus
returned home with a new identity he received
mixed reviews from the people in Nazareth. They
did not understand the extraordinary work that
had been done in Capernaum.
There are three pivotal points:
Ø
When
personal and social concerns are addressed for
God’s people God’s Spirit is at work.
Ø
In
these verses, Jesus communicates the basic idea
that salvation is here and now. The synagogue
had lost its relevance to the everyday and was
concerned about the cultivation of mind and soul
through study. Jesus talked about God in the
present and said today this scripture is
fulfilled. Now is the acceptable hour!
Ø
Jesus
told his audience that there would be
consequences for the choices they make and they
would be held accountable or rejecting him.
|
|

January 27:
“When Life gets tough, Remember”
Old Testament Psalm 27
1
The
Lord
is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I
be afraid? 2 When evil men advance
against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies
and my foes attack me, they will stumble and
fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my
heart will not fear; though war break out
against me, even then will I be confident.
4
One thing I
ask of the
Lord, this is what I seek: that I may
dwell in the house of the
Lord
all the days of my life, to gaze upon the
beauty of the
Lord
and to seek him in his temple. 5
For in the day of trouble he
will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide
me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me
high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will
be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at
his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of
joy; I will sing and make
music to the
Lord.
7
Hear my voice
when I call, O
Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My
heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face,
Lord, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from
me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you
have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake
me, O God my Savior 10 Though my
father and mother forsake me, the
Lord
will receive me. 11 Teach me your
way, O
Lord; lead me in a straight path because
of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me
over to the desire of my foes, for false
witnesses rise up against me, breathing out
violence.
13
I am still
confident of this: I will see the goodness of
the Lord
in the land of the living. 14
Wait for the
Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the
Lord.
New Testament 2 Timothy
2:8-13
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from
the dead, descended from David. This is my
gospel, 9 for which I am suffering
even to the point of being chained like a
criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10
Therefore I endure everything for the sake
of the elect, that they too may obtain the
salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory.
11
Here is a
trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we
will also live with him; 12 if we
endure, we will also reign with him. If we
disown him, he will also disown us; 13
if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Sermon Title: “When Life gets
tough, Remember”
Paul has clearly
stated his conviction that life is difficult. No
soldier, athlete or farmer accomplishes anything
worthwhile without hardship.
In calling us to
remember Jesus Christ, Paul again charges us to
remember that Jesus was truly human, of the seed
of David and raised from the dead.
Paul helps us to remember that the power of
memory should never be underestimated. This
passage does suggest we are what we remember.
Memory is the lens through which we view
our world. We relate to the present through our
memories of the past. Our present attitudes are
shaped by how we remember past events.
During his imprisonment and suffering Paul
practiced what he preached, as he reflects upon
his chains, he remembers Jesus Christ! |
|

January 20 -
“Facing our Giants”
Old
Testament 1 Samuel 17:34-47
34
But David
said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his
father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and
carried off a sheep from the flock,
35 I went after it
struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth.
When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair,
struck it and killed it.
36 Your servant
has killed both the lion and the bear; this
uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of
them, because he has defied the armies of the
living God. 37
The
Lord
who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the
paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of
this Philistine.”
Saul said to
David, “Go, and the
Lord
be with you.”
38
Then
Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a
coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his
head.
39 David fastened
on his sword over the tunic and tried walking
around, because he was not used to them.
“I cannot go
in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not
used to them.” So he took them off.
40 Then he took
his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones
from the stream, put them in the pouch of his
shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand,
approached the Philistine.
41
Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield
bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to
David.
42 He looked David
over and saw that he was little more than a boy,
glowing with health and handsome, and he
despised him. 43
He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you
come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine
cursed David by his gods.
44 “Come here,” he
said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and
the wild animals!”
45
David said to the Philistine, “You come against
me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come
against you in the name of the
Lord
Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
you have defied.
46 This day the
Lord
will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike
you down and cut off your head. This very day I
will give the carcasses of the Philistine army
to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole
world will know that there is a God in Israel.
47 All those
gathered here will know that it is not by sword
or spear that the
Lord
saves; for the battle is the
Lord’s,
and he will give all of you into our hands.”
New Testament
1 Timothy 4: 9-16
6
If you
point these things out to the brothers and
sisters,[a]
you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus,
nourished on the truths of the faith and of the
good teaching that you have followed.
7 Have nothing to
do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;
rather, train yourself to be godly.
8 For physical
training is of some value, but godliness has
value for all things, holding promise for both
the present life and the life to come.
9 This is a
trustworthy saying that deserves full
acceptance.
10 That is why
we labor and strive, because we have put our
hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all
people, and especially of those who believe.
11
Command and teach these things.
12 Don’t let
anyone look down on you because you are young,
but set an example for the believers in speech,
in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
13 Until I come,
devote yourself to the public reading of
Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
14 Do not neglect
your gift, which was given you through prophecy
when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Sermon Title: “Facing
our Giants”
·
Life
is filled with many challenges
·
Knowing God builds confidence
·
Courage flows from our confidence in God
Lessons from
David:
David’s
speech was more of an announcement than a
threat. First,
he announced that their armor was
different. David came, not with sword, spear, or
javelin, but in the name of the Lord of Hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
defied.
Secondly,
David
announced that God was about to deliver Goliath
into his hand and promised that what Goliath had
threatened to do to David’s body would happen to
all the Philistines.
Thirdly,
David
announced that the result would be that everyone
would know that there “is a God in Israel” and
that the battle was God’s.
In summary,
David teaches us that
Confidence in Almighty God is a Fatal Weapon against any enemy!
|
|

January 13
- "Yielded
Vessels" – Rev. Rose Cornelious
Old
Testament - Exodus 1: 1-21
These are
the names of the sons of Israel who went to
Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
2 Reuben, Simeon,
Levi and Judah; 3
Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;
4 Dan and
Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
5 The descendants
of Jacob numbered seventy[a]
in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.
6
Now
Joseph and all his brothers and all that
generation died,
7 but the
Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they
multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and
became so numerous that the land was filled with
them.
8
Then a
new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to
power in Egypt.
9 “Look,” he said
to his people, “the Israelites have become far
too numerous for us.
10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with
them or they will become even more numerous and,
if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight
against us and leave the country.”
11
So they
put slave masters over them to oppress them with
forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses
as store cities for Pharaoh.
12 But the more
they were oppressed, the more they multiplied
and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the
Israelites 13
and worked them ruthlessly.
14 They made their
lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and
mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields;
in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked
them ruthlessly.
15
The
king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose
names were Shiphrah and Puah,
16 “When you are
helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on
the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is
a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her
live.” 17
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do
what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they
let the boys live.
18 Then the king of Egypt summoned
the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done
this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19
The
midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not
like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give
birth before the midwives arrive.”
20
So God
was kind to the midwives and the people
increased and became even more numerous.
21 And because the
midwives feared God, he gave them families of
their own.
New Testament - Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus
heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat
privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this,
the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.
14 When Jesus landed and saw a large
crowd, he had compassion on them and healed
their sick.
15
As evening approached, the disciples came to him
and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s
already getting late. Send the crowds away, so
they can go to the villages and buy themselves
some food.”
16
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You
give them something to eat.”
17
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two
fish,” they answered.
18
“Bring them here to me,” he said. 19
And he directed the people to sit down on the
grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish
and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and
broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the
disciples, and the disciples gave them to the
people. 20 They all ate and were
satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve
basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
21 The number of those who ate was
about five thousand men, besides women and
children.
Sermon Title - Yielded Vessels –
Rev. Rose Cornelious
The Jews lived in Egypt for hundreds of years
after coming there because of a famine. The
Pharaoh (ruler of Egypt) thinks they’ve
outstayed their welcome and wants to curtail
their growth – through any means necessary. Two
women put their lives on the line and forever
shape what will become the nation of Israel.
Today’s sermon will ask you to consider these
things:
What would you do if you were given an
instruction that you had a conflict with? What
if going against that instruction meant possibly
losing everything, including your life?
Have you ever been disturbed by something going
on in your community or the world and felt like
you wanted to do something about it?
What are some of the excuses you give God for
not doing more to change unjust situations
locally and around the world?
|
|

January 6,
2013 -
“How to Rekindle the Fire?”
Old Testament Psalm 137
1
By the
rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we
remembered Zion. 2 There on the
poplars we hung our harps, 3 for
there our captors asked us for songs, our
tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4
How can we sing the songs of the
Lord while in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you,
Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of
my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not
consider Jerusalem my highest joy. 7
Remember,
Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear
it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its
foundations!” 8 Daughter Babylon,
doomed to destruction, happy is the one who
repays you according to what you have done to
us. 9 Happy is the one who seizes
your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
New Testament 2 Timothy
1:1-10
1
Paul, an
apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in
keeping with the promise of life that is in
Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear
son:
Grace, mercy and peace from
God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.3
I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors
did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I
constantly remember you in my prayers.
4 Recalling your
tears, I long to see you, so that I may be
filled with joy.
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith,
which first lived in your grandmother Lois and
in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now
lives in you also.6 For this reason I
remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,
which is in you through the laying on of my
hands. 7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us
timid, but gives us power, love and
self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony
about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather,
join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the
power of God. 9
He has saved us and called us to a holy
life—not because of anything we have done but
because of his own purpose and grace. This grace
was given us in Christ Jesus before the
beginning of time,
10 but it has now been revealed
through the appearing of our Savior, Christ
Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought
life and immortality to light through the
gospel.
Sermon Title: “How to Rekindle
the Fire?”
It is
reasonable to believe that Second Timothy is the
letter that Paul wrote during his final
imprisonment in Rome. Some believe that it is
one of Paul’s most intimate and moving letters.
Even though Timothy had not been converted by
Paul, he had become Paul’s understudy and
constant companion.
In this
epistle paternal instructions and advice are
given to a youthful child in the faith, who is
following in his teacher’s footsteps.
What is
remarkable in this letter is the way in which
Faith informs the Thanksgiving expressed.
Ø
First,
Paul’s own service to God with a clear
conscience is defined with respect to those who
preceded him in Faith, “my ancestors” (v.3), or
“my forefathers” (REB).
Ø
Secondly, Timothy’s own faith is indebted to
those who preceded him, his grandmother Lois and
his mother Eunice (Acts 16:1). Faith is what is
handed down from mother to daughter to son, but
not merely as a package passed from one
generation to another but as “a faith which was
alive” in mother and daughter and which now
lives in the child of the third generation.
Paul (the
veteran apostle) makes an appeal for courage and
endurance with three aspects:
1.
A call for a
rekindled spirit
as Timothy remembers the ordination to the
ministry.
2.
A call for
bold witness
as Timothy is charged not to be ashamed of
bearing witness to the faith.
3.
A call for
fidelity to the
apostolic faith
which must be adhered to, guarded,
and protected.
|
|

December 30 -
“The Making of a Leader"
- Minister Karen Morant
Old Testament – Nehemiah 2: 1- 20
NIV
2
In the month
of Nisan in the twentieth year of King
Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I
took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not
been sad in his presence before,
2 so the king
asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when
you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness
of heart.”
I was very
much afraid,
3 but I said to
the king, “May the king live forever! Why should
my face not look sad when the city where my
ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its
gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4
The
king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed
to the God of heaven,
5 and I answered
the king, “If it pleases the king and if your
servant has found favor in his sight, let him
send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors
are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
6
Then
the king, with the queen sitting beside him,
asked me, “How long will your journey take, and
when will you get back?” It pleased the king to
send me; so I set a time.
7
I also
said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have
letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so
that they will provide me safe-conduct until I
arrive in Judah?
8 And may I have a
letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he
will give me timber to make beams for the gates
of the citadel by the temple and for the city
wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And
because the gracious hand of my God was on me,
the king granted my requests.
9 So I went to the
governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the
king’s letters. The king had also sent army
officers and cavalry with me.
10
When
Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite
official heard about this, they were very much
disturbed that someone had come to promote the
welfare of the Israelites.
11
I went
to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days
12 I set out
during the night with a few others. I had not
told anyone what my God had put in my heart to
do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me
except the one I was riding on.
13
By
night I went out through the Valley Gate toward
the Jackal[a]
Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of
Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its
gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
14 Then I moved on
toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool,
but there was not enough room for my mount to
get through; 15
so I went up the valley by night,
examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and
reentered through the Valley Gate.
16 The officials
did not know where I had gone or what I was
doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the
Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or
any others who would be doing the work.
17
Then I
said to them, “You see the trouble we are in:
Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been
burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall
of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in
disgrace.”
18 I also told
them about the gracious hand of my God on me and
what the king had said to me.
They replied,
“Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this
good work.
19
But
when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite
official and Geshem the Arab heard about it,
they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you
are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling
against the king?”
20
I
answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will
give us success. We his servants will start
rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in
Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
New Testament – Ephesians 2:10
NIV
10
For we
are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do.
Sermon Title: “The
Making of a Leader"
The 7
P’s of Leadership: Purpose, Position,
Preparation, Plan, Promise, Prayer, and People”
Leadership
defined as "influence," according to John
Maxwell. To accept this definition is to accept
that every one of us have influence, therefore,
each one of us is or can be a leader. Therefore,
leadership can be developed. The story of
Nehemiah describes how God uses ordinary people
to do great things, the making of a leader.
7 Pillars of
Christian leadership are purposed
to do good works; positioned to
make great impact; prepared
through prayer and the knowledge
of God’s promises to carry out
God’s plan for his people
and the building of his kingdom.
Purpose and Position
Focus
Areas:
Prepared and
Plan - Prayer and Promise - People
|
|

December 23 -
“The Blessing of Christmas”
Old Testament Micah
5:2-5a
2
“But
you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small
among the clans of Judah, out of you will come
for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose
origins are from of old, from ancient times.”3
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until
the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return to join the
Israelites.4 He will stand and
shepherd his flock in the strength of the
Lord, in the majesty of the name of the
Lord
his God. And they will live securely, for then
his greatness will reach to the ends of the
earth.
5
And he
will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our
land and march through our fortresses.
New Testament Luke 1:46
– 55
46
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of
the humble state of his servant. From now on all
generations will call me blessed, 49
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name. 50 His mercy
extends to those who fear him, from generation
to generation. 51 He has performed
mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered
those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from
their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good
things but has sent the rich away empty. 54
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful 55 to
Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he
promised our ancestors.
Sermon Title: “The Blessing of
Christmas”
Mary’s song is a song of faith, and we know
faith grows out of true worship and adoration of
God. Worship takes the attention off of us and
focuses it on God – on His might, on His power,
on His mercy and grace. Worship is a perfect
environment for strengthening and deepening our
faith because faith keeps its focus on the Word
and promises of God, and not on the surrounding
or prevailing circumstances.
According to Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the
assurance of things hoped for and the conviction
of things not seen”. It is believing that
because God has declared something, it is
already an accomplished fact even if the
tangible and visible evidence is not immediately
apparent to our visual senses. Here we hear Mary
proclaiming that God has:
Ø
Scattered the proud and arrogant;
Ø
Pulled down the mighty from their thrones
Ø
Exalted the poor;
Ø
Satisfied the hungry with good nourishment,
Ø
Sent the self-sufficiently wealthy away
empty-handed.
Mary’s song is also a song of hope that is
nurtured and strengthened and encouraged by her
faith.
It is a hope that is anchored in the promise God
made to her ancestor Abraham and to all his
descendants.
|
|

