Are you struggling with an idea for a Sunday morning? Maybe you need a short outline to help in your personal study? If so, here is a short outline that you can use to develop your thoughts for an outline. You might divide this outline up by using each point for a separate outline.
How many times have you heard Hebrews 10.25?
“…not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Many people focus on Hebrews 10.25 as the reason for church attendance, but I believe the reason occurs before verse 25. There is a deeper meaning than using this verse to speak of attendance on Sundays or Wednesdays. For instance, consider the points below:
- Understand that attendance is more than numbers; it is about faithfulness and open hearts.
- Hebrews 10.25 is only half of a sentence; there is more.
- If you find half a sentence, read the verses before to complete the thought.
Hebrews 10.22 – “let us draw near…”
(Take note that Hebrews 10.22 is only half of a sentence; read the verses before to gain the full thought.)
- …with a true heart.
- …with our hearts sprinkled clean.
- …with our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10.23 –“ let us hold fast the confession of our hope…”
- …without wavering (the reason: “He who promised is faithful.”)
- Who is the one who made the promise?
- What is the promise?
Hebrews 10.24 – “let us consider how to stir up one another…”
- …to love.
- …to good works.
- Why are we to stir up one another to love and good works? (The reason is verse 25)
After these verses, verse 25 brings on a new meaning. There is a unity factor before the Hebrews writer gets to the “attendance verse.” The unity is in the knowledge that Christians need each other because of the reasons given in verse 22-24. The fact that someone misses services could be for a variety of reasons; work, sickness, a death in the family, traveling, depression, or a personal choice not to attend services. We need to give our brethren benefit that they are trying and not completely stopping.
Attendance is more than numbers. When a church begins to focus on numbers instead of caring for souls, they lose the good news. The good news becomes the number of people instead of the number of open hearts.
I hope you can use today’s sermon starter outline at some point. Also, do not use the sermon starter outlines to replace your own study and work. Use them as a stepping stone for development.
Just my thoughts,
Each week, preachers face a daunting task of speaking to people of every age and background seeking to assist each one of them in following Jesus better than they had the previous week. It is a job of encouragement, correcting and motivating to keep pressing on in the world. Upon the responsibility, tack on the other factors of visiting, outreach, hospital visits, church errands and the like and the week for a preacher might draw to a close faster than he wishes.
Below are some “starter outlines” to assist you in developing lessons and classes. Some will be able to take these outlines and preach them as they are, but I ask you to develop these outlines yourself.
Anyway, here you go…
Outline #1 – Attitude Determines Altitude
Outline #2 – Do Not Mumble or Grumble
Outline #3 – Taking it all in and letting none of it out
Outline #4 – Simply Trusting God
Outline #5 – Christian Repentance
Why would a Christian need to repent?
Christians can stray away
What is your reaction to sin?
You must live a life of action
Christian’s Change
They change as they grow
Psalm 51
Outline #6 – “Lord I believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:34)
The situation: the disciples were not able to cast out a spirit of a boy, so the Father appealed to Jesus.
“Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
Note the verse is not a contradiction.
It may be better rendered, “Lord, I believe. Help my unfaithfulness.”
Do you believe but lack faith?
How can you increase your faith?
Romans 10:17
Start now. (Matthew 4:18-20)
Attend uplifting events. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Find contentment and joy in God. (Philippians 4)
When in doubt, pray. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Once again, these are just starter outlines. Do your due diligence to make these a complete outline for your sermon or your personal study.
Just my thoughts,
Worship.
One of the areas a Christian should be more active is in our worship to God. Sadly, many see worship as a box checked on Sunday morning as our Christian duty, instead of a blessing from the Almighty God. We need to worship, but we need to worship as God has asked.
This year, I will be focusing the lesson on the first Sunday of each month on worship. Below is a copy of Sunday’s lesson.
You can scroll through the lesson using the arrows on the slides or you may use the other options to download or make the presentation larger.
Just some thoughts,
Have you always wanted to study the Bible, but did not know exactly where to begin?
The outlines below are simple outlines to being your personal study. You will notice the outlines are not complete. Use them as a guide to help you study.
Preachers, feel free to use these as a help to kick start our sermon on Sunday.
Outline #1 – Attitude Determines Altitude
- Why is Attitude Important?
- Attitudes are always forming
- Attitudes are formed when we are young
- Attitude problems are the result of heart problems
- What must My Attitude be?
- Not as the rich young ruler.
- The Attitude of Christ
- We need an attitude of “Yes! We can!”
- How is your attitude?
- Is it Christ-like?
- Since attitude problems are heart problems, where is your heart?
- Have you learned to be content?
Outline #2 – Do Not Mumble or Grumble
- The Dangerous Attitude of Complaining
- How can we be blameless and shining as lights in the world, if we complain?
- Complainers bring others down.
- The Dangerous Attitude of Disputing
- Some people try to dispute, stir up anger and arguments
- “All that is needed to make a mountain out of a molehill is a little dirt.”
- Our Attitudes and Words
- Words affect people?
- Replace complaining and disputing with good things (i.e. – thankfulness, faith, kindness, etc)
- What will your words do today
Outline #3 – Taking it all in and letting none of it out
- The Most Followed command?
- Matthew 8:4 – “See that you tell no one…”
- Why did Jesus say that phrase?
- Do many people follow it today?
- Why do many follow those words today?
- Fear
- Specifically, fear of rejection
- Some are afraid they will be wrong
- We need to get off our “buts.” (ex. – I really know I should but…)
- Isaiah 6:8 – “Here am I, send me”
Outline #4 – Simply Trusting God
- Simply trusting God means you are like Joseph
- Remember Joseph’s words to his brothers? (Genesis 45:5)
- Joseph kept confidence by relying on God’s providence
- Simply trusting in God means you are like Daniel
- Daniel was a man of principles
- He refused the kings food.
- He refused not to pray.
- God admires principles. (Psalm 15:1-5)
Outline #5 – Christian Repentance
- Why would a Christian need to repent?
- Christians can stray away
- Demas (2 Timothy 4:10)
- Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:13; 18-23)
- What is your reaction to sin?
- Do you deny it?
- Do you try to cover it up?
- Do you justify it?
- Do you take responsibility?
- You must live a life of action
- “Faith without works is dead.”
- You are salt and light
- Christian’s Change
- They change as they grow
- Psalm 51
Outline #6 – “Lord I believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:34)
- The situation: the disciples were not able to cast out a spirit of a boy, so the Father appealed to Jesus.
- “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
- Note the verse is not a contradiction.
- It may be better rendered, “Lord, I believe. Help my unfaithfulness.”
- Do you believe but lack faith?
- Are you in need of an increase of faith?
- The father had belief, but he needed more faith.
- How can you increase your faith?
- Romans 10:17
- Start now. (Matthew 4:18-20)
- Attend uplifting events. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Find contentment and joy in God. (Philippians 4)
- When in doubt, pray. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Remember to use these outlines are a guide for further study.
Check back next Wednesday for a few more outlines.
Just my thoughts,
Human emotions are tricky. One day your emotions are perfectly fine and another day they seem to be all confused. Life, aka – the human experience, can be a roller-coaster ride and your emotions flow right along with it. Throughout a person’s life, they have feelings of guilt and loneliness. Each time, the emotions may differ in strength, but they still have their effects.
There are times when guilt and loneliness can be overwhelming and start to hinder the progress of our lives. It is then time to find the steps necessary to begin to break free from our burdens and begin to grow again.
Here are two recent lessons on Loneliness and Guilt are you free to download and use. The links to the Microsoft Word and the Microsoft PowerPoint files are below the picture.
The Burden of Guilt Microsoft Word document (Right-click and choose “Save As…”)
The Burden of Guilt Microsoft PowerPoint document (Right-click and choose “Save As…”)
The Burden of Loneliness Microsoft Word document (Right-click and choose “Save As…”)
The Burden of Loneliness Microsoft PowerPoint document (Right-click and choose “Save As…”)
For Your Information: The outlines and PowerPoints above are provided for your benefit. I encourage you to take the information and make it your own instead of just downloading and using it without study. Do not become lazy in learning, but let these become seeds of thought for future lessons
Just some thoughts,
