ScriptureStream

ScriptureStream

By Mark WatsonSociety & CultureReligion & SpiritualityChristianityPhilosophy
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ScriptureStream episodes

  • Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

    • Matthew 22:37-39

    • This love comes from my decision to follow Heaven’s example.

      • John 13:34-35; 15:12 – Jesus is the example!

      • Romans 5:6-8 – It was God’s decision for Jesus to die for us, even in our sins.

      • Titus 3:3-7 – God decided to love us.

      • It’s my decision when to love others. We certainly would not want God to show love for us only if or when we deserved it!

      • “This person has an eternal soul.”

        • John 5:28-29

        • “God is watching how well I love others.”

          • Matthew 6:14-15; 7:2; 25:40

          • “I want to become an expert at love – just like my Father.”

            • I John 4:7

            • I must prove to be a neighbor.

              • Luke 10:25-37 – Parable of the good Samaritan.

              • Matthew 5:43-48 – Our job is to love our neighbor. We should be a neighbor to all we come in contact with.

              • Love must be the foundation of my behavior toward all others.

                • Romans 13:7

                • Galatians 5:13

                • James 2:1, 8 – Fulfill the royal law!

                • I John 3:16-18 – We need to capitalize on opportunities to show love for others.

                • Acts 26:24-29 – Paul showed love for others even in chains.

                  29 min
                • Dealing with Temptation; Difficult Passages

                  [Due to technical difficulties, the ending of this recording has been cut off. Sorry about that! -MRW]

                  Luke Beamon: Dealing with Temptation
                  • Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus was confident because He had scripture on His side.
                  • Matthew 6:19-21 - Remember the consequences of sin! Sin costs you your eternal home.
                  • Matthew 7:7 - We can always ask God for help.
                  • Matthew 26:69 - The more you do something, the easier it gets. Each time Peter denied Jesus, it got easier. Each time we resist sin, it gets easier!
                    • Jesse Jenkins: Difficult Passages
                    • Psalms 51:5
                      • Some interpret this verse to mean that David was guilty of sin from birth (i.e., total depravity, a Calvinist doctrine).
                      • The context is David’s lament after Nathan rebuked him for his sin with Bathsheba. That is not a sin he was guilty of from birth.
                      • This is a hyperbolic statement. David is emphasizing his own sin. Compare a similar literary technique used in I Timothy 1:15. Paul had done sinful things, but this did not make him the chief of sinners. After all, he_thought_he was doing right.
                        • Compare also Psalms 22:10; 71:6; 139:13-14
                        • Interpreting this verse to mean David was guilty from birth directly contradicts verses like Ezekiel 18:2-4. “The soul that sins shall die.”
                        • Matthew 19:14 - We must be like little children to enter the kingdom of God. How can that be true if little children have inherited sin?
                        • II Corinthians 5:10 - We will be judged based on what_we_do with our own bodies.
                        • Matthew 7:1-5
                          • Some interpret this passage to mean that we should not judge anyone.
                          • The context of this passage is that we should not judge others in ways that we would not want to be judged ourselves. Judging others more harshly than you would want to be judged is hypocrisy!
                          • Those who say you cannot judge are themselves judging others!
                          • John 7:24 - We are to judge with righteous judgment.
                            • 14 min
                          • Water
                            • II Corinthians 5:17 – God has made water necessary for physical life and for salvation.
                              • Afflicted Man
                              Blessings man received
                              Scripture
                              Noah and family
                              Saved from flood
                              I Peter 3:20
                              Israel – bondage
                              Delivered from Egypt
                              Exodus 14; I Corinthians 10:2
                              Naaman
                              Healed of leprosy
                              II Kings 5:1-14
                              Blind man
                              Eyes opened
                              John 9:7
                              Pentecostians
                              Remissions of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit
                              Acts 2:38
                              Saul
                              Sins washed away
                              Acts 22:16
                              Galatians
                              Entered Christ
                              Galatians 3:26-27
                              Samaritans
                              Become Christians
                              Acts 8:12
                              Cornelius
                              Entered into Christ
                              Acts 10:47
                              Man today
                              Sins forgiven - salvation
                              I Peter 3:21
                              • Man today sees no reason for water to be used in salvation, just as Naaman could not see a reason to wash in the Jordan. But like Naaman, man will not be saved without water.
                              • If man today realized the importance of water salvation, there would be no argument about the necessity of baptism for salvation.
                                • 22 min
                              • Jericho
                                • Joshua 6
                                • The ancient city of Jericho is the second most excavated city after Jerusalem.
                                • Joshua 6:24 – See I Kings 16:34.
                                • Lessons from Jericho:
                                  • No stronghold can resist God.
                                    • Numbers 13:28
                                    • I Peter 5:8
                                    • I John 5:19 – The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
                                    • Hosea 4:1-2 – This sounds like today!
                                    • I John 5:20 – There has been evil before, but God has brought victory.
                                    • James 4:7
                                    • God can bring down seemingly impenetrable walls of evil.
                                    • God rewards faith wherever it is found.
                                      • Joshua 2:1, 8-11
                                      • Hebrews 11:30-31
                                      • James 2:24-26
                                      • God sees a glimmer of hope in all of us, regardless of our past!
                                      • Matthew 21:31
                                      • God can “give” something with conditions.
                                        • Joshua 6:2, 16, 20
                                        • Deuteronomy 9:6 – God’s blessing was not because of their righteousness.
                                        • Hebrews 11:30 – The walls fell down by faith. This clearly includes obedience!
                                          • Jericho
                                          Salvation
                                          God gives it
                                          Joshua 6:2
                                          Ephesians 2:8
                                          You didn’t earn it
                                          Deuteronomy 9:6
                                          Ephesians 2:8, 9
                                          And yet there are conditions
                                          Joshua 6:3
                                          Matthew 17:21
                                          27 min
                                        • Racism and Rioting