December 16 - "What Shall We Do?"
Old
Testament Isaiah 12:2-6
2
Surely God is
my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord,
the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my
salvation.” 3 With joy you will
draw water from the wells of salvation.4
In that day you will say: “Give praise to
the Lord,
proclaim his name; make known among the nations
what he has done, and proclaim that his name is
exalted.5 Sing to the
Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to
all the world.6 Shout aloud and sing
for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy
One of Israel among you.”
New
Testament Luke 3:7-18
7
John
said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by
him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to
flee from the coming wrath?
8
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have
Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out
of these stones God can raise up children for
Abraham. 9
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and
every tree that does not produce good fruit will
be cut down and thrown into the fire.”10
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.11
John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts
should share with the one who has none, and
anyone who has food should do the same.”12
Even tax collectors came to be baptized.
“Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”13
“Don’t collect any more than you are
required to,” he told them.14 Then
some soldiers asked him, “And what should we
do?”He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t
accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”15
The people were waiting expectantly and
were all wondering in their hearts if John might
possibly be the Messiah.
16 John answered
them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who
is more powerful than I will come, the straps of
whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 His winnowing
fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he
will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
18 And with many
other words John exhorted the people and
proclaimed the good news to them.
Sermon
Title “What Shall We Do?”
Ministry of John The Baptist: Luke 3:1–22
It began with
John, who broke out of the desert like an
old-time prophet, boldly announcing God’s Word
and challenging his hearers to a complete change
of heart. John’s words were straightforward, and
pierced to the heart of his hearers. He called
them a brood of snakes. He warned them not to
keep on trusting in their ancestry; their own
hearts must be right with God.
When they cried out, asking what shall we do,
John told them plainly, and in telling them John
revealed the ways that they hated and hurt one
another. John’s
message was simple. There must be a change in
your hearts. God is about to act; judgment
is coming. And you must have a new life!
First,
there must be forgiveness, for there has always
been sin.
Secondly, there must be baptism, as a
public sign of a choice to turn from sin.
Thirdly,
there must be a whole new lifestyle—a new life
that is lived in harmony with God and with
holiness, a new life that breaks completely with
sin. Finally, John had one other message.
The Saviour-Messiah
was coming. The One who would make all this
possible was approaching.
|
|

December 9
“Chained and yet Joyful”
Old Testament Malachi 3:1-4 (NIV)
3 “I will
send my messenger, who will prepare the way
before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are
seeking will come to his temple; the messenger
of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,”
says the
Lord Almighty.
2
But who
can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand
when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s
fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will
sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will
purify the Levites and refine them like gold and
silver. Then the
Lord
will have men who will bring offerings in
righteousness, 4 and the offerings of
Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the
Lord,
as in days gone by, as in former years.
New Testament Philippians
1:3-11 (NIV)
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3
I thank my God every time I
remember you.
4 In all my
prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
5 because of your
partnership in the gospel from the first day
until now,
6 being confident of
this, that he who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of
Christ Jesus.
7
It is
right for me to feel this way about all of you,
since I have you in my heart and, whether I am
in chains or defending and confirming the
gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.
8 God can testify
how I long for all of you with the affection of
Christ Jesus.
9
And
this is my prayer: that your love may abound
more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
10 so that you may
be able to discern what is best and may be pure
and blameless for the day of Christ,
11 filled with the
fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Sermon Title: “Chained and yet
Joyful”
Paul rejoiced in spite of his
circumstances, because his circumstances
strengthened the fellowship of the Gospel
.
The word fellowship simply
means “to have in common.” But true Christian
fellowship is really much deeper than sharing
coffee and pie, or even enjoying a golf game
together. Too often what we think is
“fellowship” is really only acquaintanceship or
friendship. You cannot have fellowship with
someone unless you have something in common; and
for Christian fellowship, this means the
possessing of eternal life within the heart.
Unless a person has trusted Christ as his
Saviour, he knows nothing of “the fellowship of
the Gospel.”
I. Paul’s
Supplication
for
the
Philippian
Believers
(1:1–11)
A. For whom he prays
(1:1–2): Pastors, deacons, and all Christians in
Philippi.
B. When he prays (1:3):
“Every time I think of you.”
C. How he prays (1:4): He
prays with his heart filled with joy.
D. Why he prays (1:5,
7–8): The Philippian believers have rendered
great assistance to Paul, both in prison and out
of prison.
E. What he prays (1:6,
9–11)
1. That God’s Word be
carried to its completion in every believer
until the return of Christ (1:6)
2. That they might be filled
with love (1:9)
3. That they might have the
spirit of discernment (1:10)
4. That they be filled with
the fruits of righteousness (or of salvation) (1:11)
|
|

December 2
“Watching, Waiting and Witnessing
for Jesus”
Old Testament: Genesis
6:5-9
5
The
Lord
saw how great the wickedness of the human race
had become on the earth, and that every
inclination of the thoughts of the human heart
was only evil all the time.
6 The
Lord
regretted that he had made human beings on the
earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
7 So the
Lord
said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth
the human race I have created—and with them the
animals, the birds and the creatures that move
along the ground—for I regret that I have made
them.” 8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the
Lord.
9 This is the account of Noah and his
family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless
among the people of his time, and he walked
faithfully with God.
New Testament: Matthew
24:36-44
36
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not
even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only
the Father. 37 As it was in the days
of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son
of Man. 38 For in the days before the
flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah
entered the ark; 39 and they knew
nothing about what would happen until the flood
came and took them all away. That is how it will
be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40
Two men will be in the field; one will be
taken and the other left. 41 Two
women will be grinding with a hand mill; one
will be taken and the other left.
42
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know
on what day your Lord will come. 43
But understand this: If the owner of the house
had known at what time of night the thief was
coming, he would have kept watch and would not
have let his house be broken into. 44
So you also must be ready, because the Son of
Man will come at an hour when you do not expect
him.
Sermon
Title: “Watching, Waiting and Witnessing for
Jesus”
Ø
We
must “Focus on
the Priorities” Christ has given
Ø
We
must “Discern
the Times” as noted in the Bible
Ø
We
must “Pray
Continually” for spiritual guidance
Today, marks
the beginning of the season of Advent, a time of
preparation, a time to focus on the coming of
the Messiah, a time of great expectation and
anticipation.
The name Advent comes from the Latin words,
advenire (to come to) & adventus (an
arrival), and refers to Christ's coming into
this world.
It is that period of the year during which the
Church requires the faithful to prepare for the
celebration of the feast of Christmas, the
anniversary of the birth and coming of Jesus
Christ. The focus of Advent is by no means
limited to just Christ's first coming. An equal,
if not more important theme found in the Advent
Liturgy is the Second Coming of Christ when He
comes again to judge the world.
The primary
focus of Jesus in this passage is watchfulness
as we wait for His return. Our motivation in the
service of Christ is a meaningful relationship
with Him not a fear of the end. Jesus calls us
to be disciples in the world, to serve in the
world, to evangelize the world as we wait for
His return. In this passage of scripture Matthew
tells us:
1) No one
knows the time of His coming (v. 36)
2) No
specific signs mark out the time (vv.37-39)
3) No change
of involvements in the necessary pursuits of
life is to preempt the final separation
(vv.40-44)
|
|

November 25
“Don’t Forget to Remember”
Old Testament
Deuteronomy 8:7-18
7
For the
Lord
your God is bringing you into a good land—a land
with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing
out into the valleys and hills; 8 a
land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees,
pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9
a land where bread will not be scarce and you
will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are
iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise
the Lord
your God for the good land he has given you.
11 Be careful that you do not forget
the Lord
your God, failing to observe his commands, his
laws and his decrees that I am giving you this
day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and
are satisfied, when you build fine houses and
settle down, 13 and when your herds
and flocks grow large and your silver and gold
increase and all you have is multiplied, 14
then your heart will become proud and you
will forget the
Lord
your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of
the land of slavery. 15 He led you
through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that
thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous
snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out
of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to
eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors
had never known, to humble and test you so that
in the end it might go well with you. 17
You may say to yourself, “My power and the
strength of my hands have produced this wealth
for me.” 18 But remember the
Lord
your God, for it is he who gives you the ability
to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant,
which he swore to your ancestors, as it is
today.
New Testament Luke
17:11-19
11
Now on
his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the
border between Samaria and Galilee.
12 As he was going
into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance
13 and called out
in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on
us!”
14
When he
saw them, he said,
“Go, show
yourselves to the priests.”
And as they went, they were cleansed.
15
One of
them, when he saw he was healed, came back,
praising God in a loud voice.
16 He threw
himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he
was a Samaritan.
17
Jesus
asked,
“Were not all
ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
18 Has no one
returned to give praise to God except this
foreigner?” 19
Then he said to him,
“Rise and go; your faith has
made you well.”
Sermon Title: “Don’t
Forget to Remember”
One of the most important elements of
Thanksgiving is to count one’s blessings, and to
be thankful for everything God has done!
In this passage of scripture Moses does not want
Israel to forget that God was their liberator,
leader and deliverer…
Twice in this chapter Moses exhorts Israel to
“remember” the greatness of God in their past.
The Hebrew word for “remember,” zakar, appears
in many forms throughout the Old Testament.
Remembering is certainly a mental exercise but
it has other aspects, it implies action and
honor. The NIV translates zakar as “celebrate”
as in Psalm 145-7 and “joyfully sing” as in 1
Chronicles 16:4.
Moses warns Israel of the negative
characteristics of pride. They must remember
that their pride is:
1. Untrue – God heard their cry and
delivered them. They were in bondage.
2. Disloyal – The worst form of idolatry
is to lift themselves up before God
3. Ungrateful – What can be worse than
to forget the source of all good things?
4. Offensive – Pride is one of the 7
things that God hates. Proverbs 6:16-17
5. Arrogant – God desired to humble them
in the wilderness to test them.
|
|

November 18 "The Debt of Love I Owe"
Old Testament:
Psalm 122
1
I
rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go
to the house of the
Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing in your
gates, Jerusalem.
3
Jerusalem is
built like a city that is closely compacted
together. 4 That is where the tribes
go up—the tribes of the
Lord—to
praise the name of the
Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for
judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6
Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love
you be secure. 7 May there be peace
within your walls and security within your
citadels. ”8 For the sake of my
family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within
you.” 9 For the sake of the house of
the Lord
our God, I will seek your prosperity.
New Testament:
Romans 13:8-14
Love
Fulfills the Law -
8
Let no debt remain outstanding,
except the continuing debt to love one another,
for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
9
The commandments, “You shall not commit
adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall
not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever
other command there may be, are summed up in
this one command: “Love your neighbor as
yourself.”
10 Love does no harm
to a neighbor. Therefore love is the
fulfillment of the law.
The Day Is Near -
11
And do this, understanding the
present time: The hour has already come for you
to wake up from your slumber, because our
salvation is nearer now than us put aside the
deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave
decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing
and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and
debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord
Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to
gratify the desires of the flesh.
Sermon Title: “The Debt of Love I
Owe”
Having spoken
about the Christian obligation to pay tax and
tribute, Paul turns his attention to private
financial concerns. He insists that Christians
meet their commitments in this area too as a
matter of spiritual and moral obligation but
then, surprisingly, adds the instruction
concerning the obligation of love.
Love is a
theme found throughout Scripture; it is the
theme of countless hymns and secular poetry;
literature and music are permeated with its
message. The Apostle Paul insists, however,
that love is an obligation as real as taxation
and personal debt repayment.
The idea of
love is always closely related to its
inspiration, Jesus Christ, Paul is never weary
of appealing to Christ’s love for us as the
incentive for our love for others.
|
|

November 11 “Stepping out of
Poverty”
Old Testament 1 Kings
17:7-16
7
Some time
later the brook dried up because there had been
no rain in the land. 8 Then the word
of the
Lord came to him: 9 “Go at
once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and
stay there. I have directed a widow there to
supply you with food.” 10 So he went
to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a
widow was there gathering sticks. He called to
her and asked, “Would you bring me a little
water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11
As she was going to get it, he called,
“And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12
“As
surely as the
Lord
your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any
bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a
little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few
sticks to take home and make a meal for myself
and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13
Elijah
said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as
you have said. But first make a small loaf of
bread for me from what you have and bring it to
me, and then make something for yourself and
your son. 14 For this is what the
Lord,
the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will
not be used up and the jug of oil will not run
dry until the day the
Lord
sends rain on the land.’”
15
She went away
and did as Elijah had told her. So there was
food every day for Elijah and for the woman and
her family. 16 For the jar of flour
was not used up and the jug of oil did not run
dry, in keeping with the word of the
Lord
spoken by Elijah.
New Testament Mark 12:38-44
41
Jesus
sat down opposite the place where the offerings
were put and watched the crowd putting their
money into the temple treasury. Many rich people
threw in large amounts.
42 But a poor
widow came and put in two very small copper
coins, worth only a few cents.
43
Calling
his disciples to him, Jesus said,
“Truly I tell
you, this poor widow has put more into the
treasury than all the others.
44 They all gave
out of their wealth; but she, out of her
poverty, put in everything—all she had to live
on.”
Sermon Title: “Stepping out of
Poverty”
In this text, Jesus calls his disciples around
him, he repeats the lesson that he has taught so
many times and in so many different ways. As
the widow “out of her poverty put in all that
she had, her whole livelihood” (v.44), God asks
that we give Him our all. Many standards of
giving can be developed from the widow’s act:
Giving is to be
measured:
Ø
not by its count, but its cost
Ø
not by its amount, but its portion
Ø
not by what is given, but by what is kept
Ø
not by money, but by spirit
Giving is a reflection of the heart…
Giving is a matter of the heart…
Questions you should ponder…
Ø
Do you give out of your surplus?
Ø
Do you give out of your substance?
Ø
When Jesus observes your giving what does he
see?
Ø
Are you living in spiritual poverty?
|
|

