Sermons and Biblical Studies

Topics: Children; Lust; Pornography; Purity; Teens; Temptation References: Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2; 1 Corinthians 6:18 Nine of ten kids between ages eight and sixteen have been exposed to pornography online according to the U.S. Justice Department. Furthermore, 47 percent of school-age children receive pornographic spam on a daily basis, reports software company Symantec. … Continue reading “EXPOSING
KIDS TO PORNOGRAPHY”

Topics: Addiction; Pride; Sin; Temptation References: James 1:13–15; 2 Peter 3:8–15 For the first time in forty-seven years, the tuna were running only thirty miles off Cape Cod. And they were biting. All you needed to catch one was a sharp hook and some bait. And the rumor was that Japanese buyers would pay $50,000 … Continue reading “SINKING
WITH THE TUNA”

Topics: Desires; Hell; Sin; Temptation References: Proverbs 1:10–17; Titus 2:11–12; 1 John 3:7–10 Muhammad Ali once said that he had come up with a way to resist temptation. Wherever he went, he always carried a small box of matches. “Whenever I go to a party and I’m tempted by a beautiful woman, I simply pull … Continue reading “A
MATCH AGAINST TEMPTATION”

Topics: Apology; Conflict; Gossip; Integrity; Relationships; Slander; Speech; Temptation; Truthfulness References: Proverbs 21:23; Ephesians 4:29–32; Philippians 4:2–3; Colossians 3:12–14; James 3:1–12 A family in our church recently had their basement finished by a contractor. The process ended up being a construction nightmare. I somehow got caught in the middle of the dispute. As the conflict … Continue reading “ESCALATING
CONFLICT”

Topics: Devil; Hearing God; Holy Spirit; Listening; Obedience; Sin; Temptation References: 2 Corinthians 4:3–6; Galatians 5:16–25; James 1:13–15; 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8–9 Barbara, five, had disobeyed me and was sent to her room. After a few minutes, I went in to talk with her about what she had done. Teary-eyed, she asked, “Why do we … Continue reading “TALK
LOUDER, GOD”

Topics: Addiction; Holiness; Internet; Lust; Pornography; Purity; Self-control; Sex; Sexual Immorality; Temptation References: Isaiah 33:15; Matthew 5:27–30; Romans 1:24–32; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8 What makes online sex far more compelling than any shrink-wrapped smut is instant gratification in endless variety—you never get to the end of the magazine and have to start looking at the same … Continue reading “EXPANDING
THE NET OF PORN”

Topics: Choices; Consequences; Temptation; Wisdom Reference: Matthew 7:13–14 The most dangerous intersection for accidents in the United States during 1999 and 2000 was the corner of Flamingo Road and Pines Boulevard in Pembroke Pines, Florida, just north of Miami. So reported State Farm Insurance in 2001. During the two-year period, there were 357 reported crashes … Continue reading “HITTING
THE INTERSECTION”

Topics: Morality; Sex; Temptation References: 1 Corinthians 6:12–20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–8 There is a tendency to think of sex as something degrading. It is not. It is magnificent, an enormous privilege. But because of that the rules are tremendously strict and severe. —Francis Charles Devas, British army chaplain

Topics: Consequences; Sin; Temptation; Warnings Reference: Galatians 6:7–8 At a middle school in Oregon, some girls were putting on lipstick and then pressing their lips to the mirrors, leaving dozens of lip prints. The principal called the girls to the bathroom and told them how the lip prints were causing a major problem for the … Continue reading “STOPPING
THE LIP PRINTS”

Topics: Deception; Emptiness; Pleasure; Promises; Sin; Temptation References: Genesis 3:6–24; Proverbs 9:17–18; 14:12; 1 Peter 1:18 The corpse flower (titan arum), native to the equatorial forests of Sumatra, can grow up to ten feet tall. Once open, the spiky, bright red bloom looks like rotten meat, a veritable welcome mat for the insects that pollinate … Continue reading “CORPSE
FLOWER”