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