Sermon Central
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I Timothy: How To Conduct Ourselves In Church Meetings And Church Community
Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 5, 2015 (message contributor)
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1. The Target
Contributed on Jan 5, 2015
God has many directives for the church, and under the inspiration of the Spirit, Paul hits the ground running, implying what some of those directives are.
The Target (I Timothy 1:1-5) 1. Men’s retreat/turkey shoot. Barri usually wins… 2. Bud Newell and his friend Tony often practice corn-hole tossing. They are very proficient at it, and Bud has won a number of championships; a matter of aim. 3. Hitting the target, good aim ...read more
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2. We Do Not Live To Ourselves
Contributed on May 4, 2015
It is not just about “God and me,” as some less-than-social Christians might assert. In God’s Kingdom, our behavior affects others and their behavior affects us.
We Do Not Live to Ourselves (I Timothy 6:1-5) 1. Last week I was talking to Phyllis Roussakis….was going to find a Norwegian joke. 2. A Welshman, Scot and Englishman are walking when they come across a lantern and a genie pops out and grants them one wish each. The Scot says: ...read more
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3. Paul, The Complementarian
Contributed on Feb 9, 2015
Although detestable to many people and completely counter-cultural, God’s Word teaches that gender roles are not identical.
Paul, the Complementarian (I Timothy 2:8-15) 1. A pastor said: “You need to join the Army of the Lord!” My friend replied, “I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.” Pastor questioned, “How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?” He ...read more
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4. Elders, Deacons, And Deaconesses
Contributed on Feb 16, 2015
Although many church events and ministries are organized informally, God has appointed two kinds of official, recognized leadership for the local church: shepherds and servants, also known as Elders and Deacons (including deaconesses).
Elders, Deacons, and Deaconesses (I Timothy 3:1-13) 1. Every church is different in some way when it comes to dividing up responsibilities. 2. The little church in the suburbs suddenly stopped buying from its regular office supply dealer. So, the dealer telephoned Deacon Brown to ask why. ...read more
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5. Simple Leadership: Elders
Contributed on Apr 28, 2015
The New Testament pattern for church leadership is not personnel committees, democracy, influential families in the church, or hierarchies. It is simply a group of men known as elders who study and seek to follow God’s Word.
Simple Leadership: Elders ( I Timothy 5:17-25) 1. We usually think of authority issues when it comes to parents and teens. 2. One teen recently blogged, “Today, my mom screeched at me about my pillowcase being dirty and finished off one long rant with an irate "Who raised you to be ...read more
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6. Becoming A God Honoring Church
Contributed on Feb 23, 2015
We honor God by obeying Him fully and consistently. Part of honoring God means submitting to his judgment above our own, including what we do in church meetings and ministry. Keep in mind the sum total of all our regular meetings and ministries, not just
Becoming A God Honoring Church (I Timothy 3:14-16) 1. Infrastructure is important. Take our nations roads. #1 American Society of Civil Engineers …an overall grade of D. #2 …not enough roads in the United States today. Each year, traffic jams cost the commuters of America 4.2 ...read more
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7. Called To Be Super-Heroes
Contributed on Jun 1, 2015
In the spiritual realm, we are called to be God’s super heroes. We can only be super heroes on earth, because — when we are in heaven — we will not need these unique skills.
Called to Be Super-Heroes (I Timothy 6:11-17, 20-21) 1. [This is a combination Norwegian and Chinese joke] A young man walks through New York Chinatown and notices a shop with the name Hans Olaffsen's Laundry. He thought it seemed out of place but curiosity got the best of him and he walked ...read more
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8. Addressing The Realities Of Life
Contributed on Mar 23, 2015
Being human is generally a good thing. The temptation in our day is to manipulate or engineer human nature and deny its realities. But a church is about real people, redeemed by Jesus, but fully human — even more human — because of that redemption.
Addressing the Realities of Life (I Timothy 5:1-16) 1. Some people have a sanitized view of life. Life, however, is often less glamourous. 'Cash, check or charge?' I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet, I noticed a remote control for a ...read more
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9. Majoring On The Majors
Contributed on Mar 16, 2015
Although much of our time is spent on small points of ministry, we must never forget some of the big principles of church life.
Majoring on the Majors (I Timothy 4:9-16) 1. Peter Roussakis is our resident Greek, so I dug up a Greek joke on the internet in honor of him. If you don’t like it, blame it on him. If you do like it, remember, I’m the one who found it. 2. 3 Greeks and 3 Turks are traveling by ...read more
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10. The Right Focus
Contributed on Mar 9, 2015
Old and new ideas constantly circulate and are repackaged; they can distract us from the truth; we must be on-guard or they will slither into our hearts and minds.
The Right Focus (I Timothy 4:1-13) 1. Not all problems are difficult to solve.. Morris went to a psychiatrist. "Doc," he said, "I've got real trouble. Every time I get into bed, I get his weird feeling that there's somebody under it. I look under the bed, to check it out, but then I think ...read more
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11. The Torah Of Moses And The Believer
Contributed on Jan 12, 2015
The Torah of Moses is good and relevant to the New Covenant believer in a variety of ways. It is worth our while to study and apply its principles, even if we do not live under it system.
The Torah of Moses and the Believer (I Timothy 1:6-11) 1. Am I getting worried about my memory," says 75 year old Rachel to her best friend Sarah. "So why is that?" asks Sarah. "Because every time I go online banking," replies Rachel, "I just don't seem to be able to remember my bank's ...read more
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12. Contentment And Money
Contributed on May 18, 2015
Better to be content than wealthy, but better yet to be content and good stewards of what God has given us.
Contentment and Money (I Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19) 1. Study after study show that the world’s happiest people are not from the richest nations; once basic needs are met, it is more a matter of relationships, family, and thankfulness; the topic most newlywed couples argue over is ...read more
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13. Arguing Greater To Lesser: If God Could Forgive Paul, He Can Forgive You
Contributed on Jan 19, 2015
God forgave Paul when he repented and believed in Jesus. If God forgave Paul, he can forgive you!
Arguing from Greater to Lesser: If God Could Forgive Paul, He Can Forgive You (I Timothy 1:12-17) 1. According to UPI, “An Israeli zoo said it has fired a security guard whose on-the-job snooze was blamed for the on-camera escape of three female rhinos. The Ramat Gan Safari park near Tel ...read more
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14. Avoiding A Shipwreck
Contributed on Jan 26, 2015
We must avoid shipwrecking our faith at all costs! You must maintain the right course; do not assume the ship will steer itself!
Avoiding a Shipwreck (I Timothy 1:18-20) 1. The Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia capsized and sank after striking an underwater obstruction off … Tuscany, on 13 January 2012, with the loss of 32 lives. Costa Concordia… is one of the largest ships ever to be abandoned… ...read more
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15. Unlimited Prayer Based Upon Unlimited Atonement
Contributed on Feb 2, 2015
It is human nature for us to become closed, introverted, and selfish — even in our prayer lives. God demands that our prayers extend way beyond ourselves to incorporate all sorts of people.
Unlimited Prayer Based Upon Unlimited Atonement (I Timothy 2:1-7) 1. One fellow defended himself form criticism, “Some people say I am a snob, but this is not true. Although my butler can be a snob at times.” 2. Does being rich automatically make one a snob? Certainly not. ...read more