The true “church” refers to the regular and intentional meeting of believers to worship God, to study His Word, and to serve one another as part of the body of Christ under a Biblical leadership structure. Let’s unpack those pieces one at a time. Basic distinctions of a true church: #1 A true church [...]
Introduction Our text today is well illustrated by a narrative found in Acts 16. Please turn in your Bibles with me to Acts 16 and keep your place in Romans 8. In Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas setting off on what’s often referred to as the Second Missionary Journey. Paul [...]
Introduction I have in my hand here a list of the Ten Commandments. Many people today would assume that as long as they are keeping the Ten Commandments vigilantly, they have a right relationship with God. I’m going to explain this morning that this belief falls far short of the biblical truth, [...]
Introduction At first glance, this text looks like a hodgepodge of disconnected ideas. Some people skip right over it and figure Paul’s personal business back then is of little consequence to the church today. But the faithful student of God’s Word has a much different view of this text. They know that every [...]
audio mp3="https://canyonverdedownloads.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/2-timothy-4-6-8-pauls-example-of-finishing-well.mp3"][/audio This is not a complete recording of this weeks message, please see the written text below for the complete message. Introduction It’s never good news when the doctor calls and says: Your test results came in. We need to see you right away. When someone is faced with a serious illness or terminal cancer, [...]
Introduction Power of example Do you remember who you wanted to be when you were a kid? Kids will often try to imitate people who they want to be like someday. When I was a little kid, we would play games where we would pretend to be superheroes and we’d use our [...]
Introduction Do you recognize this building? It is the famous Alcatraz Prison. Do you know what Paul would have said if you would show him this prison? He would have said, “that’s like a RESORT!” Compared to where he went to prison, Alcatraz would have seemed like it’s Tlaquepaque. Modern prisons have fresh air, running water, [...]
Paul makes 3 strong statements about evangelism in that passage: · I am obligated – v.14 · I am eager – v. 15 · I am not ashamed – v.16 The reasons these statement are so striking to me if because they are quite contrary to my natural attitude towards evangelism. This week, I was [...]
Introduction Paul’s Imprisonment I wonder what Paul’s reaction to a modern day prison would be? Fresh air, running water, beds with mattresses, sheets and pillows, a library, computers with internet, correspondence college courses, a chapel, recreation time, basketball courts, workout room, three meals a day, indoor plumbing with toilets and showers. Sometimes there are even [...]
Introduction Things that should not divide a church (but that often do) Carpet Color Pastor’s hair style Pastor’s clothing choices Saturday or Sunday Homeschool or public school Worship Styles Projection screens There are sometimes people with strong opinions in the church that divide people over silly issues. I came across a blog post [...]
