Description:
Worshipping in spirit and in truth!
30 Podcasts:
 1. 2010-03-24T08_03_14-07_00.mp3 (played times)
2. 2010-05-18T12_55_01-07_00.mp3 (played times)
3. 2010-06-07T12_17_25-07_00.mp3 (played times)
4. 2010-02-07T07_21_24-08_00.mp3 (played times)
5. 2010-01-19T07_33_43-08_00.mp3 (played times)
6. 2010-01-07T06_35_41-08_00.mp3 (played times)
7. 2009-11-24T11_16_18-08_00.mp3 (played times)
8. 2009-11-18T06_54_35-08_00.mp3 (played times)
9. 2009-10-28T07_36_12-07_00.mp3 (played times)
10. 2009-09-17T07_43_20-07_00.mp3 (played times)
11. 2009-07-30T07_29_43-07_00.mp3 (played times)
12. 2009-03-30T07_33_04-07_00.mp3 (played times)
13. 2009-03-23T07_18_17-07_00.mp3 (played times)
14. 2009-03-17T08_54_04-07_00.mp3 (played times)
15. 2009-03-10T11_36_10-07_00.mp3 (played times)
16. 2009-01-27T07_06_44-08_00.mp3 (played times)
17. 2008-12-17T11_04_19-08_00.mp3 (played times)
18. 2008-12-09T07_57_37-08_00.mp3 (played times)
19. 2008-12-02T07_27_17-08_00.mp3 (played times)
20. 2008-07-25T10_57_42-07_00.mp3 (played times)
21. 2008-08-20T06_00_15-07_00.mp3 (played times)
22. 2010-06-30T06_45_36-07_00.mp3 (played times)
23. 2010-07-13T07_42_02-07_00.mp3 (played times)
24. 2010-07-16T06_25_42-07_00.mp3 (played times)
25. 2010-07-21T11_07_56-07_00.mp3 (played times)
26. 2010-07-27T11_41_01-07_00.mp3 (played times)
27. 2010-08-04T12_43_25-07_00.mp3 (played times)
28. 2010-08-10T07_07_21-07_00.mp3 (played times)
29. 2010-08-17T11_57_10-07_00.mp3 (played times)
30. 2010-08-24T11_46_19-07_00.mp3 (played times)
Content:
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Up from the Grave He Arose: The Resurrection of Christ
What does the doctrine of the resurrection mean? Why is it important? The doctrine of the resurrection gives us hope for this life and the next. One author wrote, 'Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air but only about one second without hope.' 1 We live in a society that has no hope beyond tomorrow. The age-old world-view that operates today is: eat, drink, and be happy, for tomorrow we die. There is no hope for happiness beyond the moment, so many make decisions which impact their tomorrow, not realizing that right now counts for eternity. Let us simply say that, if the doctrine of the resurrection is not true, everything we are doing this morning is nothing but a sham. We are wasting our time and resources for nothing that matters essentially. If you take one truth from this message, I want you to take the following: You must believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ because it is your only source of hope.
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Power in the Blood: The Substitutionary Atonement of a Blood Sacrifice
When we think of the sacrifice that Christ made on Calvary, we are forced to ask ourselves about the nature of His self-sacrifice. What makes Christ's death different than the noble prisoner of war who died to spare his brothers in arms from suffering? For that matter, is Christ's death different from the brave firefighters who gave their lives to rescue the people in the Twin Towers on 9-11?
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The Incarnation and Virgin Birth of Christ -- 1 John 1.1-4
What makes the doctrine of the virgin birth so important? The importance of the doctrine of the virgin birth lies primarily as its ability to test a person's belief in the miraculous.
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Who Do You Say That I Am: The Deity of Christ
Jesus asked His disciples, Who do you say that I am?1 This is the question that every person must answer for Himself. Romans 9:33 says, just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. Every man either stumbles at Jesus' deity or believes. One author writes:
in every case the problem lies here, that no one accepts that it is over Jesus that He stumbles. Everyone who stumbles claims that he stumbled simply over some unnecessary aspect of the Churchs teaching about Jesus.2
You must choose what you believe about Jesus.
