Dromore RP Church - Sermons

Jacob finally sees Esau face to face - and it all turns out much better than he might have hoped. In a chapter that might leave us with mixed feelings as to what Jacob does and why, we nonetheless see the fact of God's faithfulness in his life.

The cross is undoubtedly the best-recognised symbol of Christianity. It is also the message of Christianity. Paul said, 'we preach Christ crucified' (1 Corinthians 1:23 ). But what does it really mean?

Jacob reaches the border of Canaan fearful of seeing the face of Esau, his brother. But instead he is forced to face his God, in an encounter that would change his life. If we meet our God in the place of prayer, we will have less reason to fear meeting the problems of life.

The Call of Wisdom continues to sound a lot like that of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this poetic Old Testament passage we see foreshadowings of what the Lord Jesus would more fully declare about himself in the New Testament: that he is the eternal "I am", the Son of God equal with the Father in power, authority and divinity.

Jacob has his own "mini Exodus" as he finally escapes the clutches of Laban. As with his descendants the Israelites, centuries later, in saving Jacob God shows himself to be the one true God in the face of pagan idols.

Proverbs 8 describes a woman called Wisdom, crying out to "the children of men". Like other pictures and people in the Old Testament she often looks and sounds a lot like the Lord Jesus.

The men and women whose lives are described in the Old Testament sometimes seem very far away from us in time and setting. Yet we see in this passage that God still guides and provides for us by the same means that he did for believers long ago - despite their and our imperfections.

The story of Jacob is full of shocks, twists, turns and human mistakes. Yet, in a very imperfect family, God was bringing about his perfect purposes. Here we see how, in the growth of Jacob's family, God was keeping his promises to bring blessing to the world.

The cross is undoubtedly the best-recognised symbol of Christianity. It is also the message of Christianity. Paul said, 'we preach Christ crucified' (1 Corinthians 1:23 ). But what does it really mean?

Jacob travels more than 500 miles to his mother's family in search of a wife. What starts out as a trip that meets with success, quickly turns into a nightmare. Yet at no point does Jacob turn to the God who met him at Bethel for help. 1. Jacob Doesn't See the Providential Care of God 2. Jacob Doesn't See the Painful Correction of God

For a third and final time, a father warns his son of the temptation of adultery. The principles here can be applied to various other temptations as well. The father's message in these chapters couldn't be clearer: sin leads to death; God's wisdom leads to life.

We all play the game of "what if" from time to time, but we can usually only guess what the results would be in our hypothetical scenarios. The apostle Paul, however, knew for sure what the disastrous results would be "if" Christ wasn't raised from the dead. He spells them out in 1 Corinthians 15, and then goes to describe the wonderful good news that, in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead...

Work is a huge part of our lives, perhaps even a part of our identity. Thankfully, the Bible has plenty to say on work and our attitude to it.

Forced to flee his homeland as a consequence of his own sin, Jacob is seemingly in the middle of nowhere, unsure of what lies ahead. Yet in an ordinary place he has an extraordinary encounter with the living God. Guest Preacher: Mr Gareth Orr

The serious of adultery - and the strength of temptation that it often holds - is seen in the fact that it is dealt with three times in three chapters in Proverbs 5-7. Here we consider further warnings from wise parents on how and why this temptation must be resisted.

In a chapter of the Bible that seems more like a script for a soap opera, we get an illustration of how sinfully undeserving all of us are of God's blessing. Yet God in his sovereignty over-rules for good. His covenant promises to Abraham's family continue, despite and amid their brokenness. Preacher: Mr Gareth Orr

Jesus gave several pieces of teaching to emphasise the need for forgiveness. Here we consider the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, and learn how crucial it is that if we ourselves have been forgiven, we be ready to forgive others.

We continue considering the first, precious words Jesus uttered on the cross. Having considered 1. The Suffering that Surrounded Christ's Prayer, here we consider: The Request for Christ's Prayer The Reason for Christ's Prayer The Answer to Christ's Prayer

Over the course of our March '24 communion season we are considering the first of Christ's seven statements from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing". This remarkable prayer reveals the heart of God for sinners. In preparation service we consider: 1. The Suffering that Surrounded Christ's Prayer

1. Be Wise: Debts Can Be Disastrous 2. Be Working: Laziness is Foolishness 3. Be Warned: God Hates Wickedness

Continuing our look at the life of Isaac, here we see what a pilgrim believer can expect in this world: 1. God's Promises Partially Fulfilled 2. Pressure from Pagan Neighbours 3. The Priority of a Pilgrim's Worship 4. Peace with Penitent Neighbours

Having begun with a call to wisdom, Proverbs deals very specifically with several important areas of life that require wisdom. The first is the question of sexual temptation. Here, the wise father urges his son to avoid adultery and its bitter consequences, and to instead enjoy intimacy in marriage with his wife.

Isaac isn't a "big personality" but he is a flawed-but-faithful patriarch nonetheless. Genesis 26 flashes back to his life to show us what his son, Esau, was missing out on by despising his birthright.

In a culture that says, "Follow your heart" - what is the human heart? Why do we need to guard it? How do we guard it? Here we consider the answers to these questions.

There are plenty of role models for us in Scripture, plenty of men and women that we are encouraged to follow and emulate. But the Bible also says that we must NOT be like Esau (Hebrews 12:17 ). Esau lived for the cares of this world; instead we must live for the world to come.