We place great value on our family, our intellect, and our money. All these things are meant to enrich our lives and help us find our place in the world. But Jesus said that we must be willing to give all those things up in order to be saved. Impossible to do? So how then can we be saved?
Scripture: Mark 10:17-27
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knee before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good – except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
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 Walking Through Life With Jesus delivered on Christian Crusaders April 9, 2008:
Life is changed when we walk with Jesus. If you do not believe it, ask St. Paul in Rome as he is awaiting martyrdom, Martin Luther in Wittenberg as he is waiting to be tried, or George Washington at Valley Forge in the midst of battle. Ask Clarence Thomas, who wrote while waiting to be confirmed by the United States Senate, “The more hopeless things appeared, the more vulnerable I felt, the more I turned to God’s comforting embrace. Over time my focus became primarily God centered.”
A Quick Way to Start Your Day on an Uplifting Note
ChristianCrusaders.org features a daily devotion, front and center on the site’s home page, where you can immediately find food for spiritual thought anytime you need it. Then visit the Faith Links page for further Bible helps!
On the Light Side
Moving On
A rich man was near death, and he felt very grieved, because he had worked so hard for his money and wanted to take it with him to heaven. So he began to pray that he might be able to take some of his wealth with him. An angel heard his plea and appeared to him, “Sorry, but you can’t take your wealth with you.”
The man implored the angel to speak to God to see if He might bend the rules. The man continued to pray that his wealth could follow him. The angel reappeared and informed the man that God decided to allow him to take one suitcase with him. Overjoyed, the man gathered his largest suitcase, filled it with pure gold bars, and placed it beside his bed.
Soon afterward the man died and showed up at the Gates of Heaven to greet St. Peter. Seeing the suitcase Peter said, “Hold on. You can’t bring that in here!” But the man explained to him that he had permission and asked him to verify his story with the Lord.
Sure enough, Peter checked and came back saying, “You’re right. You are allowed one carry-on bag, but I’m supposed to check its contents before letting it through.”
Peter opened the suitcase to inspect the worldly items the man found too precious to leave behind and exclaimed, “You brought pavement?!!!”
Friday, October 12, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Just a Closer Walk
How would people describe you? Would they say you are kind, trust-worthy, and generous, or would they describe you as self-serving, angry, and unreliable? If you long for a greater sense of nearness and intimacy, you may find it surprising to learn that it all begins with surrendering yourself. Please join us this Sunday as we talk about how to grow in our love for others and for our heavenly Father.
Scripture: John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Hymns
“All Hail the Power”
“I Surrender All”
“Just a Closer Walk”
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 Shine! delivered on Christian Crusaders February 24, 2008:
Go on the offensive, children of light! Expose fruitless deeds of darkness with your actions. Treat people with kindness, fairness, humility. Refuse to participate in unfruitful works, exercise values of light, and walk in integrity. This exposes evil. Expose them with your words by speaking up. If you see something that is not in accordance with what is pleasing to God and is destroying lives, then speak up. Not only negatively, but also speaking positively, pointing to the better way of Jesus Christ. It’s not always the comfortable thing to do, but as children of light, we play for an audience of One.
Memorial Gifts
Christian Crusaders is a nonprofit ministry funded entirely through free-will gifts and donations from individuals and congregations. A memorial gift is a meaningful way to remember a loved one. Memorial gifts are sometimes given to remember a very special person on their birthday or some other occasion.
For your convenience, we can take credit card donations by phone or mail. You can also access our Web site on our Donations Page. This is a secure site.
We thank each of our listeners who have remembered Christian Crusaders with their gifts and prayers.
On the Light Side
Top Ten Funny Electrical Shorts
What is the definition of a shock absorber?
A careless electrician.
Do you know how an electrician tells if he’s working with AC or DC power?
If it’s AC, his teeth chatter when he grabs the conductors. If it’s DC, they just clamp together.
What did the light bulb say to the generator?
I really get a charge out of you.
What Thomas Edison’s mother might have said to her son: “Of course I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!”
Sign on the side of the electrician’s van: Let Us Get Rid of Your Shorts.
Two atoms were walking down the street one day, when one of them exclaimed, “Oh no – I’ve lost an electron!”
“Are you sure?” the other one asked.
“Yes,” replied the first one. “I’m positive.”
Why are electricians always up to date?
Because they are “current” specialists.
What would you call a power failure?
A current event.
Did you hear about the silly gardener?
He planted a light bulb and thought he would get a power plant.
How do you pick out a dead battery from a pile of good ones?
It’s got no spark.
Scripture: John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
Hymns
“All Hail the Power”
“I Surrender All”
“Just a Closer Walk”
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 Shine! delivered on Christian Crusaders February 24, 2008:
Go on the offensive, children of light! Expose fruitless deeds of darkness with your actions. Treat people with kindness, fairness, humility. Refuse to participate in unfruitful works, exercise values of light, and walk in integrity. This exposes evil. Expose them with your words by speaking up. If you see something that is not in accordance with what is pleasing to God and is destroying lives, then speak up. Not only negatively, but also speaking positively, pointing to the better way of Jesus Christ. It’s not always the comfortable thing to do, but as children of light, we play for an audience of One.