                                          • Colossians 3:9-15

                                          • Genesis 1:27 – “God created man in His own image.”

                                            • Genesis 3:20

                                            • We are all part of the human race. Racism is wrong!

                                            • Romans 10:12-13

                                            • Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14; 4:4-6 – Christians are to be united in Christ.

                                            • I John 4:20-21 – You cannot love God and hate your brother.

                                            • Acts 10:34-35 – God shows no partiality.

                                            • Acts 11:3, 17 – They had to get over the ideas they were raised with to align with God’s will.

                                            • Romans 12:21 – “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”

                                              • Romans 12:17-21

                                              • The answer to sin is never more sin!

                                              • James 3:9-10

                                              • The only way we can be a positive light in this world is to start by looking in the mirror. Matthew 7:3; 15:18-20

                                              • No law from any human government will ever be as transformative as the law of Christ.

                                              • Ephesians 6:4

                                              • I John 2:6 – “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

                                                • Love

                                                  • Matthew 5:43; 22:39

                                                  • Righteousness over popularity

                                                    • John 4:7-9

                                                    • Matthew 9:10

                                                    • Luke 10:25-37

                                                    • Forgiveness

                                                      • Luke 22:32

                                                      • There has to be forgiveness all around, because we have all sinned.

                                                        36 min
                                                      • The Saved

                                                        • I Corinthians 14 – We do not have spiritual gifts now, but the principles here still apply.

                                                        • The saved

                                                          • We one hears the gospel (Romans 10:17), which is God’s power to salvation (Romans 1:16), believes it (Hebrews 11:6) sufficiently to repent as God demands all men (Acts 17:30), confesses Jesus as Christ unto salvation (Romans 10:10), and is baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), the Lord adds Him to the church – saved relationship (Acts 2:47). He is now a new creation in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17)

                                                          • The church in Philippi is a good example of how a local church should function.