November 4 - "Desolate No
More" -
Rev. Rose Cornelious
Scripture Verses: 2 Samuel 13:
1-22 NIV
13
In the course
of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with
Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of
David.
2
Amnon
became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he
made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it
seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
3
Now
Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of
Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very
shrewd man.
4 He asked Amnon,
“Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard
morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”
Amnon
said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother
Absalom’s sister.”
5
“Go to
bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When
your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I
would like my sister Tamar to come and give me
something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my
sight so I may watch her and then eat it from
her hand.’”
6
So
Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the
king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I
would like my sister Tamar to come and make some
special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her
hand.”
7
David
sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the
house of your brother Amnon and prepare some
food for him.”
8 So Tamar went to
the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying
down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the
bread in his sight and baked it.
9 Then she took
the pan and served him the bread, but he refused
to eat.
“Send
everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone
left him.
10 Then Amnon said
to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom
so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the
bread she had prepared and brought it to her
brother Amnon in his bedroom.
11 But when she
took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said,
“Come to bed with me, my sister.”
12
“No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force
me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel!
Don’t do this wicked thing.
13 What about me?
Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what
about you? You would be like one of the wicked
fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he
will not keep me from being married to you.”
14 But he refused
to listen to her, and since he was stronger than
she, he raped her.
15
Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In
fact, he hated her more than he had loved her.
Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
16
“No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be
a greater wrong than what you have already done
to me.”
But he
refused to listen to her.
17 He called his
personal servant and said, “Get this woman out
of my sight and bolt the door after her.”
18 So his servant
put her out and bolted the door after her. She
was wearing an ornate[a]
robe, for this was the kind of garment the
virgin daughters of the king wore.
19 Tamar put ashes
on her head and tore the ornate robe she was
wearing. She put her hands on her head and went
away, weeping aloud as she went.
20
Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon,
your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now,
my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this
thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother
Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
21
When King David heard all this, he was furious.
22 And Absalom
never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad;
he hated Amnon
because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
Sermon
Title: Desolate No More
- Rev. Rose Cornelious
Desolate:
Abandoned, destroyed, godforsaken.
Amnon: King David’s oldest son; by his wife
Ahinoam
Tamar: King David’s only daughter; by his wife
Maacah
Absalom: Kind David’s third born son; by his
wife Maacah
Jonadab: Their cousin
|
|

October 28
“A Necessary Question”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm
107:13-22
13
Then they cried to the
Lord
in their trouble, and he saved them from their
distress.14 He brought them out of
darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away
their chains.15 Let them give thanks
to the
Lord
for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds
for mankind,16 for he breaks down
gates of bronze
and cuts
through bars of iron.
17
Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their
iniquities.18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.19
Then they cried to the
Lord
in their trouble, and he saved them from their
distress.20 He sent out his word
and healed them; he rescued
them from the grave.21 Let them give
thanks to the
Lord
for his unfailing love and his
wonderful deeds for mankind.22 Let
them sacrifice thank offerings and
tell of his works with songs of joy.
New Testament Scripture: John
5 The Healing at the Pool
5 Some time
later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the
Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in
Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in
Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is
surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3
Here a great number of disabled people
used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
[4] 5 One who was there
had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and
learned that he had been in this condition for a
long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get
well?”
7
“Sir,”
the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me
into the pool when the water is stirred. While I
am trying to get in, someone else goes down
ahead of me.”
8
Then
Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and
walk.” 9 At once the man was cured;
he picked up his mat and walked. (NIV)
Sermon Title: “A Necessary
Question”
Chapter 5
begins with “Some time later.” There is a
sequence in the events, movement from one sign
to the next, each deepening in intensity and
meaning. John’s Gospel makes it clear that Jesus
delighted in the feast days of His people that
celebrated the saving acts of God.
The location
of the healing in this text was the Sheep Gate
in the northeast area of the temple where the
animals were brought for sacrifices. The pool
was called Bethesda in the native Hebrew tongue
Bethesda is
an Aramaic word transliterated into Greek and is
the name of a pool in Jerusalem in Jesus’ day
that was surrounded by five porches or
colonnades that gave an arcadelike walkway
around the pool. Located near the Sheep Gate, it
was the place where the handicapped and ill came
with the hope they would be miraculously healed
if they could get into the pool at the proper
time.
When we find
ourselves in difficult situations in life we
must be willing to ask questions, because the
answers will help us to define our reality.
Questions serve many purposes in our lives:
-
Questions sometimes come to
comfort and assure us. In Genesis 18: 14,
God asked Abraham, is anything too hard for
the Lord?
-
Questions come to bring
conviction or to bring us into full
awareness of our condition. In Genesis 3:9,
God asked Adam, where are you?
-
Questions come to clarify. In
John 21, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon
son of John, do you truly love me more than
these?
In our text
today, Jesus asked the crippled man a necessary
question, “Do you want to get well?”
|
|

October 21 -
Rev. Dieuner Joseph -
“Living the Abundant Life”
Old Testament - Deuteronomy 28:
1-14
28 If you fully obey the
Lord
your God and carefully follow all his commands I
give you today, the
Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on
earth. 2 All these blessings will
come on you and accompany you if you obey the
Lord
your God:
3
You will be
blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4
The fruit of
your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your
land and the young of your livestock—the calves
of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5
Your basket
and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6
You will be
blessed when you come in and blessed when you go
out.
7
The
Lord
will grant that the enemies who rise up against
you will be defeated before you. They will come
at you from one direction but flee from you in
seven.
8
The
Lord
will send a blessing on your barns and on
everything you put your hand to. The
Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9
The
Lord
will establish you as his holy people, as he
promised you on oath, if you keep the commands
of the
Lord your God and walk in obedience to
him. 10 Then all the peoples on earth
will see that you are called by the name of the
Lord,
and they will fear you. 11 The
Lord
will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit
of your womb, the young of your livestock and
the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to
your ancestors to give you.
12
The
Lord
will open the heavens, the storehouse of his
bounty, to send rain on your land in season and
to bless all the work of your hands. You will
lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
13 The
Lord
will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay
attention to the commands of the
Lord
your God that I give you this day and carefully
follow them, you will always be at the top,
never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn
aside from any of the commands I give you today,
to the right or to the left, following other
gods and serving them.
New Testament - John 10:10
10
The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it
to the full.
Sermon Title: “Living the
Abundant Life”
Jesus is the
architect of our lives and the protector of our
souls. He is concerned about our spiritual and
physical wellbeing. He desires for us to live in
the fullness of His love and in the richness of
His grace. He suffered, bled and died so we may
prevail in our spiritual struggles against
spiritual wickedness; and thereby live a life
that is exceedingly and more abundantly than we
can dare to imagine.
2 Keys for
living an Abundant life:
1-We need to Trust in the Promises of God
A.
Protected by His power- Isaiah 54:17
no weapon forged against you will prevail, and
you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the
LORD, and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.
B.
Positioned for greatness – Ephesians 2:10
For we are
God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us
to do.
2-We need to Live for the Pleasure of God
C.
Possessed by His love
Romans
8:38-39For
I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present
nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
D.
Purposed for worship
Psalms 29:2
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.
Psalms 95:6
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us
kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
Psalms 150
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for
his mighty deeds; praise him according to his
excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet
sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him
with tambourine and dance; praise him with
strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding
cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
|
|

October 14 -
“Jesus Makes a House Call”
Old Testament
Lamentations 3:23-33 NIV
23
They are new every morning; great is your
faithfulness.24 I say to myself, “The
Lord
is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
25
The
Lord
is good to those whose hope is in him, to the
one who seeks him; 26 it is good to
wait quietly for the salvation of the
Lord.
27 It is good for
a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
28
Let him sit alone in silence, for the
Lord
has laid it on him.29 Let him bury
his face in the dust—there may yet be hope.30
Let him offer his cheek to one who would
strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.
31
For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.32
Though he brings grief, he will show
compassion, so great is his unfailing love.33
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
New Testament Luke
8:49-56
49
While Jesus was still speaking, someone came
from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.
“Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother
the teacher anymore.”
50
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be
afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
51
When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did
not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John
and James, and the child’s father and mother.
52 Meanwhile, all the people were
wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,”
Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
53
They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But he took her by the hand and
said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her
spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then
Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
56 Her parents were astonished, but
he ordered them not to tell anyone what had
happened.
Sermon Title: “Jesus
Makes a House Call”
In this
passage of scripture Jesus returns to Jewish
Palestine and to the crowd with which he had
been dealing earlier. Out of the crowd emerges a
certain synagogue ruler who is probably
responsible for the setting up of synagogue
services.
The Pharisees
and the teachers of the law have been critical
of Jesus, but this man in his need humbles
himself before Jesus. It is possible that the
name Jarius is symbolic: it means “he (that is,
God) will awaken,” which is just what is to
happen for this man.
This sermon
is an illustration of a miracle within a
miracle:
ü
It
teaches the role of
Faith in
the circumstances of our lives
ü
It
teaches that
Faith
will not be operative around unbelievers,
skeptics, and cynics
ü
It
teaches the lack of
Faith
will block the mighty acts of God
ü
It
reminds us that miracles are possible when we
ask in
Faith
ü
It
teaches that we should expect the Lord to work
even if we take a baby step of
Faith
|
|

October 7 -
“How to get back to God”
Old
Testament: Psalm 51: 1-12
1Have
mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving
kindness: according unto the multitude of thy
tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash
me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin. 3For
I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is
ever before me.
4Against thee, thee only,
have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou
speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me.
6Behold,
thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in
the hidden part thou shalt make me to know
wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I
shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and
gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken
may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my
sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create
in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right
spirit within me. 11Cast me not away
from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit
from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of
thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free
spirit.
New
Testament: Romans 7: 14-25
14
We know
that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,
sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not
understand what I do. For what I want to do I do
not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And
if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that
the law is good. 17 As it is, it is
no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin
living in me. 18 I know that nothing
good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.b
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I
cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do
is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do
not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it
is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living
in me that does it. 21 So I find this
law at work: When I want to do good, evil is
right there with me. 22 For in my
inner being I delight in God’s law; 23
but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law
of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law
of sin at work within my members. 24
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me
from this body of death? 25 Thanks be
to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I
myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but
in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Sermon
Title: “How to get back to God”
There are three
specific steps:
1.
Confession and
Acknowledgement of Sin (Repentance)
2.
A Desire to be
cleansed (Restoration)
3.
An offer of one’s
self up to God (Reconciliation)
Psalm 51 is one of the 7
penitential psalms, which means penitence or
repentance (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143) .This
psalm portrays the true character of God in view
of the sinfulness of humankind,
Psalm 51 begins with a threefold
focus on God’s character,
David appeals to God’s character
by reminding God of his character,
Verses one and two assume that
sin/Iniquity has a staining, polluting,
contaminating quality about it,
1)
have
mercy on me Oh God , according to your unfailing
love, according to your great compassion, blot
out my transgressions,
2)
The
Hebrew word translated as transgression in the
Old Testament means, revolt, rebellion, Psalm
32:1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are
forgiven, who sins are covered,
In the New Testament every
occurrence of the word “transgression” is a
translation of the Greek that means a deliberate
breach of the law,
God is not the author of sin, but
his plan for the redemption of the world
includes his dealing with the reality of sin,
Sin is not the absence of good,
rather it is the real and positive affect of
evil, Sin is the rebellion against God’s law
which is the standard of righteousness. |
|

September 30
Old Testament: 1 Chronicles
16:8-12; 28-36
8
Give praise to the
Lord,
proclaim his name; make known among the nations
what he has done.9 Sing to him,
sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful
acts.10 Glory in his holy name let
the hearts of those who seek the
Lord
rejoice.11 Look to the
Lord
and his strength; seek his face always.
12
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles,
and the judgments he pronounced,
28
Ascribe to the
Lord,
all you families of nations, ascribe to the
Lord
glory and strength.29 Ascribe to the
Lord
the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come
before him. Worship the
Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.30
Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly
established; it cannot be moved.
31
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The
Lord
reigns!” 32 Let the sea resound, and
all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant,
and everything in them! 33 Let the
trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy
before the
Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34
Give thanks to the
Lord,
for he is good; his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save
us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us
from the nations, that we may give thanks to
your holy name, and glory in your praise.”36
Praise be to the
Lord,
the God of Israel, from everlasting to
everlasting.
New Testament: Matthew 4:8-10
8
Again,
the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and
their splendor.
9 “All this I will
give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and
worship me.”
10
Jesus
said to him,
“Away from
me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord
your God, and serve him only.’”
Sermon Title: “Worship, A Taste
of Glory”
What is
worship?
Worship is to
adore reverently, to feel deep devoted love for,
to regard with respect and with great awe and
devotion.
Meaning behind the Hebrew words for worship.
-
SHACHAH
(7812) – to prostrate, reflex
in homage to royalty or God, bow self down,
crouch, fall down flat, throw oneself down
before someone, kneel down, humbly beseech,
do (make)
obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop,
worship. Ps. 5:7, 22:27, 29, 29:2, 45:11,
66:4, 81:9, 86:9, 95:6, 96:9, 97:7, 99:5, 9,
132:7, 138:2, Ex 34:8, 2 Chron 20:18, bowed
and worshiped.
Gen 22:5, He said to his servants, "Stay
here with the donkey while I and the boy go
over there. We will worship and then we will
come back to you."(NIV).
-
CAGAD
(5457) – to prostrate oneself in homage,
fall down, worship
-
YADAH
– to throw out hands; to worship with
extended hands, Ps. 134:2 (bless)
-
BARAK
– to bow down in a worshipful attitude
expecting to receive, yield, Ps. 103:1-2
(bless)
Greek words for worship:
-
PROSKUNEO
(4352) – To kiss, like a dog is licking his
masters hand, to fawn, to crouch, to
prostrate oneself in homage, do reverence
to, adore, worship. Pros = towards, kuneo =
to kiss.
-
SEBOMAI
(4576) – To revere, adore, devout religious
worship stressing the feeling of awe or
devotion in worship.
-
LATREUO
(3000) – to minister to God, render homage,
serve, do the service of worship. Phil 3:3,
worship by the Spirit of God
-
EUSEBEO
(2151) – to be pious, towards God show
piety, worship
-
ETHELOTHRESKEIA
(1479) – will worship, voluntarily worship
-
ENOPION
(1799) – before, in the presence, in the
sight of… to worship.
Ps. 29:1-2,
worship the Lord in holy array or in the beauty
of holiness, 96:9
Rev 5:11-14,
Neh 9:6, the multitudes of heaven worship You.
|
|

