Gleanings From Grace

TEXT: Jude 1:1-3
INTRODUCTION: May I suggest that the words “earnestly” and “contend” were given in our Text to show us that a strong effort is required to continue in the faith.
• We all must exercise discipline as disciples.
• We must acknowledge that there are numerous enemies to our faith. They may be categorized as
• (1) the world, (2) the flesh, and (3) the devil.
• Most battles that we face do not even involve the world and the devil; our flesh alone gets us into enough trouble. May we consider the value and the way of earnestly contending for the faith… {Read More…}

TEXT:Jude 3

Introduction: The FAITH is that body of revealed truths in the Word of God OUTLINE OF THE CHAPTER

I. ACCLAIMATIONverses 1-2

II. THE ALARMverses 3-4

III. THE ARGUMENTverses 5-16

IV. THE ADMONITIONverses 17-25

1.THE CALL TO ARMS! {Read More…}

TEXT: Acts 26:2

Introduction:
A. In our hectic world of suicide, depression, divorce, bitterness & hatred — happiness, joy & contentment are precious commodities indeed — they are constantly being sought after.
1. So many advertisements appeal to our natural desire to be happy — promising joy & contentment if we will only try their product (s). {Read More…}

TEXT:Genesis 7:7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

Introduction: I know God has promised there will not be another flood to destroy ALL flesh, but that is not to say there will not be disastrous floods. There are some wonderful New Testament truths that are illustrated by this Old Testament story of the flood of Noah’s day. When some person, place, or thing in the Old Testament has characteristics which are similar and thereby point to another, usually greater, person, place, or thing in the New Testament, we call it a “type.” The ark, although it does not match in every case (Noah built it; God didn’t, for instance), is a wonderful “type” of the Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation. For instance, notice that: {Read More…}

TEXT:Philippians 1:20

1. A Christian leader once took a Russian friend to see a World Series baseball game. At the end of the game, he asked the Russian what he thought of the game. The Russian answered that he had never before seen such first-class dedication to a secondary cause. {Read More…}

TEXT:HEB 11:30-40

INTRODUCTION: Faith is the heart’s intake, and love is its outlet. For real faith never comes away from God’s well with an empty vessel. Faith believes only that which is true. Faith has an understanding. For the beginning of doubt is the end of faith, and the beginning of real faith is the end of doubt. Someone has said, “give me faith that will not worry, whine or wrangle, but watch, work, wait, and warble, AND A WINNING FAITH
Faith can go no further than the Word of God, but must always be limited by this phrase “It is written.” For faith is merely saying amen to God. And a firm faith in the promises of God is the very best theology. With this in mind lets at our text and see how these people became winners in the faith. {Read More…}

TEXT: By faith Moses — Heb. 11:23-29

INTRODUCTION: Moses’ life can be divided into three forties: He was 40 years in the court as a prince, 40 years in the field as a shepherd, and 40 years in the wilderness as a leader of a nation. Faith is expensive. At the beginning of Moses’ life some would say he was a fool at the end a failure. But in between he was a man of faith. We see three things in the faith life of Moses: {Read More…}

TEXT: Heb. 11:8-19

Intro: Abraham is one of the great men of the Bible. When we think of men like him, we tend to see them as being larger than life. We seem to imagine that they started off at the top of the game and them just stayed there. Then, if we are foolish enough to compare ourselves with them, we feel like we are always struggling, always failing, and always facing some obstacle or another. We may begin to think that we will never succeed spiritually, but that we are doomed to a life of struggles and defeat. Well, I want to let you in on a little secret. Abraham didn’t start off as a man of God! Neither did Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Elijah, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, etc., etc. They started off just like you and me! In fact, Abraham started off as a idolater, a sinner a million miles away from the Lord. But one day, God did for Abraham what He did for you and me, if you are saved. He called Abraham to follow Him. Abraham did and by that simple, small step of faith, he began a new life with God. Don’t think for a minute that it was any easier for him than it is for you. Abraham had to overcome some very real obstacles before he became the spiritual giant we read about in the Bible. He had some very high mountains to climb before he earned the title “Friend of God”, James 2:23. Allow me to share some of the obstacles that Abraham had to overcome and you may find that you have more in common with him than you thought. Because, thee are several obstacles that we must overcome before we can become the men God wants us to be! (Ill. The need for FAITH! At home, at church, in the community!) {Read More…}

TEXT: By faith Noah — Heb. 11:7.

INTRODUCTION: Faith is to trust God without terms. For when God has a big job to be done, faith gets the contract. A person can never be a hero unless he is first a hero in faith. For we do not test the resources of God until we try the impossible. Even faith can stifle science. It is faith that expects from God that which is beyond all expectations.
Noah knew that there was no better way to show his trust in God than to bury himself in the thing God had asked him to do. For he found that faith was the key that unlocked the cabinet of God’s promises, and emptied the content of its treasures into his soul. Noah walked with God in a day and age when “all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth” (Gen. 6:12). This verse should be of special interest to all of us living in these days. Jesus told us, “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:37). {Read More…}

TEXT: By faith Enoch…Hebrews 11:5,6.

INTRODUCTION: Someone has described Enoch’s relationship with God thus: God and Enoch often walked together. One day, in the cool of the evening, they walked a little farther than usual. Enoch said to God, “Lord don’t you think we had better be getting back home? It is beginning to get a little dark.” God turned to Enoch and said, “Enoch, you are right. Yes, it is getting dusky dark. But you know, Enoch, today it is closer to my home than it is back to yours. Why don’t you just come on and go home with me?” Enoch did as God suggested — went to God’s home without going through the natural process of death. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death” (Heb. 11:5). Up until the time of Enoch’s translation into Heaven, pleasure and pain, living and dieing, birth and burial was the commentary on life. “AND he died — and HE died — and he DIED,” signified life’s ending. Only once in 1,500 years did this not happen. “And he died,” could not be said of Enoch. By faith Enoch — {Read More…}