ElectronicGospel Sermons

Gentle and Quiet

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:19:19 -0500

I’m not sure that too many people would count gentle and quiet among the most eagerly sought-after qualities these days. The people who attain and fame and fortune and earthly success tend to be of a different character altogether and that seems to be the chief motivation among us today. Gentleness and quietness, however, are highly esteemed virtues in the sight of God and no one embodies those qualities more than his only begotten son.

The Divorce of Joseph and Mary

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:35:41 -0600

It is a stretch to suggest that Jesus very nearly came from a broken home, but it is true that the first case of divorce in the New Testament could have involved his parents, Joseph and Mary, who really weren’t even married when he was conceived. The soft-hearted understanding of Joseph, along with the purity and commitment of Mary, are examples for us today in dealing with marital stress without resorting to divorce.

The Gall of Bitterness

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 15:34:42 -0600

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Growth in wisdom may be exactly measured by decrease in bitterness.” Nietzsche also said that God is dead, so one has to consider the source of his advice, but perhaps it is true that there is an inverse relationship between wisdom and bitterness. Most people feel bitter as a thrust against people who have wronged them, but that bitterness usually hurts them more than any real or perceived or perpetuated enemy.

Trained Up And Gone

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:39:45 -0600

The proverbs are divinely inspired statements of general truth. Sometimes they reflect the realities of life more than true morality, but there are usually exceptions to them and those exceptions can cause us to lose faith in them. Wisdom, however, dictates that we choose the best path even if it must be acknowledged that fate and free will can intervene and bring our temporal hopes crashing down. Nowhere is this more true than when considering Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Quarrel Over Opinions

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:38:44 -0600

The church of Christ is still a remarkable organism, but its very birth is an astounding feat – fashioning a single religious body from two polar opposite groups of people like the ancient Jews and Gentiles. Their ability to be reconciled in one body is an example to us regarding the way that we build upon that foundation and remain united in spite of certain differences in the realm of personal liberty.

Necessary Temptations

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 13:02:25 -0600

Most of us find the temptation to commit sin to be the bane of our existences, the most miserable part of an otherwise joyous life as we try to do God’s will and please him on the way to heaven. Temptation gets in the way and sometimes the harder you try, the harder it gets to resist the urge to do wrong. The really surprising thing, however, is that Jesus said it was necessary that temptations come. How are temptations necessary to life on this earth?

Where The Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Liberty

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:30:17 -0600

Today, freedom and liberty are usually associated with an end to political tyranny, something enjoyed by Americans and even Russians, but perhaps not by many people in communistic or fascist societies. There is, however, a harsher tyranny than any political force, and a more pleasant liberty as well when anyone obeys the gospel of Jesus Christ and discovers freedom from the devil.

Poured Out

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:28:38 -0600

The apostle Paul understood that his earthly life was drawing to a close as he wrote Timothy one last letter. Paul had become an enemy of both Caesar and the Sanhedrin and life for him had come to include great persecution from both. He was not slowing down, however, nor was he afraid. Yet, Paul knew that his time of relief and release was near; some of us reach a stage in life where we feel the same thing and perhaps there is something to be gleaned from the way that Paul approached his departure.

Samuel’s Father

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:15:50 -0600

Behind every great man, there is often an even greater, though anonymous woman. Hannah is a name that has long been revered as a sort of forerunner to the virgin Mary. Hannah’s womb was barren, however, and her grief was healed by the grace of God who sent her a son named Samuel. Samuel was a great man, born of a great woman, but what of his father? Elkanah is something of a mystery to most Bible students, but there are things we can learn about him and ourselves.

Samuel’s Mother

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:39:43 -0600

Hannah has returned to the top five in baby names after a long absence, giving hope to other neglected names like my grandmother’s – Bertha – I guess. Hannah, of course, is a biblical name and they have always been popular except that nowadays people are opting for unconventional names – like Reagan and Walker of all things. Hannah is a tremendous example, both of womanhood and motherhood.

Sermons in Scripture and Song

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:40:09 -0600

These sermons combine scripture readings with appropriate song selections to present a biblical theme in a way that the entire congregation can participate.

Four Gospels

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:01:37 -0600

Four men were charged with recording the events and teaching associated with the life of the Messiah, Christ Jesus of Nazareth. Each comes from a different background and communicates the gospel message from a unique perspective.

Joy Inexpressible

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:33:28 -0600

Some Christians walk about as if they are among men the most pitiable creatures on Earth. Some, no doubt, have their reasons and they might even sound like pretty good ones. After all, some disciples are burdened with the same kinds of heartaches and headaches as anyone else. There, however, is the difference for Christians possess a singular reason to hold onto joy even when every other reason has deserted them. Not that it’s easy, but it is worth it.

