Behind the Scenes at a Beheading Matthew 14:1-12 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: Anger. It is one of the most powerful and vitriolic of emotions. It causes brawls in the bedroom and fights in the middle of the street (hence the well-worn phrase, “road rage”). Unbridled, it can even lead to murder. What is striking about… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes Words to Christian Gardeners Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Pastor Brent Whitefield Introduction: Christ employs yet another agricultural parable to assert his Lordship over both salvation and judgment. The work of the Divine Gardener at the end of the age, not our efforts to “make the world a better place,” will purify the kingdom and… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes The Purpose of the Parables Matthew 13:10-17 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: We are surrounded with so-called mysteries. It seems that nightly there are a half-dozen shows devoted to dealing with the inexplicable and unknown. But a mystery in biblical language is something entirely different: it is a truth that’s out in the open… Continue Reading
SermonNotes Mixed Produce Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: The kingdom of heaven is too complex, too glorious to be described in a single definition. Consequently, Jesus sheds light on this realm through a series of stories, or parables. And Jesus is not simply talking about or illustrating the kingdom. By his miracles and… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes 1. How much can a relationship be affected by good or bad communication? If our communication with God breaks down, in what ways can this affect our relationship with him? 2. Think of a verse or passage from Scripture that God used to tell you something personally. How would you respond to God… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes Secret Sins (and the Wounds That Cleanse Them) Proverbs 20:9-30 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: In literature, a rhetorical question is one that is asked where the answer is self-evident. It’s the same way when such questions appear in the Bible. When Solomon, the great wise one, asks, “Who can say, ‘I have made… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes Closer Than a Brother Proverbs 18 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: Americans are the loneliest people in the world. Thus revealed a study in one of our country’s most trusted journals. But what’s the source of the problem? Is it Facebook, as some contend, and the freedom it affords to have connectivity without intimacy?… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes The Rewards of Righteousness Proverbs 11:1-10 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: “And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Because God loves us, he wants us to thrive. And as our Creator, he has the wisdom to know how we should live and what actions usher in the greatest delight. Consequently, his commands… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes The Cistern of Marriage and the Pit of Sexual Sin Proverbs 5 Pastor Brent Whitefield Introduction: The Proverbs remind us to heed the teachings of the wise, this time in the area of sexual ethics. To avoid falling into self-destructive sin, there is a role for instruction and discipline. But the strength to… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes The Beginning (and End) of Wisdom Proverbs 1:1-7 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: In ancient tradition, wisdom is personified as a woman who walks down the street pleading to be heard. “In the markets she raises her voice”—the invitation is to all—but only a few will embrace her. Many reject her. Others scoff at… Continue Reading