Why Jesus Only Works
Day 1
Fear Gives Way to Craziness
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: I Kings 12:25-33
Fear makes us do crazy things. Look around the world today. I go to Wal-Mart and the shelves are empty. Who knew that there would be a run on toilet paper? God did – nothing surprises him. We do crazy things sometimes. Fear is the instigator.
Recently, I have been studying about Jeroboam in 1 Kings. He was the first king of the northern kingdom after the kingdom divided. God made a promise with him in 1 Kings 11: 38 & 39. God said that if Jeroboam kept His commands and walked in His ways and did what was right, God would be with him and that Jeroboam would have a dynasty as enduring as King David’s. Guess what? He got in power and was fearful. He began worrying that his kingdom would give their allegiance to King Rehoboam, king of the southern kingdom, if he let them go back to Jerusalem to worship. He let fear control him and he took matters into his own hands. He created idols for them to worship and festivals for them to celebrate. “Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people.” I Kings 12:31. He let fear control him and he did not trust God. He did evil in the sight of God. He not only sinned, but he led the people astray.
What are you afraid of? Are you letting those fears control you?
Are you acting crazy because of those fears?
Are you letting fear lead you astray?
Fix your eyes on Jesus! He will not lead you astray!
Day 2
Peace Amidst the Storm
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Luke 8:22-25
How can we have peace during chaos? Read today’s verses. What did Jesus do while the storm was raging? He took a nap. His disciples were so afraid that they woke Him up. “Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging water; the storm subsided, and all was calm.” Luke 8:24b. Next Jesus asks them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples then talk among themselves, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:25&26.
The coronavirus is raging around us. Are we fearful? Are we putting our trust in God or letting our emotions be tossed to and fro by the media and others’ fears? What did Jesus do in the storm? He calmed it. What does God want us to do in this storm? Trust Him to calm it! We can choose to act like the world or like Jesus. Let’s remain calm and trust Him. God calls us to be different than the world. He gives us peace. Let’s be the salt and offer calmness during the storm. Remember Jesus took a nap. Maybe you need one, too!
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity. But of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Day 3
Blessed Assurance
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Romans 5:6-11
In Hebrews 2:14 & 15, we read that Jesus frees those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. As a Christian, what do we have to fear? Jesus has defeated death and we have the assurance of eternal life if we believe in Him. What a promise!
I have a hard time wrapping my mind around what Jesus did for me. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Reread that verse and substitute me instead of us. It gets personal, huh? Jesus died for my sin and your sin. Let that sink in. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserved to die for our sins, but Jesus took our place. When we accept His gift, we are set free from death.
Do you have that assurance? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, He has His arms outstretched, waiting for you? If you have accepted Jesus’ gift, are you sharing Him with others? What our world needs is more of Jesus! Let’s tell others about His Blessed Assurance!
Day 4
Raging Waters
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Jeremiah 17:5-8
My husband and I took a trip of a lifetime for our 20th anniversary. We cruised Hawaii. One of our favorite adventures of the trip was hiking to a waterfall. Our guide picked us up and we travelled the Road to Hana, stopping at two of the waterfalls. He told us about the vegetation and animals as we hiked to the first waterfall. On the way, we crossed a shallow, small stream. We made it to the waterfall, ate lunch and swam under the waterfall. Definitely, a highlight of the trip! While walking to the next waterfall, we had to cross the stream again. In a short amount of time, the water had increased. Now, the water was wider, raging and up to our calves. Our guide instructed us in how to cross the raging waters. He told us to turn sideways and move one foot at a time, being careful to never cross our legs. We were also instructed to go slow and face upstream. We went one at a time. Carefully, following his instructions. And we made it!
In this adventure called life, God is our guide if we will follow His instructions. He even gave us a playbook. It is called the Bible. He also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to help us on our journey.
It is easy to drift away if we are not anchored in Jesus. We have to sink our roots into His word. We have to be obedient to our Guide. We have to follow His lead. Just like our adventure in Hawaii. Our guide shared with us if we went too fast or crossed our legs, we could stumble and fall. If we looked downstream, we couldn’t see what was coming and we would drift easier. If we walked straight across instead of turning sideways, the water would have pushed us downstream and required more work for us to cross. We listened to our guide and made it safely.
Are you listening to your guide, God? Are you sinking your roots into His word? What is one step of obedience that you can take today? Let’s trust Him to guide us and lead us during these raging times.
Day 5
Raging Waters
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Psalm 91
As Christians, what do we do when our world has lost their mind? In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Bible says that God has given us a sound mind. Are we acting like it? Are we using it? Before we get caught up in the craziness, let’s pray, seek God, and be obedient. This is a perfect time for us to live our lives in peace, hope, and love. That is what our world needs. Let’s live out 1 Peter 3:15, by being prepared to give the reason for our hope.
How can we live out our faith? Let’s stop sharing fear on social media. Let’s stop watching the news 24/7. Let’s start reading the Bible when we are anxious or fearful. Let’s start praying for the sick and elderly. Let’s be kind to our neighbors. Let’s trust God!
The Bible says “fear not” 365 times – one for each day of the year! Fear isn’t from God. Let’s meditate on verses that relinquish this fear. Psalm 91 is a good place to start. Let’s fill our minds with good things. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things” Philippians 4:8. Also remember love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
How can you share God’s peace today? Who needs to see you walking in faith, not in fear? Are you prepared to live out your faith? What is one thing you can stop today to make you less fearful? What is one thing you can do today to trust God?
