Episodes
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
08-18-19 Kevin Goins - The Truth About The Truth That Sets Us Free, part 2
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
“The Truth about the Truth that Sets Us Free” (Pt 2) John 8:30-36
John 8:32 has been used by all sorts of people to promote all sorts of ideas. But a biblical text cannot mean whatever we want it to mean. What is the truth about the truth that sets us free?
I The truth that sets us free isn’t only for the believer. In fact, it’s actually directed at the non-believer (8:30).
II There is a truth that can set us free, but many are skeptical of this (8:31a)
III Third, to be set free by the truth, we must use our _________ (8:32).
A. Verse 32 does ____ say what we Bible-believing Christians should ___________ it to say.
-Over and over the Bibles says we must _________. Yet here Jesus says we must __________.
B. One of the greatest issues of the Christian life has always been the relationship between f________ and f___________.
The Bible does not take an _____-intellectual approach to the Christian life because it was God who created our ________ as well as our spirit.
D. An anti-intellectual approach to the Bible is actually more in keeping with the __________ approach to the Bible.
IV The truth is a __________(8:31-32).
A. The truth that sets us free is objective fact, but these facts are not about ________; these facts are about a __________.
B. You cannot know the truth without being a disciple of Jesus, and you cannot be a disciple of Jesus without having a p___________ c____________ with him.
C. If truth is focused on a __________, then we need that _________ to know the truth.
V We Evangelicals aren’t comfortable talking about ________.
-When we act as if faith is all we have, that there is nothing we can know, we drive ___________ __________ out of the church and we face our culture with ________.
Friday Feb 22, 2019
02-17-19 Kevin Goins - The Desire to Pray, part 3
Friday Feb 22, 2019
Friday Feb 22, 2019
“The Desire to Pray” (pt 3)
Matthew 6:5-13
It takes more to pray than simply knowing how to do it. Something else is required and what is required is desire. Why should we desire to pray? Our text tells us.
I First, we should love to pray because prayer rewards us with a growing relationship with God (6:5-6).
II Second, we should love to pray because prayer is the most natural thing we could ever do (6:7-8).
III Third, we should love to pray because when we pray we are reminded of our true significance (6:9)
IV Fourth, we should love to pray because prayer puts us in touch with the power than can bring ________ to God’s name (6:9b).
A., The Bible teaches that it is _____, not ________, who sees to it that his name is honored.
B. We can use prayer to ask God to _______ the way this world treats his _______.
V Fifth, we should love to pray because prayer can a_________ God’s Kingdom in this world (6:10a).
A. When God first created human beings, he was _______ over all life.
B. Then God called a special nation through whom he could once again establish his kingship on earth – that nation was ________.
C. Then God told the prophets he would establish his kingdom through a perfect King - _________ is that perfect King.
D. Jesus not only called us to p________ the Gospel of the Kingdom – he taught us to pray that the Kingdom would ________.
VI Sixth, we should love to pray because real prayer has a terrific s_________ m__________ (6:10b).
A., Can you imagine how horrible it would be to the human race if God ____________ every prayer we ever prayed?
B. Prayer ought to wow us because prayer doesn’t depend on ____ understanding of what is best – it depends on the _____ of ______.
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
04-15-18 Kevin Goins Understanding the Crazy Crowd
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
Wednesday Apr 18, 2018
“Understanding the Crazy Crowd” John 6:22-32
It is often difficult for Christians to understand the crowd that surrounds us as we go about our daily lives. On the one hand, the crowd seems to be getting less religious, but, on the other hand, there is evidence that the crowd is getting more religious, though not according to the way that word used to be understood. But as hard as it is to understand the crowd today, it was just as unfathomable in Jesus’ day. Nevertheless, Jesus understood the crowd and in our text this morning he gives us insight which helps us understand our crowd. What does Jesus teach us about the crowd?
I First, not everyone in the crowd is on the s_______ s______ (6:22-24).
A. So, we have two groups: Jesus, with his own s______ crowd of twelve disciples, and the h______ crowd which had been fed by Jesus.
B. Crowds today are not only separated spiritually, we are p_________ in other ways as well.
II Second, not everyone is even a_______ the right q____________ (6:25).
-If the crowd had asked the right question, it could have r________ c_________ the way they looked at Jesus.
III Third, not everyone w________ the same thing (6:26-27).
IV Fourth, not everyone is willing to b_______ the t_______ when they encounter it (6:28-31).
V Fifth, not everyone wants a p__________ S__________ (6:32).
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
04-01-18 Kevin Goins - A Basic Guide To Easter
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
Tuesday Apr 03, 2018
“A Basic Guide to Easter”
I “Easter,” bunnies, eggs, and candy
A. The word Easter comes from Astra or Ostara who was the goddess of the d_________.
-But Christians do not worship the dawn and so there is a much better name for our holiday: R____________ S___________.
