In this sermon, Pastor Jim moves into the second prison prayer of the Apostle Paul found in his letter to the church at Ephesus. In this prayer, we encounter a depth that is unfathomable and unknowable, but rightly defining Christian experience – the love of Christ and the fullness of God. Pastor starts with a look at the characteristics in Paul, the praying Apostle; then launches into three characteristics of the prayer itself, and finally four general applications.
Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
New Testament
As Pastor Jim moves to the final piece of 1 Peter’s opening verses we encounter a main theme in the book, suffering. In this message we will learn why suffering exists in the world and what types of suffering a Christian can be expected to experience in their journey.
Philemon 7 – For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. THEME OF THE DAY. A REFRESHING CHRISTIAN. Settle in and ponder the relationship of the Apostle Paul and Philemon based on today’s scripture. These two brothers in Christ simply loved each other. And it wasn’t…
Three of the most deceitful and soul-damaging sins we may commit are complaining, procrastination, and discontentment. Today we focus on the topic of discontentment. Here we find an attack on God’s character. Discontent says, “God, I don’t deserve this treatment and I deserve more from You than I have.” Don’t go there. We don’t want what we really deserve from God.
Life is full of burdens. Life is hard. Life is trying. We are confronted with much this side of heaven which seems to overwhelm us, drown us, and if not careful, will cover us with a blanket of hopelessness. Yet for the Christian, we have a Burden Bearer who knows our weaknesses, cares for us with a love beyond description, and comes alongside us to be our burden-bearer.
In this sermon, Pastor Jim continues the study of the prison prayers of the Apostle Paul. The first stop has been in Ephesians 1:15-21. In this prayer, he is praying for believers to have a great knowledge of God that leads to a more confident and assured walk with Him. And he does so with a petition that they might know what is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power working in them. This is an important petition for believers for, when answered, it helps them live by faith and confidence in what God has already provided for them in Christ – His great power to live an overcoming life, a serving life, and an enduring life.