Preach the Word!

Sunday School first, questions about circumcision, new and old covenant differences, and eternal security. Sermon starts at 36:18-Mothers day from Genesis and Exodus

Who is your shepherd?

This is a special episode for the sake of those who weren't in Sunday School last Sunday. It is an important truth to understand when discussing authority/submission, equality, the roles of man and woman, and how things can be true and not true at the same time.

Why did God save us?1. Because of His great love.2. So that He can show how good He is.

The problem is not what you do, but who you are. This is the true diagnosis. Christianity alone has the answer. The world has many answers, but not the truth.

The weight of words. Our tongue is a dangerous thing, therefore those who teach must be exceedingly careful. And there shouldn't be many of them.Fathers, mothers, employees, and employers, children and all others must guard their words and be careful to unleash unthoughtful, unloving, and uncaring words. Can the tongue be tamed?

The mystery has been revealed. Sin has broken apart man and Creator, man within himself, man and man, man and his body at death, the nations are divided, Israel is divided, and the church is divided. All these things, God has promised to unify in Christ ultimately. But it seems for unity to come, there must often first be war. Man seeks unity and they'll find it under the antichrist. The church needs unity, but it must be centered around the person of Jesus Christ and the truth of Him as revealed in the Scriptures.

Redemption in the Christian sense means purchasing. God has purchased His people with the precious blood of Christ. It had to be through violence, as the day of atonement showed us. Violence done equals violence needed to atone for sin. Having been redeemed, Christians must understand that they are not their own. They don't belong to themselves!

Only in unity to Jesus can anyone and will anyone ever be blessed. The world outside Him is cursed. He is the the source of God's blessing. This is a great comfort for the believer and an appeal to the unbeliever, come unto Him!

When salvation is merely man centered, we fall short of the glory of God. We do not recognize His work behind the scenes, work that we would not know He did unless He told us. We must choose to follow God yes, but He also wants us to realize that we who choose Him were first chosen by Him, before the foundation of the world. The text says it. Do you believe it?

The precious relationship within the Triune God is shown to us in Scripture. It is clearer than is sometimes stated. Not full comprehension but clarity. Yet of course, natural man will not understand for these are spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 2:15). The Father is the originator of all things, and He works through His Son. The Son does nothing of Himself but only according to what He sees the Father doing. Jesus is in a relationship of submission to His Father. And it's a relationship of love. The relationship between the Father and Son is a pattern of our relationship to Jesus.

Jesus wants us to be one and unified but not the exact same and uniform. How can the church do this?

2 extremes in church history. They both started early, and the apostles had to deal with both of these early on and we're still dealing with them today.

God's intention, promise and assurance towards an evil world that He desires its salvation.

A very important truth!

Paul preaches a powerful sermon on his first missionary journey. He shows history and prophecy point to the One Man, Jesus Christ and that by Him comes forgiveness of sin and by Him man is freed from what the law could not free them from. Salvation from sin and death!

The church of Jesus Christ must not have unity as its goal or emphasis but a commitment to the truth. Focus on unity always leads to compromise.

The pattern of creation, is also the pattern of New creation. What God did in creating the world, He does in the heart of every single one of His children. Where there is darkness, He speaks, and there is life from nothing, separation, through Jesus Christ, to bear fruit for His glory.

What are you doing with what God has given you? Are you using it to serve your Master or hiding it away and showing yourself to be a goat?

This is the test; do you believe this?

Why does God deliver one and not another?

A big transition happening in Acts. The church in Jerusalem sends out Barnabas to the new church that has started in Antioch. This will be the church from which the mission to the Gentiles will be birthed by the Spirit through the apostle Paul. Barnabas' exhortation and encouragement is an example for us; remain faithful to the Lord!

Repentance and faith are 2 sides of the same coin. Just like love and serve. Not something God has to give but something He has given as a wonderful gift. We can change!