Tanglewood Bible Fellowship » Messages

Acts 12:1-25 Dare Not to Compare! Take It on Faith We Never Have Enough Info to Legitimately 2nd Guess God Take This To Heart Self-Pityingly Comparing Our Circumstances To Those of Other People is an Absolute Joy Killer and a Serious Sin (Doubting God by Presuming We Know Better Than He Does) and Yet Most Honest TBFers Will Admit We are Often Tempted to Do It! Many People in Scripture Fell Into This Trap (Moses, Job, Habakkuk) and One of […]

Acts 11:27-30 Free-Will “Proportional” Giving Not Strict Tithing is God’s Will/Way for NT Christians Take This To Heart Acts 11:29-30 A Superlative Example of Generous Giving-as an Expression of Christ Centered Giving/Compassionate Hearts. Rather Than a Specific % Given Because We “Have To” NT Believers “Get to Give” Based on a Higher Principle/: For Each of Us to Prayerfully Decide in Our Hearts How and How Much to Give, With the Motivation of Giving as Much as We Possibly Can […]

  John 21:1-17   Unexpected Grace

“Christian” a Title of Spiritual Honor and Insult Acts 11:19-26 Some Might Be Able to “Be Cool” & Be a Christian, But Being a Christian Should Not Make Us “Look Cool” to the World. We Don’t Have to Be Socially Clumsy, But Living a Bibl Christian Life Will Tend to Make Us Socially “Obnoxious” to t/World. The Title “Christian” Has Been Embraced by Believers Worldwide for 2000 Years. Take This to Heart While It Can Be Misunderstood, We Should Never […]

Study of the Book of Acts 7/19/2015  Acts 11:1-18 Amazing Grace Can Be Awfully Confounding  Christian Critics Question Peter’s Message/Method Take This To Heart God’s Amazing Grace Can Be Awfully Confounding to People Including… …Too Many Christians?!?  Salvation by Grace through Faith Alone in Christ Alone is For All (Religious/Irreligious; Moral/Immoral; Rich/Poor; American/Afghan)! As Those Saved by Grace….Believers are to Be Gracious/Giving and Forgiving (albeit in a Fallen World-Wise as Serpents Yet as Gentle as Doves). This Kind of Grace […]

Study of the Book of Acts 7/12/2015 Acts 9:31-10:48  The Revolutionary/Controversial, Unbelievable  And Seemingly Too Good to Be True Gospel of Grace The Revolutionary/Unbelievable, Unbelievable and Seemingly Too Good to Be True Gospel of Grace Calls Sinners (Religious or Irreligious) to Place Childlike Trust in Christ to Receive the Full/Free Forgiveness of Sins Some malign it, some distort it, some scoff at it…but all are called to believe it  Acts 10:43//Romans 4:5; John 20:30-31; Eph 2:8-9; Genesis 15:6; Acts 16:30

Study of the Book of Acts 6/28/2015 Acts 9:1-30 A Funny Thing Happened on Saul’s Way to Damascus (Funny = “Unusual/Unique” Not “Ha! Ha!”) Take This To Heart and Into Your World 1: Nobody Is So Bad…..They Are Beyond the Grace of God Never Stop Praying for Them (Romans 10:1) 2: Nobody Gets Right With God…..By Religious Zeal/Good Works Never Stop Saying This to Them (Romans 10:2-4)

Study of the Book of Acts 6/21/2015 Acts 8:26-40 The Gospel of Christ Transcends Colors, Countries/Cultures Take This To Heart and Into Your World Contrary to Conventional Wisdom and Popular Opinion Today The (True New Testament) Church Is/Always Has Been Mega-Inclusive Precisely Because the Grace of God in/through the Gospel of Christ Transcends All Human Colors, Countries and Cultures God Makes Himself Known (Naturally, Supernaturally and/or Super-Normally) to Those Who Though His Grace Have Open/Seeking Hearts. The Key Means for […]

