Sermon Series (Page 10)
The Kingdom of Heaven is Like…?
Have you ever wondered what it means when people talk about “the Kingdom of Heaven”? This Sunday, in my continued series of messages out of the parables of Jesus, I will walk us through the parable of the Fishing Net, found in Matthew 13:47-52. As you prepare for Sunday’s message, I want you to read not only this parable found here, but all of Matthew 13. This chapter is composed almost entirely of one parable after another that Jesus taught,…
Who is Invited to the Banquet?
Have you ever been invited to a party or asked to show up at a special event, but had to decline at the last minute? Maybe you were too busy. Maybe you got sick. Maybe you had something better to do that came up. Those are the essentials of the parable of Jesus that I will be teaching from this coming Sunday morning. We are in a summer series of messages we are calling Kingdom Surprises. This Sunday, July 19,…
The Unfruitful Fig Tree
The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree – Luke 13:6-9 Last Sunday morning in my teaching time, I launched us into a summer study of the parables of Jesus with the first parable of the new wine and old wineskins. This Sunday, for our second study, I will be walking us through the very short, but almost harsh, parable of the unfruitful fig tree. Jesus was famous for his use of parables. Most of the time we think of them…
The Kingdom of God is Like…
Beginning this Sunday morning, July 5, at our 10 a.m. streaming service, I have the privilege of opening up a new series of teachings from the parables of Jesus in the gospels. The first parable that I will open is found in Luke 5:33-39, and it is famously called the parable of the wineskins. To prepare your hearts for Sunday morning, I am asking you to read Luke 4 and 5, and get a handle on what was going on…
Read the Book of Joel!
Last week I simply said to take a few days and read the short, but very pointed, Old Testament book of Habakkuk. It reads like a headline out of today’s news. This week I would encourage you to read another Old Testament book that also reads as breaking news in our times. Joel 1:2 says simply, “Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers???” Let the book of Joel be a special…
Bringing Justice, Reconciliation and Grace to a World in Chaos
As you wrestle with your own responses to the news of the day and the many messages out there, please remember that when we have found Jesus ourselves, we are appointed by God to be messengers of justice, reconciliation, and grace.
Learning to Pray in Circles
This Sunday I will finish our series of messages based out of John 17, concentrating on the final verses, 17:20-26. Read this a few times before we study. Read it carefully and slowly, and let it sink in what Jesus is praying about, and who he is praying for. He is praying for you! Almost 2000 years ago, the night that Jesus was arrested, he turned his attention in prayer to the heavenly Father in a final address. He prayed…
Developing your Own Prayer Life
Prayer truly is the privilege of entering into a conversation with the Creator God, our Almighty Father. This is the Holy of Holies that we can now access because of what Christ has done.
An Invitation to the Holy of Holies
What is duty of care? Those in my life that I am responsible for. What is prayer? An invitation into the special place where I communicate with Almighty God regarding those in my life that I am responsible for. Have you ever had an invitation to attend an exclusive grand event? An invitation to the Governor’s mansion? The White House? The home of a powerful person? If I ever received an invitation like this, I would frame it and hang…
Billy’s Update — May 7, 2020
Welcome to May and Mother’s Day weekend! At LifeWay Church this coming Mother’s Day Sunday, our service will feature some ways for us to recognize this wonderful day, and to enjoy the blooming of spring as well. The flowers are definitely coming out; the weather is certainly cooperating. The only drawback is the “social distancing” that we are still having to live under. So we are online again. On Sunday, I am beginning a short series of sermons out of…
Billy’s Update — April 30, 2020
Church in the Lobby Do you know how, at the end of a Sunday morning when you’d leave the church service (can you remember those days?), you’d stop for a while to hang out and visit with people you know, meet some new faces, and just be social? Those were the good ol’ days, weren’t they? In the current world of having everything streamed into our living rooms, we wonder when we’re ever going to get to do that again!…
A Study of Romans 8
On Easter Sunday we launched a series of messages that we are calling Epic. I used the illustration of an epic journey, such as David Livingstone’s exploration of the middle of Africa, or Lewis and Clark’s trek across western North America. These epic journeys reshaped the future for millions to follow. To call the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus an epic event is an understatement. Everything has now changed because of what Christ has done. Romans 8 spells this…