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Building Blocks for Effective Spiritual Maturity (1 Corinthians 3)

July 22, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual of a girl reading the bible to denote building spiritual maturity.

Introduction to sermon titled “Building Blocks for Effective Spiritual Maturity Spiritual:

I wonder how many of you received a letter in the post recently. Sadly, we don’t get too many letters by post now, but we do get letters mainly through email. We also get messages on WhatsApp. Maybe you got a letter saying that you’ve got a promotion, or you’ve got a salary raise—some good news. Or maybe you got a letter that wasn’t so pleasant, that was a bit difficult to receive. Or maybe you even received a letter that brought some correction or some guidance into your life.

Well, whatever it may be, we know the value of receiving a good and meaningful letter from someone.

Proposition: I would like to share a sermon today titled, ‘Building Blocks for Effective Spiritual Maturity’, based on the Apostle Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthian Church.

As we look at this book, and the background to this book, we find that the church in Corinth, which was a city in Greece, had been founded by the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul founded that church while he stayed there for 18 months, teaching the word of God. It happened through a vision that he received from the Lord (Acts 18:9), and this particular church was very precious to the Apostle Paul. He was like a father to the congregation.

Help Someone Along Life’s Journey

July 15, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

Devotional: Help Someone Along Life’s Journey

Scripture: “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre” (1 Samuel 16:18)

Today’s Reading – 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Illustration:

Award winning songstress Gloria Estefan has often spoken about the challenges she faced as a foreign student in her early school life, mainly due to her inability to communicate in English.

Gloria however received assistance in her English language skills and was given confidence to persevere by her year one teacher, Dorothy Collins. She eventually won the class reading prize and went on to study languages at University.

Showing respect for her teacher, Gloria once said, “My year one teacher didn’t just teach me the language; she helped me find my voice”.

Speak Words of Kindness (Proverbs 12:25)

July 2, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual to denote speaking words of kindness showing the words 'Thank You'.

Devotional on Kindness:

A little child with learning difficulties had a tough time during her first sessions in class and was coping poorly. During the following year however, her learning improved quite dramatically. In case you’re wondering why? – Well, after her first day in the new class, the new teacher called up every child individually and whispered something into their ear. When this particular child walked up, the teacher had leaned over and whispered, “I wish I had a child like you.” Those words of kindness were the catalyst for a powerful change in the child’s behavior and learning.

Country singer Christy Lane once sang –

God Will Never Leave You (Deuteronomy 31)

April 18, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A photo of an adult holding a child's hand to highlight that God will never leave you.

(This is an outline of a sermon titled ” God Will Never Leave You”, preached at the People’s Church in Sri Lanka on Sunday, 7th April 2024).

Opening Illustration: Shared a memory of being let down by someone during a moment of crisis.

Introduction: Refer to Deuteronomy 31:1-8

a) The nation of Israel was preparing to enter the promised land.

b) Moses says that he is now 120 years old and unable to lead them any longer.

c) The Lord had told him that he would not be crossing the Jordan to enter the promised land.

This was a pivotal and important moment in Israel’s history. The people would have been deeply disturbed by Moses’ statement. However, Moses assures them with a powerful promise.

The Tomb – Given with Courage and Commitment

March 30, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual of a tomb to depict the tomb given by Joseph of Arimathea for Jesus' burial.

This reading based around Joseph of Arimathea, is from Day – 21 of the Devotional titled, “Reflections on Passion Week”. The e-book can be purchased on Amazon.com here. (Available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited).

Scripture: “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.” (Matthew 27:57-58)

After Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a prominent and upright member of the Jewish Council, went boldly before Pilate and requested permission to bury the body. In the process, he had to go through the tension of first facing an unscrupulous and treacherous governor, and thereafter, a battle-hardened centurion (Mark 15:43-45, Luke 23:50). After checking with the centurion whether Jesus was already dead, Pilate eventually released the body to Joseph (Mark 15:45).

Reflections on Passion Week – A 21-day Devotional

March 7, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual of a palm leaf to highlight the theme which is "Reflections on Passion Week".

Our 21-day Devotional, “Reflections on Passion Week, is now available on Amazon Kindle. It would be a very useful tool to be used in small groups and devotional groups, and for personal reflection during this Season. Get your copy today from the Kindle Store on this link.

5 Lessons from Jesus about Trust and Handling Money (Luke 16)

February 23, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual of money to highlight Jesus' teachings on trust and worldly resources.

A sermon showing lessons from Jesus on trust and wealth.

Introduction:

Last week I read about a very wealthy businessman. He was a landowner who rented his estates to other merchants, to do business on his land. Payment was made at the end of a season on the produce and earnings they made from the estate.

This owner had an Operations Manager who possibly had been given comfortable accommodation too. After a while however, this manager began mismanaging the owner’s estate and money began to leak out, possibly because of wastage. So, at one point, the boss got to know that this was happening, and he called the manager up and said, “You know, you better give a report on your management because what’s happening is not good”. He was also probably given marching orders to step down from his job.

Jacob – Fulfilling God’s Purpose (Genesis 28)

January 13, 2024 / Palitha Jayasooriya / 0 Comments

A visual with the word "Purpose" to highlight our title of fulfilling God's Purpose.

This is the transcript of a sermon preached at The People’s Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka – Fulfilling God’s Purpose (Genesis 28)

You know, I was reading about the well-loved preacher Billy Graham a couple of days ago. It is said that when Billy Graham joined Bible College in the 30’s, he was once asked to preach a sermon impromptu. He apparently preached four borrowed sermons in eight minutes! But that day he felt a clear call to preach, and from there on, he used every opportunity that he could, to preach, which wasn’t many at that time. As a result, he used to take a boat and go across the river and preach to the surrounding trees, birds, and alligators. That’s how he built his preaching ministry and God’s purpose..

Sometime later, while on a walk in the night, he fell on his knees and he said, “Lord if you want me to serve you, I will do it.” That day the ministry and God’s purpose in Billy Graham’s life was clearly set.