Holy living is not just being a moral person: one who doesn’t commit fornication, drink booze, gamble away money, take advantage of other people, lie, cheat, steal, etc. Holiness certainly avoids these things, but that is not all it is.
We praise the Maker of our mothers because He made our mothers to be 1) Kind, 2) Compassionate, and 3) Caring. Each listener should be able to understand why God made mothers and the importance of their role within the home.
As we were running, I matched his pace, talked to him about the run, and encouraged him to keep going; we had great conversation and fellowship. As we were running, walking, talking, and enjoying our time together, I realized that our run illustrated the concept of the Greek word parakletos.
In this lesson, we will look at what it means to be a friend of God. One is God's friend when he 1) Loves God with all his heart, soul, and mind, 2) Does what God wants him to do simply because God has asked us to do it, 3) Tells others about what a great friend God is. Each hearer should be able to understand what it takes to be a friend of God. I want everyone to be motivated to make God their friend.
In this lesson, we will study why Jesus died on the cross. To understand that Jesus brings unity to mankind in the church, we must understand God’s original design in the creation. When we understand this, we will understand that Jesus died on the cross to restore unity between God and man, and between man and man. Each member should understand that Jesus died on the cross to bring unity in the church as the restoration of His purposes in creation.
Christians also have an obligation to respect government. Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 speak to this
In this lesson we will examine the office of the deacon, its 1) History, 2) Responsibilities, 3) Qualifications, and 4) Rewards. The hearer should be able to locate and discuss the New Testament passages dealing with the office of the deacon. Considering the appointment of new deacons, I hope to be able to focus thought upon this office and the one being considered for appointment.
In this sermon, we will note that being a Christian requires a person to change his life. How do we do this? We must recognize: 1) Everyone Has Problems, 2) Our Past Does Not Define Us, 3) Winning Requires Effort, and 4) Transformation Takes Time. The hearer should be motivated to make changes in his or her life and to help others make changes in their lives as needed.
In this lesson we learn that near the cross we find 1) Healing, 2) Heaven, and 3) Help. As an objective of this lesson, the listener will be able to understand scripturally the song “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.”
The Bible speaks of complaints that are unwarranted, but also of complaints that are warranted or righteous. We will look at these two areas and then examine some of the results of both warranted and unwarranted complaints. Each should understand the difference between righteous and unrighteous complaints and their results. This lesson is designed to help us understand how to handle complaints and the proper role of repentance in complaints.
In this lesson we will study 1 Corinthians 4 and learn that pride causes us to: 1) Be judges over God’s stewards, 2) Go beyond what is written, 3) Serve self instead of God, and 4) Not imitate the spiritual. The listener should learn that pride is a deadly enemy of God’s people and responsible for much division in the church. This lesson is designed to help us learn more about 1 Corinthians 4.
The goal of this and all our efforts is to participate in God’s eternal purpose of building up His church (Ephesians 3:11)! God wants as many people to go to heaven as can possibly go, but He has left us responsible for taking the gospel to others (Matthew 28:18-20).
In this lesson, we will discuss the conversion of the three thousand in Acts chapter 2 and the essential ingredients to effective evangelism. This includes 1) The Presence of the Holy Spirit, 2) People of the Dispersion, 3) Prophets of the Old Testament, 4) Preachers of the Gospel, 5) Penitent of Heart, 6) Persistent in Faithfulness. The hearer should be familiar with the events in Acts 2 and the principles of evangelism as related to this conversion account. The aim of this lesson is to help the hearer understand more about the principles of evangelism taught in Acts 2.
Because the kingdom of God is God’s people, we need to be busy serving God’s people. In my studies, I ran across Proverbs 18:1. The English Standard Version translates it like this: “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” Because the kingdom of God is people, we are not to isolate ourselves but be part of the citizenry of the kingdom by participating in its activities. We value God’s kingdom—Christians—by giving ourselves away to others!
In this lesson, we will study Acts 4. The apostles were arrested for preaching the resurrection. How did they handle this? We will note: 1) The Situation of the Arrest, 2) The Steadfastness of the Apostles, 3) The Sentence of the Sanhedrim, 4) The Supplication of the Saints. The hearer will be able to understand how the early church dealt with the problem of preaching the gospel in the face of opposition. We want to know how the early church handled problems so that we can imitate their faith.
Being a disciple of Jesus means being committed to Jesus and His values by 1) listening and following Jesus as my spiritual leader, 2) participating in the church, Jesus’ instrument to address concerns in the world, and 3) caring about other people in both physical and spiritual ways. The listener should be able to understand and relate what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This sermon is designed to develop a deeper sense of commitment to Jesus and His values.
To avoid building an empire of sinful desire we must 1) Know Our Own Desires, 2) Distinguish Between Legitimate and Illegitimate Desires, 3) Recognize Our Ultimate True Desire. The hearer should be able to impede sinful desires and facilitate desires for Jesus. In this sermon, I want to impart some spiritual tools whereby the hearer will be able to recognize his/her desires.
Why should I be involved in personal evangelism? 1) Love 2) Thankfulness 3) Joy. Each should understand these motives for personal evangelism. The aim of this sermon is to motivate the brethren to get involved in personal evangelism.
In this sermon we will examine the statement, "To The Blind He Gives Sight." He does this because there is, 1) A Need--the blind need to see, 2) A Name--only He has this authority, 3) A Notion--the blind who see will tell others, 4) A Nation--the blind who see will believe and worship together, and 5) A Night--an eternal blindness is coming for those who do not see. I want to impress upon each hearer that God wants all men to be saved and to come to the truth and to help the congregation become more evangelistic.