 | Remember Your Creator Ecclesiastes
12 (Redick) Solomon is telling us to do something that many people are not prone to do: remember God while they are young and feel self sufficient. So many times youth answers back to this advice: "Aw what's the rush? Why not wait until I've sown a few wild oats. Why not wait thirty or forty years until I've had a pile of fun doing things my own way and then turn to God? That way I get the best of both worlds." |
| Job as a Father Job 29
(Flom) As a people we have made great scientific and technological strides in the last half of the twentieth century. This has lulled us into making the erroneous assumption that we must have also made great improvements in human relationships. Therefore, we reason, we need not look to the past for instruction on how to raise a family or how to be a man any more than we would go to the past for advice on how to build an automobile. We tend to believe that newer must be better. But even a brief glance at the headlines will clearly show that in the realm of human relationships we are doing worse than those who went before us. |
| Responsible Leadership in the
Home 1 Timothy 3:4 (Flom) When children find that they can do nothing right because of constant faultfinding, they are apt to become depressed. Or in other cases they turn to peers in the world for approval, and before you know it the child has a wall between him and his parents. Dad may blame the kids at school but it may not be them at all. The child that has all the warmth, approval and security of the home needs little from his peers. |
| A Prisoner's High Praise Ephesians
1:1-14 (Redick) In a day when modern prison reform was an unheard of tenant still tens of hundreds of years into the future, the last things you would expect to issue forth from a prison inmate are letters of praise. The author of such letters would have to be judged as either insane or in possession of some incredible information that most people don’t know or realize. |
| Six Ways Christ's Faithfulness Can
Strengthen You Hebrews 12:1-13 (Redick) I suppose it is universally recognized that when your needs are desperate, you get the best help available. If you have cancer, you want the best oncologist you can find and afford. If you have heart disease, you want the best cardiologist. A general practitioner is fine for everyday things but when the stakes are high, you want the best... Jesus' example of faithfulness is the best there is. |
| What Would You Want Them to Say? Colossians
1:3-8 (Nolte) So what would you want them to say about Shasta Way? I'd like them to say, "They really have faith in Jesus!" "They sure love people!" "They truly live by God's Word." Some might be asking, "Why do we care what they say about Shasta Way? Why is the reputation of the congregation of any importance?" What they think of this church is what they will likely think about Jesus. W e represent Him. We are His ambassadors. His reputation is in our hands. We are the only touch of Jesus some people will experience. |
| Panorama of Holiness 1
Peter 1:15-16 (Redick) "...the greatest thing we can do for ourselves and the rebellious, unholy world around us, is to lift up Jesus, not only in our teaching, but in our lives. A clear picture of Him, alive in us and showing in the way we live with God and our neighbor is what the world needs today." |
| Jesus Christ, Son of God, Servant
John 13:1-17 (Redick) Here we have the Only Begotten Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, also shown to be the Creator of the Universe, not demanding a certain etiquette for addressing Him, but rather, busy with the menial task of washing twelve pairs of dirty disciples’ feet! There is surely something different about Jesus. He knew Who He was, yet He served others. |
| Conversion of a Queen's Treasurer
Acts 8:26-39 (Redick) This story is a clear example of God's providence bringing people together. Here is an earnest seeker and a messenger of the gospel. God brings them together. God planned this meeting. God called Philip away from Samaria at just the right time to intersect this chariot. God timed the arrival of Philip to correspond to the Treasurer's reading of this specific passage in Isaiah. |
| Big Enough to Overlook the Offenses of
Others 2 Samuel 16:5-14; 19:16-23 (Redick) A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. Naturally, being rather shocked, he asked the farmer where he could get so many. The farmer replied, "There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs. They croak night and day and are about to drive me crazy." Finally, an agreement was made for the farmer to bring in several hundred frogs' legs in the following week. A week later, the farmer returned, looking rather sheepish, with only scrawny frogs. He told the proprietor, "I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the whole pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise." Often those who criticize us are fewer than it seems. In fact, it may just be a couple of old frogs who have nothing better to do that croak at someone anyway. |
| A Wise Woman Stops an Angry Man
1 Samuel 25 (Redick) This lady had class. She was a woman of character. She knew that God looks deeper than men look. She knew that such pious participation in the murder of her husband, no matter how he may have mistreated her, would never please God. So, thinking very quickly and wisely, she determined to put herself between this angry man, David, and her foolish husband. She literally put her life on the line for her husband and her home. |
