A. “My life, my joy, my all” (Luke 9:23; Matthew 5:10-12; Mark 12:29-30)
B. “He is my strength…” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
C. “When I am sad to Him I go” (2 Corinthians 7:4; Philippians 4:4)
II. The continual friendship and blessing of being in Christ
A. “My Friend in trials sore” (Romans 8:35-39)
B. “I go to Him for blessings” (3 John 2; James 4:3; Ephesians 1:3; Luke 9:25; Acts 14:17)
III. Jesus is our guide and protector
A. “He’s so true to me” (2 Thessalonians 3:3; John 14:15; 1 Peter 5:8)
B. “Following Him I know I’m right” (Matthew 7:13-14)
IV. Christ is our trustworthy Friend
A. “I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when life’s fleeting days shall end” (Ephesians 1:11-12; Hebrews 6:13-18)
B. “Eternal life, eternal joy” (Matthew 10:29; 2 Timothy 2:11-13)
A. God appeared to Abraham and spoke to him (Genesis 12:1-4,6-7; 15; 17; 18; 22; etc.)
B. Our faith must be based on God’s revelation (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 10:17; John 20:30-31)
II. Abraham’s faith resulted in obedience
A. He knew there was something greater waiting for him (Hebrews 11:8-10: Acts 7:4-5; Matthew 8:11)
B. Abraham would not withhold anything from the Almighty (Hebrews 11:17-19)
C. Our faith is known through obedience (Romans 1:8; 16:19; James 2:20-24)
D. Our faith should be sacrificial (2 Corinthians 9:6-7; 8:1-5,10-12)
III. Abraham’s faith continued to grow throughout his life
A. Abraham was not perfect (Romans 3:23; Genesis 12:10-13; 20:1-2; 15:1-3; 17:15-19) but he grew (Hebrews 11:17-19)
B. We must also grow… like the apostles (Matthew 8:26; Acts 4:13) and like the early church (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
A. Warnings against false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3-4; 4:1-2; Titus 3:9)
B. Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:1)
C. We can only learn about Jesus through the Word (2 Timothy 3:15; James 1:21)
II. Four types of soil
A. The wayside (Luke 8:5, 12; cf. Romans 10:17)
B. The rock (Luke 8:6, 13; cf. Mark4:17; Matthew 16:24-26; 2 Timothy 3:12; Mark 10:29-30)
C. The thorns (Luke 8:7, 14; cf. Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 4:10)
D. The good ground (Luke 8:8, 15)
III. The sower’s responsibility: “Sow as you go, wherever you go!”
A. “As you are going, make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20)
B. Every child of God is expected to be a sower (Luke 8:15)
I. Something less than or different from the truth
A. Idolatry in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:3-6; 32; Judges 2:7-13, 16-19; 1 Kings 11:4-8; 12:25-33; 14:23)
B. Idolatry in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 10:14; Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:5; 1 Peter 4:3)
C. 21st century counterfeits (Galatians 1:6-7)
II. Counterfeit teachers
A. Jesus’ warning (Matthew 7:15-23)
B. Warnings from Peter and Paul (2 Peter 2:1-3; Acts 20:29-30)
III. How do we guard against counterfeits?
A. Individual responsibility (2 Timothy 2:15; Philippians 2:12)
B. Congregational responsibility (Revelation 2:2, 6, 14-16; Titus 1:10-11)
C. Counterfeits have always been and will always be unacceptable (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1)
A. Simon’s attitude toward the Lord (Matthew 16:14; Luke 7:39)
B. Simon’s attitude toward the woman (Luke 7:39, 47)
C. The woman’s need (Luke 7:38; 18:13)
II. The parable
A. Despite their inability to pay, both were forgiven (Luke 7:41-43)
B. God’s love for us (1 John 4:19; John 3:16)
C. Our love for God (John 14:15)
III. When God forgives, He forgives completely and eternally
A. Gone, never to be remembered (Luke 7:48; Psalm 103:11-12; Psalm 32:1)
B. No matter how big your sin is (Acts 2:36-41)
C. Contrast Simon’s unrecognized sin (1 John 1:8-10) and the woman’s “many” sins (Luke 7:39, 47)
A. Exuberance due to His forgiveness (Romans 4:5-8)
B. Transgression, sin, iniquity, and deceit
C. Forgiveness is available to the penitent (2 Samul 12:13)
II. The effects of unconfessed sin (Psalm 32:3-5)
A. Suffering is not always caused by sin, but sin always causes suffering
B. Accepting personal responsibility for sin (2 Samuel 12:13)
C. When God forgives, He forgives completely and eternally
III. Encouragement to pray while opportunity exists (Psalm 32:6-7)
A. The godly (1 John 1:5-10)
B. The danger of procrastination
C. God protects, shields, and delivers the penitent
IV. The guidance of God (Psalm 32:8-9)
A. How do we receive instruction from the Lord? (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 1:2; 119:72,104-105)
B. Warning: don’t be stubborn as a mule!
V. A call to worship with joy (Psalm 32:10-11)
A. Tremendous mercy is available in God
B. A deep appreciation for what God has done (Romans 5:6-11)
A. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27; Matthew 5:16)
B. “Bless those that curse you” (Luke 6:28a)
C. “Pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:28b; 1 Timothy 2:1-4)
II. The principle applied
A. “Offer your other [cheek] also” (Luke 6:29a; Romans 12:17-21)
B. “Give to everyone who asks of you” (Luke 6:29b-30)
C. The Golden Rule: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31; Matthew 7:12)
III. “What credit is that to you?”
A. Step outside your comfort zone (Luke 6:32-34; Proverbs 25:21-22)
B. “Your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35; James 4:10)
C. “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” – show compassion toward those who mistreat you, as they do not yet know the love of God (Luke 6:36; Romans 5:6-11)
A. We must please God (Psalm 147:11; Hebrews 13:15-16; Romans 12:1-2)
B. This will upset some people (Galatians 1:10)
II. Give up the fear of change
A. Paul’s attitude toward change (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
B. The early church’s response to change (Acts 8)
III. Don’t live in the past
A. Have you been forgiven? (Philippians 3:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:1-3)
B. Forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15)
IV. Stop over-thinking and worrying
A. Seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:25-34)
B. Turn to Him when you struggle (Philippians 4:6-7)
V. Don’t doubt yourself and put yourself down
A. You are: chosen, royal, and holy! (1 Peter 2:9)
B. He has given us power, love, and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:7; Ephesians 3:4; 2 Peter 1:3)
A. “Poor in spirit” = contrition and humility (Luke 6:20; Matthew 5:3)
B. “Rich” trust in wealth and self (Luke 6:24; Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 10:23-25; 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Luke 18:9-14; Revelation 3:17-18)
II. The hungry and the full
A. “Hunger…for righteousness” (Luke 6:21a; Matthew 5:6)
B. “The full,” in thinking he knows it all, shows how little he knows
III. The weeping and laughing
A. Godly sorrow produces repentance (Luke 6:21b; 2 Cor. 7:8-11)
B. Don’t “laugh it off” (Luke 6:25b; James 4:9; Philippians 4:4; Romans 12:12; 1 Corinthians 13:6; James 1:2)
IV. The persecuted and the praised
A. Threats from the religious (Luke 6:22-23; Acts 4:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 3:13-17)
B. The approval of men (Luke 6:26; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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