Faith

Easter – Because He Lives     1 Peter 2:21 (NLT) “ For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”   Hebrews 2:18 (NLT) “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” 1. The day of difficulty and pain.  Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) “ For we do not hav...

Romans 5:12 (ESV) “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men…”   Psalm 51:5 (NIV) “I was sinful at birth,     sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”   Ephesians 2:3 (NIV) ”Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”   Titus 1:15 (NIV) “those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and con...

From Death to Life     Revelation 1:18 (NIV)  “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”   1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV) “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”   Romans 8:11 (NLT) “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.”   Question: Is there anything dea...

The Significance of Communion! Matthew 26:26-29 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you...

The Life of Humble Service     Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”   John 13:1-17 (NIV) It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus k...

The Cross: Whole40 Edition Mark 14 (NLT) Mark 15 (NLT) Isaiah 53 (NLT) Isaiah 61:1-4 (NLT)

Journey to the Cross Lessons from the Triumphal Entry       Luke 19:28-40 (NIV) going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why ar...

The Return of the King Revelation 19     Hallelujah for being saved.   Revelation 19:1-5 (ESV) After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,                                                                                                 for his judgments are true and just; for he has jud...

In the Last Days   Revelation 1:3 (ESV) “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” Revelation 1:1-2 (ESV) “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore...

Contend for the Faith   Matthew 1:25 (NIV) “did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”   Jude 1:1 (ESV) “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:” Jude 1:3 (ESV) “ Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the...

So That The World May Believe   John 17 (NIV) “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gav...

Follow Me 2 Peter 1:3-16 (NIV) “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful...

The Way of Wisdom   James 3:13-18 (ESV) “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, the...

Don’t Go Back, But Do Go On     Hebrews 6:6 (NIV) “…they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”     Hebrews 11:1-40 (NIV) "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.    By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not...

The Influencers of your Steps   Galatians 5:25 (NIV)   “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”   The influencers of your steps   The culture of the god of this world Ephesians 2:2-3 (ESV) “you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once l...

The Power of Firsts   Leviticus 23:10 (NKJV) ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.”   Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV) “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”   Ezek...

The Story of Christmas in Four Phrases   1.      God with us. Matthew 1:23 (NIV) “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” [which means “God with us”].   Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” 2.      God for us. Luke 19:10 (ESV) “For the Son of Man...

Romans 7:5 (NIV) “ For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.” James 2:10 (ESV) “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”   Romans 9:1 (NIV) “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and...

The Impact of Your Life     Acts 17: 1-7 (ESV) “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesu...

Descriptions of a Healthy Church   Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 18:20 (NIV) “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Acts 2:38-41 (NIV) “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of...

Peter   Three Noteworthy Characteristics  1.       Peter Spoke his mind, even when no one else would.  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter...

Thankfulness in Difficulty // Abundant Gratitude in Lack   Three Fruits of Thankfulness   1.       Protected from Impurity   But among you, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. [ Ephe...

The Finished Work of the Cross   John 19:17-30 (NLT)  “Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified...

You Matter To God     Mark 5:24-34 (ESV) “a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said,...

Being Right with God   Matthew 5:1 (ESV) “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.” Matthew 5:17 (ESV)   “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:18-20 (ESV) “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass fro...