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Sermon Audio – Paul’s Prescription for Contentment (Philippians 4:4-13)

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, August 14, 2016.

The lesson was entitled, Paul’s Prescription for Contentment, and was a study of Philippians 4:4-13.

Bulletin Article:
Most of us want to be happy and content in our lives, but figuring out how to find these things can be a real struggle. One of the great lies of the world (Satan), and our human nature, is that happiness and contentment can only be found somewhere other than the circumstances where we are right now. This can lead us to constantly play the “I’ll be happy when…” game in our endless, and fruitless, pursuit of happiness and contentment.

Sermon Audio – God is Love…What are We?

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, July 24, 2016.

The lesson was entitled, God is Love…What are We?, and was a study of I John 4, with an emphasis on verse 12 “No one has ever seen God.” I had a lot of sleepless nights preparing for the sermon, because I really wanted to address how horribly we treat each other as Christians sometimes, and knew this would step on a lot of toes (including mine).

Bulletin Article:
In I John 4:7-21, the apostle digs deeper into a topic he has already covered extensively: a Christian’s love of their brother. This was first introduced as a test of being in the light in 2:7-11. The command to love was also identified as a test of being born of God in 3:11-24. In chapter four, the love of fellow believers is described as representation of the Father’s being and activity (“God is Love” vv. 8, 16)

Sermon Audit – What Should We Do?

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, June 26, 2016.

The lesson was entitled, What Should We Do?, and was a study of how Christians should react in the midst of a culture that is increasingly intolerant of the biblical worldview.

Bulletin Article:

There is no doubt that the biblical worldview is increasingly under attack in our country. This is reinforced by events that seem to happen every week, if not every day. While these things cause Christians to experience a wide range emotions from anger to fear to sadness, they should not be surprising. We must remember that our message is “foolishness” to the world:

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, March 27, 2016 (Easter Sunday).

The lesson was entitled, Why are We Here?, and was a study of the reasons why different people attend worship services on Easter Sunday and how each would regard the Resurrection of Christ. This sermon was based on Paul’s great defense of the Resurrection in I Corinthians 15.

Bulletin Article:

Year after year Easter marks a day in which church attendance is usually at its peak across the world, but why is this? Why are more people sitting in church pews on Easter than any other day of the year?

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Evening, June 20, 2014.

The lesson was entitled, Facing the Impossible, and was a study of the events leading up to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 14.

Exodus 14:10–18 (ESV)

¹⁰ When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” ¹³ And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. ¹⁶ Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. ¹⁸ And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Evening, May 18.

The lesson was entitled, Follow the Steps to Righteousness, and was a study of the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12…

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The handout referenced during this sermon can be downloaded by clicking HERE >> Handout: Follow the Steps to Righteousness

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Morning, May 18.

The lesson was entitled, Choosing the Right Foundation, taken from Luke 6:46-49…

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

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Audio recording of my sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ from Sunday Evening, March 2nd.

The lesson was entitled, The Rest of the Story, taken from Romans 8:1…

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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Audio recording of my sermon at Granny White Church of Christ from Wednesday, July 24th as part of their midweek Summer Series.

The lesson was entitled:

You Say…I Can’t Forgive Myself.

God Says….I Forgive You.

Taken from 1 John 1:9 & Romans 8:1

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What Does it Really Mean to Have Faith in Jesus Christ? (Romans 3:19-26) – Audio recording of my Sunday morning sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN on July 7, 2013.

The lesson came from Romans 3:19-26, and looked at two of the most fundamental questions in Christianity:

(1) Why did Jesus have to die?

(2) What does it REALLY mean to have faith in Jesus?

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  

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The Equation of Life (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12) – Audio recording of my Sunday evening sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN on June 26, 2013.

Life doesn’t fit into an equation, and is full of injustices and things that just don’t seem to make sense. This study looks at ways in which we can be ready to deal with the unexpected and unfair things that are a part of life under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 (ESV)

¹¹ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. ¹² For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

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“Jesus Feeds the 5000” (Matthew 14:13-21) – Audio recording of my Sunday evening sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN on January 6, 2013.

This sermon looks at the text of Jesus feeding the 5000 from Matthew 14 and the insight we can gain into the nature and character of our savior from this great story.

Matthew 14:13–21 (ESV)

¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ¹⁵ Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ²¹ And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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“Joy in Trials” (James 1:1-12) – Audio recording of my Sunday morning sermon at Kingwood Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN on October 7, 2012.

I delivered this same sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ on October 28, 2012, though that sermon was not recorded.

This sermon looks at the reasons why James says that followers of Christ should find joy in trials (or suffering) of life.

James 1:1–12 (ESV)
¹ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. ² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. ⁹ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. ¹² Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

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“Choosing the Right Foundation” (Luke 6:46-49) – Audio recording of my Sunday morning sermon at Kingwood Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN on December 31, 2006.

This sermon looks at one of Jesus’ most famous parables and focuses on examining the foundation upon which we have chosen to build our lives.

Luke 6:46–49 (ESV)
⁴⁶ “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? ⁴⁷ Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

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“A Simple Faith” (Acts 2:42) – Audio recording of my Sunday morning sermon at Kingwood Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN on September 27, 2009.

This sermon looks at the critical elements of implementing a simple faith as exemplified by the first converts to Christianity.

Acts 2:42 (ESV) – And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

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“Give Me A Heart That Seeks God’s Will” (James 1:19-27) – Audio recording of my Wednesday evening sermon at Maple Hill Church of Christ in Lebanon, TN on June 25, 2008.

This sermon looks at four characteristics of a man who will, as James describes, be “blessed in his doing.”  A lesson in receiving God’s Word and putting it into practice.

Handout referenced in the sermon

James 1:19–27 (ESV)

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 

“King of Generosity” (Matthew 26:1-13) – Audio recording of my Wednesday evening sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN on August 8, 2012.

This sermon looks at the details of an unusual story and three things it can teach us about our own generosity as we work in the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 26:6–13 (ESV)

⁶ Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. ⁸ And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” ¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

What Does It Really Mean to Have Faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:19-26) – Audio recording of my Sunday evening sermon at Maple Hill Church of Christ in Lebanon, TN on July 15, 2012.

This sermon looks at two of the must fundamental questions in Christianity:

(1) Why did Jesus have to die?

(2) What does it REALLY mean to have faith in Jesus?

Romans 3:21-26 (ESV)

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  

The Equation of Life (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12) – Audio recording of my Wednesday evening sermon at Kingwood Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN on July 18, 2007.

Life doesn’t fit into an equation, and is full of injustices and things that just don’t seem to make sense. This study looks at ways in which we can be ready to deal with the unexpected and unfair things that are a part of life under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12 (ESV)

¹¹ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. ¹² For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

“Lessons From the Prayer of Hannah” (I Samuel 1:1-20) – Audio recording of my Wednesday evening sermon at Bellevue Church of Christ in Nashville, TN on July 27, 2007.

Three characteristics of Hannah’s prayer that anyone can apply to their own prayer life.

Copy of the Handout referenced in the sermon