In an ancient letter, the purpose of an opening, or prescript, is to establish a relationship between the sender and the addressees. Accordingly, in 2 Corinthians Paul and Timothy are named as the senders of the letter; “the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia” represents the recipients; and “grace and peace” is the expression of greeting and good will. Paul deviates somewhat from the established form by adding details about the senders, and by using the word “peace” in ...
Once again Jesus gives a curious, cryptic teaching that leaves us wondering. “I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” These remarks are hard to interpret. Yet, as with all he says, we are inclined to believe they hold great value for us. Not long ago in a study group a man asked me if Jesus were “ordinary.” The question was unusual. On the spur of the moment I replied, “Of course, Jesus is ordinary.” His reply, “Jesus is the ultimate ordinary ...
Would that God would give us the gift to see ourselves as others see us. (Robert Burns) This well-worn saying applies to the man in our Scripture. God was giving him the chance to see himself as another saw him. However, in this instance the other was Jesus, and that made all the difference. Through the eyes of Jesus, the man was privileged to see himself in the best possible light, the light of infinite worth in which Jesus views us all. Bartimaeus cried out for mercy. Rebuked by the disciples, he cried ...
In New England, there is the grave of an old Yankee skinflint. While he was alive, he offered his future heirs their legacy in advance if they would give him 12 ½% interest on it. When he died, they put this epitapth on his tombstone: Here lies old 12 percent The more he saved, the less he spent The less he spent, the more he saved Oh Lord, can Ichabod be saved? Now that’s a good question, and we could preach a sermon on that. You remember Jesus said on one occasion that it was as difficult for a rich man ...
Have you ever been robbed? Someone broke into your home or business or car or locker at school and took something? I have. A few years ago, someone broke into my car while it was parked on the street and took some things from the back seat. They were not expensive or irreplaceable, but it was a rotten feeling none the less...not so much that something I owned was stolen, but the feeling that part of ME had been violated. Has that ever happened to you? There is a tie between us and our property that has ...
2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Samuel 1:17-27, Mark 5:21-43
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
Theme: The power of God in Christ to deliver us from sickness and death. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 David's love for both Saul and Jonathan comes clearly through this elegy over the two men. David's unselfishness can be seen in the fact that David does not rejoice that those who stood in the way of his becoming king are slain. The love he had for Jonathan was greater that his love for any woman (v. 26). Old Testament: Deuteronomy 15:7-11 Epistle: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15 The rift ...
I have been a follower of Christ ever since I was nine years old. For over four decades, I have followed Jesus Christ and I have spent most of those years studying the Word of God and learning more about the God of the Word. I have literally been on mountaintops and I have been in valleys. There have been times in my life that God was so real it was as if I could literally reach out and touch His face. There have been other times I've felt like God was so far away that I could not see Him with the Hubble ...
“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."” (John 8:7) “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18) Props: Colored Vases / Plants (one withered and one healthy) / volunteers I need a volunteer today! [Choose someone.] Super! –Come on up! Now, you’ll see everyone that I have two very beautiful colored ...
Romans 14:1--15:13, Luke 6:27-36, Luke 6:37-42, Luke 6:43-45
Sermon
Lori Wagner
“My yoke is easy, my burden light.” --Jesus What burdens are you carrying this morning? How heavy is your heart? How weighed down is your spirit? Most of the time, when we think about that question, we think of the burdens of responsibility we carry or the weight of grief, the sandbags of unfair treatment levied against us, or hardships, such as unemployment, or health, or broken relationships. Certainly, those burdens of despair and sorrow can weigh heavily upon our hearts. But other kinds of burdens can ...
Familiar words. "Heart...soul...mind...strength...your neighbor as yourself." We learned them as the GREAT COMMANDMENT. All others pale in their light. We agree, of course. "Love the Lord your God with all your HEART." Not the blood-pumping heart, the "heart" that, from ancient times has been considered the seat of our emotions. Two weeks ago I had the privilege of preaching for our neighbors at the Church of God of Prophecy - it was an exciting service of worship because those Pentecostals really do get ...
Wasn't the rain last week great? It did so much to refresh the parched ground. It was great but I've got to tell you that it almost caused me to be in an accident. You see, the rain made me lose my focus. You know how it is when you're driving and the first drops hit your windshield. It's not enough to really turn on the wipers but just enough to make it hard to see. And you know if you turn on the wipers all you're going to do is smear all the dirt around. Well, I waited for a little bit for the rain to ...
The Texas millionaire stipulated in his will that he be buried in his favorite possession: his $90,000 Rolls-Royce. When the time came, two laborers were shoveling the last bit of dirt onto the now-buried luxury car. One finally turned to the other and said, “Boy! That’s living!” Not really. Not according to Jesus. Death comes to everyone, from the richest to the poorest, and the finest car in the world won’t make a difference on the other side of eternity. “For what shall it profit a man, to gain the ...
Without question, I can tell you what my absolute, all time, favorite meal is. It is so special that I only get to eat it once a year. It is so special, and so good, and so tasty that it is worth the wait. It is not just what I get to eat that makes it the most special meal of the year, but who I get to eat it with. It is the time of year I get to eat it and it is the occasion that brings me to the table. Can you guess what meal this is? It is Thanksgiving. The reason why Thanksgiving is my favorite meal ...
