Category: Christ

Jesus told his disciples in John 5:18, 20, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you…” 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”

In the last week there were two news releases that pointed out the hatred the world has for Jesus, (and God, cf. John 15:23). This hate is seen in reaction to those who purport to be his followers. (Note: I am not saying that their claim to be Christians is legitimate, only that they are perceived to be by the world).

Continue reading “In the News: Prejudice Against Christ” →

The lesson is an expository sermon based on the text of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2. The sermon discusses Christ’s Second coming.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Christmas approaches. We will soon hear the repeated admonitions to “Remember the reason for the season.” We will not belabor the simple point that Christmas is a man-made holiday. Jesus did not authorize the observance of a day to commemorate his birth.

However, it is appropriate here to admonish all, “Jesus is the reason for every season.” It is absurd for men to believe they honor the Son of God by taking time out once or twice a year to consider His gift to mankind.

As His disciples, we should be ever mindful not only of His birth, but of his perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection. These are the things that afford us life and hope. These are the things we ought to remember, and daily offer up praises and thankfulness to Him.

This post contains short summaries and links to both audio and Powerpoint presentations of all the sermons Mo Hafley preached for the West Side congregation in the Fall 2010 meeting, November 6-11.

Lesson 1: Looking Unto Jesus

In this sermon, Mo Hafley of Paden City, WV uses the text of Hebrews 12:1-7, to establish the nature of the Christian’s race on earth, and the motivation behind it as we look to Jesus, our Savior.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Lesson 2: How We Worship

This sermon by Mo Hafley is a discussion on proper worship to God, with an emphasis on focus and proper spirituality when we sing, pray, commune around the Lord’s table, give of our means, and listen to the preaching of the Word of God.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Lesson 3: A Few Days with Paul

This sermon by Mo Hafley is a discussion of Paul’s ministry in Thessalonica and Berea, as recorded by Luke in Acts 17:1-13. Paul and the first century disciples showed great courage in the preaching of the gospel of Christ.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Lesson 4: Parents and Children

This sermon by Mo Hafley is a wonderful treatment of God’s word on the topic of Parenting. In it, Mo shows what God expects of Christian parents, and even has some words of admonition for children.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Lesson 5: Preaching Properly

In this sermon, Mo Hafley discusses the proper tone we are to take in preaching. Emphasis is placed upon militance in preaching, as too often in our day and time people heap up for themselves teachers having itching ears. Soft preaching is not God’s way.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Lesson 6: Holy Living in an Unholy World

This sermon by Mo Hafley documents the moral evil that is present in our world, and especially our nation. Biblical advice is given to Christians, explaining how we are to navigate in such troublesome waters.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .

Lesson 7: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego

This lesson is an expository treatment of Daniel 3, showing the courage of these great servants of God. Regardless of consequence, Christians must emulate them.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Lesson 8: Evidences

This lesson by Mo Hafley is a concise detailing of various internal and external evidences, given to prove God’s existence, and the validity of the Bible as God’s revelation.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .

Lesson 9: Homesick for Heaven

This lesson was an appropriate ending to our gospel meeting with Mo Hafley. He used homesickness (an emotion we have all felt) to explain the type of desire and expectation we as Christians should have regarding our heavenly home.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

(John 4:1-15)

After Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3), He left Judea, and traveled through Samaria on His way back to Galilee. Many took a circuitous route between the two regions to avoid the Samaritans, who were despised by the Jews. However, Jesus determined to cross through Samaria, and immediately struck up a conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in the city of Sychar.

Jesus’ disciples had departed into the city to buy food, and upon their return (vs. 27) marveled that he had talked with the woman. Jesus’ actions, and the content of the conversation itself, made clear that His purpose in coming to earth was to save all men, not just the Jews.

Continue reading “Living Water” →

Paul begins his epistle to the Galatians in a manner typical to him. In the first few verses he defends his apostleship, and asks blessings upon his readers.

His defense of himself is especially appropriate in that the churches of Galatia had been influenced by Judaizing teachers. These false teachers not only advocated false doctrine, they also sought to destroy the reputation of Paul at every opportunity. Their chief tactic was to claim that since Paul was not one of the original apostles, he had usurped the position. In response, Paul declared that his apostleship was “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father…” (vs. 1). The truth of this is evident in the reading of his conversion (Acts 9).

