Posts with the category “more-to-the-sermon”

Hebrews 13:5…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.Thought:Many believers secretly live as if their relationship with Jesus is like pulling petals off a flower. “He loves me, He loves me not.” A hard day comes, and they think, “Maybe He does not love me.” A prayer seems unanswered, and they wonder, “Maybe He has left me.” A painful trial appears, and they fear, “Maybe I am on...  Read More

John 14:23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.Thought:Here Jesus speaks about something even deeper than a passing visit. He speaks about an “abode,” a home. If a person loves Him and keeps His words, Jesus says that He and the Father will come and make their home with that pe...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.Thought:Jesus made something very clear. True love for Him is not just a feeling or a nice word. It shows up in obedience. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”We do not earn t...  Read More

John 14:19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.Thought:Jesus told His disciples that soon the world would no longer see Him. He was going to the cross, then to the grave, and then He would rise again and return to the Father. To most people, it would look like Jesus was gone. But He said something very special to His followers. “But ...  Read More

John 14:18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.Thought:Jesus knew His disciples were afraid. They had heard that He was going away, and their hearts were troubled. They were thinking, “What will happen to us if He is gone?” Into that fear, Jesus spoke a clear promise. He said He would not leave them “comfortless.” The word here means “orphans.”An orphan in Bible times was someone w...  Read More

Matthew 6:21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.Thought:Jesus tells us that our heart always follows our treasure. Whatever we value most will claim our love and loyalty. One simple test of discipleship is what we do with our money and possessions. If we cling tightly to them, they reveal where our heart truly rests.The Bible teaches how dangerous it is to love luxury more th...  Read More

Luke 14:28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it.Thought:Jesus tells us that a wise builder sits down and counts the cost before starting a tower. A wise king thinks carefully before going to war. In the same way, Jesus wants us to understand that following Him is not a quick emotional choice. It is a ser...  Read More

Luke 14:27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.Thought:When Jesus spoke of bearing a cross, the people knew exactly what He meant. The cross was a tool of death. It was a picture of shame, pain, and public rejection. Jesus was not talking about small personal annoyances. He was calling His followers to be ready to die, even physically, for His name sake.T...  Read More

Luke 14:33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.Thought:From Sunday's sermon, we learned that the Sir John Franklin expedition carried the comforts of England into the frozen Arctic. They brought silver dishes, fine clothing, and other nice but useless things instead of what they really needed for survival. They tried to keep their old wo...  Read More

Luke 14:26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.Thought:Jesus is not telling us to sinfully hate our family. The Bible clearly calls us to love and care for them. Instead, Jesus is using a strong word to show how great our love for Him must be. Our love for Christ should be...  Read More

2 Corinthians 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.Thought:  The Word of God reminds us that “people need the Lord.” That includes us, but it also includes every person we see each day. Behind their smiles, successes, anger, or addictions, many carry the same fear, shame, and hiding that began in G...  Read More

Genesis 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?Thought:  The most hopeful part of Genesis 3 is not that Adam and Eve tried to fix their sin. It is that God came to them in their ruined condition. Man ran, but God came. Man hid, but God called. Man sinned, but God moved toward him in mercy.  This is the heart of the Gospel. The Bible does not show us people climbi...  Read More

Genesis 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.Thought:  Sin does something strange to the human heart. The very God we most need becomes the God we try to avoid. Adam and Eve did not run to God for mercy. They hid from Him among the trees.  Th...  Read More

Genesis 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.Thought:  When Adam and Eve saw their nakedness, they felt more than embarrassment. They felt exposed, helpless, and unable to fix what sin had done. Their answer was to cover themselves with fig leaves. This was the first human attempt at self-reme...  Read More

Genesis 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.Thought:  Before Adam and Eve sinned, the voice of God was a joy to them. After they sinned, that same voice filled them with fear. Nothing about God had changed. His character was still holy, loving, and good. What changed was the human heart.  Sin did not give them freedom like Sat...  Read More

John 12:16  These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.Thought:  Even the disciples did not understand everything at first. They saw the feast, the palm branches, the donkey, and the crowds, but they did not fully see what it all meant. Only after Jesu...  Read More

John 12:19  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.Thought:  The Pharisees knew the Scriptures very well. They could quote the Law and the Prophets. They knew the promises about a coming Messiah. Yet when Jesus stood right in front of them, they wanted to stop Him, not worship Him.  This shows a serious warning. It is ...  Read More

John 12:14–15  And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.Thought:  Jesus did not choose a war horse. He chose a donkey, just as the prophet Zechariah had said about 500 years earlier. By riding that donkey, Jesus was clearly saying, “I am the promised King, the Messiah.”  This shows us two ...  Read More

John 12:13  Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.Thought:  The crowd shouted “Hosanna,” which means “save” or “save us.” They were asking for a Savior, but they mostly wanted a political king who would defeat Rome and make their lives easier. They were waving palm branches, which is a national...  Read More

John 12:12  On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.Thought:  The people were at the Passover feast to remember how God saved Israel from Egypt. That feast was an appointment set by God. On this day, Jesus walks into that appointment as the true Passover Lamb.  In Exodus, each family chose a lamb, cared for it, and then killed it ...  Read More

Hebrews 11:5“…for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”ThoughtThere is no greater thing that could be said about a person than this: they pleased God. Not that they were famous. Not that they were successful. Not that they were popular. But that in the middle of a dark world, they walked with God and pleased Him.Pleasing God does not mean living a perfect life. Only J...  Read More

Hebrews 11:6“…and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”ThoughtGod is not distant and cold toward those who seek Him. He is a rewarder. That means He responds to those who come to Him in faith. He hears. He sees. He answers. He draws near. He gives Himself to those who earnestly desire Him.The greatest reward God gives is Himself. He gives us His Son for our salvation. He gives u...  Read More

Hebrews 11:6…for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.ThoughtFaith is not only for the day you are saved. Faith is also for every step after that. The Christian life is a journey of following God in faith. Many times God does not show us the whole path. He shows us only the next step. In those moments, faith must lead and feeling...  Read More

Hebrews 11:5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.ThoughtEnoch lived in a very wicked time. The world around him was growing more corrupt, more violent, and more ungodly. Yet in the middle of all this sin, Enoch had a different story. The Bible says he walk...  Read More

Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.ThoughtFaith is not an extra part of the Christian life. It is the very beginning and foundation of it. The Bible says that without faith we cannot please God at all. That means we cannot know Him, walk with Him, or be right wit...  Read More

Colossians 1:17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.Thought:Jesus is not only the healer by the pool. He is the Lord of all creation. He existed before all things, and by Him all things consist, or are held together. Every breath you take, every beat of your heart, every rising of the sun, all are kept by His power.This same Jesus came into the world to do the Father’s will p...  Read More

Psalm 46:1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.Thought:At the pool of Bethesda, Jesus healed one man, but not everyone there was healed in that moment. That is hard for us. We know Jesus can heal. We know He can deliver. Yet there are times when healing does not come quickly, when the answer seems delayed, and when the burden or struggle remains with us.The truth we must ...  Read More

John 5:17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.Thought:Jesus healed a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years. The religious leaders did not rejoice about this man's healing. They only saw a rule they thought Jesus had broken. They were angry because it happened on the Sabbath. But Jesus saw something very different. He saw the Father at work.When Jesus said, “My...  Read More

2 John 1:9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.Thought:The world often teaches that greatness means independence. People boast, “I did it my way. I do not answer to anyone.” But Jesus, the eternal Son of God, shows us something very different. He is fully God, equal with the ...  Read More

John 5:19Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.Thought:Jesus is not a separate God doing His own thing. He is one with the Father. When He says He can do nothing of Himself, He is not saying He is weak. He is saying He is so perfec...  Read More

John 8:47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.Thought:In the airport, the agent asks the traveler for proof of identity. His feelings, background, and confidence are not enough. He must show something that verifies who he is.Jesus does something similar in John 8. The religious leaders claim to be children of Abraham and children of God. But ...  Read More

John 14:23–24Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.Thought:Jesus gives a clear test of love. He does not say, “If a man loves Me, he will feel a lot of emotion du...  Read More

Ezekiel 36:26–27A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.Thought:John 8:47 shows a serious truth. Some people cannot truly hear God’s Word because they ar...  Read More

Psalm 95:7–8For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart.Thought:The Bible shows that the real problem with hearing God is usually not in the ears or the mind, but in the heart. Israel heard God speaking through Moses and the prophets, but often they hardened their hearts. They wanted their own way. They ...  Read More

John 8:47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.Thought:Jesus spoke these words to very religious people. They knew Scripture. They went to the synagogue. They claimed to belong to God. But Jesus said the real proof of belonging to God is this: a person who is “of God” hears God’s words.“To be of God” means more than simply being religious or m...  Read More

John 14:7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.Thought:It’s common for many people to hold God at arm’s length. They love learning about Jesus, chatting about spiritual concepts, and soaking up Bible wisdom, but they still don’t fully connect with Him. They see Him as someone to figure out, not someone to trust. They crave infor...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.Thought:Christ’s saving love does not change. If you belong to Him, He loves you with a steadfast love that took Him to the cross and secures your salvation. That love is rooted in His finished work, not in your u...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.ThoughtGod’s love is the beginning of everything. Scripture teaches that the Lord moved toward us first, not because we were good, but because He is gracious. He loved us while we were still sinners, and that love...  Read More

John 14:15If ye love me, keep my commandments.Thought:Jesus defines love in a way that questions our shallow ideas. In His teaching, love is not simply an emotion that rises and falls with our moods or circumstances. Love is faithful loyalty. It is a settled devotion of the heart that shows itself through obedience. Jesus does not call for warm feelings or kind thoughts about Him. He calls for a l...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me…”Thought:Jesus does not say, “He that has heard my commandments,” but, “He that hath my commandments.” That difference matters. To hear Christ’s words can simply mean you have only been exposed to them. You can sit in a service, listen to preaching, read a passage, or memorize facts, and still keep His Word at a dist...  Read More