Dedicating the Temple – Then and Now I. APPROACHING the text ANALYTICALLY. (8:1-66)A. A STRUCTURE that highlights a PRAYER. (v.1-66)B. The EXEGETICAL difficulty of PREACHING a prayer. There’s a strategy that goes into reading the Bible in a...
Read moreAll Sermons
The Problem with Kings – Pt. 7 | II Samuel 13-23, I Kings 1-2
Right with God? A Lot Has HAPPENED RAPE, REVENGE, and REBELLION (II Samuel 13-18) Even more REBELLION (II Samuel 20) The END of an ERA A Reminder of WHAT is at STAKE (Genesis 3, 22, 49; 2 Samuel 7) An UNDERWHELMING Conclusion (I Kings 1-2) A...
Read moreThe Problem with Kings – Pt. 6 | 2 Samuel 11-12
I. The ACTUAL story highlights a CONTRAST. (11:1-27)A. The CORRUPTION of the POWERFUL. (v.2-25)B. The INTEGRITY of the WEAK. (v.9-13) This is one of the most tragic personal stories in the Old Testament. We see David, the beloved king, make...
Read moreThe Problem with Kings – Pt. 5 | 2 Samuel 7:1-28
The Plans to Build a House I. The KING has a good IDEA. (v.1-4)A. I will BUILD a HOUSE for God. (v.1-2)B. Nathan AGREES…but too QUICKLY. (v.3-4)C. When GOOD ideas fall SHORT. (v.4-5) Life is good. David is home in his palace, his enemies...
Read moreThe Problem with Kings – Pt. 4 | 2 Samuel 6:1-23
“God struck him down…” I. David ESTABLISHES the KINGDOM. (2 Sam. 5-6)A. A KING, a CAPITAL, and big VICTORY. (2 Sam 5)B. BRINGING the ark (God) HOME. (v. 1-2)C. WHERE had the ark (God) BEEN? (1 Sam. 4-7) Last week we saw that Saul’s time was short...
Read moreThe Problem with Kings – Pt. 3 | 1 Samuel 24:1-22
The Right Thing To Do With Our Rights I. A MOMENT made for HOLLYWOOD. (v.1-22)A. A REVERSAL of POWER. (v.1-4)B. A DECISION that DISAPPOINTS. (v.5-15)C. REPENTANCE that doesn’t LAST. (v.16-22; 26:2; 27:1) These Old Testament stories are full of...
Read moreThe Problem with Kings – Pt. 2 | 1 Samuel 18:1-30
All those Emotions… I. RELATIONSHIPS always involve EMOTIONS. (v.1-30)A. SAUL is JEALOUS of David. (v.5, 8-30)B. But SAUL’S kids LOVE David. (v.1-4, 20, 28) Preaching 1 Samuel 18 is like walking through a minefield. There are so many...
Read moreThe Problem with Kings – Pt. 1 | 1 Samuel 13:1-15
Forgetting the True Reality I. RECONNECTING the NARRATIVE. (v.1-15)1. The Jews OPPRESSED by the PHILISTINES. (v.3, 19-22)2. A KING for the first TIME. (1 Sam. 8:5; v.1)3. An event that INCITES the OPPRESSOR. (v.3-5) We return to the 4th year of...
Read moreJob: A Poem of Pain (Part 2) | Job 38-42
God Responds I. A Quick RECAPA. God ALLOWS Satan to HARM Job (Job 1:9-12, 2:4-6; Luke 22:31-34)B. Job QUESTIONS God’s JUSTICE (Job 9:22-23, 27:2)C. Job’s Friends QUESTION his INNOCENCE (Job 4:7-9, 22:4-11) II. God SHOWS UPA. EXPOSES Job’s...
Read moreJob: A Poem of Pain (Part 1) | Job (selected verses)
The Silence of God I. Tips for READING JobA. REMEMBER the BACKSTORY (Job 1-2)B. Allow the TEXT to be VAGUEC. This is a SCENARIO, not POLICY II. SATAN and SUFFERINGA. The ACCUSER… ACCUSES (Job 1:9-11, 2:4-5)B. Satan BRINGS about the...
Read moreKoinonia – 1 John Pt. 4 | 1 John 5:1-21
Believing and Receiving I. What JOHN has said thus FAR. (Chap. 1-4)1. The TRINITY’S table of “FELLOWSHIP”. (1:1-4)2. Living in LIGHT not DARKNESS. (1:5-3:11)3. Letting LOVE flow TO and THROUGH you. (3:1-4:21) We are wrapping up 1st John today...
Read moreKoinonia – 1 John Pt. 3 | 1 John 3:11-24; 4:7-21
This is the message…part 2 I. The link between LOVE and FELLOWSHIP. (3:11-4:6)A. Love as a DIAGNOSTIC TOOL. (3:11-15, 19-24)B. CHRIST as the PROTOTYPE. (3:16-18)C. JESUS as the CONNECTION to love. (4:1-6) Remember that John is writing to...
Read moreKoinonia – 1 John Pt. 2 | 1 John 2:15-3:11
Challenges to “Fellowship” in a Dark World I. The Challenge: A TRINITY of DARKNESS. (2:15-17)A. FEELING, HAVING, and CONTROLLING.(v.16)B. This is NOT their first APPEARANCE. (Gen.3:6-7; Mt. 4:3-4,6,8-9) When the woman saw that the fruit of...
Read moreKoinonia – 1 John Pt. 1 | 1 John 1:1-2:14
Fellowship is more than a pot-luck I. WHY is John WRITING? (1:1-4)A. To PROCLAIM what others DENY. (1:1; 2:19,22)B. Jesus as the WORD of LIFE. (1:1-2)C. To COMPLETE the circle of FELLOWSHIP. (1:3-4)D. Fellowship is PARTICIPATION in THE life...
Read more2 Thessalonians – Part 1 | 2 Thessalonians 1-3
“Is this all there is?” I. The NEED for a second LETTER. (1:1-2:2)A. Growing FAITH and increasing LOVE. (1:3-4)B. Yet more PERSECUTION and SUFFERING. (1:5-10)C. A question: Is THIS all THERE is? (2:1-2) Scholars tell us that not long after Paul...
Read moreI Thessalonians: A Letter of Hope – Part 2 | I Thessalonians 3:12-13
God’s Will: Your Sanctification II. The Call to HOLINESS (4:1-8)A. The REALITY of Sex in Greco-Roman SOCIETYB. Another Counter-CULTURAL CRITIQUE (1:9-10, 4:3-6, 5:21-22)C. EMBODIED Holiness (4:4, Mt. 5:27-30) III. The Foundation of LOVE...
Read moreI Thessalonians: A Letter of Hope- Part I | I Thessalonians 1 & 2
The Three That Remain… I. The CONTEXT for I ThessaloniansActs 17 II. Paul’s Prayer of THANKSGIVINGI Thes. 1:3 A. WORK of FaithI Thes. 1:4-101 1. Ergon- both CAUSE and EFFECT 2. Gospel...
Read moreThe Revelation of Jesus Christ – Part 12 | Revelation 21:1-22:6
All Things New THE SATURDAY NIGHT CHALLENGE:Guess the sermon content – fill in the blanks of the outline and email it to Pastor Jeff (jeff@gbchope.com) by Sunday morning at 8:00 AM.Two (2) categories: (1) actual, and (2) creative. A prize...
Read moreThe Revelation of Jesus Christ – Part 11 | Revelation 19:11-20:15
The King and His Kingdom THE SATURDAY NIGHT CHALLENGE:Guess the sermon content – fill in the blanks of the outline and email it to Pastor Jeff (jeff@gbchope.com) by Sunday morning at 8:00 AM.Two (2) categories: (1) actual, and (2) creative...
Read moreThe Revelation of Jesus Christ – Part 10 | Revelation 17:1-19:10
A Tale of Two… THE SATURDAY NIGHT CHALLENGE:Guess the sermon content – fill in the blanks of the outline and email it to Pastor Jeff (jeff@gbchope.com) by Sunday morning at 8:00 AM.Two (2) categories: (1) actual, and (2) creative. A...
Read more