Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

Introduction:

Many criticized the apostle Paul, and Paul invited those to examine his life and evaluate his motives.  As a good steward he lived unto God and not unto men; therefore he lived with a clean conscience.

I. The Accountability of Paul the Steward (v1-2)

A. A Steward Holds a Ministry–

“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ”

B. A Steward Heralds a Mystery–

“…and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

C. A Steward Has a Mandate–

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man …

1. What Do You Do?

The old joke says the pastor only works an hour and a half each  week: thirty minutes on Sunday morning, thirty minutes on Sunday night, and thirty minutes on Wednesday.  Though most people realize that is not true, they may wonder what the pastor does on a daily basis.  My grandfather used to tell me that “preaching is the easy part” of ministry; I didn’t understand the magnitude of that statement until I became a pastor.

The responsibilities of the man of God are many: reading, writing, studying, counseling, visitation, evangelism, preaching appointments, organizing, planning, …

Kyle Idleman believes all of the issues we face in our spiritual development can be traced back to one word: idolatry.  In gods at war, he details the various gods that compete for the affection of our hearts.  As he states in his book, “Idolatry isn’t just one of many sins; rather it is the one great sin from which all others come.”

Idleman’s assessment rings true with Scripture;  the first commandment “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is the foundational truth from which the Mosaic Law is established.  As a matter of fact, the entire law, …

In a wicked, violent, and corrupt generation Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.  He was assigned the daunting task of constructing something that had never entered into the imagination of mankind; but no worries, God had the blueprints for this project in His heart, and gave it directly to His servant.  We have historically insinuated that it was Noah’s ark, but it really belonged to God; Noah was just the superintendent of the project.

Being the superintendent of such a painstaking task takes time, energy, patience, and perseverance.  It is safe to assume that Noah dealt with …

Text: Ephesians 5:11-18

Introduction:

Paul contends that the Christian life is a battle; therefore, to obtain victory the believer must be properly dressed for war.  This great passage details the armor of God, and our responsibility to get suited up and fight.

I. THE WARFARE OF THE SOLDIER (v11-12)

A. The Equipment we Find-

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

B. The Enemy we Fight-

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of …