Bethel Church Temple TX Podcast (Sermons)

Ladies Bible Study The Essentials: Living With the End in Mind 

Fall 2021 - Week 1

One Path/ One Passion

God's Vision/ God's Focus

The Color Purple

August 29, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Matthew 15:21 – 28

Verse of the Week: “we know that God causes all things to work

together for good to those who love God, to those who are called

according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

1. God has a divine design for your difficulties

“my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” Matthew 15:22

“we know that God causes all things to work together for good to

those who love God” Romans 8:28

2. God often delays an answer to develop us

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God

should be displayed in him.” John 9:3

 Jesus is silent

“Jesus did not answer the woman a word.” Matthew 15:23

 The disciples were selfish

“Jesus’ disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘Send her away,

because she is bothering us.”’ Matthew 15:23

3. God honors desperation

“Then she came and worshiped Him” Matthew 15:25

“worship” – kneeling or prostrating to show reverence

“fell at His feet.” Mark 7:25

“It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Matthew 15:26

“Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their

masters’ table.” Matthew 15:27

‘“O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.’

And her daughter was healed at once.” Matthew 15:28

Heart Matters

August 22, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Matthew 15:1 – 20

Verse of the Week: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from

it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

1. Allow God’s Word to guide your life

“Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God

for the sake of your tradition?” Matthew 14:3

“by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your

tradition.” Matthew 14:6

“Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just

said?” Matthew 14:12

2. Allow God to change your heart

“These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far

from Me.” Matthew 14:8

“this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their

lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their

reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote”

Isaiah 29:13

“For out of the heart come evil…. These are what defile you.

Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

Matthew 15:19 & 20

“defile” - render unhallowed

“Create in me a clean heart, O God” Psalm 51:10

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I

will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a

heart of flesh.   I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to

walk in My statutes” Ezekiel 36:26 & 27

House of NAM

August 15, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Matthew 14:22 – 36

1. Nothing takes the place of PRAYER

“He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” Matthew 14:23

Verse of the Week: “Peter cried out, “Lord, save me!” Mt. 14:30

 Peter’s prayer was SIMPLE.

 PRIVILEGE and POWER of prayer

“this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Mt. 17:21

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do” John 14:13

2. Learn from your EXPERIENCES.

“the disciples had not gained any insight from the incident of the

loaves, but their heart was hardened.” Mark 6:52

 GROW in love with Jesus.

 Always point to JESUS, not to YOURSELF.

“those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus, saying, ‘You are

certainly God’s Son!’” Matthew 14:33

“Jesus got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped” Mark 6:51

3. God has a divine APPOINTMENT for you on the other

side of your STORM.

“they implored Jesus that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak;

and as many as touched it were cured.” Matthew 14:36

 The LESSONS you learn today will PREPARE you for

tomorrow’s storms.

 You are God’s ANSWER to someone’s prayer, but you may

have to go through a STORM to give them the answer.

“when the men of that place recognized Jesus” Matthew 14:35

Water Walking Faith

August 8, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Matthew 14:22 – 36

Verse of the Week: “Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the

water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29

1. We need durable faith

“Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

Matthew 14:28

“And Jesus said, ‘Come!’ And Peter got out of the boat, and walked

on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew 14:29

2. Our focus must be on Jesus

“seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink”

Matthew 14:30

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my

disciples.” John 13:35

“You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31

“little” – trusting too little; lacking confidence in God

“doubt” - waver

3. God is faithful, even when we falter.

“Peter cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out His

hand and took hold of him” Matthew 14:30 & 31

“When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ Your steadfast love, O Lord,

supported me.” Psalm 94:18

“When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.” Matthew 14:32

We’re In The Same Boat

August 1, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Matthew 14:22 – 36

Verse of the Week: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27

1. Obedience will lead you through difficulties

“Jesus made the disciples get in the boat and go ahead of Him

to the other side” Matthew 14:22

“the boat was…battered by the waves; for the wind was

contrary.” Matthew 14:24

2. Jesus sees you, even when you cannot see Him.

“He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray” Mt. 14:23

“Jesus saw them toiling in rowing” Mark 6:48

“toiling” – to be distressed; to torture

3. Jesus is with you in your storm.

“in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them” Mt. 14:25

“Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.” Matthew 14:25

“When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they were

terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear.”

