Mike Riley Sermon Outlines, Articles, Lessons, etc.

The upper level Brahman class in India never stoop to do any menial labor. So, after spending time at Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram (a spiritual retreat center for Hindus), a

If ever we turn our conscience off by continually sinning and listening to sinful ideas, then it becomes more increasingly more difficult to “hear” God’s word (Romans 10:17). As a result, our walk with God is soon decimated.

It is sad but true that we live in a time when mediocrity is widely accepted. Excellence is no longer promoted in our society. For example, the employee who works hard at the plant is told by his co-workers to “slow

The Psalms are not only useful for singing praises to God, they are also useful for teaching and confirming that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah. Note the use Jesus made of them in Luke 24:44-47, cf. Psalm 22, and Peter’s use of them in his first gospel sermon (Acts 2:25-28, cf. Psalm 16:8,10-11). It […]

Without God’s instructions, Joshua would have failed at leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. The first instruction was to “be strong and of good courage” (Joshua 1:6). Next, he was to continually meditate on the Book of the Law, and finally, he was to do everything it said. As long as Joshua followed these […]

The Arctic Tern is one of the most remarkable birds in the world. It migrates farther than any other bird, traveling late in August from its nesting place within the Arctic Circle to its winter “lodgings” in Antarctica and then back to the Arctic Circle again — an annual round trip of more

If a research scientist were to discover a cure for cancer, we would expect the discovery to be shared with the world. Basic ethics requires that good news not be kept secret.

Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong is an inspiration to millions. After a life-threatening bout with testicular cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and brain, Armstrong recovered to win the exhausting Tour de France bicycle race ? not once, but seven times. Doctors familiar with the severity of Armstrong’s medical condition, have thought this feat virtually […]

“Get Real” America is a live radio talk show hosted by Brother Ivy Conner every Saturday evening from 9-12 midnight, central time on KWRD-FM, The Word 100.7 FM in Dallas, Texas and in Southern Oklahoma, or on the Web at thewordfm.com. Various Bible topics are discussed, Bible questions are biblically answered, and the truth of God’s […]

Although there are still many good, noble, and admirable qualities regarding our country, there is much that needs to be corrected in the thinking of the American people.

Brother James E. Gibbons, editor of the Sword and Staff publication, has written the following poem, entitled, “Where Have All the Faithful Preachers Gone?”

From a cursory reading of Matthew 6:33, we understand that we as followers of Christ, must make God’s kingdom our number one priority. The question is, “When and under what circumstances should we do this?” The following are some suggestions:

While taking my morning walk today, I learned something by making the four following discoveries and observations:

If we have a clock or watch available with a secondhand on it, stop and follow that hand as it ticks away one minute. Those 60 seconds are the way we measure time, and time is the very essence of our lives. By the time we reach the age of 75, the clocks and watches […]

The following barbs of wisdom come from The Sword and Staff publication, 2008, Volume 46, Number 4; pg. 13 (appropriate Scriptures and related articles have been added):

Long before the professional football season begins, team owners and managers are busy negotiating trades and contracts. They’ll pay large sums of money to get the athlete who

A querist asks, “We know for a fact that the number seven was the most sacred number to the Hebrews, symbolizing God’s completion, totality and perfection.

The story is told of a man who once attended a class reunion vowing he would never return to another, simply because he felt terribly worthless and unsuccessful. The reason being was that some former classmates who attended were now doctors, lawyers, and dentists. A few were even officers in large corporations.

In his letter to the brethren at Philippi (Philippians 1:1), the apostle Paul describes Jesus’ descent from the heights of glory to the depths of shame and agony and back again (Philippians 2:5-11).

It’s interesting to note that birds sing because they have a syrinx instead of a larynx. The syrinx is the bird’s voice box, an organ that lies deep in a bird’s chest and is uniquely fashioned for song. That is the natural explanation for their gift.