Scott LaPierre's Blog: Scott LaPierre | Living God's Way | Pastor, Author, and Speaker, page 27

A Husband’s Spiritual Leadership – The Marriage You Really Want

Anne Nelson, the founder of Fully Thriving, interviewed me about a husband's spiritual leadership in the home. This was for her online conference: "The Marriage You Really Want - Transforming Loneliness and Conflict into Confidence and Connection."If you'd like to interview me for an online event, or have me as a guest on your podcast, please let me know. https://youtu.be/ePaqgA6pFEUA Husband's Spiritual LeadershipGod has called husbands to be spiritual leaders in the marriag...

Pain, Purpose, and Plan: Repurposing your pain to forge a remarkable future

Tracy Calahan interviewed me for her online conference, "Pain, Purpose, and Plan: Repurposing your pain to forge a remarkable future." As a pastor I am not shielded from pain, trials, and tribulations. I discussed some of the suffering I've experienced recently, as well as the blessings and goodness God has shown me and others through it.If you'd like to interview me for an online event, or have me as a guest on your podcast, please let me know.Video of Pain, Purpose, and Plan Interview...

Who Then Is the Faithful and Wise Manager? (Luke 12:41-48)

In Luke 12:42 Jesus asked, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?" In Luke 12:35-40 Jesus preached about being ready for his return. We could almost think that what the guys are doing in Acts 1:9-11, is the best example of doing what Christ wanted: standing there, waiting, staring off into heaven. But then Jesus preached Luke 12:41 to 48 to prevent us from thinking this. Being ready for Chris...

The Son of Man Is Coming at an Hour You Do Not Expect (Luke 12:35-40)

Jesus said, "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40). Jesus wants us prepared to serve Him. Our waist must be girded so we’re ready to act quickly, but we need to be able to see where we’re going! We live in a dark world and the light we need to see comes from God’s Word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).What is the blessing for those servants who are ready for Christ’s return? In an unbelievable r...

They Devoted Themselves to the Word, Fellowship, Communion, and Prayer

Acts 2:42 says regarding the early church, "they devoted themselves to the word (apostles' doctrine), and fellowship, communion (breaking of bread), and prayers." This verse can serve as a blueprint for churches. It describes the foundation of the early church, and it can serve as a foundation for us. Peter preached a great sermon on Pentecost and three thousand people were saved. This huge group of new believers couldn’t be sidetracked by any books, programs, or other churches. So, looking at w...

Your Marriage God's Way launch team

Your Marriage God's Way: A Biblical Guide to a Christ-Centered Relationship and Your Marriage God's Way Workbook: A Biblical Guide to a Christ-Centered Relationship will be published by Harvest House September 21, 2021.

Would you like to join the launch team?

Please fill out this form if interested:

https://forms.office.com/r/JXRbZpgXui

You will receive a FREE PDF of the galley (the interior as it looks in the book and workbook), AND the first 10 people to satisfy the requirements will receive a free signed copy of the book and workbook.

The requirements are:

1. Leave a review of the book and workbook on Amazon.
2. Leave a review of the book and workbook on at least two other sites of your choice. I will send you the links to the sites later. You can copy and paste the same review on all the sites.
3. Pray that God uses the book and workbook to strengthen marriages and exalt Christ.

In Christ,
Scott LaPierre

Three Reasons to Equip the Saints for the Work of Ministry Versus Being Seeker Sensitive

Based on Ephesians 4:11 the church leadership should equip the saints for the work of ministry versus being seeker sensitive. In seeker sensitive churches the focus is taken off believers and put on unbelievers. This is a reversal of the biblical pattern, and it leaves believers spiritually weak, emaciated, and starving. The focus should be on believers so they can be built up, equipped, sanctified, and strengthened. Then they can perform the work of the ministry, including going out and sharing...

The Rich in This Present Age…(1 Timothy 6:17-19)

