On Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 25:31-46.  This message was part 6 of the “Tomorrow” sermon series.  Below you will find the audio from this sermon to download, listen to, or share.

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Tomorrow #6 2.9.20

 

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To watch the video of the service, watch YouTube online:

 

On Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 25:31-46.  This message was the sixth (and final) installment in the “Tomorrow” sermon series.  Below are a series of questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 25:31-46
3. What do you know about hell?  Is it real?  What about heaven?  Are these real places in your estimation?
4. When Jesus comes back, judgment will happen on the earth that will seal the fate of each human for eternity.  At this moment, Jesus divides humanity into two groups.  What are these two groups, where are they “headed” and how are their lives described?
5. “He who paints the miseries of hell as though they were but trifling is seeking to murder men’s souls under the pretense of friendship.” (C.H. Spurgeon)  What do you think Spurgeon means in this quote?  How does it motivate you with regards to sharing hard truths with those you love?
6. Those inheriting eternal life have earthly lives marked by kind and unselfish behaviors.  Specifically, kind behaviors to their “brothers and sisters” in the faith.  In light of all that Jesus says about this topic in other places, we do not see this behavior as EARNING salvation, but merely as the NORMAL response from those who have been saved by grace.  Do these characteristics resemble your lives at all?  Where are you most challenged by Jesus’ words here?
7. What do Jesus’ statements here let you know about the heart of God for us and His desire and will for our lives today?
8. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

“Heaven is for Real” is the title of a 2010 book detailing the story of a young boy’s near death experience, where he went to heaven and back while undergoing emergency surgery.  Many have read the book, or seen the movie, and been greatly encouraged by the notion that heaven is a real place.

I do not know the particulars of this story, and have no reason to doubt the validity of this journey.  While I have not ever taken a similar trip, I believe with all of my being that heaven is (indeed) for real!  Our lives (whether we live 1 minute or 100 years) are all “short” compared to eternity . . . and I see plenty of evidence in the Scripture that Jesus has saved us and invited us into an “eternal life.”  That life will be spent somewhere, and heaven is certainly a part of that eternal geography.

While we are affirming the reality of heaven, however, the Bible also affirms the reality of another destination . . . though this one as awful as heaven is awe-inspiring.  This is the reality of a literal “hell.”  This hell is not just an expletive or a fake red hued house . . . it is an “eternal fire” where “eternal punishment” is experienced by people who once lived on the face of this earth.  

The Bible does indeed support the notion that “Heaven is for Real” . . . but it also asserts that “Hell is for Real” as well.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will be wrapping up our sermon series “Tomorrow” by looking at part 6, focusing on Matthew 25:31-46.  In these verses Jesus talks about the judgment that comes at His second coming, and the fates that await two different groups of people:  groups He calls the “sheep” and the “goats.”  Join us this Sunday as we see what Jesus says about Heaven and Hell in the conclusion of our sermon series.  See you Sunday in our 9:45 or 11:00 services!

On Sunday, February 2, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 25:14-30.  This message was part 5 of the “Tomorrow” sermon series.  Below you can find the sermon audio to listen to, download, or share.

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Tomorrow #5 2.2.20

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the service stream, visit YouTube online:

 

 

On Sunday, February 2, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 25:14-30.  This message was part 5 in the “Tomorrow” sermon series and focused on the Parable of the Talents.  Below you will find questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 25:14-30
3. Have you ever considered the fact that (even as believers) we will one day stand before Jesus and give an account from our lives (as 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, and Matthew 25:14-30 indicate).  While this “accounting” will not be for salvation, it will be connected to our reward in the Kingdom.  Knowing this “appointment” is fixed on all our calendars at some point in the future, how does it motivate you to examine and order your life today?
4. We often think of our Christian lives in certain behaviors we are to avoid.  While this is certainly true, there are things that we are to NOT do in this life, there are also many things we are to DO.  Chief among them are to invest the riches Jesus has entrusted to us in His work.  Take a moment and do an inventory of your life’s “Time, Talent, and Treasure.”  What riches in these categories has God blessed you with in this season of your life?
5. The power of this parable is that we are NOT to bury the blessing Jesus has entrusted to us, but that we are to invest it in His mission.  What are some ways you are tempted to bury His blessing instead of investing it in His work?
6. What are some ways God is prompting you right now to invest in His work with your life today?
7. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

In this space each week, I write a brief preview of one of the main themes of the upcoming Sunday’s sermon.  While today’s post will also preview this week’s message, the format will utilize a different medium.