Study of the Book of Acts 6/14/2015 Acts 8:1-25 Different Cultures, Colors and Countries But Only One True Church Take This To Heart THE UNIVERSAL Church of Jesus Christ is made up of Jews, Gentiles and (Even) Samaritans Who Receive the Grace of God Thru Faith in the Savior. This Inherent Unity is Not Man-Made But God-Given and Exists Even If/When It is Ignored, Overlooked or Underappreciated. Nice Expressions of This (Close to Home) Include Ministries Like: One True Light/Spokes […]

Study of the Book of Acts 6/7/2015 Acts 6:8-8:4 True Biblical Discipleship Involves Living on Earth with a Heavenly Perspective Take This To Heart Stephen’s Life/Death Is a Stellar Example of the Fact That True Biblical Discipleship Involves Living on Earth with a Heavenly Perspective Stephen’s Stand for the Savior Led to a Rejection by the World/a Painful Death on Earth But a Standing Ovation by Jesus Himself in Heaven

Study of the Book of Acts 5/31/2015 Acts 6:1-7 Effective Churches Are Not “One Man or One Woman” Teams Take This To Heart Effective Churches are Not “One Man/One Women” Teams! and The Purpose Driven Church didn’t start with Rick Warren/late 20th century! No one believer (not even an Apostle) can do “everything” the Church can/should do! While all Christians should be involved in specific areas of service in the Church, Church leaders must also constantly focus on the overall […]

Study of the Book of Acts 5/24/2015 Acts 5:12-5:42 Truth and Consequences A Supernatural Perspective on Suffering Take This To Heart The Reality of the Resurrection of Christ (and Our Life After Death in Him) Should Totally Change Our Perspective on Suffering Now

Study of the Book of Acts                                                                                                                        5/17/2015 Acts 4:32-5:11 Giving to the Church Is Serious Business to God Take This To […]

Tanglewood Bible Fellowship 5/10/2015 Proverbs 31:10-31 “An excellent woman who can find? Her worth is far above jewels!” 31:10 The Word of God: The Ideal Person Is a Godly Woman 1: All Christian Women Should Embrace the Ideal of Proverbs 31:10-31 2: All Christians Should Respect/Actively Appreciate Such Women as Expressions of God’s Grace and the Heart of Every Great Family/Church/Community/Country

Study of the Book of Acts 5/3/2015 Acts 4:5-31 External Opposition to Our Faith in Christ is Inevitable Take This To Heart External Opposition to Our Faith in Christ is Inevitable But Panic is Optional (and Definitely Not Recommended)

Study of the Book of Acts 4/26/2015 Acts 3:1-4:4 The Real Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ Take This To Heart Physical healing has a place in God’s program and we can/should pray for the physical health and healing of others. However all physical healing-natural or supernatural is trumped by a factor of infinity by the spiritual/eternal healing available through faith in Jesus Christ

Study of the Book of Acts 4/19/2015 Acts 2:42-47 The One Word Key for Almost Everything Physically/Spiritually, Personally and Collectively Take This To Heart The KEY to the 1st Church is The KEY for Every Church BALANCE in 4 Fundamental Functions (1) The Apostles’ Doctrine: Teaching of the Word God Speaks to Us (2) Fellowship: Interaction between Believers that is Mutually Edifying We Commune with Other Christians (3) THE Breaking of Bread/the LORD’s Supper: Worship We Commune with God (4) […]

1-2 Thessalonians Practical Prophecy 4/15/2015 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Succinct Summary of the Biblical Data on the Rapture Event The Rapture is a “mystery” and we can’t know the day/hour when it will take place. However, believers can know a good bit about it; more than enough to excite, comfort and convict us as we anticipate it/Him.

Study of the Book of Acts 4/12/2015 Acts 2:37-41 The Real “Real Meaning” of (Water) Baptism From Profanity to Proclamation/The Pentecostal Preaching of Peter The AIM TBFers NTK about H2O Baptism   H2O Baptism is an Important Testimony to Salvation But in No Way is it Part of the Terms for Receiving Salvation

  1-2 Thessalonians Practical Prophecy 4/8/2015 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Survey of New Testament Passages on the Rapture Event The Potentially Purifying Power of Prophecy “…every believer who has this hope (the imminent return of Christ for His Church) fixed on Him, purifies him/herself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3