Work hard to get what you want in life. This philosophy has been taught to us since early on, and logic tells us that if it’s to be, it’s up to me. But Paul had a different message for Christians. Join us as we talk about how to be right with God. http://www.christiancrusaders.org
Scripture: Philippians 3:4-11
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon Grace Has a Face delivered on Christian Crusaders December 31, 2006:
Grace has been made available to everyone. It is offered to everyone. God invites us to come and hold out our empty hands so that he might pour his unmerited love and favor into our lives as we entrust ourselves to his care and leadership. He wants to give you a grace testimony like John's. Grace is available and it has a face - the face of Jesus Christ. So . . . turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Christian Crusaders’ 76th Anniversary
Christian Crusaders is pleased to celebrate 76 years of broadcasting biblical truth! On September 6, 1936, Christian Crusaders – then called “Your Hour of Worship” – sent its first broadcast out over the airwaves. Since then, the ministry has expanded to include the Internet and continues to bring the Gospel message to thousands of listeners every Sunday.
On the Light Side
A preacher went into the pulpit one Sunday morning wearing a pair of new bifocals. The reading portion of the glasses improved his vision considerably, but the top portion of the glasses didn't work so well. In fact, he was experiencing dizziness every time he looked through them.
He explained to the congregation that the new glasses were causing problems. “I hope you will excuse my continually removing my glasses,” he said. “You see, when I look down I can see fine, but when I look at you, it makes me sick.”
Friday, August 31, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
God's Intentional Plan for Humankind
God had great plans for us when he created us, but we turned our backs on him and became our own little gods. As a result, we live in a world today filled with chaos, sin, heartaches. This was never God’s plan, and it still isn’t today. In this week’s sermon, we will talk about God’s intentional plan for humankind.
Scripture: Psalm 8:3-9
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
“You made him ruler over the work of your hands;
you put everything under his feet;
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
“O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon The Day Our Home Changed delivered on Christian Crusaders May 13, 2007:
Many friends tell me how different their homes are today from when Jesus Christ did not have a place in their families. The day He assumed the role of head of the home, life was different. One small child sensed that things had changed in her home, and at devotional time she prayed, "Thank you God for giving me a new mommy and daddy."
Sermons Podcasts now Available
Christian Crusaders sermons are now available as podcasts. Log onto the website and scroll to the bottom of the homepage, where you'll find a “Podcast Feed” icon. Podcasts can also be accessed by logging onto www.itunes.com and searching for “Christian Crusaders.” Podcast files can be downloaded directly to your iPod, where you can listen to them at your convenience and wherever you may be – while walking, sitting in your backyard, or running errands.
On the Light Side
Two pastors are standing by the side of the road with a sign that reads, “The End is Near! Turn around before it's too late!” They hold up the sign to each passing car.
"Leave us alone you religious nuts!" yelled the first driver as he sped by. From around the curve they heard screeching tires & a big splash.
“Do you think,” said one clergy to the other, “we should put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?”
Scripture: Psalm 8:3-9
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
“You made him ruler over the work of your hands;
you put everything under his feet;
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
“O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon The Day Our Home Changed delivered on Christian Crusaders May 13, 2007:
Many friends tell me how different their homes are today from when Jesus Christ did not have a place in their families. The day He assumed the role of head of the home, life was different. One small child sensed that things had changed in her home, and at devotional time she prayed, "Thank you God for giving me a new mommy and daddy."
Sermons Podcasts now Available
Christian Crusaders sermons are now available as podcasts. Log onto the website and scroll to the bottom of the homepage, where you'll find a “Podcast Feed” icon. Podcasts can also be accessed by logging onto www.itunes.com and searching for “Christian Crusaders.” Podcast files can be downloaded directly to your iPod, where you can listen to them at your convenience and wherever you may be – while walking, sitting in your backyard, or running errands.
On the Light Side
Two pastors are standing by the side of the road with a sign that reads, “The End is Near! Turn around before it's too late!” They hold up the sign to each passing car.
"Leave us alone you religious nuts!" yelled the first driver as he sped by. From around the curve they heard screeching tires & a big splash.
“Do you think,” said one clergy to the other, “we should put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?”
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Take Heart! God Is Still at Work
Were you raised in the church, but stopped reading your Bible and strayed from the Holy Spirit as an adult? If this describes your life, we have some encouraging advice for you in this week’s sermon. Please join us as we study the life of a young man who had strayed far from the Lord.
Scripture: John 3:1-17
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. “
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon God Is the Encourager delivered on Christian Crusaders January 6, 2008:
Jesus has given us an encouraging word. He says, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). He does not say where the Church will be standing when he returns, but it will exist. That promise is not given to any single denomination, but to those who trust him. He will be with them. God is the encourager! (When) we start a new year, it can be exciting. It can be frightening. Just remember – God is the encourager!
Sermons on YouTube Now Available
Log onto www.youtube.com, a free video-sharing Web site, where you can now view four full-length sermons on Christ’s death and resurrection by Rev. Larsen. Simply type “Rev. Larsen, Christian Crusaders” into the search box to find these sermon videos. You can also access YouTube videos on our homepage at www.ChristianCrusaders.org.
On the Light Side
TOP TEN SIGNS YOU MAY NOT BE READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH:
10) The preacher announces the sermon is from Galatians, and you check the table of contents.
9) You think Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the 60s.
8) You open to the Gospel of Luke and a WWII savings bond falls out.
7) Your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules.
6) A small family of woodchucks has taken up residence in the Psalms of your Bible.
5) You become frustrated because Charlton Heston isn’t listed in either the concordance or the table of contents.
4) Catching the kids reading the Song of Solomon, you demand: “Who gave you this stuff?”
3) You think the Minor Prophets worked in the quarries.
