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Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post The Promise of the Spirit appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

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New Testament Sermons / Speaker:David Desloge Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The post In Step With the Gospel appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post The Spirit of God in Creation appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Understanding Calvin’s Teaching appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:Xander Schooley The post 1 Peter : Outline, Summary & Themes appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville In Everything by Prayer Philippians 4:4-7 Introduction: In the letter to the Philippians, Paul instructs the brethren with at least two thematic messages. Considering Paul’s imprisonment, the messages are counter-intuitive. The first is joy, rejoicing, and peace. These three are companions of one another. One would not survive without the other. Paul’s emphasis on these is surprising especially because we can struggle finding joy and peace even in the absence of trials. The second theme undergirds joy and peace, it is how we think; it is the “mind” we have. Joy and peace cannot be attained without a change in our thinking. Paul stated it plainly in 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” [we will talk about his in another lesson] First we need to note there is an “other-worldly” focus to joy, peace, and contentment. None of these are dependent on our present circumstances or our present world’s condition. That is the earthly man’s concerns. But our world-view is God’s kingdom and God’s glory.  God’s kingdom cannot flourish if his people do not rejoice always.  God’s holiness cannot be seen except his people live holy lives.  God cannot be glorified if his people are not at peace.  We often think too narrowly. We usually think of just “us” within a local church. That is certainly good and necessary. But inside these walls is not where the world sees us. They see us living in the same world they do, with the same circumstances, and with the same trials and hardships. It is our response of rejoicing, peace, and contentment that glorifies God.  To be blunt, we often fail miserably and treat our hardships the same way the world does. When we do this, God is not being reflected through us and we will have no standing when it comes to sharing the kingdom gospel with a friend. What then is the foundation to rejoice, to be at peace, and to live in contentment? That is our text. What Do We See in the Text? First we see certain words that ought to alert us to our failings: Vs. 4: “Rejoice…always”  Vs. 5: “Gentleness known to everyone”  Vs. 6: “Do not be anxious about anything”  Vs. 6: “But in everything prayer”  Vs. 7: “The peace of God which surpasses all understanding” The above commands do not allow us exceptions for bad days and times of trial. There are no exceptions for unreasonable people or hardships that lead us through “the valley of the shadow of death.” We are to be gentle with all people, and no matter the trial we are not allowed anxiousness about any of it. After all, Paul is facing death and will be poured out as a drink offering. We can’t argue with him and compare his circumstance to ours. However, when we hear this there is a voice deep inside that says, “That’s crazy! That’s nearly impossible when I’m in the midst of overwhelming stress! Oh sure, I pray, but like Job the weight of the trial continues to bear down on me.”  Of course, we clearly see the answer in the text: the remedy, the counterbalance to anxiousness is “in everything prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.” Again, we read it, we accept it, it is certainly the truth of God’s word, but it seems so far beyond our capability!  But before we totally give up, we see the promise of verse 7. It is an amazing promise: “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.” Therefore consider, when we are in the midst of trial and anxiousness, we cannot imagine peace! But we must be careful what we read here. Paul does not say the cause of anxiousness will go away, he says the anxiousness will go away.  Ah! Now we can see more clearly. The mistake is attempting to fix the trial. That will create anxiousness! It is in our minds that the only way I can find peace is by making the trial go away. Oh how foolish we are! Peace is in the hand of God, not us.  There is one other revelation Paul gives in the text: “The peace of God…will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” With these final promises, we can transition to more specifically how we can bring this into our daily lives. “The Lord Is at Hand” Now we learn something that goes beyond the act of praying. It is the presence of God. The fact that the Lord is at hand reminds us that he is ready to help and come to our rescue. The Lord does not want anxiousness in our lives. His desire for us is peace, joy, and contentment!  Remember when Jesus stilled the wind and the sea? Jesus was always calming the disciples: Oh no, we are going to drown! Oh no, we didn’t bring bread! Oh no, how are we going to feed all these people! Did we know that is what God wants for us? Did we know, not only does he want that for us, he is the only one who can provide it? The Preacher said it well: “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy…” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 ESV) God is standing at the door waiting to give us peace, joy, and contentment, and we pray as if it is a roll of the dice that God will give it!  This exposes a major failing in our prayers. We pray, saying all the right words, presenting before God our heart’s desire, but then go on with life still expecting that peace and joy will happen when our hardships end. Why do we do this? Because we don’t trust God’s promise. We think, maybe he will give me peace and maybe he won’t. That is doubt, and you know what James 1:2-7 said about doubt. “Let not that man think he will receive anything from the Lord.”  