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Showing 1376 to 1400 of 2404 results

1376. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... has been able to accomplish tremendous things for God. At the time of this writing, Paul had already evangelized in Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia, and was currently working in proconsular Asia. The dramatic turn-around in Paul's life and all the achievements he had thus far attained were completely dependent on the grace of God that he experienced through the post-Damascus-road presence of Christ in his life. Paul closes this introductory section by reminding his readers that the miraculous nature of this ...

1377. 2 Timothy 1:1-14

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a binding judgment. Thus Amos follows up his two examples (in vv.10 and 12) of sinful selfish behavior "in the gate" with a final plea that the wicked repent and "establish justice in the gate" (v. 15). Amos announces how that new attitude, that new life, is to be achieved - by hating evil and loving good (v.15) and by actively seeking the good instead of the evil (v.14). Only by re-orienting their lives towards justice and righteousness can the people hope to escape their punishment and truly live.

1378. John 12:20-33

John 12:20-33

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... this world") to get his due and be run out of this world. The power that can accomplish these feats, and also "draw all people" to the risen Christ, offers readers the merest hint of what the glorified Jesus will be like. His primary message here is that he will achieve this glorification through a shocking means: suffering and death. But he will be raised in glory and power.

1379. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Now he uses the distinction between "doers" and "hearers" to express a basic difference between the genuine and the "deceived." Doers, according to James, will be blessed, while deceivers/deceived will never know who they are or where they are going (v.24). What doers achieve and hearers miss is nothing less than "the power to save your souls" (v.21) which is the Word's ultimate purpose. James concludes by declaring that all those who fail to follow the mandate outlined in verses 19-21 are deceived in their ...

1380. Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... is hardest for those who have the most power and wealth to lose. The wealthy face the personal challenge of willingly becoming like a "little child" powerless, dependent, without control in order that they, too, may receive the kingdom gift. The impossibility of achieving this right attitude without God's help is illustrated by Jesus' metaphor of a camel threading the eye of a needle. Jesus' final words reveal that rich and poor who genuinely seek the kingdom should be confident: "for God all things are ...

1381. Luke 1:39-45 (46-55

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... verses 51-53 are presented in past (aorist) tense, suggesting that grammatically, at least, they refer to God's past redemptive acts toward Israel. But from its gospel setting, it is likely that Luke's text also points toward the redemptive acts achieved in Jesus' life, death and resurrection. While the sociological implications of God's interfering, intervening, topsy-turvy preferences (to the lowly, the hungry, the poor) are clearly evident, the focus is still on praising an active, saving God not yet on ...

1382. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... goal of being fully in Christ. The apostle once again invokes the image of a runner (see Philippians 2:16) to describe the spiritual quest he finds himself embodying. It is not through some sort of meritorious action he can "win" this race and so achieve the righteousness he desires. Righteousness is always that which can be reached only through faith. The race is not for merit, but toward a different goal the "prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" (v.14). This "heavenly" or "upward" call is ...

1383. Acts 16:9-15

Acts 16:9-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... missionary journey, however, may have served even more to demonstrate the collegial relationship at work among these first believers. The gospel travels to Macedonia, not because of one person's desires or because other routes are barred. The turn westward is achieved through the sure guidance of the Spirit, the unique vision received by Paul, and the missionary group's conclusion and concurrence with the above. Once the destination decision is made, these travelers make good time. By taking a sea route as ...

1384. 1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14) 15-21a

1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14) 15-21a

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of royal authority which Ahab was apparently uncomfortable or inept at wearing. Walsh raises the tantalizing possibility that Ahab here is either a boorish wimp and whiner of the first order, or deceptively and passively manipulative, playing Jezebel like a lyre to achieve what he wanted more than anything. However one interprets the narrative, Jezebel's plot involves the proclamation of a fast under the aegis of the king's seal, and a gathering of the elders of Jezreel with Naboth given a prominent seat ...

1385. 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... v.12). This expression is no doubt honorific and is found again in the mouth of King Joash at Elisha's death (13:14). When the prophet is gone from sight, he rends his clothes into two pieces (see Joshua 7:6). The turning point of the narrative achieved, the action now reverses. Elisha picks up the mantle of the departed prophet, strikes the waters of the Jordan and asks, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" (v.13). When the waters part, both Elisha and the prophets watching from the west bank know full ...

1386. Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of his debtors for his apparent generosity; second, the worldly lot of his neighbors has been improved; and third, the steward has provided for his own future economic security, i.e., his salvation! In his own way, however deceitful or ingenious, the dishonest steward has achieved aims which characterize love of God, love of neighbor and love of self. (For more on this line of thought, see Marcus Barth, "The Dishonest Steward and His Lord: Reflections on Luke 16:1-13," in From Faith to Faith, ed. Dikran Y ...

1387. Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... them and their homeland at a future date. Jeremiah's apparently foolhardy purchase of doomed land the northern region of Anathoth had already been overrun by the first Babylonian siege attempt was surely ridiculed by those around him. Hanamel must have felt he had achieved a financial coup by unloading this parcel of property on such a gullible relative. As an object of derision and scorn, Jeremiah's land purchase is similar to the prophet Hosea's taking a prostitute as his wife. Just as Jeremiah acts as ...

1388. Luke 17:5-10

Luke 17:5-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... toss it into the sea (v. 6). The point is that it is not faith as quantity that matters. The disciple does not need faith the size of an acorn or a potato. If genuine faith is present, i.e., visible, it will have the power to achieve its intended purpose. The second section of the pericope, verses 7-10, while distinct, builds on this first interchange by showing the apostles what is the nature of faith: A faithful witness is one who obediently carries out the will of the master without the expectation of ...

