SERMON SUMMARY Today, we begin a new series of messages examining the hard sayings of Jesus, starting with Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness. In Matthew 6, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father…
SERMON SUMMARY John 1:1, 14 recounts the Christmas story in two verses. God became man and dwelt among us. Theologians call this the incarnation of Christ. The word “incarnate” means “in the flesh.” Jesus is God in the flesh! The doctrine of incarnation distinguishes the Christian faith from any other religion. In no other religion…
SERMON SUMMARY Many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus’ birth—about his mother’s miraculous pregnancy, about his birth in a manger, about angels announcing his arrival to some shepherds (Luke 1:30-33; 2:8-15). And, of course, many of our favorite Christmas songs mention the role of angels too. Today let’s gain a better understanding…
SERMON SUMMARY Christmas is widely known as the “most wonderful time of the year” and the “happiest season of all.” We are told again and again that it’s a season of joy, family bonding, and making memories that will last a lifetime. But we live in a fallen world and many things aren’t what they…
SERMON SUMMARY The Bible is clear that we are involved in a great spiritual battle and therefore we need to put on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11-13). Spiritual warfare is real, and Jesus frequently found himself confronting demonic forces. In Luke 11, Jesus uses an encounter with demonic forces to drive home the importance of…
SERMON SUMMARY In John Chapter 9, Jesus heals a man who has been blind from birth. The disciples wonder why this poor man was born blind, and conclude that this disability must be due to either the man’s parents’ sin or his own sin. Jesus answers, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his…
SERMON SUMMARY Many of us have lost loved ones to death—family members, friends, members of our church family. And understandably, we grieve that loss. Grief and death go together. But as Christians, our grief should be tempered, because if our loved one died in faith, the Bible assures us that we will see him or…
SERMON SUMMARY Too often, those who are the most blessed are the least grateful. This is an especially sad critique for those who of us who are followers of Jesus Christ because we know from the Scriptures, that every good and perfect gift that comes our way, ultimately comes from God. Things haven’t changed much…
SERMON SUMMARY The Bible is filled with accounts of the miraculous. For the Christian, miracles confirm God’s existence, his power and his message, but the secular world view allows no divine intervention. But if miracles are not possible we should all go home, forget about God, and abandon our faith. Portuguese philosopher Benedict Spinoza best…
SERMON SUMMARY When we read 2 Timothy 2:15, it’s easy to assume that it applies only to pastors, but if our teenagers don’t understand the Bible correctly and read it regularly, they have no hope for a godly life or a life directed by the Lord. In his excellent book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Ted…