Women and Men (Part 2) 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: Men and women are equal. The Scriptures never equivocate on this: men are neither better, smarter, nor more valuable than women. Nor, as so many sitcoms and greeting cards would have us believe, are women superior to the bumbling men they’re saddled with.… Continue Reading
Women and Men (Part 1) 1 Timothy 2:8-10 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: The Bible contains some curious commands. Consider this one in Leviticus 19:19: “Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.” (So much for those polyester pants you’ve been wearing!) Of course, few imperatives incite controversy like one in the passage at… Continue Reading
A Good Fight 1 Timothy 1:18-20 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: In his groundbreaking book, Jesus, Mean and Wild, Mark Galli contends: “Today, we are adherents of the Religion of Niceness. Thus we learn not to make a fuss in school, at work, in life. We quickly discover that people respond positively to us when we… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes Deadly Rituals Hosea 9-10 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: To those who reject His grace and spurn His authority, God ultimately brings judgment. To nations that ignore His precepts and flaunt His moral law, God promises His reproach. But amid warnings of impending doom, He whispers softly, “Repent; turn to me and live; I… Continue Reading
6.7.2014 Download PDF Sermon Notes So Close, Yet So Far Away Hosea 6 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: An expedient religiosity. That’s nothing more than a fancy way of describing what some would call a “foxhole religion.” It works like this: when things are going horribly, we feel the pressure of the world creeping in, and… Continue Reading
Sermon Notes Redeemed: the Story of the Unfaithful Bride Hosea 3 Taylor Mendoza, Junior High Intern Introduction: As God beckons Israel back to Himself through His redeeming love, constant unfaithfulness requires Hosea to go again and love a woman who is an adulteress. Today, adultery creates dramatic conflict for our sitcoms, and is a main… Continue Reading
5.24.2015 Print PDF Sermon Notes Redemption Song Hosea 2 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: Israel, God’s bride, has abandoned Him, bowed down before other gods, even adorned herself with the clothing of other lovers. What does God conclude when He sees His wife hanging on another man? Does He decide to destroy her? Does He determine… Continue Reading
5.17.2015 Print PDF Sermon Notes Arranged Marriage Love Undeserved [A Study through the Book of Hosea] – Hosea 1 Pastor John Sloan Introduction: A nation in the middle of relative financial prosperity suffers from complete spiritual depravity, and into the mix comes a preacher. A prophet named Hosea. But people aren’t eager to hear a… Continue Reading
5.3.2015 Print PDF Sermon Notes Neighborly Love Luke 10:25-37 God & Sex [The Divine Purpose Behind Human Sexuality] – Pastor John Sloan Introduction: People like us are easy to love. Though we would never say it, that’s often our mindset. And it’s subtle. We have no problem showing compassion and care toward people who look,… Continue Reading
04.26.2015 Print PDF Sermon Notes Sex Lies 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 Pastor John Sloan God & Sex [The Divine Purpose Behind Human Sexuality] – Pastor John Sloan Introduction: It’s fairly easy, when we look around and take note of the ethical climate of our day, to conclude about this post-everything landscape: The world has never been… Continue Reading