Sermons by Michael Howell (Page 25)
Michael Howell
A Beautiful Gift
The grace of God is a beautiful gift. It is a gift that ought to be on display so that the world can know how precious it is to us. However, a divided church that is always fighting about silly issues makes the precious gift of grace look a whole lot less precious than it really is.
In tonight’s passage, Paul concludes his instructions to Titus with some advice on how to approach divisive issues and divisive people in the church. We see that grace demands unity and that our unity shows off grace.
David and Goliath
Wouldn’t it have been amazing to be there to see God deliver his people from that great enemy Goliath and the threat of death that he posed? Well, today we have a special guest to tell us all about what it was actually like to see that first hand (sort of….) Listen as we hear what he learned on that incredible day.
Leaders to look for
One of Titus’ most important jobs was to appoint the right people to lead the Cretan church. But what kind of leaders was he to look for? We find Paul’s answer to this question in our passage today. We see a picture of the kind of leaders that are worth following as well as an example of leaders that we ought to avoid. Listen as we consider Paul’s instructions to Titus and how we should apply them as we appoint leaders in the church today.
Gospel truths to remember
Life and ministry can be hard. Paul knew that. And he knew that the job that he’d left Titus to do in Crete was no easy job. Titus was going to face many challenges and discouragements.So Paul wrote him a letter. On the surface, these first few verses are just Paul’s way of greeting Titus. But when we look more deeply, we see that these verses contain several foundational gospel truths. In the midst of busy and difficult life and ministry, these are truths that Titus needs to remember. And they’re truths that we need to remember as well.
Exposed!
It can be easy to read in the Bible about Israel and point out all their sins. It is harder when we discover that their sins are ours as well. In 1 Samuel 8 we see Israel asking for a king. We see their wholesale rejection of God and His wisdom. But we also see ourselves. Are we that different from them? Listen as we are challenged to examine ourselves and repent for the ways that we do what Israel did.
The Lord of History
Tonight we continue our Daniel series with the first of the visions in chapters 7-12.
We live in troubled times. Violence, the struggle for power and suffering seem to characterise our world. It’s sad and scary. In these troubled times, we might ask this question; “who’s in charge?” Listen as we discover how Daniel 7 answers that question. Let us think about how this answer ought to affect our lives today.
A Picture of Sin
Our world doesn’t talk a lot about sin. But when it does, there are so many different voices we could listen to. Everyone seems to have a different understanding of or attitude towards sin! As Christians, we can find ourselves a little confused about sin. What is sin? What does it mean to be a sinner? What things are sin, what things aren’t?
When it comes to the topic of sin, there is one voice that we should listen to above all others; the voice of God. In Daniel 5, we meet Belshazzar, a picture of sin. Listen as we see what God has to say about the nature and reality of sin, and of course, it’s consequences. Let us consider again the reality of sin in our own lives, that we might truly appreciate what Jesus has done for us.
Spiritual restoration by the word of God
By the end of 1 Samuel 2, Israel (and especially it’s leadership) is in a state of spiritual disarray. How will God turn this around? The answer is found in chapter 3. God speaks his word and we see the beginning of a spiritual restoration in the nation of Israel. Listen as we explore this story and consider it’s implications for our lives as the people of God today. Let us say to our God whose word is powerful, “Speak LORD, for your servant is listening” (3:9)
Declaring True Wisdom
Daniel knew that God is the only source of true wisdom. He found himself with the opportunity to declare God’s wisdom to a pagan king who needed to hear it. Our world is equally desperate to hear the wisdom of God – even when it won’t admit it! The question is, will we keep it to ourselves or be like Daniel and declare it to those who need to hear it?
Signs that we’re strangers
Tonight we begin our new series, Daniel: Strangers in a secular world. We begin by looking at the circumstances in which Daniel and his friends found themselves as exiles in Babylon. All the signs pointed to the fact that they were “out of place,” living as strangers in a foreign land. In the same way, we who follow Jesus live as “strangers” in this world. We must work out how we will remain involved in this world while continuing to stand firm in our faith.
Responding To The Claims of Jesus
Throughout his ministry, Jesus made some amazing claims about himself. But he also pointed to evidence that supported these claims. He appealed to those who listened that they believe his claims on the strength of this evidence. Join us as we look at two of the claims Jesus makes in John 10 and think about the evidence that supports those claims.
In the end, every one of us must decide; will we believe that Jesus is who he says he is, or not? Our answer to this question affects everything.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
What limits do you impose on the way you forgive others? Is it easier for you to forgive some people, but not others? Are you able to forgive people for “minor” things, but not for “serious” things they do to you? Is there a maximum number of times you will forgive someone before you decide you can’t forgive them any longer?
Peter had a question about the “limits” of forgiveness. He wanted to know how many times he needed to forgive a brother who had sinned against him (Matthew 18:21). Jesus answered by telling a story that challenges any limits we might place on the way we forgive others.
Listen as we consider what God has done for us and what it looks like for us to “forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).