B. Bunnies and eggs belong to the s___________ celebration of Easter.
C. Candy is _______ because Resurrection Sunday is a f_______ d_______ and feasting means f_______.
II What is this day really all about? It all comes down to four words:
A. The first word is _______ and there are two things about _______ we must understand:
1. God e_______; God is r______.
2. God is __________ in every way.
B. The second word is ___________. The problem is that while God cannot shut his eyes to wrong, we have ____ done wrong.
C. The third word is __________. Jesus died for us, which means two things:
1. God is not o___________ our suffering.
2. God, in Jesus, has already endured the punishment that all our wrongs deserve and, because he has done that, he can grant f___________ to all who ask.
D. The last word is ________.
Wednesday Mar 28, 2018
03-25-18 Dunked on Palm Sunday
Wednesday Mar 28, 2018
Wednesday Mar 28, 2018
“Dunked on Palm Sunday!” Luke 19:35-40
Today is Palm Sunday, but it is also the day for several believers in Jesus to obey the Lord by being baptized. So, should we talk about Palm Sunday and the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem? Or, should we talk about baptism and what being baptized means for believers in Jesus? Why not do both? This is really not as strange as it sounds because Palm Sunday and baptism actually have a lot in common:
I First, both Palm Sunday and baptism involve people who b__________ in ________.
A. At the triumphal entry no one had to m________ up; no one had to meet any q_____________.
B. “In Acts no one who decided to follow Jesus a___ or s_______ before being baptized.”
C. The Bible says we can never measure up; we can never p_______ we are w________ of being baptized, because baptism is not for worthy people.
II Second, both Palm Sunday and baptism attract people who claim that Jesus is the ________ of their l______.
A. When you take off your j______ and place it on a dirty road so someone can walk on it without getting their shoes dirty, you are saying that that person means e________ to you.
B. The disciples of Jesus took off their c_________ and made out of them a s_________ for Jesus to ride on.
III Third, both Palm Sunday and baptism can stir up c____________.
IV Lastly, both Palm Sunday and baptism are meant for c____________ v____________.
Wednesday Mar 21, 2018
03-18-18 The Terrible Problem That No One Has, part 2
Wednesday Mar 21, 2018
Wednesday Mar 21, 2018
“The Terrible Problem That No One Has” (Part 2) Proverbs 1:8-19
Surveys show that when asked, “What is the most urgent problem in the U.S. today?” people respond, “Greed.” Strangely enough, however, when asked about their own personal problems, people rarely, if ever, talk about greed. The book of Proverbs lets us know that greed is not only everyone’s problem, it is a potentially deadly problem. Fortunately, Proverbs has some help for us. How does Proverbs help us with greed?
I First, Proverbs teaches us that if we want to escape the slavery of greed, we need to be taught how in the family (1:8-9).
II Second, Proverbs teaches us that if we want to escape the slavery of greed, we need to avoid the w_______ kind of relationships o___________ the home (1:10-14).
A. First, this warning isn’t just about greed itself, it is about being t_________ by p__________.
1. Notice, in verses 8-14 two very different kinds of i_________ are given to the person Solomon is addressing.
2. Notice, the invitation from the gang has two promises
intended to attract new members: the two promises are m________ and e___________.
3. Notice, the invitation from the gang is focused, not on g________ something to the one who joins, but on g______ something from him.
B. Second, this warning is e___________. Why?
1. Solomon’s target audience, on this occasion, is an a_______.
2. Solomon wants us to know that greed is d__________.
C. Third, this warning is r_________.
Wednesday Mar 14, 2018
03-11-18 The Terrible Problem that No One Has
Wednesday Mar 14, 2018
Wednesday Mar 14, 2018
“The Terrible Problem That No One Has” Proverbs 1:8-19
Surveys show that when asked, “What is the most urgent problem in the U.S. today?” people respond, “Greed.” Strangely enough when asked about their own personal problems people rarely talk about greed. It seems that greed is the predominant national problem which affects no one individually. This strange phenomenon calls for some study and that is what we want to do today.
I. Greed is a significant problem for human beings because greed is energized by d___________.
A. Greed is a big problem, not just for Americans, but especially for American _______________.
B. Not only does greed keep its presence secret, there are few sins that so c______________ our heart as greed.
II. How does Proverbs help us with greed?
A. First, Proverbs teaches us that if we want to escape the slavery of greed, we need to be taught how in the ________ (1:8).
B. There are two questions we need to ask of this verse:
1. First, Who is the t________?
a. The fact is, children learn from mother and father how to view ________ and __________.
b. Here is the challenge: not only is it necessary for ____ parent to have their greed under control, ____ must have their greed under control.
2. Second, who is the r___________ of the teaching?
III. Look at how Solomon reinforces his teaching: he says we have a powerful i___________ for listening to our parents (1:9).