| Violence at the Hands of Angry Children
Genesis 6:5, 11-12 (Redick) "Why is it that the media never covers what it is like to be a victim of violent behavior? Why not portray the ugly side of these kinds of things? Why not refuse to put up the shooter's picture? Why not showcase the parents a year later who are still grieving the loss of their murdered children? Why not tell the story of the classmates who cannot sleep at night and the friends who feel like someone has taken their heart and ripped it out and stomped on it? Why not take the camera to the hospital and tell the story of what a bullet does when it enters the human body? Why not do a film series on the life of a 16-year-old who is paralyzed from the neck down from a gunshot wound inflicted by a classmate and then make it required viewing in high school? Why not put a tour of the morgue on the 6 o'clock news? It wouldn't be pretty, but that's the point - no glamour - just ugliness - just truth." |
| You Just Can't Do That 1
John 4:20-5:3 (Nolte) "As Sally saw this wretched soul sobbing bitterly, her first response was negative. She prayed, "Oh, God, help me love that woman as Christ loves her!" Even as she prayed, she was still concious of a sense of revulsion. But she genuinely wanted to care, to love, to help because she knew that it was impossible for her to claim to love God if she could not love this marred image of God. Love for the one is inextricably interwoven into love for the other." |
| Thinking That Produces Thanking Hebrews
13:5-15 (Nolte) Maltie Babcock said, "Be on the lookout for mercies. The more we look for them, the more of them will we see. Blessings brighten when we count them. Out of the determination of the heart the eyes see. If you want to be gloomy, there's gloom enough to keep you glum; if you want to be glad, there's gleam enough to keep you glad. Better lose count in enumerating your blessings than lose your blessings in telling over your troubles. Be thankful to Him, and bless His Name." |
| Benefits of a Grateful Heart 1
Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Redick) If we asked many of our neighbors, they would probably agree with the common notion that we are a sophisticated people. Our technology has no equal. We know more today than any other nation or people in history before us and project increased knowledge into the future. Yet our great knowledge and sophistication sometimes works against us. What I mean by that is that many of us no longer see the need to concern ourselves with some of the fundamental issues of life. It just isn't fashionable anymore to talk about the basics of character like honesty and trustworthiness and justice and mercy and, my topic today, thanksgiving. Yet these basic building blocks are necessary both for individual and national happiness and stability. |
| Is Divorce OK? Mark
10:1-12 (Helt) A couple was celebrating golden wedding anniversary. Their domestic tranquillity had long been the talk of the town where they had spent their lives. The local newspaper reporter came by inquiring as to the secret of their long and happy marriage. The husband said, "Well, it all dates back to our honeymoon. We visited the Grand Canyon and took a trip down to bottom of the canyon by pack mule. We hadn’t gone too far when my wife’s mule stumbled. My wife quietly said, ‘That’s once.’ We proceeded just a little further and the mule stumbled again. Once more my wife quietly said, ‘That’s twice.’ We hadn’t gone a half-mile more when the mule stumbled a third time. My wife quietly removed a revolver from her pocket and shot that mule dead. I started to protest over her treatment of mule when she looked at me and quietly said ‘That’s once’." |
| Four Tips for Lifelong Faithfulness Luke 19:11-27 (Redick/Wells) "I still have your mina, Master," he said. "Here it is. The reason I didn't use it is that I don't think you deal fairly with people. You're a hard man and I'm afraid of you because you take unfair advantage of people and take things you didn't earn. Here is your mina back. I didn't do anything with it." |
| Handling Life's Second Best Acts
16:6-10 (Helt) "The sermon is a pheasant, not a chicken." |
| Out on a Limb for Christ Luke
19:1-10 (Redick) Do we take any risks for Christ? This message asks the question by using the story of Zaccheas' meeting Jesus. |
| God's Got a Job for You! Exodus
3:1-11 (Helt) If we come into the presence of God expecting no more than to be comforted, for our lives to be made a little easier, and to be out by noon; then we have an unbiblical idea of what it means to be the people of God, disciples of Jesus Christ, and people who take God’s Word seriously. |
| The Tiberius Question
John 21:8-19 (Redick) Our love for Jesus isn't measured by how warm our feelings get toward him when things are going well. Our love is measured by our tenacity to hang on and keep His commandments when it isn't comfortable. |
| Three Pivotal Truths About God's Grace
Romans 3:21-31 (Redick) People’s thoughts vary when you mention the Day of Judgment. Some people fear it. Some look forward to it. Some scoff. Some are hopeful. Some are hopeless. I would venture to say that most people get about as excited about the Day of Judgment as they get about their dental appointments. Yet, it doesn’t have to be that way if you understand the Scripture. |
