Holy Scripture

Paul challenges Timothy to maintain a close relationship with the Word of God because there are benefits that come from such a relationship.  

He is reminded that it’s the Scriptures which taught him what he knows about God, that fed him and led him to this point in his life.  

He is to continue in the Scriptures so that he might continue to progress as a believer and as a man of God.

Believers need the Scriptures in our lives as well. 

If we are going to be all we can be for the glory of the Lord we need a close relationship with the Bible.  

If we are going to grow in the Lord as He wants us to, we need the Word of God.  

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission. 

Walking With God

When we do God’s will, He will take care of us. How well David knew this. 

He was an old man who had seen the Lord allow him to sit on his enemies throne. He knew that serving God always paid off. 

If you walk with your faith in God and live your life to please Him, He will commit Himself to take care of you. 

When we are walking with God, it enables Him to give us His best. 

Psalm 37:4-6 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission. 

Love Letters

On this Valentine’s day I think of love letters, the long distant love letters my husband and I wrote during our eight month engagement. His love words warmed my heart. I always planted a lipstick kiss at the bottom of mine. 

Here’s a heart-felt love note Napoleon Bonaparte wrote. 

“I wake filled with thoughts of you. Your portrait and the intoxicating evening which we spent yesterday have left my senses in turmoil. Sweet, incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart.”

The greatest love letters ever written were from God and His Son. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

No other love letter has offered redemption from sin for believers. No other love letter has offered eternal life. What love! No other person has volunteered His life to be crucified on a cruel cross—a blood sacrifice for our sins. What love!

John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

We need to pray to our loving Lord every day because we love Him. We also need to be quiet—to listen to what He has to say to us. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission. 

Hang On, Help Is Coming

Psalm 121:2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

I’m glad that the source of my help is Almighty God—not a friend or an ally, but the One who stood on the edge of nothing and made everything with the Word of His power. 

I’m glad that He is interested in everything that happens in my life. He is also interested in everything that happens in your life. 

Our burdens are His burdens. Our problems are His problems. Our worries are His worries. 

Our duty is to trust Him. Are we performing our duty or do we need to talk to Him about this? 

Trust Him. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission. 

Victory In Trials

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

There are four essentials for victory in trials:  A joyful attitude, an understanding mind, a surrendered will, and a heart that wants to believe.

If we value comfort more than character,  trials will upset us --- material and physical more than the spiritual, we won’t be able to “count it all joy” ---  the present more than the future, trials will make us bitter, not better.

Job had the right outlook when he said, “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10).

So when trials come, immediately give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. Don’t pretend; don’t try self-hypnosis; simply look at trials through the eyes of faith. 

Faith is always tested—Testing works for us, not against us—Trials, rightly used, help us to mature.

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission. 

Sufficient Grace

Instead of Jesus healing Paul’s thorn in the flesh, The Lord  said it was a gift from God. What a strange gift! God wants to keep Paul from being “exalted above measure” (2 Cor. 12:7).

2 Corinthians 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

If Paul hadn’t had a thorn in his flesh he wouldn’t have known the power of God’s sufficient  grace for the pain. He wouldn’t have known the perfect strength from God in his weakness. 

 I’m with Paul. “I’d rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 

Whenever you are going through suffering, spend extra time in the Word of God and you can be sure God will speak to you. He always has a special message for His children when they are afflicted.

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission. 

Valleys Pass

Even though he is cast down, the Psalmist knows that he will soon come out of that valley in victory. 

Psalm 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

How does he know this? His faith is in the Lord, Heb. 11:1.  

Whatever you are facing, it will not last forever. Eventually, you will reach the end of that valley. 

 Valleys didn’t come to stay, they merely came to pass. 

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit without their permission.