Memorial Gifts
Christian Crusaders is a nonprofit ministry funded entirely through free-will gifts and donations from individuals and congregations. A memorial gift is a meaningful way to remember a loved one. Memorial gifts are sometimes given to remember a very special person on their birthday or some other occasion.
For your convenience, we can take credit card donations by phone or mail. You can also access our Web site on our Donations Page. This is a secure site.
We thank each of our listeners who have remembered Christian Crusaders with their gifts and prayers.
On the Light Side
Top Ten Funny Electrical Shorts
What is the definition of a shock absorber?
A careless electrician.
Do you know how an electrician tells if he’s working with AC or DC power?
If it’s AC, his teeth chatter when he grabs the conductors. If it’s DC, they just clamp together.
What did the light bulb say to the generator?
I really get a charge out of you.
What Thomas Edison’s mother might have said to her son: “Of course I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!”
Sign on the side of the electrician’s van: Let Us Get Rid of Your Shorts.
Two atoms were walking down the street one day, when one of them exclaimed, “Oh no – I’ve lost an electron!”
“Are you sure?” the other one asked.
“Yes,” replied the first one. “I’m positive.”
Why are electricians always up to date?
Because they are “current” specialists.
What would you call a power failure?
A current event.
Did you hear about the silly gardener?
He planted a light bulb and thought he would get a power plant.
How do you pick out a dead battery from a pile of good ones?
It’s got no spark.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me
Have you ever had to suffer for Christ? The Word of God clearly tells us that Jesus came to give us peace, joy, and assurance, but it also tells us that we are to take up our cross and follow Him. This can be a confusing thought. In this week’s sermon – the second message on the theme, A Mature Witness – we will talk about persecution and suffering in our day.
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-26
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
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 How Great Is Your Commitment? Delivered on Christian Crusaders January 24, 2010:
How great is your commitment? We all would like to admit that much growth is needed in our commitment to him, but as we examine our lives, we can say with Paul that God is at work in our lives. We have not arrived where we want to be, but we press on. Neither are we satisfied with our commitment to our Savior, but neither are we discouraged for we feel his presence.
Seventy-Six Years of Broadcasting Biblical Truth
In 2005, the Board of Directors of Christian Crusaders asked Rev. Steven Kramer to serve as Associate Speaker. In this capacity, Rev. Kramer will preach eleven times this year, and eventually will succeed Rev. Larsen upon his retirement. Rev. Kramer is currently serving as the senior pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Afton, Minnesota.
A staff of three employees, the Executive Director, Administrative Assistant, and Financial/Office Assistant, take care of the daily functions and responsibilities of the ministry. Volunteers help with mailings and other tasks.
Totally supported by donations from its beginning, Christian Crusaders relies on the gifts of listeners – through GEM Club (Gift Every Month) members, Broadcast Sponsors, memorial gifts and bequests from estates – to keep the program on the air. Because of these many contributions, this ministry is now in its seventy-sixth year and is the seventh longest-running Christian radio program in the United States.
Dietrick Bonhoeffer Quotes
• To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.
• We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.
• A Christian is someone who shares the sufferings of God in the world.
• Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.
• It matters little what form of prayer we adopt or how many words we use. What matters is the faith which lays hold on God, knowing that He knows our needs before we even ask Him. That is what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty.
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-26
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
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 How Great Is Your Commitment? Delivered on Christian Crusaders January 24, 2010:
How great is your commitment? We all would like to admit that much growth is needed in our commitment to him, but as we examine our lives, we can say with Paul that God is at work in our lives. We have not arrived where we want to be, but we press on. Neither are we satisfied with our commitment to our Savior, but neither are we discouraged for we feel his presence.
Seventy-Six Years of Broadcasting Biblical Truth
In 2005, the Board of Directors of Christian Crusaders asked Rev. Steven Kramer to serve as Associate Speaker. In this capacity, Rev. Kramer will preach eleven times this year, and eventually will succeed Rev. Larsen upon his retirement. Rev. Kramer is currently serving as the senior pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Afton, Minnesota.
A staff of three employees, the Executive Director, Administrative Assistant, and Financial/Office Assistant, take care of the daily functions and responsibilities of the ministry. Volunteers help with mailings and other tasks.
Totally supported by donations from its beginning, Christian Crusaders relies on the gifts of listeners – through GEM Club (Gift Every Month) members, Broadcast Sponsors, memorial gifts and bequests from estates – to keep the program on the air. Because of these many contributions, this ministry is now in its seventy-sixth year and is the seventh longest-running Christian radio program in the United States.
Dietrick Bonhoeffer Quotes
• To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.
• We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.
• A Christian is someone who shares the sufferings of God in the world.
• Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.
• It matters little what form of prayer we adopt or how many words we use. What matters is the faith which lays hold on God, knowing that He knows our needs before we even ask Him. That is what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Peter Passed the Test
What does it take to become a mature witness for the Lord. Jesus discovered Peter had what it took to become a disciple. But do we? Find out what we must first know before we can be responsible for teaching the word of God to others.
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-26
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Just Give Me Jesus
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.”
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 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.”
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