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Articles for the ‘Spirituality & Religion’ Category

THE FOUR KINDS OF DEATH

The following is a sermon on death that gives a biblical perspective on death.

1. THERE IS PHYSICAL DEATH
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

John 11:12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well. 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

In the epistle of James, if you look carefully, you will find there the biblical definition of death:

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. THERE IS SPIRITUAL DEATH
This is the condition of the living person who does not have eternal life.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

3. THERE IS THE SECOND DEATH
Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

4. There is a fourth death that is mentioned in Scripture as well. Visit Sermon Seedbed to learn about this fourth kind of death and see in this sermon death in its completeness.

This article written by Eddie Lawrence, D.Min. who is a pastor, author and overseer of Sermon Seedbed a free resource site for Pastors and Bible teachers. There you will find lots of sermon ideas and sermon outlines.

THE FOUR KINDS OF DEATH

The following is a sermon on death that gives a biblical perspective on death.

1. THERE IS PHYSICAL DEATH
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

John 11:12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well. 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

In the epistle of James, if you look carefully, you will find there the biblical definition of death:

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2. THERE IS SPIRITUAL DEATH
This is the condition of the living person who does not have eternal life.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

3. THERE IS THE SECOND DEATH
Revelation 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

4. There is a fourth death that is mentioned in Scripture as well. Visit Sermon Seedbed to learn about this fourth kind of death and see in this sermon death in its completeness.

This article written by Eddie Lawrence, D.Min. who is a pastor, author and overseer of Sermon Seedbed a free resource site for Pastors and Bible teachers. There you will find lots of sermon ideas and sermon outlines.

Getting the Most Out of Your Sermon Outlines

I once had a professor in one of my seminary classes state that every sermon ought to have at least one point, or else it is pointless. The goal of preaching is to communicate the truths of Scripture in a way that connects with people with accuracy and relevancy.  Being accurate relates to properly communicating the original message of the Scripture for the audience at the time it was written; relevancy relates to applying the Scripture in a way that it somehow helps the people that are hearing it.  A sermon should be outlined in such a way that people who listen to it can do the following:

1. They should be able to endure it.

Preacher jokes abound about long boring sermons.  The mind can only absorb what the seat can endure. Honestly, evaluate how long you stay in front of the people. They are use to sound bytes and frequent commercials in their everyday life. In addition, technology continues to make the learning process more and more interactive.

Here are some suggestions:

-When your outline becomes term paper sized, you are in trouble. Trim it down. Go over it several times making it more and more simple. You will be surprised how much more people will get out of it. If you have been preaching an hour, try aiming at 45 minutes this week. If you have been preaching 40 minutes, aim at 30 and so forth. When you land under 20 minutes consistently, you may be cutting your people a little short.  This is not the issue with any preachers I know. One Sunday I preached a 19.5 minute message. Honestly, it took a lot more prep time than it would have, had I gone 40 minutes. A good pair of scissors might help most of us preachers.

– Don’t bury your sermon in endless sub points. People will struggle keeping up with you. Using PowerPoint can help this, but honestly when you go to the second page of section three under sub point two on page six……. You get the drift. Your audience are not at a required class in order to graduate. They volunteered to come hear you preach, don’t make them regret it.

-On average keep your main points to five or less. 

-Vary the way you present your main points so that you do not become overly predictable. Always alliterating your messages can cause the people to become more interesting in the way you have built your sermon than it what it says.  Sometimes state your points in the form of principles, or in terms of analogy, or a hundred other ways.

-Work on your introduction and conclusion meticulously. A sermon with a good start and finish helps make a lasting impression upon people.

2. They should be able to enjoy it.

Please do not misunderstand me here. I am not saying the preacher’s goal is to entertain. Just as there are pastor resources for you to use, you are a resource that your people will use. So preach in a way they will remember and enjoy. I am saying that  a even a very serious topic can be presented in a way that people are engaged, challenged, and leave knowing they have been given something that can change their lives or at the least something they can chew on. It both cases, they are interacting. Their minds and hearts are participating. This is an enjoyable part of life. It is filled with adventure and agony all at the same time. It lifts us up and onward. There is nothing unspiritual in preparing a message in a way that people can receive it more easily. If the core truth presented is offensive, fine. But if it is how it was presented, that’s a shame. The truth was hindered by the truth bearer in such a case.  Think about the following ideas:

-Use stories, quotes, and anecdotes to communicate bible truths in a way the common man can understand and relate to. Ever noticed that Jesus teaching style often involved parables and short sayings that the people could really bite into?