There was a young couple who had just purchased brand new appliances for their house, and they decided to give their old refrigerator to their parents. Since they lived many miles apart, they just shipped the refrigerator to their parents. A few days later the phone rang, her mother said, "Honey, we want to send you a check for the refrigerator." The daughter said, "No, Mom, it's a gift. We want you to have it." The mother said, "But you could have sold it and made money." The daughter said, "Look, Mom, ...
Another Appeal to Loyalty and Endurance With this paragraph, which focuses on its single imperative in verse 14 (continue in what you have learned), Paul renews the appeal with which the letter began. (Note how many themes from 1:3–2:13 are touched on: Timothy’s long relationship to Paul [vv. 10–11, 14; cf. 1:4, 6, 13]; Paul himself as the model of loyalty [vv. 10–11; cf. 1:8, 11–12, 13; 2:9–10]; the call to suffering [vv. 11–12; cf. 1:8, 16; 2:3–6, 11–12]; the appeal itself [v. 14; cf. 1:6, 13–14]; the ...
Do you ever feel bored . . . like your life is in a rut . . . that your life is a big, fat zero? Comedian Brad Stine puts it this way, “I feel like I’m in a rut. Every time I go to bed at night, I find myself just getting up again the next morning.” Well, some of us are grateful just to get up the next morning . . . but there are many people, if they were to define their lives at its essence, would define their life with one word: boring! People will sometimes go to desperate measures to escape boredom. ...
Mark Twain once said this about the Bible: "I have no problem with those parts of the Bible I don't understand. It's those parts of the Bible I do understand that gives me fits." The passage that we are going to study certainly fits into that category. This passage illustrates something I bet most of you have never thought about before. One of the easiest things in the world to do is to become a Christian. It is ridiculously easy. All you have to do is confess you are a sinner, repent of your sin, believe ...
Of all the jewelry that people can buy and people can wear the coolest piece of jewelry to me is the ring that professional athletes get to wear when they win their world champion. Yes, they are gaudy, big, showy, bold and audacious, but I have seen them up close and they are just plain cool. After winning the Super Bowl a few years ago, the New York Giants got their rings. It looked like this [Show 1st picture of ring from the top] There are four diamond-studded trophies representing the four ...
Life is filled with stories of those selfless saints who have done the great things, made the great sacrifices and moved the boundaries of human reciprocity beyond their current constraints. A friend shared with me his experience at getting a flat tire while traveling at night through Southern Georgia en route to Florida. He knew of black men being lynched on remote Southern roads and now he was stranded on a road at eleven o'clock at night. It was pitch black with no houses in sight, and he was filled ...
The miracle story of Jesus healing the man born blind is placed against the background of a puzzle that has plagued humankind ever since the first person stubbed his toe on a stone and cried out in pain. It is the question of why there is suffering in the world. Despite the many attempted solutions and suggested answers, people are still not satisfied - only more confused. The stubbed toe still hurts. Is the stone we stumble over placed there by chance or circumstance? Are we somehow engaged in a dangerous ...
Daniel and His Three Friends Avoid Defilement: Chronological notations frame the opening chapter. It begins with the third year of King Jehoiakim of Judah, at which time the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (1:1). It ends with the first year of King Cyrus of Persia (1:21). These are roughly the parameters of the exile; apparently they are also the bookends for Daniel’s career. Nebuchadnezzar deported to Babylon the Jewish leaders, including Daniel and his friends; Cyrus conquered Babylon ...
Even though we know we can’t do it we all have tried at one time or another. Even though we know it won’t work we’ve all taken our shot at it. Even though we know deep down it really doesn’t do any good we do it anyway. I am talking about bargaining with God. We’ve all done it. We’ve all tried to bargain with God to get God to meet us on our terms: “God, if you’ll do this I’ll do that” or “God if you will just come through this one time I promise I’ll do this or do that.” That desire goes all the way back ...
Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-9, Luke 10:1-24
Sermon
Lori Wagner
Prop: video of the introduction to “Star Trek” (you may want to put a space / stars backdrop up during the sermon) We recently saw the return to theatres yet another “Star Trek” movie. Trekkies are everywhere. There are trekkie conferences, and trekkie clubs. And still millions flock to the movies to see the new generation of “Jim” and “Spock,” “Bones,” and “Scotty” venture into unknown space. Star Trek was one of the first shows to have a diverse cast and to ask questions about what it means to love, to ...
I had finished my hospital calls one day, and I could not help noticing a sharp-looking, late-model sports car which stopped at the traffic light alongside me. Visually, it was a thing of beauty! It sat there in sleek elegance, testifying by its design and engineering to its exclusive price tag - undoubtedly some where in at least the $55,000 to $75,000 range. Its driver’s identity lay hidden behind shaded windows. But the mere presence of it bespoke a certain air of individuality and distinction for its ...
(Moses said), "And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." Perhaps you have heard this old story, but I feel it bears repeating on this Father's Day. A crowd of men was standing outside the pearly gates of Heaven waiting to be admitted. They were instructed by Saint Peter to get into two different lines. ...