Sermon: To Know Him
We can walk with Jesus, and in the walking, we become more like Him, step by step.
We can walk with Jesus, and in the walking, we become more like Him, step by step.
Because of the cross, we are made right with God, children of God, and therefore, loved and protected by our heavenly Father.
We are cursed because of our sins, yet Jesus became a curse for us so that we may no longer be cursed.
Little sins can often go unnoticed or are easily rationalized. “It’s just me. It’s who I am, and I’m not going to change at this point.”
When you read or watch the news, just remember, God is being patient so that everyone may come to repentance.
Each and every one of us can do regular, ordinary things and still make a big impact for the Kingdom of God.
The Lord says, “to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.
We are to mutually coach and guide each other to be more Christlike.
Jesus did what was right in God’s sight, regardless of whether or not it was right in man’s eyes, or even the eyes of the religious.
If you happen to be with someone who is going through something good or bad, let the Holy Spirit guide you into the best way to be there for them.
Our dedication to God leads to discernment for God’s will and God’s ways, which leads to delight.
We don’t just win a battle, we become something through that battle; we become refined and more holy.
We groan for the day in which we will be set free and dwell in our true home, and be who God intended us to be forever.
God’s standard is absolute perfection, not just beyond what we can obtain, but beyond what our natural instinct towards goodness is.
Love is how we act toward one another, not what we do or do not accept about one another.
We may not be perfect, but we have been set free from the slavery of sin and are in the process of being renewed.
So our lives, our testimony, are examples of what Christ can do in one person’s life.
It’s been said that the Roman Empire fell because of its own depravity. And here we are. History is repeating itself.
Let God’s Word refresh you, strengthen you, and fill you with complete confidence that the One who sits on the throne is Lord over all.
Have you made God your refuge, your strong lighthouse in the raging sea or have you been standing in the storm of worry and doubt?
We’re repeating the tower of Babel all over again, where the known world at that time wanted to unite and build a temple to themselves.
We are undeservingly exempt from God’s judgment.
We need to understand godliness first because we need to understand the godly version of what mutual affection and love are.
You can name any great Bible character, and they were all either humble–or were humbled by God.
The gifts that God gives us are tangible forms of His grace that He has portioned, distributed, and entrusted to us to use for others.
It is impossible to be completely harmonious or of one mindset with those who are so diametrically opposed to the way of God.
Our debts have been paid in full. We should rejoice, we should be relieved.
What God said to Moses and the Israelites applies to all of God’s people: Be strong and courageous.
Our job is to plant the seed regardless of the soil.
I believe we will not reap the blessings God has for us if we withhold that which God so graciously and undeservingly gives us.
The key to prayer on our part lies in these three things: thanksgiving, faith in God’s provision, and seeking above all, the Kingdom of God.
The kingdom is brought to us through the whole counsel of God and through the indwelling, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit.
As in the Parable of the Talents, we are not to bury our talents, but to use them, no matter how great or how small.
Remember the Lord’s goodness, His greatness, His power, and His love whenever you pray.
He is with us the whole time, and He comforts us as we go through this valley.
No matter who we are or how well we have it or how spiritually mature we are, we all need a shepherd.
We are to be missionaries, with great patience and careful instruction.
With a little trickle of deception here or there mixed with truth, they say something that’s false smoothly, and the audience starts nodding their head.
We must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and in a way that is not quarrelsome or resentful.
That boldness that we need to step out in faith does not come from inside us, it comes from a supernatural indwelling of The Holy Spirit.
Wealth in and of itself is not a sin, but where does our heart lie? Where does our treasure lie?
Whatever happens to us and around us externally, we should focus on Jesus and our own spiritual growth internally.
You see, love, despite what the movies tell us, is a verb, not a noun—not a feeling.
True Biblical love is a choice that we make in spite of our ever-changing moods.
As we know, ignorance breeds hatred, and what we’re seeing is a growing distaste for Christianity.
There have been a lot of true Christians who have inadvertently been “Jerks for Jesus.”
We all have had questions and doubts in our lives, and we’ve all been angry at God–even as Christians.
Let us know and understand that it was written for us, through God’s inspiration to man, so that we can know God.
We know that we are a mess, and we need God’s grace in our lives.
If we want to be true salt and light to the world, we have to forgive.
God not only dwells in our spirit but also wants us to call Him Father.
Jesus did everything in service to glorify God the Father, not himself.
Fear doesn’t draw them to the cross because they don’t quite understand the beauty of the cross.
Guarding what comes into and flows out of our hearts and minds is what helps develop our Christian character.
We bring our life experiences, our hurts, our struggles, and life in general, and we say, “God, I need, fill in the blank.”
Jesus is perhaps in the wilderness and hears the whole world at this point cry out “My deliverer is coming, my deliverer is standing by.”
When it comes to prayer, we have to have faith that it can get done.
And while we cannot pay for salvation, once we have found it, we are willing to give up everything else to possess it.
Our purpose is not just to wash each others’ feet, but to encourage others to come to Christ and to become that new creation.
We should have no doubt in our minds that whatever need we have, it’s going to be provided.
Dwelling in the shadow, the shelter, or the secret place of God is an action, that we must take, a place we must intentionally pursue.
We are to be actively pursuing God and by faith, waiting, and trusting in His timing to do His work.
Let God take care of the bad stuff, the weeds that need to be taken care of, the weeds that will choke us if we’re not careful.
Our ability to spread the gospel of course requires love, but it may also require something else: courage.
There are a myriad of good works that God can call us to do based on who we are and what talents we have.
We can look at the Christmas story up, down, sideways, inside-out, upside-down, and all over, and it all correlates.
Saying the sinner’s prayer and baptism can be either religious or a true experience with Christ, depending on the heart.
Some inspiration for your holiday playlists.
We’re inclined to follow ourselves daily, even if we’ve been His for decades.
A stump in this sense is not just the remainder of a tree that has been cut down, but its “substance,” the true life that remains.
The point of praise is that it should be a natural expression of thankfulness and gratitude that comes from our hearts.
If we are patient and persistent in living a Godly life, we have many blessings ahead of us in this life and in the next.
Only the Holy Spirit can truly give us the power, strength, and ability to love Jesus and love one another the way Jesus did.
As children of God, we have to come to him and ask our Heavenly Father to fix it.
The spiritual sword that flows through us cuts through the Satanic attack on our minds and our feelings.
We need these reminders that wherever we are, whatever disappointment we’re going through, God has His eye on us.
God does a complete makeover of Heaven and Earth, where God and His people will dwell forever.
The Holy Spirit dwells in us and through us to preserve us, fill in the cracks, refinish us, make us new, and preserve us.
Jesus wants us to know the signs of the times in order to encourage us so that when chaos happens, we’ll understand it.
It was the impactful lyrics, sincere heart, and Holy Spirit that resonated through the music that most touched us.
Resisting the Devil is an act on our part and a decisive action of warfare.
We need to learn how to teach others to see God’s truth, not Satan’s lies that sound like truth.
We don’t just win a battle, we become something through that battle–-we become refined and more holy.
Not only is the Holy Spirit here to create us anew, but He is also here to be our advocate in times of trouble.
The closer we are to Christ, the more we begin to see our sinful ways and want to become more like Christ.
We have to examine where we are in the present and take count of that in light of God’s mercy and His judgment.
Listen to the voice of the Spirit who has the map, who is the map, who wrote the map for our good and is telling us the direction we need to go.
Our society has mixed up: authority, custom, and general consent when it comes to the Bible.
It’s amazing how God can plan these circumstances in our lives that interweave with so many other lives.
True freedom is found through the inner working of The Holy Spirit to change us from the desires of the flesh to His desires.
Turning skepticism into trust requires us to invest personally in people’s lives.
Misery might be contagious, but so is joy. Not only is it good for our souls, but it boosts the spirits of those around us and is a ministry unto itself.
We have to remember even though God is to be feared, His ‘consuming fire’ is also an example of His love.
To knock us into Godly maturity, we need to let God deal with us in a way in which He sees fit.
Our lack of faith may have caused us to sink, but God is right there to pick us back up again.
God is not rewarding our outcome; He’s rewarding our faithfulness.
If someone isn’t mature in their faith, they can mix the basics with a whole other set of beliefs that they derive from other sources.
Because of our sinful nature, there had to be a provision to enter eternity with Him.
We are not going to God’s throne of punishment. We are going to God’s throne of grace.
If you’ve experienced the Bible as I have, you’ll know it is alive and active.