Tag: Message

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 09TH 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Last Sunday morning in Homestead Florida I had the honor and privilege of singing 4 Praise & Worship songs with a brother and 2 sisters of my longtime church family, and I opened the service after the first song, and I preached about a 45-minute sermon. I then watched as a sister led us in Communion. (I led Communion for 7½ years, and she took over for me.)

I got the unexpected call to preach on the Thursday night prior. As a Pastor I must always be ready to preach God’s Good News – with no notice, with short notice, or scheduled well in advance.

Preach the Word of God. Be prepared – whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT)

I spent most of that Friday finalizing my 60TH sermon since 2016 – the sermon that I’d been working on for the better part of the past year on the creation of the city that I now live near – Sebring Florida. I preached on Charles Frederick Weigle and his good friend and next-door neighbor George Eugene Sebring, Jr. The sermon ended with an “anywhere call”. (That’s my version of an altar call featuring the sinners’ prayer.)

It’s on to my 61ST sermon now, and it’s titled “Music & Lyrics”. It will serve as a sort-of follow-up to “Sebring & Weigle” on how God used music to rescue and save me on an August morning 18 summers ago.

Since the start of April and for the next couple of months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Links are now provided for Parts 1 to 8 of “Jude & Judgment” over on my SERMONS page. (It’s Sermon 56.) Here’s Part 2 of “Jude & Jury”:

[CONTINUE SERMON]

Moving on, and Jude is writing about all of the false teachers who have – in his words – wormed their way into your churches. These false teachers tell their followers that because of God’s marvelous grace – you are free to do whatever you feel like doing. You are free to live immoral lives.

You know just because a building looks like a church from the outside, and just because the word “church” appears on a sign in front of the building or on the physical building itself, and just because the leader or leaders of the church call themselves Pastors, or Preachers, or Ministers, or Evangelists – if they are not teaching what’s in the Bible – God’s Word – the only Truth – then they are false teachers. If they are teaching the ways of the world around us – then they are false teachers. These false teachers are teaching about their god (lower-case) – the devil.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 02ND 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

This morning I’m waking-up in my former hometown of Homestead Florida. I’m here visiting longtime friends and celebrating my upcoming 57TH birthday with them. Today I’ll praise and worship our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ with my brothers and sisters of my church family here, and then we’ll enjoy fellowship and food at Texas Roadhouse.

I’m also today’s special guest Pastor. I’ll be preaching my sermon on “Sebring & Weigle” to my church family !

Since the start of April and for the next couple of months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Links are now provided for Parts 1 to 8 of “Jude & Judgment” over on my SERMONS page. (It’s Sermon 56.) Here’s Part 1 of “Jude & Jury”:

[BEGIN SERMON]

Well Good Morning again church family. Thank You for being here with me on this Sunday morning. Thank You for supporting me with my ministry. Thank You for taking church seriously – by not coming to church – but by being the church – and bringing the church in everything you do and everywhere you go. We – You and I – are the living and breathing church body.

It is the 1ST Sunday of Advent. The 1ST candle on the Advent wreath (or crown) represents God’s Hope. (Everyone say “hope”.) We are led to anticipate the birth of Christ in this start of a new season. We are reminded of all of the promises that God gave us in the Old Testament. They are fulfilled in the New Testament by the birth of Jesus.

One of my favorite Benedictions at the close of our services is from Romans 15:13. You know this one. You’ve heard it many times from me:

May the God of (what ?) hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with (what ?) hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN

Last Sunday I preached on the first 11 verses of Jude’s letter near the end of the New Testament – just before Revelation. Today I’m preaching on the remaining 14 verses of Jude’s letter.

