Profession or Practice?

Valentine's Day is past for this year, along with all the sweet expressions of love found on cards and other places. If I were to ask you what three little words were most often found on greeting cards, whether it is for Valentine's Day or for some other special occasion, what would those three little words be? You got it! 'I love you." There are three other words which early Christians used quite often to show their faith in Jesus Christ.

Rather than telling you these words now, stay with us and let's uncover them together. These words are the title of today's sermon.

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Everybody knows that we are all here on this earth for only a limited time; we are not here to stay. We will all eventually die, unless the Lord comes back first. Well, suppose you knew that your time would be up in about one week. What message would you want to leave behind for your loved ones? This is exactly what Jesus faced, and today we are going to look at what He left as some of His parting words. They are certainly worth considering. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

The sermon this morning begins with some well-known words from the poet, Edgar Guest:

"I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one any day ..."

Surely we all would agree with those sentiments, even the greatest preacher would have to say "Amen" to that also. But where do we go to SEE a sermon? Is this talking about a sermon on TV, or does it refer to something else? In the Bible, we have the record of what both Jesus and the Apostle Paul had to say about this. So the question for us is found in the title of today's sermon: "Profession or Practice?" Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Today we are blessed again to have a guest minister to bring the sermon. He is Rev. Rich McLawhorn, who, along with his wife, Jody, are regular attenders at our worship services each week here at Ocean Lakes. Last Sunday Rev. McLawhorn clarified many false ideas being discussed in our decaying culture about what is called "love." Today he will follow up on this subject by discussing an example of genuine love, as illustrated in the actions of Jesus. We look forward now to hearing God's word from Rev. McLawhorn, as he brings the message, which is entitled, "What Is 'Love?' Thank you for worshiping with us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Today we have a special treat in store for us. We are blessed to have a guest minister to bring the sermon this morning. He is Rev. Rich McLawhorn, who, along with his wife, Jody, are regular attenders at our worship services each week. Rev. McLawhorn has been very active throughout his pastoral ministry, serving in various capacities, not only as pastor of churches, but also in many other places of Christian service. We look forward now to hearing God's word from Rev. McLawhorn, as he brings the message, which is entitled, "Two Pictures and One Message." Thank you for worshiping with us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

For the past several Sundays we have been thinking together on some of the basics of our Christian faith. We have explored the meaning of that big word, "Regeneration," or as Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born from above" - a new kind of birth. Then we asked the question, "How Can I Be Sure I Am a Christian?" Last Sunday we dealt with the probing issue of whether or not what we profess carries over from Sunday to Monday. Today the scriptural basis for the sermon is Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9, which makes very plain how we are made right with God. Join us again as we look at this very important matter. Are YOU right with God? Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Have you ever known a person who, to all outward appearances, was a fine, upstanding, wonderful Christian, as you observed that person in church on Sundays? All is well when you see how loving, kind, and active that one is, but when you have some dealings with that person during the week, you would think that you have an entirely different person. What is done on Sundays is not at all like what happens on Monday through Saturday.

Our sermon today is entitled, "Monday Morning Christianity." This should be a subject of interest to us all, so let's jump right in and explore what is meant by "Monday Morning Christianity."

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

If you were to walk down the street and ask the average person, "Do you think you'll go to heaven when you die?" you might get a variety of answers. But suppose you were in a church somewhere and you asked someone, "How can you be sure you are a Christian? You might get an equal mixture of answers. Is it presuming on God to say, "Yes, I am a Christian?" Is the person who affirms, "I know I am a Christian" lacking in proper humility? What about you? Our subject today is "How Can I Be Sure I Am a Christian?" The way we answer that will be a good index, not only to our eternal destiny, but also to our happiness here on earth. Let's look at this question together this morning. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

The title of today's message is "Regeneration." You may be quick to ask, "What could be more boring, less interesting, than a subject like that?" This word is one that preachers sometimes throw around in sermons, and it sounds very intelligent, scholarly, and very theological - - but what does it mean, and how can this be something that I need to be concerned about? Well, stay with us for a few minutes, and I think we will see that this subject is of extreme importance to every one of us. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

As we think about the subject for today, looking back at this past Christmas, I want ask two questions: What did you GET for Christmas? The second question is "What did you GIVE someone for Christmas?" We often think of gifts we have received, but what about what we have given? Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and so as we look back now for a few days, we are thinking this morning about Christmas gifts. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.