"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:9-10).
What Did Jesus Do?
"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).
Approaching Those With Whom We Differ
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person" (Col 4:5-6).
Self Image: A Biblical Perspective
We live in a self-obsessed culture. We plaster the internet with selfies and have social network pages dedicated to ourselves, where we can create our own self-image, self-promote, self-assert, and do just about anything but exercise self-control. The bookstore offers an ever-growing self-help section where we are encouraged to develop strong self-worth, self-respect, and pursue self-acceptance. We are urged to be self-reliant, self-sufficient, and self-confident. Commercials and advertisements play on our own self-interests and encourage us to seek self-gratification and self-indulgence. Yet, in the midst of all of this, most of us are still searching for ourselves. We are often self-deceived, self-centered, or self-righteousness. But instead of finding ourselves, our society is on a road to self-destruct.
Do Not Worry
"And He said to His disciples, 'For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing" (Luke 12:22-23)
Living With Regret
"I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).
Got Integrity?
"Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You" (Psalm 25:20-21).
Knit Together in Love
"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:1-3)
The Zeal of Phinehas
"Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with My zeal, so that I did not destroy the Israelites in My zeal" (Numbers 25:11).
Lean Not On You Own Understanding
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" (Prov 3:5-6).
Our Responsibility to Our Fellow Man
"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (1 John 3:17)
Not Without Aim
"Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air" (1 Cor 9:26).
Liberty to the Captives
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners..." (Isaiah 61:1)
Binding Up The Broken
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD..." (Isaiah 61:1-2)
Good News to the Poor
"...And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD'... And He began to say to them, 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:17-21).
What Grace Teaches Us
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:11-14)
Old, New, or True?
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11)
How Do I Know The Bible Is From God?
"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Pet 1:20-21).
Godly Sorrow
"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Cor 7:10)
How Do I Know The Bible Is Reliable?
This recording was made at an earlier date and provided here in place of the same sermon that failed to be recorded on 10/15/17.