-Under each main point, make sure you have three elements present. Explain what your main point means. Illustrate the point to people. Thirdly, make sure you apply it to their lives. Answer the question, so what difference does this make to me?

-It’s alright to laugh in church. Jesus definitely used humor in some of his teachings. You are a preacher not a comedian, but a preacher is a person and laughter is a healthy natural human emotion that God gave us.  Sometimes well placed humor can give the audience a little breather as well as giving them the opportunity to vocally interact with the message, both of which are good things.

A good outline will highlight many of these areas and give a fullness and a steady pace and direction to your sermons.  Visit my Sermon Seedbed site to check out all kinds of sermon outlines which are yours free of charge. Remembering the above ideas may help you to avoid some of those longhorn sermons. You know the kind that has two points and a bunch of bull in between!

Eddie Lawrence is a pastor and author and holds an earned Doctorate in Expository Preaching. He oversees Sermon Seedbed which offers free pastor resources for pastors and Bible teachers.

Individuals all over the planet are deeply interested in the predictions regarding 2012 end with the planet theory. Many various theories are circulating all close to the planet. Some folks believe that humans will invoke specific events which will lead to the end with the planet while some believe that God is going to bring this planet to an end by commanding nature to become at its most violent so that you can destroy life on earth. Some popular predictions of 2012 end with the year are doing the rounds.

The most popular prediction is the one made by the calendar with the Mayans. The race with the Mayans was known to become extremely intelligent in the ancient times. They boasted of superb knowledge of astronomy in addition to mathematics. According to their calendar, it is believed that the planet will enter a new age on 21 December, 2012. Some members with the esteemed scientific community have come up with their very own theories for the predictions for 2012 end with the planet. A popular theory that seems to hold some weight is that sun storms will likely be the source of destruction of planet earth.

There’s enough evidence already that these storms have knocked out power grids and destroyed satellites so, several folks believe that this is what will happen resulting in 2012 end with the planet. The various religions being practiced close to the planet have their very own theories when it comes to predictions. The Chinese Book of Modifications holds that 2012 will likely be an critical year as a lot of alterations will occur during that time. Diverse sections of Hinduism also hint at this year being extremely critical to mankind. The holy Bible also mentions 21st of December, 2012 as the Day of Judgment or the Armageddon.

Think of any memorial service and you see flowers. It really is barely astonishing that both funeral directors and florists declare that funeral wreaths and sprays come 3 rd in their leading 5 selling goods. Flowers have already been utilized at funerals for years and years. In ancient times, not simply were they decorative, they were practical, given that their perfume assisted to cover up unpleasant odours.

These days, flowers are seen as a classic expression of grieving and, as with the rest of the funeral, they feature a great amount of social grace. Floral sprays – and also what are frequently known as as sympathy plants – usually are sent direct to the memorial service residence when the death is announced. On the day of the funeral, these are put in the hearse, arranged on and across the coffin, accompanying the loved one on their ultimate journey.

Typically, the most popular funeral flowers consist of lilies, carnations, chrysanthemums, gladioli and also roses. Muted colors tones will always be common, in particular for a feminine touch, whilst red-colored suggests unequaled love and white signifies tranquility. The particular season may also impact on accessibility to certain flowers.

Nevertheless, florists are the experts and will often provide advice. They can create unique tributes, which range from easy ‘cottage garden’ baskets and arrangements to sophisticated, contemporary arrangements. Wreaths are a common option, since they are made by means of a circle, that is the symbol of eternal existence. Flower sprays tend to be equally well-liked. These lie flat, exhibiting the blossoms much more openly for viewing from just one single side.

The important thing to selecting proper flowers should be to pick an offering you think family members is likely to appreciate. Some families request that donations be made to a particular good cause instead of flowers. This is a more pragmatic approach, as floral tributes are usually discarded by funeral directors following two or three days and in the case of cremations they are usually disposed instantly following the service.

