A good sermon centers on Christ and
emphasizes three truths; (1) God's providence, (2) God's grace, (3) Man's
responsibility to God.
Not by law, but by grace do we learn
that we are the Lords.
Faith saves us, but assurance
satisfies us....... Spurgeon
There are no shortcuts to spiritual
maturity...Norman Dent
What happens is not as important as
how you react to what happens.
A man without a purpose is like a
ship without a rudder.
God created humankind to know Him.
Knowing God is the ultimate purpose of man.
God has always dealt with man on the
basis of grace.
God placed His creation in time and
space with deliberation.
God does not need man to provide for
Him, in fact humanity owes its very existence to God.
The Lord is personally involved in
the lives and destinies of His creatures.
Jesus came to demonstrate God's love
to a doubting world, to give life to a dead world and light to a dark world.
Preach the gospel at all times, use
words if necessary.
Any
religion that is man-centered; any religion
that has for its
foundation man's will, man's works,
or man's rights; any religion that promotes the
honor and pride of man;
any religion that pampers
and cultivates
self-righteousness, self-esteem,
and
self-worth is of antichrist.
"Every heart that has been renewed by
sovereign grace takes Jesus Christ to be
the chief object of its love." -Spurgeon
An
idle life and a holy heart is a contradiction.
The
lives of ministers oftentimes convince more strongly than their words; Their
tongues may persuade, but their lives command... Thomas Brooks
A
man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins, if he
has made himself and not the glory of God, the end of those actions... Thomas
Brooks
God's
hearing of our prayers does not depend upon what we are in ourselves, but what
we are in Christ Jesus; both our person and our prayers are acceptable in the
Beloved.
The
question in salvation is not whether Jesus is Lord, but whether we are
submissive to His lordship.... John MacArthur
Confidence
on the outside begins by living with integrity on the inside.
He
is not a fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose...
Jim Elliot
There
is a vast difference between making judgments (which a person does hundreds of
times every day) and passing judgment. (which is God's personal privilege)
The
good news of salvation brings with it an unavoidable, searching demand for
complete obedience... Douglas J Moo
Prayer
is the autograph of the Holy Ghost upon the renewed heart... Spurgeon
We
can't compartmentalize our lives. If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at
all.
We
need to be more concerned with our responsibilities than with our rights.
Freedom
in Christ is not freedom to do what we want but freedom to do what we ought.
It
is the Christians responsibility to discover, discern and do God's will.
Humility
and a contrite heart is the starting point of any relationship with God.
From
the earliest times, God has promised that living of our lives for Him would be a
partnership.
You
cannot fail if you are faithful to do what God has asked you to do.
Consistent
Christian living substantiates your testimony and gives credibility to your
witness.
Happiness
is not something you go out and get; it is something you go out and give.
Most
Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: Yesterday's
regret and tomorrow's worries. [Warren Wiersbe]
You
will grow spiritually when you say to God, "If your word says it, I will
believe it; if your word promises it, I will claim it; and if your word commands
it, I will obey it. [John MacArthur]
The
righteousness that God requires from you, is the righteousness that God gives to
you. [James Merrit]
To
know God is to love Him, to love Him is to trust Him, to trust Him is to obey
Him, to obey Him is to be blessed by Him.
God
cannot lie [Titus 1:2]. He cannot deny Himself [2Timothy 2:13]; and therefore He
does not contradict Himself. He is not the author of confusion [1Corinthians
14:33]. His truth is perfectly self-consistent.
The
way the Holy Spirit gives us understanding is through our minds, employing our
rational faculties. [John MacArthur]
God's
sovereignty is not at odds with human responsibility. The two principles work in
perfect harmony, even though it is not immediately obvious to us how they work.
[John MacArthur]
Authentic
Christianity is "the faith which was once for all delivered to the
saints" [Jude 3]. Christian truth is not subject to change or amendment. It
isn't nullified by changes in worldly opinion or standards of political
correctness. It doesn't need to be adapted and redefined for every new
generation. [JohnMacArthur]
Truth
and faith are linked together. You cannot have genuine faith apart from the
truth. Real faith involves the assent of the mind and the submission of the will
to the truth.