                                                            • Philippians 1:1 – The organization of the local church.

                                                            • Philippians 4:14-15 – Supporting preaching of the gospel.

                                                            • Online worship cannot replace the physical gathering of the saints to edify and teach. Hebrews 10:24-25.

                                                            • God wants us to come together.

                                                              • To edify and teach each other.

                                                              • To partake of the Lord’s Supper. I Corinthians 11:20-29

                                                                • Matthew 26:29

                                                                • To sin. Colossians 3:16

                                                                • Online services, although necessary for a while, are not ideal. Certainly, we should not become complacent because of the convenience of online worship.

                                                                  27 min
                                                                • My Conscience

                                                                  • Introduction

                                                                    • Personal remarks

                                                                      • David is starting his 17th year preaching at Benchley. He started on June 1, 2003.

                                                                      • Hebrews 9:14

                                                                      • Hebrews 10:19-23

                                                                      • Three things I need to do with my conscience:

                                                                        • Train it.

                                                                          • Acts 7:58-8:3

                                                                          • Acts 26:9 – Paul thought he was serving God in persecuting Christians!

                                                                          • Acts 23:1

                                                                          • Our conscience is a valuable tool, but it is not an authority on its own. It must be trained.

                                                                          • Galatians 1:11-12

                                                                          • Acts 20:26-27, 31 – Paul had trained his conscience between Acts 7 and Acts 20.

                                                                          • Use it.

                                                                            • Acts 2:36-37 – The people’s conscience kicked in and demanded action!

                                                                            • I Peter 3:21 – In baptism, we appeal to God for a clean conscience.

                                                                            • Matthew 21:28-32 – I should use my conscience to spur me in the right direction.

                                                                            • Luke 22:61-62 – Peter felt guilty but was spurred on to better service.

                                                                            • Matthew 27:3-5 – Judas failed to effectively use his conscience.

                                                                            • Protect it.

                                                                              • Jeremiah 6:13-15; Ephesians 4:19 – We can’t become callous to sin!

                                                                              • I Timothy 1:5

                                                                              • Titus 1:14, 15 – Beware of false teaching that can train your conscience incorrectly.

                                                                              • We can’t stay away from all sin because we must live in a sinful world, but we must not take pleasure in sin.

                                                                              • Hebrews 13:18

                                                                              • I Peter 3:16

                                                                                27 min
                                                                              • Sermon on the Mount

                                                                                • Introduction

                                                                                  • Citizens of the kingdom

                                                                                    • Matthew 5:19-20; 6:33; 7:21

                                                                                    • Matthew 5:1 – Jesus goes up on the mountain. Thus, the sermon on the mount.

                                                                                      • Matthew 8:1 – Jesus descends.

                                                                                      • Citizens of the kingdom are to be …

                                                                                        • Genuine

                                                                                          • Matthew 5:3-10

                                                                                          • Jesus is getting us to look at the inner person.

                                                                                          • Matthew 5:27-28

                                                                                          • Negative (toward sin)

                                                                                            • 27 times in this sermon Jesus tells us how not to behave.

                                                                                            • Matthew 5:20

                                                                                            • Matthew 6:16-18 – Don’t fast to be seen of others.

                                                                                            • Matthew 6:24

                                                                                            • Matthew 7:26-27 – The sin of inaction.

                                                                                            • Matthew 7:13-14 – This is the greatest tragedy of the universe.

                                                                                            • Matthew 7:21-23

                                                                                            • Spiritual

                                                                                              • Matthew 5:38-48 – We must love even our enemies and be mature and complete.

                                                                                              • We must let go of how we think things should be on earth. Eternity will be perfect!

                                                                                              • Matthew 6:19-21

                                                                                              • Matthew 6:25-34

                                                                                              • Matthew 7:28-29

                                                                                                25 min
                                                                                              • I’d Rather be a Doorkeeper in the House of My God

                                                                                                • Personal introduction:

                                                                                                  • Jesse Jenkins started work with the Benchley church of Christ May 15, 1996. This year marks his 25th year of work with the congregation.

