Mike Riley Sermon Outlines, Articles, Lessons, etc.

The Devil’s “Deal”

Satan desires to have all men the way he desired to have Peter (Luke 22:31). Relentlessly, he seeks to gain advantage over men through the employment of devious and persuasive devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). That some don’t care and that others don’t take him seriously only makes his work of destroying souls easier. Peter calls […]

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Reluctant To Believe

It’s a sad but true fact that people refuse to believe that which they don’t want to believe, no matter how much evidence is produced. For example, when explorers first went to Australia, they found a mammal which laid eggs; spent time both in water and on land; had a broad flat tail, webbed feet, […]

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“And The Prisoners Were Listening To Them”

When Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into an “inner prison” (Acts 16:19-24), they were not despondent. In fact, they were joyful — so much so that they “were praying and singing hymns unto God” (Acts 16:25 ASV).

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What If There Isn't “Anymore?”

The story is told of a woman’s husband who died one night, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t “anymore.”

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Calling Sin By Any Other Name

In Genesis 39:7 and Genesis 39:10, we find Joseph in a difficult position of being seduced by Potiphar’s wife. How tantalizing this woman’s offers must have been to a young man like

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“For The Lord Is With You”

In 2 Chronicles 20:12, we read — “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

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The Bible And Capital Punishment (3)

3) Capital Punishment Doesn’t Work – It Doesn’t Deter Crime! This is true to a certain extent, when it is not “quickly carried out” (cf. Ecclesiastes 8:11 – NIV). But it does prevent the person executed from ever killing again! Its ineffectiveness in preventing crime by others is an argument against our system of administering […]

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What Makes Me Laugh?

Have we ever thought about the fact that we humans are the only creatures of God who enjoy humor? The ability to laugh is distinctive only of human beings. Laughter can also tell something about ourselves as individuals. If a person tells us what amuses them, we can make a pretty accurate guess about the […]

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The Bible As A Commentary

It is a true statement that the Bible is its own best commentary. To illustrate this truth, the following two examples are provided:

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“Wine Is A Mocker” – The Ugly Truth about Consuming Alcohol

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise, Prov. 20:1 (KJV). The story is told of an unhappy woman who complained that her husband thought it funny to make her pet cat drunk by pouring gin into its milk. The distressed woman complained that the cat would […]

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We Will Go To Our Own “Place”

The writer Luke records that because of his transgression, the traitor Judas, “fell, that he might go to his own place”(Acts 1:25). There was no one to force him into it — he went to his own “place” of his own volition. If we capture a worm, a beaver, or a bird and let them […]

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The Names Of God (1)

A study of the names of God throughout the Bible is a fascinating study depicting God’s character and nature. The following study was adapted from a book by Nathan Stone, Names of God (Chicago, IL: Moody Press Publishing Company, 1944), and is a concise description of twelve of the names of God as described in […]

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What Constitutes Being “Born Again”?

While on earth, Jesus taught many spiritual lessons using figures of speech. For example, He spoke of entering the kingdom of God under the figure of a birth while conversing with Nicodemus (John 3:1-8). This figure must be correctly interpreted

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Elder Qualifications — A Question

A querist asks, “There is a man in our congregation under consideration for the office of elder. In my opinion he would do an excellent job in this capacity. He is well-versed in the Scripture and would stand for the truth. My only question is concerning his children.

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Grace And Salvation — Found Only “In Christ Jesus”

Sincere religious folks mistakenly believe from Ephesians 2:8-9 – NKJV that grace is received by faith alone. Others believe that grace is acquired when they simply trust in

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Things We Can Do To Prevent Regret

The following are some common sense things we can do to prevent regret in our life: 1) Never be stingy with our compliments. 2) Watch a sunrise at least once a week.

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Abraham’s Bosom — A Question

A querist asks, “In Luke 16:22 -ASV, the text states that Lazarus ‘was carried away by the angels into Abraham’s bosom.’ My question is, What does the expression ‘Abraham’s bosom’ refer to?” This expression can be best explained from the text of John 13:1-30 – ASV where we find Jesus participating in the last supper […]

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Bible Teaching On “Oneness”

In Matthew 7:13-14 our Lord stated: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find […]

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God Has Sent Us Children

The following article was written by brother Dave Hart, preacher for the Winslow congregation of the Lord’s people in Winslow, Arizona. Please read brother Hart’s thoughts carefully and thoughtfully, for there are young souls at stake. Hopefully, his thoughts will motivate us as God’s people to do more in the way of teaching the young […]

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Let Us Be People Who Truly Care

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) was one of the greatest and most skillful violinists of all time. Although he could have commanded the highest fees, he refused to do so. And because of that selfless mindset, he never became rich. Kreisler himself once said,

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