Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Malachi 3:7-11

By definition, stewardship is our relationship with money: how we obtain, save, invest, spend, and give our wealth.

God is interested in this relationship—in how we care for the things He places in our hands. Satan, who is also very interested, would love to keep us in financial bondage.

Malachi 3 shows us how to open the windows of Heaven and receive the blessing of financial freedom.

“Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’” (Malachi 3:7).

If we want freedom, we must first recognize our failure; financial bondage is not just debt. If money increases our worries, or if we have plenty in the bank, but no treasure in Heaven, we are in financial bondage.

Second, we need to renew our fellowship; God isn’t interested in our money, just our hearts.

When we remember tithing is God’s way of revealing our priorities to ourselves, we will see tithing as a great blessing. It is our privilege to show God that He is first in our lives and everything else is second.

After we return to our fellowship with God, we need to release our finances to Him.

Adrian Rogers says, “If you can’t trust God with your finances, how is God going to trust you with true spiritual riches?”

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

According to Scripture, tithing is ten percent given to the temple of God (church), for the work of the temple. Giving to charities or ministries is good, but it is not a replacement for our tithes.

When we learn to give back to God freely, we’ll see a spiritual renewal. God will renew our faith, rebuke our foes, and restore our fruitfulness.



Apply it to your life
Are you seeking freedom from an indebted spirit? Recognize your failure and renew your fellowship with God. Understand that He wants you, first and foremost. Then, show your faithfulness through tithing.

It is good to desire contentment for our families, and peace despite circumstances. But if money can’t buy it, how can we have it? In this message, Adrian Rogers uses the family described in Psalm 128 to show how to cultivate contentment in the home.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 6:16-21

John 6:16-21 tells the story of Jesus walking on the water to His disciples’ boat in the midst of a treacherous storm. Sooner or later, you are going to find yourself in a storm—not like the storm depicted in this passage; rather, one far more terrifying.

Things could be going fine, then suddenly you could get a life-changing phone call, or face a shocking diagnosis. How can we find peace in the midst of the storm?

We remember what God has promised to us now, in the stillness.

Peace is not the subtraction of problems from life. Peace is the addition of power to meet those problems; the power being the promises of God.

“I am governed by His providence.” In this story, the storm did not take Jesus by surprise. When difficulty comes, remember God’s providence is over it all.

“I am growing by His plan.” God’s plan is not to indulge you; it is to enlarge you. If you are in a storm, it is your privilege to grow and become more like Jesus Christ.

“I am graced by His prayers.” Did you know that He sees you right now? He is not far away. He sees right through the dark, sees you in the storm, and He prays for you.

“I am gladdened by His presence.” Sometimes, God waits upon you to wait on Him; but just know… He is coming.

“I am guarded by His power.” Adrian Rogers says, “The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”

“I am guided by His purpose.” God has not promised smooth sailing, but He has promised you a safe landing. Your destiny is already determined. He will see you to the shore.

South African minister Andrew Murray once said, “God is willing to assume full responsibility for the life that is totally yielded to Him.” Jesus said, “In this world, you’ll have tribulation. But take heart! I’ve overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

In the midst of your storm, see Jesus, the great I AM, walking on the water, straight to you.

Apply it to your life
Are you in the midst of a storm? Remember the promises of God! Take heart; He has overcome the world, and He is walking on the water, headed straight for you.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 23:6

The devil’s deceitful and counterfeit thrills never last; in fact, Satan always gives his best first and the worst last. On the contrary, every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before, and even still, He saves the best for last.

Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

God has promised us a place beyond death, and we can anticipate it through Christ. By looking forward to our dwelling in Heaven, we can make the rest of our lives the best of our lives.

This passage reminds us, first, of the certainty of Heaven.

