Tri-Annual Singing!
June 20, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: Subject Index
Study Material Categorized by Subject
Sermon: God Breathed
Most are ignorant of God’s word, and its great importance. The concept of inspiration demands a knowledge of, and respect for God’s law.
To Die is Gain
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Imagine being able to say this, all while in chains, not knowing whether you will be released, or executed. Paul is a wonderful example of faith in the midst of extreme hardship.
We Christians who live in America have so many reasons to be faithful. Despite a society that is presently antagonistic toward our faith, we remain free to worship openly and comfortably. This has not been the case in other times and other places.
Regardless, this world is not our home! While we remain thankful for our time here on earth, we eagerly anticipate the day when “this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:53).
Our lives are opportunities to live for Christ. Through our teaching and example, other souls may be saved. But, we gain personally from death, if we be faithful. There comes a time of glory and rest in the presence of the God of Heaven! To die truly is to Gain!
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What Does it Mean to Submit?
The call to be submissive is made constantly in scripture. In 1 Peter 5:5, the apostle wrote, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'”
The term submit is defined by Thayer: to subject one’s self, obey; to submit to one’s control; to yield to one’s admonition or advice; to obey, be subject.
This term teaches us two things: First, authority exists. Second, you are not that authority! The idea that men are free to do what they wish, without consequence, is flawed. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).
As Peter indicated earlier in our text, even those who have been delegated positions of oversight must realize their position as servants. “nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (3).
Ultimately, submission becomes natural when humility is present. Humility in turn comes from a sense of selflessness. It is not about you, it is about others. Paul used Jesus as the ultimate example of such selflessness, and admonished the Philippians, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Be definition, any departure from the Biblical pattern, any presumption that God is accepts our innovations, denies this concept of submission. It is not our place to make the rules. It is our place to humbly obey (submit to) the rules that have been established by our Lord.
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Invitation: The wicked will fall but the righteous will stand
Invitation by Stan Cox
Proverbs 11:3-6 shows that the wicked will fall because of their wickedness, while the righteous will stand. This is not always seen in the temporal world, but we know that God will settle all accounts at judgment.
Sermon: The Death of John the Baptist
John the Baptist’s death teaches us lessons about superstition, marriage and divorce, the importance of virtue, the dangers of seduction and the persecution of God’s people.
Sermon: Those Noble Bereans
The Bereans were noble because they kept OPEN minds, OPEN Bibles and OPEN Schedules. We need to emulate them.
Invitation: You have answered me
Invitation by Stan Cox
Taken from Psalm 22, the Messianic prophecy includes applications to us. Though we may sometimes feel forsaken, God is never far from us. (cf. vs. 21) “Save me from the lion’s mouth… You have answered me.”
Sermon: God’s Pattern for Benevolence
An examination of 2 Corinthians 8, and similar passages helps to establish God’s pattern for the benevolent work of the local church.
Sermon: Christians Are…
The various ways that Christians are described – As disciples, saints, brothers, believers, sons of God – all teach important lessons regarding our relationship and obligations to God.
Are You A Legalist?
The term “legalist” is used quite often in religion, and always in a negative sense. If someone calls you a legalist, they are not giving you a compliment.
The term is not used in scripture, so we must go to secular sources to define it. Dictionary.com does so:
- strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
- Theology
- the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
- The judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
Looking at the definition above, it would be inappropriate for Christians to ascribe to any of the definitions, save perhaps the last. Let me explain. Continue reading “Are You A Legalist?”
Wisdom Cries Out!
“Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? 2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet. 3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entrance of the doors: 4 ‘To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.’” (Proverbs 8:1-4).
There is so much foolishness in the world today as infidels and skeptics are heard on every corner. The cacophony of voices, each touting their own philosophy, makes it difficult to know what is true and right. However, true wisdom’s call is present among the voices, and she can be heard, if we apply the correct filter. That filter is the word of God.
“But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:23-25).
Our text states that wisdom proclaims things that are prudent, excellent, right, true and righteous. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them. And, “They are all plain to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge” (5-9). Look for it in the right place (God’s word), and true wisdom can be found!
Sermon: Dependence Upon God
When men lack an understanding of their dependence upon God, and His faithfulness, it leads to anxiety, and divided loyalties.
Sermon: Abraham’s Children
Lessons can be learned from John the Baptist’s admonition of the prideful Pharisees and Sadduccees in Matthew 3.
We Give Thanks!
In Colossians 1:3, Paul wrote, “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” His specific reason for thanking God at that time was the “faith in Christ Jesus” and “love for all the saints” that the Colossians had exhibited to him.
Paul serves as a good example of one who was mindful of the blessings of God, and who endeavored always to acknowledge them. We too should be quick to thank God. We have much for which to be thankful:
- Spiritual Blessings. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” ALL is inclusive. Every aspect of our spiritual lives. It encompasses our standing with God, our relationship with His people, our opportunities to worship and serve, the privilege of adoption, the hope of heaven.
- Physical Blessings. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Again, this is an inclusive concept. God created the physical universe, and wonderfully fashioned man from the elements He had created. Our homes, our families, our food, our health — all of these are blessings that have their origin with God. “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).
Prayer is offered to God for many reasons. We petition Him for forgiveness, offer praise to His name, make petitions to Him on our own behalf, and on behalf of others. All of these are legitimate and important. No aspect of prayer is more important than acknowledging the blessings bestowed upon us by our God, and thanking Him for His grace.
“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).
Contending for the Faith
The United States is among the most tolerant and permissive of societies. Yet it is a society that is extremely intolerant of a very few things. One example of intolerance is with regard to “political correctness.” There are certain attitudes and ideas, which if expressed, lead to the ruin of public reputations and careers. Often those who rush to condemn these attitudes, (what they call “hate speech”), are the same ones who clamor over the right to freedom of expression. This is incongruous, but is nevertheless a rather prominent feature of our day.
This is also true in religion. These permissive influences claim that all religions have worth and that religious criticism is a form of that “hate speech.” Pleas for toleration have led many to the irrational claim that all these terrorist attacks by Muslim fundamentalists had “nothing to do with religion.” They ignore the fact that such extremists have declared a “jihad” (holy war) against all non-muslims. Continue reading “Contending for the Faith”
