Category: Sermons

Know Jesus Christ

On By ForChristsSakeFellowshipIn Sermons

Saint Paul was the most religiously schooled person of all the apostles. He learned under highly regarded Jewish leaders, read and memorized many of the scriptures, but to use his words, he counted all of this as garbage when compared to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

To Paul, Jesus was the one and only thing worth knowing.

We, too, should have that aim in our lives.  This world can be a tough one at best.  We are bombarded daily by temptations and evils of all kinds, and if we don’t have our eyes focused on the right things, we can easily succumb to the devil’s wicked ways. 

In short, keep your eyes on Jesus.  We can try to be good people and we can even try to be as religious as possible, but unless we have Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are fighting a loosing battle.

Don’t get me wrong, church and religion is a good thing, but it cannot be the only thing in your life.  You can be a regular at Bible study and may be able to spout off hundreds of verses at will, but my question is, “Are you living those verses?” 

The Bible is an important book; really, it is THE most important book.  That being said, it is only a collection of words and stories without the Holy Spirit helping you along. 

If you have not accepted Christ and His finished work on the cross, you do not have the “necessary equipment” yet to really understand what the Bible has to say.  It all starts with Jesus Christ.

No level of supposed holiness can save your soul.  No matter what anyone says, paying massive amounts of money to a church will not give you eternal life or get you a better seat in heaven.  Positive thinking is a good thing, but it can’t get you into heaven either.  Facing east five times daily or hopping up and down on one foot singing kumbaya doesn’t get the attention of God any faster. 

The one and only bridge between God and man is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, suffered and died on the cross, was buried and raised from the dead to remove your sins so you can get into Heaven.  Strive to know that truth more than anything else. 

If you have accepted that, you have been born again and are destined for Heaven.  

There’s a lot of other details to this life, but they are just that, details.  Jesus Christ is the source, the center, and the summit of life.  Jesus alone saves us and not the details.

Throughout eternity, God spoke but one word, “Jesus.”  He has nothing more to say.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Clothe Yourself with Christ

On By ForChristsSakeFellowshipIn Sermons

It’s nice to get comfortable after a long day. When I get home from work, I usually take off my work clothes and get into something like my sweats or maybe jeans and a t-shirt. As long as I have my work clothes on, I know I’m not home. However, I am encouraged because I know I’m on the way. Before long, I’ll be able to come home and be at peace.

While we are here on earth, it seems like it’s a day-to-day struggle just to keep your head up. This world tends to weigh pretty heavily on each of us. Between the pressures of our jobs and the stresses we face in our private lives, it’s a wonder why we don’t all look like we are 150 years old. I know that I’ve earned each one of these grey hairs; I just wish there was more wisdom that came along with them.

When I look in the mirror nowadays, I see this grouchy old guy that’s been beaten up by this world. That isn’t how our Creator sees us though.

God sees us for what and who we truly are, the beautiful children that He wanted to make. The world does its damage, but Jesus says, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world.”

The Bible says that right now, we don’t even completely know ourselves and that is thanks to all of the trials that this world puts us through. One day though, we will know fully just as we are fully known by God. When we accept Jesus into our lives and hearts, we too shall one day overcome the pain, the stress, and the heartaches of this world.

You might ask why God wants us to go through hard times. The answer is in the cross of Jesus. No struggle, no pain, no trial that you will ever go through will be for nothing. Jesus suffered and die, then was raised from the dead to give us the gift of eternal life in Heaven.

We too will have our own crosses to bear in this life. Those crosses aren’t only for our own benefit, but for other peoples’ as well. We learn how to lift each other up during hard times and show each other how to appreciate the good times. Those crosses we bear for Jesus are for the greater good of all.

That being said, some of our crosses are self-imposed. Our lives aren’t perfect and if you are struggling to make it perfect, you are in a losing battle. We think we can bring ourselves peace and work ourselves into Heaven, but it’s never enough.

Jesus Christ is the only thing that will bring us peace. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, He begins to live in you and through you so you can have that peace that you’ve worked so hard for.

No more reason to be ashamed of all of your sins. You have a place in Heaven waiting because God doesn’t see you anymore, He sees Jesus.