In John 14:3, Jesus says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Heaven is not a state of mind or a condition, it is a real and present place where Christians go after death. Heaven is also a perfect place. Revelation 21:4 says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Adrian Rogers says, “Heaven is the presence of all that is good and the absence of all that is evil. It is all that the loving heart of God can conceive and the omnipotent hand of God can prepare.”

It is also a purposeful place; without the hindrance of our sinful nature, we’ll serve God like never before. We can also anticipate the company of Heaven: all those in the family of God. We will keep our personalities, having not been absorbed into nothingness. We will know brothers and sisters in Christ and reunite with loved ones.

Finally, we must remember the constancy of Heaven. For now, we are just pilgrims, sojourning on earth. But one day, we will settle in a place of constant joy, constant service, and constant praise.

Apply it to your life
Have you decided to follow Jesus, and make the rest of your days the best of your days? Considering the length of eternity, we can spend the rest of our lives in high anticipation for the place prepared for us.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 23:5

Many go about today with an incorrect perspective of God. We may believe He is a cosmic killjoy, who only exists to break up our good times. However, when we know God’s heart and His goodness, we’ll find that we feel good about Him.

In Psalm 23:5, David uses three Jewish customs to exemplify how God truly feels about His children. Understanding their meanings can show us how to feel good about God.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…”

The Bible is full of stories of banquets, weddings, and miracles performed over meals; one could call God’s Word a continual feast. David says that God has welcomed us to His table and that He’s expected us and prepared for our presence.

Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus meets the deepest hungers of our hearts and satisfies the deepest longings. He prepared a table of replenishment when there was the enemy of inadequacy.”

Our fullness comes from Jesus’ restoration, remembrance, and redemption. Jesus doesn’t keep score of our wrongdoings, nor does He ignore us in anger when we fail Him. His disciple, Simon Peter, experienced this when he denied knowing Jesus three times. After His resurrection, Jesus reunited with Him over breakfast and lovingly restored their relationship.

“You anoint my head with oil…”

To anoint guests with oil is to acknowledge them as valuable, and refresh them before the feast. We can be glad in His presence; His mercies are new each morning. (See Lamentations 3:22-23.)

Serving God only gets better, and His grace gets even sweeter, and His presence gets more real.

“My cup runs over...”

Filling one’s cup to the brim is the utmost sign of hospitality and friendship. To claim that our cup is overflowing means God wants us to stay in His presence for longer. It signifies that we are loved, cherished, and welcome for as long as we want.

God is not stingy with His blessings, nor does He hold back; He gives freely, lavishly, wondrously, and abundantly. His peace passes all understanding, and His joy is unspeakable and full of glory.

Apply it to your life
In Christ, we are full, refreshed, and free; don’t let the devil convince you to think negatively about God. Instead, remember Jesus’s words to you: “Come and dine.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 23:4

In spite of our best efforts to forget, death is a very real fact. As believers, it’s something we don’t have to fear; rather, we can anticipate it.

In Psalm 23, King David reveals how to smile at death: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (v. 4).

First, David accepted death as an inevitable fact. There is no way around it, and no way to know when it will happen to us; we just know it will eventually, to each of us.

Second, David acknowledges that death has been defeated. From this perspective, we see that there can be no valley without mountains, and there is no shadow without light.

Adrian Rogers says, “Death is just a shadow because Jesus has become the death of death. He pulled the sting out of death, took the gloom out of the grave, took the dread out of dying. Jesus gives us a hope that is steadfast and sure. A shadow may frighten you, but it cannot hurt you.”

We also learn that there is no evil without a greater good. Because Jesus is our Jehovah, truth is mightier than error, grace is greater than sin, our Sovereign is greater than Satan, and life is greater than death.

David sees that death is no longer his enemy, but his servant. In death, we are finally made like Jesus, able to praise Him with our whole hearts alongside the saints of all the ages, becoming one with God.

In death, we see God’s presence and power. Adrian Rogers says, “There’s nothing that will bring you face-to-face with God more than the dark valleys of life.”

