20240110

Some Good News About Jesus

We are "Christians": followers of Christ  according to the Bible. This message has three parts: The Way to Know Truth, The Way to be Saved, and The Way to Follow Christ.


I. The Way to Know Truth is: The Bible. The Bible is the sole canonical document of Biblical Christianity, serving as our only authoritative Statement of Faith and Doctrinal Statement. Therefore, all our Christian beliefs and values must come straight from the Bible.


The main focus of the whole Bible is to point us to Christ so we can be saved.


II. The Way to be Saved (straight from the Bible) is 3 points, as easy as A, B, C:

A. Admit you are a sinner

B. Believe in Jesus, that He is the Lord and He died and rose again to save us

C. Call on God by praying in Jesus' name, and ask Him to save you

(See: Romans 10:9, Acts 16:31, John 3:16, Romans 6:23, etc.)


Once someone has been saved, they need to continue to follow Christ, in a way that is fitting for the way we were saved.


III. The Way to Follow Christ (also from the Bible) is 5 points:

1. Bible: Keep on listening to and following it (John 8:31,32)

2. Prayer: Ask God for what you want His help with, and thank Him for what He does

3. Meet: Regularly get together and do these things with other followers (Hebrews 10:25, Acts 2:42)

4. Confess: Tell the truth about the wrong you've done (1 John 1:9)

5. Tell Others: Share the way to be saved and follow God with everyone, as somebody shared it with you (Matthew 28:19,20)


There are more things that can be said with a message like this one*, and variations on ways of saying them, but this this simple e is provided in hope it will be a useful outline.


*Addition: For example, as you study the Bible you will see that we have been given two "special activities" to do, to show our faith:

1. Immersion in Water

2. Taking part in The Bread and Cup of Remembrance


Also deserving of honorable mention, is: worshipping and praising the Lord, including with singing.

20231111

Notes on Matthew 28

Matthew 28
V17 Worship or doubt?
V7-9 On His side: worshipping Him having great joy, going/running to tell others/bring them Word.
V18-20 a mission and a promise. Going, teaching, baptizing. Him having all power, being with, always, even to end.

On the other side: v4 fear, v11-15 misuse of money, dishonesty--trying (in vain) to cover up what self did wrong from being exposed to others. V17 doubt.

Which side? Our foundation for the radical positive change is: v5,6 His resurrection and our true belief in that. If that's truly in our heart it changes everything, about that we do, etc.

20170902

Come hear me preach on Little Things at Hillside

You Are Invited

Please come to Hillside
On Sunday September 3, at 11:00 AM
To hear me preach a message "Be faithful in the little things"
From Luke 16:10 etc.

We are located at:
The Hills Event Venue
7040 N 102ND CIR
OMAHA, NE 68122


You are (optionally) also welcome to share a meal with us at the venue after the message. I believe this message will be a blessing. I hope to see you there.

20151112

What is the gospel?

The gospel is: Jesus is the Lord. He died on the cross in the place of our judgment for doing wrong. He became alive again on the third day. Whoever will believe in him will be saved from judgment and sin. Won't you call on him to save you, today?

That is the gospel.

20150604

20140515

Psalm 51 Summary

Outline

v1-2
Requesting to be washed from sin
v3-6
Honestly acknowledging our sin
v7-9
Wash me so I may be clean and have joy
v10-12
Wash me so that I can have You with me, and so I can have Your Holy Spirit
v13
Wash me so that I may turn others to You
v14-15
Wash me so I may sing and praise You
v16-19
Wash me so I may bring a pleasing sacrifice

Key
v13

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

If I want to have a significant positive influence on other people, I need to be washed from my sins first, then I can.

Application

I'll set aside some time on Saturday evenings to examine my life for sin, and to come up with specific practical actions to take in order to change.

20131206

Matthew 27:1-31 - Reconsidering when we're set in our ways

Outline

v1-2
"When the morning was come..."--what kinds of things do we do in the morning?
v3-10
Judas tried to repent, and the council bought a potters field with the money
v11-14
Jesus didn't argue back
v15-18
Pilate gave the people a choice between Jesus and Barabbas
v19
Pilate's wife warned him
v20-23
The council and the crowd insisted for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified
v24-26
Pilate tried to transfer the responsibility
v27-31
The band of soldiers mistreated Jesus

Key
v19

When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

Sometimes we're already set in our ways to carry out a certain activity and the Lord lets something happen to warn us. We shouldn't merely dismiss the warning and continue in our sin like we had planned.

Application
1 Corinthians 10:12

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

When something happens or somebody says something to make me unsure whether I'm going the right way, I'll reconsider it before the Lord even if I was already set in my ways.

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