Text: Ephesians 5:20 Our society places particular emphasis upon thankfulness during this time of year. Christians are to be thankful to God at all times. Why is this important? The Scriptures give several reasons why thankfulness is important. Thankfulness Acknowledges the Goodness of God When God created the earth and everything in it, it was […]
October 22, 2012
The Faith to Move Mountains
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 […]
