Sermons and Biblical Studies

Topics: Arrogance; Control; Jesus Christ; Lordship; Pride; Reality; Rebellion; Submission; Surrender; Will References: Exodus 3:14–15; 34:14; Acts 4:12; 19:13–20; Philippians 2:9–11; James 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15 In 2006, a judge in New York allowed Jose Luis Espinal to legally change his name to Jesus Christ. Following the decision, Espinal said he was happy and grateful … Continue reading “LEGALLY
NAMED CHRIST”

Topics: Boasting; Bondage; Conscience; Deception; Falsehood; Guilt; Hypocrisy; Lying; Regret; Repentance; Sin; Truthfulness References: 2 Samuel 12; 24:10; Proverbs 28:13 Werner “Jack” Genot wanted to be a hero. So, he concocted a story about serving as a marine and being taken as a prisoner of war during a bloody Korean War battle. Genot, now seventy-one, … Continue reading “SHAM
VETERAN CONFESSES”

Topics: Belief; Depravity; Human Nature; Repentance; Truth; Vision; Worldview References: John 3:19–21; 8:31–47; Ephesians 4:15 Face reality as it is, not as you wish it to be. —Peter Koestenbaum, Fast Company (March 2000)

Topics: Authenticity; Entertainment; Idolatry; Integrity; Longing; Spirituality; Teachers; Television References: Deuteronomy 11:16; Mark 13:22; Acts 17:29; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 5:21 She has hosted The Oprah Winfrey Show for more than twenty years, amassing billions of dollars in assets and attracting more than 49 million viewers each week in the United … Continue reading “PASTOR
OPRAH”

Topics: Apathy; Baptism; Church; Compromise; Culture; False Beliefs; Halfheartedness; Heresy; Pluralism; Postmodernism; Sacraments; Tolerance; Traditions References: 1 Timothy 6:3–5; 2 Timothy 4:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 3:15–16 There are now baptism-style ceremonies in which God is never mentioned. They are offered to parents seeking to initiate their children into a world of … Continue reading “GENERIC
BAPTISM”

Topics: Culture; Denial; Humanity; Writing References: Proverbs 2:1–11; John 1:1–3; Romans 1:21 Cultures are always dancing with denial. Writers tap us on the shoulder and say, “May I cut in?” —Susan Shaughnessy, Walking on Alligators (HarperSanFrancisco, 1993)

Topics: Belief; Demons; Devil; Doctrine; Doubt; Evil; False Beliefs; Perception and Reality; Satan; Skepticism; Unbelief References: Genesis 3:1–7; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:14; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 4:1–3 Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong sermon on the Devil. One said to the other, “What do … Continue reading “SATAN
AND SANTA”

Topics: Authority; Beliefs; Consequences; False Beliefs; Heresy; New Age; Postmodernism; Seeking God; Sowing and Reaping; Spirituality; Thirst References: Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10–14; Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 2:6; Zechariah 10:2; Romans 6:12; Galatians 6:7–8; Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 4:1 Beethoven may have poisoned himself. That’s what William Walsh, a scientist from Illinois, suggested after studying strands of … Continue reading “POISONING
BEETHOVEN”

Topics: Betrayal; Morality; Security; Trust; Values References: Proverbs 14:34; Ephesians 6:14 In ancient China, people wanted protection from barbarian hordes from the North. So the Great Wall of China was built: thirty feet high, eighteen feet thick, and more than fifteen hundred miles long. The Chinese goal was to build an absolutely impenetrable defense—too high … Continue reading “TRUSTING
THE GREAT WALL”

Topics: Faith; Healing; Medicine; Miracles; Prayer; Trust Reference: John 9:1–7 My daughter, suffering from anorexia and bulimia, was undergoing treatment at Baptist Medical Center in Kansas City. On a particularly difficult day she was told to drink a glass of milk, but she just couldn’t. Her doctor was called in. He sat down beside her … Continue reading “DRINKING
MUD”