A Shepherd's day off

My wife and I took a little drive this afternoon just to be together and enjoy God's creation:

True love throughout the year and not just on Valentine's Day

When things are not going to well in my relationships. I go to God in prayer and read I Corinthians 13. The following Studies will open your eyes about what true love is all about.

I John 4:18-19, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us."

I Corinthians 13:4-7, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Bible Study outlines on God's descriptions of love:

Lesson 1 – Love Suffereth Long

Lesson 2 – Love is Kind

Lesson 3 – Love Envieth Not

Lesson 4 – Love Is NOT Proud

Lesson 5 – Love’s Behavior is Not Unseemly – Coming soon – I lost the file

Lesson 6 – Love Seeketh Not Her Own

Lesson 7 – Love Is NOT Easily Provoked

Lesson 8 – Love Thinketh No Evil

Lesson 9 – How Love Rejoices

Lesson 10 – Love Rejoices in the Truth

Lesson 11 – Love Beareth All Things

Lesson 12 – Love Believeth all Things

Lesson 13 – Love Hopeth All Things

Lesson 14 -Love Endureth All Things

Lesson 15 – Love Never Fails

February Pastor's Chat

February Pastor’s Chat

Each Sunday morning sermon this past month has been focused on our church theme, God Is Faithful. The first 4 sermon titles are part of the portrait that God paints for us of His faithfulness. From the canvas of the Word of God we have seen Our God— A Faithful High Priest, Our God—A Faithful Provider, Our God — A Faithful Judge, and Our God — A Faithful Protector. The last sermon in the series will focus on our faithfulness to our faithful God — God Is Faithful; Are You?

If you know this faithful God, naturally you will desire to tell others about Him. The Psalmist declares, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, to all generations” (Psalm 89:1). Again he confesses, “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation” (Psalm 40:10).

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, your Lord has given you a calling and a commission to go forth and preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20). This mandate has two parts: 1) Salvation – making disciples of Christ and 2) Sanctification – teaching obedience to all of Christ’s teachings. Does this mandate seem to be to overwhelming even to begin? In ourselves it surely is! But we do not have to go it alone! Jesus, our faithful God, has promised to go with us: “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” In the context of this great commission we are told in verse 17, “And when they saw [Jesus], they worshiped him.” Worship preceded their witness. Let’s worship our Lord for His faithfulness and then depend on His faithfulness to enable us to witness to others of His mercies that fail not! God is faithful!

With Prayer, Pastor Mark

January Sermon Links to Mini-Series on "God's Faithfulness"

January 3, 2010
Listen:Our God- A Faithful High Priest
Download Mp3:

January 10, 2010
Listen:Our God--A Faithful Provider
Download Mp3:

January 17, 2010
Listen:Our God--A Faithful Judge
Download Mp3:

January 24, 2010
Listen:Our God -- A Faithful Protector
Download Mp3:

January 31, 2010
Listen:God Is Faithful; Are You?
Download Mp3:

(If these sermons have blessed you please feel free to share the links with others who might benefit from them.)

"So than faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17

The Call to True Discipleship

Are you following Christ or are you just playing church games? This past Lord's Day I preached from the same passage as last week ( Matthew 19:16-26) with a different focus and included the last few verses to close out the chapter (Matthew 19:27-30). The general outline to the message is as follows: The Call, the Response, and the Reward for Forsaking All and Following Christ. Click here to download the message for a listen.

November Pastor's Challenge

God is worthy! The things of which God are worthy, from Revelation 5:12, have challenged us this year: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Thus far, we have focused on what God is worthy of, but have not focused on the name of God in this verse. In this coming month of Thanksgiving let us focus on our God who is the Lamb.

This Lamb is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ whom John the Baptist identified as such in John 1:29 when he saw, “Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Thanksgiving and love should well up in our hearts toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who bore our sin on the cross of Calvary as the Lamb of God ( I Peter 1:18-21). We who have been forgiven much should love much (Luke 7:47). But do we?

Do you sometimes sense a lack of love and thanksgiving in your heart toward Christ? My friend, I call you to remembrance! Remember your sin before a Holy and Righteous God. Remember the times you unwittingly and wittingly broke his commands. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, died for your sins. O praise Him! Thank Him! Stand in awe of the Lamb of God. It is by looking to our Savior that we can be delivered from the penalty of sin and the practice of sin. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” May God richly bless you as you look unto Jesus as the Lamb of God this coming Thanksgiving season!

With love and prayer, Pastor Mark

Selected Bible Verses on "The Lamb of God"

Genesis 22:8, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

John 1:36, “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

I Peter 1:18-21, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

Acts 8:30-35, “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Revelation 21:22, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

Revelation 21:23, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Revelation 22:3, “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”

Links to Recent sermon download from FBC

Title: The Foundation of Marriage
Text: Matthew 19:1-6
http://sermon.net/download.php?c=18884-count_audio_download-2254256

Title: The Enemy of Marriage
Text: Matthew 19:7-9
http://sermon.net/download.php?c=18884-count_audio_download-2258073

Title: The Alternative to Marriage
Text: Matthew 19:10-12
http://sermon.net/download.php?c=18884-count_audio_download-2266639

Title: The Blessing of Children
Text: Matthew 19:13-15
http://sermon.net/download.php?c=18884-count_audio_download-2270870

Title: Eternal Life
Text: Matthew 19:16-26
http://sermon.net/download.php?c=18884-count_audio_download-2275000

Mini-Series on Marriage from Matthew 19:1-12

The response from these messages have been encouraging. I have tried to preach the truth from Matthew 9:1-12 in love and compassion. One dear lady said after sermon two, “Pastor, I almost did not come to church today because I knew you would be preaching on the divorce passage. But boy am I glad I came; you preached a message of encouragement and hope even for us who have been divorced.” Praise God! It is only by His grace!

Sermon one: The Foundation of Marriage. Matthew 19:1-6

Sermon two: The Enemy of Marriage. Matthew 19:7-9

Sermon three: The Alternative to Marriage. Matthew 19:10-12

You can down load the messages by clicking on the titles. Please feel free to share these messages with others if they have been a help to you.

Pastor Mark's Podcast Feed

This past Sunday we began a series of messages on marriage and divorce from Matthew chapter 19. We covered verses 1-6 and entitled the message, "Foundations of Marriage." You can download the message for a listen at the following feed:

http://sermon.net/pastormarkworden/rss