Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees. Luke 12:1 (NIV) We’ve all met them. A person who goes to church but is not pleasant to be around. Today we’ll look at some toxic traits in religion that God says to avoid. Then we’ll finish today’s session by examining what turns a healthy person into a difficult person.
know God…be holy…make Him known
know God…be holy…make Him known
Messages by Mike Crook (Page 3)
We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. Lamentations 2:47-48 (New International Version) Before social media, life was a lot more fun. We didn’t get updates every few minutes, even seconds, about all the bad things going on in the world. Many current polls say that we Americans more…
When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3 (New International Version) We all experience difficult times. In the past year, many in our church have lost loved ones. Some have lost jobs. Whether we like it or not, we all will face loss in our lifetimes. Today we’ll look at a famous man who is spoken about…
The Lord takes pleasure in His people. Psalm 148:4 (Good News Bible) We might experience another aspect of a spiritual dry spell when God feels distant when we ask again, “Why am I here on earth?” Today, we’ll answer that question by discovering why God made us and how we can live the type of life that He designed for us to…
O God, do not be so distant from me. Psalm 71:12 (Living Bible) Every Christian, at some time in life, falls into a spiritual slump. You feel empty inside and you don’t feel very close to God. You say the same old prayers and meals and devotions. You might even be attempting to have a relationship with God but it can feel…
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 (NIV) In this final session of our series, we’ll be reminded of how we can receive grace and we’ll look at some ways to live out a life controlled by grace.
God describes our life on this broken earth as a battle, a race, a contest. The idea is clearly that it’s not easy and it takes resilience and endurance to complete the race. In this session, we’ll look at some ways and reasons people fall in this race and why God doesn’t reject us when we do. Restore us, O Lord, and bring…
Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:8b (Living Bible) One of the best things about grace is also one of the worst things. Forgiveness. We all want it but we don’t always like giving it. Even when we give it, it often has strings attached. Today, we’ll understand what true forgiveness is and how God working in you can miraculously…
You began your life in Christ by the Spirit. Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power? That is foolish. Galatians 3:3 (New Century Version) One of the great enemies of grace is perfectionism. You know, trying to prove my worth by being perfect. There is a book in the Bible to battle perfectionism. It’s called Galatians. Today…
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV) Question. Who is responsible for my growth; me or God? What is spiritual growth? In this session we’ll attempt to answer these questions and help us to balance God’s grace with our growth.