Pastor Mike : THE FINAL COUNTDOWN : A Ministry of CHRIST-LIVES.ORG

In our age, there are many misunderstandings surrounding the Christian life. A trip to the local Bible bookstore bears this out. The shelves are lined with books that claim to be able to teach us how to make the Christian life easier for the believer and the church more acceptable to the world. The truth of the matter is that there is nothing easy or acceptable about the Christian life. It is not...

Have you ever experienced the heartbreak of a shattered dream? Everything was set! You were sure things were going to turn out a certain way, and then the bottom fell out from under everything. Maybe it was a child that did not turn out the way you envisioned. Maybe it was a financial setback that broke your heart. Maybe it was a marriage that did not go as you had dreamed it would. Life, it often...

Matt. 12:22-33 HAVE YOU COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? 22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the dev...

Intro: As we have moved through the final verses of the book of Ephesians, we have been dealing with the issue of spiritual warfare. I think most believers really don’t believe that we are engaged in battle with an unseen, yet very powerful enemy. It doesn’t change the fact that we are. Satan, the enemy of God, is also the enemy of the people of God. His desire for us is to defeat us, destroy us,...

Today, we will consider the final piece of “the whole armor of God.” Allow me to spend a moment reminding us of the other pieces of the armor and what they represent.

Once again we turn our attention to the pieces that make up “the whole armor of God.” Lets read from Gods word! Ephesians 6:13-18 King James Version 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And yo...

Ephesians 6:16 SPIRIT-FILLED WARFARE PART 2c THE BUCKLER OF FAITH Intro: We are continuing to examine the various pieces that constitute “the whole armor of God.” I am taking my time and preaching on each piece of the armor because there is coming a day in each of our lives when we will need to know what “the whole armor of God” is, and we will need to know how to use it in our lives. The truth is...

As we continue to study “the whole armor of God,” we continually need to be reminded why this is such an important topic. Verses 10-13 introduce the subject of spiritual warfare. We are told that the saints of God are engaged in a great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy. Our enemy is called “the devil,” v 11. Our enemy is said to employ “wiles,” v. 11. This word refers to “the tri...

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fier...

The verses before us speak about spiritual warfare. They remind us that we are in the fight of our lives. Against a relentless, powerful enemy. We are engaged in battle with a spiritual being who is intent on our destruction. We are fighting against an enemy who hates our God, and who hates us too. He wants to devour our families, destroy our testimonies, devastate our church, and discredit our Go...

In our modern, relatively peaceful world it is easy to forget that we are a people at war. In verse 12, we are reminded that we have a very powerful and insistent enemy. Our enemy, Satan, is doing everything in his power to defeat, dismantle, and destroy the kingdom of God. We must fight him in God’s power, wearing God’s armor. Unfortunately, many believers do not see the need for the armor of God...

Ephesians 6:1-4 SPIRIT-FILLED HOMES Intro : The Holy Spirit wants to control every area of your life. That is the clear teaching of Ephesians 5:18 . When are “ filled with the Spirit ”, He will be in total control of our lives. When He is in control of our lives, we will live lives that please the Lord; we will worship in a manner that glorifies the Lord; and every relationship in our lives will h...

Ephesians 5:22-33 King James Version 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the chu...

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 King James Version 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him th...

John 20:1-18 JESUS: THE RESURRECTED REDEEMER Intro: Today, we celebrate the greatest day in the history of the world. Today we celebrate the great truth that Jesus Christ, who was crucified on a Roman cross and died, arose from the dead just three days later! This one truth is what sets Christianity apart from every other system of belief in the world! All other religious leaders have died. Buddha...

Ephesians 4:17-24 A NEW WALK FOR A NEW LIFE Ephesians 4:17-24 King James Version 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have gi...

Ephesians 4:1 PAUL’S CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH Ephesians 4:1 King James Version 4 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, Intro : The fourth chapter of Ephesians introduces a change of direction for the book. The word “ therefore ” in verse 1 , signals this change. Paul is saying, “ because of what I have said, this is what I wa...

Ephesians 3:7-13 PAUL THE PREACHER Ephesians 3:7-13 King James Version 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of...

Ephesians 3:7-13 PAUL THE PREACHER Ephesians 3:7-13 King James Version 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of...

PAUL THE PIONEER PREACHER 3 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made kno...

Ephesians 3:1 3 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) PAUL THE PRISONER Intro : Paul’s letter to the Eph...

THE MAGNIFICENT TEMPLE OF GOD Intro : Paul’s emphasis in chapter 2 has been on the grace of God in salvation. He describes our lost condition in verses 1-3 . He talks about God’s amazing salvation in verses 4-10 . Then, Paul reminds us that we were Gentiles. As such, we were separated from the provisions and promises of God, v. 12 . Not only that, but we were separated from the Jews, who were God’...

Intro : Our world is a world differences. There are political differences that result in war, division, and strive, both in America and around the world. There are social differences in areas like homosexuality, abortion, and different ways of living. These differences cause division. There are differences in the home. Sometimes there is fighting between spouses, between children, between parents...

Ephesians 2:10 THE WORKMANSHIP OF GRACE Ephesians 2:10 King James Version 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Intro : I think you would agree with me when I say that grace is a mystery. As we have studied these first two chapters of Ephesians, the mystery of grace has only deepened for me. As I reflect...

A look at Salvation as God meants it to be!