                                                                                                  • Psalm 84:10 – “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God …”

                                                                                                    • Can we sincerely make this statement?

                                                                                                    • To sincerely and objectively make this statement demands at least four things:

                                                                                                      • Knowledge

                                                                                                        • Isaiah 2:2-4

                                                                                                        • Ephesians 3:15 – House of God = family of God

                                                                                                        • I Timothy 3:14-15

                                                                                                        • Matthew 16:18

                                                                                                        • Acts 20:28

                                                                                                        • You must have knowledge of the house of God to distinguish from the tents of wickedness.

                                                                                                        • Discernment

                                                                                                          • Hebrews 5:12-14

                                                                                                          • As we grow year by year, we should be applying what we learn from our studies and growing in discernment.

                                                                                                          • A positive choice

                                                                                                            • One can know what is right and choose to do wrong.

                                                                                                            • We won’t be judged on the sins we don’t commit, but on the ones we do commit. We must make a positive choice to serve God.

                                                                                                            • Matthew 23:11

                                                                                                            • Philippians 2:4

                                                                                                            • Humility

                                                                                                              • II Kings 5 – Naaman wanted Elisha to do some great thing to cure him.

                                                                                                              • Many of us don’t have the ability to do great things, but we can be doorkeepers in the house of God.

                                                                                                              • I Peter 5:5-6

                                                                                                              • John 13 – Jesus taught us a lesson in washing the disciples’ feet.

                                                                                                              • Is it worth it?

                                                                                                                • Psalms 84:11 – Yes, it’s worth it!
                                                                                                                  • 46 min
                                                                                                                • The Role of Emotion in Religion

                                                                                                                  • Emotion itself is not wrong.

                                                                                                                    • Jesus displayed strong emotions: John 7; John 2; Luke 22:44; Mark 3:4-5

                                                                                                                    • Problems with emotions

                                                                                                                      • Emotions can be based on error.

                                                                                                                        • I Kings 18:28-29 – The people showed great emotion about Baal.

                                                                                                                        • Sincerely felt emotion does not equal truth.

                                                                                                                        • Emotions can lead to sin.

                                                                                                                          • Acts 19:23-32 – The crowd riots because of the truth Paul taught.

                                                                                                                          • Emotions should be the effect, not the cause.

                                                                                                                            • Acts 2:36-37, 46-47 – The people were pierced to the heart. This was the effect of God’s word. This was an appropriate reaction! Hebrews 4:12

                                                                                                                            • Acts 8:39 – The eunuch rejoiced because of God’s word.

                                                                                                                            • Acts 16:34 – He rejoiced after being baptized.

                                                                                                                            • These people were not convicted and converted because of emotion. They were convicted by methodical teaching and emotion followed.

                                                                                                                            • Romans 10:2

                                                                                                                            • We might grow cold and heartless, which is the other sinful extreme.

                                                                                                                              • John 4:23-24

                                                                                                                              • Psalms 119:120 – Reverence for the Creator

                                                                                                                              • Luke 15:20

                                                                                                                              • I Thessalonians 4:18

                                                                                                                              • I Peter 1:22

                                                                                                                              • Titus 2:14

                                                                                                                              • Psalms 119:7 – Gratitude for truth

                                                                                                                              • Psalms 119:53

                                                                                                                              • Philippians 4:4 – Happiness in general

                                                                                                                              • Jude 1:24-25

                                                                                                                                20 min

                                                                                                                              About ScriptureStream

                                                                                                                              From the publisher's feed

                                                                                                                              Just the gospel, plainly spoken. ScriptureStream compiles lessons presented at the Benchley church of Christ, located just north of Bryan, TX. Visit ScriptureStream.com for full notes on each lesson…