Sunday Sermon Outline: Reaching our Spiritual Potential

"Reaching Our Spiritual Potential"

2 Kings 4:1‑7

I. Manifesting a Spiritual Manner

II. Missing the Spiritual Mark

Galatians 5:22‑23, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.”

Galatians 5:24, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

Romans 14:17, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

III. Meeting the Spiritual Measure of Christ

2 Kings 4:1-7, “The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."”

Conclusion:

    1. To reach our spiritual potential, there must be a desire.

Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 4:10
 

    2. To reach our spiritual potential, we must begin with what we have.

Exodus 4:2; Matthew 14:17-18

    3. To reach our spiritual potential, we must live expectant lives.

Ephesians 3:20; Matthew 9:29
 

    4. To reach our spiritual potential, we must increase our faith.

James 4:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 13:31-32

 

 

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Sunday Sermon Outline: The Potential of Your Faith

Matthew 17:14-20
The Potential of Your Faith

Introduction:
     Matthew 17:14-20, "When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
     19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."

     Matthew 13:31-32, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of theair come and nest in its branches.”
     Hebrews 1:1-2, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval."
     Romans 10:17, "faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
     John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth."
     Romans 10:8-10, "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

I. No Potential vs. 14-18
     "When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once."

II. Some Potential vs. 19-20a
     "19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith;""

     Luke 17:5, "The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”"

III. Great Potential v. 20b
     "for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."

     1 Peter 1:5-7, "protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
     1 Peter 1:8-9, "and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."
     1 John 5:2-4, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."

Conclusion:
     Hebrews 1:1-2, "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval."
     John 14:10, "The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works."
     Mark 11:23-24, "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." 


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Sunday Sermon Outline: Jesus the Carpenter

“Jesus the Carpenter”
Mark 6:1-6

Introduction: Mark 6:1-6, “And He went out from there, and He came into His home town; and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town and among his own relatives and in his own household." 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.”

I. A carpenter defines the value of honest work.
     “Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”

II. A carpenter demonstrates that he can create something new.

     Matthew 12:20, “A battered reed, He will not break off; and a smoldering wick, He will not put out.”
     John 1:3, “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being.”
     John 14:2, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” 

III. A carpenter displays the potential in his materials.
     "You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called ‘Cephas.’”

IV. The Carpenter died upon a carpenter’s creation for our sins.


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