The apostle Paul doesn’t condemn the rich in this present age, because there’s nothing wrong with being wealthy. But he does have special instructions for people who are rich in 1 Timothy 6:17-19. He discusses two things the rich in this present age should not do, and two things they should do.Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for The Rich in This Present Age…Family Worship GuideSermon Notes for The Rich in This Present Age…Lesson 1: As for the rich in this present age, they should not (part 1) look down on others.Lesson 1: As for the rich in this present age, they should not (part 2) trust in their richesLesson 2: As for the rich in this present age, they should prepare for the next life by (part 1) doing good works.Lesson 2: As for the rich in this present age, they should prepare for the next life by (part 2) giving generously.Lesson 3: Give (part 1) from the heart.Sermon Lessons for The Rich in This Present Age…Lesson 1: As for the rich in this present age, they should not:(Part I) Look ________ on ____________ (1 Timothy 6:17a; Proverbs 18:23, 28:11; Deuteronomy 8:18; Ecclesiastes 6:2; 1 Sam 2:7; 1 Corinthians 4:7).(Part II) __________ in their ____________ (1 Timothy 6:17b cf. Luke 12:19; Psalm 40:3, 62:10, 73:28, 118:8; Proverbs 29:25, 11:28, 18:11, 30:8-9).Lesson 2: As for the rich in this present age, they should prepare for the next life by:(Part I) Doing ________ __________ (1 Timothy 6:18a).(Part II) Giving ____________________ (1 Timothy 6:18b; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Proverbs 3:9; Mal 3:10; Luke 6:38; Gal 6:7; Phil 4:19; Matt 19:27-29).Lesson 3: Give (Part I) ________ the __________ (2 Corinthians 9:7; Matthew 6:1-4).Family Worship GuideDay 1: 1 Timothy 6:17, Proverbs 28:11, Deuteronomy 8:18a, Proverbs 10:22, Ecclesiastes 6:2a, 1 Corinthians 4:7 and discuss: Why is it a temptation for the rich in this present age to look down on those who do not have as much? How can having riches deceive us into thinking where our real worth is found? Why is it important to see that it is God Who blesses us with material gain? How does acknowledging this cause us to respond?Day 2: Luke 12:19, Proverbs 11:28, Proverbs 30:8-9, Luke 18:25, Psalm 40:3, Psalm 73:28b, and discuss: How can riches cause us to be self-reliant? Why is this dangerous? Why is it appealing to rely on riches rather than God? How does having riches give us a false confidence of being in control? Who needs to be in control for us to be fully confident? How does the mindset of being in control through riches affect one’s perspective on their eternity?Day 3: 1 Timothy 6:18-19, 2 Corinthians 9:6, Proverbs 3:9, Luke 6:38, and discuss: Why is it wrong to think that good works can be substituted with financial giving? Does God’s promise of increase apply only to the eternal? What does the Bible say about the proportion of our giving? How will this effect the way you give and serve?Sermon Notes for The Rich in This Present Age…The title of last week’s sermon was, “The Rich Man Was a Fool Because…” The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Rich in This Present Age…”A few weeks ago we looked at 1 Timothy 6:6-10. There were more verses about money in this chapter, but I wanted to look at them after reading The Parable of the Rich Fool, and here’s why:The Parable of the Rich Fool tells us what NOT TO DO if we’re rich.These verses – 17-19 – tell us what TO DO if we’re richBriefly look back at verses 9 and 10:Verse 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation…Verse 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils…In these verses Paul condemns those who desire to be rich and who have a love of money.When we looked at these verses I said money is amoral.Since there’s nothing wrong w/ being rich, Paul doesn’t condemn the rich.BUT…He does have special instructions for people who are rich, and it’s in verses 17-19.One more thing before we jump into the verses…

The Rich Man Was a Fool Because…(Luke 12:16-21)

In Luke 12:16-21 Jesus taught The Parable of the Rich Fool. The rich man was a fool because of what he did with his wealth. It is ironic that God said he’s a fool, because he actually looks very smart. He was rich and able to accumulate all this wealth. He was a wise farmer and successful business man. So why was the rich man a fool? We’ll consider the five reasons in this message, so we can avoid being fools ourselves.Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for The Rich Man Was a Fool Because…(Luke 12:16-21)Family Worship GuideSermon NotesThe rich man was a fool because he didn’t (lesson 1) give.The rich man was a fool because he didn’t (lesson 2) plan for eternity.The rich man was a fool because he didn’t (lesson 3) know to whom his soul belonged.The rich man was a fool because he didn’t (lesson 4) send anything ahead.The rich man was a fool because he didn’t (lesson 5) think about a relationship with God.Sermon Lessons for The Rich Man Was a Fool Because…(Luke 12:16-21)The Rich Man was a fool because he didn’t:Lesson 1: ________ (Luke 12:17-19).Lesson 2: Plan for ________________ (Luke 12:20; Jam 1:9-11).Lesson 3: Know to whom ______ ________ belonged (Luke 12:20; Matt 16:26; Ecc 2:18).Lesson 4: Send ________________ __________ (Matt 6:19-20 cf. Luke 12:21; Jam 5:1-3).Lesson 5: Think about a relationship ________ ______ (Luke 12:21).Family Worship GuideDay 1: Luke 12:16-19, Pro 13:22, and discuss: How did the rich man indicate what his perspective was by his use of personal pronouns? How can we identify what our focus is by who we are planning for? What ought we to consider when we are blessed by God with an abundance of material things?Day 2: Luke 12:19 - 20, Jam 1:9-11, and discuss: How did the rich man’s misunderstanding of his accountability to God for his soul influence his perspective of life? How did it influence how he managed his resources? How does James describe the reality of the rich who are caught up in their pursuits? Is there any exception for those who live for themselves?Day 3: Luke 12:19-20, Matt 16:26, Matt 6:19-20, 2 Cor 4:17-18, and discuss: What should we be aware of regarding our investment of things God blesses us with? If we cannot take anything with us what can we do with what we have in order to have eternal treasure? What perspective must we have in order to invest. What would it take for us to be convinced of the reality of the things that are not seen?Sermon NotesThe title of this morning’s sermon is, “Learning from a Rich Fool.”On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s Gospel verse-by-verse. Last week we started The Parable of the Rich Fool, and this morning we’ll finish it.Look w/ me at verse 16 to get the context…Luke 12:16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’His harvest was so great he ran out of room. As a farmer, his crops are basically money, so it’s like he has more money than he knows what to do w/ it.He asks a good question, and there are many good answers…such as…“Since God gave me such a great crop, I’ll give back to Him:I’ll give to the temple or the synagogueI’ll give to the poorI’ll give to widows or orphansBut he didn’t come up w/ any good answers. Look at verse 18…Luke 12:18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’The Rich Man feels good about himself, but look what God thinks…Luke 12:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’Although God said the man is a fool, he actually looks very smart:He was rich and able to accumulate all this wealth.

Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?

Can Christians get angry at sin and death? My father died unexpectedly earlier this month. Because he had Alzheimer’s I had years to think about him passing away and how I would feel. I expected grief and sorrow, but I didn’t expect to feel angry.We should evaluate our feelings to determine whether they please or displease God. We do this by reading God’s Word to see what it says about the feelings we are experiencing. We also look at our premier example, Jesus Christ Himself, to see if He experienced those same feelings because He was the perfect Person.The difficulty with evaluating anger is it isn’t as straightforward as other feelings. There are some verses that discourage anger and others that encourage it.https://youtu.be/AvXFyOleLekCan Christians get angry at sin and death? My father died unexpectedly. I expected grief, but I didn’t expect to feel angry.Table of ContentsSermon Lessons for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Family Worship Guide for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Sermon Notes for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Lesson one: we should evaluate our feelings.Lesson two: we can be angry at (part one) sin.Lesson two: we can be angry at (part two) Death.Sermon Lessons for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Lesson one: we should evaluate ______ ________________ (1 Thessalonians 4:13, Ephesians 2:12, Matthew 5:4, 26:36-38, Proverbs 22:24, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Colossians 3:8).Lesson two: we can be angry at:(part one) ______ (Deuteronomy 9:8, Numbers 11:1, Mark 3:5, James 1:20, 4:1-2, Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, Amos 5:15, Romans 12:9).(part two) __________ (John 11:31-44, 14:9, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 20:14).Family Worship Guide for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?Directions: Read the verses and then answer the following questions:Day one: 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Ephesians 2:12, Matthew 5:4, 26:36-38, Proverbs 22:24, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Colossians 3:8. Would you agree that death is “Normal”? Why doesn’t it feel normal? Why do you think we should evaluate our feelings? What feelings have you experienced when you’ve lost a loved one? Do you believe those feelings are supported by God’s Word?Day two: Deuteronomy 9:8, Numbers 11:1, Mark 3:5, James 1:20, 4:1-2, Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, Amos 5:15, Romans 12:9. Why is anger a difficult feeling to evaluate? Can you think about godly examples of anger in Scripture? What about ungodly examples? What does it look like to have a godly anger toward sin? What does ungodly anger look like, and why is it often produced in our lives?Day three: John 11:31-44, 14:9, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 20:14. Why do you think Jesus was angry at Death? Why did Jesus let Lazarus die? Why did Jesus weep, and what does that mean for us with him being our faithful High Priest? Considering Jesus wept, what does that tell us about God himself? What application does the account with Lazarus have for us when we lose believing loved ones?Sermon Notes for Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?The title of this morning’s sermon is, “Can Christians Get Angry at Sin and Death?.”Pastor Nathan preached for me the last two weeks which I really appreciated, so that I could be with my mom and kids, and plan Dad’s Celebration of Life.But even though I didn’t have a sermon to prepare, I worked on this message.I wanted to preach this, versus jump right back into our vision sermons, because of all the people in our church family who have lost loved ones recently.For example:The Raleys lost their sonRobby Lehtonen and Mike Houck each lost a brotherThe Schmitz’s – Allan, Kandie, and Malyna – lost a cousin and nephewAllan Schmitz lost his fatherAudrey Templin lost a sister, and her children lost an auntRichard and Betty Pender lost a sonWendy McFarlane lost a brotherKelli Motzkus lost her fatherBonnie Ailshie lost a grandfatherEdie Cole lost a daughterPastor Nathan’s uncle is on hospice and wasn’t expected t...