Mike Riley Sermon Outlines, Articles, Lessons, etc.

It Is Not A Game

The following article was written by Brother Dan Gibson, former preacher for the Montana Street congregation. In his good article, Brother Gibson emphasizes our need to not “play like” we are Christians, but to actually “be” a Christian — believers who are filled with zeal and enthusiasm:

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Considering The Interests Of Others First

In the giving of ourselves to others (including our time, talents, money, etc.), we make known to them the essence of Jesus’ character, for it has always been His nature to think more about

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Idleness Causes Deterioration

In 190 A.D., Roman legions who were victorious over Spain, built an aqueduct in Segovia (see History). For some 1,800 years, it carried sparkling water to the hot and dusty Segovians. About the turn of

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Hosea 4:6 — A Question

A querist asks, “In Hosea 4:6, the text says that God’s people were to be ‘destroyed’ for their lack of knowledge. Does this term suggest complete annihilation — a state of non-existence?”

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Benefiting From The Bible — 3 Key Words

As the story goes, a preacher and a soap manufacturer were walking down a street one day. As they walked, they noticed how people were endangering others by driving too fast in a school zone, not stopping at stop signs, and running red lights.

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How Long Was Jesus In The Flesh?

A querist asks, “How long was Jesus in the flesh? In Luke 24:39, after the resurrection, we find that Jesus has flesh and bones. Is Jesus still in the flesh or was He transformed, as those who remain when Jesus comes, when He was taken up in a cloud to heaven?” Luke 24:39 tells us […]

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God Is On Our Side!

A young Christian was working at his first job on the night shift at a refrigerator assembly plant, trying to earn enough money so he could attend a Christian college. His fellow

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First Impressions Are Often Incorrect Impressions

Joshua 22:1-34 records an instance of incorrect first impressions. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh had built an altar near the Jordan. When the other

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Following Our Lord's Example

The story is told of a mother squirrel who one day had taken up residence in a bat house attached to the side of a tree. When her young son climbed out and fell to the ground, the mother rescued him and brought him back up to the bat house and repeatedly tried to stuff […]

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What Was “Corban?”

A querist asks, Can you please explain what “Corban” meant to the Jewish mind in Mark 7:11? The text in Mark 7:11-13 (cf. Matthew 15:1-9) reads:

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Staying Calm In Our Age Of Rage

When I was learning how to drive back in the early 1960’s, there was never any mention of “road rage” or being “cut off.” Angry drivers weren’t a big problem in that era.

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God And Cell Phones

On Saturday, January 14, 2012, CBS News reported that a man with a cell phone experienced the alarm of that cell phone to go on and off repeatedly, interrupting a performance of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The ringtone on the cell phone was so distracting, that the conductor of the orchestra had to simply […]

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Considering The Poor

As Christians, we know about the blessings Jesus spoke of in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-10). However, there is a “blessing” from the Old Testament that is less well-known: “Blessed is he who considers the poor” (Psalm 41:1).

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Isn’t It Strange?

The following questions may sound “strange”, but are they really? Let’s seriously think about these questions and take action to correct our thinking if we are guilty of any of these:

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“… In Remembrance Of Me”

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt stands as a monument and memorial to the pride of Pharaoh Khufu. The pyramid’s base covers 13 acres. It is estimated to contain 2 to 2.8 million blocks of stone, each weighing from 2 to 15 tons. Some 100,000 slaves spent 20 years in its construction. How unlike […]

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Are We Looking For Perfect People In A Perfect Church?

In ancient times, the elder men in every city sat alongside the gate, to greet visitors and to dispense wisdom and judgment to the citizens of the community as they came and

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The Final Tear

We all have walked rose-strewn paths And wept tears of joy through the years. Then suddenly the dark clouds gather, And we cry, “Dear Lord, dry our tears.”

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1 Corinthians 1:17 — A Question

A querist asks, “One of the arguments used to minimize the importance of baptism is found in 1 Corinthians 1:17 where Paul states: “For Christ sent me not to baptize….” Can you please explain in context what Paul

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Quick Bible Truths Website

Randal Matheny, missionary to Brazil, has produced an informative website called, “Quick Bible Truths.” The site can be accessed on both Twitter and Facebook.

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Sometimes….

Sometimes…. We must be hurt in order to grow; We must fail in order to know, We must lose in order to gain. Some lessons are learned best Only through pain.

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