May 8, 2016 - Mother's Day

Sunday School
Acts 19:1-41 & 20:1-38
Paul's Third Missionary Journey - Acts 19

• Paul traveled through the interior provinces to Ephesus.
• He asked several believers if they had received the Holy Spirit when they first believed. They answered, "No. We haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." They had been baptized of John. Paul said, "John's baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later." As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.
• God gave Paul the power to do unusual miracles so that even when handkerchiefs or cloths that had touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases and any evil spirits within them came out.
• Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!" Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
• The evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul - but who are you?" Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on the, overpowered them all and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.
• This event was known all around Ephesus. Then fear fell on all of them and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Many confessed and disclosed their practises, while many who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. This amounted to about fifty thousand pieces of silver.
• In this way the Lord's message flourished and prevailed.

Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece - Acts 20

• Paul encouraged believers in all the towns he passed through.
• In Troas, Paul spoke into the night to believers in an upstairs room. A young man named Eutychus was sitting on the windowsill and became very drowsy, finally fell asleep and fell out of the window as Paul was speaking.
• Paul went to him, fell upon him, embraced him and said, "Don't be alarmed, for his life is in him!" Then Paul went back upstairs to break bread and eat. Paul conversed for sometime more. Then he left.
• The believers brought the boy, Eutychus, home alive and were greatly comforted.
• Paul bid farewell to the Ephesian Elders but before he left them he prayed with them.

Sermon

Proverbs 31:10, 27-28 -  v10 -Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious then jewels. v27 - She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.  v28 - Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her.

Subject: "What Do Mothers Deserve?"

• Everyday love and honor mother.
• What are mothers? They are teachers, caretakers, gardeners, doctors, coaches, chauffeurs, councilors, molders of attitudes and our first link to knowing God.
• Mothers deserve OBEDIENCE in the Lord for their children for this is right.
• Mothers deserve RESPECT. Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land. Exodus 20:12
• Mothers Deserve AFFECTION. Tell your mother that you love her. She needs to hear it from you.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day Poem

Mother's Love

Her love is like an island in life's ocean,

vast and wide

A peaceful, quiet shelter from the wind, the rain, the tide.

'Tis bound on the north by Hope.

By Patience on the west.

By tender Counsel on the south,

and on the east by Rest.

Above it like a beacon light

shines Faith, and Truth, and Prayer;

And thro' the changing scenes of life I find a haven there.

Author Unknown

April 13, 2014 - Palm Sunday

Sunday School

Hebrews 4 and 5
Hebrews reveals Jesus' true identity as God. Jesus is the ultimate authority. He is greater than any religion or any angel.

• We are to only believe and obey God to gain our resting place.
• God's words converts, convicts and comforts.
• Draw near to God in your heart with reverence.
• Melchizedek was the first high priest but Jesus is the most High Priest. Our sacrifice to sin which set us free.
• Christ was always morally perfect. By obeying, He demonstrated His perfection to us, not to God or to Himself.
• As Christians, we must learn discernment.
• As mature Christians, we are to teach others in the Word of God.
• Do not become a "dull" Christian.

Sermon

Ephesians 3:14-17
v14 When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,  v15 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through Hid Holy Spirit.  v17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.

Subject: "The Dynamics of God's Love"

Sermon Snippet

From Matthew 21:12-13 - Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers.  He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves.  He said, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a place of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!"

God's Love is pure and holy.
God is the source of His Word
In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1

 

Three Dynamics of God's Love

1. The source is God's love - All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16
2. The power is God's love - But the fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
3. The course of God's love - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16;  Greater love has no man that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

 

 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

 

 

 

 

 

May 12, 2013

Mother's Day

 

Sunday School

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

• Paul writes to the Thessalonians giving thanks to God always for them; praising them for staying strong even in the face of persecution.
• Paul gives thanks to God that faith has produced work and love and endurance of hope in the (our) Lord Jesus Christ.
• Faith, Hope and Love are reflective of the Trinity
• Jesus has left the Holy Spirit to guide His people
• Praying one for another in faith in obedience to God
• Jesus rescues and delivers us from the terror of the coming judgment

Sermon

Luke 15:29-30
(v 29) But he replied to his father, "Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. (v 30) But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him."

 

Subject: At The Right Place With The Wrong Attitude

• The older brother was angry this his father and won't come in to the party. He had a problem from within himself. He thought a bit more of himself than he ought.
• He had a feeling of self pity because he's family was inside partying with the prodigal son.
• Philippians 2:3-8 (v3) Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. (v4) Everyone should look out not [only] for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (v5) Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, (v6) who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. (v7) Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, (v8) He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death - even to death on a cross.
• We want to have the mind and spirit of Christ
• If you have no greater cause than yourself [Christians], you are out of the will of God.
• Elder brother had everything he could ever need at home but had the wrong attitude.
• We must be willing vessels.

Mother's Day Thoughts - Proverbs 31

(v10-22)

10 - Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels.
11 - The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good.
12 - She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.
13 - She selects wool and flax and works with willing hands.
14 - She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from far away.
15 - She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and portions for her female servants.
16 - She evaluates a field and buys it: she plants a vineyard with her earnings.
17 - She draws on her strength and reveals that her arms are strong.
18 - She sees that her profits are good, and her lamp never goes out at night.
19 - She extends her hands to the spinning staff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 - Her hands reach out to the poor, and she extends her hands to the needy.
21 - She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed.
22 - She makes her own bed coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Blurb from Sermon

 

March 24, 2013

Palm Sunday

Sunday School

Forty Days After Christ's Resurrection

Sources: Bible.org

King James Bible

Living Bible

Google

The Earthquake

•  Matthew 28:2-4

The women Enter the Tomb 

• Matthew 28:5-8
• Mark 16:2-8
• Luke 24:1-8
• John 20:1

The Women Report to the Apostles

• Luke 24:9-12
• John 20:2-10

1st Resurrection Appearance

• Mark 16:9-11  -  Jesus appears to Mary
• John 20:11-18

2nd Resurrection Appearance

•  Matthew 28:9-10  -  Jesus Appears to the Other Women
• Matthew 28:11-15  -  Confusion among the Guards

3rd Resurrection Appearance

• Mark 16:12-13  -  Jesus appears on the road to Emmaus
• Luke 24:13-32

4th Resurrection Appearance

• Luke 24:33-35

5th Resurrection Appearance

• Mark 16:14
• Luke 24:36-43  -  Jesus appears to the Disciples
• John 20:19-25

6th Resurrection Appearance

• John 20:26-31 - Jesus meets with Thomas

7th Resurrection Appearance

• John 21:1-25 - Jesus appeared to the 7 beside the Sea of Galilee

8th Resurrection Appearance

• Matthew 28:16-20 - This is known as the Great Commission
• 1 Corinthians 15:6  -  Appearance to the 500

9th Resurrection Appearance

• Mark 16:15-18  -  Appearance to James
• 1 Corinthians15:7

10th Resurrection Appearance

• Luke 24:44-49  -  The Final Appearance & Instructions
• Acts 1:3-8

The Ascension

• Mark 16:19-20
• Luke 24:50-53
• Acts 1:9-12

Thoughtful Question: Why did Jesus say "Do not cling to me."  John 20:17 - "Don't cling to Me," Jesus told her [Mary Magdalene], "for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father - to My God and your God."



The Thought for the Day: Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there!
Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Pre-Easter Photo

Brown Chapel Family

 

Sermon

Matthew 21:6-11

(6) The disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them. (7) They brought the donkey and the colt; then they laid their robes on them, and He sat on them. (8) A very large crowd spread their robes on the road; others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. (9) Then the crowds who went ahead of Him and those who followed kept shouting:

Hosanna to the Son of David:

He who comes in the name of

the Lord is the blessed One!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!

(10) When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken, saying, "Who is this?"

(11) And the crowds kept saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee!"

 

Topic: Triumphant  Entry

Snippet of Sermon

LINK

• Jesus came to Jerusalem on an ass while the people lay palm leaves over the path. (Zachariah 9:9 - Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.)
• Jesus was openly declaring that He was the Messiah.
• Those who shouted "Hosanna" one day, were shouting "Kill Him" the next.
• Jesus gave Himself as a living sacrifice with love, humbleness, and peace.
• Jesus conquered sin.
• Jesus rose with all power

 



 

 

February 24, 2013

Sunday School - Brief

 

The Lord's Prayer
Study taken from Kay Arthur guide

• Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name = Worship
• Your kingdom come = Allegiance
• Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven = Submission
• Give us this day our daily bread = Petition & Provision
• And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors = Confession & Forgiveness
• And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil = Watchful & Deliverance
• For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever = Worship
• Amen

Hebrews 11:6 - "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

Questions to ponder:

1. What are we to believe when we come to God in prayer?
2. Why are we coming to Him?
3. How are we to come to Him?

Sermon

Luke 10:33 - But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw [the man], he had compassion.

Subject: "Do The Right Thing"

Listen to a blurb from the sermon

February 10, 2013

Sunday School

Colossians 1:1-29

Colossians is a book of connections. Paul, while in prison in Rome wrote to combat false teachings, which had infiltrated the Colossian church.

• Mercy is an intervention that we should all avail ourselves.
• The fruit of the Spirit is full but we, in our humanly flesh, are still growing.
• God qualifies the chosen!
• By the will of God, means that He had attained His high office though "NO" human means whatsoever.
• Paul, was set apart by God and did not need to consult any man.
• Grace is God's spontaneous and unmerited favor in action. You cannot earn it or buy it.
• Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. (Phil. 4:6)
• Jesus is the Son by nature. We are children by adoption.
• Only Jesus has the right to call God "my father" and make the claim "The Father and I are one."
• The Colossians' faith was strong and the grace of God was evident in them. Paul thought this was a great and wonderful testimony.
• The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel...
• Faith, hope and love have their source in heaven.
• Prayer and asking God to fill you with knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, is always needed.
• Where we were, as unbelievers, being ruled by the powers of darkness, we were going about doing the will of the evil one. But now, by God's grace, we have been moved into the kingdom of light, into the kingdom of the Son.
• He preceded the whole Creation, and He is Sovereign over all Creation.
• Isaiah 44:24 - "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all along."
• Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
• But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you hold in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation

Sermon

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.
Matthew 4:18-19 - One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea o Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, also called Peter and Andrew, fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen.  Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for men."

Topic - "The Next Season"   Click on LINK to hear blurbs from sermon.

Ecclesiastes means preaching

• We need to follow God's will and our lives need to revolve around the "Son" Jesus Christ
• We need to look forward to the next season because with the new season comes "change"
• There are going to be trials and weeping but joy comes in the morning