November 12, 2023 |
Hebrews 4:14-16 |
exposition
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We all want special treatment, special access, especially to something or someone we deem important or valuable to us. We want to go backstage. We want to be able to sit in the reserved seats. We want to sit courtside and actually meet the players and coaches and feel that we’re part of the team. We all have this deep need to know and be known. At its deepest level, I think this is a God-given desire for fellowship, with God and with others. God made us that way. And we’ll feel disconnected and spiritually empty until we find access to Him.
How are you feeling about your relationship with God today? Do you feel close to God or distant today? Do you feel you have VIP access to Him In Hebrews 4:14-16, the Jewish background believers were challenged to respond rightly to Jesus as the great high priest opening up a greater access to God’s throne of grace. We can respond rightly to Jesus as the great high priest who opens up greater access to God.
November 5, 2023 |
Hebrews 4:1-13 |
exposition
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Are you weary and heavy with burdens today? Are you struggling with an aching kind of exhaustion that no amount of napping can cure? No vacation spot can alleviate? Let us consider two questions today: what is this rest that Jesus offers? And how do we enter into this
rest?
In the book of Hebrews chapter 4:1-13, the author encouraged Hebrew background believers to strive to enter God’s rest. We can strive to enter God’s rest.
October 29, 2023 |
Hebrews 3:7-19 |
exposition
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Fighting and terrorism between Israel and Hamas. Riots in our streets. Shootings in Maine. Political fighting and disunity. Concerns about the economy and inflation. Growing anxiety and suicidal ideation among our young people. Where can we turn? Whose voice shall we heed for help? Whose calling? There are so many competing voices and most have already let us down. How do we keep from hardening our hearts to the calling of Jesus? We’ve heard it, but have we really truly responded to it? That’s what today’s message is about. The only voice, the only calling, that can truly help us is the calling of Jesus. How will you respond to Christ’s calling?
In the book of Hebrews chapter 3:7-19, the author warned the Hebrews not to harden their hearts against the greater calling of Jesus. We can heed the warning not to harden our hearts and rightly respond to the greater calling of Jesus.
October 22, 2023 |
Hebrews 3:1-6 |
exposition
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We all have a tendency to give glory and honor to something or someone. It’s human nature. Seeing something or someone as glorious, we honor them with our admiration, our words, even our pocketbooks. But we tend to lower our eyes to the lesser reflections of glory rather than focusing on the truly glorious One, who is the source of all glory.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 3:1-6, the author told the Hebrew background believers to closely consider Jesus to see that He is worthy of more glory than all, even Moses. We can consider Jesus to see that His glory is greater than all.
October 15, 2023 |
Hebrews 2:5-18 |
exposition
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This is not a “what to do” or “how to” sermon. This is a “Behold, see Jesus” sermon. Because if you truly see Him, as our King, our Founder, our Brother and our Great High Priest and Friend, then you’ll know where to go for help.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 2, the author continued to show why Jesus is greater than all by showing why His help is greater. We can understand that there is no greater help than that which we find in Jesus.
October 8, 2023 |
Hebrews 2:1-4 |
exposition
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If you’re not a follower of Jesus today, perhaps you’ve been looking for salvation in other places because you just haven’t heard the message of salvation through Jesus. So you’re still searching for meaning, for purpose, for happiness. But you haven’t really heard what Jesus offers. Or perhaps you have heard, but you still have questions and doubts and you’ve delayed trusting in Him. Or maybe you are a believer in Jesus, you’ve received His great salvation, but you’ve drifted away from the joy and assurance you once had. There are many reasons that we believers might drift away from the gospel.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 2, believers were warned to carefully heed the message of God’s great salvation offered in Jesus, lest they drift away from it. We can carefully heed the message of God’s great salvation offered in Jesus.
October 1, 2023 |
Hebrews 1:1-14 |
exposition
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The book of Hebrews teaches us that the name of Jesus is greater than any other name! Indeed, Jesus is greater than anyone or anything you’re facing today.
In the book of Hebrews chapter 1, Jewish background believers were implored to rightly see that Jesus is greater than all, even the angels, and therefore even His name is greater than any other name. We can rightly see that the name of Jesus is greater.
September 24, 2023 |
Matthew 5:10-16 |
recovery
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Every committed Christ-follower will face persecution. It’s inevitable wherever light and darkness intersect. Yet, we don’t have to be afraid. We can even live out a blessed life and be a blessing when persecuted.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus taught His disciples how to be a blessing even when people persecuted them for following Him. We can be a blessing even when we’re persecuted for following Jesus.
September 17, 2023 |
John 14:15-27 |
recovery
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What is this peace that God offers through Jesus? It is more than the absence of hostility. It speaks of a deeper peace, or as the Jews call it, “shalom.” This peace that God offers means a sense of quiet, of harmony with others, a sense of security and well-being, wholeness, prosperity, a tranquil state of the soul without anxiety or fear.
How do we overcome our anxiety, our worries and fears, to receive and thrive in God’s peace? In John’s gospel, Jesus prepared His disciples to face His soon departure by giving them His peace and teaching them to how to continually keep themselves thriving in His peace. We can receive the peace of Christ and continually to keep it.
August 27, 2023 |
Psalm 32:1-5 |
recovery
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We want to please God, but still have sin areas that cause us to feel guilty and defeated or past sin areas that we still feel guilty about. This robs us of living the blessed life, the happy life.
What is guilt? It’s that feeling of shame and regret we feel over a sinful attitude or behavior. It can be appropriate guilt when we are indeed responsible for an offense and feel remorse for it. Or it can be false guilt when we feel responsible for something that we had no control over, yet still feel we could’ve prevented in some way. Guilt feels heavy, like baggage that we carry with us. It fills us with shame and regret.
Some will try to help us deal with our guilt by trying to convince us that we shouldn’t feel guilty. But the Bible tells us that the reason we feel guilty is because we are guilty! But it also tells us how to give it to God! In David’s Psalm 32, he described how confessing his guilt led to living under God’s blessing. We can understand how confessing our guilt leads to living under God’s blessing.