However, few funerals are totally without flowers. Unlike the commonly sombre tone and dress of the mourners, they bring in a warm component of beauty and colour. Flower tributes display regard to the deceased, whilst offering great comfort to the family members, as they visibly convey emotions that many find hard to put into words.

Even though traditional, floral tributes don’t need to always be limited by the time of funeral or cremation. A lot of funeral directors will tell you that bereaved families value receiving blossoms within the weeks and even a few months following the memorial service. They provide a comforting reminder that people have not forgotten their loved one, especially if combined with a little individual note.

Most of us have heard of the research that says public speaking is the number one fear among Americans. Now imagine standing before a group of people in a public setting and speaking to them for the first time. Also imagine that they were waiting to hear you teach them about God, the Bible, and to tell them how to live their lives. Now you have a glimpse into the world of preaching.

I remember when I was first started sensing a call to preach in my life. I knew that it would involve preaching from the Bible to people, but I did not have a clue about how to preach. I scurried to the nearest Christian bookstore to see if they had a manual on how to preach. Fortunately there were a few books written by pastors to teach what they had learned to others who felt called to preach the Gospel. Not long thereafter, I discovered there was a whole field of study about the different aspects of preaching. It is called homiletics. I would read any books I could find about homiletics. I was a preacher studying how to preach.

Later I became a seminary student. My wife, children, and I packed our bags, sold our house, and moved to the big city so that I could pursue my Masters of Divinity degree. By that time, I had five years of preaching under my belt, but still so much to learn. Fortunately, the professors of the seminary knew that every wet behind the ears preacher boy needed training in the mechanics of preaching. One of our required classes was an entire year long study of homiletics. It was fun studying different preachers and learning how they put sermons together and how they delivered them to public audiences.

During that year of classes, we students were also required to preach a sermon in front of our peers to be critiqued by them. I know the great day of judgment will be a fearful day, but let me tell you; it was a fearful thing to stand in front of a room full of preachers and to preach to them with their critique sheets on their desks and pencils in their hands. We all survived and really learned a lot.

I know in a short article such as this, I cannot presume to teach anyone how to preach. But here are some thoughts to think about that may help get you started and help you gather some great information on the subject.

1. Since you are online reading this article, use your computer to also search for good preaching advice. Most pastors have a few personal tips that are meaningful and helpful to them. Glean this wisdom from pastors’ blogs and good preaching sites.

2. Surf through some sermon sites and look for eye catching titles. Just a sermon title can sometimes ignite your creativity and a whole message will follow. And often, that message may go in an entirely different direction than the one posted on the website where you found the title.

3. Study the sermon outlines of other preachers. This too will teach you how to look at a passage and see how it was broken apart for preaching purposes. This is a good way to learn.

4. Most sites have a newsletter that they send out. If you get just one idea per month from a newsletter, it is well worth the time it takes to scan over it. Learning from others is the way we all learn in all the different areas of our lives.

5. Nothing is to replace prayer, reliance on the Holy Spirit and a focus on Jesus. Keep these first things first, but also have an humble heart that allows you to recieve and learn from others.

God bless you and as you grow in your knowledge of “how to preach” then preach the Word!

This article is by Eddie Lawrence who is a pastor and overseer of Sermon Seedbed a website full of free sermons.

I love the quote, “The journey of a thousand begins with one step.  Likewise, the preaching of a great sermon begins with one thought. In this article I will share with you three simple methods of getting ideas for your sermon starters folder. These are not meant to replace your Bible study at all, but just ways to lead you into the Bible for a relevant preaching idea. Having a seedbed of starters is a great resource for any preacher or Bible teacher.

Idea Number 1: Record That Thought!
I wish I had all the great ideas for those sermons that never got preached because I failed to record the inspiration that whizzed through my mind. These are the big fish that got away because I did not set the hook. Writing down that inspired thought is the way the preacher sets the hook to reel in a good sermon.

Keep a little notebook with you, record it into your cell phone, send yourself a text message….just get a record of the thought some way. Have you ever awakened in the middle of a night having had a dream that was very vivid. You thought of getting up and writing down the details, but you thought it was so vivid and clear that you could never forget it. The next morning when you got up, you could not remember it to save your life. Where did the dream go? It went to the same place those great sermon starting ideas go that you didn’t write down.

