Rejoice in the Lord...Always!

Matthew 5:6 What Are You Hungry For? (Continuing our lessons on the Beatitudes) When we talk about "daily bread" we are NOT referring to food in our belly. We are talking about the daily bread of God's Word for which our souls should hunger and thirst. A Christ-like lifestyle changes us from the inside out. We no longer seek the praise of others, but rather seek God's approval. W...

Matthew 5:6 What Are You Hungry For? The spiritually starving "hunger and thirst" for spiritual food. Our longings will not be filled by anything other than God. In most cases, we are so full of junk that there is no room for what we need. Develop an appetite for God's word. What have you been eating?

Matthew 5:5 Living the Good Life #4 Christ-like gentleness is defined as power under control. Gentle people trust in and delight in God. They commit their way to the Lord. They wait on God. Meekness is gentleness. A meek person refrains from revenge and leaves vindication to God.

Matthew 5:3 Declaring Spiritual Bankruptcy Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." Poor in spirit does not mean physical or material poverty. Nor is it false humility. Jesus means "blessed are the spiritually bankrupt." We need to admit our spiritual emptiness and the Lord will bless us. The Kingdom of Heaven will be ours.

Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes Developing the Attitude of a Disciple . . . The Beatitudes are intended for every believer. Behavior must flow out of belief. We live a life of worship but we still have something to learn. God stands ready to do a new thing in your life. Are you ready?

I John 5:6-13 Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood are witnesses. Water being His baptism and blood His crucifixion. There were also human witnesses. John the baptizer, Simeon ( Luke 2:34-35 ), and Anna ( Luke 2:36-38 ). Believers have eternal life. Salvation is a gift, not something you earn. We are not saved by our own works, but by our faith.

I John 4:12-16 In this passage, John tells us who God is, what God did, and what God is doing. God uses us to witness to a dying world. We know that God lives through us by the Spirit living in us. The better we know and abide in God's love, the easier it is to live life as a Christian. Unless we love the lost with the same love God has for us, our verbal witness will be hindered. The world doesn'...

Acts 12:24 and Acts 19:20 Both of these verses tell us that the Word of God was growing and multiplying by AD 54. God uses persecution as a means of forcing us out of our comfort zone. We need to be available and willing to be conduits between a lost world and Jesus. We must let go of our past and pray for boldness as we witness for Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:4 and 6:7 In Acts 4:4 we are told that the church had grown to about 5,000 followers and even priests were being saved. Yes, there were problems, so they appointed 7 men to work on the way they could spread the good news of Jesus Christ. They worked as a team to help them organize. In Acts 6:7 we are told that the Word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied.

Isaiah 43:5-7 & 18 It's Father's Day! God, our Father, is faithful to us, is patient with us, and values us. If I belong to Him, I can rest assured I am forgiven. God is the example of a perfect Father. If you belong to Him you are: chosen, strong, valued, heard, and forgiven. And our salvation was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen!!

Isaiah 43:1-4 God is personal and He calls us by name. He has chosen you. Because He is present it gives us confidence, courage, and perseverance. Because God is loving we have Jesus.

Joshua 4:1-9 This passage in the book of Joshua tells us about memorial stones that were a significant reminder of the things God had done for the Israelites. They were to keep God in the forefront of their minds. What are the Christian memorial stones? Baptism, the church, church membership, the Lord's supper, and our very lives. You can't hide a sincere and honest Christian life.

Luke 19:11-27 This is a parable about Jesus going away. His kingdom was not coming yet. We must be faithful servants in the meantime.

1st Samuel 25 God rewards good behavior. This is a Bible story that applies to us today and teaches us to trust God.

April 14, 2024 . . . The Apostle John was close to 100 years old when he wrote his First Epistle around 90 AD. In I John 4:1-6 , he gives Christians instructions so that they can better understand who they are. In Verse 1 he says we are to test the spirits. The foundation question is, “Who is Jesus?” He tells us that if we don’t believe Jesus is of God then we are not of God. We are to believe the...

March 31, 2024 . . . Today, Easter Sunday, we look at I Corinthians 15-58 in which Paul gives us illustrations and contrasts on what it will be like when the body of a Christ-follower is raised up and what it will look like. All of God’s creation is designed with a purpose. For example, people, animals, plants, and celestial bodies were all created with a beginning and end ( verses 36-41 ). And Pa...

March 24, 2024 . . . In I Corinthians 15:20-34, Paul writes that Jesus was resurrected, is the first one to be resurrected, and is a sacrifice for mankind (verse 20). Because He lives, we will live. Death began with Adan, but Christ made all alive, a resurrected body and a life for eternity. And then, “He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under His feet” (verse 25). The last enemy that will...

March 17, 2024 . . . Continuing with I Corinthians Chapter 15 Verses 12-20, the resurrection of Jesus proves there is a resurrection. The doctrine of the resurrection is essential to our Christian faith. Some of the Corintian Christians didn’t deny the resurrection of Jesus, but they denied their resurrection. If there is no resurrection from the dead, then Christ is not risen. If Jesus was never...

March 10, 2024 . . . The doctrine of the resurrection is laid out by Paul in I Corinthians Chapter 15 more than in any other chapter in the Bible. There are three realities of the resurrection: 1) the reality of redemption, 2) the reality of the resurrection, and, 3) the reality of regeneration. There are also three parts of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: 1) Christ died for our sins, 2) Christ was bu...

March 3, 2024 . . . The first disciples would be the first witnesses for Jesus Christ. While they were not perfect people, the Holy Spirit helped to equip them with the ways to bring others to Christ. As they witnessed to others, they were also recording the story that would become the Holy Bible. They were a learning church but they were saving people daily. The Lord added to the church those who...

February 25, 2024 . . . Continuing with the church at Philippi, we read in Philippians 1:1-5 that for a church to grow there must be fellowship among the followers. The fellowship of service, of mission work, of the spirit, and of Jesus Christ. For the church to grow and thrive the Holy Spirit must open your heart to be saved. The cross is our lifeline. Die to yourself and live like Jesus. The sup...

February 18, 2024 . . . In Matthew 16:15-16 Jesus asked the disciples, “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter answers, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus told him, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” In Acts 16:6-34 , we read about the supernatural beginning of the church in Philippi. Through the restraint, release, and power of the Holy Spirit the church at Philippi was...

February 11, 2024 . . . In Romans 6:1-11, Paul reminds us that baptism follows the commitment to follow Jesus Christ and that it is a picture of our death to sin. Baptism is a picture of our relationship with Christ. Our old self is buried and our new self is born again. The emersion in water is symbolic of a burial of the old self. It shows the world that we belong to Jesus. Baptism is a picture...

February 4, 2024 . . . Reading I John 3:16-24, we ask, “What does it look like to show love to others?” Jesus said, “Love you neighbor.” He refers to agape love, meaning the highest good. It requires sacrifice and loving others in your actions. Don’t just say it, but show it. Sometimes our affluence takes us away from God. Are you living a life that shows agape love? Is the Holy Spirit telling you...

Sermon by Brother Shane Moore January 28, 2024 . . . Brother Andy is out today. So, we would like to thank Brother Shane Moore from Yellow Creek Baptist Church for presenting this sermon. Reading Philippians 2:6-10 we are asked to pause and reflect as we are told to do. Our lives are like a vapor in the wind. Will you be a servant of God as Jesus was? Obedient to God, not looking for a reputation,...