The Prodigal God: The People Around Jesus – Sermon I of VI
September 24, 2023
Hello Kingdom Family,
Welcome to our Jesus-centered community. We are glad you are listening to today’s message.
“We are People Helping People Experience a Jesus-centered Life.”
Today, we start a new message series, “The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith.” Our message is titled “The People Around Jesus.” This sermon is I of VI and sets the stage for the rest of the series. We unpack Luke 15:1-10 (NIV) and decipher two of the three parables in this section of scripture. The Parable of the Lost Sheep and The Parable of the Lost Coin. This message should shock and move every person engaging in the scripture and teaching.
Before you listen to the message, you are encouraged to go to our website and download the lesson bulletin for this message, dated September 24, 2023. The publication contains questions to reflect on as an individual, couple, or small group. You can find them on the home page and click the Bulletins and Lesson Plans tab. Today’s message is “The People Around Jesus.”
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Shalom,
Hill-Tran Ministries
- Pastor Harold Long
- The Prodigal God
- Hebrews 12:2
- Luke 15:1-10
- Luke 19:4
- Elder Brother
- Outcast
- Parables
- Sin
- Sin Nature
- Sinners
- Tax Collectors
- The Parable of the Lost Coin
- The Parable of the Lost Sheep
- The Parable of the Prodigal Son
- Timothy Keller
- Younger Brother
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
How to Live and How to Die
September 10, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- How to Live and How to Die
- Ephesians 5:15-16
- Psalm 42
- Psalm 90
- Bless the Lord O My Soul
- Cancer
- COVID-19
- Death
- Dr. Tim Keller
- First Time Experience
- Francis Collins
- Growing My Faith in the Face of Death
- H.H. Breaker Morant
- How to Live and How to Die
- John Newton
- Jonathan Edwards
- Kathy Keller
- Life
- On Death
- Summa Theologiae
- The last day of your life
- Thomas Aquinas
- Yoda
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today’s message is titled “How to Live and How to Die.” Today, Pastor Harold unpacks Psalm 90 and helps us understand how to live a Jesus-centered life with a sense of excitement and urgency. Next, we’ll look at how to die from the experience, strength, and hope of the late Dr. Tim Keller and by putting our faith in a Jesus-looking God.
Christians Are Like Tea Bags; You Don’t Know What They Are Made of Until You Put Them in Hot Water
September 3, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- Christians Are Like Tea Bags
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
- John 14:3
- Revelation 19:6-9
- Accidents
- Aging
- Buddhism
- Death
- ekklesia
- Fatalism
- Four Pillars
- Illness
- King Solomon
- Paganism
- Platonism
- Qoheleth
- Self-reliance
- Son of David
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today’s message is titled “Christians Are Like Tea Bags; You Don’t Know What They Are Made Of Until You Put Them In Hot Water.” Today, Pastor Harold unpacks Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 and helps us understand the philosophy of fatalism and how it deludes our relationship with God. We look at the Four Big Pillars of Life and how, depending on our faith, we will deal with them when we are put into hot water, and all human beings will experience hot water; there is no avoiding it. If you are alive, you experience #1; we all will experience #4; and if we live long enough, we will experience #2 & #3, and not just for ourselves, but others we love: 1. Birth (Fate Determines) 2. Illness/accidents 3. Aging 4. Death
How To Share Your Faith In The World
August 20, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- How To Share Your Faith In The World
- 1 Peter 3:13-22
- Matthew 28:19-20
- Discipleship
- Evangelism
- Good News
- Jesus-Centered
- Jesus-centered Community
- Jesus-Centered Faith
- Jesus-centered life
- Jesus-Centered Living
- Jesus-looking God
- Narrative Spirituality
- Narrative Theology
- Our Primary Purpose
- The Best News Ever
- The Great Commission
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today’s message is titled “How To Share Your Faith In The World.” Today we unpack 1 Peter 3:13-22 and are reminded of our primary purpose as disciples. When we look at the decline of the “BIG C” Church, we have to be honest with ourselves and take ownership of the decline. We must quit blaming the devil, Satan, demons, principalities, and powers for everything that doesn’t go our way. Secularists have done a better job of evangelizing than believers have. If the trend continues, by 2070, 50% of the population in the United States will be secular, e.g., atheist, agnostic, and irreligious. If we believe the “good news” is the “best news ever,” we must start acting like it. We must share our faith and Jesus regularly and be invitational to the world’s countless lost souls suffering, wounded, and excluded.
When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear
August 13, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear
- Galatians 1:19
- James 3:1
- James 4:4-10
- John 18:36
- Mark 1:19
- Mark 3:18
- Above Suspicion
- Daoism
- Kingdom of God
- Lao Tzu
- Laozi
- Tao Te Ching
- Taoism
- When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today we unpack James 4:4-10 and learn from the teacher James. James shows us what it means to live a Jesus-centered life. We explore the quote’s origin, “When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear.” What does it mean to be double-minded and outside the will of God? We look at a deeper understanding of the reference to the devil and how extreme self-centeredness robs us of the best life possible. We lean on our bumper video and lesson on Mr. Jenkins and how we can be the teachers in the right place at the right time when the student appears.
God is _________________________________!
July 30, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- God is _____________________!
- Romans 1:16-25
- Big Bang
- Big Bang Theory
- Chadder Chipmunk
- Cosmological Argument
- God is awesome
- God is in charge
- God is Love
- God is real
- God is strong
- God is with us
- Teleological Argument
- VBS
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Our message today is titled “God is _______________________!” We unpack Romans 1:16-25 and incorporate the curriculum from this past weekend’s vacation bible school. We discuss the major theological arguments for God: 1. Cosmological Argument 2. Telelogocial Argument The Apostle Paul affirms that all humans already know the truth about God; they have chosen to suppress it. He reminds us that humans are without excuse when believing in God. We look at five spiritual truths about God that came from our VBS curriculum, and we added a 6th that comes from scripture: 1. God is real 2. God is with us 3. God is strong 4. God is awesome 5. God is in charge 6. (bonus) God is love
Where Are You, God?
July 16, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- Where Are You, God?
- John 8:12-30
- I Am
- Jesus
- Jesus is the Light
- Jesus the Christ
- Jesus-Centered
- Jesus-centered Community
- Jesus-Centered Faith
- Jesus-centered life
- Jesus-Centered Living
- Jesus-looking God
- Jews
Our message today is titled “Where Are You, God?” We unpack John 8:12-36 and what it means to say, “God is everything, or He is nothing.” We learn why Jesus demands that we either crown him King or crucify him.
How To Live a Happy Life: Part Two
July 9, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- How To Live a Happy Life
- Galatians 5:16-26
- Fruits of the Spirit
- Happiness
- Holy Spirit
- How To Live a Happy Life
- Spirit
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today we complete our two-part series “How To Live a Happy Life.” We unpack Galatians 5:16-26 and provide practical steps to experience true happiness and learn what Scripture teaches us about how to live a happy life.
How To Live a Happy Life: Part One
July 2, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- How To Live a Happy Life
- Psalm 37:1-11
- Happiness
- How To Live a Happy Life
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today we start our two-part series “How To Live a Happy Life.” We unpack Psalm 37:1-11 and some statistics around the topic of happiness. We will learn what steps we can take to help bump up our happiness score by over 100 points.
Sympathy For the Devil?: Part Two
June 18, 2023
- Pastor Harold Long
- Sympathy For The Devil?
- 1 John 3:1-10
- Ezekiel 28:12-18
- Hell
- Isaiah 14:12-14
- John 8:44
- Luke 10:17-19
- Mark 5:7-8
- Matthew 25:41
- Matthew 4:10
- Matthew 4:7
- Accusation
- C.S. Lewis
- Dan Kent
- Dante Alighieri
- Delusion
- devil
- Jesus-Centered
- Jews
- Lucifer
- principalities and powers
- Satan
- Schemes
- Spiritual Warfare
- Strategies
- Temptation
- The Devine Comedy
- Thomas Brooks
- Wickedness
- Witches
- Hillsboro UMC
- Transformation UMC
Today we start a two-part series titled “Sympathy For The Devil?” We unpack 1 John 3:1-10 (The Message) in today’s message. The subject of Satan, the Devil, demons, Lower Power, Darkside, the Enemy, Lucifer, Evil, and Spiritual Warfare are highly confusing, hard to understand, and often misconstrued. In this new messages series, we will tackle these subjects and uncover, discover, and discard any twisted perceptions about “The Devil.”