Jesus warned of a world bent on hostility—Matthew 24:7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”

Jesus himself said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” –Matt. 10:34

I.   Peace is a Gift from God

¨ John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

- Notice - Peace is a gift donated from God Himself.

- Notice – It is divine in nature; “My”

- Notice- God’s peace is different from any form of peace being offered by the world. 

Where is the Peace? 

II.  God states that He is the basis for all peace-  Eph. 2:14-17

¨ Before we accepted Christ, there was a wall between us and God.

¨ Peace came through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

¨ Col. 1:20-22

¨ Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

III. Being at peace with God now means we have the ministry of reconciliation – II Cor. 5:18 “God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the “ministry of reconciliation.”

¨ Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

¨ Col. 3:15 “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace.

Played: 9 | Download | Duration: 00:29:04

¨ Luke 15:1-2

¨ Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

¨ Romans 8: 38-39

¨ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1. The Sheep

¨ Luke 15:3-7

Lost: How did the Sheep get LOST?

Found: What happened when the Shepherd FOUND the sheep?

Celebrate: Everyone came over to CELEBRATE the one sheep that was found.

2.  The Coin

¨ Luke 15:8-10

Lost: How did the coin get LOST?

Found: What did she do to FIND the missing coin?

Celebrate: Everyone came over to CELEBRATE the one coin that was found.

3.  The Son

¨ Luke 15:11-32

Lost: how did the son get LOST?

Found: What did the father do when he SAW his son walking home?

Celebrate: They CELEBRATED the return of HIS son .

Psalm 103:12 

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

What Made Jesus Such A Great Friend?

I. He wasn’t afraid to tell his friends what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.

¨ Luke 19:1-10 [Jesus comes to Zacchaeus’ home]

¨ Luke 18:18-23 [Rich young ruler]

¨ John 15:14 “You are my friends, if you do what I command you.”

¨ He commanded me “Whoever wants to be a friend, {warm, emotional attachment} of the world makes himself an enemy of God”- James 4:4

II. Jesus left people better than when he met them.

¨ John 8:3-12  [Woman caught in Adultery]

¨ Luke 8:43-48 [Woman with bleeding disorder]

¨ Jesus said “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

III. Jesus invested in people.

¨ Spending quality time- John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.”

¨ John 15:15 “I no longer call you your servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.”

¨ Compassionately sacrificing for them.  Luke 20:34 “Jesus had compassion on them and they received their sight and followed him.”

¨ Taking the time to model the right way for them-John 13:14 “If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Played: 14 | Download | Duration: 00:32:30

Three reasons we are motivated to share our faith.

Prov. 29:19

“A servant will not be corrected by mere words;

 for though he understands he will not respond.”

Our Challenge to be evangelist comes from a number of directions.

I. My drive to witness comes form ABOVE!

¨ Matthew 28:19 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel”

¨ Rev. 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.”

¨ John 4:13-14

¨ Luke 14:16-23

¨ II Cor. 5:14 “For the love of Christ compels us”

II. My drive to witness comes from WITHIN!

¨ When a person becomes a Christian they are changed from the inside out.- John 3

¨ The Holy Spirit takes control of your life- Gal. 2:20 “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

¨ II Cor. 1:5 “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”

¨ Paul stated it this way, “We cannot help but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

III. My drive to evangelize comes from AROUND US!

¨ Christians have been referred to by Jesus as ‘the salt of the earth”

¨ Ezekiel 33:7-9

Played: 16 | Download | Duration: 00:29:58

I. The Church is God’s Kingdom on Earth

·         Jesus uses the term “Kingdom of God in 159 verses in the New Testament.

·         Mark 1:14-15

·         He likened Messianic Kingdom a new treasure – Matthew 13:44 as a seed coming into fullness – Matthew 13:31

·         Nature of His Kingdom

1.       John 18:36 “My Kingdom is not of this world”

2.       The Kingdom would be inclusive not exclusive – Matthew 8:11

3.       The Kingdom is identified not in terms of earthy classifications but rather spiritual. – Matthew 5:3-9

4.       The Kingdom is not marked by political or geographical lines. – Hebrews 12:22

5.       The Kingdom is open to anyone who is willing to subjugate himself to the Lordship of Christ. – Matthew 16:19, Act. 2:38

II. The Church is the Army of Christ

·         We are on a mission – Matthew 28:18-20

1.       Take this message to the far ends of the earth

2.       Matthew 10:5-8

·         We have a powerful weapon at our disposal – II Cor. 10:4 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal “of this world” but might in God for pulling down strongholds” [worldly, arguments]

·         Eph. 6:16-17 “Take the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.”

