24 Apr 2011    Sovereign Security - Psalm 91       3 Apr 2011    Psalms of Priase: Psalm 68 - Persistent Praise   14 Mar 2011    Pslams 33&34: God's Sovereignty Requires An Attitude of Gratitude   6 Mar 2011    Psalm 32 Straight Talk About Crooked Living    This psalm reflects the time when David was king over Israel. He sent his troops into battle against the Ammonites while he remained behind. During this time he fell into adulterous sin with Bathsheba. To make matters worse, he tried to cover up his sin by having her husband, Uriah the Hittite, killed. For the next year David lived with his guilty conscience in deep agony of spirit. He became emotionally distraught, physically ill, and mentally disturbed.   27 Feb 2011    Under the Divine Knife   Throughout the lifelong process of sanctification, God is chiseling away everything that does not look like Jesus Christ. This can be painful process, undergoing God’s knife, as He carves away, cutting back all that does not resemble Christlikeness. But it is in loving discipline that God prunes us back, knowing that it will yield righteousness and holiness and enable us to grow into the image of His Son.   13 Feb 2011    Unveiled Glory   6 Feb 2011    Psalms of Praise: Psalm 18 In every soul-testing trial, the believer must find strength in a refuge greater than himself. He must be anchored to a rock greater than the trial in which he finds himself. The only sure fortress is that rock which is highest of all – the Lord himself. This is the truth that David discovered and recorded in this psalm.   31 Jan 2011    Psalm 8: Only God is Great!   Regardless of man’s inflated view of himself, God alone is truly great. Not only is He the Creator of all; the Lord is the sustainer of all and thus sovereign over all. God, not man, is great, so He alone is to be praised. Psalm 8 is a magnificent hymn written by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that testifies to the majesty of God’s name. Throughout all creation, God’s unsurpassed greatness and glory is clearly seen. From the vastness of the universe to the weakness of man who is enabled to overcome his enemies by God’s strength, all the creation testifies, “Only God is great.”   31 Jan 2011    Psalms of Praise   The songs of salvation originate in the heart. A person who does not have a song in his heart cannot sing from his heart or with his heart. He can only sing with his lips, and neither his music nor his message will have the power of the Spirit to bless others in Christ’s name.   25 Jan 2011    1&2 Peter: Know Your Prophecy   As Peter ends his letter, he addresses the topic of the end times and the judgment to come. There seems to be an interest today in the end of the world and the return of Christ. Novels with these themes are at the top of the bestseller lists; motion pictures that deal with these subjects are being filmed. What lies behind this fascination with the end of the world? The fact of Jesus’ promised return should spark a new attitude of holiness and commitment in the minds of Jesus’ followers. Scripture Text– 2 Peter 3:1-18   3 Jan 2011    1&2 Peter: Know Your Scriptures   You get into a spiritual conversation with an unsaved  neighbor who has no clear religious beliefs. When you make reference to the Bible, he or she says: “Wait a minute! You keep quoting the Bible, but how do I know that what it says is true? I mean, the Mormons believe the Book of Mormon. The Muslims have the Koran. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have the New World Translation. What makes the Bible so special? It’s just a bunch of stories and myths, right?” What would you say? Why do you believe the Bible is true?   13 Dec 2010    The Biblical Christ or the Worldly Christmas For nearly 2,000 years, debate has been raging about who Jesus really is. Cults and skeptics have offered various explanations. They’ll say He is one of many gods, a created being, a high angel, a good teacher, a prophet, and so on. The common thread of all such theories is that they make Jesus less than God. But the biblical evidence is overwhelming that Jesus was the incarnation of God.   7 Dec 2010    The Mother Who Chose a Very Strange Name   29 Nov 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Know Your Salvation    Peter wrote his second letter to counter the influence of heresy within the church. He appealed for spiritual growth as an antidote to defeat the heretics who had infiltrated the community and urged his readers to live holy lives in anticipation of Jesus’ return. It is a message of pastoral encouragement, support for living the Christian life, prophetic warning against false doctrine, and concern for the proper preparation for a day of judgment. Scripture Text– 2 Peter 1:1-11   15 Nov 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Christian Victory   Humility: The word used here literally means “lowly-mindedness,” an attitude that one is not too good to serve. Humility was not considered a virtue by the ancient world, any more than it is today. The opposite of humility would be conceit and the pursuit of personal glory, which is the motivation for selfish ambition. The basic definition of true humility is to “esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3). Christ provides examples of selfless humility in Matthew 11:29 and John 13:12-17. Scripture Text– 1 Peter 5:5-14   8 Nov 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Requirements for Leadership    Keys to the Text Elders: An elder is the same as a “shepherd” (that is, “pastor”) and “overseer (that is, “bishop”). In the New Testament, the words bishop, elder, overseer, and pastor are used interchangeably to describe the same men. Elders are responsible to lead, preach, and teach, help the spiritually weak, and care for the church. The word emphasizes spiritual maturity, and the plural indicates the need for a plurality of leaders to oversee and shepherd God’s flock. Scripture Text– 1 Peter 5:1-4     25 Oct 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Joy Even In Suffering    Joy: This means to exult and rejoice with a rapturous joy. Joy is not the natural human response to trouble. Christians are under divine command to be more than somewhat joyful in their trials; they are called to look upon them with all joy. Peter speaks of a unique fullness of joy that the Lord graciously provides His children when they willingly endure troubles while trusting in Him – regardless of the cause, type, or severity of the distress. Scripture Text– 1 Peter 4:12-19   18 Oct 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Living That Glorifies God   11 Oct 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Suffering for God   4 Oct 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Godly Living   27 Sep 2010    1 & 2 Peter: Submission to Leaders and Masters