Retrieving Luggage from a Burning Plane

I used this illustration in yesterday’s sermon.  It comes from the story of the Emirates Airline plane crash in Dubai on August 3 of this year.  The plane crashed while trying to land, catching fire and burning off its roof.  Tragically, one firefighter died, although, in His mercy, God spared all 300 passengers and crew.  Here’s the link to the story, including a video that was taken on board the plane while people were trying to escape:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36963112

The most shocking and scary thing in this video is people halting their escape, in order to retrieve luggage from overhead compartments.  Not only that, in their delay they are hindering the escape of other people!  My passage yesterday was Matthew 24:15-35, where Jesus speaks of the coming destruction of Jerusalem (in 70 AD), as well as the tribulation that is still in our future.  In that passage, He tells people to focus on what is most important.  At the moment of danger, instead of going back into your house to get material things, RUN.  Save your life.  The message and application for us is clear: value your life and your soul over the things of this world.  Don’t remain in the burning plane to get things that don’t matter!

The plane analogy can be taken a bit further, as well, to demonstrate our evangelistic mandate.  On a plane, if you sit on the exit row, you are taking responsibility for saving the lives of those around you.  You know the way out, and by sitting there you are committing to point people to that way.  As Christians, we are sitting on the exit row!  We know the only Way out of judgment (John 14:6) – through the mercy found in Christ’s cross.  Value your soul above anything in this world, as well as the souls of others around you.  Help them to find Jesus, Who is the only Way out of the fire of judgment.

This illustration could be used for any passage that deals with materialism, setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3), or evangelism.

 

Tags: Matthew 24, Matthew 28, John 14, 2 Corinthians 5, Colossians 3, Jude 22-23, Evangelism, Priorities, Materialism

Final Prayer Guides from Acts

I’m catching up on posting some of these prayer guides from our church’s Wednesday prayer gathering.  Posted below are the last two guides that we used from the book of Acts.  I went through that book of Scripture and found every passage with an occurrence of prayer, and used those passages to guide our own prayers.  There ended up being 17 weeks of those guides.  Here are weeks 16 and 17.  I hope they are helpful to you!  They could be used in an individual or group prayer time.

Prayer in Acts, Part 16 – Prayer Meeting 05112016

Prayer in Acts, Part 17 – Prayer Meeting 05182016

 

 

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Acts, Paul, Gospel, Evangelism, Love, Faith, Sovereignty, Miracles, Hospitality, Encouragement

Prayer in the Book of Acts, Part 15

Here is our fifteenth prayer guide from the book of Acts.  We have been studying every instance of prayer in the book in order to guide our own Wednesday church prayer meeting.  Tonight’s passage is Acts 22:1-20, where Paul has just been arrested in the Temple at Jerusalem and shares his testimony of turning from persecutor to apostle.  It’s a powerful example of using common ground (in this case, his Jewish background and religious zeal) to connect with the audience; the extremely hostile crowd hushes and listens closely – at least until Paul mentions his ministry to the Gentiles.

There is a particularly interesting prayer exchange between Paul and the Lord in verses 17-21.  It shows again that prayer should be conversational – talking and listening.

This prayer guide could be used by an individual or group.  May the Lord bless you as you pray!

Prayer in Acts, Part 15 – Prayer Meeting 05042016

 

Tags: Acts, Acts 22, Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Paul, Persecution, Stephen, Evangelism, Witnessing, Common Ground

Two Prayer Guides from Acts

Posted here are Parts 10 and 11 from our church’s study of prayer in the book of Acts.  Part 10 was from a couple of weeks ago; Part 11 will be used at tonight’s Wednesday prayer meeting.

Part 10 looks at Paul’s second missionary journey, including the first part of his time in Philippi.  Part 11 picks up in that same city, working through Paul and Silas’s imprisonment and the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his household.

God bless you as you read His Word and pray!

Prayer in Acts, Part 10 – Prayer Meeting 03232016

Prayer in Acts, Part 11 – Prayer Meeting 04062016

 

Tags: Acts, Acts 10, Acts 11, Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Trials, Persecution, Suffering, Evangelism, Joy, Paul, Silas, Timothy, Philippi

Prayer in the Book of Acts, Part 2

Tonight marks our second week using prayers in the book of Acts as a guide for our own Wednesday prayer meeting.  I am doing basic searches on “prayer” and related terms in the book of Acts, and then seeing how those stories and prayers from the life of the early church can guide our own prayers.

Below is the guide I’m using tonight.  It takes points of prayer from Acts 4:23-31 (and the surrounding narrative context).  It would be good for group or individual use.  God bless you.

Prayer in Acts, Part 2 – Prayer Meeting 01062016

 

Tags: Acts, Acts 4, Prayer, Prayer Meeting, Persecution, Evangelism