Each week the word of the Lord is preached at The Living Hope Christian Church. The message is reproduced here for and unless otherwise stated the message is adapted directly from the sermon notes of Pastor John Thompson.

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05.10.08

10 Pillar’s For Family Life
Idols
Exodus 20:1-17

we can think of idol worship as something from days gone by, something that is not around today and poses us no danger to us but you know that thinking is wrong. Idol worship is just as prevalent today as it always was. Some women make idols of their houses, they spend most of their time, thinking how to improve them and make them better. In some places kids are hardly allowed to play in case they muck up the house. Houses are to be lived in and remember that there is a big difference between a house and a home. When our kids grow up we really want them to have fond memories of the home that will steady them for the rest of their lives but if when they think back all they can recall is living in a kind of shrine  where they could hardly breathe there is something wrong. For some men their idol is their hobby, that’s what they live for, it’s all that seems to interest them, they are never happier than when they are going out the door to engage in it and for some it’s a real chore to spend time with their family. It's interesting, archaeologists tell us that in every culture throughout history there have been idols; statues, little gods and goddesses. There is the desire of man for some reason to turn stuff or people or things into objects of worship. Now God says ‘family.’ In Bible days there were 3 main idols; Baal the god of sex, Mammon the god of money and Molech the god of violence. Now no one here can deny that those 3 things mark our society today; sex, money and violence and I tell you things haven’t changed

Set Your Mind On Things That Matter
Colossians 3:1-5

We need to be constantly reminded to set our minds on things above and not on the things of the earth; this is an instruction from God in His word. Notice what we are told to quite simply to set our minds. There’s a need to do that today. It speaks of focus, commitment and even determination to really set our minds. This means not treating the Christian life like some sort of hobby but to be really set on the things of God. Now many people do that in various walks of life. The Sportsperson set on breaking that record does it they will train for months on end, they will endure so much and the reason is that their mind is really set. Others are like that in business, they will sacrifice, and they will impute virtually all of their energy, time & strength. Their minds are set on that and no-one can dissuade them. The Film Producer with his blockbuster idea, it’s all he thinks about day and night, it’s all he talks about, all that fills him, his mind is set and so we are told here by God to set our minds and there is a real need for that today but note that our minds are to be set on the things above…

28.09.08

10 Pillar’s For Family Life
Putting God First
Exodus 20:1-17

Earlier this year our government produced a report in which they related the problems and troubles of our society to the dysfunction of family life and their conclusion was that a solid, stable home will lead to a solid stable society and of course that sentiment is true and it has always been true but what also is true is the fact that we haven't got solid and stable homes, we have not got solid stable society in our cities and country; we are in a kind of civil breakdown and please believe me it all starts with the home and the home starts with the individual and I want to start to bring to you today...
God's 10 Pillars for Family Life

What is Truth?
John 18:28-38

What is truth? Those were the words of Pontius Pilate. I must admit I think about that question at times and wonder why Pilate said that? What caused him to utter those words? What made him respond to the words of Jesus Christ in such a way as this? The Lord had said to Pilate “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." It was then that Pilate replied so bluntly and so revealingly ‘what is truth?’ Could it be that this man had deceived and been deceived so much that he didn’t even know what the truth was anymore? What is truth? That statement reveals so much about this man it’s a hopeless statement in many ways and I know some people today feel just as Pilate did all those years ago. They have been lied to and dealt in lies so much, they have been let down so often by men and women and been disappointed to the point that they wonder if there is such a thing as truth and even if there is, is anyone actually telling or living it these days...

21.09.08

Show Me Your Glory
Exodus 33:12-20

We break into this chapter in the midst of a dialogue between Moses and the Lord God Himself. One of the things that touches me in this chapter is what it says in verse 11...
So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend...
What a relationship, what a communion, what a privilege and the most amazing thing of all is that you and I can also have that same relationship with God today. It’s really the boldness of Moses at this time that appeals to me. You know God loves us to be bold with Him; in fact He encourages us to come before Him with boldness and when I use the word bold I mean daring, I mean stepping up and reaching out with courage and enterprise.

Why So Few For So Many
Matthew 9:35-38

Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'

14.09.08

Batten Down The Hatches Here Comes Another One
Matthew 14:22-33

This particular day in the life of the Lord Jesus had been one of trial and pressure. The news of the murder of John the Baptist had a great bearing upon the Saviour and we are told in verse 13 that we He heard of it He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself but even at this time it was impossible for Him to be alone because the people followed Him from everywhere and it was at this time that the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 took place. It was an intense day, a day of intense happenings and now that the evening had come things were no different. The people at this time actually wanted to make Him a king.  Our Lord’s response to this was to shun it you see His kingdom is not of this world, His kingdom is from above. What the Lord came to offer was something profoundly better than this world. The world can offer much but nothing to what He has in store for those who love Him but all this press, this popularity drove the Lord to prayer...

When Love Is Not Enough!
Mark 10:17-24

I have to tell you that those few words have stuck with me all of last week. This young man felt the extent of the love of Christ. He felt the power of it but it’s His response to it that has affected me the most. This particular instance that we have read of tonight is one of many of the Lord Jesus Christ's encounters with individual people found in the 4 gospels. Although He is the Son of God, although He is The King of Kings, although He is the glory of heaven itself; still He has time for the individual, still He is interested in them and concerned so much about them that He gives himself to help them...

07.09.08

Over or Under
Luke 8:22-24

In this dramatic miracle we have a striking parallel of the journey of life. The verses leading up to this incident show forth the Lord Jesus Christ preaching and teaching the Gospel message and then when evening had come on this particular day He said to His disciples. "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." Now as they were crossing a tremendous storm suddenly arose and the disciples were filled with fear and panic. We are told that the Lord was asleep; the day had a bearing on Him and He was fatigued, weary and a question arose among the disciples; did He really care about them? Now it’s easy to see already how this is at times the picture of the life of the Christian believer.

When Jesus Comes In!
Mark 2:1-12

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.
It’s that thought of Jesus in the house I have for you tonight. So much happened at this time, so much took place because Jesus was in the house. Do you know that in Gods eyes you are a house? The Bible is talking about the body as a dwelling place or the body as a house and when Jesus comes into the house wonderful things begin to happen, wonderful things take place...

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