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First Alliance Church Weekly Sermons
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 03, 2019
Tuesday Dec 03, 2019
“Making the Shepherd’s Story Our Story” Luke 2:8-18
Sometimes when we recall the Christmas story we feel detached, as if we are on the outside looking in. This year we want the story of the birth of the Savior to be our story. We intend to do this by entering the story of those who were literally part of that first Christmas. Today we want to make the shepherd’s story our story. How do we do that?
I First, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we need to see how much the shepherd’s story __________ our story (2:8).
A. From the beginning of the Bible the calling to be a shepherd was highly r______________ and shepherds were looked on in a p__________ way.
B. But by Jesus’ day things had changed – shepherds were looked on with s_____________ and d____________.
II Second, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we need to know that we can never be ________ ______________ to please God (2:9-11, 13).
A. The irreligious shepherds got a special announcement about the birth of the Savior, but the good religious folks got ___________.
B. The most radical fact about the Christmas story is this: If you are not a _____________, Christmas has nothing to offer you.
III Third, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we must be willing to ______ where the truth can be ____________ (2:12-15).
A. Because there are genuine Christians sprinkled throughout the U.S., most people know something about Jesus being the _____________.
B. If you want to know about the Savior, who he is and how he can change your life, you must look for him in the _____________ ___________ of _________.
IV Finally, for the shepherd’s story to be our story, we must not only ___________ what they believed, we must _________ as they lived.
A. After the shepherds found the Savior they were still shepherds, but they were not __________ shepherds.
B. Now, they are also doing the work of _____________.
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
Tuesday Nov 19, 2019
“Wisdom is Fabulous!” (Pt 3)
Proverbs 3:27-35
People seek many things in our world today, but very few seem to be seeking wisdom. This is why the author of Proverbs wants us to know just how fabulous wisdom is.
I First, wisdom is worth the effort and we should seek it with all our heart (3:13-18).
II Second, wisdom is so good that even God uses it (3:19-20).
III Third, wisdom can guard our life (3:21-26).
IV Fourth, wisdom is d____________. Here Solomon gives us four principles that we can follow to put wisdom to _______ in our lives today:
A. Principle #1: Do ________ to people _____________ you can (3:27-28).
-But there are ______ conditions:
1. First, “do not withhold good from those who d___________ it.
2. Second, “do not withhold good when it is in your _________ to act.”
B. Principle #2: Do not b___________ the one who t_________ you (3:29-30).
1. A better translation is: “Don’t devise _________ against someone who lives in __________ with you.”
2. Not only should we be careful not to h__________ those who trust us, but we should not f___________ accuse anyone of hurting us.
C. Principle #3: Do not envy those who get what they want by unethical means (3:31-32).
1. “Don’t envy them,” Solomon says, “because even if they get what they want, they won’t k_________ it for l_______.”
2. People who cheat, steal, lie, and use violence to get what they want make God ___________.
D. Principle #4: S_______ wisdom and do not act like a __________ (3:33-35).
1. First contrast: “The Lord’s c_______ is on the house of the wicked, but he b_________ the home of the righteous” (3:33).
2. Second contrast: “He _______ proud mockers, but gives _______ to the humble” (3:34).
3. Third contrast: “The wise inherit h__________, but fools he holds up to s__________” (3:35).
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
Tuesday Nov 05, 2019
“Our City, Our Calling” Jeremiah 29:1-14
Is there a Scripture text which speaks specifically to us about our calling at FAC? That is what I have been looking for, and I believe the Lord has provided it in these words of Jeremiah.
I What is happening here in the twenty-ninth chapter of the prophetic book of Jeremiah? The leaders of the Jews have been ___________ to Babylon (29:1).
II In his letter, Jeremiah makes ________ points:
A. First, God’s people are called to the p__________, p_________, s___________ city (29:4-9).
1. We are just like the Judeans in Jeremiah’s day – the New Testament calls Christians, “_____________.”
2. God says, “I want you in this strange city because I can d____________ and r___________ your faith here, and you can do __________ to the people of this city.
B. Second, God’s people must offer an a____________ to the v__________ of this city (29:10-14).
1. God says he banished them, not to _____________ them, but to give them a chance to decide what is truly ____________ to them.
2. When we wake up and find that we are in Babylon, there are three things that we can do:
a. We can give our ___________ to Babylon.
b. We can build a _____________ and never allow ourselves to become a ________ of this city.
c. We can live in Babylon in such a way as to bring the ___________ of ______ to this city.
