Sermon Wrap-Up for January 27

Good Monday to you!

Morning Audio Link is here

Morning Outline:

January 27 AM James 1:1-4: Joy is Coming

We need to see that rising oppression of Christians means that joy is coming back to the Church in America

I. James: brother of Jesus and eventual leader of the church @ Jerusalem

II. Dispersion: scattered throughout: not the Jews, but God's people: this is for Christians

III. Joy in Trial

IV. Strength through prayer

V. Diverse Trials

VI. Test our faith: our trust in God. 

     1. Which builds our endurance

     2. We lack endurance

     3. Without endurance, we do not grow and we do not become complete

VII. Action:

     1. Prayer for others

     2. Prayer on a planned basis

Morning focus shifted to variety of trials and focused a little harder on the need for prayer than on the inevitability of persecution. That seemed appropriate: one we can do something about. The other is the result of living like Jesus.

Morning Video Embed:

Finally! A video where the opening stillshot has me behind the pulpit!

Evening Audio Link is here

Evening Outline:

January 27 PM Genesis 3:1-7: Know Your Enemy

We need to see that our struggle is not just against ourselves but there is an intelligent effort against us.

I. The World is Not as it Was Created to Be

II. Who is responsible for that reality?

     1. Satan

     2. Humanity

     3. Just Adam and Eve

     4. God

III. What do we do about it?

     1. Do not underestimate the reality of our enemy

     2. Do not overcredit our enemy

     3. Focus: go to your strength:

          A. Christ is your strength

          B. going forward in the Word

On the evening sermons: a great resource for developing a grounding in Christian theology is J. Scott Duvall, Ph.D.’s work Experiencing God’s Story of Life and Hope. In fact, it’s so good that I’m basically adapting the themes from his book into the sermons for Sunday Night. Check out the workbook here.

Evening Video Embed: