Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Acts 19:11-22

Thesis: God works powerfully in churches who minister in Jesus’s name

Notes:

The miracles performed in Acts were meant to confirm the message of the gospel–not an end in themselves.

There will always be unscrupulous unbelievers who desire to piggyback onto the gospel in order to feed their own appetites.

1. Real ministry focuses on the Word of God, not the sensational
2. Real ministry exalts Christ, not men or ministries
3. Real ministry relies on God’s power, not manipulation
4. Real ministry attracts frauds
5. Real ministry changes lives
6. Real ministry defeats Satan

Real ministry exalts Christ, not men or ministries

• 1 Corinthians 3:4
• Teaching that shifts focus from Christ to a person or ministry leads to cults and spiritual abuse
• Pastors have no right or authority to demand obedience to anything unscriptural
• People are often drawn to the unusual or spectacular as opposed to the ordinary means of grace because they are so “ordinary”
  • The word of God
  • Meditating on the Word
  • Prayer
  • All things available to every ordinary believer
• Why don’t we avail ourselves of these?
  • We don’t really want to change
  • We don’t expect God to work

Live It Out!

1. Make much of Christ
2. Focus on knowing Christ through the ordinary means of grace
3. Focus on living and proclaiming Christ faithfully and fully

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Acts 19:11-22

Theme: God demonstrates His power over the physical and spiritual worlds
to honor His Son and draw people to follow Him

Notes:

God works powerfully in churches who minister in Jesus’ name.

1. Real ministry focuses on the Word of God and not the sensational
2. Real ministry exalts Christ, not men or ministries
3. Real ministry relies on God’s power not manipulation or ingenuity
4. Real ministry attracts frauds
5. Real ministry changes lives
6. Real ministry defeats Satan

Real ministry focuses on the Word of God and not the sensational

God empowers people who give the right picture of Christ

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Luke 19:1-10

Theme:

Notes:

Summary of the book of Luke seen in 19:10, “…to seek and save that which is lost”

Main thrust of the gospels is seen not in a history of Christ, but in the mission of Christ

Luke was the only Gentile author of Scripture

A running theme in Luke is Christ’s care for those normally ignored or rejected by the larger culture:
women, tax collectors, children, prostitutes.

Luke frequently refers to Christ as “Son of Man”

Zacchaeus–his name means “innocent, pure, righteous”,
yet he became a chief tax collector, and was “very rich”

The Jews hated the Romans–an occupying force–and they especially hated the taxes levied by them

If riches brought lasting peace why would Zacchaeus care about seeing Christ?

Christ knew why He was here–He knew His mission

Do we know why we are here–do we know our mission?

Why did Christ not take us to Him right at salvation?

Why did He leave us here, and what does He want us to do?

Like Christ, we must prioritize Christ’s mission, so that we will make the time to see people and their needs.

Entering into another’s pain is not easy–which is probably why we often don’t do it.

In order to do this we will have to love them more than we love ourselves.

Despising the poor is wicked theology.

“The most selfish thing we can do is to be content to go to Heaven alone.”

Real love and real grace are shocking

Don’t let things–even necessary things, even good things–take you from the most important thing

Christ showed grace to bring hope to a man who was a despised sinner

It is evident that the Holy Spirit was already working in Zacchaeus’s life, and his word display his new faith

Abraham is commended primarily for his faith

Genuine salvation necessitates genuine change

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Acts 19:1-10

Theme:  Four lessons we can imitate from Paul’s evangelism strategy

Notes:

1. Urgency
2. Variety
3. Strategy
4. Tenacity

Paul used what he could to connect to different audiences:

• He quoted Old Testament to reach the Jews
• He quoted Greek poets to connect to Gentiles

Strategy

1. Be strategic with people
   • Engage
   • Evangelize
   • Establish
   • Equip
2. Be strategic with placement
3. Be strategic with partnerships
4. Be strategic with priorities
5. Be strategic with prayer
6. Be strategic with persuasion

Tenacity = patience + persistence

Live It Out!

1. Learn the gospel so well you can communicate well
2. Pray the Holy Spirit will help you grow in love for God and others
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you effectively communicate the gospel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Acts 19:1-10

Thesis: There are four lessons we can learn from Paul’s evangelism strategy

Notes:

1. We need urgency
   • There is a merciful God who wants to redeem people from their sin
2. We need variety
   • Paul met with radically different groups
     • Disciples of John
     • Synagogue
     • School of Tyrannus
   • This requires:
     • spiritual sensitivity
     • contextual sensitivity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Text: Proverbs 31

Theme: Motherhood

Thesis: Godly women are a precious treasure to their families, churches and communities.

Notes:

Bathsheba: A godly woman who passed her wisdom to her son

Verses 1-9: General Wisdom

Verses 10-31: Motherly Wisdom

Whether you have children or not, you may still have a positive impact on the next generation in your church family.

1. The Example of a Godly Woman
   • Lois
   • Eunice
   • Hannah
   • Bathsheba
   • In only one other passage is anything described as having a worth “far above rubies”
     • Proverbs 3–the feminine personification of Wisdom
   • Tabitha
2. The Explanation of a Godly Woman
   • Not what she does, but who she is
     • v25, strength and honor, wisdom, fear of God
     • a godly woman is known by her character
   • She loves God
   • She has biblical wisdom
   • She has discernment & discretion
     • Skillfully applying God’s truth to actual life
   • Not caught up in theological minutiae
     • 2 Timothy 3:6
   • She is honorable, dignified, and noble
   • She is trustworthy
   • She is kind
3. The Exaltation of a Godly Woman
   • A godly woman is honored by her husband, family, and community
   • She is fulfilled

Live It Out

1. Determine to be godly through the grace of God
2. Determine to invest in the next generation of women and men
3. As a church, we must
   • listen to
   • learn from
   • lift up godly women
   • 1 Timothy 5:2

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Caleb Ogle

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preacher: Jeremy Herbert

Podcast: Play in new window | Download