Iron Shoes

God says, "I will be your iron bars of protection.  Before anyone gets to you, they must get by Me."  And God was also saying to them and to us, "No matter how rough the road of life gets, I will be your iron shoes to see you through."  Sermon on the last Sunday in 2019 from Deuteronomy, on looking ahead to the New Year.

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

 I share the story behind the beloved Christmas song, "O Little Town of Bethlehem".  The verses declare the heart of Christmas.  It is a time of celebration, a time of salvation, and a time of contemplation.  But long before this song was penned, the prophet Micah penned the words of the special town of Bethlehem.

Lord Of The Ages

April 15 of 1865 President Lincoln died at 7:22 AM. A doctor put his hands across his chest and whispered,”He is gone.” Everybody in the room knelt by the bedside and put their hands on the bed while the minister asked God to accept His humble servant, Abraham Lincoln into His glorious Kingdom. The room remained silent until Secretary of War Edwin Stanton proclaimed, “Now he belongs to the ages.” It is true that some human beings like Abraham Lincoln are so great in their impact that they belong to the ages. But only of Jesus Christ can it be said, “That the ages belong to Him.” Jesus created the ages of time. If Jesus controls all the times, eras and movements of history, then He controls all the times and seasons in your life as well. He is in control. Whatever season you are in right now, I want to encourage you, Jesus Christ is Lord of that season.

“I’ve Got This” - Jesus

Colossians 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. This is not like Jesus holding everything up like Atlas. He is not so much holding it up as He is carrying it in His hands. He is sustaining it and holding it together. This is easy for Him. In fact it is so easy the Bible tells us how He does it. He does it by the word of His power. The same word that He used to speak it all into existence is the same word that He uses to hold it all together. The word of Jesus keeps this world from falling apart. He keeps it all afloat. Ten times in Genesis 1 we have the words, “God said.” During the Vietnam War helicopter pilots coined a slang term to describe a certain hexagon shaped nut that held the main rotor to the mast of the helicopter. They called this the Jesus nut. You can imagine why they called it that. Because if that small piece of metal ever came off, all the people in that helicopter were going to meet Jesus and very quickly. They called it the Jesus nut because it held everything together. In the same way, Jesus is the one piece that holds the entire universe together. He keeps the whole thing from flying apart and collapsing. The same thing is true in your life. Jesus is the One who sustains you and supports you. He keeps our lives from falling apart. Christmas can be hard for some. Maybe you feel like your life is crashing down around you. You and I need to remember that it is Jesus Christ who holds us together. Now if everything in your life is going great, Jesus is still the One holding it together. Either way we need to cling to Him and that is a great thing to know this Christmas season.

The Last Word

Jesus is the answer the world has always looked for.  He is the answer to every question.  He is the end to every thought.  He is the period to every sentence.  Jesus is the whole message for the whole God for the entirety of the human race.  Jesus is the last word of God to man. I share seven statements of Christ's superiority from Hebrews 1:1-3.  This is what qualifies Him to be God's final word.

The Story Of Scripture Dec 8

The Bible is one complete and compelling story.  It has a plot that is developed from Genesis to Revelation.  There is creation, fall, redemption and restoration.  Find out how you can be in the story  and how to share it with others.  Sermon on 2019 Bible Sunday.

Consider Your Ways Part 2 Dec 1

We are continuing our study in the book of Zechariah.  Something happened in the last generation that caused people distance themselves from God.  When we return to Him, He begins to bless.

Consider Your Ways

This is the second message in Zechariah.  It is a message on priorities.  When we put God first, He brings blessings.

Zechariah God Remembers

Overview of the book of Zechariah.  It is a book filled with prophecies and promises.

Unwrapping Spiritual Gifts Part 5

This is the final message on Unwrapping Spiritual Gifts.  The body of Christ comes together and the three categories of gifts are shown working together. 

Unwrapping Spiritual Gifts Part 4

Spiritual Gifts come as a combination of God's sovereignty and our desire.  In this message we begin to look at how the gifts operate.  Real life illustrations are given.

2019 10 13 Unwrappping Spiritual Gifts Part 3

A look at the manifestation gifts from 1 Corinthians 12.  There are nine of them.  We look at each one in turn. 

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gift Part 2

In this message, I teach us how to best use our gifts and how to cultivate and grow them.

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gift Part 1

If you are a child of God you are gifted.  In Part 1, I lay the foundation for discovering your gift.  Join us for an exciting journey into spiritual gifts.

The Sealing Ministry Of The Holy Spirit

One of the forgotten ministries of the Holy Spirit, who some people call the forgotten God, is His sealing ministry.  First of all, a seal means "finality."  It means the transaction is done.  Secondly, a seal means "security."  It means the transaction is safe.  And, thirdly, a seal means "identity."  It shows to whom the transaction has been delivered.  It stands for authenticity.  The Holy Spirit is God's seal on us.

Understanding the Gifts Of The Spirit Part 3

     This is a very exciting message in discovering your spiritual gift or gifts.  Practical examples and scenarios are given and the gifts are defined. 

Understanding Spiritual Gifts Part 2

The Lord Jesus ascended up on high.  He led captivity captive.  Satan's kingdom is ruined.  And the spoils of the battle are given to us.  The spoils are our grace gifts given to us to serve our great King.  Never despise or overlook your great gift.  It is a spiritual gift from our conqueror, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Understanding Spiritual Gifts

On the Day of Pentecost, the followers of Jesus did not receive gifts (plural), but rather they received "the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).  The Holy Spirit then manifests Himself through gifts He gives.  So the gift (singular) of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself.  Then, the Holy Spirit gives us gifts (plural) to serve Him.  Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift.   In this message, I  begin to lay the foundation for these gifts and shares how the church is ignorant of them.

How The Holy Spirit Helps Us In Our Prayer Life

In our personal prayer life we need a translator who knows our language and the language of Heaven.  We need an intercessor and an interpreter.  According to Romans 8:26-27 this is the Holy Spirit.  This message is the answer to questions like, "How can we know if what we are praying is what God really wants, or not?"  Often we can't put words to our pain and struggle and confusion.  There are even moments when we can hardly pray at all.  We haven't got a prayer.  It is at these times the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and helps us in our prayer life.  Our divine prayer partner takes our imperfect prayers and makes them perfect.  He takes our weak prayers and makes them strong.  He takes our unfinished prayers and He finishes them.  He takes our childish prayers and makes them mature.  He takes our confused prayers and He makes them clear.  This message will encourage you to persevere in prayer. 

Do Not Grieve The Spirit

We are told in Scripture to not quench the Holy Spirit and to not grieve the Holy Spirit.  We quench Him when we don't do what He wants us to do.  We grieve Him when we do what He doesn't want us to do.  When we hurt the Helper, we are shooting ourselves in the foot, so to speak.  We want to let the Holy Spirit help us.  All sin grieves Him, but the Scripture mentions some specific things. This message will inspire  you to be on fire for the Lord and tell you how to avoid grieving and bringing discomfort to the Comforter.

Walk In The Spirit

Do you know there is a traitor inside of you?  it is your flesh.  There is a civil war inside of you.  There is a battle between the flesh and Spirit.  which one will win?  Listen to this practical message of how to walk in the Spirit, so you won't fulfill the desires of the flesh.  There is victory over sin in this life but we cannot win it in our own strength.  The victory is achieved by keeping in step with the Spirit.  Watch and learn how as Pastor illustrates walking physically and then applies that to your spiritual walk.  As  you apply these principles, beautiful fruit will be produced in your life.

Be Filled With The Spirit

What does it mean to be "filled with the Spirit"?  How can you be filled with the Spirit?  What are some marks or evidences of the Spirit-filled life?  Listen to this message to have these questions and more answered.  Pastor makes a complex message simple to understand using Scripture and analogies

2019 06 16 The Three Hats Of A Man Named Abraham

Everyone wears many different hats.  For instance, I am a husband, a father, a grandfather, a pastor, and a friend, among many other things.  This passage reveals three sides of the life of this man named Abraham.  In this passage, he is visited personally by the Lord.  During this visit we are given a glimpse at three sides of this great man's life. . . three hats he wore.  As Abraham is revealed to us here, we see some characteristics in his life that need to be seen in our lives as well.

The Outpouring

What does Pentecost mean?   Is what happened on the day of Pentecost a one time event, or does it have significance for today?  Listen to this message to find out.  Learn about the power of the Holy Spirit in your life and how God wants the Holy Spirit to flow out of you.

The Indwelling

One of the distinctives of this age is the indwelling Holy Spirit.  This means that he very divine presence incarnated in Jesus Christ is now present in His people.  We are His temple.  As His temple, He wants us to be holy and mobile, accomplishing God's purpose on earth.

Back From The Dead

A sermon from the series, "God In You." What does it mean to be born again?  You will learn of the necessity of regeneration, and the nature of regeneration.

A Mother Of Great Faith

What is great faith? Jesus is approached by a mother who is in a desperate situation she needs something in her life. She comes to the Lord and as she does, she is not asking for the whole meal, she is just asking for the crumbs. She is just asking Jesus to move in her situation. She faces several challenges, but she persists and she gets what she came for. There is hope for you. God has the solution to your problem.

The Lost Message

If you like Indiana Jones, you will LOVE this message!!!  Is repentance just for Old Testament times, or is it relevant today?  Sermon by Pastor Josh Mannon

PROSECUTING ATTORNEY

The initial ministry of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person is His convicting ministry.  Are you praying for the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your children and grandchildren?  Are we witnessing to other people? We are witnesses for the prosecution.  Do you witness with your life and your lips? 

Introducing the Holy Spirit

Who is the Holy Spirit?  Who is He to you?  This is the first message in a series: "God in You: The Work Of The Holy Spirit".  This message lays the foundation for the rest of the series.  Introducing The Holy Spirit

Why The Empty Tomb Is Not Enough

As we come to the empty tomb, we realize the empty tomb is not enough.  We have to ask ourselves why it is empty.  Do I believe in the resurrection?  What does this mean for me personally?  Is this the end of the story?  The correct response is that the resurrection story was not over when Jesus was raised from the dead, it was just beginning.  We carry on the story.  His story becomes our story.

Behold Your King

This is a unique Palm Sunday Message.  In Zechariah 9, Alexander the Great is contrasted with Israel's Messiah.  The first eight verses of that chapter form a backdrop and set the stage for Israel's coming King, starting in verse .  Israel's King is unlike any earthly king.  He is righteous and humble, bringing salvation and peace.

The Preciousness Of Unity

Unity is both good and pleasant.  Few things are both.  Listen to this message and understand the beauty, the bond and the blessing of unity.  Unity and the power of God are twins.  Where there is unity, God commands blessing.  Understand that as powerful as unity is, however, it is also very fragile.

Keep Calm & Carry On

Psalm 131 is one of David's Psalms Of Ascent.  David uses the illustration of a weaning child to illustrate our struggle to find calm and contentment in life.  Weaning a child is not always an easy task.  There is a clash of the wills.  But once the battle is over the child is able to rest in the arms of its mother.  That is the picture of verse 3.  It is a beautiful picture of peace and calm in the Lord's presence.  There are tree things we need to accept if you are going to be able to stay calm and carry on.

The Joy Of Coming Home

Expounding on Psalm 126, going through the setting, the singing, the sowing, and the sheaves.  It is nice to go on a trip, but so very nice to come home.  Are  you able to say, "God has done great things for me"?

Travel Insurance

Psalm 121 has become known as the traveler's Psalm.  It is a Psalm about trusting in God's care as we travel, but really at all times.  Life is a journey where we need to trust at all times and in every circumstance.

The Unsinkable Ship

 It's a fact of life that you will face troubled waters.  The storms of life are inevitable.  So the question is, how will we handle the storms when they come?  Whatever the storm you are facing and however bad it may be, Jesus can be trusted.  God is in your boat!  and when God is in your boat, you can be assured your boat won't sink.

Living In Light Of the Coming Of Jesus (Paul)

There are two great appearings of Jesus.  One is past.  The other is future.  We live between the two comings.  In light of that, how shall we live? We should live in hope which is confident assurance with anticipation that Jesus is coming again in glory.  Sermon series "Living In Light of the Coming Of Jesus".

Living In The Light Of The Coming Of Jesus

How does focusing on the return of Jesus someday, help us today?  Here are 3 points from the book of 1 John 2, how the return of Jesus is relevant to our lives today regardless of whether He comes again next week or in another 100 years.

The Art Of Strengthening Yourself In The Lord

Learn the secrets from the life of David, how he strengthened himself in the Lord, teaching on the promises and providence of God.

Abiding In Christ Secrets Of The Vine

What does it mean to "abide" in Christ?  Are you a fruitless or fruitful branch?  Learn the secrets of the vine.

You And Your Shadow

Influence is one of the greatest things a Christian has.  Listen to this sermon to learn how to cast  your shadow of influence.

How To Be Free From The Poison Of A Bitter Spirit

How to be free from the poison of a bitter spirit, when you have to drink the bitter cup.  Sermon on a bitter spirit, and how to avoid a bitter spirit.  We all have hurts, and how to deal with them so we don't become bitter.

Go, Fight, Win

Sunday's sermon from January 6, 2019.  The events of David fighting Goliath, and the reason why we fight, and how we fight.