Scattered

Do you feel scattered sometimes?  Do the events of life sometimes leave you feeling desolate?

Is even your "religion" leaving you flat?

There are serious warnings in the Bible against "religion."  Jesus himself called the religious leaders around him hypocrites, fools, sons of hell, robbers, vipers, serpents, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, and murderers!

When we unknowingly follow such leaders into "religion," we walk an extremely dangerous path.  God gives us warnings against following false teachings.  He promised that he will send many curses  on those who do not carefully follow his precepts.

He has serious warning against those who consider themselves wise, but are actually foolish---those who are following a philosophy, or lifestyle, or even religion that is based on anything besides his Word.  He says they are doomed!

Get the whole story and the proof  here.  Listen.  Powerpoint slides.

Searching for God

A child was stricken and died.

Her grieving father went to Jesus, worshipped Him, and asked Him to just lay His hand on her so that she would live again. It seemed like such a hopeless situation.

On the same day a woman with a chronic disease reached out and touched Jesus, wanting Him to heal her. None of the doctors had been able to help her for years.

Both situations seemed hopeless. Jesus was their only chance. They both wanted Jesus to make something happen for them.

The Bible shows us in Matthew 9:18-34 that we need these two things to seek and find Christ:

• a deep need
• faith

Deep Need: Whoever you are, there is a deep need in your life already. Your heart tells you that nothing is quite as good as it could be. Things are not perfect.

Faith: The Bible says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God.

So if you find yourself searching for God, you can listen to His Word here: Explaining the Word of God.

Read lesson notes here.

Is sin a big deal?

What do you think of these questions? Even more important is what God thinks of them. Do the two of you agree or disagree? We will discuss these topics in next.

1. Was Eve was deceived in the Garden by Satan?
2. Was Adam was deceived in the Garden?
3. Is man responsible because God holds him accountable?
4. Is breaking one commandment equivalent to breaking them all?
5. If I do something that is right in the sight of God, but I believe it to be
wrong, is it sin?
6. If I am ignorant of a sin that I commit, am I guilty?
7. Was what happened in the Garden catostrophic?
8. Is God angry with unbelievers?
9. Can unbelievers do anything that is not sin?
10. Can unbelievers understand the things of God?
11. Can unbelievers love God?
12. Can unbelievers do things that please God?

When Men Were Men

Were the men of the Bible 100-pound weaklings with spindly legs and pasty faces? Well, they were probably really nice and kind and gentle, but weren't they so spiritual that there was no way they could handle themselves in the real world?

The Bible gives us a completely different picture.

We see Samson, the muscle-man.

Gideon led a daring suprise attack! His significantly-outnumbered army defeated the enemies of God's people through a daring raid. He must have been a real leader to convince his men to follow such an unconventional plan! The surprise attack was all light and noise, but it was enough to destroy the enemy from within. The angel of the Lord called Gideon a "mighty man of courage" (Judges 6:12). He dismantled an entire pagan stone altar by himself, and then built up a stone altar to the Lord God all by himself, to the astonishment of the men in his town.

What should men be like?

1. Courageous


2. Able to endure and persevere through difficulties


3. Strong


4. Leaders


5. Set examples to follow


6. Determined


7. Helpful because of their strength and courage


8. Kind


9. Friendly


10. Courteous


11. Cheerful

Men, God will hold you responsible for being a man. Not to live out your masculinity it to live in sin.

Read the sermon notes

Does Doctrine Unite or Divide?

When I was a teen we sang this song:

We are One in The Spirit,

We are One in The Lord.
We are One in The Spirit,
We are One in The Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
And they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.
We will work with each other,
We will work side by side.
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride.
(From "We are One in the Spirit" by Peter Scholte, 1966, F.E.L., licensed)

Life in the church doesn't always live up to these high ideals. Lack of unity is disappointing. Unity is a tricky problem in the church, isn't it?

In Bible study the other day, we discussed the relationship between doctrine and unity in the church.

We decided that doctrine has a strong tendency to divide rather than unite.

What do you think?

Listen to Pastor Bob's lesson here.
Read the study notes here.

How can I know God?

1. God revealing Himself to us is the only way we can know Him.
2. God has revealed Himself through the Bible. You can't know the God of the Bible without studying the Word of God.
3. We need the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to know God.
4. God sovereignly decides when to reveal Himself.
5. God's wrath will be poured out on those who do not know God.

Hear Pastor Bob's teaching on "Knowing God (Part 1)"

Read the study notes

From Loser to Winner

My own bad decisions stand between me and God. What can I do when I realize that I'm living like a loser?

Samson was a loser spiritually (Judges 13-16). What was that guy thinking? What was the matter with him?

He didn't take God seriously. He let people manipulate him. He failed to live by his principles. He compromised. He didn't take his commitment seriously.

Yet Hebrews 11:32-40 tells us that God approved of Samson because of his faith! Yes, God did discipline Samson because of his sin. But when Samson humbly repented, the Lord God once more empowered him. He died a winner!

How do I make a turn-around like Samson? Hebrews 12:2 tells us that we can rid ourselves of the sin that so easily holds us back us by keeping our eyes on Jesus.

I repent of being a loser by turning back to the gospel.

1. I remember that I have always been a sinner.
   
2. I have always been unable to rescue myself from the consequences of my sin.
   
3. And Jesus, whose Spirit is in me, not only rescued me in the past, but is able to live powerfully in me today.
   
4. I submit to Jesus and deny myself, because his strength is most clearly manifest when I am weak (2 Corinthians 12:9).
   

Hebrews 12:3 tells me to remember all the terrible things that Jesus had to endure at the hands of sinful men. When I turn my thought there I don't get tired and give up--I don't live like a loser.

Read the sermon notes.