The Way, the Truth, and the Life
John 14:1-11 – Life is short, eternity is long, and each of us will spend somewhere forever. We can confidently trust Jesus because He has prepared a place in heaven for His followers.
5 Dangers for Every Worship Ministry
Those who lead in worship have a pivotal role in the health of all those gathered. Your team could fall prey to one of these common traps if you aren’t careful.
The Global Mission Starts with Individual Evangelism
When we often think about the task of global missions, we can easily be overwhelmed by the great scope of work required. This worldwide task must begin much smaller with individual disciples taking personal responsibility for the work.
This Father Won’t Overlook You
Many people know the pain of never feeling like they were enough by the standards of a father or another authority figure. When we come to our Heavenly Father, He provides the exact opposite of what many of us have experienced.
Damascus & Council
Saul’s conversion dramatically changed the missional focus of the early Church and Christianity as a whole. During that time, the gospel opened the door to both Jews and Gentiles, and the Jerusalem Council ensured it would stay that way.
The Door
John 10:1-10 – Jesus is aware of the dangers of untrustworthy spiritual figures. He watches over our souls and protects us from those whose only interest in our spiritual conditions is themselves.
Jesus Knows Me This I Know
I grew up singing the line, “Jesus loves me, this I know,” but what makes His love so incredible is His complete knowledge of me. He knows us, and He invites us to know Him.
Reliable Connections & Directions
It’s great to have a personal desire to follow Jesus on the second mile but to do so successfully, you need some people around you heading down the same path. We need friendships that encourage our discipleship.
The Unrivaled God Deserves Unbridled Worship
When God shows up undeniably, it is fitting to worship Him accordingly. Our perspective changes significantly once we comprehend who He is and what He does.
Pentecost & Persecution
The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples on Pentecost, but they required persecution to move them out of Jerusalem. God uses varied catalysts to send His people out on mission.
The Light of the World
John 8:12-20 – In a world full of darkness, Jesus claimed to be the light that each of us needs. His illumination provides insight into who He is and clarity about where we should go.
4 Questions for Developing Sermon Series
When preparing a sermon series, a pastor can feel overwhelmed due to the range of needs and various options. Consider these four questions as you plan your next series.
The Next Right Thing
Each of us lives with regrets from previous mistakes, but we can become dangerously apathetic and immobile afterward. Even if you recently messed up and are suffering from its consequences, do what you can while you can.
Why We Need a Shepherd
When you consider the lack of formidable qualities of sheep, you might feel offended that Scripture regularly compares us to such creatures. But with such a helpless designation, we realize how reliable our Shepherd is.
Resurrection & Commission
Without the empty tomb, the Christian faith is an empty religion devoid of any hope. Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave and commissioned us clearly to the world.
The Bread of Life
John 6:22-40 – For people who desired another heavenly handout, Jesus offered Himself as the only thing to sustain us. Only through Christ can you be truly satisfied.
The Fatherhood of God Isn’t a Bad Thing
With so many poor examples of fathers, it should be no surprise that considering God as Father presents quite a challenge. We must push through our baggage and see our Heavenly Father as described in Scripture.
Intentional Staff Meetings
Many employees believe in a cause but get discouraged in the process when working with a directionless leader and misaligned coworkers. With a few adjustments, you can experience significant changes by coordinated efforts.
God Doesn’t Need You
We often think God is desperately recruiting volunteers to get His work done, but that isn’t the case. The fact that God doesn’t need us makes His invitation all the more glorious.
Would You Sing This Name in Worship?
People call the LORD by many different names or describe Him by many different attributes. While some are common titles, every so often you read something in Scripture that grabs your attention.
The Resurrection and the Life
John 11:17-44 – Outside of Lazarus’ tomb, it appeared as if death had claimed another victim. Jesus proved His power over death through resurrection and now invites us to come alive.
Righteousness Comes Through Faith
Jesus was a perfect sacrifice in that He required no reconciliation on His behalf because He never sinned. His perfectly righteous status enabled Him to take our place and provide us with the necessary righteousness.
Recovering After Failure
It may not sound encouraging to anticipate failure as we follow Jesus, but none of us will always get it right. We should not wonder if we will fail, but we should consider how Jesus desires us to respond when the unavoidable happens.
Appraising Grace
If the story of Jesus has become so common to you, it might be time to consider it with a fresh perspective. Appraising the depth of God’s grace is the most essential consideration we can make.
What People Need More Than a Lesson
Our churches need to focus on developing solid lessons for trained teachers to facilitate in small groups, but we need something more. We need people to walk alongside us to apply biblical truths in our lives.
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-18 – Jesus refused to flee when our endangered souls were in dire need. We marvel at the Good Shepherd who laid His life down for us on the cross to save us from our sinful wanderings.
I AM
The more we understand the identity of Jesus, the more we will comprehend the activity that should permeate our lives. The person and ministry of Jesus Christ meet our greatest needs.
Premarital Caution
If you are considering marriage, I want to caution you in the right type of way. You can have a healthy marriage, but you both have to hold to one central focus to succeed.
Reclaiming Contentment
Stuff can’t save us, but that doesn’t stop us from thinking that the more that we have, the more contented we can become. The reality is that we must prioritize a settled disposition in our lifetime if we are going to survive materialistic traps.
I AM (Series Overview)
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus claims to be God in the flesh by using powerful metaphors that speak to His critical attributes. Discover how Jesus came to transform your life.
Crucifixion
While Jesus’ death seemed like a shocking defeat to his followers, the crucifixion of Christ was God’s plan all along. By studying the context of the event, we can understand what Jesus truly accomplished.
Experiencing Abundant Peace
Psalm 119:161-176 – We cannot avoid trouble in this life, but we can experience abundant peace through every trial. Keep a diligent desire to follow God’s instructions through hard times so you can endure.
Righteousness Requires a Standard
We can’t just make up standards without God’s help because we could never agree. If we are going to comprehend right and wrong, we must understand that righteous requires a standard.
Making Better Prayer Times
Even though prayer can be very challenging to stay consistent with focus and direction, we all know of its important for our lives. With some simple adjustments, you can create more effective times of prayer that will cause you to desire it more. It’s time to go the second mile in making better prayer times.
The Thief That Comes to Steal, Kill, and Destroy (It’s Not Who You Think It Is)
Many Christians speak about Satan as the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. While he is successful at all of those actions, Jesus was speaking about a different thief in that context, and it is one that you need to be mindful of today.
Associations
Jesus’ ministry centered around his association with two critical groups: sinners and self-righteous. To understand these complex dynamics reveals the nature of Jesus’ approach.
Prioritizing Holy Habits
Psalm 119:145-160 – To maintain awareness of God’s presence, we must prioritize holy habits to reinforce that reality. Know God better through consistent time committed to spiritual disciplines.
What If Groups Were Focused on Discipleship & Mission?
We want our people to grow in the gospel and go with the gospel. That’s why our groups are designed to facilitate both discipleship and missions.
Getting Over the Fear of Evangelism
Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a disciple quite like the expectation to share Christ with another person. We must learn to embrace our commitment to Jesus so much that it becomes an easy thing for us to talk about Jesus to others.
Godly Legacies Aren’t Left By Accident
If you want your children to grow up loving Jesus, are they seeing that authentic example in your home? Godly legacies aren’t left by accident; you must become intentional if your children have a chance to follow Jesus well.