Idea Number 2: Read That Title!
I have been amazed at the times I have read the title or headline of a newspaper article, an internet news story, the title of a book, and of course, the titles of other people’s sermons and gotten an idea that started me on a quick jog into sermon building paradise. Just the title which is the leader board of a story to follow can set your imagination in motion. With the idea that a title pops in your mind, you will often begin imagining what it is about before you ever read further. Your mind will begin building your own sermon just from the title. Notice these things and consciously think about them as sermon starters. Even billboards can stuff a sermon starter into your cranial cavity form time to time.

Idea Number 3: Research that Question!
This one will unleash an avalanche of sermon ideas for you. Think of questions that people ask about life, love, and problems and then research them. You will be swamped in an hour with a mountain of sermon ideas, sermon illustrations, and starting points for topics that people are hungry to hear about. Then you can add what the Bible teaches on that subject and you are on your way to helping others through a relevant heart touching Bible based sermon.

Now that you have three simple ideas for sermon starters, all that is left for you to do is to get started. That great sermon is just waiting to be thought of, inspired with creativity, and launched to waiting ears. God bless you as you get going.

Written by Eddie Lawrence, who is an author, pastor, and overseer of Sermon Seedbed a resource site for pastors and Bible teachers which provides free sermons and sermon outlines.

Pastor Resources for Preachers and Bible Teachers

Time is a precious commodity for everyone. As a minister who has been preaching the Bible for over 25 years, study time is extremely important. It is no different for the business man or woman who teaches a bible class at their local church. It is easy to spend hours studying a bible passage, reading commentaries, and going deeper in Bible dictionaries and word study books.

The internet offers tremendous opportunities, insights, and time saving helps. These pastor resources are great! I have had my eyes opened wide to this in the past year after I decided to begin offering my bible studies and sermon outlines to people over the web. I build a site called Sermon Seedbed for pastors and Bible teachers to visit and enjoy. I have been amazed at the response and the encouragement I have recieved from users of the site from over 120 different nations. What a way to expand what you do!

Another benefit I have gained is added knowledge of other great sites on the web for students of the Bible. Sites like Bible Gateway, The Blue Letter Bible, and Sermon Central are amazing and very helpful. Sure there are sites that are too far left and too far right for a lot of us, but don’t allow a bone here or there to keep you from eating fish. There are tons of sites for people who desire to grown in their knowledge of the Bible and hopefully as a result, in their lives.

This article addresses people who have a formal preaching position or those who lead small group bible studies. Let me share with you three tips on making your study time more productive for you and those whom you teach.

1. Don’t bury your audience with endless details.

You purpose should be to open up the Word so it becomes relevant to their everyday life. When someone is struggling with their marriage, fighting an addiction, or coping with anxiety, knowing what those winged beings in Ezekiel’s vision may not be as helpful as knowing how David dealt with being deeply discouraged.

2. Keep it moving and engaging

Similar to the above tip, we preachers and teachers after spending hours studying a verse are tempted to share everything we have mined out of a verse. As a result, we can become bogged down and people begin feeling that it will take forever to cross the finish line. Overcome the temptation to stay at a place too long and keep a steady pace moving toward the end. By keeping it engaging, I suggest that you make a concerted effort in your presentation to connect with the people. Afterall, that is the purpose of it all, to transform lives through sharing God’s Word. Engage them with a story or illustration or question.

3. Be enthusiastic about what you are sharing.

Wow, if you don’t seem to care, then why should they? Notice I said, “If you don’t seem to care…” The actual words you share with people are important but there is so much non-verbal communication that takes place when preaching or teaching. Your listeners are looking at the whole package. Being excited about what you are doing will be contagious. I am not saying overhyped or ramped to explode. Just be yourself with a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and a song in your heart and it will shine through.

You can check out my pastor resources and sermons site at www.sermonseedbed.com.

Just like people are different, so are sermons. Some sermons just connect more deeply and seem to produce more results. Yes, the condition of the soul of the person doing the preaching is a huge factor as is his or her natural ability to address a public audience. But with these important things aside, I desire to briefly address practically why some sermons seem to hit the mark better than others. All of we who have preached before understand that a particular sermon may just be more powerful in its results than another sermon although the same preacher delivered both. Why is this? Out of many things that could be said in answer to this, let me suggest only three.