·         We have a mighty leader- II Timothy 2:4 No man engages in warfare, entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”

·         We do that by “fighting the good fight” – I Timothy 1:18

Played: 11 | Download | Duration: 00:37:58

Philippians 2:1-11

Four characteristics of a servant

I.   Servants Decide to Put Others Before Themselves vs. 1-3

¨ Jesus states throughout scripture the only way to fulfillment in life is to serve others.

¨ II Kings 7:3-9

¨ J-Jesus

O-Others

Y-Yourself

¨ II Cor. 3:18

II.  Servants Look Out For The Interests of Others vs. 4

III. Servants Relinquish Their Rights vs. 5-7

IV. Servants Sacrifice vs.8

¨ Jesus“Called us out of darkness into His glorious light.” I Peter 2:9

WHO IS ON THE THRONE OF YOUR LIFE?

Col. 3:17

Played: 36 | Download | Duration: 00:30:17

We are a praying Church

II Chronicles 7:14

I.     People of Prayer

¨ I Peter 2:9 - We are God’s people today

¨ Acts 2

II.    The Price of Prayer

¨ I Peter 5:5

¨ Luke 18:13

III.    The Purpose of Prayer

¨ Isaiah 6: 1-8

¨ Psalm 46:10

¨ Spend time in prayer focusing on who God is.

¨ Be silent - Open your heart to his leading.

IV.   The Position of Prayer

¨ We come to God with a repentive spirit.

¨ Psalm 66:18

V. The Power of Prayer

¨ Luke 1:37, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

¨ Ephesians 3:20

Played: 20 | Download | Duration: 00:33:04

Today I want to explore the term “Bride of Christ”

Revelation 21:2 “And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

While we patiently wait for the Bridegroom to return, what must we do in preparation?  Matthew 25:1-12

I. The Plan-Jesus is coming for his church the bride-

¨ The ladies plan was to illuminate the way for the bridegroom as he returned from the bride’s house to his own home.

¨ II Timothy 3

II. The Problem-The virgins who ran out of oil, tried to borrow from those who had come prepared.

¨ No one can transfer their faith and spiritual convictions to others. Dr. Smith writes, “Spiritual Power is non-transferable.” –Phil. 2:12 “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

III. The Preparation- Watch and Wait for the Bridegroom is coming again!

¨ When the door was shut- It was shut for good- Genesis 7:16 “So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.”

¨ For those who where prepared- the wait and the labor was so worth it- Rev. 19:7-9 The term “rejoice/be glad occurs only one other time in the New Testament and that is in Matthew 5:12 which is in reference to the great reward for those who are faithful to end.

¨ The marriage feast refers to the final victory we will have over the enemy of the church. The made is a symbol of Christ relationship to His people.

Played: 31 | Download | Duration: 00:34:54

Zechariah 3:8-10

The Promise of a New & Better Priest

Zechariah has 8 specific Messianic visions recorded inhis book. These accounts take place around 519 B.C. This one in chapter 3 isthe first of eight.

Second only to Isaiah does Zechariah have Messianicpredictions.

Let’s examine the victory we receive through thisMessianic Promise

I. The Pardon of Israel underthe “New Priest” of Israel the church- vs. 4-5

¨ Therags of old are removed representing the old ways of sin and the oldpriesthood-Luke 5:36

¨ Festivegarments are put on signifying the priesthood being reinstated- Hebrews10:11-12, 19-22

II. The sign of the Messiah’scoming is outlined in verses 9-10

¨ He willbe called a SERVANT- Matthew 20:28, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to beserved, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

-I Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one Body and one Mediatory between God and men,the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, a testimony given indue time.”

¨ He willbe a BRANCH- coming forth-  Zech 6:12-  Isaiah 11:1-2b. Four-fold involvementsof the “Shoot” First used in Is. 4:2 “In that day the Branch of the Lord shallbe beautiful and glorious.”

1. Ideal King

2 Ideal Man-{Son of Man}

3. Ideal God-Man

4.Ideal Servant

¨ He willbe a STONE

-Jesus is the “chief-cornerstone” –I Peter 2:4-7

-The significance of the 7 eyes is this. Seven is a number of perfection. Theeye is a symbol of intelligence and omniscience of God.

Played: 28 | Download | Duration: 00:33:46

Program of Immanuel

Isaiah 11

Hebrew meaning forthe name Isaiah is “Yahweh Is Salvation”

Ministry lasted about 60 years. 

He preached and prophesied primarily in Jerusalem.

Theme of his book is simply “SALAVATION IS OF THE LORD”

I. He will come from the line of Jesse - Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 11:1

II. Notice the focus of Christ’s work - vs. 3a “delight in the fear of the Lord.”

¨ John7:16, 18

¨ The equity of his work is seen in vs. 3-4

III. Notice the description of the Ruler– vs. 6-9

¨ Picture of tranquility and transformation– vs. 6,7

1. Wild and domestic animals will be led by a child.

2. Carnivorous animals will eat vegetation.

3. Poisonous snakes will be harmless.

¨ Vicious people will be transformed by the renewing of their minds. - Acts 22

¨ They will unite at the Holy Mountain– the city of the Living God– Hebrews 12:22-23

IV. Notice the subjects of the Ruler– vs. 10-12

¨ God,through His Son, will unite the two fractured nations and bring the remnant of the house of Israel back into the fold through a new covenant.  Even the Gentiles will be included.

¨ Galatians4:4 “But when the time has fully come, God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. [Law of Moses] To redeem those that were under the law, [Jews]that we might receive the full rights of sons.” [Gentiles]

Played: 17 | Download | Duration: 00:27:49

The Coming Great Ruler

Micah 5:1-7

I. Micah predicts the Glorious Coming of Jesus Christ vs. 2

¨ This was given more than 700 years before his birth.

¨ It was the passage to which the chief priest and scribes referred when Herod demanded information from them concerning the birth of Christ- Matthew 2:1-5

¨ There where two towns in Israel that went by the name Bethlehem.

¨ The other was approximately 6 miles southwest of Jerusalem in the area belonging to Judah.

¨ The name “ Beth-lehem” means [ House of Bread]  

“ Ephratah” means [ Fruitful ]

¨ Jesus refers to Himself as the ‘Bread of Life’ - John 6:31-35

II. Micah predicts Jesus’ Rejection. Vs. 3

¨ John 6:59-66

¨ Isaiah 53

¨ Luke 20:9-17

III. Micah predicts Jesus’ Exultation - vs. 4

¨ The Coming Messiah will possess eternal existence- vs. 2b.

¨ He will possess divine strength- vs. 4a

¨ He will possess divine majesty v. 4b-

Psalm 96:1 “Honor and Majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.”

¨ He will achieve world-wide fame vs. 4c

Phil 2:10 “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth.”

Played: 35 | Download | Duration: 00:30:56

A Prophet Like Moses

Deuteronomy 18:15

I. Moses enjoyed intimate communication from God.

¨ Deut. 34:10 “And there was not a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”

¨ Numbers 12:5-8

¨ Notice the relationship of God and His Son John 6:57 “As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that feeds on me will live by me.”

¨ John 5:20 “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he does.

II. Moses was a miracle worker.

¨ Remember his deeds in Egypt

¨ John 11:1-4  So was Jesus

III. Moses was a lawgiver.

¨ Jesus is the Moses of the New Testament-  Hebrews 8:6-7 Heb. 9:15

¨ I Cor. 10:1-13

IV. Moses was a deliverer.

¨ Exodus 3:7, 8-10

¨ Jesus is our DELIVERER - Luke 4:18 “ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,

even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”

John 6:31-35

Played: 45 | Download | Duration: 00:00:00

I. My cup runneth over- vs. 5

              - Psalm 103

              - Job 38

II. Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

              - Psalm 100:5 "For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting and his    truth endures to all generations.”

              - So if God is the Great Shepherd- the two sheep dogs running along side the flock are

                   1. Goodness

                   2. Mercy

              - David is picturing a mobile and very active God- A God who is on the move. Deut. 4:7 “For what great nation               is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”

III. I will dwell in the house of the Lord- Forever!!!

         - As long as David lives- he will live within the confines of God’s house.

             - Revelation 14:13 “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

         - Untimely we will reside in the house that God is building for us for all eternity- John 14.

God never said the journey would be easy-

but the arrival would be worthwhile.

Played: 37 | Download | Duration: 00:28:32

 Isaiah 49:15-16 “I will not forget you.

See I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.

I. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me- vs. 4

              - Ezekiel 20:33-40

II. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies- vs.5

- Notice the effort provided by “Jehovah-jireh” The God who pro- vides. The accommodations are not convenient. It took great diligence on God’s behalf to provide for His people.

- God not only gives his people victory- He does it right smack in the middle of the enemies camp. – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be- came victories for God in the middle of Nebhecahnezer’s courtyard!

III. You anoint my head with oil- my cup runneth over- vs. 5

- What awaits you when you get to the table?

