New Testament
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Series on Philippians Title: Union with Christ Introduction Paul’s message to the Ephesian Christians is the same as in our text. They are to keep the unity of the Spirit. He reminds them in Ephesians 4:4-6, There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called-one Lord,
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Series on Philippians Title: Good Citizens Introduction You may have heard the old gospel song, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My troubles are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” That song
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Series on Philippians Title: By Life or By Death Introduction This passage is the ultimate experience of being between a rock and a hard place. One writer has paraphrased Paul as saying, “I am hemmed in, as it were, a wall on this side and a wall on that.” Verses 21-26, To live or to
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Series on Philippians Title: Christ Above All Introduction In my last message I mentioned Jim Elliott who was martyred in Ecuador in 1956 at the age of 29. He was an athlete and a scholar with enormous potential but he wrote in his college journal “Father, if thou wilt let me go to South America
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Series on Philippians Title: No Bad News Introduction In the face of tragedy and disappointment have you ever heard someone say, “No good can come out of this?” Here is an Apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ imprisoned unjustly and he says in verse 12, Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has
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Series on Philippians Title: Assurance and Love Introduction Most of us would like to be blameless. The President would like that. The CEO of Enron or Worldcom would like that. Every Pastor would like that, BUT if you’re talking about performance, nobody gets that title of blameless. Yet this is what Paul prays for in
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Series on Philippians Title: Grace Introduction Possibly the best known Christian hymn of all time is “Amazing Grace,” sung in innumerable venues and greatly loved. Now, that is curious because the first verse says “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was
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Series on Philippians Title: Joy Introduction Paul addresses his letter To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi. In 1719 Isaac Watts wrote the famous hymn, “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come” But almost 1700 years earlier the Apostle Paul originated the theme in a letter to the church at Philippi that
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SALUTATION 1:1&2 I. THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER 1:3-11A. Thanksgiving 1:3-8B. Prayer for Love Growing toward Glory 1:9-11 II. PAUL’S SITUATION AND ATTITUDE 1:12-26A. The Influence of Paul’s Chains 1:12-14B. Opposite Motives for preaching Christ 1:15-18aC. To Live Is Christ, to Die Is Gain 1:18b-26 III. ONENESS THROUGH SERVICE 1:27-2:18A. Exhortation to a Unified Stand 1:27-30B. Exhortation
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Series on James Title: Wisdom from Above Introduction It might seem that James has turned to a totally new topic here. He has been talking about the taming of the tongue. To get the connection we must go back to verse 1 where James says, not many of you should presume to be teachers, because
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Series on James Title: On the Tip of Your Tongue Introduction James is a brief letter, yet within the space of its five chapters the writer has much to say about the tongue, and he brings it up five times, not including this extended passage in Chapter 3. He mentions it in 1:19, 1;26, 2:12,
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Series on James Title: A Living Faith Introduction This passage of Scripture has received a great deal of theological attention because James says a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone, but Paul says we are saved by grace through faith and by the works of the law none can
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Series on James Title: Playing Favorites Introduction Favoritism plays a large role in our society. Though we have a Christian heritage and though our government supposedly recognizes our equality under the law, that’s not the way the world works. In recent prominent jury trials the press has raised the question as to whether a poor
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Series on James Title: Biblical Maturity Introduction James is writing to persecuted people. he focuses on the meaning of our trials. First he says in verses 1-11 we must have the right perspective. Then he says we must keep in mind the promise in verse 12. As we think about perseverance he tells us we
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Series on James Title: Don’t Be Deceived Introduction We have seen in the opening verses of this letter a Jewish author who believes in Jesus reach out to his own suffering people. His first concern is to address the persecution and suffering which they are undergoing. His initial advice is that they need to gain