Do What Is Right – Tell Others About God!

Scripture: Acts 10: 34-35

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Scripture Commentary: Always strive to do what is right in God’s eyes.

This chapter in the Book of Acts tells us about Peter doing what is right by carrying the Word of God not only to the Gentiles but also to the world. God sent Peter to tell Cornelius about Christ because Cornelius was seeking God but he did not know Christ.

We are God’s Messengers.

God saw the good in Cornelius. In his position, he would carry the Word to Rome. What would happen to people who don’t know Jesus Christ if we don’t tell them? We aren’t to judge if people should know about Jesus. We are to spread His message whenever and wherever we can.

God told Peter to take the gospel to a Roman and Peter obeyed. Are you obeying God’s mission for you? In every corner of the world there are hearts restless for God’s Word. They are ready to receive the gospel but someone must take it to them.

Seeking God is not enough. Someone must help place people on the correct path.

We are to take down all barriers of language, culture, prejudice, geography, socioeconomic level, and education to bring people the good news of Jesus Christ.

How will seekers find Jesus without someone to point the way? God is asking you to show someone the way to him.

Read the Entire Chapter
Acts Chapter 10

Every Life Involves Struggle … Endure!

Scripture: Hebrews 12: 1, 4, 7

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (1) … In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.(4) It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (7)

Scripture Commentary: We do not struggle alone.

We are not the first to struggle with the problems we face. Being a Christian involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run patiently, and to resist sin with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Many have already made it through life, enduring far more difficult circumstances than we have experienced. We are alive so God still has a job for us.

God’s discipline is a sign of His love for us.

God keeps us, corrects us, and even chastises us at times because He loves us. It is never pleasant to be disciplined by God, but His discipline is a sign of His deep love for us.

When God corrects us, we should view it as proof of His love and ask Him what He is trying to teach us. When we talk to God and ask Him questions, He will answer.

Our God is a living God who takes care of us. Talk to Him.

Let the Holy Spirit grow in you. God will never lead you in the wrong way. Christ is both sufficient and superior.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Hebrews Chapter 12

You Do Not Carry Your Burdens Alone

Scripture: Galatians 6: 1-6

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else,for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

Scripture Commentary: Jesus bears our burdens daily.

No Christian should ever think that he or she is totally independent, not needing help from others. No one should feel excused from the task of helping others. We are to help alleviate each other’s burdens.

The body of Christ – the church – functions only when the members work together for the common good.

Do you know someone who needs help?

If you do, hold out your hand and do whatever you can.

When you do your very best, you feel good about the results. And when you do things, don’t compare yourself to others. Your gift is what God gave you. People make comparisons to point out flaws in order to feel better about themselves. Others compare because they simply want reassurance that they are doing well.

When you are tempted to compare, look at Jesus Christ. His example will inspire you to do your very best, and his loving acceptance will comfort you when you fall short of your expectations.

We are in God’s hands. Let Him show you the way to live and to be Christ-like.

Read the Entire Chapter:

Galatians Chapter 6

Jesus Set Us Free with His Sacrifice on the Cross

Scripture: Romans 8: 1-2

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you^[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Scripture Commentary: Jesus’ sacrifice has made us free!

Free at last, O mightly God, I’m free at last! This is what Jesus Christ did for us when he went to the cross. We were on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God’s Holy law. (If you haven’t accepted Jesus in your life, you are still there!)

Without Jesus we would have no hope at all!

Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. But if you don’t turn from sin, what he did is lost on you. You can’t say, “The devil made me do it,” if Christ is in your life.

Jesus’s sacrifice has declared us ‘not guilty’. He has offered us freedom from sin and the power to do his will through the Holy Spirit which is the power behind the rebirth of every Christian.

We have a choice to make.

We have a choice to be controlled by our sinful nature or to follow the Holy Spirit. Once you have said ‘yes’ to Jesus, you want to continue to follow Christ.

Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you in accordance with God’s will. Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that he will always do what is best for we are truly free at last!

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 8

We Are From God and God Is Love

Scripture: 1 John 4: 4-8

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Scripture Commentary: We, who are from God, should love everyone.

How can you say that you hate someone and still consider yourself to be from God? If we are God’s children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior, we are to love everyone.

If you truly follow Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. And if the Holy Spirit is in you, you will love everyone, even your enemy. When you choose to love even those who do you wrong, God reveals himself to others through you.

God is love.

John tells us that “God is love,” not that “Love is God.” Our world, with its shallow and selfish view of love, has turned these words around and has contaminated our understanding of love.

Real love is God, for He gave His only begotten son in order to show us His love for each and every one of us.

How can you say you love God and dislike someone? If you truly know God, you will love as He loves!

Read the Entire Chapter:
1 John Chapter 4

Saul, why do you persecute me?

Scripture: Acts 9: 1-4

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Scripture Commentary: Saul set out to persecute but then he met the risen Christ.

Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute anyone who followed Jesus Christ. But on the way he was confronted by the risen Jesus Christ and was brought face-to-face with the true God.

