Gleanings From Grace

In John chapter fourteen we find Jesus telling the disciples to rest, and not be troubled about the things in life we have no control over, prepare yourself before the storm hits your life. ILL. A farmer needed a hired man. After trying several workers, who all failed to meet his standards, the farmer began to feel desperate. Then another worker applied for the job. The farmer asked him, “What qualifies you for this job?” The man answered, “I can sleep at night.” That didn’t sound too promising, but since he was desperate, the farmer hired the newcomer. (more…)

TEXT (1 Pet.5:1-11 Text V.8)
I. NOTICE THE DECLARATION CONCERNING THE ADVERSARY. (V.8a)”Be sober, be vigilant” here we are told to be Sober and Strong, this is not a new declaration.
There is The sober Leaders this concerns the Shepherd: 1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
The sober Look this concerns the Second coming of Jesus:1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
The sober Laymen this concerns the Servants: Tit 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. Tit 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
The sober Ladies this concerns the Sisters: Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
The sober Lifestyle this concerns the Saints. 1Pet.5:8 (more…)

John 4:1-15
Chapter three and four of the book of John provide us with interesting contrasts into the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 3Chapter 4
It named the man that was seeking the Lord.
The man was a respected ruler, a man of rank.
The man was moral.
The man was Jewish.
He was knowledgeable about religion.
He came by night in secret.
He had a serious, respectful attitude.
There is no mention of the results of the meeting with Christ.
We hear of this man again later in the Bible.
An un-named woman was sought out by the Lord.
The woman was an outcast of society, lower in rank.
The woman was immoral.
The woman was a Samaritan and despised by the Jews.
The woman was ignorant.
Her meeting with Jesus took place by day out in the open.
She was flippant, hostile, a debater, and then she was respectful.
The results of the meeting are given.
She fades into the silence of history. (more…)

HOW TO SERIES
#01 HOW TO READ YOUR BIBLE
TEXT: Psalm 119:15, 18, 33-34

You have heard it said that when all else fails, read the instruction manual. Today, I want to begin sharing with you an instruction manual for the Christian life. We preachers are notorious for telling you what you need to be doing in your Christian life, but I want to go a step further and not only tell you what you need to do, but also how to do it.
The first set of instructions I want to share with you is on how to read your Bible. We know that reading our Bible is very important to our Christian life. I think of what others has said about the Bible. (more…)

HOW TO DEAL WITH TEMPTATION

TEXT:Matthew 4:1-11
THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS
Temptation is probably the most familiar experience of the Christian. While some may be tempted more than others, all will be tempted.
I believe there is a great deal that we can learn from the temptations of Christ as found in Matthew 4 and Luke 4.
I am firmly convinced that there are some basic principles and similarities between the temptations of Jesus and our temptations. (more…)

TEXT:1 Samuel 1:17
D.L. Moody said, “I’d rather be able to pray than be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray.” Moody was well aware of the importance of prayer in the Christian life. I have often preached on how important prayer is, but today, I want us to think about how to pray.
When it comes to learning how to pray, I don’t think there is a greater example in the entire Bible than Hannah. We not only see her praying, but we also see her getting an answer to her prayer. We read in 1 Samuel 1:20 “Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.” She named the son she received from God, in answer to prayer, Samuel, which means “asked of God.” Her son was a testimony to how Hannah prayed and that God answers prayer. (more…)

Scripture Reading: John 18:28-40
Text: John 18:34
John 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

Introduction: Some people are parrots. They just repeat what they have heard. We need to have a first-hand knowledge of God and of the things of God. I realize that we walk by faith, not by sight. I realize that we are not going to hear God’s audible voice, nor are we going to see Him with our naked eye today. However, God DOES speak to hearts, and He DOES reveal Himself to individuals through His word and His Holy Spirit.
In court, knowledge that is not firsthand is usually called “hearsay.” It is not considered to be authoritative in a controversy. (more…)

TEXT: Isaiah 40:18,25

I once came across a description of God entitled, “God
is Like:”
. God is like Coke: He’s the real thing.
. God is like Pan Am: He makes the going great.
. God is like General Electric: He lights your path.
. God is like Bayer Aspirin: He works wonders.
. God is like Hallmark Cards: He cares enough to send the best.
. God is like Tide: He gets the stains out that others leave behind.
. God is like VO5 hairspray: He holds through all kinds
of weather. (more…)

Introduction: There is a plague in an old English Church that reads, “In the year 1653 when all things sacred throughout the land were demolished or profaned, Sir Robert Shirley built this church, whose singular praise is this, to have done the best of things in the worst of times.” (more…)

TEXT: John 1:35-42

INTRODUCTION: An Ordinary Man That Was Extraordinary.  I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but most of us would be classified as ordinary people. By that I mean, most of us have never been or never will be listed in the Bluebook of society or Who’s Who. Most of us are not even listed in Who’s Not.  There are few of us, if any, Phi Beta Kappa’s, Val Dictorian’s, All-American’s, or Miss America’s. I doubt there are any Nobel Peace Prize winners among us. Most of us were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Most are not from the aristocracy. Most of us would be like the fellow who said, ONE OLE BOY SAID “I wasn’t born in a log cabin like some of the great men of our country, but I want you to know that just as soon as my family could afford one, we bought it and moved in!”
Most of us are just plain, old, down-right, everyday ordinary people. But then, most everybody else is ordinary. Now if that is discouraging listen to what ILL. One Writer Said “Most of Christ’s followers must remain unknown to fame. They must live a simple life, a thing of routine. Few take notice of them. Thus they live day by day, not idly or unprofitably, indeed, but in a small place-until the end come. (more…)