| Between the Devil and the Deep Red Sea
Exodus 13&14 (Redick) This spot at the edge of the Red Sea was the place of their predicament. It was a dead-end street. To the north Egyptian stone fortresses and beyond these, the Mediterranean Sea. To the south was the Egyptian desert. To the west was Egypt and Pharaoh, and to the east, the foreboding Red Sea. They were boxed in and God was the one who put them in the box! |
| Three Dollars Worth of God: The Story of
Michal 1 Samuel 14:49-2 Samuel 6:23
(Redick) "...her heart was not good. She had a selfish ambition and lust for power that would ultimately take precedence over everything else. Here husband was on his way up and as such, he was her ticket to what she wanted most. As long as that was the case she would support him. The minute she perceived him falter in that direction though, she would drop him like the wrong end of a hot iron." |
| Lessons Learned in the House of Mourning
Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 (Redick) This is a message preached at the funeral of a teenage boy killed in a car wreck. Other funeral messages may be found here. |
| One Moved, Two Moved Over Luke
10:25-37 (Redick) Compassion is when you feel the pain of another person. You identify with his or her plight. You imagine what it would be like to be lying there beside the road wondering if you are going to die and realizing that you are totally dependent upon the good-heartedness of whomever might happen to pass by. |
| Passing the Faith to Your Children
2 Timothy 1:1-5 (Redick) A man who grew up along the Mississippi River told of a steamboat that ran by his house that had a very big whistle and a very small boiler. Since both the boiler and the whistle took steam to run, when the boat went upstream, it made headway as long as no one blew the whistle. When the whistle was blown though, it would loose power and drift back downstream. A poor combination for a parent wanting to pass on their faith to their children is to have too big a whistle and too small a boiler when it comes to the testimony of their faith. They blow loud and hard but the kids can see them drifting downstream and they don't buy it. |
| Hold Your Horses! Genesis
15-18 (Helt) When we get impatient, when we don’t know what to do, sometimes we decide that we need to do something, even if it’s the wrong thing. True, sometimes we suffer from "paralysis by analysis," and indecision causes us to lose our opportunity and momentum; but I would bet that what more-often happens is that when God says, "Wait" to us, we fail to heed His warning and charge headlong into doing the wrong thing altogether. |
| Are You Coming or Going? The Story
of Naaman and Gehazi 2 Kings 5 (Redick) A person can look very successful and secure on the outside, as Naaman was, yet behind closed doors, be something different entirely. At times, I think, we are intimidated by successful people and, as a result, afraid to speak to them. We need to be reminded that unsaved people, no matter how successful, have a disease even worse than ancient leprosy - a disease for which we have cure.. |
| Is the Bible Full of
Contradictions? Mark 15:25; John 19:14-16 (Redick) "Ask yourself, did Judas kiss Jesus to betray him or not? Mark and Matthew say Judas tried to kiss Jesus and did not make it. For John, there was no betrayal kiss at all. And John underlines his point of view by adding that Judas kept standing with the crowd." |
| Getting the Most from God's Word James
1:19-27 (Redick) Hearing God's word gave us new life, but the effect of the word on us isn't supposed to stop there. We don't cease our need for God's word once we are converted. We need continued wisdom and guidance to face the trials that come after our conversion. |
| God's Plan for the Ages Entire
Bible (Redick) The same God who planned the complex design of living things on this earth also planned the story described by the Bible. There is a plan in the word of God - a central theme and design that runs from beginning to end. Each book, chapter, and verse contributes to the development of this plan. Once you understand the plan, you are well on your way to understanding all of the seemingly unrelated stories it contains. |
| The Secret of the Second Mile Matthew
5:41 (Redick) The second mile worker knows a secret that the first miler doesn’t understand. He knows that if he accepts the compulsory first mile and then volunteers for the second, he is no longer a slave! |
| Guarding Against Greed Luke
12:13-21 (Redick) Do you see how out of place that request was? It would be like interrupting a session of the United States Supreme Court by saying, "Hey! Could one of you guys settle a $50 parking ticket for me? I don't think I was fairly treated." |
| The Night God Slept in a Boat Mark
4:35-41 (Redick) I would love sometime for a movie producer like Steven Spielberg to depict this story for modern people. First there would be the tumultuous storm with the boat tossed back and forth in the dim light, wind howling around your ears via the surround sound. Then the authoritative words of command from Jesus heard above the tumult. "Hush! Be still!" Then a sudden Doppler effect calm that starts at one end of the lake and comes slicing through, leaving the disciples on a flat lake, looking at one another with their mouths open in utter astonishment! |
| The Case Against Social Drinking Various
Texts (Redick) "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, And your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. "They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink." |
| Managing Your Spiritual Investments
Matthew 25:14-30 (Redick) The master in the parable settled accounts with his managers upon his return. Two of them were rewarded for their investments. "Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." These words were spoken to each one who made an increase. That's the kind of God we serve. He rewards faithful service. If you are serving Him now you can expect a reward for your efforts. Your labor is not in vain. |
| Last at the Cross - First at the Tomb: The
Story of Mary Magdalene John 20:1-18 (Redick) Mary's love knew no bounds. So concerned was she for the body of Jesus that, though she was a woman, though it might have been next to impossible for her to move the body of a dead man with it wrapped in the grave clothes, she said, "Just show me where He is and I'll take Him away." |
| Rebuilding Our National Security
Psalm 33 (Redick) (Part of a Series called
"Attack on America") America has been attacked. A strong national defense, a strong intelligence gathering community, a firm and vigilant attention to threats - these are things that are a necessary part of life for a free 21st century nation. All of us wish it could be different, but it isn't. We would be foolish to cast these things aside. Even ancient Israel, shepherded by God Himself, did not disarm, nor did God disarm them, except in one or two exceptional incidents when they needed a clearer picture of His power. But these things - weapons, intelligence, and human resolve - cannot protect us fully. There is something else. |
| A Call to Christian Men 1
Timothy 2:1-8 (Redick) (Preached at a Men's Fellowship
Breakfast) Some of us have leathery, callused hands, made that way by the manual labor we do each day. Others of us have softer hands, agile for running a computer keyboard or gripping a steering wheel. Still others have hands accustomed to signing orders that direct the labors of those we supervise. Our hands are different from one another, perhaps, but one thing they should all have in common - they should be holy hands. Holy in what they don't do and holy in what they find to do. |
| Vengeance for America: Right or Wrong?
Romans 13:1-6 (Redick) (Part of a Series called
"Attack on America") "So does this mean we should call 1-800-FLOWERS and send Usama bin Ladin and his terrorist network a bouquet? Should we send the Afghani Taliban government a gift package of cheese and smoked salmon along with an embossed invitation to strike another of our nation's landmarks and kill some more of our people?" |
| Making Biblical Sense of an American Tragedy
Psalm 119:67; Isaiah 46:9-10; Job 42:2: Matthew 19:26
(Redick) (Part of a Series called "Attack on America") In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on America by terrorists in which nearly 7000 died, people have responded in different ways. Shock, grief, anger, confusion, frustration – these are understandable emotions being expressed by Americans. Also, looming ever near the conversations of those seeking to cope are the questions concerning "Why?" Why did this happen? Where is God in it? Did He cause it? Did He allow it? Is this His judgment on America? What was His role? Where is He? Christians, in some cases are expressing opinions which, I fear, are more based on supposition than Scripture. |
| A Pocket of Hope in a Week of Terror Hebrews
13:2 (Redick) (Part of a Series called "Attack on America") What passengers told us was so uplifting and incredible and the timing couldn’t have been better. We found out that Gander and the surrounding small communities, within a 75 Kilometer radius, had closed all the high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to a mass lodging area. Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up. All the high school students had to volunteer taking care of the "guests". |
| A Short Summary of Islam (Redick)
(Part of a Series called "Attack on America") From the days of Muhammad, Islam has seen long periods where it has advanced its cause by carnal war - and I'm not speaking of self-defense. This view has not been in the minority, historically. Muhammad himself was a warrior, not a man of peace. I challenge anyone to lay the history of Muhammad's life down beside that of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and say they are in any way similar. They are not. The Qur'an contains some very disturbing statements with regard to advancing Islam with carnal war. When I see the fear our government officials have for "igniting the entire Muslim world" in a situation where we are trying to bring the terrorists to justice in an oppressive Islamic country that starves its own citizens, I realize how volatile the Arab situation is. |
| Facing Down Our Fears John 14:27
(Redick) (Part of a Series called "Attack on America") While directing our emotion of fear is really the answer to dealing with it, such response is sometimes the farthest thing from our minds when we're afraid. It is very easy to allow our emotion to get ahead of our reason.
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