Porter Podcast

Series:  Christmas Carols Good Christian Men, Rejoice! Luke 2:8-14   The attempt to find joy is a part of Christmas for almost everyone.   However, Christmas joy is often a thin veneerlike wrapping paper.  For joy to last, the source of joyhas to be sufficient.  good Christian men, rejoice   Christian joy is not circumstantial; it is rooted in our relationship with Christ.    Rejoice in the Lord a...

Series: Christmas Carols Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Luke 1:26-37; Philippians 2:5-11     Most people have an opinion about who Jesus is.     veiled in flesh, the Godhead see   Christians believe that Jesus is God Incarnate.                                                           John 1:14   Christians believe that Jesus is both GodandMan.      It is easy to emphasizeone nature and neglectthe o...

Series: Christmas Carols O Come, O Come Emmanuel Proverbs 13:12; Isaiah 9    O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. The human experience fluctuates between moments of sadnessand joy, darknessand light. Lonely Exile The sadness the world experiences is the result of...

Series: AD: AfterDeath What Happens HERE After You Die  Proverbs 20:7; Luke 16   my wish list for my family   I want final decisionsabout my life to be easy on my loved ones.  I want my family to be financially secure.                  Proverbs 13:22     I want my relationships to end in good standing.   I want my girls to find good husbands.   guarantees after you die   ·      Your loved ones wil...

Series: AD: AfterDeath? What Happens to YOU  Hebrews 9:27     Eternityis on everyone's mind.                   Ecclesiastes 3:11   We all have an appointment with death .           Hebrews 9:27   ·              This is undeniable.                ·              This is inescapable. ·              This is unpredictable. ·              This is rapidly approaching.                       James 4:1...

Series: Priority One   The People God Blesses Haggai 2         Haggai’s message:   God’s agenda should be ourhighest priority.     God will bless us, but maybe not the way we expect.      context:  The people of Judah were neglectingGod’s temple to build their own homes, and they were sufferingbecause of it.    They were challenged by Haggai to complete the temple, and God promised to blessthem.  ...

Series: Priority One  Is God Enough?  Haggai 2:1-9   God promises to bless faithful people.   Sometimes God blesses faith immediately, sometimes His blessings are delayed.   Context:    Jewish captivesin Babylon were allowed to come back and rebuild the temple.   Immediately they complete the foundation, but for 16 years,the project stalled.      The people werecursed because they were taking care...

Series: Priority One Misplaced Priorities Haggai 1   We have a tendency to crowd God outof our lives.                      All of us have enough time and money to serve God, but probably not enough to serve God and live the life that we want.   Haggai’s message:          Don’t invert your priorities, God must be first!   the prophet  Haggai was a prophet 500years before Jesus. His ministry is foun...

Series: Kingdom Principles Forgiveness is NOT Optional Matthew 18:21-35   There is nothing more unnaturalthan forgiveness.      the parable   the kingdom principle:   Forgiveness is required in the kingdom.   Our forgiveness is to be unlimited. We are to extend forgiveness to all. Our eternal judgmentis based on our willingness to forgive.   achieving Christlike forgiveness Understand what forgive...

Series: Kingdom Principles Kingdom Investment Pays Matthew 25:14-30     a parable of surprises üThe owner entrusts his money to servants. üThe owner distributes the wealth unevenly. üThe servants put their money to work.  üThe one-talentman is not the hero. üJesus showed approvalfor the rich man. üThe single-talent man is held accountable.  üThe 10-talent man is given more. üThe one-talent man is...

Series: Kingdom Principles The Gospel Will Prevail Matthew 13:24-31; 36-43   recap of kingdom principles:   1.            God uses small things to make big impacts. 2.           The humble are exalted. 3.            Obedience is blessed.   In Matthew 13, Jesus tells eight parablesabout the kingdom of heaven.   These parables were delivered against the backdrop of the growing oppositionto Jesus’ mi...

Series: Kingdom Principles The Humble Are Exalted Luke 18:9-14   Pride is accepted and prevalent; it must not be a part of the Christian’s life.     A parable is an earthly story that illustrates spiritual truths.    the pharisee & the tax collector   The pharisee believed he was good enough to approach God, and the tax collector believed God was too good to approach.    a kingdom principle: ...

Series:   Kingdom Principles big lessons about small things Matthew 13: 31-33   A parable is an earthly story that illustrates spiritual truths.    The Parable of the Mustard Seed “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.  It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky...

Series: Unstuck Helping the Broken Psalm 107:10-16   the incarceration problem   There are 2.2 million people in prison in the United States.   It costs 80 billion dollars to prosecute and house criminals.   Every year 600,000 prisoners reenter their communities.   Two out of three people will be incarcerated again.   Currently in Lexington, there are ________ people in jails or prisons.    homele...

Series: Unstuck The Spiritual Reality of Helping Matthew 25:31-46   context This passage is a part of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse.   It records His teaching on the Tuesday before the crucifixion.  The End Times were the topic of his instruction.      Jesus will come again and reign on the earth.    There is much disagreement over when this will occur.  Humility should be practiced in all discussions a...

Series: Unstuck Helping the Impoverished Various   The Unstuck series is designed to help the church engage people trapped in circumstances that make it hard to hear the gospel.   Poverty is complex, and there are not quick fixes.     why is there poverty? ·      Misfortune ·      Generational/Cultural ·      Injustice ·      Lack of Essential Resources   Wealth and Poverty   Identifying with pove...

Series: Unstuck Helping the Addict Galatians 6:1-2   The goal of this series is to engage the church in helping people trapped in circumstances that make it hard to hear the gospel.    Addiction in America In the last 20 years in the US, 750,000 people have died from drug use.   Twenty-one million people have an addiction to substances.   One hundred thirty people die every day from opioids.   Ove...

Series: The Book of Philippians Gratitude, Contentment and Generosity Philippians 4:10-23   Recap             The church at Philippi was started by Paul.  They financially supported his mission endeavors and had developed an extremely close relationship with him.  When the book is written Paul is 800 miles away in a Roman prison.  After he receives a gift from the church, He writes a letter to tha...

Series: Philippians   Dealing with Anxiety Philippians 4:1-9   Anxiety is an intense desire for something, accompanied by the fear of not receiving it.   Worry demonstrates a distrust of God and His Providence in our lives.   Context:  The Philippian Christians were experiencing anxiety because of rejection, false teachers, and financial hardship.  Anxieties were increased by two women sharply dis...

Series: Philippians Surpassing Value Philippians 3:1-11     Philippians 3:1-7   True joy can only be found in Jesus.   There will always be enemies seeking to devalue the gospel.              Paul not only sees his sin as worthless, he sees personal success as worthless.    Nothing received, achieved, or experienced compares to Jesus.    Philippians 3:8   Christianity is more than a set of facts,...

Series : The Book of Philippians Unity in Christ Philippians 2:1-11   Maintaining unity in a church requires intentional effort by everyone.                 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on on...