This is the first in a series of messages regarding the Book of 1st John. This introductory message attempts to answer the question, What about John would have scripture describe him as the disciple whom Jesus loved- The answer to this question will provide a helpful backdrop for our study of 1st John.

Breath Prayers are short prayers which can be spoken in one breath. This sermon surveys many such prayers recorded in scripture and provides the reasons why saints ought to place breath prayer in their spiritual tool box.

A couple hundred years ago, people primarily thought of discipline as teaching a school of thought. Today, people primarily think of discipline as correction. Discipling is both, but in different amounts and at different times in a person's life.

When Jesus healed, He provided more than physical relief. When Jesus saved, He did more than take away the penalty of sin. He took away the guilt of sin, the filth of sin, the memory of sin, the presence of sin, the enmity caused by sin, and the separation created by sin. Jesus is a Savior worthy of our praise.

Saints often pair words together -i.e., confession - repentance, mercy - grace, pity - compassion, humility - meekness, ...-. But today's 13 pairs are not interchangeable- many times, one definition is -easier- than the other. Folks tend to take the easier road, but God's will is rarely easier. The first 5 minutes of this message was lost, so it begins without an introduction.

Jesus preached with authority- whereas, the scribes did not. What was the difference- We found 12 differences. Jesus did six things the scribes did not, and the scribes did six things Jesus did not. Part 2 describes the second six, things worth avoiding.

Jesus preached with authority- whereas, the scribes did not. What was the difference- We found 12 differences. Jesus did six things the scribes did not, and the scribes did six things Jesus did not. Part 1 describes the first six, things worth imitating.

Was Jesus purposeful in the order He presented the beatitudes- We think yes, and believe the beatitudes to be a useful tool in taking personal inventory after a failure, with order being critical.

The -all things- in Php 4-13 does not appear to include a Super Bowl victory or World Series championship. Nor does the -all things- include graduate degrees or promotions. The context implies -all things- include the dips and valleys of life- times of plenty, times of scarcity, times of success, times of trial, and ...

Paul was a thermostat, not a thermometer. Circumstances did not determine Paul's attitude or behavior. He did not play the victim card, even when things were hard. Paul's state of mind determined his attitude and response, which was to change the temperature of the room.