The story of Jonah is recorded in two acts. Jonah 2 is the second scene of the first act. Chapter 1 is the first scene of the first act, in which we see Jonah’s disobedience. In chapter 2, we see Jonah’s deliverance. Verse 1 tells us that Jonah prayed to the Lord from the belly of the fish. And verse 10 tells us that the Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto the dry land. But sandwiched in between these two verses is a psalm in which Jonah gives thanks to the Lord for answering his prayer for deliverance....

I am being greatly challenged by the study of Philippians. And it has been very convicting to preach the radical ideals of the Apostle Paul. Actually, Paul's thoughts here are not radical. They are Christian! However, many of us who follow Christ today (including and especially me) are so spoiled by the blessings of God that we do not really know what it means to live radically for the Lord Jesus Christ.I praise God for all that I am learning in my studies. And I pray that congregation of SMBC is also being edified as we study "the Epistle of...

I am having a ball preaching through Philippians!I am still in Paul's missionary report to the church, where he discusses the advancement of the gospel. In verses 14-18, Paul describes how God worked through his difficult circumstances to advance the gospel. Now, in verse 15-18, Paul describes how God worked through his ministerial opposition to advance the gospel.Some parents were not satisfied with the explanation they were given about their son's death in the Vietnam War. They continued to ask questions and demand answers, until the found out the truth. Their son was not killed by the enemy. Rather, he...

This Sunday, I continued my exposition of Philippians. I preached from the beginning of the main body, verses 12-14. Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:Title: "What Happens to What Happens to You"Text: Philippians 1:12-14Sermon Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel Theme: The overruling providence of God Point: God is in control of everything that happens in your life. Transitional Sentence: Look beyond what happens to you and trust that God rules over and works through the circumstances of life. Outline: I. God reigns over the circumstances of life (1:12) A. God's sovereign providence overrules what happens to you...

This past Sunday, I continued my exposition on the book of Philippians with a message on the prayer report of Paul recorded in Philippians 1:9-11. Here is the sermon skeleton. TITLE: Praying for God’s Best TEXT: Philippians 1:9-11 SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL THEME: A prayer for spiritual growth and maturity POINT: Pray for God’s best. (God accomplishes his best with our partnership through believing prayer.)TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: Philippians 1:9-11 teaches us three ways to pray for God’s best. OUTLINE: I.    Pray that love may abound (1:9)     A.    True love goes beyond the boundaries: "And it is my prayer...

I preached on the perseverance of the saints (eternal security) this past Sunday from Philippians 1:6. Here is the sermon skeleton. SERMON: “The Perseverance of the Saints” TEXT: Philippians 1:6 SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL THEME: The perseverance of the saints POINT: The perseverance of the saints is enabled by the preservation of the saints by God. TRANSITION SENTENCE: Philippians 1:6 highlights two sovereign acts of God that guarantee the perseverance of the saints. OUTLINE: I.    God has begun a good work in you.      A.    It is a work of God.      B.    It is a good work....

Here is my sermon skeleton from Sunday's message. It is the second in a yet-to-be-determined series of expositions through the book for Philippians. This message is based on an introductory section on the letter, in which Paul offers thanksgiving to God for the church at Philippi. TITLE: “Partnership in the Gospel” TEXT: Philippians 1:3-8 SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL THEME: Partnership in the Gospel POINT: The church of Jesus Christ ought to be lovingly bound together in partnership in the gospel. TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: Paul’s thanksgiving in Philippians 1:3-8 teaches us three dynamics of partnership in the gospel. OUTLINE:...

Here is the sermon skeleton from my message yesterday. Title: "What a Fellowship!" Text: Philippians 1:1-2Sermon Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel Point: True Christianity binds believers to Christ and to one another. Theme: The relational elements of a healthy church Outline: I. A healthy church is marked by servant leadership (1:1a).     Paul teaches a lesson about servant leadership through...     A. The omission he makes: He does not identify himself as an "Apostle"     B. The association he shares: and Timothy    C. The designation he embraces: servants of Christ Jesus II. A healthy church is marked by a...

Sunday, I took a shot at our temptation to worry. I preached from one of my favorite sections of scripture - the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). My pastoral burden was to challenge and encourage my congregation to trust God and stop worrying. Here is the sermon skeleton: Title: ""What Are You Worrying About?" Text: Matthew 6:25-34 Theme: Overcoming Worry through Faith in God Point: In order to be a full-devoted follower of Jesus Christ, you must overcome the sinful tendency to worry about the needs in your life. Outline: I. Do not worry about the needs in your...

This past Sunday, I preached from one of the great psalms of the Bible - and on of my favorite psalms - Psalm 121. My goal was to challenge the congregation to look to the Lord for help and to encourage them to know that the Lord is looking out for them. Here is the Sermon SkeletonTitle: "Where Does You Help Come From?" Text: Psalm 121Theme: Sovereign help for the journey of life Point: The Lord is the only who who is able to help you make it through the journey of life. Outline: I. Look to the Lord for...

I preached this past Sunday from 2 Corinthians 4:7: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (ESV). I strove to drive home a simple but remarkable point - one of the most important thing I know about Christian ministry - God uses weak people! Here is the sermon skeleton. Title: "God Uses Weak People." Text: 2 Corinthians 4:7 Theme: Our weaknesses as a platform for God's power Point: God Uses Weak People Outline: I. The Reality of our Weaknesses     A. We are unworthy.    ...

This past Lord's Day, I continued a brief series of selected expositions that I am calling, "Going Forward with God... Together." Sunday's message was from the wonderful book of Ecclesiastes. I have read Ecclesiastes many times and find that it constantly challenges my faith. But this is the only text I have preached from this great book. I really do not know what caused this passage to stick out to me. But it is one of the passages I memorized some time ago on the subject of fellowship. I came to the pulpit with a burden for my congregation. I...