Matthew 14:26

“the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4

“immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I;

do not be afraid.”’ Matthew 14:27

More Than Enough

July 25, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Matthew 14:13 – 21

Verse of the Week: “you give them something to eat!” Mt. 14:16

1. Allow Jesus to help you

“Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” John 6:5

“They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

Matthew 14:16

“We only have five loaves of bread and two fish” Matthew 14:17

“My help comes from the Lord” Psalm 121:2

“Bring them here to Me.” Matthew 14:18

2. Allow Jesus to bless you

“Jesus blessed the food” Matthew 14:19

“No good thing does He withhold from those who walk

uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

“has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” Ephesians 1:3

“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the

country….Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed

shall you be when you go out…. The LORD will command the

blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your

hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your

God gives you.” Deuteronomy 28:3, 6 & 8

3. Allow Jesus to break you

“broke them” Luke 9:16

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. You will not reject a

broken and repentant heart” Psalm 51:17

4. Allow Jesus to use you

“Jesus gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them

to the crowds” Matthew 14:19

“Jesus kept giving them to the disciples to set before them”

Mark 6:41

“they all ate and were satisfied.” Matthew 14:20

Play The Pre-Move

July 18, 2021 Allen Norris

Verse of the Week: “'For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord .

“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a

hope. ‘“ Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Scripture(s): 1 Kings 19:16-17; 2 Kings 9:6-9; 2 Kings 10:10-11, 28-31;

Jeremiah 29:11

Resource Material: Chase the Lion by Dr. Mark Batterson

Outline

1. _________ the Pre-Move

‣ “The big ______ are achieved by a series of ____________ pre-moves.”

‣ “God allows us to ______ into our dreams.”

2. Don’t __________ Purpose

‣ “Your ___________ is not a job, it is to love ________ and cover the

________________ with His love.”

‣ “Don’t chase purpose, chase _______________.”

3. Your _________ is “YES”

‣ “God’s job is __________, your job is ‘YES!’”

Trip Up or Trust Up

July 11, 2021 AM ReGina Johnston

Matthew 14:10 – 12; 11:2 – 6

Verse of the Week: “And blessed is he who is not offended

because of Me.” Matthew 11:6

1. Admit it. John is disappointed

Disappointment – to fail to satisfy the hope, desire or expectation of.

Disappointment is the downward gap between what you expect and

what you experience. The difference between what you hope for and

what happens.

“ Before this I didn’t know who He was. But the one who sent me to

baptize with water had told me, ‘You will see the Spirit come down

and stay on someone. He will be the One I have sent to baptize with

the Holy Spirit.’   Now I have seen this happen and I can tell you for

sure that this man is the Son of God.” John 1:33 - 34

“It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s

friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I

am filled with joy at his success.    He must become greater and

greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:29 - 30

2. Address it. John took his disappointment to Jesus.

“Oh my people, trust in Him at all times. Pour out your heart to Him

for God is your refuge.” Psalm 62:8

“three different times I begged the Lord to take it away - - each time

He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’” 2 Corinthians 12: 8 & 9

3. Adjust it. Adjust your perspective.

“ the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf

hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being

preached to the poor.” Matthew 11:5

Offended – scandilidzo – to fall into a trap, to trip up, or to cause to

stumble

Freedom Is Never Free

July 4, 2021 AM Elwyn Johnston

Verse of the Week: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free;

therefore keep standing firm” Galatians 5:1

1. Price of freedom

2. Price Jesus paid

“all have sinned and fall short of glorious standard” Rom. 3:23

“God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we

might become the righteousness of God in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

My God, my God why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

“without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” Heb. 9:22

3. Price we must pay

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing

firm” Galatians 5:1

 Stand up

“you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:32

 Speak up

“speak the truth in love” Ephesians 4:15

 Show up

“You are the light of the world…. Let your light shine before men in

such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your

Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14 & 16