Therefore, prayer is not just praying! There are right ways and wrong ways to pray. Praying implies absolute confidence that God will answer according to his promise. Has he ever not kept a promise?   Conclusion: Final Lessons: Does the knowledge that God will help you, urge you to “pray without ceasing?” Certainly! Well, does it help you pray about everything you could be anxious about? That is obviously what God wants. While we are given permission to pray that our trials and hardships go away, that is not the primary focus of this text, nor should it be the primary desire of our prayers or even our expectation! As Romans 5:3-5 reminds us, our trials are necessary to teach us endurance and a proven character. Nearly every NT text reminds us of that. Our prayer is an expression of trust in God that he will  “grant us to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in you inner being” (Ephesians 3:16). By this, God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds. Since God is called “the God of peace,” our anxiousness and inability to live in joy and peace is destructive to his kingdom and to the gospel. Our need to be like Paul in this matter is not optional. This is critical if we are to fulfill God’s purpose through us in this world. The question was asked by the disciples in Luke 11. The question was answered by two parables, “The Friend at Midnight” and “The Persistent Widow” or “Unjust Judge” in Luke 18. Both stories deal with a person in need who is a grate annoyance to a person who is able to provide for their need. The friend at midnight does not want his house to be disturbed even though he is a friend. The only reason he gets up from his sleep and gives what is needed is he wants the annoyance to go away. Both parables are similar in that the person in need understands they are completely helpless to solve their own problems. Each of them further recognizes, there is only one person who can solve their problem. Therefore, in each case, they persist to the point of being annoying in order to get their way.  Berry Kercheville The post Philippians 4:4-7 In Everything Prayer appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Understanding “Spirit” (Part 2) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Ready to Give an Answer appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Life or Death? Jeremiah 21-23:8 Introduction: As we look at this next section of Jeremiah we must keep in mind the purpose of our study. There are parts of the Prophets that we greatly enjoy because the message is prophetic of the Messiah, his Kingdom, and the blessings enjoyed by his disciples. In other words, it is about us! But there are also prophetic messages that do not seem applicable to us since it is a prophecy of judgment on Israel or on the nations. We might have a tendency to skip those sections. Therefore, let’s remember that God intends our primary focus to be knowing him. We are learning about our God who created us and who desires to do us good all our days.  Listen to the words of Moses when he desired to intercede for the people: “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight” (Exodus 33:13). This is the purpose of our study, that we may know him in order to find favor in his sight! Setting the Scene You will notice in the first verse that his section (21–23:8) has quickly jumped over the kings following Josiah to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah’s monarchy. Not only is this in the days of Zedekiah, this is in the last year of Zedekiah’s reign just as the Babylonians have gathered for their final siege of Jerusalem. The year is 588 BC, about 18 months prior to the fall of Jerusalem. 21:1-7 sets the scene for the rest of the text.  If we were wondering why Jeremiah’s writings suddenly skip so many years, the irony of the text explains it. Jeremiah had been warning every king from Josiah to Zedekiah of the coming invasion by the Babylonians. Each of the kings following Josiah had ridiculed and punished Jeremiah for his words. But now that Nebuchadnezzar’s armies are gathering outside the walls, suddenly the king wants to hear from Jeremiah! What a joke. Though this man, Pashur is not the same as Pashur the priest in chapter 20, his character is the same. In 38:1-6 after Jeremiah’s reply that the people can save their lives by surrendering to the Babylonians, Pashur convinced the king to allow him to murder Jeremiah for discouraging the soldiers from fighting their enemy. Thus Pashur put him in a muddy pit with no water so that he would die there. Further, notice Zedekiah’s presumption. “Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all his wondrous deeds…” Zedekiah may be remembering how God saved Hezekiah from the Assyrians under similar circumstances. What arrogance! As king, Zedekiah is the opposite of Hezekiah. Major lesson here! Just because a we acknowledge God, does not mean he will tolerate our lack of repentance and persistent negligence in obeying him, especially when God has repeatedly warned us of this outcome. Jeremiah’s answer is priceless! Nebuchadnezzar is the least of your worries. You are not fighting against a mere king of the Babylonian Empire, you are fighting against God himself. God will fight against your own weapons of war and God will fight against you with anger and in fury and in great wrath. Cf. Luke 12:4-5 21:8-10 “And to the people you shall say…” What we see here is one last chance for the people to receive the mercy of the Lord. Surrender to the Chaldeans and live. What would you do if you were one of the people? It is the exact words of Deuteronomy 30:15ff.  How motivated would you be to leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians? Does it not make more sense to take your chances behind the walls of the city? As often is the case, human reasoning conflicts with God’s commands.  