Be joyful! What does that mean? What if I’m not feeling it? Can we really rejoice on demand? The “why” of joy God is faithful The illusion of strength We’re under “the eyes of the Lord” The “what” of joy We wait in hope We rejoice in him, not an idea or feeling God’s love is with us
Sermons by Dave Brown
Context: Partnership in the gospel The good news can spread despite opposition (v12-14) The good news can spread irrespective of our efforts (v15-18a) The good news in believers… giving confidence to live well (v18b-20) giving the reality of hope for the future (v21-22) giving purpose to the present (v23-26)
Introduction to Philippians It’s all about Jesus Establishing Partnership (verses 3-6) Gospel partnership is the nature of following Jesus Partnership as an approach to discipleship The image indicates the investment we have Demonstrating partnership (verses 7-8) How partnership should shape our relationships (vs 7) Grace as an opportunity to gospel partnership Partnership as an investment in growth Prayer for partnership (verses 9-11)…
Is there ever a need for judgment? Revelation 15 and 16: The last judgment The image’s source: The Exodus Why does it use that imagery? Exodus and the presence of God Exodus and the power of God How does the exodus image help? Knowing the destination helps the journey Doomsday Preppers: being ready for the end Getting our affairs in order Orienting…
Chapter 12 – Dragon (the gospel retold) A sign in heaven (12:1-6). The dragon is unable to stop God’s saviour coming. The heavenly battle (12:7-12) The significance of Jesus coming – salvation is secure. The dragon’s response (12:13-17) The church is persecuted Chapter 13. – The Beastie Boys (persecution unpacked) The “sea beast” (13:1-10) – human opposition to the gospel The “land…
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Proverbs 2:1-5 “Remember your maker” – a call to humility Proverbs 22:2 What does it mean to be wise with wealth? Recognizing that wealth itself is not evil But how adept are we at spotting greed? Wealth should be stewarded carefully Righteousness is worth more than wealth…
Where has the idea come from? Old Testament Pattern Gen 4 Gen 14 Gen 28 Duet 14 Proper tithing: giving ‘a tenth’ (… or is it?) New Testament… How does the law continue through Christ? Matthew 23:23 – It continues but extends Support gospel ministry (1 Cor 9) Opportunity for broad generosity (2 Cor 8-9) Some generous suggestions • Be regular •…
From last week… All that we have belongs to God Everything that belongs to God should be used with regard for him “Give me neither poverty nor riches” (Prov 30:8) How do we respond to the gap between the wealthy and the poor? How do we respond as those who are (by and large) not poor? Is wealth bad? In the OT…
Does God care about money Some would say God is only concerned for spiritual things. Some think God materially rewards those who follow him. A framework for thinking about money Wealth, like everything, belongs to God (Ps 24:1) Mentally moving away from a material-spiritual way of thinking We should treat everything as though it ultimately belongs to him Using wealth differently but…
If Jesus were to write to us, what would he say? The context of the letters in Revelation The letters are preceded and proceeded by the glorified Christ The letters invite the readers to join in the mission of the risen Jesus Themes are introduced which flow through the rest of the book The target churchesNotice the shared ‘shape’ of the letters…