Pastor John D Jakes

Consider this passage a moment: Ps 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times. Sometimes, I think that we run from criticism about our faith.  We don’t want to sound foolish, or we are afraid of ‘gotcha’ arguments.  We are afraid if…

When we talk about why we are on the earth, the answers are usually us centered.  We speak of finding fulfillment and purpose.  We speak of God having a wonderful plan for our lives.  Can you imagine doing that with another friend (and keeping them)?  I can just imagine…Josh asks Kevin why he is friends…

This week we saw how the early church dealt with problems in the church.  They did not see those problems as insurmountable or annoyances.  Instead, they used the problems to expand their ministry.  It is the problem of the church that creates the first deacons.  They were seven men called on by the church to…

This week we talked about living out our God-sized purpose.  We saw this through the intentional way that the disciples lived their lives.  They intentionally looked for opportunities to give what Jesus had given them to others.  It is that intentionality that separates the Biblical Christian from those who are Christian in name only. Those…

  This week we are talking about the Holy Spirit.  We studied Acts 1 & 2 last Sunday.  We saw the promise of the Holy Spirit.  We saw the working of the Holy Spirit.  What an encouragement!  I often talk about our common failures.  I do that to encourage folks that they are not alone…

I think of Ananias and Sapphira this week.  They had such good examples of sacrifice and helping others.  Yet, they still chose to be deceptive and selfish.  We aren’t told in Acts 5 why they were selfish.  It could be that they felt that they couldn’t be as generous as others.  They may have felt…

So many people live defeated lives.  They feel defeated by their sin.  They feel defeated by the inadequacies.  They feel defeated by outside pressures that they believe force them to make poor choices.  Defeat.  It sounds horrible.  As we have finished our study in Ephesians this week, I am reminded of who is truly victorious. …

Last Sunday we talked about prayer.  I pointed out that prayer is necessary.  It makes us spiritually alert and it helps those who have needs.  Today I want to encourage you to see people having needs that are not obvious.  Too many times we look only on what can be seen.  When people seem to…

This week we talked about reaching around each other.  Essentially, we talked about discipleship.  In that spirit, let me give you a long quotation from Oswald Chambers.  May it encourage you to think about your life on earth a little differently. “July 14-The Account With Persecution   ‘But I say unto you, That ye resist…

Can you imagine fighting a war with tissue paper for armor?  Can you imagine facing a tank with jello?  If you are like me, such thoughts seem idiotic.  Yet, I find myself using armor like that all the time in my day to day living.  I use my personality, my wit (what there is of…