Because
Scripture is true, Believers must proclaim it with conviction and without
compromise or apology.
Scripture
commands us to be intolerant of any idea that denies the truth. Scripture also
commands us to show love and kindness even to our enemies.
Tolerance
of known error is anything but a virtue.
We
must resist the tendency to be absorbed into the fads and fashions of worldly
though. Our task as ambassadors of Christ is to present the untarnished gospel,
an inherently exclusive message, that is the power of God unto salvation. [John
MacArthur]
The
purposes and promises of God always prevail over the problems of people.
Jesus
Christ is God in the form of man; as completely God as if He were not man; as completely
man as if He were not God.
Jesus
Christ, the condescension of Divinity and the exaltation of humanity. [Phillips
Brooks]
It
pleases the Father that all fullness should be in Christ; therefore, there is
nothing but emptiness anywhere else. [W. Gadsby]
Christ
was not a deified man, neither was He a humanized god. He was perfectly God and
at the same time perfectly man. [Charles H. Spurgeon]
God
does not discipline us to subdue us, but to condition us for a life of
usefulness and blessedness. [Billy Graham]
Life
is like a coin; you can spend it any way you wish, but you spend it only once.
I
believe if a man is willing to surrender his will to God, he can do anything
within the circle of God's will for him.
Consideration
and respect for others is basic to humility.
Humble
people listen to and take sound advice from others.
Jealousy
and selfish pride are the opposite of humility.
Christian
humility is not weak; it takes decisive action according to the will of God.
Each
generation of believers faces its own challenge.
Believers
must stand firm on moral convictions, based on God's word.
Believers
should act with courage on moral issues, no matter what the consequences.
The
lie of the evolutionist is that the universe did not need a Creator. In reality,
its the other way around: The Creator did not need evolution.
Everything
we truly believe we obey. Everything else is just religious talk. [Adrian
Rogers]
Happiness
depends on what happens. Joy depends on the Lord.
Jesus
didn't practice what He preached, He preached what He practiced. [Adrian Rogers]
Faith
in faith is positive thinking. Faith in Jesus is salvation. [Adrian Rogers]
Faith
is belief with legs on it.
The
will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Our
hope lies not in our capacity to obey God; but in the faithfulness of God.
Remember,
he that leans on man will find him a broken reed; but he who builds on Christ
has a firm foundation. [C.H. Spurgeon]
Take
God at His word and trust God to be true to His promises.
Praise
and adoration belong to God alone.
God
works out His will according to His perfect timing.
God
often accomplishes His will in unusual and unexpected ways.
The
religious boom of recent years has given us more Christianity, but it is
worthless. Religion has become popular. Thousands of uninstructed and bewildered
persons have accepted Christ, but they have not a remote idea of the true
meaning of the Cross. They are not penitent; they evince no real fear of God;
they have not separated from the world; their psychology is pagan, their
ambitions are carnal, their lives empty. They turned to Christianity because it
was at the moment the popular thing to do. They innocently believed what they
were told and did what they were urged to do; but tragically they accepted a
christ that is no Christ, and a cross that is not the Cross of Christ. (A. W.
Tozer)
To
be reliant upon God when occasions for alarm are abundant is the conquering
faith of God's elect. (Charles Spurgeon)
Food
for Thought.
Center
of the Bible
Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Answer - Psalm 117
Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Answer - Psalm 119
Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?
Answer - Psalm 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalm 118
Add these numbers up and you get 1188
Q: What is the center verse in the Bible?
Answer - Psalm 118:8
Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for
our lives? The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect
will
for their lives and that they want to be in the center of His will, just
send them to the center of His Word!
"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in
man."
Psalm 118:8 (NKJV)
Now isn't that odd how this worked out or was God in the center of it?
NEXT
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