BEATING THE CHURCH-GOING BLUES THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT (4 OF 5)
by Steve Jones
Scripture: ROMANS 1:11-12
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Beating the Church-Going Blues through Encouragement (4 of 5)
Steve Jones
Romans 1:11-12
INTRODUCTION: One day, God was looking down at the earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to earth to check it out. So he called one of his best angels and sent him to earth for a time. When the angel returned he told God that yes, it was bad on earth. In fact, 95% was bad and 5% was good. God thought for a moment and said ''Maybe I better send another angel down and get a second opinion.'' So God called another angel and sent him to earth as well. When the angel returned he gave God the same report, 95% was bad and 5% was good. So God decided to email the 5% that were good. He wanted to encourage them give them a little something to help keep them going. Do you know what the email said? You didn't get one either, huh?
Our theme this month is beating the church-going blues and today, I want to talk about beating the church-going blues through encouragement. In the three previous weeks, through our study of Romans chapter one, we've already seen that we can beat the church-going blues through faith, through prayer and through service. In Romans 1:12 Paul wrote: ''That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.''
There were many reasons that Paul was excited about going to the Roman church but one of them was the prospect of receiving some encouragement. When people think of the church do they associate that thought with encouragement? Do they have a reasonable expectation that they're going to come away from worship on Sunday full of courage and comfort? If so, why do kids frequently rebel against their parent's lectures by saying ''Stop PREACHING at me''? Or ''I don't need to hear a sermon - stop preaching at me.'' It's enough to give a preacher the blues!
I recently watched a film clip entitled ''Ten Reasons Why I Quit Going to Church'' and Reason number 3 was ''I already have a Mother to na ...
Steve Jones
Romans 1:11-12
INTRODUCTION: One day, God was looking down at the earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to earth to check it out. So he called one of his best angels and sent him to earth for a time. When the angel returned he told God that yes, it was bad on earth. In fact, 95% was bad and 5% was good. God thought for a moment and said ''Maybe I better send another angel down and get a second opinion.'' So God called another angel and sent him to earth as well. When the angel returned he gave God the same report, 95% was bad and 5% was good. So God decided to email the 5% that were good. He wanted to encourage them give them a little something to help keep them going. Do you know what the email said? You didn't get one either, huh?
Our theme this month is beating the church-going blues and today, I want to talk about beating the church-going blues through encouragement. In the three previous weeks, through our study of Romans chapter one, we've already seen that we can beat the church-going blues through faith, through prayer and through service. In Romans 1:12 Paul wrote: ''That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.''
There were many reasons that Paul was excited about going to the Roman church but one of them was the prospect of receiving some encouragement. When people think of the church do they associate that thought with encouragement? Do they have a reasonable expectation that they're going to come away from worship on Sunday full of courage and comfort? If so, why do kids frequently rebel against their parent's lectures by saying ''Stop PREACHING at me''? Or ''I don't need to hear a sermon - stop preaching at me.'' It's enough to give a preacher the blues!
I recently watched a film clip entitled ''Ten Reasons Why I Quit Going to Church'' and Reason number 3 was ''I already have a Mother to na ...
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