2) You keep falling for it every time when pastor tells you to turn to First Condominiums.
And the number one sign you may not be reading your Bible enough:
1) The kids keep asking too many questions about your usual bedtime story: “Jonah the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors.”
Scripture: John 3:1-17
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. “
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon God Is the Encourager delivered on Christian Crusaders January 6, 2008:
Jesus has given us an encouraging word. He says, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). He does not say where the Church will be standing when he returns, but it will exist. That promise is not given to any single denomination, but to those who trust him. He will be with them. God is the encourager! (When) we start a new year, it can be exciting. It can be frightening. Just remember – God is the encourager!
Sermons on YouTube Now Available
Log onto www.youtube.com, a free video-sharing Web site, where you can now view four full-length sermons on Christ’s death and resurrection by Rev. Larsen. Simply type “Rev. Larsen, Christian Crusaders” into the search box to find these sermon videos. You can also access YouTube videos on our homepage at www.ChristianCrusaders.org.
On the Light Side
TOP TEN SIGNS YOU MAY NOT BE READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH:
10) The preacher announces the sermon is from Galatians, and you check the table of contents.
9) You think Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the 60s.
8) You open to the Gospel of Luke and a WWII savings bond falls out.
7) Your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules.
6) A small family of woodchucks has taken up residence in the Psalms of your Bible.
5) You become frustrated because Charlton Heston isn’t listed in either the concordance or the table of contents.
4) Catching the kids reading the Song of Solomon, you demand: “Who gave you this stuff?”
3) You think the Minor Prophets worked in the quarries.
2) You keep falling for it every time when pastor tells you to turn to First Condominiums.
And the number one sign you may not be reading your Bible enough:
1) The kids keep asking too many questions about your usual bedtime story: “Jonah the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors.”
Friday, August 10, 2012
Who Is Feeding Your Soul?
The human being is made up of a body and a soul. We know how to feed our bodies, but where do we find food for our souls? In this week’s sermon, we will look at how we can find answers in the Scriptures during our times of uncertainty.
Scripture: John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
Jesus has given us an encouraging word. He says, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). He does not say where the Church will be standing when he returns, but it will exist. That promise is not given to any single denomination, but to those who trust him. He will be with them. God is the encourager! (When) we start a new year, it can be exciting. It can be frightening. Just remember – God is the encourager!
Christian Crusaders Speakers
Would you like to know more about our speakers – Rev. Homer Larsen, who has been Christian Crusaders’ speaker since 1961, and our associate speaker, Rev. Steve Kramer? On our Web site, www.christiancrusaders.org, you will find information about them when you click on About in the top navigational bar. You can also find information about our mission, our rich history, and other staff persons.
On the Light Side
One day after church, little Colton went to the kitchen to get some bread. He went to his mother and, with a concerned look on his face, asked, “Mom, will I die if I eat bread and nobody’s here?” Colton’s mother didn't understand what he meant so she asked him what he was talking about. He repeated the question and added, “The preacher said we couldn’t live if we ate bread alone.” It was then that she realized what he meant. The sermon topic of the day was “Man cannot live by bread alone.”
We Want to Hear From You
This posting is designed to give you information about the upcoming broadcast that is not available anywhere else. The weekly letter also gives us a chance to share news about our site and our ministry. We’d love to hear any suggestions you might have for ways we can improve our site and e-newsletter.
Christian Crusaders is a radio and Internet ministry designed to serve the needs of those who are unable to attend church services. This program is available online in audio and printed forms at www.ChristianCrusaders.org.
Friday, August 3, 2012
First Things First
As human beings, we often look for concrete answers to questions in life. Even in matters of faith, people ask God to first give them a sign of his existence before they will believe in him. Is this wrong? In this week’s sermon we will talk about what it takes to build faith in the heart of an unbeliever.
Scripture: John 6:24-35
Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ “
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon God, You Owe Me One delivered on Christian Crusaders October 7, 2001:
Is it not true that the human attitude shows a lack of understanding of what Jesus is teaching in the parable? Do we not sometimes feel like saying, “God, I think you owe me a favor”? You could present your case. “Lord, I believe that Jesus is my Savior. I try to do Your will. I am a faithful member of the Church. I run my affairs in a Christ-like manner. Isn’t this worth a favor? My wife is terminally ill. She is such a good person. How about making her well? My son has made a mess out of his life, but don’t you owe him another chance to make up for all of his mistakes?” . . . However, not out of obligation, or even out of fairness, but out of love, God says in His Word, “I want to give you everything that will make your life abundant . . .
Christian Crusaders on Facebook
If you are a member of the online social network Facebook, search for “Christian Crusaders” and add the ministry as one of your Friends on the site. By becoming a Facebook Friend of Christian Crusaders, you'll receive online invitations to each sermon. Also, you can send invitations to your other Facebook Friends, suggesting they become a Friend of Christian Crusaders too.
On the Light Side
A newly converted Christian was sitting on a bench one day waiting on a bus and reading his Bible while he was waiting. Every now and then he would exclaim, “Alleluia! Praise the Lord!” A skeptic overheard his comments and came over to ask him what he was reading. He answered, “I’m reading how God parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites through. What a miracle!”
The skeptic explained, “Don’t believe everything the Bible tells you, son; for example, that sea is only six inches deep, so it really wasn’t a miracle.” The Christian nodded his head in disappointment and kept on reading as the skeptic walked away feeling kind of proud of himself for setting the Christian straight.
All of a sudden the skeptic heard the Christian let out a huge “ALLELUIA! PRAISE THE LORD!” At this the skeptic walked back to him and asked, “What is it this time?” The Christian said excitedly in one breath, “This time it IS a miracle! God just drowned the entire Egyptian army in six inches of water!”
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