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Preaching IS Worship -- 1 Corinthians 1.17-31
Is preaching really worship? You hear me say often that life is worship. Every aspect of life reveals what Christ is worth to you. The principle may be applied to preaching. The goal of preaching is to exalt Christ so as the make the hearer a worshiper or to refine the hearer's worship. The aim of true preaching is to encourage and instruct the hearer to make Christ of supreme value in every area of life. The Biblical principle behind this is the law of the seed and the fruit: you reap what you sow. If the result of true preaching is worship, then preaching itself must be worship.
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Creation
We are confronted every day with the reality of the universe and thus a Creator. People today are concerned about our environment. Politics have turned our attentions in recent years to the issue of environmentalism, we must be sure that we understand exactly what is at stake in the discussion. Genesis 1-2 addresses man's responsibility in this matter. We must turn to the Scriptures to find answers for man's responsibility. How are we to understand this world in which we live? How are we to use the resources that this earth contains? If use of the earth's resources is an issue revolving around origins, so also do many other issues. Do we believe the Bible? Can we know for sure right from wrong? How do we relate to each other? Can we even have a relationship with our Creator? Genesis 1-3 answers all of these legitimate questions.
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Psalm 55 -- It Is Not My Enemy Who Taunts Me
I do not know for a fact, but I am sure that there are several people in this room today who are hurting because betrayal at this time or in the very recent past. I am going through such a time at this moment in my extended family. If you have ever been betrayed, you doubtlessly remember the time all too well. You may find a little comfort in the knowledge that your thoughts and emotions are ordinary. We will discover that David thought many of the things that you are or were thinking. Times of betrayal ultimately point us to our betrayal of Gods love, and His love seems to shine all the brighter because of our treachery against Him. Such times of gloom and despair ought to cause us to draw closer to the One who never has and never will betray or abandon us. One author writes,
The heart-rending passages on the betrayal give us added insight into the sufferings of Christ, and at the same time into His self-mastery and redemptive attitude, in such a situation as gave David every reason to appeal for judgment.
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Why Should I Believe the Bible: The Inspiration of the Bible -- 2 Timothy 3.16-17
When we approach the Bible, we may ask four basic questions, assuming the existence of God. First, can I know the mind of God? The answer is, 'Yes, but only if God reveals Himself.' The issue at stake with the first question is called revelation -- God's self-disclosure to mankind. Second, can I trust the mind of God? The answer is, 'Yes, but only if what God told us about Himself is true.' The issue at stake here is inspiration -- God's accurate revelation to mankind. Third, can I understand the mind of God? The answer is 'Yes, but only if God explains Himself to you.' The issue at state with the third question is called illumination -- God's self-clarification to mankind. Fourth, can I guarantee that my descendants will have the mind of God? The logical assumption is that we already know and possess God's thoughts. The answer is 'Yes, but only if God protects His Word.' The issue at stake with the fourth question is known as preservation -- God's self-conservation for mankind.
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How Do We Know What Is Fundamental?
Why are the doctrines that were listed the fundamental doctrines? After all, godly men and women disagree on the application of these doctrines. For example, we may have fellowship with a church who disagrees with our beliefs about the mode of baptism, but we cannot have fellowship with a church who believes that baptism is an avenue of salvation. What makes these doctrines so essential? How do we determine what the lines of demarcation and separation are? Over the next few minutes, we will look at a few Biblical principles by which we may know what is essential.
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Things Can Only Get Better: The Bible's Story
Since the Bible records God's dealings with humanity, the Bible tells us how God's glory intersects human existence. Revelation 4:11 says, Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created. You and I and everything that we can see were created to exist exclusively to glorify God. The Bible also tells us how mankind rebelled against his purpose, plunging himself into judgment. The story does not end there. God saw mankind in his need and offered Himself to bring man back into a position where he can willingly glorify God. We call this offering of God redemption. The majority of the Bible tells us this story of redemption. Redemption is not the end of the story though. The end of the story is the restoration of all that exists to a place where God is once again the center of all worship. While all things will ultimately focus upon the all-glorious God, there is one truth that impacts the way you live today. If you take one truth from this message, I want you to take the following: You must do all to the glory of God.