You are beyond condemnation –Romans 8:1

You are delivered from the law- Romans 7:6

You are near God- Eph. 2:13

You are delivered from the power of evil- Col 1:13

You are a member of the kingdom- Col. 1:13

You are justified- Romans 5:1

You have access to God at any moment- Eph. 2:18

You will never be abandoned- Hebrews 13:5

- “He Heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.”

- “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  O my God, I trust in You.”

Played: 31 | Download | Duration: 00:00:00

I. He restoreth my soul- vs 3

              - There is a big difference between reforming something and restoring it.

              - Through this divine restoration of the soul, Jesus has

                           1. Destroyed the barriers that separated us from Christ

                           2. Created a new man in His image

                           3. Reconciled us as Gentiles to God

                           4. Put to death the hostilities

II. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake- vs. 3

              - Psalm 119:1, 2, 11, 15 “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are                  those who keep His testimo- nies, who seek Him with the whole heart. Your word I have hidden in my heart                  that I might not sin against You. I will meditate on Your pre cepts, and contemplate Your ways.”

III. Yea though I walk through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

              - Jehovah-rophe - “The God who heals”

              - Jehovah-nissi -“My banner”

              - Jehovah-raah - “Caring Shepherd”

              - Jehovah-jireh - “Our great provider”

              - Jehovah-shalom - “The Lord of Peace”

              - David new first hand how to lead and protect his sheep.-I Samuel 17:33-37

              - He will not forsake us- Deut. 4:31 “For the Lord your God is a mer- ciful God, He will not forsake you nor                  destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.” {All nations of the earth will be                  blessed, they will populate like the sands of the sea}

              - John 14:1-4

Played: 40 | Download | Duration: 00:34:37

I.                   “He makes me to lie in green pastures. Vs. 2

-         Isaiah 26:2-3 “Open the gates, which the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord, for in Yahweh, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

-         For David to allude to “green pastures,” David could not be talking about the natural terrain of Judea.  I’ve been to Bethlehem – the landscape is not lush and green.  If it is – it’s because the shepherd has cleared the land and made it possible.

-         Matthew Henry writes, “God makes his saints to lie down; he gives them quiet contentment” within their minds.

-         The prophet Habakkuk new that feeling as well – Habakkuk 3: 16-19

II.                He leads me beside, the still waters – vs. 2

-         Jesus physically drove this point home one day with his disciples

o   Matthew 8:23-27

-         “God leads his people, not to the standing waters which corrupt and gather filth, nor to the troubled sea, nor to the rapid rolling floods.” Why”

-         If you are wallowing in self-pity today – You need to turn life over to the Great Shepherd – Allow him to walk you to green pastures, and still waters.

Played: 55 | Download | Duration: 00:26:28

I. The Lord is my Shepherd - vs. 1

              - God is Yahweh - He is unchanging, uncaused and ungoverned.

              - God is a Spirit, Infinite, Wise, Holy, Just, He is Truth, All-Powerful.

¨ God is Consistent.

¨ God is Uncaused.

¨ Psalm 90:12 “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

¨ John 4:24 “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

- John 10 - The Good Shepherd passage-

¨ The Pharisees personified the false shepherds

¨ Jesus fulfilled the true shepherd

¨ The Fold-Church

¨ Sheep– Disciples

¨ Door/Shepherd– Christ

¨ Porter– God

II.   I Shall Not Want- “Lack anything needful”

- Matthew 6:8 “Therefore do not be like them,” Pharisees, “For your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.”

- “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.” - Matthew 6:34

- Philippians 4:19 “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.”

That is why - In Times Like These - We have a shepherd -

His name is Jesus!!!

Played: 79 | Download | Duration: 00:00:00

II Samuel 23: 8—12

Let’s take at look at these three men and discover the qualities that they possessed and what made them Godly heroes of the faith!

I. Josheb Bashebeth—he took full advantage of an opportunity and made the most of it. (vs. 8)

¨ You and I need an individual life calling.

¨ Again, God looks for the available person.  The man or woman willing to serve, and like Josheb, ready to take full advantage of opportunities that come our way.

II. Eleazer—after everyone retreated, “He stood his ground.”(vs. 9-10)

¨ Hebrew 4:12— “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” It’s a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

¨ Ephesians 6:17, “Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

¨ II Corinthians 10: 3 - 6a

¨ John 18:37, Jesus stood before Pilate and said, “My cause for coming to the earth was to bear witness to the truth.”

¨ In many churches today there is little serious Bible Study.

¨ John MacArthur writes in his book, Fools Gold, Self esteem, self-confidence, self-this, self-that have replaced talk of God’s attributes.  Ironically, it has created that opposite of its intention. Without the knowledge of God in whose image we have been created, and the grace which has made us the children of God, narcissism, or self-love, quickly evolves into depression.