September 23
Old
Testament Exodus 34:29-35 NIV
29
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the
two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he
was not aware that his face was radiant because
he had spoken with the
Lord.
30 When Aaron and all the Israelites
saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were
afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses
called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of
the community came back to him, and he spoke to
them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites
came near him, and he gave them all the commands
the Lord
had given him on Mount Sinai.
33
When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a
veil over his face. 34 But whenever
he entered the
Lord’s
presence to speak with him, he removed the veil
until he came out. And when he came out and told
the Israelites what he had been commanded,
35 they saw that his face was radiant.
Then Moses would put the veil back over his face
until he went in to speak with the
Lord.
New
Testament 2 Corinthians 3:12-18
NIV
12
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are
very bold.
13 We are not like
Moses, who would put a veil over his face to
prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of
what was passing away.
14 But their minds were made dull,
for to this day the same veil remains when the
old covenant is read. It has not been removed,
because only in Christ is it taken away.
15 Even to this
day when Moses is read, a veil covers their
hearts. 16
But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil
is taken away. 17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, who
with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s
glory, are being transformed into his image with
ever-increasing glory, which comes from the
Lord, who is the Spirit.
Sermon Title: “A Case of Mistaken
Identity”
Speaker –
Disciple Frank A, Terry
Here are a
few questions for you to ponder as you go
through your day to day lives.
1.
Are you conscious of the Glory of God
2.
Are you a reflection of God’s Glory?
3.
Are you reflecting Old Covenant Glory (Law)
4.
Are you reflecting New Covenant (Jesus) Glory?
|
|

September 16
Old
Testament Psalm 124
A song of ascents, Of David.
1
If the
Lord
had not been on our side—let Israel say—
2 if the
Lord
had not been on our side when people attacked
us,
3 they would have
swallowed us alive when their anger flared
against us;
4 the flood would
have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept
over us,
5 the raging
waters would have swept us away.
6
Praise be to the
Lord,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped
like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare
has been broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in
the name of the
Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
New
Testament Romans 11:33-36 and 12:
1-2
33
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the
Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35
“Who has ever given to God, that God
should repay them?” 36 For from him
and through him and for him are all things. To
him be the glory forever! Amen.
A Living
Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers
and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and
pleasing to God—this is your true and proper
worship. 2 Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God’s will is—his good,
pleasing and perfect will.
Sermon Title: “A Gift for One who
has Everything”
This epistle
is about an examination of truth and application
of spiritual truth, or the reality of
commitment. The Apostle Paul explains to the
church at Rome that God can and will use all
things to bring about his eternal purpose even
in the midst of rebellion. He gives us a glimpse
of human failure with a backdrop of God’s divine
capacity. As Paul begins to speak in verse 33 he
shouts out in appreciation, O the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
“How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways
past finding out!”
Paul is
asking His readers to do some realistic
evaluation of their application of spiritual
truth, in three distinct ways:
1. 1.
Present your body as a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God. The body moves from an agent
of sin to an instrument of holiness.
How is your
body a living sacrifice?
2.
2.
Do not be conformed to this world (Jesus said we
are in the world but not of the world)
How has the
world rubbed off on you?
3.
Be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, through meditation on
God’s truth and the indwelling Spirit….
Do you renew
your mind daily?
|
|

September 9
Old Testament Genesis 1:1-31 (NIV
1 In the beginning
God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now
the earth was formless and empty, darkness was
over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of
God was hovering over the waters.
3 And
God said, “Let there be light,” and there was
light. 4 God saw that the light was
good, and he separated the light from the
darkness. 5 God called the light
“day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And
there was evening, and there was morning—the
first day.
6 And
God said, “Let there be a vault between the
waters to separate water from water.” 7 So
God made the vault and separated the water under
the vault from the water above it. And it was
so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And
there was evening, and there was morning—the
second day.
9 And
God said, “Let the water under the sky be
gathered to one place, and let dry ground
appear.” And it was so. 10 God called
the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters
he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
11 Then
God said, “Let the land produce vegetation:
seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that
bear fruit with seed in it, according to their
various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The
land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed
according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit
with seed in it according to their kinds. And
God saw that it was good. 13 And
there was evening, and there was morning—the
third day.
14 And
God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of
the sky to separate the day from the night, and
let them serve as signs to mark sacred times,
and days and years, 15 and let them
be lights in the vault of the sky to give light
on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God
made two great lights—the greater light to
govern the day and the lesser light to govern
the night. He also made the stars. 17 God
set them in the vault of the sky to give light
on the earth, 18 to govern the day
and the night, and to separate light from
darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And
there was evening, and there was morning—the
fourth day.
20 And
God said, “Let the water teem with living
creatures, and let birds fly above the earth
across the vault of the sky.” 21 So
God created the great creatures of the sea and
every living thing with which the water teems
and that moves about in it, according to their
kinds, and every winged bird according to its
kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God
blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase
in number and fill the water in the seas, and
let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And
there was evening, and there was morning—the
fifth day.
24 And
God said, “Let the land produce living creatures
according to their kinds: the livestock, the
creatures that move along the ground, and the
wild animals, each according to its kind.” And
it was so. 25 God made the wild
animals according to their kinds, the livestock
according to their kinds, and all the creatures
that move along the ground according to their
kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then
God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in
our likeness, so that they may rule over the
fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over
the livestock and all the wild animals, and over
all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So
God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God
blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and subdue
it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds
in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.”
29 Then
God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant
on the face of the whole earth and every tree
that has fruit with seed in it. They will be
yours for food. 30 And to all the
beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky
and all the creatures that move along the
ground—everything that has the breath of life in
it—I give every green plant for food.” And it
was so.
31 God
saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the
sixth day.
New
Testament Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more than food, and
the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not much more
valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add
a single hour to your life?
28 “And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the
flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin.
29 Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendor was
dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how
God clothes the grass of the field, which is
here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will he not much more clothe you—you of little
faith? 31 So
do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans
run after all these things, and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first
his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own.
Sermon Title:
“Did YOU Earn Your Points TODAY”
Speaker – Deacon
James Roscoe Bacon
5 points to
reflect upon.
-
1. Speak
Appropriately
-
2.
Follow Directions
-
3.
Stay on Task
-
4.
Be
Prepared
-
5.
Respect Self & Others
|
|

September 2
Old Testament Psalm 98
1
Sing to
the Lord
a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked
salvation for him.
2 The
Lord
has made his salvation known and revealed his
righteousness to the nations. 3 He
has remembered his love and his faithfulness to
Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God. 4 Shout for
joy to the
Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant
song with music;5 make music to the
Lord
with the harp, with the harp and the sound of
singing, 6 with trumpets and the
blast of the ram’s horn —shout for joy before
the Lord,
the King.
7
Let the
sea resound, and everything in it, the world,
and all who live in it. 8 Let the
rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing
together for joy;9 let them sing
before the
Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He
will judge the world in righteousness and the
peoples with equity.
New Testament John 15:
9-17
9
“As the
Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now
remain in my love.
10 If you keep my
commands, you will remain in my love, just as I
have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his
love. 11 I
have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete.
12
My command is this:
Love each other as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one
than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends. 14 You are my friends if you
do what I command. 15 I no longer
call you servants, because a servant does not
know his master’s business. Instead, I have
called you friends, for everything that I
learned from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you so that you might go and
bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that
whatever you ask in my name the Father will give
you.
17
This is my command:
Love each other.
Sermon Title: “Love, according to
Jesus”
There are five key terms within this passage:
Abide, love, joy, commandment and friends
The word abide characterizes a relationship of
trust, knowledge, love and unity that exist
between God and Christ. While on earth Christ
was able to remain or to abide in God from whom
he came. Jesus is teaching that in the same way
the disciples will be able to abide in Christ
even after he has returned to God.
John helps us to understand that (agape’) love
is more than a feeling. “To love is to be for
another and to act as another, even at cost to
oneself. The supreme act of love is the giving
of one’s life for another. God’s agape’ love for
us is illustrated in John 3:16
For many of us, love and friendship lie in
feelings and no one can command feelings, in
this Gospel love is not a feeling, rather it is
being for the other person and acting
accordingly.
It is servants who obey but Jesus calls the
disciples his friends. As followers and friend
of Jesus we should know what he is doing as
Jesus has made God known to us…
Jesus reminds the church “You did not choose me
but I chose you, and I appointed you that you
should go and bear fruit.
|
|

August 26
Old Testament Scripture: Isaiah
5:1-7
I will
sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard: My
loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.2
He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the
choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it
and cut out a winepress as
well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
but it yielded only bad
fruit.
3
“Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of
Judah,
judge between me and my
vineyard. 4 What more could have been
done for my vineyard
than I have done for it? When I looked for good
grapes, why did it yield only bad? 5
Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will
take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall,
and it will be trampled. 6 I
will make it a wasteland, neither
pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns
will grow there. I will command the clouds
not to rain on it.”
7
The vineyard of the
Lord
Almighty
is the nation of Israel, and
the people of Judah
are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice,
but saw bloodshed; for
righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
New Testament Scripture: John
15:1-8
15
“I am the
true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every
branch in me that bears no fruit, while every
branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it
will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already
clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as
I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit
by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither
can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5
“I am
the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in
me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart
from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not
remain in me, you are like a branch that is
thrown away and withers; such branches are
picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in
me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you
wish, and it will be done for you.
8 This is to my
Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Sermon Title: “Bearing Fruit, the
Evidence of Life”
Every branch that beareth fruit - That is, all
true Christians, for all such bear fruit. To
bear fruit is to show by our lives that we are
under the influence of the religion of Christ,
and that that religion produces in us its
appropriate effects,
Galatians 5:22-23.
It is also to live so as to be useful to others,
as a vineyard is worthless unless it bears fruit
that may promote the happiness or subsistence of
man, so the Christian principle would be
worthless unless Christians should live so that
others may be made holy and happy by their
example and labors, and so that the world may be
brought to the cross of the Saviour.
Jesus teaches about the relationship between the
vine and the branches to illustrate spiritual
truth.
ü
We bear (internal) spiritual fruit when we allow
God to nurture into us a new Christ like
quality.
ü
We bear (external) fruit through our witness and
in the ways we glorify God.
ü
Jesus said I am the Truevine and my Father is
the Vinedresser.The Vinedresser nurtures, trims
and defends the vine.
ü
The key secret to cultivating fruit is pruning
which means you take away all that is dead or
worthless.
|

August 19
Old Testament: Daniel 3:16-18
NIV
16
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him,
“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend
ourselves before you in this matter.
17 If we are thrown into the blazing
furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us
from it, and he will deliver us from Your
Majesty’s hand.
18 But even
if he does not, we want you to know, Your
Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or
worship the image of gold you have set up. ”
New Testament: Luke 17:1-10 NIV
17
Jesus said to
his disciples:
“Things that cause people
to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone
through whom they come.
2 It would be better for them to be thrown
into the sea with a millstone tied around their
neck than to cause one of these little ones to
stumble.
3
So
watch yourselves.
“If your
brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them;
and if they repent, forgive them.
4 Even if they sin against you seven times
in a day and seven times come back to you saying
‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
5
The
apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6
He
replied,
“If you have
faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to
this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in
the sea,’ and it will obey you.
7
“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or
looking after the sheep. Will he say to the
servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come
along now and sit down to eat’?
8
Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper,
get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat
and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?
9
Will he thank the servant because he did
what he was told to do?
10 So you also, when you have done
everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We
are unworthy servants; we have only done our
duty.’”
Sermon
Title: “Lord, Increase our Faith”
Faith
State wholly
and steadfastly in God. Faith lies at the very
heart of Christianity, and its importance for
today’s Christian is clear from the fact that
Protestantism was born through the rediscovery
of the great words “The just shall live by
faith” (Rom 1:17 KJV).
Definition.
Faith in the
OT and NT carries several meanings. It may mean
simple trust in God or in the Word of God, and
at other times faith almost becomes equivalent
to active obedience. It may also find
expression in the affirmation of a creedal
statement. Thus it also comes to mean the
entire body of received Christian teaching or
truth. So in Colossians 2:7, the term suggests
something to be accepted as a whole and embodied
in personal life. In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul
witnesses to having “kept the faith.”
The OT.
In the OT,
faith first involved God as the Creator,
Sustainer of life, and the Controller of
history. Psalms such as 19 and 24 are evidence
of the trust in God as the Creator, whose
sovereign power continues to operate in the
creation.
The NT.
As over
against the OT, where the accent is on the
faithfulness of God, in the NT the emphasis is
placed on the active, responding faith of the
hearer to the promised, final revelation in the
Messiah, Jesus Christ. Both verb and noun
regularly describe the adequate response of man
to Jesus’ word and deed and to the gospel of the
primitive church.
ü
Faith makes a difference in how we see ourselves
ü
Faith makes a difference in how we see others
ü
Faith makes a difference in how we respond to
life
|

August 12
Old Testament: Genesis 22:1-12
22
Some time
later God tested Abraham. He said to him,
“Abraham!”
“Here I am,”
he replied.
2
Then
God said, “Take your son , your only son, whom
you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a
mountain I will show you. ”
3
Early
the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his
donkey. He took with him two of his servants and
his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for
the burnt offering, he set out for the place God
had told him about.
4 On the third day
Abraham looked up and saw the place in the
distance. 5
He said to his servants, “Stay here with the
donkey while I and the boy go over there. We
will worship and then we will come back to you.
”
6
Abraham
took the wood for the burnt offering and placed
it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the
fire and the knife. As the two of them went on
together,
7 Isaac spoke up
and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my
son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and
wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the
lamb for the burnt offering?”
8
Abraham
answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for
the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them
went on together.
9
When
they reached the place God had told him about,
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the
wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him
on the altar, on top of the wood.
10 Then he reached
out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the
Lord
called out to him from heaven, “Abraham!
Abraham!”
“Here I am,”
he replied.
12
“Do not
lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do
anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,
because you have not withheld from me your son,
your only son. ”
New Testament: Mark 14:3-9
3
While
he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the
home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an
alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of
pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the
perfume on his head.
4
Some of
those present were saying indignantly to one
another, “Why this waste of perfume?
5 It could have
been sold for more than a year’s wages and the
money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her
harshly.
6
“Leave
her alone,”
said Jesus.
“Why are you
bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to
me.
7 The poor you will
always have with you, and you can help them any
time you want. But you will not always have me.
8 She did what she
could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand
to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I
tell you, wherever the gospel is preached
throughout the world, what she has done will
also be told, in memory of her.”
Sermon
Title: Giving God Our Best!
Questions for reflection....
1) What is your most valuable possession?
2) Would you be willing to lay it on the altar
as a sacrifice unto the Lord?
3) When you reflect on your life, can you truly
say that God is getting your best in service and
stewardship? Please give an example.....
4) What was the last act of service you rendered
in the name of Jesus? Please describe in one
sentence.......
Thought for today: We are created, called and
commissioned to serve in the name of our Lord &
Savior, Jesus Christ.....
|
|

