1. 2 weeks ago 

   War don't Work!

   War for your marriage! Don’t just work at it!

   This distinction was brought to my attention from a co-worker.

   Work is from 9-5. You clock out of work. You anticipate weekends when you don’t have to work. You work to receive a paycheck.

   The only “limit” placed on marriage is “till death do us part.” As long as you’re alive, you war for your marriage. Satan knows where to work…it’s in our homes! We need our eyes on that rugged Cross and not deviate to the right or to the left.

   I recently heard of another brother in the faith who’s fallen into “moral indiscretion.” Although I’ve never met him, he has ministered to me in remarkable ways. My heart is burdened for he & his family. I pray that God might restore his marriage and his fellowship with the Almighty.

   Make war…sun up, sun down, time in, time out, against lust, against pride, against me, ‘til I die - Tedashi

   

   

2. Notes: 4 / 3 weeks ago 
   Marriage Killers

   12 major “marriage killers” that are most responsible for the high divorce rate that plagues today’s families.

3. 3 weeks ago 

   Religion

   Religious ritual is not pleasing to God. When we offer to Him a worship void of personal authenticity and genuine fear of Him, we are simply going through motions. This form of religion ritual leads to one of three things:

   1. Self Righteousness because we think we have earned God’s favor based on how good we are and in the process become arrogant within.

   2. Unnecessary Guilt & Fear thinking that God is always angry with us because we’ve tried to be good, yet continually fail.

   3. License for Reckless Living thinking that if you come to church or say a prayer, all of the aweful things you do the rest of the time are excused.

   Each of these are distorted views of God’s grace. The self righteous person doesn’t realize that we receive favor from God based on nothing we do, but on God’s grace alone (Eph 2:8-9). The person who always feels guilt doesn’t realize that God is gracious and merciful to those who trust him and that good works don’t determine God’s acceptance of us, but rather are fruit of His acceptance of us. The reckless person doesn’t realize that a good work of prayer or coming to church doesn’t turn away God’s wrath toward sin.

   Oh that we would be genuine in our worship, as fallen people delivered from our sin by the Grace of God found in Jesus Christ.

   I preached on this from Malachi 1:1-14 (2:1-9) last Sunday.

4. 1 month ago 

   Ignorance is bliss (?)

   The Bible tells the story of a man possessed by an “unclean spirit” (Mark 5). We’re told that this man lived among tombs, could not be bound, was supernaturally strong, always crying out and bruising himself with stones.

   We in the West don’t see these things very often. We tend to forget the reality of the spiritual realm. By forgetting, though, we’ve played into the trap. You see, if Satan can get us to forget or disbelieve demonic activity, he has one that battle.

   Above, I emphasized that this demon-possessed man kept bruising himself with stones. Satan wants to destroy humanity because we are made in the image of God (imago Dei). Violence against humanity (be it physical, intellectual, etc.) is evidence that there is a spiritual battle taking place.

   Last night, one person in the small group Bible study I lead (shout out to Mosaic Café!) pointed out that by recognizing spiritual activity, we are forced to recognize the opposite…the Divine. But notice, believing that there is a God means accountability for our actions. For this reason, many would rather walk in ignorance and ignore the activity of the spiritual realm.

   God, give me eyes to see this world anew

   people as eternal beings, with spiritual issues

   may I offer hope to the wanderer, whom Satan has subdued

   that the desires of their hearts might be directed unto you

5. 1 month ago 

   The Love of My Life

   Teenage love, I love to reminisce

   But I’m constantly reminded of all the battles within

   How can I be abstinent?

   How can I be a Christian?

   How can I honor this girl

   who’s made in God’s image?

   I remember a time this cat asked me why

   We had not had sex and scoffed at my reply

   Psalm 119:9 was then my timid battle cry

   God’s will is that I’d wait for my wedding night

   So I began to search the Bible for passages on purity

   And these glorious verses would then be my security

   First Timothy 4:12 – be an example in purity

   Job 31:1 – Don’t look lustfully at a girl

   First Corinthians 10:13 – God will provide a way out

   Romans 12:2 – Don’t conform to the pattern of the world

6. 1 month ago 

   Testify!

   I’ve crossed over from…

   Death to life - Old to new

   Flesh to Spirit - Born of the womb

   Born again of the empty tomb

   Born of my mom - Born again of God

   Bound to Free - Been set free indeed

   So I testify, the same I’ll never be.

7. 1 month ago 

   Sex & Culture

   Sex…

   Pervades our Culture

   Betrays our Homes

   Parades our Street

   Invades our Phones

   Serenades our Music

   Creates our Clothes

   Dictates our Emotions

   So goes the Status Quo

8. 1 month ago 
   
    
9. 1 month ago 

   Negligent Worship

   There is a way to worship with negligence. The first chapter of Malachi gets at this. the people of God would sacrifice to God the blind and lame sheep while saving the “fattened calf” for themselves. What made this act so shameful, is that they vowed to give God their best. I committed verse 14 to memory:

   Cursed is the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the LORD what is blemished. “For I am a great King”, says the LORD of Hosts, “and my name will be feared among the nations.”

   God calls His people who don’t give what they’ve promised in worship cheaters. They didn’t even give their second best, but what was scraped from the bottom of the pot. Oh how he deserves more. For He is a great King!

   Imagine if God gave a blemished lamb as the sacrifice for our sins…it wouldn’t have worked. Jesus was the spotless lamb. He was able to fully atone for sin and fully satisfy God’s wrath toward sinners.

   NOTE: I’ll be preaching this text either October 25 or November 1.It’ll be available online at http://egnbc.org/onlinesermons.html
   

10. 1 month ago 

    Haiku of Hope

    I lead a Bible study group every Monday night called Mosaic Café. We’re currently studying the book of “Mark.” Fascinating book.

    In chapter 2 verses 13-17, Jesus is questioned for sharing a meal with “sinners.” No doubt, people who were viewed at the lower echelon of “sinfulness.” That’s just like us to put degrees on sin seeing the speck in someone’s eye not noticing the log that rests in our own.

    Jesus doesn’t back down from these questions. No, he makes it clear, “I’ve come to save sick people, not healthy people.” If we can only look beyond our perceived levels of “sinfulness” and recognize that at the very root of the matter, we are all “sick,” then we’re ready for Jesus to intervene in our lives.

    Lost, lost, in despair

    Jesus Christ brings saving hope

    Joy, joy, sin he bears

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