III. Shammah -  learned to fight hard no matter where God placed him   (vs. 11-12)

¨ It was only a worthless “bean patch”

Played: 96 | Download | Duration: 00:25:20

James 5:1-11

So as we contemplate more intently the subject of stewardship and money management and the role that plays in our support for God’s work here and abroad, let’s meditate on James’s admonition…

I. Warning to those corrupted by money.

¨ He addresses those whose soul desire is to be defined in life by   money and power (vs.1)

¨ Questions to ponder----

       1. By what means were these material things obtained?

       2. How are they being enjoyed?

       3. To what use are they being put?

II. The response to being corrupted by ill-gotten gain- “weep and howl.”

(vs. 3)

¨ “Your riches are corrupted” Psalm 119:33

¨ Mark 10:23-24      III John 2           Luke 8:14

¨ Your possessions are useless (vs. 3) 

· Garments have been rendered useless

· Their gold and silver has now rusted

III. An improper attitude about money can destroy relationships. (vs. 4-6)

¨ The Old Testament is filled with warnings concerning the payment for work done

· Leviticus 19:13  

· Jeremiah 22:13

IV.  Real investments are made with eternity in mind. (vs. 7)

¨ In James 1:3, patience refers to being unwearied concerning the trials of life.

¨ In James 5:7, patience refers to being long-suffering towards the tormentors themselves.

¨ There are over 300 references in the New Testament pertaining to the Second Coming of Jesus. Vs.8

¨ Remember, you cannot harvest the same time you are planting. James says- Finish strong

Played: 93 | Download | Duration: 00:31:39

1 John 5:10

1 Thessalonians 1:8

I.    Your life message includes your testimony.

               -  Your testimony is the story of how Christ has made a difference in          your life.

· 1 Peter 2:9-10         

· Acts 1:8

II.   Your life message include your life lessons.

              -   These are the lessons and insights we have learned about God,

                   relationships, problems, temptations, and other aspects of life.

· Psalm 119:33

· Psalm 106:43

· Proverbs 25:12

III.  Your life message includes sharing your Godly passions.

A.  God is a passionate God.

B.  You cannot keep yourself from talking about what you care about      most.

· Psalm 69:9

· Jeremiah 20:9

IV.  Your life message includes the Good News.

A.  2 Corinthians 5:19

· ...that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

B.  2 Corinthians 5:14 - 15

· For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Colossians 4:5

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders;

make the most of every opportunity.

Bible Study 

“Inspiration of Scripture”

October 5 - 10

Monday:       Paul wrote at the Lord’s Command                                     I Cor. 14:37,

                                                                                                             I Thess. 2:13

Tuesday:       Holy Spirit guided the apostles into truth                              John 14:26, 16:13

Wednesday:  God put His words into Jeremiah’s mouth                            Jeremiah 1:9, 5:14

Thursday:      God taught Moses what to speak                                        Exodus 4:12 - 16

Friday:          All scripture is inspired by God                                            II Timothy 3:16

Saturday:       Words of scripture “taught” by the Holy Spirit                     I Cor. 2:13

Played: 107 | Download | Duration: 00:32:04

Past - Present - Future

Ephesians 2

1. Past life of a Believer- vs. 1 -  7

· Paul reminds the new developing Christians of their past days in sin -

             a. Who were dead

             b. We all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of the flesh

c. We were, by nature, children of wrath

d. We were dead in trespasses

· Before the Church at Ephesus had become Christians, they had lived according to:

a. The course of this world—James 4:4

b. The devil- “the prince of this world” John 12:31

c. Children of disobedience

d. The lusts of flesh

e. Children of wrath

2. Present life of a Believer– vs. 8-10

· Once dead, now alive in Christ-

· What in the world does Paul mean when he refers to “grace now saving us”

a. Works of the Law of Moses cannot save– Romans 3:28

     Eph. 2:11-13

b. Works of man’s own righteousness cannot merit salvation-

    Titus 3:5

c. Salvation is the gift of God for which no man can boast-

    vs. 9

3. Future Life of a Believer– vs. 11 - 22

· Notice the benefits that come from being a born again Christian!!!

a. No longer an alien or stranger or hopeless– vs. 12

b. I live with peace and reconciled to God– vs. 13

c. Draw close to God– Gal. 2:13

d. I am a fellow citizen now of the spiritual nation of Israel-

    Gal. 3:14

e. I have access to the Father because of Jesus– vs. 18

f. I have been added to the greatest institution in the world

g. I house t