C. Third, God’s people must ________ and ________ for the city.
-We are to pray, not only that people will _________ Jesus, but that they would be whole in their mind, body, career, relationships, finances - in ________ way.
III This is where we live. This is where ______ put us. This is our _____________.
Tuesday Oct 29, 2019
Tuesday Oct 29, 2019
“Wisdom is Fabulous!” (Pt 2) Proverbs 3:19-26
People seek many things in our world today, but very few seem to be seeking wisdom. Perhaps this is because they are afraid wisdom might interfere with their selfish plans, or it may be because people have no idea how wonderful God’s wisdom is. In any case, the author of Proverbs wants us to know just how fabulous wisdom is.
I Wisdom is worth the e________________ and we should seek it with _______ our heart (3:13).
II Wisdom is so good that even ______ uses it (3:19-20).
A. The greatest p_________ of wisdom’s v_________ is that God himself makes use of it.
B. The understanding God used in creating the universe includes two types of k________-h_____:
1. There is the know-how that is focused on r________________.
2. There is the know-how that is needed to b_______ something.
III Wisdom can g__________ our life (3:21-26).
A. Solomon says sound judgement and discernment are so important to life that we must make sure we k_______ our e______ on them.
B. Why? Because the world has a way of h__________ them from us.
C. Wisdom can guard our life in _______ ways:
1. First, wisdom protects our s_________ (3:22)
2. Second, wisdom keeps us s________ (3:23).
3. Third, wisdom helps us s__________ (3:24)
4. Fourth, wisdom eases our s___________ (3:25).
5. Fifth, wisdom gives us s____________ (3:26).
Thursday Oct 17, 2019
Thursday Oct 17, 2019
“Wisdom is Fabulous!” Proverbs 3:13-18
People seek many things in our world today, but very few seem to be seeking wisdom. Perhaps this is because they are afraid wisdom might interfere with their selfish plans, or it may be because people have no idea how wonderful God’s wisdom is. In any case, the author of Proverbs wants us to know just how fabulous wisdom is.
I In his introduction to wisdom, Solomon makes _______ major points.
A. First, wisdom has ___________ ____________ (3:13-18).
B. Solomon gives us ______ reasons why we should want wisdom with all our heart.
II First, wisdom is __________ the ___________ (3:13).
A. From the start we need to understand that living as a wise person requires __________________.
B. It took gut-wrenching discipline on Solomon’s part to ask for what he knew would benefit _____________, rather than ____________.
III Second, wisdom is p__________________ (3:14)
A. Silver and gold have value, but they will never earn as much in the f_______________ as wisdom will.
B. Wisdom has the potential to provide ________________the things we cannot know _____________ that we will need tomorrow.
IV Third, wisdom is greater than anything we can _______________ (3:15).
V Fourth, wisdom gives the best ______________ (3:16).
A. Wisdom knows how to use riches in an h_________________ way.
B. Wisdom can fill life, even long life, with _________________.
VI Fifth, wisdom gives real _______________ (3:17).
VII Sixth, wisdom gives _______________ life (3:18).
-Just as Solomon began by saying that wisdom is something we must seek, so he ends by telling us again that wisdom must be e_____ _____.
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
Tuesday Oct 08, 2019
“Free from the Curse” Galatians 3:13-14
There are many things the death of Jesus did for us, but there is one thing that we rarely think about and that is how the death of Jesus freed us from “the curse of the law.” But what is this curse and how have we been set free from it?
I First, ______ is the curse of the Law?
A. The Law curses us in _______ ways:
1. The Law is a curse because it gives us a cure for the problem of sin, but that cure is a _____________.
2. The Law is a curse because no matter what we do or don’t do, the Law keeps on condemning us.
B. The Law is a double curse – It offers us the ________ hope that we can please God and then it ______________ us when we fail.
II Second, _______ should Christians be concerned about the curse of the Law?
A. The curse of the Law can still _____________ us even though we are Christians.
B. Anytime our confidence in Jesus is strengthened by how we _____________, the Law still has power over us.
III Third, _________ did Jesus save us from the curse of the Law?
A. Jesus took the Law’s curse off ____ and placed it on _____________.
B. The curse of the Law is two-fold:
1. The first curse is the separation that comes when we try to create a relationship with God through p___________, rather than _______.
2. The second curse is the punishment of _________ that comes to us because we have not kept the Law.
IV Fourth, ________ ______________ does it make?
-Not only have we been saved from a curse, but to help us live a life pleasing to God we have been given the _____________ ___________.
