Tanglewood Bible Fellowship » Messages

Psalm 11 If the Foundations are Destroyed What Can the Righteous Do? Take This To Heart As we walk by faith and not by sight, there is one key question we answer in the way we think about ourselves, our world and our God: Am I the LORD’s Supervisor or am I the LORD’s Servant? “When we can’t trace His hand…trust His heart.”

2016 Here We Come The POGs of TBF with Some New Twists for the New Year Purpose: Matthew 28:19-20 Make Disciples (of Jesus not of Brad or Ginny or James or Olga or Even Ron) Objectives: Ephesians 4:11-16 The Church Gathered: Edification The Church Scattered: Evangelism Goals/Functions: Acts 2:42-47 Bible Study, Fellowship, Worship, Prayers…and Evangelism/World Missions Our Concept of Ministry Includes These Ideas We’re a Spiritual Battleship Not a Religious Cruiseship We’re a Spiritual “Whole Foods” Establishment Not a Religious […]

Great Christmas Songs Teach Great Theological Truth about Christ The Bottom Line: Following the example of Jesus, believers should freely submit ourselves to a lifestyle of servanthood to the glory of God even though this will involve giving up certain rights/privileges. Believers Need/The Bible Teaches Theology AND Practicality Theology without Practicality = Dry Orthodoxy Practicality without Theology = Moralistic Pragmatism

Acts 18:1-11 Routine Faithfulness Isn’t Routine/Automatic   Practical Principles God Works Not Just Through Miracles But Also Thru Mundane Events Wisdom + Work is the SOP for Christian Living/Ministry Rather than Allowing the Faithless to Freak Us Out, We Should Actively Appreciate Those Who Truly Believe in Christ and Who Walk with Him Final Practical Principle We Must Lean Upon the LORD/Seek His Encouragement If Our Lives are to Truly Be a Ministry Over the Long Haul Because Christian Faithfulness/Service […]

Acts 17:16-34 Being “Too Cool to Care” is Chilling to the Soul Being “Too Cool to Care”…is Spiritual Deadsville! Take This To Heart God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud. Professing themselves to be wise they became fools, and the fool declares in his heart there is no God. IOWs: They categorically (on faith!) insist that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Triune God of Scripture isn’t real. Everybody “believes in” (some form of […]

Acts 17:1-15 The Good News is Bad News to Many (What Does That Mean for Christians?) The Good News is Bad News to Many Which Among Other Things Means: Believers Should Expect Opposition When We Identify with Christ: So Let’s Get Over It and Live/Share the Gospel Anyway, the Right Way (with a Balance of Truth and Love, Tact/Timing) Take This To Heart Opposition Does Not Need To Stop Us, If: We Remember the Lord Will Guide and Provide Us […]

Jesus is the Answer…….to the Ultimate Question 1: The Savior Does the Work of Salvation/Sinners Who Believe are the Savees And So He, our Lord Jesus Christ Deserves All the Praise (His +R and SAS/LBSR) 2: Saving Faith is a Rational Act But It is Not a Meritorious Work It is ART = A-ctive R-eceptive T-rust in Jesus as Savior (John 1:12) “But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him [Christ] who justifies the ungodly [who […]

Take This To Heart Speak to God Before You Speak of God to People Before, during and after we “do evangelism” we should pray that the Holy Spirit would convict the unsaved in our lives of sin, +R and judgment and that He would open their hearts to believe in Christ. But when we share the Gospel, rather than explaining the theological details of Efficacious Grace to unbelievers, we should simply share the Good News of the Gospel (1 Corinthians […]

Take This To Heart Relax and Rejoice! God Can and Does Use Us to Further His Program But He Does Not Need Our Help! So, We Can/Should Serve Him But While at the Same Time Never Notice How Great We Are But How Great He/His Grace Is.

James Mitchell discusses how God changes everything in our lives, using the second chapter of Judges as an example.

Spiritual Liberty: Love It! But at Times in Love Limit It! Paul (and Truly Mature Christians) are Firm in Their Doctrine/Morals But Flexible With Other People v1-5 Which One of These Three Types of Christians are You? IOWs: Do You Know/Apply the Biblical Principles of Spiritual Liberty?   1: Strong Believers: do understand/enjoy their spiritual liberty and are not surprised or offended with other believers who have different convictions than they do. This believer is not arrogant about his/her knowledge […]

Dealing With Disagreements God’s Way Furthers His Kingdom by Respecting Differences of Opinion among Believers and Refusing to Tear Down/Hold Grudges Against Those We Disagree With Dealing with Disagreements God’s Way 1: Paul & Barnabas talked to one another directly about the issue at hand 2: Paul & Barnabas agreed to disagree about the specific issue and then acted accordingly 3: Paul & Barnabas continued to serve the Lord and His Church consistent with their convictions but without harboring personal […]

The ONE Thing The C-hurch MUST Get Right The truth that Gentiles are in fact saved from the penalty of sin/given the gift of everlasting life through faith in Christ is fully affirmed by the Jerusalem Council. IOW: Gentiles have no need to submit to OT rituals and/or to live under the Mosaic Law (before or after they trust in Christ and are given the gift of E-Life). However the Council DID ask Gentile converts to avoid several lifestyle areas […]

The End Was Just the Beginning The First Missionary Journey Acts 13:4-14:28 4/48AD to 9/49AD Validated the Fact That the New Testament Church Was the Vehicle God Was Pleased to Use to Bring Salvation to All Who Believed (13:38-39) in the Gospel of Jesus Christ…both Jews and Gentiles Take This To Heart Q: Where/How Does God Work? A: Wherever/However He Chooses Consistent with His Character. However Scripture Emphasizes the Heart of the Program of God Rests in the New Testament […]

Acts 14:19-20 For Believers, Death is an Enemy But it is Not the End Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Take This To Heart We Have Been Spiritually Designed for a Person and a Place. That place is Heaven and that Person is Jesus Christ: our Savior, Lord, the Lover of our Souls and the Issue/Issuer of Eternal […]

Acts 14:1-18 Christians Are Servants Not Celebrities Celebrity status should not be sought or accepted by any Christian. Take This To Heart Every Believer is unique but the only true celebrity for Christians must be Jesus Christ our Lord

Acts 13:44-52 Salvation is of the LORD Salvation is of the LORD! Those Who Receive Salvation in Christ Have God to Praise… …Those Who Reject Salvation in Christ Have Themselves to Blame Take This To Heart As Augustine (a “Calvinistic” Thinker) Wisely Said Let Us Pray as Though Everything Depended on God, But Then Let Us Live/Work as Though Everything Depends on Us! May TBFers of Calvinistic convictions, Arminian convictions, and of Amyraldian convictions, agree to disagree (in agape love) […]

Acts 13:14-43 The Gospel: Good News/God News For All (100%) Who Believe The Body of Paul’s Message v16-37 1: Preparation for the Coming of Christ in the OT Era v17-22 2: Presentation of the Perfect, Crucified/Risen Christ v23-37 The Conclusion of Paul’s Message v38-41 1: Forgiveness of sins is offered by God to us through Jesus Christ v38 This is the Basis of Salvation (Christ Period) 2: “everyone who believes in Him” is freed from all things v39 This is […]

Acts 13:1-13 The Story of Mark’s Major Failure Isn’t the Whole Story!   Serious Spiritual Failure in the Lives of Christians Always Has Serious Consequences But God is Not Less Gracious to Believers Who Fail/Fall into Serious Sin Than He is to Unbelievers (“the ungodly who believe” whose “faith is reckoned as righteousness” Romans 4:5) Who Come Out of Sin to Christ to Salvation. Serious Spiritual Failures in the Lives of Christians Can Undermine Our Credibility and Thus Our Ability […]