Eidololatria – idolatry

• Colossians 3:5
• Placing anyone or anything before God.
• Ephesians 5:5
• I Timothy 6:10-17
• Greed causes us to fix our hope on things other than God.
• Romans 1:21
• James 4:4

Pharmakeia – sorcery, witchcraft

• This includes magical incantations and drugs.
• Acts 19:18
• Acts 8:9-11

Echthra – hatred, enmities, hostilities

• Romans 8:7
• James 4:4

Eris – strife, variance, contentions

• I Corinthians 1:11; 3:3
• II Corinthians 12:20
• When does a spirited discussion turn to strife?
• I Timothy 6:3-5
• Titus 3:9-11

Introduction

• Genesis 1:11-12, 29-30
• The Svalbard Global Seed Vault

We should praise God for the information He stored for us.

• I Corinthians 15:36-38
• Proverbs 8:22-31
• I Peter 1:22-25 – What happens when you plant a spiritual seed in good soil? You get a Christian!

There’s nothing like the pure, original seed.

• Galatians 1:11, 15-18, 6-8 – Paul got his message directly from Jesus. He didn’t consult the other apostles until years later.
• In the Bible, we have the original, 2,000-year-old seed that will still bear fruit!
• Jude 1:3

We still need good soil.

• Luke 8:4-15
• Is your Bible being used? What’s the point of having this great blessing if we don’t use it?

Introduction

• Philippians 1:3 – Paul in prison at Rome. This, no doubt, put a lot of stress on Paul, yet he writes to encourage others!
  • Acts 16:19 – Paul started the church in Philippi, and it started in the midst of persecution and difficulty.

Paul had stress from at least four areas:

• A former life of persecuting the church – I Timothy 1:13; Philippians 3:6
• The persecutors who followed him from place to place, as he preached the gospel – Philippians 3:2, 18; 1:15-17, 23
• Responsibility to preach the gospel – I Corinthians 9:16; James 3:1
• Concern for all the churches – II Corinthians 11:28

We want to learn from Paul’s example and go from stress to success in God’s eyes.

• Paul says to think about others instead of self – Philippians 2:1-8; 1:23-24, 3-11
• Paul says to forget – Philippians 3:4-15
• Set the proper goal – Philippians 3:14-15; 1:20; Colossians 3:1-2; I Corinthians 9:24-27; 10:31
  • The goal is not the same thing as the prize. Don’t get them confused!
• Paul says to rejoice – Philippians 4:4, 10; 2:17-18; 3:1; 1:18; Psalms 32:11; 33:1
• Paul says to pray – Philippians 4:5-6; James 1:58; 4:2-3; I John 5:14-15
  • Pray with thanksgiving
• Paul says to think (about proper things) – Philippians 4:8
• Paul says to do – Philippians 4:9; 2:12-16; James 2:19-20
• Paul says to have the peace of God – Philippians 4:7; I John 4:18; Hebrews 13:3-6; Philippians 4:9
• Paul says to be satisfied – Philippians 4:11-12; 2:14
• The success of Paul is “in Christ” – Philippians 4:13; 3:3, 14, 17-21; Ephesians 1:3

Conclusion

• Will you turn stress into success as Paul did or will stress be your spiritual downfall?
  • I Corinthians 11:1; II Timothy 4:6-8

Introduction

• Acts 2

All of us have become guilty of sin.

• Acts 2:22-23, 36-37
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 8:1
• Romans 1:20, 29
• Romans 2:1-3, 17-20 – Beware of hypocrisy. No matter who you are, a sin is a sin!
• If you know better, but don’t do better, it is sin.
• Romans 1:18

Jesus Christ died so we can be forgiven!

• Luke 23:33-38, 44-49
• Luke 24:1-9 – Jesus rose from the dead!
• Luke 24:44-53 – Jesus ascended to heaven.
• Acts 2:1-4, 14-17 – The Holy Spirit gave the apostles the message to speak, as was prophesied.
• Acts 2:38-42 – The first people react to the gospel.

I need to do something!

• Acts 2:41
• We need to recognize our shortcomings and be prepared to deal with them.

Develop a heart that’s ready to learn and submit to God’s truth.

Develop a faith based on God’s word.

• Acts 2:42
• Acts 17:2, 11

Identify the sins in my life and repent.

• Acts 2:38
• Acts 17:30

Put my faith into action.

• Acts 26:19-20
• Romans 10:9-10

Be baptized into Christ.

• Acts 2:38 – Baptism is for forgiveness of sins.
• Romans 6:3-4
• I Corinthians 12:13
• I Peter 3:21
• Galatians 3:27

Continually learn and grow and repent when necessary.

Introduction

• Galatians 5:13-24
• Flesh vs. spirit
  • Romans 6:11-13
  • Whose slave will I be?

Sexual immorality; impurity; indecent behavior (Galatians 5:19)

• II Corinthians 12:21
• Porneia – sexual immorality, fornication, immorality
  • I Corinthians 5:1
  • Mark 7:14-23 – The body is involved, but the sin starts in the mind.
• Akatharsia – impurity, uncleanness, moral impurity
  • Matthew 23:27
  • Ephesians 5:1-6
• Aselgeia – sensuality, lasciviousness, licentiousness, depravity, promiscuity, debauchery
  • Lack of restraint
  • Romans 13:13-14 – Make no provision for the flesh.
  • Ephesians 4:17-19
  • Pornography works like a drug addiction – more and more is needed to get the same effect.