The Joshua Victor Theory

Sermon Notes: • Today: lesson in prayer, persistence/determination, justice, suffering, and the character of God.  • V. 1 Don’t surrender to discouragement or impatience! Have confidence to continually bring your prayers before God, knowing that He desires and invites them and has compassion. Christ is engaging with what is likely our common experience of frustration with regard to prayer: giving up prematurely. We are promised that we will face difficulty and crosses that will test our faith and persistence. Christ wants to build up our hearts, our resiliency, determination.  • “do not lose heart” Ephesians 3:13 “over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.” • “do not lose heart” 2 Cor. 4:1, 16 in the ministry, or while our “outer self is wasting away”.  • Jesus tells various people to “take heart” when they were ill, when they needed forgiveness, when they were afraid because they didn’t recognize who Jesus was, or when they were to face tribul...

abbreviated sermon outline--for full sermon listen to the audio on thejoshuavictortheory.podbean.com Last Sunday—waiting for Christ Picture of long delay—so long all fall asleep. The delay of Christ impacts people differently. The faithful wait with joy and expectation while faithfully living out the callings their Master has given them. Use their talents, serve the fellow servants according to Master’s instructions, living in faith and love. Others: mock and scoff at Christ’s promise to return—disbelieve, persecute the faithful. Others: neglect their talents, do nothing. Others: abuse fellow servants, and gifts of Master. Others: live immoral lives careless of His return. These are the category of those whom Jesus will tell “I never knew you” Parable shows the wise and foolish. Does not seem to be speaking about unbelievers outside the church, because all ten are waiting for the Master’s return. Luther—the foolish are the hypo...

Guest Preacher at Emmanuel, Rev. Mark Bowditch Sermon Notes for  January 31 st , 2016   Text:  Mark 13: 1-10,  24-37   “Birth Pain & New Birth”   INTRO DUCTION :   Birth   pain   always  comes before  ________ .   T hough  severe , it doesn’ t compare to the joy of a newborn  ( a new mother  “ no longer remember s  her anguish , for the joy that  a baby has been ________ ”  –   J ohn  16:21) !   In Mk 13:8,  Jesus compared the  pain &  tribulation of  the end times to  the  birth   pain that  will  occur before  His promised 2 nd  coming…  which leads to  new heavens ,  a new  earth , and a  new resurrection  body for  believer s  in Jesus !   May the Holy Spirit teach us and lead us to be more prepared  for Christ’s  Second...