Text: 1 Kings 16:29-33 Ahab was one of the more infamous kings in the Bible. He was so wicked that sin had become trivial (unimportant, nothing to be concerned about). It is dangerous for sin to become a trivial matter. In Ahab’s example we see how sin becomes trivial so we can avoid this condition as […]
June 25, 2012
Spirit of Faith
Text: 2 Corinthians 4:13 Paul compares his faith to that of the psalmist. Godly people have always had this type of faith in God, even if they were under a different law during the Old Testament. We need to have “the same spirit of faith” today. Faith Enables Us to Endure Hardship Paul had just […]
June 25, 2012
The Gospel and Salvation
Text: Romans 1:16-17 The Gospel is God’s Power to Save The gospel and salvation are inseparable from one another (Romans 1:16) Paul defines “the message of truth” as “the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13) Paul’s Message Was Christ-Centered The message that Paul preached was centered on Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-2) – this will, of […]
June 18, 2012
Each Wore His Sword As He Built
Text: Nehemiah 4:16-23 When Nehemiah returned to rebuild Jerusalem, the workers were mocked & threatened (Nehemiah 4:1-3, 7-8). The threats were addressed without the rebuilding project being neglected. There are some applications to be made here to our ongoing spiritual conflict. A Constant Threat Sanballat & his allies conspired together (4:8) – enemies look for […]
June 11, 2012
Descriptions of the Church
Text: Matthew 16:18 Looking at the metaphors used to describe the Lord’s church in the New Testament helps us understand certain things about the church. Body (Ephesians 1:22-23) Follows the direction of the head It is expected to grow (Ephesians 4:11-16) – focus here on spiritual growth (v. 13-14) Made up of all different kinds […]
June 11, 2012
Names of the Church
Text: Matthew 16:18 Jesus promised to build His church, but what church is it? It is the church we can read about in the NT. Does it have a name? There are a few names that can be given, each one teaching us something about the Lord’s church. Church of Christ (Romans 16:16) Used for […]