Now if you weren’t here last Sunday morning, or if you just need a refresher – here are 7 key points from my sermon last week:

• God’s Word is not an ‘either-or’ book. It is an ‘all-or-nothing’ book. It is not a dingy all-you-can-eat buffet (or “boo/fay” as I like to say) where you can pick and choose what you wish to believe. It is a glorious full-course meal. It all comes down to whether or not we are willing to consume it all.
• People all over the world know of Jesus, but they don’t really know Him, or understand Him, or even believe in Him as God. Oh – and that includes a lot of self-proclaimed Christians too. They don’t really know Him.
• We need God’s mercy. We can’t live without God’s mercy. It comes with His grace.
• God’s grace is power that He has given to each of us believers as a gift, and that power allows us to overcome every sin – should we choose to accept His gift.
• Sin must not have dominion over us. We can’t use God’s grace to justify our sin.
• We know that sin is what separates you from Christ. If you continue to live in your sins – then you will die in your sins. You are headed straight to a fiery forever in hell without God.
• And finally – there is Heaven – and there is hell. Those people that we know that don’t believe and follow our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ – and never do so before they pass on – they are headed for a fire and brimstone future. Their punishment from God’s judgment will last forever.

So that’s your refresher – 7 key points – from my sermon last week.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday May 26TH 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

I got to host / entertain my little brother (age 49) for 7 days recently, and one of those days was a Sunday – last Sunday. He attended our service at my home church here in Sebring. It was the first time ever that he attended a non-Catholic service with me, and it may have been his first-ever non-Catholic service. My dream remains. I want him to see and hear me preach a sermon in-person either in Sebring or Homestead or elsewhere.

For the next several months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Here’s Part 8:

[CONTINUE SERMON]

Back to Jude’s letter – and Verses 8 to 11:

In the same way – these people – who claim authority from their dreams – live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. But even Michael – one of the mightiest of the angels – did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you !” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals – they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them ! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain – who killed his brother. Like Balaam – they deceive people for money. And like Korah – they perish in their rebellion.

OK. Let’s talk about Michael – the mightiest of the angels – and this will wrap-up the first sermon of my Jude message series that continues next Sunday morning.

So Michael is an archangel. That’s the highest rank of angel. That’s like General in the Military. At the start of my message today I told you that Jude’s letter was second-to-last in the Bible – right before the Book of Revelation. Well – the only place in the New Testament that Michael the archangel is mentioned – is Revelation.

As the Bible says – Then there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon – the ancient serpent called the devil – or Satan – the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. (Revelation 12:7-9 NLT)

Satan is defeated. God does not have to engage in the battle Himself.

So Michael the archangel is in Jude, and Revelation, and also one more place in the Bible – the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He’s in the Scripture on Israel’s rescue from destruction. God was over Israel, and Michael was Israel’s spirit prince. He was Israel’s patron angel. He was the great prince. He stood guard over the nation of Israel.

Today – in these last days – God is over Israel – and as believers and followers of Jesus Christ our Lord + Savior – we stand with Israel.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday May 19TH 2024, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Last weekend I began writing a brand-new sermon. Its tentative title is “Music & Lyrics”. It’ll be how God used music to rescue and save me, and how His lyrics – whether in a pop song on the radio or a Psalm in His Word – can change a life forever.

For the next several months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Here’s Part 7:

[CONTINUE SERMON]

In 2022 a Gallup poll was conducted. It was both shocking and unfortunately believable in these times that we’re living in today. It stated that a record low 20% of Americans believe that the Bible is the literal word of God. 20%. 2 out of every 10 Americans. That’s it. That’s down from 40% in the early-1980s. Pastor Bob refers to the early-1980s as the last great revival in the church. I think he’s right.

I’m part of the 20%. I hope that this entire church family is part of the 20%.

By religious affiliation – 30% of Protestants believe that the Bible is literally true. Only 15% of Catholics believe that the Bible is literally true.

This one stunned me. Just 40% of evangelicals or born-again Christians – that’s me – 40% believe that the Bible is literally true.

So. Let me get this straight. God lifted you out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire. He rescued you. He saved you. You’re alive today because of Him. You accepted Him as your Lord + Savior. But only 40% of you actually believe that the Bible is literally true. God did all of that for you, and 60% of you don’t believe every word of God’s Word. That’s what we’re up against.

You know – not every evangelical born-again Christian is going to Heaven. Not every Protestant is going to Heaven. Not every Catholic is going to Heaven. We all await God’s judgment.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp