Aim Higher

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, December 29, 2024

Text: Mark 12:30-31

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, 24 because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.”

Mark 12:30-31—Please note the words “you” and “all.”

Doing the minimum vs. Doing the maximum

Old Testament Prophets and their teaching on “doing the maximum.”

Micah 6:8—

Isaiah 56:1-2a—

Amos 5:6a—

Habakkuk 2:4—

Sermon on the Mount—Matthew 5, 6, & 7

Matthew 5:41—referring to the hated Roman soldiers.

Matthew 5:43-44—love your enemies.

Matthew 18:21-22— “seventy-times-seven” an unimaginable number.

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. {15} But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Love: The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Text: Philippians 2:8; John 3:17

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” (NET)

Five Reasons God Sent His Son:

#1—To fulfill prophecy.

          1 Corinthians 15:3-4

#2—To defeat Satan.

          Genesis 3:15; 1 John 3:8

#3—To serve and give.

          Mark 10:45; John 4:34; John 6:38

#4—To seek and save the lost.

          Luke 19:10; John 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:15;

2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Romans 8:7-8;

          Colossians 1:21-22

#5—To die and be resurrected.

          1 John 4:9-10; Philippians 2:5-9; Romans 8:11

Joy: The Third Sunday of Advent

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Text: Luke 2:8-11

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (NKJV)

JOY—an eager expectation about wonderful things to come because God is near, and God is at work.

Romans 15:13—God is the giver of joy.

John 16:22—No one can take your joy away.

Ecclesiastes 7:8—The “end of a thing” is “better than its beginning.”

Luke 2:8-11—

Behold—Be Amazed.

Good Tidings—The best news you could possibly receive.

Great Joy—Tremendous, gigantic, massive, greatest.

Savior—Defender, Healer, Protector, Preserver, and someone able to save.

Christ—Messiah

Lord—Jehovah

          Exodus 3:14; Exodus 14:21; Psalm 23:1

No matter what we are going through, we can walk with joy knowing that God is faithful, God is in control, and God will not fail!

PEACE: The Second Sunday of Advent

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Text: Philippians 4:5b-7; Luke 8:22-25

Scripture Reading: Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” (NLT)

Part I– “Be anxious for nothing”—refers to the basic needs of life: finances, hunger, or other basic provisions.

Matthew 6:25—Do not worry.

Matthew 13—Parable about a farmer planting seed.

Wayside—ground that seed could not grow in.

Rocky soil—ground that was too shallow for roots to grow.

Thorny ground—thorn bushes that “choked out” the good seed.

Matthew 13:22—being anxious and worrying, leads to “choking.”

Part II–Philippians 4:5b— “The Lord is at hand.”

Luke 8:22-25—Jesus got into the boat; He never left the disciples. He was “near.”

Jehovah Shammah—The Lord who is near.

Ezekiel 48:35; Psalm 46; Matthew 28:20; Revelation 21

Part III–Philippians 4:7—The peace of God will “guard your hearts.”

Hope: The First Sunday of Advent

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Text: Romans 15:13

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1:3 “Let us thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was through His loving-kindness that we were born again to a new life and have a hope that never dies. This hope is ours because Jesus was raised from the dead.” (NLV)

Hope—Romans 15:13

Shepherds

Wise Men

Anna

Simeon

#1–With His birth came hope for those in despair.

          Luke 7:11-15

#2—With His birth came hope for who are sick.

          Luke 13:11-13

#3—With His birth came hope for victory over evil.

          Genesis 3:14-15

#4—With His birth came hope for those who grieve.

          Psalm 34:18a; 1 Corinthians 3-4

#5—With His birth came our Blessed Hope.

          Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Our Hope is Jesus!

Dinner with God

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, November 24, 2024

Acts 2:41-42

Psalm 84:11-12 “The Lord God is like a sun and shield; the Lord gives us kindness and honor. He does not hold back anything good from those whose lives are innocent. Lord All-Powerful, happy are the people who trust you!” (NCV)

Tradition of the Table—

Acts 2:41-42—a full meal, then communion.

          Luke 22:19-20

Additional pictures of Table:

#1—To confirm a covenant—Exodus 24:9-11

#2—To honor guests—Genesis 18:1-7

#3—To settle differences—Genesis 31:51-55

#4—To celebrate God’s protection—Psalm 23:5

#5—To restore broken relationships—John 21:9-19

Conclusion: Revelation 3:20

When You Pray, Part II

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Text: Daniel 9:20-23a; Daniel 10:11-14

Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. (NLT)

Review: Our prayers are heard; You are highly esteemed; Our prayers cause things to happen in the heavenlies.

Four Possible Ways our Prayers are answered:

1—Yes!

2—No.

3–Wait.

4—How About This?

Hebrews 11:32-33; Hebrews 11:39-40

Four Possible Reasons our Prayers are not answered:

1—No Prayer.

          Philippians 4:6-7

2—Sin.

          Psalm 66:18

3—Wrong Motives.

          James 4:3; 1 John 5:14-15

4—No Faith

          Matthew 13:53-58

When You Pray

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Daniel 9:20-23a; Daniel 10:11-14

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV)

Daniel 9:20-23a

          V23— “As soon as you began to pray….”

          V23b— “You are highly esteemed.”

Daniel 10:11-14

          V11- An angel shows up.

          V12— “Since the first day.”

          V13—Daniel’s prayer started a war in the heavenlies.

Four possible answers to our prayers.

#1—Yes!

#2—No.

#3—Wait.

#4—How about this?

Conclusion:

Hebrews 11:32-33

“obtained promises.”

Hebrews 11:39-40

God had something better in store.

Power, Love, and a Sound Mind

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, October 27, 2024

2 Timothy 1:7

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:18-20 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

#1—Spirit of Fear.

          Hebrews 10:38-39

#2—Power.

          Acts 1:8

#3—Love.

          1 Corinthians 13:4-7

          Genesis 29:16-20

#4—Sound Mind.

          Hebrews 10:38-39

Conclusion.

          Matthew 28:18-20

          Romans 8:31

If God Be For Us

Troy Mills Christian Church

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Romans 8:31-34

Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:7 “God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control.” (NCV)

Verses 31-34—a summary of Romans 5-8

Opposition from our past; from others, and from Satan (John 10:10)

Luke 4:13—Satan is relentless.

Verse 32—Because God is for us……

He sent His Son.

He works for our good.

He promises eternal life.

Verse 33—God has declared us to be justified.

In Christ, we do not have a past. We only have a future.

          Psalm 103:12—our sin is gone!

Verse 34

#1—Jesus is making intercession on our behalf

#2—Jesus is our Advocate (lawyer) in heaven.

#3—We are saved to the uttermost.

God is for us!