August 5
Old Testament: Jonah 1:1-17 (NIV)
Background
Scriptures: Jonah Chapters 1-4
1 The word of the
Lord
came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go
to the great city of Nineveh and preach against
it, because its wickedness has come up before
me.”
3
But Jonah ran
away from the
Lord
and headed for Tarshish . He went down to Joppa,
where he found a ship bound for that port. After
paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for
Tarshish to flee from the
Lord.
4
Then the
Lord
sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent
storm arose that the ship threatened to break
up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and
each cried out to his own god. And they threw
the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone
below deck, where he lay down and fell into a
deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him
and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on
your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so
that we will not perish.”
7
Then the
sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast
lots to find out who is responsible for this
calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on
Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us,
who is responsible for making all this trouble
for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do
you come from? What is your country? From what
people are you?”
9
He answered,
“I am a Hebrew and I worship the
Lord,
the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry
land. ”
10
This
terrified them and they asked, “What have you
done?” (They knew he was running away from the
Lord,
because he had already told them so.)
11
The sea
was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked
him, “What should we do to you to make the sea
calm down for us?”
12
“Pick me up
and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it
will become calm. I know that it is my fault
that this great storm has come upon you.”
13
Instead, the men did their best to row back to
land. But they could not, for the sea grew even
wilder than before. 14 Then they
cried out to the
Lord,
“Please,
Lord, do not let us die for taking this
man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for
killing an innocent man, for you,
Lord,
have done as you pleased.” 15 Then
they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the
raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the
men greatly feared the
Lord,
and they offered a sacrifice to the
Lord
and made vows to him.
17
Now the
Lord
provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah
was in the belly of the fish three days and
three nights.
New Testament: Luke 9:59-62 (NIV)
59
He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he
replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my
father.”
60
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own
dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of
God.”
61
Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord;
but first let me go back and say goodbye to my
family.”
62
Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the
plow and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God.”
Sermon
Title: When Killing Time Injures Eternity
Speaker – Minister
Tina France
Things to Consider:
1. Disobedience
is sin (James 4:17)
2.
Obedience is better than sacrifice (I Samuel
15:22)
3. We
can do all things through Christ! (Phil 4:13)
Question for Reflection:
1. What
has God called you to do? Are you doing it?
“….as if you could kill time, without injuring
eternity” |
|

July 29
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 23:15-17
15
David
longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone
would get me a drink of water from the well near
the gate of Bethlehem!”
16 So the three
mighty warriors broke through the Philistine
lines, drew water from the well near the gate of
Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he
refused to drink it; instead, he poured
it out before the
Lord.
17
“Far be
it from me,
Lord,
to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood
of men who went at the risk of their
lives?” And David would not drink it.
New Testament: John 7:37-38
37
On the last and greatest day of the festival,
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
38 Whoever believes
in me, as Scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow from
within them.”
Sermon
Title: “The things that matter most”
This story
gives insight into the caliber of men with whom
David surrounded himself. They treated his wish
almost as a command and risked their lives
fighting their way through the Philistine
garrison in order to bring their leader a drink
of water from the well in Bethlehem.
In this text,
we see a clear illustration of loyalty and
bravery of three warriors which exemplifies the
kind of thinking Jesus Christ needs from each of
us. David responses to their kindness by
pouring the water on the ground as a sacrifice
to God. David teaches us:
1.
To
appreciate the sacrifices of others
2.
The
cost that is paid makes something sacred
3.
To
remember faithful followers
|
|

July 22
Old
Testament Scripture – Nehemiah 1:1-11
In the month of
Kislev the twentieth year, while I was in the
citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my
brothers, came from Judah with some other men,
and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant
that had survived the exile, and also
about Jerusalem.3 They said to me,
“Those who survived the exile and are back in
the province are in great trouble and disgrace.
The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its
gates have been burned with fire.”4
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept.
For some days I mourned and fasted
and prayed before the God of heaven.
5 Then I said:“Lord,
the God of heaven, the great and awesome God,
who keeps his covenant of love with those
who love him and keep his commandments, 6
let your ear be attentive and your eyes
open to hear the prayer your servant
is praying before you day and night for your
servants, the people of Israel. I confess
the sins we Israelites, including myself
and my father’s family, have committed against
you. 7 We have acted very wickedly
toward you. We have not obeyed the commands,
decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8
“Remember the
instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying,
‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among
the nations, 9 but if you return to
me and obey my commands, then even if your
exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I
will gather them from there and bring
them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling
for my Name.’ 10 “They are your
servants and your people, whom you redeemed by
your great strength and your mighty hand.
11 Lord, let your ear be attentive
to the prayer of this your servant and to
the prayer of your servants who delight in
revering your name. Give your servant success
today by granting him favor in the
presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the
king.
New
Testament Scripture – 1 Peter 5:7-11
7
Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8
Be alert and of sober mind.
Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for
someone to devour.
9 Resist him,
standing firm in the faith, because
you know that the family of believers throughout
the world is undergoing the same kind of
sufferings. 10 And the God of all
grace, who called you to his eternal
glory in Christ, after you have
suffered a little while, will himself
restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast. 11
To him be the power forever and ever.
Amen.
Sermon Title: “What to do with
Bad News”
Lessons from Nehemiah about
Rebuilding:
In ancient
cities the only real means of defense were the
walls. Sometimes these walls were tremendously
thick and high. The walls of the city of
Babylon, as
recounted in the story of Daniel, were some 380
feet thick and over 100 feet high – massive,
tremendous walls. Therefore, the city of
Babylon
considered itself very safe. What does it mean,
then, to rebuild the walls of your life?
Nehemiah is the account of the rebuilding of the
walls of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem is a symbol of
the city of God, God’s dwelling place and the
center of life for the world. In an individual
life, then, the rebuilding of the walls would be
a picture of re-establishing the strength of
that life. We have all met people whose defenses
have crumbled away. They have become human
derelicts, drifting up and down the streets of
our large cities, absolutely hopeless and
helpless. But God in grace frequently reaches
down and gets some of those people and brings
them out to rebuild the walls. This is the
picture of the way the walls of any life, of any
local church, of any community, of any nation,
can be rebuilt into strength and power and
purpose again:
1. The first
step in this process is given in Chapter 1,
Verse 4. It begins with a concern about
the ruins. Nehemiah says:
When I
heard these words I sat down and wept, and
mourned for days; and I continued fasting and
praying before the God of heaven. {Neh 1:4
RSV}
2. This is
followed by confession. In Chapter 1 is
Nehemiah’s wonderful prayer as he confesses that
the nation has forsaken God, and acknowledges
the justice of God’s dealing with them.
3. That is
followed immediately by commitment. Look
at Verse 11 of Chapter 1. He says:
“O Lord,
let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy
servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who
delight to fear thy name; and give success to
thy servant today,” {Neh 1:11a RSV}
To do what?
You see, this man has a plan forming in his
mind, even while he has been in prayer, of how
to go about rebuilding the walls. He has
something definite he wants to ask. He says:
“... and
grant him
[Nehemiah]
mercy in the sight of this man.”
{Neh 1:11b
RSV}
What man?
Well, you have it in the next verse:
Now I was
cupbearer to the king. {Neh 1:11c RSV}
|
|

July 15
Old Testament: Psalm 33:6-11 (KJV)
6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made;
and all the host of them by the breath of his
mouth.
7
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as
an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
8
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9
For he spake, and it was done; he
commanded, and it stood fast.
10
The LORD bringeth
the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh
the devices of the people of none effect.
11
The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the
thoughts of his heart to all
generations.
New
Testament: John 1:1-5 (KJV)
1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
2
The same was in the beginning with God.
3
All things were made by him; and without him was
not anything made that was made.
4
In him was life; and the life was the light of
men.
5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the
darkness comprehended
it not.
Sermon Title: The Unveiling
In the beginning was the Word:
A “word” is that by which we communicate our
will; by which we convey our thoughts; or by
which we issue commands the medium of
communication with others. The Son of God may
be called “the Word,” because he is the medium
by which God promulgates His will and issues His
commandments. This term was used by the Jews as
applicable to the Messiah. In their writings he
was commonly known by the term “Mimra” that is,
“Word;”
The term “Word is the common Greek logos, which
meant “speaking, a message, or words.” “Logos”
was widely used in Greek philosophical teaching
as well as in Jewish wisdom literature and
philosophy. John chose this term because it was
familiar to his readers, but he invested it with
his own meaning. The Word was with God in a
special relationship of eternal fellowship in
the Trinity.
|
|

July 8
Old Testament: Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust
in the
Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding;
6 in
all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make
your paths straight.a
New
Testament: Matthew 6:25-34
25
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothes? 26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not
sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not much more valuable than they? 27
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour
to your life? 28 “And why do you
worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendor was dressed like one
of these. 30 If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here
today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will
he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What
shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or
‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the
pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well. 34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Sermon Title: Trusting God
Wholeheartedly!
What is the
significance of Trust?
Passing from the idea of faith to
that of trust, a few exceptional renderings in
the A. V. may be noted in the first instance. In
Ps. 22:8, ‘He trusted on the Lord,’ the word galal,
‘to roll,’ is used. In Job 35:14, ‘Trust thou in
him,’ the word is chul (חול),
‘stay thou (or ‘wait thou’) upon him.’ Yachal
(יחל),
to hope, occurs in Job 13:15, ‘Though he slay
me, yet will I trust in him ;’ and Isa. 51:5,
‘On mine arm shall they trust.’
Chasah (חסה),
to flee for refuge, is rendered ‘trust’ in the
A. V. in above thirty passages, out of which
number twenty-four occur in the Psalms. It is
often used where God is compared to a rock or a
shield, or where the saint is described as
taking refuge ‘under the shadow of his wings.’
It is used in Ps. 2:12, ‘Blessed are all they
that put their trust in him;’ where we are
taught that the Son affords that same kind of
shelter or protection which the Father gives.
Compare Ps. 34:8, where the same words are
applied to Jehovah. The word is also used in
Ps. 118:8, ‘It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put any confidence in man;’ in Isa.
14:32, 57:13, and Zeph. 3:12.
The most general word, however, to
express trust is bathach (בטח),
to confide in, or lean upon.
3
Here it is to be remarked that, though we are in
the habit of speaking of faith and trust as the
same thing, the Hebrew has two distinct words
for them, and so has the LXX. Whilst aman
answers to πιστεύω,
to believe, or realize, bathach, to trust, is
never so rendered, nor is the substantive
derived from it ever rendered πίστις.
For the verb we generally find ἐλπίζω,
to hope, πείθομαι,
to be persuaded; and for the noun we have ἐλπίς,
hope. The man who believes God is he who, having
received a revelation from Him, realizes it, and
acts upon it as true. The man who trusts God is
he who casts all his hopes for the present and
future on God. It is the former quality, not the
latter, that God regards as a condition of
justification. Faith must precede hope, because
a hope for the future which is not grounded upon
a present acceptance with God is no hope; and a
sense of acceptance which is not accompanied
with a living, working faith is an unreality.
1 |
|

July 1
Old
Testament
Psalm 27: 1-6
New Testament
Acts 14: 8-20
NIV
8
In
Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been
that way from birth and had never walked.
9 He listened to
Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at
him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10
and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”
At that, the man jumped up and began to walk
1
11
When
the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted
in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come
down to us in human form!”
12 Barnabas they
called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because
he was the chief speaker.
13 The priest of
Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city,
brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates
because he and the crowd wanted to offer
sacrifices to them.
14
But
when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of
this, they tore their clothes and rushed out
into the crowd, shouting:
15 “Friends, why
are you doing this? We too are only human, like
you. We are bringing you good news, telling you
to turn from these worthless things to the
living God, who made the heavens and the earth
and the sea and everything in them.
16 In the past, he
let all nations go their own way.
17 Yet he has not
left himself without testimony: He has shown
kindness by giving you rain from heaven and
crops in their seasons; he provides
you with plenty of food and fills your hearts
with joy.” 18
Even with these words, they had difficulty
keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
19
Then
some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won
the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him
outside the city, thinking he was dead.
20 But after the
disciples had gathered around him, he got up and
went back into the city. The next day he and
Barnabas left for Derbe.
Sermon Title: Left to Tell
There are three lessons learned from this text:
In
1) Our struggles stretch us and help us to grow
spiritually
2) Our surroundings shape us and influence our
perspective
3) Our Spiritual connection to God sustains us
when the enemy attacks
In Acts 14, we observe the missionaries response
to rejection in various forms, and the ways they
handled them according to the Gospel. We must
act likewise….
|

June 24
Deuteronomy 2:1-7…
Wanderings in the Wilderness
2
Then we
turned back and set out toward the wilderness
along the route to the Red Sea, as
the
Lord
had directed me. For a long time we made our way
around the hill country of Seir.
2
Then
the
Lord
said to me,
3 “You have made
your way around this hill country long enough;
now turn north.
4 Give the people these orders: ‘You
are about to pass through the territory of your
relatives the descendants of Esau, who live in
Seir. They will be afraid
of you, but be very careful.
5 Do not provoke
them to war, for I will not give you any of
their land, not even enough to put your foot on.
I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as
his own. 6
You are to pay them in silver for the food you
eat and the water you drink.’”
7
The
Lord
your God has blessed you in all the work of your
hands. He has watched over your
journey through this vast wilderness.
These forty years the
Lord
your God has been with you, and you have not
lacked anything.
The Great Commission: Matthew
28:16-20
16
Then the
eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the
mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17 When they saw him, they
worshiped him; but some doubted. 18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.”
Sermon Title: Jesus said, “Just
Go!”
DR. MARTIN LUTHER
KING, JR. SAID THAT, AN INDIVIDUAL HAS NOT
STARTED LIVING UNTIL HE CAN RISE ABOVE THE
NARROW CONFINES OF HIS INDIVIDUALISTIC CONCERNS
TO THE BROADER CONCERNS OF ALL HUMANITY,
The
purpose of the church
is to glorify God by equipping the saints for
the work of the ministry. "And
He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets,
and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the saints for
the work of service, to the building up of the
body of Christ"
(Eph. 4:11-12, NASB).
Every member should be growing toward maturity
in Christ and every member should be using his
or her giftedness toward the completion of the
Great Commission (Eph. 4:13-16).
The Great Commission
gives us the imperative to make disciples.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
'All authority has been given to Me in heaven
and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the age' (Matt. 28:18-20).
The work of evangelism is central to this task,
but it is not exclusive. After evangelism, new
converts must be incorporated into the body.
They should be baptized and taught how to grow
in Christ. This is the task of making disciples.
It does not matter which terminology we use to
define the process as long as we understand the
whole process to be necessary in obeying the
commission.
Before we can effectively make disciples of the
nations, we must learn to be disciples and to
make disciples of our neighbors. Many churches
have gotten away from this original charge and
tend to focus more on social issues. As we focus
on the Great Commission, the social issues will
not be forgotten, but there will be a stronger
foundation from which to address them.
|
|

