Being happy and sad at the same time just doesn’t make sense. How can I struggle with sadness and find that I am happy as a result? The Lord addressed this paradox in Matthew 5:4 which is a part of the “Sermon on the Mount”. When I am truly sad over the condition of my life and the conditions of the people around me, I can truly approach a sense of happiness that the world doesn’t have and doesn’t provide. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Happy are the Humble (Matthew 5:3)
In following and serving Christ, paradoxes are a common part of the process. For instance, the world tells us to be the best, go for the most, and get all that we can out of it. There are a lot of people on that path. Solomon, the wisest and richest man in the world, had it all. Yet, at the end of his life, he wrote Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. He started that book which was a summary of his life by stating that everything was vain and empty. He had everything and felt that life was missing something. Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” You want it all? You have to do it God’s way. The Lord made that emphasis in the Sermon on the Mount.
How Do I Serve God Without Fear? (Joshua 1:1-9)
I had just finished college when the church we attended asked me to come on the board as the assistant Sunday School Superintendent. The primary function of the position was to assist the Superintendent in whatever duties he needed help in. A secondary function was to lead the Sunday School opening. I had to start each morning by leading a hymn. I was scared to death. I had never done that and, thankfully, the congregation was pretty forgiving because I was pretty nervous and not very good at it. We are all called to move out our comfort zones when God begins to move in our lives. How do we serve the Lord without fear? Today’s message addresses the challenges that Joshua faced as he replaced Moses.
Happiness Is... (Matthew 5:1-2)
I grew up at the end of the 60’s and the beginning of the 70’s. It was time when people were searching for reality and happiness. They looked in religions, drugs, sex, and whatever else struck their fancy. Strange enough, they looked everywhere except with Jesus. Turns out, He’s the only one Who can truly provide happiness. Somethings will give us a shot at happiness but it isn’t lasting. Today’s message introduces Jesus’ most famous sermon: “The Sermon on the Mount”. Inside the Lord’s message, true happiness is waiting if you seek it on the Lord’s terms.
How Do We Know Jesus is God? (Matthew 4:23-25)
I had just spoken at the Baccalaureate Service for Portage High School. I would meet with a couple of fellows every week at MacDonald’s for Bible Study and was waiting for them to show up. An individual named Tom saw me and asked if he could talk to me. He told me that he had been at the Baccalaureate and heard my message. We spent time talking and the end result was that he asked me how you could be sure that Jesus was God. We spent time talking and he had to go. The seed was planted and I didn’t see Tom again. His question was valid. How do we know that Jesus is God? Today’s message speaks to that very question.
Making Us Fishers of Men (Matthew 4:18-22)
There is a parable that is entitled “The Life Saving Station”. It is a part of the message today but is illustrates the problem that we as individuals and churches have when it comes to any regular emphasis upon evangelism. As the Bible is examined, it becomes very obvious that evangelism is the heart of God. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and He works through believers to carry out that program and passion. Are we available? Today’s passage captures the Lord’s invitation to His first disciples to follow Him and He would make them “fishers of men.” He wants us involved also. Are we willing and available?
Temptation is a Part of the Christian Life! (Matthew 4:1-11)
If a person is honest, there is not a day that goes by that he or she is not faced with some sort of temptation. Temptation is a part of the Christian life. Fortunately for us, the Lord completely identified with that and showed us how to deal with the daily temptations that we face. In today’s passage, the Lord is tempted by Satan and He resists the temptations that the devil brings His way. If we follow the Lord’s example, we can have the same daily victories that the Lord modeled for us.
The Arrival of the King! (Matthew 3:13-17)
The Arrival of the King! (Matthew 3:13-17)
There is always a fascination with royalty. In my lifetime, I have witnessed the weddings of royals, the birth of royals, and the deaths of royals. But I have never witnessed the crowning of royals. Queen Elizabeth has served longer than I have been alive. There is a certain mystique that is a part of royalty that we commoners will never completely grasp. If you have watched one of these events, you will remember the large number of people that attend and participate in the festivities. When the Lord was crowned King, there was no fanfare and a very specific and limited number of individuals participated. And yet, this was the most significant and unique “crowning” in the history of mankind. Today’s message focuses on the Lord as King over all. The question that you have to answer, “Is He your king?”
Does What You Say Match Who You Are? (Matthew 3:7-12)
Does What You Say Match Who You Are? (Matthew 3:7-12)
This passage finds John the Baptist ministering to people in the countryside.Out of all the people that came to hear John preach, two groups (the Pharisees and the Sadducees) were a part of the crowd.John recognized these two groups as all flash and no reality.He confronted them about their hypocrisy.How often do people today fit into this scenario?We have a tendency to talk about our relationship with Christ but our lives don’t always match up with what we say.If John were to preach to us, would he say the same thing that he said to them?
