Texts: Topic: Thesis

Texts: De 3:28; Luke 15:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-8 Topic: Encouragement Thesis: If Christians will determine to encourage each other, the church will experience renewal and spiritual growth.

Title: CBC Value #5: We Will Encourage Each Other

Campus Crusade’s witnessing pamphlet, The Four Spiritual Laws begins with the statement “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Since this is true, we should be like Moses in response to God’s instruction regarding Joshua.

“But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because it is he who shall cross over at the head of this people and who shall secure their possession of the land that you will see."” (De 3:28 NRSV)

The Hebrew word translated into English in this passage as “encourage” quite literally means to strengthen, to make firm and rigid, or to restore to strength.

There are two classes of people who need encouragement… 1.

Sinners Need Encouragement

“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Lu 15:4 AV)

There are two classes of people who need encouragement… 2.

Saints Need Encouragement

“Keep watch over the flock of God which is in your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not for unclean profit but with a ready mind;” (1Pe 5:2 BBE)

http://ronforseth.com/images/An%20Amazing%20Redwood%20Forest.JPG

Redwoods Root Structure The root system of the redwood tree is surprisingly shallow, especially given the great height the mature tree attains. There is no tap root and the other roots may reach no deeper than 6-10 feet. One way in which the trees are able to remain upright for millennia is by growing close together with other redwood trees intermingling their root systems. This creates a continuous living root mat through the soil. http://www.merrells.com/john/images/imageJohnInTheRedwoodTrees.jpg http://www.ifsforestry.co.nz/admin/plugins/ExtendedFileManager/demo_images/Coast_Redwood.pdf

http://www.redwoodecology.org/redwood.html

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Emma Lazarus The New Colossus http://www.libertystatepark.com/emma.htm

http://www.nps.gov/stli/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm?eid=97815&aid=51&root_aid=51&sort=title&startRow=19#e_97815