Making Life’s Choices
Gen. 13:1-13 I: The Apartment Simplicity of Lot’s Choice. 1. Almost 4,000 years ago. 2. The younger man given the choice. 3. Lot failed to weigh many things that his choice would include: a. His occupation would change. b. His choice would affect his children. c. His wife would become involved. d. He would lose control of the spiritual leadership. e. He would become a joke to his family. 4. All Lot could see was well watered plains, and a city market. 5. He lost his children to the ways of Sodom. 6. He became accustomed to being drunk. 7. He died a lonely deserted man; Was it worth the choice he made? II: Abraham Also Made A Choice. 1. He was willing to settle for less and live at peace with his people. 2. He was willing to live in the Hill country, and...
Majoring On Minors
The world seems to be satisfied to major on the minors of life. Matt. 6:19-34 I. What Is Your Major? 1. This question must be answered in early life for we must prepare for the majors. 2. Failure to choose a major means years of wondering aimlessly. 3. The student that picks his major early shapes all his study toward that major. 4. It is a tragedy to wake up the closing semester and find you have majored in the wrong subject. 5. Many a young life has been blighted because older people choose their major. II. If Is Vastly Important To Choose the Great Majors of Life. 1. Some choose fame and wealth as the major of life. 2. Some choose a business as their life’s major. 3. Some choose pleasure and ease as life’s major. 4. But many will be sad in the...
God Has A Plan for Your Life
John 8:66-68 Joshua 24:1-15 Like the Master Potter that Jeremiah watched, God has a plan for our lives. God has an individual plan for every individual life. I. God’s plan demonstrated in Old Testament. 1. Abraham in his darkest hours believed God 2. Jacob even in his self centered beginning. 3. Joseph while a slave sold by his own brothers. 4. Moses in the house of Pharaoh. 5. Job’s darkest hours never kept him from becoming what God wanted him to be. II. The Freedom of will is seen in the Power of Choice. 1. The freedom of choice is beautiful and dangerous. 2. But man is compelled to make a choice. 3. Some plan of life is ruling us. 4. It may be a plan to live aimlessly. 5. Joshua called for decisions based on facts. 6. Jesus left no room for...
From Parson to Person. A minister writes his people:
Dear Friend: Our church Membership 1400 Nonresident Membership 75 Balance left to do the work 1325 Elderly folks who have done their share in the past 25 Balance left to do the work 1300 Sick and shut-in folks 25 Balance left to do the work 1275 Members who do not pledge 350 Balance left to do the work 925 Christmas & Easter Members 300 Balance left to do the work 625 Members who are too tired or overworked 300 Balance left to do the work 325 Alibiers 200 Balance left to do the work 125 Members who are too busy somewhere else 123 Balance left to do the work 2 “Just you and me – and, brother, you’d better get busy, for it’s too much for...
Fishers of Men
Jesus was the master fisherman of all times, both for fish and for men. What do you consider your greatest fishing trip? Matt. 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11 I: Fishing Seems to Attract All Kinds of Men. 1. When the Spring thaws come America’s fishing fever rises. 2. Fishermen of California set quite a record. 1955- Sportsmen of Calif. spent $487,000,000. Fishermen alone averaged $24.77 a day for fresh water fish, and $16.51 for salt fish. 31 million men days are provided for fishing and hunting. Fresh water fishermen averaged 15 days per license. $21,089.00 per person spent on fishing. $228,884,935.00 spent for fresh water fish. $ 94,227,033.00 spent for salt water fish. A total of $322,111,968.00 Fishing Equipment $29.10 Transportation $76.19 Food and Drink $66.64...
Eyes
Matt. 6:22-23, Matt. 7:3-5, Prov. 23:6 I: The Marvels of the Eye. 1. It is mentioned 534 times in the bible. 2. The eye has a language of its own. “It flashes with indignation, kindles with enthusiasm, expands with devotion, melts with sympathy, stares with fright, droops with sadness, pales with hate, fires with revenge, twinkles with miry, beams with love, and contract with pain.” 3. It’s greater than any man-made precision instrument. II: Eyes that See Not. 1. Spoken of idols and spiritually dead eyes. 2. Blind to spiritual values. 3. Blind to responsibilities. 4. Blind to opportunities. 5. Blind to the harvest that is ripe. 6. Blind to the will of God. III: “The Eyes of a Fool Are in the Ends of the Earth.” Prov. 17:24 1. Grass...
“Coffin In Egypt”
The Book that says: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” closes with these words “A coffin in Egypt.” Gen. 50:22-26, Exodus 13:19, Joshua 24:32, Heb. 11:22 I: Faith in God Makes Life Worth Living. 1. Without faith it is impossible to please God. 2. Faith moves one to live adventurous for God. 3. Faith smiles in the face of adversity. 4. Faith moved Joseph from slavery through prison to the throne. 5. Faith allowed him to look into the future without fear. II: Faith Worth Living By Will Do to Die By. 1. Faith looks at death and say, “Carry up my bones from hence.” 2. The children of Israel had no thought of leaving Canaan when Joseph...
Christ’s Compassion
Compassion bowels of mercy. To the Greek Poets, the bowels were regarded as the seat of the more violent passions such as love and anger, but to the Hebrews it means the seat of tender affections and kindness. In a manuscript of 5 B.C it meant “for pity’s sake.” In our modern day, it means the heart or seat of emotions or compassion. Being able to put yourself in the place of another. Mark 6:34 I: Paul and the Church of Cornith. Cornith 2 6:12 1. They had found room in Paul’s heart. 2. They had made no room for Paul. 3. The church suffered because their hearts were not enlarged. II: Jesus saw the Multitude: 1. Jesus looked upon them with eyes of compassion. 2. The natural eye saw a hungry multitude and an empty purse. 3. Jesus saw the...
Christ Loved the Church
“Jesus loves you. Jesus loves the church.” Eph. 5:25-33 Conversion is just the beginning of the Christian life. The journey to our eternal home in Heaven begins here. The new birth places our feet on the royal road to Heaven, our name on the lambs book of life. God has two great institutions, Home and Church. I: Just the Beginning. 1. The possibility of becoming like Jesus. 2. Aims in life as different, different hopes, different destiny. 3. The desires of life are so changed that we must seek new ways to live by. Worked out thru our daily living. 4. This radical changed demands a new plan for life. 5. God’s plan was and still is the local visible body of believers called the church. II: The Church Is God’s Family to Help Us Travel the...
Christ In the Old Testament
Preparing A People Gen. 3:15 — Adam, Gen. 7:1 — Noah, Gen. 12:1-3 — Abraham I: Jehovah of the Old Testament: 1. Jehovah occurs 7,000 times in the bible. 2. Jehovah means: a. “The living one.” b. “The ever-present one.” c. “The covenant maker.” II: Jehovah Dealt with Men of Old: 1. Jehovah taught Adam. a. By experience, by nature, & revelation. b. The 1st lesson must be obedience. c. The 2nd was responsibility. d. The 3rd was the power of choice. Adam must have power to choose and opportunity to choose. e. Adam’s only guide was the will of God. 2. Jehovah sought Adam in his shamed condition. 3. Sacrifice was made and promise given. 4. The tree of life was to have been Adam’s Gospel (No...
Burning Hearts
Man with cold, lifeless hearts, are not apt to move the world for good or for bad. Luke 24:13, Eph. 2:12 I: The Emmaeus road: 1. Their King was dead. 2. Their personal ambitions were shattered. 3. Their faith was shaken to its foundations. 4. In their desperate condition they saw only the dark side of life. II: Jesus walked with them. 1. He came to them in disguise. 2. He was moved by their sad appearance. 3. He listened to their story of sorrow. 4. He pointed them to the scriptures for the truth. 5. He did not enter the home until invited. 6. He opened their eyes by giving thanks and breaking bread. III: Hearts of fire. 1. The fire in their hearts took the doubts from their minds. 2. Warm hearts sent them back to the place of defeat. 3. With burning hearts the...
Building Elyjah an Altar On Mt. Carmel
Kings I 18:21-31 (30-38) I: Storm Clouds of Sin 3 1/2 years of Length. 1. He wasn’t afraid to provoking opposition: 2. Arab was head man and his wife run the church. 3. Elijah was not there in a popularity contest. 4. He was there to call fire from Heaven. 5. He was not there to defend his religion, but to show that God was in it. 6. He expected a Revival. 7. Elijah was not afraid to stand alone. Priest Cloth, and Elijah’s Clothes. II: God Never Sends Fire on a Broken Altar. 1. Sinners never become concerned while the church sleeps. (Little Imps) 2. Baal’s prophets were anxious to start early and get it over with. 3. Faith is a mightier force than dynamite or great numbers. 4. Elijah laughed at their foolish efforts. III: Right Doing Proceeds...
