Introduction
A. A faithful steward can help an employer achieve greater success (Genesis 39:29-30; 39:1-6), but a bad one can lead him to ruin.
B. As Christians, we are stewards of the greatest blessings God has ever entrusted to mortal man, and this comes with great responsibility (Luke 12:42-48).
I. What has God entrusted to us?
A. Everything we have is from God (James 1:17; 1 Chronicles 29:14).
B. He has...
What Loves Does
Introduction
A. Love and faith are much alike: they are both lasting (1 Corinthians 13:13), and yet neither can be perceived by the natural senses.
B. Intangible things like faith and love can only be detected and measured by their effects (James 2:14-26; cf. Hebrews 11).
C. How can you tell if someone loves you? What are love’s effects?
I. Love serves.
A. If we love God, we will serve Him (Matthew 6:24).
B. If we love...
Forgiveness
Introduction
A. Although we know that we must forgive others if we wish to be forgiven by God, the world encourages us to seek vengeance.
B. To help us better understand the proper spirit of forgiveness, we can consider the manner in which God forgives.
I. How does God forgive?
A. He is longsuffering first (Nahum 1:3; Nehemiah 9:17; 2 Peter 3:9).
B. On the other hand, He has promised to “judge the world...
"Oh, Think of the Home Over There"
Introduction
A. Although we usually reflect of the home over there when a loved one has passed away, Christians would do good to think more often about the heavenly place.
B. Peter said that our hope is reserved in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-5).
C. Heaven will be more beautiful than anything we have ever imagined, any place we have ever been or seen, and anything we have ever enjoyed.
What is Heaven?
A. Heaven is...
The Next Generation
Introduction
A. In the NT, the word “generation” basically means “the sum total of those born at the same time, expanded to include all those living at a given time” (Arndt & Gingrich).
B. What sort of generation are we, and what sort will follow us here?
I. Will the next generation forget the Lord?
A. The generation after Joshua forgot (Joshua 24:31; Judges 2:1-5).
B. The generation after Hezekiah forgot (2 Kings...
“I Am Guilty”
Introduction
A. “I am guilty. I confess it. There are so many things I have done that I am ashamed of. I have been guilty with the thoughts of my mind; I have been guilty with the words of my mouth; and I have been guilty with the actions of my hands.”
B. We live in a world that hates the idea of feeling guilt. We are becoming a society without shame—a society where every sin, of every kind, is permitted. In fact...
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do
Introduction
A. When Judah’s neighbors formed an alliance against her, the king acknowledged that he didn’t know what to do (2 Chronicles 20:6-12).
B. Most of us can sympathize with King Jehoshaphat, having found ourselves in situations where we didn’t know what to do.
C. So what do you do when you don’t know what to do?
I. Jehoshaphat is not the only one ever to find himself in this situation.
A. What was...
Jesus Barabbas or Jesus Christ?
Introduction
A. The Scriptures are filled with examples of choices men have had to make (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15; 2 Samuel 24:13; 1 Kings 3:5).
B. When Pilate offered the Jews a choice between Barabbas and Jesus, this might seem like an easy call from our perspective, but to a first-century Jew, the right decision was not as easy to make.
I. One lived; the other died.
A. Jesus Barabbas was unjustly...
Bearing One Another’s Burdens
Introduction
A. The fact that there is strength in numbers explains many of the things God has done since the creation of Eve (Genesis 2:18-24).
B. It should be a great comfort to all of us to know that we are not in this fight alone; as soldiers we are all in this together.
I. We have a responsibility to encourage the weak and the faint.
A. Those who are weak in the faith should be able to depend on their stronger brethren...