Jesus' Names

Have you ever looked at the names of Jesus?  Consider Jesus' question to his disciples, "Who do you say I am?" (Mark 8:29)

Here are some Biblical names for Jesus:

Who is Jesus?

Almighty † Author & Finisher † Beloved † Branch
Bread of Life † Bridegroom † Bright Morning Star † Carpenter
Chosen One † Chief Cornerstone † Door † Emmanuel 
Eternal Father † Faithful & True Witness † Firstborn † God
Head of the Church † High Priest & Apostle † Holy One † Hope
Image of the Invisible God † Jesus † Judge & Ruler
King of Kings † Lamb of God † Last Adam † Light of the World
Lion of the Tribe of Judah † Living Water † Lord of Lords
Man of Sorrows † Master † Messenger of the Covenant
Messiah † Prince of Peace † Prophet † Redeemer
Resurrection & the Life † Savior † Shepherd † Shiloh
Son of God † True Vine † The Way, The Truth, & the Life
Wisdom of God † Wonderful Counselor † Word † Yahweh

Jesus is the Christ!  To me, He is my Lord & Savior!

Who is Jesus to you?

The Olympics & Jesus

The Olympics are a great reference to understand the purpose of life!  How?  Well, simply look at how the apostle Paul spoke about them...

 [24] Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. [25] Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. [26] So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. [27] But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)

Races, athletics, running, boxing...involve suffering, discipline, and joy.  The prize we race for in life is Jesus.  He never fades, never loses value, and never ends.  May we endure suffering in life by resting in Him...His power...His strength.

 [12] Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 ESV)

Let's strive after the crown of life...found in Jesus through faith in His sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the grave.  Jesus is our crown.  Jesus is our life.  Jesus is our prize.  May we treasure Him more than any prize this world may offer!

The Importance of the Bible

"I learned the importance of the Bible and came to believe with all my heart in its full inspiration.  It became a sword in my hand to break open the hearts of men, to direct them to the Lord Jesus Christ." Billy Graham

Audio of Sermons

Here is a great place to check out the audio and outlines of our church's past messages!
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/sermons/

Attitude Check (Mark 7:24-37)

Attitude Check (Mark 7:24-37)

LISTEN HERE

A Self-focused attitude…
Looks out for #1
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. [2] For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, [4] treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2Timothy 3:1-5)

Doesn’t try to listen
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2)

Thinks they know the answers
The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. (Proverbs 10:8)

Is too proud to ask for help
o A fool despises his father’s instruction (Proverbs 15:5)
o Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool (Proverbs 28:26)

Is destined for destruction
o a fool is reckless and careless. (Proverbs 14:16 ESV)
o a fool flaunts his folly. (Proverbs 13:16)

Hides their foolishness
o the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. (Proverbs 17:24)
o the way of a fool is right in his own eyes (Proverbs 12:15)

A Christ-focused attitude…
Looks for Christ
[25] But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.
[24] …he could not be hidden

Listens to instruction
[35] And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
Seeks the answers
[32] And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

Is too humble not to beg for help
[26] And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
[28] But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Is destined for life
[30] And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Shares the foolishness of the Gospel
[36] And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)

The Love of Christ VS. The Love of Sin

"Jerome says one love extinguishes another – that is, the love of Christ much quench the love of sin."  William Gurnall

Which love are you feeding?  Watering?  Growing?

God's Rest: Time (Mark 2:23-28)

http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Mark 2:23-28 (ESV) One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. [24] And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” [25] And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: [26] how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” [27] And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. [28] So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Accept Christ’s Gift of the Sabbath

v.28 “So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath”

Genesis 2:3 “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Exodus 31:12–13 “keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.”

John 9:16 “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’”

Matthew 12:6-7 “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.”

Enter into God’s Rest

v.27 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”

Colossians 2:16-17 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

Hebrews 4:8-11 “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. [9] So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, [10] for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. [11] Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”

By Saying NO

By Saying YES

Prioritize Your Time


John 5:16-17 “And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’”

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”

Ephesians 5:15-16 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”