This Sunday, we are going to be looking at Matthew 25:14-30 . . . the “Parable of the Talents.”  As we saw last Sunday, parables were sermon illustrations used by Jesus teaching His followers something about God and/or His Kingdom.  The Parable of the Talents is told by Jesus to illustrate part of what it meant to prepare for His second coming.

To help get us ready for this passage of Scripture, I want to share with you a “readers’ theater” drama, based on this parable, written and directed by Wildwood member Michael Kramer, utilizing Wildwood members as actors and actresses.  This audio drama is quite good, and hopefully will help prepare you for the sermon on Sunday as you listen to this retelling of an ancient story in a fresh way.

Listen below, and we will see you Sunday at Wildwood in our 9:45 or 11:00 services!

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

The Talents

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

On Sunday, January 26, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 25:1-13.  This message was part 4 in the “Tomorrow” sermon series.  Below you will find audio from the message to listen to, download, or share.

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Tomorrow #4 1.26.20

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the video of the service, visit YouTube online:

 

On Sunday, January 26, 2020, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 25:1-13.  This message was part 4 of the “Tomorrow” sermon series.  Below you will find a series of questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 25:1-13
3. What does it look like for you to “prepare” for something on your calendar (event, project, etc.)?  What would it look like for you to “prepare” for the second coming of Jesus?
4. In this story, the young women are divided into two groups: the wise and the foolish.  What separated the wise from the foolish?  What do they have in common?  How are they different?
5. When the “hour” came, those with oil could not help those without oil.  When we reflect on this principle for our application, we see that the faith of our friends or family cannot help us if we are not personally spiritually prepared when Jesus comes.  In what ways is your faith “your own” and in what ways are you borrowing the faith of your friends or family?
6. Sadly, many who wait to follow Jesus now because they don’t want to “miss out” on fun today, run the risk of “missing out” on eternity with Jesus.  Eventually (as in the parable) the door of opportunity will close.  How would you advise a friend who wanted to live their own way today instead of following Jesus in light of what you see in this parable?
7. Being prepared for the coming of Jesus means that we believe in Him and are trusting in Him for the forgiveness of our sins.  Is this something that you have already done?  If not, what is keeping you from trusting Jesus today?
8. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

One of the mottos of the Boy Scouts is to “Be Prepared.”  But what does that mean?  Well . . .

• If you are a student, it means you study before the test so you can do well.
• If you are a homeowner, it may mean buying supplies and taping off the edges before beginning to repaint the living room.
• If you are a sports team, it means practicing offensive plays or defensive sets so you can work together effectively when the game comes around.

Basically, being prepared means that you get ready BEFORE YOU “NEED TO” DELIVER.  We are used to this concept in so many areas of our lives.  However, are we prepared spiritually?  Are we prepared for the second coming of Jesus or for the moment of our death when we will stand face to face before our Creator and give an account for our lives?  How do we prepare for such a day?  What are some questions I could ask myself to prepare me for this moment BEFORE I get there?

This Sunday at Wildwood we will be continuing our series called “Tomorrow: Preparing for the Son to Rise Again.”  This week, we will be in part 4 of this series looking at Matthew 25:1-13 – a parable Jesus told about 10 members of a wedding party . . . some who wisely prepared, and some who foolishly did not for the coming the groom.  There is a lot of very practical and important stuff in this story for us to reflect on today as we prepare for tomorrow.  See you Sunday . . . and bring your friends to either our 9:45 or 11:00 service.

 

On Sunday, January 19, 2020 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 24:32-51.  This message was part 3 of the “Tomorrow” sermon series.  Below you will find the audio from this message to listen to, download, or share.

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Tomorrow #3 1.19.20

 

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

 

To watch the video of the entire service, watch YouTube online: