Our Desires vs. God’s Desire I. The CAUSE of QUARRELS (4:1-3)A. The WAR that Rages INSIDE (4:1-2a; Ti. 3:10-11; Prov. 20:3; Rom. 8:7)B. Our FAILURE to ASK (4:2b; Matt. 7:7-8; John 15:7)C. Our (NOT SO) Hidden AGENDAS (4:3) II. An EXCLUSIVE...
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James and Wisdom After the Cross – Part 3 | Selections from James
Sticks and Stones I. The LAY of the LANDA. Born by the WORD to Grow in PERSEVERANCE (1:2-4, 17-21)B. Our FAITH and the WORK of PERFECTION (1:22-25; 2:14-26)C. The Wisdom of MERCY Forbids FAVOURITISM (2:1-13; 3:13-18) II. The Power of the TONGUE...
Read moreJames and Wisdom After the Cross – Part 2 | James 2:1-13, 3:13-18
The Folly of Favouritism I. The Incompatibility of FAVOURITISM and the GOSPEL (2:1-13)A. God Chose the POOR (2:5; Matt. 25:40; Luke 4:17-19, 6:20)B. God is no RESPECTER of PERSONS (2:1; Deut. 10:17; I Sam. 16:7; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9)C...
Read moreJames & Wisdom After the Cross – Part 1 | James 1:2-7, 12-18; 2:14-26
The Legalism of Perfection and the Perfect Law I. A TALE of Two BIRTHS (1:1-8, 12-18)A. PERSEVERANCE is Grown through TRUTH and TRIALS (1:1-8, 17-18; Rom. 5:1-5)B. SIN is Born through DESIRE and DECEPTION (1:13-16, 22)C. PATIENCE and PRACTICE...
Read moreLife Under the Sun – Part 3 | Ecclesiastes 12:9-14
The End of Humanity? I. The WISDOM of the TEACHERA. MEANING is Impossible to DISCERN (1:2; 12:8)B. STRIVING Will Leave You MISERABLE (4:4-8; 5:13-17)C. CARPE DIEM! (2:24-25; 3:12-13; 5:18; 8:15) II. The WISDOM of the AUTHOR (12:9-14)A. The VALUE...
Read moreLife Under the Sun – Part 2 | Ecclesiastes 2:22-25; 3:9-13; 3:20-22; 5:15-20; 8:14-15; 9:7-10; 11:7-12:1
A Time to Mourn / A Time to Dance I. SIFTING Through the FOGA. All of our EFFORTS Gone up in SMOKE (6:12; 9:9; 11:10)B. Life: An ENIGMA we Cannot SOLVE (2:15,19,21,23; 3:19; 4:7-8; 6:2; 7:15; 8:14, 17) II. The Case for ENJOYING it ANYWAY...
Read moreLife Under the Sun – Part 1 | Ecclesiastes 1:1-18
A Time to Tear Down I. DECONSTRUCTING our Pursuits of FULFILLMENT (1:2-3)A. The MYTHS that we LIVE by 1. MATERIAL Fulfillment (2:1-11; 6:1-12) 2. INTELLECTUAL Fulfillment (1:12-18; 2:12-16; 8:16-17...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 9 | Acts 27-28
The End of the Beginning I. The Road to the CROSS, in all its Varied FORMS (Luke 19-23; Acts 21-28)A. No SERVANT is GREATER than His MASTER (John 15:20; Luke 19:28; 22:68; 23:4,7; Acts 21:15; 22:30; 24:1; 25:23)B. A Road of STRUGGLE, Risk, and...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 8 | Acts 16:6-34
When the Gospel Goes on Mission I. The GOSPEL is for EVERYONEActs 16:9, 13-14, 16-18, 29-34A. Lydia: A GOD-FEARING BUSINESS WOMANB. Slave Girl: A DEMON-POSSESSED WITNESSC. Jailer: A PAGAN EX-SOLDIER II. The Gospel looks different with EveryoneA...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 7 | Acts 15
A Gospel Shaped Community I. Paul & Barnabas: INDWELT, EMPOWERED, WITNESSING (Acts 13-14)A. A Multi-ETHNIC FAITH Community Following KING JESUS (Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3)B. SIGNS, SERMONS, and STONINGS! (Acts 13:4-14:20)C. “REPORTING all that...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 6 | Acts 10:1-48
Yet Another Example of God at Work I. A THREE-PART story. (v.1-48; Acts 1:1-2)A. God at work BEFORE the VISION. (v.1-8)B. God IS at work DURING. (v.9-22)C. God CONTINUES working AFTER. (v.23-48) Luke reminds us at at the very beginning that the...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 5 | Acts 9:1-19
Signposts of the Spiritual Journey I. Two DIFFERENT people, two SIMILAR stories. (v.1-19)A. Both SEEKING to live COMMITTED to the truth. (v.1-2,13-14)B. Saul – A DIFFICULT yet TRANSFORMATIVE moment. (v.1-9)C. Ananias – The CALL to a...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 4 | Selections from Acts 6:1-8:3
Jerusalem, Part 3 – The Ever Expanding Temple I. What we have SEEN this FAR. (Acts 1-5)A. A new HABITATION of the PRESENCE of God. (Acts 1:8)B. The TEMPLE is now EMBODIED. (Acts 2:1-4)C. The rhythm: INDWELT, empowered, WITNESSING. (Acts...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work Through the Church – Part 3 | Selections from Acts 3:1-4:31
Jerusalem, Part 2 – A Clash Between Two Temples I. The EMBODIED temple goes to the BUILDING. (3:1-26)A. SHARING the divine LIFE. (3:1-10)B. An EXAMPLE of being a WITNESS (3:11-26) 1. HONESTY about the PAST...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work through the Church – Part 2 | Acts 2:1-13, 42-47
Jerusalem, Part 1 – A Different Kind of Temple I. The GIFT that was coming ARRIVES. (1:4-5, 2:1-13)A. Sound of WIND and sight of FIRE. (v.2-3)B. They are FILLED with the SPIRIT. (v.4; 1:5)C. They are WITNESSES to the WONDERS of God. (1:8...
Read moreActs: Jesus at Work through The Church – Part 1 | Acts 1:1-11
Jesus Continues What He Started I. Luke/Acts: The CONTINUING work of JESUS. (v.1-5)A. He is ALIVE and WELL. (v.1-3)B. The MESSAGE has not CHANGED. (Lk. 4:43; v.3)C. The GIFT that is COMING. (v.4-5) For the season of Mission here at GBC we...
Read moreHoly Week – Resurrection Sunday 2022 | Luke 24:13-36
The Alive but Sometimes Invisible Jesus I. WALKING with the RISEN Jesus. (v.13-27)A. ALIVE but still INVISIBLE. (V.13-16)B. The PAIN of unmet EXPECTATIONS. (V.17-24)C. Seeing the ROAD as our CLASSROOM. (V.25-27) He is risen! He is risen indeed!...
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 6 | Luke 22:39-23:49
Journey to the Cross I. Notice the ROLE Jesus PLAYS here. (22:47-23:49)A. As one CLEAR on His IDENTITY. (22:48, 69-70; 23:3,46)B. CARING for the needs of OTHERS. (22:51, 23:28-34,43)C. As LEADER, not as a VICTIM. (22:48, 51-53, 67-70; 23:3...
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 5 | Joel
The Day of Justice Will Come I. PAIN that brings PERSPECTIVE. (Chapter 1-2) A WORLD that has been DECIMATED. (1:1-12) Loss makes SPACE for REPENTANCE. (1:13-20) SEEING a larger PATTERN. (2:1-17) Joel is a very interesting prophet. He has lived...
Read moreLent 2022 – Longing for Justice – Part 4 | Zephaniah
Transformed by God’s Justice I. The DAY of the LORD… AGAIN (1:2-3; 14-18; 3:8)A. The REVERSAL of CREATION (1:2-3)B. The PRIDE that Comes Before the FALL (1:12; 2:10,15; 3:2,11) 1. A LACK of...
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