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” – Galatians 3:27

Don’t be discouraged and don’t loose heart. Just know that you are destined for Heaven. Peace and joy for all of eternity awaits. You may not be there yet, but you are on the way. Thanks to Jesus, you have a new change of clothes when you get there.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Pathway to Peace

On By ForChristsSakeFellowshipIn Sermons

In Romans 3:23, it says that everyone has sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Whether you think of yourself as a good person or not, none of us measures up to a Godly standard. There’s just no way to do enough good to help this fallen world.

The words ‘sin’ and ‘fallen’ don’t need to be what define us though. God has placed a remedy before us to bridge the gap between Him and us. That bridge is the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection paid the penalty for your sins and mine. The Bible says that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).

However, just because the bridge is there doesn’t mean that we automatically get saved. We have to accept that saving grace. We have to cross the bridge and we do that when we accept and receive Christ through His personal invitation.

It’s much like taking an airplane. We are able to take that flight if we have a ticket, but it’s no good unless we get on the plane. It will leave without us if we don’t climb on board. To partake in the peace and abundant life of Jesus Christ, you must accept and receive it.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” – John 1:12

Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That word “whosoever” means anyone. You and me.


To receive Christ you need to do four things:

  • ADMIT your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.” Just like in any problem, the first step is admitting you have one.
  • REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin. You have to pick a path. One leads to death, the other to eternal life. You at least have to be willing to turn down the correct path, but make no mistake, you can’t do it alone. You need Jesus’ help and that’s what He’s offering.
  • BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross. Romans 10:19 says that if you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
  • RECEIVE, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).

Whether you are a non-believer in search of peace in your life or even if you are a lifelong Christian who doesn’t feel like they have had that connection with Jesus, now is your chance to come to Him. He’s waiting for you.

Please pray this prayer with me:


“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and I want to turn from them now and forever. I want You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.”

Friends, if you prayed that prayer with me, I believe that you have just been saved, what the Bible calls being born again. If you didn’t ask Jesus into your heart, then what are you waiting for? The Bible says that today is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time.

I know that if I had a single doubt as to my eternal salvation, you couldn’t drag me away from here without accepting Jesus Christ.

Now, get into a good bible based local church, if you are physically able, and come to know more about the God who loves you and wants to be with you forever. You are now no longer at odds against Him, but instead you have returned to Him as His child who was once lost, but now is found. His arms are outstretched to welcome you home.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Ten Promises From God Never to Leave nor Forsake You

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Do you ever feel alone? Do you think maybe God forgot about you and your problems?

God is a god of promises and He makes good on every one of them. He cannot lie because He is truth itself. He loves you. You can trust your Heavenly Father.

Here are just 10 verses from the Bible that tell of God’s unwillingness to leave our side.

  1. Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
  2. Joshua 1:5 – “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 28:20 – “David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.’”
  4. Psalms 94:14 – “For the Lord will not reject his people; He will never forsake his inheritance.”
  5. Deuteronomy 31:8 – “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
  6. Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
  7. 1 Kings 8:57 – “May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us.”
  8. Isaiah 41:17 – “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
  9. Psalms 37:28 – “For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.”
  10. Isaiah 42:16 – “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”

These are just a few of the promises that God makes to those who love Him in return. Rest assured that He is with you now and forever more.

How do we know God loves us?

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

You are important enough for Jesus Christ to die on a cross for your peace and forgiveness. All of your bad washed away so that you could be in Heaven with Him for all of eternity.

Accept Jesus into your heart today. He’s with you always because He loves you. God promises He will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on Him.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

At Face Value

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Why does life look so wonderful and easy for everybody on social media sites like Facebook? Especially when it comes to Christians, we see nothing but smiles and perfect families in perfect pictures. Let me let you in on a little secret: Those pictures you see are nothing but a highlight reel.

Some people think that when you give your life over to Jesus, everything is going to be wonderful and easy and suddenly make sense. Sorry to say, but reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Let’s face it, life on this earth wasn’t easy for Jesus himself. He was born in a stable and grew up a carpenter like His adopted daddy, and that was back in the days where they didn’t have a Ford F-150 to haul lumber. We don’t think of it, but Jesus had grow up to be physically tough to endure the kind of life He grew up with here.

Jesus didn’t lead a picture-worthy life. He was schooled mentally in the scriptures and He was schooled physically through good old fashioned back breaking hard work. Not something worthy of a king, let alone the King of Kings.

Then, in what we would call midlife, Jesus changed job roles in a manner of speaking. He started His preaching career. His time had finally come, but things just got harder for Him. No matter what He did, for some people it was never enough.

One measure of Jesus’ preaching success was how fast the religious leaders of the time wanted Him dead. Jesus didn’t care what the present times called good. Jesus was more interested in the state of peoples’ hearts than what their lives looked like to others.

At the end, Jesus finally endured the pain and suffering of the cross. At face value, it looked like death had won. Satan struck the final blow, but that wasn’t the end.

Jesus went to the cross so that we could have our sins taken away and be allowed into Heaven for all eternity. Jesus paid the cost for us. It’s called grace. It’s a free gift to us only because Jesus paid every penny of it through His blood. Quite the high cost indeed.

That was how our Lord went through life and we shouldn’t expect everything in this world to be kind and easy for us either. There will be easy times and there will be hard times. But please stay strong through it all. The cross wasn’t a loss for Jesus or for us, even though it looked like it on the outside. Truly, it was the greatest victory!

If you have been blessed not to have suffered in this world so far, I say to you, “stay tuned.” A servant is not greater than the master. Jesus went through trials and so will we. The key is that Jesus persevered and made it through those trials. He kept true to what is right no matter what the world said or thought.

What I’m asking you is to keep moving forward in love and holiness, and not just on the surface. Don’t just live well in the pictures.

Our goal and ultimate desire should be Heaven. Anything less than eternal life is eternal death. In the end, forever, you and I will be in Heaven or Hell, period. There’s no getting around that truth and we only have one shot to get it right.

This world drags people into mediocrity, and if you aren’t going forward in life, you’re going backward. Just as Saint Paul said, we are to keep pressing on, moving towards the prize of the high calling of God through Christ Jesus.

Keep fighting and stay true to God’s Word. Yes, it is going to be tough at times, but I promise that the destination is worth it. In fact, it’s absolutely Heavenly.

“For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” – Revelation 7:17

That’s what awaits us. Not just a highlight photo reel that’s Facebook-worthy, but true peace, true love, and an eternal joy that could only come from the our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Just Add Water

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My daughters would get these little color change books to draw in. They were like coloring books, but you would simply add water to a brush and “paint” in the book. Suddenly, the colors would come to life! Beautiful, vibrant colors would now show up where there was nothing but dull paper before. All it took was the water.

When a believer in Jesus Christ gets baptized, it may seem simple enough. A person gets dunked in water. Then what?

Baptism is an outward showing of an inward commitment. The Bible says that when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are “born again” into a new, eternal life. Just as we pass through water during our natural birth, we must pass through the waters of our supernatural birth as well. It may not make sense to non-believers. Sometimes it doesn’t even make sense to us, the ones actually getting baptized.

It doesn’t have to make sense. The Bible says that this is all foolishness to people who are dying, but to us, it’s the power of God for our salvation. I don’t need to know how electricity works to turn on a lightbulb, I just need that light to shine my way through the darkness.

My children didn’t know how the colors on their book would just come to life, they just knew that when they used the water on the paper, their picture would eventually come into a new, brilliant view. That same thing happens when new believers are baptized. Things don’t just get great and wonderful immediately. You don’t suddenly see Jesus in everything, but it’s a start.

Through baptism, your sins get washed away form your soul, much like dirt is washed away from your body during a bath. Someone who is very dirty will look and feel completely different after a bath. They’ll know it and see it, whereas if you didn’t think that you had a lot of dirt on you to begin with, you may not recognize much difference after getting out of the bathtub. The trick is that we all have a lot of dirt on our souls, we may just not recognize it very well.

At my baptism, it was like I stepped through a doorway into Heaven itself. I felt joyful and almost launched out of the water!  But when I came home, I looked just the same as before. I kept making many of the same mistakes. My favorite sins were still hard to stay away from. I outwardly looked like I did before, but inside I felt like something had happened. I didn’t see the whole extent of it immediately, but day after day, I started to come closer to the Jesus that made my salvation possible.

The colors started to show out more in my life. I made conscious efforts to be more kind and helpful. I started to at least try and do better. I felt like I wanted to stay clean and finally felt like that was possible. That doesn’t mean I didn’t still mess up, it just meant that I recognized it when I did and even stopped sometimes before I could. It has been a long process and that process is not over. It won’t be over until the day I pass from here to eternity. However, I do have the complete assurance from God Himself that I will be going to Heaven. He promised.

Jesus paid for my sin on the cross. When I was baptized, it showed the world that I let Him have it. Since then, God’s brilliant colors have started to shine forth more and more in my life. No more of the sad and dull greys of this world. My picture is starting to come together for people to see, and what they see in my life is a picture of Jesus Christ. That’s the greatest picture of all.

Your life can shine forth the colors of Jesus Christ as well. Just add water!

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Jesus Christ Needs You

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Each of us are a unique blessing to this world. The Bible says we are unrepeatable, fearfully and wonderfully made. There aren’t even two sets of fingerprints alike, even among identical twins.

If we are so special, why do we let ourselves get caught up in daily drama and the so-called rat race? Aren’t we meant for more than a hum-drum life that doesn’t amount to anything?

The Bible says that you are God’s masterpiece and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. The same creator of the universe created each of us. It wasn’t by some chance or some cosmic ‘oops’, but purposeful. You are here for a glorious reason. That reason, in a single word, is love.

Jesus loves you! All of your goods and bads, all of your wins and losses, all of you is loved completely. It’s so hard for us to forget that or to dismiss it, especially in the face of what goes on in this world.

This world is full of hard knocks, full of hate and disgust. That’s all the more reason why you must keep the love of Jesus Christ in your heart, so that it may be poured out upon this sick and sinful world.

This hurting world needs hope. It needs to know that the suffering is not for nothing. God ensures that nothing you go through will be wasted. God will use it all.

If you have gone through such things as drug or alcohol abuse, then you are specially equipped to be able to witness to someone about the dangers and evils of drugs or alcohol abuse. If you know what it’s like to be homeless, then you are well-abled to lift up the spirits of the homeless and to truly help them because you know that their needs are not just physical, but emotional and mental as well.

Do not let this life take you away from your true calling. When you look at yourself in the mirror, remember that God has a plan and that it involves you. You are meaningful. You are special. Nobody is equipped to do the things that God has in store for you. So don’t let an angry boss or a bad day in traffic steal away Christ’s message from your heart. That message needs to be spread to everyone.

The Bible tells about a time when Jesus was coming into Jerusalem. He needed transportation, so he sent his disciples to get a donkey from town. Jesus said to them, “If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” (Luke 19:31).

Jesus needs you and I to bring Him to our families, our businesses, our friendships, and our entire world.

You are called to share the love of Jesus Christ. When this world ties your soul down, away from it’s true calling, just look at yourself in the mirror and say, “The Lord has need of you.”

You are redeemed by His blood on the cross to share the love of Jesus Christ. That’s something we all have need of.

God’s blessings to you!

DH

Prayer and What It Can Do in My Life

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Prayer is the most important thing you will ever do in your life. As children, we learn things by listening to our parents and asking clarifying questions. We see them and talk to them because we have a close, personal relationship with them.

We as children of the Most High God need to engage in a daily conversation with our Heavenly Father. Prayer is a dialogue where we bring our praise and petitions to our Father, but we spend time together with Him in a relationship. That relationship then fosters good, true, and righteous fruit in our lives.

There are a few things to remember about our prayer life:

First off, the Bible says we must seek the Lord. Frequently the Gospels say that Jesus prayed to his Father. How did He do it? Jesus would seek out a place that was appropriate for praying. Then, He dedicated a significant amount of time to that prayer. The Bible says that Jesus even climbed mountains in order to spend an entire night in prayer. That dialogue was so important to Him that He would go to great lengths to just be still with His Father.

“Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12) That is just one of many instances you’ll find in the Bible about Jesus being active in His prayer-life.

