Hill Country Bible Church Dripping Springs Sermons

We can grow frustrated with the apparent smallness of our lives. We assume fulfillment lies outside of our circumstances, pursue it, and then grow frustrated all over again. Solomon makes this point saying, everything “under the sun” is futile. Yet, right next to it, he adds a second theme; we can be called to joy by something deeper than the things around us. We just need to accept our limits.

Is everything futile, meaningless or vanity? Solomon opens Ecclesiastes with this attention-grabbing claim (v.2). Throughout the book he builds on this point, declaring the reality of living in a fallen world. However, the book is not about despair. It shows us how to have contentment and satisfaction despite the brokenness of our world. By living in grace, as disciples of Jesus, it challenges us to consider our priorities. It should not leave us neutral.

In Scripture we see faith and faithfulness translated interchangeably because faith is more a belief. Faith manifests itself in faithfulness, which is obedience and action in accordance with the Lord’s will. We know how to do that through daily devotion to the Lord remembering who He is and what He has done.

Jesus described Himself as "..gently and lowly in heart" (ESV), a remarkable claim to a world that values bolder qualities. Yet throughout His earthly ministry, time and again, He showed that gentleness led to unlikely relationships with unlikely people in unlikely places.

Daily we observe acts of kindness and goodness or generosity. As Jesus' disciples, these acts should have depth. Our attitude should be to act in a way that we are affirming the infinite value in people with our time, money, talents and other things God has put at our disposal.

Patience is more than just waiting. Biblical patience often calls for “stamina and grit” in the face of hostility and persecution. It is grounded in love and modeled after Jesus’ love for us.

Rather than just respite from a hectic, stressful world, Biblical peace offers the promise of the unity of God’s Kingdom. Rather than feeding the contempt of others that can come from amplifying our differences, it shows us that we have oneness in Christ.

Sorrow and grief were an undeniable part of the life of Jesus. Yet, He was joyful as well.  One does not preclude the other. As His disciples, we can find joy by abiding in Him; both as individuals and as a community of believers.

God’s plan is for us is to dwell in His eternal presence. That is our aim and where we are meant to be. As experience Biblical love, we are drawn closer to the perfection Jesus prayed for us (John 17) when He prayed for union with Him and with each other.

How does a parent love an adult child? How does an adult child love a parent? How do adult siblings love one another?

What if someone hurts me too much and I don't like them? What if I have to love them but I don't want to?

What is the definition of humble?