June 17
Romans 8: 9-17
(NIV)
9
You,
however, are not in the realm of the flesh but
are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not
belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ
is in you, then even though your body is subject
to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a]
because of righteousness.
11 And if the
Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, he who raised Christ from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
because of[b]
his Spirit who lives in you.
12
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live
according to it. 13 For if you live
according to the flesh, you will die; but if by
the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the
body, you will live.
14
For
those who are led by the Spirit of God are the
children of God. 15 The Spirit you
received does not make you slaves, so that you
live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you
received brought about your adoption to sonship.[c]
And by him we cry, “Abba,[d]
Father.” 16 The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God’s
children. 17 Now if we are children,
then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs
with Christ, if indeed we share in his
sufferings in order that we may also share in
his glory.
Sermon
Title – “A Father’s Contribution”
Speaker – Disciple Kemp Harris
A
father’s identity
A father’s interactions
A father’s instructions
|
|

June 10
Psalm 62:1-8 AMP
To the Chief Musician; according to Jeduthun
[Ethan, the noted musician, founder of an
official musical family]. A Psalm of David.
1
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him
comes my salvation.
2
He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense
and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly
moved.
3
How long will you set upon a man that you may
slay him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like
a tottering fence?
4
They only consult to cast him down from his
height [to dishonor him]; they delight in lies.
They bless with their mouths, but they curse
inwardly.
Selah
[pause, and calmly think of that]!
5
My soul, wait only upon God and silently
submit to Him; for my hope and
expectation are from Him.
6
He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my
Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be
moved.
7
With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is
my Rock of unyielding strength and
impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!
8
Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have
confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour
out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for
us (a fortress and a high tower).
Selah
[pause, and calmly think of that]!
Sermon Title: “Walking In Expectancy”
Guest Pastor - Rev. Dr. Lillie D. Jones
of Fountain of Living Waters Church
1.
Wait on God and submit to Him
2. Be steadfast and unmovable
3. Trust in the Lord
|
|

June 3
Deuteronomy 31:1-8 (NIV) Joshua
to Succeed Moses
31 Then
Moses went out and spoke these words to all
Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and
twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead
you. The
Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross
the Jordan.’ 3 The
Lord
your God himself will cross over ahead of you.
He will destroy these nations before you, and
you will take possession of their land. Joshua
also will cross over ahead of you, as the
Lord
said. 4 And the
Lord
will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the
kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along
with their land. 5 The
Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all
that I have commanded you. 6 Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or
terrified because of them, for the
Lord
your God goes with you; he will never leave you
nor forsake you.”
7
Then Moses summoned Joshua
and said to him in the presence of all Israel,
“Be strong and courageous, for you must go with
this people into the land that the
Lord
swore to their forefathers to give them, and you
must divide it among them as their inheritance.
8 The
Lord
himself goes before you and will be with you; he
will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged.”
[1]
Hebrews 13:1-6 (NIV)
Concluding Exhortations
13 Keep
on loving each other as brothers. 2
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so
doing some people have entertained angels
without knowing it. 3 Remember those
in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners,
and those who are mistreated as if you
yourselves were suffering.
4
Marriage should be honored by all, and the
marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the
adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5
Keep your lives free from the love of
money and be content with what you have, because
God has said,
“Never will I
leave you; never will I forsake you.”a
6
So we say
with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will
not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Sermon Title: “A Faithful God, A Faithless
People”
Moses’ life
work was now done. He had been marvelously used
by the Lord. His confrontation with Pharaoh, the
plagues God brought at Moses’ word, the parting
of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, all these
will be forever linked with the name of Moses,
Israel’s Law-Giver.
But now that
Moses was about to die, he left a last heritage
to the new generation.
Moses left
a new leader (Deut. 31:1–8).
Joshua, who with Caleb remained faithful to God
when the first generation rebelled, and who had
served as Israel’s military chief, would guide
the people in the Promised Land.
“Strong
and courageous” (31:6–7, 23).
These two words are spoken again and again to
Joshua, and appear again in the Book of Joshua
(1:6, 9). Each time the exhortation is linked
with promises: God will be with Joshua, and will
surely enable Israel to conquer Canaan. God has
given us promises too. But like Joshua, we must
be strong and courageous to claim them.[2]
Through Moses
God gave Israel four reasons to be encouraged
during the transition to Joshua as leader…
1.
The Encouragement of
Joshua in verse 7 he was told that he would
cause the people to inherit the land.
2.
The Experience of
Joshua and preparation for leadership throughout
his life.
3.
The Example of
Joshua, Moses commissioned Joshua before the
people.
4.
The Empowerment of
Joshua, he is divinely appointed just as the
Lord had said in verse 8… |
|

May 20
Old Testament: Joshua 1:1-9
1 After the
death of Moses the servant of the
Lord,
the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2
“Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all
these people, get ready to cross the Jordan
River into the land I am about to give to them
—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you
every place where you set your foot, as I
promised Moses. 4 Your territory will
extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the
great river, the Euphrates —all the Hittite
country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
5 No one will be able to stand
against you all the days of your life. As I was
with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never
leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be
strong and courageous, because you will lead
these people to inherit the land I swore to
their ancestors to give them.7
“Be
strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey
all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not
turn from it to the right or to the left, that
you may be successful wherever you go. 8
Keep this Book of the Law always on your
lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you
may be careful to do everything written in it.
Then you will be prosperous and successful.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged, for the
Lord
your God will be with you wherever you go.”
New Testament: Hebrews 6:13-20
13
When
God made his promise to Abraham, since there was
no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by
himself, 14 saying, “I will surely
bless you and give you many descendants.”[a]
15 And so after waiting patiently,
Abraham received what was promised.
16
People
swear by someone greater than themselves, and
the oath confirms what is said and puts an end
to all argument. 17 Because God
wanted to make the unchanging nature of his
purpose very clear to the heirs of what was
promised, he confirmed it with an oath.
18 God did this so
that, by two unchangeable things in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to
take hold of the hope set before us may be
greatly encouraged.
19 We have this hope as an anchor for
the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner
sanctuary behind the curtain,
20
where
Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our
behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in
the order of Melchizedek.
Sermon Title: “The Certainty of God’s Promises”
Notice that
God gives every encouragement to Joshua: (1) the
promise of the land, vv. 2–4; (2) the promise of
His presence, v. 5; and (3) the assurance that
God would keep His word, vv. 6–9.
It is
interesting to study the verbs God uses: “the
land which I do give...” (v. 2); “...that have I
given” (v. 3); “...to this people you shall
divide...” (nkjv,
v. 6). He had already given them the land; all
they had to do was step out by faith and claim
it! God has already given us “every blessing of
the Spirit” in Christ (Eph. 1:3). All we need do
is step out by faith and possess our
possessions.
As God was
with Moses, so He would be with Joshua: “I will
not leave you nor forsake you” (v. 5). This
promise was repeated to Solomon (1 Chron.
28:20), and is given to us in Heb. 13:5–6.
Leaders change, and times change, but God
changes not. Notice that courage is demanded in
the Christian life (vv. 6–7, 9), but this
courage is supplied by the Word of God (v. 8).
Moses had been writing “the Book of the Law”
(Ex. 17:14; 24:4–7; Num. 33:2; Deut. 31:9–13),
and this Book was now given to Joshua. He was to
read the Book, meditate upon it night and day,
and obey its commands. See Pss. 1:1–3 and
119:15. If Joshua was able to conquer Canaan
having only the first five books of the Bible,
how much more ought we to overcome now that we
have a complete Bible!
The meaning of Promise:
an
assurance of some future act. Although absent as
a specific term in the
ot,
the concept of promise runs throughout its
narrative. The prediction of innumerable
offspring to childless Abraham and Sarah (Gen.
15:5; 17:6-7; 22:17-18), of a land for Israel
(Gen. 15:18-21; 50:22-25), of the perpetual rule
of David’s descendants (2 Sam. 7:16), and of a
future world to God’s liking (e.g., Isa. 11:1-9)
all function implicitly as promise. Later Jewish
traditions explicitly link God’s promises to the
future world, giving it an eschatological
character.
In the
nt,
the word ‘promise,’ both as noun and verb, is
used extensively. Paul found scriptural
authority for his Gentile mission in God’s
promise to Abraham through whom all nations
(i.e., Gentiles) would be blessed (Rom. 4:9-25;
Gal. 3:6-29). Through faith in Christ, God’s
promise was being fulfilled, and Gentiles were
becoming Abraham’s offspring (Rom. 4:16),
members of the children of promise (Rom.
15:8-12) without reference to the law. The
inclusion of the Gentiles, however, does not
nullify God’s promises to the Jews (Rom. 9:4).
Ultimately, Jews and Gentiles will gather as one
people of God (Rom. 11:25-26). |
|

May 13
Sermon
Title: A Life Changing Conversation – Part Two
Your
Personal Testimony
It is
written, "How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news!"—Roman 10:15b (Isaiah
52:7)
Helpful
Hints:
-
Write the way you speak—make
the testimony yours.
-
Choose one main point and
carry it throughout the testimony.
-
Be truthful. Don’t be overly
negative or positive..
-
Don’t criticize or name any
church, denomination, organization, etc.
-
Time limit should be 3
minutes.
Practice it over and over until it becomes
natural.
The
breastplate of righteousness protects us from
the feeling that we are not good enough to be
saved.
1. Before
I Accepted Christ (or gave Him complete control
of my life):
-
What was my life like that
will relate most to the non-Christian?
-
What did my life revolve
around? From what did I get my happiness or
security? (Remember, the non-Christian is
relying on something external to give him
/her happiness and meaning.)
-
Explain how material things
let you down?
2. How I
Received Christ (or gave Him complete control):
-
When was the first time I
heard the gospel? (Or when was I first
exposed to Christianity?)
-
What were my initial
reactions?
-
When did my attitude begin to
change? Why?
-
What were the doubts or
struggles that went through my mind just
before I accepted Christ?
-
Why did I accept Christ?
3. After I
Accepted Christ (or gave Him complete control):
-
What are the specific changes
Christ has made in my life?
-
Are there any illustrations
that would be helpful?
|
|

May 6
Old Testament: Psalm 23
The
Lord
is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie
down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet
waters,
3 he refreshes my
soul.
He guides me along the right
paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I
walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my
enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your
goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house
of the
Lord
forever.
New Testament: Matthew 25:31-40
31
“When the Son
of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered
before him, and he will separate the people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. 33 He will put the
sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34
“Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take
your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you
since the creation of the world. 35
For I was hungry and you gave me something to
eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed
me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in
prison and you came to visit me.’
37
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when
did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty
and give you something to drink? 38
When did we see you a stranger and invite you
in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39
When did we see you sick or in prison and
go to visit you?’
40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Sermon
Title: “Is Jesus Your Shepherd?”
In
this life there will be separations that take
place, but the most important will be the one
where Jesus determines if you are a sheep or a
goat. You are a sheep if he is your shepherd.
Five
important points about Jesus being your Shepherd
1.
For Jesus to be your
shepherd you must be in relationship with Him.
2. There
are great benefits to being in relationship with
Jesus.
3. There
are responsibilities you have if you are in
relationship with Jesus.
4.
If you have left the
relationship with Jesus you can return.
5.
The eternal rewards of relationship with Jesus
are awesome.
|
|

April 29
Old Testament: Psalm 4
1
Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on
me and hear my prayer. 2 How long
will you people turn my glory into shame? How
long will you love delusions and seek false gods[b]?[c]
3 Know that the LORD has set apart
his faithful servant for himself; the LORD hears
when I call to him. 4 Tremble and[d]
do not sin; when you are on your beds, search
your hearts and be silent. 5 Offer
the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the
LORD. 6 Many, LORD, are asking, “Who
will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your
face shine on us. 7 Fill my heart
with joy when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
New Testament: Luke 24:13-27
The Road to
Emmaus…13
Now that same day two of them were going to a
village called Emmaus, about seven milesa
from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking
with each other about everything that had
happened. 15 As they talked and
discussed these things with each other, Jesus
himself came up and walked along with them;
16 but they were kept from recognizing
him. 17 He asked them, “What are you
discussing together as you walk along?” They
stood still, their faces downcast. 18
One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you
only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the
things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked. “About
Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a
prophet, powerful in word and deed before God
and all the people. 20 The chief
priests and our rulers handed him over to be
sentenced to death, and they crucified him;
21 but we had hoped that he was the one
who was going to redeem Israel. And what is
more, it is the third day since all this took
place. 22 In addition, some of our
women amazed us. They went to the tomb early
this morning 23 but didn’t find his
body. They came and told us that they had seen a
vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24
Then some of our companions went to the
tomb and found it just as the women had said,
but him they did not see.” 25 He said
to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of
heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken! 26 Did not the Christb
have to suffer these things and then enter his
glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses
and all the Prophets, he explained to them what
was said in all the Scriptures concerning
himself.
Sermon
Title: “A Life Changing Conversation”
Emmaus
was a town
in Judea which appears only once in Scripture (Lk
24:13). It was the destination of two disciples
to whom Jesus appeared after the crucifixion.
Following the resurrection, Cleopas and a friend
were going to Emmaus when they encountered
another traveler. They walked the road and
talked together, but the disciples did not
recognize that the stranger was Jesus. Jesus
asked them the nature of their conversation, and
was told of the crucifixion, the empty tomb, and
their discouragement that things had not worked
out as they hoped. Jesus then rebuked them (v
25), and “beginning with Moses and all the
prophets, he interpreted to them in all the
scriptures the things concerning himself” (v
27). When they reached their destination, Jesus
accepted an invitation to spend the
night. As they ate the evening meal, he blessed
the bread, broke it, and gave it to them to eat.
At that moment they recognized him. After Jesus
vanished from their sight, they returned to
Jerusalem to report the event to the apostles.
Five important steps
to take on your road to Emmaus:
1. Know what His word says. Know the Bible.
Jesus spoke to the disciples from the Old
Testament scriptures. I.e. Psalm 22
2. Spend time with Him, quiet, meditation with
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. Gather with other believers-- Jesus took
time to meet with followers. He made 17
different visits to over 500 people in the 40
day period after the resurrection.
4. Live with a sense of expectancy; Expect Jesus
to show up in your situation.
5. Make room for Jesus to act in your situation.
Invite Him in as the two followers did.
|
|