Work Out Your Own Salvation

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 13:49:56 -0600

Sometimes the Bible surprises us, like when it tells us that we cannot earn our salvation, but that we must work it out nevertheless. Balancing grace and obedience has always proven more difficult to the commentators and theologians than it has to the believer in the pew. Like the scribes and Pharisees, the people in the Ivory Towers are overly concerned with creeds and systems while the disciple simply wants to know what the Bible says so he can do it. The Bible says we cannot earn our salvation, but that that is no excuse for laziness or quitting along the way to salvation.

Unto You Is Born a Savior

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:12:16 -0600

The birth of Jesus Christ is a story with just one application – engendering faith in the hearts of people who yearn for redemption and can find it only in the son of God, the way, the truth and the life.

Return To Me

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:10:59 -0600

God had good reason to be angry at the Jews whom he punished by sending away into captivity – the very race of people he had rescued from Egyptian slavery were reduced to Babylonian imprisonment because they could not learn to trust wholly in him. God, however, did not want to stay angry or estranged from his people and so, even in captivity, he invited them to return to him. Their experience is typical of the invitation of Christ extended to lost sinners, struggling saints and wayward believers today as well.

After Easter

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 13:29:52 -0600

We come to the twelfth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles so that we might consider the first Easter nearly two thousand years ago in the city of Jerusalem, where the Lord Jesus had been crucified and where the church was established in his name. The story of the first Easter, you see, is not what most people think.

Elders and Deacons

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 13:19:05 -0600

Sometimes when churches finally appoint elders and deacons, they get complacent, assuming the work is over and there will not soon be a need for any more in those categories. Whether the complacency is tolerated or reality intervenes, the church really is not well-served by sitting back and forgetting that it constantly needs to be mindful of keeping those offices filled with a steady program of qualifying its members to serve.

Think About These Things

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:10:28 -0600

What are you thinking about? Sometimes our faces, our wrinkled brows, our subconscious frowns or smiles, reveal that we are surely thinking about something. What we choose to think about goes a long way toward determining what we believe and how we behave.

Wages of Sin

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:42:28 -0600

Everybody enjoys getting a paycheck and nobody just lets it slide if the boss doesn’t pay them exactly what they are owed, less federal, state and local taxes of course. We want what is coming to us when we take a coupon into a store or win a prize in a game, even if it only amounts to a few dollars or some plastic kiddie meal bauble. The Bible says that our sin has also earned us a certain something and yet nobody seems to want to pick it up at all.

Revelation (30-Part Series)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:34:33 -0600

This is a series of 30 sermons covering the entire book of Revelation from a viewpoint that its symbolism described the prophetic reassurance for the early church. The series adopts the late date for authorship (A.D. 96) and opposes the popular doctrines of Premillennialism.

Home Making

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:58:42 -0600

HOME MAKING is a five-part series on the home and family, from a New Testament perspective. Part 1 is “Marriage is a Life Sentence. Part 2 is “Soulmates or Cellmates?”. Part 3 is “Raising Abel.” Part 4 is ‘Till Debt Do Us Part. Part 5 is the Conclusion.

I Saw Satan Fall Like Lightning

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:09:58 -0600

A declining number of people believe that Satan and Hell exist, even as more are still willing to accept the reality of God and Heaven. People are like that – often intentionally blinding themselves to painful realities that they can do something about while seizing upon perfect blessings that will not really be theirs until they confront the evil. Such optimism is intoxicatingly unrealistic, but we can be hopeful about God and Heaven if we will acknowledge the reality of the contrast and make it our aim to escape forever the clutches of a very real adversary who is perfectly happy if we pretend he isn’t there, as long as that allows us to do his bidding, even in small ways.

Good News and Bad News

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 12:53:14 -0600

The doctor walks back in with the tests and pictures already analyzed. “I’ve got good news and bad news,” he says. “The good news is that your tonsils will stop hurting in about 48 hours. The bad news it that I have to remove them first.” Life is often like that – for every joy, there is a corresponding cost or sacrifice to be made.

God Forbid

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:14:19 -0500

“God forbid” is a somewhat common expression, but like other modern uses of God or his biblical names, the hearer is left to infer if the speaker is actually thinking about God’s role or just using him as part of a casual interjection. God forbid was a favorite phrase of the apostle Paul or at least of the King James translators who turned his Greek words into English. We’re as much concerned today about what he believed God forbade as the expression itself.

Bad Company

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:53:59 -0500

Sometimes a person is essentially good but his reputation is smeared only by the company he keeps. That, however, is rare, for most who are really good are not content to maintain bad associations, nor are the evil usually happy about being subjected to goodness. Associations tend eventually to reflect a person’s true character, especially because of the power and need of influence. If the good cannot influence the wicked to reform, or vice versa, the association usually dies a violent, but necessary, death

Away, Satan!