The second thing to remember is that the peace you have with God is no less than the amount of time spent with Him. No time with God equals no peace in your life.

When there was an important decision to be made, Jesus would spend hat much more time consulting His Father to know His will. He does not improvise, even though Jesus is God and knows all things. He spent time in prayer to show us the way we should take. Even when calling His twelve apostles which means ‘sent ones,’ He spent time praying deeply before doing so.

Let that be a comfort that when Jesus calls me to do a special mission for his Kingdom, He also ensures that it accords with the eternal plan of the Father.

Thirdly, the more time we spend with our Heavenly Father, the better conduits of His grace we can become.

The Bible says that having spent the night in prayer, Jesus prepared to give generously of Himself the following day. United to the Father, the power source of all good, Jesus’ actions channel this goodness towards those who are enslaved by evil or in need of healing.

Once again, in that Devine mystery, Jesus is God. He has that Godly power in Himself and in His own right. However, Jesus wants to give me an example of how to be a United to the Father. We are to be branches of the vine in order to produce fruit that will last.

By their fruits, you shall know them Jesus said. Are your fruits showing the world that you are a representative of Jesus Christ?

Today, if you are already a Christian, God wishes you to be with Him not just in Heaven, but in a daily walk. God loves you and only asks for your love in return. He asks for a relationship.

If you haven’t given your life to Jesus Christ, please do so. Through His blood shed upon the cross, we have been given the opportunity to live eternally with Him, no longer bound by the evil of this world. The Bible says that you have been made into a new creation. No longer a slave to pain and punishment. You have been made free. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and take hold of that freedom.

Come to God in prayer and see just what a solid relationship with Jesus Christ can do.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Living Your Breakthrough Life

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How long have you been waiting for your breakthrough? How many days, months, or years has it been since you first wished for something better?

The Bible is filled with people just like you who were just passing the time rather than truly living.

For instance, while away from his people who were slaves in Egypt, Moses made a simple life for himself as a shepherd. He had a wife and a son and lived by simple means.

Moses probably woke up the morning of the burning bush incident thinking it’s just another day in the desert. In fact, after that many years, he might have even been depressed and thought there’s no hope of a future. Perhaps saying something like, “This is the day that defines who I am and where I’m going to end up for the rest of my life.” Little did he realize that he would’ve been right.

That day changed Moses’ life forever. He had an encounter with God that pushed him into his calling. The future opened up to him because he connected with the Almighty. That day sent him on a path that would write his name in history. No longer the lowly shepherd, but now the leader of a nation.

So that’s one example, how about another? Take Gideon, the self proclaimed weakest person in the weakest tribe. As he was going about his chores for the day, an encounter with the angel of the Lord changed his path. That weakest person was called mighty by the Almighty and placed in charge of the Lord’s army. His victory was legendary.

You want more examples? How about Peter and his brother Andrew. James and John as well. All fishermen doing what they do, day in and day out. And then Jesus Christ walks by.

Matthew, a despised tax collector who probably lived every day of his life depressed. A known sinner that was commonly hated by his countrymen. But then Jesus calls his name.

So many other names, both Old and New Testament, share in those stories. Stories of simple, monotonous lives until God shows up in a big way.

What I’m saying is that all it takes is a little push by God’s big hand. That’s enough to thrust you into your breakthroughs in life.

If you feel like this is just another day and you’re in a low point in your life, please take heart. God is waiting for the right time in His plan. He’s watching you being faithful in the small things so that He can trust you with the big things, just like the Bible says.

Just another day like today could become THE day.

The Bible says that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him. Let that motivate you to stay faithful to God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for you on the cross so that you could live for God. Live in peace and in assurance that there is more to life than just what you see right now. No matter your circumstances right now, God has got something wonderful for you as long as you remain in faith.

Don’t lose heart. Remain faithful, putting your heart into everything you do, especially if it seems little or insignificant. Like the Bible says, let all you do be done as if it were done for God.

You don’t have to be great to do things with great love and faith. Do your best and do it with love for your Father in Heaven because He loves you. Today could be the day that He brings you into that breakthrough life He has promised. Stay faithful.

God’s blessings to you.

DH