As stated in Psalm 23:4, His rod protects us from all of the powers of evil and His staff draws us close to Him.

Finally, death reveals the purpose of the Shepherd: to bring us out to the other side. David knew enough about a shepherd to know that he would never lead his sheep through a valley unless he was leading them to a better place.

Apply it to your life
Do you want to smile at death? Accept death as a fact, acknowledge that it has been defeated by Jesus, and consider it a friend, used to reveal God’s presence, power, and purpose.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 23:3

It is in a sheep’s nature to wander away from the shepherd. But it is in the shepherd’s nature to restore his sheep. Likewise, we can expect to fall out of fellowship with God. But by His grace, we can learn how to get right with God and stay right with Him.

Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

If we have wandered from the path of righteousness, we must first remember the ministry of the shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd who restores His sheep when they are led astray.

He uses the rod for protection and correction.

For the stubborn sheep insistent on his own way, Jesus uses the rod, which is a shepherd’s chief weapon for protecting and correcting his flock. God loves us too much to leave us in our stubbornness. It would be foolish to resent the rod or quit because of it. God’s correction reveals our sonship, renews our worship, and restores our fellowship. Though correction is not joyous, it brings peace and fruitfulness.

He uses the staff to retrieve.

The shepherd’s solution for the straying sheep is a staff, which is a crook used to harness and retrieve sheep. When we stray away from God, He retrieves us with His love and draws us back to Him with His grace.

He anoints His sheep and restores them to righteousness.

For the sheep that have been hurt by the enemy or the elements, the shepherd anoints their wounds with healing oil. God has anointed us with the Holy Spirit, which protects us from the enemy’s infliction. After He ministers to His sheep, God restores us that He might master us. After we’re restored, we ought to follow Him on the path of righteousness closer than ever, observing and obeying Him.

Adrian Rogers says, “If we don’t go from restoration to righteousness, we will go right back to the same problem.”

The shepherd’s reputation is based on the activity, welfare, and obedience of his sheep. We stay right with God in order to reveal His majesty to others. Jesus is our saving Jehovah; He leads us so that we can bring glory to His name.

Apply it to your life
Are you a sheep in need of restoration and guidance back to the path of righteousness? Love God, thank Him for His loving chastisement, observe, and obey.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Psalm 23:2

Psalm 23:2 says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”

Though we can obtain great intelligence here on earth, we are spiritually inept, much like sheep. In stressful seasons of life, we can convince ourselves that we don’t have time to be still and rest. But God has called His sheep to lie down in green pastures and to drink from the still waters; we need to learn how to handle stress. We can handle stressful times, first by knowing the security we have in our Shepherd.

We are secure in Jesus: the good, great, chief Shepherd.

The New Testament describes Jesus much like the Old Testament describes a shepherd: full of compassion, care, and courage. A good shepherd will fight for his sheep, fending off anything that threatens his flock. Likewise, this is telling of Jesus’s character in the Gospels, who leaves the ninety-nine to retrieve the one who has wandered. (See Matthew 18:12.)

Jesus is also our sufficient Shepherd.

One source of stress is the fear that our needs may not be met. But in Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added...”

In Psalm 23, the green pastures are symbolic of His Word; and the still waters, His spirit. God intends for us to have our fill in Him, and be satisfied. When we are first satisfied in our relationship with God, we can begin to manage our stress.

Finally, we have serenity in our good Shepherd.

Sheep will not lie down until they are content; neither will people. A reason for our stress could be that we've forgotten to take time to slow down, to be still, and know that God is God. (See Psalm 46:10.)

Psalm 104:34 says, “May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the LORD.”

It’s not enough to study Scripture; we must be in the habit of digesting what we’ve read, and regularly carving out time to rest in His promises.

Apply it to your life

Do you have a hard time handling stress? Find in Jesus Christ your security, His sufficiency, and the serenity that comes from meditating on the Word of God.