Joel Gilbert

The Story of Bartimaeus ( Luke 18:35-43 ) Cry for _________________ (18:35-38) Persistent _______________ (18:39) Jesus’ __________________ (18:40-42) A _____________________ life (18:43) The Story of Zaccheus ( Luke 19:1-10 ) Zaccheus wants to ___________ Jesus (19:1-4) Jesus seeks after the __________…

After prayer Now, I know, normally the kids have their own special time in Kids Connection. Being that we are all together and that it’s the end of the year with a holiday, I’d love for us to do something a little bit different. If you’re in Kids’ Connection - can you come to the front? Kids, I have…

What is a good Christian like? Is it someone who doesn’t as the saying goes “drink or smoke or cuss or chew or date/marry people who do”? Is it someone who faithfully attends church? Is it someone who waits until marriage to engage in sexual activity? Is it someone who is morally upright? Is it someone…

Winston Churchill speech - never give up There are so many areas of life in which people can feel discouraged: weight activities And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected…

Thoughts of kingdoms Human drawn Boundaries ( interesting, we don’t see any boundaries when looking from space) Leaders Governing systems and structures Maybe languages when it comes to thinking about the Kingdom of God, what does that mean? As we have on a few other occasions in our study of Luke, we’ll…

Sermon Title : Thankfulness Is Expected! (Show Slide 1) Sermon Text : Luke 17:11–19 —Jesus Healing the Ten Lepers Introduction I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends and that you got the chance to show your gratitude to the Lord and others in a special way. Today…

Faith is an interesting issue. Over the years, I’ve heard stories of people who seemed to demonstrate great faith as they recounted the ways that God has answered prayer. One such person was George Mueller. He lived from 1805-1898. In an era when people would pay “pew rents” in order to have reserved…

In response to the ridicule of the Pharisees and their propensity to greed and service to mammon, Jesus turns aside to his disciples with some very important and challenging comments. He begins by noting that they and we should… Recognize Reality (1-3a) And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin…

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to learn about the ways that God considers us and how He searches for us and welcomes us when we come home, when we truly repent. While life with God is one of peace and rest because of His great love for us and because of Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice…

How do you view God? Some people view God as a heavy-handed, demanding judge with strict rules of right and wrong. Others view God like a doting grand-father who willingly gives his grandchildren whatever they want - practically spoiling them. Some may view God as aloof and distant, uninterested or unconcerned…

70s a new kind of church started - seeker sensitive or attractional Model that changed things in order to entertain or entice people into a relationship with God Has produced some good fruit and brought many people to faith But I one of the things that we see in our text is that it’s not the lost who…

The Internet is full of information on how people can do certain things: How to repair a specific broken belt on a lawn mower How to balance a budget How to cook a dish How to pay for college There is also a ton of information on how to avoid certain things: How to avoid debt How to avoid phishing scams…

Conversations over meals can be consequential in variety of ways. slow down and be together Share stories Get to know one another (Tell me something about you that will help me understand or truly know you better- Dobson) Teach and learn biblical truths Influence CG meals Family meals Wedding or funeral…

Charlie Kirk some would call him a man of God. some would call him a political activist some viewed him as a great example for society others viewed him as a part of the problem for the division Since his assassination a couple of weeks ago, some have asked me why I haven’t said much about Charlie. Frankly…

Humanity’s ability to predict the weather has improved over the centuries. Simple observations of general weather patterns and seasonal shifts have evolved into highly technological advancements that allow us to predict or provide some best guesses regarding pending weather events several days in advance.…

Are we there yet? land marks, milestones along the way long middle section of the book we’ve turned toward Jerusalem Jesus is ultimately preparing his disciples for his departure and preparing them and us to continue ministry in His absence. Even in the midst of the part of Luke in which we find ourselves,…

In 1988, Bobby McFerrin released a song entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It was inspired by the teachings of an Indian Guru who used to tell his followers “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” McFerrin’s song was quickly written and recorded. It was released as an Adult Contemporary song where it made it to #1 for…

Introduction There are things that all of us fear. What may cause me fear might not be what causes you fear and vice versa. Last night we were visiting with some folks and were reminiscing a bit about one of the fear inducing and adrenaline pumping experiences we had - bungee jumping. Fear, whether it’s…

It seems like nearly every month (maybe even more frequently if we look hard enough), we receive news about some Christian leader who fails morally, gets caught, and is removed from ministry. Whether it’s pastors, professors, performers, or politicians - failure happens. We see hypocrisy everywhere.…

It seems like nearly every week I run into people who have some sort of faith. They say that believe in Jesus or at least call themselves Christians, but don’t attend a church. Their faith is very personal, private, and even comfortable. They choose to follow Jesus on their terms, as long as He doesn’t…

Over the last couple of sections of Luke’s gospel, we’ve considered the importance of loving God with all that we are and loving others. We’ve also reflected on the value of sitting before Jesus in order to just be with Him and learn before we get in to the practice of serving. It seems like in these…

I have a problem - a problem with serving food. I always want the bigger portion - if I’m pouring drinks for Danielle and me - I’ll take the one that’s a bit more. If I’m plating food, I’ll put a bit more on my plate. Now, I know she eats less than I do - basically everyone in my house eats less - except…

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength…

Last week, we discussed a bit about how Jesus’ disciples missed a bit of what He was doing in and through them. They have some more to learn as Jesus makes his turn toward Jerusalem, toward the cross. Today, we’ll consider how He sends out seventy-two of His followers into the towns that He is planning…

In his book Mere Christianity, CS Lewis uses an illustration to note how different it is to learn something than it is to apply that thing. His illustration centered on the difference between a map and being out on the water. In two dimensions, a map can look quite straight forward. You can see various…