Fear Gives Way to Craziness
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: I Kings 12:25-33
Fear makes us do crazy things. Look around the world today. I go to Wal-Mart and the shelves are empty. Who knew that there would be a run on toilet paper? God did – nothing surprises him. We do crazy things sometimes. Fear is the instigator.
Recently, I have been studying about Jeroboam in 1 Kings. He was the first king of the northern kingdom after the kingdom divided. God made a promise with him in 1 Kings 11: 38 & 39. God said that if Jeroboam kept His commands and walked in His ways and did what was right, God would be with him and that Jeroboam would have a dynasty as enduring as King David’s. Guess what? He got in power and was fearful. He began worrying that his kingdom would give their allegiance to King Rehoboam, king of the southern kingdom, if he let them go back to Jerusalem to worship. He let fear control him and he took matters into his own hands. He created idols for them to worship and festivals for them to celebrate. “Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people.” I Kings 12:31. He let fear control him and he did not trust God. He did evil in the sight of God. He not only sinned, but he led the people astray.
What are you afraid of? Are you letting those fears control you?
Are you acting crazy because of those fears?
Are you letting fear lead you astray?
Fix your eyes on Jesus! He will not lead you astray!
Day 2
Peace Amidst the Storm
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Luke 8:22-25
How can we have peace during chaos? Read today’s verses. What did Jesus do while the storm was raging? He took a nap. His disciples were so afraid that they woke Him up. “Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging water; the storm subsided, and all was calm.” Luke 8:24b. Next Jesus asks them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples then talk among themselves, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:25&26.
The coronavirus is raging around us. Are we fearful? Are we putting our trust in God or letting our emotions be tossed to and fro by the media and others’ fears? What did Jesus do in the storm? He calmed it. What does God want us to do in this storm? Trust Him to calm it! We can choose to act like the world or like Jesus. Let’s remain calm and trust Him. God calls us to be different than the world. He gives us peace. Let’s be the salt and offer calmness during the storm. Remember Jesus took a nap. Maybe you need one, too!
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity. But of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Day 3
Blessed Assurance
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Romans 5:6-11
In Hebrews 2:14 & 15, we read that Jesus frees those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. As a Christian, what do we have to fear? Jesus has defeated death and we have the assurance of eternal life if we believe in Him. What a promise!
I have a hard time wrapping my mind around what Jesus did for me. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Reread that verse and substitute me instead of us. It gets personal, huh? Jesus died for my sin and your sin. Let that sink in. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We deserved to die for our sins, but Jesus took our place. When we accept His gift, we are set free from death.
Do you have that assurance? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior? If not, He has His arms outstretched, waiting for you? If you have accepted Jesus’ gift, are you sharing Him with others? What our world needs is more of Jesus! Let’s tell others about His Blessed Assurance!
Day 4
Raging Waters
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Jeremiah 17:5-8
My husband and I took a trip of a lifetime for our 20th anniversary. We cruised Hawaii. One of our favorite adventures of the trip was hiking to a waterfall. Our guide picked us up and we travelled the Road to Hana, stopping at two of the waterfalls. He told us about the vegetation and animals as we hiked to the first waterfall. On the way, we crossed a shallow, small stream. We made it to the waterfall, ate lunch and swam under the waterfall. Definitely, a highlight of the trip! While walking to the next waterfall, we had to cross the stream again. In a short amount of time, the water had increased. Now, the water was wider, raging and up to our calves. Our guide instructed us in how to cross the raging waters. He told us to turn sideways and move one foot at a time, being careful to never cross our legs. We were also instructed to go slow and face upstream. We went one at a time. Carefully, following his instructions. And we made it!
In this adventure called life, God is our guide if we will follow His instructions. He even gave us a playbook. It is called the Bible. He also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to help us on our journey.
It is easy to drift away if we are not anchored in Jesus. We have to sink our roots into His word. We have to be obedient to our Guide. We have to follow His lead. Just like our adventure in Hawaii. Our guide shared with us if we went too fast or crossed our legs, we could stumble and fall. If we looked downstream, we couldn’t see what was coming and we would drift easier. If we walked straight across instead of turning sideways, the water would have pushed us downstream and required more work for us to cross. We listened to our guide and made it safely.
Are you listening to your guide, God? Are you sinking your roots into His word? What is one step of obedience that you can take today? Let’s trust Him to guide us and lead us during these raging times.
Day 5
Raging Waters
Sermon Sentence: To keep from drifting away, be reminded of who Jesus is.
Memory Verse: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12
Key verses: Psalm 91
As Christians, what do we do when our world has lost their mind? In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Bible says that God has given us a sound mind. Are we acting like it? Are we using it? Before we get caught up in the craziness, let’s pray, seek God, and be obedient. This is a perfect time for us to live our lives in peace, hope, and love. That is what our world needs. Let’s live out 1 Peter 3:15, by being prepared to give the reason for our hope.
How can we live out our faith? Let’s stop sharing fear on social media. Let’s stop watching the news 24/7. Let’s start reading the Bible when we are anxious or fearful. Let’s start praying for the sick and elderly. Let’s be kind to our neighbors. Let’s trust God!
The Bible says “fear not” 365 times – one for each day of the year! Fear isn’t from God. Let’s meditate on verses that relinquish this fear. Psalm 91 is a good place to start. Let’s fill our minds with good things. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things” Philippians 4:8. Also remember love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
How can you share God’s peace today? Who needs to see you walking in faith, not in fear? Are you prepared to live out your faith? What is one thing you can stop today to make you less fearful? What is one thing you can do today to trust God?
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