Christ Church (Moscow, ID)

There is a progression in the story, the initial effect of the sin is low, but it ramps up, more people get involved, it becomes harder and harder to stop the momentum. As the wave of sin gathers more strength and increases in amplitude, it gets so out of control that, eventually, an innocent man is murdered. So for our outline, we will take the progression of sin as it ramps up, pause it along the way and ask the question, what could’ve been done at this point to squelch the forward motion of sin. And as we will see, the effort required to stop the momentum is proportional to the extent of which, that sin that has been able to grow unchecked.

Scripture says that we Christians are more than conquerors. And that is one of our beloved verses. But, if we are conquerors, that means there are things standing in our way. This truth, the one about looming obstacles, can weigh down the spirit if we let it. But, there really is no need for soul troubles. We are victors after all. And what good are victors if they have nothing to vanquish?

The Text: Isaiah 7

THE TEXT:1 Samuel 4:1-12

“Growing up Christian” is a process that revolves around a relationship between people. In most cases, you have the parents on the one hand, and you have the child or the children on the other. And, as the Scriptures plainly teach, growing up Christian is a cooperative effort. It is something that the parents are actively engaged in doing, but it is also something that calls for godly and intelligent responses from the child. And so it is that we are going to spend a few Sundays on how to be a Christian kid.

The Text: Judges 5

We come now to the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The theme of this passage is the importance of contentment, in the context Paul’s gratitude for the financial support that the Philippians contributed. Because the kingdom of God does not run on air, the Scriptures do talk about finances and financing kingdom work. But there is a striking difference between how Scripture addresses it and how worldly professionals do. 

The Text: Isaiah 7

Paul is following his typical pattern here. He loves to conclude his epistles with a set of rapid-fire exhortations, which is what he is doing here in our passage. The two larger themes to take away from this would be peace and purity—the peace of God, and purity of heart. These are the two main points to take away with us today. God wants His people protected from anxiety, and He wants them to cultivate purity of mind.

THE TEXT: Judges 4