Mike Riley Sermon Outlines, Articles, Lessons, etc.

Someone has said, “A Bible in the hand is worth two on the shelf.” Let’s carry that saying a step farther and say, “A Bible in our hand isn’t worth much if it is not”:

Comedian and actor Woody Allen once observed that “ninety percent of life is just showing up.” Unfortunately, many Christians take this approach to worship. They figure that if they simply

How different an individual’s life would be if everything were done with a view to glorifying God — every thought, every word, every action directed toward this one goal.

Following the news reports during and after the destructive wildfires in southern California, I was struck by three intriguing parallels between the southern California fires and another firestorm

The origin of the phrase “silence is golden” is unknown, but its sentiments are much needed in our society today as we live in a very noisy world.

A few years ago, it was reported by a major news agency that a woman in London must have had a strong chocolate craving, because she stopped at a Woolworth’s store and asked for every

The inspired writer Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:8-10 – NKJV: “Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), proving what is acceptable to the Lord” (emphasis mine).

The opening statement in Genesis reads: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). How simple these words, and yet how fathomless!

Small children are seemingly lovable and innocent until their parents say “no” to their demands. When this happens, some kids scream and cry uncontrollably, demanding what they want.

In the last few years, we’ve seen major storms in the southeastern United States, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean. Hurricane after hurricane has torn through the region, leaving dozens of people dead and thousands homeless. Catastrophes like these remind us of our frailty and humanity.

A querist asks, “Is there a scripture, where it reads that money is a protection and can you please explain James 4:4?

In the past few years I’ve noticed that people seldom use the word “sin” anymore — including some so-called preachers of God’s word. When we do something contrary to God’s law (1 John 3:4 KJV), we say we showed “inappropriate behavior” or made a “tactical error” or “mistake.” We may

George Barna, founder and president of the Barna Research Group took a survey of American values and religious views across the United States. If we’ve ever doubted the effect that Satan has on our country, then please pay close attention to the following

After observing the Dallas Cowboy football team for many years, I’ve grown sympathetic at their seemingly inability to score a touchdown when they have the football close to the goal line. There’s an

A querist asks, “In Ephesians 4:8-KJV, what does the phrase, ‘he led captivity captive’ refer to?”

Change is one thing we can be certain of in this life. Our relationships change as we move to new places, experience illness, and ultimately face death (Hebrews 9:27). Even the cells

A querist asks, “In 2 Kings 2:23-25 – KJV, we read of the occasion where the prophet Elisha was traveling from Jericho towards Bethel. As he was going towards Bethel some

When we think about our lives, do we worry about our money? We are to be good stewards (1 Corinthians 4:1-2), but Jesus taught that we are not to worry about our

When I was a boy growing up on my grandfather’s farm, he would tell me, “Boy, you can’t plow a straight row if you look back.” We can test this principle by looking back as we walk

On December 8, 1854, Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti “” known to the Roman Catholic world as Pope Pius IX, announced the doctrine known as the “Immaculate Conception.” According to this teaching Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived in the womb of her own mother without