1. A sermon that speaks is a practical sermon.
To be practiced a sermon needs to be practical. In tending to people spiritually we must not forget that they live out their spiritual lives in this world below. Sermons that impact people will address how they are to live out their spiritual beliefs in real life. Make sure the sermon answers the question, “How does this help me live a better life?” Give them the information necessary to know how to practice the truth you are presenting in their daily lives. If what you preached can’t be used in daily life, one could question the usefulness of what is being preached. Of course, biblical truth is good and necessary, so work hard to show people how to put it to use. Bible sermons that are relevant are so needed.

2. A sermon that speaks is an understandable sermon.
With a sea of commentaries and theological study surrounding our study time, we preachers can easily get lost at sea and deliver sermons that never reach shore where the villagers live. Theological concepts and terminology can be verbally impressive but leave people wondering how to gain such lofty heights with their feet planted in this Earth. Keep your language and concepts as simple and understandable as possible. If children in the audience are soaking it in, then you are doing well. If people scratch their heads and talk about how smart you are as you speak over their heads, you should repent forthright and ask God to forgive you for making the way of salvation so complicated people cannot figure out how to get in.

3. A sermon that speaks is a life-giving sermon.
This is vitally important. Jesus came to give people life and when we share his word we should be giving life. He said when he spoke, he spoke life, so should we. To many people have had the sad experience of walking deadfully to a church in hope of help, only to be battered with anger and condemnation. Leave the judgment and condemnation to someone else. Decide you are going to preach the truth but in love. Be a life giving preacher who freely gives hope to all who come. This is the heart of Jesus. This is the heart of a sermon that will be heard and hungered for.

Add to this list other aspects if you wish, but realize that if you want people to practice what you preach, it needs to be practical. If you want them to apply then they must first understand it. If you want them to desire it, then offer them life through it.

This article written by Eddie Lawrence, D.Min. who is a pastor and also oversees Sermon Seedbed a free resource site for pastors and Bible teachers with tons of sermons and sermon outlines.

You can easily share your faith and love for Christ by giving someone a cross pendant. Sharing your conviction to someone you love is not very easy. At most, it requires plenty of courage and honesty.

However, when you do share your belief, you could possibly function as the door that opens up that person’s life to Christ.

One simple way that you can share your faith to your loved one is by getting your loved one a special cross pendant. Cross pendants have been around for a long time.

For most people, they function as a way to show their faith and at the same time help to remind them of what Christ has done for them.

Another great reason why people wear it is because it showcases their personality. People who are proud of their love for Christ are not afraid to adorn themselves with a cross pendant.

Apart from that, it is also a great way to witness for Christ. Most of the time, religious jewelry peeks the curiosity and interest of ordinary people. Hence, they end up asking about the jewelry and design.

With this opportunity comes the chance to witness for the Lord and help someone get acquainted with the faith more.

Getting someone special a great gift like a cross pendant will be worth it. You won’t regret allowing someone to get to know Christ more and also give them a chance to exhibit their faith.

Buying a cross pendant for someone special means taking several things into thought before ultimately buying. Here are some things that you need to remember when you look for pendants.

First, do your research properly and diligently. It is important that you first research on the kind of design you want to buy and whether you think the person receiving it will like it.

Consider the kind of jewelry that they are already wearing and look for a similar kind of style. This will increase the chances of them liking your gift better.

Second, only purchase from qualified stores or dealers. There are times that stores purposely deceive customers when it comes to selling jewelry. Make sure that the materials that it says are used are really used in the pendant.

The only way that you can do this is to buy from genuine and legitimate dealers only and not through shady places.

Third, even though you may be looking to save up money, it is important that you do not compromise the quality of the jewelry. If you find something that is worth it, but just a little higher than budget then go for it.

However, if you think that it would be too much for you to handle then it is best that you look for an alternative. This way, you will not be compromising your budget.

Looking for a cross pendant as a gift is certainly a challenging endeavor, but if you stick to the guidelines and know what you want, then you won’t have any big problems with it.

There are more Christian pendants available in the market other than cross pendants, but if you are not much of a jewelry type of a person, you may consider sharing your love of Christ by Christian watches instead.