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We Would See Jesus -- John 12.20-26
Greeks wanted to see Jesus, and Christ spoke cryptic words in response to the Gentile believers. The words Christ spoke were in essence Christ's self-portrait. How can we know what revival looks like? How can we know when revival occurs? We will know revival has occurred when we simply obey Jesus because we have seen Him exalted. Your measure of faith and obedience will only come to the measure that you see Christ. If you take one truth from this message, I want you to take the following: You must see Jesus.
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The Cross and Prayer -- Hebrews 10.19-22
The Puritan preacher Thomas Watson wrote, Christ went more readily [to the cross], than we do to the throne of grace. Christ went to the Cross knowing with divine omniscience exactly what it all meant. Christ went to the Cross knowing that the Cross meant full surrender. You must surrender all you are to Christ to have an effective prayer life.
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The Cross and the Spirit -- Galatians 5.22-25
We find in our text what we call the fruit of the Spirit. When we say fruit, we mean that the elements listed in the passage are the practical out-workings of the Holy Spirits power in our lives. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, we will find that we possess the characteristics of love, joy, peace, etc. As we study these results known as fruit, we find that all of these characteristics were true of Christ. Since they were true of Christ, they were true of His redemptive ministry, for the Cross was a practical out-working of the Holy Spirits empowerment of Christ. All of the elements of the fruit of the Spirit were powerfully evident at the cross.
SUNDAY, FEB 7 SERVICE WAS CANCELED. THIS MESSAGE WAS THE FIRST MESSAGE I PREACHED AT GRACE BIBLE CHAPEL IN 2008. IT HAS NEVER BEEN POSTED ON PODOMATIC.
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Caleb: Fully Following the Lord (Joshua 14.6-15)
Caleb fully followed the Lord. What does it mean that Caleb fully followed the Lord? We typically have a lofty view of the heroes of the Bible. We tend to think of them as giants of the faith, as men and women who were more godly than any other human being could ever hope to be. Actually, Caleb was a mere mortal. I dare say that if he were alive today and we had met him, we would probably think of him as an ordinary guy. Caleb was certainly a godly man, but he was far from perfect. He had the same weaknesses and faced the same temptations as we do. Caleb fully followed the Lord simply means that he had a close fellowship with God. One commentator explains the idea in more picturesque language: In the Hebrew that is quite a striking word -- more striking than in the English. It is a pictorial word in the Hebrew, and describes a ship at full sail. What does all of this mean? Caleb believed, as another commentator writes, if the Lord deserved to be followed at all, he deserved to be followed in full. We need to follow the Lord our God fully as well. As a matter of fact, to follow the Lord fully is simply another way to say that we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, the first, the primary commandment. If you take only one sentence from this message, I want you to remember the following: You too must fully follow the Lord your God.
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Your God Is Too Small
If we see in Jesus anyone or anything other than the glory of God, we see a God who is too small. We see God as we imagine Him to be rather than who He really is. Because our minds are limited, we imagine a limited God. For this reason, the only way that we can understand God is in His own identification of Himself: I Am. For this reason, God commanded that no images would be made of Him. God does not want man to manufacture his own finite understanding of an infinite Being. So, when Simeon saw Jesus, he did not just see a baby. He did not just see the one who would help his fellow Israelites. He did not just see the Saviour of the world. He saw God's glory. It is no wonder, then, that the angels sang to the shepherds, 'Glory to God in the highest.' Over the next few moments, I want to focus your attention upon the glory of God in Jesus Christ. You must believe in Christ because He is the glorious God.
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We Give Thanks to Your Holy Name -- 1 Chronicles 16
It is good on a day like this, in a week set aside for giving of thanks. So, today, on this Sunday before the Thanksgiving holiday, we turn our thoughts to thankfulness and gratefulness for the countless blessings we enjoy. We have just read through roughly half of 1 Chronicles 16 today. When we think of psalms, we think of the Book of Psalms, but not all psalms are found in that book. 1 Chronicles 16 is a psalm of David. As we read the first seven verses, we learn that David wrote the psalm as a song of thanksgiving. The psalm was one of thanksgiving. Look with me at the end of verse thirty-five. Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise. We echo with David, 'We give thanks to Your holy name.'
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The Main Thing Is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing (What Happened to the Church at Ephesus?) -- Revelation 2.1-7
Loving God is the first and great commandment. We would naturally think based on Paul's letter that the Ephesian church would know this truth, perhaps better than any other church in its day. The reality is that, somewhere along the line, the church had forgotten why they existed. They forgot the core of every doctrine and every command: love God with all of your being. God gave us this great command to be the operating principle of our lives. No area of your life is unaffected by this command. Loving God is the main thing. So, we constantly strive to love God with every fiber of our being. In other words, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. So, if you take one truth from this message I want you to take the following: You must love Christ with every fiber of your being.
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God Meant It for Good
As we look at the life of Joseph, we learn several truths about forgiveness. We learn in the most practical manner what Christs forgiveness looks like and how we must maintain a spirit of forgiveness toward those who have hurt and betrayed us. Let me encourage you to take one truth with you from this message. You must forgive others as Christ has forgiven you.
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The Power of the Cross -- Psalm 2
Has the cross lost its power? No, it has not! Praise the Lord that the cross possesses the same power today as it did when we trusted in its redemptive work! The authority claimed by superficial religion possesses the power of a toothless lion or a paper tiger, and it cannot change the Cross' influence. The allurements of our depraved culture hold no sway over the cross of Christ. We ought to be encouraged that we serve a Christ who was willing to give Himself for us on the cross to break the power of our sins. We ought to be confident that the cross is not impotent to address the problems that we face in life. It was the cross which bridged the gap from the sorrow and b*****e of sin to the joy and freedom of Christ. When you crossed the bridge spanning the gap between God and man, you experienced happiness which cannot compare to the shallow religion and joyless sins. It is the power of the cross to which we look in Psalm 2. As you gaze once more upon the cross, allow the power of the cross to strengthen you to live victoriously in this life. You must allow the cross to be your source of rejoicing.
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All Things Work Together for Good -- Romans 8.28
Several years ago, I heard a humorous story which is a parable about our perspective of life. I cannot recall the source, so I certainly do not hope to plagiarize this story. I will try to relate the story as best as I can.
There was a king who had a best friend from childhood. The king and his friend spent much time together in the business of the kingdom as well as the pursuit of distractions from the stresses of leadership. The kings friend had a very unique perspective of life. No matter what happened, whether it was good or bad, the friend would say...
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What Is Truth? (Part 3)
What a person believes about the truth of Gods existence and character will be revealed by his lifestyle. Belief affects behavior. You will act in a way consistent with your beliefs; you will act consistently with what you believe to be true.
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What Is Truth? (Part 2)
The Word of God concretely reveals truth, teaching us in no uncertain terms that truth exists being found only in God. The truth is simple and absolute. We may choose to believe or reject truth, but truth still remains. Truth gives meaning to our lives; it gives us hope. Our hope is not based upon some whim or some imagination. Our hope is based upon the foundation of Christ.
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What Is Truth? (Part 1)
Let us say that you are playing a game of baseball. You must have an established set of rules so that the game may be played successfully. If the rules can be changed in the middle of the game, what is the point of playing it in the first place? If there are no foul lines, then why run around the bases? If the runner does not need to be tagged in order to be out, then why hit the ball in the first place? There must be an established set of standards; there must be absolute truth. When it comes to life, as opposed to a baseball game, the same is true. We need an absolute set of standards by which to live. We can make our own standards based upon our own opinions, but everyone else has his own set of conflicting standards, and no one is right. God has given us truth, the fact of His existence and character. If we can believe in absolutes in sports, can we not believe in absolutes in matters of utmost importance such as the issues of life?
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What Is Postmodernism?
Christ said in Matthew 10:16, Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. We as believers must be aware of what is happening in our world. We cannot hide our head in the sand as we wait for the Lord to return. We must engage our culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To that end, I want to explain to you the mindset of the society in which we live so that you may better understand how to minister effectively the Gospel of Christ to the people you meet every day. This message will introduce a series of three messages in which we will examine truth as an absolutely reality.
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