Paul refers to God's plan to save man through Jesus. The term "mystery" was often used in the New Testament to refer to the message of the gospel as it has been revealed through God's Son, Jesus. Romans 16:25, 26 point this out.
Jesus died on the cross to fulfill the scriptures related to his 1) Death, 2) Burial, 3) Resurrection. The listener should know that Jesus’ death on the cross was in fulfillment of prophecy that proves he is the Messiah.
Jesus condemned errors of related to 1) Truth, 2) Attitudes, and 3) Morality. Each listener should understand that Jesus loved people enough to confront them about whatever their problems might be so that they would change. We must be bold enough to confront people about their problems.
How do missionaries work? The word “missionary” means “a person sent by a church into an area to carry on evangelism or other activities, as educational or hospital work” (dictionary.com). The word stems from a Latin word meaning “one who is sent.” In the New Testament, we can identify several missionaries. Philip seems to be the first of these.
Christian unity is based upon Christian teaching. We are united as Christians and without the teaching we are not Christians. This teaching is summarized in the list of seven “ones” in Ephesians 4:4-6. Each person should understand that for us to have unity as Christians we must adhere to the same standards of Christian teaching.
Do we hold back from teaching the gospel to those who don’t look, smell, act, or live like us because they are “dirty”? God didn’t accept Peter’s reticence, and He won’t accept ours either because He wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).
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.
What we desire of others reveals our expectations of them and our high opinion of ourselves.
An audio sermon on 2 Corinthians 10-13, where Paul defends his apostleship and speaks of strength in weakness. The post contains the text of these four chapters.
An audio sermon on three questions answered in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, when three thousand were baptized. The post contains the full text of Acts chapter 2.
God has supplied for us His word with all the things in it that we need to believe and know saving truth. When we know and believe these God-given truths, then we have faith in our life. So, we develop our own personal faith from hearing God's word, understanding it, believing it, and applying it. In that way, God is responsible for our faith because it is only through his word that we can have that faith; at the same time, we are responsible for accepting God's message and believing it.
An audio sermon on 2 Corinthians 5-6, on our heavenly house, the ministry of reconciliation, and being separate from the world. The post contains the chapters' text.
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.
An audio sermon on 1 Corinthians 11-12, covering the head covering, the Lord's Supper, and spiritual gifts in the one body. The post contains the text of both chapters.
In this lesson we will look at the first internal problem for the church and how it was handled. We will then draw some practical lessons from the text. Each hearer should learn that God is always watching what we do and knows our motives, thoughts, and actions. We cannot get away with sinning against God.
This means that the saints that reign with Christ for 1000 years are people who have been come into the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; these are the saved. It is the saved that reign with Christ for 1000 years. Consider what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
For this I'm thankful (Hebrews 13:10-15): 1) The Creation, 2) The Bible, 3) Family and Friends, 4) The Church, 5) Jesus. Each person should consider how to be thankful.
An audio sermon on 1 Corinthians 5-6, which address immorality in the church, lawsuits among brethren, and glorifying God in the body. The post holds the chapters' text.
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.