More Month than Money!

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Haggai 1:1-8

Many, if not most Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck and often experience more month than money. Why is that? I think it is a spiritual issue and a matter of misplaced priorities. Let me show you from scripture why I believe this and how we can grow in our faith and experience freedom from financial bondage.

v. 1-2 The reluctance of the people to obey God and rebuild the temple.

v. 3-5 The rebuke of the people by God - misplaced priorities.

v. 6 The result in people’s lives when they misplace priorities.

v. 7-8 The remedy for a person in this situation.

The Result - Experience the joy of spiritual giving and freedom from financial bondage!

Reference scriptures: Proverbs 22:7; Malachi 3:7-11; Proverbs 3:9-10

Perfected Love

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I John 2:3-6

“Perfected love” - meaning our “love of God” and how that love matures and grows. What does our growing and maturing love for God look like?

v. 3-4 Experiential knowledge - How can we know?

This is our moral test/ our obedience test and is a strong indicator of faith. Is there a hunger and desire to obey God? Our fruit, our desires, will demonstrate our love for God.

Scripture references: 2 Timothy 1:12 and Matthew 7:21-23

v. 5 - How do we grow?

This is our attitude test. What is our attitude toward God’s Word? We have to be willing to do God’s will or He won’t reveal it to us.

Scripture references: I John 4:19, Psalm 119:105, and John 14:15

v. 6 - Abide in Christ - How we show - we walk in the Lord’s footsteps.

Scripture references: John 15:1-5 and Proverbs 28:13

The Christian life is a maturing/growing/perfecting process!

Practicing Fellowship

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I John 1:5-7

Last week we introduced the topic of fellowship (koinania) in the church, and we learned that fellowship begins with us and God. Once that is righted, then and only then, can we have fellowship (koinania) with the church body. So, today we want to see how we can practically “walk” in that fellowship.

The premise for fellowship v. 5

James 1:17

The preventer of fellowship. v. 6

Matthew 7:21 John 3:19-21

The practice of fellowship. v. 7

Heavenly Clorox

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Isaiah 11:18-20

Our apologies - we continue to have technical difficulties resulting in today's and last Sunday's sermons not being recorded. We hope to have the issues resolved by next Sunday. 

Today's sermon outline: 

Introduction:  Isaiah the prophet, is warning Judah they are going down the same path as Israel, which led to their demise.  As usual, the Lord gives wandering sinners an opportunity to come to Him or to come back to Him, and make things right.   

Pretend you have the awesome opportunity to have the Lord Jesus sitting across the table from you.  Some things he might say to you....

1) "You have to recognize your most basic problem in life."    Man's basic problem is sin!  We sin because we have a sin nature.  We have to deal with the root of the problem.  The Holy Spirit reveals our sin to us to show us our need for a Savior.   
Reference scriptures Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10, and Isaiah 53:6

2)  "I love you in spite of your problem."  Reference Romans 5:8 - Christ died for us, despite the fact that we are all sinners. 

3)  "I have the solution to your problem." 
Reference Ephesians 2:8-9 - We are saved by grace, it is a gift of God. 
Romans 10:13 - Call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. 
Romans 10:9-10 - Confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead and be saved. 

What is our heavenly Clorox?  The Blood of Jesus - which washes us clean and makes us white as snow!