Tuesday Oct 01, 2019
Tuesday Oct 01, 2019
“Saved Through Water”
1 Peter 3:18-21
We can learn by listening to words, but mental pictures can be far more enlightening. That is why the Bible not only tells us about baptism, it gives us some unforgettable pictures. Today we are looking at the picture of baptism found in the first letter of Peter.
I Most Christians consider this a ____________ text for two reasons:
A. First, it’s a difficult text because we are not sure ________ Jesus went and to _______ he preached.
1. Some believe Jesus preached to all who _______________ God before the flood and he gave them a ________ to hear the Gospel.
2. Others believe he was announcing his ___________ over sin to the spirit- beings, or angels, who had rebelled against God.
B. Second, it’s a difficult text because of Peter’s words, “this water symbolizes baptism that now _______ you also.”
1. Peter begins the passage, vs 18, talking about the __________________, and he ends the passage, vs 21, talking about the __________________.
2. Then, in the middle he talks about ___________. What does a person do at baptism? They _____________ the Gospel by acting it out.
3. So, when Peter says baptism saves, he means that what baptism r___________ – the death and resurrection of Jesus – that is what saves.
II After Peter refers to Noah, he then tells us that what happened to Noah is a __________ of baptism
A. Peter says that Noah and his family were saved, not by the ________, but by the ____________.
B. Why would Peter say that Noah and his family were saved “through water?” There are ______ reason for saying this:
1. First, Noah and his family were saved through water because the flood s____________ them from the overwhelming evil in their day.
2. Second, Noah and his family were saved through water because the very thing which brought j_____________ and d_________ to earth, brought d_______________ to them.
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
“My Grandpa Was a Baptist Preacher!” John 8:37-59
What is it that people who do not have Jesus in their life depend on to make themselves feel secure about Judgment Day? One of the things people lean on is their pride in their godly ancestors. In our text today
Jesus lets us know that our forbearers, as wonderful as they may have been, cannot save us from the consequences of our sin.
I Jesus says that actions speak louder than our family tree (8:37-38).
II Jesus says we all have an ancestor in our family line we would rather ignore (8:39-41).
III There is a spiritual ______ test which can determine whether we are truly children of God (8:42-59)
A. There is the l_______ test (8:42).
B. There is the b__________ test – Can we ______ God speak to us through his Word? (8:43, 47).
C. There is the t________ test (8:44-47).
1. Whatever language we learn first becomes f__________ to us.
2. When we are born the language of s________ l______ is our native and natural language.
3. When we experience new birth by trusting Jesus, we can then begin to speak and comprehend the language of s_________ t_______.
4. Those without the ________ of _______ in them cannot grasp or recognize spiritual truth.
D. Lastly, there is the J_________ test (8:48-59).
1. Stoning was the penalty for b__________, which means the religious officials understood Jesus was claiming to be _____ in the _______.
2. The Pharisees allowed what o___________ them about Jesus to blind them to who he really was, and the same thing happens today.
3. If you are a real child of God then you ______ Jesus for _____ he is.
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
Tuesday Sep 24, 2019
“My Grandpa Was a Baptism Preacher!” John 8:37-59
What is it that people who do not have Jesus in their life depend on to make themselves feel secure about Judgment Day? One of the things people lean on is their pride in their godly ancestors. In our text today
Jesus lets us know that our forbearers, as wonderful as they may have been, cannot save us from the consequences of our sin.
I There are some expressions which people think are m_________. One of these is “I believe in _________!”
A. People also feel safe saying, “I’m not perfect, but I try to live the _____ life I ______.”
B. Another expression people believe will save them on judgment day is: “My mother was a real _________.”
C. One thing many are counting on to save them from God’s judgment is their Godly a___________ - But it is _____ enough.
II Jesus says that _______ speak louder than our family _______ (8:37-38)
A. Jesus begins by saying, “I know you are the s_________ of Abraham – You have godly _____.”
B. In the ancient world they put a great emphasis on ___________ - they believed you could never be __________ than your ancestors.
C. Many today want a family tree they can be ________ of.
III Jesus says we all have an ancestor in our family line we would rather ____________ (8:39-41).
Jews in that day thought Abraham had earned a vast treasury of m_______ in God’s eyes and his descendants could d_______ on that merit.
B. But in verse 39 Jesus says it is not just about being the o___________ of Abraham, it is about d_______ the things Abraham did.
IV There are two problems with this truth:
A. First, many do not believe in the _________.
B. The second problem is that while many do not believe in the devil, we do believe in ___________.