1389. Romans 13:8-14

Romans 13:8-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... clearly, stating, "Love cannot wrong a neighbor; therefore the whole law is summed up in love." The NRSV's use of "fulfilling" ("love is the fulfilling of the law"), however, better suggests the active role this agape-love must take in order to achieve this status. The remainder of this week's text shifts gears slightly, though actually dealing with the same demand. Paul couples his insistence on agape-love with his focus on the imminent eschaton. Paul finds in the eschaton a strong motivator for proper ...

1390. Romans 14:1-12

Romans 14:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Christians should practice is one of acceptance and compassion for other members of their faith community. He begins by encouraging all members of the community of faith to "welcome" those who are weak. The purpose of a Christian community is not to achieve total homogeneity, but to accommodate all into the household of faith on equal ground. As his example, Paul takes the issue of diet - a thorny point since Jews and Gentiles both began identifying themselves as "Christians." It is not clear from Paul ...

1391. John 10:11-18

John 10:11-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... again. The good shepherd would not lay down his life for his sheep if he thought that with his death the sheep would be left helpless and alone. Resurrection is Jesus' last work, the last command the Father has given him but, like all God's commands, it is only achieved by the Father working through the Son.

1392. John 6:35, 41-51

John 6:35, 41-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... tension drawn out by John's text again and again. Humans have a responsibility to seek faithfulness. But even that seeking process is made possible only by an initial gift of faithfulness from God. Rejecting unbelief and grasping for faith may not be achieved without the aid of divine assistance. Verse 44 concludes with a recurring refrain throughout this whole "bread of life" discourse "I will raise him up at the last day" (cf. vv.39, 40, 44, 54). This persistent theme serves to remind the reader/listener ...

1393. Etched in Stone

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... in our thoughts, unless, of course, we find ourselves in a tight place, or we use God’s name in swearing. And that’s why there must be grace. Even though keeping the Ten Commandments is a minimal requirement for a godly life, that’s more than we achieve. So, what do we do? We throw ourselves down before the mercy seat of God. We confess our sins and we give God thanks for His grace. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me . . .” I know, you don’t think of yourself as ...

1394. 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... work to support himself. But Paul’s pleasure comes from being able to preach the gospel free of any charge. His goal is to preach the good news of Jesus Christ to all possible people. That is his greatest delight and pleasure. To achieve the greatest distribution of the gospel message Paul next describes his own intentional “multiple personality disorder.” In vv.19-22, through a series of seven “purpose clauses” (six of which are parallel to each other), Paul explains his method for spreading the ...

1395. Everyone Is Looking For You! - Sermon Starter

Mark 1:35-39

Illustration

Brett Blair

... , "not to miss the things in life, that my uncle had missed." Frank Lloyd Wright saw in those tracks what his uncle could not: It is easy to let the demands of life keep us from the joys of living. We all recognize that any goal in life worth achieving demands a great deal of our energy. If you are a doctor you must spend vast hours alone and in residency studying the human body. The life of your patient demands it. If you are a teacher you must live in the library researching and preparing for your lecture ...

1396. An Unpopular Preacher

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... a new register so you want have to wait in line; waiters will seat you ahead of others at restaurants; parking spaces close to the door will appear as you drive by; stewardesses will select you to move from coach to First Class.” It promises that God will achieve justice for you in this life. God keeps a record of all the troubles you’ve suffered, all the injustices. God will pay you back with twice as much good. It tells you that God will protect you from making bad decisions. In fact, God will protect ...

1397. God Loses, So We Can Win

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... look to many like a loss. He can no longer compete in the race for blessings. His limp won’t let him get out of the starting blocks. Israel can now be thankful. For he now enjoys the blessing that blesses – one he couldn’t attain, achieve, grab. He surrenders to God. To grace. To forgiveness. Yes, in this story, even Esau is changed. He forgives his Jacob. There is reconciliation. This story is not first of all about Jacob, Esau, Isaac, or Rebekah. It’s about God. “Israel” can also mean “God ...

1398. The Father’s Blessing

Genesis 27:1-40

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... God, who alone can fill the God-hole. Just as mothers can point their children away from God, so can fathers. You can’t bless with the love of God, if you’ve not received it. In their attempt to prove themselves “somebody” through their achievements, fathers can be so absorbed in satisfying their own needs they are unavailable to satisfy the needs of their children. Listen to this song by the late Harry Chapin. It’s entitled, “Cats in the Cradle.” My child arrived just the other day. He came ...

1399. Why We Do What We Do

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... and you accomplish what you set out to do, you’ve succeeded. What Jesus is asserting that what you’ve succeeded in manipulating other people to give you really isn’t worth much. What you really need they can’t give you. What you really need you can’t achieve by your own efforts. Jesus says, “When you give, don’t let your left hand know what you’re right hand is doing.” Give to those in need because of your love for them as the beloved children of God they are. Like you. You give because of ...

1400. Easter 7

Acts 1:12-26, 1 John 5:1-12, John 17:6-19

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... among themselves which was the greatest and one of them even betrayed him. Paul refers to factions in his churches. Throughout her history, the church has been split into various hostile groups. To this day schisms are occurring. Here we see that unity is not a human achievement but a divine gift to those who remain in God's name. An example of unity for the church is the oneness existing between the Father and the Son. 2. Lost (v. 12). It is a word we hesitate to say. Is any person really lost? Jesus ...

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