Acts 20:26-36 Thesis: The pastor’s job is to build the fellowship of the church. Introduction The pastor proclaims eternal truths to people who would rather hear the latest baseball scores. He teaches, though he must solicit his own students. He heals, though without pills or knife. He prays for people and hopes they pray for…
Author: Alan Holden
Gossip
But Is It True? The more interesting the gossip, the more likely it is to be untrue. Motivation for Brevity Nothing makes a long story short lived than the arrival of the person you happen to be talking about. Gossip and Noise The difference between noise and gossip is whether you raise your voice or…
God’s Love
The Lost Child A lady told of taking her grandsons, ages four and six, to spend the day at Disneyland. During the course of the day, she bought each of them a little flag. On several occasions, they stopped to watch the marching band of “toy” soldiers and each time the boys would be spellbound…
God’s Care
Catch an Eye On a summer day I took my three-year-old daughter to a kiddy park in Dallas to ride the rides. I put her on a small ride which she insisted on trying even though it was the “scariest.” As she whipped around the corners in the kiddy car, she wrinkled up her face…
It Is Well with My Soul
Saved Alone In the year 1873, Horatio Spafford, a Christian lawyer from Chicago, placed his wife and four children on the luxury liner Ville de Havre sailing from New York to France. Spafford expected to join them in about three or four weeks after finishing up some business, but with the exception of his wife,…
Revelation 16:1-21
The Seven Vials of God’s Wrath Introduction When we compare these judgments with the trumpet judgments of chapter 8, they are similar. The differences are that these judgments are more severe and especially aimed at the Beast and his Satan kingdom. Whereas the trumpet judgments occurred in the first 3.5 yrs of the Tribulation, these…
Revelation 15:1-8
The Scenes in Heaven before Judgment Falls Introduction Before opening the seals, we were shown a scene in heaven (Revelation 4-5). There was a similar scene before the trumpets were blown (Revelation 8). John now sees a scene in heaven before the Vials/Bowls of God’s Wrath are poured out. The Victors and Their Songs, vv….
Giving
The Spirit of Christmas Giving Several years ago a thirteen-year-old boy who attended Mohawk Central School at Paines Hollow in New York heard an appeal for contributions to Santa Claus Anonymous, a group that provides gifts for unfortunate children that otherwise would go without Christmas presents. The boy struggled to save a few pennies for…
Gifts
Your Gifts Are Not Your Own You have your gifts not so much for your own sake as for the sake of others. You are like an apple tree that produces fruit, not for its own consumption, but for the consumption of others. Your gifts are given so you can bless others by ministering to…
Frustration
Work Undone What the reason of the any laboriously drags into a heap, the wind of accident will collect in one breath. –Friedrich von Schiller Pithy Words On an office poster: “One day I shall burst my buds of calm and blossom fully into hysteria.” Free, Indeed! The warranty on a new color TV set…