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:50:32 -0500

If we have the goal of growing as people and as disciples of Christ, we are going to experience good times and bad along the way. Like climbing a mountain, some of your steps are forward, but sometimes you slip or even purposely retreat. Imagine, though, that you’re struggling to climb that mountain while someone – ostensibly a friend or even a brother – is tossing dust in your eyes, stomping on your fingers as they cling to the precipice. Maybe then, we would feel the way Jesus did when one of his best friends inadvertently teased him about the possibility of getting out of the cross.

What Does The Lord Require?

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:42:32 -0500

The moral history of man and his relationship with God is highly cyclical and circular. Stated another way, the more things change, the more apostasy stays the same. The Old Testament prophet Micah lived in an age that was spiritually similar to ours. A sense of religiousness existed, but it was reduced to a fleshly spectacle and devoid of any form of piety that went beyond the superficial or cosmetic.

Men Ought Always to Pray

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:12:14 -0500

We have the image of Daniel risking a visit to the lions’ den by praying three times every day in plain view of all his Babylonian enemies. We are under in far less peril, yet how often do we stop to think to pray? Are there days that pass completely in which we never bother to speak to God, publicly or privately? Is it because of some defect in God himself or in our relationship with him that we do not pray as we know we ought? Has prayer disappointed us because we are expecting the wrong things from it?

A Bull and Seven Rams

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 13:18:39 -0500

The religious world has invented many ways of training and appointing people to serve as ministers, ranging from scholarly seminaries to con artists advertising in sordid magazines. All four of the Beatles were ordained as ministers, as are comedienne Kathy Griffin and actress Tori Spelling. Just what is biblically required to become a minister anyway?

Our Great God and Savior

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 13:09:03 -0500

Some call it the Trinity – the triune nature of the Godhood of the Bible, a Godhead in three persons. Jehovah the Father is joined by Jesus the Christ and his son, as well as the Holy Spirit, a person no less divine and who is worshiped as well. The three persons of the one Godhood are singular in purpose, though distinct in identity. Jesus is the name that was given to the second person of the Godhood who came and dwelt upon the Earth, becoming our redeemer through the sacrifice of himself and his resurrection from the dead.

Silent Night

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:31:03 -0500

Night was a dangerous time in ancient history, even the time of the kings and kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Although the major cities were surrounded by defensive walls, nighttime offered an enemy the cover of darkness in which to operate and seek an opening by which he exploit the city and conquer it. Night, although silent, can be deadly, especially when one lets down his guard and those entrusted with watching out for him do the same.

Where Your Treasure Is

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:31:34 -0500

In the first century, the early church had expenses, mainly related to the welfare of indigent members and the people who devoted their lives to spreading the gospel. Today, we see churches begging for money so that they can be as opulent as they want to be, but things were simpler in the purer church. We sometimes feel uncomfortable talking about the weekly collection for fear that we will sound greedy or unthankful, but our giving is just as much a command as anything else in the New Testament and to some degree the work of the church is dependent upon the generosity and obedience of its members to this most sacrificial order.

Teach Your Children Well

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:39:21 -0500

One of the most important things we will ever do involves how we raise our children. Will we teach them well, making the sacrifices along the way that are so necessary to their welfare, or will we insist upon putting ourselves first so that they are undisciplined or unloved? Will we teach them well enough that they can know the Lord?

Word Studies (Series)

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:55:07 -0500

This is a series word studies from the message of God in the Bible. In each of these lessons, we will choose a significant word from the Bible, learn about its original and scriptural usages and apply the knowledge to our own discipleship. Word studies can sometimes become mere academic exercises, but our goal is to learn something eminently practical and useful.

Received With Thanksgiving

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:01:53 -0500

Many Americans will be thankful on Thursday, but fewer will stop to express their gratitude to God on Friday. Thanksgiving is an annual affair for them, something done only on a special occasion like a holiday, rather than on a daily basis. Faithful people, however, will be more regular and consistent in their giving of thanks, so that annual manmade holidays will only supplement their own prayers.

Why Do You Speak To Them in Parables?

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 12:39:25 -0500

In the second year of his public ministry, Jesus seems to have adopted the parable as his favorite means of communicating unpopular truths to mixed audiences. The parable is almost indistinguishable from the simile, except that the parable is usually, but not always, longer in the form of a story or observation that could be true, but isn’t necessarily an actual event. Jesus was not the first to use the parable, even in the Bible, but he pioneered the practice even though the apostles did not seem to follow suit in their letters.

Perfect Patience

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:14:19 -0500

The fruit of the Spirit is not only a goal to be pursued – a crop to be planted and nourished – but is also a natural product of a life that is led by the Holy Spirit. Patience is part of that fruit and is a virtue that the Christian should expect to develop in his life as his priorities and perspective evolve and mature in Christ.