The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived (Matthew 3:1-6)
How do you define greatness? Is it the person with the most wins as a coach or the guy with the largest batting average? Is it the richest man in America or in the world? Is it the man who finds the cure for Covid or the person who helps out our country the most? How do you define greatness? The Lord defined greatness by pointing to John the Baptist who was different from everyone else. He dressed differently. He lived differently. He ate differently. His message was different from everyone else’s and yet the Lord said that he was the greatest man who ever lived. Today’s message talks about his differences and why God considered him the greatest man who ever lived.
The King Who Fulfills God's Prophecies (Matthew 2:13-23)
The King Who Fulfills God’s Prophecies (Matthew 2:13-23)
I don’t know if you have noticed it or not, but when you are in the middle of God’s will, God always seems to provide and take care of you.In today’s message we see that worked out with the Christ-child and His protection as Herod seeks to kill Him.God always takes care of His own.We may not always understand the way things work out while they are happening but, when we look back at them, we see how God worked out things for our good and His best.We see that in Joseph being obedient to all that God told him even when it didn’t make sense at the moment.
Fools and Wisemen (Matthew 2:1-12)
For the next week in your life, try an experiment. Mention Jesus in your conversation and try to draw the people you are talking to into that conversation and observe how they respond to that. It is interesting to see how everyone responds to the mention of Jesus. You will find that everyone will respond in some way to the mention of Jesus. In today’s message, we find the three most common responses as reflected in the way that the three main characters respond. How do you respond to the mention of Jesus? There is only one right way to respond. How to do you respond to the mention of Jesus? Happy New Year to you!
The Virgin Birth (Matthew 1:18-25)
Imagine that you are going along everyday just minding your own business when suddenly you are given the message that you are going to be the earthly father or mother of the coming messiah. Would you be shocked? Would you look for the hidden cameras? Would you not believe it? Would you be in shock? Probably all of these would impact you in one way or another. Today’s message focuses on Joseph and Mary and their reactions to this very message.
The Gracious King (Matthew 1:1-17)
Have you ever felt like you wanted to do something for God but you really didn’t feel like you were qualified or worthy? I think that we have all felt that way at one time or another. That sounds strange for a preacher to say but I have felt that way at times also. We are introducing the Gospel of Matthew today as a lead in to the Christmas story and I believe that everyone in the “begots” section of the Gospel probably felt that way also. Go along on the journey with us today as we look at the fact that God uses whomever He wants to accomplish whatever He wants.
How to Live in Uncertain Times (2 Peter 3:14-18)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”... This is the introductory statement to a novel by Charles Dickens. It pretty well summarizes the times that we live in. As our culture and society continues down this uncertain path, where do we go to find stability? The message from media and government changes every day. Where do we find security? The Bible is still our rock and foundation. Today’s message comes from Peter’s final words on “how to live in uncertain times.”
The Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:8-13)
The message description last week started out with this phrase, “Our culture today is in a constant state of flux.” That is truer today than it ever was before. We watch the news and culture and we ask, “can it get any worse?”; and “when is the Lord going to do something about this?” That question has been out there ever since the beginning of time. Peter addresses this very question in today’s message. The Day of the Lord is coming! Are you ready?
Regardless of How It Seems, Judgment is Coming! (2 Peter 3:1-7)
Our culture today is in a constant state of flux. It seems like things that were normal yesterday are the abnormal today. We watch everything around continue to slide down a slippery slope into darkness. The Media and those that seem to influence everyday thinking now call “that which is evil good and that which is good evil!” We shouldn’t be surprised. The Lord told us that in the last days things would continue to decline and get worse. We sometimes wonder if it will ever end. Today’s message focuses on that very thing.
What We Do With God’s Word Really Indicates Who We Are! (2 Peter 2:20-3:2)
We live in a time when our access to the Bible is at an all-time high. The Bible is not only available in a multitude of printed versions but is also available in a variety of digital mediums. We can read or listen to the Bible on our phones, tablets and just about any other digital device available. Why then, do we struggle to read the Bible or really know it. Our generation seems to struggle in having the Bible as a daily routine or part of our lives. Today’s message focuses on “what we do with the Bible and how it really reveals who we are.
Be Careful Whom You Listen To! (2 Peter 2:12-19)
Everywhere we look and everything we listen to is constantly competing for our attention and focus. Whatever we focus on guides our lives and ultimately makes us the people that we are. Today’s passage challenges us to be cautious regarding what and whom we listen to so that our lives will be focused on the right things rather than the wrong ones.
The Road to Revival... (Genesis 35:1-15)
The Road to Revival... (Genesis 35:1-15)
With the current state of affairs in our nation and culture, I consistently hear people pray and say, “If only we had a revival, things would turn around and be much better.” But for true revival to occur, it has to occur within me before it can touch my community or nation. The passage today focuses on Jacob’s revival and return to a relationship with God that was missing in his life because he had chosen the wrong path.