Now consider the options more carefully. There is a third option that God does not mention. The reason God does not mention it is because it is a human option. It is in fact an option that Zedekiah and his family and princes will later follow. The option is to sneak out of the city at night and run for the hills, hoping that the Babylonians do not notice. Of course, it did not work. The Babylonians did see them [it was God you were trying to escape!] and pursue them. Zedekiah was captured, forced to watch as his sons were murdered, and then his eyes were gouged out. He was taken to Babylon where he lived out his days as a trophy of the Babylonians and a warning to other kings.  That brings us back to God’s options. God has two options, and there have always been just two options. Obey and live, or disobey and die. But to this day, it is shocking is to hear people say, “But there are so many other things I want to do and need to do. I want to do what makes me happy.” Okay, that’s fine. You have a right to that decision. By the way, would you like to read the short book of Lamentations and hear what it was like for those who made the same decision you are making? Would you like to hear the cries of those who stubbornly followed their own heart? You have no idea the regret you will have. The choice is simple: obey and live, disobey and die. How seriously do we take this choice and this text? Not one thing has changed about God’s options to this day! It is insanity to not take God seriously about the options before us. Messages to the House of David 21:11—22:30 This is a rather large section in which God first addresses Zedekiah, his servants, and the people (21:11–22:10) concerning the kind of repentance God is expecting [do justice and righteousness, 21:12; 22:3-4].  In the next section (22:11-30), the Lord reminds Zedekiah and the people of the messages to the three kings that preceded him and what happened to them when they refused to obey. 22:11-12 Reminder of God’s message to Shallum (Jehoahaz) who was the first son of Josiah to reign. Message: Zedekiah, you need to listen. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt and will die there, never returning to Israel again. The next message is to Jehoiakim who followed Jehoahaz (22:13-19). He built his wealth on unrighteousness and injustice, causing people to work but never paying them the wages they deserved. God’s message to him was, when he dies, no one will lament for him and he will have the burial of donkey, dragged and dumped outside of the city of Jerusalem. Remember Zedekiah? That’s what happened to him. The final message was to Jehoiachin, who reigned only three months and was taken to Babylon (22:24-30) The curse exacted upon him is that he would be childless in the sense that none of his children would ever reign as king in Judah. Again, the message is a reminder to Zedekiah: don’t be like your previous family members! It is notable that Jehoiachin is king through whom Jesus comes and reigns (Matthew 1:12). How then can the prophecy say that none of his offspring would reign? The key phrase is, “sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah. There would never again be a descendant of David reigning in Judah. The significance of that today is that the general premillennial doctrine is that Jesus would return and reign again on earth in Jerusalem for 1000 years. This little verse/prophecy destroys that entire doctrine. What needs highlighting in each of these is the beginning phrase of verse 11: “Hear the word of the Lord, O house of David!” This introduction is a clear reminder of who they were supposed to be. As we see in Kings and Chronicles, the ideal king reigns according to the ways of King David. These kings boasted in their position as a descendant of David, but most never met up to his standards.  The Righteous Branch Brings Life, 23:1-8 Verses 1-2 Contrast between the “shepherd/kings” of Judah and the coming righteous Shepherd. The Lord repeatedly referred to the kings of Judah as “shepherds.” This is what made David such a great king. He did not seek his own benefit and exaltation. He cared for the people, especially those who were weak and downtrodden. This does not suggest that the leaders of Israel were the only problem. In 16:12, God described the people as having a “stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.”  Further, we all must recognize our responsibility to “shepherd one another.” We are to “stir one another up to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). We are to restore a person in sin “with a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). Jude 22-23, “Have mercy on those who doubt, save other by snatching them out of the fire.”  Notice the failures of these “shepherds”:  They “destroy and scatter the sheep.” They destroyed them by putting them in fear of what the king would do to them, shedding the blood of the innocent and taking from them what was rightfully theirs in order to enrich themselves. They scattered the sheep by not teaching and feeding them with the word of God causing them to be taken into exile. “Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.” (Ezekiel 34:2-4 ESV) The above is exactly the responsibility of leaders within a church. When Christians are scattering from a church, the fault typically begins in the leaders, whether it be the preachers, the elders, the deacons, or those who are leaders in other ways.  Are the sheep being fed? Are the weak being strengthened? Are the straying and the lost being sought? Are the leaders using force and harshness? Notice that God promises to be the good shepherd.  “Bring them back to their fold.” Notice it is a remnant that God brings back. This is not the physical nation, but bringing his people out of sin from all over the world. “They shall be fruitful and multiply.” These words bring u

Bible Classes / Speaker:Xander Schooley The post 1 Peter : Items of Intrigue appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:Berry Kercheville The post Understanding “Spirit” appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Bible Classes / Speaker:David Desloge The post 1 Peter (Intro) appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

New Testament Sermons / Speaker:David Desloge Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The post The Curse of the People-Pleaser Gospel appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.