Posts by Lakeside Fellowship (Page 9)

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). ~Matthew 1:23 This past Sunday Pastor shared with us the account of Jesus’ birth from the book of Matthew. As he noted, this account was written about Joseph’s perspective and the encounter he had with an angel in a dream. The angel came to assure Joseph the child Mary was carrying was of the Holy Spirit and not from…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6 In chapter eight of the book of Isaiah, the prophet paints a dark and depressing picture of the condition of his people and their immediate future. The gloom spills over into chapter nine but here in the sixth verse a starburst of…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ~John 1:1 In the gospel penned by John the disciple, he calls Jesus the “Word of God”. This is, perhaps, one of the best descriptions of who Christ is. Jesus as the Word of God, is the express image of God Himself. Jesus was God in human form communicating God’s will in all He said and did; He embodied ultimate and total truth.…

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ~1 John 2:1 I don’t know about you, but I have come to love the truth revealed in this verse and to take great comfort in knowing Jesus is an ongoing advocate before the Father on my behalf. Over the course of my years I have been in…

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. Luke 7:36 Pastor made an important observation for us this past Sunday; Jesus always goes where He was invited. It did not matter if one was a tax collector, a fisherman, or a Pharisee. When Jesus was invited to a meal, He went. There was no distinction for Him who the host or hostess was because…

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. ~Isaiah 52:13 God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, tells us of His Servant whom He will send to redeem His people. This Servant will be high and lifted up, He shall be exalted! However, He will not be high and lifted up in the usual sense, what God means is that this Servant will be above others because He has been crucified and…

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ~Hebrews 4:14 This past Sunday Pastor Dave shared with us another name of Jesus; one which describes a specific role He came to fulfill on our behalf. That name and role was “The Great High Priest.” By the time you reach chapter 4, the writer of the book of Hebrews has already argued and proven…

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name ~Philippians 2:9 Starting a new sermon series is always exciting and this one is in particular because of the opportunity to learn more of Jesus. Pastor began the series by preaching from Philippians chapter two and focusing on verses nine through eleven. I love this passage because it is the text God used in my own conversion when He saved me. When I…

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ~Galatians 6:1 Last Sunday Lucas Bair was our guest preacher for the morning service and he asked an important question. Why is it so hard to respond to sin in other’s lives with the goal of restoration in view? Here in Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, he exhorts believers to…

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ~James 5:13 One cannot read this passage from James (5:13-20) and not notice the importance given to prayer and the prevalence it should have in the life of a Christian. One of our Growth Group questions asked us to record how many times “prayer” is mentioned in these eight verses. Our group noted there were at least seven direct references to prayer and at least…

  Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ~James 5:7 In the previous passage (Chapter 5:1-6), James described the sinful attitudes and wrongdoings of rich oppressors who were taking advantage of poor and hard working Christians. These unnamed greedy oppressors were hiring Christians to work in their fields then withholding the wages…

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ~James 4:13,14 James has been giving us a variety of ways to test the authenticity of our faith. So, is the faith we confess a real…