HE WILL HOLD ME FAST

PSALM 121

Every mother’s child faces trouble at some point. In this passage, even the psalmist admitted his need for help. Where did he look for help? The Message Paraphrase Bible puts the psalmist’s words this way: “I look to the mountains, does my strength come from the mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven and earth and the mountains.” Learn more as Rob teaches what this passage says about the help we have in times of need.

SOURCES

Blevins, Jim. (2005). The Alliterated Bible. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Combination Faith [joke]. (September 1, 2016). https://www.cybersalt.org/clean-jokes/combination-faith

Gangel, Kenneth. (1998). The Holman Old Testament Commentary. B&H Publishing Group.

Maze, Scott.

Merritt, James.

Newland, Melvin.

Perdue, Jim.

Willington, Harold. (2000) The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers.

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

PSALM 111

Steve Wiggins

ABOUT THE MESSAGE: In Hebrew, Psalm 111 is written as an acrostic. The Hebrews used it to teach children the alphabet. Yet, through this acrostic, God has much to say to us today – about how you lead and shepherd those in your sphere of influence, how your choice to live biblically can sow the seeds of revival, and so much more. Steve says only the Holy Spirit can transform you from the inside and make you something different than what you are today. However, there is something you must do. Steve Wiggins teaches what that is.

ABOUT STEVE WIGGINS: Our guest preacher, Steve Wiggins, is a five-time Grammy Award nominee. For his band Big Tent Revival, Steve penned ten #1 radio singles, including Two Set of Joneses, Choose Life, and WWJD.

Following his time as a recording artist, Steve became a pastor and has served on the staff of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, Greg Laurie’s Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, and most recently at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

Steve is the founder of Living Room Study and Groundworks Ministries, both discipleship ministries that focus on Biblical literacy. Having written a chapter-by-chapter devotional of the entire Bible, Steve is the daily content provider and weekly teacher for various Bible studies, including the Bible Museum on The Square’s Bible Study on the Square and Bellevue Baptist Church’s Bible Challenge.  The goal of Steve’s ministry is to elevate the faith of program participants by leading them to a comprehensive knowledge of the entire Bible.

Steve has also provided the content for The Hope Challenge, the 90 Day Gospel Challenge, and Pocket Testament League’s 21 Day Challenge. 

Steve, his wife Misti, and their family currently live in Memphis, Tennessee.

A MOM’S DESPERATION

MARK 7:24-30

At some point, most, if not all, moms feel a sense of desperation about their child. The reasons vary, but the mother’s heart wants relief, restoration, or s help for her child. Mark 7 tells of a mother’s desperation and provides an example for any desperate mother today.

SOURCES

Blankenship, Terry.

Bombeck, Erma. (n.d.) My Favorite Child. Smore. https://www.smore.com/dqnzr-happy-mother-s-day#:~:text=My%20Favorite%20Child%20~%20by%20Erma,one%20else%20could%20possibly%20understand.

Church Answers.

Credille, Brian.

Dickson, Duraimony.

Dykes, David. (December 38, 2014). Faith that Feeds on Crumbs [sermon]. Discover Life Ministries. https://gabc-archive.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/s122814.pdf

Falwell, Jerry. (March 27, 2002). G. Campbell Morgan Had Four Sons…[sermon illustration]. Sermon Central. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/6648/g-campbell-morgan-had-four-sons-and-all-became-by-jerry-falwell

Gangel, Kenneth. (1998). The Holman New Testament Commentary. B&H Publishing Group.

Geyer, Jeff. (n.d.) Mother’s Day [sermon]. Sermonsearch. https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-outlines/157583/mothers-day/

Howell, Bruce. (April 24, 2001). The Nameless Mother with Great Faith [sermon]. Sermon Central. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-nameless-mother-with-great-faith-bruce-howell-sermon-on-mother-s-day-35660?page=1&wc=800

Peters, Jack.

Strite. Jeff.

Taylor, Jeff.

Thompson, Derrick.

Wells, Jerry. (August 30, 2018). Be an Example for Those   Follow in Our Footsteps [article]. Daily Democrat. https://www.dailydemocrat.com/2012/06/09/be-an-example-for-those-who-follow-in-our-footsteps/

Wenjen, Mia. (March 16, 2010). What Kids Think of Moms. Pragmatic Mom. https://www.pragmaticmom.com/2010/03/humor-for-moms-the-stages-of-motherhood/

White Hairs. (n.d.). GhanaWeb. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/fun/jokes.php?ID=1511

Wiersbe, Warren. (2004). The Bible Exposition Commentary. David C. Cook Publishing.

Willington, Harold. (2000) The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers.

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

SAMSON: LESSONS FROM THE BIBLE’S BAD BOY

Judges 13, 14, 15, 16

Samson, whose name means “sunshine,” is one of the more famous Hebrew judges. He reigned for 20 years. He will be forever known as a weak-strong man. Samson’s story is indeed a picture of God’s mysterious ways of working.

Note that Sampson dominated when he lived by the Lord’s passion in his life. But he did not always dominate. Samson was blinded by sin (His eyes were gouged out). Second, Samson was bound by sin (his hands were shackled). Third, Samsom was beaten by sin (“let me die with the Philistines”). There is much we can learn from Samson.

SOURCES

Carr, Alan. (n.d.) Samson and the Shady Lady (Sermon). The Sermon Notebook. https://www.sermonnotebook.org/judges/Judges%2021%20-%20Judges%2016_1-3.htm

Green, Tierce.

Gangel, Kenneth. (1998). The Holman Old Testament Commentary. B&H Publishing Group.

Lee, Robert G. (n.d.) A Charge to Keep [sermon quote]. https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-outlines/16944/how-to-survive-in-a-strange-world/

Lockyer, Herbert. (19880. All the Men of the Bible. Zondervan.

Pritchard, Ray.

Shirley, Jerry. (May 26, 2005). But Continue Thou [Sermon].

Sermon Central. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/but-continue-thou-graduation-sermon-jerry-shirley-sermon-on-endurance-79538?page=2

Stapled. (2018). Jokes.One. https://jokes.one/joke/stapled

Strack, Jay. (n.d.). You will be the Same Person… [Quote]

AZ Quotes. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1352044

Unknown magazine article (7/2003)

Walker, Robert. (n.d.) How to Survive in a Strange World [Sermon]. Sermon Search. https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-outlines/16944/how-to-survive-in-a-strange-world/

Wiersbe, Warren. (2004). The Bible Exposition Commentary. David C. Cook Publishing.

Wilde, Oscar. (n.d.). Oscar Wilde Quotes. Brainy Quote. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/oscar_wilde_108207

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

IDENTIFYING JESUS

MATTHEW 17:1-8

What does the account of the transfiguration on the mountain reveal about His identity? Listen as Cameron O’Daniel leads us into taking a deeper look at this passage’s implications and their impact on our lives.

Cameron O’DAniel

Minister to Students

WHERE THERE’S HOPE, THERE’S HEALING

Colossians 1:21-29

How do we heal when we’ve experienced hurt? Whether we hurt ourselves through our bad choices or others have hurt us, emotional pain comes to all at some point. We each have choices in how we respond to pain, and those choices determine the long-term impact on the course and quality of our life. From Colossians 1, Rob explains the scriptural response to emotional pain.

SOURCES

Benge, Dustin.

Cantrell, Donald.

Magazine article (circa1996).

McCulley, Donald. (December 21, 2010). Got Hope. [Sermon illustration]. SermonCentral. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/78758/saved-by-hope-by-sermon-central

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

IT’S SUNDAY BUT MONDAY’S COMING

MARK 16

Does your life demonstrate a resurrected life every day of the week?

Easter Sunday is a day of great rejoicing. Easter matters because it proves who Jesus is and because if He is who He claimed to be, He can take away our sins. Third, Easter matters because if Jesus is alive, then He is able to help us with life’s problems now. So, how does Easter Sunday affect our Mondays and life beyond? This week Rob looks into the concussion that followed Jesus’s resurrection and His early followers, as well as how it should affect us every day of the week.

SOURCES

 Campbell, Roger.

Chappell, Paul. (n.d.). Death’s Sting IS Gone [Illustration]. Retrieved from: https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/death-s-sting-is-gone

Gangel, Kenneth. (1998). The Holman New Testament Commentary. B&H Publishing Group.

 George, Jim. (2006). The Bare Bones Bible Handbook. Harvest House Publishers.

Longman, Tremper and Garland, David E. (Eds.). (2012). The Expositor’s New Testament Commentary. Zondervan.

Lucado, Max.

Mennigan, Carl.

Morris, Henry.

Peters, Jack. (n.d.). Sermon Seeds. http://www.sermonseeds.org/

Phillips, John.

Scobey, Bobby. (April 22, 2008). Easter [Sermon illustration].SermonCentral. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/66837/easter-by-bobby-scobey

Source Unknown. (July 20, 2009). Have You Tasted My Jesus? Bible.org. https://bible.org/illustration/have-you-tasted-my-jesus

Thomas, Roger.

Wiersbe, Warren. (2003). The Wiersbe New Testament Commentary. David C. Cook Publishing.

Willington, Harold. (2000) The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers.

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION

LUKE 21:24

All scripture points to Jesus, the cross, and the empty tomb. Without a doubt, all human history hinges on Easter Sunday – because Jesus is alive. The traditional Easter greeting is “He is risen!” and the traditional response is “He is risen, indeed!” The resurrection draws a definite and distinctive line between the Christian faith and all other religions. This week Rob explains how we can know the resurrection was real and that Jesus is alive.

SOURCES

Baker, Will and Thomas, Guy. (n.d.). Graveyard Stories. Funnyjokes.com. https://www.funny-jokes.com/graveyard-stories

Cantrell, Donald.

 Galitzin, Margret. (September 8, 2007.  The Story of Lady Anne Grimston [Post ].TraditionInAction.org. https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/h010rp.LadyGrimston_Galitzin.html

Henry, Lee.

Lee, R. G.

Rogers, Adrian.

Source Unknown. (July 20, 2009). Have You Tasted My Jesus? Bible.org. https://bible.org/illustration/have-you-tasted-my-jesus

Stone, Mike.

Thomas, Roger.

Willington, Harold. (2000) The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers.

Yancy, Phillip.(March 2005). Christianity Today., Vol. 49, No. 3, p.120.

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

PSALM SUNDAY 2023

MATTHEW 21:1-17

And, at the culmination of His earthly ministry, Jesus, born to die – made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He did not enter in full-fledged battle array, nor with the expected pomp and circumstance of other kings … He came, surprisingly, on the back of a borrowed donkey. The people were looking for a Davidic king, a warrior king, to lead them to victory over the Roman oppressors. From this scripture passage, Rob teaches the type of King Jesus was and is today.

SOURCES

Beaird, Mark. (March 24, 2004). Road to the Cross. Sermon Central. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-road-to-the-cross-mark-beaird-sermon-on-easter-palm-sunday-56451?page=1&wc=800

Blankenship, Steven. (2003). The Grand Marshall of the Parade. Sermon Search. https://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-outlines/20076/palm-sunday-the-place-the-people-and-the-purpose/

Blevins, Jim. (2005). The Alliterated Bible. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Maze, Scott.

Phillips, John.

Schaeufele, Mark.

Sermon Starters: Church Answers.

Ten Boom, Corrie. (2010). Corrie ten Boom on Humility. Sermon Central. https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/76333/corrie-ten-boom-on-by-sermon-central

Wickizer, Bob. Willington, Harold. (2000) The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers.

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

THE “ALL IN” LIFE (Part 2)

1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-27

What does an all-in-life mean? It has to do with being surrendered to God. Surrender is giving up all control, and control is extremely difficult for us to give up. Yet an “all in life” tells God we recognize His authority and allows Him to take over the control. It shows complete faith in Him and belief in His promises. From 1 Corinthians 9, Rob explains God’s purpose and God’s pattern for an all-in-life.

SOURCES/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Blevins, Jim. (2005). The Alliterated Bible. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Dieson, Peter.

Jeremiah, David.

Kell, Garrett.

Prayer ‘N Share. (1980).

Watson, T.J.

Willington, Harold. (2000) The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers.

Content for the sermon has been researched from many different sources. I make every effort to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.