April 22
Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:1-14…..1
The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought
me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in
the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.
2 He led me back and forth among
them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor
of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3
He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” 4
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and
say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the
LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign
LORD says to these bones: I will make breath[a]
enter you, and you will come to life. 6
I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come
upon you and cover you with skin; I will put
breath in you, and you will come to life. Then
you will know that I am the LORD.’” 7
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was
prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling
sound, and the bones came together, bone to
bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and
flesh appeared on them and skin covered them,
but there was no breath in them. 9
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath;
prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is
what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from
the four winds and breathe into these slain,
that they may live.’” 10 So I
prophesied as he commanded me, and breath
entered them; they came to life and stood up on
their feet—a vast army. 11 Then he
said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the
people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried
up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them:
‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My
people, I am going to open your graves and bring
you up from them; I will bring you back to the
land of Israel. 13 Then you, my
people, will know that I am the LORD, when I
open your graves and bring you up from them.
14 I will put my Spirit in you and
you will live, and I will settle you in your own
land. Then you will know that I the LORD have
spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”
New Testament: John 16:7-14….7
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good
that I am going away. Unless I go away, the
Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I
will send him to you. 8 When he
comes, he will prove the world to be in the
wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 about sin, because people do not
believe in me; 10 about
righteousness, because I am going to the Father,
where you can see me no longer; 11
and about judgment, because the prince of this
world now stands condemned. 12 “I
have much more to say to you, more than you can
now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit
of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the
truth. He will not speak on his own; he will
speak only what he hears, and he will tell you
what is yet to come. 14 He will
glorify me because it is from me that he will
receive what he will make known to you.
Sermon
Title: “Tweets from Heaven”
For three years, Jesus had been with
them to protect them from attack; but now He was
about to leave them. It was necessary for Jesus
to explain why it was important for them
that He return to the Father. The major reason,
of course, is that the Holy Spirit might come to
empower the church for life and witness. Also,
the ascended Savior would be able to intercede
for His people at the heavenly throne of grace.
With all of their faults, the disciples dearly
loved their Master; and it was difficult for
them to grasp these new truths.
It is important to
note that the Spirit comes to the church
and not to the world.
This means that He works in and through the
church. The Holy Spirit does not minister in a
vacuum. Just as the Son of God had to have a
body in order to do His work on earth, so the
Spirit of God needs a body to accomplish His
ministries; and that body is the church. Our
bodies are His tools and temples, and He wants
to use us to glorify Christ and to witness to a
lost world.
The Holy Spirit works through the
people in whom He lives. The Holy Spirit
convicts the world of one particular sin, the
sin of unbelief. The law of God and the
conscience of man will convict the sinner of his
sins (plural) specifically; but it is the
work of the Spirit, through the witness of the
believers, to expose the unbelief of the lost
world.
The Spirit also
convicts the sinner of righteousness, not
unrighteousness. Whose righteousness? The
righteousness of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb
of God. The world would not receive the Son of
God (John 1:10), so He has returned to the
Father. The Spirit of God reveals the Savior in
the Word and in this way glorifies Him (John
16:13–14). The Spirit also reveals Christ in the
lives of believers. The world cannot receive or
see the Spirit of God, but they can see what He
does as they watch the lives of dedicated
believers.
|
|

April 15
Old
Testament – Proverbs 22: 6 15-21
Proverbs
22: 6, 15-21
6Train
a child in the way he should go, and when he is
old he will not turn from it.
15Folly
is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod
of discipline will drive it far from him.
16He
who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and he who gives gifts to the rich--both come to
poverty.
17Pay
attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
18for
it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
19So
that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you
today, even you.
20Have
I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of
counsel and knowledge,
21teaching
you true and reliable words, so that you can
give sound answers to him who sent you?
New
Testament - Ephesians 6: 1-4
Ephesians 6: 1-4
1Children,
obey your parents in the Lord, for this is
right.
2Honor
your father and mother"--which is the first
commandment with a promise—
3that
it may go well with you and that you may enjoy
long life on the earth.
4Fathers,
do not exasperate your children; instead, bring
them up in the training and instruction of the
Lord.
Sermon
Title: Are You Training a Fan or a Follower?
When
Jesus gave us the Great Commission in the 28th
chapter of Matthew, he said, “19Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you”. Implied in these instructions
are that we should start at home first.
Therefore, from our homes, we should go out to
all nations making disciples. Our family and
especially our children should be our first
converts. If we cannot teach and train our child
to follow Jesus then we are not likely to
convert strangers either.
Most parents,
relatives, guardians, and mentors are training
their children according to Proverbs 22: 6 and
Ephesians 6:4. However, too many of our children
are moving away from the church and Christ at an
alarming rate. In Kyle Idleman’s book, Not A
Fan, he asks the question; “Are we a fan or
a follower?” The question that needs to be asked
however is; “Are we training our children to be
fans or followers of Jesus Christ?” There are 3
important questions to ask ourselves as we
explore this idea of training a fan or a
follower.
1.
What is the
difference between a fan and a follower and
which one are you?
a.
Examples of fans:
i.
Luke 9:57-62
ii.
Matt 15:8
b.
Examples of
followers
i.
Matthew 9:8
ii.
2 Timothy 1:5
2.
What does Proverbs
22:6 actually mean when it says train up?
a.
To develop a thirst
for
b.
To develop a strong
desire for
3.
Do you have the
right kind of relationship with your children in
order to train them?
a.
Are you a friend?
b.
Are you a tyrant?
c.
Are you a real
parent?
In the end, training will lead to one of two
places. Improper training will lead to what
Jesus said in Matthew 7:23--- “And the will I
declare to them, I never knew you; depart from
me, you workers of lawlessness”. Proper training
will lead to what Jesus said in Matthew
25:34---"Then the King will say to those on his
right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for
you since the creation of the world’”.
|
|

April 8 - Easter Sunday
Old Testament……Isaiah 25: 6-9
6
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet
of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest
of wines.
7
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that
enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all
nations;
8
he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign
LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he
will remove his people’s disgrace from all the
earth. The LORD has spoken.
9
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our
God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is
the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and
be glad in his salvation.”
New Testament……Mark 16:1-8
1
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so
that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2
Very early on the first day of the week, just
after sunrise, they were on their way to the
tomb 3 and they asked each other,
“Who will roll the stone away from the entrance
of the tomb?”
4
But when they looked up, they saw that the
stone, which was very large, had been rolled
away. 5 As they entered the tomb,
they saw a young man dressed in a white robe
sitting on the right side, and they were
alarmed.
6
“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking
for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He
has risen! He is not here. See the place where
they laid him. 7 But go; tell his
disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you
into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he
told you.’”
8
Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and
fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone,
because they were afraid.[a]
Sermon Title: “He Has Risen,
Alleluia! ”
I.
Resurrection in the Old Testament –
There is
little about resurrection in the OT. That is
not to say that it is not there. It is. But it
is not prominent. The men of the OT were very
practical men, concentrating on the task of
living out the present life in the service of
God, and they had little time to spare for
speculation about the next. Moreover, it must
not be forgotten that they lived on the other
side of Christ’s resurrection, and it is this
which gives the doctrine its basis. Sometimes
they used the idea of resurrection to express
the national hope of the re-birth of the nation
(e.g. Ezk.37). The plainest statement on the
resurrection of the individual is undoubtedly
that in Dn. 12:2 ‘many of those who sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt’. This clearly envisages a
resurrection both of the righteous and of the
wicked, and it sees also eternal consequences of
men’s actions. There are other passages which
look for resurrection, chiefly some in the
Psalms (e.g. Pss. 16:10f,;49:14f.). Sometimes
the prophets also give utterance to this thought
(e.g. Is. 26:19). But on the whole the OT says
little about it.
II. The
resurrection of Christ –
On three
occasions Christ brought back people from the
dead (the daughter of Jairus, the son of the
widow of Nain, and Lazarus). These, however,
are not to be thought of as resurrection so much
as resuscitation. There is no indication that
any of these people did other than come back to
the life that they had left. And Paul tells us
explicitly that Christ is ‘the first fruits of
those who have fallen asleep’ (1 Cor. 15:20).
But these miracles show us Christ as the master
of death. This comes out again in the fact that
he prophesied that he would rise 3 days after he
was crucified (Mk. 8:31; 9:31; 10:34, etc).
This point is important. It shows Christ as
supremely the master of the situation. And it
also means that the resurrection is of the very
first importance, for the veracity of our Lord
is involved.
III. The resurrection of Believers
–
Not only did Jesus rise, but one day all men too
will rise. Jesus refuted the scepticism of the
Sadducees on this point with an interesting
argument from Scripture (Mt. 22:31-32). The
general NT position is that the resurrection of
Christ carries with it the resurrection of
believers. Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection
and the life; he who believes in me, though he
die, yet shall he live’ (Jn. 11:25). Several
times he spoke of raising believers up at the
last day (Jn. 6:39-40, 44, 54). The Sadducees
were grieved because the apostles were
‘proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the
dead’ (Acts 4:2). Paul tells us that ‘as by a
man came death, by a man came also the
resurrection from the dead’. For as in Adam all
die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive’
(1Cor. 15:21f.; cf. 1 Thes. 4:14).
|
|

April 1
Isaiah
50:4-9a Israel’s Sin and the
Servant’s Obedience
4
The Sovereign LORD has given me a
well-instructed tongue, to know the word that
sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by
morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being
instructed. 5 The Sovereign LORD has
opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I
have not turned away. 6 I offered my
back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those
who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting. 7 Because
the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be
disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like
flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near. Who
then will bring charges against me? Let us face
each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront
me! 9 It is the Sovereign LORD who
helps me. Who will condemn me?
Philippians 2:5-11 Imitating
Christ’s Humility
5
In your relationships with one another, have the
same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in very nature[a]
God, did not consider equality with God
something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by
taking the very nature[b]
of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to
death— even death on a cross!
9
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11 and every tongue
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
Sermon Title: “The Heart of a
Servant”
In the
nt
servants frequently appear in the Gospels,
especially in the parables (Matt. 18:23-35;
21:33-44). For Jesus the concept becomes a way
of expressing humankind’s relationship to God.
God is the Lord to whom the believer owes
unreserved service. ‘No one can serve two
masters’ (Matt. 6:24). Nor is a servant above
the master (Matt. 10:24). Rather, the faithful
servant does the master’s will (Matt. 24:45-46)
and realizes that in the presence of God even
the best disciple is only an unprofitable
servant (Luke 17:10). Jesus presents himself as
a servant when he washes his disciples’ feet at
the Last Supper (John 13:1-20). He tells his
disciples that he came ‘not to be served but to
serve’ (Mark 10:45), and Matthew (12:18-21)
quotes from the first servant song (Isa. 42:1-4)
to describe Jesus.
Likewise,
Paul, quoting from an early Christian hymn, says
that although Jesus was in the form of God, he
‘emptied himself, taking the form of a servant’
(Phil. 2:7). On the basis of his own
example, then, Jesus encourages his disciples to
be servants to each other (Mark 10:44; John
13:14). Obedient to this exhortation, Christians
refer to themselves as ‘servants of God’ (1 Pet.
2:16) and ‘servants of Christ’ (1 Cor. 7:22;
Eph. 6:6). The latter, however, is the most
frequent. Paul
describes himself as a ‘servant of Jesus Christ’
(Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Phil. 1:1), as do the
authors of James (1:1), 2 Peter (1:1), and Jude
(1). Service to God and Jesus Christ, however,
implies a change of allegiance from one lord to
another. Paul makes this clear when
he writes that Christians were once enslaved to
other masters such as sin (Rom. 6:16-19) and the
elemental spirits of the universe (Gal. 4:3).
But with the coming of Christ this servitude is
ended (Gal. 4:4-7). A similar idea is expressed
in John when Jesus says ‘everyone who commits
sin is a slave to sin’ (8:34).
In this regard, the
nt
is dramatically different from its milieu. For
the Greek the highest ideal was
self-determination expressed in freedom. Thus
the Greek looked upon the slave as an inferior
kind of person. It would have been contradictory
to the Greek ideal to speak of becoming a
servant to another, even to God. Christianity
stood this ideal upon its head, but did not
challenge the institution of slavery as such.
Paul encourages slaves to be obedient (Eph. 6:5;
Col. 3:22) and he sends the runaway slave
Onesimus back to his master (Philem.).
Nonetheless the
nt
undermines the institution of slavery inasmuch
as it proclaims a radical equality in Christ (1
Cor. 7:21-22; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). See
also Isaiah, The Book of; Jesus Christ;
Prophet. Bibliography
|

