I'll Be Honest

Everyone tends to agree that men and women are equal, in that both are created in the image of God. However the big question that comes up is whether men and women are equal in their roles? One side says they are, and the other says the different roles complement each other. Yet we must ask ourselves: What does the Bible say? In this Ask Pastor Tim we go to Genesis to look at both views.

Christ created everything the way He created it to put His glory on display. It is all about Him and all for Him, even including marriage. Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (26) that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (27) so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, wit...

Omitting and neglecting to do the right thing you know to do is sin and it causes no small damage. Think of how a small thing of neglecting to add oil to your car can cause the same damage as driving your car into a tree. In this sermon Bob Jennings considers the sin of omission from James 4:17 - So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

When some people hear the command in Hebrews 13:17 to "obey your leaders" they may tend to bristle, but the writer of Hebrews appeals to the fact that the leaders are put over you for your advantage. Biblical leaders are not there to hinder you but to help you and so the benefit in submitting to your leaders is your own.

It would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it would be for someone to pass through to heaven with a shred of self-righteousness upon them.

What do you want more than anything else: Money? Fame? A godly spouse? Or to just walk and commune with the Lord at your side?

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. - Hebrews 13:15-16

After thirteen chapters here is what the author of Hebrews wants to leave us with: God is a God of peace who raised Christ from the dead. He is a great Shepherd to His people and has brought us into an eternal covenant in which the Lord equips us with everything necessary to do His will.

Regeneration is an act of God in which He changes all Christians, so that they begin to hate sin and pursue righteousness. The thrust of these sermons is to show that this doctrine, although lost by much of modern Christianity, is presented abundantly and clearly in the Old and New Testaments, especially and most vividly in the New. From Granted Ministries

Regeneration is a new birth (Jn 3:1-8, 1 Jn 3:9); the receiving of a new nature (Matt 7:15-20; 12:33); and a crucifixion of the old self and a resurrection of the new self (Ro 6:1-11, 13; 8:13; Gal 2:20). Knowing these glorious truths is vital and then we must go and live in light of them.

Regeneration is a transfer from the realm of the flesh into the realm of the Spirit (Rom 7:5-6; 8:5-9; Gal 5:16-25); a transfer from the earthly sphere into the heavenly sphere (Col 2:20-22; 3:1-10; Jn 17:14, 16; Php 3:19-20; Eph 1:3; 2:4-6); and becoming a slave of righteousness, no longer a slave of sin (Rom 6:16-22).

The apostle John came along and dogmatically asserted things. The world just wants us to say, "We are searching for truth." but the Christian is not searching any longer. We have found the Truth and John says he has seen it, touched it, and looked upon Christ with his own eyes and must proclaim Him.

Do the sudden trials that cause you to suffer make you bitter or better? With the Lord's help we must not let our sufferings destroy us but rather build us up spiritually to be more like Jesus Christ.

The benefits of suffering are so great if we will only see the divine purposes of God that are lovingly shown to us in the midst these trials.

This Bible Study was taught for the children at Vacation Bible School that was done at our church. Tim talks about how Jesus did all these miracles of healing, He calmed storms, and did all those things to show us His power. He is so powerful that He can wash you whiter than snow, wash all your sins away. He is alive today and coming back to judge the world, and even if you are a child you must re...

To be in fellowship with God is to walk in the light and to see our sin properly as God sees it. We as Christians also share with the Father a delight in the Son, Jesus Christ. When we were lost, Christ was of no value to us, however when God saved us Christ became precious to us.

What do we have in common with those who deny what the Scriptures teach about Jesus? We have nothing in common with them. It is right that doctrine divides us from those who "do not abide in the teaching of Christ," because they "do not have God." (2 John 1:9-10)

Our relationship with God is called fellowship because He shares with us His love, peace and joy. What glorious realities these are for a sinner to be brought into the perfect peace of the Father and the Son.

Jesus Christ went to the Cross to open the door for us to share in the peace He had when facing the Cross. The world has forms of peace; financial peace, peace treaties, but Christ offers a peace that He earned for us and that is beyond any form of peace this world offers, it is to have peace with God.

You will either be offended by the Lord Jesus and the way He does things or you will trust Him entirely even though there are many times God does things that we don't understand. There are only two possible responses to Jesus Christ, to stumble over Him or believe in Him. Luke 7:23 says - And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.

This sermon, and the following two in the series, are especially helpful for Christians wondering about a particular teacher, whether he falls into this category of "false prophet." May the Lord help you to identify false teachers so that you may avoid and, when necessary, expose them.

False teachers often quote the Bible but they twist and misapply the real meaning of the Word of God in order to promote their own agenda.

False teachers will tend either to legalism, adding works to be saved or majoring on the minors; or lawlessness, living a sinful life while saying you are "forgiven and OK". Also, as is so common, they will simply be greedy and in the ministry for money. May we "beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:15

How is your fellowship with God? Can you boldly say, "Yes, my life is one of fellowship with the Father and with His Son--that is normative and descriptive of my life! No, it's not where I want it to be, I want more, but overall I know what it is like to be walking with God."

Is your Christianity a reflection of the God who is light in whom there is no darkness at all? The fundamental difference between the true Christian and false Christian is that the true Christian is reflecting God's character.