Hades, Tartarus and Gehenna

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:02:50 -0500

The King James Bible was the translation of choice – the Authorized Version – for many centuries, but that dominance eroded in the twentieth century as disciples sought a Bible with modern language and improved translation. No version is perfect, but many have done a more objective job in translating words that once were loaded doctrinally. At one time, the word “Hell” was used to translate at least three different Bible words, each of which actually had its own distinct meaning.

Faith Working

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 12:39:19 -0500

Faith and works are often portrayed as being at odds, but the Bible presents them as two sides of the same coin. While one could never be saved by perfectly doing all the works of the Law of Moses, neither could he practically hope to keep even the New Testament of Jesus Christ without fault. Salvation is by grace through faith, and neither negates the necessity of taking certain steps of obedience in the direction of God. Moreover, a life of faith will of necessity be one that submits to the will and wisdom of our Creator. Faith, to survive, must work.

The Language of Ashdod

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:51:58 -0500

Our words and the way we describe things are very telling. Sometimes they tell more than we intended – that we are unconsciously adopting the vocabulary of apostate Christianity or that we are creating our own self-serving version by insisting upon terminology that binds either opinion or tradition.

Sermons From The Psalms (150-Part Series)

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:48:50 -0500

Save for a few special pearls, the Hebrew psalms are a rather obscure treasure in the midst of the Old Testament. Solace, however, is found beyond the 23rd, direction to the penitent is heard outside the 51st, and exercises in perseverance can be discovered in outposts other than the 119th. This series ran from December 31, 1995 through June 22, 2008 and includes one sermon on every psalm, complete with textual exegesis and practical applications.

Cords of Kindness

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:06:10 -0500

God said through the prophet Hosea that he had loved Israel and “led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and … became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws.” (11:4). Like a gentle farmer, God had reached down his infant creatures to feed and succor them. He had loosened their yokes and led them not with harsh ropes, but with light cords. In our pursuit of godliness, we are taught to lead our charges with cords of kindness and to extend pleasant assistance wherever we can – not simply in answer to a biblical demand, but as a willing, almost instinctive result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Not Afraid of God

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:34:29 -0500

What has happened to the fear of God in our world today? Many people have no qualms about sinning against God, using his name in vain and speaking disdainfully of him as if he either didn’t exist or was powerless to punish them. Perhaps the deferment of punishment has made them bold, but God’s patience will not always wait. While others’ lack of godly fear is troubling to us, we want to be careful that it does not influence us to take the reality and approachability of God less seriously.

All Things Work Together

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 12:23:11 -0500

Sometimes our conception of divine providence is that God capriciously rescues us from some imminent danger or mysteriously directs us toward something beneficial. People have ascribed to providence the missing of an airplane that later crashed and even the purchase of a lottery ticket that hit the jackpot. How can we know when providence is the answer to our good fortune? Is providence really as haphazard or likely to reward even the sinful as that?

Kingdom Come

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 12:06:57 -0500

Kingdom come, depending on the context is either a state park in Kentucky or a prophetic expectation of the Apocalypse and establishment of God’s eternal kingdom. That is, if the context is not the Bible. It is Jesus himself who taught his first disciples to pray for the kingdom to come, and many people still do, but what if the kingdom already came?

Hiding Hatred

Tue, 26 May 2009 12:55:49 -0500

The gospel message of Jesus Christ is so utterly consumed with the virtue of love that no believer can possibly participate in discipleship without allowing love to define his character and purpose. Love sometimes includes tough choices, correction and even punishment, and love for truth even requires a certain, measured hatred for every evil thing that preys upon it. Love, however, never allows an individual to develop personal hatred for another – even if that person is an estranged relative, a personal enemy or an unlovable brother. Hatred hidden in the heart is corrosive and self-destructive.

Virtue and Vice

Tue, 19 May 2009 13:15:53 -0500

Noah and Job are two very different Bible characters – one noted for a victory at sea while the other mostly known as the victim of great tragedy and sorrow. Both however were selected for their service for identical reasons. Noah found grace in God’s eyes to survive the flood because he “was a righteous man, blameless in his generations” and he “walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Job was targeted by the devil because God described him as “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1). These men were characters of virtue, exactly the categories of virtue that we want to describe us today, but there are even more vices that seek to infect our hearts.

Born of God

Tue, 12 May 2009 13:33:08 -0500

People entered into the old Jewish covenant simply by being born into a Jewish family, with its peculiar religion and way of life. This is where the new covenant is very different, but for each party must be born again of God to participate by choice in the new testament of Jesus Christ, a way of life which promises both a second chance and eternal hope.

Peace Like a River

Wed, 6 May 2009 09:56:18 -0500

Life is so filled with hardships and disappointments, with bad news and failure, that many people live in a state of anguish, anxiety and despair. Christians are not immune to the pain of earthly life, and in some ways are even more subject to its realities, but also have access to a brand of inner peace that flows like a gentle, cleansing, hopeful river.