March 25
Psalm 116:1-9
1
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because
he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live. 3
The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me; I was
overcome by distress and sorrow. 4
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“LORD, save me!” 5 The LORD is
gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion. 6 The
LORD protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me. 7
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you. 8
For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my
eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the LORD in
the land of the living.
Mark 8: 27-30
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
27
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages
around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked
them, “Who do people say I am?”
28
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others
say Elijah; and still others, one of the
prophets.”
29
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say
I am?”
Peter
answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Sermon Title:
What are you saying about Jesus?
In each of the synoptic Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, and Luke) one question Jesus
asked His disciples marks a turning point. That
question is, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark
8:27: see also Matt. 16:13; Luke 9:18)
The disciples
reported what the people were saying, people who
had seen Jesus’ miracles, listened to His
teaching, been restored by His healing power,
and eaten of the bread and fishes He had
multiplied. Everywhere people were convinced
that Jesus was among the greatest of the
prophets, and might even be one of the ancients
restored to life!
And then the
synoptic Gospel writers each tell us that Jesus
asked His disciples, “But who do you say
that I am?”
Peter answered for
them all.
“You are the
Christ.”
What is so
significant about this incident is that three
Gospels tell us that from this point there was a
shift in Jesus’ ministry. Only then did Jesus
begin to teach His disciples about His coming
death. In fact, from this point on Jesus focused
His ministry more and more on instructing the
Twelve.
Why? Because these
men acknowledged Jesus for who He is: the
Christ, the Son of God. The compliments of the
crowds who linked Jesus with the greatest of Old
Testament saints fell far short, for they failed
to acknowledge Him for who He is. Those
compliments in fact constituted a rejection
of Jesus, a damning with faint praise.
There is no way that people who
will not believe in Jesus can really
profit from His instruction. Without the personal
relationship with God which is established by
faith, what a person does is completely
irrelevant. It is only as we believe and
obey that Jesus can fill our lives with newness.
It is only faith and obedience that can
transform.
|
|

March 18
Old Testament …………..Psalm 27:1, 4-9
New Testament………….Matthew 4:17-22 (Main Text)
Psalm 27: 1, 4-9
1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of
my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
4
One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I
seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all
the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek
him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will
keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred
tent and set me high upon a rock.
6
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies
who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts
of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7
Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to
me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his
face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do
not turn your servant away in anger; you have
been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
Matthew 4: 18-22………….Jesus Calls His First
Disciples
18
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,
he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his
brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the
lake, for they were fishermen. 19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send
you out to fish for people.” 20 At
once they left their nets and followed him.
21
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers,
James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They
were in a boat with their father Zebedee,
preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22
and immediately they left the boat and their
father and followed him.
Sermon Title: “Immediately”
ü
A
Disciple is one who both identifies with and
learns from his master. The Teacher is a model
of Truth that is being shared demonstrating how
to integrate Faith with life and learning, and
modeling the Spirit and Character the student is
to achieve. (quote from Myron S. Augsburger).
ü
The
Discipleship Process……Salvation + Intentionality
+ Training + Community = Life Change
ü
There
are two main points
about the
ministry of Jesus: 1) the
context
of His Ministry…Jesus moved from Nazareth
to Capernaum by the sea with more of a focus on
the Gentiles ,and
away from the Jewish community. 2) the
content
of His Ministry is stated briefly in
verse #17…Repent,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand”. The word
from the Master is to repent. Repenting or
converting is always a change of direction. It
is not first a moralistic change, but is first
of all a change in the orientation of self. If
we are to be participants in the Kingdom of
heaven, then we are to live by the rule of the
King!
ü
In Isaiah 61:1-3 there is a brief
description of the Messiah’s Mission…
The
Year of the LORD’s Favor
1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim
good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the
captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners,[a]2
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the
day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who
mourn, 3 and provide for those who
grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of
beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead
of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of
a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of
righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the
display of his splendor.
ü
As Disciples of Jesus Christ it is our
responsibility to invite others to become
fellow-disciples in the expansion of the Kingdom
of God… |
|

March 11
Old Testament – Psalm 34:1-8
1
I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD
heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
New Testament – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly
point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in
this way, we do so no longer. 17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new
creation has come:[a]
The old has gone, the new is here! 18
All this is from God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and gave us the ministry
of reconciliation: 19 that God was
reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting people’s sins against them. And he has
committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s
ambassadors, as though God were making his
appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s
behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God
made him who had no sin to be sin[b]
for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
Sermon Title: “Fire Yourself”
Perhaps there
is nothing more disconcerting to the Lord then
when we replace him in our life by our own ego,
we "edge God out", and we become our own higher
power. It is something that we, either live that
way or something that we often just do. Through
His grace we have been given the free will to
believe in Jesus Christ and follow him, or to
not. The choice we make though, has eternal
significance.
When we are
not in the Lord we get wrapped-up in the
trappings of this world. We get wrapped-up in
improving our position, our possessions, our
power. But is clearly written in the Word:
1 John
2:15-17 (NIV)
“Do not love
the world or anything in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not
in him. [16] For everything in the world---the
cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and
the boasting of what he has and does---comes not
from the Father but from the world. [17] The
world and its desires pass away, but the man who
does the will of God lives forever.”
So, first and
foremost, we must accept Christ as our savior
and believe with all of our being that He is the
path to salvation. When we do this, when we fire
ourselves as our own higher power, "we are a new
creation; the old has gone and the new has
come!" We then have to stop relying on our own
understanding and reach out for his direction
and guidance. And we have to live a life that is
Christ-like and embrace the Fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) "But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no
law."
When we are
in Christ, we are being watched; with many just
waiting to point when we stumble. So as
witnesses of the Lord we must remain connected,
we must pray daily and serve Him in all that we
do. Why? Because:
Proverbs
21:21 (NIV)
He who
pursues righteousness and love finds life,
prosperity and honor.
It is a good thing!
|
|

March 4
Old Testament – Psalm 51:1-8
New Testament – Luke 15:11-24
11
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two
sons. 12 The younger one said to his
father, ‘Father, give me my share of the
estate.’ So he divided his property between
them. 13 “Not long after that, the
younger son got together all he had, set off for
a distant country and there squandered his
wealth in wild living. 14 After he
had spent everything, there was a severe famine
in that whole country, and he began to be in
need. 15 So he went and hired himself
out to a citizen of that country, who sent him
to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He
longed to fill his stomach with the pods that
the pigs were eating, but no one gave him
anything.
17
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many
of my father’s hired servants have food to
spare, and here I am starving to death! 18
I will set out and go back to my father and say
to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. 19 I am no longer worthy
to be called your son; make me like one of your
hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and
went to his father. “But while he was still a
long way off, his father saw him and was filled
with compassion for him; he ran to his son,
threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.’
22
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick!
Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a
ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it.
Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24
For this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began
to celebrate.
Sermon Title: “It’s Okay, Talk to Yourself”
The
importance of Repentance…
Repentance requires the right attitude towards
sin. This is Godly sorrow. Repentance is the
right attitude toward God; it is a return to
God. Repentance is the right attitude toward
self. The Prodigal Son came to himself.
Repentance is the right attitude toward others.
The Phillipian jailer took Paul and Silas the
same hour of the night and washed their stripes.
Repentance is not just Godly sorrow. Paul told
the Corinthians in II Corinthians, Chapter 7,
verse 10, that Godly sorrow worketh repentance
to salvation not to be repented of. Repentance
is not gloomy despair. When Judas sold his
Master for thirty pieces of silver, he was
filled with gloom and despair, so much that he
committed suicide, but he did not repent.
Repentance is not quitting a sin for a season,
it is totally turning from that act of sin. It
is a complete one hundred-eighty degree turn.
Repentance is not concealing sin. David tried to
conceal his sin, but God exposed it. Concealing
sin is like trying to cover up spilled seed in
order to hide it, eventually the seed comes up
and is exposed.
Jesus focused on the lost as a priority. In Luke
Chapter 15, Jesus talks about the lost sheep,
the lost coin and the lost son.
ü
The
sheep got lost naturally
ü
The
Coin got lost accidentally
ü
The
Son got lost willingly
By this beautiful parable our Blessed Lord
teaches us how willing Almighty God is to
receive the penitent sinner, and how rejoiced He
is at his return. Our Lord describes: 1. the
falling away of a sinner from God; 2. the return
of the sinner to God; and 3. God’s reception of
the penitent sinner.
|
|
February 26
Old Testament
Scripture – Psalm 23
1The
LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he
leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He
restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea,
though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with
me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou
preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
6Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the
LORD forever.
New Testament
Scripture (Acts 2:42-47) (Main text for sermon)
42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was
filled with awe at the many wonders and signs
performed by the apostles. 44 All the
believers were together and had everything in
common. 45 They sold property and
possessions to give to anyone who had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet
together in the temple courts. They broke bread
in their homes and ate together with glad and
sincere hearts, 47 praising God and
enjoying the favor of all the people. And the
Lord added to their number daily those who were
being saved.
Sermon Title: The
Church Jesus Built
For the Christian community,
fellowship and unity of purpose are valuable
only when rooted in fellowship with Christ and
in the unity of his Spirit. The unity of the
Christian community derives from and is guided
by the gift of the Spirit that lies at the heart
of its life together. The Jerusalem Church
was one which had all things in common. In our
benedictions we speak of the communion of the
Holy Spirit. The word “communion,” koinönia,
means having in common, it also means
fellowship. There is no true fellowship without
Christ’s Spirit in us and between us. He is what
we have in common. The Church is the fellowship
of those given by Christ to be to each other
what he has been to them, so that together they
can be to the world a demonstration of the new
humanity He died and lives to make possible.
Qualities of the New Jerusalem Church
ü
Joint Study
ü
Sharing Food and Fellowship
ü
Praying Together
ü
Caring for each other’s needs
ü
Joyful Celebration
The first
Christians were
“regular” Christians
ü
Regular in church going –“All the believers were
together” (verse 44)
ü
Regular in church giving – “Selling their
possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he
had need” (verse 45).
ü
Regular in church mission – Every day they
continued to meet together in the temple courts.
They broke bread in their homes and ate together
with glad and sincere hearts, 47
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people. And the Lord added to their number daily
those who were being saved.
|
|

February 19
Old Testament Scripture –Joel 3:
9-14 (Background Scripture)
Joel
3:14 (NIV)
14
Multitudes, multitudes
in the valley of decision!
For the day of the LORD is near
in the valley of decision.
New Testament Scripture – James
1: 21-27 (Main text for sermon)
James 1:21-27
(NIV)
21
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the
evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the
word planted in you, which can save you.
22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. 23
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do
what it says is like someone who looks at his
face in a mirror 24 and, after
looking at himself, goes away and immediately
forgets what he looks like. 25 But
whoever looks intently into the perfect law that
gives freedom, and continues in it—not
forgetting what they have heard, but doing
it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26
Those who consider themselves religious and yet
do not keep a tight rein on their tongues
deceive themselves, and their religion is
worthless. 27 Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to
look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the
world.
Sermon Title: “The Valley of Indecision”
James tells
us in Chapter 1: 22,
“Do not merely
listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.”
The
prevailing thought of the day is that if we
“know” God, we have fulfilled our obligations to
be Christians. But the bible tells us that we
are to “obey” God, if we are to be true
followers of His Son Jesus Christ.
What does it
mean to “obey” God?
-
Make The Decision: Accept the
gift of salvation and hold fast the
profession of your faith (Hebrews 10:23)
23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful.
-
Give God Control: Recognize
that you cannot live for Him on your own
strength. (Proverbs 16:25)
There is a way that appears to be right, but in
the end it leads to death.
-
Keep the Faith: Faith in God
and His plan for you life will lead you to a
successful outcome. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished
the race, I have kept the faith. 8
Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his
appearing.
|
|

February 12
Old Testament
Scripture – Psalm 16 (Background Scripture)
New Testament
Scripture – Acts 2:29-39 (Main text for sermon)
29
“Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently
that the patriarch David died and was buried,
and his tomb is here to this day. 30
But he was a prophet and knew that God had
promised him on oath that he would place one of
his descendants on his throne. 31
Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the
resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not
abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his
body see decay. 32 God has raised
this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of
it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of
God, he has received from the Father the
promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you
now see and hear. 34 For David did
not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord
said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’[f]
36
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this:
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Messiah.”
37
When the people heard this, they were cut to the
heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
“Brothers, what shall we do?”
38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every
one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The
promise is for you and your children and for all
who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God
will call.”
Sermon Title:
“When a Coward stands up”!
The basic thrust of Peter’s sermon is a clear
declaration that life in Christ is God’s will
for his people and all creation. Peter preached
with such courage because he was convinced that
the Messiah’s life, death, and resurrection were
the manifestation of God’s immutable,
irrevocable will for the salvation of the world.
The first Christian sermon preached by Peter was
(Christ-centered). Peter preached Christ, His
incarnate life, death, crucifixion, resurrection
and immanent presence.
Peter was saying to the crowd in Jerusalem that
God’s will for the atonement and reconciliation
could not be stopped or altered. It was God’s
plan and He did it.
They cried out, “what shall we do?” Peter was
ready with an answer and the first Christian
invitation to a congregation: “Repent, and let
everyone of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus for the remission of sins; and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (v.38).
The Greek meaning of
Repent:
The word translated repent in English New
Testaments is the Greek word metanoeo.
Bullinger's Dictionary2 says
metanoeo means, "to perceive afterwards,
hence, to change one's mind and purpose. This
change is always for the better, and denotes a
change of moral thought and reflection; not
merely to repent of, nor to forsake sin, but to
change one's mind and apprehensions regarding
it. Metanoeo denotes to reform, to have a
genuine change of heart and life from worse to
better."
Peter recommends three things we should do:
1. Repent of our sins
2. Return to God
3. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
|
|

February 5th
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all
together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like
the blowing of a
violent wind came from Heaven and filled the
whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw
what seemed to
be tongues of fire that separated and came to
rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled
with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues as the
Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4
Sermon Title: "The Fire in Jerusalem"
The promise from Jesus is found in John 15:26-27.....26
"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to
you
from the Father--the Spirit of truth who goes
out from the Father -- he will testify about me.
27 And you also must
testify, for you have been with me form the
beginning.
The promise is fulfilled
on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) when
the power of the Holy Spirit was poured upon
the disciples.
The term "filled with the
Holy Spirit" is used five times in Acts
2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 9:17; 13:9....
Question : What does it mean to be filled
with the Holy Spirit? |
|

January
29th
8 But you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you
will be by witnesses in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth. (NIV) Acts 1:8
Sermon Title: "A Prescription for Spiritual
Power"
A Christ filled witness is marked by his or her:
Accountability to
Christ and People
Approachability as
a receptive, relaxed, responsive, human being
Adaptability in
presenting the essential message for particular
needs
Accountability in
taking responsibility for following through
There are three relationships Jesus talked about
that a person can and should have with the Holy
Spirit!
1. He is with us
when we are convicted of our need to be born
again (John 14:17)........7
If you had known of Me,
you would have known My Father also; from now on
you (J) know Him, and have (K) seen Him.
2. He comes in us
the moment we open our heart to the Savior (John
20:22)....." 22 And when
He had said this He
breathed on them and * said to them Receive the
Holy Spirit.
3. He
comes upon us
when He empowers us for service (Acts 1:5)......
5 For John baptized with (c) water, but in a
few days you will be baptized with (b) the Holy
Spirit. |
|