When you quench a fire, you put out the fire. When you quench your thirst, your thirst goes away. The word “spirit” here could refer to the Holy Spirit, or one’s own personal spirit. Either way, spirit is the source of all things spiritual. So the basic meaning of the command is not to put out the source of all things spiritual.
So usually when we read about the kingdom in the New Testament, it has reference to the church and vice versa. However, there are a couple of passages where the term kingdom doesn’t refer to the church, but to heaven.
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.
In this lesson we will briefly look at the Asian church of Laodicea. We will note: 1) Some facts regarding the city, 2) Some facts regarding the church at Laodicea, 3) Jesus' message to the church at Laodicea. Each should be able to discuss Revelation 3:14-22 in its historical and spiritual context. To increase awareness of the church at Laodicea and the lessons we can learn from her mistakes.
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.
When God’s word has place in our life, it will manage our relationships to the best. We should trust in God’s word to manage our relationships.
In this lesson we will learn that the life is in the blood as we compare the functions of blood with the functions of the blood of Christ: Blood 1) replenishes, 2) removes, 3) repairs, and 4) regulates. Each listener should recognize the function of the blood of Christ as it gives life to the body.
If I were a rich man, I would recognize, 1) my relationship with God regarding wealth, 2) the reasons God has given for wealth, 3) the problems associated with wealth. The hearer should be able to understand their responsibilities and attitudes toward wealth. I want everyone to have a proper, healthy, and reverent attitude toward the teaching within God's word regarding wealth.
Like deleting temporary files from a computer, we must clear away the "trash" in our relationships through forgiveness (Colossians 3:12-13). Let's be forgiving people!
To the church of Philadelphia we have a message of 1) Opportunity, 2) Conquering, 3) Help in the time of need, and 4) Steadfastness. We should all be familiar with this letter and gain great encouragement from knowing that God continues to instruct and warn even when we are faithful.
We wrestle with God too. What does it mean to wrestle with God, and how do we win?: 1) We wrestle with God when we seek to impose our will on others and God. 2) We wrestle with God and He with us through life’s troubles. 3) We can win our wrestling match with God by humbling ourselves and trusting in Him. Wresting with God is a good thing if we learn to humble ourselves and trust in God.
Fear comes from 1) Lack of Knowledge, 2) Lack of Love, and 3) Lack of Faith. That we may be able to overcome our fears and live in love, peace, and fellowship with one another.
When we have a right attitude toward God, we will 1) Fear God, 2) Worship God, 3) Love God. The hearer should have a fundamental idea of what it means to be godly: have a right attitude toward God.
The Bible speaks of objective guilt for sin and the feeling of guilt from our conscience. Christ's blood cleanses both (Hebrews 9:14). Let go of guilt and get to work.
In this lesson we will examine how we got the Bible. We will briefly look at the canonization, the transmission, and the translation of the text. The student should be able to briefly discuss the concepts of canonization, transmission and translation. The aim of this lesson is to help all understand that the Bible has been accurately preserved throughout the ages for our benefit and that we have what they had.
In this lesson we will look at the church in Sardis as described in Revelation 3. Each should be familiar with the description of the church at Sardis. The aim of this lesson is to teach the lessons of the church at Sardis.
God’s word provides for us in the time of our afflictions. It teaches us that 1) God is good; 2) Afflictions Refine the Righteous, 3) The wicked will not comfort us. Each hearer should understand that in times of distress we need to go to God and his word for comfort, peace, and help.
In this lesson we will see that to engage in evangelism is 1) Loving God, 2) Loving Your Neighbor, and 3) Loving Yourself as God Loves You. Each person should understand that to love our friends and family as God wants us to love them, we must engage in personal evangelism.
In this lesson, we will examine David’s practice of grace to Saul’s house. David understood that: 1) Grace was a Desire, 2) Grace was Proactive, 3) Grace Restores, 4) Grace Gives. Each person should learn what it means to be gracious to others and resolve to practice more grace in our lives.
How intelligent are we really? Not very, if we are willing to sacrifice relationships for our own pride. Lack of love is the culprit.