Tag: Sermon Starter

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Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”

The Gatekeeper

“So Jesus told `em straight out. ‘C’mon, y’all listen up; I’m shootin’ straight with ya. I am the gate to the sheep’”—John 10:7 (“The Gospel of John Cowboy Style”).

My father and a couple of other guys were hauling some cattle to our home place that he had purchased in an auction from the local sale barn. His plan was to unload the cattle into the corral to examine them before letting them loose into the pasture. Because I was the youngest (about 10 at the time) I was selected to hold the gate open while they unloaded and pushed the cattle into the corral.

At first, it was working great and I might add that  I was doing a really good job. The cattle were stumbling off the back of the trailer and the men were Continue reading “Fence Post Devotionals “The Gospel of John Cowboy Style””

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Comparing the Church to an Old-Fashioned Branding

When I think of a local functioning church, I imagine an old-fashioned branding. At a branding, everyone has a job to do. There are no by-standers; no observers–everyone has an assigned task to do:

  •      Someone tends the gate
  •      Another rounds-up the calves
  •      One does the roping
  •      A person attends the fire
  •      There is one who heats the irons
  •      Someone holds the calf (That was usually my job)
  •      While another does the branding

And if some folks remined after jobs were assigned, well they didn’t just stand around. They got involved too, doing everything they could to assist, Continue reading “Comparing the Church to an Old-Fashioned Branding”

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What is the Fullness of Time?

In Galatians 4:4, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son” . . . When God’s time table struck the appointed hour, God sent His Son into the world. Paul called that appointed hour the “fullness of time.” What did Paul mean by that? “The Fullness of Time”?

Well, there were a number of things happening in the then known world at that particular time upon which “The Fullness of Time” hinged. Let’s examine some of them . . .

I. According to the Historical Order, it was the Fullness of Time:

  1. History records this was a time of ‘Great Expectancy’. One evidence is that of the Wise Men:At this very time in history they were studying the stars, looking for a sign. And God gave them one— Matthew 2:1b-2 “Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’”
  2. Roman Peace: Throughout the then known world there was a sense of unity to the various lands. Because of that the empire was relatively peaceful, travel was possible, allowing the early Christians to spread the gospel. Such freedom to travel would have been impossible in other eras.
  3.  A common language: koine’ Greek was the dominant language spoken throughout the empire, making it possible to communicate the gospel to many different people groups through one common language.
  4. Roman roads: Cobblestone roads had been built throughout the Roman Empire on which the Roman armies were transported. Such roads made it possible to carry the gospel; the same roads Paul used to carry and spread the Gospel and plant churches in the Mediterranean and Asian World.

Continue reading “What is the Fullness of Time?”

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What do you Think of When you Hear the Word Church?

                                                                                Jack Terry, Artist

What do you think of when you hear the word, ‘Church’? I grew up thinking of the church as a building. Maybe that’s true for you too; you think of a place, a building, a structure of some kind. In today’s culture some may picture a storefront, a tent, or even someone’s home.

But the Biblical understanding of a ‘church’ is more than just that of a building or a place of worship. It is the “Body of Christ”— “And He (Christ) gave some as apostles and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and Continue reading “What do you Think of When you Hear the Word Church?”

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Is there a Difference Between Praise & Worship?

Is there a difference between worship and praise?  Yes! Understanding the difference between  worship and praise can bring a new depth to the way we honor and worship the Lord.

All through the Bible, we see commands to “praise the Lord” . . .

Praise has to with the joyful recollection of all God has done for us. Closely intertwined with thanksgiving, when we praise God, we offer back to Him Continue reading “Is there a Difference Between Praise & Worship?”