Text: Matthew 17:14-21 On this occasion, a man came to Jesus requesting that He cast a demon out of his son. He first brought his son to Jesus’ disciples. They could not cure him, but Jesus was able to do so immediately. Afterward, Jesus’ disciples asked Him why they could not cast out this demon. […]
August 6, 2012
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
Text: 2 Chronicles 32:1-8 We sometimes hear the phrase: ‘God helps those who help themselves.’ This phrase is not in the Bible, but the principle exists. In order to take full advantage of what God offers, we must do what we are able to do. Example: Hezekiah Defending Jerusalem Against the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 32:1-8) […]
January 23, 2012
Pray for Those in Authority
Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Pray for Those in Authority Entreaties, prayers, petitions, thanksgivings – whatever is good, thank God for it; whatever is not good, petition God for change Remember that civil authorities have been given a role today by God (Romans 13:3-4; 1 Timothy 2:2) Remember our responsibility toward those in authority (Romans 13:1; […]
July 5, 2011
Blessings and Burdens of Spiritual Independence
Text: 2 Peter 1:3 Through the provisions He has given, God has made it so that each of us can faithfully serve Him, regardless of what others might choose to do. This is not to say that we should not work together, or that we cannot help one another, but rather that we must take […]
June 27, 2011
Lessons from Three Prayers
Text: Luke 11:1 Disciples to Jesus: “Teach us to pray.” Here we’ll notice three prayers that each emphasize a different element of our prayers. This is not a comprehensive list of how to pray or what to pray for, but highlights some examples for our learning. The Model Prayer (Matthew 6:7-13) — Pray for Needs […]
April 25, 2011
Is Anyone Among You Sick?
Text: James 5:14 Pray to God The suffering are to pray (James 5:13) and can have others pray on their behalf (James 5:14) It’s possible that one may not regain health, despite fervent, ongoing prayer (1 John 5:14-15) Pray also has other benefits — reminds us of our reliance upon God (Matthew 6:7-8), peace of […]
March 20, 2011
The Faith of Daniel’s Friends
Text: Daniel 3 Setting: Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image (v. 1), commanded all to worship it (v. 4-6). The people obeyed (v. 7), except for some Jews — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (v. 12). Nebuchadnezzar became angry and called the men before him to answer (v. 13-15). They Knew What Was Right These men did […]