As you travel your road to Damascus, you too will come face-to-face with God. And when you do and he stops you, will you take the time to listen to him?

Jesus comes to everyone to show them the way.

Sometimes God breaks into a person’s life in a spectacular manner, and sometimes it is a quiet experience. But as with Saul, God comes into your life to show you how to live, work, and love.

And like Saul, when that time comes you must acknowledge Jesus as Lord, confess your sins, surrender your life, and resolve to obey him. True conversion comes from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It leads to a new life relationship with him.

What road are you on?

And are you hearing what God is saying to you? Or are you just hearing yourself?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 9

The True Christian Has Good Stored in His Heart

Scripture: Luke 6: 45-47

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.

Scripture Commentary: Is good stored in your heart?

Do you say something good to appear good, but in your heart you are saying something that is completely different? You can’t live a double life before God. Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal our true beliefs, attitudes and motivations.

The good impression you try to make won’t last if you hold deception in your heart. In time, what’s in your heart will come out in your speech and behavior.

If we ‘act’ like Christians but don’t have God in our heart, then we are hypocrites.

The hypocrite is the one who takes on religious behavior to gain attention, approval, acceptance, or admiration from others.

But if we try to live and do God’s work (even though we will at times fail), we aren’t hypocrites.

If you follow Christ, you have faith in him, love him, and are obedient to him. And you give love to others.

If you call upon God to help you but you don’t do as he asks of you, what then are you?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Luke Chapter 6

There’s A Mansion for You in Heaven

Sermon: Take My Yoke Upon You (God Prepares A Place for You in His House)

Part Three (Final): John 14: 2

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Many of us have seen our parents, friends, and family members pass away. Those who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are now in God’s mansion. Those who had not accepted Christ are not in his kingdom.

John 3: 16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jesus is telling us to put ourselves in his hands and he will lighten our burden. Accept him and he will prepare a place for us in his Father’s mansion.

We are here only for a brief moment.

The next minute isn’t promised; tomorrow is not promised. Accept Christ while you have time. Time is passing by.

Ask God to forgive you of your sins.

Tell him you accept him as your Lord and Savior, and the load/burden you carry will lighten. Only God can lift this from you. The problem may still be with you but now you’ll have Christ to help you with it.

When you give your burdens to him, he will show you that it’s not as bad as you thought.

He will help carry your burdens. But to do that you must accept him and believe he died for you and rose on the third day.

Accept him and watch your life change as Christ becomes part of it.

Read the Full Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:
John Chapter 14
John Chapter 3

Read the first and second parts of the Sermon, Take My Yoke Upon You

Take My Yoke Upon You
God’s Grace Is Sufficient For Your Needs

God’s Grace Is Sufficient For Your Needs

Sermon: Take My Yoke Upon You (My grace is sufficient for you)

Part Two: 2 Corinthians 12: 9

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God did not remove Paul’s affliction, and he may not remove ours but God will always be there for us. When people look at us, they may see what we are going through and see how God’s grace is giving us the power to carry the load. And by seeing that, they may be encouraged.

Our weakness not only helps our Christian life but it also deepens our worship. In admitting our weakness, we affirm God’s strength.

Without Christ’s grace in our life, we are lost.

When we are without Christ, we don’t know where we are going. If you don’t know Christ when death comes (and believe me, death is coming for each of us), where will you go?

Will you be living eternally with God or are you going to be living in eternity with Satan? It will be with one or the other. There is no middle place.

Read your Bible. God tells us what awaits after our earthly life is over. Earth is not our permanent home!

Read the Full Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:
2 Corinthians Chapter 12

Read the entire sermon, Take My Yoke Upon You
Take My Yoke Upon You (Part 1)
There’s A Mansion for You In Heaven (Part 3)

Take My Yoke Upon You

Sermon: Take My Yoke Upon You

Part One: Matthew 11: 28-30

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

God is inviting us to come to him. When Christ died on the cross and rose on the third day, he gave us direct access to God, the Father. In accepting Jesus Christ as God’s only Begotten Son and placing ourselves in his hands, we realize that our earthly problems are not important anymore.

1 John 5: 3

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

We are to keep God’s commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. Christ never promised that obeying him would be easy. But the hard work and self discipline of serving Christ is no burden to those who love him. When we love someone, we do things for them because we want to.

God will never give you more than you can handle.

God created you so he knows you better than you know yourself. Jesus mentioned two kinds of people in his prayer. The “wise” person is arrogant in his own knowledge. He is full of his own self importance.

The other person is like the “little child” who is humbly open to receive the truth of God’s Word. If we are like a child, we are open and willing to learn. We care, we love, and we realize that only God has the answer.

To know God is to accept God as our Savior, and to know God is to know his voice when he talks to us.

I’ll tell you this: God talks to me and he talks to you even if you ignore him. God says to give him your burden. He will help you. God wants to lighten your yoke.

Read the full chapters of the scriptures referenced:
Matthew Chapter 11
1 John Chapter 5

Read parts 2 and 3 of this sermon

God’s Grace Is Sufficient For Your Needs (Part 2)
There’s A Mansion for You in Heaven (Part 3)