IV. Solomon says, “Parents, we must inoculate our children against the world’s lie that money, and what it can buy, will make life w_______ l________.”
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
12-03-17 Kevin Goins - The Forgotten Characters of Christmas
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
Tuesday Dec 05, 2017
“The Forgotten Characters of Christmas” Matthew 2:1-20
Every year at this time we Christians focus our attention on the Christmas story and we spotlight the well-known characters of Christmas: the holy family, the shepherds, and the wisemen. But there are some supporting characters who often get overlooked. That is why for this Advent we are going to look at the people who are not pictured on Christmas cards and who are not sung about in Christmas carols. We are going to look at these forgotten characters because they have something to tell us about the birth of Jesus.
I The first overlooked character was not only mentioned in the Bible; he was the inspiration for one of the most well-known non-biblical
Christmas stories of all time: H____ ___ G________ S__________ C___________.
A. The Grinch’s words, “I must find some way to s_______ Christmas from coming,” is what connects this fictional character with a r_____ person from the Christmas story.
B. This real historical figure is ___________, the ________ of the ___.
C. The one who stood behind Herod, filling him with hate for the Messiah, was the one who inspires all hate: the _________.
II But why was Herod disturbed by the birth of Jesus? Two reasons:
A. First, the wisemen let Herod know that he was not the o_____ King of the Jews – he had c_____________.
B. Second, Herod was upset because the wisemen came to w_________ the newborn King of the Jews.
III What is significant about all this is that both the story of the real
person, Herod, and the story of the fictional character, the Grinch, teach the same truth: that there are p______ and f_______ who want to k______ Christmas from c_______.
A. Every year we Christians are amazed at how determined some are to make Christmas about a_________ and e___________ other than Christ.
B. What we are seeing is the G____________________ of American culture – the effort to keep the r_____ Christmas from coming.
C. But, no matter what we call it, what should we do about it?
1. First, r___________.
2. Second, l_________ and o________.
3. Third, d_____ w__________.
Tuesday Oct 17, 2017
10-15-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word Conclusion
Tuesday Oct 17, 2017
Tuesday Oct 17, 2017
“Making the Most of God’s Word” (conclusion) Mark 5:21-42
We have talked over the last few weeks about what we can do to make the most of God’s Word. Today we are going to put it into action. We are going to take a passage from God’s Word and see how to get all we can out of it.
I The first thing to do with a Scripture text is to ________ it.
-Here is a helpful hint: don’t always read the s______ version, even if it is your f_________.
II Second, we need to ________ the text.
-There are ________ tools that can help us in studying a book including the Bible:
A. First, we should look at the s___________.
B. Second, we should focus on the m____________. Since we use ______ to create meaning, that means we focus on the words.
C. Last, to study a text we must e___________ what the author says.
III Third, we need to a_________ the text.
-Donald Whitney gave us six questions we can use to apply the text to our life:
1. Does the text reveal something I should b_______ about God?
2. Does the text reveal something for which I should p______ or t_______ God?
3. Does this text reveal something I should p_______ about for myself or others?
4. Does this text reveal something I should have a new a_________ about?
5. Does this text reveal something that I should make a d__________ about?
6. Does the text reveal something I should d__ for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?
IV Last, we need to m_____________ on the text.
Wednesday Oct 11, 2017
10-08-17 Making the Most of God's Word - part 5
Wednesday Oct 11, 2017
Wednesday Oct 11, 2017
“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 5) Ezra 7:10
We have seen that making the most of God’s Word requires that we work to study and observe God’s Word in our life. Last Sunday we saw that an important part of observing God’s Word is meditation and we asked, “What is meditation?” and “What can meditation do for us?” Today we want to ask four more questions:
I Third, if meditation is so great, why aren’t a___ the Christians I know t_______ about it?
-A major reason is because meditation has been c___________ by the world.
A. First, the fact that people have counterfeited meditation ___ ____, in itself, a reason to s______ meditation.
B. Second, the practice of meditation did not originate with c______ and f_____ r_________; it originated with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
C. Third, the practice of Christian meditation is r________ d_________ from all other forms of mediation.
II Four, what part does the i____________ play?
-There are two kinds of Christian meditation:
A. We can use our mind to meditate on a________ i________ taught in Scripture.
B. We can use our i__________to experience what a text describes as if we were there.
III Fifth, what makes it hard for us to meditate?
A. An unwillingness to s____ d_____, f________, and p___ a__________
B. S_________ i_________.
C. F_______ of actually h_________ God s________.
IV Last, h____ do we meditate?
A. First, set aside a t_____ to be unhurried and find a p______ to be restful.
B. Second, choose a text you have a________ s__________.
C. Third, make y________ the focus of the text.
D. Fourth, read, not as a s___________, but as a p__________.
E. Fifth, allow all your s_________ to be involved.
F. Last, let _______ be the one to speak to you.