Shady Grove Sermons

Clay in His Hand  Jeremiah 18:1–6 I. Introduction • The question many carry: What is God doing with my life? • Text: God sends Jeremiah to the potter’s house (Jer. 18:1–6). • Cornerstone: We are clay in His hand. • Illustration: Potter reworks collapsed clay. General Observations & Lessons 1. It would have been jarring. 2. It would have been humbling. 3. It would have stirred both dread and hope. 4. It would have clarified his own calling. 5. This moment would have stayed with him. Statement of Truth: Judgment is not the end of the story if the clay remains in the hand. II. God Sends Us to Watch Where He Is Already Working (vv. 1–3) • “Go down… and there I will let you hear.” • Obedience precedes revelation. • Ordinary places become sacred when God is working. • Tie to Experiencing God: watch and join. III. The Vessel Can Be Spoiled While Still in the Potter’s Hand (v. 4) • Spoiled in the potter’s hand—not after leaving the wheel. • Collapse is not abandonment. • The ...

Made in His Image Genesis 1:26–27 Questions for Consideration: • Who am I?  • Where did I come from?  • Why am I here? • What is my purpose? I. World View Answers  a. Mesopotamian account-   ________________ b. Egyptian account - _______________ II. God Creates a. No rival b. No struggle c. No need III. The Climax a. Intentional, not accidental b. Purposeful, not enslaved c. Male and female both bear His image Application / Discussion Questions 1. Which modern or ancient answer to “who am I?” do you hear most often, and how does Genesis 1 speak to it? 2. How does knowing you are made in God’s image change the way you view your own worth when you feel insignificant? 3. How should the imago Dei shape the way you treat people you disagree with or find difficult? 4. In what ways do we still reach for the “forbidden tree” instead of trusting the One who was nailed to a tree for us? 5. What would it look like this week to live a...

God Will Supply Your Needs Philippians 4:19   Context: Philippians 4:10–20 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:19 (ESV) Big Idea: God pledges to meet every legitimate need of His generous, believing children from His glorious riches, and He signs that pledge in Christ Jesus. You cannot out-give God, and you cannot have an unmeetable need. Aim: To help hearers stop measuring the size of the need and start measuring the size of their God—then respond with trust, generosity, and doxology. Opening Hook • Thomas Hansen (1978) sued his parents for $350,000 for “malpractice of parenting” after a rebellious adolescence. • The case and the appeal were dismissed for lack of evidence. • Transition: Would anyone here sue God for neglect of deity? • That would be a frivolous lawsuit. Philippians 4:19 is God’s unfailing answer. Context in Brief • Paul is under house arrest in Rome. • The Philippian church, ...

The Heart of the Matter Proverbs 4:20–27 Big Idea: The heart of the matter is always the matter of the heart. Key Verse: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Context & Setting • Third parental discourse in Proverbs 4 (vv. 1–9: what not to do; vv. 10–19: what to do; vv. 20–27: how to do it) • Solomon speaking as a father to his son / a king to his heir / an older man to a younger man • Wisdom is not merely intellectual or merely spiritual—it is an embodied way of life (“the anatomy of discipleship”) • Body parts mentioned: ears, eyes, flesh, heart, mouth/lips, feet—yet the primary concern is the heart Sermon Structure Three Ways to Guard Your Heart 1. Guard Your Heart Attentively (vv. 20–22) a. Be attentive to my words — Listen carefully (difference between hearing and listening) b. Incline your ear — Lean in to hear God’s Word (cf. Psalm 116:2) c. Let them not escape from your sight — Keep your eyes on wisdom; rea...

The Practice of Unceasing Prayer 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Hearers of the Word: From the heart of prayer to the habits of prayer. The same command now shapes daily practice. 1. Pray Regularly Put God on the calendar — morning, evening, check-ins Establish prayer triggers (car, class change, phone calls, medication) Daniel’s custom (Dan. 6:10) — pray before the crisis so you know where God is in the crisis 2. Pray Spontaneously Discipline + natural response Prayer that interrupts the schedule Greek term for "without ceasing" = medical term for a persistent cough — prayer you can’t shake 3. Pray Persistently Luke 11 & 18 parables — always pray and not lose heart PUSH — Pray Until Something Happens Chinese bamboo tree — five years of watering before sudden growth 4. Pray Actively Prayer is not passive — put feet on your prayers "Pack and pray at the same time" Matthew 9 — Jesus told them to pray, then sent them; life itself becomes prayer 5. Pray Confidentl...

 The Heart of Unceasing Prayer: PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Big Idea: It is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you that you pray without ceasing. Primary Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 — "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Introduction 1. The Janice Gravely illustration — changing radio channels while calling for help 2. The danger of changing channels before help arrives 3. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 as the standing orders of the church 4. Thesis: It is the will of God that you pray without ceasing (Luther quote) What Does It Mean to Pray Without Ceasing? 1. Pray Constantly a. The Greek term is the most comprehensive word for prayer (talking to God) b. Emphasis is on when, not how c. Illustration: Checking our phones throughout the day — so we should check in with God 2. Pray Dependently a. Not "do nothing but pray," but "do nothing with...