Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson. 1. Have you ever seen or visited European palaces where heads of state reside and work? What are they like? 2. Imagine standing before someone who led a world power or possessed absolute royal authority. (Think: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, or […]
John Piper tells an engaging ministry story in The Supremacy of God in Preaching. He preached a sermon on Isaiah 6 without one word of application. He wondered if the majesty, power, and glory of God was enough to retain the congregation’s interest without cute little homespun life points. Later he found out that one […]
The book of Romans contains this riveting verse: “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). There are two sides to the nature of God—kindness and sternness. The God of […]
The church is in the reconciliation business, so you and I must be in that business, too. God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), but in today’s atmosphere charged with political hostility and ideological division, peace is […]
What obstacles are you facing in your walk with Christ? Are you questioning your call to ministry? Is your service stretching you almost beyond what you can bear? Does your investment in your local church feel stale and unproductive? Isaiah’s marvelous vision of the Lord, his call, and his response might just redirect your vision […]
