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Sermons

Sermons on Various Subjects

Being a Friend to God

Friendship is a covenant term

 Being a Friend to God

Gary has been preaching on Friendship.    The word friend in the OT and NT is a word that means a covenant relationship. 

2 Ch 20:7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
Jas 2:23  Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
Isaiah 41:8 But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 

What is a covenant relationship?    

Marriage is a good example:  you join bank accounts. Your debts become both your debts, your assets also theirs. You live together, you protect each other, and hopefully you would die for each other. 

Covenant relationships mean that you share whatever you have if the other person has need of it. If you are good in publicity, but they are good in finance, your promote their business while they finance yours. You would never let your covenant partner starve while you have food. You would die before you let anyone harm them. 

Read moreBeing a Friend to God

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Jeremiah, The Complaining Prophet

Portrayal of Jeremiah, what persecution he endured, his complaints to God, and what would he say to us if he were here today

We Have Been Made Righteous!

Having become sin for us, Jesus has made us the righteousness of God because God who is Holy now lives in the heart of every believer. His Spirit is perfect and he dwells in us.

Releasing the Past – Part 1

Everyone can be troubled by remembering misdeeds from the past. Guilt is Satan’s playground. He loves to cause endless remorse and guilt, because it divides us from God who has forgiven us. If you have confessed your sins but still live under condemnation, you are listening to the wrong voice.

Releasing the Past – Part 2

Letting go of the past requires forgiveness. If you do not forgive the things done to you, you will keep reliving the pain every time your are reminded of it or will react with fear and anxiety if you are ever in a similar situation, even if there is no real threat. Sometimes the hardest things to forgive are not things done to you, but done to someone else that you care about.

Vignettes: Things that Aren’t Always What they Seem

Scripture stories that don’t mean what we think they do.

The Church Unleashed….

Ministry is done by all the people of God, not a specialized clergy. Each person is responsible to hear from God what He has called them to do.

Law, Lawlessness and Legalism

“Judge not, lest you be judged” has been misinterpreted to mean that no matter what anyone does, we should not judge the behavior. He pointed out that we are not to condemn someone for their sins, lest we get condemned for ours, but that does NOT mean we are not to discern what is right and wrong, or identify certain behaviors as sin.Grace does not mean there is no law and we are free to behave any way we wish. Grace is to lead us to holiness, which is the walking in the presence of God and reflecting his character.

The Humanity of Jesus

Why did Jesus have to be baptized by John? He said, “it is necessary to fulfill all righteousness…” What did Jesus mean by that?
Why are there no records of miracles by Jesus as a child?
What did it mean for Jesus to be fully human?
What does it mean when it says that Jesus “emptied himself… being born in human likeness”?

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation and Election

The Sovereignty Of God Ephesians 1:1-6 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful  in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Paul was Called and Chosen. He did not choose God. He fought against him. Struck down on the Road to Damascus on his way to kill Christians. Did You Choose God?  No, God chose you, if indeed you are in Christ… There is Great Peace in knowing God has chosen you, not because of your good deeds, but because of his Love for you and his Mercy towards you. You did not earn his favor any … Read more

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