In praying for Grace and Peace for the Galatians, Paul identified Jesus as the Savior. He expressed the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice, “that He might deliver us from this present evil age.”

In that Jesus accomplished this wonderful objective, Paul rightly noted that He is solely worthy of “glory forever and ever. Amen” (vs. 5, cf. Revelation 5:1-7).

(John 3:9-15)

Jesus’ explanation of the new birth should have been sufficient for Nicodemus, but it was not. In verse 9, Nicodemus, reacting to Jesus’ declaration, “You must be born again”, answered by asking, “How can these things be?”

It may be helpful to consider Nicodemus’ reluctance to accept Jesus’ teaching in light of his standing as a ruler of the Jews. In chapter 7, John revealed Nicodemus to be one of the Sanhedrin, as he intervened on Jesus’ behalf before that august body. So, Nicodemus was a “ruler of the Jews” (verse 1), who accepted Jesus as a “rabbi” (verse 2), a teacher of the law of Moses. As he was a Pharisee and ruler, it made no sense to him for Jesus to say he had to be born again to enter the kingdom.

Continue reading “Answering Nicodemus” →

John 1:6-13

John the Baptist’s ministry is here described by the apostle as a “witness.” This agrees with other descriptions of John. He was revealed in prophecy as the one who would “prepare the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3). His purpose was to introduce the world to “one who is coming after,” (cf. Matthew 3:11), the savior of the world.

John here describes that One as the “true light which gives light to every man” (vs. 9). In that phrase is an understanding of Christ as Lord and Savior. It is His will that gives man understanding, and His incarnation and sacrifice that brings man out of the darkness of sin and “into His marvelous light” (cf. 1 Peter 2:9).

Not all embrace Jesus as the Light. Though He made the world, he was not known or received by many in the world. Only those described here as having been born of God, or having received Him are identified as children of God. The idea is echoed in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:3-5. Consider carefully His words, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (3:3).

After some delay, all eight sermons preached by Micky Galloway during his April 2010 meeting are now available online. These can be accessed in this post, or by going to the 2010 Sermons Archive page.

Sunday Morning Class: My People Love to Have it So

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Sunday AM: The Soundness of God’s People

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Sunday PM: The Promise

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Monday PM: Committment to Family

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Tuesday PM: A Marriage That Will Not Fail

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Wednesday AM: Jesus, The Master Teacher

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Wednesday PM: What God Expects of Us as a Family

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Thursday PM: Victory in Jesus

Sermon Powerpoint: Click Here .
Sermon Audio: Click Here .

Luke 1:1-4

In Luke’s introductory comments to Theophilus, he acknowledges that others had written accounts of Jesus’ life and accomplishments. Matthew, Mark and John are the three we have included in the New Testament in addition to this effort by Luke.

His desire was to share these things with Theophilus, putting them in order, so that his friend could “know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (vs. 4)

There are two reasons we can trust in Luke’s account of Jesus’ life. The first is that he was an eyewitness, “having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first” (vs. 3).

The second is that Luke’s account is inspired of God. Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16).

The name Theophilus means, “lover of God.” In fact, all who love God can look to Luke’s gospel, and in it find accurate records of Jesus’ life, teaching, works, death and resurrection. In so doing, we can have confidence in the validity of that Gospel. We can know, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” (cf. 23:47).

Mark 1:1-8

Mark begins his gospel with quotes from Malachi (3:1) and Isaiah (40:3), describing a messenger sent by God to prepare the world for the coming Messiah. Mark identifies that messenger as John the Baptist, who came “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”

When an angel announced to John’s father Zacharias the impending birth of his son, he said he would “go before Him [the Christ] in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17).

Jesus extended high praise to John for his person and ministry saying, “among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist,” and, “…he is Elijah who is to come, (a reference to Malachi 4:5)” (Luke 1:11,14).

John’s message was preparatory to the Messiah’s coming. One, John said, “whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (vs. 7). Where John baptized with (in) water, the Messiah would baptize with (in) the Holy Spirit, a reference to His divine nature. When the apostles received that baptism on Pentecost, Peter said it had come from the Christ (Acts 2:33).

This sermon shows that the Jewish concept of a military savior was unscriptural. The savior, of necessity, came to suffer and die as a sacrifice for mankind.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

A sermon expressing the importance of obedience to Jesus Christ.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .

The sermon examines some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ, and their fulfillment in the New Testament.

Sermon Audio: Click Here .