Venice church of Christ

Christians are to pursue peace and holiness, and to avoid roots of bitterness. We have come to Zion, not Sinai; we must listen to God and be thankful for receiving an unshakable Kingdom! Let Us Receive the Kingdom | Hebrews 12:15-29 | Encouragement in Hebrews | Sermon Outline Looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up tr...

We may get weary and fainthearted at times in our faith in Christ. The Hebrew Christians did as well. The author the Hebrew letter did well to encourage them to maintain their race and their discipline. Our Race and Our Discipline | Hebrews 12:1-14 | Encouragement in Hebrews | Sermon Outline Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every we...

As Son of God and Son of Man Jesus was inevitably going to face opposition. He received it from all sides. How He confronted His opponents, responding to challenges and challenging in turn, is instructive for Christians to this day. Jesus Confronts His Opponents | Jesus the Master Teacher | Sermon Outline

Jesus spent the last three years of His life on earth on a mission. He would seek and save the lost of Israel, yes, but He poured Himself into training the Twelve. What are we to make of it? Jesus Trains His Disciples | Jesus the Master Teacher | Sermon Outline

Jesus taught the people in parables. What are parables? Why do they remain so compelling? Jesus' Parables | Jesus the Master Teacher | Sermon Outline

The Scriptures tell the story of how the one God sought to reconcile with humanity, doing so through one Man so that we can all be one with God and with one another. That story is not yet finished; you have your role to play. The ONE Story | Sermon Outline

"Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me. And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be perf...

God is one in relational unity and seeks unity with man His creation. But sin and death separated us from God. We couldn't solve that problem; thanks be to God for the ONE Man who could. ONE Man | The ONE Story | Sermon Outline

What are we looking for out of life? What does God have to do with it? ONE God | The ONE Story | Sermon Outline

Christians are to be in the world, but not of it. How does that work? What is the Christian's responsibility to the world, both as an individual and as the church? Our Responsibility to the World | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline

Peter speaks of Christians as in exile in 1 Peter. What does life look like as an exile? Its primary feature is love for one another, for we are the ones who are there for each other and who will endure. Love the Brotherhood | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fer...

We hear often of the plight of refugees fleeing war, devastation, and disaster. Christians are to reckon themselves as Kingdom refugees while they endure this life. We do well to explore how we can glorify God as Kingdom refugees. Kingdom Refugees | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline

The early church had plenty of dangers from persecuting forces. Yet another influence would prove more insidious: false teachers and their false doctrines. We do well to understand the New Testament warnings about false teachers. False Teachers | False Prophets and Teachers | Sermon Outline

It's the question that almost every reader of the history and the prophets in the Old Testament asks: why did Israel not listen to the prophets? In reality, Israel listened to the prophets: the false prophets (Luke 6:23)! We do well to see what we can learn about the false prophets in the Old Testament lest we fall by the same pattern of disobedience. False Prophets | False Prophets and Teachers |...

We cannot allow ourselves to be shaped by the world; therefore, we must be shaped by Jesus. We do so through repentance, rooting ourselves in Jesus in word and deed, not the world. We must also be built up in Christ and in His body, the people of God, the church. Rooted and Edified in Christ | Toward a Biblical Worldview | Sermon Outline As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in h...

Paul warned the Colossian Christians regarding the temptations of worldly philosophy. Greek philosophy was no doubt in view; it has posed the same problem ever since. What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? Philosophy and Vain Deceit | Toward a Biblical Worldview | Sermon Outline Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tr...

Worldviews: everybody has one. If we wish to serve the Lord and obtain the resurrection, we must develop a Biblical worldview. A Biblical Worldview: Its Necessity | Toward a Biblical Worldview | Sermon Outline

We need to grow in Christ. Great! But how are we supposed to do that? The Hebrew author points the way forward in Hebrews 5:12-14. Maturing in Christ: Its Development | Maturing in Christ | Sermon Outline For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of...

The Hebrew author expected his audience to have already matured beyond elementary principles (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). Why did he have that expectation? Why must we mature in Christ? Maturing in Christ: Its Necessity | Maturing in Christ | Sermon Outline

John is given a vision of what Christians will endure. Earthly powers empowered by the Evil One are strong and will make war on the saints. Christians can overcome the beast in faithfulness to God. What does it all mean? Overcoming the Beast | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and th...

Peter wrote to Christians in Asia Minor as "elect exiles". He wrote from "Babylon". The theme of life in exile pervades his letter; we do well to learn from him how to live as exiles in a strange land. Elect Exiles | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according t...

Jeremiah wrote to the Judahites already in exile. They were to settle down for a time while awaiting a latter restoration. We as Christians are in an exile; we do well to consider what Jeremiah has to say. Jeremiah's Letter | Jeremiah 29:1-32 | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline

YHWH had rescued Israel from Egyptian slavery with a strong hand. Yet now they were in the wilderness. Every time a difficulty arose, they could have trusted in YHWH. Instead, they complained, remembering Egypt. It led to their death. We do well to heed their example lest we fall by the same pattern of disobedience. Pining for Egypt | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline

We live in interesting times. We may have been born and raised here, or have made this our adopted country, but we still do not exactly feel at home. Should we try to take back the country? Or should we recognize that we never really truly fit in--nor should fit in--but should live as sojourners and exiles in the land? Sojourners and Exiles | Sojourn and Exile | Sermon Outline

Saul of Tarsus, once violent persecutor, saw the Lord on the road to Damascus. For the rest of his life he devoted himself to proclaiming Jesus crucified and risen. What can we learn regarding Paul, his life, and his work? Paul | The Apostles | Sermon Outline