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John 20:19-31 Introduction: All of us have probably wished at some time in our lives for God to give us some unmistakable sign of His interest in our affairs. It would most likely have to be awfully dramatic, because we’re pretty good at explaining away even the most stirring of miracles. Faith is not easy. It is part of the struggle we go through in order to fit our souls for heaven. This particular incident on that first Easter Sunday evening points out to us some important truths about this new kind of faith. We learn that: I. WE ALL GO THROUGH MOMENTS OF DOUBT. a. People have always struggled with their doubts. b. The early Christians had just as much trouble believing as we do. II. PERIODS OF DOUBT CAN LEAD US TO A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH. a. Thomas was not excluded from the group because he didn’t believe them. b. We should never exclude people simply because they are searching. c. Searching may be a springboard to faith. III. THE BEST WAY OF COMING TO FAITH IS HEARING AND BELIEVING. a. Faith now comes from person-to-person sharing. b. Faith comes from hearing God’s Word. SUPPLEMENTAL SCRIPTURES: John 11:16 Romans 10:17 Matthew 28:19-20 I Corinthians 15:20

Luke 24:1-12 It is difficult to project the element of surprise back into the narrative of the resurrection story, but we must do that to recapture the mood of those women who trudged up the pathway to the place where Jesus was entombed. They expected to find Jesus just as they had left Him: dead, lifeless, hopeless. Instead, they found that the stone was already rolled away and that the body was gone. The tomb was empty. So, where did Jesus go? Here are some of the answers given in the New Testament. I. JESUS IS WITH GOD SPEAKING ON OUR BEHALF. a. Romans 8:34 b. I John 2:1 II. JESUS IS HERE TODAY LIVING IN OUR HEARTS. a. The possibility of Christ in us b. The procedure for Christ in us c. The potential of Christ in us III. JESUS IS IN FRONT OF US LEADING THE WAY. a. Hebrews 12:1-2 b. I Peter 2:21 c. I Corinthians 11:1 IV. JESUS IS IN HEAVEN PREPARING A PLACE FOR US. a. John 14:2-3 b. Luke 23:43 c. Hebrews 11:16 b. d. Revelation 21:2 Galatians 2:20 Ephesians 3:16-19 Colossians 1:27

Luke 22:14-23, I Corinthians 11:17-34 The Lord’s Supper helps us to: I. REMEMBER a. It is a dramatic, visible way to look back in faith. b. It is an avenue into His presence. c. It is a way to be in living contact with Jesus Christ. II. RENEW a. We are required to examine our own hearts, reevaluate our walk with Christ, and renew our commitment and surrender to his Lordship, and to each other. III. REJOICE a. The Lord’s Supper anticipates the day Jesus will return. b. The Lord’s Supper serves a temporary purpose – It will be replaced one day by the wedding feast of the Lamb! “Show me a person whose Bible is in tatters, and I’ll show you a life that isn’t!” Watch the sermon here.

II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20, 21 Introduction: It seems that we have gone beyond the need to prove or convince anyone that the Bible is divine in its origin instead of human. This fact is clear. But what good does it do to say that the Bible is God’s Book if it is used as nothing more than a centerpiece on a table, or a collector of dust? What should we do with God’s Wonderful Word? I suggest that we should: I. Know It – In our heads. (INTELLECTUAL) a. II Timothy 2:15 II. Stow It – In our hearts. (DEVOTIONAL) a. Psalm 119:9-11 III. Sow It – In the world. (INSTRUCTIONAL) a. Matthew 13:3-9 IV. Show It – In our lives. (VOCATIONAL) a. Matthew 5:13-16 “Show me a person whose Bible is in tatters, and I’ll show you a life that isn’t!” Watch the sermon video here.

Luke 23:26-34 Introduction: As we look at the events which occurred on Golgotha the day Jesus died, we could focus on many aspects. I want us to fix our eyes upon Jesus Christ Himself. At the foot of the cross, we hear Him say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Let’s look at this prayer and see what we can learn when Jesus prayed for pardon. I. THE CONTEXT a. When we can do nothing else, we can pray. b. At times, the circumstances of our lives are similar to those of Jesus. II. THE CONCERN a. Jesus did not pray, “Father, help me!” b. He prayed instead, “Father, forgive them.” III. THE CONSTANCY a. Jesus almost surely prayed for pardon more than once. b. We must not pray for our heart’s desire one time, and then give up. IV. THE CONTENT a. Jesus was praying that the Father would permit the crucifixion to continue. b. Even when we do our worst to God, He is ready to do His best for us. Hosea 10:8 Matthew 26:53 Acts 7:60 Matthew 18:27 Luke 18:16 Acts 13:1

Isaiah 56:3, 6-8; 58:6-9 Introduction: What is it that marks a person as belonging to God? What distinguishes a people as God’s people? What is the character of God’s person? What in our lives gives testimony to the fact that we are children of God? Isaiah answered these questions in our text by describing the basic ingredients that should be found in God’s children? I. ACCEPTANCE a. Because the Jews were God’s chosen people, they often thought they were His only people. b. We must accept as brothers and sisters those whom God has accepted as sons and daughters. II. JOY a. Joy should be characteristic of God’s people. b. This joy grows out of our relationship with God. III. PRAYER a. Determines the closeness of our relationship with God. b. Determines the degree of our spiritual power. IV. SERVICE a. God’s people see needs. b. God’s people minister to those needs. V. BLESSING a. Isaiah spoke of the condition for blessings. b. We must follow God’s plan for our lives. Acts 8:36 Galatians 5:22 Philippians 4:4 Mark 11:17

Isaiah 53:1-12 Introduction: Who is the individual referred to in this chapter, and in three other chapters of Isaiah, as “the servant of the Lord?” It could have been a king like Hezekiah or Uzziah. It could have been a prophet like Jeremiah or Isaiah. No satisfactory answer is found until we move to the New Testament and look at Jesus Christ. The New Testament writers came to that conclusion. Of the 12 verses in Isaiah 53, only one does not appear in the New Testament. Isaiah 53 is a portrait of Jesus Christ written centuries before He was upon this earth. I want us to see Jesus under the spotlight of Isaiah 53 and remind ourselves again of the suffering of our Savior. I. VISIBLE SUFFERING a. The suffering of Jesus marked His body. b. The suffering of Jesus disturbed His soul. c. The suffering of Jesus broke His heart. II. VALIANT SUFFERING a. Jesus’ suffering was not deserved. b. Jesus suffered for our sins, not His own. III. VOLUNTARY SUFFERING a. Jesus’ suffering was something He voluntarily took upon Himself. b. Nobody took Jesus’ life – He freely gave it! IV. VICARIOUS SUFFERING a. Jesus suffered for us – in our behalf. b. Our iniquity has been placed on Him. V. VICTORIOUS SUFFERING a. Discouragement is not the final answer. b. The cross is the final answer! Galatians 6:17 John 11:35 Ephesians 3:8 Mark 3:5 Matthew 23:37 Colossians 1:19 Mark 6:6 Luke 22:44 II Corinthians 5:21 Mark 8:12 John 1:14 John 10:18 John 11:33 I Corinthians 1:24 Philippians 2:8 Matthew 9:36

Hosea 1:1-2; 5:14-15 Introduction: Have you ever been in circumstances that truly continued to go “from bad to worse,” and every attempt to correct the problem only compounded the problem. That’s the way it was in Hosea’s day for Israel. It was the worst of times. Hosea identified these times in the opening verses of his prophecy. These times of uncertainty are described in II Kings 14-17. In these uncertain times, Hosea proclaimed his word from the Lord. We see in this passage I. THE CONDITIONS. a. It was a time of internal corruption. b. It was a time of international change. c. It was a time of intellectual chaos. II. THE CAUSE. a. The first cause was immorality. b. The second cause was infidelity. c. The third cause was insolence. III. THE CHALLENGE. a. The prophet’s message can be summarized in two words: turn and yearn. b. Hosea’s prophetic message needs to be sounded again to our nation. c. The church must be at her best in the worst of times. II Kings 17:7 James 1:15 Exodus 20:3 II Kings 17:14 Hosea 6:1-3, 6

Judges 6:11-16, 7:1-21 Introduction: Almighty God can win big victories with curiously small armies. There is a Bible story, abiding and timeless in its principle, from the Old Testament book of Judges. It tells how the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever, wins victories from His cause in every generation. What are some principles we can learn from this great story concerning how God wins His victories in life and in the world? I. God often chooses the unlikely in order for Him to receive His glory in victory. a. God does not see us for what we are in the moment. b. He sees us for what we are going to become! II. God often needs fewer rather than more. a. God drastically reduced the size of Gideon’s army. b. God needs those who are not afraid in the face of the Lord’s battle. III. God also needs those who are vigilant. a. Gideon really didn’t need an army – Just a posse! b. Spiritual victories are not won by “sleepwalkers” or spiritual “zombies.” IV. God sends encouragement from unlikely sources. a. Isaiah 55:8-9 b. I Corinthians 1:26-31 c. II Corinthians 4:7 Part 1 Part 2

Ruth 1:14-18; 2:1-13 Introduction: One Bible commentator calls Ruth “the most charming short story in the Old Testament.” And charming it is. Couched in the period right after the Judges, the book introduces us to Ruth, another hero of the Bible. I want us to understand the setting of the story and then the strategy which enabled Ruth to hold her special place in Biblical history. I. THE SETTING. a. Love’s Response (Chapter 2) b. Love’s Request (Chapter 3) c. Love’s Reward (Chapter 4) II. THE STRATEGY. a. She avoided self-pity. b. She took good care of herself. c. She stayed involved in life. Genesis 19:37 Luke 3:32 Matthew 1:5