The paralytic lowered through the roof to be healed by Jesus is an account that captures the imagination. It took great faith on all of their parts to attempt such a feat. While it is tempting to focus on them, the point of the story is that Jesus has the power to forgive sins because He is God. Listen in to hear more.
The miracle of turning water into wine is straightforward. However, it is loaded with meaning beyond the miracle. In performing this miracle, Jesus is beginning a new, messianic era that is characterized by the gospel of grace. This new era is far superior to the old system of Law, which brings death.
Jesus was and is zealous for God's glory. When He saw people distracting others from that glory by buying and selling in the Temple, He took action - He cleansed the Temple. Listen in to hear what that has to do with us today.
Jesus sought after people to follow Him. He does the same today. He does not require His followers to have certain degrees or to be wealthy. Instead, He uses regular, ordinary people to do mighty things. Will you answer His call today to be His disciple?
When satan attacks us, he uses some common stratagems. They are the same ones that he used when he tempted Jesus. This sermon looks at the coordination and content of, as well as some counters to his attacks.
John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. Jesus came to John to be baptized by him, even though He did not need to repent. Why did He do that? It was obviously a significant event. This sermon explores some of the significances of Christ's baptism.
There are certain qualities in some peoples' lives that are worth emulating. John the Baptist definitely had many things going for him. This sermon seeks to draw out 3 lessons for us today.
God did not simply create the world and leave it. Instead, He sustains, maintains, and directs every situation in order to fulfill His ultimate plan. He does this through providence. God's providence is clearly seen in the account of Esther. Just as God worked behind the scenes in her life, so He does in ours as well.
Did you make a commitment to read the Bible this year? Do you read the Bible, even occasionally? If so, how do you read it? This sermon does not give hermenutical principles, but it does tell how to read your Bible.
Christ has challenged His individual followers, as well as church bodies, to be His witnesses. This sermon seeks to apply Jesus' final charge to His disciples to the New Hope family.
Names are very important, and were even more so in Bible days. In the Hebrew mindset, a name was more that just a title of a person. It spoke of a person's character. In Isaiah's prophecy concerning the coming Messiah, God revealed what Christ would be like through numerous names and titles.
God desires all nations to come to Him and He will do whatever is necessary for them to do so. This is typified in the magi's visit to the baby Jesus.
What is so special about the virgin birth of Christ? Many things, but most revolve around this central truth: Jesus, the Son of God, came to be born of a virgin, die a substitutionary death on the cross, and be raised to live forevermore.
How do you prepare for Christmas? How do you prepare to celebrate the birth of the King? As Jesus was embarking on His public ministry, John the Baptist went before Him to make a prepared people. Today, we look back on Christ's coming, but we too need to follow John's direction in order to be prepared to meet the King.
Every Christian is responsible to praise the Lord and be thankful to Him; both because of Who He is and what He does.
What is preaching? Some think it is the same as simply giving a speech. Others think it is any boring religious talk. There are many different views of what preaching is. A better question is, "What should preaching be?" This message looks at the first biblical example of what preaching should be to learn responsibilities for both the preacher and the hearers.
Most people would probably agree that prayer is important. In the account of Daniel and the lions' den, Daniel shows through his example three keys to having an effective, powerful prayer life.
The handwriting is on the wall. That phrase has come to mean that the end of something is at hand. But for Belshazzar, this was a literal experience. Unfortunately for him, he learned the hard way that rejection and pride bring God's judgment.
Who rules this earth? Is it man? Is it the devil? No. God rules on the earth! God had to teach king Nebuchadnezzar this basic truth in a very strong way. It would behoove us to learn from his example and humble ourselves. Otherwise, God might do the humbling for us.
This is a message from a student preacher from Southwest Baptist University.
When Daniel's three friends faced pressure to compromise, they firmly stood their ground, fully knowing that it would lead to a death sentence. Their story not only inspires us because of their resoluteness, but mainly because of God's deliverance of them from the fiery furnace.
Many situations in life require wisdom from God. Daniel faced such a situation. Daniel experienced the promise of James 1:5 that God would liberally give wisdom to those who ask Him.
Even though Daniel was faced with the temptation, pressure, and opportunity to compromise his convictions, he didn't do it. Let's learn from Daniel the right ways to stand up for what we believe in.
In the second part of this two-part sermon, we see some blessings of being adopted by God. When we become His children, we get assurance of salvation, become His heirs, and have a future glory to look forward to.
When we become Christians, we are adopted into God's family. But what does that mean, and more importantly, what does it matter? Our spiritual adoption is a glorious truth that affects how we should live every day. Listen in to find out how.
We need revived in America and our churches. However, our greatest need is to be revived in our own hearts. While we cannot manufacture a revival, there are certain things that characterize sweeping revivals throughout history. Many of these ingredients of revival are seen in the life of Josiah.
The Bible is not filled with accounts of stained glass saints. Instead, it is filled will stories of people who hosed up. They were short-sighted, sometimes unloving, and stubborn. Such was the case with Jonah. In this final episode from Jonah's life, we see some wrong priorities that were present in his life that are often present in the lives of believers today too.
Do you want a sign to prove to you that Jesus is Who He claims to be? According to Jesus, the only sign you need is the sign of Jonah. That is the sign that Jesus promised to the religious leaders of His day when they were steeped in their unbelief.
Jonah and the big fish. Jonah and the whale. Jonah the reluctant prophet. Though each of these is a theme or event in Jonah's life, they are not the focus of the book that bears the prophet's name. In the book of Jonah, we see what he was like. More importantly, we see what God is like. In this sermon, we get a glimpse of the God Who pursues us, even when we flee from Him.
The siege of Samaria resulted in one of the vilest crimes against nature - a mother eating her own child. How could this be? Why would God allow something like this to happen to His people? It happened as a judgment from God. In this oft-overlooked biblical account, we see that the plight of Israel and their subsequent salvation mirrors spiritual truth for today.
